Wings 'n' Things

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

2012-01-27T16:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I made this recipe for Chiles Rellenos Casserole from the Cook's Country Aug/Sep 2011 issue. Though this recipe claimed to not be as much work as making "real" Chiles Rellenos- it was a TON of work. I don't see how this is any easier at all! The flavor was okay but I wasn't in love. I didn't like the ground beef in this. I won't make this again.

Buttermilk Ranch Chicken

2012-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Buttermilk Ranch Chicken. I did not follow the recipe exactly because I added a lot more spices to the marinade. I added cayenne pepper, garlic salt, seasoned salt, and I can't remember what else. I dumped a bunch of stuff in it. Oh ya, I added garlic tabasco too. Then I dredged the chicken in flour before I fried it in the oil in the skiller. This was actually pretty good. The chicken was very tender. Next time I am going to really ramp up the spices, including adding fresh minced garlic and a dash of Worcestershire to the marinade. I marinated this for about 8 hours but next time I will do overnight. I think I will make this again.

Orange-Glazed Chicken

2012-01-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

Last night I made a recipe for Orange-Glazed Chicken from the April/May 2011 issue of Cook's Country. It was pretty good, and I think I liked it better than Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange I made a few months back. But here is how I will make the recipe if I make it again.

3 T grated zest + 1/2 cup juice from 3-4 oranges
1 T sugar, or less depending on how sweet oranges are
1 t cornstarch
1/8 t cayenne pepper (maybe use more)
1/4 c salt
4 c water
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts, halved crosswise, ribs removed and/or bone-in, skin-on thighs (about 4 or 5 breasts & thighs total)
1 T olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
freshly ground pepper & garlic salt

Whisk OJ, 1/2 t zest, sugar, cornstarch, and cayenne in bowl and set aside. Process salt and remaining zest in food processor until finely ground. Whisk water and salt mixture together in large bowl until dissolved. Add chicken and marinate in refrigerator for 30-60 mins. Remove chicken and pat dry then sprinkle with garlic salt and freshly ground pepper. Poke several holes in chicken skin using a paring knife. Heat oil in large skillet, place chicken skin-side down and brown well for about 10-15 mins. Turn over, put lid on and continue cooking until 10-15 mins or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken to a plate, pour off all but 1 T fat, add garlic to pan and saute for about 1 min- do not let garlic burn. (You could also try sauteing some onion too.) Add cornstarch mixture and cook about 3 mins until thickened. Add chicken & any accumulated juices back to pan, cook for about 4 minutes more until chicken is well-coated. Serve with rice and spoon additional sauce over rice.

The original recipe called for 2 T sugar and it made the recipe too sweet. I will most likely make this again. This might be okay made with boneless skinless chicken as well.

Skillet Penne Sausage Supper

2012-01-22T15:40:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Skillet Penne Sausage Supper. It was pretty good, but I would make some changes if I made it again. The method was good, but I would change out some of the ingredients. I would use canned diced tomatoes and not sundried tomatoes. I would also skip the spinach and add some frozen green beans at the end. I might try adding some cheddar cheese to this right at the end. Over all the method was great, it was fast, it was a one-pot meal, and it was a heck of a lot healthier than Hamburger Helper.

Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream

2012-01-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

So we all know I love my Cuisinart ice cream machine. Last week I made homemade blackberry ice cream, using blackberries picked from near my husband's parents' home. I used the Cuisinart recipe for Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream and substituted blackberries. I only used a splash of lemon juice and I did not do the macerating step. This ice cream came out amazing, as you can see from the picture. My only thought is that I would like to try processing the berries in a food mill to see if it would remove the seeds, because they were just a little bit annoying to eat. But the ice cream was incredible, and there is not a drop of food coloring in it!

Chinese Beef with Broccoli

2012-01-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Chinese Beef with Broccoli which came from the June 2011 issue of Food Network magazine. It was really good. Of the many recipes I have tried to make chinese-style food, this was by far the best. And it was easy! Most of the recipes I have tried in the past come out with really tough chewy meat, and not enough flavor. This did seem like maybe it was missing something, but I'm not sure what, maybe some hoisin sauce? I omitted the tomatoes and I used reduced-sodium soy. Next time I would make more of the sauce than called for, I would add more ginger and more garlic. I might mince the ginger as well so it is more distributed through out. I also might add some red bell pepper or some sliced carrots or mushrooms and red pepper flakes. I think you could make this like a pepper steak by using green bell pepper instead of broccoli. Also I bet you could add orange peel to make this like an orange beef. Everyone really liked this. I can't believe how tender the meat was, and I was careful not to over cook it.

Honeysuckle White Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast

2012-01-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

I made a Honeysuckle White Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast for dinner the other day, and it was terrible! It was dry, and tasted like turkey bacon. We didn't even save the leftovers, it was that bad. I was quite shocked because we made a Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey for Thanksgiving and it was great.

Olive Garden Copycat Salad Dressing

2012-01-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

I tried this copycat recipe for Olive Garden Salad Dressing. It doesn't *look* exactly like the dressing (Olive Garden dressing seems to be more clear and this is more white), but it tasted pretty darn close. I think I would make this again.

Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kit

2011-12-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

We recently made one of these Auntie Anne's At-Home Baking Kit and it made really delicious pretzels! They were as good or better than Auntie Anne pretzels at the mall!

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

2011-12-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

I made the recipe for this cheese sauce but must admit I only steamed the broccoli because I was too lazy to roast it, but I am sure roasting it would have been even better. I can't wait to make this again!!!

Smothered Pork Chops

2011-12-20T16:41:00.001-08:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops. It came from Food Network magazine's Dec 2011 issue. I followed the recipe exactly except that I added a splash of lemon juice at the end. These were fantastic! The whole family liked them. This is my go-to pork chop recipe now as I didn't really have any pork chops recipes I absolutely loved until now.

simplehuman® Sensor Pump Touch-Free Soap Dispenser

2011-12-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

I recently bought one of these simplehuman® Sensor Pump Touch-Free Soap Dispensers and so far I love it! I love that it is one less surface to touch especially when I have to wash my hands in the kitchen. I did not like the simplehuman brand soap though- I am looking forward to using my own after I use up the free sample that came with the pump. After I test this out for a few weeks I hope to get another one of these for our bathroom that gets used the most.

Oxo Pepper Grinder

2011-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

I love freshly ground pepper, but hate the mess the grinder makes on my counter tops. So I was thrilled when I saw Oxo's Pepper Grinder which is designed so that the grinder is on the top therefore it doesn't leave pepper everywhere. Not to mention this one is super easy to grind, it's see-through so I can see when I need to add more pepper, and the grind is easily adjustable. Add this to my favorite items!

Rich and Silky Turkey Gravy

2011-12-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

I got a free subscription to Bon Appetit magazine for trading in airline miles. I would never pay for that magazine, because I feel like it is very gourmet and not realistic for a home cook like me. I hardly ever cut any recipes out of it, but I did make their recipe for Rich and Silky Turkey Gravy. It came out really great. I used white wine as I didn't have any madeira, and I didn't use the porcini powder because I didn't have any. But this method made a really fantastic gravy, I would like to try this with roast beef gravy as well.

Antipasto Minis

2011-11-13T08:11:00.001-08:00

I made a version of these Antipasto Minis for a party. They were okay, but I could only find plastic skewers and the ingredients kept sliding off the skewers. Maybe wooden skewers would work better. I don't think I would make these again though. Rather than using the skewers I would just dump everything together and make a pasta salad. It would be a lot faster and easier and obviously taste just as good.

Cornmeal Oven-Fried Chicken

2011-11-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

Cornmeal Oven-Fried Chicken

This chicken comes out nice and crispy, sort of like a homemade Shake-n-Bake. I used olive oil and not butter, to make this a little bit healthier and because I have olive oil in a mister bottle and could mist the chicken evenly. I do think the mix could use more flavor, like some cayenne, white pepper, and a few other seasonings, maybe paprika. Over all this was a very good recipe and I might make it again with some tweaks.

Padma's Roasted Potatoes

2011-11-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for Padma's Roasted Potatoes last night for dinner. I did substitute thyme for the rosemary just because I don't really love rosemary. Also I baked them in my large cast iron pan rather than a shallow roasting pan. These came out fantastic. I would definitely make these again, and maybe add some garlic next time.

Paula Deen's Lattice-Top Blackberry Pie

2011-10-31T03:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe for Paula Deen's Lattice-Top Blackberry Pie. I kind of chuckled when I saw this recipe in Food Network magazine, because it is essentially my mother-in-law's recipe, and she is known for her amazing blackberry pies she makes from blackberries she picks herself. My mother-in-law doesn't use the lemon juice or lemon zest (which personally I think would make the pie too tart, so I don't use them either). She also varies the amount of sugar based on the sweetness of the berries. She doesn't do the lattice-top crust but simply cuts slits in the top pie crust. I always bake my pies on a foil-lined cookie sheet just in case of any spill over.

Homemade Breadsticks

2011-10-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Homemade Breadsticks. These were SOOOO good and very easy to make! For the wheat flour I used “white whole wheat”. I also melted an additional tablespoon of butter to brush the breadsticks with at the end (because I did not have any leftover). I didn’t read the recipe closely enough and used regular table salt, not kosher salt when I made the dough. To compensate for that I did not use any more salt in the melted butter mixture. I can’t believe how easy these were to make! So much better for you, and tastes so much better, than the frozen junk you can buy at the grocery store!

Queso Fundido

2011-10-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last night I tried out this recipe for Jessica Simpson's favorite game day dip- Queso Fundido which I found in People magazine. It wasn't that great. It ended up very greasy and not much flavor. The cheese also turned out a little grainy. I liked the concept of cooking it in the oven in a cast iron skillet, so I may try that with another queso recipe.

Chicken and Slicks

2011-10-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

I made this recipe for Chicken and Slicks which I found in the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of Cook's Country. It was totally amazing. I followed the recipe exactly except that I left out the celery, due to my family member who hates celery. Also I used white whole wheat flour rather than all purpose flour. The recipe came out fine though I did need to add a little more chicken fat and water to the "slicks" dough to get it to come together. This recipe involved a lot of steps but the results were fantastic. Leftovers that sat in the fridge over night thickened into more of a chicken-n-dumplings style dish which I also love! If you don't want a very thick stew-almost-gravy type consistency, skip the part about adding the flour slurry (1 cup liquid and toasted flour) at the end. This is an absolutely solid method for any type of chicken-based soup. I will definitely make this again. Especially reminded me of my mother-in-law's chicken rivel soup.

Becky's Amazing Meatloaf

2011-10-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

This came out of my most favorite cookbook and if you know me, you know which cookbook I am talking about. I have been searching for a good meatloaf recipe for years. Nothing ever seems as good as my grandmother's meatloaf, though supposedly she just used the Quaker Oats recipe. This does not taste like my grandmother's, but this recipe is amazing, and by far the best meatloaf I have ever tasted. And it does not include any MSG or anything like that!

BECKY'S AMAZING MEATLOAF

Seasoning Mix:

2 tsp. dry mustard

1-1/2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. onion powder

Meatloaf:

8 slices bacon, diced

1 c. tomato juice

1-1/2 c. chopped onions

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. green pepper, chopped

2 lg. eggs, beaten

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. saltine cracker crumbs

4 bay leaves

Cook the bacon in a large skillet. In the drippings cook the onions for 7 to 10 minutes. Add pepper, celery, bay leaves and one tablespoon of seasoning mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mix, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat, and then discard bay leaves. In a large bowl, combine vegetable mix and tomato juice. In another bowl, stir together meat, eggs and cracker crumbs. Then add the veggie mix and squish it all together. Turn the mixture into a sprayed 9 X 13 pan and shape into a loaf; don’t press to the edges. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Serves 8

A few notes: I must admit I misread the recipe where it says "tomato juice" my mind took that as "tomato sauce" as in what comes in a can and didn't realize until later it really meant tomato juice. I didn't have any tomato sauce, so I watered down some tomato paste to measure what I thought a 1/2 cup of tomato sauce would be, and it worked out fine. I think I will use tomato sauce next time, not juice. I did leave out the celery as someone in my family hates any kind of celery in anything. Also to me this really serves 6, not 8. If you are watching your salt intake I recommend you totally skip the added salt as the saltines will add salt, next time I will add only half the amount of salt. I think this would freeze well (after cooking of course).

Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake

2011-10-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

I made this Pillsbury recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake. It wasn't that good at all. It really had no flavor. I am shocked it did not call for any vanilla. That might have helped some, and I think it needed more sugar. What a disappointment. We did not eat any of the leftovers.

Almost-Famous Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa

2011-10-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for Almost-Famous Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa which is a copycat of Chipotle's version. I thought it was pretty good, though not exactly the same, and I can't quite pinpoint why. Maybe needed a little more jalapeno, I don't know. But it was very good and I will definitely make it again especially for burrito bowls at home!

Pepsi Pork Chops

2011-10-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Pepsi Pork Chops. Didn't love it- they were too sweet and too tough. Maybe if this had been done in the slow cooker it would have been better.

Scalloped Potatoes

2011-10-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Scalloped Potatoes, and they were incredible!!! This is one of my new favorite potato recipes! Next time I would leave out the bay leaves (don't think they do much for flavor). I also would use A LOT more cheese, and maybe just mix in the cheese which I guess would make them au gratin. Wow, these were so good!

Beefy Nacho Soup

2011-10-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

I recently tried this recipe for Beefy Nacho Soup. Didn't love it, and tasted as you can expect- very processed.

Easier Fried Chicken

2011-10-16T09:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I tried this recipe for Easier Fried Chicken from the Sep/Oct 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated. I was really disappointed with it. The breading becomes nice and crispy but the skin underneath stays gross and soggy and slimy. Also, the breading nearly burns by the time the chicken is cooked to the correct temperature in the oven. Definitely not making this again, and still have never done fried chicken at home that was really any good. I still prefer this recipe for Oven-Fried Chicken over anything.

Dutch oven-braised beef and summer vegetables

2011-10-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I made this recipe for Dutch oven-braised beef and summer vegetables which I had cut out of Sunset magazine's August 2011 issue. It wasn't bad, but I didn't like the zucchini in it. I also omitted the corn. I might make this again with some tweaks. I would like it to have carrots in it. The garlic was very good.

Stromboli

2011-10-12T03:44:00.001-07:00

I have been trying to perfect a recipe for stromboli. I made it once using Pillsbury french loaf dough, and it was okay but really salty. Last night I made it using homemade pizza dough- I used Tony Danza's dough that I have always had good luck with, only this time I made it with entirely white whole wheat flour. It came out great. The stromboli came out good, but it was still really salty. Next time I will leave the salt out of the dough, as well as try to find low sodium meats and cheeses for it. Here is the basic recipe I followed:

2 pounds pizza dough (one batch of Tony Danza's dough) omit the salt from dough recipe!
8 oz thiny sliced salami
8 oz thinly sliced capicolla
8 oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
8 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and sliced thin
1 cup grated or shredded parmesan
1 egg, lighlty beaten
2 t sesame seeds, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out half of dough to a rectangle shape of approx 12 by 10 inches. Top with provolone, meats, peppers, parmesan leaving a 1 inch border around edges. Moisten edges of dough with water and then roll up and seal. Place on a baking sheet lightly oiled with olive oil. Repeat with second half of dough. Brush each loaf with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using. Cover loosely in foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 mins covered, then approx 20-25 uncovered. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping if desired. I like this pizza sauce recipe. Substitute fillings as desired.

Basic Creamy Coleslaw

2011-10-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe from Cook's Country for Basic Creamy Coleslaw a few days ago. It didn't wow me, so I probably wouldn't make again. I think I prefer coleslaw with buttermilk in it.

Maple-Glazed Cornish Hens

2011-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a recipe for Maple-Glazed Cornish Hens. I am not sure what magazine I cut it out from and couldn't find the exact recipe online. Basically you split the cornish hens and removed the backbone, brushed with a mixture of butter, mapple syrup, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and baked until done. These really didn't have much flavor and I wouldn't make them again. My favorite cornish hen recipe is still Orange-Glazed Cornish Hens.

Weeknight Skillet Fajitas

2011-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had this recipe for Weeknight Skillet Fajitas for dinner. They were excellent, and very quick and easy! I will most definitely be making these again. I used my cast iron skillet. Though I would like the meat grilled as well. I was concerned the meat would not have much flavor but when eaten with the highly seasoned peppers and onions, this was amazing!!!!!!!! I served them with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa, jalapeno slices, tomatoes and lettuce.

Grilled Pizza Round Two

2011-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

We made the Grilled Pizzas again, this time with canned mushrooms, less cheese, pureed pizza sauce and prosciutto on top! Also, I used white whole wheat flour. Totally amazing!!!!

Chicken Potpie

2011-10-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight for dinner I made this recipe for Just Chicken Pie from America's Best Lost Recipes. I made several adjustments to the recipe.

I used leftover roast turkey, not chicken, and I think I used quite a bit less than called for in the recipe- I just eyeballed the amount to use. I also added peas because I wanted veggies in this. I left out the celery. I used white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. I used one small onion minced fine rather than scallions. I did not strain the sauce and discard the veggies. I followed the rest of the ingredients and instructions.

All that said, this recipe was AMAZING. Just amazing. So so good. I will definitely make this again and say goodbye to any potpie recipes that call for cream of something soup. I would also like to try adding some carrots to this. Everyone loved this!

Greek Chicken Roulades

2011-09-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made this recipe from Cuisine at Home for Greek Chicken Roulades with Creamy Orzo w/ Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta. It was okay. I don't think I would make it again with those exact ingredients. The method worked pretty well though the recipe takes longer than stated. The orzo wasn't bad but I didn't love the flavor. I'd love to try something with the orzo using cheddar instead of feta and maybe broccoli instead of sun-dried tomatoes. Won't be making these specific recipes again.

Ice Cream Recipes

2011-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the other two ice cream recipes we have tried, and we have really liked both.

Simple Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
(for this recipe I recommend pureeing all the strawberries, not just some of them)

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

2011-09-09T21:48:00.001-07:00

I made this recipe for Simple Chocolate Ice Cream tonight. It was very, very good. Also very easy to make. This recipe was in the booklet that came with my Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2 Qt Frozen Yogurt-Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker. (Any by the way, I only paid $50 for mine from Sam's Club). This is the third ice cream recipe we have tried from the booklet- and we have really liked all of them. I will have to blog about the other recipes at a later date. I always freeze the ice cream for awhile after it is made, as it is extremely soft when it comes out of the machine.

Stromboli

2011-09-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Made this recipe for Stromboli today. I followed the recipe mostly except for I did not top it with shredded parmesan. I also added canned mushrooms and black olives to the filling and used pepperoni instead of ham. I sprinkled the tops of the stromboli with italian seasoning and garlic powder. These were pretty good except that they were INSANELY salty, and the cheese leaked out from these and there was a ton of grease both from the cheese and the pepperoni. Also, it stuck to the pan. I really can't figure out why it was so terribly salty. I wonder if I could find low-sodium cheese. I do plan to make these again with a few tweaks. I might try a homemade dough instead of store bought. I will look for reduced sodium and reduced fat cheese. I also think I would use colby jack instead of cheddar as it is a lot less greasy when it melts. I would partially cook the pepperoni on paper towels in the microwave to get a lot of the grease out of it. And I would spray the baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, or maybe try baking these on a rack. But over all this was pretty good. Good concept, just needs a few tweaks.

Roasted Sweet Onions w/ Blue Cheese

2011-09-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I made this recipe for Roasted Sweet Onions w/ Blue Cheese from Cuisine at Home. It was really really tasty, and I think you could leave the blue cheese out altogether if you prefer.

To make these you take a vidalia onion (or other sweet onion like Walla Walla) and core it. Then place the onion on a chunk of foil, stuff about 1/4 Tbsp butter into the core. Add 1/2 tsp of beef base to the butter, then top with another 1/4 Tbsp butter. Wrap up tightly in foil and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Open up foil and stuff with some blue cheese, then broil for about 3 mins to melt cheese and onions begin to char. Remove onions from broiler and top with freshly chopped chives, if desired.

These taste a lot like french onion soup. So good! Will definitely make these again.

Quick Grilled Pizzas

2011-09-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight for dinner we made these Quick Grilled Pizzas from Cook's Country magazine. They were excellent. Next time I would add more garlic and a little bit of red pepper flakes to the pizza sauce. I would also puree the pizza sauce mixture. For myself, I would honestly prefer no cheese next time. I put fresh mushrooms on the pizza as an experiment, but the pizzas cooked so quickly the mushrooms didn't have time to cook. So in the future I will either saute the mushrooms beforehand or grill them so they are cooked before I put them on the pizza. I would love to try some prosciutto on these. I can't wait to make these again!!! Very quick and easy, and the dough was so easy to make!

*see a second attempt here

Kickin' Chicken with Maple White Barbecue Sauce

2011-09-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I made this recipe for Kickin' Chicken with Maple White Barbecue Sauce from Paula Deen magazine. It wasn't that great. The chicken comes out very greasy and soggy, and the flavor isn't great. The white barbecue sauce was mediocre. Won't be making this again.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns

2011-08-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for Sweet Potato Hash Browns the other day, and they were fantastic. I used some butter, olive oil and a splash of bacon grease to fry them up and omitted the garlic. I will definitely be making these again. They were so good!

Copycat Olive Garden Chocolate Lasagna

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

I made this copycat recipe for Olive Garden Chocolate Lasagna (chocolate layer cake). I cut the recipe in half and still ended up with a HUGE cake. Personally I think the ratios are a bit off. I think it needs less cake and more frosting/filling. The frosting however was fantastic and I would probably use that recipe for it again in the future. For the frosting I did substitute in mostly real butter and a little bit of butter flavor shortening rather than all shortening. As for the cake itself, I am not sure if I would make it again. A boxed cake mix would be just as tasty, and easier, and maybe a little more moist.

Roast Beef with Balsamic Glazed Carrots

2011-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I made this recipe for "Roast Beef with Balsamic Glazed Carrots" which I cut out of the Sept 2011 issue of Health magazine. It was pretty bland. I like Classic Roast Beef and Gravy MUCH better than this recipe. I won't be making this recipe again. Though I do like the rump roast cut of meat, in this recipe it did not have much flavor. The carrots had no flavor at all.

Lemony Potato Salad

2011-08-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

I forgot to post this recipe from Food Network magazine a few days ago- I made this Lemony Potato Salad when we had a barbecue, though I also added some minced fresh chive and dusted the top of the potato salad with paprika. The potato salad was okay- not amazing. I don't think I would make it again, but it wasn't terrible. It was a bit bland I thought.

(Note: I did not make the ribs, only the potato salad.)

Chicken Spiedies

2011-08-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for "Chicken Spiedies" from the June/July 2009 issue of Cook's Country magazine. It was decent, but the flavor was a tad strong, and the kids didn't really care for it. I don't think I would make it again as we have other recipes we all love. One thing I did differently in this recipe was to grill the pieces of chicken "loose" rather than on skewers. I think it was easier that way and the chicken cooked faster. You can also view this recipe here.

UPDATE: The leftover grilled chicken (with out the white sauce) made pretty good chicken salad sandwiches. I ground up the leftover meat in my food processor and mixed with mayo and a little dijon mustard. I should have added a little shallot too. It was very good.

Creamy Dill Cucumbers

2011-08-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

I also tried a recipe for "Creamy Dill Cucumbers" for the barbeque we hosted- it wasn't bad but wasn't spectacular so I don't think I would make it again. It consisted of sour cream, cucumbers, dill, cider vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper. I think it had too much vinegar and the apple cider vinegar was too strong. If I did make it again I would use just a little bit of white vinegar or champagne vinegar.

El Sombrero Corn Bread

2011-08-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for El Sombrero Cornbread from Taste of Home for a barbeque we hosted, and it was terrible. It comes out swimming in grease, is very coarse and dry, and the flavor is awful. I should know better than to try a new recipe for an event, but sometimes an event gives me the excuse I need to finally try a recipe.

I'll just stick with my tried and true Mix and Match Cornbread recipe from Midwest Living.

Grandma Delores's Christmas Cookie Recipe

2011-07-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet. This is Grandma Delores's Christmas cookie recipe.

2 c sugar
2 c milk
2 c oleo (margarine)
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 tsp anis oil (optional, my mother-in-law does not use it)
1 oz hartshorn (ammonium carbonate) dissolve in milk

Mix all ingredients together. Mix enough flour in until you cna roll out the dough. Bake until done. I think around minutes.

That is the recipe as it was given to me. Here is more info about hartshorn.

Mongolian Beef and Broccoli

2011-07-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made a recipe for "Mongolian Beef and Broccoli" from the book Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn. It was pretty awful, which is why I didn't bother to post the recipe. This is the second recipe I've tried from the cookbook that didn't come out well. Luckily I did not purchase this cookbook- just checked it out from the library.

Chicken in Lime Sauce

2011-07-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Last night I made a recipe from Argo brand corn starch for "Chicken in Lime Sauce". It was okay. The flavor was a bit strong and was kind of oddly sweet. I am not sure if I would make it again though as I have so many other chicken recipes that I really love. I also think I prefer Chicken in Lime Butter over this recipe.

Simple Chocolate Sheet Cake

2011-07-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

I recently made America's Test Kitchen's recipe for "Simple Chocolate Sheet Cake" which is from my favorite "Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook". It was a TON of work and the results were terrible. The cake was dry, crumbly, dense and worst of all did not have good flavor. I followed the recipe exactly. A boxed cake would have come out better and tasted a lot better!

Beer-Battered Onion Rings

2011-05-07T13:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I made this recipe for Beer-Battered Onion Rings from an issue of Cook's Country. These were very good, although it was a little tricky to get the batter to be the right consistency. I substituted cider vinegar for the malt vinegar and I used vidalia onions because it's what I had around. I will definitely make these again!

Jalapeno Ribs

2011-05-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Taste of Home and made some changes to it. It sounds like it would be spicy but it actually isn't spicy at all! If you want it spicy add more jalapenos or Tabasco or cayenne pepper. This rub and bbq sauce would be excellent on chicken as well. This is one of the best tasting bbq sauces I have tried in a LONG time! Next time I would add lots of minced garlic to the bbq sauce, as well as maybe a little cayenne and maybe some cumin, or any other spice in my cabinet that looks good. Maybe some seasoned salt too. Definitely adding this one to the Master List.

Jalapeno Ribs

3 1/2 to 4 lbs pork country ribs (boneless or with bones- doesn't matter)

For the rub:
4 T brown sugar
2 t chili powder
1 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t smoked paprika
1 t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder

For the BBQ sauce:
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1 sm onion, processed in food processor (preferably), or very finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and processed in food processor (preferably) or very finely chopped
1 t soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t liquid smoke (optional)
dash Maggi (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Combine rub ingredients, rub all over ribs, and place ribs on a rack in a foil-lined pan and bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours until fully cooked and tender. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and simmer uncovered for 30-40 mins or until thickened.

Transfer ribs to a grill and baste generously with sauce. Grill approx 10 mins until the ribs have some grill marks and a glaze. Baste with more sauce after removing from grill and serve.

Mexican Spinach Dip

2011-05-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

I thought this dip was delicious, but I think it needs another block of cream cheese and maybe some half n half, because I think there is way too much spinach and not enough creaminess the way it is.

Mexican Spinach Dip
serves 12

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
2 (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel, drained
1/2 small onion, chopped fine
1 (10 oz) box spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 c shredded sharp cheddar
1 t salt
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin

Heat oven to 350 with rack in middle position. Grease 8 inch square baking dish. Using electric mixer, blend all ingredients well. Scrape into baking dish and bake uncovered for about 30 mins until bubbling at edges and top is golden brown. I think you could also just heat & serve this in a crockpot. Serve with chips or crackers.

Southwest Cream Corn

2011-04-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in People magazine's Mar 9, 2011 food issue. It's a recipe that is served at Toby Keith's restaurant called Southwest Cream Corn. I thought this borderlined on gross. It had way way WAY too much cream cheese. I would maybe try this again with only 4 oz cream cheese, not 12, I would use low fat cream cheese and I would add less half-n-half or maybe try using milk instead of half-n-half. I also think this needs some jalapeno added and maybe some cilantro. This has potential but is basically like eating a spoonful of cream cheese if you make it following the directions. UGH!

SOUTHWEST CREAM CORN

Serves 6

1 poblano pepper

3 strips of bacon, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 (16-oz.) package frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

12 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 cup half-and-half

2 tbsp. all-purpose barbecue dry rub seasoning blend

1. Preheat oven to 500. Bake pepper on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes or until skin looks blistered. Place pepper in a plastic freezer bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skin. Peel pepper; remove and discard seeds. Dice pepper. 2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat, 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. 3. Add red pepper and onion to bacon and drippings; cook, stirring often, 4 minutes over medium heat. Stir in corn and poblano; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, stirring until cream cheese melts. 4. Stir in half-and-half and seasoning blend; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat, 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

Enchilada-zagna

2011-04-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

So this is my new favorite casserole- Enchilada-zagna. I had this at a friend's house for dinner one night and loved it. I have seen other recipes similar to this and they never sounded very appealing, but this was fantastic. I topped mine with sliced black olives and shoved a few sliced pickled jalapenos into the casserole. Next time I would use more chicken and maybe grill the chicken to add a little more flavor. I would also think about adding some diced onion, minced garlic, and red bell pepper and maybe even a little bit of lime rice in the layers. I would also sprinkle it with freshly minced cilantro before serving.

Cake Pops

2011-04-08T04:18:00.000-07:00

I recently made Cake Pops which are a recipe by Bakerella. Basically, you bake a boxed cake mix, then crumble it into a bowl and mix with a can of frosting. Roll the mixture into balls and freeze. Then stick lollipop sticks in them and dip them in melted chocolate. You can then either stick them upright in a block of styrofoam to dry, or place them on waxed paper as you would a candy apple. Let them cool, then wrap individually in plastic wrappers. These were a major hit and I would definitely make them again. You don't have to make them on sticks either, you can just make them as Cake Balls.

French Toast

2011-04-08T04:10:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for French Toast yesterday and thought it was decent, but I've decided I don't really like French Toast all that much- I would rather have waffles. If I ever was going to go make French Toast again- I would use this recipe.

1/3 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1 c milk

4 large eggs, beaten

3/4 t vanilla

butter, bacon grease or oil

8-10 slices thick bread such as challah, texas toast, etc

powdered sugar, fruit, maple syrup & butter, for serving

1. In a shallow dish combine first 4 ingredients, then add next 3 ingredients and whisk together.

2. Grease a skillet or cast iron pan with butter, bacon grease and/or oil. Dip bread slices into egg mixture letting liquid fully soak into to the bread. Fry french toast on each side until golden brown. Add more oil to the pan as necessary, keeping cooked slices warm in the oven until all slices are cooked.

3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

2011-04-07T04:29:00.001-07:00

I tried this recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and it was really really good. I will definitely make it again.

double pie crust (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)

1 1/2 lbs rhubarb stalks (about 3 to 4 large ribs), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch lengths or smaller *a lot of info online says you do not need to peel rhubarb but I decided to

40 oz fresh strawberries (about 4 cups), hulled and quartered *I am sure you could use equivalent amount frozen

1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling, may need to add a little more to pie filling depending on how sweet you want it and how tart the rhubarb is

2 T cornstarch

1 t grated orange zest, optional

1/2 t vanilla

pinch salt

softened butter or margarine, about 1-2 T

egg white

1. Mix rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a bowl and let sit for about an hour, stirring occassionally. Preheat oven to 425 with oven rack in lowest position and a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack.

2. Drain fruit reserving 1/4 c of the juice. In large bowl mix fruit, 1/4 c reserved juice, cornstarch, orange zest, vanilla, and pinch salt.

3. Spread pie crust in pie pan and top with fruit mixture. Dot with some butter on top of fruit mixture, then top with other pie crust. Crimp and seal edges, cut vents. Brush top of pie with egg white and sprinkle with salt.

4. Bake for 25 mins, then reduce oven temp to 375, rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until pie is bubbling and crust is a deep golden brown, about 25-35 mins longer. Cool on rack.

Pioneer Woman Chicken Potpie

2011-03-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last week I also made Pioneer Woman's Chicken Potpie out of her cookbook. It wasn't bad, but was somewhat bland. I must note I used half n half, not heavy cream as called for in the recipe, and I don't think it affected the outcome of the recipe. If I made this again I would probably make some changes like maybe adding some shredded cheddar to the filling and maybe some garlic or something- maybe even season the chicken itself. Overall, this was okay. Though I love Pioneer Woman, I feel like her recipes are hit or miss. I often feel like she's left something out from how she really makes it.

Scallop Kabobs

2011-03-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I made these Scallop Kabobs from Taste of Home. They weren't bad but I felt like the marinade was bland and missing something. Probably won't make this exact recipe again.

Pioneer Woman Buttermilk Fried Chicken

2011-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago I made Pioneer Woman's recipe for Buttermilk Fried Chicken. I followed the recipe exactly, and the chicken came out terrible. The outside of the chicken burned before the inside of the chicken was cooked. Plus, the batter on the chicken just didn't taste that great. It was a complete flop. Not only did it taste terrible, but it was a ton of work and made a huge mess of the kitchen. Big disappointment.

Brown Rice with Parmesan, Lemon and Herbs

2011-03-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

I also made this recipe for Brown Rice with Parmesan, Lemon, and Herbs. I followed the recipe exactly except I used smaller amounts of dried parsley and basil rather than fresh. Next time I would cook this 65 minutes, instead of 60. Over all I thought this was really good and I would definitely make again. Next time I might add some minced garlic to the sauteed onion. I think it was originally a Cook's Illustrated recipe.

Easy Cheese Sauce

2011-03-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made Argo's recipe for Easy Cheese Sauce. Didn't really like it. I prefer the kind my grandmother used to make with flour.

Maple-Glazed Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

2011-03-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

I recently made this recipe for "Maple-Glazed Roast Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy" from the Nov 2007 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. I must admit I didn't follow the recipe closely- I used a boneless turkey breast, dried thyme (not fresh), and skipped the onions and celery. However, this was still VERY good. Very good flavor- the maple & cider complimented the turkey well. Next time I would maybe sprinkle the turkey with a little bit of cayenne pepper as well. I also would be interested to try a bringing the turkey in a sort of maple cider brine. I will probably make this again.

Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-03-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made "Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies" from the Cook's Country October/November 2010 issue. The cookies were neither soft, nor chewy! They were dry, crumbly, and didn't have great flavor. So disappointed. Won't be making these again.

Easy Caramel Cake

2011-03-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

I recently hosted a book club where we were discussing the book "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. If you have read the book, you'll remember that one of the characters (Minnie) is known for making caramel cakes. So I decided to make a caramel cake for book club and used this recipe for "Easy Caramel Cake" from Cook's Country. The cake was incredibly dry, and though the frosting was good it also was a bit dry. Honestly you'd have better texture and taste for the cake from a boxed mix. So I may make the frosting again sometime with a little more cream added, but wouldn't bother with the cake itself.

Caramel Frosting:

12 T butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
2 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 c heavy cream
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar, sifted

Melt 8 T of the butter, brown sugar and salt over medium heat. Whisk in cream and cook until bubbles appear on edge of pot. Off heat whisk in vanilla. Transfer hot frosting to a bowl and with electric mixer on slow speed, gradually mix in powdered sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat about 5 mins until frosting is pale brown and barely warm. Add remaining butter one piece at a time until light and fluffy. Here is where I would add a tad more cream to the frosting. Frost cake.

Paula Deen has a similar frosting recipe here.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

2011-03-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I made this Pillsbury recipe for French Silk Chocolate Pie. It was mediocre. It came out grainy and you could feel the sugar crystals in it. The flavor was blah. Won't make this again.

Low-Fat Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2011-03-02T20:32:00.001-08:00

Tonight I made Low-Fat Broccoli Cheddar Soup from Cook's Country Feb 2008 issue. You can view the recipe here. Well, it was absolutely horrible, HORRIBLE! Haven't made a recipe that bad in awhile. UGH. I'll stick with Big Boy Cream of Broccoli soup copycat recipe and add cheddar to that. As much as I like Cook's Country, every once in awhile I get a real dud.

How to Use and Care for Cast Iron Cookware

2011-02-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

This is hands down, the best way to season cast iron.

Lodge Cast Iron Cookware - how to use and care for.

Cafe Rio Copycat Food

2011-02-15T02:41:00.000-08:00

One thing I really miss from living out West is Cafe Rio. My favorite menu items there were the steak salad and pork barbacoa salad. Last night for dinner I made a copycat version of their pork barbacoa salad.

For the pork, add a pork roast (maybe 3 to 4 lbs, cut in half) to a crockpot, along with a can of Dr Pepper, some red pepper flakes, cumin, fresh minced garlic, minced onion, brown sugar and some tomatillo salsa (green "verde" salsa). Cook all day on low. Drain meat, discarding any grease and reserving some of the jus. Add meat back to crockpot and shred with a fork. Add some or all of the jus back to the crockpot to moisten the meat well, and mix in more brown sugar (maybe 1/2 cup or so depending on how sweet you like it), along with more tomatillo salsa and more seasonings if desired.

For the rice, cook white rice according to directions. Let cool slightly. I used brown rice and it tasted just fine to me. Toss rice with lime juice, freshly minced cilantro, and salt to taste. Someday I might try adding some lime zest also.

Assemble salad by melting some shredded cheese on a tortilla. Place tortilla in a medium bowl. Add rice and beans (I don't like beans so I always leave them out), top with pork, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo or salsa of your choice, a scoop of guacamole, cojita cheese, and fried corn tortilla strips (I use crushed nacho chips as it tastes the same and is easier than making the fried tortilla strips). Add lime wedge and a few sprigs of cilantro (I added more diced cilantro rather than the sprigs).

Serve with creamy tomatillo dressing of which there are many versions. Lately I don't measure anything and just make the ranch (either buttermilk or regular), add cilantro, diced jalapeno with some seeds, fresh minced garlic, dash of cayenne, dash of green Tabasco, 1-2 t of tomatillo salsa, and lime juice and blend well.

Broiled Lemon-Garlic Chicken

2011-02-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made Broiled Lemon-Garlic Chicken from Food Network magazine. I was not impressed, the chicken was very bland. I really thought it would have had a lot more flavor considering the ingredients (lemon & garlic). Won't be making it again. I don't even know why I bother to keep trying chicken recipes like this because nothing comes close to Kimberly Belle's Roast Chicken and Veg.

Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Browned Butter

2011-02-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made this recipe for Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Browned Butter. It was excellent! I was out of shallots and used dried thyme instead of fresh, and more garlic than called for, as well as using olive oil instead of vegetable oil. A picture of the recipe can be viewed here. I will definitely be making this again!

Homemade Pizza

2011-02-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

So, I have tried to make homemade pizza a few times before, and the results were usually mediocre. Tonight I tried Tony Danza's recipe for pizza dough, along with a recipe for homemade pizza sauce I cut out of a cooking magazine. About a year and a half ago I was perusing the cookbook section of the library and saw Don't Fill Up On the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook which was published in 2008. I checked it out from the library and then liked it so much I decided to buy a copy.

Anyway the dough came out really well- it helped a lot that I had a friend teach me how to make homemade bread last week. There was a lot about making any kind of dough that I did not understand before last week. I did not let the dough rise as long as I should have because we were hungry and I underestimated the rising time. I also didn't have fast-rising yeast- I only had "active dry yeast" and from what I could find online there is a difference. But all in all I'm very happy with this recipe. The dough made two pizzas about 12 inch in diameter. I learned after the first pizza to go easier on the sauce and cheese and not to use fresh mozzarella (too watery). I will definitely be making this again! Here is his recipe the way I did it (not quite exactly Tony's- but close).

Dough:

1 pkg fast-rising yeast
1 c warm water
1 t sugar
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 T salt
1 T + 2 t olive oil
1 T honey (optional, but I used it)

Sauce:
blend in a food processor until smooth:

28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained well
2 T chopped fresh basil
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (more if desired)
1/4 t salt

Proof the yeast by stirring it with 1/2 c of the warm water and the sugar, then let it sit for 10 mins in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook attached. Add some of the flour, 1 T of the oil and the honey, if using. Turn the mixer on and gradually add the rest of the flour along with the salt and remaining water. You may not require all of the water called for in the recipe. Mix it in the bowl about 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Take out of bowl and knead on a floured board and counter for a few mins more. Cut the dough in half and round off each half. Place each ball of a dough in a soup bowl with 1 t oil. Turn and coat the dough with the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise about 2 hours until double in size. If you let it rise in a warm place it probably won't take quite as long to rise.

When dough is ready, preheat the oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone on middle rack. You will need a pizza peel or a cookie sheet. Sprinkle cornmeal liberally on peel or cookie sheet. This will help the pizza slide off and onto the stone. Take one ball of dough and stretch or roll it into a flat circle. Using your fingers form a ridge along the edge to help keep the sauce on the pizza. Slide the dough onto the peel/cookie sheet. Spread 1/4 c pizza sauce on it (more if desired). Top with desired toppings (I did mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, mushrooms and a mix of mozzarella and monterey jack cheese).

When oven is preheated slide pizza onto stone using peel or cookie sheet. Here is where I will do it differently next time. I do not have a pizza peel and found the cookie sheet method very difficult. Next time I will stretch out the dough, and when the oven is preheated, take the stone out of the oven, put the dough on top and bake for about 5 mins. Take out of the oven and quickly top the pizza, then pop it back in the oven. I think it would be easier if you had a pizza peel because a cookie sheet does not work well for this. We like our crust crispy, if you don't, you probably don't need to bother prebaking the crust.

Bake for 10 to 15 mins, spinning the pizza occassionally. It should be golden brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let cool 2 mins before slicing and serving. While the first pizza is baking, prepare the dough for the second pizza.

(Updated w/ pictures on 2/11/11 after making this successfully for the second time!)

Ensenada Shrimp Cocktail

2011-02-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe from Taste of Home for Ensenada Shrimp Cocktail for a Super Bowl Party today. It wasn't bad, but I am not sure if I would make it again because I have so many other appetizer recipes I really love, that I don't see the point in making one again that I didn't think was amazing. If I did make this again, I would add some minced garlic, lime zest and maybe some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or some of the jalapeno seeds to ramp up the flavor. Surprisingly this dish wasn't very spicy even though it had raw diced jalapeno and serrano peppers in it.

Duff Goldman's Slightly Adapted Mamo's Potato Pancakes

2011-02-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

I also made Duff Goldman's Slightly Adapted Mamo's Potato Pancakes which I found in the Dec 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine tonight. They weren't bad, but not my favorite- not sure I would make them again. I have at least one other latke recipe I want to try and see if it is better than this one.

Bistro Chicken

2011-02-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

Once in awhile my mom cuts out recipes for me that she comes across. This was one of them. Tonight I made Bistro Chicken which was from Relish magazine which I think is usually in the Buffalo News sunday edition (and probably other national papers). This smelled great while cooking, but I didn't love the actual chicken. So far nothing beats Kimberly Belle's Roast Chicken & Veg. Won't be making this again.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

2011-02-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

So two nights ago I made this recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Chili from the February/March 2011 issue of Cook's Country. Overall I thought it was very good, though I am not a real chili fan and only make it once every few years. If I needed a semi healthy chili recipe though, this would be it! I left out the kidney beans because I don't like them. I'll be saving this recipe.

Fettucine Alfredo

2011-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

I kind of think that Fettucine Alfredo recipes are a dime-a-dozen. There are ton out there and they all seem to come out about the same. I made this one tonight and thought it was rather good. I did not measure amounts very closely. Next time I am going to melt the butter and saute some minced garlic in it for a minute or two before proceeding with the other ingredients.

Fettucine Alfredo

4 T butter
1 cup hvy cream
pinch of nutmeg
salt & freshly ground black pepper
12 oz fettucine
2/3 cup parmesan (I think you can also use parmesan romano blend and that would be fine as well)

Cook fettucine in salted boiling water until just barely al dente, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water when you drain the pasta. Meanwhile, melt butter, add cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 5 mins. Drain the pasta, put back in pot, and add cream mixture. Mix in cheese (I probably used more than called for) and if desired, a little of the pasta cooking water to help thin the sauce. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges. This would be good garnished with fresh minced parsley and red pepper flakes.

Salisbury Steak

2011-01-30T18:41:00.001-08:00

Tonight I made this recipe from Food Network Magazine for "Salisbury Steak". It was pretty awful. I followed the recipe exactly which made the sauce flavorless and watery. I did add some maggi and gravy master and then it was barely edible. The flavor of the steaks themselves wasn't too bad but the overall recipe was terrible. What a disappointment!

Paella

2011-01-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I made a recipe for Paella. I have tried making it a few years ago and did not have good luck at all, of course at the time I didn't have the right pot and I don't think the recipe I tried at the time was as good. This recipe was based on a recipe I found in "America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook" though I made a few changes- here is how I made it.

4 oz chorizo (I used the "real" stuff but next time would use the americanized version- I think I would like it better believe or not) sliced

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in quarters (or bite size pieces)

4 t olive oil

1 minced onion

1 diced red bell pepper

9 garlic cloves, minced (next time I will use even more)

2 cup valencia or arborio rice

3 cups chicken broth

1 (14/5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1/3 c white wine

1/2 tsp saffron threads

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 lbs shrimp (medium to large), peeled, deveined and tails removed

1/2 c frozen peas

2 pkgs scallops (around 2 cups)

2 t fresh minced parsley

lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 350. Cook chorizo in dutch oven until lightly browned, about 2 mins. Transfer to a bowl.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 4 t of oil in the pot until just smoking, brown chicken thoroughly on both sides. Transfer to the bowl with the chorizo, leaving the grease in the pot.

Add onion and bell pepper to pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 mins. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in rice and cook about 1 min. Stir in broth, tomatoes, wine, saffron and bay leaves and scrape up any brown bits. Stir in chicken and chorizo and bring to a voil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook about 15 mins until the rice absorbs almost all of the liquid.

Remove from oven and scatter peas, shrimp and scallops over top. Cover and put back in oven and cook about 10-15 mins until seafood is cooked through.

Remove from oven and let stand covered for about 5 mins. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. 8 servings

*I would love to try clams in this or even squid. I also think this would be good with some red pepper flakes.

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf

2011-01-10T15:00:00.001-08:00

Tonight I made Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf. Didn't love it. I think I like the Quaker Oat classic meatloaf recipe better, though I still haven't found *THE* meatloaf recipe. Nothing ever seems as good as my grandmother's, though I think she just used the Quaker recipe. I should look into America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country recipes for meatloaf- I have a lot of good luck with their recipes. The bacon on this was a nice touch but won't be making this again. I still love Pioneer Woman- she's great.

Low-Fat Cheesecake

2011-01-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made a recipe for "Low-Fat Cheesecake" from Food Network Magazine. It was very good with a subtle lemon flavor. It came out really well and was fairly easy. The only thing I messed up was that you are supposed to wrap the springform pan in foil so that when you bake the cheesecake in the water bath, no water leaks into the pan. Well I did wrap it in foil, but I should have doubled it up, because the foil had a small hole and so the pan ended up sitting in water anyway. It seemed to be fine and that the water did not seep into the pan, but if/when I make this again I would double the foil just to be sure water wouldn't leak.

Now here is my gripe with this recipe. The recipe printed in the magazine included nutritional info but for some reason on the website it does not. It claims to be 229 calories per serving which is fantastic for cheesecake. Only thing is, it claims to have 14 servings total. Everyone who came over last night agreed that was unrealistic. I think it has more like 10 servings total which would make it 321 calories per slice. Still pretty good as far as cheesecake goes, but I think it's a bit sneaky the way they want you to think this is so low in calories but really that's only if you eat a tiny, tiny piece!

I will probably make this again as it is lower in calories & fat than a lot of cheesecake recipes, and the flavor is great. I think you can leave out the lemon if you desire.

Nutritional info for 14 servings:
Cal 229
Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Chol 61 mg
Sodium 319
Carb 24 g
Fiber 0 g
Protein 11 g

Never-Fail-Fudge

2011-01-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I made the Marshmallow Fluff recipe for "Never-Fail-Fudge". It was a lot more work than my usual recipe for Festive Fudge and I think I like the Festive Fudge recipe better. The fluff recipe just didn't taste enough like fudge to me. I'll stick with the Festive Fudge recipe.

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

2011-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies from Taste of Home. They were absolutely awful. The dough was so dry and crumbly I had to add 2 T milk and 1 T more cherry juice to even get it to form into a dough. It was extremely difficult to get the dough wrapped around the cherries. To top it off the dough, when cooked, had no flavor. Another dud from Taste of Home.

Buckeyes

2010-12-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

I realized I never posted the recipe I use for buckeyes on the blog. The recipe I use comes from a very good friend who is an Ohio native. Buckeye candies are named after the dark brown nuts of the Buckeye tree and Ohio is considered the "Buckeye State".

Ohio Buckeyes

2 sticks butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
12 oz. jar creamy peanut butter (1 1/2 cups)
1 (12-oz.) pkg. chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate chips though I am sure you could use semi-sweet
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 stick paraffin (usually found near the canning supplies in the grocery store)

Melt butter, mix in 1 lb. sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Form into balls. (If mixture is not thick enough to form into balls, gradually add more powdered sugar until dough can be formed into balls.) Refrigerate. Melt paraffin in double boiler or a mini-crockpot and add chocolate chips until melted. Use toothpicks and dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate and place them on waxed paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. If needed, refrigerate the finished buckeyes a little while to help them set, then store at room temperature.

***My buckeyes never look as perfect as my friends' buckeyes.

Lemon Spritz

2010-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

I tried this recipe for "Lemon Spritz" which I found in Taste of Home Holiday magazine. In my opinion, the dough was just a little too stiff for the cookie press. Next time I would maybe add a little milk to soften up the dough a little bit. I had a hard time getting the dough out of the cookie press and I know from the recipe I tried last week that the cookie press works quite well when the dough is the right consistency. Overall these were okay though I am not sure if I would make them again. I did put frosting on these because I think most cookies need frosting.

Classic Roast Beef and Gravy

2010-12-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

For Christmas dinner I decided to make this recipe I saw in an issue of Cook's Country magazine last year for "Classic Roast Beef and Gravy". The recipe is also in my copy of "Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers". I followed the recipe nearly exactly except for the following:

-I rubbed the roast with kosher salt but didn't measure how much I used, and let it sit overnight as directed
-after browning the roast, I sprinkled it with a little bit of garlic powder
-I put a little water in the bottom of the pan with the roast so that the drippings wouldn't burn, since the roast was on the rack it did not touch the water and didn't affect the recipe
-I only used one onion (not two) and omitted the celery
-I added a little water and more flour to the gravy because the flavor was a little strong and I wanted to water down the gravy a little bit
-I did not use low sodium beef broth but next time I will try to
-I did not strain the gravy- I left the vegetables in it and blended it with an immersion blender, this made the gravy lumpy but I thought it tasted great and I like the lumps of veggies
-I also added a dash of soy sauce and a dash of maggi to the gravy

This recipe came out absolutely amazing and I would definitely make it again. It got rave reviews at the dinner table as well. This is one of the best recipes I have made in a long time. This is why I am such a fan of Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen- they test their recipes so they are pretty fool proof.

Butter Rich Spritz

2010-12-13T19:13:00.001-08:00

I think this is the recipe my grandmother used for Spritz cookies. This recipe comes from an old Pillsbury cookie recipe book. It is not dated, but if I had to guess I would say this was from sometime in the 50's or early 60's.

Butter Rich Spritz
Developed by Ann Pillsbury

"Enjoy these dainty cookies throughout the year... decorate for a festive touch."

Sift together:
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together:
1 cup butter, gradually add 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, creaming well

Blend in 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg, 1/2 tsp almond extract and 1 tsp vanilla, optional: add some food coloring to color the dough

Add the dry ingredients gradually, mix thoroughly

Press a small amount of dough through a cookie press onto an ungreased baking sheet. Optional, sprinkle with colored sugar before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on a rack. If desired, decorate.

Cookie Press

2010-12-13T19:04:00.001-08:00

A few months ago, my mom got me a Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II Cookie Press that was on clearance at Kohl's for $11.99, plus she had at least a 15% off coupon on it. I was kind of skeptical at the time because I know I have heard that cookie presses can be troublesome, but I have always wanted to make spritz cookies like my grandmother always did. I finally tried the cookie press tonight, and it was incredible! I honestly cannot believe how easy it was to use, and how well it worked! The most difficult part of the process is getting the dough into the cylinder- I used a dinner spoon for that. I really want to try sugar cookie dough in this- because if it worked well, I could crank sugar cookies out probably 4 times faster than I currently do!

Gram's Sugar Cookies

2010-12-12T08:08:00.001-08:00

So a few years ago I found my grandmother's recipe card for sugar cookies. After making it, I realized it was simply the Crisco sugar cookie recipe that can be found here (except that her recipe called for sifting the dry ingredients and the Crisco recipe doesn't). Make sure you use butter flavor shortening! I also would like to note I have an aunt that used this same recipe but used margarine instead of shortening. I believe she said her recipe came out of one of her really old cookbooks (Better Homes or Betty Crocker- I can't remember which).

Sugar Cookie Icing

2010-12-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

This recipe was given to me by a friend a few years back, and I just finally tested it out now on sugar cookies. It came out great and I really like it. This will definitely be my "go to" sugar cookie frosting recipe.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING
(from a friend who got it from another friend!)

INGREDIENTS

6 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup water
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp clear vanilla extract or flavoring of your choice (¼ tsp butter flavor, 1/8 tsp lemon flavor)
Food coloring (Wilton colors work best)

DIRECTIONS
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and flavoring in medium bowl; stir until smooth. Icing should have the consistency of molasses- slow but steady flow off the end of a spoon. If the icing is too stiff, add one drop of water at a time to thin- if icing is too runny or stirs too easily, add a little more confectioners sugar. Divide the icing to be tinted into smaller bowls. You can usually make up to 5 different colors- ½ cup each. When icing is not being used, cover immediately. This icing dries very quickly when left out for even a few minutes.

***I used 1 tsp regular brown vanilla extract for my flavoring of choice and it was fine even though it wasn't clear- it didn't effect the way the frosting turned out. I bet using other flavorings would be great as well, including almond extract which isn't listed in the original recipe!

Kari's Festive Fudge

2010-12-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

My grandmother used to make fudge every Christmas. I had tried making it myself a few times using different recipes (I'm not sure what Gram's recipe was) and it never came out that great. So I was thrilled when Kari shared her favorite fudge recipe with me- which is Eagle Brand's Foolproof Chocolate Fudge which Kari calls "Festive Fudge". Just a note that I use milk chocolate chips, not semi-sweet chips. I also made a batch of white chocolate fudge this year using white chocolate baking chips and it came out great. I was also told my another friend you can make peanut butter fudge using peanut butter baking chips. It seems the options are endless! I follow the Eagle Brand recipe exactly except for I line the pan with waxed paper, not foil.

Note: I sent a message to Eagle asking if the fudge should be refrigerated and they said yes. They said you can also freeze it if it is wrapped well.

Italian Pot Roast

2010-12-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made this recipe for "Italian Pot Roast" which came from an issue of Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade. Overall this was really great. Next time I would increase the liquid to maybe 1 1/2 cups each of red wine and beef broth. I would also maybe leave the carrots out. I would add some garlic cloves with the onions. The red wine gave this great flavor! I made regular white rice but next time I want to try brown rice with it. Overall very good- liked it.

Mix-and-Match Corn Bread

2010-12-07T03:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I also tried out a new cornbread recipe from Midwest Living. This is called Mix-and-Match Corn Bread because you have several options for the ingredients. I used yellow cornmeal for the cornmeal option and 1 cup buttermilk for the liquid option. I did not use any stir-in option. These came out fantastic, so much better than Jiffy!!!! I will definitely be making this again- they were great!

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

2010-12-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I made a recipe for "Bacon Cheeseburger Soup" from Cooking with Paula Deen magazine. It was pretty terrible. I followed the directions exactly except that I only used 1 lb of meat and that was plenty- it would have been way too much with 2 lbs. Definitely won't be making this again. It was just way too weird. I guess I was expecting something more cheesy/cream soup based.

Popcorn Machine

2010-12-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

I bought one of these Sunbeam Tabletop Popcorn Makers a few weeks ago and so far I am really happy with it. It does take a little bit of effort to keep the sides of the machine clean, but I think it is worth the trouble. And yes, the popcorn tastes just like movie theater popcorn to me. I use Orville Redenbacher's Buttery Flavor Popping and Topping Oil to pop the popcorn in, then top with Troyer Buttery Popcorn Topping and Act II Buttery Popcorn Salt.

I clean the kettle with Dawn Power Dissolver- it is the only product I've ever found that gets off cooked on grease, and from what I read you have to keep a grease build up from forming on popcorn kettles otherwise the popcorn will start to taste burnt. I also use it on my deep fryer.

One-Skillet Pasta

2010-12-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for "One-Skillet Pasta" from Taste of Home. It wasn't bad, and I might make it again with some changes. First off, I used 1 lb ground beef because that's what I had on hand- and it was plenty enough meat- I would definitely not use the called for amount of 1 1/2 lbs. I left out the sweet red pepper because I didn't have one. I left out the cheese due to preference and I added some garlic. The concept of this was really good. Next time I would like to try making this with 1 lb italian sausage. I would use the red bell pepper, and I would also add more garlic next time. This might also be good with a splash of wine. I also would like to try fresh mushrooms instead of canned. I would use more brown sugar than called for. This is an easy one-pot recipe and is very easy to personalize to your own tastes. Also wanted to note that after adding the angel hair pasta it was cooked through in about 15 mins, not 30-35 as called for in the recipe.