Cheese Blintzes

As you're reading this post, I'm currently on vacation in New York City. If you're feeling jealous, I'd have to say you're justified. New York is an awesome place and I'm so excited to spend a few days seeing the sites, watching some shows and shopping the stores with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law as part of our annual Moss women trip. (In case you are wondering, it's not like we feel the need to escape the Moss men. It's just that they can't handle shopping the way we can. Few can, actually.)

To give you a little taste of what I'm enjoying out there, I thought I'd finish up crepe week with these cheese blintzes. The first time I tried them on our Moss women trip last summer and I've been talking about them ever since. Our hotel was across the street from a well known New York diner and we ate there for breakfast most mornings. On the menu at this diner were cheese blintzes. I had no idea what they were, but, feeling adventurous, I ordered them anyway. As my sister-in-law said, "Go big or go home." and I decided to go big. (Although when you apply that rule to food, it usually also means "Go home big.") It turns out that cheese blintzes are a crepe filled with a sweetened cream cheese/cottage cheese mixture that is fried and topped with fruit. It was like a crepe cheesecake for breakfast, and was one of the best things I ate in New York. Let's just say I ordered them again the next day, but this time I made sure to split it with someone. 

Once home I tried to replicate the blintz, but without luck. I all but gave up on the idea when I found a cookbook put out by the New York diner where we had eaten. Sure enough, it had the recipe for cheese blintzes in it and it wasn't long before I was making my own blintzes at home. I've made a couple changes to the recipe, such as using a different crepe recipe that I prefer and baking the blintzes instead of frying them for ease of preparation and less mess. The end result still tastes like the wonderful blintzes I had in New York, though, and even won over my skeptical husband with them. If you want something delicious and out of the ordinary for your breakfast, this is the perfect choice.

Cheese Blintzes

12 6-8 inch crepes

2 8 oz packages cream cheese (sorry, low-fat will not work here)

1 cup large-curd cottage cheese

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 T melted butter

Toppings:

Applesauce

Fruit

Sour cream

Syrup

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and brush a 9x13 pan with melted butter. Stir cream cheese, cottage cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla extra in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until blended. 

2. To fill each crepe, spoon 3 T of filling cream cheese mixture in the center of once crepe, then fold the bottom part of the crepe up over the filling, followed by folding both sides in, and finally folding the top down. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. Brush the tops of each blintz with melted butter and place in oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they are puffed and turning golden in color. Remove from oven.

4. To serve, top blintzes with your choice of applesauce, fruit, sour cream or syrup.

Recipe Source: adapted from Welcome to Junior's! Remembering Brooklyn with Recipes and Memories from its Favorite Restaurant. 

Chicken and Broccoli Crepes

A few years ago when my sister and I were roommates, we decided to have a crepe party. We didn't have any definite ideas for the party beyond crepes, fruit, whipped cream and puddings, but we went ahead and invited friends over. What else do you really need for a party besides good food and good company? 

Our friend Elary was one of the first to arrive, and she came bearing chicken, broccoli and ricotta cheese. We looked at her dumbfounded. It's not that we didn't appreciate the gesture, but we weren't sure if we had been clear that this was a crepe party. What on earth was she expecting us to do with those? In the meantime, she was staring at our assortment of sweet fillings wondering, "Did I accidentally come to a dessert party?" 

The beauty of crepes is that they work so well for both sweet and savory fillings. Once we cleared up the confusion that my sister and I thought crepes were just an excuse to eat whipped cream and fruit for dinner, and that Elary thought they were an elegant way to wrap up a a vegetable/meat/cheese mixture, we had a great time introducing each other to our favorite ways to eat them. Neither way could be declared the "best" because they were both so good. 

This recipe is similar to the one that Elary made for us. If you have leftover crepes (see this post for instructions on how to make some) then it goes together very quickly. (If you are crepe challenged, you can sometimes find packages of crepes in the produce or bakery section of the grocery store. I think I've also seen them in the refrigerated section by the eggs, too.) They are the perfect, delicate layer to bake the ricotta/chicken mixture in. The sauce described in the recipe is great poured over the top of the crepes before serving or just pooled on each side. If you are short on time you could skip it, but I like the flavor it adds. If you've never had savory crepes before, I highly recommend you give them a try.

Note: If you are interested in participating in an online bake sale to support the OC Walk to Remember, an organization the provides support to families who are dealing with the loss of an infant, please contact Dana at The Sunday Sweet. Or just stay tuned and see how you can bid on some of my favorite cookies - blueberries and cream.

Chicken and Broccoli Crepes

3 T unsalted butter, plust more for the dish 

2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, chives or mint)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

8 crepes (about 8 inches. See this post for directions on how to make crepes. Otherwise you can often buy them in the produce or bakery section of the grocery store.)

1 shallot, sliced (or 2 T minced onion)

1/2 head of broccoli, cut into small crowns

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a large baking dish. Combine the chicken ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, 3 T herbs, 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling across the lower half of each crepe; roll up to enclose the filling. Place the crepes, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until the filling is hot, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt 3 T butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until it softens, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon zest and the remaining 1 T herbs and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Divide the crepes among plates, adding broccoli and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Recipe Source: Food Network Magazine

Foolproof Crepes

When my husband and I moved away from Minnesota a couple years ago, we thought we were in pretty good shape a few days before the move. We had been packing and selling stuff on Craigslist for almost a month. My husband had taken several trips to Goodwill with his truck, and then more trips to the recycling/waste management location once Goodwill rejected my 23 year-old TV as being too old. (Which only reinforced my husband's hatred for that TV. Since I grew up with the thing I couldn't be objective about it. He tells me that TVs aren't supposed to come in wooden boxes like furniture.) 

The moving day came and my husband drove to U-Haul, picked up our trailer, and we started to pack our stuff in it. And pack some more. And then realize that not everything was fitting, so we'd take some stuff out and pack some more. Eventually I left him to this important jigsaw puzzle while I tried to clean and get all the miscellaneous stuff thrown in my car. (Literally thrown.) Our noon departure time turned into afternoon, and then early evening, and finally we realized we'd be lucky to be done packing that day. My wonderful mother-in-law came down from work and helped us clean and finish everything up and suggested we stay one more night at their place and head out the next morning. It was music to our ears.

It got even better when my father-in-law made us dinner and my sister and our good friend Brian came over. After a day of stressful packing, it was just a nice night of good company, relaxed good-byes and some amazing crepes. My father-in-law made batch after batch of perfect crepes, each one the size of a dinner plate. They were delicate, eggy perfection with powdered sugar, whipped cream and sliced strawberries. I have to say, none of us really held back and we thoroughly gorged ourselves. To this day I think of that night whenever I make crepes.

I can't say that I have the art of making crepes down to perfection like my father-in-law, but this recipe has really helped me get closer. It's the easiest method I found to make crepes that aren't too thin, aren't too thick, and don't contain weird lumps. They lend themselves to all kinds of toppings, both sweet and savory. If you get this recipe down, you are in luck because the rest of the recipes I'm posting this week are other favorite ways to use them. I have to say, though, I have to plan ahead when I want some left over for other purposes. It's just to easy to gorge yourself on something so delicious as freshly made crepes, powdered sugar, whipped cream and some fruit.

 

Foolproof crepes

Notes from America's Test Kitchen:
We determined that the success of our crêpe recipe relied on some crucial crêpe-cooking tricks. Heating the pan properly was essential to our recipe. If too hot, the batter set up before it evenly coated the surface. If too cool, the crêpe was pale (read: bland) and too flimsy to flip without tearing. Using just enough of our crêpe recipe’s batter to coat the bottom of the pan was also important, as was the tilt-and-shake method that we employed to distribute it. To avoid singed fingertips, we loosened the crêpe with a rubber spatula before grasping its edge and nimbly turning it to the flip side to cook until spotty brown.

Ingredients:1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk (2% worked just fine for me, too.)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Sugar

Directions:

1. Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10 minutes.

2. While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

3. Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.

4. Pour ¼ cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crêpe without moving it until top surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack.

5. Transfer stack of crêpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave on high power until crêpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds (45 to 60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe dry with paper towel. Sprinkle each crepe with about a teaspoon of sugar, fold and arrange on a plate for serving.

Recipe source: America's Test Kitchen

Sage Buttered Noodles with Cherries

This dish came about because my husband and I had to get new sheets. 

It's a sad day when your super-soft set of sheets that you've had your entire marriage starts to wear thin. It's an even sadder day when you ignore that fact for a few washings and one day you wake up with your foot through a hole in the fitted sheet. Time to get new sheets.

Since these sheets were given to us, I had no idea how much it cost for brand-new, super soft sheets. Or how extremely confusing the thread count issue can be. Even my husband started weighing in on it. He must have spent a good portion of his day researching sheets because I came home he started a conversation about long staple cotton. Then he went downstairs to pound on the drums. My husband is a true renaissance man.  

I took a Family Money Management class in college, and I learned about budgets. My teacher said, "Blah, blah blah, something about money for unexpected events, blah, blah blah." Or something like that. Whatever it was, I don't remember her telling me NOT to make a budget combining household expenses with food expenses. Which, of course, we've done, and which means if you are buying sheets suddenly one month, you have a lot less money for food. Especially when you're not very good at budgeting food necessities.

Being determined to stay under budget this month, I shopped sales, I reduced the fancy cheese purchases and I bought a lot of pasta. It's the end of the month and I've almost made it to August. I was patting myself on the back when it started to rain the night I was going to grill chicken drumsticks. I pushed them off to the next night, which rained again. Let me just tell you now, sale chicken + 3 days in the fridge = not good.

Wanting to stay under budget, I didn't run to the store to get new ones. I have some emergency meals up my sleeve. One of those is one of my husband's favorite meals - buttered noodles. I don't know if I had ever heard of buttered noodles before I met him, but I think it's one of those comfort foods that just tastes good. For myself I like to spice things up a bit, so I made some plain buttered noodles for my husband and threw in some fresh sage (from the herb dude) for myself. 

Folks, life is pretty good if you are eating sage buttered noodles, even if you are doing it out of necessity. Life gets even better when you throw in some chopped fresh cherries to give a touch of sweet/tartness to the heavier butter/sage flavor. (The mere fact that I had at least three pounds of fresh cherries on hand shows how bad I am at buying just food necessities.) And when you realize you had dinner on the table faster than if you had gone with the original meal plan, and you just might think this necessity dinner tastes better, that's when life is great. 

New sheets and all.

Sage Buttered Noodles with Cherries

Ingredients:

16 ounces egg noodles (since this meal is very simple, use nice noodles here: fresh is you can find them, or at least those fancier ones that are sold in a bag and not a box.)

6 T unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

6 fresh sage leaves, chopped (about 1 T)

1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4-1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cherries (could also substitute with 1/8 cup chopped dried cherries or dried cranberries)

Directions: 

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

2. While noodles are cooking, melt butter in the empty pot; simmer onion and sage leaves 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

3. Toss with noodles. Add more salt to taste and divide among serving bowls.

4. Top with parmesan cheese and cherries just before serving.

Recipe Source: Adapted from food.com

Chicken Chorizo Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

My roommate and I were in Big Lots one day, years and years ago, and she comes over to me with this huge box in her cart. 

"Look!" she said, "I just found a gas grill for $60! Should I buy it?" 

Folks, if anyone ever asks you if they should buy a brand new gas grill for $60, the answer should be no. Nothing good can come from a gas grill for that cheap. I, however, was not as wise then as I am now, because I said these fateful words:

"That's great! We can put it on the back deck at our new place."

And so began a few years of grilling on the worlds crummiest gas grill. I hold a certain bit of pride that I got anything to taste good on that grill. There weren't just hot spots, there were volcanic craters. Other areas were cold enough that when the grill was on "high", I could still almost touch them with my bare hands. One year I delayed using it until mid-summer and opened it up to find a huge hornet's nest. It was always an adventure, but the love of grilled food kept me coming back.

These days, my husband and I are grilling on a fabulous Weber charcoal grill, courtesy of my brother. It feels like driving a Lexus after years of putting around in a golf cart. With a missing wheel. Food cooks evenly, there are no hornets, and the base isn't questionably shaky. The one thing that has stayed the same is that the love of grilled food keeps me coming back.

Food like these burgers. I've already shared my love for a good old fashioned burger on the grill, and that remains unchanged. But sometimes I want to mix things up a bit - try some different flavorings, different meat, maybe fit into my skinny jeans. Things like that. Enter the chicken chorizo burger. There are several things I love about this burger - grinding my own meat from chicken breasts so I know exactly what is in there, the corn tortillas that work as a binder and lend a hint of corn tortilla flavor, the jalapeno pepper that adds a little kick, and the chorizo sausage, which lends its great flavor. Throw in an avocado mayonnaise and now we're cooking. With charcoal. I can have the burgers all prepped by the time my grill is heated up, making this a weeknight meal that works well for us.

 No matter what grill we cook it on.

Chicken Chorizo Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise:

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 ripe peeled avocado

Burgers:

1/2 pound Spanish chorizo sausage (such as Usinger's)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

Cooking spray
8 (2-ounce) onion rolls, toasted
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato


Prepare grill or broiler.


To prepare mayonnaise, combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until combined. Cover and chill mayonnaise mixture.

To prepare burgers, remove casings from sausage. Place sausage, salt, tortillas, chicken, and jalapeño in food processor; process 30 seconds or until mixture is coarsely ground. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

Cut rolls in half horizontally; spread 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture over top half of each roll. Place tomato slices on bottom halves of rolls; top each with 1 patty and top half of each roll.

Recipe Source: Cooking Light, The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook

Cauliflower Kale Salad

Pop quiz time.

The white parts of this salad are:

a) feta cheese

b) cauliflower

c) queso fresco

d) all of the above

Did you guess "a"? That's wrong. Wait, you say you guessed "b"? Really? How could you tell? 

Oh, you read the title of the post. I see. I'll have to think more about my quizzes in the future. 

Yes, this salad is made up of cauliflower, but cauliflower in a way that you've probably never seen it before. It's been grated on the large holes of a box grater, making it:

a) much easier to eat

b) lend crunch to the rest of the salad

c) easier to coat with dressing

d) all of the above.

If you guessed "d", you are on a roll. It really is amazing all the things that grating cauliflower can do for it. I don't even like cauliflower and I devoured this salad. Come to think of it, I don't eat much kale, either. Both ingredients came in my Bountiful Basket this week (like a CSA, but you buy in weekly and the shares come from places like California and Mexico when local crops aren't available.) and I knew I'd have to find some recipe to help me enjoy them before I had another repeat of the radish slime massacre of a few weeks ago at the bottom of my fridge. (R.I.P. pretty radishes. I had such great, but non-definite plans for you.) 

This salad not only used up the ingredients, but may just be one of my new favorite salads. It is crunchy and light, with a great dressing that isn't too oily or overpowering. I originally made it with the intentions of bringing it to a potluck picnic, thinking that if it tasted bad I'd casually sneak it on the table and back away inconspicuously. (Am I the only one who has done this? Please say no.) The salad never made it to the potluck because I ate a good portion of it for lunch right after I threw it together and convinced myself there wasn't enough left over to bring. (Basically, I'm a horrible person to invite to a potluck.) Unlike most salads, this one stays crunchy 1-2 days after you dress it, which makes it easy to make ahead of time. I'd say this salad deserves an "A" because of its:

a) fabulous taste

b) crunchy texture

c) ease of preparation

d) visual appeal

e) all of the above

You said "e"? Go ahead and give yourself an "A", too.

 

Cauliflower Kale Salad

1/2 head of cauliflower
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 stalk, green onion, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher/sea salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Tear the soft leaf of the kale away from the center stalk that runs throughout the length of the kale. Discard the tough stalk. Using a chef's knife, finely chop the kale leaves. Rock back and forth with your knife over the leaves like you are mincing. Add to a large bowl, along with the cherry tomatoes, green onion and parsley.

2. Grate the cauliflower using the large holes of a box grater. Add to the bowl and mix.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and the olive oil. Pour dressing into the bowl and toss gently. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

Recipe Source: Steamy Kitchen

Tomato Tarragon Chicken

We to joke in grad school that the way to get a bunch of grad students to attend anything was to offer free food. It didn't really matter what it was - pizza, sandwiches, popcorn . . . the leftover half-eaten cookies from last week's seminar - anything would really work. I actually don't remember starving when I was in school, but I still got in the mentality that free food = good. 

Now that I'm in the work world, I've broken myself of that habit, mostly because I've learned that in many cases, free food = "food someone else doesn't want."(Unless, of course, you work with my sister. In that case free food = "a dessert recipe she wanted to try and now wants to share the calories with you." Lucky you.) I've become much more picky about eating something just because it was free. 

I got geekily excited, however, when I was leaving work one evening and I spied this on one of the tables: 

Side note: Doesn't that note just crack you up? The "Thanks" below is what I wrote, and I felt like writing, "dude," too, just because it seemed to fit. I refrained.

They are bags full of fresh oregano, sage and tarragon. Yes, fresh herbs get me excited. In my own defense, these are three herbs that I don't grow myself (well, ever since my oregano bit the dust from weirdly not being able to live without water.) and in large enough quantities that you can actually do something with them. I grabbed a bunch of each and shoved them in my lunch bag. 

Although I had used fresh oregano and sage, I hadn't ever cooked with fresh tarragon. Have you ever tried it? I wasn't even sure what it even tasted like. It turns out that it has a distinctive, almost fennel or anise type flavor. I had my doubts after eating it on its own, (what herb really tastes good when you eat a plain leaf?) but after trying it in a few dishes I'm a believer. 

This tomato tarragon chicken dish was my favorite that I tried. It wasn't so much a recipe as a description that I found online by someone in a food forum. He raved about it so much and it seemed so simple that I thought I'd give it a try. I just loved this little dish, and the tarragon gives it an almost exotic flavor. You can add more or less according to your preference, but I liked it at the level where you take a bite and wonder what it is that tastes so good. I wrote down the amounts of the ingredients that worked for me, but this dish could easily be modified to fit your own tastes if you wanted it creamier or to have more tomatoes. I never tried it with dried tarragon, and I'm not sure how well it would work. If you don't have fresh tarragon you could try substituting in some fresh basil or a small amount of fresh oregano. I love that the dish goes together quickly, which makes it a perfect weeknight meal. It also used fresh tomatoes, which I tend to buy in abundance in the summer. All in all, I think I was justified in getting so excited over those free herbs. I think I just knew a keeper dish like this was in my near future. 

Tomato Tarragon Chicken

1 T olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced fresh tarragon
2 T heavy whipping cream
Parmesan cheese

7-8 ounces of penne, cooked according to package directions.

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until simmering. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and then add chicken breast pieces to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through. Remove chicken to a clean plate.

2. Return pan to medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes to cook off excess liquid. Add in vinegar, garlic, salt and tarragon. Cook and stir until desired thickness. Stir in heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until chicken is warmed through. Toss with hot cooked penne, top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe Source: adapted from "scuzzo" on Chowhound

Calico Salad

e-readers.

Chaco sandals.

Salads with mayo.

I realize there are things I love that aren't universally adored. Things that people have a strong opinion about either way. Some people don't think it's reading unless you have the smell and texture of real pages. I, on the other hand, have moved enough times to hate real books and their massive weight. Give me digital books all the way. 

And my husband has told me more than once that my Chaco sandals don't match anything I own. (In a loving way, of course.) I know they don't. And I know they are pure joy for my feet, so I find ways to slip them on every chance I get. So what if I can't pull off the casual-cool, I-canoe-on-the-weekends-and-bike-to-work look I need with little preppy cardigans and button-down shirts? I still wear those sandals all weekend long. (It would be all week long if someone higher up at work didn't have a fear of researchers burning off their toes if they wear sandals in the lab.) 

And I understand that some people hate salads with mayo in them. It's okay. I still love you. Hopefully you still love me, because I'm sharing one today. You know why? Because I think it's delicious. Because I don't think it tastes like mayo. Because it has a beautiful blend of colors and textures. And because it's full of veggies. Sweet corn and peas, with some crunch from water chestnuts and slivered almonds, some tang from lemon juice, and flavor from green onions and Parmesan cheese. All joined together with a little mayo. If you hate mayo the way some people hate seafood, skip right on over this recipe. I promise I'll have something non-mayo on Friday. I'll warn you, though. You are missing out on a pretty and tasty light side dish. 

Calico Salad

1 packages (16 oz each) frozen corn, thawed
1 pacakges (16 oz each) frozen peas, thawed
1 cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 jar (4 oz) diced pimentos, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
3 T Parmesan cheese
3 T milk
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a large bowl, combine the corn, peas, water chestnuts, onions and pimentos

In another large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. (Make sure you don't skip this step. The salad needs time for the flavors to bend.) Just before serving, add the almonds and toss to combine.

Yield: 6-8 side dish servings

Recipe Source: adapted from Taste of Home

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

My husband and I like to joke about food origins. Do you ever think about who thought up some of the popular dishes or ingredients we use today? Like the first man/woman who thought, "Jello is great, but if I add sour cream and some canned fruit, it will be greater"? Or who said, "I have this dried bread dish, and I need to bake it. Why don't I just shove it in this bird I'm roasting?" Whoever they were, they definitely think outside the box. Some of them are probably the ancestors of the person who thought to stuff an Oreo cookie in chocolate chip cookie dough and bake it. 

Dulce de leche is one of those foods that I don't know how someone thought of, but whoever it was I wish I could give them a high five. I don't know why someone would think to cook sweetened condensed milk until the sugars caramelized and it developed this sweet, deep, rich caramel flavor, but they are definitely one of my culinary heroes. (And hopefully they aren't offended that for the life of me, I can't stop calling it dulche de leche like it was some kind of designer food.) The silky smooth, rich flavor of dulce de leche works in so many types of desserts and pairs well with other flavors, like cinnamon. 

If you are a fan of dulce de leche like I am, this ice cream is for you. If you've never tried dulce de leche before, this ice cream is for you, too. It's a great way to taste dulce de leche's wonderful, sweet, rich, caramelly flavor. It also gives the ice cream incredible smoothness. You can buy it in small cans in the international food section of most grocery stores, or rumor has it that you can make your own by boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk for an extended period of time. Since this idea scares me to death, I'll leave it up to you and Google if you want to try making your own that way.

If you are feeling extra special, like I was when I made this, you can top it with some cinnamon chips. They're easy to make, (and a great use for leftover wonton wrappers) and give the ice cream a little bit of cinnamon crunch. Not matter how you choose to top it, however, be sure to take a brief moment of silence to thank the food genius who came up with dulce de leche. 

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound dulce de leche (about 1 2/3 cups; preferably La Salamandra brand; I used one Nestle can because that is all I could find.)
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Bring milk and cream just to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat and whisk in dulce de leche until dissolved. Whisk in vanilla and transfer to a metal bowl. Quick-chill by putting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Freeze mixture in ice cream maker until almost firm. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 1 hour.

Recipe Source: Gourmet magazine via Epicurious.com

Cinnamon Wonton Crips

6 wonton wrappers

1/2 T butter, melted
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lay the wonton wrappers out flat on a baking sheet. Brush evenly with melted butter. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over the top of each one.

3. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Some days . . . .

 . . . you get stuck sitting on the bus with the fidgety guy who sniffs the whole time . . .

. . .  you have to wait to put your lunch in the fridge at work because the woman currently putting away her lunch is lovingly placing each piece of food in one at a time and examining them like they are a new discovery. (And this is the second day in a row you've had to wait through this ritual. Seriously people, it takes almost two minutes. I feel like I should take a seat.)

 . . . you open up that lunch that you finally got to put in the fridge and realize you forgot dressing for your salad. (In case this happens to you, don't even think you can add some salt and pepper packets from the breakroom to your plain yogurt and make something passably good. Trust me. I'm horrified to admit I even tried it.)

. . . your bus gets stuck in traffic on the way home and you're sitting next to Fidgety Guy again. 

Some days you just need an UN-stuffed pepper dish. A dish that is only uses one skillet for easy cleanup, but tastes warm and comforting. A dish that has a beautiful, soothing mix of colors that make you happy in spite of yourself. A dish with a mix of rice, herbs, tomatoes and chicken that tastes like what I would call an Italian jambalaya. One that doesn't require the patience to spoon stuffing into a hollow pepper. And requires you to chop chop chop up some bell peppers, which is strangely soothing and stress-relieving. One you can make while you put on your happy song list and sing along with "Burning Love" at the top of your lungs.

Some days you just need un-stuffed bell peppers. Trust me. Some days you just do. 

(I've included pressure cooker instructions below the regular instructions for those who have a pressure cooker.) 

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

3 slices bacon

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces (Do not cut up into pieces for pressure cooker directions, unless they are large chicken breasts. In that case, cut them in half.)

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 cups rice

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

3 cups low sodium chicken broth (reduce to 2 1/4 cups if using pressure cooker)

1 cup pureed tomatoes (I use fresh, but canned works too)

1 T brown sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

1 green bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

1 orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Stovetop Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and just barely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

2. Add onions to skillet and cook until browned, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.

3. Add rice, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, chicken broth, tomatoes, brown sugar and black pepper to the skillet. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the cooked bacon into small pieces.

4. Add the peppers, chicken and bacon to the skillet, stir and cover. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper, then use the remaining cheese to top individual servings.

Makes 4-6 servings

Pressure Cooker Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker, cook bacon until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from cooker and allow to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. 

2. Add the onions to pressure cooker and cook until browned, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.

3. Add rice, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, chicken broth, tomatoes, brown sugar and black pepper to the skillet. Place the chicken breasts in the pressure cooker last, pressing them down to make sure they are covered by the liquid. Secure the lid, bring the cooker to high pressure and cook for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the cooked bacon into small pieces.

4. Use quick release to reduce pressure, remove the chicken from the pressure cooker and place on a cutting board. Add the peppers and bacon to the cooker. Secure the lid, bring to high pressure again, and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. 

5. Quick release the pressure, stir in the chicken pieces and half of the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use the remaining Parmesan to top individual servings.

Makes 4-6 servings 

Note: I am using an electric pressure cooker, so times may be shorter if you are using a traditional pressure cooker.

Recipe Source: loosely based on a recipe from The Pressure Cooker Cookbook

Cornbread Pancakes - Two Ways

I love shopping. I think it's a genetic trait that I inherited from my mom. Or if she didn't give me the shopping genes, at least it was her who taught me to love it from all the practice I had when I was growing up. It was my mom who told me some of the cardinal "rules" of shopping, like double checking to see if something is dry clean only before you fall in love with it (something I didn't appreciate until I was paying my own dry cleaning bill), if you "save" more on a clothing item than it costs it's really like you haven't spent any money at all, or the phrase "doubt means no". (Actually, it might have been my sister who taught me that.)

Another great rule I learned from her was to try to figure out what else in my wardrobe would match a particular piece to make an outfit. You have no idea how expensive a $10 skirt can be if you have to buy a top, shoes and necklace to go with it. (Not that this has ever happened to me; I always listen to my mom.) If you are really lucky, you find something that seems to coordinate with just about everything in your closet - something you can dress up or down or wear on its own.

That's what this recipe reminds me of. I love cornbread, and I thought making pancakes out of it would give me more of an excuse to eat cornbread hot and slather on some extra butter and honey. I was right about that, but I was surprised at how many other things they "matched".

The first combination I tried was a blueberry topping. Blueberries and cornmeal seem like a natural match to me. Not only do I love the color combination of blue and yellow, but they both have a natural sweetness that tastes good together. Blueberries are good on the own on top of the cornbread pancakes, and amazing with some blueberry/lime syrup from this post.

The next "match" was nearly a given, considering that our household eats Mexican food several times a week. (Certain members of the household would probably prefer that it was every day instead.) I toasted the leftover pancakes in the toaster oven, topped them with refried beans, shredded chicken taco meat from here, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and avocado for a kind of tostada that was delicious. The pancakes have a sweetness that I really liked with the spicy and savory toppings. Plus, it was a great way to use up those extra few pancakes that are always leftover after breakfast. 

Which is my favorite way to eat them? I'm not sure. Since one is breakfast and one is lunch/dinner, do I really have to choose?

Cornbread Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
2T vegetable oil

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the egg, then whisk in the milk and vegetable oil. Add to the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Drop a heaping 1/4 cup onto the skillet and cook until the edges are set and the bottom is golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes about 6 medium pancakes

Recipe Source: adapted heavily from Quaker

Cutting Watermelon Cubes

Happy Fourth of July! I'm celebrating my freedom today by eating a lot, watching things blow up, and shopping at an outlet mall. In all, a wonderful day. 

In case you are like me and will need to cut a watermelon this holiday, or any time during this summer, I thought I'd do a short post on my favorite way to cube watermelon. It's a method I developed after cutting many, many a melon and nearly chopping off my fingers/arm by trying to hack through them. Perhaps you can sympathize. Or perhaps you are just more coordinated than me. Either way, here's how I do it:

First I give the outside of the melon a bath. They're nearly always dirty and I haven't found a way to get that rind off without it eventually touching the cutting board or serving platter so I clean it up before cutting.

Next, I get out my largest cutting board (and the one I'm using is still too small, but it's the biggest I have. Hint, hint, mom.) and cut off both ends of the watermelon. I stand it up on a cut end like this:

Next, I pull out my bread knife. Believe it or not, this thing works wonders on the rind. It's because it is like a little saw, so you can saw your way through instead of trying to use brute strength to get your knife through a thick rind. I use the bread knife to cut off slices of rind around the sides of the watermelon like this:

I usually go back through and slice off any of the white parts left on the watermelon, seeing how these are pretty flavorless. Then I lay the watermelon on its side and slice off 1 inch (or however big you want) pieces like they were pieces of bread being cut from a loaf. 

I stack a couple of those slices and cut them lengthwise into 1 inch strips. Then I turn the stack and cut it widthwise into 1 inch chunks.

Put those chunks in a bowl and you're done. Unless, like me, you always underestimate the size of the bowl that you need to hold said chunks. Looks like I have some eating ahead of me to be able to put the lid on this.

Have a happy and safe 4th!

S'mores Cookies

Here's the situation: you've been dating this guy for a couple months and things are going well. You've met his family, he's met yours, you get along great. The fourth of July is coming up and he says you're invited to the annual day-long BBQ/gathering that his family goes to every year at a cabin on a lake north of the cities. This means 1) there will be tons of family and close friends there 2) you might possibly be wearing a bathing suit when you meet said people and 3) it would probably be polite to bring some salad or dessert to share at the BBQ.

Let's just say you start obsessing over #3. Food is important, okay?

You brainstorm and brainstorm for days about what you should bring. You have plenty of salads and dessert recipes that you like, but none of them seem quite right. What you bring should be delicious. Something that is memorably good, so that even if you don't make the best impression, at least you will be remembered partly as the girl who can make a mean potato salad. Except potato salad is off the list because it has mayonnaise and you don't want to be remembered as the girl who gave everyone food poisoning. You want something summery, but that doesn't require refrigeration, cost a fortune, seem too snooty, seem too processed, seem too ordinary or duplicate something else that is there. Boy, you are kind of a nut.

Finally, you get an epiphany. Is there such a thing as a s'mores cookie? A cookie that could combine all the great summery-ness of chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers together in one treat? You ask your trusty friend, Google, and after some time, you land upon a recipe. (My guess is that a similar search now would find MANY more recipes, but this was way back in 2008, y'all. WAY back then.) This recipe sounds perfect - it has all the required ingredients, including crushed graham crackers in the dough. You head over to your sister's house to whip up a batch (cooking is always better with a friend) and taste the first baked cookie.

Success! The s'mores cookie is amazing! Rich and soft, chocolatey and marshmallowy, you've found cookie perfection. You proudly bring the cookies to the BBQ, slip them onto the dessert table and happily meet the friends and family gathered there. Everyone is so sweet you realize you didn't even need to stress about making a good impression.

Although, it's still nice to be known as the girl who made the wonderful s'mores cookies.

S'mores Cookies


3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (This is about 2 crackers shy of a whole pack, chopped in a food processor.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (more or less) of marshmallows (not large style)
2 Hershey Bars, broken into pieces

Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips (if using).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove and quickly press marshmallows Hershey bar pieces into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (about 1 more minute)

Makes about 3 dozen

Recipe source: adapted slightly from www.cookiemadnes.net