Peanut Butter Blondies

 1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. chocolate or peanut butter chips plus additional to scatter over top

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8 in. baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add in the egg and vanilla

3. Mix in the peanut butter and make sure all of the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 

4. Add in the salt, flour and baking powder

5. Fold in 1 c. chocolate or peanut butter chips. Sprinkle additional chips over top.

6. Spread mixture evenly into baking dish.

7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

2 c. butter (softened but still cold - leave at room temp. about an hour)

2 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tblsp. vanilla

4 tsp. baking powder

6 c. all purpose flour

1. Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of sugar to your mixer.

2. Cream the butter & sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium high)

3. Add vanilla and eggs.

4. Mix the dough until light & fluffy (~ 3 minutes)

5. Add baking powder & mix.

6. Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time. Don't overmix the dough - only until flour is incorporated.

7. After you add the flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly. If it seems too dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk and mix again.

8. Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until about 3/8" thick.

9. Cut out shapes with cookie cutter.

10. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. DO NOT OVERBAKE. They might not look done - They should be set and just beginning to slightly brown around the edges. Let them cool before icing.

 Spanish Bar Cake

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tblsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 c. applesauce (no sugar added; chunky style)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. raisins, soaked in warm water or apple juice to soften and plump

Icing of your choice - I use a cream cheese frosting.

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 in. baking pan with cooking spray (or butter and flour). Plump the raisins in the warm water or apple juice.

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Add oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Drain and add in the raisins and stir to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan, knocking a few times on a counter to release air bubbles. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done with a tester or wooden pick. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

 Blueberry Muffins

1/2 c. butter

1 1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1. tsp. vanilla

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed, drained and patted dry

2 Tblsp. turbinado sugar

1. Preheat over to 375F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating and line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 c. of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole berries with the remaining 1/4 c. of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into the muffing cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with turbinado sugar.

3. Bake in preheated over for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly tapped. Test with a cake tester or wooden pick to ensure they are done.

English Muffins

 For the starter:

3/4 c. bread flour

1/2 c. water

1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast (I use regular active dry)

For the dough:

1 c. whole milk

1 tsp. active dry yeast

2 Tblsp. sugar

2 Tblsp. butter (melted)

1 tsp. salt

3 to 3 1/4 c. bread flour

Cornmeal for dusting

Butter for the skillet

1. Make the starter: Mix the flour, water and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. (I use a 2qt. glass measuring cup so I can see the rise.) Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy.

2. Let the starter sit from 1 to 12 hours (the longer the better). Cover the starter and place it out of the way (I put mine on top of the refrigerator). The starter will become increasingly bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk.

3. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and starter: in the bowl of a stand mixer of large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. (I usually heat the milk to about 100 F.) Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become frothy.

4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you have a shaggy, floury dough.

5. Knead the dough. With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball (5-8 minutes). Or, knead by hand. If the dough is very sticky, add extra flour, but err on the side of caution - only use as much as needed. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will be slightly tacky but shouldn't stick to the bowl or to your hands.

6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.

7. Divide and shape the muffins. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently to shape into smooth, round balls.

8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a bit apart. If you are using muffin rings (which I do not) place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.

9. Let the muffins rise until puffy: This will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I usually put mine in an over that has been preheated to 175F then turned off and allowed to cool a bit.)

10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter - just enough to prevent sticking.

11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on the side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet; allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer to muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minuetes.

12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side. Adjust heat as needed if the muffins are browning too quickly or not quickly enough. To ensure that the inside is properly baked I use a thermometer, cooking until they are 190F.

Cranberry Sauce

1 lb. cranberries
3/4 c. water
2 c. sugar (or less)
1/4 tsp. cinammon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple with syrup

Wash cranberries. Combine everything in a saucepan (be sure not to drain the pineapple-you want to use the syrup). Boil over high heat for 10-12 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. Remove from heat, put in a container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft, sweet and salty old-fashioned peanut butter cookie that stays soft when stored in air-tight container. This recipe yields approximately 2 dozen bits of goodness. The important thing here is not to over-bake the cookies. Don't be fooled - they will not really look done after 8-10 minutes, but trust me - they are. (Plus, they continue to bake a bit after you take them out of the oven.)


Ingredients:

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. softened butter
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mat.

Cream together the peanut butter, butter and sugars using a stand mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour. baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Roll the dough into 1 to 2 inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet. Make criss-cross pattern in cookies using a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until the tops begin to crack. DO NOT OVERBAKE! They will still be quite light in color, and the bottoms will not have browned. Let them cool on the cookie sheets until they have firmed up, then remove to wire rack. (My oven=9 minutes)

Coconut Bundt Cake

Coconut Bundt Cake

This cake is for the true coconut lover. Original recipe called for a glaze, but we like it naked. Truly decadent cake with really buttery, coconutty goodness in every bite.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks)
2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream (I use full fat)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. coconut extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan - be generous here.

Mix flour and coconut in a medium bowl and set this aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar using a stand mixer. Add eggs one at a time an mix until batter is light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, baking powder and coconut extract. Mix well.

Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, mixing until combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (My oven=69 minutes at 330 degrees)

Let the cake cool for 25 minutes, then invert onto serving dish.

Sugar Cut Out Cookies

The nice thing about this recipe is that there is no chilling required!

Makes a large batch of cookies. You may want to cut it in half.

Ingredients:

2 c. salted butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
6 c. all purpose flour

Add butter and sugar to the large bowl of your mixer. Cream together until it is completely mixed, but do not overmix.

Add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely combined.

Mix in baking powder.

Mix in the flour two cups ad a time.

Roll out dough on a floured surface tunitl it is about 3/8 " thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 F. for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake - the cookies should be light in color with only slight (if any) browning at the edges.

Cool on racks before frosting.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9 inch double crust pie
4 c. fresh blueberries*
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
Turbinado sugar to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the blueberries.

Pour berry mixture into bottom pie crust. Dot with butter and then put the top crust on. Crimp edges of pie crust an brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top of pie - adding as much or as little as you like.

Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes.

*Fresh blueberries are highly recommended. I've tried it with frozen and it just is not as good.

Apple Fritter Bread

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples (granny smith or other tart firm apple good for baking), diced
2/3 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp.
1/2 c. butter (softened)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. milk plus 1 to 3 Tbsp.
1 c. powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x5 in. loaf pan with cooking spray. (you can also line the pan with parchment at this point to make removing the whole loaf from the pan easier after baking. If you do this, also spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Spraying the pan before laying down the parchment will prevent the paper from sliding around as you fill the pan.)

Mix brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Toss apples with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and remaining tsp. cinnamon in another bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and remaining 2/3 c. granulated sugar together with mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time and the vanilla.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl, then add to creamed butter mixture and beat until blended. Mix in 1/2 c. milk until smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half of the chopped apple mixture. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the apple layer.

Pour the remaining batter over the apple layer and top with the remaining apples and then the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat the apples into the batter. Swirl the brown sugar mixture through the batter with a butter knife.

Bake until done when tested with a toothpick - about an hour and 10 minutes. (If your bread is browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking time.)

Let loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before applying the glaze.

For the glaze: Mix powdered sugar with remaining 1 to 3 Tblsp. mil, thinning to desired consistancy. Drizzle the glaze over the bread.

a big green summer

Dear Mom,

Well summer is officially here!  We kicked-off grilling season here in a pretty big way - a pretty big green egg kind of way.  For the past three years or so the hubs has been talking and talking and talking about this charcoal grill he wanted to buy.  I am 100% for him helping out in the kitchen and taking the reigns in the summer when we light up the good ol'Weber, but he became obsessed with this grill called The Big Green Egg.  It's actually a combination grill/smoker/outdoor oven, so I've always been intrigued but the price-point kind of scared me away.  About two weeks ago I came home from work to discover on my coffee table several brochures and cookbooks re: The Big Green Egg.  Without even asking, I knew, we were getting one.

So far it has been totally worth it.  We have made some fantastic things, chicken wings, pulled pork, brisket, pizza, grilled chicken.  Oh my!  I will need to start posting recipes once we have a little more practice.

On Sunday, the hubs woke up at 7am to start the brisket...  Needless to say, I've never been more in love!  Brisket takes a long time - like 8-10 hours.  So, I had a lot of free time to get things done around the house, laundry, get a little gardening in, all while taking intermittent coffee (until around noon, then beer) breaks relaxing outside next to the smoker watching the hubs tend to the smoke.  It was a perfect Sunday!  What else did I do besides make cole slaw?  (Still working on a recipe, vinegar or mayo based? I cannot figure it out, a debate for another day!)  I made dessert/snacking/brunchy cake.  (Yes, brunchy is a word as of today.)  Ricotta-blueberry-lemon pound cake.  Yum!  Great with coffee, great after dinner, great in the afternoon.  Surprisingly light and citrusy but still moist and dense from the butter and ricotta, with little pops of tart blueberry.  It worked out quite well as blueberries were on sale and I had half a leftover tub of ricotta in my fridge. Perfect!

blueberry ricotta lemon pound cake

cooking spray
1-3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
1-1/2 cups blueberries
2 tbsp AP flour

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a 9" loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Rinse the blueberries and toss with 2 tbsp flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake).

Using an electric mixer (stand or hand) beat the butter, ricotta and sugar together on high speed for 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.  (It will look curdled.)

Remove mixer and stir in lemon zest and vanilla by hand.  In 3 or 4 additions, mix in by hand the dry ingredients.  Stir in the blueberries, do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.  Check the cake after the first 40 minutes to see if it is browning too much - if it is, loosely top with aluminum foil and continue baking.  When out of the oven, let cool for 10 minutes then gently loosen onto a cooling rack.  (Running a knife along the edge will help loosen the cake from the pan.)

changing tastes

Dear Kristin,

I've lived long enough to know that things change over time. In fact, many of my own likes and dislikes have changed. For instance, there was a time when I liked:

• Talking on the phone
• Playing Barbie dolls with my friends
• Partying

Today, I avoid talking on the phone (unless it's to you, of course) like the plague. I've become jaded in my old age and now view Barbie dolls as instruments of sexist propaganda, and as for partying - well, unless it's a pajama party for one in front of the television on a Friday night, well - let's just say I'd rather not, thank you very much. So, basically I've become a hermit. Today my favorite pass-times are:

• Reading
• Watching old movies (preferably ones starring Cary Grant)
• Running (by myself) on a nature trail

Some of these changes may be for the better, some maybe not. I've also noted that my tastes in food have changed over time. I used to like:

• Spam (yes - I did indeed like it - at least until I was old enough to question what it is really made of)
• Orange aid that came in a paper carton like milk - uncarbonated and full of sugar and empty calories
• Tea with milk and sugar (now I can't imagine diluting a good cup of tea with anything unless I have a sore throat - then I will tolerate some honey)

Some foods I used to HATE:

• Spinach
• Onions
• Steak (or beef of any kind)
• Mushrooms

Today these are among my favorite foods, and I can't imagine not having them as a regular part of my diet. These are certainly changes for the better - right? Spam vs. steak? No question.

While I still can't eat raw mushrooms, I do enjoy them when they are cooked, and have even expanded my mushroom munching to include quite a variety. Among my favorites are shitake mushrooms. They have a very distinctive taste that seems to brighten up anything dish they are in - for example, this easy mushroom chicken dish. (Note the way the spinach found its way into this dish as well!)

chicken with mushrooms and asiago cream sauce

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1/2 c. flour
4 Tblsp. butter (divided)
1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, sliced *
1/2 lb. white button mushrooms sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 c. white wine (dry is better)
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. shredded Asiago cheese
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Pound chicken until it is of an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour.** Shake off any excess flour.
2. Melt 2 Tblsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until nicely brown (about 5 minutes) on one side. Flip chicken and cook for an additional minute. Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside and keep it warm.
3. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Lower the heat, add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened and somewhat browned. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add wine to the skillet, stirring up any bits of mushroom or chicken that are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the chicken broth and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half.
5. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Add the Asiago and stir constantly until melted. Return the chicken to the skillet and let it simmer in the sauce just until it has heated through and the sauce has thickened a little more. Serve immediately, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese if desired.

*You probably can mix & match whatever kinds of mushrooms you like best.
**Wegman's sells a wonderful dredging flour that can be used instead. It already contains salt and pepper, so if you are using the dredging flour there is no need to salt and pepper the chicken before dredging.

but fat is flavor!

Dear Mom,

One of the biggest and best surprises of going Whole30 is that fat is actually your friend.  The no-fat/low-fat trend of the 80s/90s has been shot down by many experts which is great news!  While this doesn't mean that I should run out and slather everything I eat in vast quantities of butter and bacon fat, it does mean that I need not feel ashamed that I put a little butter (or ghee, dairy is verboten on W30) on my roasted sweet potato.  I have a good friend who is also a chef (the best possible kind of friend) who says "Fat is Flavor" and I can't agree with him more.  The biggest thing that I learned while on W30 was that I didn't need to put cheese on everything!  It is of course necessary at times (pizza, lasagna) but not required for everything, and if I'm going to splurge on cheese you can bet that its not going to be the low-fat variety (unless it is naturally a lower fat cheese like feta - yum!).

I found this recipe in a magazine and tweaked it slightly to be W30 compliant.  Its really easy and a slow cooker recipe to boot!  I recommend making the sauce the night before and then before heading to work the next morning just put everything together in your slow cooker, set to low and its pretty much ready when you get home.  You could make it with chicken breast to be lower in fat, but chicken thigh has so much more flavor.

chicken tikka masala

2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, grated
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs. garam masala
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (less is you like it a little less spicy)
1 tbs. arrowroot powder (or 1/3 cup water and 3 tbs. flour)
4-5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
cooking spray
1 cup coconut milk

cilantro
cooked rice (or cauliflower rice)

Heat the oil in a deep skillet, add onion, ginger and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until fragrant and translucent.  Add the tomato paste, cook until the paste gets darker in color (2-3 minutes).  Add the crushed tomatoes, spices and salt.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat and stir in arrowroot powder (if using flour, mix flour and water together and stir into sauce, cook sauce with slurry at a simmer about 5 more minutes).

Coat the slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add the chicken thighs and top with the sauce.  Cook on low heat 8-hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred, return to slow cooker.  Turn heat to high and add coconut milk, cook uncovered for 15 minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

compromises

Dear Kristin,

My hat is off to you and your hubs for trying to eat a more wholesome diet. I won't even pretend that the Whole30 diet sounds like something I would try. I would rather pull my eyelids over the top of my forehead while listening to Neil Diamond's greatest hits than give up cheese or sugar or bread!

To be honest, though, I believe that dad and I enjoy a diet that is somewhat more healthy than we did when we were younger. We certainly have cut down on the amount of processed foods we eat, and we do try to be mindful of the amounts of fat and empty calories we consume. We are part of a generation that was brought up on Chef Boyardee and Tang. Probably 90% of the fruits and vegetables we had as kids came out of a can. Salad? Iceberg lettuce, period. Romaine, Bibb Lettuce or Kale would probably have been viewed with a suspicious eye as some sort of evil cold war enemy plot designed to corrupt the all-American patriotic plates of fine upstanding citizens.

Today we do what we can to eat a more wholesome diet. Cheese is a good example. While we won't eliminate cheese from our diet (that's just crazy talk), we may opt for the reduced fat varieties, and may look for alternate preparations that allow us to keep the richness and depth that cheese can add to a meal while cutting down on the amount we use. This soup is one of the results of these compromises. I came up with this soup after reading a number of recipes for something called "Lasagna Soup". Hmmm.. that sounded intriguing. What I was hoping for was something that would taste like lasagna, but would be lighter than the lasagna I normally make which uses an insane amount of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. What I eventually came up with turned out to be what I might call "Not lasagna soup", because it really doesn't remind me too much of lasagna except for the dollop of ricotta cheese and the sprinkling of mozzarella that is added at the end. What I love about this soup is the broth - just a hint heartier than a broth, but not anywhere near as heavy as a cream based soup. The flavor of the tomatoes and chicken stock, with just a hint of cream and Parmesan cheese is a winner. Add a green salad and a loaf of homemade bread and you have real comfort food for a cold winter night.

tomato and pasta soup with three cheeses

Soup:
8 oz. farfalle pasta*
1 Tblsp. olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausage, either bulk or removed from casings (hot or mild, according to taste)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tblsp. tomato paste
1 28 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Topping:
Shredded Mozarella
Ricotta Cheese (either whole or part skim)
Fresh basil leaves

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Remove from heat and drain well.
2. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add sausage and cook over medium heat until brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion. Cook about 2-3 minutes longer or until onions are translucent. Drain any excess fat. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the tomato paste, stirring and cooking until combined, about 1 more minute.
3. Stir in tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. Stir in pasta, Paremesan and cream. Continue to cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
4. Serve topped with a dollop of ricotta**, sprinkles of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves.

* Originally the recipes I looked for used lasagna noodles, but I personally love farfalle - the choice of pasta is yours.
** I actually prefer this soup without the ricotta - I like it topped simply with the mozarella and basil. I feel that you get a better sense of the tasty broth this way. Your dad really liked the addition of the ricotta - so each to his own taste!

complications

dear mom,

If there is one thing in my life I don't mind being complicated, its food.  Salty, sweet, spicy, fatty, mmmm, you name it, I want it all!  Of course food can be simple and delicious as well.  In general, I would say that I spend about 75% of my brain power thinking about food.  When is my next meal or snack?  What will I eat at said meal or snack?  What should I make for dinner?  What did I eat yesterday?  What's in the fridge?  What's that smell (food smell!)?

Food is very much a part of my life and an enjoyable one at that!  Which is why two weeks ago I thought I was going to have a complete meltdown.  The hubs and I were feeling our standard, annual, post-holiday fat-funk.  We were bloated and low-on-energy; our clothes had all mysteriously shrunk in the washer.  It was time to make a change, to start eating healthier and exercise more.  Well, every two weeks we say we are going to eat healthy, but then lasagna calls...  We needed to do something drastic.

My research-loving hubs started reading up on this diet/cleanse/detox called Whole30.  No gluten, grains, dairy, sugar, legumes, booze, joy, etc. for 30 full days.  Needless to say my reaction was less than positive.  Cheese, for one, is pretty much at the bottom of my food pyramid.  Cheese in my opinion, can easily be treated as a meal on its own, it is also a condiment; a food staple, integral to health and happiness, and my sole source of calcium, it cannot be eliminated!  Well, that was my initial reaction.  This Whole30 also made claims that I had to do things like make my own ketchup and mayonnaise, because there was sugar in the store-bought variety.  Vinaigrettes for my salad dressing could not include things I always put in them like honey, because it was an added sugar.  In fact no added sugars or sweeteners were allowed at all!  No stevia in my coffee, no brown sugar in my oatmeal, no maple syrup on my pancakes.  Arrrgh! No pancakes!  How the heck will I ever survive on this diet???

Well, I am happy to report I'm still alive and its been over two weeks!  I feel great and I've lost some lbs!  This "diet" is tolerable - if you like to cook, which is why I've been able to stick with it.  I'm actually enjoying coming up with new recipes based on the restrictions of the diet, its more challenging.  When you realized that while on this "diet" you are allowed to have things like steak, potatoes and bacon, you realize it doesn't feel like a diet at all!  I hate to say it, but its changed the way that I think about food.  Especially sugar and cheese.  I didn't realize how often I was eating sugar until I eliminated it, I also realized that fruit is super sweet and delicious on its own.  Instead of adding that sugar to my vinaigrette, I threw some strawberries on my salad and that added the sweetness that the vinaigrette was missing.

I also was surprised to learn that I can survive without adding cheese to most meals.  Which brings me to this recipe.  The old K would have topped this off with melted provolone, which you can still do and I'm sure it would be wonderful - but I like it just fine as is.  Salty olives and prosciutto with juicy chicken breast and tangy sauce on top, I don't even miss the cheese.  And yes, this does work with the diet!

chicken saltimbocca

for the chicken
2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness
8 fresh sage leaves
2 thin slices prosciutto
1 cup olive tapenade, see note
1 cup almond meal flour (Not doing Whole30? Use AP flour.)
1/2 tsp. granulated onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. of water
2 tbsp. ghee or veggie oil
8-10 wooden toothpicks
cooking spray

for the sauce
1-1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp. ghee or butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small shallots, minced
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
2 tsp. capers

Preheat oven to 350.  Lay both chicken breasts out on a cutting board.  Split the tapenade between the two breasts and spread in an even layer, it should be around 1/8" thick.  Top tapenade with sage leaves, 4 on each breast spaced evenly, and then the prosciutto.  Starting at the thin end of the breast, roll up the chicken with all the goodness inside.  Secure with toothpicks.

In a shallow bowl combine almond flour, granulated onion, garlic powder, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add ghee or veggie oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Working with one at a time, dip chicken wraps in egg wash, roll around to coat completely in the egg, then transfer to almond flour mixture.  Coat completely in the almond flour mixture, shake off excess and put in the hot skillet.  Brown the coating on all sides, turning as necessary.  Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake in hot oven for 40-45 minutes (I tested mine with an instant read thermometer, when it hit 160 in the middle it was done).

While the chicken bakes prepare the sauce.  In a shallow pan (you can use the same as the one you used to brown the coating on the chicken, just wipe it out), over medium high heat, add the 1 tbsp. ghee, garlic and shallots.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until reduced by half.  Stir in lemon juice, capers and season to taste.  Serve chicken topped with sauce.

note: The lovely hubs was allowed to go to Costco all by himself a week ago...  Big mistake, when he walked in the door I quickly remembered why he needed me as a chaperon.  The rest of the evening I had to try to jam a life-times supply of seltzer water, canned tomatoes, dog treats, eggs, olives and a bunch of other random items in our tiny apartment.  It worked out though, because I took one look at the gallon of olives he brought home and immediately thought, "Oooo! Olive tapenade!"  This particular blend had green olives, pearl onions, garlic and red bell peppers in it.  I drained a little over a cup of this mixture and threw it in the food processor with a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and voila!  Olive tapenade!  You could also get store bought tapenade or make your own blend.  If you don't like olives, make a pesto instead!  Basil and sun dried tomatoes comes to mind - in this case omit the sage in the above recipe.

for days when thinking is just too hard

Dear Kristin,

Life has become much too complex. If you want to watch television in our house, you are required to use three different remotes. One is for sound, one is for picture, and the third - well I'm sure it's there so that I unknowingly take a selfie, capturing that look of utter confusion on my face and saving it for all posterity. The laundry is out to get me also. My washer has at least 17 different settings; normal, heavy duty, hand-wash and super stinky to name just a few. How many of these settings do I use? Two. Oh, and we just got a new treadmill. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it off of the "Mount Kilimanjaro" incline level. Yes, technology is out to get me.

Every once in a while I have to step back to simpler times. Heck, sometimes I even give up my Kindle and read an actual physical book! There are days when having the option to change font size on an e-book is just much too much for me to handle.

Admitting that it is probably not a good idea to take on any particularly daunting culinary challenges on these techno-meltdown days, I've come up with a really simple slow-cooker solution to technology overload. I won't pretend that it's good for you. It's not. However, this super easy slow cooker recipe allows me to serve something that is comforting and tasty even when operating a measuring cup is above my capabilities. Oh - and it involves bacon - nothing can go wrong when bacon is involved!

Creamy chicken with peas and bacon

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 Tblsp. butter, melted
salt and pepper
1 packet dry ranch salad dressing mix
6 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
2 c. frozen peas
6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour melted butter over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle contents of salad dressing mix over the chicken. Pour cream of chicken soup over the top. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and raise temperature to high. Add cream cheese to slow cooker and stir occasionally until all cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Add frozen peas. Continue cooking on high until thoroughly heated. Return chicken to the slow cooker and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes on high. *

Remove chicken from slow cooker and top with a generous amount of sauce and cooked bacon pieces.

*At this point you could also shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker and heat through. The chicken goodness could then be poured over biscuits for a really simple chicken & biscuits type of meal.

happy new year!

Well hello, hello!!!! Long time no chat! Well! The rest of my 2015 was pretty busy and lots of fun. The highlight of the year was the trip to Italy the hubs and I took. Seventeen glorious days in Rome, Sorrento and Florence. The best of Rome  were the Roman ruins, St. Peter's, pizza and the Trastevere neighborhood (best restaurants ever). Sorrento was relaxing after the hustle and bustle of Rome. Absolutely stunning coastline scenery and seafood! The best lunch was in Positano at Da Vincenzo, fresh caught Mediterranean prawns with a tomato sauce over linguini, wow! I had no idea prawns could taste like that! We loved Florence, it is truly one of the prettiest cities I've ever been to. We took a guided tour of two wonderful wineries in Tuscany where we had the opportunity to try the first pressing of olive oil at a Tuscan estate. John's favorite thing in Florence was probably the Florentine steak, which comes from a local Tuscan beef and is served rare and delicious! Speaking of Tuscan beefcakes, Michaelangelo's David is stunning, from every angle if you know what I mean...  ;)

So I am hoping to have a bunch of fantastic recipes inspired by the trip for you. I'm still working on them though. In the works, but not yet perfected is a red wine marinated steak with balsamic sauce, pasta Amtriciana, Cacio e Pepe, and pasta carbonara. 

Today, however, I have a simple recipe for you that is quick and easy and perfect for a holiday party as an appetizer that everyone will love. Bacon wrapped dates. You can stuff them really with anything blue cheese or almonds or maybe even a bit of spicy sausage, but I like to keep it simple and go for the manchego cheese.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

This recipe is for two people, three dates each. Be warned, these are really good and you may want more than three per person. Adjust accordingly.

6 medjool dates

6 chunks manchego cheese (about 1" x 1/4" chunk) 

3 slices bacon, sliced in half lengthwise

6 toothpicks 

Preheat oven to 425. Cut a slit along the length of each date and remove the pit, replace with chunk of cheese. Squish the date closed around the cheese. Roll up each date in a half slice of bacon. Secure with toothpick, piercing the loose end of bacon

and going all the way though the date. Place each date on a cookie sheet leaving about 1-2 inches between. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until bacon looks done. Place dates on paper towel to dry some grease away then transfer to serving plate. 

Happy holidays and have a delicious New Year!! 

Chi-town challenge

Dear Kristin,

Thank you for the wonderful kitchen gadgets you gave me for Christmas. Having the right tools always makes a job so much easier. I found the bench scraper a real help when it came to chopping up bread dough for my version of chopping block bread. The little hand mitten tweezers are great for removing sun-dried tomatoes from the jar, and the kitchen shears (which you gave me previously) are wonderful when it comes to cutting salami into bite-sized pieces. So, as you can see, I am making good use of the gifts you sent!

Oh - but wait - did I say chopping block bread? Yes - the manna from heaven that you used to get from Mariano's in Chicago. We had it a number of times, and I'm so sad that there is no place up here in Rochester that makes anything similar. I miss it so much, in fact, that I decided to try & come up with a version that can be made by a humble home cook such as myself. It took a couple of tries, but the recipe that follows is pretty close. The beauty of this bread-y goodness is that you can change the toppings pretty freely - I've used salami & sun-dried tomatoes, but you could easily go more Mediterranean and use olives with feta, or maybe you could come up with a sweeter version with apples or raisins or cranberries and nuts - I think the basic dough will work well with either a sweet or savory finish. If going the sweet route, simply eliminate the Parmesan cheese from the dough recipe.

So here's the challenge - while I'm so happy to have you back in New York State, I must admit that there are some things I truly miss about Chicago. Not surprisingly, most of my fondest memories of Chicago are food-related, such as:

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder
Pequod's Pizza
RoseAngelis

I came up with the bread course for a Chi-town inspired dinner - I challenge you to come up with another course. Here's a hint - I would absolutely die for some of RoseAngelis' Italian Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce. Is there something that you truly miss from your days in Chicago? See if you can't come up with a home-version of one of your Windy-City favorites.

A word about the chopping block bread dough - this recipe is very loosely based on a recipe for one hour pan rolls found in "The Red Star Centennial Bread Sampler" - a promotional book published by Red Star way back in 1981. That was evidently before the rise (pardon the pun) of the bread machine, so I adapted the recipe to work in my machine. Warning - this just barely fits in my 1 1/2 loaf capacity machine - if yours is smaller you might have to trim the recipe in half.

chopping block bread

for the bread:

4 c. flour
2 pkg. instant dry yeast
2 Tblsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (or Italian seasoning)
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/2 c. water
2 Tblsp. butter
1 egg
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

for the topping:

1/4 c. butter
3 cloves (or more to taste) minced garlic
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
6-8 slices good quality hard salami, cut into 1" squares
1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped and patted dry

Place ingredients for the bread into your bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use dough setting for 1 1/2 lb. loaf.

During the last 10 minutes of the bread machine cycle, saute the garlic in 1/4 c. butter until fragrant.

Remove dough from the bread machine after the cycle has finished. Knead on a lightly floured surface about 10 times. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into small (about 1" square) pillows. Arrange pillows on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a large rectangle, allowing the sides of the pillows to touch. Generously brush the top of the bread with the garlic butter. Scatter the salami and sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the bread. Lightly tuck the salami and tomatoes down into the spaces between the pillows. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.

Let dough rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Bake at 375 F. for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and dough sounds hollow when tapped.

lazy eggs

Dear Mom,

Christmas was an especially lazy holiday for us this year.  For the past 8 years while living in Chicago, John and I would pack up the Honda-sleigh with Christmas gifts and the pup and cross the winter wonderland of Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania towards either Pittsburgh (John's hometown) or Rochester.  This year, between moving to New York and just a generally crazy year, we opted to stay in NY sans parents and siblings.  While at first this sounded great, we would sleep in as late as we wanted, veg in our PJs and eat what ever we wanted, when the day actually came after the presents were opened we found ourselves drumming our fingers and wondering what to do.  There is surprisingly little good TV on on Christmas day.  The day did start out pretty strong for us though, we had the traditional Christmas Breakfast Casserole and then opened presents, which got us to about 11am.  Then, due to a miscalculation of preparing dinner the night before, the boredom set in.  Next year we'll be heading back out for the holidays for sure.

breakfast casserole
(This doesn't have to be made on Christmas of course, but it works out quite well for that particular holiday because you have to prep it the night before and let it sit in the fridge over night.  Then in the morning it has to sit on the counter for an hour and then in the oven for an hour, so you can open presents in the two hours while its resting/cooking.)

1 lb. breakfast sausage
12 pieces of white bread, cubed with crusts removed
1-1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
9 eggs
3 cups 2% milk
1-1/2 tsp. dry mustard
salt and pepper

Spray a 9x17 glass or ceramic casserole.  Brown the breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove sausage to a plate to cool.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, dry mustard and salt and pepper together.

In a large bowl toss together bread, cheese and cooled sausage.  Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and fold gently until combined.  Pour mixture into prepared casserole, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. 

In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 1 hour.  Preheat the oven to 350, and bake the casserole for 1 hour, until browned on top.