Food For Thought

Once again, I have my friend Andi to thank for another great food find! This time, it's the Ziploc Zip n' Steam bags.

At first I thought, well, that's not very "green" of me to use disposable steaming bags, but I got a free sample in the mail and gave 'em a shot. Turns out, they work perfectly! The veggies aren't overcooked (or undercooked) and you can season them any way you like.

Last night I made some zucchini and carrots and threw in a pat of some butter that I had mixed with fresh, chopped rosemary. Yum...so good! Josh made broccoli and carrots and then splashed on some soy sauce after they were cooked.

Spanish Beef Daube

This recipe is from the January issue of Cooking Light. I omitted the saffron...mainly because it's $16 for a tiny bottle. I tossed in a little cayenne pepper instead. I really liked how this turned out! The meat was very tender and the gravy/sauce was pretty flavorful. I served it with skin-on mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 pounds bottom round roast, trimmed
2 cups thinly vertically sliced yellow onion
3/4 cup thinly sliced bottled roasted red bell pepper (I used fresh)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (omitted)
1 cup of dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed (I used canned)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Preparation
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add salt and next 5 ingredients (through saffron); cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in sherry and hot pepper sauce, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half. Add beef and broth to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove beef from pan; cool slightly. Cut beef across grain into thin slices; cover and keep warm.

Add peas, parsley, and vinegar to pan; cook 5 minutes. Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; stir cornstarch mixture into broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Add sliced beef; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Sloppy Joes

Okay, I know...who needs a recipe for sloppy joes, you say. Well, this is *my* recipe. I have converted Manwich lovers with this recipe, so it must be good. I can't take credit, this is actually my mom's recipe...although, I don't think she uses onion. The choice is yours.

1 pound of lean ground beef
1 small onion (finely diced)
3/4 cup of Heinz Chili Sauce (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!)
1/2 cup of Heinz Ketchup (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!)
salt/pepper
olive oil

In a skillet, sautee the onion in about a tabespoon of olive oil until transparent. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Sautee until beef is fully cooked and browned. Turn the heat to low and add the chili sauce and ketchup and mix. Once sauce is mixed and thoroughly warmed, serve on your favorite roll.

Air Fries

I really hate making french fries. The fat, the grease, the mess. Plus I never buy those frozen fries that you can just throw in the oven...who knows what's in those things, plus they're usually pretty bland. Here is my recipe for "Air Fries".

4-5 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
Old Bay Seasoning

Cut up the potatoes into strips, as thick or as thin as you like. Toss them in the olive oil, salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and place the fries on the cooling rack, to allow the fries to cook on all sides without having to turn them. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minues.

Coming this week...

Spanish Beef Daube

Sloppy Joes

Air Fries

French Onion Soup

After 7 years of Josh asking, I finally made French Onion Soup. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought! The secret is in the simmering....the longer, the better! Definitely restaurant-quality!

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 onions, sliced (I used 2 vidalia onions and 1 white onion)

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup sherry wine

4 cups of beef broth

2 cups of beef stock (Iused the boxed one)

1/4 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons butter

french baguette, sliced

gueryre cheese, sliced

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven and satuee onions for 5-8 minutes on medium-high heat.

Stir in sugar, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Increase heat to medium-high and sautee for 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

Stir in wine and cook for 1 minute. Add broth/stock and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Add butter and allow to melt into soup.

Preheat broiler. Toast baguette slices for 2-3 minutes.

Place soup in oven-safe crocks. Place toasted baguette slices on top of soup. Place a slice of cheese on top of the baguette. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese has melted.

What's better than a cupcake?

A filled cupcake!! The best part is the top of the cupcake, so why not make the middle as good as the top? I used these recipes:

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

Wilton Buttercream Frosting

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

All you need to do is fill two pastry bags with the frosting and use a star-tip. Poke the tip down into the center of the cupcake and squeeze! Decorate the top and you're done!

Pizza Night!

Last night, we decided we wanted Pizza but didn't want to drive 30 minutes to get some. So, we made our own! Josh is rather traditional and stuck with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. I went with my favorite - white pizza - with riccotta cheese, fresh mozarella, spinach, garlic, and tomatoes.

Pizza Crust

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 package of dry yeast

2/3 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, cornmeal, oil, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons bread flour, as needed, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; shape into a ball. Lightly respray bowl; place dough in bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers

There are so many variations on these, but this is an old family recipe.

4 green peppers, tops removed and seeded

1 pound of lean ground beef

1/2 cup of rice (I use brown)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt/pepper

2 quarts tomato juice

Mix the ground beef, rice, oil, and salt/pepper in a bowl. Stuff 1/4 of the meat mixture into each pepper.

Place the peppers in a crock pot and cover with the tomato juice. Season with salt/pepper. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

My Famous Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe was the very first one I created on my own. Gosh, I think that was probably back in college...over 10 years ago. I had stuffed mushrooms in a restaurant and knew I could recreate them. The ingredients are so simple, it's hard to imagine that they taste so gosh darn good! So good in fact, that a friend of mine offered to mow our lawn if I paid him in stuffed mushrooms! Plus, if you're feeling adventurous, I suppose you could experiment with the filling on your own!

1 8oz. package of white button mushrooms

1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

1/2 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 shallot, finely minced

1/2 cup of melted butter, divided

3 tablespoons of shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

salt/pepper

Carefully wash the mushrooms. Remove the stems. Place the mushroom caps in a baking dish. Dice the mushroom stems and place into a mixing bowl. Add the riccotta cheese, breadcrumbs, shallot, 1/4 cup of the melted butter, and salt/pepper to the bowl. Mix well.

Stuff the filling into the mushroom caps. Go ahead, pile it on high!

Take the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter and pour over the top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Veggies in January

A friend of mine recommended these. Steamed carrots, green beans, and zucchini in a buttery, rosemary-infused sauce. Sounds decadent, but only 45 calories! Thanks, Erica for finding these! They've been such a great find for someone longing for summer veggies!

Traditional Hummus

Mmm...I love hummus. I love it on sandwiches. I love it on warm pita bread. I love it on veggies. I've made it several ways and now...this is the traditional way. It's so yummy on pita or this sunflower-wheat bread with cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves. Yum!!

In a food processor, process:

1 can of garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

1 large clove of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon of tahini

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt

pepper

olive oil (stream in until smooth)

It will take several minutes to get it to the consistency you want. Remember to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl to catch any large pieces.

Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Balsamic Vinaigrette

It's that time of year again! Salad time! So who says you have to eat the same old boring salads?

This one is full of some of my favorite things. For the dressing, I prefer to use a thick and syrup-y balsamic vinegar. If you use the cheap stuff, you'll have to reduce it in a saucepan until thick.

2 Cups of Field Greens lettuce mix

1/2 red pear, cut into small slices

1/4 cup of dried cherries

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon crumbled parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together:

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (I prefer Claudio 25-year Balsamic)

1 small squirt of Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider

Salt/Pepper

World's Best Banana Nut Bread...Seriously!

My friend Andi gave me this recipe and it's divine! It has cream cheese, so of course it's fantastic!

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Giada's Linguini with Chicken Ragu

My husband and I saw this on an episode of Everyday Italian and tried it right away. Since then, I've made it several times and it's a regular menu item!

Giada's Linguini with Chicken Ragu

I make the marinara sauce described in the recipe, however, I put it in a food processor after it's cooked to make it smooth.