Eating Dinner With My Family

My husband named the dish. I will let you figure out what it means;).  I wanted to make something with goat cheese that would hopefully pair well with a sauvignon blanc I had lying around. I think my experiment turned out pretty well.  My only issue is that the goat cheese was a tad grainy; it might be because it cooked much faster than I expected and had to take it off the heat and wait for the boy to get home from karate. Other than that, yummy.  To go with it, we diced and roasted 1 potato and 1 sweet potato and an onion tossed in some olive oil with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The sweet potato, surprisingly, cooked faster than the potato.  Next time we will throw them in a little later. Pdoma Chicken 1 pound chicken, boneless, skinless, thin cutlets 1 large spring onion, sliced including green tops 5 basil leaves, chiffonade 4 ounces Fresh goat cheese, at room temperature 1/4 cup beef broth (it was what was open) 2 Tablespoon Butter, ...

Having an abundance of masa harina and having loved our last attempt at arepas, we figured tonight we would try another recipe for them, and return to the city of my childhood at the same time.  Small problem.  The first arepa recipe used the instant corn flour, and I assumed that arepa flour was that instant flour.  It couldn't have been.  We needed to add much more to get a workable dough; it was so wet it couldn't be cut or hold shape.  I also had forgotten how sweet they were; that is something I am generally not a fan of. Our "operator errors" aside, it wasn't too bad.  I did make a slaw like the last arepa recipe and sprinkled some crumbled feta cheese over the top.  It was great.  In retrospect, the original arepa recipe was Mexican and this arepa recipe is a Cuban one. They aren't the same.  We kind of took a Cuban arepa and dressed it in a serape. It was good but I think in order to make this properly we would need to use different c...

I like to vary our diet more than this, but the confusion over the meatballs has lead me to overstock on ground beef. (pork too but that is for another day)  I had everything else I needed for this recipe except the baguette.I had a small amount of pickled jalapenos too.  It is at this point that I begin quoting A team. "I love it when a plan comes together!" Not only was it a ingredient perfect storm, my family and I LOVE bahn mi so I figured this would be a good one to try. For no other reason, this spicy mayo makes the recipe a must have.  The burgers were tasty, but they are no Banh Mi.  For me the Banh Mi are in a class almost all by themselves.  The burgers were delicious, but they had all these little things that keep them from being world class in my book.  They WILL be made again.  They are very good, but for me I need to think of them as burgers not bahn mi or the will fall short of my expectations. Oh and I used red ...

I made many more adjustments to this recipe than I normally do, (or like to do) to a first time I make a recipe.  First of all, I want to try it the way the recipe states because there is a reason the creator made it that way.  Also, even if it is something I think I wouldn't prefer, I want to see what works and doesn't for me. Well I don't do veal, so it was 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork. I am not a big fan of radicchio, and at $6 for a small head, I will just do double of my hydroponic butter lettuce.  The mint had died in the herb garden so none to garnish with, so I used cilantro. Since I wasn't following the recipe anyways, I made a quick dipping sauce similar to a Thai peanut sauce, but I used tahini.  The sauce needs work, but I think it will be a nice addition to the dish.  I also added some sliced cucumbers and onions so it would have a bit more veggies so I wouldn't have to make some to go with it.  I served it with plain white jasmine rice. I think it wa...

Well, I was thinking of ways to use up the chorizo I had left from the shrimp dish and use up some of the cheese I bought way too much of for the mac and cheese.  I was thinking of whipping up some kind of mexi pizza.  So, I started out chopping celery and onion for my black bean recipe, only to find out that I didn't have a can of black beans.  I did, however, have some refried beans (vegetarian). I figured they would work too, so into the pot they were thrown. I am quite pleased with the result.  I think I put a but too much cheese so I reduced the amount in the recipe.  Also It is easy to put too much beans.  I think I did but didn't reduce the amount here.  Haven't gotten feed back from my husband yet, but the boy liked it too. It could easily be made meat free by omiting the chorizo. Mexi Pizza 1 pound Pizza dough 1 1/2  tablespoons  Olive oil 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped, reserve about 1/4 of it 2 tablespoons toma...

Well. I was going to make these Asian meatballs wrapped in lettuce leaves, but the recipe called for ground beef, pork and veal (which I don't eat so it won't be in the recipe), but I only had the beef.  I figured I could have made it with all beef, but seeing as there aren't many seasonings, I think the mixed meats are pretty important.  A quick search of Food and Wine website found me this recipe by the same people who made the Stilton burgers with the port wine reduction.  I still had umami dust left from that one and all the ingredients on hand, so hey, it's what's for dinner.  I think this technique of cooking the burgers with the onions is awesome.  It makes for some tasty, juicy burgers and awesome onions.  I did not use the bread and butter pickles.  I would have tried it if I were buying ingredients for this meal, but our family is not a fan of the sweet pickles and they wouldn't have been in the house. Cheddar-And-Onion Smashed Burgers...

Well, as not the biggest  fan of chicken, I wasn't blown away by the meat.  Plus the whole on  the bone thing gives me the willies.  I had one tenderloin; the sauce was pretty great.  Not particularly hard to make, but it took much longer than the recipe said.  I didn't delete this recipe, but I an not anxious to make it again. I realized at the last minute I didn't have a starch, so I quickly made some star shaped pasta with butter and parm. Chicken Provençal 1 T  cooking oil 1    chicken (about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds),cut into eight pieces 3/4 t  salt 1/2 t  fresh-ground black pepper 1    small onion,chopped 4 ea garlic,minced 1/2 c  red wine 1 1/2 c  canned crushed tomatoes with their juice 1/2 t  dried rosemary 1/2 t  dried thyme 1/3 c  black olives,such as Niçoise or Kalamata, halved and 1 t  anchovy paste 1. In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over modera...

Well I was looking for a recipe that would use up the rest of the Crème fraîche I left.  I thought this sounded like a good use and I could finally try these amazing looking fritters.  Well the soup was a meh, but the boy loved it.  The fritters were AMAZING.  Love, love, loved them.  They were pretty easy to make too. Next time I make them, I think I might put the grated zucchini in a paper towel and squeeze a bit of the liquid out of them.  I only think this might help with how they hold together.  They were knife and fork food and I wanted finger food:) I think the lemon wedges were unnecessary, as there was plenty of lemon flavor from the zest, but it didn't hurt it either.   Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters 2    medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each),coarsely shredded 2    garlic cloves,very thinly sliced 3    large scallions,very thinly sliced 1/2 c  fresh sheep-milk ricotta cheese 2...

Tonight we are trying another variation on tacos.  It was a little plain for my taste.  The recipe did not specify anything but hot sauce or salsa, but I would have liked cilantro at least.  We ended up putting the beans I made with it in the taco.  It was good.  I thought the meat would be too spicy, but it wasn't.  The onions were nice.  I used half a large red onion I had in the fridge and the rest white onions. I can't say I was wowed though. Chipotle Beef Tacos With Caramelized Onions (Tacos De Carne Asada Enchiladas) 1    (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1 lb skirt or flank steak (skirt steak should be trimmed of fat and white -silver skin) 3 T  vegetable oil 2    medium white onions,sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 t  kosher salt,plus more as needed 12    (6-inch) warm corn tortillas Salsa or hot sauce,for serving [Note: This recipe was featured as part of our No-Fail Mexican ...

I was looking for a recipe to use up the leftover Gorgonzola from yesterday.  I thought this looked interesting and it is from a chef I like. I enjoyed it, but I tend to pick apart new recipes and this one could have used work imo.  I thought the bites that had a bit of everything were great, but the way the squash was in chunks on top, made that intermittent.  I think it would be great with a small adjustment. Next time, I would mash the squash and make that paste the "sauce" on the pizza.   I also didn't cook it the way she said to in the recipe.  I did my usual pizza cooking by heating the stone in the oven at 500.  Then putting the rolled out dough on the hot stone and then putting the toppings on it and baking at the bottom of oven at 500 for 5-10 minutes.  (tonight it was for 8) It is still an interesting dish worth making. Roasted Acorn Squash And Gorgonzola Pizza 1    (1- pound) acorn squash 2 T...

Tonight I force my son to reevaluate his stance on Brussels sprouts.  I have already converted my husband when I sliced them thin, sauteed them in a little bit of bacon fat and olive oil, and added some sauteed garlic, chopped tomatoes and a splash of balsamic.  Tonight's dinner is something that I think could be great, but the dish we ate tonight tasted of one thing only: Gorgonzola.  If there were double the Brussels sprouts and half the cheese, I think it would be outstanding.  Also I wouldn't sprinkle any cheese over the top.  We thought some hot sauce would help. It didn't; it made it worse. My son, who entered the house when I was roasting the Brussels sprouts and asked "What STINKS?", did declare at dinner that while it stunk while cooking, it was much better than he thought.  I will count it as a success in my mission despite the fact he really couldn't taste much of the sprouts.  The mental battle is half the food battle so next time we have t...

My husband and I were having a date night.  I made this for the kids and my MIL.  It was quite rich but delicious.  It was also one of the easiest mac and cheeses I have ever made.  The only work involved was the shredding  the cheese.  I did that because it is cheaper but pre shredded would work too.  It was enjoyed by all.  As always, when available, clicking on the title will take you to the original recipe online.  I think I drizzled a bit too much oil on the macaroni.  It was sucked into the tubes and it looked like there wasn't much on the pasta.  Other than that it was great.  It didn't ruin the pasta but a little too much grease. The cream cheese on the top is brilliant. It makes the dish. Marja's Mac-And-Cheese 3/4 lb elbow macaroni Extra-virgin olive oil,for drizzling 1 1/2 c  heavy cream 1 c  half-and-half 1 c  whole milk 2    large eggs 1/2 t  freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 T...

Now I am not the biggest fan of turkey burgers, but my family is.  I really have loved every Bobby Flay recipe I have tried so I figured I would give this one a go.  It is super quick and super delicious.  I used ground turkey not ground turkey breast.  Not only does it make a tastier burger but it is much cheaper. (bonus!) I made these with slightly less meat (1.3 pounds) and we didn't grill them.  My husband cooked the burgers in a cast iron pan.  (along with toasting the buns)  The onions he sauteed in some bacon fat.  (they tasted fine on the burger, but alone I was not a fan.  Not only did they add to the fat content (and not the flavor imo) but they tasted nasty if you ate one by its self. Last minute, I decided to make some potato wedges to go with them.  Found this Paula Dean recipe.  I didn't have cornbread dressing so I used some bread crumbs.  Not great, but an acceptable substitute.  I think there is some work ...

I made this recipe for me. I am the only one in the house that loves asparagus or mushrooms.  I liked it very much.  I took it as a sign that it was a great dish when my son didn't gag when he ate a mushroom.  He loathes them and they are one of the two items he is allowed to veto off his plate.  They were mushrooms and peas; now he has switched the peas to cauliflower.  Even though he can veto them, I do make him try them occasionally.  I think it's only fair that he can opt to not eat some things.  We all have things we don't care for, but your taste evolves.  He has to buck up and eat them every once in a while. (even if it is just to reaffirm that he hates them:) Creamy Farfalle With Cremini, Asparagus, And Walnuts 4 Servings Salt 1 lb farfalle pasta 3 T  butter 1 lb cremini mushrooms,thickly sliced 1 lb thin asparagus,trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch piece 1 c  mascarpone cheese Pinch freshly grated nutmeg 3/4 c...

While I am a HUGE fan of Publix, I have found myself becoming less enamored with their Apron meals.  They are not bad, but because they rely so much on pre made ingredients, they aren't as delicious as they once were, now that I am weaned off processed foods.  This is one I remembered liking very much.  I still do, but I tweaked the sauce to include a bit less of the bottled (low sodium) marinade because I thought it was still too salty.  Still, I think it is worth a try. I also didn't bother with the skewers.  I sliced it, but I think it would work with a whole fillet. Salmon "Satay"   1 1/2 lb salmon fillets (skin removed,thawed, if needed) 8    (10-inch) bamboo skewers 1/3 c  sesame ginger marinade 1 T  sesame oil 1 T  peanut butter .Preheat oven to 450F. .Cut salmon into eight equal pieces and thread lengthwise onto skewers (wash hands). Combine in small bowl, marinade, sesame oil and peanut butter; reserve one-th...

Well I wanted to use up the caviar I had left over from the pizza I had made.  I found this one and thought well, I love, scallops, potato pancakes, creme fresh and butter, how could this be bad.  During the prep, I was worried that the end result wouldn't be worth the investment of the ingredients.  I was so very wrong.  It was not a simple recipe, but it was very tasty.  The butter is worth making, even alone.  The potato pancakes as well.  The scallop method was not perfect, but still alright. The recipe did call for slightly larger scallops, so that may have made a difference.  I will say that I made one small deviation, I used lime as I didn't have lemon for the juice. We all really liked this a LOT! I am excited to make it again for guests.  It is technically an appetizer (2 pieces as a portion for each), but we just ate more and added a salad. Yummy! Scallops With Potato Pancakes And Caviar Sauce Yield: 10 Servings Panca...

Well I had made the second (frozen) portion of the Stuffed Shells (12/7/11) It was still tasty even after a month frozen.  I did put it in the fridge last night. (it really should have been put in the fridge a couple of days ago) Since it wasn't totally thawed, I put the entire baking dish on an aluminum pan for 2 hours before baking.  I covered it with foil and baked it 350 for an hour. (this contradicts the original recipe's instructions)  Then I took off the foil and baked until the top was starting to brown.  I looked around for a use for some leftover buttermilk I had from the chicken and dumplings.  I found this recipe.  I didn't make the salad, I just made my usual lettuce, tomato, onion and cuke salad, but it was still pretty good.  I didn't think it was too tasty at first, but my husband suggested some honey and it was much improved. Bibb-And-Radish Salad With Buttermilk Dressing 3    large heads of Bibb lettu...

Another emailed recipe from Fine Cooking.  I LOVED it.  I was afraid it would be too spicy because I didn't (and really couldn't) seed the chipotle so  I only used about 3/4 of the called for adobo, but it was not really spicy at all. It had an amazing rich and complex flavor that was really surprising.  It smelled fabulous when cooking too. The actual time involved with the cooking process was small  (I want to say like 8 minutes), but the prep time with the chopping and slicing took at least 20.  So, if everything was cut ahead of time, (oh and I had frozen shrimp, so them thawed too), you are looking at a 10 minute meal.  Really great.  Its a real shame that my husband is working and not getting to eat this fresh. (reheated shrimp are never as good) The rice, which was not so great, was leftover rice warmed with some broth and I stirred some of the salsa verde we had left.  Not terrible but nothing compared to the entree! Spicy Seared Ch...

Originally this recipe came from a Martha Stewart magazine. The first time I made it was over a decade ago.  My lovely dinner guest raved about them.  I did diverge a bit from the recipe.  I added extra ginger, chili paste and garlic because I like extra spicy and it was well received by everyone.  Even those who haven't tried them before. With the exception of the peanut butter, it is actually a pretty healthy meal too.  I decided to finally make this now again since we recently found out that the blood test came back as a false positive for a peanut allergy for my daughter.  Yay peanuts are back in the house:)! It is a good dish to make when company is coming because most can be pre made.  Everything but the chicken was ready ahead of time. (and since the chicken need not be hot, I guess even the chicken could be cooked ahead a of time)  My chicken didn't cook fast enough so I marked the outside at 4 minutes a side then put t...

We have made this before, the salsa verde came out a bit different but tasty.  The real treat was the broccoli.  I thought it was delicious.  The boys complained that the floret part wasn't crunchy. (and it wasn't) but the stems were perfect.  I will be making it again soon! Roast Chicken With Crispy Skin 4    Chicken Breast,Skin On Boneless 1 T  Olive Oil Salt And Pepper [Note: This base can be used to create a variety of pan sauces  ] 1.Preheat the oven to 400. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, and cook over moderately high heat until they are richly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for about 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to warmed plates. Italian Salsa Verde  from Bon Appétit (First One I've Tried) 4  ...

.  Well I have limited my recipes to dinners because breakfast and lunch would triple my work, and most breakfasts and lunches are pretty straight forward. (who needs a recipe for fried eggs or a sandwich) However, I am so happy with myself, I have got to share. :) I had a couple of everything bagels that my husband was going to put into the compost bin since the had become slightly less than as hard as a rock.  I said I had a plan for them.  They bagels were cut into small cubes and mixed with some beaten eggs (4 I think) and milk. ( a cup I want to say)  I then added a bit more of each just until it looked like enough liquid to really soak in the bread.  Add some cubes of cream cheese, sliced scallions and minced sun dried tomatoes, gently mix, and top with some slices of muenster cheese.  I covered it and let it soak overnight.  Next morning I baked it at 400 for a half an hour.  (this is all based on the ham and cheese strata recipe ...

Well I  had presoaked some black beans in anticipation of tonight's dinner.  I had some Coke and ham drippings from the ham cooked in Coca-Cola (11/28/11).  I froze the cooking liquid in two batches for future use.  (Nigella Lawson the chef whose cook book I got the recipe from said it made the most fabulous black bean base)  It was pretty tasty.  Yes it was sweet, but not too sweet, and with the addition of some salt and some of the liquid from some pickled jalapenos it was just right.  I still prefer my original recipe for black beans, but its very good.  I deviated from the recipe in that I used dried black beans and the ham/coca-cola liquid rather than canned black beans; I omitted the chipotle and used some of the pickled jalapeno juice instead.  I also cooked it much longer and topped it with sliced scallions and cilantro.

I loved Julia's Garlic soup, and this is similar so thought I would try it. (also my boy has been begging for the garlic soup again)  It came in one of my many email recipes.  I got the souffle recipe from Julia's iconic cookbook.  I have been wanting to try it so I can have a use for saved and frozen egg whites.  (other than royal icing that is)  I thought making these together would be perfect as  each recipe requires either 6 egg whites and 6 egg yolks. So I embark on my 3rd souffle, but a new recipe that I haven't made.  I am not quite sure what happened with the "bechamel" part, but it was a solid chunk when I went to do the boiling part. So what solves everything?  MORE CREAM!  I added more until the whole solid mess was a semi liquid bubbling mess. Now I am waiting and praying and thinking, hey at least the soup will be OK right?  Well the soup was very good, but I think the first garlic soup was better.  The s...

This is from the amazing book 'Sauces' by James Patterson.  The book is organized into a starting sauce with many variations on that sauce. This is one of  those starting sauces. The dish is super easy and quick.  The final broil is by no means necessary.  It adds more time than flavor IMO. I couldn't find fish bouillon, so I used some bottled clam juice instead.  It was fine. I think any broth would work in a pinch.  I used the rest of the clam juice in the rice I cooked with some water.  For a veggie, I had some zucchini. I have seen zucchini noodles or ribbons before, and I thought I would play with that.  It took a little time to shave the zucchini with a vegetable peeler, but with practice, I think I could become quite speedy.  I sauteed some onion and the ends of the zucchini that I couldn't use the peeler on in some butter and salt.  Then I just tossed the noodles in the butter off the heat and just warmed them but didn't coo...

Holy crap! I don't care for nachos or chili for that matter but my mind has been changed! My lovely friends invited me to watch a football game; while the game disappointed, the food didn't. While all was delicious ( as expected) the nachos blew me away. No, I don't have the recipe, and no I would never ask. I have enough recipes that are my forte, I love that they have a recipe I will dream about and never try to recreate. How to describe it? Meaty, cheesey, lettucy chip goodness:)  I don't usually put a post without a recipe, but I not only wanted to honor a delicious dish, but remind myself that never think the jury is out on a dish.  You may have had something hundreds of time and not care for it, but there very likely one version out there you will!

I was looking for a use for the second of  my bogo fresh black eyed peas.  The first of which was cooked with escarole for new year's day.  My boy loves burgers, so I was hoping that this would be a dish he'd like. I was worried, despite his love of burgers because of the mushrooms in the burger. As I am serving it to him, he made several nice remarks about how everything I cook is delicious. Oh except the stuff with mushrooms he declares. Oh crud I think. Will he see the mushrooms? I chopped them rather than sliced them to disguise them. However he is a positive super sleuth when it comes to ferreting out his two forbidden 'veto' ingredients I allow him to opt out of. (they have changed, but right now they are mushrooms and cauliflower)  It seems my worries were for naught; he declared it a favorite. The burgers held together fairly well during the cooking but fell apart completely when eating.  It was a delicious mess. I didn't use the vegan rolls, I had some...

This recipe is an OLD one I haven't made in a very long time.  It came out one of those (I now think horrible) little cookbooks you find in the grocery checkout line. Despite it's origins, this is a tasty and quick meal.  The original fillings lost in time, but this is ours:) Grilled Loaf 1    loaf of fresh bread not cut 1/4 c  of pesto sauce (or more if you like) 1/2 lb Sliced deli turkey 1/4 lb Salami 1/2 lb Provolone Cheese 1    Onions,Caramelized 1/4 c  Roasted Red Pepper,Sliced And Patted Dry 1.Slice top off of the bread 2.Hollow out the loaf leaving a ½" wall 3.layer the fillings starting with the meat, then cheese, then sauce, then veggies. Repeat ending with cheese Wrap in foil and bake in a 250 oven for about an hour Can also be thrown on a grill and cooked that way over indirect heat for about 30 minutes Cooking time will vary based on size and shape of bread.  Even a cool center wouldn't be dangerous t...