Yay! Project Runway started back tonight. I'm SO excited to finally get to watch it. For the first 5 seasons it was on Bravo...which Time Warner Cable didn't carry! So we finally got Bravo earlier this year, and now Project Runway is on Lifetime. Go figure! It was a great episode and some of the dresses were awesome (and some a total wreck). I loved the winning dress. So far I'm rooting for Carol Hannah Whitfield...she's from Charleston, SC, where my hubby and I got engaged and spent our first wedding anniversary. Gotta support the South!
Makes me even more excited for my upcoming trip to NYC (shopping heaven!) and for fall fashion. I've been checking out the fall issues of my fashion mags and deciding on my must haves. Can't wait to go shopping!
On the food side of things, I hope to have some new recipes for you soon. We've been cooking less since it has been so hot and just been doing a lot of tried and true favorites. I hope to get back into the kitchen and try out some new recipes soon!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Roasted Red Pepper Orzo
Another great use I've found for Roasted Red Peppers is this orzo. It makes a great side, or even a good main dish for lunch. I like to double the amount of peppers to intensify the flavor, but it is fine as the recipe states as well. Definitely use good parmesan cheese for this and the previously posted risotto...it will give a better flavor. Enjoy!
1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 c dry orzo
2.5 cups chicken broth
Approximately 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Roasted Red Pepper Orzo
Ingredients:
1 tsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 c dry orzo
2.5 cups chicken broth
Approximately 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
To roast the pepper, I put it under the broiler, and turned it every few minutes until all sides were blackened. Then I put it in a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it sweat for about 15 minutes. After sweating it is really easy to peel off the skin. Seed and chop the pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a pot.
Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes.
Add orzo and toss until coated.
Add broth, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer until broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Stir in roasted red peppers and cheese.
To roast the pepper, I put it under the broiler, and turned it every few minutes until all sides were blackened. Then I put it in a bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it sweat for about 15 minutes. After sweating it is really easy to peel off the skin. Seed and chop the pepper.
Heat butter and oil in a pot.
Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes.
Add orzo and toss until coated.
Add broth, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low. Cover and let simmer until broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Stir in roasted red peppers and cheese.
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Risotto
I love roasted red peppers in almost anything...on pizza, in pastas, on chicken, in sandwiches...you name it. I especially loved them in this risotto. I've started making a number of risottos and they are always so delicious with a creamy texture. This is a great one to not only get that roasted red pepper flavor but to get a few veggies in too thanks to the spinach. We've made this a number of times already and I can't wait to make it again soon. Hopefully the next time I make it, it will be with red peppers from my garden!
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine (or additional broth)
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (to roast, broil until skin is charred on all sides. Put in a bowl covered with plastic to sweat the skin off. After 10 minutes, peel the skin to reveal your beautiful roasted red pepper)
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Risotto
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
Optional: a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine (or additional broth)
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (to roast, broil until skin is charred on all sides. Put in a bowl covered with plastic to sweat the skin off. After 10 minutes, peel the skin to reveal your beautiful roasted red pepper)
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots and garlic (and red pepper flakes); stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the spinach and red peppers.
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots and garlic (and red pepper flakes); stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the spinach and red peppers.
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations
Crash Hot Potatoes
I'd seen these potatoes on a number of blogs and just hadn't gotten around to making them. My friend Kati blogged about making them with cheese instead of herbs and we decided that was the way we'd like to try them first (I'm sure we'll do them with herbs eventually). They were delicious! The crispiness of the potatoes was just perfect. These are a great side dish when you want something different than your regular old potatoes.
Small round potatoes (new potatoes, yukon golds, etc--we used baby reds)
Directions:
Crash Hot Potatoes
Ingredients:
Small round potatoes (new potatoes, yukon golds, etc--we used baby reds)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Herbs or Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 to 450 degrees (depending on how crispy you want your potatoes and if you have other things in the oven). Place desired amount of potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a couple tablespoons of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork (time will depend on size of your potatoes). Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by spreading a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom of the pan. Note, I always line my baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. (Shiny side down.) Remove potatoes from pot and drain. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need to cut some of them in half. Place potatoes on baking sheet, leaving space between. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash down potatoes, rotate pan and mash again. Brush tops generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and desired herbs. Roast in oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If using cheese instead of herbs, wait to add that until the last few minutes.
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks, with cheese inspiration from Kati
Dill Pickles
I LOVE dill pickles. I'll eat them straight from the jar and I love them piled on sandwiches and burgers. I always ask for extras at restaurants. So I was excited when I came across this recipe to make my own. This is the time of year when pickling cucumbers are cheap and plentiful at our local farmers' markets, so I wanted to share this now! I enjoyed these, though I added too much garlic. I love garlic, but I'll definitely scale back on it next time.
Ingredients:
For the brine:
3 cups water
6 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. kosher salt
minced garlic
fresh dill
cucumbers, cut into spears
Directions:
Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.
Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients:
For the brine:
3 cups water
6 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. kosher salt
minced garlic
fresh dill
cucumbers, cut into spears
Directions:
Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.
Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.
Source: Annie's Eats, adapted from Delicious Meliscious
Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Poblano and Cheddar
My husband and I have discovered that we love poblano peppers, thanks to our trip to Philly last fall. Now we seek them out and have been finding more uses for them. This chicken was a great one! I did overdo the paprika and cayenne a bit when making my crust, so be careful. Ours ended up pretty spicy. I'll definitely be more careful next time. This is a really flavorful way to have chicken though. If you like poblanos, definitely give it a try.
Preheat your broiler and then broil the poblano for a couple minutes, turning it once the skin has blistered and blackened. Alternatively, you can put the pepper right on your stovetop gas burner. After all sides of the pepper look charred, put it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let the pepper cool.
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a rack/cooling rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off (it should come off easily at this point) and dice the poblano. Slit a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff the pocket with the diced poblano and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine the cornmeal with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper to your tastes. Carefully dip the chicken breasts into the egg wash, and then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Place the chicken on the rack and spray the top with cooking oil. Bake about 20 minutes or until done, turning once in the middle of cooking.
Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Poblano and Cheddar
Serves 2
2 chicken breast halves
1 poblano pepper
1/3 cup shredded or sliced sharp cheddar
1 egg, beaten and mixed with a Tbsp of water (buttermilk would also be great here)
1/3 cup cornmeal
salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne to taste
Preheat your broiler and then broil the poblano for a couple minutes, turning it once the skin has blistered and blackened. Alternatively, you can put the pepper right on your stovetop gas burner. After all sides of the pepper look charred, put it in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let the pepper cool.
Preheat the oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a rack/cooling rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off (it should come off easily at this point) and dice the poblano. Slit a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff the pocket with the diced poblano and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine the cornmeal with salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne pepper to your tastes. Carefully dip the chicken breasts into the egg wash, and then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Place the chicken on the rack and spray the top with cooking oil. Bake about 20 minutes or until done, turning once in the middle of cooking.
Source: Elly Says Opa!
Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies
These cookies are fantastic! They are rich, so you can't eat but one or two at a time, but they are so delicious. I've made them for work a couple of times and gotten rave reviews and recipe requests. I highly recommend trying these, you won't regret it...especially if you love peanut butter and chocolate! It's kind of like a peanut butter smore! I definitely recommend using a tart shaper if you have one to make the cookie cups...it makes it super easy. Luckily I got a Pampered Chef one for Christmas! Enough about my tart shaper though...go make these cookies NOW!
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine peanut butter, sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Divide the dough evenly between 24 wells of a mini-muffin pan (I usually have a bit left over, but do so to leave room for the candy). Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until almost done. Remove from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top of the dough. Top each cookie with 3-4 mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more, until the marshmallows have puffed up. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan before removing them. (This is important! I tried removing them while still slightly warm – not a good idea.)
Once the cookies are completely cooled, transfer them to a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil, then pour the liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk the mixture together until smooth. Leave the glaze to sit until it thickens a bit to your desired consistency, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with mini M&Ms before the glaze hardens.
Source: from Annie's Eats, who says cookies adapted from Picky Palate, ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
24 mini Reeses peanut butter cups, unwrapped
mini marshmallows (I used 5 per cookie)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
mini M&Ms
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine peanut butter, sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Divide the dough evenly between 24 wells of a mini-muffin pan (I usually have a bit left over, but do so to leave room for the candy). Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until almost done. Remove from the oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top of the dough. Top each cookie with 3-4 mini marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven and bake 2-3 minutes more, until the marshmallows have puffed up. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack and allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan before removing them. (This is important! I tried removing them while still slightly warm – not a good idea.)
Once the cookies are completely cooled, transfer them to a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil, then pour the liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk the mixture together until smooth. Leave the glaze to sit until it thickens a bit to your desired consistency, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with mini M&Ms before the glaze hardens.
Source: from Annie's Eats, who says cookies adapted from Picky Palate, ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
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