DeLish

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

2012-03-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Because sometimes you just want to whip up something that is tummy-warming goodness but takes no time at all.

This is just what you need.

<3 Lishie

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

8 oz small pasta
1/2 c butter
2 TBSp cup flour
S & P
2 c milk
2 c cheddar cheese , shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions & drain.

In medium saucepan, melt butterover medium heat; whisk in flour, salt & pepper; slowly add milk.

Cook & stir untilbubbly, constantly whisking. Stir in cheese until melted. Toss pasta with cheese sauce, coatingit.

Honey Sesame Chicken with Rice Noodles

2012-02-29T21:29:00.001-05:00

Dinner was extremely tasty after a difficult day. I've been overwhelmed emotionally this week for whatever reason & sometimes, a new dinner with a good outcome can be so welcome (if only because if the outcome's horrendous, it may be the last straw, then tears would ensue.) I had seen this last month & wanted to make it but am just getting around to it.

The chicken was extremely flavorful & I chose the rice noodles for an Asian flare. It would taste delicious served over rice as well.

The picture does NOT do the meal justice; only wish I had remembered the scallions before I said, "cheese!".

<3 Lishie

Honey Sesame Chicken with Rice Noodles
adapted from babycenter

1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
2 TBSp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 small onion, diced
1 TBSp ketchup
1 TBSp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tablespoons water
sesame seeds
scallions (Not pictured)
rice noodles

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a sprayed, lidded baking dish, combine the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic & pepper flakes. Add in chicken & make sure chicken is submerged. Place on the lid. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove chicken from dish, leave sauce. Add the dissolved cornstarch mixture to the sauce & combine. Replace lid and bake sauce for about ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Using two forks, shred the chicken & then return to the pot & toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds & scallions. Serve over rice noodles.

Arugula Rollatini

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love arugula. I love itbecause of its peppery-ness. It’s also rich in vitamin C & potassium, both verymuch needed during the winter months, I might add! Spinach is delightful, butmany times, for more flavor, I’ll sub arugula. Baby arugula is amazing assalad. Mix it with fresh parmesan & a little good olive oil & there isso much taste! Of course, that is simple but speaks wonders for the punch ofthis tiny green.

With all of the meatless daysin Lent, I look for nutritious & delicious ideas to get out of the, “OK,pizza again!” rut. This is a new one I came up with & it’s a winner…
Arugula Rollatini

Rollatini is a completely madeup word. No, really, it is not Italian. Really. But I absolutely love it. Itusually refers to thin slices of eggplant rolled up with filling but I’veinserted it here for my lasagna rolls, my “tinis”.

<3 Lishie

Arugula Rollatini

1 lb box of lasagna noodles
2 c baby arugula
2 c marinara sauce, divided
1 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c shredded cheese mixture(I used mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, fontina, romano & asiago)
fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook the lasagna noodles tillal dente, separating the noodles as they cook. Keep them in one piece, becareful! Remove from the water & lay them either over the edge of a largecolander or on paper towels to dry. Add the arugula leaves to the still boilingwater for 2 minutes, remove from water & drain well (you will also want tosqueeze out any excess water).

In a medium bowl, combine thecheeses, cooked arugula & the parsley; This is the filling. Set Aside.

Prep a baking dish withcooking spray. Line the bottom of the prepped dish with 1 cup pasta sauce.

Lay out one lasagna noodle.Lightly spread the filling over the noodle. Taking one end of the pasta,carefully begin rolling the noodle, while tucking back in any escaping filling.Place the rolled lasagna “tini” opening-side down onto the the baking dish.

Repeat with all of theremaining noodles.

After all of the tinis are inthe baking dish, top with the last cup of sauce & sprinkle with a littlecheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes untilthe cheese is browned & the sauce & tini filling is bubbling.

Strawberry Muffins

2012-02-28T09:23:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was National Strawberry Day (not to be confused with National Strawberries and Cream Day,May 21). I know, I apologize for being a day late but you will forgive me whenyou see these beauties!

Mini

And I will admit… I lovestrawberries so much so that I ate an entire pound (sprinkled with powderedsugar) myself Sunday night watching the Oscars! Did you see Colin Firth?:::Swoon::: Being a mommy of an adored toddler things have changed, ha ha! Ituse to be I was dolled up (as my male friends would say) in a spiffy cocktaildress, toting some fun Oscar-related appy &/or amazing sweet sippingchampagne spritzers at a Manhattan party. One of my friends was privy to thepre-Oscar package goods (copies of ALL the main movies+) as well as Elton Johnparty favors flown in! (EJ, who now is also in a state of parental bliss, throws anamazing AIDS-charity making Post-Oscar parties in LA).

Guess what? I don’t miss anyof it. Why? I have my Oscar, I mean Gabriel & I would very much like tothank God & The Academy.

<3 Lishie

Strawberry Muffins

"Normal"-sized muffin

1 c diced fresh strawberries(+1 TBSp a-p flour)
1/2 c butter (roomtemperature)
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 c a-p flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease either 24 mini-muffintins or 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.
Toss the strawberry pieces inthe flour to coat; set aside.
In a small bowl, combineflour, salt & baking soda; set aside.
Using a mixer, beat the butter,sugar, & vanilla until fluffy. Add in the egg.
Now, alternating between thetwo, stir the dry ingredient mixture & sour cream into the batter
**Lishie tip~ Muffin Batter should be lumpy! Fold in the strawberries.
Fill muffin tins about 2/3 ofthe way….
If making minis, bake forabout 10-15 minutes.
For regular-sized muffins, ittook about about 30-35 minutes for THE perfect, crusted muffin top! (I made both to ensure cooking time reliability for the blog.)**

Muffinswill be golden brown when done but, of course, do the toothpick test!

Lenten Suggestions/No red meat/Vegetarian

2012-02-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

So there is no reason to go the next 40 Fridays wishing for meat or making them pizza days (though that is the tradition in our family). Here are some hearty & delicious suggestions to pull you through the Lenten season sans guilt. Trust me!

Lemon & Garlic Tilapia "en papillote"

Stuffed Shells

Portobello Parmesan

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Cavatelli & Broccoli (or Broccolini)

Go to my blog for plenty more ideas such as pomodoro & spinach pesto...

I will have a new, yummy recipe soon!

<3 Lishie

Carrots

2012-02-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

Hello all, as a Catholic, today is Ash Wednesday for me... Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season. It's a season of penance, reflection, & fasting which prepares Catholics for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which Catholics attain redemption. It is also a meat-free day. This Lenten season I am trying, as always, to be a better person & I shall "give up" chocolate. I do not want to tempt anyone today so here's a sweet vegetable side that is a bright spot in the winter season!

Another America's Test Kitchen (ATK) keeper! This is so simple, yet so flavorful.Look at this orange gorgeousness! And it's delicious.

Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

PS- Tomorrow I'll have a great meat-free Lenten Main Dish!

Sugar-Glazed, Roasted Carrots

from America's Test kitchen

4 lbs carrots, cut in to 2”x1/2” pieces
2 T melted butter, unsalted
2 T Brown Sugar
1 tsp fresh parsley (this is an addition to the recipe)
S & P

Heat oven to 475 degrees.

Place a rimmed baking sheet (As you see, I use a Pyrex glass pie pan!) to preheat for 10 minutes. Toss all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Be quick and pull out the preheated baking sheet & spread the carrots out & place it back in the oven for 15 min. Then stir up the carrots & put back in to for another 3 min.

Chicken Kiev

2012-02-21T19:19:00.001-05:00

I LOVE America's Test Kitchen (ATK). Their recipes are always spot on & Christopher Kimball is extremely nice. I've spoken to him at Book Expo a couple of times. He has a bow-tie stamper that he uses next to his signature. Love that! And Jack Bishop, editorial director at ATK is nice too! I have so many of their cookbooks.

Chicken Kiev is Ukranian. It's one of those classic dishes & this recipe is the perfect one to use a cookbook for because it seems intricate until you get it broken down by the ATK guys! I adapted it a little- I used panko instead of making my own bread crumbs & I excluded the fresh tarragon but the rest I stayed true to ATK.

There's nothing like chicken kiev when you cut into the chicken breast & that hot, steaming herbed butter comes oozing out! YUM.

Enjoy!

Chicken Kiev
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Herb Butter

8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Chicken

bread crumbs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup AP flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp Dijon mustard

For the Herb Butter: Mix ingredients with rubber spatula until combined. Form into a 3 inch square on plastic wrap; wrap tightly & refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

For the Chicken:

Pound the chicken between two sheets of wax paper until 1/4 inch thick. Unwrap butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. Place chicken breast cut side up on work surface. season both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 piece of butter in center of bottom half of breast. Roll bottom edge of chicken over butter, then fold in sides & continue rolling to form neat, tight package pressing on seam to seal. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Regrigerate uncovered to allow edges to seal, 1 hour. (You can refrigerate it overnight too, so it can be prepped in advance.)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour, eggs, & bread crumbs in separate pie plates or shallow dishes. (Your mis en place). Season flour with S&P, season bread crumbs with S&P. Add mustard to eggs & whisk to combine. Dredge 1 chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture allowing excess to drip off. Coat all sides of chicken breast with bread crumbs, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere. Place on wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat flouring and breading on remaining chicken breasts.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (I say this because mine had to cook longer.) Let rest 5 minutes on wire rack before serving.

The Bow-tie Stamp

<3 Lishie (Elisha)

Skillet Sausage Lasagna

2012-02-20T20:23:00.001-05:00

I was so excited for this one! I really wish I was a better picture taker because boy do I stink! Sorry! But it was yummy just the same. This was smaller & easier than my usual lasagna & that is always a good thing. I made my homemade sauce BUT you can certainly use jarred. AND you can most certainly use no boil noodles. I think I would bake it longer with them though.

When we went on our shopping excursion this week, I meant to buy ground beef for this. But it was expensive & I saw the sweet Italian sausage was on sale for a great price. It looked great but it was not a brand I have had before. Lo & behold, it was tremendously salty. The salt permeated the entire dish. So be careful with ingredients! This is why on Top Chef, the chefs are expected to make their own sausage from scratch. Thank goodness little 'ol me is just a home cook, huh? ;) It tasted ok all the same...

Enjoy!
<3 Lishie

Skillet Lasagna

inspired by: Generation Y Foodie

1lb Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
1 box lasagna noodles
6 cups pasta sauce, about
8 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1-2 cups mozzarella, shredded
4 tbsp grated parmesan, divided
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute sausage (casing having been removed) in olive oil on medium heat until browned. Drain cooked sausage & set aside.

Boil the lasagna strips until al dente then set aside to slightly cool (enough to be hand-held).

Lasagna Layering/Set-up:
Begin with a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the skillet. I used my 10" cast iron skillet. Make sure it the skillet you use is oven-safe.

Line the lasagna noodles over the sauce layer. Tear the noodles to fit. It does not have to be perfect!

Layer 1/2 the sausage on top of the noodles.

Sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella & some grated parmesan.

Layer with sauce.

Again, layer with the noodles.

Layer last 1/2 of the sausage crumbles.

Sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella & some grated parmesan.

Layer with sauce.

Sprinkle remaining parmesan on the top

Dollop large spoonfuls of ricotta equally acrossthe top of the lasagna

Cover with foil & bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil & bake until browned on top.

Serve sprinkled with parsley

Oh & Happy Presidents Day!!!

Honey Lime Chicken

2012-02-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Sunday... it's my "plan the week's meals" day... And then our grocery shopping day (after church mass). I get the supermarket circular out, along with a scrap piece of paper, pen & my coups... Ask the hubby 1) if he can remember anything we are out of/need & 2) if there's anything he's been wanting for dinner. Then I go to it. This helps me in so many ways -we save money, -I have the week mapped out ,-it's easy to come home from work & cook, -I prep when I come home from the store. Oh, & gals, my hubby ALWAYS grocery shops WITH me! A huge plus!

This week I saw an amazing price on chicken drumsticks. I ended up getting 12 large drumsticks for $3!!! So this meal was so inexpensive flavorful. You can use this marinade on any chicken cut too.

Honey Lime Chicken
4 limes, zest & juice of 3, 1 sliced into 1/8s
1/2 cup honey
3 TBSp canola oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
12 drumsticks (or any chicken pieces), skin on
2 TBSp fresh parsley, chopped

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Add the chicken to the mix & coat all of the pieces. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lay out the drumsticks on a lined & sprayed jellyroll sheet (baking sheet with sides.) Poor the remaining marinade over the drumsticks. Bake for 30-35 minutes until dark brown.

Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley & with the lime wedges.

Enjoy!
<3 Lishie

Cauliflower Mash

2012-02-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

I love potatoes. Love, love, love them but in the middle of winter, I long for veggies too. Thank goodness, cauliflower exists. This is a great, vitamin packed (cauliflower contains Vitamin C & Folate), low-calorie, high in taste, side-dish alternative.

<3 Lishie

Cauliflower Mash

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
sea salt
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steam or boil the cauliflower until almost fully soft then drain in a colander. Return the cauliflower to the pot, drop in the butter, then begin mashing with a potato masher (If you want it less chunky, use the food processor, then return veg to the pan). When the cauliflower is mostly mashed, add milk & continue to mash/mix to incorporate the liquid. Add the parmesan & mix.
Serve & enjoy!

Stroganoff Pockets & a "Mommy" tip!

2012-02-14T21:51:00.000-05:00

The stroganoff pockets are yummy but after them, this is pretty much a "mom" post... Sorry everyone if it doesn't pertain to you, just ignore the latter part... Here's a yummy & easy recipe that AGAIN, allows me to proclaim my love for these rolls (& nope, I do not get paid to advertise for P-Bury!!!!)

Stroganoff Pockets
adapted from Pillsbury.com

1 large onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
S & P
1/4 c beef stock
1 c sour cream
1 c fresh parsley, chopped
2 cans Pillsbury® Crescent Rolls
1 egg white

Saute the onions over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the ground beef & garlic, stirring frequently, until beef is only partially pink; drain oil from meat mixture & return to heat. Stir in the mushrooms, the garlic & the S & P. Add the beef stock & allow to simmer till the stock is nearly gone. Turn off heat & add the sour cream & parsley.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet with spray, set aside. Roll out the crescent dough on a lightly floured surface. Using two "rolls" create rectangles... On one half of the rectangle, dollup meat mixture. Overlap the other half of the rectangle & "secure" together. Do the same with the remaining crescent rolls. Place the pockets on the baking sheet, then brush each with the egg white. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

And the mommy tip?!

Oh it is great (forgive me if you know this already BUT...) while crafting a lightbulb came on in my head. Rare, but yes, it happens... And I realized that pipe cleaners are the PERFECT thing to use to clean out those persnickety straws from sippy cups!!! AHA! I soaked the sippy cup parts in warm, suddsy water then wet & pipe cleaned. It was wonderful.

They were originally used to clean pipes so... And I love me some pipe cleaner crafts too!

And what was the pipe cleaner craft?! Here's a peep at our Egg Buddies:

I know it is early for Easter crafting but these are so cute. And a great way to repurpose egg cartons. Just make sure you wash the styrofoam beforehand in case of salmonella.

What you need:

2 egg holder pieces
1 pipe cleaner per "buddy"
marker for the face

Use the pipe cleaner to connect both pieces.

Egg Chickadees:

Egg bunny (Just look at his little 'ol tail!):

<3 Lishie

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:06:00.001-05:00

I love the sweetness & sentimentality of the holiday, always have. There's just something about hearts & pink & flowers... I love it. And now I love the innocent wonder of it with a toddler. His recent cuteness has been in the form of recognizing that a heart shape equates to love. As we were doing one of our crafts together, Gabriel picked up a heart-shaped foam sticker & smiled, then hugged & kissed me. I love my little one so much.

So if you didn't get enough ideas from my Valentine's Day Post, here are a couple more. I've stated again & again my love for Pillsbury Crescent dough... Spreading the love again, today. Here's a quick, easy & fun treat you may even be able to make last minute for your sweeties.

All you need is: a can of Pillsbury Crescent dough, peanut butter, some chocolate & a little powdered sugar if you wish!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Hearts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough onto a flat, lightly floured surface. Using a cookie cutter (I chose heart-shaped, of course!) cut the dough into an even amount of shapes as you will be placing two together. On the middle of one cutout, dollop a little peanut butter. On top of the peanut butter, sprinkle some grated chocolate. Place the second cutout on top & carefully, using two fingers or a fork, secure the "sandwiches" together. Top with a little more grated chocolate. Repeat for the remaining cutouts.

Place on a lined or sprayed cookie sheet & bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar & serve. Enjoy!

And another easy craft idea! Thanks, Pinterest!

Grandparents Valentine <3

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

<3 Lishie

Like me on Facebook

Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T12:46:00.000-05:00

One of my new years resolutions was to attempt some things from a more convenient method... like a cake box mix. Well, I had no idea that cake mixes come in strawberry (really, no idea!) & I was thrilled to see it in its pretty pink coloring on the box! So, on a whim, I bought it. Then had second thoughts... up until I had an allergy attack Saturday night that put me in bed early & was exhausted on Sunday after waking early, mass, cleaning, etc... Well, I figured, let me try the box mix! I switched out apple sauce for oil, kept the same amount of eggs & water & followed the 350 degree directions...

But...

Used this Nordicware mini heart pan (350 degrees for 20-25 minutes):

Extras: Sprinkled Confection Sugar

& this Avon Brownie Pop one (350 degrees for 15-20 minutes):

Extras: Rainbow Non-pareils & Red Sugar Crystals & pop sticks

And, well, it all turned out all right & I admit, TASTY!

Happy Valentine's Everyone!

<3 Lishie

Here are the crafts I created with & for my toddler:

Class Valentines: "A Valentine for Kazoo"

Teacher Gifts: "Thank you for helping me grow."

Signed... I love you

Repurposed egg carton as Tic Tac Toe

T-Shirt for my Gabriel-Bot

More Valentines Crafts & Treats to come!

Recipe SWAP~ Potatoes!

2012-02-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

Have I said just how much I LOVE the recipe swaps Sarah from ATaste of Home Cooking hosts? They are so fun & help me with my creativity. This time around Potatoes was the theme. I LOVE potatoes. My hubby? not as much a fan as I but he still enjoys them. I gave my Rosemary-Lemon Smashed New Potatoes & received Christen's, from "Cooking with Christen", Corn, Leek & Potato Chowder. YUMMMM!!!!

But... the hubby doesn't like corn chowder, or any thick soup for that matter. I was ready to make the soup for myself, then got worried I wouldn't have time to eat the leftovers. So, I thought, how can I use ALL of the ingredients in a way that stays true to Christen's initial intent? At first, I thought corn-cakes but then inspiration hit me in the form of a side for hub's steak! And this was born:

Baked Corn, Leeks & Cheesy Potatoes

1 cup sliced leek
2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
8 oz. can of “no salt added" corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-fat ricotta
1 cup pre-shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook the leeks for about two minutes. Add the potatoes, corn, salt & pepper and cook another three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat & mix in the milk, ricotta & cheddar cheese. Pour into a baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve.

Thank you so much to Sarah for hosting again! And Christen, thank you for a yummy recipe!!!! I will also be making the soup for ME... I LOVE chowder!
<3 Lishie

Mini~Breakfast

2012-02-08T08:46:00.001-05:00

What to do when your hubby wants one thing & you, another? Make something easy, fast & mini... I love tiny things, all compartmentalized. I am sure you have seen these little breakfast "nests" around. They are so simple to make & just delish...

This makes an adorable & sweet Valentine's breakfast! Serve with a soy sausage patty. No, really... Morningside farms sausage patties are amazing! Ask my hubby!

<3 Lishie

Egg & Hash Brown Nests
Makes 6 nests

3 cups frozen hash browns, defrosted
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6 muffin tin.

Line each muffin hole with the hash browns; bottoms & sides. Whisk the eggs & cheddar together. Pour some of the egg mixture into each "nest".

Bake for 25 minutes (or until done).

Potato Rounds

2012-02-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

Do you not love my football stadium baking dish?!

We had a small get together for Super Bowl, just family but it was fun, especially for Gabriel. He may just be a Giants fan, what, with his hand0me-down MANNING 10 Jersey, we shall see (although mommy is a Dolphins fan & daddy, Broncos). Whatever team he wants is fine! He sure looked adorable.

We had a nice offering of food- my homemade pigs in a blanket, sliders & these cheesy & bacon-y potato rounds. My pop-in-law made his famous potato salad (YUM) & mom-in-law made cole slaw & two different types of wings. No matter what you ate, I hope you had a great night! We did!!!

The fans watch from the sidelines :)

<3 Lishie

Potato Rounds

4 baking potatoes, peeled &cut into 1/2 inch slices
Cooking Spray
8 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled
8 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c chopped scallions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray- place the potato slices onto sheet & spray the slices. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once.

When potatoes are ready, top with bacon, cheese & scallions, then return the baking sheet to the oven until the cheese has melted.

Cottage Pie

2012-02-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

So most call this a Shepherd's Pie but it's really called Cottage Pie. The difference? A Shepherd's Pie is only made with lamb or mutton... all other meat pies (except fish) are the Cottage variety. Call it what you'd like... I call it DeLish! My hubby doesn't like it (something about the carrots, peas & meat touching ;) ) so I make mine in individual baking dishes or ramekins which works perfectly for me.

<3 Lishie

Cottage Pie

2 TBSp canola oil
1 small onion, diced
3 carrots, cleaned & diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSp dried seasoning (I used rosemary)
S & P
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup peas (frozen, but I used fresh)
1 cup beef broth
4 russet potatoes, cleaned, skinned, cubed
3-4 TBSp butter
Splash of milk or cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
chives, to top

Heat the oil in a saute pan on medium-high. Add in the onion & carrots. Allow to cook a little, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, set the potato pieces in a sauce pan, then add enough water to cover the raw potatoes. Set the saucepan on high; bring to a boil.

When the onions are translucent & the carrots have softened, add the garlic & seasonings. Combine, the veg & seasoning. Add the ground beef. Stir, mix, combine the ground beef with the veg for a couple of minutes. Add the peas here. Pour in the beef broth & allow to simmer until the broth is reduced & the meat is no longer pink. Transfer to a sprayed & prepped baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Check on the potatoes... When the potatoes are soft enough to slide right off a fork after being prodded, they are ready. Drain them, then add the potatoes back into the sauce pan. Add the butter. Mash the potatoes to the consistency you like, adding the milk. At the end, add the parmesan cheese. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat & veg mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Place the cottage pie in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is browned. Top with chives if desired. Serve & enjoy!

Mom's Helper!!!

2012-01-31T20:37:00.000-05:00

Bet you thought I meant my REAL helper, my little Gabriel, huh? Well he's awesome but I am talking about this super quick dinner that is a kid pleaser & mom pleaser (due to the ease) too! It's my take on Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper. Why buy that box mix when it's simple to make this yourself with fresh ingredients & less salt?!?

<3 Lishie

Mom's Helper

2 TBSp canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried herbs (I used a tsp parsley)
1 lb. ground beef
8 oz. elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)
4 TBSp butter
1 TBSp flour
1-2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large saute pan, with deep sides, heat the canola oil on medium. Saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic & dried herbs, stir to combine. Add the ground beef, browning it, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, boil the water for the macaroni. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Drain the oil & liquids from the beef mixture. Combine the beef mixture & the macaroni back in the saute pan. Set aside.

Using a small sauce pan, melt the butter... Continuously whisking, add the flour. Still whisking, slowly add the milk... allow to thicken a little then the cheese until melted. You should have a creamy sauce.

Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger/macaroni-mix & incorporate until combined. Serve & enjoy!

Chicken with Artichoke & Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

2012-01-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ha ha... has THIS ever happened to you? I had the chicken fresh, dinner ready in the fridge... easy raw tenders. Came home from work completely devoid of the idea of what to cook I had imagined on Sunday prep in the 1st place?!? An empty brain!

So I ask my hubby, do you want breaded chicken?
Him: No.
Me: OK, what do you want?
Him: Don't know. Don't you have something you want to make?
Me: No, that is why I'm asking you!
Him: Well I don't know- you are not giving me any ideas!
Me: :::exasperated::: & just tired::: OK, I'll figure something out...

Twenty minutes later... Voilà! I had "chicken with artichoke & mushrooms in a white wine sauce". Easy peasy but sure impressed the hubby. But he still said... Him: The colors are all the same. Urgh.

Chicken with Artichoke & Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

1-2 TBSp Canola Oil
1 pat of butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced & chopped
1 lb boneless chicken, cut into 1" pieces
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts in water
1/4 cup of dry white wine

Heat the oil on medium in a saute pan, add onion... Stir. Add the butter... as the butter melts, add the mushrooms. Stir & cook for a minute. Add the chicken pieces. Allow chicken to brown lightly on all sides, stirring... Add the artichokes until warmed, about a minute... Add the wine... Allow the wine to cook out & the chicken to finish cooking, about 3-4 more minutes. Serve.

<3 Lishie

Mini Vanilla Pudding Pies

2012-01-24T20:09:00.000-05:00

Monday was National Pie Day & I made these cute mini pies or little "pielets"... They are so tasty & adorable!

Mini Vanilla Pudding Pies
(with a chocolatey graham cracker crust)

1/2 cup grushed graham crackers
3 TBSp sugar
3 TBSp butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup broken chocolate pieces
small box of instant vanilla pudding
milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prep 2 small muffin tins with liners or with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix graham crackers, sugar & butter until it is all incorporated- it will be lumpy. Using a TBSp, line each muffin tin bottom & sides with the graham cracker mixture. Drop a few pieces of chocolate onto each "crust" & push them into it.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chocolate is melted & the marshmallow is golden brown. Allow to cool...

Prepare instant pudding as per package directions... Using a small spoon, dollup pudding on each crust, refrigerate for an hour.

Serve & enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Yummy bite:

The Crusts:

S'Mores Bites

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

Had a hankering for some of my S'Mores Bars but didn't want to make so much... Soooo these came about instead. Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

S'Mores Bites

1/2 cup grushed graham crackers
3 TBSp sugar
3 TBSp butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup small marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prep 2 small muffin tins with liners or with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix graham crackers, sugar & butter until it is all incorporated- it will be lumpy. Using a TBSp, line each muffin tin bottom & sides with the graham cracker mixture. Drop a few marshmallows & pieces of chocolate onto each "crust".

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chocolate is melted & the marshmallow is golden brown.

Caprese Bites

2012-01-20T08:37:00.000-05:00

Looking for a yummy & easy appy or snack? You've found it! This is tasty & so simple.

Caprese Bites

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

1 package grape tomatoes, each tomato cut in half

1 small package of either regular mozzarella OR fresh mozzarella (for this, the mozzarella string cheese works WELL)

fresh basil

Roll out the crescent dough, keeping it in one piece. Cut it into little rectangles. On one side of the rectangle place a piece of mozzarella, then a half of grape tomato & lastly, a piece a basil on top. Fold over the other half of the rectangle, secure & create a little bundle.

Place on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes or until browned.

Try these other DeLish recipes using refrigerated crescent rolls!!!:

Cinnamon~Sugar Knots

Mini Cinnamon~Walnut Pinwheels

Easy Parmesan Knots

Lemon~Rosemary Knots

<3 Lishie

Recipe Swap! ~ a new take on Stuffed Peppers

2012-01-18T09:12:00.000-05:00

Life has caught up to me this beginning of January, 2012. I go full speed ahead most of the time, but a few obstacles have been determined to sideline me. So that said, I apologize to Melissa at Delicious Meliscious. I am uncharacteristically late with this Recipe Swap entry & it has nothing to do with the challenge. Wow, what was the swap challenge you ask?! We were given one of our fellow cooking friend's Blogs & told to choose ANYTHING we wanted to make. Given Melissa's blog, this was difficult indeed. I really wanted to make her flourless chocolate cake (yummmm) & will but was delighted when simultaneously my hubby agreed to stuffed peppers & we found chorizo in a Manhattan market. Score! So I quickly placed Melissa's Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers on the menu. They were a welcome switch from our usual Italian stuffed peppers. They were also more work intensive & spicier so this won't be a regular for us but it was tasty! I skipped the rice part (due to a pantry mishap) & served bowtie pasta on the side. DeLish. Thank you, as always too to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for organizing the swap!

Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

adapted from Delicious Meliscious

6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
1 pound chorizo sausage
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried parsley
chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large skillet, cook chorizo until almost brown. Drain fat. Stir in celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, rice, and water. Cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, & mix in Mozzarella cheese.

Place peppers upright in a baking pan. Stuff each pepper with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.

add the water to the bottom of the pan with extra chorizo stuffing.

Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Bread Crumb Pasta

2012-01-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

Beware- carb overload! I make this sparingly because pasta in itself makes me happy not to mention bread. I saw Giada make this recipe a few years ago on her show & the first time I cooked it, used orecchiette too but since we tend to love bowtie pasta, use it instead & it tastes just as good! I lightly toast the breadcrumbs so they do not get too oily. I also recommend adding pancetta or something else too but sometimes, it is just the perfect side like this...

<3 Lishie

Pasta with Toasted Bread Crumbs
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound dried pasta
3/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 c Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
Sea salt & pepper
1/4 c grated Parmesan

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the bread crumbs & stir constantly. Season lightly with salt & pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat & set aside.

Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan & stir to combine. Add Parmesan & pour into large serving bowl.

Egg Nog Cupcakes

2012-01-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

These were decadent. Truly scrumptious albeit very sweet. I love egg nog & love to make things with the taste (see my egg nog custard pie). So with that idea in mind, I knew what I would be bringing to ring in the New Year with our good friends. Happy new year indeed.

<3 Lishie

Egg Nog Cupcakes

recipe from Southern Living

Eggnog Pound Cake batter (see below)
1/2 c butter, softened
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1/4 c eggnog
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

More cowbell!

Prepare Eggnog Pound Cake batter as directed. Place 24 paper baking cups in 2 (12-c) muffin pans; spoon batter into cups. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Beat butter & cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with eggnog, beginning & ending with sugar & beating at low speed. Add freshly grated nutmeg & vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

*Lishie tip- Sprinkle with Nutmeg.

Eggnog Pound Cake batter

1 (16-oz.) package pound cake mix
1 1/4 c eggnog
2 large eggs
Click to see savings
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Gingerbread!

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone tends to make gingerbread men cookies & houses around the holidays but I find that people love to eat the old-fashioned quick bread, from which the cookie originated. It isn't too sweet & after a heavy meal is just the right thing! Don't squirrel this recipe away until next year- make it in a non-holiday shaped pan (or in a heart for Valentine's) & it is the perfect cold weather treat!

<3 Lishie

Gingerbread

2 & 1/3 c AP flour
1/2 c shortening or canola oil
1/3 c sugar
1 c molasses
3/4 c hot water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg

Heat oven to 325ºF. Spray with cooking spray, a pan, about 9"x9"x2". (I use shaped pans...)

Mix all ingredients on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, until all are blended, about 1 minute. Then on medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cinnamon Twists

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

My mom-in-law loves cooking as much as I do & one of my Christmas presents this year was a new cookbook that she liked for me. I went page-by-page through it & stopped short at these cookies. They had me at cinnamon... There really is nothing like the scent of cinnamon wafting through the house in the winter... Well, now, after making them, the scent of the cream cheese-butter dough is so good too! These take some time & are more intricate than your normal refrigerator cookie but they are worth it. Don't get too hung up on making the twists perfect; I didn't ;) And they tasted delish!

Happy new year all!
<3 Lishie

Cinnamon Twists
adapted from Good Housekeeping
"A Very Merry Christmas" Cookbook

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c butter, room temperature
2&1/2 c AP Flour
3/4 c walnuts
1 c sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter together at low speed until blended (scraping down the sides). Increase speed to high & beat about another 2 minutes, until light & creamy. With mixer at low, gradually add in the flour.

Place dough onto a lightly floured sheet of plastic wrap, hand-shaped into a 9"x9" square. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

In a food processor, chop walnuts with 1/4 c of the sugar until finely ground. In a small bowl, combine the walnut mixture with the with the cinnamon & remaining 3/4 c sugar until all are well blended; set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured, cold, pastry board (or granite/quartz countertop), roll out the chilled dough using a rolling pin into a 11"x10&1/2" rectangle. With a pastry brush, brush some beaten egg over the top of the dough, then sprinkle half of the walnut/cinnamon mixture. Gently press walnut mixture into the dough. Flip over the dough, brush other side with egg & sprinkle, then press remaining walnut/cinnamon mixture into the dough.

Cut dough length-wise into three, 3&1/2" wide bars, then cross-wise into 1/2" wide strips. to make Sixty-Six, 3&1/2"x1/2" strips. Twist each strip twice, then place, 1" apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake twists 15-17 minutes until lightly browned. With a wide spatula, carefully loosen twists from the cookie sheet & then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with any remaining strips.

Recipe Swap~ Holiday Favorites

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

How is it that I always get so lucky with my swaps?! This time, I received Sarah, over at "A Taste of Home Cooking"'s Holiday Favorite Appetizer: Asparagus with Fried Egg and Pecorino (but I used Parmesan). First off, I will say, I made it as an appy for one because my hubby does not eat asparagus... & the thought of an egg on the veg? No way! Oh well, more for ME! Ha ha ha!!! Because this was delicious. When I breakfast out at the diner, I love to order eggs over easy... grab my fork & let the yolk burst & flood over my hash browns, envelope my bacon... soak up into my toast... So this.was.perfect. YUMMY. And please excuse my asparagus, I wanted them as crispy as the edges of the egg! DeLish! Thank you so much Sarah!!!

<3 Lishie
PS- I gave my potato pancakes because I love to make them for Chanukah (Yes, I am Catholic, lol!)

Asparagus with Fried Egg and Pecorino
from A Taste of Home Cooking

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss asparagus with salt and pepper and olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus is tender to your liking.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a small skillet. Add eggs and fry to your liking.

Remove asparagus from the oven and divide into two bunches. Top each bunch with a fried egg. Grate cheese on top and serve immediately.

Struffoli

2011-12-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm back from my much needed hiatus. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday week!!! I did!! The nicest time. Since I met my hubby, I have celebrated Christmas Eve with his family & my mom-in-law makes Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner. How many of my readers do this? It's a Southern Italian tradition that commemorates the wait for the birth of the baby Jesus. The preparation is exhausting for her & since I am allergic to shellfish, I cannot assist with the dinner. But I can create the dessert! And all she asked for was struffoli, another Southern Italian staple. I was happy to oblige. This is a little labor intensive but if you take it step by step, you can do it.

My favorite conversation with Mario Battali has been about Christmas, the Seven Fishes & ... Struffoli. I have done a couple of non-profit benefits with him & I see Mario some early mornings as he is traveling from Babbo to OTTO... So to honor Mario, I used his recipe:

Struffoli
(Honey Drenched Christmas Fritters)
adapted from Mario Battali via the Food Network

3 1/2 c flour
6 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSp orange juice
4 c canola for frying
2 c honey
Powdered sugar, for dusting
rainbow non-pareils, for ornamentation

In a mixing bowl, place flour, eggs, yolk, zest of 1 lemon, orange zest & juice, salt, & mix well to form a firm dough, 8 to 10 minutes. Place in the refrigerator & allow to rest 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator & cut golf ball-sized pieces of dough from the main batch. Roll each ball into a 1/2-inch thick dowel (rope) & cut each dowel into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball & continue until finished with all dough.

In a 12 to 14-inch skillet with at least 3-inch sides, heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Drop enough balls in to cover about half of the surface of frying oil & cook until dark golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to turn them regularly, & expect them to puff up while cooking. As they finish, remove them to a tray covered with paper towels, & drain well. This should take at least 5 batches.

When all of the struffoli are cooked, heat the honey, lemon juice, & zest together in a wide 6 to 8 quart saucepan until quite warm, about 150 degrees F, & substantially thinner. Add struffoli to honey & stir carefully until well coated. Remove from heat & allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, stirring regularly.

Arrange on a large serving tray in a wreath shape (like I did, pictured). Sprinkle with powdered sugar & nonpareils & serve.

<3 Lishie

Recipe Swap time ~Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

2011-12-16T08:10:00.001-05:00

I so love baking. I really do. For me, it has always been a pleasure, a stress reliever &, believe it or not, I love the smell of the goodies more than eating them at the end. I actually get full with the gorgeous scent during the process so much so, I do not want to try any when they are finished! So when Sarah announced HOLIDAY COOKIES as the theme I was super excited! I make tons of cookies this time of year & a new one for my list? Amazing! ESPECIALLY when it comes from Jessica at The Jey of Cooking! Her recipes are always delicious & this one did not disappoint. I received Jessica's Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies. I did not change a thing, only added one tiny sugar gingerbread man on top for fun to add a bit of DeLish whimsy. I gave my Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti. Thank you so much Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for putting this together <3.

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies –
from Tea and Limpets
via The Jey of Cooking
▪- 3/4 Cup Butter, softened
▪- 2 Cups Sugar
▪- 2 Eggs, beaten
▪- 1/2 Cup Molasses
▪- 2 tsp. Vinegar
▪- 3 3/4 Cups Flour
▪- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
▪- 1 Tbsp. Ground Ginger
▪- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
▪- 1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves

Preheat oven to 325. Beat together butter and sugar untillight and fluffy.

Add eggs, molasses and vinegar and beat until wellcombined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamonand clove. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time to the wet mixtureuntil fully combined. Using a cookie scoop, drop balls onto a parchmentlined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake 9-10 minutes.

~Mine made about 3 dozen! I used a smaller scoop for the dough

<3 Lishie

Soft Sugar Cookies

2011-12-15T08:51:00.003-05:00

So it was "one of those evenings". You know, where one bad thing unsettles the entire schedule? ...And we're off... Wait... dinner's cooking... overly sensitive fire alarm goes off... Crayon's are flying... I have to get the toddler's stuff ready for tomorrow. Medicine? Oh yeah, forgot to take it... Change the bedding due to said toddler's accident last night... got it... I know there's more. And then it becomes 9pm?! HOW?! Just how?!

Yeah one of those.

In the middle of it all "genius" here decides to bake cookies with the toddler. And what did we get? ~ Someone (not naming any names, but he's 2 & 1/2) was heavy-handed on the colored sugar ;) ~

DeLish-iousness with these looks:

Soft Sugar Cookies

by Laura Stearns "This Recipe is a State Fair Blue Ribbon winner. This is an easy sugar cookie recipe, you don't have to roll it out, and the cookies are soft and chewy, unlike other sugar cookies. Anybody can make these." from allrecipes.com

2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening & sugar. Stir in the eggs & vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder & salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together.

Using a little flour, roll dough out to 1/4" thick.Cut into shapes. Sprinkle (or drown like we did) with colored sugar ;) )

~OR~

Just roll dough into walnut sized balls & roll the balls in sugar.

Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Pop-in-Law's Lentil Soup

2011-12-14T08:56:00.000-05:00

Brrrrr... the cold weather has set in & so have the sniffles! Soup really is the best medicine in my opinion & this one is delicious. Disclaimer~ I do not make it~ I leave that to my pop-in-law because he makes it best. This is his recipe for lentil soup, straight from the family cookbook:

Pop-in-Law's Lentil Soup

2 TBsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced into small pieces
2 carrots, peeled & sliced into very thin halfmoons
2 garlic cloves, sliced very thinly
S & P
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 pound lentils , rinsed & cleaned
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb thin spaghetti, broken into fourths

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add theonion & carrots,. Add the garlic, s & p & saute until all thevegetables are tender, onions translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the entirecan of tomatoes (w/juice) & the seasonings. Simmer for about 8 minutes. Addthe lentils & combine with the sauce. Add the broth & stir. Bring to aboil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils arealmost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta & simmer until the pasta cooked. Serve& enjoy!

*This is also a wonderful soup to make for New Year's Day. In Italy, lentils are eaten as a symbol of good luck and prosperity because they resemble tiny coins.

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011!

2011-12-12T12:57:00.001-05:00

This was the most wonderful event for the most wonderful time of the year!!! Julie from The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil created this event & wow!!!! 625 bloggers joined in! Our allergies were taken into account & we all received 3 different cookies & sent out a dozen cookies to three different bloggers. The result?! I could not wait for the mail! LOL IT was very like Christmas. I decided to make... Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows COOKIES!!! So good! I tweaked a Double Chocolate Cookie recipe I've made for ages until it tasted like Hot Cocoa. & in return, got 3 delicious cookies.

Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows Cookies

1 cup a-p flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup Fluff

Heat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, & baking soda; set aside.

Using the paddle attachment of the mixer, combine the room temperature butter, sugar, eggs, & vanilla until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in the chocolate chips. Then slowly fold in the marshmallow fluff- just enough so that it is swirled into the mixture.
Drop mounds of the dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until firm around the edges , 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows COOKIES!!!

Cookie #1~ from Becca H at...

Mini Cinnamon Roll Cookies

It's Yummilicious

Cookie #2~ Food of the Gods (& I will surely say, Goddesses!!!) from Elizabeth Q at...
Queen's Notebook & Asian in America

Cookie #3~ Chocolate Java Snowcaps from Sarah D at...
My Clever Endeavors

Thank you all so much! Will definitely participate again next year!!!
<3 Lishie

Pomodoro

2011-12-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

Pasta always hits the spot... paired with a beautiful sauce & it makes for the perfect meal. Pomodoro is literally translated to "golden apple," pomodoro is Italian for "tomato" (the first tomatoes in Italy were a yellowish color). But my pomodoro sauce is a sumptuous & thick red. If you have the right texture & flavor, along with acidity (taste the sauce as it simmers every 15 minutes to see if you need to add sugar or salt...) the tomato does not need many additions...

Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Pomodoro Sauce

2 TBSp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes; Put them in a food processor or a blender until they're the consistency you like (We like pureed, for a creamier sauce.)
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt or sea salt
pinch of dried parsley
fresh basil

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the tomato puree, allow to heat through, then add the minced garlic & parsley, stir.

Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Cook approximately 30 - 60 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens. Stir & check it occasionally. Add sugar & salt according to taste during simmering...

Add freshly-chopped basil right before serving

Lemon~Rosemary Knots

2011-12-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

I love the combination of lemon & rosemary, it's delicious & so complementary. So I decided to do another take on the "knots" with these. Such little work for such big, warm, oven-baked goodness! Of course, my hubby thinking he was oh-so-punny, kept saying things like "Knot ready yet" for another one, "Knot Now", "Knot again"etc., etc. I won't type 'em all up because unfortunately, I had that torture already, ha! But do make these (first make your partner promise KNOT to make the jokes ;) )

Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Lemon~Rosemary Knots

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

1/4 cup olive oil

1 TBSp lemon zest

2-3 TBSp lemon juice

1 TBSp dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope & tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield: 8 knots.

For another Pillsbury-type creation, a sweet, try my Cinnamon-Sugar Knots,

&/or Mini Cinnamon~Walnut Pinwheels . Or these savories: Easy Parmesan Knots.

Peppermint Meringues

2011-12-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed making the egg nog nest meringues so much, that when I spied these on the cover bon appetit I just had to make them! And, as you can see, I chose green instead of red. :) These remind me of the mint non-pareils my childhood friend Crystal's mom would always have. These too, are a pop of freshness that melt in your mouth good! It's beginning to feel a LOT like Christmas...

<3 Lishie

Peppermint Meringues

from Bon Appetit Magazine

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
12 drops green food coloring

Preheat overn to 200°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until white and foamy, about 1 minute. With mixer running, gradually add suger in 3 additions beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract; beat to blend, about 1 minute.

Dot coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form swirls when piped). Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip. (See Prep School; alternatively, spoon into a plastic freezer bag, then cut 1/2" off 1 corner.) Twist top; pipe 1" rounds onto prepared sheet, spacing 1" apart.

Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Let cool completely, about 1 hour (meringues will crisp as they cool).

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/12/peppermint-meringues#ixzz1fr2x5nui

Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Let cool completely, about 1 hour (meringues will crisp as they cool).

Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Let cool completely, about 1 hour (meringues will crisp as they cool).

Cauliflower

2011-12-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

What happens on a day when there's so much to do, you are not sure breathing time has been scheduled? A rotisserie chicken, of course! But even with convenience, some thought must evolve, so what to have/cook along-side that already made chicken? Whatever looks fresh & delicious at the grocery store. This time around, for me, the cauliflower was gorgeous. Bright white like snow & sparkling in the produce section. Took it home along-side the chicken, & made this simple yet healthy & heart-warming veg.

I decided for this post (like I did for my lemon spaghetti) that I wouldn't record measurements. Why? A head of cauliflower is never the same size, I never measure drizzles or sprinkles... If it was so difficult it would subtract from the convenience of the rotisserie chicken, & truly, there's really no way to mess this up. So here goes:

Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower, olive oil, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, grated parmesan cheese, S & P

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Clean & cut the head of cauliflower into small to medium-sized florets (your preference). Find a sided baking dish to fit the pieces. Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of the dish. Add in the florets. Drizzle more olive oil over them. Toss, using your hands to make sure the veg is covered in the oil. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over all of the cauliflower pieces. Lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Add a little salt & some pepper. Roast for 60 minutes.

Enjoy!
<3 Lishie

Recipe Swap ~ Dessert!!!

2011-12-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

And for the holiday, on my National Cooking Board, we had a Thanksgiving Dessert Swap!I gave in my Pumpkin S'mores Bars & recieved this ridiculously DELICIOUS recipe for Meringue Nests from Ashley at Cheese Curd in Paradise. I changed up the Lemon curd to egg nog custard for the season & we were in heaven!!! I use the same custard for my Egg Nog Custard Pie.

My mom-in-law said the meringue "melted in her mouth". I thought it was exquisite!!!

Meringue is so easy, don't be afraid to make it! *Lishie tips~The key is in the room temperature egg whites & the slow addition of the sugar.

Thank you so much, Ashley!!! I will definitely be making it with the lemon curd as well.

<3 Lishie

Meringue Nests with Egg Nog Custard

Meringue Nests

recipe by tasteofhome.com

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup sugar

Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.

Drop meringue into eight mounds on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Shape into 3-in. cups with the back of a spoon. Or, place meringue mixture in pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment paper to form eight 3-in. cups.

Bake at 275° for 45-50 minutes or until set and dry. Turn off oven and do not open door; leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Fill with lemon curd and fruit. Yield: 8 servings.

Egg Nog Custard

adapted from All Recipes.com

via DeLish

In a medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and egg nog; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, cover, & refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Assembly: Spoon egg nog custard carefully into meringue nest & complete it all with a sprinkle of fresh, grated nutmeg!

Egg Nog Custard Pie

2011-12-01T08:25:00.001-05:00

I love egg nog. I could seriously have it every single day, it is so good. And in custard form- yummmmmm nom nom nom... This was a recipe I made for New Year's Eve last year & I surely will make it again this year for the holidays. Go ahead, add the rum! I can't have it (crohns) & I get Lactaid Brand egg nog (tastes the same, I promise!) but it IS the holiday season- be merry & indulge!

<3 Lishie

Egg Nog Custard Pie

adapted from All Recipes.com

1 (4.6 oz) package non-instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 tsp fresh, ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups eggnog
2 tsp rum (optional! I do not add it)
2 c heavy cream
1 Nilla Wafer pie shell
1 pinch fresh, ground nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and egg nog; mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in rum. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, cover, & refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

n a medium bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Remove the cold pudding from the refrigerator, and beat until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Spoon into baked pie shell. Sprinkle additional nutmeg over the top for garnish. Refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

Lishie's Lemon Spaghetti

2011-11-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

Growing up in Florida, with citrus trees in my backyard, I discovered a love for lemons. They have so many wonderful qualities- aroma, taste, acid to emulsify, cleansing... it's hard not to use them all of the time. A very easy recipe is my lemon spaghetti. Now Giada De Laurentiis has a lemon spaghetti (say it like her: spah-get-TEE!) recipe but I promise you, I had this long before she introduced hers. Mine, like most of my "recipes" is probably different each time. When you are cooking with lemons, their taste & amount of liquid they produce varies so you really cannot "measure". Here's what I do:

Cook a pound (one box) of spaghetti to box directions. I love thin spaghetti but really, it can be any pasta.

In a bowl, zest one to two lemons depending on your taste. I usually do two... Juice the lemons into the bowl. Usually the two lemons will make a nice amount of juice but depending on their size, you may need a third. While whisking, add extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the dressing (combine it) little by little. Taste it to see if more is needed, then add more, or don't! Cooking's not a science, baking is. Grate or add grated parmesan to the mixture. I only add about 1/4 cup because I love to sprinkle a LOT on later. Add S & P to taste... Sometimes I add chopped, fresh parsley or basil. Whisk well.

Using a slotted spaghetti spoon, transfer the pasta directly from the pot, HOT, into the bowl with the lemon "sauce". Toss well & serve hot or room temperature. This pasta even tastes great cold!

Yes, it's that easy! And DeLish. Enjoy!

<3 Lishie

Baked Gnocchi

2011-11-29T07:54:00.001-05:00

Here's a really easy meal that is prepped so fast, anyone can make this...

Baked Gnocchi~

Just pick up the fresh gnocchi in the refrigerated section. I used individual, oven-safe ramekins (but you could use a larger one)... Divide the gnocchi amongst the little bowls. Pour some tomato sauce (a 14 oz. can) to cover the gnocchi. Sprinkle garlic powder, dried oregano, fresh basil (chiffonade) &/or parsley over the sauce. Then top with shredded mozzarella & provolone... Sprinkle grated parmesan on top... Bake @ 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted, browning.

Quick, easy, yummy... DeLish!
<3 Lishie
*Gnocchi are Italian potato dumplings, heartier than pasta...

Easy Parmesan Knots

2011-11-28T08:20:00.002-05:00

Happy "Monday-after-Thanksgiving" people! :) Now you may be surprised at this but, my family is not a good leftovers type family. So we don't live off Thanksgiving for days to come. We don't waste it, we just do not morph the turkey into new creations because, for one thing, turkey is great but not every day. So I made new things over the weekend & decided to try these easier than easy garlic knots I had seen on Pinterest. If you are not on Pinterest- go look now:

Pinterest (Lishie's)

If you need an invite, comment below with your email & I will send you one!

The garlic knots were so tasty I cannot wait to make them again!

Easy Parmesan Knots

adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope & tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield: 8 knots.

For another Pillsbury-type creation, a sweet, try my Cinnamon-Sugar Knots,

&/or Mini Cinnamon~Walnut Pinwheels .

<3 Lishie

Mini~Pumpkin Pies

2011-11-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have the most insignificant, smallest dilemma around the holidays I can imagine having: No one but me loves pumpkin. So I always end up baking everything else (I made my rustic apple turnovers for my pop-in-law) for everyone else but I am left wanting pumpkin pie! I know, boohoo on me ;) But I figured out what to do this year- make a few mini pies for ME!
Mini~Pumpkin Pies

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 can (6 oz) evaporated milk

1 unbaked pie crust

- Preheat oven to 400° F.
  
  Mix together sugar, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar~spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
  
  Cut the pie crust into 6 large muffin~sized circles. Use the excess to make little shapes for on top of the mini-pies (like the leaves pictured). Fit the individual circles into a large muffin tin (I used my muffin~top tin).
  
  Bake in 400° F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300° F; bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the custard seems set (not jiggly). Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
  
  If you love mini~pies, try these: delicious mini~apple pies too!
  
  I hope everyone had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did. Happy Black Friday to all! Or as I am calling it, Frog~day!!! "...It's Time To Play The Music, It's Time To Light The Lights... " :) The Muppets!
  
  <3 Lishie

See my signature gap~toothed bite?

Cranberry~ Pomegranate Nut Bread

2011-11-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone brought in something for the last day of work before Thanksgiving break & I made more pumpkin seed cranberry biscotti (a HUGE hit) & this tasty bread... I tweaked the BH&G recipe a bit, using pom juice instead of their suggested orange. When I finished mixing the batter, it was LAVENDAR colored! Beautiful, but funny! Ha! It smelled delicious baking & turned out a gorgeous carmel color. The bread was moist & sweet, a nice treat!

I hope you & your families have the most wonderful Thanksgiving! We'll be watching the parade on tv in the morning & Gabriel & I will be out walking beforehand. Then more baking & getting together for eating & laughter with family. Be safe & make those memories.

<3 Lishie

For more Thanksgiving ideas & children's crafts go to this post.

Cranberry~ Pomegranate Nut Bread
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup Pomegranate juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the egg, milk, & oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts & cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Makes 1 loaf (14 servings).

Taken at work with phone camera, ha!

Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for a great, no fail appetizer for Thanksgiving, or any day? Well here it is. My hubby love, love, loves mushrooms. There are so many variations on stuffed shrooms but this is a great base recipe... add more things anytime. Change it up with bacon or sausage... add carrots. Use shallots. Do as you wish! I make this as a side sometimes too!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
<3 Lishie

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 large or 32 small white button mushrooms
Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced small
4 celery stalks, diced small
2 cloves of garlic, minced
S & P
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

With a slightly damp cloth, wipe the mushrooms clean. Pull the stalks from them carefully (reserve). Finely dice the stalks.

In the olive oil, saute the onion, celery & diced mushroom stalks until the onion is translucent & the celery is soft. Mixing, add the garlic & the S & P. Add the bread crumbs & combine, take off heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Take the mushroom tops & using a small spoon (I like my Tablespoon measure for this) over-fill/stuff them with the onion mixture. Place flat-side/non-stuffed side down on a sprayed baking sheet. Top the stuffed mushrooms with the parmesan & bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is browned & the mushrooms are softened. Enjoy!

Look at these HUGE, "button" mushrooms we got!

Check out my post: Thank you for Thanksgiving Crafts ideas for the kids.

Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a delicious fall treat, that is different, look no further! My father-in-law loves biscotti so when I saw this recipe from Taste of Home, I knew I had to make it. This is the perfect dessert for the gazillionth course of Thanksgiving (you all know what I am talking about after appys, after dinner, after dessert... When things have wound down... Coffee, tea & pumpkin seed, cranberry biscotti. Or for the next morning. Or really, any time!!! YUM. So good, so different. These will be super appreciated (I know, my first batch were!!!) <3 Lishie

Pumpkin Seed Cranberry Biscotti Recipe
from Taste of Home

3/4 cup
sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted pumpkin seeds*
1/2 cup dried cranberries*

In a small bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, oil and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well. Stir in pumpkin seeds and cranberries (dough will be sticky).

Divide dough in half; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (I lined with parchment paper) . With lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased (I lined with parchment paper) baking sheets.

Bake for 5 minutes or until firm. Turn and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

*Lishie tip- I bought raw, hulled pumpkin seeds & baked them, each side, 6 minutes. No added salt! They were perfect. Also, with the dried cranberries- add a little of the flour so they mix right into the recipe.

Biscotti means "twice baked" in Italian. To me it = DeLish!
Try this one too: Citrus Biscotti.

Thank you

2011-11-21T07:00:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is here. Time to reflect upon everything we are thankful for! And I have to tell you, truthfully, I am thankful every day of my life for everything I have; I am so fortunate for my family & my friends. And I am so thankful for you all who read my blog! THANK YOU. Now that I have a child, I want to convey to him how appreciative I am & I want to teach him to be the same. Along with this, I want to also teach him the history of Thanksgiving.

Part of my childhood was spent in Brockton, Massachusetts, not far from Boston. And due to this we also were able to travel to other parts of the state, like Salem & Plymouth. I was able to see Plymouth Rock up close & hear the history of the Mayflower & the Pilgrims there. We will be voyaging to MA at some point soon with our toddler but until then, I can teach him in other ways. I was ecstatic to see these in Disney Family Magazine. Great for Gabriel's school! (And no eggs!!!):

Plymouth Rock Cookies

via Disney Family Fun Magazine

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons milk
black & green food coloring

Heat the oven to 375°. With a mixer, blend the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and the extracts for about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the milk with a wooden spoon until the dough sticks together.

Form the dough into eight Plymouth Rock shapes (ours measure 3 by 4 inches and about 1/2-inch thick). Press a small rectangular lid (we used a spice container)

into the dough to create a frame, then use a toothpick to engrave the date 1620.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookies begin to brown. Remove them and let them cool completely.

For a gray glaze, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk with a drop of black food coloring and a drop of green food coloring. Adjust the color and, if needed, add milk to thin the glaze so that it's brushable. Apply it

to the cookies with a pastry brush, then let it cool and harden for an hour.

I love this book:

"The Story of Thanksgiving"

by Nancy Skarmeas

Illustrated by Stacy Venturi-Pickett

ISBN 9780824941642

This series of books is great- explains the history is an easy & fun manner for ages 2 & up!

Followed up by...

We crafted a Mayflower together! Easy to draw, then color... used rectangular pieces of white tissue paper for the sails.

The best part about crafts with toddlers? It does not have to perfect & the child still has fun! And learns.

Lastly, all of the craft stores have these great little kits. They contain ALL the pieces you need & are inexpensive. Gabriel loved making this turkey:

And, there's the Native American craftwork, like this feather headband, modeled by Gabriel:

Or, Native American "Cave Art" made with sidewalk chalk:

And a Native American Rain Stick made with an empty paper towel roll-holder, filled 1/4 the way with dry beans then closed on the ends with plastic wrap & rubber bands. Chalk coloring the outside:

I will be blogging all week & crafting more with my tot, but want to say early:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

<3 Lishie

Recipe Swap~ One Pot Meal

2011-11-18T08:23:00.001-05:00

So, this week's recipe swap is all about time-saving, good one pot meals! I gave in my Stovetop Stuffed Peppers & received this Chicken Gumbo recipe from Melissa (Carimeli)over at Delicious Meliscious. I was trepidatious because I can't really "do spice" with my ulcers & crohns disease but thought, well, I'll give it a go for my hubby & just not eat the spicy sausage. More problems occurred when I went grocery shopping & couldn't find andouille sausage. Well, that combined with the fact that my hubby does not like rotisserie chicken either just kept adding to my apprehension. I ended up using spicy chicken sausage & sauteing it, sliced, along with boneless chicken breast slices... taking them out of the pot, then following the recipe... a half-assed, fake gumbo but yummy one-pot meal, none-the-less ;) Follow the recipe for happiness, lol! Thanks, Melissa!

<3 Lishie

Half-Hour Chicken Gumbo

Martha Stewart via Delicious Melisicous

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, cut okra
8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, sliced 1 inch thick
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, & cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, & oregano; season with S & P. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, & warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with S & P, to taste.