Mashed Cauliflower

Dawn requested my "mashed cauliflower" recipe that I used to make in college.  I couldn't find it anywhere, but I found one online that is very similar!


Serves: 6
Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/489/BasicCauliflowerMash62883.shtml

2 pounds cauliflower, trimmed
sea salt
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese

Cut the cauliflower, including the core, into 1-inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt lightly. Add the cauliflower and cook over medium heat until completely tender, 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Drain cauliflower in a colander. With a bowl or small plate, press on the cauliflower to remove all water. Toss the cauliflower and continue pressing out the water. This step is very important to the texture of the dish. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Add the cream and puree until completely smooth. If you like a chunkier texture, mash by hand, adding the cream after cauliflower is mashed. Return to pot. When you are ready to serve, heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the butter, Parmesan and cream cheese. Stir until incorporated. Season to taste with salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Notes:  In my original recipe, I used fat free milk instead of whipping cream and used 1/8 cup sour cream and 1/8 cup cream cheese.  Add milk or whipping cream slowly.  You can always add more if you want to thin it out, but if you put it all in at once and it is too runny then the recipe is ruined! 

- Miss J

Walnut Apple Cake

Serves:  12-15
Source:  Taste of Home Magazine, Best Holiday Recipes 2006

2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups chopped peeled tart apple
1 cup chopped walnuts

Butter Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Walnut halves, optional

In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla; mix well.  Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well (batter will be stiff).  Stir in apples and walnuts.  Spread into a greased 13-in x 9-in x 2-in. baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a tooth-pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  For the sauce, combine sugar, flour, milk, and butter in saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.  Cut cake into squares; top with warm sauce.  Garnish with walnut halves if desired. 

Notes:  I have made this several times.  This last time I tried to cook it a bread pan and drizzled the sauce over the top.  The edges were a bit tough but the middle was nice and fluffy.  I finely chopped walnuts and apples so flavor was present in the bread, but it was light and fluffy.  When preparing the sauce, add the flour last and sift it into the mixture to avoid clumping. 

Ratings:
Moe, 8 out of 10
Miss J, 8 out of 10

Restaurant Review: Figlio

Moe and I made a pact this summer that until we moved out of Columbus for his residency that we would try to go to a different restaurant every time we go out to eat.  This past Friday, we decided to go to Figlio in Grandview.  I have heard from all my friends that this place is one of their top five places in Columbus so I was excited I finally took the time to make a reservation and go.  We went with another couple and were seated right away.  We sat in the window right by the front door so it was a great spot for "people watching" - one of my favorite activities of dinner.  I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to start which was fabulous (I ended up ordering three by the time dinner was up).  The atmosphere was laid back and inviting, and although we were one of the louder tables in the restaurant, I didn't feel like we were out of place.  

I started with the balsamic salad with pine nuts, gorganzala cheese, and sundried tomatoes, and Moe had the strawberry salad both of which we thoroughly enjoyed.  I ordered the Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Pizza for my entree which was fabulous.  It was the perfect size and had a nice blend of flavors.  The crust was really thin as well which didn't leave me with the uncomfortable "stuffed" feeling.  I could only eat about three-fourths the pizza, but the rest of the table had no problem finishing it off.  Moe ordered Chicken Diablo Pasta which had a nice kick, but wasn't too overpowering.  Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience and would DEFINETLY recommend this place to any of our friends!


http://www.figliopizza.com/

Tackling the bird!

Now that I have overcome my fear of making risotto, I can now tackle my next fear..... roasting an entire bird!  I have seen my mom make the thanksgiving turkey many times and even had to prep the turkey two years ago. However, I have yet to take on the task of buying a whole bird, removing the kidney and livers, and roasting it in my own oven.   Now that it is all said and done, I have to admit it is a lot easier than you would think!

Serves:  4-6
Source: Taste of Home Magazine, Best Holiday Recipes 2006 (modification from this recipe)

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups herbed-seasoned stuffing croutons
1 cup corn bread stuffing or crumbled corn bread
1-1/2 to 2 cups chicken broth
1 roasting chicken (5-7 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon pepper
1.4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

In a skillet, saute celery, onion, and cranberries in 1/2 cup butter until tender.  Stir in garlic, stuffing, and enough broth to moisten; set aside.  Place chicken with breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and sage; sprinkle over inside and outside of chicken.  Loosely stuff with cranberry mixture.  Melt remaining butter; brush over chicken. 

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees for the chicken and 165 degrees fro the stuffing, basting occasionally. 

Notes: I cooked a variation of this recipe. I used 1 cup of apple cider and 1 cup of chicken broth in this recipe.  I also used an apple (halved) to close the cavity of the chicken before baking.  This added flavor plus helped keep the stuffing inside the chicken.  I also tied the legs together with cooking twine to help hold everything in place as well as put a couple slivers of butter under the skin to add some additional flavor.  I put onions and golden potatoes around the chicken.  These picked up the apple cider flavor and served as a great side dish to the chicken.

Rating:
Moe, 10 out 10
Miss J, 9 out of 10

- Miss J

Pineapple Brunch Quiche

This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  Every holiday when we gather at breakfast, my mom makes two of these quiches and it never seems to be enough to go around! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


Serves:  4 people (2 slices per serving)
Source:  Miss J family recipe

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple (very well drained and patted dry)
1 cup Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
4 eggs beaten
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 green onions chopped finely or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 pound diced ham
1 cup shredded monetary or sharp cheddar cheese

Drain pineapple.  Combine Bisquick mix, milk, eggs, butter, mustard, and nutmeg in mixer (or in a bowl and mix well).  Stir in ham, cheese, onions, and pineapple.

Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Lower temperature and extend cooking time if using a glass dish. 

Notes:  I sometimes substitute in spinach and mushrooms into this recipe if I want to make something a bit different.  You can pretty much do any combination of vegetables with this recipe and it will turn out just fine! I also use egg beaters alot of the time to make it a bit more healthy.  It isn't quiet as fluffy when you do that but still good.

- Miss J

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out of 10
Miss J, 10 out of 10

Israeli Couscous

Delicious side dish that can be served with a variety of entrees.  I served this under the roasted stuffed bell pepper recipe from earlier this week!


Serves: 4
Source: Trader Joe's Recipe

3 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
1/2 large cinnamon stick
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup parsley, minced
zest of 1/2 lemon
1.4 cup raisins, optional
Black pepper, to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add pine nuts and stir until golden brown.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and saute until golden.  Add couscous, cinnamon, and bay leaf, and stir often until couscous browns slightly.  Add broth and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley, pine nuts, and lemon zest.  Add the raisins for a savory sweet taste.  Season with black pepper to taste. 

Note:  When I serve this with the stuffed bell peppers (on 10.19.10 blog), I hold the raisins since the roasted bell peppers already adds a sweetness to the dish. 

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out 10
Miss J, 10 out 10

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is one of my all time favorite recipes!  My good friend served this at a dinner party, and I have been making it ever since.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Serves:  4
Source:  Sireesha

1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 peppers - red, green, yellow
pasta sauce (preferably one with veggies)
red pepper flakes (optional)
mozzarella - shredded
salt and pepper

Brown turkey.  Rinse with water and leave in strainer for one minute.  Meanwhile, on medium heat in the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic.  Saute until onions are tender.  Add turkey to onion mix.  Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.  Saute on 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  Add pasta sauce to pan on low heat.  Add enough to make mixture congeal (you don't want to make it runny).  Turn oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and remove tops of each bell pepper.  Add mixture to each bell pepper.  In a baking dish, place peppers so they remain upright.  It is best to use a larger pan than how many peppers you have and keep them close together all on one side of the pan (will help hold them upright).  Add two tablespoons of water to the bottom of the pan.  Cover peppers and pan with foil and bake peppers for 45 minutes.  While peppers are baking prepare pasta, rice, or couscous (whatever you want to serve the bell peppers on).  At 45 minutes, pull pan out.  Remove foil and sprinkle tops of the peppers with mozzarella cheese.  Place back in oven without foil for 10 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately. 

Notes:  It is important that the bell peppers remain upright so it might be helpful to slice the bottom of the pepper to make a flat service (careful not to cut into the bowl of the pepper or mixture will leak out the bottom).  I have used homemade chili as the filling in this receipe and it has worked out great.  It is an easy way to re-use leftovers!

Ratings:
Moe, 10 out 10
Miss J, 9 out 10

- Miss J

 Stuffed Bell Peppers with Israeli Couscous

Roasted Corn and Red Pepper Soup

Serves: 6
Source: Miss J

32 oz Trader Joe's Roasted Corn Soup
1/2 cup Roasted Corn
1/4 cup Chopped Red Peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup of diced potatoes (5 small golden potatoes)
1/4 cup of chopped carrots
1 cup of diced chicken, cooked
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
1 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp of chili flakes (optional)
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for eight hours or on high for four hours until potatoes are tender. Top with cheese and parsley garnish.

Notes:  Frozen vegetables work well for this recipe if you dont' have any fresh in your fridge.

Ratings:
Moe, 8 out of 10
Miss J, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

Chicken and Avocado Pizza

A delicious meal that doesn't require a lot of attention!  I made this while watching a movie with Moe, and I only had to pause it twice. Once it is assembled, just pop it in the oven, and bon appetit!

Serves: 4 people
Source:  The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook by Linda Fraser

8 plum tomatoes, quartered
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large ripe avocado
8 pita bread rounds
6-7 sliced of cooked chicken, chopped
1 onion, thinly diced
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the quartered tomatoes in a baking dish (or on a sheet pan).  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and season to taste.   Bake for 30 minutes, do not salt.   Remove the baking dish from the oven and mash with a fork, removing skins as you go.  Set aside.  Peel and pit the avocado.  Cut into thin slices.  Brush the edges of the pita bread with oil.  Arrange the bread on two baking sheets.  Spread each pita with mashed tomato, almost to the edge.  Top each with 2 avocado slices.  Sprinkle with the chicken, then add a few onion slices.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Place one sheet in the middle of the oven and bake until the cheese begins to melt, about 15-20 minutes.  Sprinkle with half the cilantro and serve.  Meanwhile, bake the second batch of pizzas, and serve them hot. 

Notes:  I used a DiGionro pizza crust instead of pita.  I also used freshly grated fontina cheese instead of cheddar cheese.  I baked the pizza at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Chicken and Avocado Pizza

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out of 10
Miss J, 8 out of 10

- Miss J

I hate to be that person...

I have always said that I refuse to be that person that is obsessed with their dog and talks about them all of the time.  However, whenever I am thinking about what to blog about, Skyler always comes to mind.  I can't help it.  She is so flippin cute!

- Miss J

Puttin' On the Ritz...

This past weekend, Moe and I went to Naples, Florida for a destination wedding at the Ritz Carlton.  The entire weekend can be summarized by the following bullet points.....

- Arrived at the hotel at 6 pm Friday  night

- Unpacked in our ridiculously nice hotel room with a balcony overlooking the resort

- Got lost on the beach trying to find the Bay Colony Beach House

- Took a detour through a maintenance alley and a few hotel pools and made friends with Jen and Adam - why we haven't been best friends forever, I do not know

- Rehearsal dinner cocktail hour in which I drank a few too many Coronas with a lime

- $40 dollars worth of late night eating - quesadillas ordered from the bar at the Ritz (charged to our room - theme of the weekend)

- Saturday morning hangover cured by a $10 Mimosa and a $40 breakfast at the Ritz dining room (again charged to our room)

- Emergency evacuation of the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort because our friends decided they HAD to take the emergency stairs instead of the elevator (good work Mal)

- Diet Coke #1 of the weekend (Tennis pro shop charged to the room)

- Afternoon of fun in the sun (in which I REFUSED to put my bathing suit on) followed by a healthy sunburn

- Diet Coke #2 of the weekend (Tennis pro shop charged to the room - now on a first name basis with the Pro Shop lady who shares my love for diet coke and hate for Pepsi products)

- 5:00 pm wedding ceremony that was at the beautiful Bay Colony Golf club (panorama provided below)

- 6:00 pm cocktail hour in which a glass of white wine got dumped on my dress (AWESOME start to the evening - at least it wasn't red wine!)

- 7:00 pm start of the five course meal (most amazing meal of my life..... appetizer of scallops, salad with fresh fruit and goat cheese, grapefruit sorbet to cleanse the pallet (didn't even know what to do with this course), fillet with potatoes and green beans, followed by dessert - vague description on the dessert as I was about two glasses of wine and four beers deep so I just remember it was good!)

- Alot of dancing (hopefully appropriate)

- Another $40 dollars worth of quesadillas ordered to our room at the Ritz (drunken eatting is never a good idea)

- 8:00 am alarm clock brings us back to reality and we start packing up

- $500 hotel bill found on the "Express Checkout" paper that was slipped under our hotel door (100% regretting all the late night eatting)

- Diet Coke #3 of the weekend

- Shuttle taxi to the airport (the driver was an old man who took all six of us to town on the taxi fare - 20% automatic gratuity added onto our bill - unheard of but too tired to dispute)

- Three hour plane ride from hell - being hungover and tired doesn't mix well with someone sitting behind us that pooped their pants on the plane 

- Picked up Sky from my rents

- 4 pm - passed out on our living room floor as we were too tired to make it upstairs to our bed

- Miss J

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/featuredhotels/naples?utm_campaign=09011&src=ps

HAPPY FALL!

Balsamic Roasted Red Pepper with Feta

Whenever I am in a hurry and need to quickly throw a side dish together, I go to this recipe.  I call it a recipe but its so easy you don't even need to write it down!

Serves: 2
Source: Miss J

2 Red Bell Peppers
1 - 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Feta cheese (crumbled)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Rinse and de-seed bell peppers.  Slice into long slivers.  In a bowl, toss bell pepper slices, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  Spread peppers on baking sheet and place on oven rack.  Roast bell peppers for 8 - 12 minutes stirring / flipping periodically.  Each oven varies so keep an eye on these to make sure they are not burning.  Once they reached the desired tenderness, remove from oven and plate immediately.  Top with feta cheese and serve. 

Moe, 9 out 10
Miss J, 9 out 10

*Picture posted on 10/6/10 with "Taking the plunge with risotto" blog.

Queen Bee

Growing up our dogs were never allowed on the furniture.  I had every intention of maintaining these rules in my future home.  However, Skyler has quickly found a loop hole... the downstairs rec room couch. These couches were given to us by Moe's brother, and Skyler quickly established that these were more of an extension of her own bed than a sitting area for us.  Putting this one piece of furniture aside, she is very respectful of the no furniture rule and as a result, I have let this one exception slide.  It started by allowing her to curl up "next" to Moe or me when we watch TV or are working on our lab tops.  At the time this was an "invite only" basis.  However, this arrangement has quickly made a turn for the worse.  The last couple months, I have noticed that whenever I make a move for the couch she runs over and quickly assumes "her" position next to Matt.  When I ask her to move over, she simply stares at me.  If I happen to beat her to the couch (which is rare), she proceeds to sit in front of me and stares me down until I move over so she can assume her position. It has become ridiculous.  I am being kicked off my own couch by Skyler, the "queen bee". She even brings a pillow up with her for an added head rest. OUT OF CONTROL.

- Miss J

 

Taking the plunge with risotto!

I have been cooking for years;  however, I have always feared cooking one thing...... risotto.  I think its the constant attention that it demands.  I am always trying to juggle multiple things in the kitchen at once so by default, I have always assumed I can't do it all.  I bought a box of Arborio rice about a month and a half ago, and each day when I open the pantry it stares at me.  Last night, I faced my fears!!!!

Serve 5- 6
Source: Miss J (sadly I memorized how to make risotto years ago but never actually made it)

12 oz Arborio Rice
4 cups heated stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
1 chopped onion
1/2 tbsp. butter
parmesan or other grated cheese
4 oz dry white wine
1/4 cup cream
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary 
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of sour cream

In a medium-sized saucepan (preferably a heavy-bottomed one), saute the onions in butter until golden. Add pine nuts and saute for several minutes until golden brown.  Stir in oregano and rosemary (diced up finely).  Add rice and stir until well-coated and translucent.

Add the wine and cook until evaporated.  Stir in 1 cup of hot stock and continually stir until evaporated.  When stock is fully absorbed, add another cup of hot stock and continue this process for approximately 20 minutes.  Sample risotto to make sure the rice is fully cooked.  Once you reach the desired consistency and texture,  stir in the sour cream and the Parmesan cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and set aside for several minutes before serving.  Garnish with parsley if available.

I served the risotto with seared scallops and balsamic red peppers topped with feta.

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out of 10
Miss J, 9 out of 10

- Miss J

Garage Sale!!!

This past weekend my mom and I hosted a garage sale at our house. It was madness.  I had NO IDEA how much work goes into hosting such an event.  We put an add in four newspapers and put up signs the night before.  Because our house is on the market, we couldn't even begin setting up for the sale until the night before around 7:00 pm.  Moe was working so I had to recruit our good friends to come help me maneuver the furniture to the basement to the garage.  Luckily, I had already priced everything so it was just a matter of "arranging" everything.  By midnight when I made my way upstairs, the garage looked like a slightly organized dumpster truck!  I had set my alarm for 7:30 am with hopes that I would get up, shower, drink my diet coke, eat my breakfast, and mentally prepare for the 9:00 am to 3:00 pm sale.  However on the way to the shower, I noticed a car parked in front of our house.   No joke, people were waiting outside with their morning coffee for the sale starting at 7:30 am.  At 8:30 am, I moved my car around the corner to keep it out of the way and a man flagged me down and asked if I was opening the doors soon. I explained it would be 10-15 minutes.  He then proceeded to pace in front of my garage door until we opened it.  He bought $1.50 worth of stuff.  SERIOUSLY?!?!?! 

For the first two hours, it was a mad rush.  There were 10-15 people walking through at all times.  I was the "banker" ironically and realized how much I suck at basic math.  It was almost like a day long crash course on addition / subtraction.  I am pretty sure that for several customers that owed me $3.50 and paid with a $10, I gave them back $7.50 (pathetic I know since I am a "banker" in real life).  There were a couple lulls throughout the day, but for the most part, I never sat down for the six hours of the sale.  In addition to trying to make sure that no ghetto members of our neighborhood bought things at a "five finger discount", I found myself chatting it up with customers throughout the day.  My favorite customers were these two gay guys that were hilarious.  The one used to make jewelry and bought all my homemade necklaces from high school (never thought those would have sold).  On the opposite side of the spectrum was a Catholic nun (who my mom befriended) who told me that it was a shame that I didn't have children yet.  She then explained that she knows too many young people who lost their husbands to God early and regretted not having children with them to carry on their memory after they died.  You should have seen my face.  I have enough abnormal fears about Moe dying, I don't need some crazy nun reminding me about them in my garage!

As we wrapped up the day, I was all upset because a couple of my big ticket items didn't sell; however, as we were packing up things to donate to the church, but we had a couple show up and buy our speakers and entertainment stand (these were the same people who had come back twice "eyeing" these pieces). Minutes later another lady showed up and was looking for a chest of drawers!  It was a perfect ending to the day.  All in all, Moe and I made approximately $350 and my mom made about $150.  I felt terrible that my mom didn't make more and keep losing sleep that we counted my sales twice or something.  Overall, I'd say it was a success though.  My mom was an tremendous help, and I can't thank her enough!  It was an exhausting experience that either one of us wants to relive again for many many years!


- Miss J