Easy Basil Pesto

This picture looks like baby poop, but it smells and tastes delicious.

Did you know that in northwest New Mexico, the Native American's harvest pine nuts off the Pinyon Pine tree?  In fact, this harvest is protected by treaties made long ago with our government.
One of my most delicious cherished childhood memories is harvesting Pinyon Pine nuts with my uncle who is Native American.  He took a group of his offspring and myself up to the mountains, to the reservation were he was born and his family still lived.
There, we shimmied through fences marking tribes land.  The sharp smell of pine hung in the mountain air.  The pine needles were thick under our feet.
At about six, I stood out like a sore thumb.  I had the vague feeling that myself and my blond-haired blue-eyed cousin (she was from my aunt's first marriage) were viewed with suspicion.  I also had the feeling we really weren't supposed to be on the pinyon picking grounds, being about as white as ivory soap, but as my uncle didn't seem to care, then we didn't care either.
I can't remember HOW we got the pine cones off the trees.  I seem to remember some shaking of the tree.  I do remember picking them up from the ground and placing them in scratchy burlap bags.  We gathered them and then put them in my uncle's big red shiny truck.
We took them back to his parent's house, back on the reservation.  There we roasted them in the oven, and tried to get all the sticky sap off our hands.  I remember eating and eating those delicious nuts, the warm smells of roasting pine, the homeyness of the adobe house, and the kind people.  The people who welcomed a brown haired, skinny, scraggly looking gringo kid into their life.  At least for a moment.
My uncle's family was most amused that I ate the pine nuts without shelling them.  They were such little nuts, and the shells hard for my small hands to get off, that I just didn't bother.  I'm sure I got more than my share of fiber.
 In all, I probably ate $100's of dollars of product.  But no one seemed to mind.  I'm not even sure if they sold them for profit or just collected them for their own personal use.  It seemed to be a party of sorts, with everyone enjoying the fruits of our labors.  My uncle told me that Pinyon trees don't fruit every year.  In fact wikipedia states:

"The pinyon pine nut (seed) species will take 18 months to complete its maturity; however, to reach full maturity, the environmental conditions must be favorable for the tree and its cone.
Development begins in early spring with pollination. A tiny cone, about the size of a small marble, will form from mid-spring to the end of summer; the premature cone will then become and remain dormant (with a cessation of growth) until the following spring. The cone will then commence growth until it reaches maturity near the end of summer.^[6] The mature pinyon pine cone is ready to harvest ten days before the green cone begins to open. A cone is harvested by placing it in a burlap bag and exposing it to a heat source such as the sun to begin the drying process. It takes about 20 days until the cone fully opens. Once it is fully open and dry, the seed can be easily extracted in various ways. The most common and practical extracting method used is the repeated striking of the burlap bag containing the cone(s) against a rough surface to cause the cone(s) to shatter, leaving just the job of separating by hand the seed from the residue within the bag.
Another option for harvesting is to wait until the cone opens on the tree (as it naturally will) and harvest the cone from the pinyon pine, followed by the extracting process mentioned above. Fallen seed can also be gathered beneath the trees.^[7] "

Pine nuts retail in today's market for between $15-$20 a lb. A little pricey for the typical home cook.  But pine nuts have been used as a food source for thousands of years.  They grow in Europe, Asia, and the United States. 

One of my favoriate things to do with pine nuts is to make a good basil pesto.  It's great homemade, but at that price.  I'm usually stuck buying those little jars of basil pesto.  Still a little expensive, but managable if you catch them on sale and stock up.

So after I've spent all that time talking about pine nuts and my love for them, I've never actually purchased them.  In fact, here in the Midwest they are pretty hard to find in the grocery store.  I'm going to shock you and tell you how I discovered you can make a great pesto at home without cracking open the safe or spending $30 in gas zipping around the city looking for a store that sells pine nuts.

I found a recepie from the web site, Half Hour Meals (http://www.halfhourmeals.com/recipe/basil-pesto) for an easy basil pesto and thought I would give it a try.  The secrete ingreatient?  Walnuts.  Much more readily found and hence much less expensive. They are about half the price of pine nuts.

Easy Basil Pesto

2-3 fresh garlic cloves
1/4 cup Walnuts
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese; grated
to taste Salt And Pepper

 In a blender or food processor add 2-3 fresh garlic
cloves and 1/4 cup walnuts and whirl till coarsely chopped. Measure 4 cups of fresh basil leaves - lightly packed. Rinse, pat dry and toss into blender with 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil - blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Either blend in or whirl in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Store in an air tight container.  Can be frozen in induivual portions.

In my next post, I will post my favorite weeknight meal that uses pesto as the sauce that ties it all together!

Creamy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I bet when you think of Macaroni & Cheese, you think of a bright blue box with yellow.  Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was invented in 1937, in an attempt to create an easy dinner during war rationing.

Many of recipes I've tried for Macaroni & Cheese have been less than successful.  They tend to turn out bland, clumpy, dry, or otherwise unappetizing.  

My kids, who moan and groan about any type of homemade dish in general were not impressed.  "Mom!"  They whined, "We want Kraft!"

And while I admit that Kraft has it's place, sometimes you want something a little more refined.

So basically, I've cobbled together several different parts of recipes to come up with this.  It's like Frankenstein Mac & Cheese, without the green hue.

Creamy Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb Macaroni Noodles
8 oz of Sharp Cheddar shredded
approx 3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

For topping
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon butter

In a large pan, cook macaroni noodles to al dente
In a large sauce pan at low heat, melt butter, then add flour while whisking continuously.  This creates a roux.
Then add milk slowly while whisking, you are trying for a creamy and smooth sauce.  Make sure it is not overly thick.  You may need more or less milk depending.
Once sauce has reached the desired consistency, you can add the shredded cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted on low heat.

Then add the spices, stirring in with whisk.
Your noodles should be about done,  drain off noddles in strainer.
Put noodles a 9x13 baking dish..  A round casserole dish with high sides also works very well.
Pour cream sauce over the top, then stir to incorporate.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter, then toss with breadcrumbs.  Spread over the top of your casserole.
Bake under your broiler for a few minutes until breadcrumbs are nicely browned.

Enjoy, just don't be surprised if your kids come back for seconds!

Chicken Fried Rice

Do you remember the first time you went to a Chinese restaurant?  The exotic sounding dishes, the crispiness of the crab Rangoon and egg roll, the sweet fun of a fortune cookie?
As an unadventurous kid, I would only order white rice.  The waitress would shake her head, because I would usually order TWO orders.  "Are you sure you don't want some nice chicken?"  She would say.
By the time I was in my twenties, I had found that I loved many other dishes, including fried rice.  Unfortunately, every time I tried to make it, it turned into an unappetizing, slimy, burnt mess.
Just the other day I tried to make it for my daughter.  She declared that it was yucky.  Then we had to order takeout.
I was thinking about the problem, and I realized that the problem was the eggs.  When I first stir fried the veggies, I tried cooking the egg and veggies together.  It would always come out just wrong. After I cooked the eggs and veggies separately, I found the problem was solved!  Plus this is a really easy weeknight dish, especially if you have some left over chicken.

Fried Rice
1 carrot, sliced
1 rib celery sliced
1/2 onion sliced
1 half green or red pepper, sliced.
1 can water chestnuts
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen green beans
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 chicken breast, cooked and diced
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoon veg. oil
2 cups cooked white rice.

1.  Cook the two cups white rice
2.  In large skillet or wok, stir fry the vegetables in a tablespoon of oil.  At the end of cooking, add the ginger and soy sauce.  Remove veggies from pan.
3.  Clean skillet or use a clean pan.  Beat the eggs and milk together.  Cook in pan like scrambled eggs in about 1 tablespoon oil.

In large bowl, add white rice, stir fry veggies, chicken and a little more soy sauce.  Add cooked eggs on top.  Lightly fold mixture to combine.
If you are feeling adventurous, serve with chopsticks.

Overnight Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls

We had a wonderful holiday this year with family and friends.
This year, our cousin Paul hosted the dinner at his house for the first time.  It was a wonderful treat to sit down and let others worry about the fine details.  I brought 3 dozen of these delicious honey yeast rolls to the event.  They were a pretty big hit.  I made up the batch on Christmas Eve, while my elves upstairs were busy wrapping.  Leaving the dough in the fridge overnight in a really big, greased bowl allowed the proofing to retard.  The next morning, I took the bowl out of the fridge, punched it down, and let the dough warm up on the counter.  I formed into golf ball shapes and then baked.  I threw them all in a big brown grocery bag, rolled down and stapled the top, and they were still warm when served.

This recipe has made it's way through food bloggers,  just because it is that good.  I found mine from:  http://penniesonaplatter.com.  I adapted it slightly.

Honey yeast rolls

1 (1/4 oz) package fast rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast)
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups all purpose flour
cooking spray or oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed on one side with Pam.  Place on the top shelf or "warmest" part of your fridge.  Basically, just don't put it right by the part were the cold air comes out.  This is called retarded proofing.

The next morning, take bowl out of fridge.  Punch down.  Place bowl and dough ball in a warm spot.  Let rise and warm for about an hour.  Then form dough into about 12-14 balls.

I placed mine on a greased cookie sheet as all my cake pans were in commission for Christmas use, but others place these in a 9 inch cake or pie pan.

Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Mix together the melted butter and honey.  Five minutes into baking, brush the butter/honey mixture on top of rolls.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

The children especially loved these and they are sweet.  They made a nice addition to the ham that was the main attraction to dinner.

I hope you found something good to eat this Holiday!

Indiana Chili

My nomadic youth has molded me in strange ways.  A child of Michigan, I spent many of my childhood years on AND in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico.  Moving back to Indiana in my teenage years, I spent high school in small town America.  It gives you a different perspective on life, one that I don't regret.
I grew up on the meanest New Mexican Red Chili (or green if you are feeling like even more heat) wet burritos one could image.  I also am familiar with Hoosier fare; meatloaf, corn on the cob, and pork tenderloin sandwiches as big as your head.  There is more than corn in Indiana, but really not that much more!
Once we moved back to Indiana, and New Mexican chili's were not so readily available, we made what my family referred to as Indiana Chili.  It is basically just your standard Chili Con Carne with a few extra special ingredients.
When I was a kid, my Aunt and Uncle that still live out west would ship us a healthy supply of New Mexican chili.  Now it is pretty much found in almost every Mexican food aisle in the Midwest.  New Mexican chili has a darker, deeper color and richness that simple chili powder is missing.  It is also hotter, and a little bit goes a long way.  Not as hot as Cayenne, but definitely a few notches up from bland old chili powder.

For those of you who don't know: 

"The New Mexico green chile is a local cultivar of the species, or subspecies otherwise represented as Anaheim peppers. The large, flavorful New Mexican variety gives the region's cuisine much of its distinctive style, and used so extensively that it is known simply as "chile".
Green chiles are those that are picked unripe; they are fire-roasted, then peeled before further use. Unlike the ultra-mild canned supermarket green chiles, New Mexico green chiles can range from mild to (occasionally) hotter than jalapenos, and come in grades of spiciness at markets that cater to chile aficionados. The climate of New Mexico tends to increase the capsaicin levels in the chile compared to other areas. Red chiles are the ripe form of the same plant (though particular strains are bred for intended use as red or green chile). Generally more piquant than green chiles, they too can be roasted, but are usually dried; they can be added whole, to spice an entire stew, or more often are ground into powder or sometimes flakes. Freshly dried red chiles are sold in string-bound bundles called ristras, which are a common decorative sight on porches and in homes and businesses throughout the Southwest. Chiles may be referred to as chile peppers, especially if the sentence requires them to be distinguished from the chile sauce made out of them.
The bulk of, and allegedly the best of, New Mexico chiles are grown in and around Hatch, in southern New Mexico. Chimayo in northern New Mexico is also well known for its chile peppers."  (Taken from the New Mexico state web site)
I think what makes this recipe my favorite is that it is a nice balance of hot and mild.  It's good enough to serve to a church full of Hoosier Methodist's without to much complaining about the heat, and different enough that people notice something a little unusual is going on inside the pot.

Indiana Chili

1 lb ground hamburger 80% lean
1 large can brooks chili beans mild
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste and 3 of same tomato paste cans of water
1 small 4 oz can Ortega fire roasted green chili
1 can light red kidney beans
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon New Mexico chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon dried sweet basil
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Brown hamburger and onions, drain off fat.  Add New Mexico chili power, cumin, basil, salt and pepper , stir for about a minute.  Then add all other ingredients.  Simmer gently on the stove for about 20-30 minutes.  stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom. Serve topped with corn chips, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar.

So after writing this, I've decided that at some point I will have to post my Mom's red chili sauce recipe, and maybe a Sopapilla recipe.  It would be a shame if my Hoosier friends where never introduced to some of the best of New Mexican cooking.

My Son's Favorite Dinner

My son's favorite food is Betty Crocker Roasted Garlic Instant Mashed Potatoes.  It pains me greatly.  Even if I make delicious home made mashed potatoes he turns them down in favor of my boxed nemesis. 
I feel like I'm to blame.  I used work full time for an evil empire, and it was all I could do to get dinner on the table.  A good dinner was chicken breast, reheated frozen veg, and the aforementioned instant potatoes.
They actually aren't that bad, they just aren't that great.  For an instant potato, they actually do a pretty good job of actually tasting like the vegetable they are supposed to be.  And the garlic flavor hides the "fake"  taste I've noticed with other instant products.
I have Mom guilt.  I should have been feeling him all natural organic alfalfa and tofu burgers.  I should have molded his palate.  I should have made him eat everything on his plate.  I should have refused him any other foods except Brussel sprouts and flax.  It's all my fault.
I actually spent thousands of dollars on feeding therapy for my son.  It helped a little.  He will now eat pizza without any toppings whatsoever.  No cheese, no pepperoni, just sauce.  And it also created World War III at dinner time. So the results have been mixed at best.  You would think that for that kind of money I could get him to eat like a true epicurean.
On the other hand, my daughter is my adventurous eater.  She will eat just about anything you put in front of her.  Curry, no problem.  Thai, the hotter the better.  Mexican, bring it on.  Broccoli, spinach, and other weird things you would think a kid wouldn't like.  The one thing she doesn't like?  Instant Potatoes.
The weird thing is, I don't think I've done anything at all different with her.  In fact, I worked more when she was born.  We had more frozen pizza and takeout nights.  We had more Mac and Cheese.  So I really don't know why they have such different tastes.  Maybe we can boil it down to personality.  Maybe some kids are just born with more adventurous mouths than others.  Yeah, that's my argument and I'm sticking to it.
The grocery near my house has instant potatoes on sale for .89 cents.  Time to stock up.

Shepherd's Pie

If you want to get wasted quicker than you can say "Bob's your Uncle," go on a pub crawl with a British expat.  If  you want to have  a great dinner, accept the invitation.  One of my British friends, transplanted to Indianapolis IN from Nottingham, gave me this recipe.  My other British friend got me hooked on Yorkshire pudding with a beef roast and gravy.

This great recipe came from a Jamie Oliver cookbook. I'm not sure which one, as Jamie Oliver is not a chef who typically graces my bookshelf.  After having this at Claire's house, we put our heads together and converted the metric measurements to cups.  Which is a little hard to do, but there are good on-line conversion calculators like this :  http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm

Funny British cooking vocabulary

Knob of butter - About two tablespoons of butter in American Speak
Marrow - A squash
Biscuits - Cookies
Bin - Trash can

Shepherds Pie
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Large Onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Hamburger
3 carrots, diced
1 cup mushrooms
2 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
1/2 half cup red wine ( I use any Cabernet Sauvignon)
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese for the topping.
about 4 cups mashed prepared mashed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat the olive oil and saute onions and garlic until golden.  Add the hamburger meat to the pan and cook until browned.   Add carrots and mushrooms and cook for about five minutes.  Add the tomato paste.

Pour the stock and red wine over the browned beef, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the thyme and Worcestershire sauce.  Gently simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the meat is cook and the mixture has thickened.  Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish.  I sometimes get a little crazy and add frozen green beans, or peas, or corn.  It's a very forgiving recipe.

Cover with your mashed potatoes.  I'm not actually going to tell you how to make mashed potatoes because I figure we are all grown ups here.  If you don't know how to make any form of mashed potatoes at this point, you may be beyond my help.  If you really don't now how to make mashed potatoes, then by all  means top this with some of those pre-made mashed potatoes that come in tub.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.  In the picture above, I used cheddar because I was sadly out of Parm.

Let sit for a few minutes to rest, and then TUCK IN!  Enjoy!  And don't forget to finish off the rest of the bottle of red wine!

Heart Attack Hash Brown Casserole

I have a secret to revel.  I have aversion to office potlucks.  I loathe them.

Usually, your co-workers will propose one for a holiday or someone's birthday.  If your lucky, a few people in your office will actually know how to cook and own a pan.  If you are unlucky, well, don't be surprised when the entire potluck table contains bags of chips and boxed cookies.

Sometimes, a theme will be proposed.  It will usually be Mexican food, because it's easy and cheap to make.  If you are lucky, you will have someone of Hispanic origin who might bring in something delicious like tamales or home made empanada's .  If you are unlucky, you will have 4 bags of stale tortilla chips, guacamole, and three tubs of salsa.

If you are lucky, a fabulous and generous co-worker will bring something simple yet delicious in a crock pot.  If you are unlucky, the cat lady brings in a casserole of Kraft Mac and Cheese with 10 different shades of cat hair added to the mix.  

Which brings me to the hygiene point.   Look around your office.  The person next to you with the dirt under their nails, messy desk, and bad personal hygiene is going to cook something they might actually want you to at least try.    Try not to think about what their kitchen looks like while you are choking down that mayo based dip that has been sitting out for several hours unrefrigerated.

Another secret to share.  Since I don't work in an office anymore I think I'm safe to share this.  I have been known to take a plate of food from the potluck, eat a couple of items that look delicious and are from people I trust at work, and then throw the rest in my garbage bin discretely.  It's important that you put a few crumbled up pieces of paper over said plate so you are not caught throwing out prized goulash or rock hard brownies. Basically, work potlucks are a pot shot at best.

I chalk up most of this to my germ aversion.   I have an over active imagination, so I just have visions of the people I work with actually cooking and it puts me off my feed.

Another thing, never drink the coffee at work if you have not sat there and watched it brew.  Especially if it has an open top .  You never know what sick twisted jerk you work with might add something a little extra to the brew.   I see news stories everyday about someone peeing in the coffee or, god forbid, adding poison. You don't want to become collateral damage.

This is a favorite culled from the web:

"On April 27, 2003, sixteen members of the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church in New Sweden, Maine, became ill following the church coffee hour; one man, died a short time later. It was found that the coffee had been heavily laced with arsenic, setting off a flurry of local gossip and hysteria and worldwide media coverage. As of the 2005 publication of journalist Christine Ellen Young's book, A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power and Poison in a Small New England Town, no one had been charged with the crime, but Young's book revealed that lifelong church member Daniel Bondeson, who shot himself at his family farm five days after the poisoning, left a note confessing sole responsibility for the crime. Bondeson died while undergoing surgery, leaving Maine State Police and many church members convinced someone had helped Bondeson. Young's book rejected the conspiracy theory, citing evidence that the well-liked Bondeson had a dark side, harboring bitter grudges and battling emotional problems. In 2006, the Maine Attorney General agreed that Bondeson had acted alone and closed the case."

I personally had a coworker who bragged to me that many years ago, they had peed in the coffee.  I guess if you trust your coworkers, by all means drink the coffee and eat ALL the potluck food. 

Years ago, a coworker who was an excellent cook and had good personal hygiene habits (who wasn't crazy in the least) gave me this recipe for a delicious breakfast sausage and hash brown casserole.  We jokingly call it "Heart Attack Casserole" because the ingredients are a little on the fatty side.  If you eat this every day, you really would pack on the pounds and maybe drop dead of a heart attack, so don't eat this every day.  I actually used to make this at least once a month, but then I decided that we should reserve this for special occasions.  You can actually swap out the ingredients for low fat versions, but then it's not quite the same.

 I make this a lot for potlucks.  It always is a big hit.  I promise I wash my hands and never add any "special" ingredients!

Hash brown Heart Attack Casserole

1 roll Jimmy Dean Sausage Hot
1 white onion
1 carton sour cream
2 cups (1 bag) shredded sharp cheese
1 bag frozen hash browns shredded style
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cups crushed corn flakes
4 TBL butter

Brown sausage and onions in pan, then drain off extra oil.  Get out your biggest mixing bowl, and then mix sausage, onion, sour cream, hash browns, cheese and mushroom soup until thoroughly combined.  Spread in a large Pyrex baking dish.  Then melt butter and mix with crushed cornflakes.  Spread corn flake mixture over the top of casserole and bake in preheated over at 350 for 1 hour.  This can be made up the day before, kept in the fridge, and then baked the next day.

Best Biscuits

When I was younger,  biscuits came from a can.  Or Bisquick if you were feeling fancy.
Here is a recipe for warm, flaky, buttery, bread deliciousness.  Serve this with jam, honey, or some fantastic sausage gravy.  I guarantee  you will wish you had made two batches.

1 stick butter, chilled or frozen
2 tablespoon melted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

A lot of recipes call for cutting in shortening.  Instead, grate the stick of butter into the flour using a box grater.  Then using your fingers,  mix the butter and flour until you get a course mixture.  Then add the rest of the ingredients.

You don't need to knead this dough.  Instead, form into a rough rectangle.  Then using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 12 squares.    Move the rectangle, still loosely together onto a baking sheet.  Brush tops with 2 tablespoon melted butter.  Bake in a preheated oven at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

In Search of . . . . Perfect Pepperoni Pizza

It's Friday night at the Miller house, and Friday night means pizza and movies.   For a while now, I've been searching for the best pizza recipe.   It's get's a little tricky in my house, because my son doesn't like toppings, my husband is a crust and sausage guy, and I'm not fond of sausage.  My daughter will pretty much eat any pizza with cheese on it.


Since Leonard Nimoy never did a "In Search of Pepperoni Pizza" episode, complete with cheesy mystical music and deadpan narration, it was up to me to save my family from blah homemade pizza.  And by the way, if you are looking for a great movie to go with said pizza, you can still find those old In Search of Episodes on You Tube.  Here is a link to my all time favorite one here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqyH8ueCAsY

Pepperoni Pan Pan

Sauce:  (this will make enough for four pizzas)
1 can crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic minced
Fresh basil minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon olive oil


Saute garlic and red pepper in olive oil.  Add other ingredients and simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring frequently


Dough:
Makes two pizzas
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package instant yeast
1 cup milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon honey

Warm milk slightly, add salt, olive oil, honey in yeast to mix.

Add dry ingredients in mixer bowl, with dough hook.  On low, add milk mixture.  Kneed for five minutes.  Dough should be slightly sticky, but able to form and hold a ball. Let rest in warm oven, in greased bowl for 30 minutes.

Use two 9 inch cake pans.  Add 2 Tablespoons oil to bottom of pan.  Roll out dough in circle to fit in pan.
Add 1 cup sauce to top, cheese, and toppings of your choice such as sausage, pepperoni, or veggies and bake at 400 on bottom rack for 20 minutes.

Easy Holiday Fudge

I'm addicted to chocolate.  Snickers, Hershey's, anything with a raspberry cream center.  So I decided to make some fudge to satisfy my holiday sweet tooth.  Also because I'm broke and I need a quick, easy, and appreciated holiday present.  I mean, really, who wants more candles or soap anyway?  Everyone likes chocolate!
 
Sadly, I've never made fudge.  I was looking for a recipe that wasn't too fussy, too sweet, too grainy, too flavored.  I wanted it to be easy to make, and hard to resist.

This week, I've taken the time to fiddle around with some different types.  I noticed that fudge can start out several different ways.  Some recipes use milk, some condensed milk, others use evaporated milk.  Some called for a candy thermometer, others called for only the microwave.

I think I've found the perfect easy holiday fudge recipe.  It's versatile enough to use with many different flavorings.  It's easy enough to make every day if you want!  I would recommend using a double boiler set up for this recipe, although I'm sure you could also do it in the microwave if you so desired.  My double broiler is simply a small sauce pan with a metal mixing bowl on top.  If you have a "fancy" real double boiler, by all means pull that bad boy out.

EASY HOLIDAY FUDGE

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 bag or 6 oz white chocolate chips
2 Tablespoon butter (do NOT use margarine, the water content may mess up the recipe)
1 teaspoon flavoring extract (Suggestions - Mint, Raspberry, Almond, Rum, Vanilla)
1 cup nuts (optional)


Melt all ingredients in double boiler while stirring constantly until chocolate starts to lose it gloss.  Once well mixed, take off heat and mix in nuts if desired.

Pour into a bread pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Leave the ends hanging out to assist with removal.
Put pan in fridge until cold and set.  Pull out fudge in a block with ends of wrap, then cut fudge into bite sized pieces.

Wrap in aluminum foil, wrap with a pretty piece of ribbon and bow, and viola!  Instant present.

Black Bean and Rice . . . Burgers??

I've always had Vegetarian leanings.  It wasn't until much later in life that I accepted that meat could actually taste delicious.  Of course, I do have a long standing affair with bacon, but that is another story.
Now, they have this nifty word for describing people such as me - Flexatarian!
If you don't know what that is, don't worry.  Neither does anyone else.  Ask.com defines it as:
 Flexitarians are omnivores who predominantly eat a plant based diet but also eat animal meat occasionally ^[9]. (In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian as the year's most useful word and defined it as "a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.")^[10].

Let's just say that yes, I do like beans, alfalfa sprouts, and various legumes.  Which drives my husband batty to no end three to four times a week when I do a "meatless" dish.  My argument is, "Hey, I do the cooking around here.  If you don't like it, there is the fridge."

If I do cook meat for dinner, I usually do it in a way that I leave most of the meat out for me.  I've become really good at this.  Stir fry is a really good way to accomplish this.  Also I do a lot of vegetarian soups, although again I get grumbling from the husband who contends that soup is never a main course.

So, this summer I decided to explore the world of black bean burgers.  Since they are frozen anyway, they are super easy to throw on the grill.  I promise you, these taste better than anything that comes in a green box, and are super cheap to make.  My husband even thought they were good, although he only ate them because I didn't feel the need to cook him a hamburger at the time ; )

BLACK BEAN BURGERS:
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion finely chopped
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 small can green roasted chili
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Generous salt and pepper to taste

Process everything in food processor, then add:
2 eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs

Mix this all in a large bowl.  Form into about 1 inch thick patties.  Lay patties on parchment paper flat and freeze solid before using.

When ready to use, you can just trow these on the grill or fry in a skillet in very hot oil until crisp and brown on both sides.

I love these on a wrap, pita bread, or tortillas.  You can also serve them more traditionally on a toasted hamburger bun.  I love to dress with onions, lettuce, and a drizzle of chipotle mayo or just plan old BBQ sauce  (Sweet Baby Ray's is the only BBQ sauce allowed in our house).  Cheddar cheese also tastes yummy.

I remember the first time I had these I thought, "The only thing that would make these taste any better would be some bacon!" 

Dohhhhhhhhh

Tandoori Chicken

After a recent trip to the library, I've been reading Ted Allen's book, "The Food You Want to Eat."  What I like about this book is that it's simple, delicious food that you can make at home.  It really doesn't take any fancy gadgets or gizmo's to make this food.  He covers everything from fried chicken, pasta, and deserts.  I also really like how he gives suggestions for good wine pairings.
 His recipe for Tandoori(ish) Chicken (page 122) looked really good.  I decided to give it a whirl with some slight modifications.
He recommends doing this on the grill.  As it was currently snowing, I decided to try this on the broiler.  I know, the true grill-masters don't let a little cold weather stop them from getting out the charcoal, but I'm a wimp.
I had all the ingredients on hand.  The only thing slightly usual is the turmeric and cardamom, but both are easily found at your regular grocery store.


for the marinade:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, quartered
3 medium garlic cloves
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom

1 1/2 to 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree.  Pour out into a glass baking dish.  Add the chicken and stir to coat.  Add the floor and stir to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

I cooked this under the broiler, for 10-20 minutes for until browned and cooked through, turning once.

All I can say about this recipe is that it was delicious.  The yogurt kept the chicken moist, much like buttermilk in a fried chicken recipe.  The exotic spices and cayenne gave it a bit of a kick.  This paired well, of course, with white rice.   (I mean, what doesn't go well with white rice?).  If you are feeling a little bit naughty, spring for the basmati rice.  If you have never tried it, do!  It has a nice mild sweet flavor and aroma that will really make your curry dish sing.

While we are on the subject of chicken, I just remembered that when I was about five, I lived out west, in a somewhat rural area.  Our neighbors kept chickens.  Every day, I looked at the flock as I was walking home from school.  I remember thinking it was funny how the chickens squawked and pecked at the ground.  One fine fall day, as I was walking down our lane from the bus stop, I witnessed my neighbor cutting the head off one of his chickens with an ax.  I think this permanently scarred me.  I remember flapping feathers, blood, and much running about from the now headless chicken.  I had home sobbing unconscionably.  My mom had to explain the whole circle of life animal thing.  In retrospect, I don't think I ate chicken for a very long time after that.


But eat this, you will be glad you did!

How I became a "Coincidental Cook"

Let's be honest here.  When I was younger, I was a terrible cook.  Let's go way back to the college years.  Fancy for me was instant Fettichuni Alfredo out of a bag.  You know, the kind you add a cup of water to and cook on the stovetop for 15 minutes.  
The first time my husband and I cooked together, I burned the hell out of his frozen pizza.  Then I dropped it on the floor.  I thought everything needed to be cooked on HIGH.
It's not that I wasn't interested in cooking.  I was just lacking in the basic skills and equipment.
Sure, I took home ec in high school.  I remember foundly sewing my marron and yellow sweatshirt and making a cake out of a box mix.
We wern't really a cooking family.  My mom had a few dishes I really loved.  But it was basically meat and potatoes.
Plus, my parents were busy.  They were both college students themselves.  So a lot of nights, it was "fiend for yourself" as my mom liked to call it.  So the standbys were mac and cheese, frozen pizza, and reconstituated potatoes.  I was actually ahead of a lot of my friends.  If it came in a box or freezer bag, I could cook it.
For some reason, I was a wierdly picky eater.  At one point, I would eat only carrots.  I ate so many of them I turned orange.  It's a real medical condition, I am not making that up.
I really started to become interested in food when I met my husband.  Well, actually when I met my mother-in-law.  She could do things with brocolli that blew my mind.  She was a solid 50's type mom.  She had a five course meal on the table at five, and trouble would be had if there was not at least one thing GREEN on the table.
For me, it blew my away my previous worldview.  Meat could taste delicious.  Bacon wasn't just a main dish.  I had never heard of pan sauces or gravy before.  Eating a simple dinner at their house, at the table, all together taught me to appreciate food in a way I had never had before. 
From my mom, I learned a love of baking.  She would make the most fabulous breads.  I loved to watch her knead the bread, pushing and manipulating the dough under her capable hands.  Yeast was like magic to me, and the wonderful smell of rising and baking bread permeated my childhood. 
As I've gotten older and started messing about in the kitchen,  I learned that I like simple cooking the best.  A great red sauce with meatballs, a savory meatloaf in the oven, or meat and veggies on the grill.    I also like to dabble in the unexpected.  Dishes like Yorkshire pudding, Moroccan chicken, Thai soup.  Things that anyone with a recipe can make, but just don't think to. 
Some of my influences and loves are:  Anthony Bourdain, Alton Brown, Jamie Oliver, Julia Child, Pioneer Woman, Good Ole' Betty Crocker, America's Test Kitchen, and my all-time favorite recipe site: Allrecipes.com.
So occasionally I will post some of my favorite recipes here.  I hope you find the posts entertaining.  I hope you find them informative, and I hope they make you hungry!