Roasted Red Pepper Paninis with Garlic Chevre

Making the old classic Sunday Pot Roast, Carrots & Potatoes in the slow cooker today.  I remember coming home from church on Sundays as a little girl and the whole house smelling amazing...  makes me very nostalgic.  :)

I cleaned all day, did eight billion loads of laundry, and found time to make paninis for lunch.  Getting myself in order for the new year.  Feels good. 

Red Pepper Paninis couldn't be simpler.  Here's what you'll need: 

1 loaf ciabatta bread
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 container garlic goat cheese ( I use the garlic and herb chevre made by Jumpin Good Goat Dairy...they're local, their cheese is delicious, and their baby goats are sooo cute!!)
olive oil

I just slice the ciabatta sandwich size, and then in half.  I scoop out a bit of the bread insides...makes for a crispier sandwich.  Spread both sides with goat cheese and put one layer of roasted red peppers on one half.  Put the halves together.  Heat a couple T of olive oil over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet.  Cook sandwich on first side until golden brown.  I usually put a heavy cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich to weight it down while cooking.  Flip the sandwich and cook the other side until golden brown.  Remove from heat, slice in 1/2 and serve! 

Baked Ziti

Yum, yummy yum.  :) 

Baked Ziti.  I made this recipe up years ago and I always play it by ear.  Or tongue.  Or what the heck ever.  :)  It depends on how many people you're feeding, what else you're serving with it, etc. 

If I'm serving 4 people, with garlic bread and salad, I use an 8x8 baking dish.  I pour the dry ziti into it to eyeball how much ziti I will need.  I never measure anything with this dish. 

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb italian sausage
1 jar marinara sauce (whatever your favorite is... I like Bertolli Olive Oil & Garlic)
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small carton heavy cream
1 box ziti or penne or rigatoni

Preheat your oven to 350.
Cook the pasta according to directions, undercooking by about 2 minutes.  Drain and reserve.
Brown sausage.  Once nearly cooked through, add the whole jar of marinara.
Add heavy cream just until the sauce turns an orange-y color.  You don't want to over-do...just make the sauce creamy. 
Add the pasta to the meat/sauce.
Place a layer of pasta mixture into your baking dish. 
Top with a layer of cheese.
Repeat, until all the pasta mixture and cheese have been used up. 

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes.  Uncover, bake 10 more minutes.  Broil until golden brown and bubbly on top.  Serve with ceasar salad and garlic bread. 

I know this recipe is kind of unexact and crazy, but that's why I love it.  You really can't mess it up.  :) 

Shrimp with Ginger and Lime

I adapted this from a Wolfgang Puck recipe-  and cooked the shrimp with the snow peas under the broiler as opposed to the grill or BBQ. 

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 count)
2 limes, each cut into 4 wedges
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro

mix together lime juice, olive oil, ginger, brown sugar, garlic, zest and sesame oil. pour over peeled deveined shrimp, marinate for 30 minutes.

I put mine under the broiler with some snow peas and served over brown rice.

Chili Chicken with Basil

Oh my stars.  If you like spicy, try this recipe.  It's just spicy enough that it stays with you, not so spicy that you want to cry. :)  The only thing I did different was to add a little chopped green onion with the basil.

Chili Chicken with Basil (from Women's Health magazine) 4 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 thai bird chiles (or serrano chiles)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 C loosely packed fresh basil (I chopped mine after measuring)
1 Tbsp fish sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 Tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
1/2 Tbsp red chili paste (I just used sriracha)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cracked pepper
Cooked Brown Rice, if desired, for serving (this is what I used)

1.

Finely chop the garlic and chilies, then use the side of your knife to press them together into a rough paste. (Add a pinch of salt to make this process easier.)

2.

Preheat a wok or stainless-steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the garlic-chili paste you just made, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic). Chop the chicken into small pieces and add them to the pan, cooking until they're lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, red-chili paste, and sugar, and continue to cook until the chicken is done all the way through, another 3 to 4 minutes.

3.

Add the pepper and basil, and cook until the basil is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately over brown rice.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

It was cold and snowy the other night, a perfect stew night, and Scott & I had the house to ourselves, so I made chicken stew with biscuits.  I'm still trying to master the perfect biscuit recipe, so until I do, I use storebought buttermilk biscuit dough,  This is my own stew recipe, super simple, super easy, and really delicious.  I use a rotisserie chicken when I'm in a hurry, if I have the time, I roast my own chicken, and use the carcass to make stock. 

Chicken Stew with Biscuits (serves 6)

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 stalks celery, diced
2 peeled carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T flour
4 C chicken stock
1 C milk or cream
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bones and diced
parsley, for garnish

saute the celery, carrots, and onion in the olive oil until they begin to turn translucent and tender.  season with salt and pepper. 
add flour, cook for a few minutes to cook off the flour taste.
add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
add milk.
add chicken and allow stew to simmer. 

while stew is simmering, cook biscuits according to package directions.

If your stew needs to be thicker, you can make a slurry of cornstarch and broth to add to it, or you can mash up some butter in flour and add to the stew-  an old trick from culinary school.  :) 

when biscuits are just about done, taste stew for seasoning and re-season if needed.  Split biscuit into bowl and ladle stew over biscuits. Garnish with parsley.  :)  yay!  now devour!

stuffed peppers

  My thoughts on this one:  I thought this was a good recipe, but I tend to like things a little saltier and spicier.  Next time I'd do pepperjack instead of cheddar, and I'd grate it and mix it throughout.  I would also use taco seasoning to give the meat a spicier flavor.  If I were going for an italian style pepper, I think I'd use italian sausage and maybe a combination of cheeses.  But it's a good starting point. 

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1/2 c. water

6 asst. colored bell peppers

1 c. cooked white rice (or more if you like more rice)

• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• Cheddar Cheese
• 
  
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef with the onion soup mix and water until evenly browned.  Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers.  Parboil for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)  In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 cup marinara sauce. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper, leaving about 1/4" or so space at the top. Spoon the remaining sauce over the stuffed peppers.  Cut cheddar cheese into sticks and insert 4 sticks an equal distance around inside edge of filled peppers.  Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until the peppers are tender.

potato pancakes

Giada's Potato Pancake recipe.  I love this alone, or with bacon gravy.  It's perfection. 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch diameter) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the pan.


Meanwhile, grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating attachment blade. Use a kitchen towel to help squeeze out the water from the grated potatoes. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the Parmesan and the basil. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.


Warm the remaining olive oil over high heat in the same pan that was used to cook the onions. When the pan is hot, but not smoking add the potato mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture down into the pan firmly and evenly. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potato mixture until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake can move in the pan, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the pancake is browning too fast in places. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip the pancake out of the pan. Turn the heat on the pan back up to high. When the pan is hot slide the pancake back into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden and is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a serving platter, slice, and serve.

lennypants :)

Poor Lennypants has puppy allergies.  Took him to the vet, where everyone ooh-ed and aah-ed over him, and told him what a handsome boy he is.  He was soooo good, save for chasing the office kitty after he got his belly shaved.  We've got steroids and ear drops, and are back home good as new.  Only problem now is he's got a taste of the big, bad world and thinks he's a man about town.  He keeps trying to make a run for it.  :) 

t-day photos

Such a fun day with family, good food, and just a little too much wine and kir royale.  Okay, alot too much.  :) 

eating, praying, loving.

"I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call 'The Physics of The Quest' -- a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum.  And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: 'If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all - to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself... then truth will not be withheld from you.'  Or so I've come to believe.  I can't help but believe it, given my experience."  ~Elizabeth Gilbert

Let the Thanksgiving prep begin!!

Got the table set, grocery shopping done, flowers arranged.  Pay no attention to the puppy crate in the corner... ;)  My FAAAAAVORITE holiday is only two days away!!

my little munchkins

I'd never really done much research on pet food.  The food I normally feed my animals is having massive production issues, and I became tired of going to three different stores to try to locate their food.  So I started researching pet food, ingredients, processes, and what all of that info means. Really interesting... AND a little disturbing.

 I've switched to an all-natural, holistic brand pet food, for both my dogs and my cat.  The first three or four ingredients in every bag of food is MEAT.  Not corn, not grain, not preservatives...MEAT. I can pronounce all the ingredients and they are completely natural, normal foods.  Turkey.  Beef.  Sweet potatoes.  Green beans.  The pets LOVE it.   I'm realizing how awesome this natural pet food is.  If we are what we eat, then so are they.  And I want to keep my little babies with me as long as possible. 

Granted, it's expensive stuff.  But hopefully keeping them healthier means the payoff is lower and fewer vet bills and a longer life.

Test Turkey Day!

Today I tested the turkey recipe.  Holy turkey, batman.  It was SO good.  I'm excited for Thanksgiving.  We're doing a buffet style.  Here's what's on the menu:

Cocktails:
Kir Royale
Wine

Appetizers:
Cheese platter
Olive tray
Crudite & Dip
Deviled Eggs

Main Course:
Roast Turkey
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Sausage Stuffing
Flaky Rolls

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie
Italian Creme Cake

It's going to be totally delicious.  And I'll be able to show off some of the redeco I've been up to :) 

happy happy :)

I was in the kitchen tonight, chopping, roasting, cooking, and drinking my favorite pinot grigio...and I said to Scott "You know, I think I've cooked more in the last few months than I have in the last several YEARS."  And it really struck me... I cook cook cook when I'm most happy.  When my life is in place and I don't have to worry about anything, I can truly concentrate on my passion, which is FOOD. 

I am a true foodie at heart...  I adore the ingredients.  The grocery store is my favorite store on the planet.  I love smelling the herbs, picking the perfect tomatillo, finding the best cut of meat, discovering a new CHEESE :)  I am really in my element. 

I'm just a happy girl.  Feeling really thankful.  :) 

Tapas for dinner!!

Piperrada con huevos y Patatas Bravas:

I love love love making large plates into appetizers, and these recipes for tapas from Bobby Flay are perfection.  The spanish concept of tapas is brilliant.  Little bites.  Perfection. 

Our grocery didn't have serrano ham, so I used prosciutto, and it was muy sabroso.  :)  Also, I have to confess to NOT reading the recipe for the aioli correctly, so I messed it up the first time and had to toss it.  I'd only bought one tomato, so I substituted cooked bell pepper for the tomato, and I gotta say...  it was the best mistake I ever made.  If you want a little extra flavor, try a pepper instead of the tomato.  Yum :) 

Pipperada:

Ingredients

• 6 slices country bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick and each slice cut into half crosswise
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced in half crosswise
• Extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
• 12 paper thin slices Serrano ham
• 1 medium Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 roasted orange bell pepper, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup aged sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the broiler or a grill pan. Broil the bread on a baking sheet until lightly golden brown on both sides or grill the bread until lightly golden brown on both sides. Remove the bread and rub one side of each half slice with the garlic and brush with some of the olive oil.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add the ham, a few slices at a time and cook until the edges just begin to crisp, turning once. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in the same saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sherry vinegar and let reduce to a few tablespoons, add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Remove to a small bowl.

Wipe out the pan with paper towels, return to medium heat and add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Slowly cook, stirring until soft curds form. Remove from the heat and fold in the parsley. Place 2 slices of the ham on each slice of bread. Top with some of the eggs and then some of the pepper mixture. Serve on a large platter.

Patatas Bravas:

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 3/4 cup prepared mayonnaise
• 1 large plum tomato, halved, seeded and roasted until soft

• Few dashes hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• Splash aged sherry vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large Russet potatoes, parboiled, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Flat-leaf parsley leaves  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Let cool slightly.

Combine the onion mixture, mayonnaise, tomato, hot pepper sauce, and vinegar in a food processor and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Heat 2-inches pure olive oil or canola oil in a large high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove the potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate for a moment to drain the excess oil. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, put the potatoes on the pan in an even layer and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan and season the potatoes with a bit more salt. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with some of the aioli and garnish with parsley leaves. Serve hot.

Ina Garten's Cheddar Corn Chowder
serves 10

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Chicken Saltimbocca

We made this tonight with garlicky green beans with toasted pine nuts.  :)  Yum. 

Chicken Saltimbocca from Giada:  Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Cheesy Hash Browns

Updated with a photo...  I cooked them on the stovetop instead of in the oven, they were SO tasty.  We had them with over-easy eggs and coffee.  I adore breakfast for dinner.

This is a Bobby Flay recipe from "Brunch With Bobby" --serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced
• 1 1/2 pound small Yukon gold potatoes

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated aged white Irish Cheddar cheese
• Chopped fresh chives

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the butter and canola oil in a cast iron pan over high heat until the butter begins to sizzle. Add the onion and cook until soft and slightly caramelized.

While the onions are caramelizing, put the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water, bring to a boil and cook until nearly tender, but a knife inserted into the centers still meets a little resistance, 10 to 12 minutes, or cooked through. Drain well and smash with the back of a wooden spoon.

Add the potatoes to the onions packing it evenly with the back of a metal spatula to form a cake. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the underside is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Invert a plate or baking sheet without sides over the pan and carefully invert the potato cake onto it. Carefully slide the potato cake back into the skillet and cook until the bottom is just set and pale golden brown, about 4 minutes. Spread the cheese on top, cover the pan with a lid and let melt. Transfer the potato cake to a cutting board cheese-side up and cut into wedges. Garnish with chopped fresh chives.

Leftovers: Risotto Cakes

Risotto changes in texture once it's been refrigerated.  So, I make Risotto Cakes with the leftovers, and they are DELICIOUS. 

Here's what you need: (makes 4 cakes, about 2 T each)

Olive oil
Leftover risotto, warmed to room temperature
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 c panko breadcrumbs
Marinara Sauce(jarred is fine)

I have a 2 T scoop that I use to make sure each risotto cake is uniform.  I take 2 T risotto, flatten it just a little into a patty.  Dip into the flour, shaking off the excess, then into the egg, and finally into the panko breadcrumbs.  Set aside.  Repeat with the remaining risotto. 

Heat olive oil to medium high and place risotto cakes in hot oil, turning when crispy and dark golden brown.  Drain on paper towel and serve with warmed marinara for dipping. 

I made 4 cakes and served them as an appetizer for chicken ceasar salad.  Sadly, we ate all the evidence before I could snap a photo.  ;)

Parmesan Risotto

Made Parmesan Risotto tonight as an accompaniment to Orange Pepper flat chicken.  I LOVE making risotto, the whole process takes me to a very zen place.  :) 

Serves 4-6 as a side

1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch saffron
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried thyme
1 3/4 C arborio rice
6-8 C chicken stock
3/4 C grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 T heavy cream
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat chicken stock in saucepan and keep hot over low flame. 

In a shallow skillet, heat butter and olive oil over med. high heat.  Add onions and cook until tender and just beginning to turn golden.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add saffron and stir to combine.  Season onions with salt and pepper.

Add arborio rice to skillet and toss with the onion and fat for a few minutes to toast the rice.  Add chicken stock, a ladel-full at a time.  Wait for the rice to absorb a ladel of stock, and stir frequently, then add the next ladel-full.  My rice usually takes about 35-40 minutes to absorb the stock and become tender. 

Once rice is al dente, add the cream, basil, thyme, oregano and parmesan cheese and stir until thickened, taste and re-season with salt and pepper. 

Served with a garnish of parmesan and chopped parsley, if you wish.