Finally!

Well, I'm finally back. It was a lovely break we had. Dan was home for about 2 weeks, so were the kids, Dan's parents and sister came for a few days, we ate LOTS of good food, and fun was had by all.

I meant to give you guys a Christmas present before Christmas, but I'll give it to you now since it was just too crazy then.

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is from my cousin Lindsey.

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda in 1 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour
chocolate chips (1-2 cups)

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Dissolve baking soda in water and add to mixture. Mix in salt. Add flour gradually. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 7 - 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake

I originally got this recipe here. But I have made a few minor adjustments to it (spices, order of ingredients, directions, and glaze). It is honestly one of the best cakes I've ever had. I brought it to a fundraiser last night and Dan bought it. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups pumkin puree (not pie filling)

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp cinnamon,

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze

2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-3 Tbsp cream or milk

Preheat oven to 350. Butter bundt pan generously. Dust with flour. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 1 minute. Add buttermilk and pumpkin and beat until well combined. Add spices, soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until just combined. Add flour 1 cup at a time and beat until until batter is smooth.

Spoon batter into bundt pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert cake, release from pan, and let cool completely.

For glaze combine 2 Tbsp softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until very smooth. Mix in 1-3 Tbsp cream or milk 1 Tbsp at a time until it's as thin as you'd like it. Drizzle over cake.

father's day dinner

Yes, I realize I'm a week late with this, but here it goes:

We had a little of this from the garden

a few of these from the garden

and a few of these hot off the grill.



To make the chicken you clean the bird out, oil it up with olive oil, and rub on some salt, pepper, and spices (I used basil and oregano on one and thyme and sage on the other). Then you set it on top of a can of Diet Pepsi. (The recipe actually calls for a can of beer, but as beer is non existent in our house and Diet Pepsi is plentiful, we opted for Diet Pepsi. Actually - for 1 can we emptied the Diet Pepsi and filled it up with orange juice. They both tasted the same and neither one tasted of Diet Pepsi or orange juice.)


Then you put the chicken sitting on the can on the grill. You turn off the burner directly under the chicken and keep the side burners on low. Ours took about 50 minutes and it was SO good!

I don't love pancakes usually, but these ones are SOOOOO good!

Hearty Pancakes

1 cup all purpose white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients. Stir in egg, buttermilk, and butter. Pour batter 1/3 cup full onto lightly greased hot griddle. If using electric griddle temp approx 340 degrees.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Melt buttermilk and butter together, add sugar, bring to a boil. TAKE OFF HEAT, add vanilla.

the taco diet

As I have mentioned before, I am trying to lose a few pounds. Actually, it's quite a bit more than a few. (By the way, if you're feeling bigger than you'd like, I suggest not taking a bath. Or if you do take a bath, try to keep your eyes closed. I pretty much had a break down the other day after taking a "relaxing" bath. I still recommend that you take a shower.)

Pretty much I've been eating a lot of tacos, because I love them, and because they work on my plan (which I am not revealing right now - but if you want to know and you're not in the competition, email me.)

Here is a recipe from this book (which I have blogged about before) that you should try if you like tacos as much as me. (I use chicken breast instead of pork, and I omit the potatoes but I'll give you the recipe the way it is in the book.)

Guajillo-Spiced Pork and Potatoes

serves 6
6 medium (1 1/2 pounds total) red-skin boiling or Yukon Gold potatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast cut into 1 inch cubes
8 medium dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes in juice (fire-roasted)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
1/2 cup chopped white onion, for garnish

Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a slow-cooker (I use a large stock pot on the stove) and top with the pork.

Set a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, toast the chile pieces a few at a time, pressing them against the hot surface with a spatula until they are aromatic and lightened in color underneath - about 10 seconds per side. (If you see more than a whiff of smoke, they are burning.) Transfer the toasted chiles to a blender jar.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, oregano, Worcestershire, a generous 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Blend until as smooth as possible. Stain the mixture through a strainer directly into the slow-cooker, over the meat and potatoes. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Set the lid in place and slow-cook on high for 6 hours.

Gently stir the stew. If the sauce seems thick to you, stir in a little water. Taste, and season with salt if you think the dish needs it.

Serve in bowls, sprinkled with the cilantro and onion. A stack of warm corn tortillas is the perfect accompaniment.

a new book and a new recipe

I picked up this book for my friend's birthday and picked one up for myself too. At Costco it was a very reasonable price. I tried the chicken tikka on Sunday and it was so good. If you like Indian food you should try it. (You should also invest in some garam masala - the spice blend - because it's in almost every dish.)

Chicken Tikka (serves 4)

1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp garam masala
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 inches ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/4 lb skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into cubes
wedges of lemon


For the marinade, blend all the ingredients (except chicken and lemon wedges) in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.

Put the chicken cubes in a bowl with the marinade and mix thoroughly. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 400 F. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and put them on a metal rack above a baking tray. Roast, uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and browned around the edges. Serve with wedges of lemon.

my notes: I didn't have time to marinate overnight, but I did marinate for 2 hours. We also grilled ours, which was really good.


I also made up a mint chutney recipe (from several I looked at on the internet) because my friend made some naan (flat bread) and I have to have mint chutney with naan. Here is that recipe:

Simple Mint Chutney

1 1/2 bunches cilantro
1/2 bunch mint leaves (about 1/2 cup packed)
2 limes, juiced
salt to taste
2 jalapenos, seeded and ribbed (only if you want less spicy)
1 onion
1 can green chilies

Chop everything roughly and blend in a food processor. I added the green chilies at the end because mine seemed to dark with too many leaves. I'm going to try something a little different next time but everyone liked this one.

A note about food processors: I used to think the only one available was a Cuisinart (which is pretty expensive). But there are lots of other brands available that start around $40. If you haven't bought one yet because of this, you should shop around. Mine was only $40, holds the same amount as the Cuisinart, and works fairly well. (There are smaller ones too, that start at $10 or so, but they never fit quite enough for me.)

soup season

If you get everyday food you already have this recipe and you should try it, because it's SO good.

Light Italian Wedding Soup (serves 6)

1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 heads escarole (2 lbs), cored, trimmed, and coarsely chopped. I actually used spinach, because I didn't think anyone would like the escarole


1. In a bowl, combine turkey, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Using 1 Tbsp for each, roll mixture into balls.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add broth and tomatoes with juice; bring to a boil and turn down to simmering. Add meatballs; cook, without stirring, until meatballs float to the surface, about 5 minutes.

3. Add as much escarole (or spinach) to pot as will fit. Cook, gradually adding remaining escarole, until wilted and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve soup sprinkled with more Parmesan.

per serving: 250 cal, 9.8 g fat (3 g sat.), 23.6 g protein, 19.3 g carb, 4.8 g fiber

notes: I doubled this recipe and used it the next night as pasta sauce. I took out the meatballs and blended the soup. Then I cooked it in a pan until it was reduced by about half (cook on high heat, stirring so it doesn't burn on the bottom). I cooked some shell pasta and reheated the meatballs in the sauce (since it was very hot at that point) and gave everyone some sauce on their pasta with a few meatballs. The sauce was a little weird looking because of the spinach and tomato combination but it was fabulous!

Also - Dan's cousin Stefanie asked me to be a contributor on a new recipe blog. She is an excellent cook and has some great recipes. I will be putting this and other recipes on there and if you want some other ideas there are quite a few other contributors. It's called yes please recipes. Go check it out the next time you need some ideas.

i'm in love, i'm in love, and i don't care who knows it!

I've been meaning to tell you all for a while about my new favorite cookbook. I got it for myself last year for my birthday. It has the best Mexican food recipes I've ever made or eaten! If you love Mexican food you should buy it. Or you can find lots of recipes here. You have to try the Tortilla Soup here (which I've made 5 or so times since November.)

gingerbread crinkles

Maybe you can't call them gingersnaps because they're not hard. I don't know, but chewy ginger cookies is a boring name. I need a better one. These are my neighbor gifts and Dan's favorite cookies. (Thanks to Pam, I'm changing the name of these cookies to gingerbread crinkles.)

The recipe (which I got online from someone named Judd Antin):

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk first 7 dry ingredients together, set aside. Beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla to shortening sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Mix dry ingredients into wet one cup at a time. Form dough into 1 inch balls and coat balls in sugar. Bake for 9 - 11 minutes. Golden and cracked is a good sign. Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen.

dinner tonight

This is such a great dinner, I thought I should share.

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers (from Everyday Food)

and I'm going to try these tonight too.

tried a new cake

I thought this cake was beautiful and it has fresh ginger in it. So I tried it last night. It was pretty good. Mine did not look as pretty because I messed up the caramel sauce, but it was good.

Recipe and photo from marthastewart.com

And in case this link doesn't work, the cake is called Molasses-Spice Cake

Yum

I just found this beautiful picture. And then I remembered that I made this lovely treat for Easter. And then I thought I'd share it all with you, because it was beautiful AND delicious. And yes, it was impossible to slice the oranges this thinly. Here is the recipe, in case you need to bring a lovely dessert somewhere sometime.

happy birthday to me!

Actually I ordered these right after Christmas with my Christmas money (thanks m & d), but they came ON my birthday. I'm so excited to try some new things! I did try some little toast/egg cups, which were pretty good. A picture and the recipe is here.

a new idea

Well, I guess it's not that new, but it's new to me.

I love vegetables with Ranch dressing. The way my mom used to get us to eat vegetables was by setting them out on the table before dinner with Ranch. I'm pretty sure I ate gobs of them that way. In the past few years I haven't eaten many vegetables, I'm not sure why because I really like them. I've been trying to change that and this is where the new idea comes in.

Even though I'd like to eat Ranch in large quantities every day, my thighs tell me that's not a good idea. So (finally getting to the new idea) I tried this recipe from the new Everyday Food. It's a white bean dip and it's great for any kind of raw vegetable you like. (I tried to get a picture and the recipe link, but I guess they don't have it up for the new issue yet). Here's the recipe:

White Bean Dip

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 - 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

In a food processor, combine beans, lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, and 2 Tbsp water. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed, Season with salt and pepper.

The new idea is that I don't have to eat raw vegetables with Ranch, because there are a whole host of other dips which are better for me. If any of you have a healthy, alternative, vegetable dip, I'd love to have the recipe!

P.S. I also tried the salmon burgers from the new EF and they were pretty good. No one liked dill sauce, but other than that - good.

yum

Since it's winter, and it's snowing and cold, isn't soup the best? I made my favorite clam chowder last night and thought you all might like to try it out. I know I've pushed this recipe on some of you before, but it really is THE BEST clam chowder I've ever had. It's from Market Street Grill here in Salt Lake (also the best seafood restaurant here.)


Market Street Clam Chowder (Serves 12)

1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh)
¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon salt
¾ tablespoon whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional)
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

A few tips (maybe more than a few): I almost always double the vegetables because I like more in there. Especially the potatoes.

Make sure the leeks are soft before you add the butter/flour.

I always melt the butter in the oven container, then add the flour to it. (I also love this method of cooking it in the oven, it makes it much more efficient.)

I usually add the sherry, but didn't have it last night and it was still good.

2 cans of clams give you about the right amount of clams and juice.

I never put in the Tabasco sauce and only put in 1/2 the pepper. Otherwise it's too spicy for the kids.

You might have to experiment - if it's too runny, cook more the liquid off the vegetables next time. If it's too thick, you can always add regular milk to thicken. You can even substitute the half and half with regular milk if you cook off a lot of the liquid from the vegetables.

If you have an Elmer cookbook - this is in there!

This also makes great leftovers and all my kids LOVE it.

I've never tried it without clams, but I imagine it would be just great without if you're not a seafood person. Just substitute the clam juice for water or chicken broth.

You can find all of Market Street Grill's recipes here. (I also love their fruit tart.)