Nothing fancy...

I was looking for a one dish meal...not easy to find these days, especially one that everyone likes.  I remembered eating something called Hoppin' John years ago that was a mix out of a box.  I loved the mix of rice, beans, and spices.  It was a hearty but simple meal. It originated in New Orleans and has many variations.  Here is mine...

Hoppin' John

1/2 -1 lb chirizo sausage (I used vegetarian sausage)
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 T garlic, chopped
1 t smoked paprika
1 t cumin
1/4 C water or stock (chicken or veggie)
2 cans black eyed peas, drained
3 C cooked white rice

In a large skillet, combine sausage, onion, and pepper.  Cook on med. until sausage has browned and veggies are cooked through.  Add garlic, paprika and cumin. Cook another 2 minutes.  Pour in water or stock. Add black eyed peas and rice.  Combine and allow to simmer on low for about 5 minutes or until flavor has saturated beans and rice. Serve with cornbread.  

Not Your Ordinary Pasta...

Sick of spaghetti? Red sauce? We were! I decided to use my son's favorite food, garlic, to create a pasta sauce that can replace tomato sauce.  The result was light and tasty, quick and easy... a perfect side or meal!

Farfalle with Garlic Sauce

5 T butter
1/2 C chopped red onion (about 1/2 a med onion)
3 T chopped garlic
1 C vegetable stock (or chicken, if you like)
1 T oregano
6-8 oz farfalle (or 1/2 box pasta of your choice)
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 plum tomato, chopped
parsley, salt, pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to box, or until al dente, while making sauce.
In a skillet, melt 3 T butter, or oil.  Add red onion and cook until starting to brown.  Add garlic and cook for several more minutes.  Add oregano and stock, cook on med/high until reduced to about 1/2. Add pasta, Parmesan cheese, and 2 T butter, salt/pepper to sauce.  Serve hot, garnish with chopped tomato and parsley. Grilled chicken, shrimp or eggplant (or chickpeas) could be added for a heartier meal.

Sweets of Summer

I received a challenge from a friend and decided to take her up on it - a moist, delicious strawberry cupcake with decadent strawberry icing. Thank you for the sweet challenge, Kelsey!
Here's my original recipe:

Double Strawberry Cake
(Makes 6 cupcakes and a bundt cake or 18 cupcakes)

Cake -
2 1/2 C flour
1T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C sugar
1 C milk + 1 T white vinegar
1/2 C applesauce
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 C strawberry puree

Strawberry puree -
(makes 1 cup)
12 Strawberries
2 T superfine sugar
combine in blender or food processor until smooth


Preheat oven 350 deg. Pour vinegar into milk. Stir and set aside. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. Pour into lined cupcake tins or greased baking pan. Bake cake 35minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Place on cooling rack for 10 minutes then remove bundt or cupcakes from pan until completely cool. Top with frosting.


Frosting -
1 stick butter
2 C confectioners sugar
2-3 T strawberry puree

In a bowl beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and puree. Mix for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Frosting will be very thick. Recipe may be doubled.

Lovin' Muffins

 I haven't cooked anything sinful in a while.  These muffins I created are just that...without all the sin :)  Yummy, moist and flavorful.  I had a lot of bananas that were getting pretty brown and in a fit of genius came up with this great muffin for anytime of day, but would be wonderful for a brunch.  You may add any topping you like or change the fruit.  Please note I substituted applesauce for oil but if you have none, use vegetable oil instead. I figured these were fit for a king and just the flavors Elvis loved....Thank you, thank you very much!


Elvis (Peanut Butter and Banana) Muffins

1 C whole wheat flour
1 C white flour
1 C sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 C peanut butter
3/4 C milk (I used chocolate soy milk)
1/4 C applesauce
1 lg egg
peanut butter or chocolate chips, wheat germ for decoration (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins. Mix dry ingredients. Add banana, peanut butter, milk, applesauce, and egg. Mix until just blended. Spoon into tins, 3/4 full. Sprinkle with chips or wheat germ. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and firm on top. Cool in pan 5 mins, then on cooling rack. Makes 18.

Einstein would want this to be done again and again...

 For many months I have feared making lasagna.  Not only because I have never attempted it, but because it is my boyfriend's favorite dish.  I worried that it wouldn't be quite right.  After it was finally done he said this was a dish I should not tamper with, it was perfect! Oh the joy of doing something right on the first try!!!! I selected our favorite veggies but there are many substitutions that can be made...

Insane Veggie Lasagna

1 sweet onion, cut in 8ths
1 zucchini, 1/4 in slices
1 yellow squash, 1/4 in slices
1 eggplant, 1/4 in slices
2 c. mushrooms, 1/4 in slices
1 large carrot, shredded
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
5 oz (1/2 a bag) spinach, finely chopped
2 T chopped garlic
2 lb ricotta cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 pk shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
2 24 oz jars spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Roasted Tomato/Garlic and Prego Organic Tomato Basil)

Turn oven to 400 deg. Drizzle olive oil over onion, zucchini, squash, eggplant and mushrooms (2 pans will be needed). Bake for 15 mins, turn, then bake for 15 more. In a large bowl combine ricotta, parm, garlic, and spinach until well blended. Begin layering ingredients in a 9X13 in pan - Sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, veggies, sauce, mozzarella, noodles, ricotta mix, veggies, sauce, mozza, noodles, sauce, mozza. Cover and bake on 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil, bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 mins before cutting.

Taking it easy...

It's been a few days since my last post, and for good reason.  Mama has taken a mini vacation.  No, I didn't fly to an exotic locale or get lost on a country road, I simply took a break from the kitchen.  It's no fun to cook when no one's around to enjoy what you've made.  Last night was the first I've had my boys home to make dinner for.  I wanted something simple to ease my way back in to the groove, so I decided to roast veggies....put 'em in a pan an forget about life for a while...well, an hour.  But that was enough to get my kitchen mojo back!  Here is the dish we had last night. Marinated Roasted White Veggies was served on Israeli couscous with butternut squash bisque and a variety of vegetarian burgers.

Marinated Roasted White Veggies

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 sweet onion
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 lb potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

(marinade)
1/4 c worcestershire
1/4 c white cooking wine
1/8 c olive oil
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme

Combine all veggies in a 9x13 dish. Combine all marinade ingredients. Pour over veggies.  Cover and put in fridge for 1 hour.  Pour off most of marinade, leaving about 1/4 cup in baking dish. Bake 450 for 1hour or until potatoes are cooked through, stirring every 15 mins or so. Serve alone or over your favorite grain or pasta.

Hot Spuds in the City

 I have never personally been a fan of spicy food.  I like to taste things. So, a spicy dish can ruin my taste buds for an entire evening.  I have recently tried to be more open minded with spice and find myself incorporating peppers into my recipes.  This interesting side dish is an adaptation of a Tapas recipe.  The measurements are approximate, as I create it as I go, then try to remember what I did. Not very scientific, but I never claimed to be Einstein...I'm a much better cook :)


Hot Potatoes

1.5 lbs new potatoes, skin on/boiled, cut into 1/2 or 1/4
1/4 c olive oil
5 tbs olive oil
3 tbs sundried tomatoes
2 tbs garlic, chopped
dash cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika (I used smoked)

Heat 1/4 c olive oil in skillet.  Add potatoes and fry on med until golden brown.  Meanwhile blend together in food processor' or chopper' last 7 ingredients until well incorporated.  Put mix in med sized bowl.
Remove potatoes from oil and drain on paper towels.  Put potatoes into bowl with sauce, mix well.  

My Spicy Valentine

After taking a day off to celebrate with my own Valentine, I am back in the kitchen, cooking up a hot dish to spice up your holiday.  At a wonderful little restaurant in downtown Baltimore, I had a divine meal that included chili shrimp.  It was perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced.  Here is my own version... 

Chili Shrimp with Broccoli and Barley

1 lb med shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails on
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp red chili/pepper flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbs minced garlic
steamed broccoli (I use a steam bag)
cooked barley (1 cup barley, 2 cups veggie broth)

Heat oil in skillet.  Add chili, paprika, and garlic, stir around pan.  Add shrimp, cook until opaque.  Add broccoli to pan. Saute with shrimp until coated in spice-infused oil.  Serve on top of barley.

Simple meal, tasty results! Enjoy!

Chilly morning, cozy thoughts....

Sitting here, drinking my Yogi tea, wondering about what I'd be doing this morning if I were somewhere else, someone else....If I had it my way I would have been up hours ago planning my next creation.  Something warm, sweet and gooey.  Luckily for me (and you) I don't have to reach far.  Like most of my recipes, this one can be adapted to your taste...pick a different bread or fruit, omit the alcohol, or use more.  Whatever your favorite flavors, this treat is sure to please...for dessert, or breakfast!


Stephanie's Amaretto-Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 1in pieces
2 bananas, cut into 1/2in chunks
2C heavy cream
1C sugar, plus 2T for bananas
4 large eggs
1T vanilla
6T amaretto
2T butter
1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350. Grease med baking dish or loaf pan.

In a frying pan, melt butter, 2T sugar, and 2T amaretto. When melted, add bananas. Saute until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix cream, 1C sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 4T amaretto, until well blended. Fold in bread, chocolate chips and sauteed bananas. Let sit for at least 5 mins for bread to soak liquid. Pour into baking dish.

Place dish towel in a roasting pan. Place baking dish on top. Pour enough water in roasting pan to cover 1/2 of baking dish. Put in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour or until knife in center comes out clean. Cool on rack.

Warm your belly...

On these cold winter days we've been having, my mind wanders to food.  Memories of making hot chocolate and baking pies in the depths of winter bring about a much needed warm, fuzzy feeling.  The days of sitting around my grandmother's round kitchen table in the middle of a black and white checkerboard floor, feeling like Alice in her own personal wonderland, have long since past.  Now that I am a mother, I have tried to recreate the same sense of wonder in my own family.  The creative wheels started turning the other night and this is the end result :

Sweet Cherry Soup with Almond Dumplings

Soup -
16oz bag frozen sweet cherries
1 c cran-raspberry juice (or any clear fruit juice you have)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs cornstarch (mixed into 2 Tbs juice or water)

Dumplings -
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash of salt
dash of sugar

Bring soup ingredients to boil in a large sauce pan.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
While soup is simmering, make dumpling mix.
After 10 mins, add cornstarch mixture to soup, return to boil. Drop dumpling mix by teaspoon into boiling soup, cover. Cook 10 minutes, or until top of dumplings are dry. Serve hot with yogurt or sour cream.