Linguine with Clam Sauce

Weekly Dinner At Mom's

This week mom faked me out. She had told me earlier in the week that she was making Stuffed Peppers and American Chopped Suey. (We had both of these dishes a lot when I was growing up, so they are comfort foods to me). When I got there, she was making Linguine with Clam Sauce, Roasted Veggies and a Fresh Salad which was fine with me.

It seems that whenever mom is straped for time or isn't sure what to make for dinner, Linguine with Clam Sauce is what she whips up. She doesn't have a recipe, she just throws together the ingredients right from the pantry: Chopped Clams, Clam Juice, Olive Oil, Vermouth, Garlic and Parsley. If it is a special dinner, she will use fresh clams instead of the can. The can works well in a pinch though.
Dessert, in case you're wondering, was Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. YUM! This was ONE of my Father's favorite cakes when I was little.

What FOOD brings you back to your childhood? Do you still eat it today?

Chicken with Spinach, Artichokes and Red Roasted Peppers

I just sort of combined two different recipes to make this dish.

I was flipping through an old cookbook I got when I was in college - Italian Cooking For Dummies® by Cesare Casella and Jack Bishop.

Ok, don't laugh, I have made a few good dishes from this cookbook, but I don't really like a lot of the cooking methods. Or should I say, the way they explain the recipes. Sometimes I feel like a Dummie when I'm trying to follow some of the steps in their recipes. Lets just say that if it is supposed to be written for dummies, it should be a little more user friendly.

Back to the Chicken. I used:

4 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (pounded to even thickness)
1 (10 ounce) package Frozen Spinach (thawed and drained)
1/2 small jar Red Roasted Peppers (from a jar)
Artichoke Hearts (1 Can (8 ounce) )
Fresh Lemon Juice (from 2 lemons)
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Canned)
2 cloves Fresh Garlic (Chopped)
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmigiano Cheese
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Flour (seasoned with a dash of Garic Powder and Bell's Seasoning)

In a medium bowl, add the artichoke hearts, chopped garlic, half of the parsley, 1 T. olive oil, roasted peppers, and spinach. Mix together and set aside.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly flour the chicken and saute in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes on one side or until golden brown and 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and add juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup) scrap up brown bits and add chicken broth. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it comes to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and add the spinach mixture and chicken. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Add the parmigiano cheese and the remaining parsley. Serve with your favorite pasta. (I used whole wheat penne, drizzled with olive oil and parsley and then mixed it in the spinach mixture, after I took the photo).

The two original recipes from the cookbook that I combined and altered were; Chicken Cutlets with Spinach and Chicken Cutlets with Artichokes.
Both original recipes call for 1 cup of white wine which I replaced with chicken broth. I don't use wine very often in cooking and most times substitute chicken broth. To replace the missing acid from the wine I added juice from one extra lemon since the original recipe called for only one. The recipe for Chicken Cutlets with Spinach called for plum tomatoes or tomato and basil sauce which I also opted not to add. I just did'nt feel like eating a tomato base sauce. I decided to add the parmigiano cheese which rounded out all the flavors. I also added some seasoning to the flour for additonal flavor.

All in all I think it turned out well. If I had to do it again though, I would definately peel the outer leaves of the artichokes. They were sort of hard and pointed around the edges. And if you don't like a sharp lemon flavor, just use the juice of one lemon instead of two.

Do you use wine in cooking and if not what do you use to replace it?
Do you have a common substitution in recipes?

Butterscotch Pudding

How simple is this? Butterscoth pudding in a box, add milk, cook and pour over sliced banana. Add some toasted almond slices and you've got a pretty damn good dessert. Perfect for a light snack too.
Actually, because I use Simply Smart Fat Free milk, it's great for dieters too. This milk works great because of the way it's processed, it's thicker than skim milk so the pudding is thick and creamy.
The nuts are just the perfect topping on this flavor pudding. Plus, I feel more satified with something crunchy on top of my pudding. Maybe it's just me, but somehow I will not eat as much if it's topped with a crunch.

Speaking of not eating as much...
To control the portion size of the pudding and to make it more portable, I let the pudding cool a bit, then put it in these cute little fruit containers I had saved. You know the ones, there's apple sauce in them, mixed fruit, etc. Then I cover them with Glad press n seal and I can take them to work. YUM!
I don't normally like using boxed mixes that contain a lot of preservatives and hydroginated oil, but once in a while it's just too easy and good to pass up.
Do you make pudding from scratch or use the box mix?

Who Ate My Parsley?

There's an animal out there with very good breath.

Last summer I planted a big container herb garden on my deck. It consisted of all my favorites- Parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary. Half way through the summer something started eating it. I got so many different ideas from people as to what may have helped itself to my pot of herbs. I thought it was deer. Someone suggested it was chipmonks and others said maybe it was rabbits.

This year my friend Jen from work planted me some parsley from seed and tenderly took care of it as it grew until it was ready for transport. She brought it to me at work and I was so excited. I brought it home, planted in my new terra cotta pot and put it in a nice sunny spot on the deck.

The next day I went outside to water my plants and was stunned. All the leaves were completely eaten off. It was on the rail of my deck as seen in the picture. I can't imagine a rabbit getting up there and I can't see deer bothering to jump up to get to it. So that leaves those dastardly chipmonks. They are cute but a cannot be trusted.

Does anyone have any other ideas as to what could be eating my parsley?

What a Bloomin' Bargain!

Look what I got for $15 bucks.

There's 20 plants there, even a few perennials. Impatiens, mini carnations, sweet potato vine and a bunch more I can't pronounce.

There is a small local plant store that displays plants outside the shop close to the sidewalk that often puts signs out saying "Hanging Plants $10.00" or "Plants $5.00" to lure in passerbys. Well, I have been there a few times before and got some pretty good bargains, but not like this time.

I hit the Mother Load this weekend when I saw the sign "Plants $1.00". I thought it was a gimmick just to get people to stop in, but there were many plants for just that- $1.oo! After I picked out 15 of the best plants, the owner threw in 5 more plants for FREE.

The girls at work think I was probably flipping my hair and batting my eyes, but I didn't have to. Hey, maybe he likes me but I'm not complaining.

The sad part of the story is they are still just sitting in their containers on my deck because of all the rain. Hopefully tonight after work I can get a few in the ground.

Blueberry Clafouti

What is a Clafouti you ask? Well I didn't know either so I looked it up in the dictionary and here is the definition: A baked dessert composed of a layer of fresh fruit topped with a thick batter.

A few weeks ago I was watching Good Deal with Dave Lieberman and he made this. It sounded so good and looked so easy to make, that I printed out the recipe from foodtv.com and made it.

I changed the recipe a bit to lower the calories and fat-the result was very good. It has a unique texture, sort of soft and spongy. Since this was the first time I've ever made this dessert, I'm not sure if this texture is the way it's supposed to be or if it turned out this way because I omitted 2 egg yolks. I replaced the fat from the 2 egg yolks with 4 teaspoons of Canola Oil. I also cut out 1/4 cup of sugar. I thought it was sweet enough since the recipe calls for sprinkling the top with powdered sugar anyway.

Every summer I always look forward to making something delicious and unique with fresh blueberries. Especially when they are abundant, at their peek and on sale!

Is there a recipe, fruit or vegetable you look forward to making every summer?

Peacan Pie

Weekly Dinner At Mom's

Dinner at Mom's is always a treat. The dinner is always good, (this week she had Baked Shrimp, Cheezy Broccoli and Cauliflower and Baked Sweet Potatoes), but the dessert is the star of the show. As I've mentioned before, there are always at least 3 desserts to choose from. This kills me because if you were'nt planning on having dessert, it's three times as hard to resist.

The choices were: Strawberry Jello with Fruit, Brownies and Peacan Pie. I chose the latter. Is there any question, really? My mom always makes her own pie crust, but in this instance time was an issue, so she used a refrigerated dough. This was the only so-so part of the pie. It tasted a little oily. The pie itself was absolutely delicious. She used the recipe on the back of Karo Light Corn Syrup bottle. The only thing she did differently, which I would suggest you try, is reduce the granulated sugar by half. The pie was still very very sweet, so I can't imagine more sugar improving it.
I took 2 small pieces with me so I could let my friend Jen from work try a piece (she loves Peacan Pie too), but I forgot it in my fridge at home. What a shame. Of course, I told her what she was missing and she was very sad. She suggested that it would still be good on Monday, but somehow I don't know if it will last that long in MY fridge. If you know what I mean!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

My inspiration for this dish came from the Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice recipe by Giada DE Laurentiis on the Food Network's Everyday Italian. I actually made and posted about, the Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice on Easter and they were awesome.

I figured why not try it with portobello mushrooms. I used the same rice stuffing and just replaced the tomato shell with the portobello. I did still use tomatoes in the rice mixture though.
Also, to make it quick and easy, I used Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Brown Rice). It takes 90 seconds to cook and the brown rice is much more nutritious than plain white rice. For you sceptics out there, you wouldn't even know it was brown rice because there are so many fresh herbs, cheese and seasonings that give it such a great flavor.

It worked out quite well. Fresh herbs are a must here. Give it a try!

Do you have a recipe that can be changed easily depending on what you have in the fridge?

Chicken Piccata

This is the best Chicken Piccata recipe. It is from the Food Network's Everyday Italian with Gianda DI Laurantiis. It is so simple and makes a great quick weeknight dinner in no time.
I love the melding of flavors, it is just enough citris to liven up the chicken broth with a little tang from the capers. It is one of my favorite 'Go To' recipes. Give it a try. You'll be gald you did!
Do you have a favorite quick and easy weeknight recipe to share with me. I could use some more.

I Love This Tea.

I didn't start drinking tea until a few years ago.
I never liked it. I was a coffee drinker all the way. I dabbled with herbal tea for a while (peppermint, cammomile, ginger etc.) but still preferred coffee. Then a few years ago, I found out that I had acid reflux disease. The doctor said "NO MORE CAFFEINE". I nearly died. At first I thought he was kidding, but he assured me he wasn't. Then I asked him almost hysterically if he was serious and how could anyone live without coffee?

He calmly told me that it was possible, because he himself had given it up and his acid reflux had greatly decreased. I thought to myself "OK I can do this". It took me about 2 months to totally get over it and I stopped having withdrawals in about 2 weeks. Now I am a social coffee drinker and drink tea everyday, twice a day. I alternate from black, green, red, white and still occasionally drink herbal tea as well.

I discovered this tea last month and it's worth trying.

Madagascar Vanilla Red Tea by CELESTIAL SEASONINGS

This is a perfect after dinner tea. It has a unique aroma, very warm and almost intoxicating. It seems like I'm drinking a Latte or Coffee drink but it contains no caffeine and I don't use milk or sweeteners.

It is known as ROOIBOS TEA which is brewed from the leaves of rooibus, an African shrub (pronounced roy-bus). It is also known as red tea or red bush tea. According to the inside flap of the box, it is naturally caffeine-free, antioxidant-rich and is found and sustainably cultivated only in South Africa's Cedarburg Mountains. It also states that for centuries the local people have enjoyed rooibos for its delcious flavor and healthful properites.

Here is a little narrative from the side of the box: "When the king of the animal kingdom has tea, he sips Madagascar Vanilla Red Tea. With its magnificent fragrance and lush taste, this naturally caffeine-free red tea flavored with real Madagascar vanilla bean resonates with the wonders of Africa. South African red tea is prized for its refreshing flavor, hot or iced, and as a source of antioxidants. Wrap yourself around a steaming cup or capture the chill of roaring good refreshment!"

Do you have a favorite tea? How do you take it?(with sugar, honey, lemon etc.)

Tapioka Pudding with Fresh Grapes

Simply Refreshing!
The basic recipe is right on the box of instant Tapioka.
I used Simply Smart Fat Free Milk, reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup and added fresh grapes once it cooled a bit and it turned out great.

I always seem to make this recipe in the summer, probably because it is so light and refreshing.

Share one of your favorite summer recipes.

Pancakes=Dinner

I know what your thinking. It's not like Annie to eat pancakes for dinner. Well, sometimes you just have to give in to your cravings.

I had been eyeing a box Krustez Blueberry Pancake Mix in my cabinet and decided what the heck. Even though the blueberries are imitation (gasp, I know, I know)... It was'nt bad. According to the nutritional info on the back of the box, for 3 small pancakes it's 240 calories and the fat was fairly low too.

I did have pure maple syrup on top, but the peach did healthy it up a bit which I sauteed in a little Smart Balance Spread.

The good thing about eating something so sweet for dinner is that I didn't feel the need for dessert!

What do you crave for dinner that's not so good for you?

Oops!

I wanted to let you all know that I made a few mistakes on two posts...The Grape-Nut Pudding recipe and the Cereal Bar recipe. I made the corrections and reposted them, so if you already printed them please note the changes. Sorry :(

The Lobsters are Rejoicing!

Whole Foods, the nations largest organic food retailer, will not sell live lobsters or soft shell crabs anymore. They are not satisfied that the standards of catching or selling the lobsters are humane.

Do you agree or disagree with Whole Foods decision?
	I Agree, because it is cruel to catch, sell and eat lobsters.
	I Agree, because I don't like lobster anyway.
	I Disagree, because I don't think it is cruel to catch, sell or eat lobsters.
	I Disagree, because I enjoy eating lobster and I don't care about the cruelty issue.
	I'm not sure.
	I've never heard of Whole Foods.
	I've never heard of Lobster.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

There's nothing more comforting than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So just imagine how comforting a peanut butter sandwich cookie is.

Tonight I stopped over my Mom's house after work for dinner. She made stuffed peppers, they were very good as usual.

So after dinner my Mom says, "Ok what is your choice for dessert?" You see, Mom always has at least two or three desserts to choose from. So it's not, "Do you want dessert?, "It's what dessert do you want?"

She had lemon meringue pie, boston cream pie or peanut butter sandwich cookies, all made from scratch. As you can see I went with the latter. And what a good decision. These babies were incredible. I had never felt so comforted. After I finished off a small platter of them, I decided to take a photo and share what was left with all of you.

They are actually somewhat 'healthy' for you since the peanut butter packs in the protein, and the cookies are made with oatmeal which we all know by now is great for our cholesterol. There are even walnuts in the cookies which add a little omega fatty acid.

Can you tell I'm trying to make myself feel better for eating so many?

What is your favorite comfort food?

Grape-nut Pudding ala ANNIE

This was my first attempt at Grape-nut Pudding and even though I never made it before, I decided to put my own spin on it. (That's just how I am)

The Recipe:
1/2 Cup of Grape-nuts
2 1/2 Cups of warm Milk (I used fat free Simply Smart)
3 Eggs
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/3 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Raisins
1/4 Cup of Cranberries
1/4 Cup of toasted Walnuts
3 Tablespoons of unsweetened Coconut
Dash of Nutmeg

Soak the grape-nuts in the milk for 10 minutes. Mix all other ingredients except Nutmeg until well incorporated. Mix in the grape-nuts and milk. Pour into a buttered oven safe casserole. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Place the casserole in a large pan filled half way with water. Bake for about 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center. Mix twice during the first 1/2 hour of cooking (optional).

After making this recipe, I've decided that I am going to make pudding more often.
Why?
1. Because it uses up my milk which I usually end up pouring 1/2 a carton down the drain at the end of the week.
2. Pudding is a good source of calcium and by using the fat free Simply Smart Milk, it's lower in fat. And in this case I'm getting a serving of fruit, fiber from the grape-nuts, and omega fatty oil from the walnuts. Actually even the coconut has some nutritional value.
3. I don't feel as guilty eating a dessert that is good for me.
4. Because I like it!

What is your favorite pudding recipe?

Half Empty Boxes of Cereal in the Cabinets?

Have no fear, Cereal Bars Are Here!

These bars are crunchy goodness and habit forming. This is a great way to use up any leftover cereal that you just got sick of eating half way through the box. It is my version of a recipe found on a box of Post Selects(R) Maple Pecan Crunch Cereal.

In my case, I had Total Honey Nut Crunch. It's not bad but I just became tired with it and moved on to a box of Honey Nut Cheerios (which I never get sick of).

It's a simple recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You make a shortbread base - 1 1/4 cups of Flour, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance Spread) and bake about 15 minutes until it's light brown . For an extra thin and crispy bar, use a baking sheet, otherwise use a 9 inch pan.

Next just mix about 1 1/2 cups of cerel with 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine, 1 slightly beaten egg and nuts if you so desire.

Spread this mixture over the warm shortbread and bake for around 15-18 minutes.

Note: If you don't have maple syrup, you can substitute corn syrup.

Let me know what you think!

Not Impressed.

According to Cooks Illustrated Magazine Progresso Whole Tomatoes with Basil are the best canned tomatoes on the market.

I followed one of their newest recipes on Streamlining Marinara Sauce this weekend using these tomatoes.

The result: BAD! The sauce was very acidic, lacked flavor and the overall effect was poor.

I was really disappointed since I used the sauce on stuffed shells that I made and it ruined the whole dish.

I think I'll stick to the San Marzano Tomatoes from Italy. They are a little pricy but worth it.

My mom suggested Tutto Rosso Tomatoes, but I haven't tried them yet. Has anyone else out there tried them?

Give me some suggestions, Please?

Homemade 'shake n bake' Chicken

The inspiration for this dish came from one of my issues of Cooks Illustrated Magazine.
They had a recipe for Shake N Bake Pork Chops. A lady wrote in a request for a shake n bake recipe that would be as tasty and easy as the box, but without all the foreign ingredients often found in prepared boxed foods.

The secret ingredient turned out to be: MELBA TOAST. Crushed and seasoned. Then the pork chops are dipped in egg and coated with the melba toast mixture. They are placed on a baking rack in a baking sheet and baked until crispy.

So I tried it with chicken breast halves, which I pounded to make them thinner. They were very good. I will definately try it with the pork chops too.
Leave me a comment if you want the entire recipe.

Annie's mini Meatloaf

For a lighter meatloaf I use ground Turkey mixed with ground Pork. I do the traditional mix all the usual ingredients: Salt, pepper, chopped garlic, eggs, breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, grated parmigiano and romano cheeses, and fresh parsely.

The reason I make a mini meatloaf is because I often make meatballs with the other portion of meat. I just leave out some of the ingredients, such as the worcestershire and ketchup.

Frittata

Yes another Frittata. I'm sorry to bore you with eggs and veggies again, but as usual I had my leftover roasted veggies that needed a new purpose.

I updated my recipe a bit with some tips from Cook's Illustrated Magazine.

First, I added a little milk which I normally wouldn't. They suggested Half and Half but I didn't have any so I used Simply Smart Fat Free Milk.

Second, I used a little less olive oil (2 teaspoons) instead of 2 tablespoons.

Third, I kept the heat on medium instead of medium high and stirred the eggs as they set. And when the eggs formed large curds with the top still wet I placed them under the preheated broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Forth, once the top was lightly browned, but the inside still a bit runny, I moved the skillet to cooling rack for about 5 minutes, where the residual heat gently completed cooking the center of the frittata.

The result was a perfectly cooked frittata. Thanks Cooks Illustrated.

Cranberry Orange MUFFINS

...with a hint of GARLIC. Yes you read right.
I didn't mean for them to have a garlic taste.
I had a little mishap while making these muffins.

I started off really well, everything was going great. I had all my ingredients out and I thought to myself, 'these are going to be the best muffins ever'. Well that was essentially the kiss of death.

I actually forget an ingredient. THE APPLESAUCE. About a 1/4 cup to be exact. I use applesauce in my muffins to replace 1/2 of the fat. So instead of 1/2 cup of butter (or in my recipe-Smart Balance Spread), I use 1/4 cup of fat and 1/4 cup of applesauce.

I noticed this when they were already in the oven for about 5 minutes. I was so bummed. But I figured that I may as well just let them finish baking and see what happens.

In the meanwhile, I was preparing something for dinner and I was chopping shallots and fresh garlic. The timer rang for the muffins and I preceeded to unload the muffins from the pan with my very garlicy fingers.

The heat from the hot muffins melted the garlic on my fingers right into the already 2nd rate muffins. What could be worse? Now I had dry, garlicy orange cranberry muffins.

However,after all was said and done, the muffins really weren't all that bad. They looked good-they had a nice shape and had risen well. They really were not that dry even though I forgot the applesauce and other than an occasional bite of raw garlic flavor, the taste was pretty good. LOL!

Use this as a learning experience though. Always have ALL your ingredients in front of you when preparing to bake something and NEVER, handle fresh out of the oven baked goods with raw garlic hands.

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

I recently watched How to Boil Water on the food network with Tyler Florence where he roasted corn on the cob. It looked so easy and seemed like it would taste great so I tried it.

Here is the recipe:

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

4 ears fresh corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place corn husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft. Peel down the husks and use as a handle when eating.

My rating is just 3 stars because after 30 minutes my corn wasn't soft, so I left it in for another 10 minutes and it still seemed a little hard to me. The flavor was good though, because by roasting the corn, it brings out the sweetness.

I will probably try it again and hope for the best.

Pasta Frittata

This is a great dish to use up leftovers. If you have any kind of leftover pasta, veggies, even potatoes, you can whip up a quick and easy weeknight dinner in a snap.

Everyweek I make roasted veggies and I always have extra, so I am constantly trying to think of ways to use them in new dishes.

The first dish I made with these veggies was a pasta dish using bow ties... My Pasta Primavera (look 3 posts down for photo and complete recipe)

I just sauted a little shallot and garlic in some extra virgin olive oil and mixed in the leftover veggies. Then I added a little extra Italian seasoning, fresh parsley and grated parmigiano cheese. I cooked the bow ties and added them to the veggie mixture with a little pasta water. Simple and satisfying.

Now I had leftover Pasta Primavera.

So I decided to create yet another new dish. My Pasta Frittata. It's this easy.

I beat up 6 eggs, added a little milk, salt and pepper. Then I put my leftover pasta and veggies in a large oven safe saute pan with some olive oil added the eggs along with some cubed chedder cheese and mixed it until loosely set on the top and lighty browned on the bottom. Then I put it under the broiler for a few minutes until set on top. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and I had another new meal from 2 nights of leftovers!

ITALIAN PASTA DIET -- IT REALLY WORKS !!

I recently got this in my email and thought it was kind of cute, so I thought I would share it:

1. You walka pasta da bakery.

2. You walka pasta da candy store.

3. You walka pasta da Ice Cream shop.

4. You walka pasta da table and you walk pasta da fridge.

You will lose weight!


For those of you who watch what you eat,
here's the final word on nutrition and health.

It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.

Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

"I Love Food" Haiku

Ate too much for lunch.
Ate too much for dinner too.
Treadmill here I come.

Now it's your turn:
Leave me a comment with your Food Haiku-It can be about anything food related!

Remember- - the first line five syllables - the second line seven syllables - the third line five syllables

Ready, Set, Haiku!

Pasta Primavera!

It's spring. Or so they say, even though the weather seems more like fall. Nevertheless, I'm celebrating spring with Pasta Primavera(means spring in Italian).

This is one of the easiest dishes to make and so versatile. You can use pretty much any vegetables you like and any pasta too.

I used fresh broccoli, summer squash, green beans, carrots, portabella mushrooms, black & green olives, shallot and celery.

First I prepared all the veggies-(washed, peeled and cut-up). Then I put them in a pie plate with a tiny bit of water and microwaved them on high for about 8-9 minutes depending on the amount of veggies and your microwave. (You can skip this step if you like your veggies crisp).

Next, I drained the water, coated them with some extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper and roasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. This step is important because it caramelizes them a bit which gives this dish great flavor.

Then I chopped a small shallot, mixed it with some e.v.olive oil and microwaved on low for about 2 minutes. Next, I just mixed all the veggies, shallot and cooked farfale (bow tie pasta), and a small amount of reserved pasta water together. Sprinkled on some grated parmigiano, romano cheese and fresh chopped parsely. That's it.

For a little more heartiness, I broiled a chicken cutlet and sliced it over the pasta.

Try it, you'll like it!

The King Of Cookies-Volume #2

The last time I made these Oatmeal Raisin cookies (right) and Chocolate Chip cookies (below), I froze some of the uncooked
cookie dough.
Well, this weekend I dug it out of the freezer and baked them. Yum. They were sooooooooo gooooood. I just can't stress it enough.


I'll give a link you the recipe. Here it is: Click here for the best chewy cookies

Caution Note: Check for doneness after 9 minutes.

"Cheaters" Stuffed Artichokes

I have never made Stuffed Articokes in my life. Why? I'm not really sure. I guess it just seems like alot of work for a side dish. Although that has never stopped me before. So I don't know why I have never made them. I just haven't.

But I do make something very close which is much easier. I got this recipe from a friend of mine a few years ago and I have been making it ever since. In fact, it's one of my favorite's.

This is not really a recipe as much as just an assembling of ingredients. Even the measurements are rough.

All you need is:
One can of Articoke Hearts (I get the quartered ones, because they are not the easiest to cut). Drained and rinsed in cold water to get rid of some of the canny flavor and sodium.
A handful of Black and Green Olives-cut in half
Two Cloves of Minced Garlic
A handful of chopped Fresh Parsley
A couple of Tablespoons of grated Parmigiano or Romano Cheese
A couple of Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
About 1/3 cup of Seasoned Breadcrumbs (give or take)

Preheat oven to 375 degree. Combine all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and place in a small oven safe caserole dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the top with a little more olive oil. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until top is golden brown.

Let me know what you think of it!

Hello...My Name Is Annie and I AM a Chocoholic.

I'm back on the wagon again. Last week was brutal for me. I was under a lot of stress with work and I gave into temptation way too many times. The culprit. Chocolate, of course.

A had a box of Russel Stover Truffles that were given to me for Easter that I finally got around to opening. Actually, I had been putting off opening the box for fear it would thrust me into a chocolate eating frenzy.

It seems my fears were substantiated. I spent every night after work trying to tell myself to eat healthy and resist the urge to "binge"(there I said it).

It always started out good. I would get home from work make something really healthy and delicious for dinner and eat a very hefty portion(so I would be to full for candy).

Yeah right! It only made me want it even more. I would open the box and tell myself "I'm only going to have a couple". Well a couple turned into around 8, ok maybe even 10 or 12. I don't know. Who was counting?

Anyways, I felt so sick afterwards, not to mention guilty. It's a terrible feeling, but when I was stuffing those dark, creamy, luscious, little bits of heaven into my mouth all I could think of was how wonderful the next one was going to taste.

The sad part is, some of them weren't even that great now that I think of it. But that would just add fuel to the fire. Because then I would think...That one wasn't that great let me try another. I can't let that one be the last flavor in mouth.

Well, I'm glad the box is gone.

Tonight I had an Apricot Square(My Mom makes them-they are one of my favs)and 5 Hershey Kisses for dessert.

Hey, that's not bad.
Considering.


Question of the day: What triggers your binge?

"I Love Food" Haiku

White spinach pizza
Hot cheese stretching from the slice
Green teeth...Where's the floss?



Now it's your turn:
Leave me a comment with your Food Haiku

Remember- - the first line five syllables - the second line seven syllables - the third line five syllables

Ready, Set, Haiku!

Bambola's Lemon Meringue Pie

My dear friend Bambola made this fantastic Lemon Meringue Pie and brought it over for Mother's Day. It was a nice palate cleanser after the Tiramisu. We are a multi-dessert family.




She made the graham cracker crust from scratch. It was delish- the lemon custard infused the graham crust and made it even more irresistable!

Annie's Tiramisu...Only The Best For MOM!

My mom is not very picky, but she knows what she likes and what she doesn't like. Although she would be satisfied with anything I made her, I decided to make a tiramisu for her for Mother's Day.

I figured what better day to give my Mom a "Pick Me UP" which is the Italian translation of Tiramisu.

If you have never tried it before, you need to. It is just a fabulous dessert, which is actually pretty easy to make. It requires no baking. Just a little stirring over the stove top and assembly.
I've created a recipe which combines a few ideas from Giada DI Laurentiis and few ideas from Italian Cooking for Dummies. And as a result..I think my recipe is better! So lets get started.


Annie's Tiramisu
One 8 ounce container of Mascarpone Cheese
3 or 4 tablespoons Sugar
1 cup cold espresso (I made instant, you can find instant espresso at any Italian market)
28 Savoiardi (Crisp Lady Finger Cookies, Also found at any Italian market)
1 recipe Zabalione (Custard filling) See below
Unsweetened Cocoa powder to sift

Mix the mascarpone cheese to soften just until smooth and then fold in the zabaglione. Cover and refrigerate.'

Line a loaf pan with plasic wrap, allowing the wrap to extend over the sides.(great tip by Giada DI Laurentiis). In a wide, flat bowl, whisk the espresso with the sugar.

Dip 7 cookies into the espresso one at a time, and arrange in a single layer over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon one third of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies to cover. Repeat the dipping and layering of the cookies and mascarpone mixture 2 more times. Dip the remaining 7 cookies in the espresso and arrange on the top.
Press down lightly (the top layer will extend above the pan sides). Cover with the plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or upto one day.


Unwrap the plastic and invert the tiramisu onto a platter and remove the plastic. Sift cocoa on the top and serve.

Zabalione
7 Egg Yolks
7 Tablespoons of Sugar
3/4 cup of Amaretto

1. Fill a saucepan 1/3 full with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, beat together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the Amaretto. Set the bowl over the simmering water, taking care that it doesn't touch the water. Whisk for 5-8 minutes, removing the bowl from the heat for a moment if it heats too quickly. The mixture should be thick and foamy.

We actually had some leftover and I didn't want to eat it again in the same week because it is so rich, so I decided to try freezing some. I don't know if it will still be as good, but I can't wait until the day I take it out. I'll let you know how it worded out.

Cookies...Ooohh I Did It Again!!

Prunes and Dates and Apricots...Oh My!

I went crazy with my earlier blogged prune recipe. This time instead of making all prune cookies, I also made date and apricot cookies.


Since the dough is formed into 3 separate logs, I figured why not?

I had a can of Solo brand date filling which I used in one batch.

I made my own prune filling this time by pureeing a box of prunes with a little water, corn syrup, sugar, and lemon zest.

I did the same with a box of dried apricots and I added a layer of raspsberry jam on the top of the apricot filling just for fun.
They were scrumptious.
I have always loved the flavor of these three dried fruits and I even like figs too!
People joke with me all the time, saying only old people eat that stuff. Well I'm not old but I am wise. Because hey, these things are all good for you. Give them a chance, you might just be surprised.

The Perfect Pork Chop

I have never made a perfect pork chop. Until now. The recipe I used came from the March issue of Cooks Illustrated Magazine. And now it's yours FREE!!!
Ahh the advantages of visiting MIXED SALAD ANNIE!

Basically, most people including myself overcook pork chops. Cooks Illustrated came up with a technique that "sort of" prevents this from happening. I say "sort of" because you could still overcook them if your not careful... I almost did. (I'm still trying to master a new electric stove).

The trick is to quickly sear one side, then finish over low heat, gently simmering them in a glaze.

You start by using boneless pork chops,5 to 7 ounch each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Preferrably 3/4 inch, because the thinner the chop, the more chance you will over cook them.


The Glaze:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice (I didn't have any on hand, so I used
chicken broth with good results)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch cayenne

Chops:
4 boneless center-cut or loin pork chops,5 to 7 ounch each about
1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Combine all glaze ingredients in medium bowl; mix thoroughly and set aside. Trim chops and slash through fat and silver skin with sharp knife, making 2 cuts about 2 inches apart,in each chop(do not cut into meat of chops). Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy bottomed 12" skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. (I did 4 minutes). Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet. (Check internal temperature of thinner chops; see note below*). Return chops to the skillet, browned side up, and add glaze mixture; cook until center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes (I did 5 minutes).
Remove skillet from heat; transfer chops to clean platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

3. When chops have rested, add any accumulated juices to skillet and set over medium heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 2 to 6 minutes. Return chops to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Transfer chops back to platter, browned side up, and spread remaining glaze over top. Serve immediately.

*NOTE: If the chops are already at the 140-degree mark, remove them from the skillet and allow them to rest, tented with foil, for 5 minutes, then add the platter juices and glaze ingredients to the skillet and proceed with step 3. If your chops are closer to 1 inch thick, you may need to increase the simmering time in step 2.

Ok I have a confession. Although I said I made the perfect pork chop, I sort of lied. My chops registered 160-degrees on the instant read thermometer. But for me this is perfect. Most of the chops I have made in my life were more like shoe leather than meat.

So in closing, my chops were slightly overcooked but remained somewhat juicy and for the most part tender. I liked the glaze. It was tangy and a little sweet, but not overly sweet. I would definately try this recipe again.

Let me know if you try the recipe and how it works out for you.

"I Love Food" Haiku

Decadent, Creamy
Rich, Velvety Smooth Chocolate-
I Crave It Daily.


Now it's your turn:
Leave me a comment with your Food Haiku

Remember- - the first line five syllables - the second line seven syllables - the third line five syllables

Ready, Set, Haiku!



image(istockphotos)

I Am Italian Food.

Here's a fun survey my friend Jen sent me to find out:
"WHAT KIND OF FOOD ARE YOU?".

My results are...

You Are Italian Food

Comforting yet overwhelming. People love you, but sometimes you're just too much. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW to take the survey and LEAVE ME A COMMENT With Your Results. I'M DYING TO KNOW...

What Kind of Food Are You?

Light Chicken Parmigiana

This looks fried, does'nt it? It's not. And it tastes sort of fried too. The secret, you ask? Ok, the breadcrumbs are sauted in a tablespoon of olive oil (which we all know by now is good for us).

I can't take the credit for this ingenious idea. It is a recipe from Cook's Illustrated new Light Cookbook. I have'nt ordered it yet but it is on my wish list. I got the recipe in the Providence Journal's food section one week.
They suggest using Panko breadcrumbs because they stay crispier.

I went a step further to make them even healthier. I used whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs. The idea is to saute the breadcrumbs before breading the chicken cutlets. This way, much less oil is used and/or absorbed into the chicken.

You batter the cutlet just like the traditional recipe: coat in flour, then in egg, then in the sauted and cooled breadcrumbs mixed with parmigiano reggiano and I suggest garlic powder,italian seasoning and fresh parsley.

Bake on a rack(Spray the rack and cutlets with olive oil, I use mazola pure) on a cookie sheet in a 475 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of your cutlets.

Add some mariara sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, grated parmigian reggiano cheese and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.

They were pretty good. They even impressed my mom who has fried her share of chicken cutlets. Give it a try. Let me know how it worked out for you.

Twice Baked Potato

No need for a recipe here. Just some helpful tips.

For a crispy skin- coat the scrubbed potatoes with olive oil.
Bake for around an hour in a 400-425 degree oven.
Cool, cut open and scoop out the potato into a bowl.

Add whatever you like or have on hand.

In my case, I added a little non-fat milk,low-fat whipped cream cheese, a little butter, a bit of parmigiano cheese, salt, pepper, fresh italian parsley and mashed it all up together. Stuffed the potato with the filling and baked again at 350 for about 20 minutes. They were very good, although I was a little surprised with all those tasty ingredients, it was a little lacking in flavor until I added a little more salt.

If you have alot of potatos on hand, I suggest making a few, wrapping the extras in foil, place in a freezer bag and freeze them for future use.

I love it when I have no idea what I am going to eat and I look in the freezer and find something I had previosly frozen. It's like finding money in the couch only tastier!

Green Bean Almondine!

This is my favorite vegetable side dish.

Nothing could be finer and it's so simple to prepare. Cook the beans to your desired tenderness and add a bit of light tasting oil (I use Canola), toasted almond slices or slivers, and the secret ingredient, a 1/4 teaspoon of pure almond extract.

What's your favorite? Leave me a comment...