Okay, so it won't be starting today. I get it. But I'm putting this out there in an attempt to get better about blogging and about cooking more food. Not necessarily more in quantity, but more in variety-so I don't wind up on Friday with nothing in the house and a need to go and get myself a take-out meal (I love take-out meals. I do. But my wallet's not such a fan!) Often when I cook over the weekends I'm making multiple things anyway-I might as well share it with everyone, right?
So last night I decided that I'll try to post something at least every day for the entire 31 days of March. This gives me enough time this week to get myself a game plan for next week and get things started (i.e. head off to the store). And who knows, I might have a couple of things up my sleeve that I'll be making this week and writing about it. We shall see. I'll also share some fun stories and things I've found by a result of going through my hundreds and hundreds of recipes.
I am determined to make this thing stick. It's fun when I do manage to sit down and write-I'd like to make it a better habit!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
"Seduction"
Before I get to the main purpose of this post, I'll start by saying that as my birthday was earlier this month, I knew I was going to have cake (and good thing too, as I had been craving cake for quite awhile). My friends threw me an awesome party, and one of the best things was that my friend K made me my birthday cake. Now, don't get me wrong. I love a good bakery cake. I even love the cake mix cakes. But I was secretly hoping that someone might bake me a good old fashioned cake. And damn, was I not disappointed.
Chocolate cake with a mocha buttercream. I was in heaven. It was awesome. And I even got to take the rest home, where I proceeded to finish the rest of it the next day (uh oh, secret's out!). But it was awesome. and one of the best things about it was that someone made it for me. Writing about it is making me want it again.
But because my birthday falls right before Valentine's Day, I usually get inundated with all things pink, hearts, etc. Normally, most years, Valentine's Day is just another day, in this case, Sunday. I had seen a recipe that I had been really itching to try though, and just never got to it. For Christmas I had given my sister a cookbook called "Casserole Crazy", and liked what I saw in it so much that I wound up buying myself a copy too (I have a bunch of new breakfast casseroles I want to try, but that will have to wait until I a}have a brunch gathering or b}give myself enough of an opportunity to have a breakfast casserole all week for breakfast). Not long after I got the cookbook, I was flipping through it, and found a section devoted entirely to mac and cheese (YES!). One of the recipes was entitled "Seduction", and I knew I had to try it. Five different kinds of cheese. Corn. Tomatoes. Sounded heavenly.
Valentine's Day seemed to be a perfect opportunity for such a dish (even if really I was just giving myself an excuse to make a really rich meal). So I went to the store Sunday afternoon, got all of the ingredients, and went to work. Damn if that cheese sauce didn't give me a workout. It wasn't really creamy like most cheese sauces I've done before. This wasn't soupy. At all. Instead it stuck to the pasta like, well, like sticking to your ribs. It was quite difficult to put together and not fall out of the pan. But I perservered, and wound up making a dish that was quite good and that I was quite a fan of. Maybe not quite as much as my current mac and cheese favorite, mac and cheese lorraine, but still, a definite sell. I added spinach to it as well, which gave it even more color. Because I'm a huge fan of bacon, I also think that this would go quite well in this dish but decided not to try it this time. That'll be something for the next go-round.
One word of note: although this is very good fresh, it is not quite as good leftover-the casserole gets very tough to scoop out of the dish (I actually bent a spoon trying to get some for myself over the next few days) and it is very heavy. But this is definitely the kind of mac and cheese you can make your own. Add some cheeses, take others out, add a different vegetable or some bacon or pancetta. Have fun with it.
Seduction (mac and corn 2.0) (from Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven, by Emily Farris)
INGREDIENTS
o 1 large white onion
o 2 cloves garlic (I used a spoonful of minced garlic)
o 1 pound Cavatelli (I went with whole wheat spirals-I figured I'd try to be a little health-conscious)
o 1/2 pound sharp cheddar, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound white cheddar, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound Gruyere, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
o 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
o 1 bag (10 oz) frozen sweet corn
o 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
o 1/4 cup olive oil
o 1/2 cup milk
o salt, pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. boil the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
3. In a large pot, over medium heat sauté the garlic and onion in 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. When the onions begin to brown, reduce the heat to low, add milk, and stir. Add both cheddars and Gruyere while continuing to stir. When the cheeses begin to melt, and it will take a while for this to work out well-feel free to add more milk to thin it out if you need to-add the pasta while continuing to stir. Once everything is well coated, add half of the Parmesan (1/4 cup) and stir. (Special Note: I forgot the parmesan, but there was so much other stuff in there I never even noticed). Add corn while continuing to stir (it should go in frozen). Salt and pepper to taste. Add mozzarella and stir. At this point, feel free to add whatever else you want (I added a box of defrosted chopped spinach this time, and next time will add some bacon or something like it).
4. When thoroughly mixed, transfer to a 2 3/4 qt buttered or greased casserole dish and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.
5. Remove from oven and cover with sliced tomatoes and the rest of the Parmesan cheese. (Again, I never added it and it made no difference whatsoever).
6. Bake for about 15 more minutes.
Enjoy!
Chocolate cake with a mocha buttercream. I was in heaven. It was awesome. And I even got to take the rest home, where I proceeded to finish the rest of it the next day (uh oh, secret's out!). But it was awesome. and one of the best things about it was that someone made it for me. Writing about it is making me want it again.
But because my birthday falls right before Valentine's Day, I usually get inundated with all things pink, hearts, etc. Normally, most years, Valentine's Day is just another day, in this case, Sunday. I had seen a recipe that I had been really itching to try though, and just never got to it. For Christmas I had given my sister a cookbook called "Casserole Crazy", and liked what I saw in it so much that I wound up buying myself a copy too (I have a bunch of new breakfast casseroles I want to try, but that will have to wait until I a}have a brunch gathering or b}give myself enough of an opportunity to have a breakfast casserole all week for breakfast). Not long after I got the cookbook, I was flipping through it, and found a section devoted entirely to mac and cheese (YES!). One of the recipes was entitled "Seduction", and I knew I had to try it. Five different kinds of cheese. Corn. Tomatoes. Sounded heavenly.
Valentine's Day seemed to be a perfect opportunity for such a dish (even if really I was just giving myself an excuse to make a really rich meal). So I went to the store Sunday afternoon, got all of the ingredients, and went to work. Damn if that cheese sauce didn't give me a workout. It wasn't really creamy like most cheese sauces I've done before. This wasn't soupy. At all. Instead it stuck to the pasta like, well, like sticking to your ribs. It was quite difficult to put together and not fall out of the pan. But I perservered, and wound up making a dish that was quite good and that I was quite a fan of. Maybe not quite as much as my current mac and cheese favorite, mac and cheese lorraine, but still, a definite sell. I added spinach to it as well, which gave it even more color. Because I'm a huge fan of bacon, I also think that this would go quite well in this dish but decided not to try it this time. That'll be something for the next go-round.
One word of note: although this is very good fresh, it is not quite as good leftover-the casserole gets very tough to scoop out of the dish (I actually bent a spoon trying to get some for myself over the next few days) and it is very heavy. But this is definitely the kind of mac and cheese you can make your own. Add some cheeses, take others out, add a different vegetable or some bacon or pancetta. Have fun with it.
Seduction (mac and corn 2.0) (from Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven, by Emily Farris)
INGREDIENTS
o 1 large white onion
o 2 cloves garlic (I used a spoonful of minced garlic)
o 1 pound Cavatelli (I went with whole wheat spirals-I figured I'd try to be a little health-conscious)
o 1/2 pound sharp cheddar, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound white cheddar, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound Gruyere, cubed or shredded
o 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
o 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
o 1 bag (10 oz) frozen sweet corn
o 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
o 1/4 cup olive oil
o 1/2 cup milk
o salt, pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. boil the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
3. In a large pot, over medium heat sauté the garlic and onion in 2-3 tbsp of olive oil. When the onions begin to brown, reduce the heat to low, add milk, and stir. Add both cheddars and Gruyere while continuing to stir. When the cheeses begin to melt, and it will take a while for this to work out well-feel free to add more milk to thin it out if you need to-add the pasta while continuing to stir. Once everything is well coated, add half of the Parmesan (1/4 cup) and stir. (Special Note: I forgot the parmesan, but there was so much other stuff in there I never even noticed). Add corn while continuing to stir (it should go in frozen). Salt and pepper to taste. Add mozzarella and stir. At this point, feel free to add whatever else you want (I added a box of defrosted chopped spinach this time, and next time will add some bacon or something like it).
4. When thoroughly mixed, transfer to a 2 3/4 qt buttered or greased casserole dish and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.
5. Remove from oven and cover with sliced tomatoes and the rest of the Parmesan cheese. (Again, I never added it and it made no difference whatsoever).
6. Bake for about 15 more minutes.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Zucchini Curry
As a kid, there were several things I wouldn't eat (I know! It's true!). One was anything cherry flavored (I still hate it). Another is milk (I blame my parents for that). And one of the big things was anything spicy. I couldn't stomach it-it just wasn't for me. I remember a long time ago, back when I worked for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, our department used to order in Thai for lunch for any special occasion. The first time we did, I decided I'd try most of the stuff (yes, up to that point, I'd never tried Thai. Now, I can't imagine not eating it almost every week. I digress.) on the table-there were lots of veggie dishes, chicken dishes, and pad thai. What was not to like?
Until I took my first bite, and my mouth went on fire. My face turned such a shade of crimson and my eyes actually watered enough that some of the nurses kept asking me if I was okay, if I was choking, the whole bit. No, no. Just took a big bite of a very spicy veggie dish. For some reason I kept going back to it though. Nowadays, I am not much for very hot dishes, but I'll eat spicy things now. I'm a fan of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and yes, curry spice in my food. It's awesome-I feel like I've opened up to a whole new world of taste.
When I returned home from my fantastic family vacation to Disney this week, I found myself hungry to make something different. I have a recipe I'd been wanting to try from a college friend, aptly named "chickpea thing", but this one, that I'd found in the Boston Globe food section this week, stood out so much I had to make it first. It sounded so good-zucchini, tomatoes, chili powder, what was not to like?
The first thing that should have tipped me off is that although it was called a curry, there was actually no curry powder in the dish. It's made with crushed cashews and sesame seeds, chili powder, and tomato paste. It also has a ton of sauteed onion, zucchini, and tomatoes in it. I added some sprinkling of curry at the end to see if it made a difference.
It did not.
I was a little disappointed by this dish. I'll still eat it, it'll be good for lunch and stuff, but it wasn't terribly flavorful. And no way was it anything curried. I guess it was okay, but if you choose to make this, I'd advise adding a lot of pepper. Or more salt. Or even curry powder or cayenne. Something to give this the kick it needs. The dish sounds so awesome. I wish it lived up to the hype.
Zucchini Curry (adapted from www.Boston.com/food)
2 tablespoons cashews
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. In a food processor, grind the cashews and sesame seeds until they are fine; set aside.
2. In a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, and cashew mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the water and cover the pan. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Until I took my first bite, and my mouth went on fire. My face turned such a shade of crimson and my eyes actually watered enough that some of the nurses kept asking me if I was okay, if I was choking, the whole bit. No, no. Just took a big bite of a very spicy veggie dish. For some reason I kept going back to it though. Nowadays, I am not much for very hot dishes, but I'll eat spicy things now. I'm a fan of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and yes, curry spice in my food. It's awesome-I feel like I've opened up to a whole new world of taste.
When I returned home from my fantastic family vacation to Disney this week, I found myself hungry to make something different. I have a recipe I'd been wanting to try from a college friend, aptly named "chickpea thing", but this one, that I'd found in the Boston Globe food section this week, stood out so much I had to make it first. It sounded so good-zucchini, tomatoes, chili powder, what was not to like?
The first thing that should have tipped me off is that although it was called a curry, there was actually no curry powder in the dish. It's made with crushed cashews and sesame seeds, chili powder, and tomato paste. It also has a ton of sauteed onion, zucchini, and tomatoes in it. I added some sprinkling of curry at the end to see if it made a difference.
It did not.
I was a little disappointed by this dish. I'll still eat it, it'll be good for lunch and stuff, but it wasn't terribly flavorful. And no way was it anything curried. I guess it was okay, but if you choose to make this, I'd advise adding a lot of pepper. Or more salt. Or even curry powder or cayenne. Something to give this the kick it needs. The dish sounds so awesome. I wish it lived up to the hype.
Zucchini Curry (adapted from www.Boston.com/food)
2 tablespoons cashews
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. In a food processor, grind the cashews and sesame seeds until they are fine; set aside.
2. In a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, and cashew mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the water and cover the pan. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
C is for cookie...
Very lately I have been eating almost anything I can get my hands on. I'm not sure why I seem to have a bottomless pit of a stomach these days, but it's true. A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend of mine, and she proceeded to tell me about a banana chocolate chip muffin that she had seen being made on TV. She told me the recipe didn't look like it was too bad for you (though admittedly, it's not something I'd call completely healthy, either). I said I'd love the recipe if she could find it, and as she emailed it to me, told me she'd also found a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies that she thought I'd like. She said she saw rum in the recipe and thought of me.
(brief note: since the great birthday episode of 2009, I have not had rum in my house and will not go near the stuff. It basically makes my stomach turn to smell it. Nonetheless, I would be baking with it, not drinking it, so I figured it might be okay. But generally when someone speaks of rum and me in the same sentence, it's some reference to that episode, and provides entertainment to them, and a bit of horror for me :)).
What the hell, I thought, I'll make them both. I was about to head out with my family on vacation to Florida, and it would be a good snack to have. I also knew I was getting together with friends before I left to watch some Dexter, and thought I'd bring some tasty snacks there.
These cookies and muffins were incredibly easy to make, and I definitely liked them a lot. They're not my standard chocolate chip, but there are chocolate chips in the muffins, so that helps. The cookies were soft and chewy, and big ones to boot! The muffins were soft and had a big banana taste despite only one banana in the batter. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised by both of these baked goods.
Both of these tasty treats are classified as being in the "better for you" category but you'd never be able to tell the difference. Those muffins might just need to be made again for breakfast this week. :)
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (from www.mylifetime.com)
Makes about 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies **my cookies were so large I only got about a dozen and a half**
2 tablespoons whiskey or rum
2/3 cup raisins
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (**I used whole wheat flour. Still tasted awesome**)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oats (not instant)
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Sprinkle the whiskey or rum over the raisins in a bowl and let stand while you assemble the batter.
3. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Beat in the egg and egg white, milk and vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, add to the batter, and beat just until the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the oats with a rubber scraper.
5. Use 2 spoons to scoop out the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Let cool on a wire rack.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (from www.mylifetime.com)
Serves 12
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.
(brief note: since the great birthday episode of 2009, I have not had rum in my house and will not go near the stuff. It basically makes my stomach turn to smell it. Nonetheless, I would be baking with it, not drinking it, so I figured it might be okay. But generally when someone speaks of rum and me in the same sentence, it's some reference to that episode, and provides entertainment to them, and a bit of horror for me :)).
What the hell, I thought, I'll make them both. I was about to head out with my family on vacation to Florida, and it would be a good snack to have. I also knew I was getting together with friends before I left to watch some Dexter, and thought I'd bring some tasty snacks there.
These cookies and muffins were incredibly easy to make, and I definitely liked them a lot. They're not my standard chocolate chip, but there are chocolate chips in the muffins, so that helps. The cookies were soft and chewy, and big ones to boot! The muffins were soft and had a big banana taste despite only one banana in the batter. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised by both of these baked goods.
Both of these tasty treats are classified as being in the "better for you" category but you'd never be able to tell the difference. Those muffins might just need to be made again for breakfast this week. :)
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (from www.mylifetime.com)
Makes about 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies **my cookies were so large I only got about a dozen and a half**
2 tablespoons whiskey or rum
2/3 cup raisins
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (**I used whole wheat flour. Still tasted awesome**)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oats (not instant)
1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Sprinkle the whiskey or rum over the raisins in a bowl and let stand while you assemble the batter.
3. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Beat in the egg and egg white, milk and vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, add to the batter, and beat just until the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the oats with a rubber scraper.
5. Use 2 spoons to scoop out the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Let cool on a wire rack.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (from www.mylifetime.com)
Serves 12
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.
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