Strawberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting

I am a big fan of Strawberry Cakes.  On Saturday, I was looking in my fridge for ingredients that I was using for dinner and saw two containers of strawberries.  All of a sudden, I was whisked away to when I was younger and my Nanny would make the best strawberry cake known to man.  Oh my gosh, was it delicious...it was then that the seed was planted.  I knew I was going to have to make the cake, but when?  I was busy with cleaning the house, going to a baby shower, and cooking an already planned meal for my in laws... I decided that Sunday would have to be the day.  And I couldn't wait!

This recipe is from The Cake Doctor.  I've made a few other cakes from this cook book and have always been impressed with the outcome, this one though takes the cake (see what I did there?).

Strawberry Cake:

Solid Vegetable shortening for greasing the pans

Flour for dusting the pans (I used a short cut-baker's joy spray)

1 package plain white cake mix

1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin

1 cup mashed fresh strawberries with juice (1 1/2 cups whole berries)

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup whole milk

4 large eggs

1 cup frozen unsweetened (I used sweetened since it was something I already had) grated coconut, thawed

1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't have any of these, so this was left out)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350.  Lightly grease and flour pans.

Place the cake mix, strawberry gelatin, mashed strawberries and juice, oil, milk, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and blend on low for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down sides with a spatula.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping sides if needed.  The strawberries should be well blended into the mixture.  Fold in coconut and pecans.  Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in the oven on the center rack.  

Bake the cakes until they are light brown and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28-30 minutes (or if you only use 2 pans, around 35-40 minutes-just keep an eye on them).

Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes.  Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto the rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up again.  Allow them to cool completely for 30 more minutes.

Buttercream Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick butter) at room temperature

3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar sifted

3 to 4 tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Place butter in mixing bowl and mix until creamy and fluffy.  Stop machine and add confectioners sugar, 3 tbsp milk and vanilla extract.  Blend on low until the sugar is incorporated (I slowly added in the sugar-I didn't put it in all at once).  Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy one more minute.  Blend in 1 more tbsp of milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

The cake mix and gelatin

Yum, mashed strawberries!

Coconut!

All mixed up!

In the pans

All cooked and cooled, ready for icing.

 Yum

The cake all iced.

This was a last minute decision...and might I say, a delicious one at that!

I love to hate to toot my own horn, but I'd have to say if my Nanny was here, she'd probably say this cake is giving her recipe a run for it's money.  I've gotten rave reviews already from my friends and family.  If I were you, I'd TOTES give this recipe a shot.  You won't be sorry and your friends and family will think you should open up your own bakery!  Just sayin'

Happy cooking!

Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai

Thai food is a real treat for me.  I really enjoy going to thai food restaurants and I never knew why until I made this meal.  I finally figured out what it was.  The chili sauce-Sriracha.  Oh. Em. Gee.  This is another meal out of the Everyday Food magazine - Light issue.  This meal, per serving, is 473 calories....which I'm sure is largely in part to the noodles.

Like I've been saying, Steve has been requesting to add in meals with little to no meat to our every day dinners.  I happily obliged.  I saw this recipe and immediately knew I was going to try it, but I had to run it by Steve first.  Surprisingly, he was really cool about it and agreed to give it a shot.  I made sure my Chicken Minestrone Soup was readily available as a Plan B in case this recipe tanked and became a failure.  Luckily, I was able to put my soup in the fridge and we enjoyed this meal while we watched the NY Giants and San Francisco 49ers play some good football.  BTW, I HATE NY.  I DO NOT like Eli Manning.  Why?  I don't know...I think I've carried a strong dislike for him ever since he beat us (the Cowboys) in a playoff game a few years back.  Ever since then I've wished nothing but rotten luck on their team.  I know that's bad...but a girl can't help it.  You mess with the Boys, you mess with me.

Anyway, this was a surprisingly satisfying meal and I really recommend this for anyone wanting to try tofu for the first time.  It was a learning experience for me and I think I did an OK job with it...I mean, it's really hard to mess up soybeans, right?

I used egg noodles because I couldn't find rice noodles at Walmart (what IS it about that store?!  They never have the things I need..I guess I need to start going to Central Market or something for my unusually food items)
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tbsp chili sauce such as Sriracha (I may use a little less next time for Steve's sake)
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced, and patted dry
2 medium carrots (I ran out of carrots, so I used zucchini) peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
coarse salt
2 tbsp roasted chopped salted peanuts
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Soak noodles (or cook the egg noodles like I did if you don't have rice noodles) to package indications, drain.  In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.

In large non stick skillet, heat 1/2 tsp oil over medium-high heat, tilting to coat pan.  Add eggs, swirl to coat pan and cook until just set, about 1 minute.  Transfer eggs to cutting board, loosely rolling and cut crosswise into thin strips.  Add tofu in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides about 7 minutes, flipping half way through.  Transfer to cutting board.

Add in 1 1/2 tsp oil, carrots (or in my case, zucchini), garlic and scallions-white to skillet and cook until softened about 5 minutes.  Add lime juice mixture and bring to a simmer.  Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently 1 minute.  Add eggs and tofu and gently toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt. Top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens.

Here's all my veggies ready to go :)

 Mmmm tofu...

 The eggs all chopped up

 The tofu cookin'.  I didn't do a great job slicing it up.

 The veggies cooking

 Yummy!  All ready to eat!

 We ate this with the Naan from Friday night

The chili sauce really made this dish flavorful and I am contemplating buying some fish sauce because I hear it really adds another level to the flavor.  Definitely try this if you're feeling adventurous in the kitchen!

Happy cooking!

January. 75 degrees. Something is Wrong Here.

It's 75 degrees today.  That's great for April or May, but the end of January?  I think not.  I don't care what you guys say, January it's supposed to be cold.  I should be wearing a freaking sweater.  I should NOT be in shorts and a t-shirt.  This is just not right.

After my wonderful run Saturday, I decided to keep the good times rolling by hitting the streets and trying it again...and adding on another mile...

Allow me to properly introduce my running buddy, Anna.  

hehehe  She makes me laugh.

 Look at that face!  How can you NOT get excited about running with that face?! She was ready to go!  Sometimes she gets so frustrated with me because I'm not ready as soon as I snap on her leash that she takes it in her mouth and chews on it, like she's saying, "Hurry up or I'm gonna open up this door myself and leave you in the dust".  I also love that she's getting more white around her mouth.  She's only almost 4, but I'm trying to imagine what she'll look like in old age...she used to be completely black around her mouth.  She must get her premature greying hair from our families :)

HH and I have had Anna for almost 4 years.  We got her around June of 2008 before we got married.  She has been my running partner since we lived by White Rock Lake.  She loves long runs, though today I could tell she was struggling with the heat.  Y'all my perfect running weather (and Anna's, too) was Saturday.  Mid 50's, sunny, slight breeze. Perfection.  Today??  No. Thank. You.  It was ridiculous out there.  It was sunny and warm and just gross.  Part of the time the wind would blow and then sometimes it would just STOP and the air would just get thick and the pavement just got hot.  It was not fun.  I had to walk multiple times because I just got so hot out there.  All in all I ran 6.87 miles with an average pace of 11 minute and 35 second miles.  Blah.  Not my best....but I didn't want to push myself too hard where I couldn't finish or just had to walk home the rest of the way.  I mostly took my cues from Anna and from the weather.

After I got home, I had to sit for about 15 minutes and just cool off, drink some water, and recoup.  I then decided I needed a little pick me up.  A smoothie sounded delicious, so I opened up my little magazine and whipped up an Avocado Smoothie.

So yummy.  Here is the before I whipped it up and an after.  I made one for Steve and one for me.

In a blender (I used our magic bullet), combine 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice, 1/4 cup honey, and 2 1/2 to 3 cups ice.  Blend until smooth and serve immediately.  (this should make about 4 servings-though we split it 2 ways) DELICIOUS.  So refreshing and smooth.  I will totes be making this again.  LOVE IT.  Try it.  Trust me.  You'll love it, too.

Chicken Soup Base and Chicken Minestrone Soup

Well, it's the start of a new week and it's time for me to make my soup for the week.  Last week I made my first "base" for my Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup.  While it was a lot of work, it was so nice to know exactly what I was putting into my body as far as broths are concerned.  I decided to put forth the time again to make this Chicken Minestrone Soup.  This recipe is in the Everyday Food magazine that I get once a month.  This month's magazine issue was about cooking light.

Perfect timing if you ask me!  Just last week, HH asked me to start using less meat in our dinners.  My response was, "Seriously?!" (with an astonished look).  I have no problems cooking dinners with less meats.  The deal is, usually it's really fatty foods (you know, manicotti type dishes), so I was determined to find us some things that didn't necessarily have to have a ton of pasta and/or cheese in the dishes.  So many of the dishes I am making this week are going to be light in calories with or without meat.

This soup I made, I modified just a bit.  I basically followed the steps I took last week to make my soup base....

1 whole chicken
I put about  half a pound of chicken thighs in, too
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion quartered
2 tsp black peppercorns
(I forgot the parsley)....

Anyway, I boiled all that stuff in 12 cups of water for about an hour and a half, turning the chicken once.

Then I pulled all the chicken out, strained the broth, and discarded all the solids.  I skimmed the fat off the top of the soup, too.  I let all that stuff sit for a while to cool off before I started the next step for the minestrone soup.

When the chicken was cool enough to handle, I pulled all the skin off and pulled the meat apart.

Rustic chicken Minestrone Soup

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
obviously Chicken base
1/4 cup small pasta shells
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 Parmesan rind, plus grated Parmesan for topping (I left this out...because I wanted to save myself some calories)
1 bunch kale (My Walmart apparently doesn't believe in Kale, so I just used what I had-arugula and baby spinach)
1 medium zucchini, diced medium
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
coarse salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add in onion, and cook for 8 minutes or until onion is soft.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).  Add tomatoes with juice and cook for 4 minutes or until water is evaporated.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add in shells, carrots, and Parmesan, cook for 5 minutes.  Add kale, zucchini, and chickpeas and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken and cook until warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove rind before serving and sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

The tomatoes, onion, and garlic cooking

 Yummm everything added in!

 What I'll be eating at school for lunch this week!  Yummy!

On another note, last weekend my mother in law and I went to a place and painted a piece of clay.  I chose a square plate...I'm hoping to use it as a place to set my jewelry on in my bathroom, since that's where I usually end up taking it off.  I think it turned out pretty nicely!  Not the best job in the world, but hey, it was my first time painting and making designs on a plate!

Happy cooking!

Moroccan Braised Beef and Naan

I get tired of the same old thing.  I also get tired of the same old recipes that call for the same old ingredients and don't do anything for me.  While I've not gotten to travel much, I figured my cooking could do the traveling for me.  Lately, I've been in the mood for more Indian and Asian style meals.  I decided on this recipe when I noticed that I had a lot of the ingredients already and it just sounded really tasty.  I cooked this for my in laws and it seemed to go over really well.  The only thing I left out of this recipe were the onions (for my mother in law's sake).  I think it tasted amazing without the onions, personally.  But I do look forward to making this again some time soon and seeing how much of a difference the onions make.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.  This a slow cooker recipe and it was a delight to come home to the house smelling so wonderfully after a long day at school!

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (cut into cubes-I just threw the whole thing in uncut because I didn't want to waste my time...if it's going in the slow cooker for the whole day, it will fall apart on it's own)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cans  (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth 

2 cups chopped onions

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup dry red wine

2 to 3 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cups golden raisins 

hot cooked couscous or basmati rice (I made both)

Place flour in a resealable bag, place meat in bag and toss.  Put in a skillet, brown beef in oil.  Transfer to slow cooker, add the broth, onions, tomatoes, wine, curry, paprika, salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

During the last 30 minutes, add in the raisins.  Serve with couscous or basmati rice.  

I served it with basmati rice, couscous (with about 2 tsp of paprika added in), sauteed brussels sprouts, and naan bread.  The meal was a hit!  Definitely will be making this one again it the near future.

Here's what it looked like cooking in the crockpot.

Naan

• /8 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon and 2-1/4 teaspoons milk
• 5/8 egg, beaten
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2-1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon bread flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
• 2 tablespoons and 3/4 teaspoon butter, melted
• 
  
• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume
• 
  
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• 
  
• During the second rising, preheat oven to 500
• 
  
• Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Place dough on stoneware or baking sheet, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

 End result.  (I did not follow this recipe to the T, Naan is a learning process for me)  :)

Anyway, I really liked this recipe.  The moroccan beef wasn't too spicy, it had just the right amount of spiciness and sweetness and the couscous, basmati, brussels sprouts, and naan were excellent sides.  Definitely give this meal a try!

Happy cooking!

Tilapia in Thai Curry Sauce with Asian Cauliflower

Steve has requested that we use less meat in our daily meals...which is fine by me!  One way of appeasing him is to make more fish entrees.  I was looking for something a little more exotic than "salmon and veggies", so I started combing through my cookbooks to see what I could find that fit the bill.  I saw this recipe in my Kohl's-purchased, "Good Housekeeping's Fast Weeknight Favorites" book.  It. Was. Delicious.  OMG.  Seriously.

(it was supposed to be halibut, but I only had tilapia....)
1 cup basmati rice (I did half basmati, half saffron rice)
1 can light coconut milk
1 tsp grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp thai red, or green curry paste or curry powder (I used curry powder)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 pieces tilapia (or halibut)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Prepare rice as directed
Meanwhile, in a non-stick 12 inch skillet, whisk coconut milk, ginger, brown, sugar, curry powder (or paste), and garlic until blended; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Add fish fillets to skillet and cook, turning once, until just opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer fish to warm deep platter.
Remove skillet from heat.  Stir in green onions and cilantro.  Pour sauce over fish and serve with lime wedges and rice.

Onion, garlic, ginger.

 coconut milk, spices, and brown sugar

 All mixed together!

 I didn't take the fish out because I thought that was a little ridiculous to dirty up a plate, so I just added in the onion and cilantro while the fish was still in the skillet.

 The plate of goodness.  Served with asian cauliflower (recipe to follow)

The Asian Cauliflower recipe I got from my Taste of Home cookbook.  I had bought a whole thing of cauliflower the week before with intentions to use it in a recipe but I forgot WHICH recipe I was going to use it in, so it was just sitting in the fridge.  So I looked up a recipe that I could use it as a side and found this.  I was surprised at how good it was and how much I actually liked it!  Even Steve gave it two thumbs up!

Asian Cauliflower:

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup diced celery
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp  butter
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
dash of pepper

Place cauliflower in microwave safe dish.  Add 1 tbsp water.  Cover and microwave on high for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

In a 1 quart microwave safe bowl, combine the celery, onion, parsley, and butter.  Cover and microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

In a small bowl, combine hot water and bouillon until dissolved.  Combine the cornstarch and remaining cold water until smooth.  Add soy sauce, pepper and bouillon; mix well.  Stir into celery mixture.

Microwave uncovered at 70% for 2-3 minutes or until sauce comes to a boil, stirring after each minute.  Pour over cauliflower.

I didn't take any pictures of the process...but it was delicious.  A little time consuming, but totally worth it if you're looking for something out-of-the-box to do with this vegetable!

Happy cooking!

I. Was. Run. Ning.

Please tell me you know where the title came from.  10 points to whoever guesses it.

I haven't done that decent of a job running since I was knocked on my butt with a sinus infection, but I'm getting back into it slowly but surely.  Luckily, I didn't lose any of my leg strength and time while I was out.  I'm actually doing really well, I keep shaving seconds off each time I run, so that makes me happy.

I started back to it and ran early this week on Tuesday.  It was a pretty good run 4.76 miles in 50 minutes.  An average pace of 10 minutes and 41 seconds.  Not bad, not bad.  My ultimate goal is to knock off about 1 minute and 15 seconds by the start of summer.  We shall see.  I think it's going to take consistent running, weight loss, and more weight lifting to get me there, but I really want to be in the best shape of my life by summer time.  I want to look tres chic when I make landfall across the pond in July.  I think it's doable.

Saturday I had an Orff workshop all day that focused on dancing, so I was moving pretty much non stop from about 9:15 to 3:30.  Then I came home and decided to take Anna on a run since I owe her for being all cooped up the past week and a half.  We went for a 5.54 mile run and I ran that in 59 minutes with a an average pace of 10 minutes and 40 seconds.  I felt kind of slow at the beginning, but after looking at the info I was pretty consistent and average.  Maybe my legs are starting to want to run faster?  And lately, whenever I hit my "home stretch" I kick up the pace to about 9 minute miles (for about a quarter of a mile).  Maybe today I can up that speed to 8 1/2 minute miles for the last quarter?  A girl can dream.

Today I'm planning to add another mile onto the run, for a total of 6.5, but we'll see.  It's kind of windy today, so I'm not expecting any PR's on time or anything.  But my legs feel pretty great today, so we'll see.  I'm also going to start some weight lifting with Steve today...and I'm going to try to keep that up at least 3 days a week.  Along with core work outs (which Lord knows I need to be doing that 7 days a week for 5 hours a day)....  Anyway, I'll let y'all know how that goes  :)

Get outside and enjoy this beautiful January day!

Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf

I've stated before, and I'll state it again, I LOVE comfort food.  There's just something that makes you feel warm inside when you eat it.  When I was younger, I was a never a fan of meatloaf.  I guess I just didn't like the idea of it...it's a big ole loaf of meat and that just sounded funny to me.  Now-a-days, I enjoy it.  It's easy to make, it fills you up, and (when you use the right ingredients) can be extremely flavorful.  This recipe I got from "Taste of Home Casseroles, Slowcookers, and Soups".  

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tsp dried minced onion (I used onion salt because I did not have minced onion)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  Crumble beef mixture over it and combine well.  Shape into a round loaf, place in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.  

In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  Spoon over the meat loaf.  Cook 15 minutes longer.

Sorry for the blurry iPhone pictures.  

All in all, this was a hit.  Steve loved it and considered it one of the best meatloaf meals he's had.  Which is a home run in my book!  Definitely give this recipe a try!  I forgot to take an after picture, so apologies on that!

Happy cooking!

Cordon Bleu Casserole

I've had my eye on this recipe for probably a few years now.  I have no idea why I didn't try it until this weekend, but it was a success.  The few times I've made chicken cordon bleu, it's been a big hit in our household...so when I saw this recipe I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.  Plus, can you really go wrong with ham and chicken?  I think not.

Cordon Bleu Casserole
(from Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soup)

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
4 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese
1 large onion
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground mustard
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cup milk
Topping:
1 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large nonstick skillet, saute ham for 4-5 minutes or until browned; drain and pat dry.  Meanwhile, in a greased 2 qt. baking dish, layer the turkey, cheese and ham; set aside.

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender.  Stir in the flour, mustard, and nutmeg until blended.  Gradually stir in milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Pour over ham.

Chicken, ham, and swiss cheese

 Onions and butter.  I love the smell of it cooking

 The topping on, ready for the oven

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top.  Bake, uncovered, at 350  for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Steve thinks there may have been just a little too much topping, but other than that it was a keeper!  I hope you like it, too!

Happy cooking!

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese.  The ULTIMATE comfort food.  Here's the deal....back in the day...when I was little we bought Velveeta Shells and Cheese.  And dude, that is good to me.  I love velveeta.  And then when I got to college, I would buy Kraft Mac and Cheese (because it was cheaper...I was unwilling to buy the off brand of velveeta).  Anyway, I've been dying to try a homemade recipe for mac and cheese because I mostly want to know what I'm putting into my body.  The idea of powdered cheese kind of gives me the creeps.  What is actually IN powdered cheese????  And what exactly makes velveeta cheese, anyway?  I don't know...I just like to cook something from scratch if I can because it helps me understand what all I'm ingesting.

I was kind of scared to make this because whenever I make new things I never know if it's going to go over well with the HH.  This recipe though, was a really nice surprise.

Macaroni and Cheese

(recipe from The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen)

1 package fusilli pasta

6 cups low-fat milk 

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp dry mustard

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese

3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup panko  

1 tbsp butter or margarine melted

Preheat oven to 400.  Prepare pasta as directed on the box.

Meanwhile, in a large glass bowl, heat milk in microwave on High for 2 minutes.  To 4 quart saucepan, add milk.  Whisk in cornstarch, mustard, salt, and nutmeg until well blended.  Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly and boils.  Cook 1 minute longer, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Pecorino-Romano and then 2 1/2 cups cheddar and stir until cheese melts.

In large mixing bowl, combine pasta and cheese sauce until well mixed. Spoon into shallow 3 1/2 quart ceramic or glass baking dish.  Combine panko and melted butter and mix well.  Stir in remaining cheddar until well combined.  Sprinkle over top of pasta and cheese.  Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbling and bread crumbs are golden brown.

Milk and cheese mixture with the pasta

 Ready to be put in the oven

 Finished product...Comfort food at it's best!

I highly recommend this recipe.  Really delicious and really filling.  It can be a main dish or a side and it makes a TON.  It's perfect for cold days and hearty meals.  I really hope you give this recipe a shot!  I know I'll be making it again soon!

Steaks with Horseradish Salsa

The same day I made the chicken noodle soup, I also decided to make a nice meal for Drew, Becca, Steve and I.  I like horseradish in small doses and let me be honest-I think I added a smidge too much in this dish.  But all in all, the steaks were juicy and the horseradish salsa was a really refreshing touch!

Horseradish Salsa

3 ripe medium tomatoes (chopped)
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 tbsp bottled white horseradish
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (we didn't have this...so I used a bit more olive oil)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Steak seasoning:

1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
4 steaks of your choice

Basically, you toss all the salsa ingredients together in a bowl and mix them up well.  Then refrigerate while the steaks are cooking.

Rub the steak seasoning on the steaks and cook on the grill until their done to your liking.

The other items we had with this meal were homemade macaroni and cheese, sauteed brussels sprouts, and challah bread.  It was a delicious meal...that we followed with a serving of creme puffs.  :)

Like I said, I think I used too much horseradish and if I had been in possession of some balsamic vinegar, it may have toned down the harshness of the horseradish.

I hope you enjoy this!


mmmm Challah!

Horseradish salsa

 Sauteed brussels sprouts

 Everything ready to eat!  Steaks with horseradish salsa, brussels sprouts, macaroni and cheese, and challah.

Happy cooking!

The Perfect Chicken Noodle Soup

Here's the weekly soup!  I decided to go with something that would help make me feel better and go with a bunch of different foods.  I made some more challah to go with it...basically it's just a nice mid-day meal.

The Perfect Chicken Noodle Soup

8 stalks celery
7 carrots, peeled
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs)
2 lbs chicken leg quarters
1 medium onion, cut int pieces
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1/2 bunch parsley
8 springs thyme
20 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt
12 cups cold water
3 cups medium egg noodles uncooked

Cut 4 stalks celery and 3 carrots crosswise into 2 inch pieces.  In 8 quart saucepot, combine celery and carrot pieces, chicken along with neck and gizzards (not liver), chicken legs, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, and water; heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours.

Meanwhile, cut remaining 4 stalks celery and 4 carrots crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Cook noodles as label directs; set aside.

Remove saucepot from heat; with tongs, transfer chicken to pan.  Strain broth through colander into large bowl; discard solids.  Skim fat and discard.  Return broth to saucepot; heat to boiling over high heat.

Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken and discard.  Cut meat into 1/2 inch pieces.

When broth boils, add celery and carrot slices; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-high; cook vegetables, uncovered, until very tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Stir in cooked chicken and noodles.







Sorry I don't have any other pictures.  I got a little lazy.  This was the most labor intensive soup I've ever made....but it's also the most satisfying and filling.  The homemade broth is really flavorful and the chicken is so soft and delicious.

Happy cooking!

Beef and Potato Moussaka

I think I chose this recipe simply based on the word "moussaka".  Plus, you can't go wrong with something that has both beef and potato in it.

Beef and Potato Moussaka

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup water
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 dried mint (optional-I did not use)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp pepper

Parmesan Sauce
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
5 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Drain.  Stir in the water, tomato paste, parsley, salt, mint (if desired), cinnamon and pepper.  Set aside.

For sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from  heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Add the Parmesan cheese and salt.

Place half of the potato slices in a greased shallow 3 quart baking dish.  Top with half of the Parmesan sauce and all of the meat mixture.  Arrange the remaining potatoes over meat mixture; top with the remaining Parmesan sauce.

Clearly, I like to have all of my ingredients ready to go!  No rushing around trying to find things!

 Yummmmm Beef, onions, and tomato paste.

 The Parmesan sauce cooking

 Layering it in.

 Good to go!

 The final product all cooked and ready to eat!

Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


My HH gives this one a thumbs up.  Very hearty.  A good meal for dudes who love their meat and potatoes.  I would definitely serve this with some green beans on the side.  :)

Happy cooking!