Creamy Corn Chowder...Paula Deen Style!

Back in October 2006, Paula Deen came to town to promote her new cookbook, Paula Deen Celebrates!. I was so excited to go but I had just gotten a new job and found out I was going to be sent to a conference in Denver that week. I was so bummed, but my wonderful husband agreed to go for me and get my cookbook signed. I really enjoy watching Paula on the Food Network and the recipes of hers that I've tried have been delish (when most things start with a stick of butter, what's not to love?). I had a bunch of extra fresh corn a few weeks ago and I remembered that I had seen a Corn Chowder recipe in the book and decided that would be the perfect use for my leftover corn. It was warm and tasty and I enjoyed it. Next time I'll be sure to add the red pepper, as I omited it this time (though I'll probably use roasted red pepper and mix it into the soup, rather than using it as a topping).

Corn Chowder

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used a sweet onion)

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced (I used yukon gold instead)

4 cups chicken broth (canned is fine)

4 ears white or yellow corn on the cob

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

One 10.75 oz can condensed cream of celery soup

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (I omitted)

In a heavy-bottomed 4 quart stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and potatoes and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and boil the vegetables over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft. Meanwhile, cut the corn from the cobs with a sharp knife. Place each corncob in the middle of a large bowl to catch the kernels and juice. Add the corn to the soup and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the half-and-half, salt, pepper and the cream of celery soup. Stir well to combine. Simmer until hot. Serve immediately. Garnish with the bell pepper. Makes about 6 cups.

Source: Paula Deen Celebrates!

The deliciousness

Paula getting ready to sign my book

My husband with Paula's husband, Michael

Party Hearty...with a sandwich!

A few weeks ago, I hosted my friend Gina's baby shower at my house along with her sister and a few of her other friends. We had lots of yummy food and my contributions were Ham and Swiss Party Sandwiches and homemade mini quiches (I made spinach ones and then ones using this recipe, but with Gryuere). These are the best little party sandwiches. They are different and tasty and always a big hit every time I make them. I've made them for coworkers, Christmas parties, and, of course, the baby shower. They are just delicious. My husband LOVES them and can't get enough. Before he left for the man party (all the husbands got together for a Wii, pizza and beer party at the dad-to-be's house during the shower) he was like "There will be sandwiches for me, right?" He was in luck, as with so much food, we had leftovers of everything. They are quite rich, so you can't eat too many at once. Start looking early for the party rolls though...I know in our area they can be tough to find!

Ham and Swiss Party Sandwiches

3 packages party rolls (should be around 20 in the package...smaller than but similar to dinner rolls...Cobblestone Mills or Pepperidge Farms both make them)

1/2 lb. butter or margarine

3 tblsp. poppy seed (World Market is the cheapest place I've found to get them)

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

3 tblsp. yellow mustard

1 medium onion chopped or grated (you want this to be very finely chopped)

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced (you need around 15 slices)

Ham (I normally use close to a pound of thin sliced from the deli)

Slice rolls, don't pull apart (keep all 20 tops as one "sheet" and all 20 bottoms as one "sheet"). Mix next five ingredients and cook on low heat enough to melt butter/margarine. Spread sauce on both sides of rolls. Put cheese and ham on bottom part. Put the top of the rolls over the bottom and wrap in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Slice into individual rolls for serving.

Source: My mom...don't know where she got it from, sorry!

A close up shot

On the display tower at Gina's baby shower (that's them behind the diaper cake)

I must attention whore my first diaper cake, which I was really pleased with (and hey, the sandwiches are in the background!)

Quick Weeknight Lasagna

I love lasagna...layers of pasta, cheese and sauce...yum! However, lasagna can tend to be pretty labor intensive. That is why I love this recipe for when I want lasagna, but don't have time for an hour long production.

Meatless Microwave Lasagna

6 oven ready lasanga noodles (the kind you don't need boil)

1 egg

1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese (fat free or part skim works fine)

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 jar pasta sauce, any variety

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Grease an 8x8x2 inch glass baking dish (cooking spray is fine). In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ricotta, parsley and Parmesan. Spread 3/4 cup pasta sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Place 2 lasagna noodles on top. Spread half the ricotta mixture onto the noodles, trying to seal in the edges of the noodles. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella then another 3/4 cup of pasta sauce. Repeat (2 noodles, other half ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 3/4 cup sauce). Place the final two lasagna noodles on top and then cover with the remaining pasta sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover with microwavable plastic wrap and cut a small slit in the center of the plastic wrap to vent. Microwave on high for 15-20 minutes depending on your microwave. If you don't have a turntable in your microwave, rotate 1/4 turn every 5 minutes. Let stand uncovered 15 minutes before cutting.

Source: Adapted from a Barilla recipe found in the coupon section of the newspaper many years ago.

Cheesy Goodness x 2

I love cheese. Especially good cheese. I mean...how can you not like cheese? It can be cool and creamy, it can be spicy or piquant, it can slice, shred, melt. It is a perfect food. There are also so many wonderful varieties out there and I'm working on trying new ones. I've also tried to start buying only good cheese, as it makes a difference in flavor. No more canisters of Kraft Parmesan...only a block of Parmegiano Reggiano and my trusty Microplane. I've also pretty much quit buying preshredded since it doesn't melt as well as when you shred your own (they use a substance on it to keep it from caking in the bag).

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas includes a cheese you may or may not be familiar with...fontina. It is creamy and buttery and delicious! When I made this I also happened to have another favorite cheese on hand...Tillamook Aged White Cheddar (pick it up at Whole Foods...it also makes fantastic mac and cheese). So I used that for my main dish and the fontina for my side dish. I'll admit that the Baked Orzo needs something else and I plan to experiment next time I make it. It is just slightly bland and I think mainly needs some garlic added as well as a few other spices. It was quite tasty though and reheated well. I'll also either dot the top with butter or use a little cooking spray on it next time so that the breadcrumb topping gets crisp. I do recommend trying it though!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

1/2 cup butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin (we only used 4 since there were only 2 of us)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt. Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Source: NC Recipes Bio

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

4 cups chicken broth

1 pound orzo pasta

3 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking dish (I greased the pan with cooking spray)

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (we used baby bellas)

1 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 ounces shredded fontina cheese (about 1 cup)

4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Pour the orzo and the broth into a large bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the mushrooms are beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the Marsala. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the Marsala has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to the orzo in the large bowl. Add the cream, fontina, mozzarella, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and dried thyme. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the pasta. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis from foodnetwork.com

Monkeying around for breakfast

I love monkey bread. It is gooey and cinnamony and fun to eat. It is perfect to make for guests and always a crowd pleaser. I love that I've found a super easy recipe for it that turns out delicious in just over 30 minutes.

Monkey Bread

3 cans butter biscuits (I used the kind that came 10 to a tube)

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a Bundt pan. Melt butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Rip the biscuits into little pieces in a medium sized bowl. Pour the sauce over the biscuit pieces and quickly toss to coat all the biscuit pieces with sauce (I find two spoons work well for this). Pour the coated biscuit pieces into the Bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Source: Adapted from a recipe found in the NC Recipes Bio

A Symphony in your mouth

I've made these brownies a few times since starting this blog, but I can never seem to remember to actually blog the recipe. So I'm finally going to take care of that tonight. I made these last night after dinner and they were as delicious as ever. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. I got the recipe from my mom, who got the recipe from a friend who I think ultimately got the recipe from Paula Deen.

Symphony Brownies

1 box brownie mix, any kind, prepared as directed (I normally use applesauce instead of oil)

2-3 5oz Toffee and Almond Hershey's Symphony Bars (2 if making in a 8x8, 3 if making in a 9x13 or other rectangular pan)

Pour half the brownie mix into the prepared pan. Place the two (or three) whole candy bars on top next to each other. Top with the remaining brownie mix. Bake as directed on the brownie package. Enjoy!

I scream, you scream...

...we all scream for Ice Cream! For Christmas (or my birthday...they are so close together I can't remember which) my mother in law gave me the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer. I'd had a little ice cream maker that a friend gave us but it just never seemed to work. So I was excited to try the Kitchenaid attachment, as I'd heard it was pretty good. Boy is it! I love this thing. So far I've only made two batches of ice cream but I'm keeping the bowl permanently in our extra freezer so I can make ice cream whenever I want. It comes out in a nice soft serve consistency and then you can harden it up by freezing it (over night is best...4 hours or so will get it a little firmer, but not to the hardness of say grocery store ice cream). Here are the two ice creams we've tried so far. Both were really good. We used full fat ingredients in these but I hope to start trying to do some lighter ice creams soon.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup milk

a pinch of salt

3/4 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean (I used a Madagascar vanilla bean, which is more recommended for ice cream than a Tahitian bean)

2 cups heavy cream

5 egg yolks

a few drops of vanilla extract

Heat the milk, salt and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk with the tip of a paring knife. Add the bean pod to the milk. Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour (this is called tempering...so your eggs don't scramble). Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream to continue steeping. Chill thoroughly, then remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Source: David Lebovitz via http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com/

Oreo Cheesecake Ice Cream

1 cup sugar

4 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

10 Oreo cookies, crumbled

Beat the sugar and the cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Set aside. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowing beat the hot milk into the cheese mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stire constantly with a whisk until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the egg will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot cheese custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. All the custard to cool slightly, then stir in cream. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight. Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in your ice cream machine, adding the crumbled cookies to the machine when the ice cream is semi-frozen. Allow the machine to mix in the cookies.

Source: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein

More Market Goodness

As previously stated, I love the farmer's market. There are so many great goodies each week and so many opportunities to use that fresh produce in your cooking. So you'll be seeing a few posts soon utilizing some of my farmer's market finds. First up, lasagna! How can anyone not like lasagna...layers of pasta, sauce and ooey gooey cheese! Yum! While my hubby prefers his with meat, I'll take a veggie lasagna anyday. Since I'm generally the cook around here, I often get my way, as I did with this recipe. This turned out great! Also, I think it is important to note that this is a Paula Deen recipe WITHOUT 2 sticks of butter...in fact, there isn't even any butter in it. Paula must be slipping...but this is wonderful none the less. I knew I had to make it when I watched her make it on her show one Sunday morning and Paula didn't disappoint.

Garden Full of Goodness Lasagna

2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups thinly sliced yellow squash
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups small cottage cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 oven-ready, "no cook," lasagna noodles
12 slices provolone cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella


Combine zucchini, squash, carrot, mushrooms, onion and peppers with water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain well, and reserve. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, and eggs. Stir together.


Spread 1/3 of the sauce evenly over bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Place 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/2 of cream cheese mixture over noodles. Cover cheese mixture with 1/2 the vegetable mixture, more sauce, and top evenly with 6 slices provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with 4 noodles, rest of the cream cheese mixture, vegetables, sauce, and remaining cheeses. Place in oven for 35 minutes or until lasagna is hot and bubbling. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.



Source: foodnetwork.com

Oh Farmers' Market, how do I love thee...

I love summer because the bounty at the local farmers' markets is fabulous. My hubby and I have a tradition every Saturday morning from May through October (the period during which our local farmers' market operates) of heading to the market. It is within walking distance of our house and the vendors are just wonderful. We always stop and pick up a chocolate croissant from a great bread company that sets up a booth there. Their breads are wonderful as well (I recommend the garlic asiago foccacia and the cinnamon swirl) but their chocolate croissants are to die for. I look forward to it every weekend. The vendors are also great. Really kind, genuine folks working hard to bring wonderful produce to the market. We've really enjoyed getting to know some of the vendors over the past year and a half and we're such regulars that they notice if we miss a weekend (which only happens if we are out of town). Heck, they even notice if we are later than usual on a Saturday morning. This is just one of the things I love about my small, suburban town. I'm within 15 minutes of the "city" and all it has to offer (including the large state farmers' market, which is also great) but I can enjoy the quiet, small town life too.

This summer at the market has been great with some new vendors stopping by. I've been able to really get most all of the produce that I need each week. In May and June there were fresh strawberries, and now in the heat of summer we have lots of goodies--squash, zucchini, peppers, fresh herbs, corn, red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, green beans and okra, just to name a few of my purchases in the past few weeks. Almost every week during the summer, we have "farmers' market special" dinners where we cook up a lot of the fresh veggies we got at the market that week. One of my favorite ways to use my squash is to make squash casserole. This is my parents' recipe and both my husband and I love it. I don't use exact measurements, but the basic recipe is:

Squash Casserole

5-7 small to medium size squash, sliced
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped (depends on how big your onion is, use your best judgment)
1 cup sour cream (light works fine)
1 can cream of celery soup (I always use the Healthy Request version)
1-2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
1 tbsp of olive oil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium heat (you could opt to use another fat like butter or bacon grease here or you might be able to get away with cooking spray). Sautee the squash and onions in the olive oil until they are soft and slightly browning. Pour into a baking dish and combine with remaining ingredients. It should be slightly creamy (I recommend mixing in your sour cream and soup first, then adding the stuffing until you reach the consistency you desire). Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

I've been MIA, but I've been cooking

I'm back again, trying to get the blog updated with all of my cooking from the past month or so. I've been busy and just haven't been able to find the time to get everything posted for your viewing and eating pleasure. I promise to get better at this!

Now, on to the food...

One of my favorite restaurants in our area is called Daniel's Pizza and Pasta. It is a locally owned restaurant and their food is fantastic. My favorite dish is called Penne Alla Casa and it blends a creamy tomato sauce with sundried tomatoes, garlic and spinach. It isn't the healthiest, but it is oh so good and worth the caloric splurge now and then. Luckily for my tastebuds (though not so luckily for my hips) our local newspaper published the recipe for this exact dish a while back in their "Specialty of the House" column. This is where readers can write in and request recipes from their favorite restaurants. It is a great column and I check it every week to see what gems it might turn up.

I highly recommend giving this a try. But eat in moderation... (Nutrition facts available upon request...trust me...just enjoy it and don't think about it!)

Penne Alla Casa

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup freshly chopped garlic

2 cups heavy cream (I've tried fat free half and half and it just doesn't work so well)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

salt, pepper and granulated garlic, to taste (I omitted the granulated garlic because I didn't have any)

1/2 pound fresh spinach

1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound penne pasta cooked al dente and drained

Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat then add the garlic and saute just until it begins to brown (careful not to burn the garlic...that won't be tasty). This should take about 1 minute. Add the cream and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to a boil then add the marinara sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and is reduced by one-fourth. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and granulated garlic then fold in the spinach and Romano. Heat just until spinach is wilted and the cheese melts. Toss with the pasta and serve hot. Serves 4.

Source: Daniel's Pizza and Pasta

Another dish I'd been wanting to try was stuffed peppers. I'd seen them in Jaime and Beth Anne's blogs and decided to give them a try. I thought they were pretty tasty and they are really quite healthy. My hubby, who is less of a green pepper fan than I am, liked the filling but felt like we had wasted a bunch of pepper since he only ate a portion of his actual pepper. His vote was that next time I just make the filling and throw some cooked green pepper in with it. If you like green peppers though, try it as is.

Stuffed Peppers

1lb ground beef (I used 1% fat ground turkey)

1 large onion, chopped

1 15 oz can tomato sauce, divided

1 1/4 c water, divided

1 envelope Good Seasoning Garlic & Herb Dressing & Recipe mix

1 cup instant brown rice, uncooked

4 large green peppers

1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Brown meat with onion in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup of tomato sauce, 1 cup of water & salad dressing mix. Bring to a boil, stir in rice & cover. Remove from heat and let stand 5 min. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds. Mix remaining sauce and 1/4 c water in the bottom of a 9 in square baking dish. Place peppers in baking dish. Stir 1/4 cup cheese into meat mixture and then spoon meat mixture into peppers. Use the remaining 1/4 cup cheese to top each pepper with a little bit of cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 to 40 min or until peppers are tender. Spoon sauce from bottom of dish over peppers just before serving.