The Clean Plate Club

Rainbow Cake!

2009-02-06T09:05:00.002-07:00

Turkey loaf

2008-11-21T14:03:00.003-07:00

I found this funny blog entry while looking for a bread pan

Speaking of which,
I am still looking for a bread pan in the shape of a turkey. Does anyone know where I could find one? I need to cook something good for two vegetarians this Christmas and am thinking lentil loaf.

Apples & Caramel Cream Cheese Dip

2008-10-14T17:32:00.003-06:00

I stole this from my friend's cooking blog. I like things that are so simple that I can actually envision myself making them too.

{apples & caramel cream cheese dip}

1- 16 oz. container Litehouse Caramel dip

1- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

6-8 tart apples, granny smith or Johnathan- sliced

in a medium bowl whip cream cheese until soft & fluffy with an electric mixer. add caramel sauce & whip until combined & creamy.

Zucchini Risotto

2008-09-20T12:38:00.003-06:00

Emily has been the lone blogger on here for so long and I thought it was about time I posted something. A few weeks ago, we had our first few cold days. Can you believe the heat kicked on before Sept 1?! So I made some warm, comfort food, Zucchini Risotto.

7 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked
3-4 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
10 sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan (or mozzarella) cheese
Basil or thyme or other herb to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.

Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened.

Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Add the wine.

Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. Risotto will become "creamy" and slightly sticky, yet still firm in the center, or al dente. This may take 20-30 minutes.

When almost finished, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs, adding stock as needed and stirring continuously.

Stir in 3 tablespoons cheese just before serving. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste.

My first Manicotti

2008-09-17T19:03:00.005-06:00

It's really just lasagna stuffed into tubes rather than layered, but there is something about changing the shape of food that also changes the experience.

The filling: Ricotta cheese 15 oz mixed with 2 eggs, chopped fresh basil & parsley

Then I sauteed some onion & mushroom with italian seasons and mixed that in.

Sauce: I just used jarred and added sauteed onion and ground turkey meat for a little protein.

Pour most the sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Stuff the cooked Manicotti pasta with the filling and lay on top of sauce side by side.

Pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with desired amount of Italian cheese.

Cover with tin foil & bake (i forget the temp & time, I just followed what the box said;)

Okay, so this was a super easy version. It would be much better with a homemade sauce and all that but this works for me in my little kitchen with a toddler at my feet and is about as elaborate as I get. I was most excited to just try something new.

Trader Joes Mexican Night

2008-09-02T16:21:00.007-06:00

We don't have a Trader Joe's in Grand Rapids which is just another good reason not to live here.
But yesterday we made a trip to Detroit and made a special point of stopping off at their T.J.s on the way back. Yum yum.
Then I decided to make enchiladas for my first time! I've never been super big on mexican food but Im trying to learn how to make basic dishes i've never tried before (like lasagna too).
So I found a really easy and fabulous way to do it.

First I baked two chipolte chicken skewers and chopped up the meat after in little bits.
I dipped the corn tortillas in premade sauce then pan fried them breifly.
In my baking pan I filled each tortilla with a little chicken, some black bean& roasted corn salsa, and a little cheese.

Then I topped it off with more sauce and cheesiness

As a special side dish I thought of a salad that Keith might actually eat....
First is a bowl of shredded carrots. Then I added some T.J's Corn & Chile salsa, a little fresh cilantro, and just a touch of a mexican flavored vinagrette.
If I had a lime I would have added a squeeze of that....Delicioso!

Summer fresh green beans

2008-07-14T11:44:00.002-06:00

Now, I've been way too sick for the past couple months to eat much of anything but geesh, don't any of you culinary goddesses have any edible delights to share?
Well then,
Here is my favorite though very simple way to enjoy fresh green beans.

First cook your summer green beans to a crunchy perfecting (steam or boil)
Then I mush up one avocado and mix it all over the beans
a little lemon pepper & salt to taste

And thats it! No butter needed. Super light, nurishing and delish!
(that is, when I can down something at all)

Crème brûlée French Toast

2008-04-08T11:10:00.005-06:00

This recipe was secretly found & perfectly executed by Keith for my birthday.
I have never been so impressed by a dish he's prepared. I think he surprised himself a little too.
I'm sorry that I only thought to take to take a picture at the very end but trust me, it's deeeeeelicious!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
6 (1 inch thick) slices French bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier®)
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Remove crusts from bread, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, orange brandy, and salt. Pour over the bread. Cover, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.
Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.

NEW TURKEY RECIPE

2007-11-06T18:22:00.002-07:00

Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!
You should try this!
Sure to bring smiles from your guests!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.

1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil
carefully. (see picture for details)
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
4. Watch your guests' faces...

*note: this was an email forward not my idea

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins

2007-10-31T12:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween! While I would like to eat lots of candy in honor of the holiday, I have to go to work tonight and also, lots of candy, not so healthy. Here's a great autumn bread/muffin recipe.

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins (makes about 2 dozen)

1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C orange juice
1 T orange peel

Dry Ingredients:
3 1/2 C flour (I use 2 C whole wheat and 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour)
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
2 C sugar

Wet Ingredients:
3 C canned pumpkin (29 oz can)
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place dried cranberries and orange peel in orange juice and let stand for 15 minutes.

Sift together all dry ingredients

Mix together all wet ingredients including OJ and cranberries. Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

Spoon into greased and floured muffin tins, about 3/4 full (you can do more, they don't rise too much)

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool. Can be frozen for several months. Can also be made in bread pans, just cook longer, probably about 50-60 minutes.

Fancy Shmancy French Toast

2007-10-28T12:13:00.002-06:00

I recently went out for a family brunch and was delighted by their version of a French Toast.
It was a giant wedge like a cake but seemed to be put together like a bread pudding.
I haven't attempted this at home yet but am planning on it. I'd love to hear if anyone else is successful in re-creating this breakfast dessert.

World Peace Through Dessert 2007

2007-09-10T22:52:00.001-06:00

We held our annual dessert party a couple of weeks ago, and if I'd been on the ball, I would have taken pics. We had some outstanding contributions, including peach and raspberry tart, amazing brownies, delish lemon tartlets that were deceptively small (causing me to guzzle dozens at a time).

One of my contributions was a Mormon and pregnancy-friendly Tiramisu (so no coffee, alcohol, or egg yolks). It's not the most authentic recipe, but I promise it's yummy. And easy.

The recipe I adapted this from claims to serve 6, but I think you'd have to have 6 very greedy people.

Lena's Tiramisu
4 tsp Pero in 250 ml hot water/ 250 ml espresso
15 g cocoa powder
200 g chocolate (semi or bittersweet)
750 g (pasteurised) mascarpone (at room temperature)
100-200 ml cream
1 vanilla pod/ 1 tsp vanilla essence
50 g caster sugar
200-300 g (40-60) lady fingers (biscotti per tiramisu)
cocoa powder for dusting

Prepare the Pero (espresso) beforehand and dissolve the cocoa powder in it. Leave to cool.

Chop the chocolate in a food processor, until the larger ones are about pea size. Open the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the beans (or just add the essence). Combine with the mascarpone and sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly, adding enough cream for a soft texture. Fold in the chocolate.

Take out a trifle bowl or dish and dunk the ladyfingers in the coffee mix, one by one, and make up the first layer. Dunk them quite quickly, making sure they soak up some of the liquid but do not become too wet. You want the biscuits to hold their shape in the tiramisu. Spoon half of the mascarpone mix on top. Top with another layer of dunked ladyfingers and cover with the rest of the mascarpone. Cover with cling film and cool in the fridge until ready to serve. Depending on the consistency of the mascarpone, you will need to leave it to rest in the fridge for 1 to 6 hours. This is great prepared the night before. Dust with the cocoa powder just before serving.

Sick Husband Chicken

2007-08-05T13:36:00.002-06:00

Today my husband is feeling under the weather. A sick grown man is such a pitiful sight. They moan and groan and need absolute pampering. Well, it just wont do to let this drag on so, this morning I woke him up with a healthy cup of tea. By noon I forced him out of bed to brush his teeth and take a shower, and for lunch I came up with this great aromatic recipe. I figured that they use mint and ginger in a lot of cold&flu remedies so why not lunch! It was a real hit especially concidering my husband's delicate palate. Here it is:

Mint Ginger Chicken

*Chicken Breasts
Marinade:
Mix together
-chopped fresh mint leaves
-crushed garlic (optional- I did it without and I think it was good as sometimes garlic overpowers the essence of a dish)
-a few large strips of fresh ginger
-ginger powder
-fresh lemon juice & some zest
-lemon pepper /or garlic pepper
-olive oil (I used an olive oil infused with lemon peel-very subtle)
-honey
-pinch of brown sugar

After letting this soak an hour or so I bbqed it on the grill and suddenly my poor sick husband miraculously felt great again. Go figure!

Making Salsa

2007-04-30T23:36:00.001-06:00

So I've been reading a lot of food blogs lately and have become enamored with the beautiful pictures of creating food. The processes and recipes become so much more interesting with pictures! So tonight I made salsa and decided to document the process with my itty bitty camera phone, for lack of better photographic equipment.

Hot House tomatoes, sweet onion, several cloves of garlic, jalepeno peppers, fresh cilantro

Chop them to fit in the food processor

Process until it's as chunky as you want it!

Add plenty of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a generous sprinkling of cumin and a couple of tablespoons of lime juice.

Yum! Enjoy! Now if I can just get a better camera... watch out Cooks Illustrated, here I come!

New Food Site Links

2007-03-29T13:13:00.001-06:00

I just stumbled across three cool food blogs: Slashfood, The Kitchen Wench and Matt Bites. Check them out for new recipes and commentaries on food.

Halloumi Cheese

2007-03-25T11:39:00.001-06:00

This week I went to a cooking class at Wild Oats. We learned how to make recipes for a Greek Independence Celebration. At this class I discovered Halloumi Cheese. It's known as the grilling cheese of Greece because you can put a slice of the cheese in a pan or on a grill and it will get nice and brown and crispy on the outside and all chewy and melty on the inside. So at this class, the chef made Cheese-Stuffed Crispy Zucchini with Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette. It was so delicious. Here's the recipe:

Cheese-Stuffed Crispy Zucchini

2 medium sized zucchini (about 1 pound)
4 ounces Halloumi Cheese
Salt and Pepper
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
Safflower oil for frying

1. Cut zucchini on the bias 1/3 inch coins. Make a slit in the zucchinis to stuff the cheese, (like little pita breads). Fill with a slice of cheese. Mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley.

2. Dip the stuffed zucchini in the flour, then the egg wash, and then the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Heat 1-inch of oil in a heavy pan. Fry zucchini (in batches). You will need to turn them and cook on both sides. Drain well.

Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette

2 large bulbs of garlic, roasted
1 cup of roasted bell peppers (and the juice)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
Basalmic or red wine vinegar to taste
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a blender and puree. Adjust seasonings to taste

Just this morning, I sauteed some Halloumi cheese and ate it with crunchy bread and olives for breakfast. It was delicious. I'm sure there are many other ways to use it as well. It is a cool cheese to experiment with!

A side note: Wild Oats cooking classes are so great. $50 gets you front -counter seats to watch the chef prepare the food and they serve you the full meal. They are not skimpy either - there was plenty of food for everyone. It is well worth the time and the money. I learned how to make Fish Soup, which was delicious (and I don't usually eat seafood!) and also sweet cheese pastries. I loved it!

Scones for Scrabble

2007-03-13T03:02:00.001-06:00

These are so easy I don't think I'll ever buy a mix again, who knew? I guess the British did... Lena?

(Variations on a) Scone
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus a little more for sprinking
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen (mine wasn't frozen and it worked just fine)
1/2 cup raisins (or dried currants)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

When I made them, instead of a circle, I made a long rectangle and made about 20 smaller triangles by cutting diagonally back and forth / \ / \ / \ like this. It seemed to make better sized scones. I can't imagine how huge they would be if I only made 8 out of the whole recipe.

Variations:
Cranberry-Orange Scones
Follow the recipe, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones
Follow the recipe, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones
Follow the recipe, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.

I'm sure there are lots of other options, chocolate chips, cinnamon sugar (although this is very American), pecans, etc. Do y'all have any ideas?

Greetings, Im Emily

2007-03-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

I'm so pleased to be invited into this club though I suddenly feel struck with no food inspirations to speak of. Still, I want to say hello and indroduce myself as a fellow lover of food, parties, themes and creativity. Did I mention I love to eat?
My basic attitude towards food these days is that it needs to easy enough, somewhat interesting, and calorically efficient.

Of course if you plunk a chunk of anything delicious or free in front of me, I'm sure to forget all about my intentions of good health and simply stick my face in and chew.

One fact about me:

I can not bake. Oh I might fake it now and then with a box of muffins and bold face lie. My favorite thing is to get the frozen chocolate chip cookie dough from Costco that comes pre scooped in perfect cookies sizes and to add nuts or coconut or something then tell the recipient of said cookies "of course I made them" , and you know, I pretty much did....

Other things I get excited about are when I can make a tasty / healthy version of something that looks neat too. like today's lunch: Teriyaki turkey burger on a whole wheat mini bagette with farmer's cheese & cherry tomatos.

It's simple yes, but something new and enjoyably healthy.

Another fact about me:

I love to try new things but it rarely turns out well. Like cooking with Filo. The recipe below looks wonderful and something I would have once tried on my own without the knowledge of buttering each sheet. Oh the wasted concoctions Ive made. When I was a little girl i was often found in the kitchen with apron on and stiring a massive bowl of nearly everything I could find which i proudly called: "Mushgottalota". It was a family joke though not so funny to my parents grocery bill.

Amazingly,

I tend to whip up pretty fab dinners on a moments notice with whatever is on hand and I feel good about that. And Once in a while that something new I try out turns out wonderfully. Like my valentines Dark chocolate/raspberry white chocolate layered mouse (recipes below).

Thanks for inviting me to join in your virtual dinner party and bon appetite :)

Raspberry White chocolate Mouse

INGREDIENTS
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 drop red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Process berries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain mixture into a small bowl, and discard seeds. Add the sugar and liqueur, and stir until sugar dissolves. Makes 1 cup of sauce.
In a heavy saucepan on low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream and the white chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts. Let mixture cool until it is lukewarm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of raspberry sauce, and the food coloring. Transfer to a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whip remaining 1 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Fold into melted chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until no streaks remain.
Layer into parfait dishes, and serve with the sauce. May also be used to fill or ice a cake.

Dark chocolate Mouse

INGREDIENTS
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
7 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
7 egg white
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon kirschwasser (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until mostly melted, then remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream to medium stiff peaks, but do not allow it to become grainy. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the sugar, and continue whipping to medium stiff peaks. Fold in egg yolks and kirshwasser.
Fold in the melted chocolate until completely incorporated, then fold in whipped cream until evenly blended. Spoon into dessert cups, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Cheeeese

2007-03-01T21:51:00.001-07:00

I was also at the Oscar feast, and was responsible for the baked brie. It's about the easiest recipe in the world (more of an assembly than a recipe, in fact) and a crowd pleaser, so I thought I'd share:

Brie en croute:
1 wheel brie (mine was a 19 oz one)
phyllo pastry (or one big sheet puff) - storebought, 5-8 sheets
melted butter - 1-2 oz
chopped almonds, craisins, apricot preserves (or any substitution you like)
1 egg, beaten

take a sheet of phyllo, brush it with melted butter, layer another sheet on top, brush, repeat with all but one of your sheets.
Spread some preserves in a big circle on the pastry (a bit bigger than the brie). Scatter nuts and craisins in the circle.
Plonk the brie in the middle . If you like, you can slice the rind off the top and put it rindless side down, but I like the extra flavour of the rind.
Wrap the pastry around the brie, and seal with remaining butter. Turn it over, and use the remaining sheet or trimmings for decoration. Brush the whole thing with egg.
Bake it for about 25 minutes at 400F, or until deep golden brown. Leave for about 1/2 hour before serving, so it's not totally liquid, but nice and runny.
Serve with crackers, dried fruit, bread.

Oscar Night Food

2007-02-26T17:59:00.001-07:00

There was lots of food at my Oscar party, baked brie with apricots, cream puffs, tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, shrimp cocktail, cranberry juice with lime, all delish. However, I didn't make any of that stuff. Here's what I made.

Chicken Satay and Peanut Sauce
Pretty easy, no real recipe. Chicken breast, cut into strips, sprinkled with salt and pepper, skewered, grilled, served with peanut sauce.

Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars
1 C butter, softened
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/3 C raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Beat butter in a large bowl. Add flour, sugar, and salt and mix well. Press 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture into pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Combine 1 cup chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread over hot crust.

Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over chocolate filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of jam over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is set. Cool completely.

Crostini with Caramelized Onion, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced very thinly
1 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbsp sundried tomato, soaked in water to soften and chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts
Baguette, thinly sliced

Heat olive oil in pan over mdium heat. Add onion, break apart pieces. Saute for about 5 minutes, stiring occasionally. Add sugar, stir, cover pan, lower heat. Cook until onion is caramelized, about 15 minutes. Put onion in bowl and let cool. Mix in cheese, sundried tomatoes, and walnuts.
Preheat oven to 400. Place bread on baking sheet. Toast till golden on both sides. Spoon some cheese mixture onto each slice of bread. Bake about 5 minutes until hot.

The recipe calls for gorgonzola cheese and no sundried tomatoes. So just try things that sound good to you.

Pretty Red Food?

2007-02-01T18:53:00.001-07:00

I miss the updates on here. I hope you all are still alive out there! Next week I am hosting a Valentine's/Birthday party ("I Heart You" is the theme). Does anyone have suggestions for red food that does not involve too much nasty red food coloring for food that otherwise should not be red. It does not have to be completely red. I just want the food to tie in with the theme and complement the decorations which involve red paper lanterns and red felt hearts. So far I have red velvet cupcakes (OK that might involve some food coloring), pomegranate or cranberry drinks, and chocolate fondue with strawberries. Any other ideas? I especially need some ideas for savory foods!

Christmas Dinner with the Food Freaks

2006-12-27T00:14:00.001-07:00

I was in charge of Christmas dinner menu this year and as it turns out, it was the best holiday dinner we have had in a long time: standing rib roast, mashed potatoes with carmelized shallots and sage, roasted sugar plum tomatoes with stilton cheese, mushroom pie, crescent rolls, roasted asparagus, Yorkshire pudding, fruit salad, green salad, plum pudding and cookies. It was a ridiculous amount of food for 10 people.

The tomatoes were especially good, so here's the recipe:

12 medium plum tomatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds) (I used sugar plum tomatoes)

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary

8 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 4-ounce piece Stilton cheese, crumbled

Cut tomatoes lengthwise in half; remove seeds and membranes. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on platter; let drain 15 minutes. Mix pepper, salt, and rosemary in large bowl. Add 6 tablespoons olive oil and garlic and whisk to blend. Add tomato halves and toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes.Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any oil mixture remaining in bowl over tomatoes. Roast until tomatoes are slightly softened and browned on bottoms and around edges, about 65 minutes. Arrange tomatoes on platter; sprinkle with crumbled cheese. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover tomatoes loosely and let stand at room temperature.

I had never had plum pudding before and it was pretty good, for British food (not usually a big fan, but since my British grandmother lives here now, we must eat such things as plum pudding, Yorkshire pudding, bread pudding, etc.). It was chewy and spongy and I was glad there was a lemon sauce to pour over it.

Anyway, dinner was such a lot of work that I felt like I must memorialize it in a blog. I should have taken pictures of the feast for our food-obsessed family. I ate just a little of everything, which was clearly too much, then came straight home and joined the Biggest Loser club online. It will take weeks to counteract the damage, but it was delicious damage and I'm not so sure that it wasn't worth it.

New Links

2006-12-20T16:53:00.001-07:00

Just in time for Christmas with all it's required cooking, 2 new links for more food ideas.

1) All Recipes I love this site not only because it has lots and lots of recipes, it also has multiple search options so you can find just what you want, user comments and ratings so you can make sure what you find is really good, and if you sign in, you can save your recipes in your "recipe box" to easily find them again to share with us on here.

2) Chow Heard about this site from Chelsea and just like her amazing style and flowers and blog, it's a great site, well designed, full of info, ideas, and tips to help us all be the hostesses with the mostestes. Not just recipes, this site has taste tests, how-to videos, and etiquette tips to use in the real world like how to politely get out of a boring party and the proper way to ask your hostess for salt when the food is bland but you don't want to be insulting.

Enjoy!

P.S. I switched over to the new (no longer beta) blogger so I think all y'all have to also if you want to post here.

Tomato Soup Can Make You Feel Better for a Couple of Hours

2006-12-15T00:03:00.001-07:00

I have a really bad cold - the kind where you can't quit coughing, even with a million cough drops and a whole thermos of hot tea. I had some Tomato Soup from Trader Joe's for dinner tonight. I added some fresh salsa, with extra jalepenos, and some sour cream. It was so good and I felt well for about two and a half or three hours after that. Now I feel horrible again and am going to attempt sleep. Wish me luck.

P.S. I was googling pictures of tomato soup and found this:

There is apparently a town in Spain that has an annual tomato fight. My new dream vacation destination. (Click on the photo for more info.)

Oat Flour and Riced Potatoes

2006-11-27T21:37:00.001-07:00

My mom decided to "cut the carbs" out of Thanksgiving this year and try and have a low-carb meal. No. Way. I had to take matters into my own hands and took it upon myself to ensure that the two most important carbs (potatoes and rolls) were on the table.

I was making rolls on Thursday morning and realized that I didn't quite have enough flour or enough time to go to the store and still have everything done in time. I decided to get creative and grind up some oats in my food processor and use the oat flour to finish up the rolls. It kind of worked. The rolls were a bit heavier and didn't rise as well. And they were a bit grainy (I didn't process the oats enough, I guess!), but everyone seemed to like them. They were really good when they were warm right out of the oven.

I'm not sure if oat flour would work as well in cookies or cakes or something like that, but it was workable for bread.

I used a potato ricer this year, instead of whipping potatoes with a mixer. I used russett potatoes, cooked them, drained them and then popped them back in the hot pot to dry out a bit. Left them in there for about 5-7 minutes, then pushed them through the ricer. It takes a little bit of time, but it is worth it. Once the potatoes were all riced, I added warmed half and half and a melted cube of butter, with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then just lightly stirred everything together. Very melty and not as chewy and gluey as with a mixer or beaters.

Drunky McDrunk

2006-11-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

So I had my mom give me all the leftover turkey, $20, and some tupperware and told her I would make freezable meals out of it and split it with her. We had been talking about going to My Girlfriend's Kitchen but just using what we had seemed like a better choice this time since we had all this leftover food. More on what I made later.

Here's the weird part. I picked several recipes that called for white wine (that's not the weird part). My dad (George, who really needs to post something!) had told me that dry vermouth works just as well and won't go bad sitting on the shelf since I won't be drinking the rest of the bottle with dinner.

Now that I live in Utah, I had to go to a state run liquor store to buy it. First I had to look online to find one, then I had to wonder if I should go there? Who might see me? Who else would be there, just me and the drunken dregs of society? Then I decided these recipes sounded good, I have used wine before, and don't really care what anyone else thinks, OK I do a little but I guess I like wine more. And most of the people in the store looked just like me, but I was having a bad hair day...

I'll let you know if it was worth it and how the recipes turned out once I'm done.

Thanksgiving Traditions

2006-11-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

All holidays have traditions tied to them, the things you remember when you think of that holiday, the things that make them unique to you and your family. For Thanksgiving these include saying what we are thankful for, hoping to not sit at the kids' table anymore, and my Uncle Buddy's semi-annual beard shaving, the other is at Easter. But I think the biggest Thanksgiving tradition is the food itself.

My family has been through lots of changes over the years due to divorce, bringing new people with their own ideas of the correct food. I still remember the first Thanksgiving and how frantic my mom was, trying to cook what everyone wanted. I think we had 5 types of vegetables including 2 kinds of corn, 2 kinds of stuffing, and 3 different desserts. After that, my stepfather's (very wealty) parents just rented out a room at the yacht club and had the staff there make and serve us the family recipes.

My favorite food of Thanksgiving is stuffing. But not just any stuffing. I hate mushy bread more than almost anything. So in my opinion, stuffing can very easily become a disheartening disaster. For the oppposite reason, I'm sure some people will hate this drier version. But to me, this is Thanksgiving. It's actually right on the Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix bag.

Savory Herb and Sausage Stuffing with Tangy Granny Smith Apples
8 tbsp. butter
2 medium Granny Smith apples, coarsely chopped
3/4 lb. pork sausage (my mom uses turkey sausage b/c I don't like pork)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth or water
1 bag (16 oz.) Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing

Heat 2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sausage, onion and celery. Cook until well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat.
Place in large bowl and add stuffing mix and apples.
Heat broth and remaining butter to boiling.
Pour over stuffing mix and stir well.
Season to taste as needed.
Spoon stuffing into 3 Qt baking dish.
Bake at 350ºF. for 20 min. or until hot

I think I might go have some of the leftovers right now!

What Are You Making For Thanksgiving?

2006-11-22T15:18:00.001-07:00

The food season is upon us so hopefully we can all revive this blog. So what are you making for Thanksgiving?

Here's what I am making to add my part to the traditional turkey and stuffing.

Roasted Squash and Potatoes with Orange-Maple Sauce (6 servings)
There isn't really a recipe so here's what I did:
2 potatoes, washed and cubed
1 acorn squash (or some other kind)
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

I'll admit, I don't know much about squash so I used acorn but it is very hard to peel, so there may be a better option.

Preheat oven to 400. Place potatoes, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper in a baking pan. Place in oven for about 20 minutes. Cut squash in half, place in baking dish and microwave for 5 minutes, this will help soften it for peeling and cutting into cubes. Allow to cool a bit, then cut away skin and cubed the squash. Add this to the potatoes and onion. Continue to cook in oven for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are tender and slightly brown and roasted. Place in serving bowl. Mix OJ, maple syrup, and rosemary and pour over potatoes and squash. Enjoy!

My Favorite Green Beans
Here's the original recipe, alter it to the size of your crowd.
2 lbs green beans
2 T Dijon grainy mustard, the kind with whole grains in it
3 T Balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1/2 t olive oil
2 T chopped green onions

Steam green beans. Drain. Mix other ingredients in a bowl and then pour over green beans. Enjoy!

2006-10-19T19:04:00.001-06:00

3 Pantry Must-Haves (from a non cooker)

OK, so I really don't have much to contribute to this blog. First, I have recently found that after six years out of college and no more Art History papers to write that my writing skills have plummeted. So, please read with kindness. But, the main reason I don't write is that while I love and adore food, I don't cook very often. I lack time and more importantly lack any sort of patience. However, I did want to share a small tip for non-cookers that I recently discovered.

The other day I pretty much had 1 box of Trader Joe's mac and cheese left in my cupboard (not unusual at all if you know me). Luckily my sister who recently moved out, hates to pack, but as you might already know from this blog loves to cook. So, I had plenty of condiments on hand amongst the 1000's of New Yorker's, hundreds of books, and random furniture that she "left for me". Among the Elizabeth left-overs were some olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I added these three ingredients to my mac and cheese. It was magical. It tasted like 5000 times better than normal. So, basically the only cooking advice that I have is to add these three lovelies to anything (savory that is) and it will pretty much taste like it is from the most gourmet restaurant ever.

Quarterly Reflection

2006-09-28T00:22:00.001-06:00

I go to the doctor 4 times a year to get numerous tests, dialogue about leading a healthier life, and to have awkward conversation about the weather with the nurse as she is stabbing me with a needle. I am diabetic.

Since my near-death experience during adult onset of diabetes about 5 years ago, my enthusiasm for the diabetic way of life has surged and waned. I want to be normal, I don't want to be treated special. I don't want my mom to make a fake pumpkin pie with no-carb crust, that leaves a residue on your tongue from the Splenda that you taste for hours afterwards.

I have loved making food and eating food since I was 3. You can't all of the sudden take away all the sugar, the salt, the fat, the carbs and expect me to still enjoy life. Cooking is one of my major hobbies. I think about cooking, I watch cooking on tv, I have conversations about cooking with relatives that I have nothing else in common with. I can't NOT cook.

On the eve of my next doctor's appointment, I am reviewing my life over the past few months to see how I have been doing. I got on the scale tonight and I somehow lost 10 pounds in the past 4 months - probably from stress. I am constantly trying to make better choices that will positively affect my blood sugar and my general health. Maybe it has actually had an effect? Maybe not. But let's pretend that it has.

Leafy green vegetables are good.
Trader Joe's Flaxseed and Soy Tortilla Chips with only 8 carbs are still good and crunchy when you dip them in salsa.
Asparagus is very good roasted.
Chicken tastes better when it is on the bone and with the skin. (Still no carbs)
Tomatoes are delicious.
Yogurt mixed with Grape Nuts for breakfast at 9 am gives me enough energy and keeps me full until 2pm.
Butter is good in moderation. Margarine is always, always bad.
Popcorn always makes me sick.
Cooking for others decreases my own appetite, but gives me the satisfaction of making a big fat meal.
Always be training for some kind of race - (January, 1/2 Marathon?)
Buy clothes instead of food.
Only cook big fat meals on the weekend and during the week eat Trader Joe's frozen dinners.

This is the part where I am supposed to reference a lot of low-carb, diabetic friendly recipes. Frankly, most of them suck. All things in moderation. Make good choices. Eat less, but still eat real food. Sometime in my lifetime, I won't take any pills and will be completely controlled with diet and exercise. I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it. And that's a good place to be.

Do You Heart Your Heart?

2006-09-25T14:59:00.001-06:00

Maybe it's because I just started a blog about food.
Maybe it's because I work as a nurse on a cardiac unit.
Maybe it's just because heart disease is so scary and more and more common (it's the #1 killer of women!)

Whatever reason, I thought this was an important day. By now, most of us have forgotten our New Year's resolutions and for most of us, there was probably at least one that had something to do with diet or exercise. So today, the day after World Heart Day, can be a new day to make resolutions.

I resolve to eat more fruits and vegetables and to start using that gym membership I am already paying for - I don't want my wallet to be the only thing getting thinner.

What about you? Need more info?

How to cheat at cupcakes

2006-09-21T00:23:00.001-06:00

I am a purist when it comes to desserts. Or a snob. I admit it. So I somewhat shamefully admit that I do cheat on occasion. Case in point: Lemon cupcakes. They have become my easy, quick, go-to dessert for casual affairs. Why did I fall off my "everything from scratch" high horse? Well, it goes back to Jaime's 30th birthday party a few months ago. I knew she was getting some amazing homemade moroccan spiced chococate ice cream (just thinking about it makes my mouth water) so the cake needed to be just a little something. So I settled on lemon cupcakes. Since i had failed to delegate any of the food, I was short on time. I succumbed to the Betty Crocker box (or maybe Duncan Hines). I was going to buy a white cake mix and add some lemon zest and lemon juice, but discovered they actually make a lemon cake mix. Now, by itself, it is not very tasty, but with some amazing frosting it goes from bland to delicious in a blink of an eye. So below is the recipe for the lemon frosting. Use it on anything you want. But I will warn you, it is good. So good, I know one person who ate the excess frosting from the bowl, by the spoonful.

Lemon Frosting:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons whole milk (I have always used skim or 1% and it has turned out great)

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and the lemon zest until smooth. Beat in the milk. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

The recipe makes enough frosting to frost a cake mix box worth of cupcakes or a 9-inch layered cake.

What is a Cooking Club, anyway?

2006-09-19T00:09:00.001-06:00

Somehow I inherited the duty of running a "cooking club" via email. When I took over, I thought to myself, what is a cooking club without actually cooking and then eating what you make? Nothing! I said to myself. So I planned an afternoon lunch where everyone could come over and bring their favorite salad, share recipes, get to know each other. That sounds lovely, I said to myself. I invited everyone. My roommate and I made lovely food and drinks, little miniature sandwiches with prosciutto and herbed cream cheese, crostini with white beans and cherry tomatoes and Brazilian lemonade. The house was spotless. Flowers decorated the tables. We waited and waited and waited. Not one person came. That's right. Out of a cooking club of over 20 people, not one person showed up. We ate everything ourselves with the help of a couple of people. My stomach was full, so I was only a little bitter.

That was a month or so ago. I have given up on trying to get people together for a "cooking club" and have resigned myself to sending out weekly emails with sometimes helpful information. I always ask people to send me their tips and recipes and over the past three or four months that I have been doing it, I have gotten probably 5 emails in return. The conversation is wildly one-sided.

One-sided conversations are boring because who cares what you say. Last night I sent out a cooking club email with absolutely no helpful information because I hadn't cooked anything of note the week before and it was 10 at night and I was tired and I had to be up early. I had a crazy week, okay? Geesh! Leave me alone! Then I get home from work today, checked my email and someone had sent me an email to "unsubscribe" to the cooking club. It's not like it's a list-serve. It's a list that was passed on to me because everyone on the list wanted to be in a cooking club. I know most of the people on the list and go to church with them every week. Is this a personal rejection? Was I not organic enough? Was I not homemade enough? Did I post too many recipes with alcohol in them? Why don't you want to be in the lamest cooking club in America? "I would like to be removed from this list." She said. Lady, join the crowd.

How I nearly missed my flight

2006-09-18T11:06:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Chez Panisse? It’s a world famous restaurant in Berkley, started by Alice Waters. They grow a lot of their own food, and believe in living low on the food chain. I was staying in San Francisco (food heaven) this weekend, and-- well, I didn’t GO to Chez Panisse – you have to book months if not years in advance—but Chez Panisse used to have a pastry chef, and the pastry chef left and started her own ice cream parlour, called “Ici,” on Ashby and College Avenue.

We went there three times in three days. Between tasting and buying, I tried black mission fig, rum and raisin, brown sugar pecan, chocolate, and ginger ice-cream, blackcurrant sorbet, gingersnap icecream sandwich with lemon icecream, a chocolate and hazelnut bombe, and their hot fudge on almost everything. Everything was delicious. The last time we went, we’d gone to get pizza from Zachary’s (yummy, topping-heavy pizza) down the street, and were irresistibly close to Ici. We were also rather close to our flight time…but it seemed worth the risk. We ran in and asked for our two scoops each, and directions to the airport. The beautiful man serving stopped to think about it, but he doesn’t drive, so wasn’t very helpful. “that’s ok, keep scooping,” I said. A dollop of hot fudge later, and we were out the door – and yes, made our flight.

Cold Weather, Warm Soups

2006-09-17T14:41:00.001-06:00

It's still officially summer for a few more days but you wouldn't know it by the last few days. On Wednesday, the high was close to 90 and then on Saturday morning I woke up to snow, not just high up in the mountains, but right in my backyard. I knew Salt Lake had all four seasons, I just didn't know that I would get all of them in one week.

So to celebrate the summer part - about two weeks ago, I went to a u-pick-it farm with friends and spent the day in the sun picking truly vine-ripened tomatoes, red bell peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, and green beans.

Then to welcome the winter - I turned the red bell peppers and tomatoes into one of the best soups I have ever had. My mom said if I change my mind about being a nurse, I could just start selling soup. I have to admit, I got the idea for the soup from Elizabeth, she made one almost like this for one of my last dinners in Portland (notice a theme here, Elizabeth has great taste in food).

So here are two of my favorite soup recipes. I've been making the first one for years, the second one I just tried. Both are pretty healthy.

Chicken Corn Chowder Recipe
Serves 8-10 and freezes well, just don't overcook the potatoes

1 pound chicken breast, cut into chunks, or use chicken sausage for a smokier flavor
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 cups frozen cut corn
2 cans (16 ounces each) fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Spray a large soup pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until chicken is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in potatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Stir in corn. Blend the flour and milk in a bowl then gradually stir it into the pot. Increase heat to medium and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted and well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Roasted Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup Serves 4-6
2 1/4 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 large red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups (about) water
2 tablespoons sour cream
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange tomatoes (cut side up), bell peppers, onion and garlic cloves on large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until brown and tender, turning peppers and onion occasionally, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool slightly. You don't even have to peel the tomatoes of anything. so easy!

Transfer vegetables and any juices to processor. Add thyme. Puree soup, gradually adding enough water to thin soup to desired consistency. The recipe said to chill it but I liked it hot.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with some sour cream. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

I have a small food processor so I did the tomatoes in one batch and then the red peppers. They were two different shades of red so for a party, it might be nice to swirl them in the individual bowls. For me, I mixed it all together including the sour cream and froze it to enjoy later.

Are You A Member Of The Clean Plate Club?

2006-09-16T11:41:00.001-06:00

I'm starting a new blog. You might wonder why start another when I never update my other one, but this one should be lots of fun and hopefully I won't be the only one writing the posts.

This blog is all about food, eating it, cooking it, buying it, eating out, whatever we want. We can write about new recipes we have tried, our old standbys and favorites, great restaurants (if you're in Portland, check out Elizabeth's blog), new cooking gadgets, eating healthy, splurging decadently, how hard it is to take your lunch to work and how the secretary cleaned out the fridge and threw away your lunch, tupperware and all, before you ate it, leading you to eat Sunchips and frozen yogurt for lunch (yep, that was yesterday, just a little bitter still).

So please join me and share any of your thoughts about food. Bon appetit!

Since this could get a little "blogged" down with posts (I hope), I'm putting links on the side with a link to this first post and also an index. I'll update the index post when new posts are added to keep a running list so things are easy to find. Please let me know if you have any ideas or anything you would like to see added or changed.

The Clean Plate Club Index

2006-09-16T10:30:00.002-06:00

RECIPES

10/14/08 - Apples and Caramel Cream Cheese Dip
9/20/08 - Zucchini Risotto
9/17/08 - My First Manicotti
9/2/08 - Trader Joe's Mexican Night
7/18/08 - Summer Fresh Green Beans
4/8/08 - Creme Brulee French Toast
10/31/07 - Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins
9/10/07 - World Peace Through Dessert 2007 (Tiramisu)
8/5/07 - Sick Husband Chicken
4/30/07 - Making Salsa
3/25/07 - Halloumi Cheese
3/13/07 - Scones for Scrabble
3/8/07 - Greetings, I'm Emily (White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse and Dark Chocolate Mousse)
3/1/07 - Cheeeese (Brie en Croute)
2/26/07 - Oscar Night Food (Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, Chocolate Raspberry Crumb Bars, and Crostini with Caramelized Onions, Walnuts and Goat Cheese)
12/27/06 - Christmas Dinner with the Food Freaks (Roasted Tomatoes with Stilton Cheese)
11/27/06 - Oat Flour and Riced Potatoes
11/24/06 - Thanksgiving Traditions (Stuffing)
11/22/06 - What Are You Making For Thanksgiving? (Green Beans and Roasted Squash)
9/21/06 - How to Cheat At Cupcakes
9/17/06 - Chicken Corn Chowder and Roasted Tomato Red Bell Pepper Soup

TASTY THOUGHTS

10/28/07 - Fancy Schmancy French Toast
3/29/07 - New Food Site Links
2/1/07 - Pretty Red Food
12/20/06 - New Links
12/15/06 - Tomato Soup Can Make You Feel Better For A Couple Of Hours
11/25/06 - Drunky McDrunk
10/19/06 - 3 Pantry Must-Haves (from an non-cooker)
9/28/06 - Quarterly Reflection
9/25/06 - Do You Heart Your Heart?
9/19/06 - Lizzy Leads a Cooking Club
9/18/06 - Ici Ice Cream In Berkeley