Happy Fall Y'all!

Oh, man! I have been loving this fall-ish weather we have been having! Today I made a trip to the farmer's market for some mums and found this amazing lettuce pot!



They called it "living lettuce". It makes me want a HUGE salad. You just trim off what you need to make your salad, etc. and it keeps growing for you!! LOVE it!

Here are some pics me and Baxter enjoying these beautiful days:


gorgeous sunny sky

sweet puppy dog

some of my roses making one last show before winter


You are probably wondering what I have been cooking lately, huh? Well, last week I had some cupcakes to make for Hunter Beason. His mom, Mecie, told me they were having another camping party and wanted cupcakes. She gave me creative control and told me to "do whatever"! Here is what I made:

S'Mores Cupcakes!

They have been really big lately on all of the cooking blogs, so I thought this was a perfect time to try them out. Here is a link to the recipe I used from "Good Thymes and Good Food" that includes the graham cracker crust, chocolate cupcake,and marshmallow buttercream. I topped each cake with either a graham cracker stick or a mini hershey bar. Also, I left out the chocolate chips from this recipe. (only because I forgot to buy them!!) They were soo yummy!

Also, I discovered a new love at The Fresh Market! I have many many loves there, but this one is taking the number one spot this week! This pistachio gelato is beyond words. Get some.


I was really craving seafood a couple weeks ago (specifically crab legs and shrimp), so I decided to make Justin and I a form of Surf and Turf. After searching the internet, I found this recipe on "What's Cookin' Italian Style" for a crab, shrimp, and mushroom sauce to go on steaks.

For the steaks, I got 2 filets from The Fresh Market and cooked them according to the only steak recipe I will ever use...Ina's Steakhouse Steaks. Perfection, everytime!

I served Rachael Ray's potatoes gratin on the side. This is one of my absolute favorite potato recipes. If you know me, you know I LOVE potatoes. So, trust me on this one...it is like potatoes in alfredo sauce....mmmmm.



Umm. Yeah. Definitely not something you want to eat on a regular basis, but a good splurge!

Hope everyone is getting outside to enjoy this weather if you can! Have a great week!

Honey-roasted BLT's with red pepper aioli

Ahhh. Tomatoes! If there is one thing that makes these sweltering Mississippi summers worth it, it's a big, red garden tomato. Growing up, my mom introduced me to a perfect summer snack. A big plate of ripe tomatoes with salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. It doesn't get any better!
Well, except for maybe a super duper BLT! We loved Ina Garten's California BLT's so much, we've eaten them probably 4 times since I blogged about them. Last night, I decided to put a new spin on the recipe...plus I needed to use up that leftover aioli!

Honey-roasted BLT's with red pepper aioli

6 slices white bread (Pepperidge Farm Hearty White), toasted
9 slices center cut bacon
2 Tbsp honey
1 avocado, sliced
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 large, or 4 small tomatoes, sliced and sprinkled with salt and pepper
mayo


Preheat oven to 425. Place bacon slices on a rack on top of a baking sheet. Drizzle each slice with honey. Bake at 425 for about 20- 25 minutes, until brown and crispy. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Spread mayo on bread slices to taste. Arrange 3 slices bacon, 2-3 tomato slices, 3-4 avocado slices, and 3-4 pieces lettuce on each sandwich. Top with remaining bread slices, cut in half and serve with red pepper aioli as a dipping sauce.

Yummy!

Butternut Squash Lasagna and Zucchini Casserole

I have been feeling a bit under the weather this week, so I made two "big pan" meals so we could have leftovers for lunches and dinners later. Both of these are delicious, FULL of colorful veggies, and from....COOKING LIGHT. I should branch out more, but Cooking Light has the best healthy recipes!! So, here we go...

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Cooking Light

I followed the recipe exactly, with no adaptations. Except for the fact that, in one of the pans, I got a little mixed up on the layers! Ooops! It all got in there, though!



I even made the Smoky Marinara. You could, I suppose, use a canned marinara. But, why when this is so easy and tasty?? Look for the fire roasted tomatoes in the organic section at your grocery.

Smoky Marinara
Cooking Light



Zucchini Casserole with Red Pepper Aioli
Cooking Light



I adapted this one a bit. It really sounded like too much liquid to me. I used two 6 oz cans of tomato paste in place of one of the cans of diced tomatoes. I added 1/2 cup of tomato juice at the end, but only used about 10 oz of chicken broth. It turned out just right, not soupy at all, which I feared would have grossed me out. The layers of bread were not soggy at all. Actually they kind of melted into the casserole, the perfect binder. Whatever you do, do not skip the aioli! It is magical. You will have a lot leftover...put it in the fridge and dip some raw veggies in it later!!

Doughnut Muffins

Yes, you read that right...doughnut muffins. Oh my. I came across this jewel while reading the "What's Cooking" board on The Nest. Basically, it's doughnut batter baked in muffin form, drowned in butter, and covered in cinnamon sugar. Ahhh. I made these last night for Justin's breakfast this morning, but he ended up eating a few for dessert! I mean, how can you just leave something like that sitting there until morning? My kitchen smelled amazing, like Krispy Kreme when the red light is on. There are many forms of this recipe on the internet, mine is adapted from one on allrecipes.com. I decided to use powdered sugar on top, instead of granulated sugar. We all love those little powdered sugar doughnuts, right?!

Doughnut muffins
adapted from allrecipes.com

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups.
Cream sugar and shortening. Add egg and mix to combine. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk until combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups about half full.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly golden, 20 minutes.
While muffins are baking, place 1/4 cup of melted butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with the cinnamon. Remove muffins from their cups, dip each muffin in the melted margarine, and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Let cool and serve. With milk, duh.

Homemade gnocchi!!

I'm super excited to tell you all about this gnocchi, but I guess I'd better start at the beginning of the week, so you'll know WHY I made the gnocchi.

Sunday is one of my work days. Usually I am so tired after 10 hours of helping folks out of bed and moving heavy arms and legs that I don't want to do much cooking...especially if I don't have anything planned and prepped already. So, Sunday, I called Justin on my way home from work with my usual "What do you want to eat?" (hoping he would suggest ordering a pizza). He said "Oh, just whatever we have..." Ugh, I really didn't want to cook and we were low on groceries, so I said "Well,I will just fix a salad or something." I drove home trying to scrounge up the energy to throw together some sort of dinner salad.

Well, to my surprise, I walk in the door to find THIS going on:



Yep, that's my husband and a rack of lamb. Probably the sexiest thing I have ever seen. Just saying.

He got the recipe from his Men's Journal magazine. He went to the grocery store (The Fresh Market!!) and got all the ingredients himself. Then, he cooked this fabulous dinner for me. So sweet, right?

I know.

Here are the recipes for my amazing dinner:


Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Asparagus with red pepper dressing
Both from Men's Journal


Strawberry Mint Smoothie
From The Fresh Market

He picked up the recipe for the dessert smoothie while he was at the grocery store. It was all delicious. I love you baby!!

As I was cleaning up after dinner, I saw a pound of potatoes, a huge bunch of basil, and some cherry tomatoes on the counter. I know I didn't buy this stuff, so I asked Justin what they were for. If you read further into the asparagus recipe, you already know the answer. He said he bought all the ingredients, but just didn't have time to make all that gnocchi by hand.

My next thought was, "What kind of MEN'S magazine has recipes for rack of lamb and gnocchi, anyway?" Justin said these were part of an article titled, "Five recipes every man should be able to cook"

EVERY man? Not that I disagree, (I mean, wouldn't that be awesome?) but that's a bit excessive, right?

WELL....I have always wanted to try making gnocchi. Giada makes it look so easy on the Food Network! All the ingredients were there and Jacob and Jessy were coming over for dinner, so why not now?!

After looking at the recipe, I quickly realized that this would be an all day event. So, I got started early.

You can find the recipe for the gnocchi in the asparagus link above from Men's Journal...

Here is how you do it, adapted from Men's Journal:
1. Bake 1 pound of potatoes (any kind, really. I used Yukon Golds) for an hour.
2. Cut them in half and scoop out the insides.
3. Put the hot potatoes through a potato ricer.
4. Mound the hot potatoes on a clean countertop and make a well in the center.
5. Put 1/2 cup flour then 2 egg yolks then another 1/2 cup flour into the well.
6. With a bench scraper, chop everything together quickly until a dough forms.
7. Shape dough into a ball and roll in flour.
8. Pull off a section of dough and roll it into a snake.
9. Cut the snake into 1/2 inch pieces.

10. Roll each piece into a ball in your hand

11. Place the ball on your floured counter top and roll it with a fork or gnocchi paddle into an oval shape with indentations. (I don't have a gnocchi paddle, so i used a fork)




12. Once all the gnocchi are shaped, drop them into boiling, salted water. Scoop them out when they float to the top and dunk them in an ice bath to cool.
13. Take them out of the ice bath and drain on paper towels.
14. Refiridgerate or freeze until ready to use.

All of the above took about 2 and a half hours. Making the actual gnocchi dish was quick and simple. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of our dinner.

I made Steak Diane, Gnocchi with tomatoes and basil, and Strawberry goat cheese salad.

The salad is my creation (and one of Jessy's favorites). Here is what goes in it:

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad

4-5 cups fresh mixed baby greens
1 pint strawberries, halved
1/2 pint blueberries
1 small package goat cheese, crumbled
3 Tbsp. toasted pecans
4 Tbsp Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette (I use Ken's)

Toss together and serve!

The gnocchi was delicious. Much better texture and taste than the store-bought kind...but a lot of work!

Green Monster

This may totally gross you out, but I am currently obsessed with this spinach smoothie recipe. I know, it sounds terrible. It is actually really good though, and there is NO other way I am eating 2-3 cups of spinach for breakfast! Just trust me, and try it. I is yummy and an easy way to sneak in some veggies!! Check out this amazing blog for other recipes, and more info about the "Green Monster": Green Monster Movement

Green Monster, from Green Monster Movement

1 cup almond milk (use any milk you like)
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 frozen banana
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
ice

Blend until completely smooth. If the green is scary, throw in some blueberries and it will be pretty, pretty purple! :)

Also, I found this yummy little concoction at Kroger:


Looks like swampwater, but tastes delish! And it is FULL of healthy green goodness. Spirulina, sprouts, wheatgrass...the list goes on and on. As my grandaddy used to say to get me to eat veggies from his garden "It'll make you pretty!"

Now, aren't you just itching to eat (or drink) something green?

Banana "soft serve"

I just came across the most amazing thing. It is all over the internet and I'm sure some of you already know about it, but I have to pass this on. Banana "soft serve". Sounds good, right? Well, it gets better. The only ingredient is one frozen banana! I know, I was skeptical, too. Honestly, though, the texture is exactly like soft serve ice cream with a delicious natural banana flavor. No added sugar, no dairy, no fat! Perfect summer snack or dessert. If you have a sweet tooth like me, this is a life (and figure) saver!
How to do it:

Chop up a ripe banana and put it in a zipper bag. Throw it in the freezer. Let it freeze at least 24 hours. (I usually have several bags of bananas in the freezer door for smoothies) Fire up your food processor. Pulse the banana a few times till finely chopped. Then let it go full speed for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides frequently. The banana will become light and fluffy and start to resemble ice cream. Scoop into a bowl and thank me later! :)

Chicken Francais

I am tired tonight...so here is a recipe and a pic from last night! This one is from Cooking Light. Here is the link: Chicken Francais

Turned out pretty good. I am just not a chicken lover so much...I'm sure most normal people would love this, though!

Vanilla- Glazed Pork Chops.....yummmmm.

When I saw this recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook, I thought it sounded so different and inventive that I HAD to try it!! The vanilla sauce was amazing, and the pork chops tasted sooo good after their red wine sauna! :)Try this...but DO NOT substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean! The real vanilla totally makes this recipe. I used boiling onions because that is what they had at the farmer's market. I ended up cutting them in half because they were a little big, but it turned out fine. I served this with a baked sweet potato and, of course, red wine. I couldn't find a link to the recipe, so I just copied it from my Cooking Light cookbook:

Vanilla-Glazed Pork Chops with Cipollini Onions
Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 (4oz) boned center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas black pepper
1 teas vegetable oil
Cooking spray
12 cipollini onions or small boiling onions, peeled (about 3/4 pound)
1 (3-in) piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup Madeira wine
1 T brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 teas cornstarch

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add chops and onions; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Scrape the seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds, bean and wine to pan scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until pork and onions are tender. Remove pork and onions from pan with a slotted spoon; keep warm.

2. Combine the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to wine mixture in pan, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Discard the vanilla bean. Serve the vanilla sauce with the pork chops and onions.



Last week, I got to make a cake! It has been a while since I made one, so I was pumped when my friend, Jessica asked me to make on for a baby shower. Look how cute it turned out! So fun!

Hello!

I don't know if I have mentioned it or not, but I am in love with my new job! I mean, really. Now I have time to do all the things I need to do around the house and lots of time for cooking! Yay! My running and yoga are going well. I'd probably be doing better at the running if it weren't 150 degrees outside, though. I have abandoned that "Couch to 5K" program, since I am able to run a little farther than what the program designates at this point...so I guess that's good! Today, I am getting ready for a party tonight. We are going over to the Beason's for a get-together with Justin's class. I am working on a cheesecake, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and a 7 layer salad. It has been quite a productive week...back to work tomorrow!

Here are some of the recipes I have made this past week:


Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon Caper Pan Sauce

Another Cooking Light success. This was very very similar to the chicken picatta I made not too long ago. I served it on top of some leftover risotto, and it was perfect. I love that lemony sauce. yum yum. Oh, and I used capers instead of the peppercorns that the recipe calls for, just cause that's what I had on hand!


Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts
Cooking Light

Simple, healthy supper!



Yesterday I got some beautiful fresh figs from the farmer's market. Plus, I found some steaks on sale at the grocery store. So, I decided we would have a fancy steak dinner!
I found this fig salad recipe from, where else?, Cooking Light. For the steaks, I use my go-to Ina Garten steakhouse steaks recipe. Here ya go!

Prosciutto, Fig, and Gorgonzola Salad
Cooking Light

I used goat cheese instead of gorgonzola, because I found the goat cheese for a great price at Kroger. This was an amazing salad...very fancy!



Steakhouse Steaks
Ina Garten

This recipe is more delicious every time, and you can use pretty much any cut you like. I had sirloin this time because it was on sale. I don't use quite as much salt as she suggests, and this time I let some goat cheese melt on the steaks while they rested...yummy! I served the steaks with smashed potatoes and green beans.

Ginger- soy glazed Mahi Mahi with broccoli slaw

Last night, I tried a new recipe from Coastal Living: Ginger-soy glazed Mahi Mahi. It turned out really good. I especially loved it because ginger is my favorite!! To sneak some veggies in, I made a dressing using the same ingredients in the glaze and tossed it with broccoli and carrot slaw. This was a perfect, light summer supper...

Ginger- soy glazed Mahi Mahi
(That's the link to the Coastal Living Recipe)

Broccoli Slaw with ginger soy dressing

1/2 package broccoli and carrot slaw
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard

Stir all but the slaw together in a medium bowl. Add slaw and toss to coat.



I had a sheet of puff pastry in the freezer that I needed to use, and yesterday I bought a big bag of granny smith apples...so I decided to try to make an apple tart. Cooking Light saved the day once again! I found this super easy and delicious recipe:

Tart aux Pommes

Instead of making the pastry, I just thawed out my puff pastry and used it...even easier! It turned out so pretty and delicious!

These are the Days...

Sugarland is one of my all time favorite country groups. Justin and I went to a concert in Shreveport for our anniversary this year. They were absolutely amazing...those guys know how to put on a show!! This song is one of my favorites, and I was listening to it this morning while I was walking. It kinda sums up how I'm feeling in my life at the moment. We are at a standstill with the baby thing. My doctor says we shouldn't try until April...ugh. But....I am trying to be positive and view this time as a blessing rather than dwell on the fact that I am NOT PREGNANT. In an effort to stay positive (and keep my mind occupied) I have decided to use the next 9 months to get healthy and do some things I won't be able to do when I finally do have a baby. These are the days!
Here are a few things on my list right now:

1. Try to eat better.
2. Yoga
3. Run a 5K, and maybe a 10K
4. Learn to play the piano...finally
5. Learn to speak some Italian

We'll see how many of these I cross off. So far, I have done yoga twice this week and I have started a running program called "Couch to 5K" (that sounds pathetic, right?). And, I ordered a piano book from Amazon and dusted off the old keyboard...

On to the eating better thing...I am trying to get more veggies and fruits in, not so much dieting (I love food too much for that, that's where the running comes in!). Here is what I made last night:

Risotto with sweet peas, broccolini, and mushrooms

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccolini (baby broccoli), steamed
1 1/2 cups shitake mushrooms, sauteed in EVOO
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed


Heat the butter and oil together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and butter. Pour in the wine, stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 cup of the broth and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Puree 2 cups of the peas in a blender or food processor. Just before serving, stir in the pea puree until fully incorporated, then fold in the remaining whole peas, broccoli, and mushrooms.

Yummy, and loaded with veggies!

Playing Catch- up...

Yeah, I know. I realize I didn't post AT ALL in the entire month of June. There has been a lot going on at our house. Now that I am getting settled in my new job, there will be much more time for fun in the kitchen. (that makes me so happy)

A few weeks back, I bought two new food books. First, Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail.

I was totally inspired to grow some delicious grub in my small space! Well...that didn't work out so much. So far, I have ONE tomato! We did, however, start a compost bin. So, maybe next year the veggies will have a better chance...:)
The other book has proven much more beneficial: Barefoot Contessa at Home by none other than Ina Garten.

I have enjoyed this cookbook so much. It is open on the kitchen counter about as much as my Cooking Light these days. I wanted to share a couple of our favorites so far. Click the links for the recipe!

California BLT's

So yummy, and a perfect summer treat. If only I had fresh tomatoes from MY garden! ha!

Chicken Piccata

This was tonight's dinner. I totally stood over the saucepan after dinner and slurped up the sauce by the spoonful. This is incredible...and easy! I added the capers because I had some. (just throw them in with the wine and lemon juice when you make your sauce)

Have a nice evening!

ICE CREAM!!

Hey friends! Guess what? I got my Cuisinart ice cream/ frozen yogurt maker!! Let me tell you...this thing is amazing. It freezes 1 and 1/2 quarts in 15 minutes! OMG...I love it. My friends at Methodist Rehab gave me a gift card for my going away gift (more on that later) and this is what I used it for. I am so darn excited about this little gadget. In two weeks, I have made three different frozen treats!

First, as a thank- you to my sweet friends, I made Giada's Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato That's a link to the Food Network website's recipe. It was creamy, dreamy, chocolatey goodness. There's Nutella in it, so I was hooked. I think the girls liked it, too. Thanks, y' all!

Next up, two Cooking Light recipes caught my eye: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream and Strawberry Buttermilk Gelato... I know, right. These two were just as yummy as the first! The Key Lime is my new favorite (I realize I say that a lot when it comes to food, but seriously!) Mom and I decided it was on par with our beloved Daquiri Ice from Baskin Robbins. Check out those links for the recipes, and enjoy.

So...I told you the ice cream maker was a going away gift, right....Well I got a new job! YAY! I miss my girls at Methodist like crazy, but I am soo excited about this new opportunity. Now, I am the weekend coordinator at St. Dominic's. Once I get oriented and all that jazz, I will be working strictly weekends. I love my new job and my new friends and I am looking forward to having 4 days off every week to COOK!! Get ready, more frequent blog updates are to come!! :)

Birthday cakes and Tomato and feta bruschetta

Sunday, Allie and Lauren had a dual birthday party at the carousel in Meridian. The Dentzel Carousel is a Meridian landmark and a popular place for birthday parties. It was built in 1896 and is beautifully handpainted. I made the girls' birthday cakes again this year. Allie wanted a peace sign cake and Lauren wanted Hannah Montana. Here are some shots from the party:







Tomato and Feta Bruschetta

You know that part in "Julie and Julia" where Julie makes the bruschetta with the fried bread and juicy, olive oily tomatoes? Well, I think about that scene all the time...it looks like such an amazing dinner. All that tomato juice and olive oil dripping down their chins....I had to make it! Here is my interpretation

1 baguette sliced diagonally
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. minced garlic, divided
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped basil
Sea salt to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add 1 Tbsp garlic. Fry bread slices until browned on both sides. In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes, remaining olive oil and garlic, vinegar, basil, feta, and salt. Serve the tomato mixture on top of bread slices.

This turned out fabulous, and will probably be a weekly event at our house from now on. I'm sure I will come up with some fun variations, but this was awesome! Try it and enjoy.

Sunday night updates...

Such a busy week, I haven't had time to upload any of my pictures or recipes! We've got another busy one coming up, so maybe I will just do one or two at a time until I catch up. I have been cooking, though, and I am beginning to look forward to it again in the evenings. After work, it really is so relaxing to come home and cook a nice meal for me and my hubby! I even made a cake this week...the first one in a long time that I actually got to enjoy! (instead of sending it off to a birthday party or shower)

Tonight, I'm going to back up a little bit to last Wednesday night, when I made Beef Bourguignonne in my Le Creuset. It was a Real Simple recipe. Not Julia's, but still good! It was my first time to make this and it turned out so good. I would recommend serving it with mashed potatoes or roasted new potatoes. I really missed the potatoes that this southern gal usually sees in my Mama's beef stew! Anyway, here's the recipe and a photo:
Beef Bourguignonne | Real Simple Recipes

It didn't really photograph well, but it was yummy! I can't wait to try the real thing...Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignonne!

Also, this week, the Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic made an encore appearance at our house. I love this recipe so much! If you haven't tried it yet...please, please, please do! Don't be afraid of the garlic! It cooks down and becomes a soft buttery delicious spread for the baguette. Make it tonight! Search for the recipe in my handy dandy search bar!

Back in action....with a new favorite!!

Ahhh. I am so glad to be cooking again! I have been looking forward to the day when I would feel "almost normal" for a while now. I think, maybe, it's here.

First off, it's time to update my "Kitchen gadgets I'm dying for" list. For my birthday, Mary Kay (Justin's mom) got me the Microplane box grater. Check. I haven't used it yet, since I haven't done much in the kitchen since then...but, it is awesome! I can't wait to use it. Last, but certainly not least, Justin got me an early anniversary gift yesterday. I went to a cooking demonstration at Williams Sonoma with my co-worker, Annie. Afterwards, we were looking around, drooling over everything in the store when I saw it....Le Creuset 20% off sale! I showed Justin. He said "pick out which one you want...happy anniversary!" AAAHHH! 6 and 1/2 quart oval french oven. Check!



So...I decided to use my new french oven for EVERY thing I make this week. Here's to breaking in my new favorite gadget!!

The Maiden Voyage:



Last night, I decided to make the risotto recipe we learned in the Williams-Sonoma demo, with a few modifications. Here is the base recipe I used:

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Williams Sonoma

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups frozen baby peas
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the risotto:
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth and wine to a gentle simmer, then maintain the simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until all the grains are opaque and well coated with the fat, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the simmering broth mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to add the liquid about 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally and adding more only after the previous addition has been absorbed.

Sauté the vegetables:
While the rice is cooking, in a fry pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the zucchini and sauté just until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the peas and cook, stirring, until thawed and heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Finish the risotto:
When the rice is tender and creamy but the grains are still al dente at the center, after about 22 minutes, stir in the sautéed vegetables and the mint and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, divide among shallow bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4.


I wasn't really a huge fan of the mint in the recipe. I mean, it was good, just not my thing. Plus I wanted to add some meat to make the dish a little more "husband-friendly". Here are my modifications: While the rice cooked, I baked some prosciutto in the oven until it was crispy, then stirred it in at the end. I sauteed some mushrooms with the zucchini. I used parsley in place of the mint. It turned out really pretty and yummy....see:





Tonight, my mom was here. We had already planned on having my favorite meal: tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. Since I was using my new french oven, I decided to make homemade tomato-basil soup. (don't get me wrong, I love my Campbell's, but I wasn't about to heat that up in my Le Creuset!) Here is the recipe I used:

Tomato- Basil Soup

Cooking Light

4 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 4 large)
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
Basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

Bring tomato and juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Place tomato mixture and basil in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes). Ladle soup into individual bowls; garnish with sliced basil, if desired.

For our grilled cheese, pressed the velveeta(yes!)sammies on my panini press. Delish!



Two days, two recipes, and I am already in love with this pot. It is perfect...plus, it's pretty!!