Showing posts with label Call for Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Call for Recipes. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 8

Featured Recipe: Asian Spinach Salad

I've been using your summer meal suggestions and have not disappointed yet! I am so glad I did that 'Call for Recipes'...you guys know what you're doing. :)


We had this Asian Spinach Salad on Sunday. It really was the perfect summer dinner.

A few additions:
- I added fresh green bell pepper (had one from the garden) & some green onion (had it in the fridge)
- I didn't have lemon pepper on hand, so I cooked my chicken on the stovetop with olive oil, a little soy sauce, ginger, S&P and garlic. The flavors worked nicely with the sweetness of dressing.

All I have to say is...YUM. Thank you, Kristy, for sharing the recipe!

Saturday, July 5

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Success!

The zucchini 'Call for Recipes' yielded so many great recipes, I don't even know where to begin. Actually, that's not true. I know right where to begin...with the chocolate.


Thanks to reader Elise for a fabulous Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe. Love it! Very moist, just chocolaty enough, great blend of flavors.


Just one question, does anyone have a good technique for squeezing water out of shredded zucchini?

Tuesday, July 1

Call for Recipes: Zucchini!

Remember my friend Natalee's crazy zucchini? She seriously has zucchini coming out of her ears, which means I now have zucchini coming out of MY ears.


Natalee is out of town and I'm in charge of watering her garden. Which means I get to eat as much zucchini as I want. Here's where you come into the picture...what shall I do with all this zucchini?!?!

Please share your favorite zucchini recipes! I definitely want a good bread recipe, but anything else you have is of course welcome!

(PS - How pretty is that zucchini plant? I never knew! I should mention...it's also huge. If you've never planted zucchini and you plan to at some point, it gets HUGE. You've been warned.)

Tuesday, June 24

Summertime...and the cookin' ain't easy

Summer's here, bringing with it sunshine, barefeet, lawn furniture, flowers, sundresses, ponytails, strawberries...


...and HEAT, which generally sends my weekly menu plan into a tailspin. When it's hot, I just can't stand thinking about cooking over a stove or turning on an oven!

Please share your favorite summertime meals with us! Whether you like them because they're lighter for eating, don't require as much time spent slaving in the heat (ovens, stoves, etc), or it's just something that always reminds you of summer, I want to know about it! And so does everyone else.

Which means summertime has also brought you a bit of homework...get posting! I want to give you all a summertime A+.

Friday, May 23

The Perfect Picnic

It's Memorial Day weekend, which means BBQs and picnics galore! Reader Kiasa emailed asking me for some picnic ideas, specifically:
- Not-so-typical sandwiches
- Salads sans mayo
- Desserts that travel well


Here are a few of my ideas...and please leave a comment with your own ideas! If you have specific recipes for the above, that would be great, but I'm sure Kiasa (and everyone else) would love any great picnic ideas you might have!

My ideas are yummy yummy, but I'm also suggesting things that are easy to prep and carry. I'm all about EASY.

NOT-SO-TYPICAL SANDWICHES
- Caprese Sandwich: Slice a baguette, sprinkle with a bit of olive oil (not too much so you don't get soggy). Top with sliced fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, salt & pepper.
- Turkey Boursin Baguette: Slice a baguette, spread with Boursin cheese, top with sliced pepper turkey and leaf of romaine lettuce (or spinach for more vitamin punch)

SALAD SANS MAYO
- Alfredo Tortellini Salad: My friend made this for an outdoor party once and it was AWESOME. She used jarred Alfredo sauce from Trader Joe's, cheese tortellini (cook & drain), sliced and cooked zucchini, mushrooms and onions. Mix all together and serve cold. You could throw in whatever vegetables you like!

DESSERTS THAT TRAVEL WELL
- Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies: I know, cookies don't seem all that inspired, however these cookies are AMAZING and cookies travel well, so it fits the bill!


If I were packing this picnic today (I wish I was!), I'd also throw in a bag of chips and some Hansen's sodas and call it a day.

Time for your Perfect Picnic ideas!

Thursday, May 15

Call for Recipes! Bran Muffins


This is a sad little bran muffin. He tastes okay, but knows he could be MUCH better. Please help him! Please share your best bran muffin recipes so this little guy can live up to his potential!!!

I won't tell you what recipe book I got this muffin recipe from because normally that book is no-fail. But these muffins just did not cut it...and I really want some yummy bran muffins right now! I know I can just walk to Starbucks and get one, but I'd rather make it myself so I can get one hot out of the oven. Can't wait to see what you got!

Wednesday, February 20

Wanted: Truffle Teacher

I ventured into the world of chocolate truffle making the other night, with mixed results. The truffles TASTE great, but are far from culinarily artistic perfection. I thought today I'd share what I did along with my questions, hoping you can teach me the right way to do this!


Want the job as Truffle Teacher? All you have to do is post a comment! I'm mostly concerned with technique, but of course if you have a good recipe please share that as well!

For reference, THIS (click here) is the recipe I primarily used (although I referenced a few others as well).

Okay, the Truffle 101 Discussion Group is now beginning.

Jane Observations:
- When they say finely chop the chocolate, they mean FINELY chop the chocolate. I just had a few small pieces here and there (see pic), but they were just too big to melt in the heated cream.


- You can store your finished truffles in the fridge for weeks, but eat them at room temp - so much better when they are nice and soft.

Jane's Questions:
- I wanted to do some hazelnut-flavored truffles. I split the recipe in half and added ~1 1/2 tsp of hazelnut oil, but you honestly cannot tell that they were flavored. Has anyone used hazelnut oil in a similar situation? How much should I use?

- When should you form your truffle balls? One recipe said to leave the mixture out for 1 hour then make the balls. I did that - the chocolate was still so soft it was nearly impossible to work with. Another recipe said to refrigerate for 1 hour then make the balls...so I put the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes. When I tried to make the truffles I actually BROKE the melon baller the chocolate was so hard. It was the biggest pain making the balls (which is why mine look so lumpy). What technique do you suggest? Do you use a melon baller, fingers, two spoons? HELP!


- What is your favorite flavoring and in what quantities should they go into the recipe?

I THINK that was all the questions/troubles I had. Seriously, if you've made truffles and they came out, tell us what you did!

Even though my truffles don't LOOK as pretty as I would have liked...it's not stopping us from eating them! :)

Tuesday, January 29

Superbowl Eats!

Mi madre-in-law requested ideas for Superbowl snacks in her non-cookie-dough-cookie-dough comment today...I was going to do a Superbowl post laster this week, but let's get the ball rolling! Time to share your favorite foods and recipes for the Big Game! Sweet, salty, fancy, easy...anything you've got! (Although, Pat, the mom-in-law, is looking for yummy and easy or make-ahead ideas...so that would be good too! Help me keep her happy...she's a bear of an in-law. hee hee.)


My favorite sweet treat is the Sweet Chex Mix recipe. Yum.

Wednesday, November 21

Thanksgiving Prep: The Best of the Best!

Nate said I should have done a Thanksgiving post where everyone shares their best recipes & food traditions. Gotta admit, that's a great idea...so now's your chance!


My favorite Thanksgiving recipe that I make every year is Cranberry Slush. This is a Thanksgiving tradition from my mom's family. It was my great-grandmother's recipe and it is DELICIOUS. You'll love it, unless, of course, you're my sister and are CRAZY and don't like it. She's the only one I've met who doesn't, but let's keep in mind she actually said the following words last night: "I don't really like chocolate." Told you she's crazy.

Please share your Thanksgiving Bests!

Monday, November 19

Thanksgiving Prep: Dessert!

Time to talk dessert. I have no idea what I'm going to do this year for dessert, so I can't really give you my plan yet. I love dessert, but I always get so worn out from making the dinner that I tend to cheat a bit when it comes to the sweets. Hence, no real dessert insight here on the blog.

I WILL provide you with an amazing (and easy) French Silk Pie recipe from my sis-in-law Cora's family (see below). And as far as pumpkin pie goes, I always just follow the directions on the can of pumpkin and it comes out just fine (and yes, I buy pre-made crust). See, I am certainly no Thanksgiving dessert expert. Today I'm counting on YOU to share your best Thanksgiving dessert recipes! Please post!!!

French Silk Pie
- 3. oz unsweetened chocolate squares (melted and cooled)
- 1/2 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- 4 Eggs

Melt and cool chocolate. Cream butter - add sugar and vanilla and mix. Add chocolate. Add 2 eggs and beat on high 5 mins. Add 2 more eggs beat on high 5 minutes. I use a pre-made graham cracker crust. Top with whipped cream. Keep refrigerated.

Friday, October 5

Call for Recipes: Homemade Mac & Cheese

Today it's all about what I want, and I want a good Mac & Cheese recipe! Homemade, with real cheese. You know, the GOOD kind. If you have such a recipe, please share!


This little bowl of Mac & Cheese was from Rock Bottom...it's actually Mac & Chicken. It was very good, but I think we can do better. Bring it on, folks!

Thursday, September 13

Call For Recipes! BLONDIES

Yesterday I got a hankering for Blondies, you know, butterscotch brownies, chocolate chip cookies bars, whatever you want to call them. (Sidenote: my previous complete and total desire for salty foods this pregnancy is fast slipping away and I'm back to my "I need a treat" self. Phew.)


So, I took myself in the kitchen, got out my Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book(which I love) and looked up Blondies. The recipe tells you to melt the butter and brown sugar together til sugar dissolves (that stuff is HOT by the way), cool slightly, then add the eggs. During the "cool slightly" phase, I decided to peruse Craigs List for strollers and forgot the "slightly" part...well, when I returned it was hard as a rock, and remelting was a disaster. I started over - this time I cooled "VERY slightly" to avoide the previous mistake and scrambled my eggs in the sugar - what a rookie mistake! I'm ashamed! I gave up.

The last time I made Blondies they weren't that great anyway - kind of got hard overnight. So, I need your help! Please post your best Blondie recipe (with no melting and slightly cooling involved, if at all possible)! This pregnant woman is desperate over here...I had to resort to an Otter Pop for my "treat" last night, which just isn't the same as buttery, chocolatey goodness!

Monday, July 2

Happy 4th of July!

The 4th of July is in two days - are you ready? I'm not! I have NO idea what we'll be doing that day, but I'm sure it will be fun. :) I was thinking maybe you all could inspire me...please share your favorite 4th of July food or tradition! Recipes most definitely welcome - just post a comment!

I figured I should provide SOME kind of inspiration...the Hostess with the Mostess found this GREAT idea on Martha Stewart. It's from the Kids magazine, but I agree with Jenn (the hostess!), it looks like a perfect 4th of July breakfast! Plus I love french toast. Thanks, Jenn! (and thanks Martha, too, I suppose...) (photo from Martha Stewart - my first non-Jane food pic)

Wednesday, June 20

RECIPES: Meatloaf

Here are all your wonderful meatloaf recipes, compiled into one place!

MEATLOAF TIP
From Adrianne's Mom
After placing in loaf pan, place half strips of bacon on top, so each piece is cut and defined by its own piece of bacon. It looks and tastes good.


MEATLOAF, ADAPTED FROM REAL SIMPLE
From Nicole Beckstrand
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 2-ounce envelope onion soup mix
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups saltines finely ground (recipe calls for saltines, I use panko bread crumbs)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup barbeque sauce (recipe calls for this - I sometimes just use ketchup)

Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, soup mix, cheese, parsley, eggs, and saltines. Add the water and combine. Transfer the meat mixture to a baking dish and form it into a 9-inch loaf. Bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. If using barbecue sauce, remove the meat loaf from oven after 25 minutes and pour the sauce over the top. Return to oven for about 15 minutes more.

To Freeze: Wrap the uncooked meat loaf in a large sheet of aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cook according to the recipe.
Yield
Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 630(55% from fat); FAT 38g (sat 15g); SUGAR 1g; PROTEIN 45g; CHOLESTEROL 241mg; SODIUM 1,300mg; FIBER 1g; CARBOHYDRATE 25g


MEATLOAF
From Jenn MacArthur
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 cup oatmeal
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 egg
1 cup ketchup (or BBQ sauce - I use half and half)

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Pack into bread pan and cook at 350 for 1 - 1.5 hours. To experiment with adding some hidden vegetables, the last time I made this I added shredded carrots and shredded zucchini, and it turned out really good! It stays more moist if you keep it covered for the first half of cooking, then drain off the fat near the end if necessary.


MADE-OVER MEATLOAF (Healthier)
From Kraft Food & Family, via Jenn MacArthur
- 2 cups bran flakes
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 egg whites
- 3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 375. Mix cereal, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce and egg whites in a large bowl until well blended. Add meat and vegetables, mix lightly. Shape into loaf, place on broiler pan lined with foil. Brush with remaining BBQ sauce. Bake 1 hour or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

CAL 240, FAT 4.5g (sat 2g), CHOL 45 mg, SODIUM 640mg, CARB 32g, FIBER 5g, SUGARS 16g, PROTEIN 21g, VIT A 45%DV, VIT C 20%DV, CALCIUM 4%DV, IRON 45%DV


TERRA'S PERFECTED MEATLOAF
From Terra
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped fine
- 2 celery sticks chopped fine
- 1 egg
- 2 slices of bread (in the food processor)
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestorsire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano (fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley (fresh)
- 1 can (15 oz.)tomato sauce

Mix and bake in loaf pan at 375 for 1 hour.


MEATLOAF TWINS
From Leslie, adapted from her Grandmother's recipe
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 lb sausage (not flavored or hot)
- 1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix (this is my shortcut for not having to chop onions and add the spices)
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 box seasoned croutons (maybe — I just add them by look now. Or if the bos is almost empty I add what's left inclduing the cumbs.)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C milk
- 1/2 C thinly sliced celery, if you have it - optional

Now if you were my grandmother, you'd dry the ends of bread loaves then cut them up and then soak them in the beaten egg and mixture. I just throw everything into my mixer and mix it together with the dough hook.

Shape into two loaves and place in a 9x13 pan. I run ketchup on the top down the center of each loaf in a squiggled line. I hate ketchup, But can almost tolerate it when it's cooked like this. Bake at 350º for about an hour. You can bake potaoes at the same time. Or increase the oven to 375º or 400º for a faster end time. I usually cut in to the center of one to check to see if the meat is cooked before removing fromt the oven. Let sit for a bit before slicing.


MINI MEATLOAVES
From Brittany Reisenberg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup oatmeal
- 1 egg
- 1/2 chopped onion

Mix all together with a little salt and pepper. Form into 8 mini loaves and place in 9 x 13 pan (I line it with foil for easy clean up).

Mix the following:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbl mustard

Spoon sauce over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


BBQ STOVETOP MEATLOAF
From Kathy Allen
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix, any variety
- 1 cup water
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I prefer Bulls Eye)

Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Shape meat into 2 oval loaves, side by side, in 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining BBQ sauce. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.


BILL'S PRETTY-CLOSE-TO-GUS' MEATLOAF
From Dottie LaPierre
- 1 1/2 lbs very lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb mildly seasoned pork sausage
- 1 1/4 c fine bread crumbs
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbs A-1 Sauce
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c milk
- 2 cleery stalks
- 4 green onions
- 1 Tbs poultry seasoning

Place meats in a large bowl. Break in eggs and mix. In another bowl, soak breadcrumbs in the milk. VERY finely chop the veggies and garlic. Mix all together. Bake in a loaf pan uncovered at 350 degrees for about an hour. My sister-in-law, Lucie (bill's wife), claims it to be the best meatloaf west of the Mississippi.


30-MIN MEAL MEATLOAF
From Rachael Ray via Megan Rich
I saw it on a 30-minute meal episode and everytime I make it everyone loves it. It looks complicated, but it's really not too hard and well worth the extra effort. Technically it's supposed to only take 30 minutes start to finish, but I always give myself an extra 10 or 15.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix from the butcher's counter (meatloaf mix)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 small white onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons golden or dark raisins, chopped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup arugula leaves or baby spinach
- 6 slices prosciutto di Parma
- 6 slices deli sliced provolone (I use harvarti)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix meat and next 10 ingredients as if you were making meatloaf. Flatten meat out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet into a thin layer: 1/2-inch thick, 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Cover meat with arugula or spinach, prosciutto and cheese then roll the meat, using the waxed paper to help roll up into a large log, working across the 6 to 8-inch side, resulting in a 12-inch long log. Drizzle the log with extra-virgin olive oil to coat lightly. Roast meatroll 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices, 3 pieces per portion, and serve.

Tuesday, June 19

Call for Recipes: Meatloaf

Stacey requested good meatloaf recipes in the Menu comments yesterday. I was thinking this might be a fun 'Call for Recipes' and since you all responded to Corn Chowder so positively...bring on the meatloaf recipes! (Just post your recipe in the comments section - thanks!)

Thursday, June 14

Yummy Easy Peasy Meals

Okay, time for you guys to do some work. ;) Are you ready?

The last 2 months have been rough for me as you all know...feeling sick, working a ton, trying to be a good member of the family. I find many nights I just need something EASY (and "homemade") to make for dinner. I'm so sick of take-out and don't like super processed foods, but cooking isn't so easy for me right now. The other night when I just didn't know what to make, I went to the store and grabbed those frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu packs, a box of Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice and a bag of carrots to steam. EASY and YUMMY. Definitely my yummy easy peasy meal.


So, time to share your most favorite, most yummy, EASY recipe or dinner idea (note, mine above is certainly not a recipe!). I've been wanting to ask you this question for days...bring on the great ideas! :)

Sunday, March 18

RECIPES: Corn Chowder

Since I received so many corn chowder recipes form everyone, thought I should compile them all in one place. Can't wait to try them!

Corn Chowder
From Adrianne's Mom
2 small onions, chopped
4 slices of bacon
2 celery stalk,chopped
2 potatoes chopped
4 cups corn (frozen or canned)
4 cups chicken broth
*****************************
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 cups cream or half n' half
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook onions, bacon & celery, put in slow cooker. Add potatoes, corn, broth, bay leave, salt & pepper. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Take bay leaf out and throw away. On the stove top, melt butter, add the flour so it makes a paste. Cook until light brown. Slowly add the cream to the paste, heat until it thickens. DO NOT BOIL! Move it from the heat, add the cheese and mix until melted. Add this mixture to the slow cooker mixture. Stir well and serve.


Joe's Favorite Fresh Corn Chowder
From Kelly
1/4 lb. bacon, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 cups potates, diced
3 cups corn kernels
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parsley, minced
Salt & Pepper

Fry the bacon in the bottom of a 6 quart stock pot. When the bacon is crisp, remove it from pan and set aside. Drain all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onions and celery to the bacon fate and saute until soft. Then add the potatoes, water and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in chicken, corn and thyme. Slowly add the cream to the warm mixture. Add the parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot sprinkled with bacon crisps.


Corn Chowder
From: Kelly
8 potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 pkg frozen corn
1 onion, chopped
6 T. butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
8 oz. cream cheese
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1t. parsley
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. marjoram

Cook potatoes until tender. Saute onions with butter until tender. Add flour, stir to blend. Add milk, cream and cream cheese. Whisk with wire until smoot. Continue to cook until slightly thickened. Stir in potatoes, corn, salt, pepper and herbs. Heat mixture to piping hot, but do not boil. For better flavor, set aside to cool and then reheat.


Sausage Corn Chowder
From Margo's Aunt
Brown in soup pot 1 pound "lite" sausage and 1 diced yellow onion. While browning meat, peel and dice 5 medium potatoes. Drain any grease off meat and onions, add potatoes and cover with water. Cook until potatoes are barely tender. Add 1 can corn, 1 can creamed corn, and 1 can evaporated milk. Thicken to tates with 3T flour dissolved in water. Heat until thickening is cooked.


Corn Chowder
From Cat Lady (her hubby likes with with shredded chicken)
2 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans cream corn
2 cans corn (or approx 4 cups frozen)
3 cups +/- diced potatoes
1 qt half & half
extra milk if needed
salt and pepper to taste. I like a lot of pepper... almost a Tblspn

Mix everything together and simmer till potatoes are tender, stirring occasionaly so it doesn't stick to the pan. I also use canned potatoes or sometimes frozen hashbrowns.