It's Party time

Every good party has two things going for it - silly party tricks and tasty food. 

C has turned out to be quite a little ham.  She has never met a stranger and loves to be the center of attention.  Her newest party trick is showing everyone how she can 'jump' ... and it's adorable.  Bless her little heart, she thinks she is jumping so high and she never actually leaves the ground.  I captured her trick on my phone yesterday.  Enjoy.  (The first 6 seconds are blurry, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut that part because it's so cute)   



 A few weeks ago I came across the most fabulous party sandwich idea (at HEB, of course)... Lazy Girl Muffalettas.  I've made them twice already - once for a party and then on a smaller scale for dinner for my family. 

To feed a crowd you'll need:
1 loaf of ciabatta or French bread
olive tapenade
provolone cheese slices
mozzarella cheese slices
deli slices of ham, turkey, salami and or pastrami (I use a combo of all of 'em)

Heat the oven to 350.

Slice the loaf lengthwise and spread both sides with some of the tapenade.  Layer your chosen meats on both sides of the bread, followed by the cheeses (one type on each side) .  Put the two sides together, with the cheeses meeting in the middle.  Wrap the entire thing in foil and then pop it in the oven for 20 or so minutes, just until everything is warmed through and the cheese is melted. 

Delicious right out of the oven, but just as yummy as they cool also.  I'm planning on making several variations on this theme over the next few weeks/months.  Seems like it would totally work in the grill too.  I'm always trying to think of ways to NOT use my oven during the summer months.

Foil Dinners... Italian Style

Any former Girl Scouts out there who fondly remember the requisite foil dinners you would make on every troop camp out?  I loved those things.  Such a nice combo of chicken, potatoes, green beans, carrots and spicy seasoning (Lantana was my favorite!)... Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about them.  In fact, both my sister and I loved them so much my mom used to let us make them at home and cook them in the oven or on the grill.  I guess she gave in because they were not fussy, quite healthy, cleanup was a breeze and everyone could make their meal to suit their own taste. 

Turns out you can make lasagna foil dinners!  I had no clue you could make lasagna on the grill until I read the most recent issue of Food Network magazine.  The method works so well with my summertime aversion to oven usage.  The process is really simple and easily customizable since you're making individual serving packets and not an entire pan, which is great for a families where everyone wants something different! 

Lasagna Foil Dinners
(adapted from Food Network Magazine July/August 2011; serves 4)

12 no-boil (oven-ready) lasagna noodles
10 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 large tomatoes (2 sliced and 1 chopped) or 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 c pesto
5 oz baby spinach
1 c Italian sausage, browned
1/3 c ricotta cheese
1/3 c fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, basil and/or mint)

1) Preheat grill to medium. Combine mozzarella, grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, 1/2 t salt and all but 1/4 t of the garlic in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine. Season the sliced tomatoes with salt.

Lasagna Foil Dinners assembly line

2) Lay out 4 double-layer sheets of non-stick foil (or just PAM you're regular foil).  Drizzle each with a little bit of olive oil, top it with a noodle and sprinkle a generous T of water on the noodle. 



First layers

 3) Divide half of the pesto, tomatoes, spinach and Italian sausage among the 4 noodles. 

My packet - all veggies, no sausage

4) Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make another layer of noodle, water, pesto, tomato, spinach and sausage.  Then finish each stack with a noodle, another T of water and a drizzle of olive oil. 



The Hubs' - diced tomatoes and Italian Sausage


5) Bring the foil together and tightly crimp to create 4 flat packets. 

6) Grill the packets with the lid closed, until they are tender.  It takes about 10 - 12 minutes per side.  Let them rest 5 minutes.

7) Meanwhile, combine the chopped tomatoes with the T of olive oil, 1/4 t garlic and chopped herbs in a small bowl. 

8) To serve: Open the packets and cut each "lasagna" in half and top with one fourth of the ricotta cheese and the tomato and herb mixture.

Add a simple green salad or some grilled green veggies to these little lasagna packets and you've got yourself one heck of a tasty meal. 

Pilsner + Pork = Perfection

I had something today that I rarely have anymore- time.  Time to clean the house.  Time to do laundry.  Time to grocery shop.  And most importantly, time to cook.  I even squeezed in a yoga workout and a trip to one of my favorite local ice cream shops.  It was a fabulous day. 

The Hubs was busy tutoring students all day for their upcoming AP Exam so I had the house to myself...for almost 7 hours.  These days are very rare and I treasure them.  I'm an incredibly independent person and so "alone time" has always been very important to me.  It also meant that I had time to attempt an all-day recipe. 

Yum.

I have one word to describe this "sandwich":  Yummy



photo: The Hubs



They are amazingly easy to make and almost too pretty to eat.  Almost.  Slices of panko-crusted eggplant serve as the 'bread' for these tomato, basil and chevre sandwiches.  Genius!  They are perfect for a lunch with the girls or as a light dinner when paired with a green salad and a glass of wine.   

I'm forever in my cooking gal pal's debt for choosing this recipe for us to try last summer.  We used standard eggplants then, but tonight I used baby eggplants and  loved how much more manageable it made the sandwiches.  One more tip: season every step of the way and don't forget to sprinkle the hot slices with salt as soon as they come out of the pan. 

Enjoy!

My Mom's To-Die-For Potato Soup

My mom makes two things especially well - brownies and soups.

Her brownies aren't those fancy-schmancy brownies with cheesecake or peanut butter, just unbelievably good, down-home brownies.  The kind you just can't stop eating.  I think it's their simplicity that makes them so outstanding. 

And then there are her soups. Wow.  Where do I even begin? 

There is nothing on this earth like her homemade chicken and rice soup.  I've tried time and time again to replicate it and I just can't.  I think it might have something to do with that special "Mom love" she puts in it.  When I'm sick with a head cold or sore throat it's the only thing that I want to eat.  And yes, it does have special healing powers. 

I can, however, (semi-successfully) reproduce her To-Die-For Potato Soup.  This is one of those special soups she makes for people when they've just had a baby or when someone is sick or sad and just needs some love and comfort food.  She has been making this soup as long as I can remember and it never disappoints. 

Fail-Proof Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

There's something really comforting about a plate (or bowl) of spaghetti and meatballs.

photo by: the Hubs

Growing up we never ate spaghetti and meatballs.  My mom can't stand doesn't care for meatballs so she always just browned some ground beef and stirred it into the sauce to serve over spaghetti.  I didn't know any different so it was fine with me...until I tasted my first really good beef meatball.  There was no going back. 

Spicy Sausage Cups

I'm always on the look-out for quick and tasty party worthy snacks.  It seems that during the holiday season time is one thing I'm constantly short on.  Well, that and money.  The fact that these don't require much of either makes it the perfect last minute snack/appetizer/hors d'oeuvres to take to a holiday party.

A dear friend introduced me to a more basic verion of the recipe a couple of years ago and they immediately earned a spot on the Hubs' "Top 5 Favorite Snacks" list.  The best thing about them: they are so simple that even he can make them with ease. 

Peachy Keen

(The Hubs so kindly agreed to professionally document our session this morning.  All photos in this post are his work.  I want to make sure to give credit where credit is due.) 

Meet my friend Shannon.  She's the girl on the right.  That's me on the left.  No, we weren't mad at each other, we were simply "divinding and conquering".

No, we weren't mad at each other, we were simply "dividing and conquering".

Shannon really likes to cook too.  That makes it really easy to be friends with her.  Well, that and the fact that she is one of the kindest (and funniest) people I know.  This girl has a heart of gold. 

The last 2 Wednesdays we have gotten together to cook and it's been a blast!  Last week was biscotti, homemade nutella and nutella panna cotta.  So basically, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. 

This week Shannon wisely suggested we be a little healthier and chose this fabulous menu:

Peach and Brie Quesadillas  

Served with Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto.

(For dessert I picked another recipe from Real Simple - Irene's Peach Surprise...but more about that tomorrow.)

Anyone picking up on a theme here? 

Since we really didn't vary from the way each of the recipes were written, I won't worry with typing in detail about steps and procedures.  Instead, I will let the Hubs' pictures explain it all.  Enjoy!

The Prep Work:

Of course there were peaches to deal with.  Lots of peaches.

There were also ingredients other than peaches to prep -

Chives

Brie

Limes and Eggs

And sauces / dressings to make -

Honey Balsamic Syrup

Honey Lime Dipping Sauce

Cooking and Assembling:

Quesadillas first -

Now for the salad -

 

(a sprinkle of crispy prosciutto)

(a drizzle of honey balsamic syrup)

I'm not sure if there was more laughing or cooking going on -

Lunch is Served:

My favorite Taste-Testing Neighbor joined us for lunch.  (She is a professional taster, you know.) 

Both dishes paired nicely with the Riesling I had chilling in the fridge.  The recipe also said a Chenin Blanc would work well. 

All 3 of us agreed there was not a thing we would change about the salad.  To say it was delicious would be an understatement.  A definite keeper. 

We also all agreed that while the quesadillas were good, they fell a bit flat in the flavor department.  Even with the dipping sauce (which was very good) they still lacked pizazz.  Georgia suggested adding cinnamon to the peaches mix and Shannon suggested cilantro.  Either (but not both at the same time!) would make a delightful addition.

Coming tomorrw: Dessert re-cap and why we re-named it Baked Georgia.

Summer Soup

If you love sweet corn, or any corn for that matter, or just need a way to use up all of those ears of corn you purchased on impulse just because they were 5/$1, I have the recipe for you. 

Corn Soup with Poblano Puree
(adapted from Real Simple, July 2010)

2 poblano peppers
3 1/2 c chicken broth
2 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
5 c fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears; can cheat and use frozen corn in a pinch)
S & P
1/4 c heavy cream
Cilantro (for garnish)

Get the corn off of the cobs.  This is a chore, yes, but it is so worth it to use fresh corn.

Use a bundt pan - keeps things much neater.

Under the broiler, char the peppers on all sides. 
 

After they are charred, put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  Once cooled, pull the skins off the peppers and remove the stems and seeds.

In a blender puree them with 3 T of the chicken broth.

In a large pan (I used my dutch oven) over medium heat melt the butter and then cook the onions until they are translucent and tender. 

Add in the corn, the rest of the chicken stock and some S&P.  Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it's at a consistency you're good with. 

To serve:
After filling a bowl with the corn puree, carefully add a spoonful of the poblano puree and then drizzle a little of the heavy cream on top. 

You really should garnish it with cilantro, but I forgot.

Oh, and I may or may not have thrown in a little creme fraiche as I was pureeing it.  So bad, I know, but oh so very tasty.

Variations:

If the soup is too thick for your taste, it can easily be thinned with a little more chicken stock. 
Stirring in a little milk or half and half would definitely make it a little richer.
Some leftover roast or rotisserie chicken would be delightful in this soup.

Monday Morning Muffins

Two dear friends are heading to China for a 2 week visit and needed a ride to the airport.  Their flight left at 6 am. 

Which meant they needed to be at the airport no later than 4 am. 

Which meant they needed to leave their house no later than 3 am. 

Which meant I needed to be up and out of the house by 2:35 am.  I was so nervous about not hearing my alarm that I didn't really sleep much.  I think I got a 45 minute nap in some time between 11 pm and 2:15 am. 

When I finally made it back home I was absolutely exhausted, hence the slightly blurry picture. 

Pretty cool how I got the camera to mimic my vision, huh?

Needless to say it was time to actually get some sleep.  I crashed sometime around 5am and slept until 9am when the monsters my sweet babies decided that the best bird watching could be done from where I was sleeping.  And bird watching, mind you, involves talking and chattering to the birds on the other side of the window pane. 

If I was going to have to be awake I might as well make it enjoyable.  So after a quick read of the paper I began working on breakfast.

I have no idea on what blog I found this recipe. For whatever reason I did not bookmark the site. Instead I wrote it down on paper. How 'old-school' of me, right???

Homemade Blueberry Muffins
This is not my recipe, I just cannot remember who should get the credit.

Preheat the oven to 350F.
 
Toss 1 cup of blueberries with 1/4 c flour and set aside.
 

In a separate bowl whisk together 1 3/4 c flour, 4 t baking powder and 1/2 t salt.  Set aside.
 
Measure 3/4 c milk.  Set aside.
 
Cream 4 T butter with 1/2 c sugar 'til fluffy.  Add in 1 egg.  Combine thoroughly.
 
Add in the flour mix and milk, alternately, until the batter is smooth. 
 

Gently fold in the blueberries. 

 

Divide the batter amongst 12 greased or lined muffin cups and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.  Use the 'toothpick test' to check for doneness.

These were every bit as good as I hoped they would be.  They were different (and much better) than the box mixes.  Very similar in flavor to a strawberry shortcake, but with blueberries. 

All these needed to achieve perfection was a little pat of butter. 

The only changes I would (maybe) make would be to fold in the zest of 1 lemon, along with the blueberries, to the batter and/or brushing the muffins with melted butter and then sprinkling them with a little sugar right when they come out of the oven.