I've mostly been letting everyone else do the cooking for Christmas. That was nice.

For New Year's, I am debating whether or not to make my big Polish feast. It's pretty time-consuming, but it's also pretty delicious. And might be a good way to ring in the new year and have one last hurrah before the big diet. We'll see.

If I do, this will be the menu:
Kluski with kielbasa and cabbage
Cabbage rolls
Pierogi

Just typing it out makes me hungry. The good thing about being a Pole is that we are not a wealthy people, and it wouldn't take much to make this. I have eggs, flour and potatoes, so I'd just need a pack of sausage, a head of cabbage, some sauerkraut. I think cabbage is on sale at Kroger this week.

Oh, who am I kidding? I am totally going to do it, and it's totally going to be delicious! Stay tuned for recipes, although these will definitely be Grandma's "throw a little of this in" kind of recipes.

Holiday gifts

Last year, I bought a whole bunch of Christmas bread pans at Michael's on sale and baked bread for all my coworkers for an inexpensive homemade Christmas gift. Everyone seemed to like it, but it was a lot of work.

This year, I bought Christmas mugs on sale and made everyone a little packet of mulling spices for cider or wine. People seem to have reacted well. I tried the spices in some leftover cider here at the office and they were pretty tasty. They smelled amazing. I had to buy a few spices (translation: I bought orange peel because no way was I peeling that many oranges), but it maybe cost $20 to give everyone in my office a little gift.

I wanted to share a link to the recipe. The website where I got it is chock-full of ideas for crafts and such. Which is good, because I have no idea how I will top it for next year.

Check out the recipe and then poke around the site for some great ideas. It makes a pretty big batch, but there is also a spreadsheet where you can type in what size gift you want to do and how many people and it tells you the proportions to make a batch that is just the right size. If you have kids, it would be cool to save baby food jars and fancy them up as packaging. I used ziploc bags and just put them down inside the mug.

Sometime before New Year's I am going to post my favorite Christmas recipe: the cheese spread my Aunt Rita made every year that we all missed very much until I started making it a couple of years ago.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday baking

This is my list of Christmas baking that I will start this weekend.

Am I missing anything?

For the work cookie exchange: pumpkin drop cookies with icing.

Candy: snickers fudge, potato candy, caramels

Cookies: snickerdoodles (red and green), thumbprints, chocolate chip, oatmeal scotchies, chocolate crinkles, Mexican wedding cakes, rum balls, peanut butter blossoms, cut-out cookies.

Shepherd's pie?

I made some great shepherd's pie tonight. But, I think it could be better.

Since it's great winter-time food, I am going to play around with it and see if I can come up with an even better version (think sour cream in the mashed potatoes, for example).

As soon as I have the best spinach pie ever, I will post the recipe.

I guess that gives you incentive to keep checking back, doesn't it?

I am also going to try my hand at inventing my own Christmas cookie. Did I tell you that? I'll be experimenting with that next weekend.

Coming attractions

The best thing about being on vacation and just sitting around my mom's house doing nothing but playing with my nephew is that I got to watch some Food Network and Cooking Channel today. I got some great ideas for some goodies from Giada deLaurentiis, and I got to watch 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray. And today's topic on Rachael's show was warm-weather foods, which means yummy sandwiches (which I could hit her for calling "sammies," but other than that I love her...) and soups. So I am definitely making the grilled cheeses with watercress and the stuffed cabbage "stoup" (is it stew? soup? No one knows!). However, on her sandwich recipe, I think I am going to use chow-chow relish, because it seems like what a southern person would do. Not that I am southern, but I do live in the south and I do love southern food.

I am heading back home tomorrow, which means supper in a sack. I hate it, but since it's about to get phased out of my diet, I guess we should enjoy it while it lasts.

No idea what I'm cooking Saturday. I do know that I am going to be cleaning and starting to decorate for Christmas. I am thinking maybe take-out is in my future.

Sunday is shepherd's pie for our all-day Colin Firth movie marathon. Something English only seemed right.

Hard candy

Candy is one of those things that intimidates me. Like gravy, waffles and homemade biscuits, I just see making candy as this mountain that I can't climb armed with my culinary skills.

But tonight we got this brilliant idea to make hard candy, and it wasn't that bad. The ingredients we used were the ones from this cooks.com recipe, but we the instructions were a little different. I added my commentary in parentheses.


HARD CANDY

2/3 c. white corn syrup
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. flavoring (we used cinnamon oil)
Several drops food coloring (we used red, obviously)

Combine sugar, syrup, and water; cook until it comes to a hard ball stage or until it reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Add flavoring and food coloring. Pour into iron skillet that has been in freezer (we put it in a buttered cake pan). Cool at room temperature. Take knife handle and crack into small pieces.

Cookie exchange

I know you all come here for recipes, but do any of you have a great recipe to use for a cookie exchange? There is a prize for most original/creative, and I want to win. The "old standbys" aren't going to work for that!

Pumpkin Praline cake

I think I have mentioned this before, but if I could only have one cookbook in my kitchen and I was expected to make meals out of it every night to survive, it would be Betty Crocker's red cookbook. It was the first cookbook I owned, and still holds many of my tried-and-true, favorite recipes, including my pumpkin pies (which I was told on Thanksgiving were like what a grandma makes), my linguine with clam sauce, and a whole bunch of other yummies I am forgetting right now.

So, when I was looking for a recipe to take to my work's Thanksgiving potluck and ol' Betty e-mailed me a recipe for Pumpkin Praline Cake, I decided to give it a try.

Here is the recipe. The only change I would make is to make my own cream cheese frosting and then add the spices. I don't like the canned stuff. I also might try it as a 9X13, because the layers were a little rough to deal with.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1 cup (from 15-oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
Caramel topping, if desired
Additional coarsely chopped pecans, if desired

Heat oven to 325°F.
In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted.
Pour into 2 (9- or 8-inch) round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened.
Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

Bake 43 to 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting.

To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer.

Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Easy dinner #3

So, the last two posts have been on recent easy dinners. I had another one tonight, so I thought I would tell you about it.

For my birthday, one of my friends got me one of those slider pans. I hadn't used it because I wasn't really sure about making sliders at home, but I am so glad I finally tried it out.

I just took a pound of ground chuck, sprinkled it with a little salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce and cooked it up. I will say it took more than four minutes to cook. Other than that, the instructions were great.

I served them with some crinkle fries and mac and cheese.

I also cooked up Betty Crocker's pumpkin-praline cake for my work Thanksgiving tomorrow. It looks like it's going to be pretty tasty. One of the layers cracked a little, but it's nothing I can't cover up with icing.

"Practically homemade" clam chowder

Prepare a package of Bear Creek Potato Soup mix according to the instructions.

Add 1 can of corn and 1 can of minced clams. (I didn't drain them; the clam chowder thickens as it cooks).

Heat clear through. Add fresh-ground black pepper.

Enjoy.

Ranch "fried" chicken

We stumbled on this recipe accidentally. My roommate and I saw it on a Hidden Valley Ranch commercial, and we tried it. Excellent. I served it with pasta salad and cole slaw.

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch original dressing
1 cup bread crumbs
1 whole chicken, cut into frying parts

Mix the bread crumbs and dressing in a ziploc bag. Shake the chicken up.

Bake it on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees until it is finished. It took over 30 minutes in my oven. Turn the chicken about mid-point in the baking.

Hillary Clinton's Chocolate Chip Cookies

The perfect election night treat! All the Dems love Hillary's cookies!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
Beat together shortening, sugars and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in flour mixture and rolled oats. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop batter by well-rounded teaspoonsful on to greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
Cool cookies on sheets on wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

It must be a great recipe (It is; I've made these cookies hundreds of times since I got the recipe in 1997), because you can still access it on the White House website.

Pork chops with cider sauce

In the fall, one drink reigns supreme in my home: apple cider. Growing up in Michigan, the highlight of October is going to the orchard and picking apples and having a cup of fresh (as in, you can see them pressing it through glass windows) cider and a cake donut. Don't ask what the donuts have to do with cider. I've never figured it out, but it is the best treat in the world.

Last night, I need to make dinner and I had some pork chops in the fridge. I decided to make pork chops with apple cider sauce, which is a recipe I have seen many times but hadn't tried. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans because that is what I had at home, but I think it would be good with cous-cous or sweet potatoes, as well.

This is the recipe I used. Easy and delicious.

Ingredients
4 center-cut,bone-in ork chops,about 3/4" thick
salt and pepper
2 TB olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 TB finely chopped fresh sage
1-1/2 c apple cider

How to make it
1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.In nonstick akillet over med-high heat,warm olive oil. 2. Add onions and cook,stirring,until softened and golden,about 5 mins. Push onions to edge of skillet,add chops. Cook,turning once,until browned,about 6 mins.
3. Sprinkle sage over chops and pour cider into pan. Bring to boil,cover,reduce heat to med-low and simmer till chops are cooked through,8-10 mins.
4. Remove chops from pan,raise heat to high and boil sauce until reduced an thickened,2 to 3 mins. Pour sauce and onions over chops,serve.
Note: You can also use chicken for this dish.

For dessert, I made some pumpkin cranberry scones from a mix by Sticky Fingers bakery. They were good, but I need to work on finding some recipes of my own. They were almost too easy (just add water and mix) to make baking them a cathartic experience.

Fall munchies

So, I had a birthday party for my roommate/Halloween party last weekend.

On the menu, we had:
Chili
Pigs in blankets, which are just little smokies wrapped in crescent rolls but they are super delicious!
Buffalo chicken dip - spicy, but good. I'll put the recipe down below.
Nacho dip - super easy. Combine: 1 block cream cheese, 1 can chili with no beans and 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese in the crockpot on low until it's melty and delicious.

Buffalo chicken dip

I tried to find this recipe online, but I think I jumbled up a couple of recipes to make mine, so I will just have to tell you.

I did it in a crock-pot on low until everything melted.

Combine
1 cup cook chicken breast (I might have put a little more)
1 cup ranch dressing (next time 1 will use 1/2 ranch, 1/2 blue cheese)
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Louisiana Hot Sauce and it had a lot of heat)
1 cup colby jack cheese

Heat on low until melted. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.

Upcoming projects

I am going to make a lemon cake with lemon buttercream for my roommate's birthday.

I am also trying my hand at beef vegetable soup (and yes, I realize it's lame that I have never made that).

I am also exploring an idea that has the potential to be a really delicious quickie clam chowder.

But I have no idea what's for dinner tomorrow night.

Italian night!

So, last night was Italian night at my house. A friend had made me some stuffed shells recently from a Campbell's cookbook (they own Prego spaghetti sauce, no soup involved!), so I decided to make those because I had some frozen broccoli in my fridge. I also made garlic bread (out of the freezer section), caesar salad (out of a bag) and low-fat tiramisu (recipe to follow).

I used this recipe, but I will make notes on where I changed stuff. Off the top of my head, I doctored up the sauce and used twice as much ricotta cheese and broccoli. I think the shells would've been pretty skimpy if you followed their instructions. Edited to add: I cooked extra shells, at least 24, maybe 30. This recipe calls for 18. That'd be three each, which is about what everyone ate at my house...So, only use the red notes if you are doubling!


Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Rated:
Submitted By: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot."
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese - use the big tub of ricotta
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained - I used the big bag of frozen broccoli too
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained - Oh, that explains it all. I made at least 24 shells, maybe 30. Oops.
1 (25.75 ounce) jar Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce - see below for how I did the sauce
Directions:
1.
Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, (use whole cup if you double the recipe like I did) Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
2.
Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a 13x9x2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
3.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes or until hot.

Laura's sauce recipe:

1 lb ground sirloin (8% fat)
1 can mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large jar tomato and basil prepared pasta sauce (the small jar isn't enough once you add the other stuff to it - I think mine was the 28 ounce size)
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used pinot noir)
sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning, parsley and basil

Brown the beef with the mushrooms and garlic. Drain any excess fat you might have off the meat. Add sauce, wine and herbs and allow to heat through.

You can make the shells up the night before and then just add the sauce and bake them the next day. I also threw a couple more handfulls of mozarella on the top while they were baking.

Coming soon: breakfast

So, Friday I am making breakfast for my office mates. We are about to go on our big work trip, and I feel like we deserve a nice, home-cooked breakfast.

The menu will be: French toast casserole (although I can't decide with strawberries or blueberries. maybe both?), breakfast casserole with eggs, hashbrowns, sausage and cheese, and a cranberry coffee cake.

And here's the kicker: I am going to take pictures. Oh yes, I am.

Stay tuned for photos and deliciousness. I'm going to make this blog respectable yet.

Editor's note

I know that most people want to see pictures of what they are cooking. The problem is, my food is always delicious, but it's not always pretty.

But since this blog is supposed to be some sort of journey to self-improvement (or so my shrink says), I am going to try to post more pictures.

It will be a work in progress, but I see many good things in the future.

I am trying a new recipe tonight. I will report back if it turns out well. It involves boxed cake mix. I don't hate boxed cake mixes. Sometimes I like them better than cakes made from scratch.

Anyhow, tune in tomorrow!

Fried Green Tomato BLTs

Now that you know how to make fried green tomatoes, I am going to teach you a variation that has been the summer brunch all-star this year: fried green tomato BLTs.

What you need:
Green tomatoes (1 or 2)
Flour
Egg
Cornmeal
Parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can)
Salt and pepper
Bacon
Lettuce
A crusty baked bread from the bakery (I use the french loaves)
Mayo, if you want to put that on your finished sandwich

First, you take some bacon and cook it in the oven. It is better that way. Crisp, and not greasy. Plus I sprinkle brown sugar and pepper on it, and it gives the sandwich a little extra something.

Heat oven to 350. Lay slices of bacon on broiler pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and pepper on top of the slices.

Bake about 30 minutes or until it's brown and cooked. You might flip it once during the cooking, but be careful of the grease in the bottom of the broiler pan.

While the bacon is cooking in the oven, fry up your tomatoes. Pretty much follow the recipe I gave you before, with a slight variation. Put just salt on the tomato slices and stir a little pepper and parmesan cheese in with the cornmeal.

Toast good, thick slices of the french bread. I find they are too big for a regular toaster, so either use a toaster oven or pop them in the other rack of the oven with the bacon.

When everything is done, put a couple slices of bacon and tomatoes with some lettuce and mayo on the toasted bread.

Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

The name of the game lately has been "Let's cook all the stuff from the farmers' market before it goes bad." I already gave you one of the recipes from that excitement, squash casserole, so it's about time that I give you my fried green tomatoes recipe.

Ever since I moved to the South, I've developed a love for fried green tomatoes. I'm not a huge tomato fan, so it's quite strange, really. But after a little tweaking, I make fried green tomatoes that I'm told are some of the best.

My inspiration came from Martha White's recipe, but I changed it around a little and I think mine works a little better. I still always use their sauce, but I realized when looking at that recipe that I have been forgetting the dijon mustard and it's still pretty good.

So, you make the sauce.
1 c. sour cream, 2 T mayo, 1 T horseradish and 1 T dijon mustard. '
Mix it up and let it sit for a while. It's better if it sits.

Ingredients for the tomatoes:
3-4 green tomatoes
1 egg, beaten (you may need an extra one, depending on how many tomato slices you have)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Next cover the bottom of your skillet with canola or vegetable oil and let it heat up while you get the tomatoes ready. I put it about medium/medium low, so the grease doesn't splatter.

Slice your tomatoes and sprinkle salt and pepper on them. I don't know why that makes them taste better, but it does.

Dredge the tomato slices in flour. Dip them in egg until they are covered on both sides, and then dip in cornmeal.

Drop in the hot oil and cook on each side until golden brown. Drain on plate covered in paper towel.

Serve warm with horseradish sauce.

Crock pot beef tips

My friend got a round steak at the farmers' market, so I suggested she cook it with this recipe. I usually cook noodles with it, but she put fresh potatoes and carrots down in the crockpot with it. Yum.

A note on this recipe: I suggest you use the low-sodium cream of mushroom soup, because it can be a little on the salty side.

beef tips or lean stew meat (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1 env. Lipton onion soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 c. red wine
1 can mushrooms, drained

Preparation:
Mix all together in slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Serve with rice or noodles. Serves 4 to 8.

Squash casserole

This is my friend Cindy's squash casserole recipe. It's one of my favorite things about summer!


3 - 4 lbs.of squash
1 chopped onion
2 eggs
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. salt
i tsp pepper
Ritz crackers
2 c. sharp shredded cheese

Wash squash then slice. Boil with chopped onion until tender. Drain.

Add eggs, sour cream, margarine, sugar, salt and pepper. Add a handful (or two) of crushed Ritz crackers. Beat with electric mixer under frothy. Stir in 1 c. shredded cheese. Mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.

Baker at 350 for 45 minutes.

Variations: I have added shredded carrots, chopped pecans, diced bell peppers, etc. for different tastes. Also, you can use mayo instead of sour cream. You just have to play around with it to figure out the taste that you want.

Cucumbers and onions

I went to the farmers' market. I am turning all of my farmers' bounty into yummies.

This was my first stab at making cucumbers and onions from scratch. Normally, I just slice 'em up and add Italian dressing. Not as good.

I had two medium-sized cucumbers and a nice sized onion. I sliced them all into thin slices and put them in a medium-sized bowl and covered them with a few grinds of the salt grinder.

Then I added about a 1/2 cup of vinegar, 2 T of sugar and 1 T of olive oil. And another little grind of salt.

And then I let them sit for several hours. Amazing. Like pickles, but quicker and no boiling mason jars.

"Mojito tea"

So, we went to the farmers' market Saturday and bought some refreshing mint tea.

I have a mint plant on my patio that is out of control. I was making mojitos until I ran out of light rum. And I buy it by the liter in the islands.

(As a side note, Emeril Lagasse's traditional mojito recipe on the Food Network Web site is the best mojito recipe I have ever used. No more rummy limeade with mint leaves floating on top!)

But back to my very accidental mojito tea.

So, I wanted to make mint tea. I was going to just throw some tea bags and mint leaves in my sun tea jar and let the hot Tennessee sun work it's magic.

And, then I read on the Internets that sun tea can cause salmonella. So, I headed in the kitchen and mojito tea was born.

You need:
At least two dozen mint leaves
8 tea bags (I used green tea)
One lime
Some honey
Ice

Lightly your mint leaves in your hands to release the flavor. Add to some water (a few cups or so). Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes.

Add tea bags to boiling water. Turn off heat. Steep tea bags for at least three minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.

While you're waiting, fill your sun tea jug with ice and then cover the ice with lime slices. Pour a little bit of honey over the ice and lime slices.

After the tea has steeped, add the hot water (take the bags out, but not the mint leaves) into the jar with the ice. Stir until the honey dissolves. Let the ice melt and add more cold water or ice if necessary to get the right strength to your tea. (I just pour it over ice, which melts and makes it less strong).

Enjoy!

Ribs

I had some ribs in my freezer that I had been meaning to cook. And since I am on super budget until my new roommates arrive, I decided to cook them. I tried something new, and it was so super delicious that I had to share (and super easy, but you don't have to tell your guests!)

Instead of cooking the ribs all day in water, I decided to cover the bottom of the crock pot with beer. I just used Miller Lite, and it was just a few ounces. It literally just covered the bottom.

Then I put whole slices of onion down in the beer, also covering the bottom of the crock pot. I sprinkled salt and pepper on the ribs and then put them in the crock pot and cooked on low all day.

I can't explain how delicious my house smelled when I got home. Then I covered the ribs (in the crock pot) with barbecue sauce while I cooked up the sides -- baked beans, mac and cheese and cole slaw.

Excellent meal. Perfect for summer.

Dirty beans

When I was in Florida, the Mexican members of my family taught me how to make something called dirty beans. Mine aren't exactly like theirs, but they are pretty delicious.

1 large can of pinto beans (or a bag of dried beans if you want to cook them yourself. Or 2 cans of refried beans if you are lazy)
1 small can of pickled jalapenos
1 small can of black olives
2 links of chorizo sausage
1 small yellow onion
1 small tomato
handful of cilantro
Mexican cheese (it should be white, cojita has worked the best so far)

In a big frying pan, cook up the chorizo and onion. Once the sausage is cooked, add the drained pinto beans and mush them up with a potato masher. Stir them up to "refry" them. Add some pickled jalapeno slices and the pepper juice, some black olives (although Rosa uses green olives because she likes the saltier taste better). Add chopped up tomato. Heat clear through. Add cilantro to taste and chunks of Mexican cheese and stir. (Add cheese last so it doesn't melt too much.)

Delicioso!

Low-fat alfredo sauce

Here are two recipes, both very easy and tasty. To jazz it up, sometimes I add broccoli, shrimp, mushrooms. I am not sure if it matters if you use shredded or grated cheese, I have used both and they seem to be comparable on how they melt.

1 cn Evaporated skim milk
6 oz Parmesan cheese
Pepper to taste

Warm milk, add cheese until melted and thickened. Add pepper.

or

1/4 cup light cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly grated pepper to taste (optional)

PREPARATION:Combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup milk, and flour in a small mixing bowl. Beat until well blended. Slowly pour in remaining 1 cup milk and beat until smooth.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large, nonstick sauce pan over medium heat. Add the milk mixture and continue to heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened (about 4 minutes).Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Serves 6. This recipe makes 2 cups of sauce.

Beer chicken

I am going to go ahead and post my beer chicken recipe. Also easy. And also with commentary, because I always have commentary :)

Most people grill beer chicken. If you have a grill, that will be better. If you live in a development with moronic grill rules, then you roast it in your oven. It is still delicious, I promise.

If you have one of those holders for putting the beer can up the chicken's butt, use that. If not, just make sure the can gets in there enough for the chicken to not fall over.

Open a 12-ounce can of your favorite frosty beer. Take a big glug out of it or pour a little down the drain. Some people wedge a piece of lemon, rosemary, garlic or something else delicious down in the can. I am sure that would liven it up a little. Poke some holes at the top of the can so the beer steam can get out and flavor the chicken.

Then I cover my chicken in Rendezvous grill rub, inside and out. Get it under the skin too. You can buy this grill rub online or at Rendezvous or the Memphis airport gift shop, or you can use this recipe to make your own. I really cover the chicken with rub.

Next, stick the can inside the chicken's cavity. If you don't have one of those holders, use the can and the chicken's legs to balance it for cooking. I just put it on 350 in the oven for about two hours.

It really is tasty, and I usually use the leftovers to make chicken salad the next day!

Note: I just realized that some of my "recipes" are just crazy ass instructions and you probably all sit at home going "Huh?" when you read them. If you ever have any questions or I don't make sense, just leave me a comment!

Update (and my chili recipe)

I haven't been cooking lately, because it is hard when you can't wash dishes. The last thing I made was a big pot of chili (recipe below) the day of the flood. However, I am feeling some domestic urges, so I will be getting back to normal very soon. I am thinking I might make some penne with homemade alfredo sauce tomorrow, and I know I am making chicken enchiladas Friday. Saturday I only work three hours. If I can get my roommate to calm down on his Facebook games (yes, my computer is still broken), then I will post some recipes and play catch up. You are probably all starving to death waiting for me...

My chili is nothing exciting. I have been making it the exact same way for years and everyone loves it, but it doesn't take much effort. I usually make it in the crock pot, which requires even less effort. It was nice to just make a big batch of it and eat it for several days when I was stranded last week. But, I am telling you all my secret ingredient so you should be very excited.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 package taco seasoning
1 can regular diced tomatoes
1 can Mexican-style diced tomatoes (I usually use Rotel)
1 can chili beans (whatever hotness you prefer)
1 can kidney beans or black beans
1 large can tomato juice
Chili powder
Tabasco sauce

Brown your beef in a skillet with onion and garlic. Once browned, add taco seasoning (That's the secret ingredient. Not chili seasoning. Taco seasoning. It gives it a better taste. You'll see.). Add the meat mixture to either a large stock pot if you are cooking it on the stove or your crock pot. Then add all the canned ingredients. (Depending on your pot size, you may not use all the tomato juice and that is ok.) Add chili powder and tobasco depending on how much heat you like, I usually just put a little shake of each, and then stir it all up and let it cook -- the longer the better.

Make some cornbread to go with it. Comfort food at it's finest.

Golabki (Stuffed cabbage)

I am not sure if I can accurately explain how to make golabki (pronounced "gah-wumpke"). It's one of those things you learn by watching in your mom or grandmother's kitchen. And my recipe is passed down by word of mouth by Polish immigrants. Of course, my mother (who is not Polish; she's just married to my dad) learned from dad's mom, and I am glad she passed it on to me. But what I learned when we had dinner made by our Polish friend, Anita, when we were in Florida last month, is that depending on where you are from in Poland, you cook your golabki different. (Well, they are always stuffed cabbage, but you might do them a different way.)

To make golabki, you always need: a head of cabbage, some cooked rice (about 2 cups), a pound of ground beef and some onion.

Take a big pot and boil your cabbage until it will be pliable enough to stuff and roll. Cook your rice at the same time.

Once the cabbage has cooled, start peeling the leaves off. Save the outside leaves that look a little rough to cover the bottom of the pan so they don't burn.

Mix the rice with the ground beef (the rice is cooked; the beef is not) add some seasonings if you want. I usually just use salt and pepper, although Anita used a little chili powder in her beef mixture.

Stuff the bottom of each leaf with the meat mixture and roll it up tightly. Place it seam-side down in the pot. Repeat until you are out of meat.

Now, it's time to cook them. I generally cook them in a big pot covered in tomato juice and sauerkraut. My grandma steamed them in water and then sauted them in a skillet with onion and sauerkraut. Anita steamed hers in water in an electric skillet and then made a yummy tomato sauce for on top. Whatever way you choose is fine. Just cook them until the meat is cooked.

Here is how Anita taught us to make her tomato sauce:

Saute finely chopped onion in a little butter. Add a little garlic.
Add 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of stewed, crushed tomatoes
Add some basil, a bay leaf, salt and pepper
Simmer until all the flavors mix together.
Serve over cooked cabbage rolls.

If you need more structure, this recipe isn't too bad. I just don't use green peppers because I don't like them. Although if you do, the filling IS good for stuffed peppers, too!

Instant Oatmeal

So, I went to the doctor last week and we discussed how I am a moo (not the official medical term, I'm sure) and how I have to lose weight.

But I promise you there will be lots of YUMMY healthful recipes in this part. I take the "die" out of diet, I promise.

I was just telling a friend how back before I was lazy, I used to make my own instant oatmeal. I know that sounds pretty lame, but it's tastier than the instant Quaker Oatmeal I just hacked down, and it's a lot cheaper too.

So, without further adieu, here is how to make your own instant oatmeal.

Get yourself some little ziploc baggies and fill each one with:

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 T dry, nonfat milk
1 packet of splenda (I'm totally going to try the brown sugar splenda)
2 T raisins (or whatever dry fruit blows your skirt up)
and a shake of ground cinnamon

Just add hot water, and there you have a warm, delicious breakfast.

Stay tuned for some more recipes. People have been asking about my beer chicken, so don't drink all your Miller Lite, ok?

Seafood Quiche

This was a new recipe for me, and it was delicious.

1 deep-dish pie crust
1/2 cup cooked shrimp
1/2 cup crabmeat (I used the imitation)
1/3 cup chopped green onion
4 eggs
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded swiss cheese (I lined the crust with sliced swiss, which worked fine)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Sprinkle seafood, cheese and onion into crust.

Beat eggs slightly, then beat in remaining ingredients. Add to quiche dish.

Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Linguine with clam sauce

This is one of my favorite recipes to make during Lent. It comes from the best cookbook ever, Betty Crocker's new cookbook. If you can only own one cookbook, this is the only one you need. (I don't know why it's called the "new" cookbook, because that's been the name of it for a million years.)

I serve this with a nice salad and some garlic bread. There would be wine if I weren't on the Lenten wagon.

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
A seafood and pasta lover's fix-it-fast feast.
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 6 servings

12 ounces uncooked linguine
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz) Progresso® whole peeled tomatoes with basil (Italian style), drained, chopped
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 pint shucked fresh small clams, drained and liquid reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt

1. Cook and drain linguine as directed on package.
2. While linguine is cooking, heat oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in tomatoes and chili. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Stir in clam liquid. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
4. Chop clams. Stir clams, parsley and salt into tomato mixture. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until clams are tender. Serve over linguine.

Updates (and a couple easy recipes)

...from Florida and from taking a break from cooking. Moving involves lots of pizza and Wendy's while you get organized.

I did make one nice dinner for my friends and roommates in my new house. I made cubed steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans and a lemon meringue pie for dessert.

The cube steak was super easy. I mixed flour, salt and pepper and dredged the steaks and then just browned them in the skillet on both sides. I put them in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish and covered them with a mixture of 1 packet dry onion soup mix, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of beef broth. Covered it with tin foil and baked for about 45 minutes or so. When I took it out of the oven, I took the steaks out, added some flour to make gravy for the potatoes and voila!

I'm also going to share my secret to lemon meringue pie. Get some Jello lemon cook and serve pudding (two small boxes for one deep-dish crust). Make the pudding like the instructions on the box, except add four egg yolks to it. You'll use the four egg whites for the meringue (instead of six like the box says). As a general rule, use 3-4 tablespoons of sugar for each egg white and never make meringue on a day when the weather is crappy, because it won't set up.

While I was in Florida, I made my fish tacos (and shrimp tacos) for the Mexicans, and they loved them. I am going to start making my own tortillas, so watch for that. Plus, I am trying my hand at something called "dirty beans." They are delicious when Rosa makes them, so hopefully we can recreate them.

I also made a yummy seafood quiche, and I'll post that recipe here soon enough.

Tonight is linguine with clam sauce, cesar salad and garlic bread.
Tomorrow night is meatloaf.
Sunday is a belated St. Patrick's Day dinner featuring corned beef, cabbage and potatoes with Bailey's brownies for dessert!

I also met a lady from Poland who made the best cabbage rolls ever, and I'll be making them (and posting the recipe) soon!

Fish Tacos

Occasionally, I get in the mood for a good fish taco. I completely and totally blame this on my friend Gretchen from California who introduced me to these tasty treats about five years ago. They are a great treat for a warm summer night (with Coronas, of course), grill night on St. John (with super-fresh fish, of course) or Fridays during Lent.

First I start with some fish filets. I generally use mahi mahi, but I don't see why you couldn't use whatever fish you like. Some people have suggested cod, haddock or tilapia, so I will investigate further. I just wouldn't get anything too "fishy."

I soak the fish in lime juice for a while so it doesn't dry out while I'm grilling it. If I have access to an outside grill, I will use that. If not, I use the George Foreman. Sprinkle some Cruz Bay Grill Rub on each side, and grill the fish until it is white and flaky.

Now it's time to assemble your tacos. Take either hard or soft tortilla shells (I usually use soft). Add tomatos, lettuce (I actually use cole slaw mix because Mexicans use cabbage instead of lettuce), cheese, salsa, etc. I also make "baja sauce" for my tacos, and I really think that is the key to them being super delicious.

To make baja sauce, you combine equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream (maybe 2 Tablespoons each) and then taco seasoning to taste. It's pretty yummy.

Valentine's Cookies

Yesterday we took Valentine's treats to the nursing home. I figured no matter how sad and lonely I was, the people there were sadder and lonelier (is that a word?). Anyhow, we had a good time, and everyone raved about the heart-shaped sugar cookies I made.

The interesting thing about having all your cookbooks in storage is that sometimes you don't have your old standby recipes and have to try something new. And sometimes you find a gem that replaces your old standby, which is the case with this sugar cookie recipe.

On allrecipes.com, they called it "The Best Rolled Sugar Cookie" recipe, and they would be correct. My former roommate even asked me if I used store-bought dough because she said the cookies were so perfect. She knows me better than that.

The recipe is down below, in case this link ever stops working.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 8 Min
Ready In: 3 Hrs

Original Recipe Yield 5 dozen
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Most people make their sugar cookie icing by mixing powdered sugar and milk, which is perfectly adequate, but I made a batch of delicious buttercream icing instead.

It was also from allrecipes.com, which is becoming one of my favorite Web sites.

Butter frosting (link)
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a bowl beat butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, beating well.
Slowly beat in the milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired.

This recipe made just enough frosting for the cookies. The recipe said it would make 5 dozen, but with a pretty nice sized heart cookie cutter, I still think I got more than 60 cookies. Instead of using food coloring on the icing, I did them in white and sprinkled pink sprinkles and red sugar on them. They looked beautiful. Actually, I have a picture on my Facebook, so maybe I can post it here too.

Update

Moving into a new house is hard. And, it's hard to keep up with a cooking blog when someone else is doing the cooking at your house. It's nice, but I find cooking to be good therapy. I may have to reclaim my kitchen!

Tomorrow I'm making a ham in the crockpot. I will put the recipe here. I think I owe you lots of recipes, but I will try to get caught up next week.

I also received my first e-mailed recipe from a reader, so I need to make that and report back to the group!

Recipe-o-rama

Thursday night, we had chicken breasts marinated in that McCormick mojito lime marinade. It was good.

Friday for lunch we had tuna melts and tomato soup (because I couldn't decide between grilled cheese or tuna). Friday for dinner was homemade gnocchi (recipe coming soon) and leftover spaghetti sauce from last week's pizza and Martha White cheddar biscuits, which tasted like the ones from Red Lobster.

Saturday, I made pulled pork in the crock-pot and learned two things: the secret is homemade sauce and cole slaw AND using a butt roast instead of a pork shoulder. Yes, it's fattier (but easy to get the fat off), but there's no bone to deal with. I also made fried green tomatoes, and we tried our hand at some fried pickles. There will be recipes for all this yummy goodness soon enough.

Sunday we had fish tacos for dinner. I also made homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast (OK, the biscuits not-so-homemade) and made a pumpkin pie from scratch. No cheater crust. And it was easy!

Tonight is spaghetti and meatballs. And soon enough, I will have all of this stuff posted for you. I think my laptop is going to the hospital Thursday.

Sloppy joes

I am a big advocate of shortcuts, but there is something I can just not bring myself to buy in a can: sloppy joe sauce.

Sloppy joes have always been one of my favorite foods. And I still make them the way my mom taught me, which means there is no recipe and you'll just have to try it and see if you like it.

Take some ground beef (by "some," I mean "around one pound") and brown it in a pan with some diced onions. You can either add diced garlic or garlic powder to your meat mixture.

Once it's done cooking, drain any grease off the meat.

Add a few tablespoons of ketchup (I just squeeze it out of the bottle until there is a nice-sized blob in the middle of the meat. I'd guess it's about 3-4 Tablespoons.)
Add 2 Tablespoons of cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of worcestershire sauce

Taste it and see if it's seasoned to your liking. If not, play around with it a little bit.

All I can say is that my friend who had dinner with me has sworn off Manwich, so it must not be too terrible. :)

Chicken enchiladas

My apologies to my faithful fans for missing a day of posting. I didn't actually cook anything, and it was a bad day. But, I made chicken enchiladas on Monday, and I wanted to share my recipe with you.

What you need:
Whole chicken
Onion (I use vidalia or white onion)
Packet of burrito seasoning
Packet of 8 tortillas (burrito size)
Mexican cheese blend
Can of enchilada sauce (red or green)
toppings: lettuce, tomato, sour cream, black olives, salsa, whatever you like

First, the key to my awesome chicken enchiladas is to start at about 7 a.m. with a whole chicken, a half cup of water and a crock pot. Cut up some chunks of onion and cook it on low all day long.

When you get home at night, take the chicken out of the crockpot (freeze the stock in a ziploc bag for later), and take all the meat off the bone and put it in a big bowl. Chop up some fresh onion and add to the meat. Then add a packet of burrito seasoning. I use the Kroger brand that is 59 cents in the Mexican food aisle. Yes, I said burrito seasoning. It gives the meat an excellent taste. It's better to do all this when the meat is still at least a little warm.

Next, heat your oven to 350 and spray some Pam in a 9 by 13 baking dish.

Take out your tortillas and put some of the meat mixture and a handful of cheese in the middle of each one. Roll it them up and put them seam side down in the baking dish (I do them one at a time).

Fill the pan up with the rolled enchiladas, cover with sauce and more mexican cheese.

Bake on 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve with toppings of your choice and Fiesta Rice (recipe below).

Fiesta rice
Instant brown rice
chicken broth
can of black beans
1 cup salsa

Prepare 2 cups of brown rice according to package directions, using chicken broth instead of water (don't you have some left from your chicken?)
Add a can of black beans, drained and 1 cup of salsa.

A note on tortillas: I use pre-packaged flour tortillas, because they are easy to work with. I buy them in the Mexican food section of Kroger. They are made by some Americans somewhere. However, my sister-in-law, Estela Benitez is an expert on tortillas, as she has made them from scratch just about every day of her life. She says I could make them myself, but frankly I am afraid. So, she suggested that I go to the panaderia by my work where they make the tortillas for most of the restaurants. She says that they are usually inexpensive there and will be much better than what you get from Old El Paso and the like. So, I will do that for next time. Maybe for fish taco night, which is coming up soon. Friday, maybe?

Thought of the day

Is it wrong to want to host a Super Bowl party just to make a cheeseball that looks like a football? And to buy all the fun Super Bowl party decorations?

My TV isn't good enough. And the person that I like to watch football with isn't talking to me because he's trying to make things work with a girl who looks like ET.

But, still, it's the Super Bowl, and there are a lot of good snacks to be made. (Homemade chex mix, anyone?)

How about this? Even if I don't have a party (maybe next year with my big ass flat screen in my new, big house?), I will post some recipes for all of you who do.

OK, sounds good.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for tonight's treats: Pecan pie muffins (for work breakfast tomorrow) and chicken enchiladas.

Cheater bruschetta

In the summer, I get fresh basil and tomatoes from my farmer's co-op, and I make wonderful bruschetta.

In the winter, I still love bruschetta, but I end up making it the "cheater" way, because canned diced tomatoes have a better flavor to me than hot house tomatoes. So, if you are looking for a quick, delicious snack and aren't opposed to taking short cuts, here is how I make bruschetta.

First of all, you make crostinis. The crostinis can keep in a ziploc bag for up to a year, so don't worry if you make too many. After all, the tomato mixture is so easy, it's nothing to make a little snack to have with your vino.

So, get a loaf of bread from the store. I use the french baguettes (usually white, but I think the multigrain is my favorite when I can get it). Slice the bread into 1/2-inch slices and put them on a cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil using a pastry brush. Sometimes I sprinkle on some parmesan cheese (you know, the kind in the green can), depending on my mood.

Bake on 425 for about 7 minutes, until they are golden brown.

For the tomato mixture:
1 can of italian style diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
A healthy sprinkle of dried basil, oregano and parsley
Sea salt to taste

Mix it all together and let it sit. A few hours is minimum, overnight is best.

Top your crostinis with the tomatoes and watch your guests tell you how awesome it is.

Mangia!

Eating out and catching up

Friday night I didn't have a new recipe because we went to a new restaurant. The restaurant was fantastic, but I have no recipes because no one will come off of Chef Tony's secret sauce.

Saturday we had beef stroganoff for dinner, which Thomas made. I didn't cook dinner because I had my very first "catering" gig. My friend Jen had a party to celebrate her new promotion and tell everyone that she was moving away. I figured it was best to make some snacks for the party and test out my new kitchen. (I am buying her house!)

I am going to tell you my recipes for the evening. I drank too many booze smoothies (orange/pineapple juice, strawberry daiquiri mix, coconut or vanilla rum and ice all smoothed up in the blender), but there were only 9 wings left, so the food must've been a hit.

The menu:
Buffalo wings and veggies with homemade blue cheese
Reuben bites
pizza bites
bruschetta

For the buffalo wings, I didn't bread and deep fry them because we forgot our flour and Jen didn't have any. They were pretty good baked, and pretty good for you. I just baked the wings, and then made a sauce with 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 bottle of Louisiana hot sauce, a sprinkle of garlic powder and some fresh ground pepper. Heat those ingredients on low in a sauce pan and then once the wings come out of the oven put them in a serving dish, coat them with the sauce and shake them up until they are all covered. Serve with homemade (and low-fat!) blue cheese.

Low-fat blue cheese dressing (it's the same dressing as the buffalo chicken roll-ups from the other day. Actually, it's the leftovers :-)

Whisk 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons low-fat, plain yogurt, freshly ground pepper (to taste) and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup blue cheese.

Reuben bites
(I got this recipe from my sister-in-law. I think she said she saw it on Paula Deen's show.)
1 frozen pizza crust from the store, thawed
Corned beef sliced thin
swiss cheese (can use shredded or slices
sauerkraut
spicy brown mustard

Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle (I made two rectangles out of one tube of Pillsbury dough)
Cover with a layer of spicy brown mustard
Cover with a layer of corned beef slices
Cover with swiss cheese
Top with sauerkraut
roll it up width wise so that it makes a long, fat roll

Bake for 10-12 minutes on 425 until golden brown.

Let it set up for about 20 minutes and slice. Serve with thousand island dressing for dipping.

Pizza bites -- follow the same recipe as the reuben bites but use the following ingredients:
Pizza sauce
thinly sliced hard salami or pepperoni (I used hormel pepperoni from the pizza aisle, but they were too thick and it made it hard to roll them up)
mozarella cheese

Bake on 425 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let it set up, and then slice it and serve with additional pizza sauce.

The "cheater" bruschetta is getting a separate post so I can talk a little about seasonal veggies and wintertime.

Batter-baked pizza

As I mentioned, my mom cut this recipe out of the newspaper over 30 years ago, and I have never been able to find it by Google or anything else. So, now you will all have it too. And since I've been making it since college, I don't have actual instructions. Bear with me. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.

Batter: Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk in a bowl until well mixed. Set aside.

Brown some hamburger or italian sausage in a skillet, you can add onions and mushrooms if you wish. I put a little garlic powder in there too.

Once the meat mixture is done, put the batter in the greased pan. Add HALF of the meat mixture and then sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on the top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Once the batter has cooked, add either pizza or spaghetti sauce until you make a layer. Add the other half of the meat mixture and then whatever other toppings you want (olives, pepperoni, banana peppers, etc. -- last night, I used thinly sliced kielbasa instead of pepperoni), then cover with mozzarella cheese.

Bake again until cheese is melted.

Let it stand for a few minutes before serving so the cheese can set up. You may want to eat this "pizza" with a fork, because it can be messy.

I had steamed veggies with it last night, and today I had a salad with the leftovers.

Sneak preview

Tonight, I am making this really awesome pizza that my mom makes. She cut the recipe out of the Detroit News probably 30 years ago or so. At least, when she first got married. It is yummy. Like nothing you've ever had.

But tomorrow you will have the recipe.

And speaking of sneak previews, does anyone have any good recipes for Thai food? I am in the mood to make something spicy and Asian. With peanuts. And shrimp. Or maybe chicken.

Healthy recipe day

This week: buffalo chicken wraps and healthy "fries"

On Wednesdays, schedules permitting, a group of friends and I go to aqua zumba. In the essence of time, we take turns making healthy meals between work and our class. Tonight is my turn. On nights that it is not my turn, I will just share a recipe that tastes great but won't hurt your waistline.

Tonight are two of my favorites, with links to two of my favorite cooking sites.

The buffalo chicken wraps come from Eating Well magazine. I am using spinach tortillas instead of whole wheat, and I got some red onion to put in the wraps, but they are fine just from following this recipe:

First of all, here is the link to the actual Web site. But I will copy and paste it because sometimes the Internet removes links and I would cry.

Buffalo chicken wraps
4 servings
35 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken tenders
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced celery
1 large tomato, diced

Preparation
Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.

Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.

To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Nutrition
Per serving: 275 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 3 g fiber; 756 mg sodium; 266 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (35% daily value), Selenium (28% dv), Vitamin C (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 very lean meat, 1/2 fat

Un-fried french fries link

prep time 15 min
total time 39 min
makes 6 servings, about 2/3 cup each

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. baking potatoes (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup KRAFT Light House Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping

Make It!
PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Wash potatoes; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch thick strips; transfer to large bowl. Add dressing and grated topping; toss well.

ARRANGE potatoes in single layer on large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray potatoes with cooking spray.

BAKE 12 min. Turn potatoes over with large spatula. Continue baking 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown and crisp.

Soak it in...

... marinades!

I love my George Foreman grill. It is especially handy when I am trying to eat healthfully. Just throw some fish, steak, chicken, shrimp on the grill, and there you go.

One of my friends called me one day, and she was distressed by her Foreman grill. She said no matter how long she cooked it her chicken was coming out dry. That’s when I shared the secret of success to the George Foreman grill.

With almost everything I cook on it, I marinate the hell out of it so the meat turns out moist and delicious.

Two summers ago, I was on a real Caribbean cooking kick. Every night I would marinate fish or chicken in a little mixture I made from rum, pineapple, orange and lime juice, honey, soy sauce and garlic. (I just threw it all in a bowl and whisked it until it tasted right). I would toss on a little pre-mixed jerk seasoning and throw it on the Foreman. Then I’d serve it with some rice or couscous and some sort of vegetable (one of the frozen bags is a Caribbean blend or I’d make sweet potatoes with a little coconut, vanilla and brown sugar). I also have some fantastic steak marinades that I will post when grilling season rolls around.

Marinades are great. They can be easy to make. I started marinating meats in high school when a family friend told us to marinate a round steak in Italian dressing all day and then toss it on the broiler for a few minutes. Heaven. There are so many great pre-made ones right now too. On a good day, you can find all kinds of marinade bottles in my fridge, although right now I think the only one I have is a Caribbean one. Another favorite of mine is the Jack Daniels marinade bags. You just open them up and stick your meat down in the bag for a few hours. And, of course, the longer you marinate something, the better. Just never more than 24 hours, because your meat could go bad.

My newest discovery is these McCormick marinade spice envelopes. I swear by their pot roast bag, so I am not surprised that I loved this marinade. I got two, mojito lime and baja citrus, but I haven’t tried the mojito lime yet.

For the baja citrus, I kinda-sorta followed the instructions on the packet, which said to add cooking oil (I use the veggie/canola blend), orange juice and honey. I only had orange-pineapple juice, so I added a little lime juice to make it less sweet. I let two chicken breasts sit in it overnight. I grilled them up and used them on my salad. Obviously, it was so amazingly tasty that I had to write about it. Super yum.

The salad, for the record, was the organic salad mix with carrots, cabbage and greens and I put a light balsamic vinaigrette on it. Remember when eating right used to taste so yuck? Not anymore, kids.

I am posting the link for the baja citrus marinade, in case you want to check it out. There are recipes on there that look delish. You can get it on sale for $1 an envelope every once in a while, so it may become a staple in my pantry. I think my next recipe will be the baja shrimp pizza.

Oh, and since I’m not above plugging products I like, I want to share a secret that those of us who travel to the Caribbean have known for years. My friend, Ruth, runs a little spice shop where you can get amazing Caribbean spices, marinades and sauces. Ruth’s signature product is her award-winning Cruz Bay grill rub. Because I grill on the deck all week on St. John, St. John Spice is my first stop (I also get my coffee there). We made some kick-ass fish tacos with fresh mahi mahi that I soaked in lime juice and then covered with CBGR. There is even a yummy marinade recipe on the jar. If you would like to check it out, you don’t have to spend a few grand on a week in paradise (although I highly recommend it). You can go to www.stjohnspice.com.

While you’re there, get yourself some rum caramels and Kiss of the Jumbie coffee too. And check out the Cruz Bay Web cam. Then call Delta and book your flight. I can smell the rum already…

BBQ pork chops (or chicken) and stuffing

I remember getting a recipe like this a million moons ago, and I just modified it and now it is one of my super-easy, go-to meals.

Heat oven to 350

Take a box of stuffing mix (I always use cornbread) and mix it up like the package directions (I leave the butter out - so just stuffing mix and hot water from the tap)

Put it in the bottom of a greased, 9X13 pan

Cover the stuffing with either pork chops or chicken breasts

Put barbecue sauce on the meat. It is OK if some gets on the stuffing too.

Bake in the oven until the meat is done, usually around 20-30 minutes depending on the cut of the meat

Tonight we're having baked potatoes and corn with it, but it's good with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc.

Welcome!

Hi there.

You probably don't know me, so I wanted to introduce myself and tell you what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

I love to cook. I find that it is a great way to unwind after a stressful day. Yesterday, I went to the doctor and felt kind of blah, so I bought some wine and whipped up some bruschetta. Later, I was still feeling funky, so I made some chocolate chip cookies. It's amazing how just the smell of vanilla and the sound of the food processor can perk you up. Not to mention the healing properties of chocolate ... let's get it out of the way right now: I am a chocolate junkie.

I decided to write this blog, because when you are a single girl and love to cook (and could stand to lose a few pounds), you have to share the fruits of your labor with others. And everytime I feed someone, they ask me for the recipe. Every single time. I really can't think of one thing I've ever made that someone said, "Oh, that sucks. I never want to eat it again, and I surely don't need to know how to cook it."

So, in response to all the queries of "Can I get the recipe for that?" and, perhaps, some inspiration from too much vino and watching "Julie & Julia," I have decided to create this cooking blog. It is my hope that it will inspire me to spend more time in my kitchen, make more creative things and maybe even take a few photos of supper now and then.

My goal here is to tell you what I'm eating each day and provide, at the minimum, a recipe, and maybe some links to Web sites and photos. So, the hope is that everyday there will be at least one new recipe here.

Before you get all excited, here is the fine print:

1. Very rarely will the recipes be my own. But I swear you will not only have a full belly but know about probably every cookbook and cooking Web site available by the time we get done. I am not a creative cook (although when I have tips and embellishments, I will share them with you); I am just a good cook. If you are intimidated by cooking, this blog will definitely get you started.

2. I am not a gourmet. I am just an everyday person cooking everyday. Sometimes there will be fancy recipes with all kinds of yummies made from scratch (like my zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting). Other times, you will get my taco lasanga recipe that I make with Kraft Mac and Cheese.

3. Yep, I said it. I use short cuts. A lot. Yes, I can make pasta sauce by scratch, and I do. But other nights, I get home at 7 p.m. and I use Ragu. It just depends. If you're on some sort of all-natural and organic kick, then wait for me to do something that's really homemade. But you shouldn't be so quick to write off those biscuits in the plastic sack that I keep in the freezer for breakfast emergencies.

4. Lastly, my recipes sometimes aren't even real recipes. You'll see that when I tell you about tonight's dinner. I promise even if I don't tell you exactly how much salt to put in down to the 1/4 teaspoon, it will still taste delicious. If it doesn't taste delicious I will tell you in my commentary for the recipes.

And yes, I know some of you are reading this because you know me. And I will take requests. After all, that would help answer that age-old question: "What's for dinner?"

With that, my friends, bon appetit!