Quick Fix During the Holidays

I know, it's been awhile. You know how the holidays are. Trying to get a lot done in a little time all while attempting to make it look effortless. Of course, for me, that means spending a LOT of time in the kitchen. Thankfully, after finishing the cooking I did for Thanksgiving, friends, family, and parties, I found this recipe which took minutes to prepare. Even better, I took the leftovers and put them over a baked potato and voila! one less meal to prepare in the midst of this busy season.

Spicy Corn & Chicken Chili
Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Cayenne powder to taste
1 pound ground chicken breast (I used turkey because it was cheaper)
1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
1/2 cup mild or medium salsa
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels, or 3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Method

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are translucent. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken. Stir to break up and brown for 3 minutes. Add tomato puree, 1 cup water (can substitute chicken broth for added flavor), salsa, corn, and black beans. Season with salt and pepper, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until flavors have melded and chili is thick. Stir in cilantro and serve.

What I served it with: a dollop of sour cream and blue corn chips the first night. The second night I served it over a baked potato with a little cheese (and chips with leftover salsa as an appetizer).

My Best Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday (as you might have guessed). In fact, last year, when I was GREAT with child, I still had a hard time giving up the privilege even though I did not have the energy. If this is your first experience cooking a Thanksgiving or even if you have been doing it for awhile, I hope these tips will help you as you prepare for the holiday of eating and thanks!

1) Don't let everyone tell you that the turkey is impossible...it is actually not as hard as you might believe. Check out my next post of how to cook a turkey.

2) Let others bring some of the food (especially whatever you don't like to make). You won't win an award for doing it all yourself.

3) Start a couple weeks early. Most casseroles can be made ahead of time and frozen. Then, thaw in the fridge a few days beforehand.

4) Set your table the night before Thanksgiving. One less thing to worry about.

5) Shop at night or the Friday before Thanksgiving if you can. That way, you avoid the craziness the weekend before (plus, many stores run out of popular items early).

6) Don't make something for the first time for guests. I am kind of a hypocrite with this one, but it is good advice to try it a couple weeks ahead of time.

7) Keep the appetizers light and simple. Buy mixed nuts, crudites, olives. This is not the time to make brie in puff pastry. Besides, you don't want your guests full by the time they come to the table.

8) Assign jobs to people. They love to help and it takes all the pressure off you.

9) Have fun and enjoy it! Remember, the food will be gone before you know it!

10) Check out the Latest Taste in the next few days for more great Thanksgiving tips and recipes.

Ultimate Chocolate Birthday Cake

If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, you've probably read my mention of how I have a hard time repeating recipes. I guess since cooking is my creative outlet, trying something new makes it fun and interesting. However, I also believe that every good cook needs a repertoire of tried and true recipes and a good birthday cake should definitely be one of them. This recipe fits the bill. I actually found this recipe after buying a cookbook for a friend's wedding. My inability to resist thumbing through a fresh, new cookbook lead to me copying this recipe down. I have included some minor modifications and tips. I hope you use it at your next birthday party!

Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake
1 box Duncan Hines double dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix
1 c. water
3 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-in round cake pans (can also do in a 9x13). Combine mix, water, eggs, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and salt in bowl of mixer. Beat on low speed until well blended. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into pans and bake just until knife or toothpick comes out clean (22-25 minutes).** Transfer pans to wire racks and cool 10-15 minutes. Then remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Icing:
2 c. (12 oz.) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 c. sugar
2/3 c. milk
2 sticks unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla

Place chocolate chips in mixer. Meanwhile, combine sugar, milk, butter, and salt over high in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Let boil vigorously 1 minute. Pour hot mixture over chocolate chips. Add vanilla. Beat on medium until mixture thickens and is spreadable (this can sometimes take 10-15 mins).

*You may want to refrigerate cake after second layer so that it won't slide.
**If using 9x13, bake cake 28-30 mins.

Rosemary Baked Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

This reminds me of an earthy French meal. Although it is simple enough, the flavor is great and is easy to through together with haricots verts (those are green beans) or a salad. I hope you enjoy!

Rosemary Baked Chicken with Potatoes

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
1 T. paprika
1 1/2 t. fresh rosemary
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
6 chicken thighs
red potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 425. Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Arrange mixture on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet. Bake potatoes for 15 mins. Remove from the oven, move potatoes to one side, and add chicken thighs to baking sheet. Return to oven and bake everything for 30-35 mins or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through (potatoes may be a little crispy, but I like them that way!).

Serve with a vegetable or salad.

Roasted Vegetables with Whole Wheat Rotini

Okay, so most of you probably realize the recipes on my blog are not in fact, my recipes. They are typically adapted from other recipes I find online or elsewhere. However, tonight I have something special for you: an original recipe by me. Not just that, but one that was good enough to share, or as I say "bloggable."

It started with these beautiful baby eggplants I found at Fresh Market the other day. $1.69 per pound was what the sign read. Too bad I read the wrong sign and ended up buying 5 eggplants for 8 dollars. Oops. I knew I must eat them soon and not let them go bad. I was in the mood for eggplant, which actually happens often. The dilemma was, however, that the only dish I know how to make with eggplants is eggplant parmigiana. And since I haven't had dairy in awhile I wanted to avoid the overload of cheese. After thinking for awhile, I decided to add my other favorite vegetable to the mix, zucchini, throw in some whole wheat rotini, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, a little Parm (just a little) and voila, a delicious original dish by me! It was met with positive reviews by my husband who commented that it tasted meaty even with no meat.

Hope you enjoy. Be sure to serve it with your favorite glass of red table wine and a little Italian bread.

Roasted Vegetables with Whole Wheat Rotini
Serves 2-3 as a main dish

Ingredients:
4-5 baby eggplants, peeled and cut into 3/4 in. chunks
3-4 zucchini, cut into 3/4 in. half moons
1/2 lb. rotini
1/4 c. grated Parmesan
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
reserved pasta water
dried basil and oregano to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Add zucchini and eggplant to cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with hands to combine. Roast for 30 mins or until soft, flipping once during roasting.

Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente according to directions on box. Reserve 1/4 c. of leftover pasta water and add back to pasta in same pot. Add roasted vegetables, diced tomatoes, and cheese and stir to combine. If too much water is at the bottom, turn burner on low for a minute or two. Once desired consistency is reached, remove pot from burner and serve. Garnish with additional cheese if desired.

Homemade Sticky Buns!

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know how much I LOVE Barefoot Contessa's recipes. I can honestly say there have only been one or two that I didn't love, and that's out of maybe a hundred I've tried. As soon as I saw her make these sticky buns on her show, I knew this was going to be a good one. What else is nice about this recipe is how easy it is. I bet you have most of the ingredients already in your kitchen and there's not a lot of advance preparation.

A couple of notes about the sticky buns: they are great for company, because they look fancy when in fact they are easy to assemble (you don't even have to roll the dough). I will say I was not a huge fan of the leftovers, but I am thinking now maybe they would taste fresher after a few seconds in the microwave. Feel free to try and let me know.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Easy Sticky Buns
From Ina Garten and the Food Network

Ingredients

* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
* 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
* 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
* 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

It may only be Southern Fall, but I am in the mood for SOUP!

I was reading one of my favorite magazines the other day (Southern Living) and they had this huge spread all about what they were calling "Southern Fall." That got me thinking how different our "fall" is from other regions of the country. Despite our lack of cool weather (the high is 85 today and there is 100% humidity people!), Southerners know how to get into the holidays. We still carve pumpkins, shop for sweaters, and get cravings for cool weather food. This soup may be better in cooler climates, but I say, if you are in the South, just turn the AC down and enjoy!

Mexican Taco Stew
Adapted from Whole Foods recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef (could substitute ground turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1 large zucchini or summer squash, cut into small cubes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup medium salsa

Method:
Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to pot and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes:
Serves 4. This recipe is a good one to double. I served it with round corn chips and topped with sour cream.

Easy, delicious weeknight meal

Easy, delicious weeknight meal. Husband approved. Enough said.

Chicken, Mushrooms, and Parmesan with Orzo
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking.net

Ingredients:

* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
* 1/4 lb of orzo, cooked per instructions
* 1 chicken bouillon cube
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
* 1 cup frozen peas

Cook the orzo in water along with the chicken bouillon cube, per instructions.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and thyme; sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the chicken, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste then sauté 7-8 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through; add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then add the cooked orzo, frozen peas, Parmesan and parsley to the chicken mixture and toss. Cover the pot for 1-2 minutes in order to let the peas cook through. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if need. Enjoy.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Until about 9 months ago, I had never even tried lentils. The reason I know the exact time is that it was the night my husband and I came home from the hospital with our new baby boy. It had snowed that day, strange for living in the bayou, and was surprisingly cold and wet feeling. Our power had been out all day from the snow and we had arrived home only hours after it being restored. Needless to say, we were exhausted and just wanted to snuggle in for the night and try to get what little rest we could. A friend had brought dinner over and, maybe it was because I had been eating hospital food or maybe because I was recovering from a long labor or maybe just because it felt good to be in my own bed, but it was the BEST meal I ever had. What made it especially delicious was a fabulous lentil soup, full of vegetables and broth like I had never tasted before.

Months later, I asked my friend where she found the recipe and she didn't remember much about the soup, except to say that she probably just put together all the leftover veggies in her fridge with broth and the lentils. I was terribly sad not to have a specific recipe and ever since then have wanted to find something as tasty and filling. The soup recipe below has a great layer of flavors. The recipe is one of the few I have actually followed exactly. It comes from my fav food network cook, Barefoot Contessa. Don't make the mistake of leaving any of the ingredients out and be sure to add the drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar. I served this with a crusty baguette and froze half of the leftovers. If you want a more mild cumin flavor, add only half a teaspoon. Otherwise, don't change a thing!

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients


* 1 pound French green lentils (You can substitute regular lentils. I found green ones at Whole Foods)
* 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
* 4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
* 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
* 3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
* 3 quarts chicken stock
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Guacamole Salad

I am always trying to find fun, interesting sides to serve with hamburgers. You know, something besides potato salad and baked beans (both which my husband hates). Guacamole salad is a great alternative and even better, requires no cooking. So, save the cooking for the grill and enjoy this anything but boring side!

Guacamole Salad

Ingredients

* 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
* 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
* 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (can omit if desired)
* 1/2 cup small diced red onion
* 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
* 1/4 cup good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced (I used 3 because I LOVE avocados)

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

What I served with it: hamburgers, chips, and for dessert...Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes (recipe to come later)

Simple, Easy Roasted Red Potatoes

August and September are busy months in our household, so I typically slack off on cooking new, different kind of meals. However, my goal is to post more often, so I took this opportunity to look back over some of my tried and true recipes. Some, you might think, are easy breezy and hardly worth a formal "recipe" while others might be variation of dishes you make as weekly meals. Either way, I hope you find some of these weeknight recipes fun and worth your time. Here's the first one.

Roasted Red Potatoes
8-10 small red potatoes, washed and cleaned
one gallon size ziploc bag
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. (or more as you wish) garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. red pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into quarters, making sure all pieces are about the same size. Meanwhile, combine spices,including salt and pepper, in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add olive oil to bag and shake up. Then, add potatoes to bag and shake again until spices and olive oil are evenly distributed onto potatoes. Dump contents of bag onto greased cookies sheet (can use aluminum for easier cleanup, just be sure to grease first). Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking. Once a fork is easily inserted into largest potatoes, remove pan from the oven. Once removing pan from the oven, allow potatoes to cool 5 minutes before serving.

What I serve with: Almost anything, including: steak, chicken, fish, veggies, salad, etc. They are a great side for company too.

My First Attempt at Red Beans and Rice

Upon moving to Louisiana two years ago, my husband and I made a cooking vow...a vow to try making cajun/creole cuisine in our home. We had attempted gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish etoufee and decided the next recipe to try would be red beans and rice. Fortunately, the timing matched perfectly with my in-laws' visit from Florida. You see, my father-in-law is a BIG fan of rice, especially dirty rice and red beans and rice. I was nervous to try this for "company" the first time but decided to go for it anyway.

The trickiest part of red beans and rice was finding the right recipe. Friends had given me various recommendations, from certain brands of sausage to whether or not to use ham hocks (I did not). I finally went to the food network and looked at New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse to help me get started. I liked his recipe but I wanted to simplify it a little for a couple of reasons. He called for bacon fat and ham hocks, neither of which I had or wanted to mess with. He left out Creole Seasoning, which I liked, so I made sure to add. In the end, my first attempt was met with rave reviews, the only complaint being that there was not enough rice for the leftovers. Personally, I would just make more fresh rice, as refrigerated rice seems to lose its fluffiness. You can always add more or less Creole Seasonings, depending on your liking. Be sure to serve this classic dish with french bread.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
* 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
* 3 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 3/4 cup chopped celery
* 3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Creole Seasonings (I used 6 "shakes" but use as much or little as you like)
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 t. dried thyme
* 1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 10 cups chicken stock, or water
* 4 cups cooked white rice
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish

Directions

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease or oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and creole seasonings, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and sausage, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Famous Family Recipe: Key Lime Pie!

Don't you love it when you have access one of those recipes that's been passed down through family through the generations? Well, this key lime pie was just passed down to me by my aunt-in-law Suzanne and, with her permission, I am sharing it with you. Her husband Michael, loves to cook so you know this cool, refreshing treat will be a hit! Be sure to use real butter and don't try to get by with one of those ready-made crusts. I would definitely serve this at your next cookout!

Michael's Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crust
Butter
1/2 cup Key Lime juice
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
4 eggs, separated
6 Tbsp. sugar

Prepare crust first:

Use Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crust Mix, but use real butter and no pre-made pie crust here. Bake at 350 for 8 min.

While crust is baking, make filling:

1/2 cup Key lime juice, bottled if necessary
1 can EAGLE brand condensed milk, must be Eagle
4 egg yolks

Combine all and pour in baked crust.

Meringue:

4 egg whites, room temp.
6 Tbsp. sugar
Beat together until peaks form. Hint: Use clean and dry mixer and bowl.

Fold meringue on top of filling and bake in 350 oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

This pie is a wonderful blend of tangy and sweet. It is best served very cold, so go ahead and make it the day before and put in fridge.

PB&J Cupcakes

Here it is, just as I promised. The second recipe in a two-part series on cupcakes. I will admit, I am not a big peanut butter and jelly girl, but I think even I would love these delicious bites! Cupcake Master Stacie said they were met with rave reviews by husband, sister, and colleagues...next time, I am hoping I am included in her cupcake groupies...hint, hint ;0)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
Originally from Peanut Butter and Jelly Co.

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk (I did use 2% milk since that is what we use)
3/4 cup strawberry jam (I didn't measure this-I just put approx a teaspoon of jam in the center)
2 cups Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe will follow)

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the milk. Slowly add the flour mixture and combine until the batter is uniform. Do not overmix.

Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter. Drop a tablespoon of the jam in the center of each cupcake and then top with more batter so they are a little more than three-quarters full.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when touched lightly. Let them cool completely before icing with Peanut Butter Frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth)
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp whole milk (I used 2% here also)

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the butter and peanut butter together. Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, and then the milk. Add additional tablespoons of milk or sugar to loosen or tighten the icing, respectively. For best results, use immediately.

A Little Coffee in Your Cupcakes...

This is one of a two-part series on cupcakes. Both recipes are of course from my friend Stacie, who I should refer to as the Cupcake Master. No one can make cupcakes like this girl. Her cupcakes are always delicious and stylish...and these are no exception. I love the little espresso bean on the top of each one.

Here are a few of her notes from baking these mocha treat: word to the wise on the frosting... whip the heck out of it after you take it off the double boiler (this is a technical baking term, I promise). Otherwise, it will start to get soupy when you add the butter. Also, the less hot water added to the instant coffee to melt it, the better (and let it settle to room temp before you add to mixture). Otherwise, all around GREAT!


Mocha Cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.
Frosting recipe courtesy of How to Make a Cupcake

Adaptations from HTMAC: I used half regular cocoa powder + half Hersheys Special Dark (I think all Special Dark is too chocolatey, all regular cocoa powder is not chocolatey enough). The book said this recipe yields 12 cupcakes. I got 16. Mine were done at 16 minutes.

Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 12-16 (book says 12, I got 16)

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and brewed coffee. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ½ to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 16-20 minutes (book says 22-24 minutes, mine were done at 16). Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

What I would serve them with: Hot Tea (just kidding, Coffee of COURSE!)

My Kind of Birthday Cake

This is the kind of cake worth traveling across states for...literally. I had this cake while in Jacksonville visiting family and friends. It was my father-in-law's birthday, and my sister-in-law, who happens to be an awesome cake-baker, made this melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mint cake and cut no corners! Now, I admit, I am a pretty easy sell when it comes to chocolate and mint, but this cake is especially tasty. The recipe comes from Southern Living and all I will say is that everyone that night became a member of the clean plate club. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Mint Cake

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16-oz.) package light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

1 cup hot water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Peppermint Frosting (see below)

Chocolate Ganache (see below)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes). Stir until smooth.

Beat softened butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 10-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooded pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread Peppermint Frosting evenly between cake layers. Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly on top and sides of cake.
INGREDIENTS – Peppermint Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in peppermint oil.

INGREDIENTS – Chocolate Ganache

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 tablespoons butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS

Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter, and let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until soft peaks form.
NOTES

Ganache thickens as it cools. Pour the ganache onto the center of the cake; spread quickly, using a spatula to push the frosting down the sides of the cake. Ganache becomes firm enough to shape into truffles after chilling for several hours.

Coarsely chopped chocolate-covered peppermint patties add a simple but striking garnish. For quick, clean cuts, partially freeze the candy before chopping.

Bran Muffins that Actually Taste Good?

I have been searching for months for a good bran muffin recipe. I love to make muffins and they seem healthy, but when it's all said and done, most have tons of sugar and white flour. Although these do contain molasses AND brown sugar, they are mostly bran and whole wheat flour as well as blueberries. These even got husband approval, which means the healthiness was properly disguised.

This also happens to be the first recipe I have tried from my new favorite food website: www.tastespotting.com. Check out my older post to read more. The only changes I made to this recipe were to sprinkle the tops with a little white sugar and take them out of the oven after 15 minutes instead of the recipe's recommended 18-20. You should know, however, that my oven cooks a little faster than some.

Hope you enjoy!



Whole Wheat Blueberry Bran Muffins

1 cup unbleached whole wheat flour
1/3 cup white flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg white
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 cup blueberries
white sugar for tops (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

In large bowl, stir together flours, wheat bran, sugar, powder, soda, salt & ground cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk, egg white, molasses, vanilla extract, oil and yogurt.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.

Gently fold in berries.

Fill lined muffin cups about 3/4 full (use a traditional ice cream scoop if you have one handy). Sprinkle sugar on the tops and bake 15-17 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving.

Smoked Salmon Spread

I LOVE Barefoot Contessa, but I will say she overdoes it on the smoked salmon recipes. I don't know if it is something people really enjoy in the Hamptons or what, but she really likes it. This is one of the only smoked salmon recipes of hers I've tried, and I've got to say it's pretty delicious. The only tweaking I did was to substitute chives for dill. Dill is one of those herbs you either love or hate, and I am not a fan. However, if you really love it, go ahead and dill it up. I think the spread is a great make ahead appetizer and goes well with hard crackers or bagel chips. Oh, and she recommends using Norwegian salmon, saying that it's drier and less salty than other smoked salmon. Of course, if you can't find Norwegian, I am sure another would be fine.

Smoked Salmon Spread

Ingredients

* 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (or dill, or parsley)
* 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Directions

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

My New Favorite Cooking Website

I know, I know. Don't you hate it when someone starts a REALLY cool blog and then you notice there are less and less posts until finally the last one is older than the moldy cheese in your fridge? Yeah, me too. I am rededicating myself to posting more often. Some might say (and have said) I am crazy for trying to blog while caring for a little one, but mostly I have just been lazy. Lazy in the blogging department, not in the cooking department. Which is why I will be posting a few recipes today, as well as my thoughts on a fun cooking website Brooke sent to me...check it out:

Tastespotting
http://www.tastespotting.com/browse/4

Now, I will admit, I have not attempted any of the recipes on this site YET, but I promise to try a few in the coming weeks and post about them. However, I will say the close ups of the food are enough to make a girl drool ever so slightly on her Mac. If only I had found this site before the 4th (Check out her holiday recipes to see what you could have been making)! What I also like about this site is how creative some of the recipes are. For example: Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes, Jalapeno Potato Salad, and Cherry Limeade Cupcakes all caught my eye. Getting hungry yet?

Later today, I will post two cobblers (actually, one cobbler, one crisp...but who cares, they're both awesome!). I will also be posting a recently requested recipe for Smoked Salmon Spread. Get ready, set, I'm back!

Chorizo and Sun Dried Tomato Rice With Spinach

If you like spicy food, this dish is definitely for you. I originally found this recipe on Whole Foods' website. Most of the time when I find a recipe, I add and delete various ingredients, but with this one, the only thing I left out was the extra paprika. Chorizo sausage is a spicy sausage that contains garlic, chili powder as well as other spices, and the chorizo I purchased had enough spice for me. If you like really, really spicy food, you may want to add more smoked paprika.

Chorizo and Sun Dried Tomato Rice With Spinach

Ingredients
1 pound fresh chorizo sausage
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups medium or long grain rice
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (about 3/4 cup) (not packed in oil), diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I left this out but you may want to include)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 ounces baby spinach (about 4 cups packed)

Method
Preheat a Dutch oven or heavy deep skillet over medium high. Squeeze sausage from casing into pan, crumbling it into small pieces. Add onion and cook until chorizo is browned around edges and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, rice, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika and oregano. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is toasted and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth and cover pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until rice is just tender. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, still covered, to allow rice to fully absorb liquid. Remove cover, add spinach and toss to combine until spinach wilts. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Homemade Granola

I have to admit, I haven't been this excited about a recipe in awhile. So excited, in fact, that I have tested it a number of times over the past few weeks in order to make sure it is the best it can be. If you have never tried homemade granola, you should. It is definitely different than the hard, crunchy stuff that's been sitting on your grocer's shelf for who knows how long. The texture is softer and the taste is fresher. Plus, another nice aspect of this recipe is that you can substitute other fruits or nuts if you want. You might even want to try adding mini chocolate chips once it cools. Also, when I am making it just for me, I cut the recipe in half. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have...

Cinnamon Raisin Pecan Granola

Ingredients

* 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
* 2 cups chopped pecans
* 1 1/2 cups raisins
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup good honey
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut, and pecans together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 15 mins. Add the raisins at the end and stir. Cook 5 mins longer but watch that it doesn't burn. You want it to turn a light brown.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook after it has been removed from the oven. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

Breakfast or a Tasty Snack?

So, I have had a can of pumpkin in my pantry for a couple months and have been wondering what to do with it. Then, last night I was getting a craving for something sweet and remembered that lonely can. This recipe is definitely sweet but seems healthy, so you don't have to feel too guilty about indulging. I think this would be a great recipe to serve at a brunch, but I like them as an anytime snack!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (75 grams) solid packed, canned pumpkin puree

1 cup (175 grams) semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Then alternately add one-third of the flour mixture and one half of the pumpkin puree, mixing after each addition. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

Broccoli & Bow Ties Pasta Salad

This is a pasta salad that I need to make more often. The dressing is really flavorful, so even if you don't like the broccoli, you could substitute artichokes and add sun dried tomatoes. You could also substitute whole wheat pasta. This is the kind of salad I make early in the week and eat all week, but you could also serve it with chicken for dinner.


Broccoli & Bow Ties

Ingredients


* Kosher salt
* 8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
* 1/2 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 lemon, zested
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
* Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pignolis and cheese, if using, and serve.

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry saute pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, for a couple minutes, until light brown. Be sure to watch them so they don't burn.

Herb Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

Maybe it's just me, but I have always had trouble figuring out what to do with pork chops. They seem like a great weeknight meal, but they always come out sort of bland or too tough. These pork chops are neither. Before you follow this recipe, be sure to pick good chops. The ones I chose were bone-in and not too thick (oh yeah, and they were from Whole Foods, which I believe has the best meat...I think because all the animals are petted and loved before they meet their fate...anyways, I digress). Also, my husband (the griller) has a famous saying when it comes to grilling meat: Low and Slow. If you can't figure out what this means, keep the burners on low and cook it slow.

Herb Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

1 1/2 t dried thyme
1 1/2 t dried rosemary
1 1/2 t cracked black pepper
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t salt
4 pork chops (bone-in, thin)

Mix spices and salt in a small bowl. Pat pork chops dry and rub each side with spice rub. Heat grill to med-low (325 degrees). Cook chops 5 minutes on one side, being sure not to move chops around on grill. Flip over and cook about 3-4 minutes on the other side, depending on the thickness of the chops. Be sure not to overcook.

What I served them with: sliced tomatoes with basil and olive oil, polenta, and rosemary sourdough bread.

Apple Turnovers...Easier Than You Think!

I am always looking for easy make-ahead dessert recipes. Who wants to be cooking dessert while their friends are all eating a nice dinner together? This apple turnover recipe makes 8, which for me, means I can freeze four and serve four. Also, you don't even make the dough...it is just Pepperidge Farm pastry sheets. Oh, and one other note, don't make the mistake of leaving out the zest, it really add to the depth of flavor.

Apple Turnovers
Ingredients


* 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
* 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
* 1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
* 3 tablespoons dried cherries
* 3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Pinch kosher salt
* 1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
* 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F unless planning to make ahead.

Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If making ahead, simply place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and then put them in the fridge to serve that day. If freezing, place cookie sheet in the freezer before storing them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

What I served with: Just a cup of decaf coffee, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be good too!

Springtime Risotto

So, this was one of those recipes that I had wanted to try but since it did not contain meat, I knew it would never pass at my dinner table as a main dish. You'll see below with what I decided to serve it. Anyways, anyone who has ever made risotto knows it can be time consuming, but I choose to look at it as therapeutic in a way. The key is to let the risotto absorb almost all the stock, then add a ladle more and stir, stir, stir. Also, right before it looks done, it is done. What I mean is, let it stay a little liquidy at the end, because when you add the cheese, it will turn the perfect creamy consistency. With all the green vegetables, it is a great side dish to serve at your table this spring!

Springtime Risotto

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
* 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
* 2/3 cup dry white wine
* 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock
* 1 12 oz bag of frozen cut asparagus
* 1 15 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained
* 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 can of peas, drained
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
* salt and ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1/3 cup cream cheese
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the asparagus to the risotto with the artichokes, peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the cream cheese, lemon juice, the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

What I served it with: baked herb chicken and wheat rolls

Cupcakes!

Here is a great, simple recipe for cupcakes from a bakery in New York. I made these last night with the Vanilla Buttercream frosting. The texture of the cupcakes is almost like Angel Food cake, really light and springy. The frosting was good, but I think you could probably add any type of frosting to the top and they would be good. One thing I added to the cupcakes was about 1/2 t. of salt. I have always been told that baking needs a little salt so I thought it was odd that this recipe did not include it. I have not tried the chocolate frosting, so if you try it, please comment and let us know how it is.

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes
Magnolia Bakery

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
Magnolia Bakery

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

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

DIRECTIONS

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.

If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Magnolia Bakery

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS

To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-15 minutes, or until lukewarm.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of a desired consistency.

Tasty Weeknight Meal

This is one of the dinner staples in our house. It is a great dish to make during the summer so as to take advantage of ripe tomatoes and basil (which is easy to grow yourself). You do not have to use fresh Parm, the green container stuff is fine. I add chicken to the meal, but you can leave it without for an easy vegetarian meal or side dish. The leftovers are even better!

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound of penne or fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put tomato halves into a large greased casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon evenly over the tomatoes. Spoon the olive oil evenly over the mixture.
3. Roast the tomatoes 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly, browned, and slightly thickened.
4. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta as directed, until al dente. Drain.
5. Add the pasta and cooked chicken to the tomato mixture. Add the fresh basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

I serve with: garlic french bread and good red wine.

Super Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

While on vacation, I attended a baby shower and had the most delectable stuffed mushrooms. Not only were they tasty, but my friend Rebecca said they are incredibly easy too!

Super Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
One package Boursin cheese
1 package white button mushrooms
breadcrumbs (as much as desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean mushrooms, take off stems (or trunks, not sure what that part of the mushroom is called!). Lay on a cookie sheet, tops down. Stuff with enough boursin cheese to fill. Dip boursin side down into breadcrumbs. Return to cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until tops start to brown and bubble and filling is hot. Cool 3-5 minutes and serve!

Any Time of Day Tomato Grits

My mother-in-law made these grits for breakfast this week, but I think you could probably have them anytime of day. We had them with cinnamon rolls, but you could also serve them with shrimp or chicken.

Tomato Grits

Ingredients
2 cups of water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 t salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/2 cup plus one T of butter
1/3 cup diced green onions
4 ounces Velveeta
1/4 t garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro-tel)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, bring water and milk to a boil. Add salt and slowly add the grits, return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits, add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted.

Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a skillet, saute the onions in the remaining T of butter for one minute. Add Velveeta, garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and onions to grits, stirring until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes and mix well.

Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Grilled Mini Meatloaves

This is one of my sister-in-law's recipes. Her husband loves meatloaf, I would even go so far as to say he's a meatloaf connoisseur. Anyways, I have not yet had a chance to try this recipe, but they say it's awesome and one of their favorites. So, try it and let me know what you think...oh yeah, and did I mention it is stuffed with mozzarella!?! Anything stuffed with cheese has a pretty good chance of being delicious...

Grilled Mini Meatloaves

INGREDIENTS

Two 1/3-inch-thick slices of firm white bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped basil

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing

1 pound ground beef chuck

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Four 1 1/2-inch cubes of fresh mozzarella

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse the bread, scallions, basil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until the bread is coarsely chopped.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground chuck, grated cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and blend well. Shape the meat into four thick, 5-inch-long ovals. Make an indentation in the center of each meat loaf and tuck in a piece of mozzarella, then cover the cheese with the meat mixture to enclose it. Reshape the meat into ovals with slightly tapered ends.

Light a grill. Rub the meat loaves with olive oil and grill over high heat, turning, until well browned all over and firm to the touch, about 8 minutes total; the loaves should still be slightly pink in the center. Serve immediately.

I would suggest serving with roasted red potatoes and a green salad.

Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

Mmmm...this is one of my favorite cakes. Fortunately, it is also one of my husband's favorite cakes as he has requested it for his birthday two years in a row now. This cake does come with a warning, however: you must have a severe sweet tooth to really like this cake...oh yeah, and like strawberries as well. Hope you enjoy!!

Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

Yield

Makes 16 servings
Ingredients

* 1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic White Cake Mix)
* 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup milk
* Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
* Garnish: whole strawberries

Preparation

Beat the cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Scrape down the sides, and beat at medium speed 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, if needed. (Strawberries should be well blended into batter.)

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Strawberry Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately, or chill (covered) for a few days.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Yield

Makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar, sifted
* 1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preparation

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 20 seconds or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and chopped strawberries, beating at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.)

Hail to this King Cake!

Now, I have to admit that I have not personally made this recipe. However, my friend Stacie made this last year and it was better than any store bought King Cake I had tasted. As you will see, there is a variation if you like Pecan Praline (Praw-line, as they say in Louisiana), but I prefer the traditional cream cheese filling.

Yummy King Cake

2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 cups warm milk (about 110°F)
1/2 cup warm water
5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 plastic king cake baby or a pecan half
2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

Combine the yeast and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk and warm water. Beat at low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks, then beat for 1 minute at medium-low speed. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest and beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and starts to climb up the dough hook. If the dough is uncooperative in coming together, add a bit of warm water (110 degrees), a tablespoon at a time, until it does.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

If you want the "praline cream cheese" version, then combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp (ish) of cinnamon, and half a cup of chopped pecans together. These amounts can be tweaked to your liking though. Then, sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Ingredients for glaze:

2 pounds powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp almond extract
¾ cup water
3 tbsps cinnamon
Purple-, green-, and gold-tinted sugar sprinkles

Method:
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and salt. Place in an electric mixer. Slowly pour in almond extract and water while mixing on low speed. Add cinnamon and continue to blend until glaze is smooth. Set aside.

Brush the cake with icing while cake is mildly warm. Add sugar sprinkles to cake in alternating patterns. Decorate with mardi gras beads, and Voila! You have a masterpiece!

Stacie says Emeril Lagasse and John Folse are the "contributing" authors of this recipe.

My Favorite Chocolaty Desserts

Below are a few of my favorite chocolaty desserts any of which would be perfect for Valentine's Day! They go from most difficult to easiest, and all can be made ahead of time. Hope you enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 18 cookies)
* 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
* 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 large eggs
* Ganache Topping

Preparation

Press cookie crumbs into bottom and halfway up sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Microwave chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, beating at low speed just until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until combined after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until combined. Pour cheesecake batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or just until center is set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with oven door closed. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife along outer edge of cheesecake, and cool in pan on a wire rack until room temperature. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Remove sides of springform pan, and place cake on a serving plate. Slowly pour and spread warm Ganache Topping over top of cheesecake, letting it run down sides of cheesecake. Chill 1 hour before serving.

Ganache Topping

Yield

Makes 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup whipping cream
* 1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels (1 cup)
* 1 (6-ounce) package milk chocolate morsels (1 cup)

Preparation

Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat; quickly remove from heat, and stir in semisweet and milk chocolate morsels until melted and smooth. Let mixture cool (about 30 minutes) until slightly warm before pouring and spreading over cheesecake.

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients: 1 pkg. regular oreos (not double-stuffed), 8 oz. cream cheese softened, a couple of bars of white chocolate melted, one bar of milk or dark chocolate melted)
1. Put 10 oreos at a time in a food processor and crumble, add more depending on size of food processor.
2. Once all of them are processed (moving them into a large mixing bowl after each set of 10 are done), add softened cream cheese to bowl and mix with spatula until incorporated.
3. Once mixed well, make one inch balls and set on wax paper on a baking sheet.
4. Place in fridge for 10-20 mins. to set.
5. Once set, dip in melted white chocolate and set back onto wax paper.
6. Once all are dipped and covered well (sometimes I double dip them to fully cover), drizzle milk or dark melted chocolate over each one and allow to dry (I put melted chocolate in a small ziploc and snip the corner to drizzle).
7. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 3 tablespoons heavy cream
* 12 long-stemmed strawberries

Directions

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a bowl set over simmering water until just melted. Stir and remove from the heat. Dip each strawberry in the chocolate and set aside on waxed or parchment paper to dry.

So, so easy Raspberry Squares

This is one of my newest, most favorite recipes. I hardly make a recipe twice, but I have made this one at least three times already in the past month. It is a great served with a cup of coffee or tea but could also be a gift to give to a neighbor or friend. Keep in mind that the squares must sit for an hour and a half before being eaten (but I won't tell if you nibble a corner before they're "officially" ready.

Raspberry Squares

1 1/2 C flour
1 1/4 C oats
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C finely chopped pecans or almonds
12 Tb unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 C raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In your mixer with the whisk attachment, mix flour, oats, sugars, baking soda, salt and nuts on low until combined. With the speed on low, add butter in pieces and continue to mix until your mixture resembles wet sand, about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer two thirds of the oat mixture to the pan and press the crumbs evenly on the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust starts to brown. Using a rubber spatula, spread the preserves evenly over the hot crust and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the preserves. Bake for another 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 90 minutes.

An Ultimate Comfort Food Combo

Barefoot Contessa has a great recipe for Chicken Stew with Biscuits below. It is the ultimate combination for comfort food...who doesn't love pot pie and topping it with biscuit makes it even yummier! I have made a few small variations on her pot pie filling, including adding corn. It says it makes enough for 8. Tonight I doubled it to feed a hungry crowd of 15. It was easy to make ahead, just be sure to keep the biscuits and filling separate until ready to cook (see my notes below). I am curious if you could just put store bought biscuit dough on top instead of making them from scratch so if anyone tries this, please let me know.

Chicken Stew With Biscuits

Ingredients

* 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 5 cups chicken stock
* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
* 3/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
* 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups) or use canned
* 1 10-ounce package frozen corn (2 cups) or use canned
* 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

* 2 cups flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
* 3/4 cup half-and-half
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

You could easily serve this alone or with a green salad.

Let's just call it Cheese Spread

So...I'll admit, when I first read the ingredients of this recipe, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. However, it came by recommendation of my good friend (and great cook) Amanda, so I knew it must be a keeper. It is a great appetizer to serve with Pepperidge Farm Wheat Crackers and can be made 2-3 days ahead.

Cheese Spread
3 cups grated sharp cheddar (2 12 oz pkgs or fresh)
3-4 green onions, chopped (tops and all)
1 c. chopped toasted pecans (toast 20 mins @ 275, stirring halfway)
1/2 c mayo
1 small jar Smuckers strawberry preserves
Fresh Strawberries

Spray a ring mold with Pam (do not use metal) or you can free form the cheese mixture on an attractive platter.
Mix cheese, onions, pecans, mayo. Pour mixture into mold or form it on a platter.
Refrigerate overnight. Turn out on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread thickly with strawberry preserves. Fill the center of the ring with fresh strawberries. Use fresh parsley if berries are unavailable. Leave out one hour before serving.

Healthy Grillin'

Here are two great recipes for the grill. Some of my favorite recipes come from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, and these two are of no exception. Her show on the Food Network is what fills my TiVo, much to the chagrin of my husband. The first is Tuscan Lemon Chicken, a whole flattened chicken that is grilled using bricks or a ceramic dish.

A few suggestions about this recipe:
*When using the ceramic dish to hold down the chicken, first cover it in aluminum foil so as not to ruin the dish.
*Have the butcher cut the back out of the chicken for you. Ina says this is easy to do, but why bother if you don't have to? Most butchers will do it free of charge and you can save the extra piece for stock.
*Keep in mind that if you are using a gas grill, you may have to cook the chicken in the oven even after it has been grilled in order to cook it all the way through. The same is true if you buy a chicken that is larger than suggested in the recipe.

Now that we have that out of the way, here is the first recipe.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

* 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
* Kosher salt
* 1/3 cup good olive oil
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
* 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 lemon, halved

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread most of the coals across half of the grill. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the opposite side of the grill and place the dish you used for marinating on top of the chicken to weight it. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

The second recipe is called Grilled Panzanella, which is an Italian bread salad. Sounds kind of weird, but it is really tasty and fairly simple. I served the two recipes together and it was a great combination. Here is the recipe below...

Grilled Panzanella

Ingredients

* Good olive oil
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
* 1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 10 large basil leaves
* 3 tablespoons capers, drained
* 1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
* 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
* 1/2 small ficelle, cut into 1-inch thick slices

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.

Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.

One-pot, good for you meal

Although this dish was a little more time-consuming than I'd imagined, it was well worth the wait. Be sure to keep the pot on low when toasting the barley; otherwise, you'll end up with burned barley. And don't leave out the nutmeg. It's what makes this creamy and homey meal stand out among the rest.

Toasted barley & chicken pilaf
By Good Housekeeping magazine

Makes 4-5 main-dish servings

Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Nicer than rice: Heart-smart, high-fiber barley is the whole grain in this pilaf; toasting the kernels brings out their delicious nutty flavor and keeps the grains separate.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1⁄2 cups pearl barley
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 lb.), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 package (8 ounces) sliced white or cremini mushrooms
• 1 can (14 to 14.5 ounces) chicken broth (13⁄4 cups)
• 2 cups water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• Parsley leaves for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat deep 12-inch skillet on medium-high until hot. Add barley and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Transfer barley to large bowl.

2. In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium-high until hot. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes or just until it loses its pink color on the outside, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to bowl with barley.

3. In same skillet, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and cook carrots, celery, and onion on medium 7 to 8 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Stir in mushrooms, and cook 10 minutes longer or until most of liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

4. Return chicken and barley to skillet; stir in broth, water, thyme, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Heat to boiling on medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until barley is tender and chicken is no longer pink in center. Makes about 8 cups. Serve pilaf garnished with parsley leaves.

What I served with it: Nothing, but next time I might make wheat rolls

Is it pizza or is it meatloaf?

Here's a new recipe I tried about a week ago that makes a great weeknight supper. It's meat pie. I first saw this recipe featured on the Today Show and had to try it. I will admit, however, I did not include the pancetta, simply because I could not find it at the store, but I think I will try to track this ingredient down next time...that's right, I may actually make this one again (if you know anything about my cooking, you know it's hard for me to make the same thing twice). Anyways, other than the name (meat pie? Seriously, this needs a more appetizing name...no pun intended), this dish is de-lish! And, I don't have any children who feed off more than breastmilk, but I bet it would be a winner even for those little picky eaters in your family. Give it a try, and remember to leave a comment and tell me what you think or how you adapted it. Good luck!

Pizza di carne (meat pie, "pizza" style)
"Every Night Italian" by Giuliano Hazan

Serves 6 to 8 people Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time from start to finish: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices white bread
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Butter (for greasing the baking dish)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes drained of their juice, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. Cut the crust away from the slices of bread and discard it. Put the bread and the milk in a small bowl and mash it with your hands until you get a smooth pasty mixture. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add the beef, the grated pecorino, the bread crumbs and the eggs.

3. Chop the sliced pancetta and add it to the bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then mix everything together thoroughly with your hands.

4. Grease the bottom and sides of a round pie dish approximately 10 inches in diameter. Put in the ground beef mixture and push it down with your hands until it is evenly spread out. Cover with the tomatoes. Cut the mozzarella into strips and arrange them over the tomatoes (I like creating the spokes of a wheel with them.) Sprinkle the dried oregano on top and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Let the "pizza" settle for about 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven, then transfer it with two spatulas to a serving plate. Serve it hot or lukewarm.

What did I serve it with? A simple salad with tomatoes and Basil Green Goddess Dressing from the kitchen of Barefoot Contessa.