Jenn's Fabulous Pabulous Parley

Sauteed chicken w/ creamy chive sauce

2012-02-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

4 Chicken Breast (thin cut ones)
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. Flour
3 Tbsp oil
4 Scallions
1/2 c. white wine
1 can chicken broth
1/3 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 c. fresh chives chopped

Season chicken with 1 tsp salt and dredge in 1/4 c. flour. Cook Chicken
- Heat oil, add scallions, and cook 2 mins. Sprinkle w/ flour and add wine & broth. Return Chicken to sauce and cook 10 mins. add remaining ingredients cook another 15 mins..

This is my friends recipe that I can't take credit for..... I do alter it slightly by grilling my chicken then adding it to sauce. The sauce is really good not only on chicken, but also on top of mashed potatoes!

Greek Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

2011-10-12T13:26:00.002-04:00

Greek Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

3 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 tsp. olive oil
2 3/4 c. chopped sweet onion
1 c. Arborio rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 c. sliced asparagus
1 pound peeled deveined shrimp, 1" pieces
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1 T. chopped fresh dill (fresh MAKES this dish)
2 T. lemon juice
s&p

1) Simmer broth and water, do not boil, keep warm over low heat.
2) Heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion, saute 5 min or until tender. Stir in rice and garlic, saute 2 min. Add broth mixter 1/2 c. at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed completely.
3) Stir in asparagus and shrimp, cook 5 min or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, dill, lemon juice. Season with s&p.

Parley
Risotto has such a stigma, that it's terribly difficult to make and only amazing chefs can pull it off. Well....either it's not that hard, I don't know what it's supposed to be like, or I'm an amazing chef, because every time I make this we love it. It's not hard, it's just time consuming and at times it tries your patience. The keys to this recipe, I believe, are constant stirring (this creates the "creaminess" of the rice) and the fresh dill. Splurge at the store and get fresh dill, you'll thank me. Turn on some music, pour a glass of chilled white wine, and stir stir stir. :)

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

2011-09-20T22:41:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

The Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2tablespoons cornstarch

1teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½teaspoon cayenne pepper

1egg

1cup beer

The Sauce:

1/2cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2cup mayonnaise

1lime, juiced

1jalapeno pepper, minced

1teaspoon minced capers

1/2teaspoon dried oregano

1/2teaspoon ground cumin

1/2teaspoon dried dill weed

1teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

All the Rest:

Oil for pan frying (I had about a quarter to half inch in the bottom of my fry pan)

1pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions

1(12 ounce) package corn tortillas

1/2medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Gaucamole

Fresh diced onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, lime and cilantro

Directions

I suggest making the sauce a few hours ahead of time if possible (or even the day before) as giving it time to sit lets the flavors really meld together. Honestly, it is delicious directly following preparation so if time is an issue don’t let that stop you! To make the sauce mix together the yogurt (I use low-fat) and mayonnaise in a medium sized bowl (again I use a light version like Smart Balance). Slowly add fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Shred cabbage and place in serving bowl or on a plate. I also like to serve these with an assortment of “freshies” such as sliced jalapeno, lime, cilantro, and tomato.
For the batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt. In a separate bowl blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (a few lumps are ok).
Heat oil in large fry pan, or if you have one, a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
Pat fish pieces dry with paper towels and dredge lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas being careful not to get them too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, white sauce and whatever “freshies” you desire! If I have it on hand I also like to serve these with guacamole or sliced avocado!

Parley

First, let me start out by saying that I really like this fish taco recipe...the beer battered fish would be fantastic on it's own and the sauce is really delicious. I will certainly be making these again! As usual there is a story behind this recipe but to do it justice I will have to write it up and post it sometime later (work gets in the way of everything and I'm already up way too late tonight)! That said I've been wanting to get this recipe posted for two weeks now and so decided to piecemeal it a little bit. Enjoy in the meantime!

Aunt Mae's Cuban Chicken

2011-06-01T14:03:00.003-04:00

Aunt Mae's Cuban Chicken

1.5 to 2 pounds skinned chicken thighs or = of other chicken
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 c rasins
1/2 c pimento-stuffed green olives
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 T red wine vinegar

rice to serve with

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Stir everything else except the rice together, pour over chicken. Cook on low all day, tightly covered. Serve over rice.

Parley
Aunt Mae was my mom's aunt, I believe. No, she wasn't Cuban. Honestly I'm not sure how "cuban" this recipe really is. All I know is that it's easy and yummy. Don't let the unusal combo of olives and raisins deter you--it turns out great. Audrey devours this, especially the raisins and olives. If you don't have green olive (spanish olives) in your undoubtedly well-stocked fridge already, buy "salad olives" at the store. They are green olives with pimentos, but they seem to be the ones that aren't perfect. You know, the pimento fell out, or the olive got squished or whatever. It's the same stuff as the regular olives, just cheaper. And you're going to cook them for 8 hours anyway, so it really doesn't matter waht they look like. I usually by bone-in, skinned thighs, just to make it easy on myself. If you have time, skin your own and save some $$. I do suggest using chicken with the bones in, as it tastes better and won't get so "dry" tasting. I usually toss in more than 1/2 a pepper because we all love them. I use ground cumin, 'cause that's what I have. I also usually toss in extra olives and raisins (see above!). Serve over some brown rice, cous cous or quinoa and you have a great, easy crock pot meal.

Jamie's Turkey Loaf

2011-05-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
1 egg
1 pkg Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine ingredients in large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Grease bottom and sides of loaf pan and press mixture into pan. Cook at 350 for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

Parley

First, I must give credit where credit is due and this is my sister, Jamie's, recipe (as I'm sure the name I gave it implies). I'm usually not a huge fan of ground turkey anything; I don't hate it but find it to be bland with a strong poultry taste that is not my favorite. This recipe, however, is just the opposite - it's full of flavor and not too overpoweringly "turkey". It also happens to be super quick and easy!

Garlic Rosemary Chicken Burgers

2011-05-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Sauce:
1/2 cup lowfat mayonnaise (I used Smart Balance)
1/2 cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced

Burgers:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 sandwich rolls/buns
1 cup arugula, divided

Directions:

1) For the sauce, combine the mayo, yogurt, rosemary and garlic in a bowl. Mix well. Chill for an hour so that the flavors can combine.

2) In medium sized bowl mix the chicken, 1/4 to 1/2 the mayo mixture, salt, and pepper by hand (if you add too much of the sauce the mixture becomes too "wet" and difficult to form into patties. If this happens add some panko or bread crumbs to firm up. The mixture should be fairly moist though.) Form into four patties.

3) Grill for 7 minutes per side or lightly grease a large pan and saute until cooked through.

4) Spread a generous dollop of sauce on each bun, place 1/4 of the arugula on the top of each bun and a burger on the bottom half of bun.

Parley

This recipe comes from my days of watching the food network while I ran on the treadmill in ARM's basement on my lunch hour. I used to time it so that I could watch Giada as for some reason I've always loved her show. This was one of the recipes she made that I immediately went home and recreated...and loved. I've subsequently tweaked the recipe a little to my own liking, using a bit more garlic and substituting half the mayo for lowfat greek yogurt to shave some calories and it's just as good in my opinion. These are very easy to make, taste delicious, look fancy and are pretty healthy! Buon appetito!

Sloppy Joes

2011-05-15T19:31:00.006-04:00

Suz's Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green pepper
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp each dry mustard, salt, poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2 tsp vinegar (I use white)
1 T brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp liquid smoke
buns

Brown beef with onions and peppers. Add the rest and simmer, anywhere from 1 min to 20, whatever you have time for. Add water if too dry.

Parley

Although I call these "Suz's Sloppy Joes", I again have to 'fess up that this isn't my recipe. It came from my mom. But, they are, by far, the best sloppy joes. Manwich, get outta here!!! I always have the ingredients on hand, and they're super easy. You're probably thinking, "liquid smoke? What???" Yep, it exists. Find it at the grocery store, probably by the bbq sauces? Sheesh, I can't quite recall where it was, but I've purchased it at my local store twice now. Here's what it looks like (but I promise you don't have to buy a 12-pack!!). Warning...a little of this goes a long way. Use sparingly.

Veggie Strog

2011-05-15T19:24:00.003-04:00

Vegetarian Stroganoff

1-2 T. butter
2 scallions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg sliced baby bellas
~1c. white wine
~3/4 c vegetable broth
1-2 T prepared mustard (we like grainy)
~1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
~1/2 package Boca Ground Crumbles
1/2 pkg wide egg noodles
1/3-1/2 c sour cream
blue cheese crumbles
black pepper to taste

Melt butter, add onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft.
Add wine and broth, stir, simmer until reduced by half.
Add mustard, meat crumbles and soup, pepper to taste. Stir. Adjust thickness by adding more soup or wine/broth. Turn to low, add sour cream.
Cook noodles.
Crumble blue cheese over served bowls.

Parley
I have to 'fess up. This is a Jenn Weller recipe. I think she made it here once for us and we absolutely DEVOURED it. James literally licked his plate clean, and there were no leftovers. I asked her for the recipe, and I'm pretty sure she told me how she just "wings it" when she wants to make it. Somehow she got me a recipe (I like recipes!). This works well each time, and each time, we still devour it. You could use real meat and chicken broth if you're not going veggie. I normally use the meat crumbles but use chicken broth since I never have veggie broth. This is a standard, "go-to" recipe at our house!

Chocolate Pizza

2011-05-08T12:00:00.002-04:00

Yield: Makes 6 servings
For the true pizza lover: a dessert version.

Ingredients
Pizza dough - I used a generic Pillsbury rolled pizza dough.
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick), melted
1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons chopped high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts
I used Perugina milk, white, and bittersweet.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer dough to prepared sheet. Make indentations all over dough with fingertips. Brush melted butter over. Bake until pale golden, about 20 minutes.
1. I forgot / didn't use any butter
2. I preheated the dough about 6 minutes.

Smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread over hot crust. Sprinkle chopped bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate over. Bake until chocolate begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over, cut into wedges, and serve.
I baked another 6+ minutes until the dough was slightly brown.

Bon Appétit, March 2007
by Giada De Laurentiis

It was amazing. The only thing that could have been better is if Giada was there making it for me!!

Hush Puppy Cornbread

2011-04-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen, fresh or canned but drained)
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup hush puppy mix (such as House Autry)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 inch skillet or muffin tin.

2) In a large bowl, beat together sugar, salt, butter, maple syrup and milk until creamy. Stir in corn kernels. Stir in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3) In a separate bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients.

4) Stir flour mixture into milk mixture. Beat until incorporated.

5) Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with honey and butter...yum!!

Parley

Perhaps more than any other recipe I’ve posted on this blog thus far, Hush Puppy Cornbread epitomizes my cooking style as well as my cooking "roots". For me cooking began simply as an experiment with “leftovers” and the random flotsam and jetsam that inhabited my mother’s kitchen. I slowly learned what flavors and textures worked together and what did not and over the years I developed a deep enjoyment for the creative aspects of cooking, broadened my culinary horizons, learned a thing or two about the finer aspects of the art but have always hung on to that rag-tag cooking tradition of using bits and pieces found in my kitchen at that moment.

The above preamble brings us to this evening’s edition of two well known, humble staples of southern cooking, cornbread and hush puppies. Let’s see, the idea came about because I had an almost full can of opened sweetened condensed milk I had no idea what to do with (I had used a couple tablespoonfuls to make piña coladas the previous night). As there was still had half of a rich and decadent lemon cake from my parents anniversary dinner sitting on the counter I didn’t want to make a dessert, the usual thing I suppose with the ingredient in question…what to do, what to do. I began searching for recipes using sweetened condensed milk online and ran across one where cornbread and sweetened condensed milk were both used in the little Google description of the website. I very quickly scanned the recipe and decided it was a go for cornbread…that is until I discovered we were running low on cornmeal and flour while at the same time remembering that our baking powder had gone a bit off considering the cake from the day before had not risen properly (still very tasty, just a bit flat). In typical Jenn fashion I decided to make do with what I had on hand! After a bit of rummaging through the cupboards and fridge I lined my assortment of make-shift ingredients up on the counter – some cornmeal, some flour, some hush puppy mix, baking soda, a can of corn and of course the little thing that started it all, a slightly used can of sweetened condensed milk. I can’t help but channel a little bit of Friends here aka Joey…cornbread…good! Hush puppies…good! Sweetened condensed milk…good! Mix them all together…good! And that’s exactly what I did, substituting baking soda for baking powder, hush puppy mix for the missing parts of both corn meal and flour, substituting maple syrup for vanilla and adding corn just because I wanted to I proceeded with my grand experiment. I mixed, stirred, poured and baked my motley muffins! When I ascertained that they had reached the correct level of golden perfection I pulled them out, snatched one up, added a little butter and honey to the top and took a bite…and was in hush puppy cornbread heaven! Despite there being a million cornbread recipes out there and despite the unlikelihood of anyone going to the trouble of gathering the necessary ingredients to make this particular recipe I decided I’d blog it anyway. I went back to the original recipe called “Amusement Park Cornbread” on allrecipies.com to figure out some measurements and had a good laugh when I realized that it did not, in fact, call for sweetened condensed milk at all, but rather plain old ordinary milk! All’s well that ends well though so I think I’ll go have another Hushpuppycornbreadsweetenedcondensedmilkmistake….

Banana Bread

2011-04-06T19:32:00.008-04:00

Ingredients:
1/2 c. shortening or margarine
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ripe bananas
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
1) Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix.
2) Add bananas and mix until mostly smooth. Dump in flour, soda and salt, mix until blended (DO NOT OVERMIX).
3) Gently stir/fold in nuts. Pour into greased bundt pan, bake at 350 for 40-45 min.

Parley
This is my mom's recipe. It's my all-time favorite. James and I tend to like it a little "gooey" so I try to pull it out a few min early. That sounds gross....I guess we just don't like it overdone? Add walnuts, pecans, even pine nuts are good! Get creative, the base is a great bread to experiment with. Tip If you have ripe bananas that are too ripe to eat, peel them and put them in a zip-loc, then toss the in the freezer for when you want to make banana bread in the future. Works like a charm!

Margarita Salmon over Honeyed Spinach

2011-03-27T20:53:00.001-04:00

The fish:

24 oz salmon

2 T olive oil

3 T honey

3 T fresh lime juice

2 T fresh grapefruit juice

1 T brown sugar

1 T grated fresh ginger

Shredded coconut

Toasted almond flakes

Sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

The spinach:

1 9 oz (or more) bag of baby spinach leaves

2 T olive oil

1 T fresh minced garlic

¼ cup sliced dates or figs

3 T honey

Salt to taste

To prepare the fish:

1) Place salmon on large piece of tin foil and tent up sides so a “boat” is formed. Sprinkle salt to taste on salmon. Pour olive oil through grapefruit juice on top of salmon then sprinkle with brown sugar, ginger, coconut flakes, pepper and cayenne. Seal foil tightly.

2) Let marinate for about thirty minutes.

3) Place foil in oven preheaded oven to 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Reserve “margarita” juice to serve with fish if desired.

4) Sprinkle toasted almond flakes over fish just before serving.

To prepare the spinach:

1) While the salmon is cooking heat olive oil in large sauté pan. Add garlic and dates/figs and toss until heated through. Add spinach in batches along with honey and salt. Stir until spinach has wilted.

2) Serve salmon on top of spinach.

Parley:

When my Dad said we were going to have frozen Boca soy patties for dinner tonight some part of me just couldn't face such a lackluster repast. I've been on a bit of a seafood kick for a while and thought salmon sounded mighty tasty but, feeling a bit on the lazy side, I wasn't inclined to spend a tremendous amount of time on a complicated recipe tonight. I did a quick search on "easy fish recipes" and found one for margarita salmon that sounded promising. I made a few adjustments such as adding grapefruit juice, ginger, coconut, cayenne, and almonds and thought it might be good served over my honeyed spinach. To go with the main course I prepared roasted asparagus and roasted sweet potatoes with chopped pecans and flaked coconut. The salmon was delicious - my Dad absolutely loved it and requested I make it again - and super easy to prepare and clean up (just toss the foil in the trash)!

Ginger Soy Flank Steak + Easy sides!!

2011-03-24T19:27:00.002-04:00

Ginger Soy Flank Steak
1.2-2 pound flank steak
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. minced ginger
3 scallions, green and white parts, finely chopped
2 T. peanut oil (I used canola plus a little sesame for flavor!)
3 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar

Place steak in flat dish. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, pour over steak. Flip steak a few times to cover, then let sit covered in fridge for 30 min to 24 hours.

Grill over med-high heat or put under broiler, 4-6 min on each side until middle is just pink. While meat cooks, boil remaining marinade in small saucepan. Slice the meat on a diagonal.

Serve with brown rice and edamame for a tasty, healthy meal. YUM.

Parley
This is from my new favorite cookbook, "SOS The Six O Clock Scramble to the Rescue". Yep, horrid name for what is a fantastic book. Easy, quick, healthy meals (they all include side suggestions) and rarely does it call for some wacko ingredient. I used canola oil since James is allergic to peanuts, then I threw in a dash of sesame oil for extra flavor. If you like spice, I'd suggest squirting in a bit of Siracha or chili paste. I didn't since we have a toddler who seems to finally be aware of spice. When you boil the marinade to make sauce...dump in a little extra soy if you need more volume. Serve sauce over rice and/or meat. Super easy, the meat is tender, and YUMMY!!!

Southwest Tart

2011-02-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

Crust:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups veggie or chicken broth
1/2 small onion, diced
1 T oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 can green chilies
1/4 cup low-fat, shredded Mexican or pepper-jack cheese
1 egg

Filling:
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat, shredded Mexican or pepper-jack cheese
1 med. onion
1 med. bell pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup black beans
1 cup baby spinach leaves
pinch cumin
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

To Prepare Crust:

1) Bring broth, oil and onion to boil. Add rice and chili powder, cook according to instructions on package.

2) When rice is finished cooking add green chilies, nuts, cheese and egg. Mix well.

3) Grease or Pam 9-inch pie pan. Dump rice mixture into pie pan and press into bottom and sides.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and increase heat to 400 degrees.

To Prepare Filling:

1) Saute onion and bell pepper over med heat until onion starts to brown. Add corn kernels, black beans, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Warm through.

2) In bowl beat eggs and milk together.

3) Starting with spinach layer half each of the spinach, cheese, onion mixture and egg mixture. Repeat layering procedure using remaining ingredients.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake 35 minutes or until set.

5) Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with choice of hot sauce.

Parlay:

This is an adaptation of Suzanne's Italian Tomato Tart (which is delicious) modified to suit the unique tastes of my family and also take advantage of the ingredients we most often have readily available. My family LOVES this recipe and asks for the dish "with the rice pie crust" all the time. Leftovers rarely make it a single day before being consumed with much gusto.

I like this recipe because it is healthy, relatively quick and easy to prepare. Additionally it is extremely easy to modify - the original uses pesto and Parmesan cheese in the crust and prosciutto, shredded mozzarella and sliced plum tomatoes in the filling. I want to try a "Greek" variation using pecans, nutmeg and cinnamon in the crust and broccoli, feta and spinach in the filling. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination (and hopefully a dose of good taste)!

Pulpo y Pavlova

2011-02-21T15:48:00.002-05:00

I'm not posting a recipe. Is that ok?

We had "Gourmet Sunday" once again at the Heskin House, with Mike and Anne both bringing scrumptious dishes. In order keep it brief, I'm posting the two things that are/were probably the most memorable.

I think Audrey was the biggest fan of pulpo (octopus). That's my girl!!

Anne's Amazing Pavlova....named after and created for famed ballerina as a "healty" dessert.

Lemon Bars

2011-02-16T10:43:00.001-05:00

The recipe: Lemon Bars

From: http://blissfulb.blogspot.com/

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

lemon layer:

6 extra-large eggs (at room temperature)

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4-6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F and liberally butter a 9x13 by 2 inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Gather mixture and form a ball. Flatten dough and press into buttered pan with floured hands, building up a 1/2 edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Notes: Don't be alarmed when you pour the lemon mixture into the crust if it happens to over-flow. Its ok, pour it all in there! I prefer to eat these bars served cold --straight from the refrigerator.

Parley

This was a request from one of the guys at work (one who obviously likes to eat) :). He commented on the "lemony goodness" while enjoying a bar. I think they turned out to have the ideal balance of tart and sweet, with a good crust (subtle, but firm). They smelled like heaven while they were baking, and even though they're lemon bars, they reminded me more of deep green of lemon leaves, just in aura, not literal color. This green is my favorite color, which might be why I already had two lemon bars. (Don't fret fitness f(r)iends- I went running this morning and intend to work out later.)

Pizza Dough

2011-02-15T00:16:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup flat beer
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
seasonings of choice i.e. rosemary, basil, oregano, garlic optional

Directions:

1) Place all ingredients in bread machine starting with dry ingredients. Select dough setting and press start.
2) Remove dough from bread machine when cycle is complete. Roll or press dough to cover bottom of pizza pan, brush with olive oil and let stand fifteen minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake dough for 10 minutes. Remove and spread sauce and toppings of choice on dough. Bake until crust is light brown and crispy, approximately 20 minutes.

Parley

I recently received as a gift a lovely bread machine that I'm much enamored with. To date I've made three loaves of bread and two batches of pizza dough in the span of about a week, both of which are delicious! Since pizza is so customizable, as well as being one of my favorite foods, I figured I'd share the dough recipe - it is extremely easy and tasty! I'm hoping someone can perhaps modify it so that a bread machine is not required thereby making this recipe accessible to everyone. One thing I'd like to add - I didn't have the patience to let the beer go "flat" so I just poured it into the measuring cup, let it sit about ten minutes (or however long it took me to finish the rest of the beer in the bottle) and proceeded with the recipe which worked just fine. For the pizza pictured above I made my own sauce out of tomato paste and spices, used part-skim mozzarella (trying to be a little healthy), and topped it with carmalized onions, broccoli, roasted peppers, and some grilled asparagus from the previous nights BBQ to rave review from my parents!

Lentils with Eggplant

2011-02-09T19:18:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

(4 servings)
5 oz of lentils - I think I used about 8 oz.
3.5 oz of onion - I used 1/2 of a medium onion
1 tomato - Forgot to buy one, so I used canned, diced
1 green pepper - Didn't have any. Used red.
3.5 oz of carrots - I used 4 medium
7 oz of eggplants - I used about 2/3 of a large one, sort of cubed
1 hardboiled egg - Yup.
1 clove of garlic - I used 2. BIG garlic fan
A few sprigs of parsley - Used dry
1 bay leaf - Yup
1 tbsp of sweet pepper - Used black pepper
4 tbsp. of olive oil - Not sure how much I added
Salt

Preparation
Place the lentils in a saucepan with the onion, tomato, pepper, eggplant, carrot, garlic, oil, bay leaf and a tbsp of the sweet peppers.
Cover everything with water and as soon as it begins boiling, reduce the intensity of the flame so it only simmers.
Stir them often with a wooden spoon so they don't stick together.
As soon as the vegetables are cooked, separate the tomato, onion, pepper and carrot and process these vegetables with the mixer until it makes a puree.
Then pour the puree on the lentils and chopped and cooked eggplants and simmer them. Season them with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes away from the flame but with the saucepan covered.
Decorate the lentils with the chopped hardboiled egg whites and minced parsley.

Parley

Still not sure what Parley means, but this is the way Jenn always does her recipes.

This stuff is good! It doesn't look all that pretty, but I really did like this stuff. I used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender, and it worked great. I basically chopped everything pretty big so that it would be easier to pull from the eggplant & lentils.

Basically....I found a use for lentils that I like! Thanks for the lentil web site Jenn. I will admit it's not like the most amazing food I've ever had, it's pretty basic. But it tastes pretty good, and it has a lot of really good-for-me stuff in it.

Maybe next I'll try Daal.

Japanese Veggie Noodle Soup

2011-02-07T15:18:00.002-05:00

2 boxes (32 oz each) chicken or veggie broth
3 T. soy sauce
1 small piece of ginger, sliced, or a blob of minced jarred ginger
2 c. bok choy or napa cabbage, sliced
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 med carrots, sliced
1 pkg cubed, extra firm tofu, drained
2 pkgs ramen noodles
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 T. rice wine or juice of 1/2 a lime
sesame oil for garnish

Bring broth, soy sauce and ginger to a boil over med-high heat. Add bok choy or cabbage, mushrooms, carrots and tofu, cook 2 min then add noodles (save flavor packets for something else!). Reduce heat, keep at simmer. Cook noodles for 3 min, then add scallions and rice wine. Cook 1 min, serve in bowls. Add a few drops sesame oil on top of each bowl for an extra layer of Japanese yumminess.

Parley
Another recipe from the "SOS Six 'O'Clock Scramble" by Aviva Goldfarb. Amazingly fast and amazingly yummy. Seriously....if you chop your veggies while the broth boils, this would take 15 min to make, start to end. Throw some grocery-store spring rolls in the toaster oven or microwave for a quick side and dinner is ON!

Heavenly Jalapenos

2011-02-06T22:12:00.005-05:00

Heavenly Jalapenos

As many jalapenos as you want

Cream cheese to fill them up!

1 slice bacon per half jalapeno (2 slices per whole jalapeno)

seasoning of choice....I used chipotle pepper and cajun blackening seasoning

Cut jalapenos in half, scrape out seeds and ribs

Mix cream cheese with your spices,...to taste

Fill peppers with cheese

Wrap each half-pepper with one slice raw bacon, secure w/toothpick

Bake at 375 for 30 min or until bacon is crisp

Parley

Jenn and I were discussing Superbowl munchies that we "shouldn't " eat. She found this recipe online, and I just had to make it, especially after we were invited to our neighbor's for a Superbowl Party. I mean,...cheese, peppers and bacon? How could it be bad? I was a tad nervous taking these to party that we sure to be chock-full of PA natives ( ie. not spicy-friendly people), but went for it anyway, making sure to scrape out as much of the seeds/ribs as I could to minimize the spiciness. The smell from the oven was amazing, and the peppers were a hit, even among the spice-hesitant locals! This recipe is a keeper for its minimal ingredients, ease, and huge approval. I will be making these again! Use whatever spices you like in the cheese, or none at all. I used chipotle powder and a tad of cajun blackening seasoning, and they were super tasty. Enjoy! PS. Packers won,....possibly because everything at our party had cheese in it?

Zebra Cookies

2011-02-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

8 ounces dark chocolate
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa flour
2 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 teas. vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1 ) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop chocolate into small bits and melt over medium heat on a double boiler. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

3) Using your hands, roll dough into 1-inch diameter balls, then roll in granulated sugar, then in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.

Parley

Suzanne spotted these cookies on a Martha Stewart website and wanted to give them a try (Martha Stewart calls them something like "Chocolate Crinkle Cookies" but when I peeked in the oven their dark brown and white pattern elicited a comment something along the lines of "ohhhhhh...look at the pretty zebra cookies" and so I've renamed them, really now, what could be more appealing that stripped equine cookies)? Not only are they quite eye catching but rich, decadent, and oh so chocolatey ! In fact, upon eating one hot off the cookie sheet, James declared they might be his new favorite cookie...but we'll wait for the final verdict tomorrow as he was under the influence of a rather intense barley wine at the time of tasting...

Do you do requests?

2011-02-03T19:38:00.001-05:00

Okay...I recently bought lentils, because I don't think I've ever had lentils before, and I figured that I should like everything. The problem........what the heck do you do with lentils?!?!

Anyone?

Cornmeal Crusted Orange Roughy with Mango Salsa

2011-02-02T11:46:00.001-05:00

Mango Salsa:

1 mango, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teas. grated lime zest
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fish:

6 (4-ounce) fillets of orange roughy (substitute fresh haddock or cod if not available)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:

1) To prepare salsa, combine all salsa ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Let rest at least an hour to allow flavors to mellow.

2) To prepare fish, salt and pepper the fillets. Put flour, buttermilk, and cornmeal into three separate, shallow bowls. Dredge the fish first in the flour, then buttermilk, then cornmeal. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the coated fish fillets until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with salsa on the side.

*Recipe from Southwest Seasonal Cooking.

Parley

This recipe is quite easy to prepare, very eye catching with all the beautiful colors in the salsa, and best of all tasty! It's also versatile - you could easily substitute chicken if seafood doesn't appeal to you or just make the salsa and serve it with tortilla chips.

Double Chocolate, Ancho Chile, and Almond Tart

2011-01-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

Crust:

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. ancho chili powder*
1/8 teas. salt
1/2 teas. pure vanilla extract
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Almonds:
1 cup slivered almonds
2 teas. sugar
1 teas. cinnamon

Filling:
1 ancho chili*
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 T Amaretto

Directions:

1) To prepare crust, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, chile powder, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and cocoa and beat until the mixure forms a smooth paste. Add flour and mix just until incorporated. Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into and 8-inch disk. Wrap dough and chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

2) Roll dough out between pieces of plastic wrap into an 11-inch circle. Peel of top layer of plastic and invert carefully into bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Press pastry into the sides of the pan and remove second layer of plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3) Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Prick bottom of pastry shell with fork and bake until dry, about 12-15 minutes. Cool.

4) To prepare almonds, put almonds on baking sheet and toast in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Toss with cinnamon and sugar while still warm. Set aside.

5) To prepare filling, put the ancho chili in a small bowl, cover with very hot water and let steep until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from water, discard seeds and stem, puree chile in blender with 1 T of the water the chile soaked in. Blend until smooth.

6) In small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Lower temperature to simmer and add chocolate pieces - stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add in ancho chile puree and Amaretto.

7) To assemble, spread almonds on the bottom of the cooked tart shell. Pour the chocolate mixture over the almonds and spread to form a smooth layer. Refrigerate until chilled and set, about 3 to 5 hours. About 30 minutes before serving remove tart from refrigerator, transfer to serving plate and cover the tart with a stenciled design or doily and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

*A quick note about the ancho chile. Ancho's are the dried version of poblano peppers; as I had none of these on hand I substituted ground chipotle pepper (which you can find in the spice aisle at your local grocery store) and cayenne pepper for a kick. If you opt for this variation I recommend taste testing to the desired spice level.

Parley

I think it is safe to say this was Audrey's first tart and she was an admirable sous chef! She helped me stir, stir, stir and dump, dump, dump and counted out each and every one of the almonds to be chop, chop, chopped! There was one minor incident with the cocoa, or "ca-cow" as Audrey puts it and well, yeah, she put it everywhere but really what's a little "ca-cow" on the counter, floor, face, Aunt Denn (that's me) when we're having so much fun?

This tart is quite sumptuous and I love the spice profile from the, at least in this case, chipotle and cayenne peppers. Sometime I'll have to attempt it with the ancho chile and see which I prefer...or better yet, since I'm posting this recipe at the behest of our fellow contributor, Mike, perhaps he can borrow Audrey for an afternoon of chocolatey fun and let us know how it turns out!

Finally, to give credit where credit is due, this recipe also comes out of Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl.

Coconut Sticky Rice and Mango

2011-01-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup sticky rice
2 cans light coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 teas. coconut extract
1/2 teas. salt
1 T corn starch
1 T toasted sesame seeds
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced

Directions:

1) Cook rice according to package instructions substituting coconut milk for water and adding flaked coconut.

2) Mix the remaining coconut milk with sugar, coconut extract, salt and corn starch over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens.

3) In a medium sized serving bowl pour milk mixture over cooked rice, add sesame seeds and stir to incorporate. Cool for at one hour.

4) Peel and slice mango. Arrange on top of rice and serve.

Parley

Feeling that we did not have enough desserts in the Heskin house yet (rum cake and dark chocolate Mexican torte are clearly not enough for three people) and having a recently earned reputation involving sweet confections from Florida to live up to - as well as given the fact that Suz and I were making Thai Drunken Noodles for dinner and that this particular dish is one of Suz's all time favorite desserts, what better thing to do on a snowy Wednesday night than whip up this tasty Thai indulgence? Especially when it's so easy and so yummy!!

Goat Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos with Red Bell Pepper Sauce

2011-01-24T22:01:00.000-05:00

The Chiles:

8 poblano chiles with stems left intact, roasted and peeled*
4 ounces mild goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Panela cheese (or substitute Monterey Jack)
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped*
1 T chopped shallots
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The Sauce:

1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Carefully slit poblanos down one side and remove the seeds leaving the stems attached.

2) Combine cheeses, shrimp, shallots, bell pepper, cilantro and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper - mix well.

3) Stuff the chiles with the mixture being careful not to tear the chiles by overfilling.

4) Transfer to a baking sheet and cook about 15-20 minutes.

5) While peppers are cooking, in medium saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté garlic, shallots, and serrano until shallots are tender.

6) Transfer shallot mixture to a blender, add roasted red peppers and chicken stock and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7) Pour sauce back into saucepan and heat through.

8) Ladle sauce onto serving plate and place warm stuffed poblanos on top of sauce. Serve.

*Note: Preparing this recipe I realized that their simply wasn't enough of the cheese mixture to stuff eight large poblano peppers, six peppers seemed to be much more accurate. If you need eight peppers as opposed to six I would suggest making one and a half times the cheese mix or make ten peppers and double the recipe (I'm sure it's possible to squeeze a little extra filling into each pepper)!

**Note 2: For people who do not care for seafood this recipe could be easily adapted to omit the shrimp. Cooked chicken would work extremely well or if you wanted to make it a vegetarian friendly recipe substitute veggie stock for the chicken stock and toss in some butternut squash, nuts, etc...use your imagination!

Parley - The Return of Gourmet Sundays

For the past several years my northern adoptive family, the Heskins, and I have established a little tradition of our own which James has deemed "Gourmet Sundays". It began when Suz and I decided to attempt a different ethnic cuisine each Sunday and has evolved into picking a "theme" (for instance this past Sunday was American Southwest food) and making a variety of dishes that reflect that particular culinary motif. Recently Mike, who is a closet foodie and fabulous cook, has joined in these adventures - if fact, this past Sunday he proceeded to cook and beautifully present not one, not two, not three but seven different tapas dishes which ranged from chicken livers with mint (not my personal favorite but Mica sure did like them) to the scallop recipe (should be on a menu in some posh restaurant) he posted on the blog yesterday, and just about everything in between! James, Suz and I all chose to make recipes out of the Heskin's new cookbook, Seasonal Southwest Cooking, by Barbara Pool Fenzl. James was responsible for the outstanding main course, Chicken Breasts with Red Bell Peppers and Poblano Sauce, while Suz made an excellent accompaniment, Tomato and Cumin Rice, and I made two appetizers, the stuffed peppers described above and a Layered Avocado, Sour Cream, and Red Bell Pepper Mold. Thus far everything out of this particular cookbook has been extremely good! However, I do believe Suz and I garnered a few odd looks when we visited the York Farmer's Market as we literally bought bags of various peppers to do all this Southwest cooking!

Tapas, Part 2. (Scallops in Saffron Sauce)

2011-01-24T20:09:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

5 Fl oz (2/3 Cup) dry white wine

5 Fl oz (2/3 Cup) Fish Stock. (Couldn't find it, so I used clam juice....that's the same, right?)

large pinch of saffron threads. (Used "American Saffron" which is dried safflower petals, and added a little turmeric.)

1 LB sea scallops

3 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 Fl oz heavy cream (I used light cream.)

squeeze of lemon juice

chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

crusty bread to serve

How to make it:

Put the wine, clam juice, and saffron in a pan & bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer gently for 15 minutes. (ish)

Slice the scallops into 3 pieces each. (Thinner so you don't have to cook them long, and the go on the bread better.) Dry them, and season with salt & pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the onion, garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sliced scallops, and cook for another 5 minutes. Don't cook them too much.

Remove the scallops and put them on a plate. Add the broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Let it reduce by half. Reduce the heat, and start adding the cream slowly. I said slowly. Let simmer until the sauce thickens.

Return the scallops to the skillet and let simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you remember. (.......yeah....not good at remembering stuff.....)

Serve hot, garnish with the parsley, and soak the bread in the juice and top it with scallops. Mmmmmm....scallops........

Tapas, Part 1. (Chick-Peas and Spinach)

2011-01-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

10 ounces fresh spinach leaves, rinsed, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach

19-ounce can (2 cups) chick-peas, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

1 to 2 lemons, juiced or to taste

1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

If using fresh spinach: Cook the spinach in a saucepan with the water clinging to its leaves, stirring, until wilted. Drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop. If using frozen spinach, follow package directions, drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop.

In a bowl combine the spinach with the chick peas, pepper, chives, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Serve as is or chilled with toasted bread or as a filling for pita pockets.

Parley

My personal little trick with this one was to totally & completely forget one of the ingredients....yeah, reading isn't my strong suit. Kinda forgot the lemon juice. And I really think that would have helped. But this actually did taste pretty good if you like chick peas. (In fact, I'd say that this tasted about 4,000 times better than spicy chicken livers.)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2011-01-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

Recipe:

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup chopped artichokes in brine

1/2 cup spinach, thawed

1/2 cup parm. cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper

dash of black pepper

Directions:

Very simple in a skillet soften cream cheese, stir in rest of ingredients.

Serve Warm

This is very easy and I haven't ran into anyone who didn't like it. You can serve it with tortilla chips and crackers or grilled garlic bread. Great for breakfast on a bagel too!

This recipe has no story other then I use to make it all the time where I use to work at and it is engraved in my mind.

Jinx, Curse, Hex?

2011-01-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

This blog was pretty active. Then I posted. Now it's dead. Hmmm.....

A White Meal

2011-01-16T19:38:00.000-05:00

Honey Roasted Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower*

7-8 pieces chicken of your choice, I suggest skinless thighs w/bones
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c OJ
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
~~~~~~~~
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt

Melt butter in small saucepan, save pan for later. Add OJ through curry powder. Place chicken in 9x13 pan, pour butter sauce over chicken. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min or until done. While baking, put cold water into saucepan . Add cornstarch. Take chicken out of pan, pour juices back into saucepan. Heat to bubbling to thicken sauce.

Cut cauliflower into florets. Place on baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin and salt. Toss with hands. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min, turning once half way through.

Sauce is good on basmati or brown rice.

* Adapted from "SOS" cookbook.

Parley
So I titled this "A White Meal" because tonight when we sat down to white cauliflower, white-ish rice (we had basmati) and chicken,....with milk....we realized everything was mostly white. Luckily the sauce added a skosh of color, but still. Pretty monochromatic. Martha would be disappointed. Anyway....this menu combo caught my eye mostly because of its relative ease ( I like menus that all roast/bake together) and because it had cauliflower. And the book claims that even non-cauliflower connoisseurs find this cauliflower hard to resist. Ugh, I'm tired of typing out cauliflower. Let's rename it to.....I don't know. I knew Jenn would laugh when she discovered that I chose said veggie to make. Voluntarily. You see, normally I really do NOT enjoy it. Raw, its gritty texture and lack of pigment has no appeal to me. But alas, as any good foodie does, I am continually trying to broaden my appreciation for foods, both new and old. Cauliflower (there's that stinkin' word again) is definitely "old" in my book. Heck, it even looks old for some reason. So the verdict? Chicken is good. Next time I might add something with kick to the sauce....cayenne possibly. Cauliflower? YUMMY. Yep. James and I both liked it, deeming it worthy of revisiting.

A small sigh in my world, as I have found another veggie that is yummy. A big chuckle, as even Audrey didn't seem to like the word cauliflower. She called it "Colorado". :)

Golden Pineapple Rum Cake

2011-01-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

Cake:

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (18.25 ounce) package Pillsbury yellow cake mix with pudding or box yellow cake mix and box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rum

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and pineapple rings evenly over bottom of the pan.

2) In large bowl, combine cake mix (and pudding mix if not using Pillsbury), eggs, 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice (if reserved juice does not equal 1/2 cup add water to achieve total liquid measure), oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts, pineapple, and coconut in pan.

3) Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

4) When cake is finished baking prepare glaze. In sauce pan combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.

5) Using a spatula, gently loosen the cake from the sides and center of the pan. Pour part of the hot glaze around the edges and the inner ring of the Bundt pan. Using a chop stick (or other similar device) poke multiple holes in the top (when inverted will be bottom) of cake, pour the remaining glaze all over the top.

6) Keep the cake in the pan until completely cool so that the glaze will be absorbed. This cake is best when prepared a day or two in advance as the flavors improve with age. Do not refrigerate.

Parley

To give credit where credit is due this cake was made at the behest of one of the climbers at Vertical Ventures, Jorge. We were standing around munching my latest batch of cookies when the conversation turned to discussing the merits of cookies versus cakes. We mutually concluded that in most situations we prefer cookies as cake is usually just “okay” – that for cake to be truly good something unique has to be done with it or, in Jorge’s words, “just make a rum cake” (leave it to a Puerto Rican to make things better with rum…but I’ll admit, I’m in total agreement)! Now I would never have remembered rum cake existed if it wasn’t for this innocent conversation but as soon as it was mentioned, somewhere from the recesses of my memory arose the tantalizing recollection of eating a super moist, rum literally dripping down my fingers, amazingly flavorful slice of buttery rum cake. I have no idea where I was or who made that cake but the memory of how delicious it tasted was vivid. I determined on the spot that I would make a rum cake of my own the very next day (and of course bring it to the gym as, first, confections of this sort have been forbidden from residing at my house and second, it seemed only right that the person directly responsible for its creation could partake)!

And so the rum cake was made…and consumed…and I have found my personal nemesis in cakes, a cake that appeals to me as few others do, one that I cannot resist and therefore can never make for myself as I do believe I would sit down and eat the entire thing and gladly pay the price…yes, the lushious rum cake!

Audrey's Applesauce

2011-01-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

4-5 apples - peeled, cored and quartered

3/4 cup water

sugar to taste

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork.

Parley (Waste Not Want Not):

I’ll admit I’ve never been a huge apple sauce person – don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it but I rarely open the ‘fridge and say “ohhh, goody…applesauce”! I’m also fairly particular about my apples, I like them to be crisp and crunchy and if they aren’t then I’ll usually pass. Recently someone bought a bag of apples that do not meet my criteria for pleasurable apple consumption, and, as they have sat in a bowl on the counter untouched for most of the week apparently don’t meet anyone else’s. Hating to see food go to waste I considered what to do with said apples. I discarded the idea of anything dessert related as I’ve recently gotten myself in trouble over such escapades but the thought of healthy baking made me think of using apple sauce to replace the fat content in other recipes. Bingo! Why not make my own applesauce and then use it the next time I bake? After searching around a bit for a recipe and tweaking it with a few modifications of my own I came up with the above, what could be easier than throwing five ingredients in a pan and mashing it twenty minutes later? Wait, did I say that I was going to use the applesauce to bake with? Hmmm…what applesauce? It’s practically all gone! One more small thing – the whole time I was making (and eating) the applesauce I kept thinking of Audrey and grinning knowing she’d approve of the “appledos”!

Vegetarian Moussaka

2011-01-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

Ingredients Casserole:

1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can lentils, divided, drained, juice reserved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil or other vegetable oil for roasting
cinnamon

Ingredients Béchamel sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3a) (work intensive version) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; remove and set aside on plate. Adding more oil if necessary, brown potato slices; remove from heat.

3b) (easy version) Place sliced eggplant, zucchini and potatoes a large roasting pan, toss with oil and roast at 450 degrees F for 30-50 minutes (until browned and tender).

4) Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Pour in vinegar and reduce. Mash or food-process half the lentils until creamy. Stir in tomatoes, whole and mashed lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano, parsley, a pinch of cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.

5) In a 9x13 inch greased casserole dish layer eggplant-zucchini-potato mixture with feta and tomato-onion mixture. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.

6) Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

7) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg and cinnamon. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in the beaten egg.

8) Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Caveats:

Let me start by saying that I will be making this again, it came out really, really well and the blend of flavors was, in my opinion, outstanding. However, while my parents enjoyed it they are not used to cinnamon and nutmeg being the primary spices in a savory dish, a fact driven home when I was asked where the flavor was coming from as they couldn't place it and then subsequently told that it would have been "perfect in a tomato based sauce." That said, I might not make Moussaka of any variety for a group of people with a narrow culinary experience, however, for those with a fairly broad spice palette this dish is delectable and would be very well received.

Additionally, for the recipe itself I used the second method of roasting the veggies as opposed to pan sautéing each batch which was both easy and tasty. I could not find canned lentils at Publix so I used non-soak dry lentils cooked in vegetable broth and a combination of the reserved tomato juice combined with cooked lentil broth where called for in the recipe. I do recommend mashing/food processing half the lentils as it causes the tomato mixture to bind together a bit more resulting in nice upright slices when the casserole is sliced and served. I also used more lentils than the recipe calls for in the tomato mix - probably closer to 21 oz. than 14.5oz. Finally, I substituted white pepper for black in the béchamel sauce although I'm sure either would work just fine.

-recipe modified from Allrecipes.com

Jenn's Easy Almond Cookies and the Story of the Cookie Monster

2011-01-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 T almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
cinnamon/sugar mix

Directions:

1) Combine ingredients through almonds and mix thoroughly.
2) Drop by spoonful in cinnamon/sugar mix; roll until coated.
3) Place on greased cookie sheet and press down with fork forming a criss-cross pattern.
4) Cook at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.

Caveats:

First, I want to admit that I kinda made this recipe up and the above measurements may not be exact. I did incorporate some amaretto into the cookie dough but I have no idea how much and don't think it's 100% necessary for the recipe - if you have it on hand use your judgment and give it a whirl, otherwise use almond extract to taste. Second, I used a powdered sugar/cinnamon mix as opposed to a granulated sugar mix to roll the dough in, which worked well...next time though I think I'll see how they come out with granulated sugar. Third, this dough is very soft and sticky until rolled in the cinnamon/sugar mix so just push it off the spoon with your finger and roll until you can easily pick it up and deposit it on the cookie sheet. Finally, these cookies received rave reviews and I actually had a guy climber ask for the recipe...now that's saying something!

The Cookie Monster:

Over the course of the last two weeks I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit bored (and lately a bit sick too) so I’ve turned to baking for solace. My current love affair with the kitchen has yielded in rapid succession six different batches of cookies – from simple Scottish Shortbreads, to my personal all time favorite, the chocolate Korova, to the almond creation detailed above with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, rum balls, and oatmeal cookies rounding out the count (if you toss in the popcorn brittle from yesterday the tally’s actually at seven…I’m moving on to cakes today)!

Unfortunately, it seems there is an issue associated with my feverish cookie baking extravaganza. My cookies have apparently scuttled the various dietary attempts of a number of individuals, a fact related to me on a late night phone call from my sister, who found herself in the unenviable position of trying to mediate in the most adroit way possible between her culinarily crazed sister and my immediate cookie consuming audience…my family. For my labors my sister has dubbed me “the Cookie Monster”, no, not because I eat my cookies in the manner of the much loved Sesame Street character, but because I am a monster to make the cookies and leave them like little Venus Fly Traps around the kitchen, looking all sweet and innocent but waiting to lure in their next diet destroying victim. I have additionally been instructed to, henceforth, hide any cookies I make in my bedroom and take them all with me to the climbing gym when I go (although I may allocate one per day to my parents and sister should I so choose). This arrangement has resulted in my popularity at the gym going up substantially…although I’m quite sure it’s not me everyone’s so excited to see but the contents of the Tupperware I now regularly carry in! Hey, that’s one way to get stronger relative to the rest of my climbing pals – fatten them up with heaps of sweets…cookie monster indeed!

Question

2011-01-12T14:16:00.001-05:00

Since Ms. Weller has bravely given me, among others, the power to contribute to this parley, I have a user operating question.

Are my posts, or those of any other contributer, required to include a recipe? Or, for example (totally rhetorical, naturally,....since I never make anything bad), if I make a lasagna or baked oatmeal that is a total flop, can I use this "forum" to vent and complain? In no way am I implying that I recently did either of these things, nor that I plan to. I just would like to go over the rules and regulations of this culinary society in a tad more detail before setting forth.

Regards,
Suz

Crusty White Peasant Style Bread

2011-01-11T13:52:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. yeast
2 cups water

First Rise:

-Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
-Spray or brush surface w/oil.
-Let rise 18-24 hours at a cool temperature. Half-way though first rise stir dough.

Second Rise:

-Using an oiled spatula, fold dough several times over on itself, don't stir. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size.

Cooking:

Twenty minutes prior to baking bread pre-heat oven to 450 and move rack to bottom 1/3 of oven. Oil loaf pan (or dutch oven) until sizzling. Gently invert dough into pan without deflating. Generously sprinkle with water. Tent with well oiled aluminum foil (or lid of dutch oven). Bake 55 minutes then remove foil/lid, reduce heat to 425 and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

The Story:

Those of you who know my parents best can appreciate that they can get in an argument over just about anything...including crusty white peasant style bread it seems. One evening, after listening to them bicker for about thirty minutes over why Mom had requested the recipe and it had not been made weeks later, I grew tired of what seemed to be an irresolvable situation, i.e. Mom was never going to make the bread but they would continue this argument tonight, tomorrow night, a week from now, ad nauseam...Being the peace loving, dutiful daughter that I am (and being tired of this particular "discussion") I piped up with an "I'll make the bread!" statement. This was greeted with almost identical looks from both my parents and a chorus of "You don't have to do that hon...your Mom said she would make it" and "I WILL make it" and thus the argument continued despite my heroic efforts otherwise.

Regardless, I had determined that I would indeed make the offending bread despite an enduring fear of failure over anything that required kneading and had to rise three times over about 36 hours! Then I read the recipe...which called for stirring the bread as opposed to kneading, seriously, who "stirs" bread dough and just what the hell was a Dutch oven? After a brief internet session where I determined I would not be purchasing a Dutch oven for $200, that my heaviest duty loaf pan (indeed my only loaf pan) and aluminum foil would have to suffice I proceeded to combine the ingredients and stir them with a wooden spoon (yes, trust me, kneading would not work here). My resulting concoction had far more in common with some sort of pale ooze, seeping slowly across the bottom of my chosen dough receptacle than those perfectly shaped balls of dough I've seen in cook books! Giving my ooze a rather skeptical look I placed the lot on top of the refrigerator to do its thing. Despite its inauspicious beginning, after following the remaining steps of the recipe, my ooze turned into the most beautiful, crusty, delicious loaf of bread I have ever made (granted, it's the only loaf I've ever made completely from scratch but that's beside the point)! I felt like a little kid again when I finally pulled it from the oven, flipped it onto a cutting board, and burned my fingers in my haste to feast upon my creation!

Black Bean Burgers w/ Chipolte Mayo

2011-01-10T15:34:00.000-05:00

Ingredients Burgers:

1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
1/2 onion cut into wedges
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 teas. Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs, oats, or crushed crackers
corn kernels if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients Mayo:
3/4 cup lowfat mayo
1 T chipolte chilis in adobo, finely chopped
1 T fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teas. fresh lime juice

1) If grilling pre-heat outdoor grill to high heat and lightly oil sheet of aluminum foil. If baking pre-heat oven to 375 and lightly oil baking sheet.

2) In med. bowl mash beans w/fork until think and pasty.

3) In food processor (or blender), finely chop pepper, onion and garlic. Stir into mashed beans.

4) In small bowl wisk egg, chili powder, cumin and chili sauce.

5) Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in crumbs/oats/crackers until mix holds together. Divide into four patties.

6) If grilling, place patties on foil and grill approximately 8 minutes per side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet and bake approximately 10 minutes per side.

7) For chipotle mayo mix all ingredients together in small bowl.

Modifications and why I like this recipe:

Ok, so you all know that I can never follow a recipe exactly! For this one I didn't have enough breadcrumbs so I ground up the left over tortilla chips in the cupboard and used those instead. I also doubled the recipe as these freeze really well. I love this recipe because first, it's a vegetarian option that BOTH my parents will eat; second, it's super versatile and you could put just about anything in these...different beans, chilis, cheese, whatever you've got laying around.

One thing to note - I ended up putting in a bit more "crumbs/oats" than the recipe called for to get it to bind.

A Food Blog for Friends!

2011-01-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

I'll be the first to admit it...I love food. I love cooking it, eating it, sharing it with friends and yes, even talking, reading and writing about it! Considering that I've thoroughly enjoyed some aspect of the food experience with each of you, I thought it might be fun to start a little food blog where we can share our favorite recipes, new and old, along with why we like them so much (delicious, easy, quick, etc.) and the interesting little stories that sometimes go with them! Besides the great food experiences we can share those kitchen horror stories that occasionally occur too...you know, the ones that at the time have us feeling frizzled, fried and flipped out but later provide a good laugh! Let the fabulous pabulous parley begin!!