Cooking Television

This morning's episode of Mexico One Plate At A Time was so the best episode I've seen thus far. Watching Rick Bayless and Jacques Pepin cooking together in Pepin's Yucatan kitchen, not quite tv studio worthy, was a true treat. It has offically outranked the ceviche episode.

And, I dare say I might actually make my own barbeque sauce after watching this morning's Real Simple. And the Orange-Ricotta Pancakes, which didn't appeal to me while perusing Everyday Food magazine, looked delicious when they made them in today's episode. I am very much a visual learner, so sometimes it takes a television show to open my mind. I heart PBS.

To Bake or Not To Bake.....

I just can't decide if I want to do any baking this weekend. Part of me is crying out to. And then another part of me doesn't know if I should bother with it. I used my lovely new mixer for the first time last weekend, and it was such a breeze that baking doesn't seem like such a chore anymore. And the Daring Bakers with their enticing displays of red velvet cakes have had me craving cream cheese icing all week. But then again I am trying to get a lot of cleaning done this weekend. I'll be baking for sure next weekend, making a cream cheese pound cake for Easter dinner. I was beginning to be seduced by this gorgeous pound cake that I've had in my mind since I saw it on Peabody's blog. But I just can't decide what I'd like to do. It's going to be a rainy, stormy weekend, which leaves me with a lot of indoors time. But for some strange reason, I prefer baking on bright sunny days. I know, it doesn't make sense to me either. Aside from cleaning, and trying to catch up on my Newsweek issues, what else am I gonna do while stuck inside this weekend? Oh, decisions decisions.

On another note, do you have a monthly or weekly grocery budget? If so, do you stick to it? I used to be very good about sticking to my budget. But the numbers are starting to grow, and my vision is getting blurred. Cooking has more or less become my hobby. (I've been told I can't call watching episode after episode of Arrested Development a hobby.) So, where do you draw the line on your spending when it's not just a matter of making sure you have food to eat?

Waiter, There's Something In My....Pie again?

So, I was actually intending to make this Monday night as a WTSIM entry, which had a deadline of being posted before today. I figured I could still get it done last night, and be in just under the clock. Well, last night kind of sucked, for reasons that's aren't important. Just many little annoyances as soon as I got home. And once dinner finished just in time to eat while watching Dancing With The Stars, I just didn't have the energy to get back up again. So I just figured I'd be missing the event. But, lo and behold I found out today that the deadline had been extended through the end of the week. Hurrah! So, this month's WTSIM is being hosted by The Passionate Cook with an Easter theme. So, in thinking of something that says Easter to me I immediately thought of spanakopita. We have an Easter dinner every year with Josh's mom and spanakopita is a main feature for me. Then I thought of the Spinach Pie I saw on an episode of Everyday Food a month or so ago. It was like a disassembled spanakopita, and called out to me from the start. And so my WTSIM entry was born. Trust me when I tell you that this dish is pretty delish. I'm actually eating the leftovers while I'm typing this entry!

Spinach Pie
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 12
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dried plain breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried dill
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and thinly sliced

• Make the filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in eggs until combined.
• Divide mixture evenly between two 9-inch springform pans or two 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plates; press firmly to flatten.
• Make the topping: In a large bowl, gently toss sliced phyllo to separate, then toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil until coated.
• Divide phyllo between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. (To freeze, cover pies tightly with plastic wrap, being careful not to flatten topping. Bake within 3 months; do not thaw first.)
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees;. Bake until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes for frozen pie (30 minutes for unfrozen pie).

My notes: I understandably enjoyed this recipe, noting my existing adoration for spanakopita. Josh really liked it. He said "mmmm" without me asking him what he thought first. I cut this recipe in half because I don't have springform pans just lying around, waiting to be popped into the freezer. I was a little low on feta, so I compensated with a smidge more Parmesan, and I have no idea how to figure out those 4 oz. of phyllo. I figured it would be 1/4 of the 16 oz. package I had, but that turned out to be too little, and it seemed like it took more like half the package to get the job done. Maybe I didn't separate the first batch of sheets well enough. Either way, it's good. I'd never complain of a dish being too light and flaky. :) Oh also, I divided our one pie which should serve 6 into quarters instead. This was the only thing I was serving last night so bigger portions were fine, and it made it easier to divvy up for dinner and lunchtime leftovers.

Sammiches

So, I know I posted over at This Week For Dinner that I was going to make Spinach Pie last night and Southwestern Turkey Clubs tonight, but I had to switch things up when I realized yesterday that I'd forgotten to thaw my phyllo dough. And thusly Wednesday and Thursday will be switching because I was going for an alternating menu of veggie and meaty. Anyway, back to the recipe at hand. I served these sandwiches with Spicy Black Beans, which is practically the only way I prepare black beans. We love them and it's so quick and easy. The recipe for the sandwiches can be found here, but I really changed it up to suit what I had & felt like doing, so below is my adjusted recipe.

Southwestern Turkey Clubs
Recipe based on Everyday Food recipe; Serves 2
2 small ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
8 slices of bacon, cooked crisply
Sliced peppered turkey breast
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno, chopped
1 tomato, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 slices whole wheat bread, toasted

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bacon slices on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping slices halfway through. Remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to drain.
• In a small bowl mash together avocado, lime juice, and jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread avocado mixture on one side of each slice of toast. Layer bacon, tomato, turkey, and toast to form triple decker sandwiches. To serve, skewer with toothpicks and slice diagonally with a serrated knife.

My notes: I used peppered turkey breast purchased from the deli, because it's one of our usual lunch meat purchases, so it saved me time and money. I bake my bacon to a crisp, which protects me from the usual grease burns I get frying it. This worked fine since I was using prepared turkey. The recipe calls for 1 avocado and 2 tablespoons lime juice. I felt the mixture was much too limey going by this original recipe, so I added an additional avocado to the mix. It helped, but still didn't even out the taste completely, so next time I'll also use less lime juice. So, keeping these adjustments in mind, we both really enjoyed our sandwiches, and I will definitely be making this again sometime.

Spicy Black Beans
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 14.5 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Coarse salt
Cilantro leaves (optional)

• In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans and 1 cup of water.
• Bring to a simmer; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. (Add more water for a thinner consistency if necessary.) Season with coarse salt and cilantro leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.

My notes: Since this recipe serves 4 I usually divide in half for our dinners. I use 1/4 teaspoon of the red-pepper when I half, but I tend to still use all 3 cloves of garlic. Spicyness is in the tastebuds of the preparer though, so adjust as you like. Also, despite my love of cilantro, I once again didn't have any. I rarely buy it unless it is truly integral to a recipe, because it usually goes to waste. I'll have to plan this recipe in conjunction with some other ones that require it next time.

Sugar High Friday #29

Last month for my first Sugar High Friday, originally created by Domestic Goddess, I was super early, ahead of the game with anticipation. This time around I'm barely squeezing in before the deadline. This time is probably a more accurate portrayal of me, the procrastinator. This month it's being hosted by Chocolate In Context and so it should be no surprise the theme is raw chocolate. Since I'm just a newbie I decided to stick with unsweetened cocoa powder. I went scouting for recipes, and added the extra requirement of it being something I could try out my new Kitchenaid mixer with. I settled on a recipe that is no stranger to the food blog world- Chocolate Biscotti, recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, by way of Peabody. This recipe was super easy, especially with my new toy.

Chocolate Biscotti
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Working together with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on a medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may appear crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don't worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
• Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular. Carefully list the logs onto the baking sheet, and sprinkle each log with a little sugar.
• Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The loafs will spread and crack, which is fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet- you'll have an army of biscotti- and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

My notes: I used slivered almonds, and didn't bother chopping them, just to save a little time. I also used semisweet chocolate, because that's what I happened to have. Other than that everything pretty much went exactly as described above. We took some to Josh's aunt & uncle yesterday when we went to pick up the turntable and records, and they were so impressed that I made biscotti. I guess it's one of those things that can be impressive. Personally I think it's the name that makes the biggest impression. If I told them I brought them some hardened cookie slices they might not be as excited. :)

All I Care about is Love....

I'm listening to the original cast soundtrack for Chicago on vinyl. We got a turntable and a ton of awesome albums from Josh's aunt and uncle today. I'm in seventh heaven I tells ya. Finally an album I can do the Charleston to! Speaking of seventh heaven, there's nothing I like better than an easy night's dinner. And this dinner was pretty darn easy since it was comprised of leftovers topped with a few additional ingredients. And, side note, I'm also in a great mood because I've been getting comments from some bloggers that I think are fab! So thanks to everyone whose been stopping by my page lately. I sure do appreciate it! Well, let's get to the point then, so I don't scare off any of the new readers, ha. This dinner was made from the remnants of the chili I posted about last week. Obviously I didn't just leave this chili sitting in my fridge for a week, so if like me, you decide to freeze your leftover chili, just make sure to thaw in advance for this recipe.

Cheesy Hash-Brown Bake
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
4 cups reserved 30-Minute Chili
1 16 oz. fresh or frozen shredded hash-brown potatoes, thawed if frozen
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
coarse salt and ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack set in upper third. Divide chili among four individual baking dishes (10 to 12 oz. each). Set aside.
• Place potatoes in a double layer of potatoes; squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• in a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Scatter potato mixture over chili. Place baking dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and chili is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

My notes: I don't own any small baking dishes as described above, so I just went the casserole route. Everything turned out pretty much as described, just larger. The recipe has directions for cooking as one dish, but since my chili and potatoes actually didn't thaw enough before I started I had to heat them some prior to preparing the dish, allowing me to cook for a shorter time. If you are making it with unfrozen leftovers it suggest cooking for 40 to 45 minutes. Also, I didn't have any cilantro, and didn't get a chance to stop by the store for any, so ours had none. I love cilantro though, so I can only imagine this would turn out even better with it. We both liked this, although there was still the lingering issue of too much cinnamon in the chili. That aside I will definitely repeat this recipe, once I've tweaked the chili to my liking.

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pieeee

Strangely, two recipes in a row remind me of television comedy. We heart David Cross. Anyhoo, I had a terrible day yesterday, but this recipe came out pretty darn good. Although I did burn my pinkie finger when taking it out of the oven, which sucked. It's been a busy day already, and it will probably only get worse, so I'm just gonna get this up on here and get back to work. Oh, and the pic is courtesy of the Kraft Foods website, cause I didn't get around to taking a pic of mine. It wouldn't have been pretty, even if I had, ha.

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe from Kraft Foods; Serves 6
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup Kraft Light Done Right Zesty Italian Dressing
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15 oz. package)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat 2 minutes. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir until melted. Add flour; mix well. Add broth and vegetables; simmer 5 minutes.
• Pour mixture into deep dish 10" pie plate. Arrange pie crust over filling; flute edges. Cut four slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

My notes: I forgot to thaw my veggies, so I just nuked them for 2 minutes, which worked fine. I also discovered I had no idea how to flute the edges of the pie crust, as I have actually never made a pie before. I managed, but it's wasn't as pretty as it could have been, so I guess I've got some research to do. This is a little tangier than what we are familiar with as far as pot pies go, due to the Italian dressing and cheese. We both enjoyed the dinner, but it wasn't as filling as I thought it would be, so I would suggest serving with a salad, or following with a light dessert.

She's Choppin' Broccoli....

Well, actually that's not true at all, but for some reason I got that little SNL ditty stuck in my head while making tonight's dinner- Beef & Broccoli. Now I'm sure there are some pretty fancy ways of fixing this meal, but mine is all too simple- brown rice, beef tips, broccoli, and teriyaki sauce. For 2 servings I marinate about 3/4 lb. of beef tips in some teriyaki sauce, usually overnight, although I didn't actually put the sauce on till this morning this time. I make 2 servings of Minute Brown Rice, which is comprised of 1 cup of water and 1 cup of rice, duh. While the rice is doing it's thing I cook the beef tips in a skillet, and once they are mostly cooked through I add frozen broccoli florets. I just eyeball those, as we like broccoli. I may or may not add a little more teriyaki, depends on how much I used to marinate the meat. Cook until the florets are heated through, divide the rice between 2 plates, top with beef and broccoli mixture, and you're done. Josh and I both usually add a little drizzle of teriyaki and some soy sauce. A really fast, easy meal that we both enjoy. And fast meals are going to come in handy now that Dancing With The Stars is back.

Chili Weather?

It hasn't been all that cold here as of late, although it's supposed to be in the mid-40's tonight. Despite that I decided to make some chili Tuesday night. This month's Everyday Food had a recipe for 30-Minute Chili and it called out to me. Partially because I had yet to make a meat based chili, and also because it was a 2 meal recipe, resulting in leftovers that are used in a second recipe. I haven't made the second recipe, Cheesy Hash-Brown Bake, but the chili was accomplished, and the leftovers are residing in the freezer til later next week. This was an enjoyable meal, with only one or two marks against it, which I'll mention in my notes below.

30-Minute Chili
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 8 plus 4 cups for 2nd recipe
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 pounds ground beef chuck
3 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 12 oz. bottle mild lager beer
2 14.5 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

• In a Dutch oven or large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, chili powder, chipotles, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with their juice, beer, and beans. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly and beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve 4 cups for Cheesy Hash-Brown Bake. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, and serve.

My notes: I cut this recipe in half, so that Josh and I each had a 2 cup serving for dinner, I reserved 4 cups for the other recipe, and I had about a cup leftover for lunch the next day. This chili had too much of a cinnamon flavor to it, in my opinion, even after adding extra chili powder. The next time I make it I think I will decrease the amount of cinnamon, increase the chili powder, and add some cumin or red pepper flakes. Also might add some jalapeno in with the onion and garlic.

Holy Crap!

I've been linked! My first time to be added to anyone's blog list and it's on a totally awesome page to boot! If you haven't yet, you should definitely check out This Week For Dinner.... I have been finding so many great blogs lately, and this is definitely one of my new favorites. I love having somewhere to get ideas and compare weekly menus, and her photography is great too. But now that people might actually stumble across my page I've got to pick up the pace and make it more interesting. I've got a chili recipe coming up soon, and I've already printed off 3 or 4 recipes today to add to my growing list of stuff to try, so I promise to try and keep up my end up the bargain. Also there are WTSIM and Sugar High Friday events to try and particpate it, so that will help keep me busy. So, and big thanks to Jane Maynard at TWFD for the shout-out, and all the inspiration her blog provides!

Home Sweet Home

Well, I'm back from my sister's wedding, although I think a little part of my liver died while I was there. But I've re-hydrated, and am currently enjoying the results of the recipe I'm about to post. I got home one night and felt like crap. I'd had a bad day, and had no interest in making dinner. So, I made sandwiches, as I recall. But, later on I felt like doing some baking, and what could help improve my spirits more than some chocolate? So, I did a little research and found this recipe, for which I had all the ingredients. I got to work, and let me tell you, it took me awhile to get these cookies accomplished. Mostly because I was doing everything by hand, and I am incredibly weak. It took me forever to incorporate the flour mixture. But it was well worth it, because these cookies were delicious. The cramps in my forearm did however convince me to go out and get myself a KitchenAid mixer. I just got the plain 4.5 qt Classic mixer from Target. Nothing fancy, but should be helpful for the times I've got to whip something up. I'm also hoping that I can start testing the waters with yeast. Anyways, I'm expecting Josh to get home any minute, so let's get to the recipe.

Espresso Double-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Makes appx. 18 3" cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together espresso powder, vanilla, and a tablespoon of water; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and yolk; mix until incorporated. Add espresso mixture; mix well, scraping down the sides of a bowl with a spatula.
• At low speed, add flour mixture in small batches, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in chocolate chunks.
• Using a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop heaping balls of dough and place 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake until cookies are set, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely before removing cookies.

My notes: I actually only had 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate, so my cookies were slightly less chunky as they could have been. But the 5 ounces seemed like plenty to me, cause we both loves these cookies.

Lack of posts

Okay, it's not that I don't have anything to post about. On the contrary, I made some kickass cookies last week, and I got a new kitchen appliance that I am ready to put to work. But, time has definitely been an issue. And we're leaving in an hour or so for West Columbia, TX for my sister's wedding. And we won't be back till Sunday. When I get back I gotta try and throw together a Blog Party entry, which I've already cooked up in my brain, just gotta cook it up in my kitchen. And who is hosting Sugar High Friday this month? Me don't know, but I likey the bakey. So anyway, I will hopefully be back on the posting bandwagon when I get back. Of course Josh might be heading off to SXSW next weekend too, and I'm not entirely sure what that means for me. I promise good things to come.