Super Easy and Very Delicious!

This meal was so easy to make and both Biscuit and I loved it.  Chicken baked in a curry-orange sauce.  The chicken made the whole house smell yummy.  I served this one over plain white rice with a side of steamed broccoli.  Meal took about 45 minutes total, and 30 of that was just the chicken baking!

Here's the recipe:

1 c. orange marmalade
1 T. curry powder
2 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. salt
1/2 cup water
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat over to 350.  Mix first five ingredients together.  Pour over chicken and bake for 30 mins.  Serve over rice.

That's it.  It's that easy to have a delicious home cooked dinner. :D

I love pasta!!

I don't think I ever get tired of good old pasta with meat sauce.  Here's my cheater's way to almost homemade sauce:

Kath's Not Quite Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

3 16 oz. cans Hunt's Tomato Puree (not sauce, the sauce is icky salty)
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 c. red wine
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. sugar
1 lb. baby bellas
1 small onion
pinch of salt
oregano
basil
marjoram

Brown ground beef and Italian sausage over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and chopped onion, continue to cook for about 5 mins.  Add mushrooms and cook about 2 mins more.  Drain off any grease from the meat.

Add the tomato puree, wine, vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and spices to taste. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust spices as needed.

Serve over the pasta of your choice.  Almost homemade, but faster!

Very Citrus Stir Fry

Because I can't always eat creamy fattening goodness, I'm always on the lookout for healthier recipes for balance.  Biscuit's a big fan of stir fries, so I decided that would be good for a lighter dinner.

I found a recipe for an Orange based stir fry sauce recipe, which had enough diversity in ingredients I felt it would be tasty.  The sauce was to be served over chicken and scallions, but I wanted to incorporate some additional veggies, so I doubled the recipe for the sauce and added broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and snow peas.  The other change I made was to add a bit more orange juice to the sauce, probably equivalent to the juice of one whole orange for the double batch.

It turned out to be a really flavorful stir fry.  I served this over rice tossed with toasted sesame seeds. There was just the right amount of heat from the red pepper flakes and a nice strong flavor of orange in the sauce.  Fairly quick and easy to make as well, so good for a week night.  We will definitely make this again.

If you are interested in trying the recipe, you'll find it here: Yummy Orange Stir Fry.

Mango - Lime Icebox Pie

I've been trying to do more baking as it's an area of cooking that I'm weakest at.  Biscuit said he was in the mood for a fruit and meringue pie.  Though I've never made any kind of meringue pie, I knew I wanted to do something different than the traditional lemon.

I found a recipe for a Mango/Lime Pie.  I thought I would like this recipe because the Meringue is cooked with hot simple syrup instead of a baked meringue (which I'm not terribly fond of).

The mango/lime custard filling went perfectly.  Remembering my issues with my Boston Cream Pie filling, I made sure I didn't stop stirring for a second.  Perfect consistency.

The Meringue was super simple to make, mostly because my KitchenAide mixer did all the work.

I did cheat and use refrigerated pie crust.  Really, for all the additional work to make pie crust, and the minimal difference in taste, I'm happy to use the Pillsbury crusts.

I have to admit I was disappointed in this pie.  I really was looking for a stronger mango taste, and the lime was really overpowering.  If I had been looking for a lime pie, it would have been fine, but that wasn't what I had in my head.

The pie did come together well enough that I decided to try it again for my parents.  This time I omitted *all* of the lime and substituted more mango nectar.  This was more what I had originally had in mind.  I did run into a little trouble with the custard as my mom's stove heats up far quicker than mine at home and I ended cooking the egg a bit.  Once the pie was put together, you really didn't notice at all.

I'd like to try this recipe again using just orange juice.  Biscuit and I both think that would be delicious.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

If you'd like to see the original recipe you can find it here: Mango-Lime Icebox Pie.  It's a nice base recipe to experiment from at the very least.

Yummy, Yummy Pork

I had some boneless pork chops I needed to use up last night, so I made Chinese Marinated Pork with fried rice for dinner last night.

I let the pork marinate for about 4 hours and then Biscuit grilled it on the charcoal grill.  This was one of the best marinades I've had and we liked this so much I'm probably going to cook it again tomorrow for my parents, though I may substitute chicken for the pork as my Mom isn't the biggest fan of pork chops.

Here's the recipe for the marinade: Oh So Yummy Pork Marinade.  We were out of Hoisin sauce, so I added an extra tablespoon of black bean sauce as well as a tablespoon of Thai sweet chili sauce.  I added one extra tablespoon of soy sauce, as well.  One of the reviewers of this recipe said she thought it lacked flavor, but I strongly disagree.  The marinade was as close to perfect (for my taste anyway) as any I've tried recently.  As a side note, I looked up some of that reviewers other reviews, and the only recipe she liked had TWO TABLESPOONS of cayenne in it.  I think she must have killed her taste buds!

The fried rice was my standard recipe:

2 cups of medium grain rice (better if it's day old)
1/2 onion
garlic (I don't actually measure this, probably 1-2 cloves)
2 eggs
1 cup frozen peas/carrots
olive oil or butter
soy sauce

Scramble eggs and set aside.  Cook the onion and garlic over medium high heat until soft.  Add a little more oil (sesame oil is nice, but olive oil works in a pinch) and add the rice.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes then mix in the frozen peas/carrots.  Cook about two minutes more and add the egg and soy sauce (more or less depending on taste, again I don't measure this).  Mix well and cook until everything is heated, maybe 2 minutes more.  It's a really simple recipe that can be tailored to your individual taste (different veggies, more or less soy, etc).

This was one of the best meals we've had in a while.  I will definitely be making this again!

Late Night Crepes

Growing up, my Mom would sometimes make crepes.  We actually had this gadget called a crepe maker, and I thought I remembered crepes being a big pain to make.  I saw a recipe that looked interesting and decided to give crepes a try.  I didn't even pull out any fancy gadgets.  Just a skillet and a spatula.

Crepes are ridiculously easy to make in a pan.  In fact, I think it's way easier than using that silly crepe maker.  Who would have thought that?  (Well, maybe lots of people, but I'm not one of them)

It was a pretty standard crepe recipe, I made it up in my Magic Bullet Blender and let the batter sit for about 45 minutes so the air bubbles had time to settle.  Cooked the whole batch up in less than 20 minutes.

I stuffed the crepes with Monterey Jack Cheese and corn kernels.  For a heartier meal, you could definitely add chicken to this.  The stuffed crepes cooked in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes.

I topped these with a Poblano Cream Sauce.  The recipe is here: Crepes and Poblano Cream Sauce.  I had to use Serrano Peppers as my infamously awful Kroger did not have Poblanos.  I read that they were an acceptable substitute, but have since learned that my sauce was probably far spicier heat-wise than if I had used the Poblanos.  I'll definitely hunt them out next time.

Both Biscuit and I loved this recipe.  Spicy, gooey cheese goodness, and a fairly quick meal to boot!

Moroccan on a Saturday Night

Tonight I made North African Meatballs with Cous Cous.  This was an extremely tasty dish.  The sauce is tomato based with white wine, onions, and garlic.  The meatballs are super flavorful, full of ginger, cinnamon, cilantro, cumin, and more!  Served with cous cous with dates, this made for a filling delicious meal.

I made a couple of modifications to the recipe - It actually calls for olives in the sauce, and I omitted them.  I really hate olives, so more than likely I significantly altered the taste of the meal. It was still great.  Biscuit wanted less cinnamon, as he's not a big fan of cinnamon with meat (I love it in dishes like this), but still said that he would add this to our regular meal rotation. 

If you're interested in trying this it can be found here: North African Meatballs with Cous Cous.  One thing I'd recommend if you're making this on a work night is to cook the meatballs in the oven, instead of doing them in batches in a skillet.  I know the taste is a little bit better because they were browned in a skillet, but you can save a *lot* of time by oven cooking.  Sometimes we have to make small sacrifices to make life easier!

I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for something different!

Boston Cream Pie

 

I had a craving for Boston Cream Pie this weekend, and figured since I'd never made one before, I'd give it a shot.  I didn't want to do the cheater way - using vanilla pudding and chocolate icing.  I wanted the real deal with scratch made custard and ganache.

I've always been fearless in the kitchen.  When I was little, my mom used to let me do cooking experiments, letting mix any ingredients I wanted into a big mixing bowl to see what would come out. I'm pretty sure a lot of it was paste, but it began my lifelong love of cooking.

Note that I say cooking, not baking.  They are two vastly different things in my opinion.  I'm a great cook, I've get to find many recipes even slightly daunting.  However, baking, that's a different story.  I'm not the best baker on the planet.  Cookies don't always turn out, I'm not great at making a cake pretty.  That being said, I figured how hard could boston cream pie really be?

I've never actually made home made custard. It didn't look so different than making Bechemel, however, I learned a little bit about timing with this experiment.  I've never been good at "stir contstantly".  I like to multi-task in the kitchen, and have been known to leave a roux or white sauce unattended for quick moments.  Unfortunately, with my custard I didn't realize a mere moment could matter and almost ruined the entire batch by walking away long enough to take my cake from the oven.  Fortunately with a little extra work, I was able to save the custard, but it was definitely a humbling experience.  I guess I don't know everything there is to know about cooking!

In any case, all three elements of this cake came together well.  My saved custard was delicious, and so much better than any vanilla pudding substitute.  I used Ghiridelli chocolate in the Ganache and I swear it makes a huge difference.  The cake was delicious as well.

If you'd like to try the recipe I used, you will find it here:  Boston Cream Pie.  The only alterations I made to the recipe were to use two 9 inch cakes instead of slicing one cake in half (recommendation of several of the reviews) and adding a splash of almond extract to the cake batter.

Decadent.  I will definitely be sharing this one with friends!

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

I've been out of town for about a week, so I thought I should spoil Biscuit on my first cooking night since I've been home.  I found this recipe for Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce.  I've never cooked with Mascarpone before, and it really made for a rich meal.  This is no doubt an artery clogger, but I think I found a great recipe for company.  Very fast and easy to make.  I used baby portabellas instead of cremeni mushrooms, as my Kroger is a little bit limited in selection.  For company I'd definitely get some fresh parsley to add to the pasta, but for just Biscuit and I, I didn't bother.  Biscuit came back for seconds, and said he loved this, but agreed it's just too fattening for regular rotation.  Heavenly meal, but I'll probably have to watch what I eat the next few days to make up for it!

Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking...

After all the work going into the Pastitsio last night, I just didn't have it in me to do much cooking today.  Fortunately, both Biscuit and I can be perfectly happy with the occasional PB&J.  Tonight's sandwich is made from Almond Cashew Peanut Butter and Tart Cherry Preserves.  Yum.

My First Pastitsio

Disclaimer:  I'm not even going to being to pretend there is anything healthy about this meal.  Indulge at your own risk!!!

If you were to ask me what is my very favorite meal, I would have to say Pastitsio.  The Greek dish is the ultimate comfort food.  Two layers of cheesy macaroni with a layer of savory spiced lamb, all topped with a nice fat layer of bechemel.  Every time I go to a Greek restaurant, this is what I order.

Although I love this dish, I've never attempted to make it myself.  I knew there would be a lot of work involved, and I wasn't at all sure I could replicate this dish to my satisfaction.  While looking for new recipes to try, I found this recipe for Pastitsio and decided to give it a shot.  Biscuit's been under the weather this week, so I felt like he deserved a special treat.

I cut the recipe in half, and made the following substitutions.  The market didn't have ground lamb this week, so I used lean ground beef instead.  We also didn't have any white wine, so I doubled the amount of tomato sauce.  I will admit I was still skeptical that this would compare with my memory of this dish.

I am now in a food coma.  Even with the substitutions, this came out almost *exactly* as I remember.  Biscuit commented that it's one of the only times he has minded cinnamon in a meat dish. (There is a small amount in the meat filling, and it isn't optional, in my opinion.)  He said he'd like me to put into our regular meal rotation, but considering the caloric/fat count of this meal, not to mention the time it spends to make, it will be a sometimes food.

Hands down, this was fantastic. 



Parmesan Stuffed Chicken with Melted Strawberries

Tonight I tried a new recipe.  It's summer and strawberries were on sale at the market.  This recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens.  I found a new to me kind of Pearl Cous Cous, which was basil and herb flavored which I thought would be good with the basil and cheese stuffed chicken and strawberries.  Both Biscuit and I decided the couscous went with the chicken, but not the strawberries, so if I made this recipe again I'd probably just serve it over rice.  The strawberries were a nice constrast to the sharp parmesan in the chicken, although I'd add more balsmamic to the strawberries next time.  It's a really pretty meal, but kind of a lot of fuss for a week night.  Definitely good enough for company.  Both Biscuit and I rated this a seven, and Biscuit liked it well enough to have seconds.  The meal was definitely heavier than expected, but having just eaten I'm not feeling uncomfortably stuffed. 

I don't think this recipe will become a regular in our house, but we definitely enjoyed it and I would probably make it again.



Kielbasi and Veggies

This is one of my mom's favorites - Kielbasi and Vegetables.  I usually make this with carrots, onion, and tons of potatoes (they taste delicious when fried in the grease from the Kielbasi, probably not the healthiest, but yummmm).  However, when I went to slice up the potatoes, most of my bag had rotted out, so I substituted frozen peas for the starchy vegetable.  Not what I wanted to do, but I already had everything cooking when I realized I didn't have potatoes.  We usually eat this with some spicy brown mustard mixed in, and it's really tasty.  I served this with mixture of fresh cantaloupe and bananas.  And just for Biscuit, I made him some raspberry jello for dessert. 

From start to finish this takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

New Discovery

I saw an ad for these online and went out and bought a box the next day. These are absolutely delicious, and truth be told, not too bad for you. They come in four flavors - cranberry citrus, chocolate raspberry, blueberry, and fig and honey.

I've only tried the cranberry citrus, but will probably try some of the other flavors as well.

I definitely recommend!

Friday Means...

Spoiling my husband with a good breakfast to take to work.

Today's breakfast is Cheesy Egg Nests.  I would have added bacon to these, but we don't have any in the house right now.

Dinner Time

Taco Stuffed Shells and Green Beans.  Fast and Yummy!

Book List So Far

So, it's about halfway through the year and I've been trying to get back into reading more and playing less video games.  So far I've read mostly trash, but hey, it's still better than nothing.

Here's my list to date of books I've read this year:

100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed - Melissa P.
The 7th Victim - Alan Jacobson
Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion - Izabella St. James
Chunneling Through 40 - Anne McAneny
Crush - Alan Jacobson
Designated Fat Girl - Jennifer Joyner
Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl - Tracy Quan
Diary of a Married Call Girl - Tracy Quan
Heart Shaped Box - Joe Hill
Her Last Death - Susanna Sonnenberg
The Hole - Guy Burt
Horns: A Novel - Joe Hill
I Don't Care About Your Band - Julie Klausner
Serial - Jack Kilborn/Blake Crouch
Skinny Bitching - Jenny Lee
The Truth About Diamonds - Nicole Richie
unSweetined - Jodie Sweetin
Pillhead - Joshua Lyon

Joe Hill is probably my favorite discovery of this year so far.  He's Stephen King's son and a pretty good writer.  The two books I've read from him so far have been creepy and entertaining, although I don't think he's as long winded as his dad...

The Kindle is making it a lot easier for me to read, it's really easy to take it with you, and getting books is pretty much instant.  It's like having my own bookstore walking around with me.  Wonderful and Dangerous at the same time.

So, I'm Blogging Again

I've decided to start blogging again.  Not sure how this will shape up.  Guess we'll see!