Saturday, December 29, 2007

Old Fezziwig Ale Bread

I am making this bread for the husband to eat while watching the Patriots/Giants game tonight. This will be accompanied by a brown sugar meat loaf and some nice baked potatoes and veggies.

1 bottle (12 fl oz) Old Fezziwig ale from Sam Adams (or any other beer you desire)
3 cups self-rising flour
3 tbs white sugar (I don't recommend a sugar substitute)

Mix the sugar and flour together in a large bowl, slowly pour in beer and continue to mix.
The batter will be sticky. Pour into a 9x5 in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

The top will be crunchy and the insides will be soft. Tastes awesome topped with butter or a cheese spread.


About the beer:
Old Fezziwig® Ale is the Christmas cookie of beer. Bursting with spices of the season and a remarkably full body, it helps those long winter nights pass much quicker. The full body hits the palate first with a depth of malt character ranging from sweeter toffee and caramel notes to the more dark, roasty chocolate notes. Then come the spices in full force. Cinnamon, ginger and orange peel dance on the tongue bringing with them the celebratory spirit that goes hand in hand with the season. (see http://www.samueladams.com/world_of_beer.aspx)

Friday, December 28, 2007

Brocccoli-Apple- Bacon Waldorf Salad

The original Waldorf salad, created at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the 1890s, contained only apples, mayonnaise, and celery. It was later that walnuts became part of the dish.


4 c. fresh broccoli
1/2 c. uncooked raisins ( regular or Golden)
1 sm. onion, chopped (I use a purple/red just because I like the taste..use what ever you like)
1/2 c. crisp fried bacon about 1 lb. ( I usually just use real bacon bits...saves some time)
1 c. apples
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Coleslaw Dressing (to coat until desired consistency)

Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

This soup sounds so good! I love a good creamy soup on a cold winters day and we are expecting some of those soon. I will post and let you know how it turns out! -- Becky




1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
3 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 c. skim milk

All you do:

  1. Place cauliflower on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes in a 375 degree-oven.
  2. Heat remaining tbsp olive oil in a Dutch-oven. Add garlic and onion; sauté 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in chicken broth and cauliflower. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
  4. Puree until smooth.
  5. Stir in milk and heat through.

Ginger-and-Pistachio-Crusted Pork Loin

Doesn't this sound like it would be divine with some Asian noodles or a nice rice bowl?


2 pound boneless pork loin
1/4 low-fat plain yogurt

1 tsp minced crystallized ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 pistachios, chopped

All you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place roast in a greased 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Stir together yogurt, ginger, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over roast.
  2. Press pistachios over yogurt mixture. Cover. Bake 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

A recipe for my co-author Wendy


Free Form Harvest Apple Tart

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Lemon Flavor Gelatin, divided
2 medium Golden Delicious apples (about 1 lb.), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

PLACE flour, butter and half of the cream cheese in food processor; cover. Process, using pulsing action, until mixture is well blended and almost forms a ball. Shape dough into ball; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place pastry on lightly floured surface; roll out to 14x8-inch rectangle. Place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet; set aside. Mix remaining cream cheese and half of the dry gelatin mix until well blended. Spread onto pastry to within 2 inches of edge.

TOSS apples with the remaining dry gelatin mix, the cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese filling. Fold edge of pastry over apples toward center of tart. (Apples in center of tart will remain exposed.) Sprinkle top with almonds. Bake, in lower third of oven, 35 min. or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool. Store leftover tart in refrigerator.

Easy Cheesy Frittata


As I sit here going through cookbooks that I received for Christmas, and trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight that is quick and easy and that will be easy on little tummy's that aren't quite feeling up to snuff, this easy frittata recipe comes to mind.


4 eggs
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat eggs, egg whites and water in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended.

STIR in tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the bacon and basil. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 25 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Been craving salads lately...


Usually, when I decide to make a salad I toss a bag of greens with dressing and call it a day. This one is amazing and doesn't really take that much more effort...


Ingredients

3 firm-ripe pears (Anjou or Bartlett)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Splenda® or sugar substitute
1 box prewashed arugula (about 7 oz)
1 small head frissee, core removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup vinaigrette, preferably balsamic or white-wine flavor

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F; set oven rack at lowest position. Place foil-line baking sheet in oven to warm. Peel, then halve each pear lengthwise. Remove core. Place cut-side down on counter; slice lengthwise into 5 long pieces. In a medium bowl, toss slices with oil and Splenda®. Place on a warmed baking sheet; bake 10 minutes. Flip; bake 10 minutes longer.

2. In large serving bowl, toss arugula and frissee with vinaigrette. Add pomegranate and pears; toss to coat. Serve immediately.


Do you cook FOR your kids or do you feed them what you eat?

It's a topic that's been on my mind a lot recently, with the new cookbooks out that advise you to disguise vegetables and the like into kid friendly food (http://www.thesneakychef.com/ and http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/)Do you cook what you know your kids will eat, or do you cook what you want, and expect them to try new things?

I tend to cook what I want, and expect the kids to try new things. I have been cooking a variety of ethnic dishes since the day they started eating solid foods and I have never had a problem with them eating what ever we ate and they are alway willing to try new things. For example, my 7 year old, given the choice would rather eat Miso soup and Sushi over a hot dog and Mac and cheese anyday.


That being said this recipe was a major hit this weekend:


Thai Style Coconut Chicken Soup

Diced tomatoes and shredded chicken in a creamy coconut soup



Ingredients
1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 can (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (1 cup = 4 oz)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
6 thin slices peeled fresh ginger

Thinly sliced green onions, optional


Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes, or until hot and flavors have blended, stirring occasionally.
  2. Divide soup between 4 bowls. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Sesame Parmesan Twists


ingredients

2/3 cup (about 2-1/2 oz.) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup (1-oz. jar) sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crumbled
Kosher salt
2 sheets (about 18 oz. total) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten with a few drops water and a pinch of salt

how to make

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix the Parmigiano, sesame seeds, cayenne, chili powder, thyme, and 1/2 tsp. salt. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the pastry sheets to a 10x14-inch rectangle. Brush evenly with the egg wash and cut in half lengthwise to make two 5x14-inch strips. Distribute half of the cheese filling over one strip and lay the second strip on top, egg wash side down. Press the strips together with the rolling pin to fuse the two sheets. Cut the strip crosswise into 28 strips 1/2 inch wide. Lift a strip, twist it three times, and lay it on an ungreased baking sheet, pressing each end to keep the twists from unwinding during baking. Repeat with the second pastry sheet and the remaining filling.

Bake the twists until they're puffed, light brown, and dry looking throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Test one by biting it to make sure it isn't doughy in the center.

Let the twists cool on a rack and serve as soon as they're cool, or within a couple of hours if possible.






Saturday, December 8, 2007

Children's Hand Cookies


Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 cookies

  • FOR DOUGH
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, for decorating
  • FOR DECORATING
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • Sanding sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
  4. Make cookie pattern and heart stencil while wrapped dough is chilling. For the pattern, have your child trace his or her hand on a manila file folder, and cut out the tracing. You will lay this on the dough and trace around it with the tip of a paring knife. For the heart stencil, cut a heart shape from a piece of parchment paper, discarding center.
  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a well-floured work surface, roll out cold dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hand shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Dough scraps may be re-rolled twice.
  6. To decorate the cookies with sanding sugar hearts, lay the heart stencil over a cookie. Combine the egg white with the water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash in the heart, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Lift stencil and repeat with remaining cookies. Bake until edges just begin to brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on pans for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Wraps


All you need:
2 garden spinach herb wraps
1/4 c. light chive and onion cream cheese, divided
1 (6 oz) package smoked salmon, divided
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced, divided
1/4 c. shredded Asiago cheese, divided
2 romaine lettuce leaves, divided

All you do:

  1. Spread each wrap with 2 tbsp cream cheese.
  2. Top each with 1/4 cup salmon, 1/2 avocado slices, 2 tbsp cheese and 1 lettuce leaf.
  3. Roll up tightly and slice diagonally in half to serve.

Savory Deviled Eggs


Makes: 24 pieces
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: at least 1 hour

Ingredients

* 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
* 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon honey mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 large pimiento-stuffed olives (about 8), chopped
* Parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise and spoon yolks into a bowl. Reserve whites. Mash yolks with a fork. Stir in mayonnaise, honey mustard and black pepper.

2. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chopped olives. Fold remaining chopped olives into yolk mixture.

3. Fill whites with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle reserved chopped olives over the tops of the eggs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Note: Can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve pieces on a bed of parsley to prevent egg halves from rolling around on the platter.

Sugar cookies (From Eleni’s New York)

COOKING TIME

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
33⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 cup colored sugar, for decoration

PREPARATION

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the heavy cream. Cover dough, and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.

2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1⁄4-in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 in. apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until bottoms and edges of cookies are light brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

SAUSAGE AND GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI


Ingredients:

Sausage ( I used sausage patty’s crumbled up–about 5 of the big ones)

8-12 oz. goat cheese (depending on how cheese-y you want it)

Tomato-basil butter ( I picked up a small container of it at Walmart)

wanton wrappers

Marina sauce

freshly grated parmesan cheese

To make:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor, combine sausage, goat cheese, and tomato-basil butter until mixture is thoroughly combined.

Lay out raw wanton wrappers on your work surface. Take a tsp of the mixture, and place into the center of each wanton wrapper. Dip your finger in some water, and moisten the edges of half of the wanton. Seal dumpling/ravioli by folding wrapper over on itself - trapping the mixture in the center. Crimp edges with the tines of a fork/use a ravioli wheel. Place finished ravioli on a lightly floured surface, in a single layer so that they do not stick together. Repeat process until all of the filling is used up. (I got about 45 ravioli out this recipe.)

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt water well. Gently drop each ravioli into the boiling water, and cook until the ravoili floats to the surface.

Once ravioli are finished boiling, layer them in a baking dish with marina sauce, sprinkle with parmesan and bake until cheese is bubbly!

Sirloin Steak Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing


All you need:
1 (1 lb) top round sirloin steak
Monterey steak seasoning, to taste
2 (4 oz each) packaged mixed baby greens
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. light honey mustard salad dressing

All you do:

  1. Sprinkle steak on all sides with seasoning. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot; add steak. Cook for 6 minutes; turn. Cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until desired doneness.
  2. Remove steak from pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak into thin slices.
  3. On a large platter, layer greens, cranberries and dressing. Top with steak.

Gingerbread Coffee Sipper

All you need:
3 c. water, divided
6 tbsp Folgers™ ground coffee
1/2 c. sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp crystallized ginger
1 tsp whole cloves
1/2 c. half-and-half
whipped topping, thawed, optional

All you do:

  1. Brew coffee according to package directions using 2-1/2 cups water and ground coffee.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in half-and-half. Cook until heated through. Remove spices.
  3. To serve, divide coffee among four mugs. Stir in half-and-half mixture. Top with whipped topping if desired.

Cranberry Pecan Cookies

All you need:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. sour cream, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
3 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. pecan pieces

All you do:

  1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in sour cream and egg. Stir in vanilla and orange zest.
  2. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Roll into 1-inch balls.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are beginning to turn golden. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.