What I've learned...

Speaking as someone who just started cooking within the past year, I wanted to share a little more than recipes with you today.  I have learned a lot in this past year with my new kitchen. 

Teflon is over-rated.  Years ago, I had a Teflon-coated skillet with me at college.  I would use it for everything, because it was the only pan I had.  I had to borrow one of my roommate's pots just for macaroni and cheese (a dish out of a box that I was very proud of making).  I mostly made Hamburger Helper with my Teflon pan.  I had a colander to drain the ground beef and a measuring cup to portion out the few ingredients that the meal required.  This Teflon pan was very well-used.  Now, I have a stainless aluminum skillet.  I find that I can brown ground beef in my current pan as well I could in the Teflon pan.  Where does the biggest difference lie?  The new pan is a lot sturdier than the Teflon pan.  I don't have to be careful about what instruments I use when I cook in my skillet.  I can use a metal spoon or tongs.  I don't have to buy all silicon coated or nylon utensils.  The scariest moment for me when I first got my new skillets was the first time I wanted to cook eggs.  I thought they would certainly stick to the pan, but they didn't.  They didn't stick, because the pan was at the proper temperature before I put the eggs in it.  I only used a small amount of butter in the pan first. 

"Dishwasher Safe" does not mean "use the dishwasher". There are many cookie sheets, muffin pans, pots, knives, glasses, etc. that all have the label "Dishwasher Safe" written on the packages. If you read the fine print, they usually say, for best results, hand wash only.  Knives should never be washed in the dishwasher.  While the blades appear to be sturdy, the edges that slice through all those delicious foods are actually very delicate.  They can chip and dull easily in the dishwasher.  The cookie sheets that were once flat and and smooth, can be warp because they were cleaned in a dishwasher.  Most cookies sheets are not a single layer of metal molded into the tray shape.  When placed in the dishwasher, the pressure can cause water to seep between the layers of metal.  the next time they go in the oven, they'll pop up and will not lie flat.  So, in the future, handwash these delicate items.

Knives are probably the most important utensil in the kitchen.  A bad knife can not only cause the preparation for a meal to take longer, but it is also more likely to cause injury.  When using a poorly sharpened knife, one must exert a much greater amount of pressure.  The chances that the knife will slip are also increased when it isn't sharp.  Please select knives with great care and do your research.  I most recently bought a set of Zwilling J. A. Henckel Mikado series. They are literally the best knife I've ever used.  I found myself wanting to chop and dice more and more just so I could use the knife.  Cutting an onion is a snap with this knife.  The steak knives that came with the collection also slice through a chicken breast with ease. My advice in this area is that your knives are more important than your cookware.  If you can't afford a great knife, start small and build a collection.  You don't have to buy and entire set all at once.  Also, I bought my set with a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Those coupons can save loads of money (especially on larger purchases).  If you get them, don't throw them away because they're expired...the store will honor them regardless of any expiration dates.

Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits

The most delightful addition to any meal are Martha Stewart's Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits.  I discovered this recipe when a dear friend gave me Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (it's orange, by the way). I call it my Martha Baking Bible (this is also where I got my Angel Food Cake Recipe).

These biscuits are a must have for any get together.  You can easily make them ahead of time and freeze them.  Once frozen, you can pull them out anytime and bake them just as you would on the day you made them.  You don't have to add any cooking time to the recipe.  I think this is great, because you can make several dozen and only eat a few at a time.  If you're like me and don't have a large family around to eat them, this is perfect.

Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
4 oz. cream cheese, cold, cut into small pieces
1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and chives. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining. Pour in the buttermilk; using a fork, mix in buttermilk until incorporated and the dough just comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky; do not over mix.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured fingers, gently knead about four times, until all the crumbs are incorporated and the dough is smooth. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 8-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or long offset spatula to lift the ends of the dough, fold the rectangle into thirds (like a business letter). Give the dough a quarter turn. Roll out the dough again (to the same dimensions), and repeat the folding process. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Return the dough to the work surface. Roll out as before, and repeat the folding process. Give the dough another quarter turn; roll out dough one more time, again into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, divide the rectangle into 12 equal squares or rectangles. Place on prepared sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (at this point you could also freeze the biscuits…to cook, simply put the frozen biscuits on a parchment lined sheet and proceed with baking)

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the biscuits are golden and flecked with brown spots, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

As with ALL of Martha Stewart's recipes, the directions are very 'wordy'.  It's actually really easy, don't over complicate it.  These are delicious.  Don't forget that you can always ask questions if you have any.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Monterrey

My coworker, Cindy Kennedy, has been raving about this dish for over a month.  Tonight, I finally understand everything she was talking about.  This dish at first seems intimidating, but as long as you follow the instructions, it's a piece of cake.  Like the Chicken Bryan or any other recipe that has multiple steps (sometimes more than one thing going on at a time), one should always read through the steps several times before starting the dish.  One thing you don't want to do is get ahead of yourself.  Ruining this delicious meal could be very easy if you got carried away.

I paired this dish with saffron infused yellow rice.  I'm sure there are lots of sides that would go wonderfully with this, but the saffron rice just worked so perfectly.  My advice would be to explore the Hispanic (or other) section of your grocery store and just go for what inspires you. Take a chance.  The worst that could happen would be that it doesn't turn out well.  I do that enough without taking chances...why not be bold?

Chicken Monterrey

¼ cup flour

1 envelope taco seasoning

6 chicken breasts

¼ cup butter

½ cup tortilla chips, crushed

2 Tbs. onion, chopped

1 Tbs. cooking oil

2 Tbs. flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 13oz can evaporated milk (do not use low-fat)

¼ to 2 tsp Tabasco

1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

1 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour and taco mix in plastic bag and coat chicken. Melt butter in 13x9 pan. Place chicken in melted butter turning to coat. Roll in chips and return to baking pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onion in oil until tender. Blend in flour and salt. Add milk and Tabasco. Stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Add cheese and lemon juice. Heat until cheese melts but do not let boil (may thin with regular milk if needed). To serve, line a platter with lettuce. Top with chicken and spoon cheese over chicken. Garnish with additional tortilla chips.

I wouldn't start the cheese sauce immediately after you put the chicken in the oven.  If you do it will be ready way before your chicken and you will be stuck stirring.  This dish is a must-try!! If you like a little kick to your meal, then you'll love this! Enjoy!!

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

Recently, I bought a 10 pound bag of small red potatoes.  I bought them because it was much cheaper to go to Costco and get the larger bag for $5.99 than go to Food Lion and get 6 potatoes for $3.99.  I am now posting my third recipe that I have used them for.  I got them originally for the Ham and Potato Soup (that's Ham and Potatoe Soup for Dan Quayle).  I also used them in the Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I have enjoyed all three dishes.  Last night, I revisited the Honey-Rosemary Chicken and also paired with good old green beans.  The honey flavor was really nice in the two dishes.  Honey is a great way to add a glaze to your dishes.  It adds a touch of sweetness, but will never have the flavor to over-power your meal.  Be careful not to overcook the Honey Roasted Potatoes.  They are just perfect when you follow this recipe exactly.

Honey Roasted Potatoes
1 pound red potatoes, quartered
2 Tbs. diced onion
2 Tbs. butter, melted

1 Tbs. honey

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat an 11x7 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish, and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, mustard, salt and pepper; drizzle over potatoes and onion. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time.



New Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you have been reading along, you probably have been expecting a new recipe for the Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I have revamped the recipe and this was much better than the previous one.  I feel like it can be improved even more, but I'll go ahead and let you know how I made this and maybe someone else can help with the next step. 

The garlic mashed potatoes were #2 in a series of "how do I use up all these red potatoes that I got at Costco?"  I bought a 10lb bag of potatoes at Costco because it was much cheaper than getting a small amount at the grocery store.  I have at least one more recipe that I'll probably use this week that will also use the red potatoes.  Last night was actually the first time I've ever made mashed potatoes from scratch.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 - 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

salt and pepper

Caesar dressing

1 - 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 385 degrees F. In a skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper chicken breasts.  When oil smokes, place chicken in the pan.  Cook chicken on both sides (6 minutes each side).  Place cooked chicken breasts in a casserole dish.  Brush chicken breasts with Caesar dressing.  Top chicken with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake in oven approx. 15 minutes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. unpeeled red potatoes, quartered

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup Romano cheese, grated
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15-20 minutes; drain. Stir in butter, cheese, garlic, salt and oregano. Mash with a potato masher or with an electric mixer.

I loved both of these dishes.  I will definitely be making both of them again.  I may modify the chicken each time I make it, trying to perfect the recipe, but I will post as I do so.  If you decide to give these a try, please leave a comment on the post.  I must say that it is difficult to post when most of the time no one says anything.  It would be a much appreciated source of encouragement. Thanks and enjoy!!

Soup and Salad Night

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year.  I was born in the fall.  Many fun activities happen in the fall.  As a child, one of my favorite fall events was the Fall Festival at my church. There were spook trails, cake walks, a variety of other games and most of all, chicken stew.  It always seemed like chicken stew was the first sign of fall for me.  My parents' Sunday School class still makes that same chicken stew.  It's so good, in fact, that the even sometimes make it for another church to sell at their festival.

I did not make chicken stew tonight, but there is something about the weather that feels just the same.  I had such a craving for potato soup with a white salad.  The potato soup recipe I got online, but the white salad is just what I decided to nickname the salad.

Ham and Potato Soup

3 ½ cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

¾ cup diced cooked ham

3 ¼ cups water

2 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules

½ tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. white or black pepper, or to taste

5 Tbs. butter

5 Tbs. all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, (~10 to 15 min). Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

This was the most delicious potato soup.  Next time, I might consider putting a little shredded cheddar on top.  It didn't really need it, though, because there was plenty of flavor.  For me to say that it didn't really need cheese means it was super good. 

 

The salad was simply mixed greens with diced, apples, cucumbers, yellow onion and feta cheese. It was the most simple thing to throw together.  I have to say that Costco has the best deal for mixed greens.  You get about a pound of those leafy greens for only $3.99.  I topped it off with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette from Kraft.  Please try the soup and salad.  I'm sure you will love it!! Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

Many years ago, on one of my family's many trips to K&W Cafeteria, I had a meal they called Pizza Baked Spaghetti.  It was delicious.  I hated going to K&W, but meals like those made it bearable. Tonight, when trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I thought that Baked Spaghetti would hit the spot. 

Not having a recipe for this, I decided it couldn't be that hard.  All I have to do is make spaghetti, put it in a casserole dish, cover it with cheese and bake it.  It could be that easy, right?  Guess what! It really is that easy. 

Ross's Baked Spaghetti

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

8 oz. vermicelli pasta

26 oz. sauce

Oregano

Basil

Chives

Worcestershire Sauce

2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan

2 cups freshly shredded Mozzarella

Pepperoni Slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Meanwhile, brown beef and add sauce and dried spices and Worcestershire to taste. Mix Parmesan into sauce. Mix sauce with cooked pasta and pour into 13x9 casserole dish. Cover with mozzarella (and slices of pepperoni) and bake for 15-20 minutes or when cheese begins to bubble. 

Unfortunately, I don't keep pepperoni on hand, so I'll have to get some and try this again soon. I can't wait because I'm sure it will be very tasty.  Try this, I'm sure you'll enjoy!!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Stouffers Mac and Cheese

Inspired by the Parmesan Crusted Chicken at TGI Friday's, last night's was a wonderful combination of flavors.  Unfortunately, since I didn't have an exact recipe for this dish, I had to attempt to create one.  It was delicious and juicy, but not exactly the tasty dish that Friday's offers.  In addition to the chicken dish, I made homemade macaroni and cheese.  The recipe for this dish was developed by Todd Wilbur.  He has lots of books that offer copy cat recipes of our favorite restaurant dishes.  This dish was (so I'm told) a very close copy of Stouffers Macaroni and Cheese.  I have never actually had the Stouffers version, but it was fairly tasty. 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Caesar salad dressing.

2 Cups freshly shredded Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brush chicken breasts with salad dressing then coat them in Parmesan cheese.  Place the coated chicken breasts in a oven safe casserole dish and cover with any extra Parmesan.  Bake for 40 minutes or until done.

Todd Wilbur's Mac and Cheese

1 cup skim milk

5 tsp. flour

2 cups freshly shredded med. cheddar cheese

2 tsp. margarine

1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 salt

3/4 cup uncooked macaroni

Whisk the flour into the skim milk in a small saucepan then place it over medium low heat. Add the shredded cheddar cheese, margarine and salt.  Stir often with a spoon until the cheese begins to melt.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Use a whisk to stir the sauce every couple of minutes so that it becomes smooth and thick.

While the sauce thickens, pour the macaroni into rapidly boiling water.  Boil for 8 minutes or until tender, then strain. You should have about 1 3/4 cups of cooked macaroni.

When the cheese sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, pour the pasta into a medium bowl. Gently stir in the cheese sauce and then pour mixture into a loaf pan or casserole dish.  Cover and freeze.

When you are ready to dive into your macaroni and cheese, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake the frozen macaroni for 50-53 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown slightly.

I felt the chicken was very good.  I might try different ways to match the TGI Friday's chicken. Also, the Stouffers Mac and Cheese was very delicious.  I chose not to freeze mine.  I only baked it for approx. 30 minutes until the top began to brown.  Enjoy!!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Once upon a time, I went to the movies. I got a large coke, a popcorn (with extra butter) and settled in my chair ready to watch some awesome new trailers. Much to my dismay an advertisement appeared on the screen.  I detest paying to go to the movies and seeing commercials, but this time it was lucrative.  It was for Brixx Woodfired Pizza.  With my ticket stub, I could get pizzas Buy 1 Get 1 Free at Brixx. My favorite pizza is the prosciutto and arugula pizza with truffle oil.  Unfortunately, the truffle oil is seasonal so I won't be able to have it all the time.  My friend, Zac, however, got the Buffalo Chicken Pizza. It always looks so delicious and I love buffalo wings, so put that on a pizza and you can't go wrong.  When I found this recipe online (which is drastically different from the pizza at Brixx) I couldn't resist giving it a try.

Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza

3 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed

2 Tbs. butter, melted

1 (2 oz) bottle hot sauce

1 (8 oz) bottle blue cheese dressing

1 (16 in) prepared pizza crust

1 (8 oz) pkg. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a medium bowl combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread whole bottle of salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let set a few minutes before slicing, and serve.

I used Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce (http://www.mooresmarinade.com/) instead of the hot sauce and melted butter.  I found it at Walmart and I thought it would be great to have on hand.  The hot sauce and melted butter works well also (it's what I use for the Buffalo Style Chicken Cordon Blue).  The crusts I use are the ones that's on the pasta aisle at Walmart.  Also, I don't use 8 oz. of Blue Cheese Dressing.  That is a bit ridiculous and a lot of overkill.  I just gave the crust a nice coat of the dressing.  After I coated coated the crust with dressing, I seasoned the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cooked them in the skillet with a little olive oil. I cut the chicken into cubes and returned it to the skillet and coated it with the buffalo sauce. I scattered the chicken evenly on the crust and topped with as much mozzarella as I could stand (about 2 1/2 - 3 cups).  This pizza is so delicious, it will be a hit with everyone!! I hope you enjoy!

Key West Chicken with Zested Lime Rice

While searching for more fun and exciting dishes, I came across this recipe for Key West Chicken.  I thought this marinated chicken recipe sounded inspiring for my next meal.  If you've ever been to Key West, you know that the food is amazing, the views are beautiful.  The best part is the breeze and the smell and the feeling you have when you step into the clearest water.  The water at the beach on Key West is clearer and more beautiful than on any other shore.  This recipe was the same for me...it inspired me to make an entire meal full of flavor. My thoughts then turned to side dishes.  I felt that rice would be a great side dish, but rice alone would seem just a little to plain for this dish.  I zested a lime and used that to give it just the right flavor for this meal. 

Key West Chicken

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. chopped garlic

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

In a shallow container, blend soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic. Place chicken breast halves into the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

I marinated my chicken for about 6 hours.  I think marinating the chicken overnight would have been even better. I used a George Foreman grill, because I do not own an outdoor grill. I felt like a dash of salt and pepper would have helped as well.

 

Zested Lime Rice

2 Tbs. butter

1 cup white rice

zest of 1/2 lime

2 cups chicken broth

salt to taste

 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt the butter and add the rice and toast slightly (1-2 minutes).  While the rice is toasting, add the lime zest and some of the juice of the lime.  Then add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to low.  Let simmer for 15 minutes and then remove from heat and let stand for at least 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  This is an original recipe so I hope you like it.  Enjoy!!

Caramelized French Toast

Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder, "What am I going to make for breakfast?"  You are now going to have the best thing ever to put in your recipe box.  This recipe for caramelized french toast is the most delicious recipe and it doesn't even need syrup. Seriously!

Caramelized French Toast

4 Tbs. butter, divided

6 eggs

½ cup milk

1/8 tsp. salt

8 slices bread

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup water

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a frying pan or skillet over medium high heat. Beat together eggs, milk and salt. Dip bread one at a time into egg mixture and fry until light brown and egg is cooked.

After 4 slices of bread have been cooked, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cook remaining bread slices until light brown on both sides and egg is cooked. After all bread slices have been cooked and removed from pan, add brown sugar to pan. Stir until melted and sticky. Add water and stir. Place French toast in caramel sauce. Turn to coat, then remove from pan. Serve.

As I was making this recipe, I went to the refrigerator to get the milk and noticed that it two days out of date and already soured.  What do you do when you're ready to make

Picnics

One thing I remember most about picnic lunches is my parents' picnic basket.  When my friends wanted to get together for picnic and an outdoor show (Children of Eden at WSCT in Lewisville), I was excited to be able to prepare a picnic lunch. I truly wished that I had a wonderful picnic basket to carry all the wonderful things that I wanted to take on this picnic.

The main ingredient for my meal at this picnic was a simple sandwich. Ham and chicken cold cuts with provolone and Swiss cheeses were topped off with bacon and all made my sandwiches very delicious. I toasted my bread and used only Kraft mayonnaise and honey mustard. I have found that people are more picky about the type of mayonnaise they use than about anything else that goes on a sandwich.  People are so faithful to their own brands that they would sometimes rather do without than to have the wrong kind.  I know that I'm not going to buy a whole jar of the other ones just because I cannot find my Kraft one day.

The thing that is most important about a sandwich to me, is the cheese.  I love a good, flavorful cheese.  Provolone would probably be my favorite, but Swiss (preferably Jarlsberg) is also delicious.  If you are going through life only eating sandwiches with slices of American, take a chance and buy something else.  You might be surprise how the sandwich soon becomes a lot more delicious.

Another fun thing for the picnic today was the fruit.  I got grapes and strawberries. It was so nice to be able to share this healthy snack with my friends.  I absolutely love both of these and it's a lot better to have these than a big bag of greasy chips or candy bars.  I'm not going to say I didn't have or want those things, but having the fruit was a much better snack and kept me from eating too much of the unhealthy things.

I hope you can think of a way to have an old fashioned picnic.  They're lots of fun and no more work than any other meal. Enjoy!!

Pork with Peach and Black Bean Salsa

In the search for new recipes for this blog, I stumbled past a great website that is a brilliant source for a huge variety of meals, allrecipes.com.  This website has been the source for many of my meals and often will offer suggestions as it did with this recipe tonight.  I finally signed up for an account with them because that allows me to save my favorite recipes.  While registering for the account, I somehow managed to sign up for a daily recipe.  The Country Breakfast Casserole from this morning was also one of these posts.  Just check it out and you could possibly find something wonderfully delicious.

This recipe arrived in my email inbox several days ago and the spicy sweet nature of this recipe definitely peaked my curiosity.  I am NOT a huge black bean fan, but one of my friends really loves them so I figured I can give them a try.  I do love peaches and salsa and the mixture of the two intrigued me. 

Whether I'm cooking or eating, I have come to live by a few simple rules.  One of those rules is..."you never know until you try it."  I spent many of my younger years sitting at the table long after everyone in my family had left.  I refused to eat my beans or whatever my mom was putting on my plate.  Needless to say, I was a very picky eater.  Even at the local fast food restaurant, I only wanted the french fries.  In my adulthood, that philosophy has gradually evolved into what I stated earlier.  Some of the things I thought I would like the least have become my favorites.  Frankly, I just didn't know what I was missing, because I was unwilling to try it.  Many people are this way with sushi.  I thought it was gross until my friend Tesh convinced me to try seared tuna at Diamondback Grill.  Years later, I'm totally hooked and have become adventurous enough to try even sea urchin. I don't like it, but I tried it.  It wasn't gross, but not my cup of tea.  Think about this when you see something that doesn't look like something you'd normally eat.  Give it a shot and you just never know.

Pork with Peach

and Black Bean Salsa

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup cornmeal

1 Tbs. olive oil

¼ cup beer

1 cup prepared salsa

1 (15 oz.) can sliced peaches, drained

½ (15 oz.) can black beans drain and reserved liquid

1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Season cubed pork with salt and pepper. Place meat in large plastic bag with the cornmeal. Shake well to coat the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the coated meat in the skillet and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium.

Pour in the beer, salsa, peaches and beans with 2 Tbs. reserved liquid. Stir well and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

This meal is very delicious and the pork was amazingly tender.  It was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet.  I loved this and it's definitely a keeper in the recipe box.  I hope you try it.  Enjoy!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

Bacon is probably one of the most delicious cuts of meat on the planet.  There is, however, another pork product that tastes and smells delicious...sausage.  There are so many delicious dishes that sausage gives us.  This casserole is one of those dishes. 

One of the traditions of the school where I work is a delicious breakfast on the first day back to school.  Teachers and administrators slave away to make delicious sausage and egg casseroles.  I found this recipe online and it's different from those, but still extremely tasty.

Country Breakfast Casserole

1 (16 oz) pkg. breakfast sausage

1 chopped green onion

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup water

½ cup milk

1 (2.64 oz) pkg country gravy mix

6 slices bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 Tbs. melted butter (opt)

Paprika to taste (opt)

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a 11x8 inch baking dish. Brown sausage in a large skillet; drain fat.

Combine sausage with green onion and spread evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Top with shredded cheese. Whisk together eggs, water, milk and gravy mix; add mixture to baking dish. Arrange bread squares evenly on top. If desired, drizzle melted butter over bread and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside 10 minutes before serving.

I really loved this casserole and I'm sure you will as well. Enjoy!!

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

There are many types of lasagna dishes out there.  I've already posted the recipe I use for a very basic lasagna.  That was a red sauce recipe and you can easy add or subtract many things with that recipe as long as you want to use that red sauce as your base.  This recipe is for a lasagna does not use the traditional red sauce.  Using the basic recipe for any roux with onion, garlic, and a blend of cheeses and spices.  Alone, the white sauce for this recipe is delicious and can be used for a grown-up mac and cheese.  I hope to try it soon.  This recipe also uses chicken and spinach.  One could easily make this a vegetarian recipe.

I did have to make one substitution for this recipe. I just recently purchase a large wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese at Costco.  I forgot to buy Parmesan cheese so I just decided to substitute the Romano.  They are very similar in texture and flavor. 

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles

½ cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups milk

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat

2 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350º. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Melt the butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk and boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer dish with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

This recipe is absolutely delicious and met rave reviews from my friends. It takes a little time to put together, but it's well worth the effort. I hope you enjoy!!!

Poppyseed Chicken Casseroles

For Christmas, my parents gave me the most wonderful little dishes.  They are called Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown Singles.  I thought it would be really cool to prepare an entire meal in individual servings.  This was my first attempt at using them for that purpose.

This recipe is one of the first meals that I cooked in my new house.  It's a family favorite and I'm sure you'll love it too.  It's so simple and the ingredient list is really short. I have cooked my chicken different ways to use in this recipe.  I find the easiest is boiling it.  It's a bit more mindless than grilling and you're less likely to burn your meat.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

3 lbs. Chicken Breast (cooked & cut into pieces)

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

8 oz. Sour Cream

1 Stick Margarine (melted)

2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers (crushed)

2 Tbs Poppy Seeds

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix soup and sour cream together, and mix with chicken. Pour into 9 X 13 baking dish. (I buttered dish before adding chicken). Add the melted margarine to the crushed Ritz Crackers and mix thoroughly. Place on top of chicken. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of Poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees (uncovered) for about 30 minutes or until Bubbly.

If for some random reason, you get drug tested...remember that you had the poppy seeds and enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Update - Marscarpone

On August 3, 2010, I posted a recipe for Olive Garden's Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  It's a very delicious recipe and I made that again last night for several friends.  I love a good cheesy dip and I will also emphasize this now...shred your own Parmesan!

The main reason for this post/update is to talk to you about the marscarpone substitution recipe.  When I first prepared this recipe, I had Bel Gioioso Marscarpone Cheese from Lowe's Foods.  Lowe's Foods and The Fresh Market are about the only places that I know of in Winston-Salem that sells this smooth and tasty cheese.  It's also slightly expensive, so I found a substitute recipe online that simulates the texture and flavor without the price.

Marscarpone Substitute

8 oz. cream cheese (soft)

3 Tbs. soft butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbs. sour cream

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter.  On slow, add heavy cream and sour cream.  Once the heavy cream has been mixed in, speed mixer to medium to smooth out the texture.

If you go back and look at the Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe, you'll realize that this means you'll be putting 1 1/2 pounds of cream cheese in the dip.  Yup...that's why it's so great!  My advice is to have lots of friends to share with every time you make it.  If you make it as an appetizer, plan for them to fill up before the entree.  Marscarpone is also the type of cheese that is used in tiramisu.  Hmm, Maybe I'll have to try that one, too.

Zuppa Tuscana - Olive Garden

Olive Garden is easily one of the busiest restaurants in town and for a very good reason.  Almost every dish on their menu is delicious.  I would say, however, that it is far from healthy.  All of their recipes are laden with cheeses, heavy creams and likewise loads of fat...thus delicious.

For those of you who have never been to Olive Garden, but have someone climbed out from under your rock long enough to read my blog, Olive Garden offers an appetizer for nearly every entree on the menu.  Their salad is truly one of the best and I must confess that I have a bottle of their signature salad dressing in my refrigerator as I am writing this.  I, however, love to forgo the salad for what I think is their best soup, Zuppa Tuscana.  This soup is creamy and pretty easy to put together. 

Zuppa Toscana

(Olive Garden)

1 (16 oz) package smoked sausage

2 potatoes, cut into ¼ inch slices

¾ cup chopped onion

6 slices bacon

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded

2 Tbs. chicken bouillon powder

1 quart water

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300º F. Layer the sausage links onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half length-wise. Then cut at an angle into ½ inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base or bouillon, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

I felt that this recipe (as written) is a little sausage heavy and kale light.  I used a 19 oz. package of Italian sausage.  I thought that by only being 3 oz over the amount the recipe asked for wouldn't make very much difference.  It didn't really, but there was WAY too much sausage even with 16 oz.  The next time I fix this soup (and there will be a next time), I will use half that amount of sausage.  I would also use more than 2 cups of kale.  I felt that it could have used 3 or maybe even 4 cups.  Just make sure you wash it thoroughly.  I hope you give this recipe a shot, because it has loads of flavor.  Enjoy!!

A Gift from My Mom

Quite a while back, my mom told me that she wanted to make me an apron.  I had mentioned to her earlier that I couldn't find an orange apron anywhere and she said that she could make one for me. Later, she confessed that she wanted to embroider "The Orange Skillet" on the apron and she was looking for a picture of an orange skillet to put on it. 

My mind started churning and I told her that I had something in mind.  Unfortunately for me, I can draw much better in my head that I can in real life. Artistry is something I probably get from my dad. I grew up watching him draw all the time.  I later watched my brothers draw. 

In second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Smith (whose grandson I taught last year), assigned everyone in the class a building in our town and we had to draw it. I was assigned the Lexington State Bank building in Welcome, NC. From that moment, I decided I wanted to be an architect and it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I changed my mind and decided to become a music teacher. Long story short...my whole family (including my mom, although she'll deny it) is very artistic.

One Sunday, I decided to finally start putting the images of a skillet that I have been drawing in my head onto paper.  I make quite a few sketches and gave them to my mom.  These sketches are of a skillet that resembles a treble clef (obviously representing music, another of my passions) I told her which ones I liked the best and she chose one and blew it up and embroidered it onto the orange apron she had already sewn.  The result is the most awesome gift and I am proud to share it with you.

Pasta Milano - Macaroni Grill

Like pretty much everyone who eats out at restaurants, I have favorites.  At Romano's Macaroni Grill, I absolutely love the Pasta Milano dish.  There are three main Italian restaurants in Winston-Salem (Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Carrabba's).  Each one is very different and I have different favorites at all of them. 

In addition to my favorite entree, I also love the different breads.  Olive Garden has delicious bread sticks that stand on their own without any type of dipping sauce. Carrabba's has a pretty simple bread, but their dipping sauce is where it's at. Macaroni Grill, however, has the most flavorful bread.

Pasta Milano

(Macaroni Grill)

4 chicken breasts

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

36 oz. bow tie pasta

4 Tbs. butter

1 ½ cups sun-dried tomatoes

1 lb. mushroom, sliced (opt.)

1 quart heavy cream

1 head garlic, roasted

½ tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 cup Parmesan cheese (extra for garnish)

fresh parsley (opt.)

Wash and dry chicken breasts. Mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on chicken. Grill chicken on the stove top in a skillet or outside on the barbecue grill, until it is done all the way through. Set chicken aside.

Place pasta in salted boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms and tomatoes in butter until soft. Place heavy cream, roasted garlic, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese in food processor and puree.

Place cream mixture in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Mix in mushrooms and tomatoes and add to the cooked pasta. Slice the grilled chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

I, of course, did not add the mushrooms.  I just sauteed the tomatoes in butter until soft. I don't have a food processor, so I did not do that step either.  If you are making this recipe for just a few people (as I did), you don't need to use four chicken breasts.  Also, 36 ounces of farfalle (bow tie pasta) is a bit extreme.  I used a 12 ounce box. If you choose to include the mushrooms, I doubt you would actually need a full pound of them.  Use your common sense and make judgements for yourself.  If you have a hard time finding sun-dried tomatoes, Costco (of course) has a great option.  I use them a lot so this $7-$8 bag is well worth it.

I would have to say, however, that it is very nice to have an Italian Parsley plant now.  I can step out the back door and gather whatever I need.  My mom started a few of these herb plants for me and it has made things so much easier.  I hope you give this dish a try and I'm sure you'll enjoy!!

Homemade Waffles

There are waffle people and there are pancake people.  I am definitely a waffle person.  Before now, I used to always make pancakes when preparing breakfast foods at home simply because I didn't own a waffle maker.  If you like waffles (even a little), it is a terrific purchase.  Like many of your (I'm sure) I am slightly worried about where in the world I am going to store this amazing new appliance.  I don't care though, because it's worth every penny.

Unless one has an electric griddle or a really large pan, most can only make one or two pancakes at a time.  With this waffle maker, I can make four waffles at once while doing something else entirely.  It may sound like I am trying to sell you a waffle make, but that is not the case I assure you.  I just want to point out the benefits and justify my purchase to myself.

My recipe came from the instruction booklet that came with the GE Waffle Baker. There are many mixes out there (including Bisquick) that you could use as well.  I chose to top my waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream (not to mention Aunt Jemima's syrup).  There was very little sugar in the actual waffles so if you choose to get sugar free syrup you can cut even more calories.

Waffles

2 cups flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Preheat waffle baker. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt dry ingredients. Whisk together milk, oil and eggs. Gradually add milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just blended. Pour batter onto waffle baker (1/3 cup for each waffle). Makes 4 ½ cups (approx. 10 waffles).

Blueberry Waffles: After pouring batter onto waffle grids, sprinkle fresh blueberries over batter, then close lid.

If you don't already have a waffle iron, take a chance.  I hope you enjoy!!

Chocolate Martinis

Tonight, for my meal, I prepared several favorites.  Alice Spring's Chicken (Outback), Corn on the Cob and Grilled Zucchini.  I've prepared all of these things for The Orange Skillet before so I don't really need to share the recipes with you again.  I never really posted how I prepared the corn, but it's not difficult. I boiled it in water.  I've heard that you can also microwave it, but I haven't tried that method yet.

The pièce de résistance for tonight's meal was the chocolate martini I had while I prepared it. Three years ago, my friend Michelle had me over to her house and we had the MOST delicious martinis.  The recipe was from Michelle's friend Melissa. For the longest time, Melissa referred to me as "Michelle's friend, Ross" and I called her "Michelle's friend, Melissa." Anyhoo, Melissa gave  me the best recipe for this sweet favorite and I am going to share it with you.  I won't lie to you, though...it's expensive.

Melissa's Chocolate Martinis

1 ½ shots Godiva choc liqueur

1 ½ shots crème de cacao (clear kind – not dark)

½ shot vodka

3 shots milk

Mix all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake. Stain into chilled martini glass drizzled with chocolate syrup.

The Godiva liqueur alone costs $26 - $30 per bottle. I found it on sale.  It will last for a while unless you plan to make one for all your friends too. It is very important that you use the clear crème de cacao.  My friend, Stephanie, and I tried both the dark and the clear and we only approve of the clear. It doesn't really matter what kind of vodka you use.  I usually buy whatever is cheapest for this recipe (because I've already spent my money on the Godiva).  If you prefer, you can leave it out altogether. Drink safely and never drink intoxicated. Enjoy!!