Monday, August 24, 2009

Cake Week -- Golden Cake with Fudge Frosting

I made a few cakes over the weekend. I brought them to the BBQ's we attended on Saturday and Sunday. I made this cake yesterday. It was good but the almond flavoring was pretty strong. I like almond flavor but some of the kids said it tasted "weird". The adults all seemed to like it, though. I will try making this cake again and leave out or reduce the almond flavoring. I also made this cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan and baked it for 45-50 minutes. It was really good. I will tell you that I didn't make the fudge frosting. I didn't have enough butter in my fridge to make it so I used a container of Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge frosting. No one seemed to mind. I will definitely try to find a pourable fudge frosting recipe like the one on the Entenmann's Golden Cake with Fudge Frosting. There was a review on a website that talked about a recipe for this frosting. The author said her frosting "sets like fudge." Why, oh why didn't she go ahead and post the recipe in the comment section. I don't think that was very fair or nice. I tried to email her but apparently you have to be a "premium" member of the website to be able to email the other members. I am going to keep looking for that recipe. It would be worth my time if it is really that good!


Chocolate Fudge and Golden Layer Cake
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup milk (whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat)

Instant Fudge Frosting

3 sticks butter (12 oz.)
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (no need to sift)
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoons vanilla
6 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together 3 times and set aside.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition until blended. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix.

With the mixer running at low speed, and working in alternating batches, add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine after each addition. Mix until just smooth. Pour into 2 cake pans. Bake until risen, golden, and firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans.

For the frosting:  Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse to incorporate, then process until the frosting is smooth.

Once the cakes have cooled, place 1 layer on a serving platter and cover the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top of that but bottom-side up, to create a nice flat top. Press down to secure the layer. Frost the top and sides using a swirling motion. Or if you want it to look more professional, do a crumb layer of frosting, chill, then do a topcoat.


The Creative Cook

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Potato Salad Problems

I offered to make potato salad for a cookout at a friend's house. Big mistake.... I followed the recipe for potato salad that I posted on my blog. I increased the amounts by 4 because I didn't want to make enough for just 4 people. I also followed the instructions on how to easily peel the potatoes in the video I posted with Dawn Wells of the Idaho Potato Council.



I had no problem at all mixing the ingredients for the potato salad. It was a combination of mayo, mustard, relish, and garlic. The recipe calls for celery and eggs chopped up along with the potatoes. None of that was a problem for me. I read someone who posted that her potato salad became "watery" on the second day. That is not my problem.



My problem is in the boiling of the potatoes. I followed the instructions to boil the potatoes for 15 minutes. Of course, the potatoes were under cooked. In fact, when I asked my husband to taste-test the potato salad for me he asked if the potatoes in potato salad were supposed to be cooked! "Houston, we have a problem." That was when I knew I was going to have to send him out to the store to buy some potato salad. I was so frustrated. I had spent the entire morning boiling, chopping, mixing and washing pots and pans to no avail! I feel like Julie in the Julie & Julia book not the Julie in the movie, she is way too nice. I didn't drop the "F" bomb quite as many times as Julie in the book but I was upset. I have made potato salad before. I have often overcooked and/or undercooked those "darn" potatoes. I have made Dijon potato salad and had someone make fun of it. He said it tasted "spoiled" so I never made that potato salad again. Even though I really liked it quite a bit myself. I should probably just give up on the potato salad but I really want to be able to make a good potato salad. It really shouldn't be that hard. Why is it that if I boil the potatoes 15 minutes they are too raw and if I cook them 20 minutes they are too over cooked?



Can you help me? Any ideas? Maybe I'm using the wrong type of potatoes. I just bought cheap white potatoes. Could that be the cause of my failure? Maybe I'm just going crazy or it is because, as my son suggested, I'm approaching 50 this year?!



The Frustrated Creative Cook

Saturday, August 22, 2009

ZUCCHINI WEEK - Zucchini Cake

Zucchini Cake -- This sounds odd but think about how yummy carrot cake can be. So maybe vegetables in cake isn't really that odd. Is it still healthy if you use the zucchini in cakes or muffins? I don't know but I think it should be.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1-3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c "sour" milk (1/2 T. white vinegar added to 1/2 c. milk), or yogurt, or buttermilk
2-1/2 flour
1/2 cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 salt
1/2 cinnamon
1/2 cloves
2 c. shredded zucchini

Cream together the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and milk. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir in the zucchini. Spoon the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Friday, August 21, 2009

ZUCCHINI WEEK - ZUCCHINI CAPONATA

No, I haven't given up on Zucchini week. I just got a little busy. Sorry! I received this recipe from my sister. It definitely puts an interesting spin on caponata. All the caponata that I have eaten has been made with eggplant but since zucchini is so prevalent at this time of year, why not try zucchini caponata instead??!

Now wait a minute, don't you go thinking that my sister is someone who actually eats something like caponata. No, absolutely not. She is definitely not a vegetable eater. She was nice enough to send me this recipe that she found while searching through the King Arthur Recipes on their website. She also found the Zucchini Cake recipe which I'll post tomorrow. Thanks to both my sister and my friend V for providing this recipe. I'm definitely going to try them both!


ZUCCHINI CAPONATA

Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped or minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 to 2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 cup pitted halved black olives, preferably oil-cured
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, parsley, or oregano (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil, and fry the zucchini, onion, garlic, and tomatoes for 30 minutes, covered.
2. Remove the cover, and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes to evaporate any extra liquid.
3. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper; stir and remove from heat. When lukewarm, stir in the cherry tomatoes, capers, and olives. Store covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Thursday, August 20, 2009

ZUCCHINI WEEK - ZUCCHINI PIE

sideThis zucchini pie recipe comes from my friend T. She tells me that it should be used as a side dish. I'm thinking that it could be a good appetizer too. It is a "savory" pie meaning that it isn't sweet. I have never eaten zucchini pie but it sounds good. I'm thinking that my mom or my grandmother made a pie similar to this one. Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if they did. I'm still hoping that my friend V will send me the zucchini cake recipe. It is a chocolate cake recipe that she got from the King Arthur Flour bag several years ago.


Zucchini Pie

Crust:
2 cans (8 ounces each) crescent rolls
Press crescent rolls into and up sides of 9 x 13 inch pan or 2 pie pans. Pinch all seams to seal. Set aside.


Filling:
¼ to ½ cup butter or margarine
*6-8 cups thinly sliced zucchini/yellow squash
½ cup minced fresh or ground parsley
¾ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves

4 eggs (beaten)
4 cups mozzarella cheese
¾ teaspoon salt

Options:
*Add sliced onions to taste up to 2 cups and sauté with zucchini/squash.

Filling:
Melt butter in large skillet. Sauté’ zucchini and spices until zucchini are tender.

In separate bowl, combine eggs, cheese and salt. Gently toss zucchini with egg mixture. Pour into crust.


Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until center is set.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Zucchini Week - Muffins & Bread

Today, I have a recipe for zucchini muffins provided by my friend T and a yam-zucchini bread that sounds very interesting to me. Since, as the newspaper article blurb I found with the bread recipe says, zucchini seem to multiply exponentially these recipes could provide a way to enjoy the overwhelming proliferation of these summer squash. Bread and muffins are definitely a very palatable way to serve zucchini to kids or adults who are not big fans of squash. These recipes sure do sound delish!



ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Makes 2 - 3 dozen muffins

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)


Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Combine oil and eggs, add to dry ingredients and mix well.

Add zucchini, stir until thoroughly combined.

Fold in nuts if desired.

Pour into greased muffin pans or cup cake liners.

Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.





SWEET POTATO-ZUCCHINI BREAD



Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1-1/2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini

1-1/2 cups grated, peeled sweet potato (about 1 large)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup golden raisins



1. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly beat sugar, oil and eggs. Blend in pineapple, zucchini and sweet potato. Add the next 4 dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in walnuts and raisins.



2. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.



Enjoy!



The Creative Cook

Monday, August 17, 2009

Zucchini Week - Zucchini Dinners & Sides

Clearly, zucchini is a popular vegetable. I looked in my huge pile of recipes torn out of magazines and newspapers over the last 15 years and, surprise, surprise -- I found 5 zucchini recipes for main dishes and sides that I have been holding onto for who knows how long!

I now realize that zucchini is one of the few vegetables that you can use to make breakfast, lunch, and all courses of dinner. By that I mean, you can make zucchini muffins or bread (breakfast), zucchini with pasta or fried or any of the dinners or sides below and have a good lunch or dinner. Yesterday, I posted the zucchini marinara recipe which is a great appetizer and my friend V has promised to send me a recipe for a zucchini cake (dessert, of course) which she says that I may post on this blog! I'm also planning to post a recipe for zucchini pie which is more of an appetizer as it is a savory pie, I think. I'll have to ask my friend T who provided this recipe to me. That really doesn't even scratch the surface of what you can do with a zucchini. Don't forget about zucchini parmesan and all other the zillions of ways you can cook it.

I've never thought about this before but zucchini is an awesome vegetable!!

CHICKEN & ZUCCHINI MARINARA
www.cooks.com

¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved (1-1/4 lbs.)
All-purpose flour
2 tbs oil
1/3 tsp hot pepper sauce
4 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1 (15-1/2 oz) jar marinara sauce
¾ lb. or 2 cups sliced zucchini
Cooked pasta

1. Mix bread crumbs and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.

2. Coat chicken pieces with flour. Dip into egg, and then coat both sides with crumb-cheese mixture.


3. Heat oil in 10” skillet with cover. Add chicken. Brown on both sides over medium heat.

4. Mix marinara sauce, parsley and hot pepper sauce. Spoon half over chicken.


5. Arrange zucchini slices over chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, top with remaining sauce.

6. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve with pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.


SICILIAN CHICKEN WITH ZUCCHINI
www.womansday.com
Serves 4
Active: 12 min.
Total: 30 min.

4 navel oranges
¼ cup olive oil & vinegar dressing
4 chicken breast halves
1/3 cup halved, pitted Kalamata olives
¼ cup thin-sliced red onion
3 tbs sliced mint
4 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
Nonstick spray
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
1 bag (4 to 6 oz) baby arugula

1. Squeeze juice from 1 orange (should yield ½ cup). Pour ¼ cup juice and 2 tbs. dressing into a ziplock bag. Add chicken, seal bag and marinate at room temperature 15 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, heat grill. Remove peel and white pith from remaining 3 oranges. Cut in half and slice. Put into a bowl; add olives, onion, mint, and remaining juice and dressing; toss.

3. Coat zucchini with nonstick spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.


4. Grill chicken and zucchini 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is tender.

5. Divide arugula among 4 serving plates. Top with chicken, then orange mixture. Serve with zucchini.


ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
Makes 8 to 10 Servings

1-1/2 lbs sliced zucchini (about 3 large)
4 medium sliced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
¾ cup raw rice (not instant)
2 tbs. chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Line bottom of a 9-inch-by-13 inch pan with half of the zucchini, tomatoes and salt. Mix remaining ingredients together, with the exception of the cheese, and place on top. Put the other half of the zucchini, tomatoes and salt on top. Cover and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 375 degrees. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and cook until melted.

“Tester Laura Reiley’s comments: ‘This is a great one-dish meal. The rice will absorb a great deal of the moisture as it cooks; but, if during cooking the casserole looks extremely juicy, you may want to uncover slightly. The casserole may be less likely to fall apart when served if you slice the zucchini the long way into 1/4 –inch slices.’”


STUFFED ZUCCHINI
By Terrye Kocher, Mountain View, Calif.

2 medium zucchini (about 12 oz.)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/8 tsp pepper
½ cup milk
¼ cup frozen egg product, thawed or 1 beaten egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Place, cut side down, in a microwave-safe 2-quart square baking dish. Microwave, covered, on 100% power (high) for 2 or 3 minutes or till nearly tender. (Or, cook in boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes.) Scoop out pulp, leaving a ¼ -inch-thick shell. Set shells aside. Finely chop the zucchini pulp; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in hot oil until tender but not brown. Add chopped zucchini; cook 1 minute more. Stir in flour, basil, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Gradually add zucchini mixture to the egg product or egg. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture into zucchini shells; place in a 2-quart square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until filling is lightly browned. Makes 4 side-dish servings.


ZUCCHINI BAKED WITH CHEESE
Makes 4 to 6 servings

4 cups lightly salted water
3 cloves garlic
6 small zucchini, ends trimmed
2 tbs fresh chives
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Bring water to a boil. Add the garlic and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add zucchini and keep simmering, until soft, about 15 minutes longer. Remove garlic and zucchini. When cool enough to handle, peel zucchini.

2. Using a food mill, puree the garlic and zucchini. Spread puree into a lightly oiled gratin dish. Sprinkle with chives and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Broil until the cheese is golden, about two minutes. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!


The Creative Cook

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Zucchini Week - Zucchini Marinara

The end of the summer is always the time for a bumper crop of zucchini in my family. My dad, up until a few years ago, grew a garden. He always planted zucchini, Sicilian Squash, peppers, eggplant, basil and more. My brother-in-law also plants a garden. He still does his garden with my parents and my sister's help to water while he is away on business. Occasionally, he will get D to come over to water with him or my parents. I reap the benefits of all this hard work on gardening by enjoying my mother's eggplant and/or zucchini Parmesan. This summer I also got some peppers, basil, eggplant and lots of zucchini from my brother-in-law's garden. I really wanted to come up with good recipes to enjoy the zucchini. I found a zucchini marinara recipe that both D and I enjoyed. We got the idea while we were up in Rochester, NY this summer. D and I ate dinner at a restaurant called Proetti's. It is a classic Italian restaurant that was close to our hotel. B and his dad decided they "needed" to go to the racetrack which meant D and I were on our own for dinner on a Friday night. Thankfully, I had my GPS and some recommendations which is how we wound up at Proetti's. They serve a complimentary appetizer called Zucchini Marinara. It was so awesomely delicious that I knew I would have to try making some when I got home. D and I gobbled it up. I am not generally such a vegetable lover that I would gobble up any vegetable dish, so just sayin....

I'm betting that the Proetti family (being Italian and all) also has a "bumper crop" of zucchini from their family gardens which is why they came up with this complimentary appetizer. I can't prove this but I think it is a good guess!

ZUCCHINI MARINARA
www.recipezaar.com
1 hour
25 minute prep

Serves 6

2-3 zucchini, unpeeled and sliced
1/4 olive oil, divided
1 (15 oz) jar marinara sauce (or the equivalent of homemade)
1/2 cup red wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese (4 ounces)

1. Saute zucchini in 3 tbs olive oil until lightly browned; drain.
2. Place in 1-1/2 quart casserole.
3. Combine marinara sauce, wine, remaining garlic, basil and oregano in small saucepan; stir well.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Spoon sauce over zucchini; mix well.
6. Sprinkle cheese over sauce; cover.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Blueberry Week - Blueberry Ice Cream Parfaits

Sadly, blueberry week has come to an end. I am not sure how I managed to post about sloppy joe's last night. I was just starting that post to keep for a later date and it wound up getting posted without either of the recipes.

I want to end blueberry week on a high note. These parfaits sound absolutely heavenly. I haven't tried them yet but I definitely will. I have a large bag of blueberries in my freezer just waiting.... I can't imagine why I wouldn't be able to use frozen blueberries for this but I'll find out soon enough.

Tomorrow, I'm starting zucchini week. I have also been getting tons of zucchini from my sister's garden. Her hubby loves to grow vegetables. They are always so fresh and good. I can't stand to see them go to waste. When I think of all the years during my youth that I turned up my nose at zucchini and eggplant, it makes me sad. I've even got D eating zucchini and he has tasted the eggplant. As far as I know, my sister still does turn up her nose at zucchini and eggplant but two of her kids (at least) eat both! Good for them.


BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM PARFAITS
Serves 8
Active: 15 Min
Total: 5 Hr (includes freezing)

4 cups blueberries
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 qt vanilla ice cream
1 (10-oz) pkg frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
2 cups sweetened whipped cream or frozen whipped topping, defrosted
1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Place 3 cups blueberries, the sugar and lemon juice in medium saucepan; mash berries well with a potato masher. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer; cook 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender and puree. Pour into a 2-cup measure, cover and chill 2 hours. Place a 1-1/2 qt freezer container in freezer to chill.

2. Let vanilla ice cream stand at room temperature until softened. Fold chilled blueberry puree into ice cream until well blended. Scrape ice cream into chilled container in freezer; freeze several hours or until firm enough to scoop.

3. Puree thawed raspberries and syrup in blender until smooth; scrape mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds.

4. To make parfaits: For each parfait, spoon 1 Tbsp raspberry puree into a dessert glass and top with a small scoop blueberry ice cream. Top with 1 Tbsp whipped cream, and a few blueberries and raspberries. Repeat the layers. Top parfaits with a dollop of whipped cream.



The Creative Cook

Friday, August 14, 2009

Sloppy Joes

I have tried exactly three different recipes for Sloppy Joe's. The first is from my friend Miss B. She informed me that it was her mom's recipe. It is called Old Fashioned Sloppy Joe's. I have to say that it is completely yummy. This recipe tastes exactly how I would want a Sloppy Joe to taste. The only negative about this recipe is that it isn't exactly healthy. That is why I tried Martha Stewart's Turkey Sloppy Joe's. They didn't quite live up to my expectations nor did they live up to D's expectations. He was highly disappointed and asked if he could put BBQ sauce on them. Sheesh! I am going to combine the two recipes next time to get a healthier version of a completely yummy Sloppy Joe. That is my best solution to the problem. What I'm thinking is to go with the ground turkey from Martha's recipe and also keep the carrot and minced garlic but I'll use the condiment measurement's from Miss B's recipe. That will hopefully make a less unhealthy yet delicious dinner!

The third sloppy joe recipe I tried was from Rachel Ray's Cooking Rocks! Kids cookbook. I blogged about it several weeks ago. That recipe was quite good.

Just as an "aside" my husband never likes any of the Martha Stewart recipes I make. Once when we first got married, I tried her key lime pie recipe. How can you go wrong with key lime pie, I ask?? Well, my darling hubby absolutely hated it. I'm not sure if it was just because he knew it was a "Martha" recipe or if he really didn't like it. I actually wound up giving away that Martha Stewart Cook Book a few years ago.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes
by Miss B
Serves 4-6

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs vinegar
2 tbs brown sugar (packed)
3 tbs Worcestershire Sauce (I use organic)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 tbs prepared mustard
Dash red pepper sauce (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onions. Drain.

Add all other ingredients and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Serve on hamburger bun.


TURKEY SLOPPY JOES
by Martha Stewart
Prep: 15 Mins
Total: 30 Mins
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat)
1 can (28 ozs) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
4 whole-wheat hamburger rolls, split

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add carrots, onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve on whole-wheat rolls.

I also made fresh white corn on the cob with this. The corn was really good :)

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Blueberry Week

Do you know what scones are supposed to taste like? If I remember correctly from way back when I was in England, they are dense and a bit dry. I remember needing to put butter on them. I made these scones yesterday but they came out soft and doughy. Not what I had anticipated. It is very hard for me to tell you what they should have been like since the only scones I have eaten recently are from our local grocery store. I thought these scones tasted good but not like what I thought scones are supposed to taste like. They also did not come out very "pretty". I'm quite sure this is all my fault. I did take the butter out of the fridge a bit early so I'm thinking they got doughy because the butter wasn't cold enough. If you know something about how scones should taste/mouth feel, please let me know. I need someone from England to comment on this post! If not, I'm going to have to try making these again or maybe try another scone recipe. D likes the idea of chocolate chip scones so maybe you'll see a recipe for those on here soon. I found a website that gives some tips and suggestions about how to bake and eat scones. Check it out here. I really wish I had read this before I baked these scones!

I also need to tell you that when I went shopping for cardamom, I was very surprised. I found it in only two stores. That in itself wasn't surprising. The really surprising part was the price! I could NOT justify buying a bottle of cardamom for $12.00!! Especially since I am pretty sure I'll never use it again. The cheapest I could find it around here was $11.00 at the local Shoppers Food Warehouse. I did some research (afterwards) and found out that it is one of the most expensive spices. I always thought that honor belonged to saffron. I found out that the TWO most expensive spices are saffron and pure vanilla. Cardamom comes in third. I did further research and found out that you can substitute nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or mace for cardamom. Apparently, though it has its own unusual taste it is fairly similar to those spices. The website that I read about it on suggests starting with half of the recommended amount. I simply used nutmeg. Since I know that I like nutmeg, I went ahead and used the full 1/4 tsp.

Here is what I found out about cardamom: "Cardamom -The third most expensive spice used frequently in East Indian, Scandinavian, Arabic and Central African cuisines. It is an essential ingredient in Arabic coffee and the scent is most enticing."



BLUEBERRY DESSERT SCONES
Makes 16
Active: 15 Mins.
Total: 1 hr. (includes chilling)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ tsp each ground cardamom and salt
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/2 cups blueberries
¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
2 large eggs
¼ tsp almond or vanilla extract

1. Line two small baking sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl, whisk flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the baking powder, zest, cardamom and salt until combined. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in blueberries.

2. In 2-cup glass measure, whisk ¾ cup cream, eggs and extract until blended; slowly stir in dry ingredients just until a wet dough comes together. Divide in half.

3. With floured hands, transfer dough to each prepared baking sheet. Pat each into a 6-1/4 inch round, a scant 1 in. thick. With floured knife, cut each round into 8 wedges. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush dough with remaining 1 Tbsp cream and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. Bake 24 minutes, or until scones are golden and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Blueberry Week

This salad recipe sounds so summery and refreshing. Unfortunately, I will probably never get a chance to try it. My son doesn't like melon. Have you ever heard of anything like that? I am such a huge watermelon fan that I can't believe it when he tells me that watermelon smells bad. Oh, well maybe I'll try it one day when we have guests or the next time he is away at camp! If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think of it.


BLUEBERRY-MELON SALAD WITH THYME SYRUP
Serves 8
Active: 25 Min
Total: 45 Min

Thyme Syrup:
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
Peel and juice from 1 lemon
4 large sprigs fresh thyme, preferably lemon thyme

Salad:

3 cups each diced cantaloupe, honeydew melon and seedless watermelon
1 pint blueberries

Garnish: lemon thyme sprigs

1. Thyme Syrup: Bring all ingredients to a gentle boil in a small saucepan; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let steep 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and lemon peel. Cool syrup to room temperature or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2. Salad: Just before serving, gently toss together fruit in a serving bowl; add 1/3 cup of the thyme syrup and toss. Spoon into dessert bowls or glasses and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve with extra thyme syrup, if desired.

The Creative Cook

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Blueberry Streusel Muffins






I love blueberry muffins. When I saw this recipe, I had to try it. The streusel sounded so yummy to me. And it is really good. The muffins come out large. But since I have only got a regular size twelve muffin tin I simply filled only 6 of the cups instead of all 12. The muffins were not nearly as huge as I imagined they would be, though. I guess I was thinking they would be like the giant muffins I used to get back in the day when I worked in Manhattan. But no. I'm certainly better off that they are just big and not gigantic! I sure don't need the extra calories. Try these when you have time. They are really tasty.

I have pictures of the muffins but I'm getting an error message when I try to add the photos. I'll try again later. Yesterday, I couldn't get on the internet that's why I didn't post a blueberry recipe. I will try to add another one later today to make up for it. I am just experiencing a few technical difficulties! ~ I finally got the photos to post on my blog!


BLUEBERRY STREUSEL MUFFINS
Makes 6 Jumbo Muffins
Active: 30 Min.
Total: 70 Min.

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp plus 1 tsp) unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Streusel
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

Drizzle
½ cup confectioners sugar
2 to 2-1/4 tsp milk

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 6 jumbo –size muffin cups with paper liners or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Make Streusel: With fork or fingers, mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add butter until blended and crumbly.

3. Place flour in medium bowl. Remove 1 Tbsp and toss with blueberries in a small bowl. To remaining flour, add yellow cornmeal, baking powder and salt; mix well, in another bowl, whisk sugar with eggs, milk, melted butter and lemon juice.

4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just blended; fold in blueberries.

5. Spoon about ½ cup batter into each muffin cup; crumble streusel on top. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in pan, remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack.

6. Make Drizzle: Mix ½ cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 to 2-1/4 tsp milk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over muffins.


Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Monday, August 10, 2009

Blueberry Week







When I first saw this recipe, I couldn't imagine blueberry and key lime tasting good together. After baking and tasting this cheesecake, I found out that they really do compliment each other. The lime cuts the sweetness of the blueberry and it meshes very well together. I will tell you that my cake did crack. Wait, it was more like a crater that formed in the cake. It really doesn't matter because of the blueberry topping but I did some research and you can make a kind of plaster to fix the cake, you can also use the water bath cooking method. I really should have done that but I wasn't sure how to execute it. I will try it the next time I make a cheesecake that isn't being covered with fruit. I found an excellent website called Baking 911. This site explains how to repair all types of cheesecake problems. It is worth checking out.


I made this cake for my mom's birthday. She loved it. My brother-in-law also said he loved it. I'm still waiting to hear from my nephew. I have a few pieces stashed in the freezer for some other taste-testers.



BLUEBERRY KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
Serves 12
Active: 30 min.
Total: 5 hrs. (includes cooling)

Crust

10 shortbread cookies
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Filling

3 bricks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp grated lime zest
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 drop liquid green food color (optional)

Blueberry Topping

¼ cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water
3 cups blueberries
1 Tbsp lime juice

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8 x 3 inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

2. Crust: Process cookies in food processor to make fine crumbs. Add butter; pulse to blend. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack.
3. Filling: In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and sour cream. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl and beater once or twice. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth and creamy; pour over crust.

4. Bake 60 minutes or until cake is almost set and center still jiggles slightly when touched. Remove to a rack; cut around outside edges of cake to loosen from sides. Cool on rack 3 hours (cake will sink as it cools). Cover and refrigerate up to several days.

5. Topping: In a small saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and water until blended. Add 1 cup blueberries; mash berries well with a potato masher. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in lime juice and another ½ cup blueberries. Spread on top of cheesecake; top cheesecake with remaining 1-1/2 cups blueberries. Refrigerate until serving.

July 7, 2009 Woman’s Day Magazine
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Blueberry Week















I've been seeing blueberries everywhere lately. My sister has a blueberry bush in her yard. My parents have wild blueberries, raspberries and blackberries growing out behind their house. My neighbor has blueberry bushes in her yard, too. I know there must be some blueberries growing out in the forest behind our house because I'm constantly finding purple bird poop on my front porch. Luckily, I managed to find blueberries fairly inexpensively at my local Martin's grocery store. That's how I decided that it should be blueberry week here at my blog~ Oh, that and I found zounds of great blueberry recipes in the July 7, 2009 Women's Day Magazine! Most of these recipes are coming from that magazine. I have actually made most of them or plan to make them very soon. I really hope to bake the blueberry scones before I get the recipe posted. They sound so yummy to me. The recipe I have for you today is Blueberry Focaccia. It sounded so interesting and delicous that I absolutely had to try it. Admittedly, I am not the best with yeast but I tried it anyway. I found out that this particular bread doesn't require any fancy work with the yeast. It was quite simple. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. I never heard of Blueberry Focaccia before so it is something different.

I also managed to take a few decent pictures of the focaccia before and after baking it.

I hope you try this and let me know how you like it, if you do.


BLUEBERRY FOCACCIA

Serves 12
Active: 20 Mins.
Total: 2 hrs (includes rising)

½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
3 to 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 packet (1/4 oz) rapid rise active dry yeast
¾ tsp salt
1-1/4cups whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups blueberries

1. Pulse sugar and lemon zest in food processor until zest is finely ground and incorporated into the sugar. In a large bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of the lemon sugar, 3 cups of the flour, the yeast and salt until blended.

2. Heat milk in a 2-cup measure in microwave on high 1-1/2 minutes, or until temperature registers 130 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant –read thermometer; add to flour mixture with egg and butter. Mix with a rubber spatula until a soft, sticky dough forms; scrape dough onto a floured surface. Using a dough scraper to assist, knead with some of the remaining ½ cup flour to form a smooth and pliable dough, about 2 minutes. Cover the dough with the mixing bowl; let rest 10 minutes.

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough in half. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, stretch and pat out on parchment into 12-in. free-form rectangle, about ¼ in. thick. Scatter with half the blueberries and half of the remaining lemon sugar. On a floured surface, pat out and stretch remaining dough slightly larger than the first piece and place over bottom dough. Press edges together and tuck under loaf. Cover with a sheet of greased plastic wrap. Place baking sheet in a warm area. Let rise 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, with floured fingers, dimple surface of loaf (pierce any bubbling with a knife tip to release air pockets). Scatter top of loaf with remaining blueberries and lemon sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Slide focaccia onto a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

















Saturday, July 25, 2009

Classic Meatloaf


It is hard to wax poetic about meatloaf. Why am I making meatloaf in the middle of July anyway? The answer to that question lies in the fact that D is coming home from a week at Boy Scout Camp at Cedarlands in Long Lake, New York today. He asked me to make meatloaf for him before he left. He could have asked for Filet Mignon or lobster and somehow I would have made it for him after this long sad crazy week. I'll first have to explain the sad and crazy part of my week before I get to the recipe. Sorry, that's the way it goes.

B and I dropped D off at the VFW hall at 4:45 am on Sunday morning (the meeting place for his scout troop). Everything went well. I didn't cry too much. At least not so he could see me. Afterwards, B and I went out to breakfast and then on to BWI airport to leave for our trip to Greensboro, North Carolina. B knew that I would never be able to stay home without him or D being around. I would have gone stir crazy. B had to go on an important business trip that he couldn't reschedule so he decided it would be best if I joined him. I have to admit that I was a bit excited about seeing Greensboro even though I've been told that I wasn't missing much. In any event, B and I were sitting at the gate waiting for our plane to arrive when I got a phone call from my sister. I had talked to her earlier in the morning when she told me that she and her husband were taking my dad to the hospital. He had fallen in the back yard the night before and he wasn't doing well. I took her second call just at the moment our plane was called for boarding. My sister said, "Dad isn't going to make it. Come or stay, it is up to you." Well, what would you have done? I could not in good conscience get on a plane to fly anywhere knowing that my dad was probably going to die that day! Needless to say, B and I went up to the counter and told them of our situation and that we wouldn't be boarding the plane. Our bags would still have to go to Raleigh but at that point I really didn't care. We got on the mini bus to take us back to our car and my sister called again and talked exclusively to B. I was sure she was telling him that dad had died. They talked for quite a few minutes. I cried throughout. Finally, once B got off the phone with my sister he told me that dad's pulse had gotten down as low as 10 or 12 and he had come back!! He was essentially dead without a pulse and no vital signs at all. They put in a temporary pacemaker and he came back to us! I am completely amazed. I didn't mention that he is 89 years young! What a guy. He is home now and has a permanent pacemaker. I saw him yesterday and he was walking around and chatting like nothing had happened at all.

The only good thing about this whole nightmare is that I couldn't spend much time worrying about D being so far away at scout camp. I did keep thinking that he would be devastated if his grandpa died while he was away at camp. Fortunately, that didn't happen. And we finally got our bags back on Monday night!

The next crazy thing that happened on Tuesday night during a storm. My mom and I (she stayed with me a few days while dad was in the hospital) heard a huge bang. It sounded like it could have been dynamite. We found out the next day that my house had been hit by lightening. It fried our Internet and cable service as well as one of our garage door openers. We finally got our Internet and cable fixed yesterday. Just in time for D to get home! Now if we could only get our garage door openers replaced....

It is finally time for me to get to the recipe. I wasn't at all faithful to the recipe but I know that meatloaf is a very forgiving food. I substituted Italian chicken sausage for the pork sausage. I had no celery so I used celery seed and flakes. I also substituted dried parsley for fresh. My boys don't care for onion so I used minced onion instead. What else did I change? I used liquid egg substitute instead of eggs because I had a carton of it open in my fridge and needed to use it. I really did use fresh breadcrumbs because I still have some in my freezer. I also used the suggestion to put in half a teaspoon of hot sauce if you didn't use spicy ground pork or Italian sausage. I would have added some fennel seed but I had none in my spice closet. I also used organic Worcestershire sauce because I always do.

The simply recipes website gave another good tip: try 1/3 ground pork, 1/3 ground veal and 1/3 ground beef when making meatloaf. You can sometimes find this combo in the grocery store but probably not in the middle of summer.

Classic Meatloaf Recipe

from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/
Preparation time: 20 minutes to prep, 1 hour to cook.


Ingredients
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, chopped fine
1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute onion)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 teaspoon salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage)
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck
3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves


Method


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


2. In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.


3. In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.


4. Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.


Serves 4 to 6, with plenty for leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches.



I usually serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes but since it is July, I think I'm making corn on the cob instead!



Enjoy!



The Creative Cook

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Belgian Waffles by Emeril



Last week, D decided that he couldn't live without Belgian Waffles. He loves loves loves them. Well, I have two regular waffle irons but no Belgian Waffle Iron. What is the difference, you ask? Well, Belgian waffle makers are deeper and they are square. The two that I own are round. They are nice for your regular waffles but not the Belgian ones that D wanted. I wound up borrowing my mom's Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker. It is a beauty. Nice and big. I didn't have the instruction booklet so I looked on the internet and found out that Emeril has a recipe for classic Belgian Waffles. They turned out light and fluffy. D really liked them. We had some strawberries in the fridge. So here is the recipe. Try it, you'll like 'em!




Belgian Waffles
by Emeril LaGasse


Yield: 8 to 10 (4 by 4-inch) waffles
Prep: 10 min
Cooking time: 3 min
Total: 13 min

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups milk
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. In 1 medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a second bowl use the wooden spoon to beat together the egg yolks and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk to the eggs and whisk to combine. Combine the egg-milk mixture with the flour mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not over mix. In third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter. Do not over mix! Coat the waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and pour enough batter in iron to just cover waffle grid. Close and cook as per manufacturer's instructions until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Honey Tequila Lime Chicken

Last week, I spent two days taking D and his friend J back and forth to cooking camp in Frederick at The Kitchen Studio Frederick (it was an awesome camp per D and J). J's mom, Miss B and I talked quite a bit during the week. She mentioned that she had bought some turkey or chicken that was marinated in tequila lime sauce. She told me that she had mistakenly used this marinated tequila lime chicken/turkey when she made some BBQ in her crock pot. According to Miss B, her BBQ turned out great! I'm going to have to try making BBQ chicken/turkey because I always BBQ pork or beef. After hearing about the tequila lime chicken, I decided that I was in the mood to try making some. I've never had it before and it sounded like something that would be a yummy summer dish.

While researching recipes for this dish, I found out that Applebees serves a Tequila Lime Chicken dish but this is NOT a copycat recipe for their tequila lime chicken. The copycat recipe for that contains sour cream and lots of other ingredients. It didn't sound like what I was yearning for so I skipped that recipe and tried one that I found on www.recipezaar.com. All the comments for the recipe were positive. It turned out great. I cut down on the chili powder. My husband agreed that it was perfect with only two tablespoons of chili powder but D and my cousin V said they would have liked it better with more chili powder. I'll try it that way next time, maybe.



Honey Tequila Lime Chicken

By: NetDiva Amy


1 cup tequila
6 limes (1 cup juice)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs or fish fillets


Directions


1. Mix all ingredients, except cilantro and meat in medium sauce pan.


2. Simmer over medium heat about 15 minutes or until onions are soft but not clear.


3. Cool completely. (Instead of adding water above, I add ice cubes at this stage).


4. Place chicken in a baking pan and pour mixture over the chicken.


5. Marinade at least 1 hour, preferably over night. If the sauce doesn't completely cover the meat, turn it over half way through.


6. If baking, pour out half the liquid and cover with finely chopped cilantro.


7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through (depending on type of meat and size of pieces).


If grilling, then grill and add the cilantro after cooking.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Monday, July 6, 2009

Weekend Trip to Detroit




My husband travels quite a bit for business. His trips take him to some places that I have never been to or, if I have been to them, it has been a long time. Last weekend, we (D and I) hitched a ride with him to Ypsilanti, Michigan which is actually about fifteen minutes from Detroit and maybe ten minutes from Ann Arbor (home of the University of Michigan). The last time I went to Detroit was about 40 years ago when my parents took my six year old cousin to his sister's home in Detroit to stay with her. His mother (my aunt) was in the hospital to have a tumor removed from her spine so she needed someone to take care of her baby while she recuperated. My cousin is about 16 years older than her brother. She was married and had her own family of four kids at the time. It was very kind of her to take in her brother for all those months while her mother recuperated. That was a huge digression, but it does establish that it has been a long long time since I've been to Michigan. I was very excited to see it again and D was excited to see it for the first time. We had dinner on Friday night at Joe's Crab Shack which is always a great place to eat. We don't have a Joe's Crab Shack in Maryland.

On Saturday morning, at D's request, we eat breakfast at the Marriott hotel where we were staying. I ordered Oatmeal Brulee which is a completely yummy way to eat oatmeal. The copycat recipe that I found comes from Oprah's website. In her version, she uses apple but in the version I had at the Marriott they used raisins. I am much more likely to eat apples than raisins so this recipe appeals to me even more than the one with the raisins. Try this recipe, it looks divine~!

On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Detroit Science Center and spent about 6 hours wandering around and playing with all the exhibits. It is an amazing science center. I was very surprised at how huge it was. The picture above shows D watching a robot play chess. We saw a traveling Star Trek exhibit that was much too large to ever come to the Baltimore Science Center. The planetarium show was also very informative. That night we ate dinner at a well-known restaurant called Weber's. The food was so good that I'm going to post a few copycat recipes for dishes we loved at Weber's. The first is a cheeseburger soup. The recipe I found has carrots but I don't think the Weber's version had any carrot in it. The second is spinach bread. I found an overly ambitious recipe by Emeril. The spinach bread we ate at Weber's was more like a garlic bread but with spinach and Parmesan cheese. I'll have to keep looking for a recipe but you can always get a loaf of Italian bread and make a paste of spinach, garlic, onion, olive oil and Parmesan cheese then put it on the Italian bread and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes or so. I think that would work fine. Weber's is also a landmark hotel located in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. Maybe next time I visit that neck of the woods I'll stay at Weber's.

On Sunday, we took a drive down to the Toledo, Ohio Zoo. It was one of the best zoos I have ever visited. Apparently, it is in the top ten zoos of the U.S. I was surprised that they even have a small aquarium. I never saw a zoo with an aquarium. The Toledo Zoo is now on my personal top 10 Favorite Zoo list.


Apple Oatmeal Crème BrûléeCreated by Rori Trovato

Crème brûlée reinvented: Oatmeal, apples and brown sugar broiled to sweet perfection.

Ingredients:Serves 4

3 1/4 cups apple juice or cider
1 red apple (McIntosh or Red Delicious), cored and cut into large chunks
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring apple juice and apple chunks to a boil. Add oatmeal and cook 3 minutes, until thick. Divide oatmeal among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide brown sugar among bowls, sprinkling it over entire surface of oatmeal.Heat broiler to high and set oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat source. Place bowls on a baking sheet and place in broiler; broil until oatmeal turns dark brown and begins to bubble, 1 to 3 minutes.

ORIGINAL CHEESEBURGER SOUP
Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef
3 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery stalk
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
5 tablespoons butter
8 ounces American cheese / Velveeta, diced
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Method:

Sauté the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet/pan over a medium heat. Mix the beef to prevent it sticking to the pan, cook until its browned all over. Drain and set aside, we will use the same skillet next.

Sauté the chopped celery, chopped carrots, parsley and basil in 2 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet. When the carrots are tender, add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Now add the diced potatoes and cooked beef and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

In a separate small skillet melt the remaining butter, stir in the flour and cook through until it combines. Whisk in the milk and cook until the whole mixture thickens and becomes smooth. Add this to the soup and bring to the boil one more time.
Reduce the heat and mix in the cheese and season. When the cheese has melted remove the pot from the heat.

Original Cheeseburger Soup: serve with a spoonful of sour cream in each bowl.
Spinach Bread
by Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients
1 cup water
2 cups (tightly packed) cleaned and stemmed fresh spinach
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
2 envelopes (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3- 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the water and spinach in a saucepan. Wilt the spinach, pressing down the spinach with the back of a spoon, about 45 seconds. Drain the spinach, squeezing out the spinach tightly and reserve the liquid.
Pour the liquid into a mixing bowl with 4 tablespoons of the butter. The butter will melt and cool the liquid to 110 degrees F. Stir in the yeast and dissolve the yeast. Add the beaten egg, sugar, salt , and black pepper.
Finely chop the spinach and add to the yeast mixture. Add the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn the dough once. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Butter 6 over-sized muffin tins. Invert the dough onto a floured surface and punch it down with your fist. Fold each side in and tuck the ends into the center. Repeat.
Put the dough, seam side down and divide the dough into 6 six equal portions. Using your hand, gently roll the dough into a ball. Place the rolls in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the rolls with kosher salt and cheese. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until in doubles in size, about 1 hour. Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool before removing from the pan.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Potatoes

I received this kind of funny video about how to peel a potato very easily. At first, I thought it was a joke but after watching the video I've decided that it might be very useful. I can see using this method of peeling a potato when making potato salad or mashed potatoes. If you need to boil and peel a boatload of potatoes, give this method a try. I'm definitely going to try it since peeling potatoes is one of my least favorite cooking tasks. We all do it but I don't know anyone who really enjoys it. In honor of discovering this new easy method to peel potatoes, I thought I would provide a few great potato salad recipes and an interesting potato ice cream recipe. We haven't tried it yet but I think we will.

Southern Potato Salad
by allrecipes.com

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 potatoes
4 eggs
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup sweet relish
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain and chop.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve warm.


GERMAN POTATO SALAD
by Allrecipes.com

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.

Add the flour, sugar, water and vinegar to skillet and cook in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.

Add bacon, potatoes and green onions to skillet and stir until coated. Cook until heated and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD
by Recipezaar.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes, cooked and diced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 cup minced onion
5 hard-boiled eggs
paprika

Directions

1. Boil peeled potatoes in salted water till done. Cool to room temperature.
2. Place diced potatoes in large bowl.
3. Mix next 7 ingredients in another bowl.
4. Add to potatoes.
5. Add celery and onions and mix well.
6. Stir in eggs.
7. Sprinkle a little paprika on top.


GRILLED POTATO ICE CREAM

By H. Alexander Talbot

500g raw russet potatoes, cut into quarters lengthwise
530g skim milk
80g agave nectar
4g salt
370g whole milk yogurt

Cook the potato quarters on the grill until they are charred on all sides. Once the potatoes are grilled, cut them into chunks and put them in a pot with the skim milk, salt and the agave nectar. When the potatoes are falling apart, turn off the heat and fold in the yogurt. Use a food mill to coarsely pulverize the base mixture.

Chill the mixture. We use a pacojet to make ice cream, a device which thinly shaves the frozen mixture into creamy ice cream. In lieu of the pacojet, I would recommend quickly pulsing the ice cream mixture in a blender to smooth the mixture. This process must be done quickly so as not to overwork the gluten in the potatoes. At this point, freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker.


Grilled Idaho® Potato Ice Cream
http://www.idahopotato.com/


Ingredients:

2 cups milk
2 cups cream
4 - 5 each skins of grilled Idaho® potatoes
¾ cup sugar
9 egg yolks

Directions:

Bring the milk and cream to a boil with the potato skins.

Whisk the yolks and the sugar together. Temper the liquid into the yolk mixture and return to stovetop.

Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain and cool in an ice bath. Process in ice cream machine.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Lemon - Cornmeal Cake

I made this recipe last week for D's first Boy Scout Court of Honor. He received his "scout" badge. It was a very nice event. Everyone seemed to enjoy this cake. There wasn't any left over for me to take home so I guess that is a good sign. If you like lemon cake, this is a really good recipe for you to try. I found this recipe in the March 3, 2009 issue of Woman's Day Magazine.

Lemon-Cornmeal Cake

Baking Spray (cooking spray with flour)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

Sugar Glaze

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll need a 10-cup decorative tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and soda, and salt.

2. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk until batter is smooth.l Scrape into prepared pan; level top with spatula.

3. Bake 55 to 65 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the sugar glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients in a small bowl just until combined (sugar will not be totally dissolved). Invert cake from pan onto rack; place rack over a baking sheet. Brush glaze all over the hot cake until absorbed (sugar crystals will be evident). Cool completely. Transfer cake to a serving plate and cover. Let cake rest several hours, or overnight, before serving. Store cake covered at room temperature up to 4 days. Cut into thin slices to serve.

Tip: Use lime zest and lime juice for a zesty alternative.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Friday, June 19, 2009

Albondigas - Mexican Meatballs

I am aware that Mexico is not part of our Southwest but you have to admit that southwestern cuisine is very much influenced by Mexico and Mexican flavors. I thought this recipe would be a good addition to Southwestern week. So here goes. . .

This is a recipe that I have had in my possession for quite a while but I haven't tried yet. I figure that if I go ahead and post it on this blog, I'll finally make it. I found the recipe in the July 8, 2008 issue of Woman's Day Magazine. That is how long I've been holding onto it. I'm going to also include a recipe for Enchilada Sauce because after reading the ingredients on a few cans/jars of this stuff, I'm not happy with the ingredients. Emeril's recipe looks straight forward and easy so I'm going to try it instead of a jar of sauce with these meatballs.

If you have every tried these, please let me know how you like them. They sound yummy to me.

ALBONDIGAS

12 oz lean ground pork
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/4 cup each chopped scallions and cilantro
1 egg
1 teaspoon each minced garlic, ground cumin and dried oregano

Roll into 24 meatballs. Brown in a little oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add a 15 oz. can tomato sauce or (for more heat) a 10 oz can enchilada sauce. Cover; simmer 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooked.

Serves 4

Emeril's Easy Enchilada Sauce


3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup chili powder
2 cups chicken stock
10 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings. Serve atop your favorite enchiladas.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Another Southwestern Recipe!

This is another recipe that I was holding onto in hopes of making it for the Wining Women event. I didn't make it then but I did make it this past weekend when we had some friends over for a cookout in our back yard. It was very well received. It reminded me of the Buffalo Chicken dip that I make frequently. If you are a vegetarian or thinking of becoming one, this is a great alternative to the chicken dip.

Southwest Artichoke Dip

from www.grouprecipes.com

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp cumin
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 (4 oz) can sliced green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, mild
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Step 1: Drain artichoke hearts and chop

Step 2: Add chiles, mayonnaise, sour cream and garlic

Step 3: Mix well

Step 4: Add in spices and hot sauce, then 1 cup of cheese

Step 5: Transfer to small casserole sprayed with non-stick spray

Step 6: Top with remaining cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and dip is heated through

Step 7: Serve with tortilla chips or scoops

Enjoy the Southwest Artichoke Dip!

The Creative Cook

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Southwestern Recipe Week Continues. . .

My youngest nephew graduated from college last year and got his first paying job shortly afterwards. He seems to be working at a very nice place. They had a pot luck lunch last week and convinced him to make something. He was concerned because he doesn't really cook. They gave him a list of ingredients that he went out and bought and then they dumped it all into a crock pot for 4 hours. He wound up winning an award for "best dip". Amazing! I don't think he'll be shy about making something for a pot luck in the future. Here is his award winning recipe:

Queso Con Chorizo Dip

2 jars of salsa (mild)
2-3 tablespoons chili sauce
16 oz cream cheese (he used chives & onion flavor)
8 oz sour cream
1 package Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage Patties (precooked & crumbled)
8 oz shredded cheddar
1 jar bacon bits (he said lots)
1 can light kidney beans (optional)
1 green pepper chopped (optional)

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for at least 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or scoops.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook & Son

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Cheesecake Factory Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

I tried making these cakes thinking they would be great for the Wining Woman event. I didn't realize that they only make 4 cakes. I could have increased the recipe or used an idea I saw on another website where someone used a pampered chef scoop and made balls out of them. Of course, this would definitely make a better appetizer since it makes about 20 balls. You can try it either way. I used store bought Salsa Verde and Tomato Salsa. These are the appetizer that my nephew and his wife order every time we go to Cheesecake Factory. They really are yummy. I read where someone who had worked at Cheesecake Factory looked at the recipe and said it was the exact recipe but that the original recipe I found had the corn cakes being cooked in the oven but they should be made on the stovetop in a skillet. All I know is that they are really yummy~


The Cheesecake Factory Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

By Todd Wilbur

Ingredients

Salsa Verde

2 tomatillos, chopped (remove papery skin)
1 4 oz can mild green chilies
1 green onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1-1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper

Southwestern Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon water
3/4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch onion powder
dash salt
dash garlic powder

Tomato Salsa

1 medium tomato
1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 small fresh jalapeño, minced
dash salt
dash ground black pepper

Cakes

1-1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup corn masa (corn flour)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Garnish

1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation & Cooking Instructions

Prepare salsa verde by combining all ingredients (tomatillos, green chilies, green onion, cilantro, sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper) in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

Prepare tomato salsa by combining all ingredients (diced tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Prepare southwestern sauce by combining all ingredients (mayonnaise, vinegar, water, sugar, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder) in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it's coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar, and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth. Add masa and flour and blend well. Mix in the remaining ½ cup of frozen corn kernels by hand. Measure 1/2 cup portions of the mixture and form it into 3" wide patties with your hands. Arrange the patties on a skillet and cook on low-med heat like you would pancakes until very golden brown. Carefully flip all cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.

While the cakes are baking, spoon a portion of the salsa verde onto a plate or platter (you may want to heat up your plate in the oven for a bit to help warm the sauce). You'll need to use enough salsa verde to coat the entire plate -- it should be about 1/4" deep. Arrange the tamale cakes side-by-side on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each tamale cake. Drizzle the southwestern sauce over the cakes in a crisscross patter (use a squirt bottle if you've got one). Spoon some tomato salsa over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado. Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top. Serves 4.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Monday, June 15, 2009

Southwestern Recipe Week

Hey, I'm back from outerspace! I finally got the energy and time to do another post. I have had a few Southwestern recipes that I have been wanting to post. About a month ago, I went to the last Wining Women event in my neighborhood and the theme was the Southwest. The person who was hosting didn't know (until she went to the liquor store) that Maryland does not import wines from the Southwest. Instead, she chose wines from South America. They were very good wines. I don't particularly care for dry red wines but there were a few sweeter wines and several whites that I liked. She kept the food theme to the Southwestern United States so I brought a really tasty dish called Enchilada Meatballs. My niece who lives in Arizona sent the recipe to me. We ate those meatballs for dinner and I brought some to the Wining Women event. The recipe makes a lot of meatballs. They are yummy.

Enchilada Meatballs
from Taste of Home

Servings: 48

Ingredients:

2 cups crumbled corn bread
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the corn bread, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and salt. Crumble beef over mixture; mix well. Shape into 1-in. meatballs.

Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat tomato sauce and remaining enchilada sauce. Drain meatballs; place in a serving dish. Top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with toothpicks. Yield: about 4-1/2 dozen.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels

I have an old Good Housekeeping Cookbook from 1973! I was in the 8th grade back then and started to enjoy cooking. I am not sure how many of the recipes in this book I actually made way back when but one of the recipes I've tried recently with D is called Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels. I have never heard of Rivels before I saw this recipe. Are rivels something that are commenly known? I have no idea. I googled "rivels" and came up with this definition:
"Rivels are an old-fashioned pasta dish usually made by dropping tiny pieces of dough into boiling soup. Rivels are probably Germanic in origin, and they make an easily prepared short "noodle", which have gone out of favor in modern cooking. They are usually cooked in a chicken soup."

This is the only recipe I have ever seen them in. Most times, I make this soup without the "rivels". D just got an upper palatal expander put in by his orthodontist on Monday and he is having a hard time eating lately. He has mostly been asking for soup so don't be surprised if you see lots of soup recipes on here for a while. This one is really like a complete meal. I don't actually use a whole chicken and cook it for 3-1/2 hours. I don't have time for that most days. I use about 3-4 pounds chicken breast. I cook this soup in my slow cooker. First I put the 6 cups of water into the slow cooker and set it on high. I let the water heat up for about 1 hour or until it gets nice and hot. Then I start following the recipe.

CHICKEN-CORN SOUP WITH RIVELS

1 4-pound stewing chicken, cut up
1 cup chopped onions
salt and pepper to taste
1 12-ounce cans whole-kernel corn
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

About 3-1/2 hours before serving (yikes!):

In a covered large soup pot over medium-low heat, simmer chicken, onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and 6 cups hot water for 2-1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken to cutting board; cut meat from bones into small chunks; add chunks, corn and celery to soup. Continue simmering, covered for 10 minutes. Discard bones.

Meanwhile, prepare rivels: In a medium bowl, with fork, stir flour, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and enough milk to make mixture crumble coursely. With spoon, sprinkle mixture into simmering soup. Add chopped eggs. Cook 20 minutes until rivels are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 12 cups or 8 servings.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Friday, April 24, 2009

Baked Ziti

This is sort of like an Italian version of macaroni and cheese. Basically, it is the same idea as mac and cheese except it has tomato sauce and different types of cheese. I made this last week with the extra ricotta, mozzarella and ground beef from the manicotti I made on April 16. I made that manicotti for us and for a family in our neighborhood where the mom had been diagnosed with lung cancer. She had to have surgery... One of our mutual friends from D's school set up a schedule of people to make dinners for the family over the course of the month of April. My best availability was after April 15 so I got to make my meal on April 16! The family was very appreciative and it made me feel really good to do something nice for someone. I think everyone involved was really happy to do it. Here is the recipe for the Baked Ziti:

BAKED ZITI

Ingredients:
1 pound dried ziti pasta
Kosher salt
3 1/2 cups

QUICK MARINARA SAUCE, recipe follows
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper or to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the pecorino, and the cubed mozzarella pieces. Season with the black pepper and red pepper to taste, and mix until well combined. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

QUICK MARINARA SAUCE
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree, (one 28-ounce can), roughly chopped
Sprig of fresh thyme
Sprig of fresh basil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use now, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Yield: about 3 1/2 cups.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Macaroni & Cheese

I had a special request this morning for a macaroni and cheese recipe. This recipe was given to me by the friend of a friend. I always use organic low fat or skim milk but you can use any type of milk that you prefer. I have made it several times and each time it gets eaten up really quickly. I would make it more often but D does not like home-made mac & cheese. He prefers the Kraft box variety. What a heathen! Anyway, he is young and may change that opinion in a year or two. I can dream, can't I. . .

OVEN BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE


16 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni or shells
1 stick of butter
4 cups of milk
12 oz sharp cheddar (grated), reserve handful to sprinkle on top
1 tsp salt (originally it said 2 tsp but that is way too much for me)
1/4 tsp cayenne or black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg


(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(2) Cook the macaroni according to package

(3) In heavy saucepan, Melt the butter, whisk in flour to make a paste.

(4) Add milk. Bring to simmer over med. heat until thickened (about 1-2 min).

(5) Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese, stir until smooth.

(6) Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and pour into 3 quart casserole dish.

(7) Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

(You can easily do 1/2 the recipe and use a 1-1/2 or 2 quart baking dish. I have also doubled this recipe for larger crowds) **


The Creative Cook

**This note was added by my friend's friend, not me. I agree with her, though.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

STRAWBERRY CAKE


A few weeks ago, I had some extra strawberries that weren't getting eaten. As usual, I didn't want to throw them away. I really wanted to make a Strawberry Cake with them. I had a fairly hard time finding a strawberry cake recipe that didn't utilize a box cake mix. I finally found this recipe on another blog called "Good Things Catered". It turned out really well. Next time I would do a few things differently, though. I really should have used Bakers Joy to spray the pan but instead I just sprayed with Pam and sprinkled on some flour. This cake is very delicate so it fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan. I suggest a liberal spray of Bakers Joy and let the cake layers cool completely before trying to remove them from the pans. I had to freeze mine and then frost them. I also would suggest a whipped cream topping which I got from another website called "The Joy of Baking". I used a double batch of this whipped cream frosting for my cake. Next time, I'm going to use a layer of strawberry preserves in between the two cake layers. I may also try to make the cake 3 layers. This cake looks so pretty on the other blog with 3 layers. Look at the picture on Confections of a Foodie Bride blog. I wish she had given the recipe for the 3 layer version on that website. Oh well, I'll have to figure it out myself.


I also added some chocolate dipped strawberries on top for decorative purposes. They are so yummy too!


Katie’s Strawberry Cake


3/4 cup strawberry puree, room temperature (recipe follows)

1/4 cup milk, at room temperature

6 large egg whites, room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2-1/4 cup cake flour, sifted

1-3/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened (not melted)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8 inch pans: line outside with heavy duty foil (I used Bake Even strips) and spray inside with baking spray with flour.
In small bowl, combine puree, milk, egg, vanilla and mix with fork until well blended. In bowl of stand mixer, add sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter. Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.
Add liquids and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until full and evenly combined. Stop mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and hand beat for 30 more seconds. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth tops.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (time will vary). Let cakes rest in pan for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely (about 2 hours).
Yields: 2 8-inch layers

Strawberry Puree
24oz frozen organic strawberries, thawed*

Thaw frozen strawberries in whatever form (sliced, whole, etc) and in whatever container/bag you have them in. Pour into a fine strainer placed over a bowl and let sit. Lightly toss the strawberries occasionally to remove any pockets of excess liquid. Reserve the liquid for another use or discard. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree.

* You most certainly can use non-organic and you can use fresh strawberries if you don’t have a stash of frozen strawberries in your freezer. Just hull, slice and toss with a teaspoon or two of sugar and cover. Let them sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, or until nice and juicy. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree.

Use leftover puree to fill the cake or fold into the frosting, if desired. It’s also fabulous spooned over ice cream… and eaten straight with a spoon. I used this puree in the cake and in the whipped cream frosting. It is good!
Yields: Approx 1 1/4 cup strawberry puree
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook