An Italian Wannabe

Since I married an Italian, I figured I better master a homemade marinara sauce.  I know most Italian's just throw a bunch of ingredients together and miraculously it is the most delicious sauce you ever tasted, but, for someone who is the farthest from Italian, I needed some help.  I thought what better resource than the famous Giada!  Every single darn recipe I have ever tried from her, turns out unbelievable.  I knew this would be no different.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/marinara-sauce-recipe/index.html

The one big thing I changed was by adding all the ingredients into a food processor prior to cooking.  I first put the garlic and onions into the food processor and then sauteed that with the olive oil and then added all the other ingredients into the food processor and added it to the pot.  Everything was combined very nicely and I am not a big fan of big chunks in my sauce.  I also added a sprinkle of red hot pepper flakes for a little heat ;-)

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

Key Lime Pie... made easy!

It was my father-in-law's birthday two weeks ago and I promised I would make his ever-so-favorite dessert.. key lime pie.  I made it for the first time last year and he swore it was his favorite!  And this is coming from a man who continuously talks about the key lime pie ice cream he had at Key West, FL.  He's obsessed.

I found this recipe and just had to share.

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

3 cups sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.

This recipe is slightly modified from a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com.  I substituted key lime juice with fresh lime juice.  They just don't have the key limes here!  I truthfully believe you couldn't tell the difference.  The pie is fantastic!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Key-Lime-Pie-VII/Detail.aspx

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

Homemade Chinese at Home

Yes... I did it!  I made homemade Chinese, or should I say Hibachi at home!  It was fantastic.  I was craving the fried rice from this Hibachi restaurant that I love to go to but I wasn't in the mood to go out.  I just wanted to in the comfort of my own home.  Eating my favorite food.  In PJs. 

I found this recipe that sounded delicious and it was my first time trying Hibachi fried rice so I thought what the hec!?  I'll try it!

http://www.food.com/recipe/hibachi-style-fried-rice-247155

Here is what I did differently:  I used jasmine rice and added 2 cloves of minced garlic.   Everything else stayed the same and it was super delicious.

I knew that my husband would have complained if I didn't have some sort of protein so I cut up chicken into cubes and sauteed with some EVOO, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.  It was an excellent compliment to the fried rice. 

This is a keeper!!

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

Super Delicious and Easy Truffle Recipe

I just had to share this!  I was tasked to bring a dessert to my parents for last Saturday evening and wanted to do something different.  My father-in-law absolutely loves chocolate so I knew it had to be chocolate.  So that narrowed down my criteria - chocolate and something easy to make.  I searched and searched until I found this.....  Oreo Truffles!  They are the most delicious thing to eat and you cannot stop eating them.  It's dangerous. 

I followed the recipe exactly except it only made 28 truffles.  I guess I made them a little larger than normal.  And I used chocolate sprinkles and oreo crumbs for the topping.  I did a mixture between the semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate.  Unbelievable!

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-oreo-truffles/Detail.aspx

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

An Alternative to the super easy Taco Dinner

Here is an alternative to the seasoning mix taco dinner.  And let me start of by saying... that I love the taco seasoning mix.  It makes delicious tacos and we usually have it once a week.  It's definitely one of our go to meals (and I even blogged about it!).   However, I felt like I needed something more.  I haven't cooked dinner in a couple of days because we have had a lot of night outs so I was craving a good meal at home... but nothing extravagant.  I was just in the mood to put on my apron and whip up a meal.

I googled ground beef taco recipes and I landed on one that I knew I had to try.  The reviews were fantastic and everyone who commented mentioned they wouldn't go back to the seasoning mix after they tried this.

It is Emeril's taco bar.  Although I didn't make the salsa or gaucomole (those reviews weren't AS POSITIVE...), I knew the taco seasoning was something that I had to try.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/taco-bar-recipe/index.html

It is tastes fresh and not full of sodium.  You know what you are putting into a dinner, not just throwing a seasoning mix into a pan!  

I made some yellow rice as a side dish and we had a delicious meal.  After we finished, we agreed that we wouldn't toss the idea of using a seasoning mix because it is helpful for a quick dinner, as this is a healthier alternative.

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

A Penne alla Vodka Connoisseur

If there is penne alla vodka on a menu, you can be sure that is what I am ordering.  I have this obsession with this pasta dish and worked on finding/creating a recipe so I can make it anytime I have the craving.  I'd like to share these two wonderful recipes that I have.

Recipe #1

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1/4 cup vodka

1 pound penne pasta

1 cup heavy cream

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in olive oil until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up a bit with fork. Stir in basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in vodka and cook 15 minutes more.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Stir cream into sauce and cook 10 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta.

Recipe #2

1 pound penne pasta

1 stick butter

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper (cayenne)

3/4 cup vodka

2 (14-oz) cans crushed tomatoes

9 oz heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup parmeasan cheese

1. Melt butter and saute garlic, add vodka and red pepper. Simmer 2 minutes on high.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.
3. Add heavy cream and salt, cook 5 minutes.
4. Mix sauce with cooked pasta.
5. Add parmeasan cheese and let sit for 8-10 minutes.

Try them both!  The first recipe is a little healthier and includes some fresh ingredients.  The second recipe is a little more authentic and what I truly love the best, but I did have to throw in a "healthier" version.  Is that even possible with a vodka sauce?

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

Don't Ever Give Up. . .

So... it all started when I read a few recipe titles to my husband to choose something that sounded delicious for dinner tonight.  My mom gave me this recipe that was in the newspaper from a local restaurant in town.  It was for "Chicken Caprese." 

I should have known it was going to be a tough time in the kitchen when I tried not once, but THREE times to make a roux.  That's never happened to me before!  Then for some crazy reason I didn't use a non-stick pan and the chicken stuck to the pan when I was pan frying.   I sat on the kitchen floor, almost in tears when my husband came over to ask what happened.  He offered to order Chinese and forget the dinner.  It was then when I thought how could I give up?  I have never given up on a recipe.  I atleast have to try it before throwing it out.  So, I plugged along and completed the recipe to find nothing short than one of the most delicious dinners we have had! I was so happy that I finished until the end.  After we finished up dinner, I went through the garbage to find the crumbled up recipe that I had thrown out.  I was so aggrevated with the whole thing that before even trying it, I threw the recipe out!  But now this will be kept with all the other treasured recipes. 

Here is the recipe- http://www.projo.com/food/chefssecret/fd-chefs_secret_luigis_01-12-11_A6LR25M_v11.3881e0b.html

Try it... you won't be disappointed!!!

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

A Juicy Roast Chicken

I think I have mastered the infamous roasted chicken!   Here's what I did... Oh, I read a lot of different recipes and created my own.  Yes, that's right.. my own.  So proud of myself!

- 3 lb fryer chicken (Buy the fryer... I'm not sure why but it's just more delicious)
- 1 lemon - 1/2 sliced and 1/2 quartered
- a bunch of fresh rosemary
- 1 onion - thick sliced
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 5 cloves of garic - 2 sliced and 3 peeled and whole
- 1 stalk of celery - 3-4 hunks
- onion powder to taste
- salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Clean and pat dry the chicken.  I usually remove the wings because they always seem to flop downwards.  I don't know if you are normally supposed to do this, but hey, this is my recipe.
3.  Ok... I chopped and cut everything in advance and put it on the cutting board.  It was so much easier to prepare the chicken that way.  So, I sliced and quartered the lemon.  I sliced the onion in thick slices.  I sliced 2 garlic cloves and peeled 3.  I chopped up the fresh rosemary.  And cut the celery into pieces.
4.  I placed the chopped onion on the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass pyrex baking dish.  I put the chicken on top of the onion.   Place the chicken breast side up.
5.  Sprinkle the inside and outside of the chicken with salt, pepper and onion powder.
6.  Break the skin along the breast of the chicken and put the lemon and garlic slices underneath the skin.
7.  Put the quartered lemon, 3 tbsps of the butter, whole garlic cloves, celery stalks and rosemary in the cavaity of the chicken.
8.  Dallop the remainder of the butter on the top of the chicken.
9.  Bake the chicken uncovered for about an hour and 15 minutes.  Baste the chicken every 20-30 minutes or so.
10.  Take the chicken out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before serving.

DELICIOUS!!!!

I made the chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.  Here are those recipes.  I tried both recipes as follows and wouldn't change anything.

Mashed Potatoes - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-Mashed-Potatoes/Detail.aspx
This is a very basic recipe.  I like plain, creamy mashed potatoes and this was a perfect recipe for that.

Roasted Broccoli - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roasted-Garlic-Lemon-Broccoli/Detail.aspx
I have never tried roasted broccoli before and my husband and I loved it.  I will never make broccoli any other way.

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Until next time. XO, the Cooking Foodie

Mexican Made Easy

A go to meal for me is tacos!  It's a one pan, super delicious dinner.  What more could you ask for? 

- 1 lb of ground beef (the leanest you can get....and sometimes they have a picture of tacos on the sticker so you know!)
- taco seasoning (we buy 40% less sodium and I swear that you cannot tell the difference!)
- taco shells.. hard or soft or they even sell a mix!
- romaine lettuce
- tomatoes
- cheddar cheese
- salsa
and, anything else you may like.

1.  Brown the beef and drain.
2. Follow the directions on the seasoning packet.
3. Heat up the shells.
4. Prepare toppings.
5. Set the table and enjoy your fabulous Mexican dinner.

For a little more, you can buy Mexican rice.  I have been using Yellow Rice and it's perfect with the tacos.

Try it!

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie.

Appetizers for Dinner!

I'm back! 

Last night we had appetizers for dinner!  The truth is that we were supposed to have one of our couple friends over for appetizers and the Wii but I have bronchitis so we had to reschedule.  I had already prepped most of the appetizers so we decided to have our own night full of appetizers and the Wii.

Here's what we had....  a veggie platter with a ranch dip and garlic hummus.  To me, there's nothing more fresh and delicious tasting then all my favorite vegetables (cold and crisp!) with a nice dip.  As previousily written about, my mom made us some pigs in a blanket.  I am really enjoying them!  They are so easy to make and you can freeze them and take whatever you need out and throw them into the oven.  And for the final appetizer, I decided to try something new.  And boy was it delicious!!!!!!  I tried Ina Garten's Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ham-and-cheese-in-puff-pastry-recipe/index.html  I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect.  The only modification that I made was that I didn't have any parchment paper.  I used aluminum foil with a quick spray of Pam.  It worked perfectly.  But, I do think I need to invest in some parchment paper.  I did google the difference between parchment paper and wax paper.  I didn't think there was a difference, but there is!  So, don't use it!  It can melt in the oven and then you have one big mess.  Anyway, try this appetizer and I promise you won't be disappointed!

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie.

A day of cooking... some successes and a failure.

Our friend was visiting for the night so I was feeling up to planning some delicious things to make for the day.

For breakfast... well, all I ever wanted was a belgium waffle maker.  Everytime we go out to eat for breakfast, I always crave is a belgium waffle.  The fluffy, golden waffle.  It's heaven.  But, I always want something a little more substantial so I end up ordering an egg and bacon sandwich which of course is super delicious, but it leaves me fulfilling a belgium waffle!  And then... I cannot stop thinking about it.  My parents bought us one for Christmas.  If it wasn't obvious enough... it was the perfect gift. 

So... for breakfast... I made belgium waffles.  However, I cheated.  I used a mix from the box.  Sshhh, don't tell.  But, they came out perfect.  With a little sprinkle of powered sugar. It was just like the restaurant with the comfort of my own home.

For lunch... I made pizzas.  I have learned to love homemade pizzas.  They are super easy to make and you have so many options as to what to do with them.  Here's what I did.

I used pillsbury dough.. ok, again... store bought help!  I layed the dough out on the baking sheet.  I brushed some garlic olive oil (some olive oil that my mom bought from a speciality store.  We're just trying to use it up but regular olive oil would be just perfect) onto the dough and sprinkled with garlic powder.  I spread some pizza sauce.  I used san marazano pizza sauce.  I sprinkled mozzeralla cheese and some parm cheese and I added a few slices of the large pepperoni.  THEN.. then, I mixed this parmasean blend with olice oil onto the crust just to add a little extra seasoning.  It was fantastic!  And I came up with this idea all on my own.

Ok.. so now to the failure.  I love the crock pot.  Or should I say that I love the idea of a crock pot.  Wake up in the morning, throw some ingredients in, leave it alone and by dinner you have a fabulous dinner waiting for you...not the mention the delicious smell it brings to your house!  I have tried a few different recipes and each time I am not happy with it.  I found this recipe that sounded like it was a no-fail dinner!  I don't even want to mention much about it because it was such a failure (plus I threw away the recipe so quickly and do not know how to find it!) and even my husband, who absolutly loves to eat every single thing in sight... asked if it was okay to throw away the rest!  The bottom line is that the chicken shredded and was completly dry.  I think I am going to try a soup and if that fails, well, I might just throw it away! 

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

Take-out and leftovers....

.... really helps when you are feeling under the weather!

We have had a lot of take-out and leftovers this week.  I've been feeling sick and of course my husband isn't too fond of the kitchen... so there are our options!

I promise to get back into the kitchen once I'm feeling better :-)

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

A Pantry Staple

Since we had some leftovers from our Saturday night par-tay, I convinced my husband to eat them for dinner.  He loves leftovers and I, on the other hand, cannot stand them.  Not only hating leftovers, I hate eating the same thing two days in a row.  So, left overs weren't going to happen.  I wasn't in the mood for takeout so I needed to figure something out that, that was super easy to make and delicious at the same time.

After living a year or so at my husband family's house.... let me clarify..... a traditional Italian house, I fell in love with spaghetti aglio olio.  And it's so easy to make!  My mother-in-law used to make it often when she was serving something I wasn't too crazy about. 

I knew spaghetti aglio olio was it.

Recipe (you can modify for different servings and you can add whatever you like!):

• 1/2 pound of spaghetti...we even started to get a little healthier with it and use whole wheat.
• about 1/4 cup of evoo
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• salt

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
• Heat evoo in a small pan on a very, very low heat.  Once heated, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt to the pan.  Saute until garlic is fragrant.
• Drain pasta and pour the evoo mixture over the pasta.
• Sprinkle with lots and lots of parmesan cheese.

Now that I know how to make this... you can add chicken, shrimp, fresh parsley, broccoli... the options are endless.  I ALWAYS make sure I have enough evvo, pasta and garlic in the house so I can always ensure a delcious and quick meal.  Enjoy!

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

January 1, 2011 - New Year's Day Dinner

I decided that I'd like to host New Year's Day dinner with my parents, my in-laws and husband.  Everyone has a holiday that is their own.... Easter, Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day.... and I didn't have one.  Usually my in-laws host most of the big holidays because their family is so large.  I wanted a holiday that I host at our house and create a new tradition..  We just got married this year (oh wait, it's 2011... last year!) and I thought it was time to start creating our own traditions.  The unfortunate situation was that I decided to host this New Year's Day dinner on the Wednesday before.  This didn't leave me a lot of time to create a menu and do all the shopping.  I had to make it work.  I was sold on the idea and I had to make it happen.  Here's what I planned.

Appetizers:
To make it simple, I decided on making one dish, buying some items at the grocery store and counting on my mom to help with me the last.  We were having 7 people total so I thought this was fairly sufficient.

From the help of the market.... Cut up salami (the little salami that you can buy near the deli), a hunk of cheddar cheese, an olive medley and of course some delicious crackers.  I arranged everything on a beautiful platter and it looked perfect.

From the help of allrecipes.com.... A spinach artichoke dip.  This is my claim to fame.  It is such a delicious recipe!  Because I have been making it so often, I have made a few modications.  If you'd like to find it directly on allrecipes.com, it is called "Artichoke & Spinach Dip Restaurant Style (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Artichoke--Spinach-Dip-Restaurant-Style/Detail.aspx)"  Here's how I tweaked it.

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. Combine all the ingredients listed above. 
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.  Serve with tortilla chips, cut up veggies or pita chips. 

From the help from my mom:  the famous pigs in a blanket.  You know... the mini hot dogs wrapped in cut up crescent rolls.  Delicious! 

Dinner:I have been working on a menu that I could cook for guests.  My husband told me that I perfected my pork tenderloin.  Well, pork tenderloin it was!  I chose to make the pork tenderloin with a baked/roasted sweet potato and carrot mixture, a salad and garlic bread.  And my mom made some green beans!  Perfection.

Pork Tenderloin....
Ingredients

• 4 lbs of lean pork tenderloin (I use a total of 4 tenderloins.. that's how the market sells them)
• 16 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
• 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary
• pepper
• salt

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 435 degrees F.
• Rinse the pork tenderloins with warm water and pat dry.  Once rinsed, place in roaster pan, fatty side up (I use two 9 x 13 glass pyrex dishes).
• Combine 16 cloves of minced garlic with 3 tablespoons of evoo, 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary and some pepper).
• Take a knife and make slits into the pork.  Each pork tenderloin should have about 5-6 slits along the top.
• Fill each hole 1/2 with salt.
• Take the mixture and put into the holes to fill up.
• Take the remaining mixture and rub on the tenderloins.  You may need to add more evoo.
• Place the tenderloins into the oven.  (I use a meat themometer and it comes out perfect every time!)  Place an additional pan (can be an 8 x 8 pyrex dish) filled with water (1/2 full) under the pork tenderloins.
• Cook until the pork reaches 100 degrees F.  Lower the temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Cook until the pork reaches 165 degrees F.
• Rest for 10 minutes.
• Slice.

Baked/Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots....
Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 4 carrots
• 2-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
• some salted butter

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Tip:  You can throw this in at the same time as the pork at 425 degrees F and then leave it in when the temperature is lowered.  It's perfectly fine and super easy!
• Peel and slice the sweet potatoes and carrots into about the same shape.
• Place the potatoes and carrots in a large roasting dish (again... I used a 9 x 13 pyrex dish)
• Met some butter and pour over then sprinkle with brown sugar.  With your hands, combine the vegetables with the butter and sugar.
• Cover with tin foil and place in the oven.
• Needs about 45 minutes to an hour or until the vegetables are soft.

My infamous garlic bread....
Ciabetta bread...4 cloves of minced garlic...some butter...some evoo...garlic powder.  Delicious!

Dessert:
My friend recently bought me mini triffle bowls for Christmas.  I really never made a triffle before let alone even really like them!  I was puzzled as to how I was planning on using them.  I looked up some recipes and was excited about what I found!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/grand-raspberry-trifle

Ingredients
I recommed it.  It's unbelievable!  Delicious and the mini triffle bowls were a success!  What a fabulous idea to be able to deliver to each person, none other, than their own dessert! 

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake

Directions

• In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
• In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.
• Slice pound cake 3/4 inch thick; brush both sides of slices with lemon syrup.
• Fit 1/3 of slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other glass bowl, trimming edges if necessary. Gently spread top of layer with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream. Repeat one more layers; garnish with remaining cup raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

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Until next time.  XO, the Cooking Foodie

The Beginning. . .

Hello and Happy New Year!

So, as a new year's resolution I decided I wanted to get more into the one thing that I am very passionate about.  Cooking!  I love nothing more than looking up recipes online or getting out all of our cookbooks to find a delicious recipe to try for dinner.  My husband loves to eat and I love to cook.  So, it's a really perfect combination! 

I recently just watched Julie & Julia and decided what better way to get into cooking and sharing what I do.. yes, that's right.... blog it! 

So, here I am.

The challenge:  To blog about what I am cooking.  To blog about new recipes I am trying.  To blog about modifications to recipes that I am making and of course recipe sharing. 

Wish me luck.