Sugar Rush....

Tyler Eating and Laughing...

2009-02-11T20:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know what he found so funny but he was laughing up a storm!!! lol...

Tyler Starts Crawling....

2009-02-11T10:25:00.003-05:00

this was taken yesterday...2 days after Tyler started crawling...of course, of all his toys he goes after the TV remote...typical GUY...LOL...enjoy!

Introducing....

2008-05-26T12:04:00.006-05:00

Introducing Baby Tyler...

Born Monday, May 19th at 9:53 AM at 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 inches long...

The other love of my life :) !!!!

Creamy Lemon Squares...

2008-05-16T17:05:00.005-05:00

These squares were spectacular!!! Easy to make, tart but not too tart, loads of lemon flavor, and love love loved the shortbread crust! I forgot to line the pan with parchment paper though so next time I will definitely line the pan because it was a little difficult to get the squares out of the pan without making a big mess!

Picture courtesy of Everyday Food Mag

Creamy Lemon Squares

Everyday Food Mag

Ingredients
Makes 16.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 large egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper.

Make crust: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour, and mix on low just until combined. Press dough into the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan; prick all over with a fork. Bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over hot crust in pan; return to oven, and bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 2 hours or up to 3 days. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares, and dust with confectioners sugar.

Easiest Berry Terrine...

2008-05-16T15:07:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been craving Jello but since I hate the storebought kind, I went on a quest to make a homemade version. I found a recipe while I was flipping through one of my most recent cookbook purchases - Lori Longbotham's Luscious Berry Desserts. It looked easy to make and very delicious so I decided to go for it....

I was right!!! It WAS very easy to make and DELISH!!!! So much better than the storebought Jello!

Easiest Berry Terrine
Recipe from: Luscious Berry Desserts by Lori Longbotham

Serves 8 to 10

2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice (divided use)
2 envelopes plain gelatin
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cups mixed ripe berries

Pour 1/2 cup of the cranberry-raspberry juice into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it, and let soften for 5 minutes.

Heat the sugar with 1/2 cup of the cranberry-raspberry juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture and lemon juice, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the remaining 1 cup cranberry-raspberry juice.

Place the berries in an 8 1/2-by-4-inch loaf pan. Pour the juice mixture over them and press the berries down so they are submerged. Refrigerate, covered, until set and thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days.

To serve, run a table knife around the inside of the pan and dip the pan in hot water for about 5 seconds, then invert onto a serving platter and shake to release the terrine. Serve cut into slices.

Macaroni & Cheese....

2008-03-22T10:52:00.006-05:00

This is Marc and I's absolutely favourite Mac n' Cheese recipe! It took a bit of tweaking and now the recipe is PERFECT!

First of all, we skip the homemade bread crumb step altogether - to save time and also for convenience. Instead I use store-bought Italian flavoured bread crumbs and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. We use 2 tsp of dried mustard powder because we found that the amount called for was not enough. As for the cheese, we use an extra cup of cheddar cheese for a total of 3 cups. After a bit of trial and error we discovered that the best cheddar to use was an aged (minimum 2 years) extra strong kind. For the other 2 cups, we love gruyere.

Super yummy and super easy!

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
The New Best Recipe - Cook's Illustrated

It's crucial to cook the pasta until tender--just past the "al dente" stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broilersafe baking dish. If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) for sprinkling at the table.

Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side

Bread Crumb Topping
6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon table salt

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Grilled Portobello Burgers.....

2008-03-12T08:40:00.004-05:00

This was a great base recipe! I think my hubby was skeptical at first and wondering how a mushroom could replace meat but to my surprise he loved it...I did too!

I used Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese instead of cheddar and left out the mustard, ketchup, and pickles. It was delish!!! I can imagine how much better these would be on the BBQ this summer!

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Portobello mushrooms' large size and substantial texture make them a natural choice for a vegetarian "burger." These are quick and supereasy to prepare.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 wedges
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices onion
8 (1/2-ounce) slices reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 Bibb lettuce leaves
8 sandwich-cut bread-and-butter pickles

Preparation

Prepare grill.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; brush both sides of mushroom caps with sauce mixture.

Place bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Place mushroom caps, top sides down, and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Place 2 cheese slices on top of each mushroom cap; cover and grill 1 minute or until cheese melts.

Spread 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard over top half of each bun. Place mushroom caps on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Separate onion into rings; arrange onion slices evenly over mushrooms. Top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 pickles, and top half of bun.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 283(27% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 14.4g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 299mg; SODIUM 995mg; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.7g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Quiche...

2008-03-08T17:31:00.006-05:00

Pregnancy brings weird cravings and this is definitely one of them...I haven't had a craving for quiche in years!!! I went to the Cooking Light message boards for inspiration and a member by the name of Heavy Hedonist was kind enough to suggest this winner!

The formula is simple:
1 pie shell, unbaked
1/2 -1 cup grated cheese
1 cup sauteed veggies or 1/2 cup each chopped meat and vegetables
A ratio of 1 cup milk/half-n-half to 3 eggs or 1 1/2 cup to 4 eggs
Salt, pepper and/or a dash of nutmeg
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes

I used:
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked/chopped chicken bacon
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 tsp pepper
Baked at 350 for 50 minutes

Super Yummy!

Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing...

2008-03-02T15:36:00.004-05:00

What do you do when you have leftover mascarpone cheese - you make cupcakes!!! I made these yesterday! Yummy! The icing is lick-the-beaters good and the cupcakes are delish! Only change I made is I added a bit more mascarpone cheese for the icing since I found the icing a bit too sweet with only 4 oz.

Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing

Nutritionists have long known that yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts into essential vitamin A, but only recently have the full benefits of this color group of produce come to light. Orange fruits and vegetables taste bright and zesty, and they help keep us healthy in many ways throughout the year. In this recipe, carrots help make these cupcakes moist and sweet.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. maple syrup or honey
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
2 eggs
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
7 Tbs. fresh orange juice, warmed
1 tsp. baking soda
For the mascarpone icing:
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
4 oz. cold mascarpone or low-fat cream cheese
Strips of dried mango for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 10 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, maple syrup and orange zest until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the carrot.

In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. In another small bowl, stir together the orange juice and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the orange juice mixture in two additions until smooth. Do not overbeat or the cupcakes will be tough.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the cupcakes are risen and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a baking sheet and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

To make the mascarpone icing, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest and mascarpone until blended.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them and garnish with strips of dried mango. Cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes 10 cupcakes.

Adapted from New Healthy Kitchen Series, Desserts, by Annabel Langbein (Simon & Schuster, 2006).

Chocolate Panna Cotta...

2008-03-01T18:27:00.010-05:00

I recently bought 3 of Lori Longbotham's books....I really had a hard time deciding what I was going to make first!!! I finally decided to make chocolate panna cotta...

This recipe was excellent! Perfect texture, perfect amount of chocolate and sweetness, perfect richness....It is definitely NOT low-fat though (heavy cream and mascarpone cheese...need I say more!) so I probably won't be making this too often! While I was pouring the panna cotta into the molds I thought that the portions would be too small but finally the portion size is just right since they are soooo rich! I also loved the fact that the recipe is relatively easy to make and can be made ahead of time....

All in all, a great dessert recipe for entertaining!....

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Panna cotta has become a very popular dessert on our shores these last few years, and for good reason. It's a luscious, totally Italian custard, no eggs, just cream and flavorings. This is good served alone or with the slightest dusting of finely ground cocoa nibs or shaved chocolate. Panna cotta is usually vanilla—this one is for chocolate lovers.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 tsp. plain gelatin
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese or additional heavy cream
2 Tbs. sugar
Pinch of salt
2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Coat four 5-oz. ramekins or 6-oz. custard cups lightly with flavorless oil. Pour 1/4 cup of the cream into a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of hot water and stir until the gelatin has dissolved.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream, the mascarpone, sugar and salt just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Add the gelatin mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until well blended. Pour through a fine strainer into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a bowl with a pour spout. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins and let cool to room temperature.

Cover the panna cotta loosely and refrigerate until set and thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve, dip the ramekins one at a time into a bowl of hot water for about 5 seconds, then run a table knife around the edges of the custard and invert onto a chilled serving plate. Serves 4.

Adapted from Luscious Chocolate Desserts, by Lori Longbotham (Chronicle Books, 2004).

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake

2008-02-18T12:51:00.005-05:00

I love desserts! I love chocolate! AND, I love no-bake super easy recipes! This recipe is all of these things!

I first had this at my mom's house a few months ago and since my kitchen was still under renovations, I hadn't been able to get around to making it until this week! I had forgotten just how delish it was!

Of course, I did modify the recipe slightly. I lightened the recipe by using 1/3 less the fat cream cheese and low fat sweetened condensed milk. I am happy to report that it was just as good as the full fat version!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake
Taste of Home

Ingredients:
Crust:
1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened (I used low fat)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (I used low fat)
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon hot water
1 cup whipped cream

Directions:

Combine crust ingredients. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; set aside. For filling, beat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add milk and syrup. Dissolve coffee in water; add to mixing bowl. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust; freeze at least 6 hours. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Ida's Homemade Chicken & Pastini Soup...

2008-01-15T16:36:00.001-05:00

I have a super amazing soup to share...my best friend Ida makes the best homemade chicken noodle soup...actually I call it chicken and pastini soup because she doesn't use the traditional noodles....she uses any small pastini (any small pasta shapes) like ditalini (mini tubular pasta), stelline (stars), pastina (tiny bead sized pasta), and sometimes ravioli but really, you can use whatever pasta you want....go crazy!

I've had alot of homemade chicken noodle soups before and I think what sets this one apart from the rest is the addition of the tomato (who would have thought?!) and the bouillon cube...it's really easy to make and you can add almost anything you want to it (or replace ingredients)...it is really adaptable...she makes it for us often because she knows we go crazy for it...I finally asked her for the recipe so she gave me approximate amounts for the ingredients...

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ida's Homemade Chicken & Pastini Soup

2 chicken thighs with skin on

1 large tomato

3-4 carrots peeled and diced

1 large onion, diced

3-4 stalks celery, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 chicken bouillon cube like from Knorr

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1 lb. of pasta of your choice

Grated parmesan for serving

Directions:
Put the chicken into a large soup pot.
Add everything but the pasta and cover completely with cold water.
Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for two hours or until the chicken is falling off the bones.
Take the meat off the bones and return it to the pot with the broth.
Bring the broth back to a simmer for a few minutes, and then add noodles and cook just until they have softened.
Adjust seasoning and serve. Add water as needed.

Note: the following day you might have to skim the fat off the top of the soup after refridgerating....

Watermelon-Feta Salad with Balsamic

2008-01-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

My best friend made this for New Year's eve...it was one of the best salads I've ever had! Super yummy and sooo easy to put together!

Image Courtesy of Coastal Living

Watermelon-Feta Salad with Balsamic

4-6 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

In a large bowl, gently toss together all ingredients.

Makes about 4-6 servings.

Low-Fat Chocolate Marble Cake...

2007-10-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

I had first seen this recipe about a year ago on my favourite blog - Nicole's Baking Bites! What first attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it was low in fat. At the time I was skeptical about just how good any low-fat dessert could be - Of course, now I know better! I gave it a try despite my skepticism and I was NOT disappointed!

Since discovering this recipe, I have made it countless times (and again this weekend!). I love it because it's so versatile. Topped with a chocolate glaze, it's elegant enough for a dinner party. Yet by itself it's non-fussy enough to bring to a casual get-together like a BBQ or picnic. It's also easy to make which puts it high on my list of desserts I turn to when I have no idea what to make and when I'm strapped for time. Besides the convenience of it, it is also SUPER DELICIOUS and I always get recipe requests whenever I make it. The cake itself is moist and fluffy. The chocolate cake swirl has an intense chocolate flavour. The white cake has a great tang from the yogurt! Together they are heaven!

I make a few changes though. I use vanilla yogurt in place of the plain kind. I use 1 tbsp. of instant coffee instead of the instant espresso since I can never find it. Lastly, I only measure out 1 cup of the yogurt batter instead of 1 1/2 cups.

Chocolate Marble Cake
By Alice Medrich "Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts"
Serves 12

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg white
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Position the rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F. Spray 8- to 10- inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray.Use a wire whisk to combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift together. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine espresso powder, cocoa, and 1/3 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup water. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk whole egg with egg white. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces and place in an electric mixer bowl. Beat for about 1 minute to soften. Gradually add remaining 1 cup of sugar and beat at high speed for about 3 minutes. Dribble eggs in slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly for about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture. On medium-high speed, beat in half of the yogurt. On low speed, beat in half of the remaining flour. On high speed, beat in the rest of the yogurt and the vanilla. On low speed, beat in the remaining flour.

Measure out 1-1/2 cups of yogurt batter and mix into the cocoa mixture; set aside.

Use a large spoon to fill the bottom of the pan with about three quarters of the white batter placed in dollops. Cover the white batter with dollops of chocolate batter. Top the chocolate batter with small dollops of white batter spread so that the chocolate batter shows through. Use a table knife to marble the batters together with a circular or zigzag motion; be careful not to blend them too much.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake in several places comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes on a rack. Unmold the cake. Cool completely before serving or storing. Serve cake upside down or right side up. Cake may be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Nutritional Information: 230 calories and 6.9 grams of fat per serving.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2007-10-22T17:25:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you have a whole bunch of broccoli to use up, it's chilly outside and you're craving something comforting like soup? You make cream of broccoli soup, of course!

I originally wanted to make a recipe I found in the Everyday Food mag but I didn't have any potatoes so I took out my trusty "How to Cook Everything" cookbook and found a recipe that called for my choice of rice or potatoes - perfect! What I love about this cookbook is that you can adapt any recipe and personalize because almost every recipe has add-in's, substitutions, and tips...I keep wondering why I don't use this cookbook more often! Maybe I need to do a little more cooking and a little less baking - yeah right!

So the verdict: OH MY GOD, AMAZING! Not only is it super tasty, it was ridiculously easy and fast to make! The soup is a little chunkier than the soups I've had at restaurants but I think it has to do with the fact that my blender isn't the best in the world. Regardless, the taste is out of this world! I'm glad I decided to add some garlic and onions to the original recipe - this is really a keeper recipe!

Picture Courtesy of Everyday Food

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Adapted from recipe from "How to Cook Everything"

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups loosely packed broccoli
1/2 cup rice
4 cups low-fat reduced-sodium chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup half-and-half

1. In a small saucepan saute the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Set aside.

2. Combine the broccoli, rice, and stock in a large, deep saucepan or casserole and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Cool broccoli mixture slightly, then puree with garlic and onion mixture in batches in blender (you may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding.).

4. Return to the pot and reheat over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cream; heat through again and serve.

In Seach of the Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe....

2007-10-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

I really hate making baked goods from a boxed mix or using premade frostings! No matter how good they taste, I get soooo turned off when I read the ingredients and see the list of chemicals, preservatives, and weird-sounding ingredients (the organic versions are not bad at all but they are $10.00/box!). Honestly, I must say, I've never had a cake that was as moist or as soft or as fluffy (Marc's birthday cake last year was close but not quite) as the boxed mix versions. This is what led to my quest in search of the best recipe for an everyday chocolate cake. The criteria: the recipe had to be super easy, the cake had to be moist and fluffy, and the icing had to be as good as the premade versions!

My first try was the Texas Sheet Cake from Cooking Light. It was very good for a low-fat version but it was neither, super easy to make (it was easy but it wasn't effortless) or what I was looking for in an everyday recipe. It was fluffy but not as moist as I would have liked it and Marc and I did not like the addition of the cinnamon at all.

My second try was the Hershey "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake recipe that was suggested on the Cooking Light message boards. It is very moist and fluffy, perfect amount of chocolate flavor and sweetness, the frosting is to die for, and the recipe is super easy - a one-bowl recipe! The perfect recipe - the texture and flavor was exactly what I was looking for - like the boxed versions but just a little less sweet! I used the one-pan cake variation and the cake was done after 35 minutes. After a tip from my mom, I sifted all the dry ingredients - I'm not sure how much of a difference that made in the recipe but I'm sure it contributed to the fluffy/moist factors!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.

Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.
CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Sheet Cake
Cooking Light

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, divided
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fat-free milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour. Set aside.
Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add to flour mixture. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack.

Combine 6 tablespoons butter, fat-free milk, and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over hot cake. Sprinkle cake with pecans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 298(30% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 5.5g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 3.1g; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 188mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.8g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007

Back From Paradise...

2007-09-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Marc and I are back from our amazing trip in Varadaro, Cuba!!! We stayed at the Paradisus Princesa del Mar (formerly Sandals) which we booked through Sunwing.ca. I had found the resort for our honeymoon in St-Lucia last year through Tripadvisor so I did my research again on Tripadvisor too - I LOVE that website! We are 2 for 2! It was the BEST trip!

The grounds of the resort were lush - lots of exotic flowers, plants, and trees everywhere you looked! The pool was HUGE and well maintained. I am allergic to chlorine but I guess with the salt water they only had to use the minimum amount because I didn't have any reaction. In the pool, there was also a swim-up-bar that was GREAT - I didn't even have to get out of the pool to order a Mojito! The beach was the BEST! The sand was white and the water was the most beautiful color of turquoise AND the perfect temperature - not too warm and not too cool - just refreshing! The resort is pretty much at the end of the Varadero peninsula so we didn't see too many people from other resorts wandering over to our beach so it felt very private! The resort itself is also "couples-only" so there was no drunken scenes or people getting out of hand even if it was all-inclusive, not that we saw anyways, so we had alot of peace and quiet even if the resort was 1/3 full. The rooms themselves were pretty big and the bathrooms were quiet spacious. We had a room that was labeled "garden view" but we still had a view of the ocean from the balcony of our room. As for the food, we didn't have high expectations because of the reviews I had read about Cuba, as well as, the comments we had gotten from friends but we were pleasantly surprised! Our resort had 7 restaurants - 1 was a buffet, 1 was a restaurant reserved for concierge guests only, and the remaining 5 were "a la carte". We thought the Italian and French restaurants were just okay and we really didn't like the buffet. Breakfast and Lunch were served in the buffet restaurant but we found out that the Snack Bar also had breakfast and lunch and we went there every day for the rest of our trip - it was really good! Our favourite restaurants were the Japanese and the Cuban - both we soooo good that we ended up going back to both! Wednesday nights the resort hosts a Cuban Gala in the courtyard and we reserved for that - the food the excellent - we had lobster and chicken! As for excursions, we only ended up going on the Seafari (we wanted to do the Jeep Tour but we both had forgotten to pack any running shoes) but it was worth every extra penny we spent! The tour company picks you up at the hotel and drives you to the marina where a catamaran was waiting (complete with an open bar and Cuban music!). Our first stop was to swim with the dolphins, then snorkeling, and then a stop at a small island called Cayo Blanco where we were served Lobster for lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon here on the beach and then the catamaran brought us back to the marina.

We loved our trip sooo much that we have already decided we're going back next year! I can't wait!

Lemon Cream Meringue Pie

2007-09-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

For our weekly get-together I received a special dessert request from our friends Ida and Max - Lemon Meringue Pie! I LOVE lemon meringue pie but I've always found that the ones sold in grocery stores, bakeries or restaurants are always overly sweet! The only place I've ever enjoyed lemon meringue pie, without an instant sugar rush or tooth ache, is at my gramma's house - her pies are never too sweet with just the right amount of tartness and none of that artificial lemon flavor or chalkiness. I didn't have time to call her so I did a quick search on the Cooking Light message boards and I took a chance on this recipe. Compared to other recipes I found it had a lot less sugar and I was also intrigued by the addition of the milk since most of the others I found used water instead. It got great reviews so I figured it would be a good recipe to start with!

I was absolutely right! The filling is absolutely amazing! Very very similar to my gramma's version - perfect balance of sweetness and tartness! Now, I can't say the same for the crust and the meringue but that was my own fault! The crust was soggy (I am pretty sure I under baked it!), the meringue wept (recipe's fault as I later found out!) and the meringue shrank (my fault!).

While the pie was cooling I noticed the meringue was shrinking and starting to weep so I did a search on the net and I learned that sealing the meringue to the edge of the pie crust is very important to avoid "shrinkage" - I obviously did not know that! I also learned that the reason that meringues weep (A syrup that forms between the filling layer and the meringue) is that they are undercooked on the bottom, and some of the moisture that is held in suspension in the egg foam seeps out all over the pie filling. The solution is to never let your filling cool before smoothing on the meringue - the filling should be piping hot to help set the bottom of the meringue. Also, egg whites should also be room temperature before beating them - this was the only thing I did right apparently! I will need to keep all this in mind for the next time!...

Sooo...my pie ended up being a very messy disaster but it was still amazingly tasty! A work in progress!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Lemon Cream Meringue Pie

1 pie crust recipe (I used a Pillsbury Deep Dish Frozen Crust)

FILLING:
2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
3 to 4 lemons
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 TB unsalted butter, softened

MERINGUE:
4 egg whites
2/3 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla (my addition)

1. Prepare your pie crust.

2. To make the filling, combine the milk & sugar in a nonreactive saucepan. Strip the zest from the lemons with a sharp peeler, making sure you remove the yellow zest but non of the white pith beneath. (it is bitter). Add the zest to the milk & sugar and bring it to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes; remove the strips of zest with a slotted spoon and discard them.

3. Squeeze lemons to make 1/2 cup strained juice. Place the juice in a mixing bowl and whisk in the cornstarch, then yolks.

4. Return the milk & sugar mixture to a boil over low heat and whisk in about a third of the boiling milk into the lemon juice mixture. Return the remaining milk and sugar mixture to a boil once more and whisk the lemon juice & yolk mixture back into it, whisking constantly till filling comes to a boil and THICKENS. Allow to boil, whisking constantly, for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, whisk in the butter & pour into a glass bowl. Press saran wrap against the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool till it drops to 75 degrees. ( that's about room temp.) I let it sit out on the counter to cool. COVERED!

5. Set a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350.

6. Bake your pie crust "Blind baking style. (Empty filled with weight or beans 20 minutes, then remove weights and bake about 10 minute more. Cool completely.

7. Spread cooled filling in baked and cooled pie shell.

8. To make meringue: Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Comine ingredients in bow of mixer. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and whisk the egg white mixture gently for 2 minutes, till whites are hot (140 degrees) and sugar is dissolved. Whip the meringue on medium speed till it has cooled and is able to hold a shape, but not too dry. Distribute spoonfuls of meringue all over top of pie, then using back of spoon to spread it evenly. It should cover the top completely and TOUCH THE EDGES of the crust all around. (This prevents to much shrinkage) Here and there, bring up the surface of the meringue so that it is swirled. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and bake 5 to 10 minutes, till meringue is colored evenly.

9. Cool Completely.

From Nick Malgieri's Book "HOW TO BAKE" Page 169

Garlic and Herb Oven Fried Halibut

2007-08-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

With the ongoing renovations, we've slacked off on our normally healthy diet. We decided that we were going to get back on track, including eating out less, eating more fruits and vegetables, and eating more fish.

I remember when I saw this recipe, I had thought that it would be something that we would like. So last night we decided to make this with a couple of changes. We couldn't find panko so we just used regular italian breadcrumbs. Also, after reading the reviews on the CL website, I added more garlic.

All in all I thought this was really really good and we would make this again!

Garlic and Herb Oven Fried Halibut

Coat fillets with crumbs and bake at a high temperature for a crisp texture similar to fried fish. Fresh herbs and other seasonings heighten the flavor. Total time: 42 minutes.

Ingredients
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place egg whites and egg in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 fish fillets; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining fish. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 293(29% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 1.4g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 39.4g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 89mg; SODIUM 446mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.2g

Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Berry Topping

2007-08-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we stopped off at a farmer's market on our way back from Marc's parents chalet in the country. We bought freshly picked organic strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and a basil plant! Of course, there was no way I way going to be able to use up 2 pints of strawberries and a pint of raspberries in a week so I froze half the strawberries and raspberries. I went on a search for the perfect recipe to use the berries for and my search ended when I came across this recipe! The reviews were good, it's relatively low in fat, we love cheesecake, and we love berries...plus we were invited to our friend's Ida and Max (my taste-testers extraordinaire!) on Friday night so I had the perfect excuse to try out a new dessert!

I made a few minor changes. I didn't use homemade ricotta, instead I bought 2 cartons of low-fat ricotta (I like the Saputo brand the best). I also didn't use any blueberries, instead I used 1 pint of strawberries and 1 pint of raspberries - it was more than enough! I also didn't measure the lemon rind, I just grated the rind of one lemon directly into the bowl - I think I might have had about a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon - it was a big lemon! This was also super easy to make, it took 10 minutes to put together before it went in the oven! It was ready after an hour and 10 minutes.

So after trying it, I have to say I wasn't impressed. Maybe it was just because it wasn't what I was expecting. The flavour was awesome but I wasn't crazy about the texture. Max loved it but I think the rest of us weren't in agreement! It just wasn't creamy enough, like a cheesecake should be. Perhaps, if I decide to make this again I will replace half the ricotta with cream cheese. This dessert should definitely be paired with berries though, it definitely made the dessert!

Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Berry Topping

You'll need to make at least 1 1/2 batches of Homemade Ricotta Cheese for this luscious dessert. Although cream cheese-based cheesecakes are served chilled, ricotta cheesecakes are often enjoyed warm or at room temperature. If you've made this dessert in advance, cover and refrigerate, then let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. While a shiny metal pan makes a delicious cheesecake, a dark metal or nonstick pan consistently gave us a taller, lightly browned cake.

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients

Cheesecake:
4 cups (2 pounds) Homemade Ricotta Cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Topping:
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Mint sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cheesecake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around the outside edge of cheesecake. Cool slightly; remove outer ring from pan. Sprinkle cheesecake evenly with powdered sugar.

To prepare topping, combine berries, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and juice; toss gently to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve berry mixture with cheesecake. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 cheesecake wedge and about 1/2 cup berry mixture)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 286(32% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 5.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 18g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 353mg; SODIUM 328mg; FIBER 2.5g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.7g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2005

Double Chocolate Cookies

2007-08-21T18:40:00.000-05:00

A better title would have been "chewy chocolate chip cookies". At first I thought these would be a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips but after reading the recipe I realized that the only reason they are called "double chocolate" is because they have semi-sweet AND white chocolate.

I thought these were really good for a low fat version of a chewy chocolate chip cookie! I think they key to this recipe is the type of pan that is used. For the first batch I used a shiny aluminum baking sheet and the cookies weren't done until after 16 minutes. After cooling this batch was just okay. For the second batch I used a regular non-stick baking sheet and the cookies were done after 11 minutes. This batch was more like what I was expecting! Golden around the edges, slightly crispy on the outside, and chewy inside! I will have to remember this for the next time!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
2 1/2 tablespoons premium white chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg white; beat 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture, dried cherries, chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Place pans in freezer for 5 minutes. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yield : 2 dozen cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 98(30% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 2g,mono 1g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 1g; CHOLESTEROL 7mg; CALCIUM 12mg; SODIUM 63mg; FIBER 0.4g; IRON 0.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.6g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

Molten Mocha Cakes

2007-08-19T20:51:00.000-05:00

A friend asked me for this recipe last week and reminded me that I haven't made these cakes in awhile! I had the perfect excuse to make them this weekend since I needed a dessert that could be made in advance and then popped in the oven after supper. So I made these Friday night as we were packing for our weekend away in the country at Marc's parents chalet.

I love love love this recipe! Did I mention that I LOVE this recipe! Ok, so it's not low-fat but considering that I hardly make any full fat desserts, this is the perfect splurge. I love that it is soooo easy to make yet elegant enough to serve to company. I also love the fact that it can be made the night before and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled depending on how many people we are expecting.

I also discovered that the kind of chocolate that you use makes a HUGE difference! I have always been skeptical of using gourmet chocolate in place of the Baker's brand. I always knew that better chocolate would improve a recipe but I wasn't convinced of how much. You'd think that considering my love of chocolate, that I'd be a connoisseur of gourmet chocolate but...unfortunately, no. I guess all of that is about to change! I bought a bar of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight 72% Cacao to use in this recipe as a treat, not really expecting it to really make a noticeable difference! Wow, I was soooo wrong all this time! This recipe was already amazing with plain old regular baking chocolate but the gourmet chocolate made this recipe super rich and decadent!!! Served with vanilla bean ice cream, it is heaven in a bowl!

Picture Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Molten Mocha Cakes
Martha Stewart Everyday Food Mag
Serves 2; Prep time: 10 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes

If you want to double or triple this recipe, just add 3 minutes or so to baking time. To make ahead, cover ramekins with plastic wrap after step 2; refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake 14 to 16 minutes.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Pinch salt
3 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.Note: To decorate, cut out a heart from a piece of parchment paper, and lay stencil over warm cake. Over stencil, tap a fine-mesh sieve filled with confectioners' sugar; carefully lift stencil.

Per serving: 424 cal; 24.2 g fat (13.8 g sat fat); 7.8 g protein; 47.2 g carb; 1.8 g fiber

My notes: I baked for 17 minutes. Use 1 bar of 100g when doubling the recipe.

Mixed Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

2007-08-19T20:24:00.000-05:00

Fajitas! We absolutely LOVE fajitas! This weekend we are going to Marc's parents chalet and seeing that it is one of the last weekends of summer we decided it would be a BBQ only weekend!

I read from the reviews on the Cooking Light website that the marinade is exceptional! I have another recipe for Fajitas that has been my go-to recipe so far but once I saw that this recipe had chili powder (our favourite spice!), garlic (we love garlic!), and beer (my hubby's alcoholic beverage of choice!), I decided that I would try it out and see how it compares to my other recipe from CL. Since we were planning to have steaks on Sunday we decided that we would make this with all chicken. The only other change I made to the recipe was that we BBQ'ed the onions and peppers instead of grilling on the stove.

Marc and I agree that this is our new go-to recipe for fajitas! I agree with the reviews on CL that the marinade really makes the recipe. It definitely does taste like the restaurant versions! We served with sour cream, salsa, and Jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese. Very easy and very delish!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Mixed Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds flank steak
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
2/3 cup beer
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 2 large onions)
2 cups red bell pepper strips (about 2 peppers)
2 cups green bell pepper strips (about 2 peppers)
12 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups diced seeded tomato (about 1 large)
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

Trim fat from steak, and score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak.
Combine juice and next 7 ingredients (juice through garlic) in a small bowl. Divide marinade equally between 2 large zip-top plastic bags, adding steak to 1 bag and chicken to the other. Seal bags, and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight, turning bags occasionally. Remove steak and chicken from bags, discarding marinade.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place steak on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and cook 10 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place chicken on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into thin slices.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 10 minutes or until onion mixture begins to brown.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.

Spoon steak or chicken, onion mixture, tomato, and cilantro down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 tortilla, 2 ounces meat, 1/2 cup onion mixture, 2 tablespoons tomato, and 2 teaspoons cilantro)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 378(30% from fat); FAT 12.4g (sat 3.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 26.8g; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 97mg; SODIUM 444mg; FIBER 3.3g; IRON 4.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.7g

Cooking Light, MAY 1999

And Apology and Chocolate Mousse....

2007-08-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

I apologize to all my readers if I've been slightly neglectful of my blog over the last month or so. The renovations have restarted on my house in full force - not only has it been too hot to cook or bake, I've also been tired and mostly uninspired! I guess stress can do that! Anyhow, this past week we've been shopping around for the renovations we are doing in the kitchen (ceramics, backsplash, faucet, paint, sink, hardware) so all this talk about a BRAND NEW kitchen has brought my inspiration back! I was also under the impression that the new kitchen cabinets were only being delivered late fall but apparently we will be receiving them by the end of August, beginning of September! I'm soooo excited! What's also added to my excitement is the trip we recently booked in Cuba for one week in September - we definitely NEED a vacation!

Soooo...with my inspiration back I starting flipping through recipes I've saved to try. I came across a chocolate mousse but it had 30 grams of fat per serving so I was on a mission to find a lighter recipe that had less heavy cream. Finally, I found a recipe from Cooking Light that uses tofu instead of heavy cream. Low in fat and high in protein - that's what attracted me to the recipe! I must admit though, I was a bit hesitant since I had read some reviews that the mousse had a slight after taste but I decided to made it anyways. I only ran into one little problem... the recipe calls for a candy thermometer but I only had a meat thermometer who's max temperature is 200° so I improvised. I brought the sugar and water to 200° and let it boil for about a minute and a half longer and figured it should have passed 238° by then. The other change I made is I used Mori-Nu silken soft tofu instead of firm tofu after reading other reviews. I let it set overnight and I snuck a taste this morning - it was amazing! You can't taste the tofu AT ALL! I was a bit worried it wouldn't set up like a real mousse because when I poured the mousse into the glasses it was really liquidy but it set up nicely and it had the exact consistency of a mousse....airy, light and creamy! I might tinker with the recipe next time since I found it just a tad too sweet and it needs more chocolate, possibly half dark, but all in all it was really really good! There is a similar recipe from Ellie Kreiger that uses 3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder so I will substitute those for the chocolate chips and probably reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup.

Stay tuned - I will be trying out a chocolate/hazelnut panna cotta recipe this coming weekend!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Chocolate Mousse
Cooking Light

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat extra-firm tofu
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Fat-free whipped topping, thawed (optional)
Grated chocolate (optional)

Place chocolate and tofu in a food processor or blender, and process 2 minutes or until smooth.

Place salt and egg whites in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°. Pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed. Gently stir one-fourth of meringue into the tofu mixture; gently fold in remaining meringue. Spoon 1/2 cup mousse into each of 8 (6-ounce) custard cups. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Garnish with whipped topping and grated chocolate, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 147 (34% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 3.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 5.2g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 134mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.5g Cooking Light, MAY 2001

Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella...

2007-06-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

It's been too HOT to cook these days! I haven't turned on the stove, except to make espresso, in the last couple of weeks! That is not like us....

After the umpteenth time of eating hamburgers for supper, I said "enough is enough"...I was desperate to find something to eat for dinner that didn't require much work or red meat and had limited stove time! As luck would have it, my monthly Everyday Food mag came in this week and I found 2 recipes (second one in next post) that I thought had potential!

I didn't change the recipe too much. I used half a precooked rotisserie chicken instead of the cutlets, and saved the rest for the other recipe. I omitted the water and added a few tablespoons of pesto instead.

Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella
Everyday Food

Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
8 ounces medium pasta shells
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons butter

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, and cut into thin strips, halving if long.

2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, Parmesan, and butter. Toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a sauce that coats the shells (you may not need all the water). Serve with more Parmesan.

Greek Couscous Salad with Feta...

2007-06-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this recipe came from the August issue of Everyday Food. The original recipe is called "Bulgur Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts". I didn't have any bulgur or pine nuts so I thought I'd improvise. It turned out very delicious!

Greek Couscous Salad with Feta
Everyday Food (Modified)

2 cups couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped red onion
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved, and finely diced
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, removed from carcass and cut into cubes

1. In a large bowl, mix couscous with salt and ground pepper. Pour in 2 1/2 cups boiling water; stir. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 3 minutes. Uncover; add lemon juice and olive oil and fluff with fork. Set aside.

2. Add feta, red onion, tomatoes, parsley, and cucumber. Toss to combine.

I've been Maimed...

2007-06-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

Joking, of course! Actually Brilynn from Jumbo Empanadas asked me to participate in a Meme - there was no injuries involved, I promise!

A meme is like an interview where the host of a blog is asked a few questions by a fellow blogger...that's my interpretation anyways. I am then supposed to ask other fellow bloggers questions of my own and so it continues...so if anyone is interested I would gladly oblige...

1- What three people, dead or alive, real or fictional, would you like to have over for dinner and what would you eat?
Does it have to be over at MY house for dinner...couldn't it be on the shores of Spain or a villa in Italy....sigh....okay, so my house it is, I guess! A woman can dream!
Firstly, of course I'd want my husband there...he's my best friend and I'd want him to share in my excitement! I wouldn't want him to miss it!
Second, I definitely want Morgan Freeman to be invited. No attraction there, I swear! He's just always been my all-time favourite actor. I think he's so interesting, funny, so genuine, and he has integrity unlike other celebrities from Hollywood. And, he's talented to boot...actor, director, musician, Broadway star, academy-award winner, pilot...in truth, the only celebrity I would actually want to meet....
Third, would have to be God (and not because Freeman played God in "Bruce Almighty" - purely unrelated)! I can almost imagine the deep and philosophical conversations we would all have! I have so many questions, so many things I'd love to discuss and debate...love, fate, poverty, natural disasters, war, religion (I could go on and on...) I think it would be quite an interesting dinner party - I am sure we would all be up quite late, into the wee hours!
Now, what would I serve?!...hmmm....dinner would definitely be tapas or antipasto's....a spread of cheeses, cold cuts, baguette, olives, nuts, shrimp in garlic oil, grilled vegetables, chorizo in a romesco sauce, flank steak with a chimichurri sauce, paella, and, of course, lots and lots of wine! We could nibble and talk to our hearts content, never having to leave the table. For dessert, I'd make a tiramisu, just because it's my favourite. Obviously, it would be summer and it would be out on the patio, a clear warm night and the stars would be twinkling and the yard would be illuminated with lanterns and candles with some jazz playing in the background. Yes, I have a vivid imagination....hehehe...

2- If you were edible, what would you be made of?
Aren't I already edible...ahem...cough...okay so maybe that was a tasteless joke *wink* but, come on, I'm sure I was set up with that question! Seriously though (hahaha!), I'd definitely want to be a dessert - a rich chocolate one!

3- What's your favourite food related childhood memory?
Eating pierogies at my gramma's house - hands-down! She always makes them for the family on special occasions when we go to visit her in Ottawa - Easter, sometimes on Thanksgiving or Christmas (in addition to the turkey), birthdays, introducing someone new to the family, reunion, or sometimes for no reason at all - just because she knows we all love them so much. I remember I always used to watch her make them in awe (I still do when I visit), partly for the work involved, the ease in which she makes them, and her dedication - it takes at least half a day to make them and when we sit down for supper and she sees how happy we are to be eating our favourite meal, you can see how happy she is! Since I've been married I've been dying to learn to make them since I'd like to keep the tradition! It helps that my husband absolutely loves them too!

4- What's something that you've never made yourself but enjoy eating elsewhere?
Steak and rack of lamb! I love cooking but I'm just NOT good with the BBQ or grilling meat in any way, to be honest....I haven't gotten the cooking temperature/time quite figured out just yet - the whole medium or medium-rare thing is lost on me! Perhaps it's the lack of experience in this department. I figure a filet mignon, beef tenderloin, or rack of lamb are already quite expensive cuts of meat and if I screw up, it's money wasted. The few times we did experiment with recipes we ended up totally overcooking - nothing worse than an overcooked steak or rack of lamb! Anyways, for the amounts of times that we get a chance to BBQ (our summers are sooo short) and the special occasions that come up to warrant such fancy meals, it's just better to go out and have someone else cook for you!

5- If you won the lottery, what would you do?
I often say to my husband that I definitely think I missed my calling in life and that I should have been a chef or a pastry chef. I didn't even know I had any talent at all or love of the culinary arts until I started cooking/baking for my husband 2 years ago. Once I discovered I had a knack for it, and loved it, I always said that if ever we won the lottery I'd go back to school to be some sort of chef! I probably will go to cooking school ONE day (when we can afford it - which will be in about 10-15 years!) but not to pursue a career at that point in my life, only for my own personal enjoyment. Perhaps I will change my mind one day and decide to change careers...I would love that possibility...
Of course, if I ever won the lottery I would also give a lot away to close friends and family and charities and travel the world! But I guess that goes without saying...

Thanks Brilynn for the great questions!

Directions for the Interview Meme
1. Leave a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. Please make sure I have your email address.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

2007-06-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Last night Marc and I had this for the second time this year! It was even better than the first time and I know why! The first time we made this we were in too much of a hurry to marinate the chicken for the required 30 minutes and we also didn't use a grill-pan (we used a plain old skillet). What a difference the marinating and the proper pan made! It tasted exactly like souvlaki they serve at Greek restaurants we've been to!

We served with crumbled feta and pita bread. Super Yum!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
Cooking Light

Souvlaki:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray

Tzatziki Sauce:
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare souvlaki, combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

To prepare tzatziki sauce, combine cucumber, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 garlic clove, stirring well. Serve the tzatziki sauce with souvlaki. Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 skewers and about 1/4 cup tzatziki sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 219(19% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 30.9g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 161mg; SODIUM 705mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.3g

Latté Frozen Yogurt

2007-06-05T19:31:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night I promised our friend's Ida and Max that we would have them over for tacos! At first, I thought of making a Mexican dessert to go with the theme but then I changed my mind and decided to go with a chocolate or coffee frozen yogurt. Since we all love coffee, especially lattés, I chose this recipe.

It was a little more labor intensive than the other recipes I have tried so far since the recipe starts off on the stove (with vigourous stirring) but it didn't take longer than the other recipes and, anyways, it would have been all worth it had it taken double the time! I was also worried about having scrambled eggs when I poured the hot liquid into the beaten egg but if you whisk continually as you're pouring, the eggs won't scramble.

Of course, I had to have a sneak a taste. I mean, what IF it wasn't good! In one word - YUMMY! It tastes exactly like a latté - more precisely, a Starbuck's latté (my favourite)! The coffee flavor is pronounced but not too strong; creamy and smooth; sweet but not too sweet! I was skeptical at first about using the marshmallows but I am convinced now that it is the marshmallows that give it that "something" to make it taste like a latté.

Next time I make this I might double or triple the vanilla to turn this into a Vanilla Latté Frozen Yogurt - then it will be absolutely perfect!

Can't wait for tomorrow night!

Latté Frozen Yogurt
The Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Cookbook by Mable and Gar Hoffman

Makes about 1 quart

2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon instant-coffee crystals
1 egg
1/4 cup miniature or cut-up large marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, stirred

In a 1 1/2- or 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk and instant-coffee. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture simmers. In small bowl, beat egg slightly; stir about 1/2 cup hot mixture into beaten egg. Pour egg mixture into pan with remaining hot liquid. Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; add marshmallows and stir until dissolved. Cool. Stir in vanilla and yogurt. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

1 serving contains: 175 cal; 32g carb; 3g fat; 43mg chol; 180mg calcium

Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)...

2007-06-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

I knew I would be alone for supper tonight since my hubby was working the evening shift. I opened the fridge this afternoon to see what I had to work with for supper and realized that our fridge was bare (a very rare occurrence in our house!) except for a couple of fruits and vegetables - we were definitely due for our weekly grocery shopping trip! I skimmed through some of my cookbooks looking for recipes that could use some of our pantry staples without me having to go to the grocery store. I came across this recipe - it was perfect! Not only because I had all the ingredients on-hand but it was a recipe I had been wanting to make for a long time!

The recipe was perfect BUT where were all the spices?! It just sounded so... bland! It needed spice, after all ...it was a Cuban recipe, how could it NOT have spice! I decided to search the net for similiar recipes to see what could be added to jazz it up. I finally found one and decided I would add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp crushed red chili peppers, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.

I was very surprised at how good this recipe turned out! I honestly didn't think a recipe with such simple ingredients would result in such a great dish! And, not only did it taste great, it was super easy and fast to make. It's a definite keeper recipe!

History of the recipe: Black beans and rice is a popular Cuban dish said to bring good luck when eaten on New Year's Day. In Spanish, the dish is called Moros y Cristianos or Christians & Moors, with the black beans representing the dark-skinned Moors and the white rice representing the lighter-skinned Christians.

Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, peeled if desired, and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups drained cooked or canned black beans
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; don't bother to drain), optional
1 cup bean cooking liquid, or chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or water
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

My additons: 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp crushed red chili peppers, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Cooked Rice to serve

1. Place the oil in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the pepper is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, the beans, the optional tomatoes, and the liquid. (I added the extra spices at this point).

2. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the beans are hote and most of the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in most of the parsley. (I took out the bay leaf here).

3. Arrange the pilaf on a platter, in a ring if you like. Spoon the beans over the rice or into the center of the ring, or pass them separately. Garnish with the remaining parsely and serve.

Per main dish serving: Calories 341; Fat 5g; Percent Calories from Fat 13; Potassium 536mg; Carbohydrate 65g; Folate 133mcg; Sodium 917mg; Calcium 118mg; Protein 10g; Dietary Fiber 10g; Cholesterol 0mg

A Book Review: Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog...

2007-05-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

I had read so many great reviews about this book over the last couple months that I was dying to read it but, frugal as I am, I was waiting until it came out in paperback. Well...not one to pass up on a sale I snatched up the hardcover as I was browsing the shelves at our local bookstore when I saw it at 30% off!

All I can say is this book is amazing! It made me laugh (out loud!) and it made me cry (with my bad luck I happened to read the sad parts while I was on the subway on my way home from work - quite embarrassing - I was sniffling and tearing up like a baby!). I totally agree with other reviews I have read that only a dog-owner/lover (especially anyone who owns a Labrador) can fully appreciate this book! If I would have read this book before we had adopted Biscuit I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much BUT I probably would have learned a thing or two and/or would have probably been a little more prepared for the mischief, delinquency, and general work that comes with having a dog! Regardless, I'd do it all over again!

For the first half of the book it was as if I was reading about my own chocolate Lab Biscuit...seriously...the book could have been titled "Biscuit and Me" for all the similarities between Marley and my Biscuit! I kept saying to myself (and to my husband who kept rolling his eyes at me) "Oh my God - Biscuit did that too!", "Hahaha...we went through that", "Oh yeah, Biscuit would definitely do THAT", "Thank God, Biscuit never did THAT!"...I had so much fun relating to the author's love/hate relationship with Marley! There is nothing like a Labrador - they are overly rambunctious, mischievous, ill-mannered, disobedient, among other things, but we still love our Labs! Why...because despite their many many misgivings they are loving, protective, nurturing, and very loyal and they love us no matter what! Our Biscuit, in particular, would give us a million kisses a day if we let him and despite almost having a nervous breakdown during those first couple of weeks, I love him to death!

A definite repeat-read and new favourite!

Sour Cream Hazelnut Bundt Cake

2007-05-30T07:41:00.000-05:00

Biscuit, our pup, has his weekly agility course tomorrow and my husband volunteered me to make muffins for the whole gang - I was going to make 3 batches of 12 (2 batches for the course and 1 for us)! To tell you the truth, I would far rather make a cake than make 3 batches of muffins and be stuck in front of the stove all evening. I am sure Frederic, our trainer, will not mind at all that I made the executive decision to change the treats from muffins to a cake! I doubt he'll even remember that I was supposed to make muffins...

I've actually made this recipe quite a few times in the past and I keep coming back to it because it's so yummy and easy to make. The layer of nutella and hazelnuts makes it elegant enough to serve to company but at the same time it's casual enough to make for a weekday treat or to bring to a BBQ!

I do make one quite significant change to the recipe (and to the amounts of fat and calories!) - I add about half of a small jar of Nutella instead of the 2 tablespoons suggested! I mean seriously....how far can you go with 2 tablespoons of Nutella anyways?! Just my opinion!

Picture Courtesy of Cooking Light

Sour Cream-Hazelnut Bundt Cake
Cooking Light

1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.
Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream; beat until well blended.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring just until combined.

Spoon half of batter into prepared Bundt pan; sprinkle evenly with hazelnuts. Drop small spoonfuls of chocolate spread over nuts. Spoon remaining batter over chocolate spread; swirl batter using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar.

Yield: 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

NUTRITION PER SERVING - CALORIES 293(30% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 5.4g; CHOLESTEROL 51mg; CALCIUM 82mg; SODIUM 226mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.1g

Mango Frozen Yogurt

2007-05-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

After an almost failed attempt at making frozen yogurt last week, I was ready to try again. I had 2 mangoes in the fridge that were super ripe and if we didn't eat them within a day or two they were going to go bad so I decided to find a recipe to use them up. I also had leftover yogurt from my last batch so I was all set!

I modified the recipe slightly since it was raining outside today and I was not in the mood to venture outside too far even if it WAS for food...the original recipe (below) called for apricot-pineapple juice, which I didn't have nor do we ever buy it so I used a combination of OJ and pineapple juice that I DID have. The original recipe also called for mace, which I didn't have either but even if I did, I just wasn't into using it. I also added 2 tablespoons of rum, which the recipe didn't call for but I liked the flavor it gave to the previous recipe I tried (kind of like a Daiquiri and we LOVE those!) so I threw it in too...

This recipe was even better than the first recipe I tried. The texture was right on target - smooth, creamy, sweet but not too sweet, and super yummy - just like a frozen yogurt should be. The other recipes were really good but so far this one is my absolute favorite! It's "Oh My God" Good!

Mango Frozen Yogurt (Modified - Original ingredients below...)
The Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Cookbook by Mable and Gar Hoffman

Makes about 1 quart

2 medium mangoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rum
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, stirred

Mango pulp clings to a large seed in the center of the fruit. Slice strips of the pulp away from the seed; then cut pulp crosswise into small cubes.

In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine mangoes, orange and pineapple
juices, rum, and sugar. Puree until smooth. Stir in yogurt. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

1 serving contains: 118 cal; 28g carb; 1g fat; 2mg chol; 64mg calcium

Original recipe:

2 medium mangoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup apricot-pineapple juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, stirred

Oven Fries (and Yummy Angus Burgers)...

2007-05-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

This week, while shopping at our local grocery store, we discovered some Angus burgers! Pre-prepared and individually packaged, these were the epitomy of convenience! They were slightly more expensive than the hamburgers we often buy when we're in a rush or not in the mood of cooking but we said "what the heck!"....not only because we've been lazy these days (and the heat has pretty much put us on a hiatus from using the stove) but because Angus just hasn't been in our price-range before now! Plus we deserved a treat! We topped with melted Monterey jack cheese, fresh tomatoes, homemade guacamole, garlic mayo, and pickled hot banana-pepper rings! In one word - Orgasmic!

Now to find a side....While flipping through The New Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated I came across a recipe for oven fries. Now, I've made these before with absolutely no success - not only did they stick to the baking sheet like glue but they never totally cooked inside (or unevenly at best) and the outside never got crispy. I was a little weary of trying again for the umpteenth time BUT my husband really wanted fries so I said I'd try again but with no promises...

Well...this recipe was a total success! Not only did the potatoes NOT stick to the baking sheet but the outsides were crisp and the insides were soft and fluffy like a baked potato and no dryness at all! The secret, according to Cook's Illustrated, is to soak the wedges in hot tap water for 10 minutes before tossing with oil. Another tip I learned is to generously coat the baking sheet with oil which prevents the potatoes from sticking. Whatever the secret, it worked and the hubby was happy! The only drawback with the recipe is that it is a little more labor-intensive but the end result is well worth the effort!

The only change I made is I substituted olive oil for the vegetable oil. Next time, and there definitely will be a next time, I might also add some dried rosemary and some Parmesan cheese....

Oven Fries
The New Best Recipe

Take care to cut the potatoes into evenly sized wedges so that all of the pieces will cook at about the same rate. Although it isn't required, a nonstick baking sheet works particularly well for this recipe. It not only keeps the fries from sticking to the pan but, because of its dark color, encourages deep and even browning. Whether you choose a nonstick baking sheet or a regular baking sheet, make sure that it is heavy duty. The intense heat of the oven may cause lighter pans to warp.

Serves 3 to 4

3 russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled, each potato cut lengthwise into 10 to 12 even wedges
5 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
Salt and ground pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water; soak 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat an 18 by 12-inch heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet (see note) with 4 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle evenly with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

2. Drain potatoes. Spread potatoes out on triple thickness of paper towels and pat thoroughly dry with additional paper towels. Rinse and wipe out now-empty bowl; return the potatoes to bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet; cover tightly with foil and bake 5 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until bottoms of potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using metal spatula and tongs, scrape to loosen potatoes from pan, then flip each wedge, keeping potatoes in single layer. Continue baking until fries are golden and crisp, 5 to 15 minutes longer, rotating pan as needed if fries are browning unevenly.

3. Transfer fries to a second baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Pina Colada Frozen Yogurt...

2007-05-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

I was determined to use our ice cream maker this week so I took out my books and this was the perfect recipe to start with since Marc and I are addicted to Pina Colada! It also helped that we had over-ripe bananas and a pineapple sitting on our counter...

I didn't have vanilla yogurt so I just used the fat-free variety I had on-hand and added one tablespoon vanilla...

I realized after 45 minutes in the ice cream maker that I had made a mistake - I hadn't chilled the mixture before putting it in the machine! Obviously it was too late...serves me right for not reading the manual beforehand and assuming I knew what I was doing! Oh well...I will continue to learn the hard way until it finally sinks in to "Read the Stupid Manual!"....hehehe...

At this point I thought for sure I had ruined the recipe but I decided I was going to put the soupy mixture (not quite ice cream, not quite granita...) into the freezer overnight and see what would happen...I tasted it this morning and although the texture isn't the greatest (more sorbet than frozen yogurt), the taste was still amazing! I will make a slight modification next time though - I need to reduce the ratio of banana to pineapple (half a banana maybe and 1 cup more pineapple) but besides that it was yummy for an almost ruined recipe!

Pina Colada Frozen Yogurt
The Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Cookbook by Mable and Gar Hoffman

Makes about 1 quart

1 banana, peeled and quartered
1 cups ripe fresh pineapple chunks
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum or rum flavoring
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt, stirred

In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine banana, pineapple, and coconut. Blend until almost smooth. Add brown sugar and rum or rum flavoring. Stir in yogurt. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

1 serving contains: 175 cal; 36g carb; 2g fat; 2mg chol; 91mg calcium

A Few Cookbooks Revived...

2007-05-22T19:19:00.000-05:00

I've had both these cookbooks for at least a year and hardly even looked at them...I bought them at the same time in the spring last year but then the wedding plans and home renovations took over and I really didn't have time to make ice cream, much less read books about them!

After our double date for ice cream last weekend I, of course, had a new-found determination and interest in making homemade frozen treats! I foresee a lot of recipe reviews from both these books this summer...the first treat for my hubby is Pina Colada Frozen Yogurt that I am making as I'm typing this post...

Watermelon Granita

2007-05-20T22:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my hubby and I went for ice cream with our good friends, Ida and Max, to Roberto Gelateria (2221 Bélanger, corner Iberville) - a well-known Montreal landmark for homemade Italian ice cream. Between the four of us we tried the Baci, Tiramisu, Irish Cream, Coconut, Lemon Granita, and Mango Sorbet...in one word - amazing! In fact, I can honestly say there is no comparison to any other ice cream I have ever had and I'd pay money and lots of it for the recipes, if given the opportunity!

Back to the recipe....so after last night I KNEW I had to get my ice cream maker out of storage. After going through my recipes I finally decided on a granita recipe instead since I had some watermelon in the fridge that needed to be eaten up...I didn't need the ice cream maker but I'm sure I'll be using it soon with the warm weather coming....

I made one change to the recipe...I replaced 2 tablespoons of water with rum...I was surprised how easy this was to make....it took all of 10 minutes to put together!

This was super yummy! Not too sweet and great flavor....a great summer dessert!

Watermelon Granita
Chatelaine Magazine

Makes 5 cups (1.25 L)

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) water
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped seedless watermelon
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lime or lemon peel (optional)

1.Combine sugar, water and salt in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir frequently until mixture starts to bubble and sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

2.Place half the watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor. Whirl until no chunks remain. Pour into a 9x13-inch (3-L) baking dish. Pour sugar mixture into food processor and add remaining watermelon. Whirl until no chunks remain. Pour into baking dish. Add peel. Stir to evenly mix. Cover pan with plastic wrap.

3.Freeze until ice crystals form at edges in pan, about 40 minutes. Using a fork, scrape and stir to evenly distribute ice crystals. Repeat every 40 minutes until frozen, about 2 1/2 to 3 more hours. Using a fork or spoon, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Spoon into bowls and serve. Granita will keep well, covered and frozen, up to 5 days.

Nutrients per 1/2 cup (125 mL): 0.8 g protein, 0.6 g fat, 19.1 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fibre, 0.2 mg iron, 10 mg calcium, 60 mg sodium, 79 calories

Skinny Chimichangas

2007-05-20T15:36:00.000-05:00

I was in the mood for Mexican tonight so I took out my new cookbook and chose this recipe which was has been on my to-try list forever! It was super easy to make, slightly spicy, and full of flavor AND it definitely did not taste like it was low in fat.

I made some changes because I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. I substituted shredded chicken (from a precooked rotisserie BBQ chicken) for the ground turkey, I used 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes instead of the green chiles since I didn't have any on-hand, and I used jalapeno monterey jack instead of cheddar cheese.

A definite repeater!

Funny tidbit: "Chimichanga" is the equivalent of "thingamajig" in Spanish...

Skinny Chimichangas
WW Takeout Tonight

Serving Size : 4

1/2 pound ground skinless turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped mild green chiles
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (8 inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

Spray a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and the chiles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla. Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling. Place the chimichangas, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Do not turn.

Per serving (1 chimichanga): 241 cal, 2g fat, 46mg chol, 613mg sod, 34gcarb, 3g fiber, 22g pro, 184mg calc, 4 points

Super Fast and Easy Mac and Cheese

2007-05-18T18:38:00.000-05:00

Last night's creamy parmesan orzo was my inspiration for a fast and easy mac and cheese. My husband declared this recipe his new favorite mac and cheese recipe! The only negative aspect of this recipe is that it isn't visually appealing (in my husband's words "it looks like jailhouse slop"...hehe...but that was before he tried it and then he took it back!)...it doesn't have the same mouthful of the classic elbow pasta that is usually asked for in recipes but the taste and creamy texture made up for the lack of it...sometimes my experimenting pays off!

Super Fast and Easy Mac and Cheese

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, water, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15-18 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese immediately and stir vigorously until cheese is fully melted. Serve immediately.

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

2007-05-17T17:58:00.000-05:00

This was an absolutely amazing side dish! It's definitely going into my favorite recipes list! It was super creamy and full of flavor and super easy to make! Like a very creamy risotto but with pasta! I didn't make any changes - it was great just the way it is...

Creamy Parmesan Orzo
Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Preparation
Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 236(24% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 9.9g; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 82mg; SODIUM 412mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.8g

Artichoke-and-Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2007-05-17T17:57:00.000-05:00

This was just okay...it was edible but it wasn't anything we'd make again. It's probably just because we didn't like the combination of the goat cheese and artichokes...I still LOVE stuffed chicken recipes though and I will continue my search for keeper recipes!

Artichoke-and-Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Cooking Light

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke bottoms
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped chives, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, divided
8 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breasts halves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Drain artichokes in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop artichoke bottoms. Combine artichokes, cheese, 2 tablespoons chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon lemon rind in a medium bpwl; stir well.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup artichoke mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken breasts, and sauté 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken form skillet. Set aside; keep warm. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining chicken breats. Add reserved artichoke liquid, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind to skillet. Combine cornstarch and lemon juice; stir well. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon sauce over chicken. Top with 2 tablespoons chives. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 181(20% from fat); FAT 4.1g (sat 1.6g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 29g; CHOLESTEROL 72mg; CALCIUM 73mg; SODIUM 347mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.7g

Tomato and Sausage Risotto

2007-05-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

We had no idea what to make tonight so I broke out my binder of recipes and chose something that we had all the ingredients for (or most anyways) and something we hadn't made before. I had to improvise since I was missing the can of diced tomatoes and I didn't have any spinach.

I substituted a can of crushed tomatoes for the can of diced tomatoes and I substituted a whole chopped red pepper for the spinach (I added the red pepper in with the onions). I also made some other changes to improve the recipe. I added 2 minced garlic cloves (with the onion) and 1 tsp of italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp of dried basil. I also substituted low-sodium fat-free chicken stock for the water.

All in all it was a great recipe - it was spicy, creamy, and tasty - just the way we like it!

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
Martha Stewart - Everyday Food

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (10 to 14 ounces) flat-leaf spinach, washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 Cups) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

4. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

I Have NO Willpower...

2007-05-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

I caved! I bought ANOTHER cookbook! It's Weight Watcher's Takeout Tonight...I know what you're thinking - why are you on Weight Watcher's?! Actually I'm NOT...and NO I'm not on a diet!!! Ha...Me, count points, calories, etc...I don't think so! Our philosophy is everything in moderation...if you just try to eat 3 moderately healthy meals a day and do some sort of exercise daily you can still eat the foods you love - especially desserts!

Back to the book...I have been a member of the Cooking Light message boards for about a year now and alot of my culinary inspiration comes from the magazine and the boards...the recipes from this cookbook keep coming up with great reviews so I caved to the temptation and finally bought it! I've already put a couple or recipes on my to-try-soon list: Skinny Chimichangas, General Tso Chicken, and Lamb Souvlaki...expect reviews from this book in the near future!

Buckwheat Pancakes

2007-05-06T09:02:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on the cooking light message board. I have been looking for a recipe that rivals my step-mom's FOREVER! I remember when my sister and I were younger and we'd visit on the weekends, we'd have buckwheat pancakes all the time. Feeling a little nostalgic I decided to look for a recipe...I'll have to ask my step-mom for her recipe to compare...these were very similar to how I remember them...really good...

Buckwheat pancakes
King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) buckwheat flour
3/4 cup (3 1/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In a smaller bowl, beat the egg lightly with the molasses. Whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir the batter swiftly with a few strokes just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.Heat a nonstick griddle or heavy skillet. If your surface isn't nonstick, brush it lightly with vegetable oil. When the surface of your pan is hot enough that a drop of water sputters across it, spoon the batter onto the hot surface, 1/4 cupful at a time. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat up or down to get the pancakes to cook through without scorching the surface or being too pale.

When the cakes are just beginning to set, flip them and let them finish cooking on the second side until they are golden brown, about one minute more. Serve immediately with orange butter and maple syrup.

Paprika Roast Chicken

2007-05-01T21:36:00.000-05:00

I've been dying to use the Sweet/Hot Smoked Paprika from Spain that I ordered on the net from La Tienda a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't resist opening up the canisters when I received them - I was very curious to find out what the difference was in smell and taste...there is no comparison between the paprika you buy at the grocery store and the paprika from Spain...seriously! Just the smell is worth the splurge for the 4.50$ per canister (70 grams) - sweet, smoky like bacon, but spicy like chili powder! I thought this recipe from Martha Stewart would be a great test of flavor! Of course I bought the smoked paprika to use in Paella but...oh well...

The only change I made was reducing the salt to 1 teaspoon. I had one little problem with this recipe - the smoke it made in the oven...I will definitely rub the paprika between the meat and the skin next time - that should solve the problem...the chicken was really really moist and flavorful though. The meat really absorbed the smokiness of the paprika. I will definitely be repeating this recipe...I served with some ruby mini potatoes that I tossed with rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil and roasted in the same pan as the chicken...

Paprika Roast Chicken
Everyday Food - Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon paprika
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), giblets and liver discarded, patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a small bowl, mix paprika, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken cavity with about 1/4 of paprika mixture. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together; tuck wing tips under.

Rub chicken with oil; sprinkle all over with remaining paprika mixture. Roast until very dark, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes. Transfer to platter, and cover loosely with foil; let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Milles Femmes Montréal....

2007-04-30T13:34:00.000-05:00

The weirdest thing happened to me this week...a business acquaintance called me to tell me that she submitted my name to take part in a photography project by a french photographer, Pierre Maraval! After making sure it was legit, I accepted! This is the description of the project from the website 1000 Femmes Montreal:

Mille femmes Montréal Photographic work by Pierre Maraval; a tribute to Quebec's exceptional women.

MILLE FEMMES / Montreal is a monumental project and an exceptional performance by artist Pierre Maraval which will be exhibited between April 4th and May 26th 2007 at the galerie [sas] in partnership with Lancôme.

This project entails photographing 1000 women of all origins, ages and occupations. MILLE FEMMES / Montreal is above all a unique technical performance which will be made possible thanks to the most current digital technology. All the portraits will be printed and progressively displayed on the gallery walls, thus creating the mosaic of 1000 faces. The completed work will be presented at the galerie [sas] from May 16th to June 16th.

These women, who embody contemporary Québec society, come together to create a network united by the work itself. Like the links of a chain, each woman is asked to invite other women to join and take part in the project. The result will be a tribute, a kind of instantaneity of Quebec’s society of women and of its lively strength.

This mosaic belongs to the series of MILLE, which Pierre Maraval describes as “Human Landscapes”. This network project, where each individual is considered in relation to the others, creates a force of contact and communication between participants – especially at the end of the project when they are brought together by the opening on May 16th.

MILLE FEMMES / Montréal will then be featured in the Old Port of Montreal for three months, from June 25th to October 14th.

The portrait is going to be posted on Maraval’s website sometime after I go for my portrait and I’ll send an update once I know when it’s up...

http://www.maraval.org/galerie/?folder=content/1000portraits/Mille Femmes Montreal/

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream-Cheese Icing

2007-04-29T18:06:00.000-05:00

As the saying goes - "when the cats are away, the mouse shall play"! This was true this afternoon - my husband is working the evening shift and I went on a baking binge (yes I was bored!). I made my a batch of My Mom's Chocolate Chip muffins and another batch of Chocolate Espresso cupcakes and finally a batch of these Carrot Cupcakes from Martha Stewart. I chose this recipe since I've never made a recipe from MS that didn't turn out great and I had all the ingredients on hand. And, no...we're not going to eat them all!...I plan to bring them to work unless my husband beats me to it!

I didn't make any changes and they were super easy to make - even after grating my own carrots it took all of 10 minutes to prepare the batter, minus the icing, of course. The aroma out of the oven was heavenly and they are super yummy! Very moist, slightly spicy from the allspice, and just the right amount of nuts and coconut! I didn't taste them with the icing yet but I WILL...I was too tempted!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream-Cheese Icing
Everyday Food - Martha Stewart

Makes 12

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cream cheese, (room temperature)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Make the cupcakes: In a bowl, combine sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and eggs.

Stir in baking powder, baking soda, allspice, and salt. Add flour; mix. Stir in carrots, walnuts, and coconut.

Oil a standard muffin tin or line with paper cups; distribute batter evenly.

Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 minutes. Let cool before frosting. Garnish with toasted shredded coconut.

Make the icing: In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2007-04-28T18:01:00.000-05:00

I'm almost out of the homemade vanilla I made in November last year so I thought it would be the perfect time to post my recipe since I'll be making some again this week. I don't think I'll ever buy store bought vanilla extract again since the homemade vanilla is so much more flavorful because of the vanilla seeds and obviously cheaper! You do need to let it sit in a dry spot (like in the back of a kitchen cabinet) for a least a month before using though - no instant vanilla here!

Homemade Vanilla Extract
my formula is 4 vanilla beans for 375ml of Brandy and 2 vanilla beans for 185ml

Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise with the end of a sharp knife. Put in a glass bottle and top with brandy. Put bottle in a dry/dark place and shake every 2-3 days for a month, up to 3 months until the brandy has darkened and the vanilla seeds have infused the brandy.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Breadcrumbs

2007-04-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

This was super yummy! I loved it! The chicken was super moist and tasty from simmering in the chicken broth and the stuffing was AMAZING! I probably wouldn't make this again for a weekday meal unless I prepared and stuffed the chicken breasts the day before because it takes way more than the advertised 35 minutes! I'd say close to an hour! But it WAS worth it - I would even serve this to guests!

I didn't make too many changes. I only added a minced garlic clove to the stuffing. I doubled the stuffing because Marc LOVES stuffing and I knew I'd get brownie points for having some on the side for him too! I also used Italian crusty bread instead of sourdough since that's all I had...

Can't wait to have leftovers tonight!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Breadcrumbs
Cooking Light

Tangy sourdough bread adds intriguing flavor to the herbed sausage mixture. Total time: 35 minutes.

1 (4-ounce) Italian sausage link
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice sourdough bread, toasted and crusts removed
1 garlic clove, halved
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Remove casing from sausage; crumble sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned and onion is golden. Add wine to pan; cook 1 minute or until most of liquid is absorbed.

Rub each side of bread with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Coarsely crumble bread; add to sausage mixture. Stir in parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed; toss to combine.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place half of stuffing on one side of each chicken breast half, leaving a 1-inch border around sides. Fold remaining half of each chicken breast over stuffing, and secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add stuffed chicken breast halves to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Add chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove the wooden picks; slice breasts in half. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 chicken breast)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 233(29% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 21.9g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 774mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.5g

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

2007-04-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

Another winner this weekend! I'm trying to empty out my freezer a little bit to make space for an ice cream maker for the summer and we have a ton of salmon from our last trip to Costco....I remembered the raves this recipe got on the message boards so I decided to give it a try! Plus it's a change from the way we ususally prepare salmon and I LOVE pesto so I was sure we would love it! And we DID!

This was so easy to put together, I couldn't believe it...it took all of 10 minutes to prepare! It was soooo delicious and so nice on the plate that it would be a great recipe to serve to guests! This is my new favourite go-to salmon recipe! It's definitely not light because of the puff pastry but it's so amazing, it's worth the splurge for the extra calories! Hmmm mmmm.....

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - Everyday Italian

4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon 4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup purchased pesto

2 tomatoes, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

The New Chocolate Decadence

2007-04-22T21:27:00.000-05:00

This was absolutely amazing! It tasted like a cross between a cheesecake and a really fudgy brownie! Really really good! Does not taste light AT ALL! You really need to serve small slices because it is really decadent! I served with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Very elegant for guests - it was a bit of work (lots of coordinating with so many things going on at once) but it was so worth it! Our friends and taste-testers, Ida and Max, loved it! My husband has declared this his new favourite dessert!

The New Chocolate Decadence
from 'Chocolate & the art of Low-Fat Desserts' Alice Medrich

Cooking time: About 40 minutes Prep time: About 25 minutes, plus at least 8 hours to chill

Notes: For longer storage, wrap airtight and chill 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.Makes: 12 servings

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened alkaline-treated (Dutch process) or regular cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk

1. Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven, and turn heat to 350 [degrees].

2. With a nonstick cooking spray, lightly coat inside rim of an 8-inch-wide, 1 1/2- to 2-inch-deep round cake pan. Line pan bottom with cooking parchment cut to fit.

3. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl, and set aside.

4. Break 1 egg into a small bowl. Separate remaining egg. Put yolk with whole egg. Put white in a separate, larger bowl, and add the remaining egg white.

5. Add vanilla to the bowl with yolk. Add cream of tartar to egg whites.

6. Combine cocoa, flour, and 2/3 cup sugar in a 1 - to 1 1/2-quart pan. Mixing smoothly with a whisk, gradually add milk. Stir over medium heat until mixture simmers, about 6 minutes; don't scorch. Stir and cook 1 1/2 minutes longer, then pour hot mixture over chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Whisk in whole egg and yolk mixture. Set aside.

7. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed until whites hold soft peaks. Beating at high speed, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then beat until whites hold stiff but not dry peaks.

8. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan, and smooth the top.

9. Set cake pan in another pan that is at least 2 inches wider and 2 inches deep. Set pans in oven. Fill outer pan with boiling water to 1/2 the depth of the cake pan. Bake just until center of cake springs back when very gently pressed - it will still be quite gooey inside - about 30 minutes.

10. Lift cake pan from water, and set on a rack to cool. When cake is cool to the touch, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill until thoroughly cold, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

11. To release cake, slide a thin knife between rim and cake. Cover pan with a sheet of waxed paper, then invert a flat plate onto paper. Hold pan and plate together and invert; shake gently, if needed, to loosen cake. If cake sticks to pan, place a hot, damp towel on pan bottom for a few minutes; then gently shake pan with plate. Remove pan. Peel off and discard parchment. Invert serving dish onto cake. Supporting with flat plate, turn cake over onto serving dish. Remove flat plate, and discard waxed paper.

12. Cut cake into Wedges with a thin, sharp knife, dipping blade in hot water and wiping clean between cuts. Garnish wedges with raspberries and meringue cream.

Per serving decadence: 153 cal., 34% (52 cal.) from fat; 3.4 g protein; 5.8 g fat (2.9 g sat.); 26 g carbo.; 50 mg sodium; 36 mg chol.

Chorizo (Spanish Sausage)

2007-04-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

I didn't waste any time trying a recipe from my new cookbook "The Food and Wine of Spain"...our friends Ida and Max are coming over tomorrow night and I promised to make Paella...I usually use hot Italian sausages since chorizo is hard to come by in Montreal but as I was flipping through my new cookbook I noticed a recipe for homemade chorizo...of course, I wasn't going to go through all the trouble to put the meat into casings etc since I was going to crumble the sausage anyways so I just put it together and will use it tomorrow.

The recipe asks for 1/2 lb. of pork fat (we don't need any blocked arteries, thank you!) but I just left it out and left the rest of the recipe as is. I also doubled the recipe. Of course, this isn't the real thing since Chorizo is usually cured like the Italian Soprassata but it does taste exactly like it's dried counterpart once it's fried up, minus all the extra fat and curing!

Chorizo (Modified)
The Foods and Wines of Spain

3/4 pound lean ground pork
2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp crushed dried red chili pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Use as you would any other crumbled sausage.

Makeover...

2007-04-20T13:29:00.000-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with my curly hair...sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it...right now it's neither...I'm just bored...bored of curls, bored of being blonde...so yesterday I went to the salon for a makeover...I'm now a brunette (with caramel highlights like the picture)! My hairdresser cut it all off too...I have bangs again and it was halfway down my back and now it's a little past my shoulders...it feels so good to change!

This is how I cut my hair...

Another New Cookbook!

2007-04-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...you're saying, don't you have enough?! For those of you who know me well, you KNOW that I didn't need another one....I'm addicted to buying cookbooks - I'm guilty, I admit it! I HAVE been good lately though (seriously - ask my husband!) and I have agreed to only buy cookbooks for cuisines I don't have. So when I'm in the mood for a new cookbook it better damn well be a good one!

After going out for tapas not too long ago, I've been craving Spanish food. I started looking up some cookbooks and after reviewing the readers comments, I chose "The Foods & Wines of Spain" by Penelope Casas. It's not exactly NEW...it was published in 1982 but it seemed authentic so I decided to go with it! And I'm glad I did...I was flipping through the book on my lunch break at work today and it's filled with great recipes - of course, I haven't tried them yet but I can tell by the ingredients in most of them that they're going to be delicious! You can bet I'll be reviewing recipes from this book here soon!

Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)

2007-04-16T20:53:00.000-05:00

I've come to the realization lately that I have a commitment problem! There is always another recipe...one that has something that the one I've chosen doesn't - I just can't commit to one! The first step is admitting it, I guess....I wonder if there is a support group out there for me?!

I've come across numerous recipes for Tres Leches over the last month, all with different ingredients and methods, and I put it off since I wasn't sure which one to go with. After reading reviews of all the recipes I collected and taking them into consideration, I decided to combine parts of all of them! Perhaps I was looking for disaster since I've never had a Tres Leches cake before but I love a challenge and I used my intuition! I knew I had to add coconut somehow since Marc and I absolutely love coconut (I know this isn't authentic but what the heck!...) and I knew I had to incorporate some booze into the equation! I saw quite a few recipes that used rum so I went with that!

The cake part was ready after baking it for 45 minutes. When I mixed together the milks, I thought to myself "this is going to be way too much" but I went with it and after poking the cake about a million times with a fork, I started slowly pouring the milks over the cake. About three-quarters of the way, the milks were close to overflowing so I stopped and left it to soak up some before I finished. Next time I think I will use the recommended 13"x9" pan instead of the springform - I think it might be easier for the cake to absorb all the liquids (and easier for pouring) and I will decrease the baking time to 30-35 minutes. You try and you learn, I guess!

After letting it soak up all the liquids over night it was the moment of truth! I made some whipped cream and...why am I not surprised that this cake is super yummy! Very very moist and fluffy, slight coconut flavor, lots of rum flavor (but not overpowering) and with the whipped cream on top - Oh My God! I agree with Marc that for our tastes it needs a bit more coconut flavor so next time I might add some coconut extract and maybe even a little almond extract to the cake itself. With a little more tinkering this recipe will be PERFECT!

Pastel de Tres Leches (Three Milks Cake)

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease and flour an 8" springform baking pan.

Combine flour and baking powder and set aside. Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy. Add in granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks are formed (about 5 - 7 minutes on medium speed). Continue mixing and add in one egg yolk at a time until incorporated. Add in flour/baking powder mixture and milk. Alternate by starting and ending with flour/baking powder mixture. Add vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 8" springform baking pan.

Bake at 350° F for 45 - 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE FROM PAN. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over the cake using a fork. Set aside.

Tres Leches (Three Milks)
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup lite coconut milk
1/4 cup rum

Add milks and rum to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour slowly over cake until all absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.

Coconut
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

For the toasted coconut, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the coconut and spread it in an even layer. Cook, stirring often, until coconut is lightly toasted and browned. If coconut begins to burn, reduce heat. Remove from pan immediately.

Whipped Topping
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Combine heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and whip until stiff peaks are formed. Spread over top of cake and then sprinkle with toasted coconut and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Another Picture of Olivia....

2007-04-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

My sister, Jenny, just sent this picture of Olivia...what a cutie pie!

Super Crispy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

2007-04-13T18:49:00.000-05:00

Marc and I haven't made any new recipes in the last week...we've both been tired, over-worked and basically uninspired so, tonight being a Friday night, I made it a point to make something new!

I was really in the mood for chicken cutlets but bored with our usual recipe. I remembered by mom had come up with a concoction not too long ago in which she used italian bread crumbs, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal. I had been wanting to try it for awhile so I took out Great Food Fast cookbook since I remembered a recipe for a Buttermilk Baked Chicken that I also wanted to try - my inspiration for this recipe!

This was really yummy! It took all of 10 minutes to put together and the chicken (I used 4 large chicken breasts cut into 1-inch strips) was super crispy and very very moist! It was super delicious but I am sure I can tweak the recipe next time to make it even better - I'm still thinking about what I'm going to add. To be continued...

Super Crispy Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for baking sheet
1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 cups buttermilk **see note below to make your own
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 Pounds chicken parts, (preferably legs, thighs, and wings), rinsed and patted dry

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously rub a baking sheet with oil.

In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal.

Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly. Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from liquid, letting excess drip back into bowl; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat evenly. Place coated chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 35 minutes, flipping half way through.

**Note: To make soured milk as a substitution for buttermilk - put 2 tbsp lemon juice in a 8-cup liquid measuring cup, fill the rest with milk up to the 2-cup line. Stir and set aside 5 minutes.

Banana-Date Flaxseed Bread

2007-04-07T17:47:00.000-05:00

I've been slacking on the baking these past 2 weeks...since we're restarting the renovations on our house soon it's been alot of appointments at the bank and shopping around for materials/products...

This afternoon I thought I'd try this quick bread since it was on my to-try list...I chose this recipe because Marc and I absolutely LOVE flax (we love flax so much the pasta we buy is made of flax!) and banana bread so I was pretty sure we would like it!

It's a miracle, I didn't make any changes to this recipe! I just had a slice....super yummy! The flax gives the banana bread a nutty twist!

Banana-Date Flaxseed Bread
Cooking Light

Flaxseed has long been popular with European bakers because of its robust, nutty flavor. But new studies suggest that this powerhouse whole grain contains fibers and fat that may play a role in warding off heart disease and certain types of cancer. Flaxseeds can be found at health-food stores and some supermarkets. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator or freezer.

1/2 cup flaxseeds
2/3 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole pitted dates, chopped
Cooking spray

Place 1/2 cup flaxseeds in a blender, and process until ground to measure 3/4 cup flaxseed meal. Set flaxseed meal aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat the banana, sugar, oil, and eggs at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, flaxseed meal, 1/4 cup flaxseeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until well-blended. Stir in chopped dates. Spoon the batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake bread at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 129(30% from fat); FAT 4.3g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 2.2g; CHOLESTEROL 28mg; CALCIUM 16mg; SODIUM 137mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21g

Restaurant Review: Tapeo

2007-04-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

I saw this tapas restaurant listed in this month's Food and Wine magazine so I made a mental note of it for the next time Marc and I went out for dinner...

"This three-year-old Spanish Restaurant

is Montreal's benchmark for tapas. In an open

kitchen, chef Marie-Fleur St.Pierre makes the technically

demanding dishes - authentic Paella for two, and classic tapas

with her own spins - look as easy to cook as they are delicious"

When a restaurant makes it into a magazine like Food and Wine it has to be good and....when a Montreal restaurant makes it into a US magazine it's a given that it's gotta be damn good...as luck would have it, my husband called me this afternoon at work to tell me that he was taking me out tonight and I could pick the restaurant...at first I was a little hesitant to suggest Tapeo because, with my track record of expensive taste in food (my boss can vouch for that since he saw the bill for last year's Christmas party!), I was sure it was going to be "Très Cher"! I was pleasantly surprised when I looked them up and the saw that the prices were very reasonable (Tapas starting at $4.00 up to $15.00 and Paella for 2 for $25.00). Even the wine list was conservative with house reds starting at $20.00 and imported bottles at $24.00 - even more surprising was the absence of any Italian, French, or Australian wines - all Spanish wines in-house, very authentic! So I made my decision and ran it by Marc and he was all for it, especially when I mentioned that there was Paella on the menu. Of course, it will be hard to beat our favourite restaurant's (Las Americas) Paella but I'm up for the sampling. So I called to make a reservation (restaurants with hype usually require reservations whether they are recommended or not) and low and behold they were booked until 9PM...another good indication of the quality of the restaurant is a full house on a Thursday night! This piqued my curiosity even more...and also annoyed me - how could I, Erin, party planner for our Montreal office, not have heard about this restaurant before? How did I miss it? After all, my bosses trust my culinary judgement - will I be stripped of my foodie status?!...Ok, drama-queen episode over...moving on....

So as we are parking I'm thinking, no wonder not more people know about this restaurant! It's really off the beaten path. Out of downtown, out of the trendy neighborhoods like the Le Plateau or Old Montreal, and not even remotely close to downtown. It would be very unlikely for a tourist to get lost all the way out here and happen upon this little restaurant. The restaurant itself is cozy seating 50 max, dimly lit with candles on every table, with a bar at the back and a semi-open kitchen, the octave as we walk in is loud but you can almost feel the energy. There isn't a seat available and it's 8:30PM!

As we sit down, the waiter brings us a bowl of deep-fried matchstick potatoes (very addictive), along with some fresh bread and olive oil for dipping. We ordered an imported bottle of Alcanta alicante 2004 (Bodegas Bocopa) @ $33 - full bodied, berry flavours, and spicy notes. We ordered the Paella for 2 and we were told that it would take 25 minutes so while we were waiting we ordered two tapas; Fried Calamari with a garlic aioli ($7) and Chorizo with grilled red peppers on a romesco sauce ($8). Both were very yummy! The earthenware dishes are small but filled to the brim so the portions are quite decent. The Paella arrived just as we were finishing up our Chorizo and it was well worth the wait - delicious! Spicy and full of great authentic ingredients; chorizo, squid, white fish, mussels, and specks of a saffron threads. Never one to pass up dessert and coffee, we ordered the churros and espressos. The churros are deep-fried doughnut batons rolled in sugar and served with a semi-sweet chocolate sauce for dipping. Yummy!

What a great find - this restaurant has been added to our favourite restaurants list!

511 Villeray/Corner Berri

Montreal, QC

(514) 495-1999
http://www.restotapeo.com/

Lamb and Black Bean Chili

2007-03-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

Marc and I are on this Mexican binge these days - as you've probably noticed, I'm sure!!! We love lamb and we love chili so I definitely wanted to try this!

I really tried to resist making changes but I just can't help it! At first I only made these changes; 2 cans of black beans instead of 3 (went with the reviews on CL's website) and 2 cans (28 oz.) of diced tomatoes. But after tasting the chili half way through simmering it was too bland for me so I added; 2 tsp. of crushed chilies, an extra tablespoon of chili powder, 1 tsp. celery salt, and 1 tsp. celery seed. I also simmered for 1 hour covered and 1 hour uncovered, then I followed the rest of the recipe.

This was very yummy! Spicy but not too spicy, lots of depth of flavor, and great combination of flavors. I am definitely keeping this recipe and adding to my recipe rotation! Next time I might try to sub ground beef for half the lamb and I'll definitely make corn bread to go with it!

Lamb-and-Black Bean Chili
Cooking Light

1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven; cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain in a colander; pat dry with paper towels. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel; return mixture to pan.

Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (tomatoes through salt); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours; stir occasionally. Stir in beans and hot sauce. Cover; simmer 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 293(22% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 2.4g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 28.5g; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 90mg; SODIUM 400mg; FIBER 4.6g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.9g

Beef Tacos

2007-03-30T18:04:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make tacos this week but I'm allergic to MSG so I had to find a recipe for a Taco Mix that I could make on my own. During my search I fell upon this recipe on the message boards with very good reviews.

Here are my changes to the recipe - I added 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp of ground pepper, and substituted celery salt for the regular salt - about 1/4 tsp. We skipped the step about frying the tortillas in the oil since we had already bought the flat bottom tacos.

This recipe is amazing! It rivals our chicken enchiladas! It was spicy (but not too spicy - just enough for us), full of flavour, and super delicious!

We bought the premade flat bottom tacos to eat them with but I had forgotten that I had bought the taco bowl molds which I haven't used yet. I would probably make it this way next time so I can use whole wheat tortillas instead of the fried pre-made ones - much healthier! Reading the other reviews I might even try to sub half the ground beef for chorizo next time.

Beef Tacos
Cook's Illustrated

2 teaspoons corn or vegetable oil
1 small onion -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I didn't have this)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
1 pound ground beef -- 90% lean
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
8 6 inch corn tortilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil

TOPPINGS
shredded cheese
shredded iceberg lettuce
chopped tomato
chopped onion
sliced avocado
cilantro

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 tsp salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat, until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until liquid has reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

While meat is cooking, prepare the taco shells.

Heat 3/4 cup oil in a small skillet over medium heat tp 350 degrees (about 5 minutes; oil should bubble when a small piece of tortilla is dropped in). Line rimmed baking sheet with double thickness paper towels.

Prepare one tortilla at a time. Using tongs to hold tortilla, slip half of tortilla into hot oil. With metal spatula in other hand, keep half of tortilla submerged in oil for 30 seconds (should be just set but not browned). Flip tortilla so the uncooked half is submerged in oil. Hold down with metal spatula, use tongs to retain shell shape. Fry until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip back to other side and fry again until golden brown. Transfer shell upside-down to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Fill shells with meat mixture, and top as desired.

Chicken Scampi

2007-03-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

No, there is no scampi in this dish, or any shellfish of any kind, for that matter! This dish is called Chicken Scampi because you cook the chicken like you would scampi, in a sauce with garlic, butter, white wine, etc. Of course, this recipe has less fat than the regular recipes!

After reading the reviews, I decided to take the chicken out of the sauce after 10 minutes and kept it warm while I thickened the sauce (I cranked up the heat to medium-high so the sauce could thicken faster, another 10 minutes). I also used 2 eggs instead of the egg substitute and I dredged the chicken in flour before the eggs. I also didn't have any Mrs. Dash so I substituted Italian seasoning.

This was super yummy - we didn't even miss the real thing!

Chicken Scampi
Cooking Light

1 pound skinned, boned chicken breasts, cut into1-inch-wide strips
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked linguine (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Dip chicken in egg substitute; dredge in breadcrumbs.

2. Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, and saute for 6 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add broth and the next 5 ingredients (broth through salt), and bring to a boil. Add the chicken; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Place 3/4 cup pasta on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 3/4 cup chicken mixture, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

CALORIES 419 (22% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 5.3g, mono 2.8g, poly 1g); PROTEIN 37.6g; CARB 41.9g; FIBER 1.2g; CHOL 86mg; IRON 3.3mg; SODIUM 721mg; CALC 129mg

My Mom's Meat Loaf

2007-03-26T15:59:00.000-05:00

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon purging recipes in my binders and I came across this recipe for my mom's meat loaf. Since Marc and I moved in together, we haven't had this and I know Marc loves meat loaf so, that was that! Marc made his famous mashed potatoes to go with it!

My mom gave me this recipe from memory and I remember her making this by eye so I knew some adjustments might need to be made for the next time. It was really really yummy, as usual, but it needs more bread crumbs because it fell apart when we sliced it. It was still delicious though!

My Mom's Meatloaf

2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup onion
1/4 tsp Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix altogether and transfer to a greased 8X4" loaf pan. Bake for one hour.

Super Food: Chocolate

2007-03-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

What is it about chocolate that makes us, particularly women, become chocoholics? There are many many chemical compounds at work, over 300, that make chocolate highly addictive. For one thing, chocolate contains caffeine and sugar, both logical culprits. There is also the “love chemical” that makes chocolate an aphrodisiac, Phenylethylamine, which releases dopamine in the pleasure center of the brain stimulating feelings of attraction, excitement, giddiness, and euphoria. Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter, Serotonin, that acts as an anti-depressant. Other substances, such as Theobromine and Anandamide, have a stimulating effect. And, like other palatable sweet foods, consumption of chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural opiates. Enhanced endorphin-release reduces the chocolate-eater's sensitivity to pain.

Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate and cocoa, have been also been found to help:

Fight tooth decay (Of course, this is counteracted by the high sugar content of milk chocolate).
Raise good cholesterol.
Keep blood vessels elastic and improves circulation.
Decrease blood pressure.
Increases antioxidant levels in the blood.
Metabolise sugar - a problem for people with diabetes.
Lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Improve digestion and stimulate kidneys.

Next week's topic: Cinnamon...

Super Food: Chilies

2007-03-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

They make us sweat, our eyes water, our noses run, and our tongues burn yet we still come back for more! Scientists now know that chilies have an addictive hold on us because of an opiate-like endorphin that is released by the brain to counteract the initial physical pain caused by Capsaicin, a chemical compound that produces the sensation of burning. This "endorphin rush" is why so many of us LOVE spicy food!

Chili peppers have been also been found to help:

Clear congestion
Boost immunity by providing about 6% of the daily value for vitamin C and more than 10% of the daily value for vitamin A. Also has a high content of beta-carotene.
Prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria
Help with weight loss - increases thermogenesis (heat production) and oxygen consumption therefore helping you burn more calories
Reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation
Prevent some cancers and prevents the spread of cancer
Relieve pain
Fights inflammation
Lower your risk of type-2 diabetes

Broccoli Stuffed Shells & Chocolate Banana Cake

2007-03-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

Marc and I invited my mom and stepdad over for supper tonight - we're celebrating! My stepdad, Nick, finally got his residency in Canada! It's a surprise, shhhhh......

A celebration calls for a cake!! Since he LOVES bananas I thought I would make the chocolate banana cake my sister is always raving about. I've had it once or twice before - I remember it was a lot of work so I decided that I would only make the cake part and make my mom's icing recipe. It was quick and easy to put together. I got to taste the cake part after I baked it since I had to slice off the part that was rounded - super moist and delicious - just how I remembered it! The icing is always amazing and I cheated and dipped some of the cake in the icing - DELISH! Like the original recipe, I also added sliced bananas in between the 2 layers of cake.

For the main course it had to be pasta! I had raved so much about the broccoli stuffed shells I made awhile back that I had to promise my mom that I would make it for them the next time they were over - as good a time as any! Besides all the changes I made the first time I added a few extra ingredients; I added about 8 slices of pancetta that I sauteed until golden brown and crispy and a handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I sneaked a taste of the ricotta/broccoli mixture - OH MY GOD, DELICIOUS!

It's going to be a yummy night!

Chocolate Banana Cake
By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen (Modified)
Original recipe here

2 bananas, sliced

Cake:
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
3 cups (750 mL) sifted cake-and-pastry flour
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking soda
1-1/2 cup (375 mL) chopped, smashed bananas

My Mom's Icing:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup Cocoa
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tub cream cheese

Cake:
In bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in sour cream.Combine flour, baking soda and chocolate; add in 3 additions to creamed mixture alternately with 2 additions of bananas, mixing just until flour is incorporated.Spoon into 2 greased 8-1/2-inch (2.25 L) spring form pans, smoothing tops. Bake in 350F (180C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pans; let cool completely.

Icing:
In a mixer mix butter and cocoa on low speed (it will take quite awhile for it to blend but suddenly it comes together, 30 secs about...hang in there). Add vanilla and water. Then add one cup icing sugar at a time until well blended (it takes awhile here too). Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.

Broccoli & Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo shell pasta (~ 40 shells)
8 slices pancetta, chopped
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2-3 cups of broccoli florets steamed and mashed
6 cups of your favourite tomato sauce ( I used my mom's rigatoni sauce without the meat)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup grated fresh provolone (hard) cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, saute pancetta until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to absorb access oil.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine ricotta, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, egg, sun dried tomatoes, and mashed broccoli in a medium size bowl. Mix well.

In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coat bottom with 3 cups sauce.Spoon or pipe broccoli/cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange stuffed shells, seam sides up, in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella and provolone.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Potato and Onion Frittata

2007-03-23T17:07:00.000-05:00

Breakfast for dinner, what a concept! Another winner from Everyday Food: Great Foods Fast!

It needs some adjustments but a very good start. I used Italian seasoning instead of the parsley since I didn't have any. We sauteed 3/4 of a package of mushrooms and added to the pan right before the eggs. I also added 2 cloves of garlic with the onions and potatoes and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on the top while the eggs were setting. It's still missing a little something so next time I might add some pancetta or prosciutto. I also used a pan that wasn't non-stick - bad idea since the eggs stuck to the bottom - so next time I will definitely use non-stick.

Potato and Onion Frittata
Everyday Food

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 (8 ounces) baking potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 Teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 large eggs
5 large egg whites
1/2 Cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions
1. In a medium (10-inch) nonstick broiler proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion, potato, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

2. Cover skillet, and cook 10 minutes; uncover. Cook, tossing mixture occasionally, until onion and potato are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, parsley leaves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Add remaining tablespoon oil to vegetables in skillet. Pour egg mixture into skillet.

5. Cook on stove, over low heat, lifting mixture a few times around the edges with a spatula to let egg flow underneath. Continue cooking until frittata is almost set in center, about 10 minutes.

6. Place skillet under broiler; broil until frittata is set and top is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Run a clean spatula around edges to loosen, then slide frittata out onto a serving plate, and cut into wedges.

Super Foods...

2007-03-23T12:04:00.000-05:00

It is common knowledge that garlic reduces cholesterol, pomegranates have super antioxidants, cinnamon reduces blood sugar in type-2 diabetes, and lycopene (tomatoes) reduces the risk of prostate cancer. But...did you ever wonder what the health benefits were from other foods we eat every day? I do - all the time!

Not only am I passionate about food but nutrition has always interested me. I want to know what I'm eating, why it's good for me, what should I eat more of....

So I have decided to make it my personal crusade to research the different foods that we love to eat and make a weekly posting on my blog.

My first posting will be about Chiles and Chocolate since they are what I love and try to eat most often! Check back often to see the latest super foods I have chosen (and suggestions are certainly welcome!)....

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce - Perfected!

2007-03-21T19:59:00.000-05:00

Marc and I absolutely loved this recipe the first time we tried it but I always seem to find the need to tweak even my favourite recipes. Marc and I agreed that this is the best red enchilada sauce we've ever had, the restaurant versions we've had don't even compare anymore! It makes enough for 2 enchilada recipes so we use half and freeze the rest for the next time.

Many would argue that it isn't a TRUE enchilada sauce. I totally agree! A true enchilada sauce consists of soaking whole dried chilies (ancho, pasilla or guajillo) in boiling chicken stock or water so they become rehydrated and then pureeing until smooth (you can toast the dried chilies beforehand too for more flavour). But...a tomato based sauce serves it's purpose for us - we always have the ingredients on hand and it's super easy and fast to make. Also, depending on where you live (like us, in Montreal) we have very seasonal access to dried chilies and when we do they are exorbitantly priced! This way is just as delicious!

Making enchiladas is easy...we buy a small pre-cooked BBQ chicken at the grocery store, remove skin, and shred the breast meat. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken and shredded cheese (Jalapeño Monterey Jack is our favourite). Roll and place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat until baking dish is full. Top with 1-2 cups sauce and then with a thin layer of shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. If you made the sauce in advance, add 10 minutes to your baking time.

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
Cooking Light (Modified) - Original recipe here

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic clove, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed chilies
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14.5 oz.) can fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add chili powder and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

My 43 Things....

2007-03-21T11:09:00.000-05:00

I came across this website today http://www.43things.com/ and it inspired me to write down my short and long term goals. Of course, some will change along the way, which is normal, and some will vanish from the list altogether...priorities change, life changes, dreams change, goals change, people change. These are my goals for right now, in no particular order....

Spend more time with friends
Spend more time with family
Take more pictures
Become more fluent in French
Learn Spanish
Learn Italian
Visit Australia
Visit Spain
Visit Costa Rica
Visit Italy
Go back to St-Lucia
Go back to Hawaii
Ski more
Do more Yoga
Read more books
Read more in French
Pay off debts
Finish renovating our house
Adopt another puppy
Volunteer
Become an environmental and/or animal activist
Make time for church
Try new foods
Bake more desserts
Have a baby
Find balance in my life
Keep the house cleaner
Hold a Koala
Swim with dolphins
Go back to school
Go skiing at Banff
Visit Brazil
Visit the Grand Canyon
Visit San Francisco
Visit Paris
Visit Prague
Buy/build a house in the country
Learn how to salsa
Go on more dates with my husband
Donate to charities
Give blood
Make more time for myself
Get my driver's license
Buy a new car
Learn more about nutrition
Take baking/cooking classes
Visit Macchu Picchu

Alysha's Marinara Magnifica

2007-03-20T20:41:00.000-05:00

Every disloyalty is wrong but worse is cheating on your mom with another tomato sauce! Especially when your stepdad is Italian, Sicilian no less, and you grew up in an Italian neighborhood and your family is practically assimilated! An Italian woman's tomato sauce is her legacy to be passed on and made by her children! I have disgraced the family...I will live in shame...

Okay so I exaggerated just a little bit....I had you going didn't I....

I LOVE my mom's tomato sauce - especially with meatballs and flax spaghetti! When I was living at home, we had it for lunch almost every Sunday for as long as I can remember. There is no other tomato sauce for me but I was itching to try something new. I thought, if I'm going to cheat better make it good! I came across Alysha's tomato sauce on the message boards and again on her blog. It has gotten rave reviews and landed her in the magazine Cooking Light so I decided to give it a try.

After simmering for 4 hours it was thick, earthy, and sweet. Very different from what I'm used to but good just the same. We served it over mushroom ravioli. While it's a little too sweet for our taste, this would make an excellent pizza sauce and I intend to make it again for just that!

Alysha's Marinara Magnifica
http://savorynotebook.blogspot.com/2005/09/my-15-minutes.html

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar (if you don't like a sweet sauce, you can skip this part - the onions will still caramelize nicely)
3-4 medium onions, chopped
~1 cup cup dry red wine*see notes below
6 cloves garlic, crushed with the blade of a knife
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of crushed red pepper or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sauté onions for 30-45 minutes, or until sweet and caramelized. As the pan dries while onions are cooking, add red wine as needed. Once onions are done, continue to add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until well-combined. Simmer over low heat for 4-6 hours (you can simmer for less, but I would simmer for at least 1-2 hours). Stir often to keep the sauce from burning or getting overcooked. If you like your suace chunky, leave it as is. However, I like mine smooth, so I use my immersion blender to puree the sauce and make it smooth.

Makes about 9 cups of sauce.

*wine note: I use one of those little 4-pack bottles of wine. I use a bit during the caramelization of the onions if the pan begins to get too dry and then I dump the rest in later.

More notes: This sauce is meant to be very basic so that you can use it as a base for many, many things. Add more crushed red pepper for a spicy sauce. Add more dried herbs or fresh herbs for a zestier sauce. Add a splash of balsamic, and on and on.

Marc's Pâté Chinois (Shepherd's Pie)

2007-03-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

Pâté chinois ("Chinese pie") is French Canadian comfort food at it's best! It is quite similiar to Shepherd's Pie. There are many variations on the recipe but it is usually made with layers of seasoned ground beef, creamed corn, and mashed potatoes. There are a few theories as to where this dish got it's name. Some would say it was when Quebecers went to work in the mills in China, Maine. Others say the recipe got it's name when Quebecer railway workers were fed by Chinese cooks while the North American railways were being built in the early 1900's. We'll never know for sure but that's okay with me. However it got it's name, it's delicious just the same!

Marc gets full credit for this recipe! I had no input whatsoever! He's been perfecting this recipe for over a year now and this is the final version. He didn't have his recipe written down but after picking his brain while we were having dinner tonight, we came up with the approximate measures. It's really hard to screw up this recipe anyways and the amounts are only suggestions.

Marc's Pâté Chinois (Shepherd's Pie)

Mashed Potatoes:
8-10 medium potatoes
1/4 cup dehydrated chicken broth powder (optional) *See Note
2 tbsp butter
1/4-1/3 cup milk
1/3 large white onion, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Mushrooms:
1 (8 ounce) package of sliced white mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced

Ground Beef:
1 1/2 - 2 lb. lean ground beef (or any combination of veal, beef, and lamb)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tbsp concentrated beef bouillon (like Bovril) (Optional) **See Note

2 cans creamed corn
paprika

1. To make the mashed potatoes; boil the potatoes with the bouillon powder until tender (about 20 minutes). In a medium bowl, mash potatoes with butter, milk, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. To make the mushrooms; Sauté garlic over medium heat for one minute. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms release their liquid. Drain and set aside.

3. To make the ground beef; Sauté ground beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned. While sautéing, sprinkle the meat with garlic powder and concentrated beef bouillon.

4. To assemble; Spread creamed corn on the bottom of 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Top with meat mixture. Top with mushrooms. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Broil on low for 5 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Serve with ketchup or tomato chow-chow.

*Note: For the bouillon powder use Loney's brand or Knorr cubes
**Note: If you can't find Bovril you can use the liquid Beef OXO or worst case, Worcestershire

Fig, Date, and Walnut Quick Bread

2007-03-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

It all started with the banana bread I made this week and now I'm on a quick-bread baking binge! I thought this one had potential because it is low in fat, plenty of potassium, has nuts, some whole wheat flour, and dried fruits - especially figs which is what first caught my attention! I love figs! When they are in season they sell them fresh by the case at the Italian grocery stores - I could eat the whole case by myself in 2 days flat! I never had dried figs before but I like fig newton cookies so I figured I would probably like them in this recipe.

For the changes - I didn't bother with the first step. I simply chopped up the figs and dates and added them to the dry ingredients. The walnuts too. After souring the milk I added directly to the egg/sugar mixture. Next time I think I might add some ground flax seed to the recipe to make this even better for us!

We just tried it! Yummmmm! Warm from the oven with a bit of butter...I'm in heaven!

Fig, Date, and Walnut Quick Bread
Cooking Light

Dried fruits like figs and dates are good sources of potassium and fiber. Here they're paired with heart-healthy walnuts and a mixture of whole wheat and white flours. One slice of this sweet, rich bread adds a generous 227 milligrams of potassium to your daily tally.

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat first 4 ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles begin to form around edge (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in figs and dates. Let stand 20 minutes or until fruit softens.

Combine sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Stir in cooled milk mixture.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle walnuts evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 192(27% from fat); FAT 5.8g (sat 0.8g,mono 2g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 4.4g; CHOLESTEROL 36mg; CALCIUM 55mg; SODIUM 216mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.5g

No-Bake Cream Cheese Key Lime Pie

2007-03-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

Happy St-Patrick's Day!

Tonight we're going over to our friends' Ida and Max to help them pack! It is tradition - I ALWAYS bring dessert! Ida is a great cook so it's not because I don't trust her baking but she knows how much I LOVE baking so she lets me bring my experiments! I don't think they mind at all being my test-tasters though!

For a change, I thought I'd make a key lime pie of some sort. So I went to the Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe website - the company I buy my key lime juice from since it is impossible to find in Montreal - and as I was browsing the recipes, I came across this recipe for a no-bake cream cheese key lime pie. Plus it was fitting that it was something green for St-Patrick's day....Sold!

Not only was it incredibly easy to make - less than 10 minutes - I tasted the batter and it tastes EXACTLY like the pies we used to buy at our grocery store that are only available in the summer! We were addicted to these last summer and we must have picked up at least one every week! Now I can make it all year 'round and save money too!

Of course I made a couple minor changes. I used fat-free sweetened condensed milk, reduced fat cream cheese, and a pre-made graham cracker crust! Can't wait to have a piece tonight - I know it's going to be delicious!

Cream Cheese Key Lime Pie
Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe
From the kitchen of Gail Brown

Serves 8

This simple recipe makes a 9-inch pie and requires no baking.

Ingredients:
9-inch graham cracker pie crust
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons of Kermit’s Key Lime juice
8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
Combine milk, juice, and cream cheese in a mixer for 5 to 6 minutes.Pour mixture into graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate until firm.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve chilled Cream Cheese Key Lime Pie plain or with whipped cream topping. For an interesting variation, drizzle chocolate sauce, mango sauce, and/or raspberry sauce over a slice of Key Lime pie. The complimentary flavors are sure to please.

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers

2007-03-16T06:40:00.000-05:00

Another recipe from my new cookbook - Great Food Fast from Everyday Food Magazine! Marc and I don't eat lamb very often but we absolutely love it!!!! So much in fact that we spent almost all our money so we could have it on our menu for our wedding! We also love tzatziki so this seemed like the perfect splurge for us for a friday night - Marc even went to the butcher to get the ground lamb without much of a fuss! If I'm feeling adventurous in the next few weeks I might try to make a rack of lamb...

This was really REALLY good but, of course, I knew it would be! It was ridiculously easy to put together and really delicious! I made a few changes (what else is new?!). I added a garlic clove, an egg and about 1/4 cup of italian bread crumbs to the lamb burgers. And I didn't have any mint so I left it out of the tzatziki. The recipe made alot of lamb burgers so we freezed the uncooked patties for another time!

Mini Greek Lamb Burger
Martha Stewart - Everyday Food

Ingredients
Serving: Serves 4

1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 Cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt
2 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 Teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Pounds ground lamb
1/2 small onion, minced (1/4 cup)
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
4 pita breads, (6-inch)
Iceberg lettuce, for serving
2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliced, for serving

Directions
1. Heat grill or grill pan to high. Make tzatziki: In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Make burgers: In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine lamb, onion, parsley, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into 16 small patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Grill until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3. To serve, warm pitas on the grill or directly over a gas burner, turning occasionally. Halve pitas, and fill with lettuce, burgers, tomato, and tzatziki.

Chicken Chilaquiles - My Way

2007-03-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

This recipe taught me an important lesson about cooking - read the recipe, from top to bottom and then re-read it again! I've had a bad habit in the past of skimming over a recipe and in the excitement and rush to cook/bake I either leave out an important step or ingredient. The first time we made this, I used 2 CANS of chipotle chiles when it should have been 2 chiles from A can! For those of you who know how hot these chipotle chiles are, laugh it up, I deserve it! Needless to say, there was cartoon-like steam coming out of our ears!!! We love spicy but not that HOT! After a few weeks, we built up the courage to try it again and we liked it alot but it was missing a little something something.

Tonight was our third try and I decided to play around with the recipe and see if we couldn't make it even better. It's perfect! Just enough spice, just enough heat, just enough of everything! Original recipe is here.

Chicken Chilaquiles - My Way
Martha Stewart Everyday Food (Modified)

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tablespoon), plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can)
2 tbsp oregano
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Coarse salt
1 small cooked rotisserie chicken (about 1 3/4 pounds), skinned and shredded (about 4 cups), carcass discarded
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup jalapeno monterey jack cheese, shredded

1. Combine oil and garlic in a large (3-to-4-quart) saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, chipotles, adobo, and spices, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4. Divide chips among four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Banana Nut Bread

2007-03-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

I finally decided to play the "Sunday Game of the Week" on the boards. Usually a number is chosen and you are supposed to pick a recipe from your cookbook associated with that number and review it after you've cooked/baked it. This week they switched it up a bit - the theme was the silliest cookbook title. I don't have too many cookbooks with silly names but this is about as close as it gets - Quickies by Monda Rosenberg (Chatelaine Magazine).

After flipping through I decided on something with bananas since I had some over-ripe ones in the freezer and I had been wanting to make banana bread for months...it gave me a good excuse to out and buy the right pans!

This was really good! Nice crust and moist inside. The only change I made was I added 1 tsp of vanilla. Next time I make this I think I will add a pinch of nutmeg but it was perfect besides that.

Banana Nut Bread

With a fork, stir 2 cups all purpose flour with
1/2 cup granulated sugar,
3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking sodaand 1/2 tsp salt.
Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
Whisk 1 egg with 3/4 cup milk and
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas.
Pour in center of dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. It will be lumpy. Turn into a greased 9x5 in. loaf pan.
Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 65 min. Makes 12 slices.

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers

2007-03-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

As you can see, we like broccoli....ALOT! This recipe is easy, fast, and delicious!

Since we're only 2 I halved the recipe. I used 2 italian sausages, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 jar of peppers (didn't bother cutting them up), 1/2 cup cheese, and I used penne instead of Orcchiette. We both loved it!

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers
The Best Recipe

Salt
1 pound orcchiette
4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
9 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 pounds broccoli (about 1 large bunch), florets cut into 1 inch pieces; stalks peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tbsp salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the sausage in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, roasted red peppers, 1/2 tsp salt, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the broccoli and water, cover, and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

3. Add the broccoli mixture, oil, and cheese to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

New Cookbook!

2007-03-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited...

One minute I'm grumbling to myself as I am preparing the invoices at work and the next I'm beaming ear to ear! What happened you say??? The latest cookbook I ordered just came in the mail today - Everyday Food: Great Food Fast!

I was so afraid there wouldn't be any left by the time it got to the stores that I pre-ordered it months ago. Part of the addiction, I guess...And, yes, I do have an addiction to cookbooks in addition to my addiction to desserts! Last time I counted I had about 35 cookbooks, give or take one or two, and that was AFTER I purged quite a few! I must not be feeling well though because I FORGOT that I had ordered it and was therefore not expecting it hence the excitement! You can be sure they will be quite a few reviews from this book in the near future!

I've settled down and composed myself now....Okay, back to work....

Espresso-Walnut Cake

2007-03-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

I love cake! I love dessert! I have an addiction to sugar! The first step is admitting it and I am PROUD! My weaknesses are many - chocolate cake, lemon cookies, vanilla/almond biscotti's, tiramisu, and finally coffee cakes, especially those with a streusel and those that include cinnamon. So...after flipping through one of my favourite cookbooks "The Best of Cooking Light", I fell upon this coffee cake recipe and I was sold! It wasn't hard to get Marc into the idea and I was off to the kitchen to bake my cake!

I made a few changes. For the streusel, I used 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup walnuts, 2 tbsp of instant coffee granules, and I left the cinnamon the same. For the cake itself, I subbed fat-free sour cream for the yogurt because that's all I had. It was very easy to put together - 10 minutes in all - and all I needed was 2 bowls! It took a little longer to bake in my 8" glass pan - about 7 minutes longer - since my other pans were otherwise occupied with leftover brownies.

So for my review...really really good! We ate it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and if it wasn't so late in the evening right now I would make myself a latte to go with it! It's a really moist cake, lots of coffee flavor, and with that subtle hint of cinnamon, this is the perfect low-fat coffee cake!

Espresso-Walnut Cake
Cooking Light

This cake was screaming for a streusel topping, so we actually used two bowls.

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant espresso or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules, divided
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 teaspoons flour.

Combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon espresso granules in a small bowl.

Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at high for 1 minute or until butter melts. Add granulated sugar, stirring with a whisk. Add eggs; stir well. Stir in yogurt, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Lightly spoon 1 1/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour and 2 teaspoons espresso powder, stirring just until blended (do not overstir).

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Carefully spread remaining batter over brown sugar mixture, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 1 cake square)

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 284(30% from fat); FAT 9.4g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 5g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 58mg; SODIUM 231mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.4g

Mexican Chicken Casserole

2007-03-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

I made this for supper tonight! Marc and I thought it was a really good weeknight recipe! To speed things up, we used a small precooked BBQ chicken. I removed the skin and shredded the chicken so I was able to skip the first step altogether. I also made my own enchilada sauce and we used jalapeno monterey jack cheese for extra kick. Next time I might add a chipotle chile because it wasn't spicy enough for us but besides that it was really good! I served with sour cream and guacamole on the side.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
Cooking Light

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 369 (28% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 5g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 35.6g; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 360mg; SODIUM 479mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g

Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies

2007-03-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

There wasn't anything good on TV last night after supper and I was craving something chocolate! And...we needed to finish up the vanilla bean ice cream in the freezer so brownies it was! I know - excuses, excuses!

I caved and decided I would try a full-fat recipe - it has been ages since I've made something that I haven't slimmed down or that wasn't already slimmed down! To justify it somewhat, I did skim through all the brownie recipes that I had that I wanted to try and since this one had cocoa and NOT chocolate it WAS slightly better for us! Well, that's what I told myself anyways...the other reason I chose this recipe in particular was because I've read so many great reviews lately! Marc and I are don't count calories etc. but I must admit I did cringe a bit when I saw that the recipe called for 1 CUP of BUTTER! I almost regretted making the recipe altogether! In the end though, it was worth every gram of saturated fat and every empty calorie (and please please don't make it worse by telling me how much that is)!

Marc and I agree that these were amazing! Very fudgy with a truffle-like center, intense chocolate flavour but not too sweet, and taller than a regular brownie which was fine by me - more brownie to love! Reviews I had read said to wait until completely cooled before trying them but we just couldn't - a warm brownie from the oven is just too tempting! Warm from the oven they were great but room temperature they were even better!

Forgot to add that the brown sugar is almost impossible to sift so don't even bother!

Alton Brown’s Cocoa Brownies

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
1 1/4 cups cocoa, sifted (natural cocoa, not dutch process)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment.

Sift the sugars, cocoa, flour, and salt all together.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add vanilla.

Add the sifted ingredients alternately with the melted butter.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. After cool enough to handle, flip out of pan, peel off parchment paper, and flip back right side up to cool completely. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Sausage & Shrimp Jambalaya (Revamped!)

2007-03-08T19:24:00.001-05:00

I was in the mood for Jambalaya tonight since Marc and I haven't had it in a while....as I was reading over the recipe I was discouraged - standing in front of the stove stirring is not my favourite thing in the world as you can imagine! I began thinking about my favourite Paella recipe - Chicken & Shrimp Paella from Cooking Light - and the reason I love it so much. Not only is it delicious but it's really easy to make. My favourite thing about the recipe is that you start it off on the stove and then all the work is finished in the stove - genius! Basically after sautéing the vegetables and sausage, you add the chicken stock and bring to a boil and once boiling you add the arborio rice and pop in a 400° oven for 30 minutes. So...I got to thinking, what if I followed the recipe but then finished it up in the stove like the Paella recipe...why not, I'll try it!

Well it turned out PERFECT! And now I will never stir another Jambalaya as long as I live!

Sausage & Shrimp Jambalaya
Cooking Light (Modified)

1 bag frozen uncooked 31-40 shrimp
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 medium hot italian sausages, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup arborio rice, uncooked
5-6 dashes of tabasco (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Peel and devein shrimp; set aside. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add the oil, and stir in flour.

Cook over medium-high heat 1 1/2 minutes or until brown, stirring constantly. Add onion and the next 4 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth and next 7 ingredients; stir well, and bring to a boil. Add rice; stir well. Wrap handle of pan with foil; cover pan. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until rice is tender and almost all liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp; cover and bake an additional 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 356(16% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 19.7g; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 111mg; SODIUM 625mg; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.1g

Classic Macaroni & Cheese

2007-03-07T18:55:00.000-05:00

After reading the reviews on Lindrusso's blog, I decided that I HAD to make this for Marc - (1) because Marc loves cheese almost as much as he loves me, (2) because I love this cookbook - everything we have made so far from it has been a total success, and (3) I score brownie points whenever I use this cookbook since he bought it for me for Christmas! Ok that last one was a joke...all joking aside...

This recipe is definitely going into our regular weeknight recipe rotation since it was very easy to make. It was also creamy, smooth, and VERY cheesy! Of course, Marc loved THAT! We used 3 cups of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of gouda. Both, Marc and I, agreed that the next time we would use a very sharp cheddar since the cheddar we used was a tad on the mild side. It was still good but a sharper cheese would put this dish into the amazing category. I also couldn't be bothered to make my own breadcrumbs so I used some italian breadcrumbs I had on hand.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
The New Best Recipe - Cook's Illustrated

It's crucial to cook the pasta until tender--just past the "al dente" stage. In fact, overcooking is better than undercooking the pasta. Whole, low-fat, and skim milk all work well in this recipe. The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8-inch-square, broilersafe baking dish. If desired, offer celery salt or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) for sprinkling at the table.Serves 6 to 8, or 10 to 12 as a side

Bread Crumb Topping
6 slices white sandwich bread (good-quality, about 6 ounces), torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon table salt

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1/8 inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.

2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Go Habs Go!

2007-03-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday when I arrived at work I saw that they were setting up for a blood drive in the concourse in the building I work in...a little later when I went downstairs to get the mail I saw the RDS flags (local sports TV network)...my curiousity was definitely piqued! I mean, we get alot of events happening in our building - the annual "Mondial de la Bière" (International Beer Festival and yes I go to this one!), tatoo convention, conferences, parties, etc. - but to see RDS here was a definite first...for me anyways!

Back upstairs I heard on the radio that the Montreal Canadians and Hema Quebec were hosting the 25th annual blood drive in our building! Of course, this had to be on the day that I was super busy and there was no way I could get away from work to go give blood...boo hoo! This must be your favourite hockey team, you ask? Uhhh, actually I don't even like hockey (actually not fond of watching most sports in general) but it probably would've been the closest I would have ever come to meeting anyone famous! And, of course, Marc would've been soooo jealous because the Canadians are his favourite team...hehehe...

Later in the afternoon, I went down to get a coffee and I saw a zillion kids in hockey jerseys crowding around some hockey players for autographs! RDS was filming and a bunch of reporters were taking pictures...it was like watching the red carpet at the Oscars with all the flashes going off...I wish I had had our digital camera at that moment...darn it?!#@ Now don't ask me who was who...I have no idea but from what I read this morning most of the players showed up at some point during the day and the alumni filled in when they had to leave for practice...Huet was there, Higgins, Komisarek, Gorges, Ryder, Samsonov, Streit, Murray, Aebischer, Latendresse, Halak...

Editing to Add: Pictures are now posted on their website...

http://www.canadiens.com/eng/interactive/interacRedirect.cfm?sectionID=habsPhotoGallery.cfm&player_id=&gallery_category_id=13&child_gallery_category_id=97

in “select category” go to “community” and then in “select gallery” go to “Canadians 25th annual blood drive”

The pictures below are from a Fan Forum on the Canadians website...

Go habs go!

Komisarek

Latendresse

Bégin

Kovalev

Ryder

Key Lime Pie

2007-03-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

Marc and I are having withdrawals for Key Lime Pie. We haven't had one since the summer and that was ages ago! We love it with whipped cream - yum!

Key Lime Pie
Recipe on the Label of Kermit's Key West Key Lime Juice

This recipe makes a 9-inch pie.

Ingredients:
9-inch graham cracker piecrust
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (The egg whites can be saved to make a meringue topping, if desired.)
1/4-cup Kermit’s Key Lime Juice

Preparation:
Blend milk and egg yolks at slow speed until smooth. Add Key Lime juice and finish blending.
Pour into piecrust.

Bake in preheated 300-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Cool pie 20 minutes before refrigerating.

Serve chilled Key Lime pie with whipped cream topping or meringue.

Chicken Zarzuela Casserole

2007-03-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

This was very good. Very fast to prepare and very yummy! The almond mixture that is stirred in at the end really makes the dish so don't leave it out! I made a few changes though; I halved the recipe, we left out the olives, and I used crushed tomatoes since that was all I had. Also, the chicken was done after 20 minutes and not the 40 minutes as specified in the recipe. We served over rice.

There is also a slowcooker version that I have included as well.

Chicken Zarzuela Casserole
Canadian Living Magazine

Ground almonds thicken this Spanish zarzuela sauce, traditionally used with seafood. If you like potatoes, boil up a few, cut into chunks and add to the casserole before heating through.

Ingredients
16 Skinless chicken thighs (about 4 lb/2 kg)
1 tsp (5 mL) Salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) Pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) Vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) Dry white wine (or chicken stock plus 2 tbsp/25 mL white wine vinegar)
1 tbsp (15 mL) Extra-virgin olive oil 2 Spanish onions, chopped 6 Cloves garlic, minced 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) Tomatoes
4 tsp (20 mL) Sweet paprika
1 tsp (5 mL) Dried marjoram or oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) Saffron threads
1/3 cup (75 mL) Ground almonds
1 tbsp (15 mL) Lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) Large green olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup (50 mL) Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the salt and pepper. In large nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken in batches, 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Drain off any fat from skillet. Add wine; bring to boil, stirring to scrape up brown bits. Pour over chicken.

2. Wipe out skillet; heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions and 4 of the garlic cloves until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, paprika, marjoram and remaining salt, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Bring to boil; pour over chicken.

3. Cover loosely with foil and bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 40 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, crumble saffron into bowl; pour in 2 tbsp (25 mL) hot water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add almonds, remaining garlic and lemon juice. Uncover casserole; stir in almond mixture and olives.

5. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to airtight container. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Or freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat in 375°F/190°C oven until hot, about 40 minutes.) Stir in parsley.

Nutritional information Per serving: about 356 cal, 35 g pro, 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 16 g carb, 4 g fibre, 138 mg chol, 1,040 mg sodium. % RDI: 9% calcium, 26% iron, 17% vit A, 35% vit C, 15% folate.

Chicken Zarzuela (Slowcooker version)
Canadian Living Magazine

16 chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 spanish onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock plus 2 tbsp white wine vinegar)
1 can (28oz.) tomatoes
4 tsp paprika
1 tsp marjoram or oregano
1/4 tsp saffron threads
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup large green olives, pitted and halves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp tomato paste

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp of the salt and pepper. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, in batches. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Drain fat from skillet; heat remaining oil over medium-heat. Fry onions and two-thirds of the garlic until golden, about 4 minutes. Add wine; cook for 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Scrape into slow cooker.

3. Add tomatoes, paprika, marjoram, and remaining salt to slow cooker, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

4. Meanwhile, crumble saffron into bowl; pour in 2 tbsp hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir almonds, remaining garlic and lemon juice into bowl; stir into slow cooker. Add olives, parsley, and tomato paste; cover and cook on high for 20 minutes or until thickened.

Makes 8 servings.

Lemon-Honey Drop Cookies

2007-03-03T14:57:00.000-05:00

Marc is working a double-shift today which always leads me to baking up a storm! It's not all his fault though since it was my sister, Jenny, who bought us a mixer at our engagement 2 years ago!

This morning I woke up with a craving for those vanilla almond biscotti's I love so much and I was also craving those italian lemon cookies...I couldn't choose between the two so I ended up baking both...I had this particular cookie recipe in my to-try binder forever so I decided to give it a try...After reading the reviews on the website for the lemon cookies, I decided to increase the lemon extract to 1 tsp - I also used the pure extract because I find the imitation kind tastes like cough drops!...I only had vanilla yogourt so I just used that...

I'm still learning as I go with cookies since I don't make them often so I dropped too much batter and they were a little too close together...they really spread - a little too much...the final product is really really good despite my mistake dropping the batter! They are a very soft cookie much like really miniature cakes, lots of lemon flavour and with the icing they are delish! It's really hard to believe that these are low fat!

I can't wait until Marc gets home - he is going to love them!

Lemon-Honey Drop Cookies
Cooking Light

1/2 cup granulated sugar
7 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
Cooking spray
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat first 3 ingredients with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add honey, extract, and egg; beat until well-blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine powdered sugar and juice in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Brush powdered sugar mixture evenly over hot cookies. Sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons rind. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Yield: 32 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 89(28% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 1.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 15mg; SODIUM 81mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.3g

Cheesy Hash-Brown Bake/My Mom's Chili Con Carne

2007-03-02T09:08:00.000-05:00

This is comfort food at it's best! I knew Marc would love it because he loves chili, he loves hashbrowns, and he has an addiction to cheese so I was quite confident that this would be a success! Perfect winter recipe! I am sure Marc will be requesting this quite often!

I didn't use Martha's chili recipe but I did get the idea from this recipe...I used my mom's chili recipe and I will post below after Martha's...next time (and there will most definitely be a next time) I will try with Martha's chili recipe

Cheesy Hash-Brown Bake
Martha Stewart - Everyday Food Mag - March 2007

4 cups "30-Minute Chili" (recipe follows)
1 bag (16 oz.) fresh or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed if frozen
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
coarse salt and groud peppper

1. Preheat oven to 425°, with rack set in upper third. Divide chili among four individual baking dishes (10 to 12 ounces each). Set aside.

2. Place potatoes in a double layer of paper towels; squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

3. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Scatter potato mixture over chili. Place baking dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

Note: you can also make this in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in a 425° oven 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly.

30-Minute Chili
Martha Stewart - Everyday Food Mag - March 2007

1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnnamon
3 pounds ground beef chuck
3 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes in juice
1 bottle (12 oz.) mild lager beer
2 cans (14.5 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1. In a dutch oven or large (5 quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste, chili powder, chipotles, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until mixture has begun to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes with their juice, beer, and beans. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook over medium heat until chili has thickened slightly and beans are tender, about 5 minutes.

My Mom's Chili Con Carne

2 lbs lean ground beef
~3 stalks celery, chopped
~2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 medium garlic cloves, diced
2 cans (19 oz.) kidney beans, do not drain
1 can (5.5 oz.) tomato paste
2 cans (24 oz.) diced tomatoes, do not drain
1/2 tbsp crushed chiles
1-2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
oregano and pepper to taste

Over medium heat heat oil in large pot; add chili peppers, stir constantly for 3o seconds. Add green peppers, celery, garlic, and onions, saute until green peppers and celery are tender. Add meat and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, and tomato paste (including liquids in cans). Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for one hour and uncovered for 2-3 hours.

Angel Food Berry Shortcake

2007-03-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

This is soooo easy to make it's ridiculous...plus it's delicious!

Angel Food Berry Shortcake
Party Dish - Trish Magwood

Ingredients:

1 x 10-inch (25 cm) angel food cake
2 1/2 tbsp (12 mL) unflavoured gelatin
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold water
3 cups (750 mL) 35 % cream
1/2 cup (125 mL) mascarpone cream
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
4 cups (1 L) mixed fresh berries, such as raspberries, strawberries and blackberries
Mint sprigs
Icing sugar

Directions:

In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Cook over low heat, just until gelatin melts. Cool.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream, mascarpone and sugar until firm peaks form. Reduce heat to low, and scrape in gelatin. Mix on low, just until combined.

To assemble: Cut cake into three layers. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate or serving platter. Spread half the cream over the layer, and top with 1/3 of the mixed berries. Repeat with second layer. Place top layer on cake and sprinkle on remaining berries. Dust with icing sugar, and garnish with mint sprig.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving.

Serves 8

Broccoli Pasta

2007-03-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

I LOVE broccoli and I LOVE ricotta so it goes without saying that I would LOVE this recipe...

Broccoli Pasta
Party Dish - Trish Magwood

Ingredients:

2 bunches broccoli
1 lb. (500 g) pasta shells, or other dried pasta shapes
2 tbsp (25 mL) salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup (125 mL) ricotta or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Meanwhile, separate broccoli florets from the stalks (or peel the broccoli stems and cut into small cubes.) Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove broccoli with slotted spoon.

Add pasta and cook to desired doneness, 8-12 minutes(check package guidelines). Drain reserving 1 cup (250 mL) of the pasta water.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and hot pepper flakes. Saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained broccoli. Mix in ricotta cheese and pasta, until sauce is creamy. If sauce is too dry, add as much pasta water as desired to get a creamy consistency.

Serves 4

My Mom's Smoked Salmon Soup

2007-02-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

This is bliss in a bowl! Definitely not light - a special occasion soup!

My Mom's Smoked Salmon Soup

1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp butter
7 oz. smoked salmon, chopped fine
3 tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp tabasco
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
pinch paprika
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 lb. small shrimp, cooked and shelled

In a pan saute onion and garlic over medium-heat for 1 minute. Add smoked salmon, cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour and stir to combine.

Add broth 1 cup at a time, stirring often after each addition. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add tabasco, lemon juice, bay leaf, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Take bay leaf out and cool.

Add cream and shrimp and serve.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

2007-02-28T21:17:00.000-05:00

I love love love this recipe! I only make it in the summer when the tomatoes are bursting with flavor! Tastes like the restaurant versions!

Double Tomato Bruschetta
All Recipes (Modified)

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or 1 tsp dried basil
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (and/or 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese)
1 sweet onion chopped

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, onion, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

My Mom's Apple Bundt Cake

2007-02-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

This is my mom's famous apple cake!

My Mom's Apple Bundt Cake

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain yogourt
1/2 cup butter

3 medium apples, peeled and sliced

Sprinkle Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350

Beat sugar and butter; add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Set aside.

Mix alternately yogourt with flour mixture to egg mixture.

Pour half of batter in greased bundt pan. Spread apple slices on top of batter evenly along with half of the sprinkle filling. Pour remaining half of batter on top. And then spread remaining sprinkle filling on top.

Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

**Note: Can substitute the apples for pears or a combination of both.

Spaghetti with Broccoli, Garlic, and Anchovies

2007-02-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

I ate this for years until I found out from my mom that there were anchovies in the recipe. Like in a Caesar Salad dressing, it gives it that little something you can't quite put your finger on. Even if you don't like anchovies, you'll love this pasta dish. This isn't my mom's recipe but it reminds me of hers. My husband and I make this quite often - I made this for myself tonight!

Spaghetti with Broccoli, Garlic and Anchovies
The Best Recipe

Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 tbsp olive oil
5 anchovy fillets, minced to a paste (2 tsp.)
9 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds broccoli (about 1 large bunch), florets cut into 1 inch pieces; stalks peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 water
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 tbsp salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, combine 2 tbsp of the oil, minched anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp salt in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until fragrant about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the broccoli and water, cover, and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

4. Add the broccoli mixture, the remaining 2 tbsp oil, the parsley, and cheese to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Mom's Brownie Pudding

2007-02-28T17:57:00.000-05:00

Great on winter nights with vanilla ice cream. It is part brownie - part oozing chocolate syrup!

Mom's Brownie Pudding

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
------------------------------------
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup hot water

Preheat oven 350

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt

In another bowl add 1/4 cup cocoa to hot water, then add brown sugar

Grease a 9"x9" baking dish

Make a well in dry mixture. Add oil, vanilla, and milk.

Add to greased dish and spread.

Add liquid over batter using an inclined spatula.

Bake 40 minutes.

Broccoli & Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells

2007-02-26T13:03:00.000-05:00

A stuffed shell recipe from Cooking Light was the inspiration for this recipe. The one I wanted to make had spinach but when I took out my spinach from the freezer there was a big hole in the bag so I didn't want to take a chance with using it. After looking in my fridge for something to replace the spinach with, the thought hit me - broccoli! Next time I might use proscuitto and/or sun-dried tomatoes in it too! This one is going on our favourite recipe rotation! We like the broccoli addition better than the spinach!

Broccoli & Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells

1 box jumbo shell pasta (~ 40 shells)
1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Egg, beaten
2-3 cups of broccoli florets, steamed and mashed
6 cups of your favourite tomato sauce ( I used my mom's rigatoni sauce without the meat)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup grated fresh provolone (hard) cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, egg, and mashed broccoli in a medium size bowl. Mix well.

In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coat bottom with 3 cups sauce.

Spoon or pipe broccoli/cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange stuffed shells, seam sides up, in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella and provolone.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

More Olivia Pictures!

2007-02-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

Olivia!

2007-02-23T13:48:00.000-05:00

As most of you know Marc and I became an aunt and uncle in January. AND...I became a godmother! Which totally gives me bragging rights no matter what...

My sister, Jenny, and Stephen are so happy, you cannot imagine! Olivia was born on January 5th and weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces when she was born...

I will post more pictures as I receive them!

The Ultimate Fudge Brownies

2007-02-23T07:33:00.000-05:00

Marc and I needed a chocolate fix last night! There is nothing better than a fudgy brownie warm from the oven with a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream! As Rachel Ray would say - YUMMO! Obviously there is no comparison between a full-fat brownie and a low-fat one but this one is very good considering there is only 4.4 grams of fat. I did make one modification though, I only used 1 cup of sugar. Make sure to start checking your brownies after 25 minutes because these can overbake very easily.

The Ultimate Fudge Brownies
One Smart Cookie

1/4 cup butter
1 square unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.)
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
3 large egg whites
1 tsp. instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tsp. water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa and sugar. Mix until well blended - the mixture will have the consistency of very wet sand.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, coffee, and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until well blended and smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir just until combined.

Pour into an 8"x8" pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, but the middle is still soft. They will seem to be not quite cooked, but will set a little more as they cool. It is better to almost underbake brownies than to overbake them. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Makes 16 brownies.

Per brownie: 151 calories, 4.4 g fat