Cooking for a New Baby

Our next-door neighbors and good friends had their second daughter earlier this week. I thought it would be nice to bring over some food since I can imagine cooking is low on the priority list at the moment. The timing happened to work perfectly since they were coming home from the hospital on Friday and we were off from work that day. We woke up early and got busy in the kitchen making mac & cheese:


... meatballs and sauce:


... and pulled pork with SP's famous BBQ sauce:


Just look at how moist the pork was:


This was after it fell completely apart when I took it out of the crock pot. I knew it was going to be good when I saw it had bones and a nice cap of fat. SP snuck a few tastes and said it was sensational.

I hope everyone likes the food. We had a great time making it! Congrats K, D and Big Sister A on the birth of Baby E!

Breakfast Bagel Sandwich

We had the day off from work yesterday and a lot of things to get done so SP got up early and went to our local bagel place for a few bagels. I made us both breakfast sandwiches:


Mine was a toasted sesame bagel topped with bacon and scrambled eggs with melted American cheese.

Pulled Pork Quesadillas

In keeping with the easy meal theme this week I used some of the pulled pork from the freezer to make pulled pork quesadillas:


I shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, chopped some cilantro and slow-cooked some slices of red onion. The quesadillas were gooey and cheesy:


I served them with salsa and sour cream, sprinkled with a little more cilantro.

Fish Cakes with Red Pepper Gravy and Spinach Mashers

We've always liked these fish cakes with red pepper gravy and spinach mashed potatoes:


... so I made them for dinner on Wednesday. I prepped a lot of the ingredients ahead of time so it was pretty easy to assemble these on a weeknight. Can you tell I'm into quick cooking, easy meals these days?

Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

I had some broccoli that needed to be used up so I decided to make a mac & cheese on Sunday that we could eat later in the week. I cut the two small broccoli crowns into small pieces and added it to the pot with the macaroni about 5 minutes before the pasta was finished cooking. Then I just finished the recipe with the cheese sauce as indicated in the recipe below.


When I got home from work on Tuesday I preheated the oven while I did my exercise video (I have to give a plug to the 30-Day Shred...love it!) and then I put the dish in the oven to cook while I showered and got the salad ready.


We had some baby arugula in the fridge and a few mushrooms so I sliced the mushrooms and made a quick dressing with minced shallot, red wine vinegar, olive oil and a little Dijon:


Easy and tasty. I really love the new mac & cheese recipe. Once again, as much as I don't like the ATK/CI/CC philosophy, I can't argue with some of their recipes. This one is a recipe I saw on the new Cook's Country TV show. I don't follow it to the letter since I don't keep evaporated milk on hand and I like a little onion flavor in my mac & cheese, so below is my modified (gasp!) version.

Best Potluck Macaroni and Cheese
Cook's Country

3-4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni (I like to use cavatappi)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese, (use block American cheese from the deli counter. Prewrapped slices of American cheese will result in a drier sauce)
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread, melted butter, and Parmesan in food processor until ground to coarse crumb. Transfer to bowl.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until foaming. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns light brown, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, onion, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook until mixture begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, remove bay leaves, then whisk in cheeses and stir until cheese melts. Stir in macaroni until completely coated.

Transfer mixture to 9 by 13-inch lightly greased baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until cheese is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Cheesy Garlic Bread

Remember the last time I made spaghetti and meatballs how I made enough meatballs to freezer some for future meals? Well this week seemed like the perfect time to use some of those meatballs for an easy weeknight dinner:


SP made his sauce on Sunday and we cooked the meatballs in the sauce (just put them in frozen) until they heated through and transferred everything to a container. When I got home I put water on for the pasta and heated the sauce in a pot over low heat. Then it was just a matter of assembling and serving:


I also had half a ciabatta in the freezer so I made cheesy garlic bread:


... with mozzarella, cheddar and Pecorino cheeses and a garlic butter using garlic, salt and parsley. It was a sensational meal and super easy to get on the table on a weeknight. I love meals like this!

Smothered Pork Chops

I've made this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops before with great success, but this time things didn't go quite as planned.


In addition to the pork chops I made some mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. The potatoes were great but the broccoli was a little overdone.

***WARNING*** If you have a weak stomach, stop reading now.

I don't cook with pork chops often, but the last time we were at the wholesale club we bought a huge pack of bone-in pork chops. I defrosted them for this meal and when I went to dry them off before coating them in the seasoned flour I noticed there was blood near the bone. Now normally I'm not very squeamish when it comes to meat. I'll eat just about anything and I'm not naive about where the meat I eat comes from, but this was just gross. I tried to blot it away but obviously I didn't get it all because as the chops were cooking more blood came to the surface and started to cook. Again, I blotted it away, but when I transferred the chops back to the pan with the sauce more blood came out and discolored the sauce. We still ate a chop each for dinner (using sauce that hadn't been contaminated), but whether it was psychosomatic or not we both felt ill after eating. It's going to be a long, long time before either of us eats pork again.

Sunday Breakfast

We like to have hearty breakfast on Sundays, but this was more like lunch after a rather hectic morning.


SP bought some cheese with chunks of black truffle a few weeks ago. We didn't want the last little bit to go to waste so I shredded it and scrambled it with some eggs. I also cooked up some bacon and shredded potatoes cooked until they were crispy hash browns.

Speaking of truffles, a few years ago we went to a truffle brunch at a local restaurant. At the time we couldn't taste any of the earthiness of the truffles and just assumed we were in the lucky minority for whom the essence of truffles is lost. Then we tried this cheese and now we get it. The flavor was incredible. Yum! I don't know if our palates changed or if the truffle brunch was just lacking in flavor. Either way, we are now converts.

Chicken Tikka Masala

We've always loved this recipe for chicken tikka masala, but after making it on Thursday I'm wondering if I had ever marinated it overnight before. I must have done something different this time because the flavor was even better then I remembered.


The chicken marinates overnight in a yogurt and spice mixture and then you're supposed to grill it, but I never seem to make this during the warm months when grilling is easier. And I still haven't replaced my grill pan after the finish came off the last one, so I just cooked the chicken in a pan over very high heat. I had a minor mishap when I tried to make the sauce in the same pan and the yogurt mixture drippings started burning, but I just switched pans and everything was fine. Once again I served this over basmati rice (perfectly fluffy and tender) and it was a fantastic meal. I think I might leave in some more ribs and seeds from the jalapeno next time since the heat is a little tame for our tastes.

Pasta with Marinara Sauce

On Wednesday I had planned to make chicken tikka masala for dinner, but when I got home and read the recipe I realized I needed to marinate the chicken overnight. Whoops! We didn't have much in the house but we always have pasta and canned tomatoes, so I decided to just make pasta and marinara sauce for dinner:


It's a simple, easy meal that comes together in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

I Love You This Much Award

My friend Colleen over at Cooking This and That recently gave me the I Love You This Much Award. Thank you SO much! I'm so glad that I was able to encourage your blogging in the early days. You rock!


I'm not going to pass this along to specific people this time since I always have such a hard time choosing from all my fantastic blogging friends and I don't want to leave anyone out. Instead I encourage you to check out my blogroll on the righthand side of this page and visit the amazing blogs found there.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Sausage, Onions and Peas

I have a lot of hot Italian sausage in the freezer and no real idea of what to do with it so I looked back through my blog for inspiration. I found this post for Linguine with Sausage, Onions and Peas and decided that sounded like a good plan for dinner last night:


I got home late last night so this ended up being a great meal choice since it took almost no time at all to cook. I'd already cut the onion a few weeks ago when I made the caramelized onion orzo, so I didn't even have to chop anything. While the pasta water came to a boil I cooked the sausage and onions, then added cream and chicken stock, simmered that until it thickened, added about a cup of peas and the pasta and tossed to combine. I love easy meals like this.

Salisbury Steak, Smashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach

This Rachael Ray TV Dinner (aka Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy, Smashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach) is one of our favorite comfort food meals in the cold months. Since I still have a ton of ground beef in the freezer I made this for dinner on Monday:


Everything was fantastic, as always, but the smashed potatoes really made the meal. They were so good I could have eaten a big bowl of them and called it a day. I used red potatoes and left the skins on for flavor, color and texture (and some much-needed vitamins). I also added about five cloves of smashed garlic to the pot as the potatoes were cooking. Once the potatoes were cooked and drained I added the rest of the blue and mascarpone cheeses I had leftover from the caramelized onion and blue cheese orzo I made a few weeks ago, three finely minced scallions, a little salt and pepper and maybe a tablespoon of butter. I mashed everything together and took a taste. Holy cow! These were the best smashed potatoes I've ever made. The tang from the blue cheese, the creaminess of the mascarpone, the mild garlic and onion flavor all worked in perfect harmony. Insanely good.

Mini Thanksgiving Dinner

Just look at this gorgeous plate:


No, it's not the fourth Thursday in November, but this is a Thanksgiving meal. Our friends C & D came over for a pre-Thanksgiving meal to get us ready for the big day in a few weeks. We split the menu so neither of us was cooking the whole meal. D made the turkey:


...which he carved before bringing it over to make reheating it easier. He told us he rubbed the turkey with a bunch of seasonings and then cooked it at high heat to seal in the juices and brown the skin and then finished it low and slow to keep it moist, basting it with apple cider along the way. It was sensational - moist, tender and very flavorful. He also made the stuffing:


... and the gravy:


I was in charge of sides, including a fresh take on green bean casserole:


... where everything was fresh instead of canned. Green bean casserole isn't a staple on our holiday table, but I've been interested in trying a fresh version and this didn't disappoint. Even D, who isn't a fan of green bean casserole, had two huge helpings. I also did mashed potatoes:


... roasted sweet potatoes:


... two kinds of cranberry sauce (jellied and jellied with whole fruit):


... and SP's famous biscuits:


I actually made this batch of biscuits since SP had been cleaning the house all day and didn't want to get any chemical residue in the dough. He walked me through each step and the biscuits were really good, with a nice tang from the buttermilk. C & D were also in charge of dessert, and C made a double chocolate cake:


She even made chocolate leaves to go on top of the cake. It was decadent and very good. After all this food we needed a long walk around the neighborhood. I think we're all sufficiently ready for Turkey Day on the 27th.

Deep-Dish Pizza

SP loved the Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza I made on Tuesday so much that he asked me to make it again on Friday. I used the rest of the pepperoni and some sliced black olives:


Once again, the crust was crispy and golden-brown, with just a hint of chewiness.


I think I've spoiled SP - he asked me to make pizza like this for the foreseeable future.


I have to admit, it's a lot easier then the regular pizza I used to make. Less rolling, no preheating the pizza stone and then maneuvering the topped pizza onto the blazing hot stone and less mess. And the pizzas are perfect every time.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken, Crash Hot Potatoes and Broccoli

The last time I made the Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken and Crash Hot Potatoes the chicken wasn't very crispy. This time I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and the results were much better:


I marinated the chicken overnight in the yogurt mixture made with lemon juice and zest, fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic. The chicken really soaked up the flavors and I was able to use less yogurt in the final step, which helped keep the coating crispy:


Unfortunately I ran out of panko, so there wasn't enough coating, but it was still good. Next time I'll have more panko on hand. The potatoes were also fantastic, as always:


Nice and crispy, with great flavor from the rosemary, thyme and scallions. I served the meal with simple steamed broccoli.

Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme

As regular readers know, SP is a huge fan of mushrooms. The latest issue of Everyday Food had a recipe for Pasta with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme, so I decided to make it for dinner on Wednesday.


When a recipe calls for mixed mushrooms I usually cheap out and use only regular white mushrooms, but this time I thought we should go all out, especially since the recipe said the dried porcini added a very important, complex flavor. It was definitely worth it - the shitake, white button mushrooms and porcini all came together to make a fantastic, earthy sauce. SP loved it, of course, so I'll definitely be making this one again.

Deep-Dish Pepperoni Pizza

Today is Election Day in the United States. SP and I love staying up late to watch the returns (probably a hold-over from our days as reporters), so we wanted a fun meal for dinner. I recently saw an episode of ATK where they made deep-dish pizza in pie pans that I'd been meaning to try.


This was a really easy meal to make. I buy my own dough (which was probably the reason the pizza wasn't very deep) but it really cut down the prep time. Microwaving the pepperoni first was a huge plus - there was hardly any grease on the pizza. And the oil in the pan gave the crust a fantastic, crispy crust.


Next time I make these I'm going to try mushroom, per SP's request. We devoured a whole pan and could have kept eating.



Deep Dish Pepperoni Pan Pizza
America's Test Kitchen

Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups pizza sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 2 tablespoons oil.

Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Roll and shape each ball into 9-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot until puffy, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

While dough rises, put half the pepperoni in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate lined with 3 paper towels. Cover with 3 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges.

Cashew Chicken

Another recipe for Cashew Chicken, this one from the latest issue of Cook's Country:


Even though I've never made anything I'm anxious to make again, I keep trying Chinese/Asian meals. Nothing I make really wows me. Don't get me wrong, this was a good, solid meal, but the flavors just weren't quite what I was looking for. I liked the sauce and the chicken was a gorgeous color from the marinade, but it was still missing something.


SP told me there is just no way I'm going to get the flavor I'm looking for without the MSG, but I want to keep trying. Call me crazy, but this is now a goal of mine.

Cashew Chicken
December/January 2009 Cook's Country

Marinade and Sauce
1/2 cup mirin (I used a combo of rice wine and rice vinegar)
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces snow peas, stems and strings removed, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup cashews, half chopped, half left whole

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the cashews on a baking sheet until golden brown, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Whisk 3 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Whisk broth, Worcestershire, remaining mirim, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch in a separate bowl.

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Brown half the chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining chicken.

If necessary, add more oil to the skillet or wok and add the snow peas. Cook, stirring constantly, until bright green. Add ginger, garlic and pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Add the water chestnuts and broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to the pan along with any juices and heat through. Off heat stir in the cashews. Serve over rice.

Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

On Halloween night I wanted a meal that would be easy to eat while we handed out candy to all the trick-or-treaters. I've wanted to try another crockpot recipe, and when I found this one for pulled pork sandwiches I knew it would be just the thing.


I rubbed the roast with the spice mixture on Thursday and let it sit overnight. On Friday morning I put it in the crockpot. When I got home the house smelled fantastic (even our neighbors said it smelled great in our yard) and all I had to do was shred the pork and make them into sandwiches with some coleslaw.


Next time I'll use more barbecue sauce as these were a little dry. But the flavor was great and it made so much pulled pork that we had sandwiches for dinner Friday and lunch today and two pounds in the freezer for later.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 2 cups barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Spicy Tequila Chicken with Garlic and Lime, Roasted Potatoes and Salad with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

Another Mary Ellen recipe, this one for a spicy chicken dish in a tequila, garlic and lime sauce:


I wasn't in the mood for pasta, so I made this with roasted potatoes. The sauce was fantastic, but unfortunately it really needed pasta to soak it up. The potatoes probably would have been good, except that the rest of the meal was taking a long time to come together and I forgot about them in the oven. They were more like potato chips. I had a lot of tomatoes from my final harvest that needed to be used up, so I decided to try a roasted tomato salad dressing I'd seen Rachael Ray make a few times. It wasn't impressed - it was a little too sweet because of the balsamic vinegar, which also masked the flavor of the tomatoes:


I'd definitely make the chicken again, but I'd serve it over pasta instead.

Thin Crust Pizza

There's a gourmet thin crust pizza place near us that serves a great slice of pizza. It was a rough week, so by Thursday we wanted something easy for dinner. SP stopped off at the pizza place on the way home and got a few of our favorites and some new ones to try.


One of our favorites is the pepperoni and sausage:


We also love the mushroom and basil:


One of the new ones was a Thai chicken with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanut sauce:


He also got one with caramelized onions, edamame and ricotta cheese: