Fajitas

We're always looking for new ways to finish up the leftovers in the house and inevitably there is always soft tortialla shells, red peppers, and numerous types of cheese. This time, we had nice piece of flank steak thawing and thus the steak and the leftovers turned into some kick-ass fajitas.

Let me say that Mexican food is not something I cook very frequently because in my attempts to use less processed foods, I've had to learn to make up my own spice mixes (or use recipes), and that has always been a bit unnerving for me. I mean, that's what a spice packet is for isn't it? And let's be honest, with a spice packet 99% of the time, the end-product tastes the way it should! Nevertheless, I did have some success recently which I think boosted my confidence and prompted me to take on other dishes, hence the fajitas.

Oh my goodness were these good!! The steak was cooked just perfectly - just shy of medium - and I have to give myself a big pat on the back for coming up with the right combo of spices for a dry rub. The peppers and onions really did need to be cooked "low and slow" in order to achieve the right consistency so as to not brown the onions so I didn't at all mind waiting nearly 30 minutes for them to cook down.

Beef Fajitas

source: Smells Like Home

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
• ground cumin
• ground corinader
• chili powder
• garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• For serving: soft flour tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream

1. In a heavy cast iron frying pan over medium low heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter until melted. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle on some of each of the spices - 3-4 shakes of cumain, corinader, chili and garlic powders should to it along with a couple pinches of salt and a few grates of black pepper. Add onions and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until onions and peppers are soft and close to caramelizing.
2. While peppers and onions are cooking, sprinkle each of the spices on both sides of the flank steak and allow steak to come to room temperature before cooking.
3. Remove peppers and onions from pan and set aside, keeping warm. Turn up heat to medium, add about 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the steak in the pan and sear both sides for about 5 minutes each. Remove the steak from the pan, slice into thin pieces against the grain. If steak isn't cooked to desired "redness", finish slicing and return the slices to the hot pan. Return the peppers and onions to the pan and cook everything together for another 2-3 minutes, taking care to not overcook the steak.
4. Serve on soft tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Prep time: 5-8 minutes

Cook time: 35-40 minutes

Serves: 2 (with some leftovers)

A warm meal on a cold day

Southern New England saw it's first major snowfall of season last week and with that I felt compelled to make something warm and cozy for dinner. So with 10 inches of snow came a big pot of beef stew.

After only having made beef stew once prior to this, I have to admit that I'm still honing my skills with this one. Overall, the stew came out great; the veggies and potatoes were nice and soft, but the meat was a wee bit tough, most likely because I mistakenly allowed the stew to boil in the pot rather than simmer. Ah well...I'll pay more attention next time.

Beef Stew

source: Smells Like Home

• 1 1/2 lbs stew meat
• flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 lb white potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1" cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• approx 1 tbsp thyme (I used fresh)
• approx 2 tsp rosemary (I used dried)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup uncooked barley (optional)
• cornstarch (if necessary)

1. Heat oil in a large deep stockpot or dutch oven (I used 7 1/4 qt dutch oven).
2. In a large Ziploc bag, toss meat in flour until well-coated. When oil is heated, cook meat for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from pot and set aside. Add vegetables and cook for 7-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Return the beef to the pot and combine with vegetable mixture. Add chicken stock and barley. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. If after 1 hour the stew hasn't thicken, raise the heat and stir in a mixture of 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tsp cold water to the pot. Allow stew to come to a steady low boil and allow stew to thicken - should take about 5 minutes. Repeat the cornstarch step until the stew thickens to desired consistency.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hr 15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Shepherd's Pie

I'll be honest, I never liked shepherd's pie. So every time Kyle has asked me to make it in the 5 years that we've been together, I've always turned my nose up...but he never really got my point because every so often the shepherd's pie topic would come up:

Him: "I can't understand how you don't like it! It's just meat, mashed potatoes, and a bunch of vegetables all thrown together and baked. What's not to like?"

Me: "I don't like my food to touch. The fact that the meat, mashed potatoes, and vegetables are all mushed together does not appeal to me at all."

But as we were trying to use up all the leftovers from Thanksgiving, I gave in. I don't know what came over me that night when he asked for it...maybe it was that I was having doubts about my plan for dinner that night (turkey pot pie) or because I figured it was time to give shepherd's pie another shot...I don't know but I quickly found a recipe and got to cookin' before I changed my mind.

"Who needs a recipe for shepherd's pie?" you ask. Well, I do. If I was going to give a long-requested and long-disliked (respectively, in our house) dish a shot, I wanted to do it right. Now let me say that I don't make many of Emeril's recipes because they usually involve too many ingredients, many of which I'm often unable to find at the grocery store...but this recipe really was great. I used what I had on hand and overall, I must admit, it turned out very well. I got a thumbs up and a few "mmms" from Kyle and now have a new-found respect for shephard's pie. Who knew??

Shepherd's Pie
source: Emeril Lagasse

Traditionally, shepherd's pie is made with lamb and "cottage pie" is made with beef. This is my twist on these 2 favorite English casseroles, substituting leftover roast turkey for the meat.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon Essence or Creole Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and sliced (I omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded roast turkey (white and/or dark meat)
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes or Basic Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows (I used my leftover mashed potatoes)
• 3/4 cup grated sharp or medium Cheddar
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
  

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square or 2.2 quart baking dish with the butter and set aside.
2. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, Essence, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until thick, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the meat and stir well to combine. Gradually add the stock and then the peas, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
3. Carefully transfer to the prepared dish and spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the potatoes are crisp around the edges, 22 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 22-25 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Basic Mashed Potatoes:

• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled, quartered, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place the potatoes in a medium, heavy saucepan with enough salted water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan. Over medium-low heat, cook the potatoes for 1 minute to dry. Add the milk, butter, cream, salt and pepper and mash until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tara's Ultimate: Mac n Cheese

Cheese is love. Is there any dish more comforting than mac n cheese? You'd be hard pressed to find someone to dispute this and even harder pressed to find 5 people who are in love with the same mac n cheese recipe. It seems like there are hundreds out there...some similar, some very different, some with one type of cheese, some with at least 7 types (really though, why complicate one of the most basic comfort foods?), some with veggies, some with tuna, some with meat, some out of a box with cheesy powder, some out of a box with cheesy goop...overall, it really could be considered one of the world's most perfect dishes - dairy, carbs, protein, and veggies if one chooses to add them. What American doesn't love mac n cheese?? (oh and PS - I didn't arrange the cheese in the pic above in the shape of a heart; it just happened to fall that way as I was grating it.)

It's been at least 6 months since I've made my traditional mac n cheese. However, in that time, I did find a recipe for a more sophisticated mac n cheese; one that calls for prosciutto but when I decided to make my favorite version, I didn't feel like spending $20/lb on some extra protein for the meal. I was tempted to try Tyler Florence's Ultimate Mac n Cheese after oddly enough catching that specific show on Food Network yesterday (last week I put mac n cheese on the menu for last night) but decided that since I hadn't made mac n cheese in so long, I wanted to make sure that it was gonna be great - I passed over Tyler's recipe for fear of it being too different and not satisfying our craving for good mac n cheese.

Now, a little background on this recipe...it's not some secret family recipe that has been passed down through the ages. Simply enough, it comes from the back of the Mueller's elbow macaroni box. However, it's the only recipe my mom has used for years and as I was preparing to move out on my own (now nearly 6 years ago), the only thing I asked for was for my mom to write down the recipe. Instead, she cut it off the next box she used and slipped it in my Christmas stocking (I moved right after New Years). Growing up, she used to add tuna fish (canned) and peas to the dish to round it out as a full meal but I stick to the basics. So yes, if you're wondering, I'm still using the exact recipe mom cut out for me (although I do tweak the types of cheese I use depending on what I have in the fridge - see below). When I misplaced the recipe card once a couple of years ago, I cut another one out of the Mueller's elbow macaroni box and believe it or not, it wasn't the same recipe! I about died when I realized that I didn't have the "right" one and immediately got on the phone with my mom for some help. Luckily, the "right" one resurfaced a few months later and I now keep it in a very safe spot. So here's my Ultimate Mac n Cheese....

Mac n Cheese
source: Mueller's elbow macaroni box

• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional
• 2 1/2 cups milk (I always use skim)
• 2 tbsp margarine or butter
• 2 cups (8oz) shredded American or cheddar cheese, divided (this time I used cheddar, fontina, and gouda)
• 8 oz Mueller's elbow macaroni, cooked 5 minutes and drained (I don't necessarily use Mueller's elbows and usually cook them for closer to 6-7 minutes)
• 2-3 tbsp ground-up cornflakes (not in the original recipe)

1. In medium saucepan combine corn starch, salt, dry mustard and pepper; stir in milk.
   Add margarine/butter. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in 1-3/4 cups (425 ml) cheese until melted. Add elbows.
3. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.
4. Bake uncovered in 375 degree (200 C.) oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned. I bake for 15 then sprinkle the ground-up corn flakes to the top and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Prep time: 12 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Fabulous Frittata

When life gets hectic, the last thing I want to do is be a slave to the kitchen trying to cook dinner. I had a feeling yesterday would be one of those days and I'm so glad I planned early to make frittata for dinner, because it really was one of those days.

I had a 5pm dentist appt after work to have what I thought was a small filling put in as a preventative measure, which didn't have me worried at all because I don't need any novacaine for these types of things. In fact, the last time I had novacaine was over 20 years ago. Well.....this procedure proved to be different. The dentist numbed me gum as soon as I got in the chair then came at me with the novacaine needle - ummm....what??? I thought this was a small procedure!! As it turns out, the "spot" they originally saw two months ago progressed to a full-blown cavity IN BETWEEN my teeth and the dentist ended up having to drill down damn close to the nerve ending. OK, so I felt nothing whatsoever during the procedure but the novacaine left me feeling weird and slightly disoriented. To make matters worse, when I got back in the car, I realized that I had broken my glasses when I made the tranisition from glasses to sunglasses earlier in the afternoon. GREAT. Alright, not so much of a big deal because I'm not totally blind without my glasses and it was still semi-light out so I could handle it.

On the drive home, I decided to stop at Barnes & Noble to pick up my next book club book. I parked and got out of my car to put my jacket on and when I leaned back in the car to get my purse, I hit my head so hard on the top of the door jam that I literally saw stars. Woah!! Seriously, could the chain of events get any worse?? Thankfully it didn't and I was so happy to come home and only have to make frittata for dinner because if I had planned anything else, it would have been take-out for sure.

If you're still reading, this, I commend you...and if you're wondering, yes, I do still have an egg on the top of my head. But I digress...the frittata was fabulous!! I used up some thawed out frozen spinach, chopped red peppers, sliced roasted garlic chicken sausage and fontina cheese (my favorite!) and I couldn't be more pleased with how this turned out. Seriously, if you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, put them (the veggies, not your kids) in a frittata! All of the flavors came together beautifully and not a single veggie screams out "I'M A VEGETABLE!!" I told Kyle that I was considering making this frittata again for dinner tonight! :)

Fabulous Frittata

source: Smells Like Home

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 eggs
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black
• 2 chicken sausages, sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed, and drained
• 3/4 cup red pepper, diced small
• 3 oz fontina cubed small

1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Turn oven on to broil. In a 9 or 10 inch non-stick, oven-safe skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Coat the sides of the pan with butter and oil mixture. Add spinach, peppers, and chicken sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender crisp and heated through. Reduce heat to medium-low and add egg mixture then cheese. Cover and cook for 2 minutes until eggs have set but the top is still runny.
3. Carefully move pan from stovetop to oven and broil for 4 minutes or until the top is browned and no longer runny. Remove from oven (handle will be hot!!) and let stand for 2 minutes. Loosen frittata with a non-stick spatula and slide onto serving plate.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Pumpkin Pancakes

The finale to a picture-perfect and relaxing autumn weekend with my parents was a good, hearty breakfast. Kyle and I haven't made pancakes in ages and since he asked for chocolate chip pancakes this morning, I thought I'd take it a step further and use my improv skills with the help of the can of pumpkin puree that has been calling me from my cupboard for weeks.

Weeks? You ask? Yes, weeks. I've had so many pumpkiny foods that I've been yearning to make but either my time runs out or I can't decide what to make so I've ended up not making anything...until today.

It was during the middle of mass at church this morning when I had what you might call an epiphany (of sorts) and I suppose the timing of it was fitting, considering where I was and what I was doing. Why not pumkin pancakes?? Is what I said to myself...and thus my great idea was born. I planned out the recipe on the ride home (yes, I was able to redirect my attention to the mass) and got started as soon as I got home.

The first batch that came off the electric griddle were plain pancakes with chocolate chips for Kyle...then came just plain pancakes...then I added 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg to the remaining amount of batter (maybe 1/4 of the total amount of batter) and I started to see what I had in my mind come alive. The batter alone smelled wonderful and my parents started hovering once they started to cook. To the last 2 pumpkin pancakes to go on the griddle, I added a few chocolate chips for good measure and these turned out to be les pieces de resistance.

Holy moly were these pumpkin pancakes (with and without chocolate chips) incredible!! So incredible that, based again on the number of "mmms" I heard this morning, they I expect they will end up on our post-church breakfast table again very soon (yes, that means that although he was skeptical of the idea of pumpkin pancakes, Kyle loved them too).

Penne Rustica

There's not a better way to end a great day than with a wonderful meal! I had heard "iffy" reviews about this dish on my cooking board (where I found the recipe) -- some felt they had to majorly alter the recipe and some followed it almost to a "T" and felt the was something missing. My experience was very different. In fact, my experience with the recipe including a meal full of "mmms" with my dad almost singing through dinner with "mmms". It was quite comical and even today he was still talking about the penne rustica from last night....guess it turned out well!


Like I said, I followed this recipe exactly and it was excellent. The rosemary really came through and the marsala wine gave the dish such a nice flavor, an almost (forgive me here for the reference) a la Rachel Ray ::shudder:: "hmm...what is that?" kind of feeling but with a little more "umph". However, with a recipe calling for four, yes, four cups of heavy cream and a stick of butter, this was by no means a "light" recipe and thus the week's healthy eating pretty much went out the window last night. Ah well...we all have to make sacrifices from time to time and I certainly have no regrets about sacrificing a week of good eating for this meal.

And so on to the recipe....

Penne Rustica
source unknown

Sauce:

• 1 T. butter
• 1 T. chopped garlic
• 1/2 T. Dijon mustard (omitted this)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chopped rosemary
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cups heavy cream (I used 2 cups skim milk, 2 cups heavy cream)

1. Saute butter, garlic and rosemary until garlic begins to brown. Add marsala wine and reduce by one-third.
2. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume. Set aside.

Penne Rustica:

• 1/2 oz. pancetta or bacon
• 9 ea. shrimp, peeled and deveined (omitted shrimp)
• 6 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced (used 1lb chicken and seasoned with herbes de provence, garlic powder, salt and pepper)
• 16 oz. penne pasta, precooked
• 3 oz. butter
• 1/2 T. shallots, chopped
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. paprika (omitted this)

1. Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pink but still translucent. Add chicken, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly.
2. Add sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce thickens. In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. (I used a 13x9 inch glass baking dish.) Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
3. Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes.
   

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 8

Turkey Chili

Yes, fall has arrived! In spite of the 80-90 degrees temperatures here in CT this week, I'm moving full steam ahead into fall with some warm meals. Last night, turkey chili was on the menu and what a treat this always is!

Years ago my mom swapped out ground beef for ground turkey and tomato sauce for salsa in her chili recipe and I've taken that recipe and modified it a little further. In my grocery store, I've found 33% reduced sodium chili seasoning packets (by McCormick) and organic salsa that has about 50% the amount of sodium as regular salsa. I tend to be very sensitive to sodium and thus try to control for it as much as possible in everything I cook and eat. Because the ground turkey usually is slightly more than 1lb and the seasoning packet calls for just 1lb of meat, I've found that a few extra seasonings is necessary and you'll see what I add below.

This truly is one of my most favorite cool-weather meals yet I'm still surprised on the number of compliments I get when I serve this (maybe I'm surprised because of how easy it is to make!)...but I hope you love this chili recipe as much as I do and that you'll share it with every

Turkey Chili

adapted from my mom's kitchen

• 1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
• 1 lower sodium chili seasoning packet
• 1 jar organic salsa
• 1/2 jar of water (the salsa jar)
• 1 (15oz) can red or dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander

1. In a large frying or saute pan over medium-high heat, brown turkey. Drain if necessary.
2. Reduce heat to low and stir in the remainder of the ingredients. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes.

Extras:

• Fixin' suggestions: sour cream, shredded cheddar, diced onions, scallions, chives, tortilla chips.
• Serving suggestions: over rice, on tortilla chips with shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheeses as chili nachos, as chili dogs or chili burgers, or layer in an 8x8 baking dish with cream cheese, shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, and scallions and bake for 15 minutes at 375 for a hot dip.

Prep time: 0 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Chicken Stuffed Shells

I'll admit that I was skeptical about this recipe when I first read the rave reviews on my cooking board and I've been holding on making it for months now for two reasons: 1.) I was afraid that chicken in stuffed shells would be dry and I didn't need to add another dry chicken recipe to my repetoire, and 2.) I've never made stuffed shells before because they seemed too time consuming. Well, I was SO wrong on both accounts.
I decided to make this a Sunday night dinner because I figured they'd take more time to make than I am afforded for weeknight dinners. This was true, but really worth the extra couple of minutes, and it would have taken me less time but I made a quick tomato sauce rather than using canned or jarred.

The only changes I made to the recipe is that I used a rostisserie chicken rather than boiling a chicken breast, I made my own sauce, and added a little bit of shredded fontina cheese to the top of the shells before baking.

Kyle and I LOVED these stuffed shells and they will definitely be repeated sometime soon. They are easy to make for a nice weekend meal or fancy enough for a dinner party, and can be made ahead and frozen for another time (which I will be doing the next time I make them).

Chicken Stuffed Shells

(looking for recipe's original source....)

• 15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 ounces cooked chicken
• 1(15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 (28 ounce) can low fat marinara sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp parsley
• Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
3. Cook pasta shells according to directions and drain
4. Boil chicken and shred
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
6. Combine chicken and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes
7. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste
8. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
9. Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish
10. Pour remaining sauce over shells
11. Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until filling is lightly browned
12. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 4-5

Brownies with a caramel touch

After a dinner of spicy garlic lime pasta and fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, my dessert called for a little bit of sweetness (or a lot of sweetness). I needed something to make that was quick and easy to end a weeknight dinner with a guest. Everybody loves brownies but I wasn't feeling up to a pan of brownies - I was thinking something a little special. Yes, my brownies came from a mix (Hershey's Triple Chocolate Chunk which can be found at your local supermarket or at BJ's Wholesale where you can buy a box of 4 packets) but I made them my own by baking them in mini-muffin pans and then pressing a caramel Hershey's kiss in the center after immediately after baking. Not hard but SO good!

I sprayed the mini-muffin tins with Pam for Baking, filled the cups about 1/2 to 2/3 full, then cooked them for about 18 minutes at 300 degrees F. (check with a toothpick for doneness)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 18-20 minutes

Yields: 36 individual mini brownies

Heavenly Birthday Cake!!

I'll be the first to admit that chocolate cake with chocolate icing is not my favorite type of cake. I've requested a marble cake with sweet butter icing every year since before I could remember but this year would be different because my mom's oven is broken and baking a cake in a toaster oven might prove difficult. So I asked Kyle to take care of my cake this year and we'd bring it to Long Island where we'd celebrate with my family, as we do every year.

My only request was that he call the baker who made our wedding cake last year and ask her to bake a small cake - the flavor and icing were his choice - but no chocolate/chocolate. I guess a million things happened between that request and week of my birthday (8/19 in case anyone is wondering ;) ) and the call to the baker never happened. Needless to say, Kyle felt really bad and offered to make the cake himself. Wow. What a nice suggestion. And to be honest, I wasn't at all worried about how it would turn out because he's actually very adept in the kitchen. All he needed was a recipe and for me to be around if he needed help.

What recipe did I choose? Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake with Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Icing. Yes, that's right...a chocolate/chocolate cake. Funny indeed. I had heard wonderful reviews about this cake and hadn't yet gotten the chance to make it so I figured this would be as good of a time as ever (and I wouldn't have to do any work to enjoy it!).

The result? Absolute chocolate perfection. The cake was perfect. The icing was perfect. EVERYONE raved about it and couldn't believe that Kyle made this cake - and their jaws literally dropped when I told them that he made it from scratch! My brother, who I seriously don't think has ever eaten a whole piece of birthday cake in his life had SECONDS! He even requested that Kyle make his birthday cake in November. (Sorry Mom!!)

I'm not going to post the recipe because my iterations in this post have gotten away from me but let me say a couple of things: Kyle made the cake and icing the night before we ate it. We wrapped the cake in SaranWrap, refrigerated it overnight, and put the two in a cooler for our 2 hr drive. The cake arrived without incident (no cracks) and it was iced right before birthday candles were added. He also made 1 and a half of the icing recipe but we agreed that it probably should have been doubled.

DON'T hesitate to make this cake - it's totally worth it!!!

(And go ahead and add the perfect complement: vanilla ice cream!)

Sophisticated Mac n Cheese

There's not much of a better way to describe this dish that a sophisticated version of mac n cheese. Don't get me wrong...I LOVED how this turned out but I think I expected something a little different from Giada than what the outcome was.

In Giada's Everyday Italian cookbook, she highlights a Bechamel sauce and then uses it in her Baked Rigatoni recipe. I guess I didn't realize what the sauce really was because for some reason because before reading the recipe for the sauce, I had been intimidated to make it - it sounded too fancy. However, Giada's recipe for Bechamel is practically the same sauce I use for my homemade mac n cheese recipe (I don't add nutmeg to my sauce though). It's the prosciutto that makes this a fancy mac n cheese, in my opinion. So really, the sauce was very easy - and it can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days before using it (even better!). I halved the sauce recipe and made about 3/4 lb pasta for the two of us (main course) and for leftovers.

Baked Rigatoni

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, warmed (I used skim and it turned out perfect)
• Pinch fresh nutmeg
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
• 1 pound dry rigatoni
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I added some on top before baking but the original recipe doesn't call for it)
  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce: In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and constantly whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - do not let the sauce boil. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook 8 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.

Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Prep time: 20 minutes (including cook time of Bechamel sauce)

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6 side dish servings

Chicken Parmigiana Pizza...

with a little extra umph. I had chicken parmigiana pizza for the first time about 7 years ago and thought it was the best creation ever. Well, Kyle having worked in a pizza restaurant for the better part of his high school years and for sometime afterwards, let's say that he picked up a few ideas...one of them being chicken, bacon, onions, and garlic pizza. Yes, this is the best pizza creation I have ever had. EVER. It's the chicken parmigiana pizza "kicked up a notch" (for lack of a better phrase).

How could you ever go wrong with bacon? Bacon was a new and scary concept to put on a pizza for me but they just don't do it in NY. I'd never seen it on a pizza menu, had never heard anyone order it, and had never ever heard anyone talk about bacon as a pizza topping...until I moved to Connecticut for college. Yes, I turned my nose up at the suggestion of it but to be honest, it wasn't too bad. And then Kyle stepped in and ordered this masterpiece one night a few years back and I knew it was love...love of this new pizza creation, that is. ;) This is our 'ol standby now.

Chicken, Bacon, Onions, and Garlic Pizza

• 3 Perdue Baked Italian Chicken Cutlets (they are pre-cooked), diced into bite-size pieces
• 1 onion, sliced and slowly sauteed until very soft (about 20 minutes)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 slices bacon, almost fully cooked and chopped
• 8-12oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups tomato sauce (jarred or homemade)

See my pizza instructions and tips for how to roll out the dough and prep the pizza stone. Layer ingredients in any order. Cook for 12-13 minutes at 475 degrees.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-13 minutes
Serves: 4

mmm....pizza....mmm.....

Going....

Ok, so if I could pick two foods to eat everyday for the rest of my life, bagels with cream cheese would be one (in fact, growing up, I was often called "the bagel queen" by my family lol) and pizza would be the other. Pizza is the most well-balanced food out there. No, seriously. Just the base of any ordinary pizza has carbs (dough), protein (cheese and any meats), veggies (tomato sauce), and then of course you can add whatever other veggies or fruit (pineapple, for example) you'd like. How can you get more well-balanced than that? Of course, I neglected to mention fat content but for many pizza options out there, you can totally cut down on fat content...

This was one of those attempts. I made up a quick tomato sauce (with onions, garlic and a few dried herbs), topped it on 1 pound of rolled out, pre-made dough that I bought at the grocery store (either in the dairy or deli sections), then added shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, a touch of dried oregano, sauteed onions, sliced roasted garlic chicken sausage, and sliced turkey pepperoni (which by the way, didn't make the pizza greasy at all). It was a hot night with the AC blasting, and I cranked the oven up to 500 degrees to get the pizza stone heated, which of course counteracted the effect of the AC but it was so worth it! What a treat this was!!

Going...

A few tips about making pizza:

• always let the dough rest to room temperature before you try to roll it out
• USE LOTS OF FLOUR to roll the dough out. I know there are a few different techniques to getting the dough into the "perfect circle" but really, the most important thing to remember is that the flour will keep the dough from shrinking as you roll it - and don't worry about making that perfect circle - pizza is pizza no matter what shape the dough ends up as
• Here's what I do: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Flour your work surface, the ball of dough, and the rolling pin. Start rolling the dough out from the center to the outside (always work the dough this way); after a couple of rolls, carefully flip the dough over and sprinkle some more flour and roll out with long rolls from the center. Repeat until dough is to desired thickness and size, all the while making sure there is enough flour on the work surface, dough, and rolling pin.
• I use a pizza stone but a large cookie sheet works just as well. Whatever you use, make sure that you sprinkle corn meal on the stone or the cookie sheet before you put the dough on. In order to get the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven, I prepare the pizza on a large wooden cutting board that is well-sprinkled with corn meal, then carefully slide it off the board onto the stone in the oven (this is a two person job!!) - making sure the board has enough corn meal will ensure that the pizza almost rolls off the board with the help of a couple of spatulas. Someday I'll get around to buying a pizza peel with a long handle which will hopefully make it easier to do this step.
• Turn the oven temperature down to 475 degrees and cook for 12 to 13 minutes.

Gone....

All-time favorite

Most everyone has their own chicken parmigiana recipe but every so often, I come across someone who has never made this mouth-watering chicken dish. What gets me is that this just so basic, its a total wonder how some people think chicken parm is intimidating to make and at the same time, that there are so many different versions.

I am truly my father's daughter and aside from our shared affinity for rice pudding, peanut butter, and potato chips, my mom can attest that chicken parm is, hands-down, our numero uno favorite meal. (In fact, when my dad eats at seafood restaurants, he orders chicken parm rather than seafood - and does that make my mom steam!) I can't count the number of times this has appeared on my parent's dinner table, although usually only for special occasions, and to this day as I turn 29 years old this year, my mom still makes this for my birthday dinner when they celebrate with me.

While growing up, I have spent a lot of time watching this meal be prepared and have since incorporated many of my parent's methods into my own recipe, while adding some ideas that I've picked up along the way in an effort to personalize an already fantastic meal. So...here's my very special version...

Chicken Parmigiana

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2 inch
• 1 egg
• dash of water
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup flour
• olive oil
• sliced mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups (approx) spaghetti sauce (either jarred or homemade), heated
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a heavy fry or saute pan. In 2 shallow bowls, beat an egg with a dash of water in one bowl, and combine bread crumbs and flour in the second bowl. Dip and coat chicken breasts in egg then dredge in bread crumb and flour mixture, pressing mixture onto chicken. Carefully place in hot oil. Cook until chicken is browned, then turn and brown the other side. When both sides are browned, carefully remove chicken and place on a paper towel on a plate to drain.

Cover the bottom of a 9x9 glass oven-safe dish with some sauce. Place drained chicken on top of sauce. Top with more sauce (reserving some for a side of spaghetti), Parmesan cheese, then sliced mozzarella. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

P.S. - Please excuse the picture- it is a little dark and I let the cheese brown for a minute too long this time. :)

How can you make cheesecake better?

Add Oreos to it of course!! In one word...heavenly. This was a recipe I got off the WC board on the Nest and have been waiting months to make...and it's probably a good thing I waited so long because I've saved myself a lot of calories in that time by not making...and eating it sooner. This one will be a repeat offender...

Oreo Cheesecake

• 1 cup crushed OREO cookies (about 12 cookies)*
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
• 4 pkgs (8-oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 20 OREO cookies, quartered

*NOTE: Regular Oreo cookies are recommended, as cake does not set as well with Double Stuff.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using silver springform pan (or 300 degrees if using a dark non-stick springform pan). Mix crushed cookies and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Gently stir in quartered cookies. Pour over crust.

Bake 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cookies or drizzle with caramel, if desired.

Source: Nestie Lalabee0425