Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know those fundraiser cookbooks? The ones sold by churches, schools, and scouting troops... Generally they are forgotten immediately or browsed through at various intervals only to find about 17 versions of Seven Layer Taco Dip and numerous casseroles made with cream of mushroom soup. This recipe comes from The Legal Secretary Cookbook (I think it was some sort of association but I apparently didn't write down anymore info), submitted but one Grace McLaughlin. I don't know who you are Ms. McLaughlin, legal secretary of the 1970s-80s but THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH! This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. I decided to change one thing to see if it made a difference and for some reason the cookbook claims it makes 5 dozen cookies. It makes approx. 37 cookies or 3 dozen if you eat a little bit of batter (just a little!). October is the month my mother always made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sugar Cookies in the shape of cats. I'm not much of a sugar cookie fan so I don't bother with those. She made the same ones in the shape of hearts for Valentine's Day and various shapes at Christmas time. I'm not much of a baker. Too much measuring and science involved, not enough improvisation/experimentation (can you tell I used to do theatre in high school?). However, I have a hard time going without these cookies when the fall rolls around. It's very easy and you can whip these up in 30-40 minutes depending on how many cookie sheets you want in the oven at once.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Legal Secretary Cookbook-Grace McLaughlin)

Yields 3 dozen

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup natural apple sauce (original recipes calls for 1/2 cup oil no applesauce)
1 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda, dissolved in 1 tsp milk
1 cup chocolate chips (I've always used semi-sweet)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, applesauce and egg in a large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet with baking soda mixture.
5. Stir in chips and vanilla.
6. Drop rounded teaspoons on lightly greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10 -12 min.

These are a soft cakey cookie. Each cookie is 1 WW point. That's if you eat only 1. If you eat 2 cookies it is 3 points. So I guess you could count them as a point and a half just to be safe. I calculated that with my modification. I couldn't tell the difference using half applesauce.

Autumn is here...

I am trying to be better about buying food in season and I've had such a craving for comfort food and Autumn meals that in addition to the stew last week I also tried 2 new (healthy) recipes. Cooking Light's Blue Cheese and Fig Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Weight Watchers Roasted Carrots and Parsnips. I thought the whole thing was cooked perfectly and to die for. J didn't like the fig seeds because the crunching sound bothered him. I'm starting to think he is inventing reasons to say he doesn't like the food. Just kidding, J! Of course I tweaked the recipes slightly.

Fig and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
1/2 cup dried figs (I used organic Turkish figs-lighter in color), chopped
1/2 cup crumbled reduced fat blue cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon apple jelly, melted in the microwave

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Slice the pork jelly roll style, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open the halves, laying pork flat. Place pork under wax paper; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet.
3. Sprinkle figs and blue cheese over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around outside edges.
4. Roll up the pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side. Secure with twine. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, and place on a foil-lined broiler pan.
5. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Brush jelly over the pork. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Discard twine; cut pork into slices.

The pork was cooked perfectly with a little bit of pink (which is fine for pork). I also wanted to try a new vegetable and when I saw the picture of the parsnips on the Weight Watchers site I was hooked.

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips (adapted from Weight Watchers)

Cooking spray
8 carrots (I used organic), julienned
2 parsnips, julienned
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed by hand
kosher salt
black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
   
2. Coat two baking sheets lightly with cooking spray.
3. In a bowl place the vegetables, add seasonings and olive oil. Toss to coat.
   
4. Transfer food to baking sheets, using two cooks everything more evenly without crowding.
5. Roast for 20 minutes; flip vegetables and roast until vegetables start to caramelize, about 10 more.

If you have never tried parsnips before, I urge you to give this a try. With this recipe if you are trying to fool the kids (which isn't expert recommended, supposedly, but my sister ate hamburger for years because we called it steak burger only), call them yellow carrots. The smell of the parsnips is a little strong when they are raw but once cooked they are very mild and similar to carrots. If you don't like thyme and rosemary, try other combinations. The original didn't call for rosemary. I think fresh sage may be good or even using the Moroccan seasonings from that carrot dip recipe. I am even considering recommending this one for Thanksgiving dinner this year. The julienning is a little time consuming by hand but personally worth it. Call a friend and chat and the time just flies by.

Carbonnade a la Flamande (Beer Stew)

Every once in a while you have a craving for something from your childhood, something that mom made. I unfortunately seem destined to fail at recreating these no matter how closely I follow the recipe. This is a recipe I hated as a child but wanted to try anyway. I think my mother found this in a magazine or newspaper approx. 20-30 years ago but we changed some of the ingredients and amounts. Here I left the sauce amounts the same but used the same large ingredient amounts that I used when I halved the recipe. For some reason even though it was on low all my liquid evaporated too fast and so I burned a little of it. There wasn't any sauce left so I cooked some egg noodles in beef bouillon and used the broth to make more sauce. This is what my mom recommended after she heard the story. So if you try it this way let me know how it comes out. We always ate just the potatoes and not the noodles but when J came home he said his family's stew always had both and why couldn't we. I personally think one or the other is fine. I prefer less starch as a general rule.

Carbonnade a la Flamande (Beer Stew)

3-4 servings

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1-1.5 lbs. lean beef chuck, well trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/8 c. peanut oil

3 Tbsp. tomato paste (or 3 Tbsp catsup and omit the sugar)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp. thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

3 cups (24 oz.) beer

6-7 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large onions

Freshly cooked noodles and or 2 potatoes peeled and cut into uniform chunks

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag or Tupperware container. Add meat and shake to coat well.
2. Heal oil in a large flat pan or skillet. Add meat in batches (do not crowd pan) and brown on all sides.
3. Add seasonings and beer and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaf.
4. Add carrots, potatoes, and onion and simmer 1 hour longer. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Serve over bed of egg noodles.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers with Wedge Salad

Years ago when I first started cooking, I found this recipe for Spinach and Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers. I am a firm believer in not trying to make a turkey burger taste like a hamburger. It only ends in disappointment and who wants to be disappointed? I also find myself resisting using a bun when I use turkey. I've been told that unless you use leaner turkey it isn't much better than using ground beef so if you are thinking you are being healthy with that 80-85% turkey you might want to switch to the 90%. I find that the it has just enough fat to still have some sort of juice, because we all know the biggest complaint when it comes to turkey is that it is TOO DRY, whether it be luncheon meat from the deli or the Thanksgiving turkey. This recipe for turkey burgers eliminates the dry issue with cheese and spinach right in the mix. I modified the recipe and added a little panko which J thought was unnecessary and I think either way is still good.

I found this on allrecipes.com, which used to be my go to for online recipes until I found so many other sites that I prefer. There are a few quite good recipes on there but it takes a little sifting.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers (adapted from allrecipes.com)
1 package 90% ground turkey
1/2-3/4 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 oz. crumbled goat cheese (if you can find a flavored one you like use it but I just had plain this time)
~1/2-1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 onion, sliced and caramelized to your liking (feel free to add a pinch of sugar or splash of balsamic)

1. Preheat broiler.
   
2. Combine turkey, spinach, and goat cheese in a bowl, add any additional seasonings to taste.
3. Form 6 burger patties.
4. Pour panko bread crumbs into a shallow dish and press burgers gently in panko to coat.
5. Refrigerate the burgers for at least 15 min to help with firmness.
6. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and brown each side of the burgers.
7. Transfer burgers to broiler pan and broil 15 min or until burgers are done.
8. Serve topped with caramelized onions or a spicy mayonnaise/sauce of your choice.

You can omit steps 4 and 6 if you prefer it without panko.

The wedge is trendy. From little amount of research I can find on the subject, the wedge salad was most popular in the 40s-60s in the United States, while iceberg lettuce has dominated since the 1920s. I normally can't stand iceberg lettuce. As a child that was salad: iceberg lettuce, Pepperridge Farm seasoned croutons, little pieces of Cracker Barrel orange cheddar chunk cheese, and bottled dressing (probably a type of Wish Bone Russian or something). Although until I was 6 or so I ate my salad without the lettuce. (I can't believe I was allowed to eat eat cheese, croutons, and lettuce in a bowl). Now I semi-avoid the "crisp head" lettuce as it was originally called, but the wedge is one of the exceptions. I had some leftover bacon and decided the wedge salad is just what I needed.

Wedge Salad (for two)

1/2 a head iceberg lettuce
2 plum tomatoes
3 slices of cooked bacon
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup white dressing (I used the dressing from the Caesar Pasta Salad recipe)

1. Cut lettuce into 2 wedges.
2. De seed and dice tomatoes.
3. Crumble bacon and add bacon and tomatoes to the lettuce.
4. Pour dressing over wedge and season with pepper.

It really is a very low maintenance type of salad and presents beautifully. Nuts and blue cheese are always a welcome addition but I would use a different dressing in that case. As always experiment and find something tasty. J, of course, ate his salad sans dressing and tomato (yes, a chunk of lettuce sprinkled with bacon, I know...) but I really feel if you are going to eat your lettuce in a big chunk it should be properly dressed.

Going Greek

Some weeks I try and have a different type of cuisine each night. We really try not to have two Mexican meals in one week etc. Last week I decided we needed a Greek meal. I found a delicious looking recipe for pork chops and I also found a semi healthy recipe for a green bean salad with feta cheese.

Green Bean, Walnut and Feta Salad
(Adapted from Southern Living)

2 tbsp coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 clove minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2.5 handfuls fresh green beans
1/4 small purple onion thinly sliced
3 tbsp package feta cheese crumbled

Toast walnuts in a pan on the stove over low heat.

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Trim ends of green beans. Arrange the beans in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam until crisp tender (approximately 15 minutes.) Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry.

Toss together beans, walnuts and onions in a serving dish. Crumble the feta cheese over the top. Cover and refrigerate.

One hour before serving, pour prepared dressing over bean mixture. Toss thoroughly just before serving.

Grilled Marinated Pork Chops
(From Kalyn's Kitchen)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine ingredients for marinade. Marinate pork chops and cook on grill or indoors using grill pan.


The whole thing was just delicious!

Mustard Maple Salmon and Roasted Carrot Couscous

As you can see I'm still using the phone to take pictures. I promise I will charge the batteries tonight! Anyway, when I was in college I started eating salmon. I don't know why it took me so long to start liking fish as much as I do now. When I was a little kid we used to eat flounder breaded in cracker meal and fried with a side of baked macaroni that my mother made using white American cheese (especially during Lent). I remember holding my nose and refusing to go in the kitchen if my mother was even cooking fish. My mother would make something else for my sister and I. Usually they only had fish on payday and many times my mother would go to buy the fish at the fish market. I really only remember them eating tuna, salmon, and swordfish. When I went to college I don't remember the first time I had salmon but I feel like I was with M at the Outback. However, if that wasn't my first encounter with salmon, this is the recipe that made me fall in love with it. This is Mustard Maple Salmon. I eyeballed the ingredients and used just 2 pieces of fish but the flavor combination is delicious.

Mustard Maple Salmon (I don't know where my mother found this)

3 tbsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets

1. Combine first five ingredients and marinate salmon in sauce for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare grill or broiler (I broil mine on high because salmon tends to stick to the grill).
3. Place salmon on broiler pan and pour leftover marinade over fish. You can also occasionally baste salmon if you prefer or you are using the grill.
4. If you are using a piece with skin on the bottom (see photo) cook skin side down for 8 min on high or until it flakes easily when tested with a fork.
   

Serves 4 (WW 8 pts)

I decided to try and use up some whole wheat couscous as my side dish. I roasted 4 carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon. I cooked the couscous in chicken broth and added some golden raisins to allow them to plump up. I also added some chopped hazelnuts I had on hand.

Still no camera for Pad Thai and Clams

My camera is still not charged. I am looking for the battery charger but in the meantime we are having to make due with the cell phone. It's almost not worth photographing. I have been trying to make a home version of Pad Thai at home for a few years now. I don't know what it is but the from scratch variety continued to fail miserably. This time around I used a bottled sauce and it was slightly more edible but for some reason the fish sauce taste was still WAY too strong. I have no idea what they are doing differently at the Thai restaurants but this may be one of the dishes I'm going to have to leave to the professionals. Since this isn't really from scratch here are a list of the ingredients:

pad thai noodles
pad thai sauce
frozen shrimp
scallions
peanuts crushed
egg
mung bean sprouts
garlic
peanut oil

I think I remembered it all. If not there are plenty of recipes online if you want to try your hand at it. My favorite versions are served at restaurants in Maryland, Noodles Corner in Columbia and Asean Bistro, also in Columbia. In central PA it has been difficult to find something even close to these restaurants, so far the only pad thai that doesn't taste like ketchup is Bangkok Wok in Mechanicsburg. Some people like Amy's Thai in Carlisle and Pakha's Thai House in Dillsburg. I recommend some of the other dishes there but not the pad thai.

I was having another one of those cravings of mine (at least it was something I had eaten before this time) after flipping through the weekly circular of what's on sale. Last night we had some steamed clams as a splurge with a little pasta on the side if you felt like it. The clam recipe is super simple and delicious. The only think I might do next time would be to not use cooking wine because I think it made the clam broth rather salty.

Steamed Clams

48 littleneck clams
1 cup white wine
4 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp butter

Wash the clams well in cold water.
Melt the butter and saute the garlic briefly.
Add the wines and the clams and cook covered several minutes until clams open. It is ok to eat clams that don't pop open (unlike mussels) but use your best judgement. Serve with crusty bread (we used a whole wheat baguette).

Kung Pao Back to School Night

I am sooooooooooooooooooooo exhausted! Tonight was Back to School Night. Being a teacher, I had to give a presentation in 10 minutes to each period of parents that I teach. I was giddy with an energy high until I got home and all of a sudden I just didn't feel like doing anything. Sadly I still had to eat dinner and I couldn't go out with the other teachers afterwards. Next year I am planning ahead and eating before in case I want to go out after. Every year I never have enough time to say everything and I'll probably be hoarse tomorrow from talking so much and so quickly for 2 hours. But you all didn't come to hear about Back to School Night...

Miraculously, I dragged my rear into the kitchen and whipped up some Kung Pao Chicken from Cooking Light.

Kung Pao Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon peanut oil , divided
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger, divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.
2. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
3. Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Peach Cake and Risotto with Caramelized Pears and Gorgonzola

One of my absolute favorite desserts comes from the Silver Palate cookbook. Peach Cake is AMAZING. Unfortunately I had to modify it a little bit but it was wonderful anyway. We ate it so fast there aren't any pictures of it. But I implore you to try it you won't be disappointed.

Peach Cake (The Silver Palate)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter + extra for greasing the pan
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (original called for 3 but I couldn't fit that many)
Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
4 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a heavy 9" skillet (my mother always used cast iron but I used my all-clad since I don't own one) well. Prepare the cake: cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat half into the creamed mixture. Repeat; beating well. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Arrange the peach slices on top of the batter. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the ingredients for the topping together in a small bowl with a fork. After the cake has baked for 25 minutes, open the oven and quickly crumble the topping over the peaches. Close the oven and bake until the cake is firm and has pulled away from the edges of the skillet, another 8 minutes. Serve warm, accompanied by a pitcher of heavy cream (that's what the original called for to serve, I whipped the cream with a little sugar and vanilla and served that one top instead). 8 portions (we ate 2 portions each)

One of our favorite flavor combinations is pear and blue cheese. From tartlets to flatbread pizza we just can't get enough of it. I don't particularly like raw pears in fact. Browsing around one day I found a recipe for a risotto with this combination. I've been searching for a risotto that J will eat and enjoy and so I decided to try my hand at a similar (though not the same) recipe.

Risotto with Caramelized Pears and Gorgonzola (inspired by a recipe from Dana McMahan)

1 pear, thinly sliced and peeled
1/3 sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1.5 Tsp sugar

handful of hazelnuts, chopped

1. Melt butter over medium high heat
2. Add pears , sugar and onion
3. Cook over medium high heat at least 10-12 minutes or until caramelized.
   
4. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
5. Add hazelnuts so they can toast for about 4-5 minutes.
   

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup of white wine
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
Broth (about 4 cups, maybe a bit more or less; chicken or vegetable broth can be used)
1-2 oz gorgonzola cheese

3 tbsp cream

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook the chopped onion until translucent and very slightly colored.
3. Add the rice and cook about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the wine to the rice and allow it to evaporate.
5. Add about ½ cup of broth and simmer.
6. Add the rest of the broth, about ½ cup at a time, keeping mixture at a simmer.
7. Simmer the rice until the risotto is creamy, about 20 minutes stirring constantly.
8. Stir in blue cheese.
   
9. Stir in pear mixture.
10. Allow cheese to melt.
    
11. Serve with a drizzle of cream and black pepper.
    

I thought the whole thing was HEAVENLY. J wasn't quite as impressed. I'm starting to think he's never going to appreciate risotto or that I am cooking it incorrectly. I thought it was perfectly toothsome and creamy without the usual hearty dose of Parmesan. I'll try and put up the not so great picture of the meal I took on my phone but the quality was atrocious. I would definitely make this again even if J won't eat it again.

A Trio of Vegetarian Dips and the Labor Line-up

This year as I have for the last 2 years since I bought my house, I hosted a Labor Day get together. It's always a challenge to decide on a menu and I wanted to try something a little healthier this year. After many suggestions, including roasting a pig on a spit Hawaiian style (rather ambitious for us however), I finally decided on a spread with some Mediterranean flare.


Moroccan Carrot Dip- I omitted the olives in this one.
Cucumber Dip (see recipe below)
Hummus en Fuego- I omitted the olives in this one and used 2 cans of beans.
Panzanella (containing homemade croutons, tomatoes, basil, red onion, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
Ratatouille
Hot Melon Salad-I changed the quantities and used 3 types of melon (honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe)
Caesar Pasta Salad (see recipe below)
Grilled Chicken
Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
Make-Your-Own Ice Cream Sundae

Sadly I completely forgot to photos of any of the rest of the food. The ratatouille and the carrot dip were the favorites. The pasta salad was extremely popular as well. The panzanella was a little stale by the time I served it and I slightly overcooked the melon so it was runnier than I thought it would be. The hummus was better after 2 days but the cucumber dip was tasty. The rest was just a little mundane in general so there isn't much to talk about. All in all it was a great party with good company. I only wish I had remembered the photos.

Cucumber Dip (from Doris)
16 oz. softened cream cheese (I used low fat)
1 large cucumber grated and drained
Seasonings to taste (paprika, pepper, garlic powder, salt, onion powder or whatever you like)

Mix well. Whipping is ideal but not essential.

Caesar Pasta Salad
1/2 cup low far mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low fat milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 box pasta twists or penne, cooked according to directions and cooled
fresh ground pepper

1. Combine first 5 ingredients.
2. Add lettuce and pasta and toss to coat. Season with pepper.

Asian Rice with Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas

This was another semi-disappointment. As Cooking Light goes they generally have some tasty dishes. This was another adaptation but I don't think adapted enough in this case. Originally CL was serving this as a snow peas recipe. Sadly I am not a fan of snow peas so as a general rule I sub sugar snap peas. In this case I should have stir-fried the shrimp in the sauce instead of pouring it over the shrimp later. J said I shouldn't make this again. I kind of liked it but it felt like a waste of shrimp since it wasn't very flavorful. So here it is but I would try something a little different next time.

Asian Rice with Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas (adapted from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoons bottled chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
3/4 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp
1/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
2 teaspoons slivered almonds, toasted

1. Combine long-grain rice, 1 cup water, and fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, hot sauce, and garlic in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
3. Cook peas and shrimp in boiling water 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain. Add peas, shrimp, green onions, and rice to soy mixture; toss well to combine. Top with almonds. Serve immediately.

Fettuccine with Creamy Basil-Pine Nut Sauce

Last week I had a request. "Can we fend for ourselves one night?" J for some reason is not a big fan of some of my experiments and so last week while he ate something else entirely, what I haven't the faintest recollection. I myself had a lovely meal of fettuccine with creamy basil-pine nut sauce. Lovely may be a little strong of a word. This was a pretty good recipe. I modified a Cooking Light recipe to fit what I had and I must say that with a similar base you could probably pull off a sauce reminiscent of Alfredo sauce.

Fettuccine with Creamy Basil-Pine Nut Sauce (adapted from Cooking Light)
3 servings (serving size: 1 cups)

2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup light ricotta cheese
1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
2 teaspoons cooking sherry
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 (9-ounce) package fresh fettuccine
Fresh basil leaves (optional)

1. Place the garlic in a food processor, and pulse 2 to 3 times. Add basil and the next 5 ingredients (basil through pepper); process until smooth. Stir in pine nuts.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl; toss well. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Bean Dip with Lamb Topping and Pita

A couple towns over from us there is a Lebanese restaurant called The Cedar Restaurant. They have belly dancing on Friday and Saturday nights and mezze in addition to their entrees which include kabobs, kibbe, quail, lamb and frog legs. One of the mezze we tried recently inspired this dish, in addition to a recipe I was going to make for dinner from Real Simple. At the restaurant we ate "hummus with meat" which I believe was beef. This is a take-off on the hummus using some of the white bean salad ingredients and the lamb I was going to cook. The lamb is placed on top of the dip and the whole thing is eaten with warm pita.

Bean Dip with Lamb Topping

1 can white beans (navy, canellini, Great Northern), drained and rinsed
~2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
1 shallot, sliced
1.5 tbsp fresh mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried basil

3 lamb loin chops
1/3 cup chopped red onion
salt and pepper
1 tsp ground dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Pita bread or pita chips of your choice

1. Remove lamb meat from bone and trim fat. Grind meat in food processor until complete ground. Can substitute ground lamb if you prefer.

2. Saute onion in a little cooking spray or oil. Season raw lamb. Brown lamb with onions. Set aside.

3. Mix 6 dip ingredients in a bowl. In a mini prep food processor, grind the mixture until shallots and mint is chopped. Do not puree. The mint is too overpowering if it is chopped finely. You should be able to see some partially whole beans.

4. For pita bread, either toast in the oven or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave until warm. Slice pita into wedges.

5. Serve dip topped with lamb or in separate dishes to be eaten together.

Turkey, Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

As a child every year my parents would have their annual tree viewing Christmas party. The menu for many years was basically the same and always contained traditional stuffed shells. Not being an adult I waited until after the party for leftovers. It always seemed that we would be eating stuffed shells for weeks after the party. It could have been my imagination or the fact that for Easter or Thanksgiving we might also have stuffed shells for the pasta course, but either way I dreaded eating the stuffed shells. They just seemed so boring to me! For some reason I had 3/4 of a box of jumbo shells leftover from some recipe I don't remember, which I found looking for food to clean out of the cabinet. Along with the leftover components from the enchiladas, I decided to create my own recipe for something a little more interesting.

Turkey, Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

3/4 box jumbo shells, cooked according to package
1/2 lb. ground turkey (I browned it with part of a red onion and 1 clove garlic for previous recipe)
(1/4 red onion, chopped)
(1 clove garlic, chopped)
1/2 pack frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 pack cremini mushrooms (I used pre-sliced to cut down on prep)
1 clove garlic, crushed/chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 egg
2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 small container part skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
oregano and basil (dried)
Parmesan cheese
1 jar sauce (I used Paul Sorvino's Vodka sauce but homemade would be even better)

1. Finely chop mushrooms. Saute in melted butter with garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking add sugar and vinegar. Mushrooms should be completely cooked and soft. Set aside.

2. If you haven't already, brown the turkey with garlic and a quarter of a red onion chopped.

3. To make the filling: Combine turkey, spinach and mushrooms. Then add the ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with approx. 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, and basil or more or less if you like. Once it is incorporated add the egg. If it seems wet enough you can omit the egg.

4. Spread casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce. Fill shells with approx. 2 tbsp of filling or whatever fits the best for you. Place in casserole dish. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella.
(this is what it will look like)

5. Bake according to directions (most boxes say to cover but I did not). Here is the final product. We warmed up some extra sauce to top them.

Stone Fruit Galette and Turkey Vegetable Enchiladas

On vacation my mother brought a whole bunch of leftover ingredients that she wanted to get rid of, including 1 refrigerated pie crust. So I threw together a stone fruit and blueberry galette.

Ingredients
4-6 stone fruit sliced(I used 1 peach and two types of plums we had hanging around)
1/2 cup whole blueberries
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 pie crust

1. Toss the fruit with the flour and sugar.
2. Pile the fruit in the center of the pie crust.
3. Fold the crust around the fruit.
4. Bake the galette at 425 degrees for 35 min.
5. Let sit one hour before cutting.

Last night I decided to try one of my favorite experiments again while adapting the ingredients to suit J and I for dinner.


Turkey Vegetable Enchiladas (adapted from Crepes of Wrath/Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp Tabasco
1 can fat free low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder

1/2 package ground turkey
1/2 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach thawed
10 oz frozen corn
1/2 red onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
salt and pepper
6 flour tortillas
1 8 oz package shredded Mexican Blend cheese
6 scallions white and light green parts chopped

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add cumin, chili powder, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and Tabasco, and set aside.

2. Cook ground turkey in skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until partially soft. Drain fat from turkey.

3. In a bowl make the filling for the enchiladas. Mix the turkey with the spinach and corn.

4. Fill 6 torillas with 3/4 of the cheese and all the of filling. Roll each tortilla and place them seam side down in a 9 x 13 grease casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min. Sprinkle with scallions for garnish.The original recipe called for black beans instead of turkey. You could easily make this an all vegetarian recipe.

Back from Vacation

Every year (since I was 14), my family goes to Lake Dunmore in Vermont for a vacation/family reunion. In the last 5 years or so, our tradition has been to go to American Flatbread for dinner either the night we get there or our last night there (being that they used to only be open twice a week). This year was no different in that respect. Some other highlights besides swimming in the lake and playing numerous games of Bananagrams, were our outings to Sewards, a family restaurant/dairy in Rutland and the A & W Root Beer stand in Middlebury where you eat in your car and the waitresses wear roller skates. We also took our cousin to Fire and Ice in Middlebury and sampled some of the various food in Burlington, nothing too noteworthy.

At Sewards we always order the same thing, a burger and sides, which has to include cottage cheese from their dairy. At the end we have the requisite ice cream and or pie. Here are some pics of our lunch at Sewards. The burger has VT cheddar cheese on it! The ice cream here includes black raspberry, pistachio and butter pecan.That evening we went to American Flatbread which uses natural and sometimes local ingredients. We ordered the usual Med Bread for the kids (which is basically the traditional red sauce with cheese), as well as the maple sausage and mushroom which you can find on the menu. We also had one of each of the specials. Here is the special board which describes each of the pizzas. The others are a shots of each of the most interesting pizzas.As for the A & W Root Beer stand we went for dinner but beware! The burgers have ketchup, mustard and pickles on them. Whatever you do, don't miss out on the root beer float. They have a variety of sizes and you can order it with diet root beer if you want. If you prefer buy the gallon of root beer and make your own floats at home. It won't come in the A & W mug, however. Here is the aftermath.

Creamy Seafood Risotto

After I realized that I won't be able to make as many meals as I thought because we are going to the Blink 182 concert this week, I decided to make the risotto as soon as I bought the seafood. To my surprise I was able to buy all the seafood for less than $5. Unfortunately for me, I had to make it a little wetter to start out since J will be eating his dinner when he gets home and I ate mine when it was finished. I also forgot to crush the saffron threads so it probably is less yellow and flavorful than it would have been. This was also my first attempt at cooking calamari so it was a little bit of an adventure.

Creamy Seafood Risotto
Adapted from Culinary Adventures of a New Wife (Adapted from Cooking Light, October '08)

2 cups chicken broth
3/4 8 oz. bottle clam juice
2 teaspoons butter
1 chopped shallot
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 chopped Roma tomato
4 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces bay scallops
1 squid body cut into rings
2 tablespoons light cream
Chopped parsley


1. Bring broth and clam juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

2. Spray a large saucepan with cooking spray. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add shallots & onion to pan and cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and saffron to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup hot broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. If the liquid is cooking off too quickly, turn the heat down a little.

3. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Stir in shrimp, calamari and scallops; cook for 4 minutes or until seafood is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cream.



I don't know if I would make this again. I'm going to wait for J's opinion and then decide.

MD Weekend and Line-Up

For the birthday weekend we had a bit of an eating vacation in MD. Friday we had that Maryland favorite, a crabfeast. We had a bushel and a half of steamed crabs with Old Bay seasoning. Old Bay is a mix of spices that Marylanders use on just about anything from popcorn to eggs. Crabs are so messy, you want to eat them outside on brown paper or newspaper. Our friends eat soda crackers dipped in catsup as a side. Of course, you can't have crabs without beer. (Do people around the rest of the country say crab or crabs, because some friends of mine from college said it sounded weird when I said crabs?) This year we also had corn on the cob for the first time. The picture shows the remains of our dinner.

On Saturday we went to my favorite Mexican food joint, the Mexican Cafe, in Annapolis, MD. We started with a cup of guac, a cup of queso, and a cup of their beanless chili. They were just as good as I remembered but the chips were not quite as good as I remembered. I soon forgot about that because I had ordered the top shelf margarita on the rocks with salt. Be forewared, they knock you on your butt. I had one and my family claimed I was practically slurring my words. Well worth it though! I ordered the grilled chicken flautas with is just a chimichanga with queso sauce. The beans were great because they no longer use the mushy refried version, just some pinto beans.


Saturday night we tried a new restaurant. The Rumor Mill in Old Ellicott City, it's an Asian fusion bar with mostly small plates. They have some innovative mixed drinks but I did not partake. J and I ordered six small plates to share but with his appetite we could have done at least seven. We had crab dumplings, lambchops, sweet potato fries; all of which I reccommend. We also had panko calamari, chicken tempura, and bacon wrapped hoisin shrimp, which I probably wouldn't order again. The banana dumpling dessert and the donut dessert are delicious though. All in all I don't know if I would go back there, since there are so many other places in MD to go but if you are looking for something interesting downtown it's in Tiber Alley where the old Sidestreets restaurant used to be. Afterwards we went across the street to the rooftop bar on the restaurant Cacao Lane. I highly reccommend the locale for a neat place to have drinks because it's up in the trees.

Sunday for lunch we went down to corn beef row in Baltimore. J and I shared one corned beef on rye and one pastrami on rye at Attmann's. I highly reccommend the deli for those two items. I haven't had anything else there in years so it's hard to say.



Sunday night we went to Linwoods in Owings Mills. It was fantastic! J and I split the crabcake (appetizer size) and the lobster tempura with honey butter and pink peppercorns. J had the French onion soup and I had the tasting of salads. One was crispy oyster with butter lettuce and tomato, one was beet with goat cheese and grapefruit, and the last one was watermelon with feta. I thought the oyster and the beet were the best. For the entree I had what was previously known as the "Carpetbagger": a thick New York strip steak, topped with Cambazola cheese (this is like a blue cheese with the consistency of brie from Spain) and crispy oysters. I honestly could have eaten half and been full just on that. Dessert was very impressive (coming from a non-dessert eater). The white chocolate banana cream pie with raspberry coulis, the creme brulee, and the warm mixed berry shortcake with vanilla ice cream were my favorites. The chocolate bread pudding (in the picture) was ok but not as soft as I would have liked. It was more dense like cake.

Anyway, enough about the weekend. I wish I had more pictures to show but unfortunately I either forgot or thought I would look silly taking shots of everything. This week we are trying four new items.

Lunches- Gazpacho with Corn and Goat cheese
Dinners- Grilled Chicken and Peaches with blue cheese
Creamy Seafood Risotto (J's request)
Spaghetti Marinara with sausage (sausage from J's grandparents)

Next week I'll be headed to Vermont for the family vacation while J fends for himself again. Hopefully I'll be able to document some of the food at the lake.