Eating Dinner With My Family

No one was excited about these toppings but me.  I think I made some converts;).  One issue, the artichoke hearts.  I didn't squeeze them dry, and the layers of the artichoke hearts held some water.  I had to blot dry spots of the pizza.  Despite the excess of water, a really tasty combination of flavors.  We did NOT try to make it half calzone as stated in the recipe.  It was a geometrical conundrum that we said, fudge it and make it as a pizza only. I guess if we were making personal pizzas the part calzone would have made sense.  It was good with out it. Pizza Vesuvio With The Works 1/2 c  frozen artichoke hearts thawed, sliced  Extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 lb pizza dough,thawed if frozen  All-purpose flour,for dusting 1/2 c  fresh ricotta (4 ounces) 3/4 lb fresh mozzarella,cut into 1-inch cubes 2    ounces thinly sliced baked ham,cut into 1-inch  strips 2    ounces salami,cut into 1-inch strips 1/2 t  dried oregano 1/4 c  plus 2 tables

Another battle in the war of the over stocked pantry/freezer.  I had plenty of extra scallops from the progressive dinner, veggies I had accumulated with the intentions of loading our meals with them or only used part of them for a recipe, and cornmeal.  I thawed the scallops and you MUST pat them dry.  Really dry!  Heat some butter and oil in a skillet over fairly high heat. Put the scallops in the pan and let them cook about 2 minutes a side.  I then removed the scallops,put a good splash of veggie broth and scraped the pan clean, added a bit more butter and threw in sliced bell pepper and some broccoli florets that had been boiled about 30 seconds.  These veggies were sauteed until they were crisp but tender.  Add a splash more of broth if they need to steam a bit.  Remove the veggies and boil down any liquid left in the pan.  Throw in a large pat of butter into the syrupy liquid and remove from heat and let the butter just melt.  It had a lovely caramelized broccoli flavor and we d

I am undecided about this recipe.  It is a pretty fast way to make something from scratch.  I did bake it ahead of time, and reheated it.  I don't know if this compromised the quality any.  I made it even though we didn't eat it for dinner because the tomatoes needed to be used or they would go bad.  We had house guests and I didn't want to make them guinea pigs.  We had two family favorites, fish tacos and bahn mi, which pleased my husband to no end:) I think will keep the recipe but play with it. Quick Tomato Macaroni And Cheese 12    oz macaroni 7 oz bread,preferably stale, for making breadcrumbs 1 3/4 lb super ripe tomatoes 1 ea of garlic,peeled 2    large handfuls of fresh basil 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes,chopped 2    anchovies Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3    handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 pt single cream (half and half)  1 T  red wine vinegar 1/2    a nutmeg,grated 14    oz cow’s milk mozzarella broken up A handful of fresh th

We all enjoyed this pizza.  The boy had 4 slices! 4!  OMG  Needless to say, he pronounced it a favorite.  My husband was leery of the pizza, but when he saw it come out of the oven he declared that the thought it looked great.  I was worried that it is supposed to be grilled at first and finished on a pizza stone. I loved it too, but I think next time, if I don't start it on a grill, I would put a drop or two of liquid smoke in with the olive oil (or maybe knead it in to the dough) just to try and replicate the smoky flavor you get on a grill.  I think that really would have added to the overall taste.  Even without it, it was a very tasty pizza and I am a little pissed that the boy ate so much of it because I want to have leftovers of it.  There are only 2 slices and I kinda feel like I should save them for him but I also kinda want to just have them myself;) I also didn't make the dough, I got mine from the Publix bakery. Al Forno Inspired Pizza 1/2    recipe Basic Pizz

I am fighting the urge to go to the grocery.  I have plenty in the house, but not everything I need for recipes I want to try.  I am determined to use up what I have before I start new recipes.  I do have two recipe ingredients, but I need to use up leftovers too. So, I made a red curry shrimp.  There was a small portion of frozen shrimp I "cleaned up."  I had some random veggies that I could use up and I had half a can of coconut milk in the freezer.  I also had some plain orzo pasta that I used in place of rice. Basically I put the coconut milk with some vegetable broth and heavy whipping cream (to make up for the part of the can of coconut milk I had used) with some red curry paste. (about a 1 1/2 tsp)  I simmered that for about 5 minutes.  I then threw in (all diced): 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 bell pepper, a hand full of baby carrots, a hand full of onion, and the stalk of a broccoli floret (peeled). I also put a about a tablespoon of fish sauce and brown sugar.  I cooked

Pretty? Yes.  Labor intensive? Yes. Fattening? Yes. Delicious? Maybe.  I am pretty annoyed that I popped for the expensive crab from the seafood department from Publix, ($26) and the crab tasted weird.  I did get it in a container as opposed to the legs in the case, but I didn't want to have to crack crabs as part of making the dinner and I figured this would taste better than the canned stuff.  I think the canned would have been better.  I think this combination of butter, eggs and crab would have been a stellar meal, but the crab here really killed it. I think I will put this in to the fixable file, but I don't know when I will make it again. Maybe one day? Buttery Crab Bread Pudding 10    ounces lump crabmeat,picked over 1 T  finely chopped parsley 1 T  finely chopped chives 2 t  fresh lemon juice Pinch of cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1    unsalted butter,softened, plus more for greasing the dish 1    24-inch day-old baguette—ends trimmed,

Well it wasn't the best burger ever, but it was pretty good.  Because the amount of effort put into a dish often negates some of its tastiness, this dish may have lost some points for the shoestring potatoes.  The potatoes were a bit of an ordeal. (next time Steak n Shake or the crispy ones you can buy in the grocery!)  The first batch of the potatoes were like nest.  My husband managed to keep them pretty much separated on the next batch. However they all cook at different times and had to be taken out one at a time. Long story short, while they came out tasty, the potatoes took 3 times as long as the burger.  I liked the texture of the burger that processing it gave it; my husband not so much.  The real winner of the dish was the "not so secret" sauce. Its basically a homemade ketchup with some Latin flavors.  LOVED it. Frita Cubana – The Original Cuban Hamburger Burgers 1 lb ground beef 3/4 lb ground pork 4 ea garlic,mashed and finely minced 1/3 c  onion,grated

I was excited to be able to bust out my ras el hanout.  I happen to have liked this dish better than my family. My husband thought it too sweet.  I don't think that it was sweet so much as the cinnamon made you think of sweet.  I pureed the veggies for my husband, and halved the fish because there were only three of us eating the dinner and I didn't want the fish to go to waste.  The recipe says it's for six, but it was really more for 8.  The couscous alone could have fed 6.  I am not deleting the recipe but most likely wont make it except for an occasion that it might fit. (like a belly dance evening) I may even delete it. North African Fish Stew 1/4 c  extra-virgin olive oil 2    medium red onions,thinly sliced 2 T  golden raisins 1/4 c  salted roasted cashews 1    red bell pepper,thinly sliced 1    yellow bell pepper,thinly sliced 4    medium tomatoes—peeled seeded and sliced crosswise 1 inch thick 1 T  ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend) 1 1/2 c  vegetable

Another new pizza tonight.  I did not try the dough recipe.  I have recently been inspired to try baking breads, so maybe next time.  However, getting dough from the deli or a local pizzeria is a HUGE time saver.  So dough aside, everything else was the same save the escarole.  There were only very small heads available, so I used the whole head but it was most likely the same as a half of a normal size head. I happened to love the escarole, chorizo and manchego combo, but found the shrimp superfluous.  They didn't detract from the pizza, but I didn't notice them adding either.  The boy, who has proclaimed that he loved escarole in the past said he didn't like it tonight.  I'm not buying it;). Shrimp-And-Chorizo Pizza With Escarole And Manchego Dough 1/2 t  honey 1/2 c  warm water 1 1/4 t  active dry yeast 1 1/2 c  bread flour 1 1/2 t  extra-virgin olive oil,plus more for brushing 1/2 t  kosher salt Toppings 2 T  extra-virgin olive oil,plus more for brushing

Well I have to start by saying, I live in the best neighborhood.  My cul-de-sac of 6 houses is full of great people with awesome cooking skills.  We get together now and then for parties; we all like to cook and entertain.  Last night we had the first of (what I forsee) many progressive dinners.  A progressive dinner is where each course takes place at a different house.  There was a suggestion of a French theme which was taken and ran with.  Unfortunately two of our neighbors were unavailable for the feast, but lucky for us because we got to enjoy the culinary talents of a friend of the cul-de-sac. (see her recipes at http://www.saturdaynightsuppers.com/ )  We had a wonderful evening.  My recipe is one that was already on the blog (1/16/12 ) if you are interested.  The others I don't have the recipe for, so this will just be pictures of our feast.  I tried to have two pictures of each, but some pictures came out too blurry. My course was the appetizers: Scallops with Potato Pa

Well this one is going in to the fixable file.  The peanut crusted fish was quite good and the rice vinegar was really nice with it.  We enjoyed the ginger and scallion topping, but not enough to make it worth the massive labor involved in making the matchsticks. It was tasty, and it does need a sauce or vegetable garnish, but fine matchsticks are a pain in the butt and take a lot of time. We want to play with it but most likely will not make it in this form again. I think next time cashews;) We served it with an Asian inspired vegetable and noodle soup. Peanut-Crusted Tilapia With Frizzled Ginger And Scallions 1/3 c  vegetable oil 3    medium scallions,cut lengthwise into fine matchsticks 1    2x1-1/4-inch knob of fresh ginger,peeled and cut into fine matchsticks Kosher salt 2    Tbs. all-purpose flour 1    large egg 1/2 c  salted peanuts,finely chopped 2    skinless tilapia fillets (about 4 ounces each) 4 t  seasoned rice vinegar,or to taste Freshly ground black pepper

Tonight's dish is one of every one's favorites.  (like lick your plate good) It is super easy and quick too. The one thing I think is essential is to use fresh lime juice.  I think the bought juice doesn't taste right.  I also went a little lighter on the adobo but I thawed some chicken and wasn't sure how much it weighed and I think it was a little less than a pound. This is a must make dish. I loved the rice I made but the boy didn't.  It was just rice with some leftover roasted poblano and golden raisins made with some chicken bullion. Creamy Coconut Chicken 1 lb boneless chicken cutlets 1 t  adobo seasoning 1/8 t  pepper 2 T  unsalted butter 2 t  minced garlic 1/2 t  ground cumin 1/2 c  pre-sliced green onions 2 T  lime  juice,Half A Lime 3/4 c  coconut milk 1/2 t  Kosher Salt 1. Preheat large saut pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with adobo and pepper (wash hands). 2. Place butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken (wa

My issues with chicken keeps me from raving about the dish, but despite its 'fowl' nature, I did like it. (groan;)  I loved the melty feta and the liberal dose of oregano.  The boys loved it; they are unabashed carnivores that happily gnawed on bones while I asked for some to be cut off for me. It is going into the repertoire.  It was pretty easy.  The hardest part, the cutting up of the chicken, is never done by me and therefore I did very little to get this dish done. I always find that the chicken takes a bit longer than the recipe states; I cooked it for about 10 minutes longer. We had it with buttered orzo and a tomato, cucumber and watercress salad. Chicken With Lemon, Oregano, And Feta Cheese 1    chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds) quartered 1 T  olive oil 1 1/2 t  dried oregano 1 T  lemon juice 1/4 t  salt 1/8 t  fresh-ground black pepper 1 T  butter,cut into 4 pieces 1 1/2    ounces feta cheese,crumbled (about 1/3 cup) [Note: Chicken with Lemon, Oregano, and Feta

I found this dish a bit too rich, but the boys loved it.  It was simple to make, but had a lot of inactive time.  Its a pretty economical dish too.  There were just a few shrimp, potatoes are practically free;), and the creme fraiche was $6 but it can be made at home.  I haven't yet because I don't know if I can eat cream that hasn't been refrigerated for like 12 hours.  (I know I am eating it when someone else does it but it makes sense in my mind)  I'm keeping the recipe, but I would make it a smaller part of my meal next time. Shrimp-Stuffed Triple-Baked Potatoes 6    medium white potatoes (about 5 ounces each),scrubbed 1 c  crème fraîche 2    garlic cloves,minced Salt and freshly ground white pepper 3 1/2 T  unsalted butter,softened 2/3 c  heavy cream,warmed 12    medium shrimp—shelled deveined and halved lengthwise [Note: Shrimp-Stuffed Triple-Baked Potatoes  Pairing Suggestion An intense, concentrated Chardonnay from Napa Valley that is flamboyant enou

This was in the folder of my son's favorites.  It was made a long time ago and quite frankly neither my husband nor myself remembered it, so how good could it be? It was pretty good.  Not a rave review but good, fairly healthy and quick.  It could have easily been made vegetarian by switching the stock for vegetable broth.  I think it needed a good dose of lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce, but that made it quite good.  It is not a hot dish which wasn't the best idea on a cold night,but hey we have heat:) Red Curry Peanut Noodles 3/4 lb whole-wheat spaghetti 1/2 c  smooth peanut butter 1 1/2 T  fresh lime juice 1 T  red curry paste 1/3 c  chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1/4 c  plus 2 tablespoons packed cilantro leaves Kosher salt 1 c  mung bean sprouts (2 1/2 ounces) 2    scallions,white and green parts quartered and thin 1    carrot,coarsely grated 1/3 c  salted,roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped Lime wedges,for serving 1.In a large pot of boiling salted wat

Another yummy burger by Bobby Flay.I did mess up the bacon a bit.  It was too thin and burnt in many spots, but the non burnt parts were good. I also made the burgers a little smaller than indicated.  (too much meat for me) I also did not cook them on a grill to medium rare.  I want to make this again and NOT screw up the bacon.  Mmmmmm... Green-Chile Bacon Burgers With Goat Cheese 8    thick-cut slices of bacon (about 1/2 pound) 1/2 c  mango chutney,preferably Major Grey brand 1    poblano chile Vegetable oil,for brushing 4    hamburger buns,split 1    large tomato,cut into 4 thick slices 1 1/2 lb ground beef chuck Salt and freshly ground pepper 3    ounces fresh goat cheese cut into 4 slices Watercress sprigs or lettuce,for serving 1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the paper and brush both sides liberally with the chutney, leaving any chunks in the jar. Bake the bacon for about 30 minutes,

Us girls are going out tonight, so I thought I would have something easy and that I don't usually care for that the boys like.  So ribs came to mind.  I didn't eat this but the husband pronounced it pitchy:/.  I did make one deviation, I used tomato sauce rather than diced.  Its because my husband isn't a fan of tomato chunks. He also said it was too vinegary. He said it wasn't bad but I don't plan on making it again.  The boy loved it. Slow Cooker Glazed Pork Ribs With White Beans 1 c  dried Great Northern beans (8 ounces) 2 c  low-sodium chicken broth 1    15-ounce can diced tomatoes drained 1/4 c  dry white wine 3    garlic cloves,smashed One 6-inch rosemary sprig plus 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 2 T  tomato paste 2    racks baby back ribs (about 4 pounds),cut into 3-rib sections 2 T  balsamic vinegar 1 T  honey Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1.In a slow cooker, combine the beans with the broth, tomatoes, wine, garlic, rosemary sp

I knew that this won't compare to the Korean Pork BBQ recipe that I got from my friend, but was eager to try it none the less.  It was not an OMG recipe, but it had several things going for it.  One it is a fairly light dish. (it is from eating well, click on post title to go there site) It is also a fairly quick dish.  The thing that took the most time was slicing the steak thinly. (the freezing helped expedite it)  I know that the butcher at Publix would do this for me; that would shave a lot of time off the recipe.  The other thing that could slow someone down it chopping the veggies, but if you have one of those 'slap chop' type things, it will be really fast. I did make one change; I didn't use as many mung beans as called for.  I doubled the recipe so it would have required EIGHT cups of bean sprouts.  It looked like I had 3 cups, but the package said it was only 2.  I think that was plenty. I made a half a box of linguine for it and mixed it in with the beef. Jus

This is a dish from Food & Wine that didn't wow us.  I think the flavors were ok. (really spicy!) However there was something missing.  I swear, based on the picture of it on line that the recipe really calls for crushed tomatoes.  The gravy was more of a soup too.  I will file it under fixable, but probably won't work on it.  I enjoyed it more as I ate it but still eh. :/ Chickpeas In Spicy Tomato Gravy 8    garlic cloves,chopped 2    jalapeños,chopped 1 two-inch piece of fresh ginger,peeled and chopped 1/4 c  vegetable oil 3    onions,cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 T  ground cumin 1 T  ground coriander 3/4 t  cayenne pepper 1 1/2 c  canned diced tomatoes 2 fifteen-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed 2 c  water Salt 2 T  cilantro leaves 1. In a mini food processor, combine the garlic, jalapeos and ginger and process to a paste. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Red

Well I decided to make a dinner for me.  Mushrooms!  I love them, husband indifferent, son loathes and is allowed to veto them. (But not tonight!)  My MIL asked about this recipe that she had with her sister who got it at Whole Foods. Quick search on line found this one; she made it and said it was delicious.  I agree.  Everyone said they loved it too; although I am doubting that my son loved it as he gagged a few times lol! It is quick and easy.  I think it could be made ahead up to the point where you would add the sour cream.  It says don't boil and serve immediately, so I think upon reheating, it will break. It could easily be made vegetarian with a different stock.  I love the better than bouillon mushroom base which sounds idea for this recipe. Hungarian Mushroom Soup 4 T  unsalted butter 2 c  chopped onions 1 lb fresh mushrooms,sliced 2 t  dried dill weed 1 T  paprika 1 T  soy sauce 2 c  chicken broth 1 c  milk 3 T  all-purpose flour 1 t  salt ground black pep

It is super bowl Sunday, and we are going to a friend's house.  We alternate who's house we go to.  Our hostess had the brilliant idea to have a pasta bar, and as her husband is a vegetarian, I am going to do a meat that can be added to the pasta dishes.  My husband did not like that I wanted to do a dish we hadn't made before; I said that we can blame the blog;).  He decided he liked this new dimension to the blog, blame for bad new recipes.  I'm not too worried. It is an Alton Brown Recipe and at worst it will to just ok. I have wanted to try this recipe for a while as I am a fan of meatballs.  I did find one that I thought was pretty great (9/1/11), but I still am looking for the OMG recipe. This one was a good one.  I like the cooking technique, but I thought the meatballs were a tad dense.  That is most likely my fault and I am going to try them again.  The star, among many gems, was the hostess' Gorgonzola sauce.  I liked it much better than the one I had made

This was a quick and easy dish to make.  It was pretty tasty too.  I may have been a little light on the Gorgonzola, (I had a scant 1/2 cup in fridge)  but it was nice that the cheese didn't overwhelm the dish. It is a personal thing, but I would chop the spinach next time.  I knew we would prefer it chopped but didn't for fear that it might go through my colander.  The one with the big holes was clean, the other was dirty and I do like to make the recipe exactly as written the first time through.  This is one we will keep and make again.  I think I would like more spinach just for more veggies and remove the need for a salad.  I forgot to reserve pasta water (Arrrrghhh!) so I used a couple of teaspoons of beef broth that was in the fridge to help loosen the sauce up.  Bottom line: FAST!, EASY and tasty. Penne With Spinach, Gorgonzola, And Walnuts Kosher salt 8 oz fresh baby spinach leaves (10 lightly packed cups) 1/4 c  coarsely chopped walnuts 12 oz dried penne (3-1/

Having the ingredients for last night's dish still not completely used up, and my husband having later hours tonight, I thought this panini would be a good solution. It uses the ingredients and it is quick to make late when he gets home.  It was very tasty, not as good as last night's dinner, but a very fast, tasty, and somewhat different dinner.  I think  the use of naan as panini bread is a fabulous idea, and I am now in love with Major Grey's Mango Chutney.  Paninis are a great way  to have a fast hot meal that can be varied almost infinitely. Grilled Turkey And Cheddar Sandwiches With Mango Chutney 2 c  grated sharp Cheddar 1/4 c  finely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 c  Major Grey’s mango chutney 4    naan breads 12 oz sliced turkey breast 1    Tbs. unsalted butter,melted 1/8 t  ground cumin [Note: Indian flavors meet panini sandwiches with delicious results. Naan is slightly puffy Indian-style flatbread. Other substantial flatbreads may be  substituted, but av

This was so AMAZINGLY tasty.  I can't recommend enough trying this dish.  I plan on making and freezing the sauce just to have it on hand.  I can see it working with all kinds of proteins.  I know Indian food can be daunting, but this one is not only easy, but doesn't require lots of hard to find ingredients.  We ate it with naan and broccoli.  I can't stop thinking about it! I plan on giving some of the jars of sauce as a gift. Best Ever Chicken Balti  4 Servings 4    -6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 t  chili powder 1 1/2 t  garam masala 1 t  minced garlic 3 T  tomato puree (I used a very plain jarred tomato sauce I had in the fridge) 2 T  Greek yogurt (10% milk fat!  Heck ya!) 2 T  chopped fresh coriander (that is cilantro to us in the US!) 2 T  mango chutney (I used major grey's mild) 1 t  salt 1/2 t  sugar 4 T  oil 2    green chilies,chopped (I used one jalepeno and one poblano with seeds and ribs removed) 2 T  single cream (I used heavy whipp

We love pot stickers.  They are not diet, easy, fast or healthy, so they are an occasional meal.  I choose this to use up our left over ground pork, veggies and Asian meatballs.  It was tasty and enjoyed by all, but I cooked from 4:30 until 7:00. Whew!  The reviews made it all worth while:) Pot Stickers 3/4 pound of ground pork 1 teaspoon of umami powder (see 12/31/11) 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 package of won ton wrappers 1 cup Beef broth (more or less as needed) Canola oil Mix well all the ingredients except the wrappers in a bowl and let sit 30 minutes. Get a small bowl of water and a plate.  Place one wrapper on the  plate, put one teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper, dip you two index fingers in the water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper.  Fold the wrapper in half to make a triangle. Press the two sides of the wrapper together, carefully make sure to get all of the air out, and crimp.  Place the tightly sealed pot sti