My Food Obsession

Thai night!

2008-02-20T19:32:00.004-05:00

My husband loves Thai food, and has been really missing one of his favorite restaurants in Boston. And, I had a can of coconut milk I needed to use, so what better than to make a Thai dish. It was my first attempt at making Thai, and I think it came out great. It has a bit of a kick, but not too much. And the coconut milk is nice and creamy!! My husband prefers the oil-based spicy sauces of Thai, so he didn't love this recipe. That will be the only reason I may not make it again.............so, on to hunting for a Prik Pao recipe for the husband!

Thai Curry Chicken Stirfry
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 can light coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste (could use more, if you like more than mild to moderate spice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, sliced in half inch pieces
1 small to medium squash, chopped
1 can of pineapple
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips

Drain pineapple, and save about 1/2 cup of pineapple juice.

In a bowl, mix the coconut milk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, pineapple and red curry paste.

In a skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, and garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Mix in chicken strips, and cook about 3 minutes, until browned. Stir in the coconut milk sauce. Continue cooking until sauce starts to bubble. Mix in asparagus, squash and pineapple. Cook until heated through. Serve over the cooked rice. Serves 6.

WC Recipe Exchange: Mini Meatloaf Muffins

2008-02-17T17:11:00.003-05:00

We did a recipe exchange on the cooking board I frequent, and the theme was healthy cooking. We all submit a recipe to the organizer, she randomly distributes the recipes out to everyone, and we get to try a new, healthy recipe. I am so excite dto see who made mine, and see how they came out.

This is the recipe I received. I do not like meatloaf, so this was a great dinner for my husband, because it is his favorite!!

I did have to make several changes. My regular muffin pan mysteriously disappeared weeks ago, and still has not turned up. My changes are in red below. Over all, this recipe was great, and my husband would love me to make it again!

Mini Meatloaf Muffins

(source: adapted from a recipe on Bakespace click link for original recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1/4 cup eggbeaters (we do not use/buy eggbeaters, so I just separated the eggs and used the egg whites.)
1 small onion diced(my husband does not like onions, but likes the onions flavor. So, I used 1 tbsp onion powder.)
1/2 green pepper finely diced (I omitted these because we do not like peppers)
2/3 C. Bread Crumbs (we do not use bread crumbs because my husband is lactose intolerant, and most have dairy in them. So, I used a shake and bake packet- so good!)
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. BBQ Sauce
1 8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce (did not have tomato sauce- I know, who runs out of tomato sauce- so I used ketchup)

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Mix all ingredients except for tomato sauce.

2.) Put into a lightly greased muffin pan.(I used large muffin pans, due to the MIA regular muffin pan)

3.) Bake for about 30 minutes at 350

4.) Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce evenly over meatloaf.

5.) Bake an additional 5 minutes. I omitted steps 4 and 5 and they were very tasty.

Yields 8 muffins, 2 muffins per serving (made 6 mega muffins)
POINTS per Serving: 5 (I am not sure how much my version changes the points. I am guessing it would be a bit more, due to the larger size of my "muffins")

My husband's favorite-Pot Stickers

2008-02-17T16:57:00.002-05:00

My husband would eat Chinese or Thai take-out every day if he could. In order to save us some money, I decided to try making one of his favorites at home. They are really easy and so good.........just a bit time consuming. Eventually, I hope to make a ton of these all at once, and freezing them. That is for another day, though.

Pot Stickers
(source: a member of What's For Dinner on www.thenest.com)

1/2 pound ground turkey( I used ground pork)
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
2 green onions, chopped (I had to omit these because my husband does not like them)
1 tbsp grated ginger (omitted because I did not have any on hand)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 package wonton wrappers, about 50
olive oil

sauce - mix together
3 TB soy sauce
2 TB rice wine vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
dash sesame oil

Cook ground pork in pan. Drain and set aside. Mix together cabbage, green onion, ginger root, salt, sugar, sesame oil and cooked pork. Chill in frig about 30 minutes.

Place about a teaspoon on the mixture in the center of the wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold over and press to seal.

Heat a large pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Place pot stickers in pan - don't crowd them. Cook about 30 seconds then flip and cook additional 30 seconds. Add about 1/4 cup water, cover pan and cook about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve with dipping sauce.

The best marinade EVER!

2008-02-17T16:27:00.003-05:00

This was a last minute dinner. I had purchased a london broil steak at the store on sale, and figured that would be our dinner that night. I looked around the internet for a way to cook this, and came across the yummiest marinade I have ever tasted. So much flavor. I will be using this for any cut of meat in the future!!

Marinated London Broil
(source: www.foodnetwork.com)

4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cup olive oil

1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil

To make marinade: In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients until combined well. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and set in a shallow dish. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, for 8 hours.

After marinating, I broiled this for 7 minutes each side for medium! I let the meat set for 10 minutes before cutting ans serving. Soooooo, good. I then topped a salad with the tender meat......YUM!

Finally made some blondies!

2008-02-17T15:55:00.003-05:00

Where have these been all my life? They are so good, that I guess it is best it took me 30 years to come across these! You can really add in whatever you want to this basic recipe. I decided to add in plain m&m's and chopped peanuts this time. I will be making more of these in the future!

I mentioned a few months ago that I am a member of a chat room, where all we discuss is food. Well, this is one of a thousand recipes I have come across in this chat room. There is another member in the chat room who had these in her blog, so she is my source. Her chat room name is bakingblonde, and her blog is one I visit often for great ideas! I have linked the recipe below to her blog.

Peanut and Plain M&M Blondies
(source: bakingblonde from www.thenest.com)

8 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup M&M's, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour and baking powder (if using). Mix in any additions (some ideas below).

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 22 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

My first Giada recipe

2008-02-17T15:47:00.003-05:00

I love Giada, and have so many of her recipes I want to try. I knew this is one that my husband would love, so I thought I would start with it. The flavor was great, but it was a bit too greasy for me. Maybe the short ribs I bought were not the best cuts of meat? I would love to try it again with a leaner or more expensive cut of meat, and see if it comes out even better (less grease). Of course, my husband did love it, so I will be making it again any way :-)

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
(source: www.allrecipes.com)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I did not have carrots on hand, so these were omitted)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves (I did not have fresh, so I used about 1/8 cup of dried parsle
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (I used egg noodles because this is what I had in the pantry. It came out egg-cellent with these noodles......he he!)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (I omitted this only because I did not have any on hand. I would love to try it with the chocolate next time!)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if
needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese......YUM!

2008-02-17T15:12:00.007-05:00

I have had my eye on this recipe for at least a month. I love pumpkin and anything with cream cheese. I have not had anything pumpkin flavored since November, and I have a few cans of pumpkin puree in pantry that I needed to use. We also have some friends who just bought their first house, and I knew I wanted to make them something yummy for their housewarming gift. And, since they share my love of pumpkin flavored anything, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to whip these delicious little morsels together. Our apartment smelled soooooo incredible while these were cooking, so I could not wait to taste one of these. And they did not disappoint!!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
(source: allrecipes.com)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (This is almost 1-15oz can of puree. I used the entire can)
1/3 cup olive oil (I was skeptical of this, because of the taste of olive oil, but they came out fabulous)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

I love me some Olive Garden

2008-02-10T18:45:00.005-05:00

I love a lot of food at Olive Garden, especially the bread sticks and house salad. But, one of my favorite things at Olive Garden is the Pasta e Fagioli. So, when I came across the copycat recipe for this, I knew I wanted to make it. I did make some changes, since I wanted to use certain food we has around the house, but it still came out really good. I would like to try it another time, and make it exactly as the recipe calls for, so I can compare the taste to Olive Garden. But, for now, this hit the spot!!

Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli
(source: www.bigoven.com)

1 pound ground beef (I used ground pork, because that is what I had on hand)
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup) (I only omitted these because I did not have any)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup) (same as carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice (used an extra can of tomato sauce, because I did not have any tomato juice)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta (I used alphabet pasta, because that is what I had in the pantry)

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

Add onion and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or justuntil pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain. (I just threw the pasta in my pot, and cooked it in with the soup. I would not recommend this, and will not do it again. My final dish came out quite starchy, and I think it is because I did not cook the pasta separate, and drain it before I put it in the pot.)

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Serves 8.

My quest for creamy hummus is over!

2008-01-27T18:47:00.006-05:00

I have been searching for a creamy hummus. I sometimes forget how simple a search can be..............using an incredible little search engine called Google!! So, I decided to google creamy hummus, and found one for roasted garlic hummus. I decided to make my own hummus using a combination of these two recipes, one from allrecipes.com and one from recipezaar.com. You can find the original recipes by clinking on the links below. Here is what I came up with from the above sources! It is creamy and tasty. I have found that the key to making it creamy is the addition of the warm water. Enjoy!

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Hummus
(source: www.recipezaar.com and www.allrecipes.com)

4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 tablespoons tahini paste
1/4 cup fresh lemon (juice juice of 1 lemon)
2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup olive oil (plain olive oil, NOT extra-virgin olive oil. In my opinion, the flavor of EVOO is not meant for this dip)
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil ( I did not have fresh, so I used 1 1/2 Tbsp of dried Basil)

Place garlic, salt, tahini, and lemon juice into a food processor; process until smooth. Pour in the garbanzo beans and 1/2 cup olive oil; process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add water to hummus through the opening in the top of the processor. Once smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes, and pulse until they are incorporated into the hummus. Finally, add the basil.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour, to allow flavors to blend. Serve with vegetables, pita chips and/or pretzels.

I am so excited that my quest for a great, creamy hummus has come to an end. I was not expecting it to be so soon. Now, on to another challenge in the kitchen..............

Our favorite banana bread/muffins!

2008-01-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

This is just a very basic recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. It is sooooooo good. I usually make a banana bread, but now that I am really trying to cut back on my total calories, I thought muffins would be a better idea.

Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium)
3/4 cup sugar (I used Splenda instead, to make it a bit more healthy)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (I did not use nuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups, and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, bananas, Splenda, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in nuts, if desired.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

We love Hummus!!

2008-01-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are from New England..........most recently Boston. We love hummus and anything really! Hummus and carrots, hummus and pretzels, etc. Our favorite hummus is a brand called Joseph's, and more specifically, their Sun-Dried Tomato Basil hummus. We have tried a lot of different brands of hummus, and Joseph's is our favorite because it is so creamy.

Well, since we have moved to NC almost 2 years ago, we have been Joseph's- less because we cannot find anyone down here that sells it. We have tried other brands down here, and no luck in finding one close :-(

So, I figured I would take on the challenge of trying to make a hummus like Joseph's. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. My first attempt was not successful :-( The taste of this hummus is excellent, but it is very pasty and definitely not creamy.

So, my quest continues...........

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons tahini paste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 (15.5 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Place garlic, salt, tahini, and lemon juice into a food processor; process until smooth. Pour in the garbanzo beans and 1/2 cup olive oil; process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes, and pulse until they have been chopped to very small pieces and are incorporated into the hummus. Finally, add the basil, and pulse a few times until mixed in.

Spread the hummus into a shallow serving dish, and make a few decorative grooves on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Mmmmmmm, Pork Chops!

2008-01-09T17:11:00.001-05:00

I love pork chops! It was my staple meal in college......pork chop, apple sauce (can;t have pork without applesauce )green beans and a baked potato! Yum! So, I was whipping up a last minute pork dinner, and realized...........no applesauce :-( So, I fished around on allrecipes.com and came up with this. It was sooooooo good. This will be in our semi-regular rotation! I may add actual pineapple next time, but wanted to try making it exactly as the recipe directed, just to see what it was like!

Pineapple Pork Chops

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless pork chops
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup pineapple juice

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the pork chops about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chops from the skillet, and set aside.

Mix the chicken broth, soy sauce and vinegar into the skillet, and bring to a boil. Return the pork chops to the skillet, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F . Remove chops from the skillet, reserving broth mixture, and set aside.

In a bowl, blend the brown sugar, cornstarch, and pineapple juice. Mix into the skillet with the chicken broth mixture. Bring to a boil. Serve with the cooked pork chops.

Holy Chocolate Batman : - )

2008-01-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to try the oreo truffles! Wow- were they chocolatey! They were good, but a bit rich and chocolately for me. I did like the texture of them better the next day. However, they wen over very well and everyone loved them! I will try them again, but I will attempt to make them with more cream cheese, or even the condensed milk version.

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed (3 cups)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls.

Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

Refridgerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

My first Rachel Ray recipe!

2008-01-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

So, I was catching up on a lot DVR'd cooking shows on our Christmas vacation, and came across this Spaghetti and Meatball "Stoup". I am not huge fan of RR (I actually find her quite annoying, with the whole evoo and "stoup") but she has some great recipes! So, when I saw the episode with this recipe, I immediately had a craving for it!

It is as good as it looked on the show! I did modify it quite a bit, because of DH's dairy allergy. Instead of meatballs, I just sauteed the ground turkey in a pan, and added it to the pot. I also added stewed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. My version is a bit thick, like a stew. I would probably eliminate the carrots next time...........we are not fans of cooked carrots. The original recipe can be found on foodnetwork.com; click on the link below. I am posting my lactose free version.

Spaghetti and Meatball "Stoup"

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
2 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup basil leaves, torn or shredded

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stock and cover pot. Turn up heat and bring to a fast boil. Then bring to a simmer.

While soup simmers, saute ground turkey in a pan; scramble. When fully cooked, add scrambled turkey to pot. Bring back to a boil then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender. Stir in basil and parsley

Remove "stoup" from the stove. Serve with bread, if desired.

The best cookies EVER!!!

2008-01-02T19:26:00.000-05:00

I am part of a cooking board on Thenest.com, and this recipe is all the rave on this board! I have heard a lot about these cookies since I have been visiting this board, and they definitely live up to all the hype!

There is nothing healthy about these cookies, but they are work every bite!! I followed the recipe exactly. I did find that the bigger the cookie, the chewier the cookie was. From my experience, the larger size definitely contributes to the cookie being, and staying, chewy!!

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

ENJOY!

Little Pieces of Chocolate Heaven!

2008-01-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

When I saw these bars on the foodnetwork.com's list of top cookies in 2006, I knew I wanted to try them! They are super rick, but sooooo good. They really not as complicated as they sound. The most time involved is melting the chocolate. They were huge hit. When reading some of the reviews, I agree that I many try using some peppermint oil or extract in the top layer of chocolate, just for an extra little yum!

I couldn't find chocolate wafer cookies, so I used 1 package(19 full crackers) of chocolate graham crackers.

Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

Crust:

20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see Cooks Note)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil. The foil is really important. I was reluctant, but it is really the only way to get the bars out of the dish without destroying them!!

For the crust: Process the chocolate graham crackers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee, and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir, and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to 2 minutes more.

Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides, as needed. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

(The picture below shows how the edge cooks nice and puffy, but the middle is still wobbly)

For the Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Cut into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature.

(After reading a lot of reviews, I decided to place my dish in the freezer 2-3 hours before cutting them and getting them ready for the party. A person mentioned they did this because when the glaze hardens, the center stays real soft. When this person went to cut the dish into bars, they had a problem with the center oozing out. If you freeze the dish and use a warm knife to cut through the bars, there is little problem with this. You still have to be real careful with the center oozing, and my glaze cracked a bit on top, even with my warm knife. After trying this, I would not recommend freezing the dish is the white streaks that formed on the glaze when I froze it. I will skip the freeing next time, and see how it goes, for aesthetic reasons :-) )

Lactose-Free Chocolate Chip Bars

2008-01-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

My poor husband is severely lactose intolerant. He cannot have butter, milk, cheese, or anything related to any of those. He cannot even have milk derivatives without having symptoms :-( But, I have made it one of my missions in life to find him some yummy sweets he can eat!

I found this recipe on ThatSweetAng's website, and the original source is www.verybestbaking.com I took this recipe and made some changes. I usedOrganic Smart Balance whipped buttery spread instead of butter. Most chocolate chips have milk (or some form of milk) in them, so I used Bakers semi-sweet chocolate baking bars instead of chocolate chips. And I omitted the nuts. With the substitutions, they turned out ok. I still might try to play with it a bit.........seemed like it might be missing something. And I never thought I would say something had too much chocolate, but I could cut back on the amount in this. Not sure if there is a difference in using the squares............again, may need some tweeking. But DH loved them...........so, success!!

Here is my version of the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Organic Smart Balance buttery spread, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Bakers semi-sweet baking chocolate squares, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop chocolate bars into bit size pieces. I used a large chef's knife and a cutting board......no problems!

Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl; Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat buttery spread, 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 into butter mixture. Stir in chopped chocolates. Spread batter into a greased 13"x 9" baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 mins, or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy!!

Tourtiere

2008-01-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

My husband is French-Canadian. His father was born in Canada and his grandparents only speak French. His grandmother makes real French meat pie, and my husband LOVES it. He is not close to this grandmother, but he does want to get her meat pie recipe at some point. Until then, I have been trying different recipes to see if we can get close something close to the taste of her pie. He said this was close. I was not a huge fan of the sound of a meat pie, and meat with cinnamon and nutmeg??????? But this is really good!

I used this meat pie recipes from allrecipes.com as a starting point, but made a lot of changes. Unfortunately, my husband does not like onion, so I had to omit the onion. I did use onion powder, which did do the job, but I may try a Lipton onion soup mix next time.

Tourtiere (Meat Pie)

3 medium potatoes
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground hamburger
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
(or, instead of individual teaspoons of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, you can use 3/4 teaspoon of allspice)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 box of Pillsbury pie crusts (2 crusts), room temperature

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the potatoes in preheated oven for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until softened. Allow about 30 mins for potatoes to cool. Then, peel potatoes and mash them in a bowl.

Place mashed potatoes, ground pork, ground hamburger, all spices, and chicken broth in a fry pan. Simmer all ingredients for about 1 hour.

Line the bottom of a pie dish with one of the pie crusts. Place meat filling in crust and cover with remaining pie crust. Place cuts in top crust to vent.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

The Infamous Crack Dip

2008-01-02T13:44:00.001-05:00

Or, as I have renamed it........the O.M.G dip, because that is all I kept saying it at I shoveled this into my mouth! Soooo good. I had never poached chicken before this dish, and I was a bit skeptical about doing it. But, glad I tried it out, because it is definitely not what I thought it would be.

I frequent a chat room on www.thenest.com, called What's For Dinner. It is a bunch of newlywed ladies all over the world who love to cook, bake and talk about food. We love to share recipes, and I have found so many recipes I want to make, and this is one of them! This said chat room is probably not the best place for someone like me, with a food obsession and all, but I love it!

This dip was so good, and very popular! Everyone loved it and everyone asked for the recipe. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, before everyone started inhaling it. But I will definitely be making it again, so i will update this with a picture when I make it again!

I used the basics from this recipe, from allrecipes.com, making quite a few changes. I did not want it to be very spicy, so this recipe is perfect for those who do not need really hot wings. Just enough to be buffalo wing-like with a bit of a kick, but not too much that you cannot enjoy it!!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (see preparation below)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

I poached 2 chicken breasts (a 1 lb package of chicken breasts) in 1 1/2 cups of white wine, 1 1/2 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt. I boiled the chicken in the above mixture for about 25 minutes. I set the chicken on a platter and let it cool. Then I shredded the chicken in a bowl.

Mix cream cheese and Frank's Red Hot until well blended. Then add the blue cheese dressing, chicken and 1/2 cup of the cheese to the mixture; mix well. Spread mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.

Place baking on a cookie sheet prior to placing in oven. (This is so the cookie sheet can catch any cheese that may bubble over the side of the dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips. Enjoy!!

Tart and Creamy?

2007-12-09T20:48:00.001-05:00

My traditional dessert every year for thanksgiving is pumpkin pie, made from pumpkin that I cut up, roast and puree myself. Due to being in a really small apartment, getting married and lots of travel this year, I did not get around to purchasing and roasting a pumpkin...........guess I will have to wait until next year to share that recipe and process!! Our friends hosting thanksgiving this year took on the task of the pumpkin pie this year, so I used this as a great opportunity to try something new and different. I was paging through my Real Simple magazine and came across a recipe for Cranberry Cream Pie. Huh? I had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try!

It was ok........it was an interesting combination of flavors. I got mixed reviews........some loved it, others were not that impressed. I do not think I will make it again, but I am glad I tried something different.

Cranberry Cream Pie
(Source: Real Simple)

1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar
5 ounces shortbread cookies
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) roasted almonds
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 8-ounce package frozen cranberries, thawed
1 1/4-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream

Warm the orange juice and sugar in a small pot over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until just cool, about 30 minutes.

Pulse the cookies and almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the cookie mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Clean the food processor, then add the cranberries and 1/4 cup of the cooled juice and puree.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining juice and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until the gelatin dissolves. Add the pureed cranberries and stir to combine.

Beat the cream in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture until well combined. Pour the cranberry cream into the crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours

Beat the cream in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture until well combined. Pour the cranberry cream into the crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

Makes 8 servings

Sweet Potatoes

2007-12-09T19:51:00.000-05:00

I am a nurse, and one of my patients asked me what dish do I have to have, in order for my thanksgiving to be complete. My answer................sweet potatoes! I love them mashed with butter, maple syrup and cream......nice and fattening! This is one of my favorite recipes, and a good ole' tried and true favorite! I found this new version on allrecipes.com. Here it is, with my alterations!

Oh, and please forgive some of the pictures for being so dark.......they are my rookie blog pics :-)

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place sweet potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before peeling and placing into a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

Mash the warm potatoes along with butter, cream, vanilla extract, brown sugar, salt, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup chopped pecans, and eggs. Spread mashed sweet potato into the prepared baking dish.

Mix together 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine, pecans, brown sugar, and flour. Crumble on top of sweet potato mixture.

Bake sweet potatoes in preheated oven until thoroughly hot, 30 to 35 minutes.

Corn Puddin'

2007-12-09T19:31:00.001-05:00

Being from the North, I had never heard of this until I moved to North Carolina. I am soooo glad and upset to have been introduced to this dish.................glad because it is so good, and upset for the effect this super yummy dish will have on my waist line :-) This dish was more like corn bread, but I am sure it was over-cooked. We had a ton of dishes to be cooked in the oven, and this was one we cooked first and then had to reheat it. Many of the reviews on allrecipes.com say that it does come put more like pudding, so I will have to try it again and update.

Easy Corn Pudding
(Source: Allrecipes.com)

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix1 (8 ounce) container sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in 2 quart casserole dish, and place dish in oven until melted.

Remove casserole dish and add creamed corn, kernel corn, corn muffin mix and sour cream. Mix well, and bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes.

A "Friend"-ly Thanksgiving!

2007-12-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

I am sooooo behind on bogging already, and I just started :-) These are recipes from thanksgiving...........

DH and I are from Boston, currently living in North Carolina. If anyone knows the triangle area of North Carolina, they know that it has been currently invaded by northerners!! Not some I am sure the natives are a fan of, but that is how it is!! We have 4 close friends here, 2 other couples, and 2 are from Boston, 2 from Tennessee. Like us, the chose to stay local for Thanksgiving, so we all decided to have thanksgiving together!! It was a blast! Our friends Dustin and Kristy hosted and made the main dishes. The rest of us made a bunch of side dishes and desserts.

DH is lactose intolerant............severely lactose intolerant! The hosts of thanksgiving made a turkey basted in butter, so I was sure to make one for DH, lactose free, for his plate.

I did brine my turkey this year, for the first time! It came out great!

Out of this World Turkey Brine
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 gallons water
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a 16 quart stock pot, mix all above ingredients. Carefully place turkey in pot and cover. Store in refrigerator and soak turkey for 24 hours.

24 hours later, remove turkey from stock pot and rinse thoroughly. Place in roasting dish and prepare accordingly.

Melissa's Traditional Roasted Turkey

1- 12lb turkey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove all items from inside turkey and rinse well. Mix all ingredients above in a bowl. Carefully separate the turkey's skin from the breast and leg meat. Use hands to spread seasoned oil mixture between skin and meat. Be sure to season the outside of the turkey skin. Cover with aluminum foil and cook about 3-4 hours. Remove foil 1 hour before roasting complete, to brown the skin. Remove turkey from oven when meat thermometer reads 180 degrees when placed in the center of the breast meat, away from any bone.
Let turkey set 20-30 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!

A New Adventure!!

2007-12-09T17:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I decided to jump on the band wagon and start a blog. I LOVE to eat, cook, bake, and smell food (and anything else one can think of doing with/to food)!! I thought this would be a great way to keep track of my recipes, and help me remember which dishes we enjoyed, and which ones we didn't. I am excited to share some of my staple recipes with everyone and make some of the really yummy things I have seen in other blogs! I am also excited to take risks and make things I have never dared attempt, but have always wanted to try!

So, I hope you enjoy the adventure with me! I look forward to cooking, blogging and nesting with you!