Fall Has Hit - Pumkin Scrumptiousness!

Okay, based on my lack of posts, it looks like I haven't cooked in 2 months. I have but not much. I think I have a couple good finds to eventually get up here but on the most part it was very simple fare around our house for two reason - 1) crazy busy at work so getting home too late to spend any time on dinner, and 2) I fractured my hand so I had a cast - ever tried to prep, cook, clean, etc with a cast? Doesn't work so well. Finally got my cast off late last week.

Anyway, last night we had a hectic evening of gym class but I was determined to make this recipe and ultimately it worked out great with our schedule. I made the rice in the microwave (since I used brown rice it was going to take a long time on the stove - next time I'll try to make the rice a day in advance to make this even easier), cooked the bacon, chopped the cheese and the fresh herbs and smashed the garlic. While the rice was cooking, I opened up the pumpkin and cleaned it out. Stuffed everything in and popped it into the preheated oven... off we went to gym class while it cooked (it needed to cook a good 1 1/2 to 2 hours) and voila, we had an awesome smelling house when we got home and a great dinner too.

Here's the recipe... http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-stuffed-with-deliciousness-and.html

Pumpkin Stuffed with Deliciousness and More
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Serves 2 as a main course; serves 4 as a side dish

1 3lb sugar pumpkin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled OR 1 sausage chopped (pre cooked kind), OR ham or any other cooked meat
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or pressed (add more if you like)
1/4 lb of cheese - choose cheddar, gruyere, gouda, jack, Emmenthal - cut into cubes (rough chop is fine)
1/4 cup chives or scallions (I used rosemary and sage)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or less depending on how much rice actually fits into the pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 350. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the pumpkin off. (Inserting your knife at 45 degree angle and slowly cutting around works best.) Carefully remove the top.Scoop out all the seeds and all string. Using a spoon to scrape the inside and then scooping out with your hands is the best method. (Daughters did this.) Season inside liberally with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, get all bacon or sausage, cheese, garlic, chives and rice all mixed together. If you want a short cut, use a pair of scissors to cut up all the ingredients. Season if necessary. (Cheese and bacon will season, but just in case.) Place pumpkin into casserole dish. Take rice filling and begin stuffing the cavity of the pumpkin with the rice mixture. Pack it almost to the top. Carefully pour 1/2 cup of cream over the mixture. You want it well moistened but not swimming in cream. Seal the pumpkin back with the lid.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the side of the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a knife. Check oven at 1 1/2 hours to make sure it is not over cooked. (Although it is pretty hard to mess up.)When the pumpkin is tender enough, remove lid.

Begin pulling cooked pumpkin from the side into the center of the rice and mixture and being swirling it together. Scoop out fragrant, steaming spoonfuls into bowls. Enjoy! (I served at the table in the pumpkin and let everyone scooped out their own.)

Verdict: Definitely a keeper. Will be making this again. Presents nicely too. Will probably need to make a double recipe next time. Also, might be able to add some mushrooms and/or a little bit of chopped fresh spinach.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

From the following blog: http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Zucchini, Carrot, and Cranberry Muffins
barely adapted from The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook by John Barricelli
makes 12 muffins

2 C AP flour (used white whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C sugar (used about 3/4 cup instead)
1 C canola oil
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 C finely grated carrots (approx 1 medium)
3/4 C finely grated zucchini (approx 1 medium)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Rotate the pan mid way through the baking time.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out muffins on their side in the muffin cups, and let cool in the pan. Serve warm or at room temp.

Mmmm. Tasty. Made some without cranberries for the pickier kids. My boys LOVE cranberries so they preferred those.

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

From the following blog: http://www.theknead4speed.com/2010/08/lets-go-somewhere-where-theres-cheese/

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

Yield: two 6-ounce or one 10-ounce ramekin(s)

• 2.5 ounces mini shells pasta
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease two 6-ounce ramekins with butter or cooking spray.
2. Place a small pot of water over high heat. Bring water to a boil and then add shell pasta. Cook for 8 minutes and drain.
3. Melt butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring with whisk.
4. Once butter appears slightly foamy, add milk and cook until smooth. Turn off heat.
5. Add cheese and seasonings to hot butter mixture, stirring to combine. Add cooked shell pasta and stir well.
6. Divide shells and cheese between ramekins. Divide 1.5 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese and sprinkle onto pasta.
7. Bake for 11-13 minutes and serve.

Easy, tasty and love that they are made in little individual containers.

Rustic Roasted Chicken

Found this on a food blog... http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/rustic-roasted-chicken

Rustic Roasted Chicken

4 chicken legs (or a couple of bone-in breasts, thighs, etc.)

1 pound small potatoes

1 large carrot

4 big shallots (I've done with just a couple)

5 garlic cloves

1 bell pepper

4 oz bacon

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt (I've just used regular Kosher salt)

1 tsp sweet paprika powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

fresh sage

Combine the oil with the seasoned salt, paprika powder, and thyme. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and brush with the marinade. Peel the carrot and potatoes (I've not peeled the potatoes) and cut them, along with the bell pepper, in bite-sized pieces. Peek and cut the shallots in half (I've chopped up a bit smaller and prefer it that way). Place the vegetables around the chicken. Toss a few pieces of carrot underneath the chicken to elevate them a little. Cook the bacon until brown (drain fat) (I also under cooked bacon and put on top of chicken at that point) and pour in the white wine and water. Crumble in the chicken bouillon cube and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the liquid and bacon over the potatoes and vegetables. Don't rinse the marinade off the chicken when pouring in the liquid. Randomly throw the unpeeled garlic (I peeled and chopped into 1/4th's) in the tray and add some sage. Roast at 400 F for 55 to 60 minutes. Drizzle cooking juices over the chicken and veggies half way through the cooking time. Remove the charred sage and then serve.

Mmmmm tasty. Can make everything but the bacon and then the white wine water mixture the night before.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

Tried these out tonight... very tasty. Made most without the cranberries since some kids aren't big into those. My boys of course LOVED the ones with the cranberries though.

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 large eggs, room temp

3/4 cup grated carrots (about 2)

3/4 cup grated zucchini (about 1)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, b powder, b soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Picnic Fare

We went to an outdoor garden concert this last weekend and invited our neighbors. I didn't plan too well in advance but did make one nice dish that turned out to be perfect for something like this and really a nice dish in general for the summer. I made a "normal" tomato, basil, mozzarella salad but augmented it some by using heirloom cherry tomatoes (I cut them in half), very fresh farmers market basil, and a chopped up fresh peach. Added some salt, fresh mozzarella, ground pepper, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Turned our surprisingly tasty. So summery and fresh.

Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal

Great breakfast meal - can combine the dry ingredients, wet ingredients and put fruit in the bottom of the pan (all three separately) and then mix up in the AM quickly.

From Tasty Kitchen (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breakfastbrunch/fruit-on-the-bottom-baked-oatmeal/ )

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fruit (I typically add a little extra fruit)

1/2 cups whole milk (I've used low fat milk which works out fine)

2/3 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup butter, divided

2 cup oatmeal

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T demerara sugar or sucanat, divided

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat over to 350. Melt butter, pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 T demerara. Set aside. (I've skipped the butter)

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 T demerara.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or vanilla sauce.

MMMMM.

Laura's Famous Strawberry Salad (my new favorite salad)

My friend Nameeta gave me this recipe. I now make the dressing and make a version of this all the time.

Ingredients

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar (I try to cut this back some)

1 T poppy seeds (these aren't necessary)

1 cup canola oil

green onions (not yet put these in)

strawberries

pine nuts

spring mix

mix vinegar, salt, sugar, poppy seeds and canola oil together.

Wash and slice strawberries, wash and slice the green onions, wash and chop the lettuce, and toss all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing to lettuce mix and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Sometimes, I add a little goat cheese which is a nice addition.

Any Cooking Going on Around Here?

So no new exciting dinners lately... sort of sticking with the old standbys (roasted chicken, chicken tenders, ribs, black beans, etc.) but we have tried out a couple new recipes that are worth mentioning:

Scintillating Sangria
From TheCitySisters.com (http://www.thecitysisters.com/entertaining/scintillating-sangria)
1 12-oz can frozen lime concentrate
1 12-oz can frozen orange concentrate
1 bottle Cabernet
2 liter bottle grapefruit soda

Mix the first 3 ingredients well and put in freezer. When ready to serve, pour in pitcher and add the grapefruit soda. Surprisingly tasty.


Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
This has been a staple in our house for a couple of years. It is such a great summer salad, great for pot-lucks, surprisingly fresh tasting (one of those dishes that the sum of the parts tastes better than you'd expect from the list of ingredients)
2 cups fresh grilled corn
1 diced avocado
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes (or a couple chopped up larger tomatoes works just fine)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 T olive oil
1 T lime juice
1/2 tsp lime zest (just grate the zest from one lime)
1/4 tsp salt

Combine corn through cilantro in a large bowl. Mix olive oil, lime juice, salt and zest in a small bowl. Add to corn, avocado, tomato mixture. Serve.


Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal
From Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen

1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (thinly sliced if something like apples, etc.) (I use 2 cups)
1/2 cups milk
2/3 cups maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 T raw sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I've left these out many times and it works fine without them)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 T raw sugar. Set aside. (When I've made with berries of any sort, I've not put in the melted butter and I've added some cinnamon sugar)

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 T raw sugar.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or vanilla sauce.

July 4th

Okay, so not a lot of exciting cooking going on around here... the most exciting thing lately (if you want stretch things by calling it exciting!) was our block party for July 4th. Each family was supposed to bring something to grill and then a side dish to share. Our family and the family next door were hosting the event so I planned to bring a little extra.

We brought our favorite ribs:
They are Brown Sugar and Bourbon Ribs from Epicurious.com

Basting sauce
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons apple cider
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Ribs
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 2- to 2 1/4-pound racks baby back pork ribs
1 large onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
6 thin rounds peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups apple cider

For basting sauce:Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

For ribs:Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl. Using small sharp knife, loosen membrane from underside of each rib rack and pull off (or score membrane). Rub 1 tablespoon seasoning mix into each side of each rib rack. Place ribs in large roasting pan. Cover and chill at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lift ribs from pan. Scatter onion, cinnamon stick, and ginger in pan. Pour in cider. Return ribs, meat side down, to pan; cover pan with foil. Roast ribs until meat is tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 2 hours. Uncover; cool at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill ribs until heated through and slightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Brush generously on all sides with basting sauce. Grill until sauce becomes sticky glaze, about 3 minutes longer per side. Transfer rib racks to cutting board. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Arrange on platter and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

We also brought one of my favorite summer side dishes:
Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad (I don't recall where I got this recipe but it is definitely a keeper and works best when you use fresh in-season ingredients)

Place 2 cups cooked corn in a large bowl. Add 1 diced avocado (1/2-inch pieces), 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, and ½ cup finely diced red onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon lime zest, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the salad and serve.

I also sliced up a watermelon and using a star cookie cutter, cut a bunch of star-shaped pieces and put them on a platter. Relatively easy but adds a really nice touch.

Lastly, we made red, white and blue striped Jello and using the small star cookie cutter, cut those into star shapes. Hardest part of that was the cutting into the shapes and getting them onto the platter cleanly. For the middle white layer, I found a recipe on line to take plain gelatin and mix it with water and a can of condensed milk.

Not Cooking Much?!

I realized by my lack of posts, I really haven't been cooking this month. I did make another batch of the black beans, the butternut squash gnocchi, and skirt steak. Otherwise, nothing new. How boring! I guess I need to get a little more motivated...

A couple simple dinners

Last night, I marinated a package of TJ's chicken tenders in a mixtures of fresh lemon, lime and orange juice, olive oil, salt, and fresh chopped rosemary, parsley and oregano. I let it marinate at room temp for about an hour and then had J BBQ it on the grill. Turned out great. Our side dishes were fresh steamed French green beans (so happy they are back in season!) and roasted BN squash.

Tonight, our neighbors emailed late in the afternoon and asked us over for dinner. I had already made the cuban black bean crock pot recipe and asked if they wanted to plan dinner around that and we'd just bring the beans. They made some Mexican rice, some fresh guac, shredded cheese, blue corn chips, and some fresh corn on the cobb. It all went really well together.

Salmon Tacos

Tonight we grilled fresh salmon and made salmon tacos. I made homemade flour tortillas (an easy recipe I found which is 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsps baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp vegetable oil. Add 3/4 cup warm milk and let the Kitchen-aid run on knead for a good 2 -3 minutes. Let sit in covered bowl for 20 minutes; separate into 8 or so balls and let sit (covered) another 10 minutes. Roll thin and then grill or fry in a cast iron pan. We tried grilling them for the first time and it was great - at least in terms of ease. They seemed a little heavier than when I've cooked them inside on the cast iron pan.

I added a marinade for the salmon (olive oil, lime juice, cumin, honey, chili pepper, apple cider vinegar) - it was okay. Not sure I'd do the same thing again - didn't really add anything.

I also made a sauce of yogurt, mayo, lime juice, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh cilantro. It was okay; again, not great.

And of course guacamole - mmmm. Can't go wrong with guac.

Served the tacos with left over kale salad. For desert we had fresh watermelon.

Salmon, Kale Salad, and Roasted Potatoes

After our (one-day) camping trip, we had a lovely dinner at home. It was BBQ'd salmon, kale salad and roasted potatoes.

Salmon - start with some really good fresh salmon, a little bit of salt and seasonings, and BBQ on the grill.

Roasted Potatoes - slice up some potatoes, some olive oil, salt, fresh oregano and rosemary. Roast in a 350 degree oven until soft but also

Kale Salad - a favorite recipe for our house.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940

Only change we make is to not add the black pepper.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

3/4 to 1 pound lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

The Usual

There is a running joke with my neighbors that they guess roasted chicken when asked what I'll be having for dinner and be correct pretty much every time. That is definitely my fall back dish. Last night, we had roasted chicken (whole chicken stuffed with lemon and salt, roasted at 425 for first 20 minutes and then 400 until it reaches the right temp), roasted butternut squash, and steamed broccoli. For dessert the boys had fresh cherries, peaches and strawberries and we all shared some left over cookies from Sunday.

Mother's Day Feast

Mother's Day started with a brunch consisting of our favorite (at home) French toast (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creme-Brulee-French-Toast-15213). J made this the night before and even "went for it" by using the half n half as the recipe calls for (normally, I'll either do whole milk or some combo of low fat milk and half and half). That and some fresh juiced OJ from oranges in our backyard (and juiced by S!). Topped off with some fresh steamed asparagus and some fresh strawberries and blueberries from the Farmer's market that morning. mmm.

Dinner was late but tasty... J BBQ'd some lamb chops (one of my favorites) and I have to say he did a fabulous job. I put together a quick marinade/basting sauce of olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh mint, pressed garlic, and salt. With no recipe! Along with the lamb chops we had roasted potatoes and kale salad (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940) - one of our go-to green side dishes. Some fresh peaches and cherries and also a sugar cookie from the Farmer's market and I'd count that as a great Mother's Day fest.

Butternut Gnocchi with Lemon Sage Butter

I can't find where I got this recipe from... but it is a keeper.

Serves 4 to 6 (I'd say 4)

Gnocchi

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grounded

Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whole fresh sage leaves

zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1. Cook squash in boiling water until tender (I steamed mine vs boiling)

2. Gently puree squash by pressing through a sieve or gently mashing with a potato masher (I used a potato ricer and it made things super easy)

3. Put puree into large sauce pan with 2 tbsp butter. Cook gently, stirring until the squash has dried a bit. Then remove from heat.

4. Add the flour, yolk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until combined and the dough forms a soft ball. You might need to add more flour (I did) if it's sticky.

5. Knead a few times on a floured board and let rest 10 minutes or so.

6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut the gnocchi in strips about as wide as your index finger. Roll the strip in flour to coat. Cut each strip into a bit-sized piece.

7. Roll the piece down a fork, pressing lightly with your finger (I skipped this step - it is purely for aesthetics)

8. Put a large pot of water onto boil.

9. As the water heats, make the sauce by melting the butter in a small sauce pan along with the sage. Simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest (I skipped lemon zest as I didn't have any)

10. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water, adding only a few at a time so the water doesn't cool.

11. When the gnocchi is done, it rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.

12. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Verdict: tasty! The boys love this dish. Only deviations I made from the recipe were to use 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I could probably even use 1 cup white whole wheat, 1/2 cup white next time and see how it goes) and not using the lemon zest. There were no leftovers. Served with some sausage meatballs and a big green salad.

Cuban Black Beans and Yellow Rice

My neighbor mentioned this dish once and I thought I wanted to try it, so I went to my trusted foodblogsearch.com and wound up taking parts from a couple of different recipes.

For the Cuban Black Beans, I had heard of making these in a crock pot so I definitely sought out a recipe that went that direction. I found this one and it couldn't have been easier or tastier: http://slow-cooker-collection.yumsugar.com/Slow-Cooker-Cuban-Black-Beans-Rice-530398

Cuban Black Beans and Rice
From Bettycrocker.com
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes about 6 servings.

1 pound dried black beans (2 cups), sorted and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large bell pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
2 cups Progresso® diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño chilies
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked rice

1. Mix all ingredients except rice in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves.
3. Cook the rice according to package directions.
4. Serve beans over rice.

For the Yellow Rice, I found this recipe when searching for the black bean recipe and took just the Yellow Rice part of the dish (and also it gave me the idea of serving this with guacamole): http://skinnybovineskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-of-week-cuban-black-beans-and.html

yellow rice
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bullion
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups long grain rice

In a medium saucepan, heat the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. add the water, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. add the rice and stir well. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Verdict: definitely a keeper. We had a couple of slightly older neighborhood kids over and one loved the rice and both loved the beans. My boys weren't thrilled about the rice but loved the beans. J and I loved the rice and the beans. Such an easy and inexpensive dish to make. I put everything except for the water and tomatoes in the crock pot the night before and then added the water and tomatoes just before I turned on the crock pot. I don't think you can overcook which is nice if you need to turn your crock pot on earlier in the morning. For the Black Beans, I made the following changes: didn't add the jalapenos, used a whole 16 ounce can of chopped tomatoes rather than 2 cups from a 28-oz can, added only 3 garlic cloves and put them through the press rather than chopping them, and used a yellow pepper rather than a green one. Would probably do those same changes again just because it all turned out so good and so now I don't want to change it up.

Made plenty! We fed 2 adults and 4 kids and still had plenty of left over black beans (probably enough for a small dinner for 4 or a couple of lunches). There wasn't any yellow rice left-overs.

Spaghetti O's

I had no idea what I was making for dinner tonight and I was starting late so I had that already against me... I looked in the pantry and saw a box of O shaped pasta and decided to go to my favorite foodblogsearch.com and look up spaghetti o's, with no idea if there would be anything. Luckily for me (and the family), I found this one: http://feedyourvegetarian.blogspot.com/2007/09/homemade-spaghettios.html

/2 lb ring shaped pasta
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup milk
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
1 6-oz can of tomato paste
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, melt butter under medium flame in a saucepan. Add flour and stir about 2 minutes. Add onion to the saucepan, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Whisk in milk, oregano, basil, and parsley. Bring to a gentle boil.
Whisk in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. If the sauce is too thick, add a ladelful of pasta water. Bring to a simmer.
Stir in the shredded cheese. Salt and pepper to taste
Finally, add the cooked, drained noodles and stir to combine well.

Serves 4.

Verdict: I think I used too much pasta (box was 12 ounces) but otherwise this was a keeper for sure. The boys loved it and both told me they loved tonight's dinner (and that I was the bestest cook). I served this with little sausage meatballs (essentially just ground Italian sausage shaped into tiny balls and cooked) and fresh green beans. Also, serving size says serves 4 but the four of us had dinner and I'm pretty sure we have enough left overs we could all 4 have the same dinner again and possibly still have leftovers. Also, I didn't have canned tomato paste and so I used the super concentrated kind in the tube. I have no idea if I put enough in but it still worked.

First Post - Shrimp Tacos

I finally realized maybe it would be best to start a blog so I can remember when I find a good recipe... so here it goes. Tonight we had a friend and his son over for dinner and I decided to make Shrimp Tacos. Off to foodblogsearch.com (I love that site!) and I found a couple yummy sounding recipes but finally settled on this one - http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/09/16/tequila-lime-shrimp-tacos-with-chipotle-cream/ from Recipe Girl.

TEQUILA LIME SHRIMP TACOS W/ CHIPOTLE CREAM
www.RecipeGirl.com

1 ½ lbs large, raw shrimp, peeled & de-veined (tails removed)

MARINADE:
juice and rind of 1 medium orange
juice and rind of 2 medium limes
¼ cup tequila
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE:
8 ounces sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (seeded & chopped)
1 tsp. adobo sauce (from the can)
½ tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
½ red onion, sliced

FOR SERVING:
8 soft-taco-size flour tortillas, warmed
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Marinate Shrimp:
Place all marinade ingredients in large zip bag. Add shrimp, zip closed and move bag around to coat shrimp. Place flat in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, turning every so often to make sure marinade is reaching all shrimp.

Prepare Sauce:
Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use.

Cook the shrimp:
Heat oil in large skillet to medium-heat. Saute bell pepper and onion until slightly charred. Drain shrimp from marinade and add to pan. Stir often, and cook just until shrimp turn pink and curl up. Remove from heat.

Assemble tacos:
In warmed tortillas, place shrimp, peppers & onions. Add lettuce, drizzle with chipotle cream sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4 (2 tacos per person)

Verdict: tasty. Shrimp part wasn't all that fancy or special but they still turned out good. Probably would take better if I had a pan for the grill versus just sauteing them. The chipotle sauce - that was awesome. Definitely a great sauce for any fish-type taco. Didn't add the sauteed onion or red pepper. We did add guacamole, shredded cheese, homemade flour tortillas, chopped tomatoes, and an avocado salsa. We had kale salad as our side. Will most likely make this again - I may play around a little with adding some spices to the shrimp marinade (maybe cumin).