Marsala Mushroom Baked Ravioli

I woke up the other day thinking about something like this—I love mushrooms with Marsala and I love an easy appetizer that looks elegant. You can make the filling a day ahead if you wish and just assemble and bake right before guests arrive.

Ingredients (makes about 25):

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 package (about 10 ounces) mushrooms, chopped fine

1 Tablespoon butter

1 shallot, chopped fine

1 garlic clove, minced

4 ounces cream cheese

1 ½ Tablespoons Marsala wine

½ to 1 teaspoon salt (you choose the salt level)

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon thyme

50 won ton wrappers (from a 12 ounce, 60 wrapper package)

½ cup warm water

Shredded parmesan and fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, for about seven minutes, or until the mushrooms give up their liquid and the liquid evaporates.

Add the butter to the skillet and continue cooking the mushrooms until they are brown and fragrant, about two minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat.

Toss the mushroom mixture into a bowl and stir in the cream cheese, Marsala, salt, pepper and thyme.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay half of the won ton wrappers on the prepared baking sheets. Put one heaping teaspoon of the mushroom mixture in the center of the wrappers. Dip your finger in the warm water and run your finger around the edge of the filled wrappers to help create a seal. Top with the remaining won ton wrappers and press the edges to get a firm seal.

Bake for 18-20 minutes-mine were in for 19. Remove, let cool slightly, and garnish with shredded parmesan and fresh parsley if desired. 

Cheddar-Bacon-Horseradish Dip

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this dip before. It is one of my family’s favorite things. I think the name says enough, so I’ll just stop right here.

Ingredients:

½ pound of bacon

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup horseradish

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped green onions  and additional crumbled bacon for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and drain off all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings.

Add the chopped onion to the drippings in the skillet and cook until just translucent. Let cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the mayo, sour cream, horseradish and cheddar cheese. Crumble the bacon and throw that into the bowl along with the cooked onions.

This dip is great right after it is made, warmed up or even cold.

Corn chips seem to be the preferred dipper, by the way. 

Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Whether it is baked ziti, shepherd’s pie, lasagna or even homemade mac and cheese, casseroles are one of the most comforting foods around. This chicken noodle casserole is easy, feeds a crowd and tastes amazing. Note: I just put a really large skinless, boneless chicken breast and two skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a pot with a box of chicken stock and poached them for 20 minutes, which gave me both the chicken and the stock, but a store bought rotisserie chicken and boxed broth will cut down on prep time.

Ingredients:

1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (or can sub another can of cream of chicken)

½ cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken stock

1 heaping teaspoon poultry seasoning

Freshly cracked black pepper, optional

1 (10 ounce) package of frozen mixed vegetables (you don’t even need to thaw)

6 ounces dry, wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

¼ cup butter, melted

1 sleeve of round, buttery crackers (about 28 crackers), crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish (a 13 by 9 inch pan will work just fine) with cooking spray, place it on a cookie sheet (to prevent spill over) and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soups, sour cream, milk, chicken stock and poultry seasoning (as well as black pepper, if using). Stir in the mixed vegetables, cooked and drained egg noodles and diced chicken. Pour this mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Combine the melted butter and crushed crackers and spread over the top of the casserole.

Bake on the middle oven rack for 35 minutes or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbling.

Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Wow. This not-so-sweet dessert is like a cross between pumpkin pie, pudding, and soufflé. The flavor of pumpkin and spices combine so well with the buttery goodness of the cake mix—I think you might even like this light treat as much as I do.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated—whites in one mixing bowl, yolks in another

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup cake mix (I used Duncan Hines® Butter Golden cake mix)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Whipped cream for topping

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a casserole or deep pie dish (mine is a 9 inch plate, 2 inches deep) with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin puree, milk, melted butter, vanilla, cake mix and the spices.

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form and then fold them into the pumpkin mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top appears dry (the middle will still jiggle). Let cool for 15 minutes and then spoon out into individual bowls. Top with whipped cream

Caramelized Butternut Squash Soup

Yum If velvet had a taste, this would be it. This full-bodied soup hits you with flavor and then melts on your tongue. I know I’m waxing poetic here, but this soup is really that good and I’m not typically a creamy soup kind of woman. Caramelizing the squash, onions and carrots in the oven before making this soup give it an incredible depth of flavor and really highlights the sweetness of the vegetables. To balance the sweetness, I added the bite of ginger and/or black pepper (I used both) plus salt and sage. The addition of ginger and nutmeg give warmth and a bit of mild heat to this rich, velvety soup.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces (about 4 ½ to 5 cups of chunked flesh)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon sage

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly grated nutmeg and/or black pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, but it makes everything blend together better)

½ cup fat free half and half (or coconut milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the diced butternut squash on one sheet and the onions and carrots on the other. Drizzle the olive oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt over all the veggies and toss, trying to lay everything in a single layer.

Put both baking sheets in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Stir and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes (if the onions and carrots are turning dark, don’t put them back in for the last 30 minutes).

Place all the roasted veggies in a Dutch oven or large pot and add the water, bouillon cube, salt, sage, ginger, thyme, nutmeg/black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.

Add in the xanthan gum and half and half, then either puree in batches in a blender (center out, but covered with a towel) or use an immersion blend to thoroughly combine the soup.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot. 

Sausage and cheese stuffed acorn squash

Winter squashes are the bomb and I love them just baked with a little butter and maple syrup, but today I wanted them stuffed. And creamy. Imagine if biscuits and gravy, Thanksgiving stuffing and fondue had a love child. This would be it. This is serious comfort food and will make you forget all about that boy/girl who dumped you at the 7^th grade dance. I promise.

Yum

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash, cut in half through the stem and seeded (I’ve got Golden Acorn and Gold Nugget)

4 cups crusty bread, torn into half inch pieces (like French or Italian)

8 ounces pork sausage (half of a roll—use either mild or spicy)

½ of a medium onion, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

2 Tablespoons of flour

2 cups milk

1 to 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (your call—I’m using sharp cheddar, but gruyere, jack or harvati would be great)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Fresh sage and thyme to garnish

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the squash, cut side down, on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Place them cut side up in a large baking dish and set aside.

Place the torn bread on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Put the toasted bread into a largish mixing bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, crumble and cook the sausage until no longer pink. Add in the onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and veg and stir. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in the cheese and stir until combined. Season with salt, pepper, sage and thyme.

Pour the sausage/cheese mixture over the bread and stir to combine. Stuff the squash halves full and then place a bit of water in the bottom of the baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the top of the stuffing starts to turn golden.

Gruyere, Bacon and Apple Cider Soufflé

A soufflé is one of the greatest things on earth. They are so light that they are almost ethereal. This one is savory, comforting, and creamy and has a wonderful crust. It is a magical mixture of eggs and cheese and gets right to the heart of September with hard apple cider, bacon and Gruyere cheese.

Making a soufflé is not rocket science. It’s just making a cheese sauce (if you’ve made mac n’ cheese you know this), beating some egg yolks and whisking egg whites and then combining all three components. I am not a graceful woman, so believe me when I say that if I can do a soufflé, you most assuredly can. Take a little help from the stores here-Trader Joe’s® has a fabulous bag of shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses (4 cups, so you have one cup to spare) and most stores have real bacon crumbles in a small bag next to the salad dressings.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2 Tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs

6 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste (I like a lot)

1½ cups milk

½ cup hard apple cider (or regular apple cider)

3 cups grated Gruyere and/or Swiss cheese

1/3 cup crumbled bacon pieces

6 eggs, separated (egg whites in one mixing bowl and yolks in another)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

If you have a nice, large soufflé dish, by all means use that. If not, just spray a 2 ½ or 3 quart casserole dish (it needs to be deep, not long) with cooking spray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Turn the dish around to thoroughly coat the bottom and sides with breadcrumbs. Turn the dish over and dump the excess breadcrumbs.

Take a big enough piece of wax paper to go all the way around your dish and then fold it in half lengthwise. Place it around your dish and tape it so that it stands about 2 inches above your dish. Just to save you trouble later, go ahead and do a few small ramekins with spray and breadcrumbs too, in case you have too much soufflé mixture.

Place the prepared dish on a baking sheet and set aside.

Now, then, let’s get to the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Dump in the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir for a minute and then add the milk. Whisk the mixture together over medium heat until it gets thick. Whisk in the cider.

Turn the heat to low and add in the cheese by handfuls, whisking each handful until it melts before adding the next. The mixture should be really thick by now, so add in the cider a little at a time until you get a mixture that whisks easily—not super thick, not soupy. You may need more than ½ cup of cider, so keep that bottle handy. Add in the bacon pieces and give it a stir. Turn off the heat and let the cheesy goodness cool a bit while you prep the eggs.

Whisk the egg yolks together until they are thick and golden—just a few minutes.

In another bowl (a stand mixer is a blessing here), whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Add a bit of the cheese sauce to the egg yolks and whisk together. Pour the entire bowl of egg yolks into the cheese sauce and whisk until smooth.

Fold a big spoonful of the stiffly beaten egg whites into the cheese sauce. Add a bit more and continue adding and folding until you have one big, glorious bowl of soufflé mixture.

Pour the soufflé mixture into your prepared, collared dish. You want to come up to just about an inch from the top so, if you have too much, just put it into some ramekins and place those alongside the main dish on the baking dish.

Run your finger along the inside edge of the baking dish, going about ½ inch down. The outermost edge of the mixture should be about ½ inch deeper than the inside. This just helps the middle part rise a little more than the edges, so it’s not a huge deal if you don’t do it.

Bake the soufflé for 90 minutes without peeking (ramekins for 60 minutes) or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Remove the wax paper collar and serve as soon as you can by placing two forks back to back and pulling a piece of the soufflé apart. Continue around the soufflé with the two folks and serve with a large spoon to scoop each piece out.

Serve with some French bread, grapes, sliced apples, green salad, whatever.

Don’t you look fancy now? 

Fresh Apple Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

The first rainy, chilly day in autumn calls for comfort food and this recipe takes the cake. I was winging this recipe, with only the knowledge that I wanted a moist apple cake. Worked like a charm. The cake turned out incredibly moist and still had a delicate crumb to it. Bonus-those little $.40 containers of buttermilk have 1 cup in them. Plenty to make the cake and the glaze without worrying about what to do with leftovers. If you want your house to smell like fall and you want a seriously comforting dessert, please try this cake.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1/2 cup canola oil

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour (I used Glutino® All Purpose Flour, but regular AP flour will work fine)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 ½ cups chopped apples (from about 3-4 peeled and cored apples—any kind is fine. I’m using Jonathan)

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, mix the oil, buttermilk, applesauce, eggs, sugar and vanilla together until completely blended (about 3 minutes).

Add in the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda and combine thoroughly. Stir the chopped apples in by hand.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the cake doesn’t wiggle in the middle. A toothpick should come out clean in the center.

Prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, buttermilk and vanilla together.

Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top with a skewer. Pour over half of the glaze, letting it seep down into the cake. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes and then pour the remaining glaze over the top.

Let the glazed cake sit for 20 minutes to firm up and then cut into squares to serve.

Chicken Breakfast Sausage

In the mood to change up your breakfast routine? Give this savory chicken sausage a shot. Using ground chicken breast helps the flavors of whatever seasoning you are using to shine, however the lack of fat can make the sausage dry. Fat free half and half keeps everything moist and makes sure that the seasoning is well distributed. Use this seasoning blend as a start and fry off a little patty to taste. Then, adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Ingredients (makes about a dozen):

1 pound ground chicken breast meat (or ground turkey breast)

2 Tablespoons fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pinch of red chile flakes

Directions: Combine all ingredients. Dampen your hands with water and form the sausage into patties. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat and cook about 4 minutes per side until done.

Bavarian Cheese Toast

At the grocery store this morning, I came across a beer called “Schnicklefritz” from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company here in St. Louis, MO. I remember my parents and grandmother calling me that so many times when I was growing up, that I had to buy the beer. Apparently, “Schnicklefritz” is a term of endearment for mischievous or talkative children so, yeah, that was me! Seeing this beer also brought back memories of one of my parent’s favorite snacks—Limburger on rye or pumpernickel bread with shaved red onion. Limburger is not really all that stinky when combined with a milder cheese (I promise) and the flavor is deep and rich. It is also great with beer. Please keep this in mind for Oktoberfest!

Ingredients:

4 slices rye or pumpernickel bread, toasted

Limburger Cheese Spread (recipe follows)

Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt (recipe follows)

Red onion, shaved into thin rings

Serve with any combination of:

Dill pickles

Cherry tomatoes

Sliced apples

Grapes

German sausages, cooked and sliced

Directions: Cut each piece of toast into 4 squares. Spread with Limburger Cheese Spread, sprinkle with Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt. Place a few shavings of red onion on top.

Limburger Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package Limburger cheese, room temperature

1 (8 ounce) package Neufchâtel or cream cheese, room temperature

Directions:

Place both cheeses in a mixing bowl and combine well with an electric mixer or whisk. That’s it.

Bavarian Toasted Caraway and Dill Salt

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon caraway seed

1 teaspoon dill seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon onion powder

6 Tablespoons kosher salt

Directions:

Add the caraway, dill and celery seeds to a dry skillet and heat to medium low. Cook until just fragrant (about 6 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cool and place in a small sealable bag. Crush the seeds lightly with a rolling pin and place in a small container. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. This salt is best if it has a few hours to hang out before use.

Apple and Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

At first I was worried about combining bananas, pumpkin and apples, but I didn’t need to be concerned. All the flavors in this baked oatmeal blend together beautifully. This is a warm, comforting and hearty casserole for breakfast or dessert that will give you all the cozy feelings you could ever get from food. Plus, the scent in the house right now is amazing—pumpkin, apples, warm spices….yum!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon flax seed

3 Tablespoons water

1 very ripe banana

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon butter flavoring (optional, but it really is good)

1 can (20 ounces) apple pie filling

3 cups rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

¼ cup toasted wheat germ (optional)

¼ to ½ cup raw sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness (remember, there is sweetener in the pie filling)

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup apple jelly, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Mix the flax with the water in a small bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl, mix together the banana, pumpkin, almond milk, flax mixture, vanilla and butter flavoring until well combined.

Stir in the apple pie filling, oats, baking powder and baking soda, protein powder if using, wheat germ if using, sugar, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and brush the melted apple jelly over the top.

Let cool slightly and serve warm. 

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

We are in blueberry season—YAY!! I used some to make this simple, thick, luscious sauce. The orange juice doesn’t make it taste like oranges, it just gives it a little brightness. You can use this make-ahead sauce over pancakes or waffles, over ice cream, mixed into yogurt, whatever. My favorite way to eat it is to take a slice of angel food cake, put a scoop or two of lemon ice cream or sorbet (Halo Top® Lemon Cake Ice Cream is ideal) and then top with the sauce. Easy, light and certainly dinner guest worthy.

Ingredients:

¼ cup water

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup orange juice

¾ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Mix the ¼ cup water and the cornstarch together in a cup. Set aside.

Put 1 cup of the fresh blueberries in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the remaining 2 cups of blueberries, orange juice, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and add the reserved 1 cup of blueberries and the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Double Mushroom Ramen with Tempeh

Cool, rainy weekend days call for something comforting. For me, anything brothy always hits the spot, so I wanted to do ramen today. This ramen is deep and earthy from the mushrooms, miso and a hearty vegetable stock. The tempeh was a last minute idea, but it really balanced all of the flavors and gave even more depth to the bowl.

Ingredients (serves 2):

½ ounce package dried shitake mushrooms

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 (8 ounce) package tempeh

2 eggs

1 package ramen noodles, flavor packet removed (I used brown rice and millet noodles, because I had them—otherwise, I would’ve used regular ramen noodles)

¼ cup diced onion

1 carrot, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 (1/2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, grated

4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon miso paste (I used dark, but whatever you like is fine)

1 Tablespoon Tamari or regular soy sauce

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

Salt, to taste

2 green onions, sliced-for topping

1 few drops of toasted sesame oil-for topping

Directions: Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl with about a cup of hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms to a cutting board and save the mushroom water for later. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the canola oil in a skillet and sauté the tempeh for about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Drop in the eggs and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs to a plate and return the water to a boil. When cool enough to handle, shell the eggs and cut in half. Set aside.

Drop the ramen in the boiling water and cook according to package directions (about 3 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Dump the water out of your pot and add the last 2 teaspoons of canola oil. Heat the oil and medium and add the onions and carrots. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onions and carrots are soft, but not browned. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes or until you can smell the garlic and ginger.

Pour the veggie stock into the pot along with the reserved mushroom water (being careful to leave the last bits of the mushroom water with the sediment in the bowl-discard the sediment). Add in the miso and tamari and stir to combine.

Add in the sliced mushrooms (both shitake and fresh) and spinach. Season with salt to your taste. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for at least 30 minutes.

Add the noodles to the pot and then ladle into bowls (or put the noodles in the bowl and top with broth-whatever you like). Top each bowl with 1 or 2 egg halves, some sliced tempeh, sliced green onions and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.

Honey poached apricots with vanilla cardamom panna cotta

Fresh apricots are a gift and their season is short. I found beautiful apricots for $1 a pound, so of course I bought a lot. I ate most of the fruit plain, but I needed a way to savor the rest, so I made this light, creamy and virtually fat free recipe for late night desserts on a summer night. As you can see in the photo, the panna cotta is very tender and hardly holds up the weight of an apricot. It is just meltingly beautiful.

Ingredients:

For the poached apricots:

1½ cups water

½ cup honey

½ of a vanilla bean split and seeds scraped

A pinch of powdered cardamom

8 fresh apricots cut in half and seeds removed

For the panna cotta:

½ cup skim milk

1 (.25 ounce) packet of unflavored gelatin

2 cups fat free half and half

½ of a vanilla bean split and seeds scraped

½ teaspoon powdered cardamom

½ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

For the poached apricots: In a medium saucepan, heat the water, honey, the scraped seeds and pod of the ½ vanilla bean, and the pinch of cardamom to a boil. Drop in the apricot halves and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

For the panna cotta:

In a small bowl, stir together the ½ cup skim milk and gelatin. Stir and let sit.

Spray 4 small (6 ounce) ramekins with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

In a large saucepan, stir together the half and half, sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, cardamom and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a full boil. Pour the gelatin mixture into the pan, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, remove the vanilla pod, and pour into your prepared ramekins.

Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To unmold, dip the bottoms of the ramekins in very warm water for a few seconds and run a thin knife around the edge. Place a plate on top of the ramekin, and shake up and down for a second or two. With the plate on the bottom and ramekin on top, remove the ramekin and the panna cotta should slide right out onto the plate.

Serve each portion of panna cotta with 2 or 3 apricot halves.

Stuffed Pepper Meatballs

I think this is what would happen if stuffed green peppers and porcupine meatballs had a bite sized love child. Stuffed green peppers are one of my favorite things, but I wanted a meatball option.  Sautéing the vegetables and pre-cooking the rice in their juices gives these porcupines so much more flavor than just combining all the uncooked ingredients together and hoping the rice gets tender.

Ingredients (makes about 30 meatballs, but I don’t really know because I kept eating them):

For the rice:

1 Tablespoon olive oil for the pan

½ cup finely diced white onion

½ cup finely diced green pepper

½ cup long grain rice

1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce

1 cup water

½ teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

For the meatballs:

1 Tablespoon olive oil for the pan

1 pound lean ground beef

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1teaspoon salt

Freshly cracked black pepper to your taste

Rice mixture from above

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Rice: Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add in the diced onions and green peppers and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes or until the veggies are soft but not browned.

Add the rice to the saucepan and stir. Cook for about two minute to make sure the rice is coated with the oil. Add in the tomato sauce, water, dried parsley and salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Meatballs: Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium low to medium heat. While that is working, combine the ground beef, egg, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper and cooled rice mixture together.

Dampen your hands and pack about 2 Tablespoons of the meatball mixture into walnut sized balls and cook (in batches, so you don’t crowd the pan) until browned on both sides and cooked through. You really only want to turn these once, because they are tender. I use two teaspoons to turn them over.

Pile the meatballs onto a plate and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Orange-Sweet Chili Chicken Salad

How about a refreshing, healthy, no-cook dinner for warm summer nights? This sweet and tangy chicken salad really hits the spot and it goes together in less than 10 minutes. You can easily do a double batch of this salad the night before your next potluck and toss the greens (maybe sliced bok choy or Napa cabbage) into it right before you leave.  

Ingredients (serves 4):

Dressing:

½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

2 Tablespoons orange juice

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Salad:

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

2 stalks of celery, sliced

½ cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks

½ cup sweet bell peppers, sliced into matchsticks

2 or 3 green onions, sliced

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (or not toasted-your call)

Leafy greens for serving

Directions: Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over (note: you may have more dressing than you need). Stir to combine.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Serve over leafy greens.

Turkey Chips

For Father's Day, I present to you a 'man snack'. I first posted this 'recipe' many years ago and I find they are still one of my go-to snacks when I watch what I eat. These make such a good low fat, high protein snack. They taste a lot like bacon to me. Consider that each piece has about 15 calories, .75 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of protein-nice! Four of these and a hard boiled egg makes a great on-the-go breakfast that will keep you full and energized until lunch. Plus, these chips are much more economical than packaged beef jerky. Make sure you don't get the 'honey smoked' version of turkey--it will burn faster than anything. Lesson learned. 

Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) of 95% fat free smoked white meat turkey (found in a tub, like bologna, in the lunch meat area of most grocery stores)—Not ‘honey smoked’

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray liberally with spray. Cut the turkey slices in half and lay pieces in a single layer on the baking sheets. Bake for a total of 1 ½ hours, turning the pieces over with tongs and rotating the trays on the racks every 30 minutes. The pieces should be uniformly brown all over and will shrink by about half their size. Let cool for several minutes to crisp up.

Beef with broccoli, mushrooms and water chestnuts

I must need the vitamins that are in broccoli. When I checked my grocery list, I found that I had broccoli on it three different times. I use frozen broccoli a lot because I don’t have to pre-cook it like I would fresh and it keeps for a long time in the freezer.

Beef with broccoli is such an amazingly good meal.  This version adds a few more vegetables to give a bit of variety to each bite.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oyster sauce

1/3 cup sherry

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

½ teaspoon white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 to 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips across the grain

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 thin slice fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen broccoli, thawed

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

3 green onions, sliced into ½ inch pieces

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cooked rice or quinoa for serving

Directions:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the steak pieces into the bowl. Stir to coat the steak pieces well, and marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, and stir in the ginger and garlic. Let them sizzle in the hot oil for about 1 minute to flavor the oil, then remove and discard.

Stir in the broccoli, water chestnuts, green onions and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes. Toss in the beef with all the marinade and cook about 5 minutes until the beef is no longer pink and the sauce because thick.

Top with toasted sesame seeds and serve over rice or quinoa.

Swiss Ham and Vegetable Bake

Vegetable casseroles used to be huge in the 1960s and this one does the genre proud. Creamy, flavorful and filling, this makes a great main dish or side dish. Vegetarians can certainly leave the ham out and maybe swap in some slivered almonds.

Ingredients:

For the cheese sauce:

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon flour

1½ cups milk

4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce package) cream cheese

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon bouquet garni or herb blend of your choice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded or grated Swiss cheese

For the ham and veggies:

1 cup diced ham

1 ½  cups frozen broccoli, thawed

1 cup frozen cauliflower, thawed

1 cup frozen leeks, thawed (or sub out ½ cup chopped onion)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup diced red pepper

1 cup sliced carrots

For the topping:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 ½ quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter. Whisk in the 1 Tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and then cream cheese, salt, pepper, bouquet garni, mustard and Worcestershire. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the Swiss cheese. Cook, stirring often until the cheese are melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ham and all the veggies. Pour the cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Make the topping by stirring together the bread crumbs and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbling.

Let cool slightly before serving.

Fresh Tropical Fruit Salsa

Fresh, bright and tangy!  This tropical salsa with papaya, pineapple and mango is great with tortilla chips or spooned over barbecue chicken or grilled fish.

Ingredients:

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced

½ cup finely diced red onion

1 ½ cups chopped fresh pineapple

The flesh of one small papaya, chopped

The flesh of one mango, diced

1 teaspoon sugar

A pinch of salt

Juice of one small lime

½ teaspoon crushed Szechuan pepper (optional)

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

Directions: Mix all ingredients together and stir. Let marinate for at least 2 hours for all the juices to develop and the flavors to marry.

Coconut Rice

  

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

2 cups Jasmine rice, rinsed well

1 cup coconut cream (not cream of coconut)

2 cups water

Pinch of granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Toasted coconut chips (optional)

Directions:

Place the rinsed rice, coconut cream, water, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Lower heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 40-45 minutes.

Place in a serving bowl and top with coconut chips, if desired. 

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Pineapple Kebabs

Here’s a great way to get that grill going! I love the contrast between the sweetness of the pineapple and shrimp and the heat from the chili sauce.

Ingredients (serves 7- 8):

For the kebabs:

16 wooden skewers, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large bunch green onions, roots just trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces from the root end

1 pound fresh pineapple, cut into 1-2 inch chunks (you can cheat and buy these, you know)

For the glaze:

½ cup pineapple juice

1 (10.1 ounce) bottle of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, about 1 1/3 cups (Trader Joe’s®) brand is great)

1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

Directions:

Preheat your grill (or grill pan) to medium heat.

Make the glaze by combining the pineapple juice, sweet chili sauce and hoisin in a saucepan and bringing it up to a boil. Turn off the heat, stir and leave it sit until you are ready to glaze the skewers.

Thread the shrimp, bell peppers, green onions and pineapple onto 2 skewers held closely together (to make 7-8 total kebabs) to keep them steady. I aim for three large shrimp per skewer.

Place the kebabs on the grill and cook for 5 minutes, turning several times, until the veggies, pineapple and shrimp are almost cooked. Baste with the glaze and continue cooking for 5-8 more minutes, basting some more glaze on one more time.

Serve on a platter with Coconut Rice.

Old School Butterscotch Corn Flake Cookies

Just a comforting, old time cookie. Creamy, crispy, sweet and salty—this cookie has it all!

Ingredients (makes about 36 cookies):

1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch chips

½ cup creamy peanut butter

5 cups regular corn flakes

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

Directions: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile, dump the corn flakes and peanuts into a large mixing bowl.

When the butterscotch chips and peanut butter have melted, pour them over the corn flakes mixture and stir until the corn flakes are well coated.

Place the cookie mixture by Tablespoons onto the parchment paper lined baking sheets and let sit for 1 hour or until hardened.

Cheesy Sweet Corn Casserole with Bacon

Now here is a casserole that will please a crowd. Creamy, cheesy, bacon-y corn.  Perfect for a potluck or a side for a barbecue.

Ingredients:

5 slices bacon

1/3 cup diced sweet onion

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 cup milk or half and half

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste (optional)

1 (8.5 ounce) box corn bread mix (I use Jiffy®)

1 (28 ounce) bag frozen sweet corn, thawed

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, divided

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp and set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon drippings and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes on medium low or until the veggies are soft. Remove the veggies with a slotted spoon into a large mixing bowl and discard the remaining bacon drippings.

To the same mixing bowl, add the melted and cooled butter, sour cream, egg, milk, salt, sugar, pepper (if using) and corn bread mix. Stir to combine.

Pulse half of the corn in a food processor until it becomes a thick paste. Add the crushed corn and the remaining corn into the mixing bowl. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and the crumbled bacon.

Pour the mix into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 60 minutes or until the top is golden and the middle doesn’t jiggle. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.  

Herbed Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Quiche

Looking for a great brunch idea that is easy and can be made ahead? This quiche fits the bill. I don’t think it even took me 10 minutes to put together. It’s creamy, full of flavor and really showcases asparagus and smoked salmon.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

6 sheets of phyllo dough

2 (5.2 ounce) packages of herbed cream cheese (like Boursin®)

1 cup half and half

3 large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 shallot, chopped (about 2 Tablespoons)—optional

1 cup chopped asparagus (tips reserved)

4 ounces sliced smoked salmon (1 ounce reserved)

Fresh chives and sour cream to serve

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the plate and spray with cooking spray. Repeat until all phyllo sheets are used.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, half and half, eggs and salt/pepper with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Add in the shallots, asparagus (keeping tips reserved) and 3 ounces of the smoked salmon.

Pour the filling into the phyllo crust and bunch up the phyllo to form a high edge. Spray the phyllo crust with more cooking spray. Cover the edges with strips of foil to keep them from browning too quickly.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the foil strips and place the asparagus tips and remaining smoked salmon on top of the filling, pushing down slightly. Give the whole thing another spritz of cooking spray—it will keep the asparagus tips and smoked salmon from looking dry.

Bake for another 30 minutes or until the quiche is set in the middle.  

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving in wedges with sour cream and chives. This quiche can also be served at room temperature or even cold. 

Asian American Oven Barbecued Pork Roast

Four simple ingredients—one luscious result. This recipe brings out the best in a pork roast. It is meltingly tender, deeply mellow from the hoisin and sweet/tangy from the American BBQ sauce. Serve the warm pan drippings on the side.  

Ingredients:

One 3 to 3 ½ pound pork butt roast

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup American barbecue sauce

1 can of beer (or about 12 ounces of water)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 baking pan and a roasting rack with cooking spray. Place the rack in the pan and place the roast on the rack, fatty side down.

In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin and American BBQ sauce. Slather almost half of the sauce on top of the roast. Turn the roast fatty side up and slather the top and sides of the roast with more sauce, saving out about 2 Tablespoons of the sauce.

Pour the beer into the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with foil.

Cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, remove the foil and flip the roast over. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and put the roast back in the oven for 40-45 more minutes.  

Remove from the oven, uncover and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing. 

Vegetable and Pepper Jack Soup

I wanted something heartwarming today. It’s a beautiful, spring showers kind of day and a bit chilly, so I turn to soup. I am also trying to keep my vegetable intake up, and this soup has loads of veggies and even more flavor. It’s an easy, one pot soup that only takes about 30 minutes to put together. Note: This is actually a mild soup, heat-wise; if you want heat, add a can or two of chopped green chiles.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon light butter or margarine

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup diced carrots

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup diced zucchini

1/3 cup diced yellow squash

1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup fat free half and half

Salt and pepper to taste (I added lots of freshly cracked black pepper)

Garnish:

4 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled

Parsley

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery and carrots and cook about 4 minutes or until soft but not browned.

Add in the bell pepper, zucchini and yellow squash and a few Tablespoons of the stock (to keep everything soft and not burnt) and cook for about 10 more minutes.

Add the corn and the remaining stock.  Bring the soup up to a boil.  

Toss the cheese with the cornstarch. Whisk the cheese-by handfuls- to the soup, making sure each handful is melted before adding the next. Boil for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly, and then reduce to a simmer. Stir until the soup is thickened.

Add in the half and half, taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Let simmer for 10 minutes and serve hot in bowls garnished with a bit of crumbled bacon and fresh parsley.

Ham, Egg, Green Onion and Cheddar Brunch Puff

Here’s an easy casserole for an easy Sunday brunch or, if you are like me, makes a great breakfast any day of the week. It’s just cheesy comfort. Note to self: Assemble this casserole the night before, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for a quick and easy breakfast/brunch.

Ingredients:

4 cups diced leftover bread—you want drier bread for this (I used a piece of leftover French bread)

2 green onions, diced

1 cup diced ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

7 large eggs

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Spray a 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the green onions over and then the cheddar and then the parmesan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Slowly pour over the other ingredients in the dish. Push down so that the bread is completely submerged in the egg mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, pushing down on the top occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, remove the baking dish from the fridge and let come closer to room temperature. Cover it loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Tomato Soup

Purity and simplicity in a bowl, that’s what this soup is. There’s a lovely, deep flavor from the tomato paste and onions that just elevate this humble soup. Put on your flannel PJs, pull up some pictures of cute animals on the internet and have a bowl of this soup. All will be right with the world. PS-if you like your tomato soup smooth, you can certainly puree this with a hand mixer. I personally like the bits of tomato and onion.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ of an onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, grated or minced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28 ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes in their juice

1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-low to medium heat until the butter melts.

Toss in the onion and cook about 3 minutes until the onion is soft, but not browned.

Add the tomato paste, stir and cook until the paste gets a deep red color—about another 3 minutes—stirring often so it doesn’t burn. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the whole tomatoes with their juice, the tomato puree, the veggie broth and the sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes or more, stirring a few times to break up the tomatoes. The whole tomatoes should have broken into large bits at this point. If not, cook and stir a little longer.

Taste and add salt and/or pepper.