What to Do:
What else you could do:
Wow, I didn't work bacon into a single one of these! Make your own combo!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Perfect Grilled Cheese
What Makes A Grilled Cheese Perfect:
Multiple types of cheese
Mustard
An Element of Surprise -- in this case, sliced scallions
Special Bread -- like french bread or other crusty bread
What to Do:
Butter your bread with a mustard of your choosing -- here I've used a rustic dijon on a Turano Panini Roll
Sprinkle with sliced scallions
Layer your cheeses carefully -- I've used Mozzarella, Feta, and Extra Sharp Cheddar (the feta is in the middle because Feta doesn't really melt, so it needs to be enveloped by the melty cheeses).
Toast in a panini machine. If you don't have one, throw it in the oven, and make sure to slice it in half first for optimal meltiness.
What else you could do:
Spicy Creole Mustard - Provolone/Mozzarella/Cheddar-thinly sliced Green Peppers
Weber's Mustard - Extra-Sharp Cheddar/Provolone-Granny-Smith Apples
Dijon Mustard/Mayo - Cheddar/Monterey Jack/- Tomato
Wow, I didn't work bacon into a single one of these! Make your own combo!
What to Do:
What else you could do:
Wow, I didn't work bacon into a single one of these! Make your own combo!
Muffins for all...
Blueberry-Corn Muffins:
I got this idea from Spot Coffeehouse which seriously has the best food EVER! (I will never even try to replicate some of the wonder that occurs there -- but this one I just had to try.)
What You'll Need:
1+1/2 sticks of butter, melted
1 cup of flour
3/4 cup of yellow corn meal
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup milk (for this recipe I used 1/4 cup Half and Half and 1/4 cup skim -- ok, it was a little more Half and Half)
Frozen Blueberries -- as many as you like. OR you could use Fresh Blueberries which (a) are in season shortly and (b) won't turn your muffins greenish (live and learn my friends).
What to do:
Mix it all together -- dry ingredients first, then wet, then blueberries at the end. Don't stir it too much. The secret to muffins is just stirring until everything is moist (I used that word just for you, Natalie!)
Put them in muffin liners in a muffin tin, and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Option 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Chip Muffins
What You'll Need:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 Egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk
chocolate chips
peanut butter chips
What To Do:
See above... it's always the same.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Option 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey's Bran Muffins
What You'll Need:
1 + 1/4 cup Bran
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup soaked raisins
What to do:
Mix all the wet ingredients and let sit 10 minutes.
Add in dry ingredients and raisins and stir just until combined.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
I got this idea from Spot Coffeehouse which seriously has the best food EVER! (I will never even try to replicate some of the wonder that occurs there -- but this one I just had to try.)What You'll Need:
What to do:
Mix it all together -- dry ingredients first, then wet, then blueberries at the end. Don't stir it too much. The secret to muffins is just stirring until everything is moist (I used that word just for you, Natalie!)
Put them in muffin liners in a muffin tin, and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Option 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom's Chocolate-Peanut Butter Chip Muffins
What You'll Need:
What To Do:
See above... it's always the same.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Option 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey's Bran Muffins
What You'll Need:
What to do:
Mix all the wet ingredients and let sit 10 minutes.
Add in dry ingredients and raisins and stir just until combined.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Quiche Lorraine
Oh, I love Quiche Lorraine. I love it for 2 reasons -- I love bacon and it reminds of La Madeleine's (and also it tastes good.) This recipe is so amazingly easy. Cannot begin to tell you how easy it is to make. See for yourself.
What You Need:
A Pie-Crust (Store-bought)
Egg-Beaters (Pint Size)
Swiss Cheese
Bacon (You can do the pre-cooked stuff, or even soy-bacon if you prefer)
Ranch Dressing
What To Do:
Put the pie crust in a pie dish, and bake according to the directions (until the pie crust is slightly crispy). Prior to baking, poke the crust with a fork in a couple of places to prevent the crust from bubbling up.
Meanwhile, in a big bowl whisk up the eggs and a big dollop of ranch dressing. When the crust is done, pour the egg mixture in and then add the bacon (crumbled) and the swiss cheese (torn into little pieces). I like to slice the cheese into long narrow stripes and place it in concentric circles -- but really it doesn't matter.
Bake the quiche at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You'll know when it's done because it will puff up quite a bit AND if you cut into it, and it's too juicy (which means it's underbaked) just stick it back in the oven.
What You Need:
A Pie-Crust (Store-bought)
Egg-Beaters (Pint Size)
Swiss Cheese
Bacon (You can do the pre-cooked stuff, or even soy-bacon if you prefer)
Ranch Dressing
What To Do:
Put the pie crust in a pie dish, and bake according to the directions (until the pie crust is slightly crispy). Prior to baking, poke the crust with a fork in a couple of places to prevent the crust from bubbling up.
Meanwhile, in a big bowl whisk up the eggs and a big dollop of ranch dressing. When the crust is done, pour the egg mixture in and then add the bacon (crumbled) and the swiss cheese (torn into little pieces). I like to slice the cheese into long narrow stripes and place it in concentric circles -- but really it doesn't matter.
Bake the quiche at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. You'll know when it's done because it will puff up quite a bit AND if you cut into it, and it's too juicy (which means it's underbaked) just stick it back in the oven.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Applesauce
I love applesauce. It's the vegetable that I don't need to eat (thanks Mom for that lesson growing up!), the dessert that's pretty healthy, and the perfect complement to a ham and cheese sandwich... And it's ridiculously easy.
What You Need:
2 large apple (I like Granny Smith)
1/4 c sugar
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
What to Do:
1.Peel, quarter and deseed your apples. Then cut them up into little chunks. The smaller you cut the apples, the smoother your applesauce will be. Put them in a small saucepan and add enough water to reach about 1 inch from the bottom.
2. Add your toppings -- about a 1/4 cup of sugar (you can add more or less as you go along to your own taste) + a few shakes of cinnamon and a capful of vanilla extract. My personal favorite add-in is raisins (that get all juicy and cinnamony!), but you could also add in nutmeg, cranberries, ginger. Anything that sounds good.
3. Put the apple mixture over low heat, covered. Stir this mixture about every 5 minutes or so. The water in the bottom will soon come to a boil, and just let it keep boiling. Once the mixture has decreased by half, remove the cover and boil stirring occassionally. When most of the water has evaborated and the apples break up with a spoon, you're done! Turn off the burner and mash up the apples a bit. I like my applesauce kindof chunky.
Here's the finished product as a side dish for a delish ham and cheese sandwich: that's real ham (from a spiral roast that I had tons of leftovers from!) on wheat toast with rustic dijon mustard and the absolute best white extra sharpcheddar, all baked until absolutely perfect.
What You Need:
2 large apple (I like Granny Smith)1/4 c sugar
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
What to Do:
1.Peel, quarter and deseed your apples. Then cut them up into little chunks. The smaller you cut the apples, the smoother your applesauce will be. Put them in a small saucepan and add enough water to reach about 1 inch from the bottom.
2. Add your toppings -- about a 1/4 cup of sugar (you can add more or less as you go along to your own taste) + a few shakes of cinnamon and a capful of vanilla extract. My personal favorite add-in is raisins (that get all juicy and cinnamony!), but you could also add in nutmeg, cranberries, ginger. Anything that sounds good.
3. Put the apple mixture over low heat, covered. Stir this mixture about every 5 minutes or so. The water in the bottom will soon come to a boil, and just let it keep boiling. Once the mixture has decreased by half, remove the cover and boil stirring occassionally. When most of the water has evaborated and the apples break up with a spoon, you're done! Turn off the burner and mash up the apples a bit. I like my applesauce kindof chunky.
Here's the finished product as a side dish for a delish ham and cheese sandwich: that's real ham (from a spiral roast that I had tons of leftovers from!) on wheat toast with rustic dijon mustard and the absolute best white extra sharpcheddar, all baked until absolutely perfect.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Spaghetti and Meatballs Rustic-Style
Here's another one that I'm pretty sure everybody knows how to make, but can be made a little fancier without much effort. I often forget to buy spaghetti sauce when Spaghetti and Meatballs is on the menu (Sad but true) and that was the case today. So I did a little improve:
What You'll Need:
Ground Meat
Garlic (minced or chopped in oil
Oregano
Parsley
Spaghetti
Tomatoes
Olive Oil and a splash of vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Parmasean Cheese
What to Do:
1. Makin' Meatballs: Everybody has a recipe for their own. There's a great one here, but mine is a little more simplistic for when you forget to buy ingredients (like tonight). Get a little mixing bowl -- throw in about 1/4 lb of ground meat, a tsp of garlic, a few shakes of dried parsley and oregano. Mix by hand, shape into little balls and bake at about 350 for 15 minutes.
2. Make spaghetti and drain.
3. Chop up some tomatoes. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add tomatoes and a teaspoon of garlic. Saute until soft. Add a tiny splash of vinegar.
4. Use tomato mixture to top your pasta, adding a little oil and salt and pepper if you'd like. Add a few meatballs and some shredded parm.
What You'll Need:
Ground Meat
Garlic (minced or chopped in oil
Oregano
Parsley
Spaghetti
Tomatoes
Olive Oil and a splash of vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Parmasean Cheese
What to Do:
1. Makin' Meatballs: Everybody has a recipe for their own. There's a great one here, but mine is a little more simplistic for when you forget to buy ingredients (like tonight). Get a little mixing bowl -- throw in about 1/4 lb of ground meat, a tsp of garlic, a few shakes of dried parsley and oregano. Mix by hand, shape into little balls and bake at about 350 for 15 minutes.
2. Make spaghetti and drain.
3. Chop up some tomatoes. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add tomatoes and a teaspoon of garlic. Saute until soft. Add a tiny splash of vinegar.
4. Use tomato mixture to top your pasta, adding a little oil and salt and pepper if you'd like. Add a few meatballs and some shredded parm.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Old School Mac and Cheese
Sometimes I shy away from the basics, but then I remember that's exactly why I started this blog. I had a number of friends who had problems making the basic things without mixes (or in this case, Kraft boxes). But I really think that it's so much better to make something from scratch -- it tastes better, looks better and is just plain ol' more impressive:) So here's an old stand-by.
What you'll need:
A box of macaroni (elbows or shells)
Mustard (Spicy? Dijon? Weber's? up to you)
2 slices of bread
2 Tbsps of Flour
2 Tbsps of butter
1 package Shredded Cheddar
What to Do:
Boil some water. Once boiling add about half a box of pasta and keep boiling until pasta tastes soft enough to your taste. Drain.
Using the saucepan that you just emptied, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it's melted turn off the burner, stir in about 2 tablespoons of flour -- it'll get all clumpy. Add about 2 tablespoons of mustard and stir as smooth as you can. Add your drained, hot pasta to the mustard paste and stir until the paste is evenly distributed.
Pour pasta into a bakeable caserole dish. Stir in package of shredded cheese, saving a big handful to spread across the top.
Toast 2 pieces of bread. Then process in a food processor (I love my Magic Bullet!). Add a tablespoon of butter and process until you get some nice small clumps of buttery breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over top of the mac and cheese. If you don't have a food processor, you could just use bread crumbs or even crackers (Ritz crackers, yum).
Bake at about 350 degrees until the cheese is all melty and the top is nice and toasty.
Everybody has their own favorite version of Mac and Cheese. My grandma does the best which hopefully I will be able to capture at Fourth of July (her traditional dish!) because I've never been able to get the recipe before. My Mom has a couple of pretty good versions. But this one will get you through just about anything.
Old-School Variation: Cook some hotdogs in the broiler, cut them up into pieces and stir in with the pasta and cheese.
What you'll need:A box of macaroni (elbows or shells)
Mustard (Spicy? Dijon? Weber's? up to you)
2 slices of bread
2 Tbsps of Flour
2 Tbsps of butter
1 package Shredded Cheddar
What to Do:
Boil some water. Once boiling add about half a box of pasta and keep boiling until pasta tastes soft enough to your taste. Drain.
Using the saucepan that you just emptied, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Once it's melted turn off the burner, stir in about 2 tablespoons of flour -- it'll get all clumpy. Add about 2 tablespoons of mustard and stir as smooth as you can. Add your drained, hot pasta to the mustard paste and stir until the paste is evenly distributed.
Pour pasta into a bakeable caserole dish. Stir in package of shredded cheese, saving a big handful to spread across the top.
Toast 2 pieces of bread. Then process in a food processor (I love my Magic Bullet!). Add a tablespoon of butter and process until you get some nice small clumps of buttery breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over top of the mac and cheese. If you don't have a food processor, you could just use bread crumbs or even crackers (Ritz crackers, yum).
Bake at about 350 degrees until the cheese is all melty and the top is nice and toasty.
Everybody has their own favorite version of Mac and Cheese. My grandma does the best which hopefully I will be able to capture at Fourth of July (her traditional dish!) because I've never been able to get the recipe before. My Mom has a couple of pretty good versions. But this one will get you through just about anything.
Old-School Variation: Cook some hotdogs in the broiler, cut them up into pieces and stir in with the pasta and cheese.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
B) Peanut Sesame Noodles
As promised, here's a recipe blog. Though I may brave the elements to barbeque, some of you may not be willing to stand in the 50 degree clime in order to get the perfect taste of summer. So try this out...
What You'll Need:
Spaghetti
Peanut Butter
Soy Sauce
Hoison Sauce
Minced Garlic
Broccoli
Carrots
Snow Peas
Scallions
Sesame Seeds
What to Do:
1. Make Spaghetti as you normally would and drain.
2. In a small bowl mix a large dollop of Peanut Butter, a small dollop (a heaping TBSP) of Hoison Sauce, and stir. Add Soy sauce and stir until smooth. If the mix is too thick to stir into pasta, add a little more soy sauce. Stir the whole mixture into pasta (the heat of which will melt the peanut butter making it easier to stir).
3. In a frying pan, brown some minced garlic. Add in carrots, broccoli and toss for about 2 minutes. Add in snow peas and scallions. You're just cooking these veggies to make them warmed up. Spoon onto the top of sauce-topped pasta. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and if you like red pepper flakes.
4. Serve in Asian-inspired dishes, like my square shaped bowls a gift from my friend Holly who also gifted me with this advice for Asian-inspired meals.
What You'll Need:
Spaghetti
Peanut Butter
Soy Sauce
Hoison Sauce
Minced Garlic
Broccoli
Carrots
Snow Peas
Scallions
Sesame Seeds
What to Do:
1. Make Spaghetti as you normally would and drain.
2. In a small bowl mix a large dollop of Peanut Butter, a small dollop (a heaping TBSP) of Hoison Sauce, and stir. Add Soy sauce and stir until smooth. If the mix is too thick to stir into pasta, add a little more soy sauce. Stir the whole mixture into pasta (the heat of which will melt the peanut butter making it easier to stir).
3. In a frying pan, brown some minced garlic. Add in carrots, broccoli and toss for about 2 minutes. Add in snow peas and scallions. You're just cooking these veggies to make them warmed up. Spoon onto the top of sauce-topped pasta. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and if you like red pepper flakes.
4. Serve in Asian-inspired dishes, like my square shaped bowls a gift from my friend Holly who also gifted me with this advice for Asian-inspired meals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
