Blogging By Mail: Long Overdue Post

Wow, time does fly, doesn't it? It seems like yesterday that I received my BBM package, but then, we left for vacation, returned, got busy again, and I have neglected to post until now about the goodies that Meghan from A Craving for Perfection sent to me. So, my apologies, Meghan...without further adieu, here's the good stuff!



From left to right, clockwise: decorative Asian take-out boxes, smoked salmon, mint chocolates from the Seattle Space needle, Trader Joe's Harvest Blend mix (including Israeli couscous, chickpeas, and lots of other yummy things), a Coast Guard chocolate bar (in front of the mints & couscous mix), cookie cutters (butterfly & flower), recipe cards, a letter detailing all of the goodies, US Coast Guard magnet, blue Japanese Bento box with chopsticks and cloth cover, a pink heart-shaped onigiri maker (used to shape rice), and cupcake/muffin liners in the middle.




I had already begun to play this CD that Meghan sent and forgot to put it in the picture with everything else. I love the songs she chose...most are food-related and just plain fun to listen to. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

So, to sum up evertyhing, I loved the BBM package! Chocolates...devoured; couscous mix - haven't tried yet but very excited to be able to try some Israeli couscous; salmon will be enjoyed by my husband as I don't like fish (though I will try a small piece); will be using the cupcake liners soon; cookie cutters are perfect since I collect metal cookie cutters; take-out boxes should make great cookie-delivery-devices,; and the bento box and onigiri maker are awesome...I have seen them online, but now I have one to use for my son (when he gets a little bit bigger). Oh, and the magnet is on my fridge. :)

Thank you Meghan! Sorry it took me so long to post, but everything was great!

Banana Nut Pancakes

Wow...I didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted. Time flies when you have a little one. :)

So, in an attempt to have a quick, hearty, and yummy meal, here's what I've come up with. Simple, scrumptious, and speedy. (Not to mention only one skillet to clean!) Yum.

Banana Nut Pancakes

2 cup Bisquick
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans, but walnuts would also be good)
Olive oil (or butter) for frying
Maple syrup for serving


Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant.

While the nuts are toasting, mix the Bisquick, eggs, and milk. Add mashed bananas. Add toasted nuts.

Add some olive oil (or butter) to the skillet (still over medium heat) and pour batter into ~4-inch circles (or whatever size you happen to like). Cook until golden, brown, and delicious on both sides, and enjoy with real maple syrup.

Italian Dressing Mix

I wanted some Italian Dressing for a marinated salad, but I realized that I didn't have any on hand. So, I found out how to make my own, and it's much better than what I used to buy. :)

Italian Dressing Mix

1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp salt

In a small bowl, mix together the above ingredients. Store in a tightly sealed container.

To make the Dressing:

2 Tbsp dry mix
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2/3 cup canola or olive oil (or a combination)
Grated parmasean, ~ 2 Tbsp, or to taste

To prepare dressing, whisk the dry mix with vinegar and water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in oil. Add some grated parmasean and serve.

From AllRecipes

Orzo with Roasted Garlic, Red Peppers, & Spinach

I know it's not a clever title, but it was delicious! In fact, there weren't any leftovers at all. I got the idea from a side dish we had at Macaroni Grill, but I think mine was better. (Hey, my husband said it was "restaurant quality.") :) This recipe should feed 4, but if you're really hungry (like we were), it will only be enough for 2. Of course, it can easily be doubled as well.

1/2 box orzo pasta, cooked & drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. roasted garlic, minced or smashed into a paste consistency
2 to 3 Tbsp. roasted red peppers,julienned
1 cup spinach, large chiffonade

In a saute pan, warm the olive oil and roasted garlic on low heat for a couple of minutes. Then, turn the heat up to medium/medium-low and add the roasted red peppers. Stir to combine. Add the drained orzo and stir to coat pasta. Just before serving, add the spinach, stir to combine, and serve.

Roast Chicken Rub

**Updated**
I've been roasting a lot of food recently...potatoes, green beans, carrots, onions, chicken, etc., etc. It's tasty and incredibly easy. I tried a rub last night on some roasted chicken, and it was fantastic. The original recipe is for a make-at-home rotisserie chicken, but I just had leg quarters, and it worked great. I also used smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika, but either would be fine. I lifted the skin and put the rub on the meat as well as on top of the skin before drizzling with olive oil to roast. Delicious!

*Update: You'll notice there's no salt in this rub. The original called for 2 tsp. salt, but it was far too salty after I made it again. So, salt the chicken as a separate step; otherwise, it will be way too salty.*

Roast Chicken Rub

1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Sprinkle on chicken skin and between skin and meat (or on skinless chicken). Drizzle olive oil over skin and roast at 400F for about 30 minutes or until done.



Original 'Rotisserie-Style Chicken' recipe from "In the Kitchen with Mary & Martha: Cookin' Up Christmas"

Cake!

I haven't been posting much because I've been busy making another wedding cake (and a groom's cake!). Here's what I've been up to. (No, I didn't do the flowers...the florist took care of that...I just did the cakes.)

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I don't eat as many salads as I'd like (or should). And, normally, I don't make my own dressings. However, I happened to have some pomegranate molasses, and this recipe from Bobby Flay looked too good to pass up. I was right. This is delicious on a spinach salad, especially if you add some chopped apples and toasted walnuts as suggested with the accompanying salad recipe. Very refreshing and tasty. I only made a slight modification to the amount of pomegranate molasses.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, mustard, honey and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Chickpea Curry

This tasty dish could have come from your local Indian restaurant, but it's so simple and quick to make at home, either on the stovetop or in a crock pot/slow cooker. Since I cooked this on the stove, I smashed some of the chickpeas (probably 1/4 to 1/2 of them) to make the curry a bit thicker and less chunky. I served this over rice. Mmm...yum.


Chickpea Curry

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander, crushed
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
15 oz. can chickpeas
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. garam masala

Saute oil, onions, ginger, and garlic for 5 minutes. Place onion mixture & remaining ingredients except garam masala into crockpot and cook for 6-9 hours on low. Add garam masala before serving.

Saute oil, onions, ginger, and garlic for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except garam masala and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add garam masala before serving.

Recipe courtesy Simple Vegetarian Recipes

Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake

I love cranberries! My freezer is stocked full of them. However, this recipe is great using canned whole berry cranberry sauce (though I'm sure it would be even better using homemade cranberry sauce). It's quick to put together, and the results are fabulous. It was perfect to serve for brunch on Thanksgiving Day. Just make sure to cool the cake before you try to glaze it. (Trust me; it works better that way.)

1/4 pound margarine (I used BlueBonnet)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pint (1 cup) sour cream
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
7 or 8 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chopped nuts, lightly toasted (I used pecans)
Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon warm water

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease 6 or 9 inch tube pan. Cream margarine and sugar with electric mixer. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating after each addition on medium speed.
Mix dry ingredients and add alternating with sour cream.

Add flavoring. Put a layer of batter on bottom then swirl some cranberry sauce over batter and sprinkle with a few nuts. Add batter, more cranberry sauce, then the remaining batter and remaining cranberry sauce. Swirl the cranberry sauce into the batter with spatula or spoon. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 55 minutes or until cake tests done with toothpick. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out on rack to cool, or to serve. If desires, drizzle with glaze.

Glaze: Mix sugar, water and flavoring and drizzle over cooled or cold coffee cake.

Recipe courtesy Carroll Pellegrinelli on About.com

Brined Turkey

This year is the first year I've cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving, and I decided to brine the turkey. Boy, am I glad I did! The turkey was so flavorful and juicy. My husband said it was probably the best turkey he'd ever had! Even my mother-in-law, who only likes dark meat, thought the white meat was really juicy. So, even if you never use this brining recipe, it's here so I have a record of what I did so I can repeat it next year. :)

2 gallons cold water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 dried bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage
1 Tbsp. dried lemon peel
1 Tbsp. dried orange peel

Heat ~1 quart of the water, salt, sugar, and bay leaves to and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Use the remaining water to cool the mixture down. Place a washed turkey in the brine, making sure the cavity fills with the liquid. Put in the sprigs of thyme and sage. Put the dried citrus peel in a cotton bag or a pouch made of cheesecloth. Cover the turkey/brine and place in the refrigerator. Let sit for 8 hours, or overnight, up to 24 hours before cooking.

To cook: Remove the turkey from the brine, making sure the herbs stay with the brine instead of the turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Put an onion, peeled & quartered, carrots and celery (use larger chunks) in the cavity along with some fresh sprigs of thyme and sage. Truss. Roast at 400F for an hour, covered with foil. Turn the heat down to 350 and cook for another 1.5 hours. Check the internal temp with a meat thermometer; it should read around 165. Take the turkey out and let it carry-over cook while covered in foil until it's done (about another hour). The outside won't be too pretty, but the meat is oh-so-tasty. *drool* :) I think next time, I'll roast it uncovered at first, then tent it with foil so the skin won't burn.

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

For a yummy fall side dish, this certainly fits the bill. In fact, I served it for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I found this recipe on Elise's Simply Recipes, but I've made a couple of minor changes to make it more delectable for my palate.

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large tart cooking apples cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (no need to peel)
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries (i.e., Craisins), soaked in water or apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F.

Slice and peel squash and apples. Put squash cubes in ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish. Place apples on top and then cranberries. Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and nutmeg and sprinkle on top. Dot with butter. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Corn Bread

I don't think there's anything I like better in the summer than homemade Corn Bread with butter and home-grown tomatoes. (My mouth is watering as I type!) However, for the Thanksgiving holiday, Corn Bread also makes a great stuffing/dressing to accompany the turkey. No matter when you eat it or how you make it, it's always yummy. This particular recipe is from my mother-in-law, with slight adaptations. I like a sweeter Corn Bread, but feel free to decrease the sugar to your own taste.

Corn Bread

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal (not self-rising!)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
8 heaping tsp. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix just until combined. Let mixture sit for ~5 minutes while you preheat a cast iron skillet. Once the skillet is hot, add ~1 Tbsp. oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet with a thin layer). Pour the mixture into the skillet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden, brown, and delicious.

Lone Oak Cookies (aka Cake Mix Cookies)

The organization with which we volunteer, Remote Area Medical (RAM), completed an expedition at Lone Oak Community Center this weekend. During most RAM expeditions, locals provide food for the volunteers, and the food at Lone Oak is always excellent. Several ladies from the community made homemade desserts for the weekend, and they were gracious enough to share two recipes with me. The first is Lone Oak Cookies (aka Cake Mix Cookies). I ate more than my share of these cookies over the last two days, and thanks to Joel (& Martha), I can make my own. :) The recipe, as given to me by Joel, is below. They're super easy and very tasty. Try orange cake mix...it's delicious!

Lone Oak Cookies

1 box cake mix
1/3 cup oil (she used corn oil)
2 eggs (she used large)
Canned/prepared icing - (she used vanilla)

Mix - this makes a very stiff dough. Make balls (smaller than a walnut). Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Ice with canned icing between 2 cookies.

Greek Shrimp & Couscous

I've never been to Greece, so I'm not sure of the authenticity of this dish. However, I know it's tasty, easy, and quick to make from pantry & freezer staples, which is a good thing since I don't have a whole lot of time to cook these days. :) Enjoy!

Greek Shrimp & Couscous

1 (10-ounce) package couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled and de-veined
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion, drained
1/2 cup Greek black olives, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning (i.e., Ms. Dash brand)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, cook couscous according to package directions. (Or, for more flavor, use broth instead of water.)

In a separate pan/skillet, add olive oil and shrimp. Add tomatoes, olives, mint, garlic and herb seasoning, and oregano. Simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes to cook shrimp and heat through. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour over couscous and serve.

Recipe courtesy Robin Miller/Food Network

While I was out...

I had this little fellow in September.

He arrived almost 2 weeks early, but he's perfectly fine. I had some complications during/after the birth, so I was out of commission for a few weeks, but I'll hopefully be back to posting soon. The only things I've made recently have been an Apple Cake and Banana Bread anyway, so you haven't missed much. :)

P.S. - Sorry for just a picture of an ear...at the moment I really don't want to post pictures of my child for the whole world to see. Might be the hormones...or maybe just orneryness. :) I might post pics here one day, but for now I'm keeping photos just for family.

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

My sister sent this recipe to me, and it's a great summertime dessert...nice and light but oh-so-delicious. Of course, it's better with homemade pound cake, but store-bought will work just fine. I omitted the white chocolate, but I'm sure it would be a tasty addition. And, if you don't have any lemon pudding on hand, you can do what I did and use vanilla pudding with some lemon extract. Worked like a charm.

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

1 1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. lemon juice (the juice of one lemon)
16 oz. pound cake, cubed
8 oz. whipped topping
1 pint blueberries
8 oz. sour cream
2 4 serving pkgs. instant lemon pudding
1 lemon for garnish
1 oz. grated white chocolate (1 square), optional

Sprinkle lemon juice over cubed pound cake and set aside. Add sour cream and pudding to milk. Fold in 6 oz. of the whipped topping, reserving the rest for garnish. Stir until mixture starts to thicken. In trifle dish, layer as follows: Pound cake, blueberries, white chocolate, pudding mixture, until all is used. For top of trifle, pipe 10 rosettes of whipped topping around edge and top each rosette with a blueberry. Slice the lemon into thin slices and cut in half. Place the lemon slices between the rosettes. Any leftover white chocolate goes in the middle of the rosette circle on top of the trifle. Chill for 20 minutes to set and serve.

More pics - non-food related

For those who are interested, here are the latest u/s pics. I'm at 34 weeks, so it won't be long now...

Blogging By Mail!

I'm delinquent in posting about my Blogging By Mail package I received from Danielle of Habeas Brulee. She included several of her favorite ingredients as well some homemade goodies for me:


Let's see...we'll start from the bottom left. The small bag contains several vanilla beans, which I plan to use in either some creme brulee or creme caramel (in honor of Danielle's blog, Habeas Brulee). The larger zip-top bag contains homemade Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies. Yum! They're delicious and crunchy! (and I love hazelnuts!)


On top of the cookies are some new-to-me ingredients: Birdseye Chili Peppers and Urfa-Biber (Smoky Turkish Pepper). The aroma of each is intruiging, and I can't wait to try them! (I'm open to suggestions, too, if you're fond of these ingredients or have a recipe I should try; I don't have any idea yet as to how I'm going to use them.)


Continuing on, we have some Herbal Masala Chai, Mustard Oil, and Pomegranate Molasses. I could sit and sniff the bag of chai for hours...it smells absolutely wonderful! I'm looking forward to making some chai soon, but since it's been over 100 degrees here, it will have to be an iced chai. I hate to admit it, but I have no idea what to use the Mustard Oil for. I've never seen it before, so again, if you have suggestions, I'm open to them! The pomegranate molasses will definitely be incorporated into some of my recipes. I've been wanting to try some for quite a while, and now I finally can!


So, to Danielle, sorry for the delay in posting about the package. I'm excited to try some new things, and Thank You, Thank You for everything!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I'm currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. It's been quite an eye opener for me regarding the "food chain" (or, I guess it would be the food supply chain), especially in the U.S. I'm not sure how much it would apply to other countries, but ultimately the challenges (and problems) of feeding the world's population affect every country on the planet.

While I'm not finished reading the book, I would recommend it to you without hesitation. Her perspective, not to be discounted since she lives in a small, southern U.S. town, is refreshing and really made me think about the food I buy and eat in a different light.

Oh, and her daughter, Camille, contributes recipes and menus throughout the book. They are also available on the companion website (http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com) for downloading. Be sure to check out both the book and the website.

Apple Turnovers

I've purchased and baked the some-assembly-required turnovers available from the grocery store, and while they're tasty (they come in apple and cherry), they are a bit more 'processed' than I'd prefer. (Plus, I don't know exactly what's in them!) So, we now have an easy way to make tasty apple turnovers in our household that uses prepared puff pastry and homemade filling. I must give credit to my husband for perfecting the filling recipe. :) The filling can be made ahead of time (and I assume the turnovers can be assembled ahead of time, too, though I haven't tried it), so they're quick, easy, and tasty. Oh, and you can make the turnovers whatever size you'd like! They're great for breakfast or brunch with a good cup of coffee.

Apple Turnovers

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (1/2 package), thawed

Filling:
1 large Granny Smith Apple, grated (peeling not necessary)
1 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Mix filling ingredients and set aside. Cut the sheet of puff pastry into 6 squares (or 4 if you want bigger turnovers). Place the filling in the center of the square, fold into a triangle, and seal the edges with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly. Dust with powedered sugar and serve.