I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I know I did! I got a patio grill and an indoor George Foreman grill and a grilling basket for the outdoor grill which is going to let me try even more recipes. So, I was checking my e-mail and came across and interesting article. It is entitled, "The Truth About Your Weight Gain." It made me really think about the things I put in my mouth.
As we approach the new year I am sure we are all thinking about ways to be more healthy and lose that holiday weight! One fundamental way we can be more healthy is to eat at home. I will be the first one to admit I love eating out because I enjoy trying new foods, but when it comes to the everyday dealings of life, eating at home is the healthiest way to go. If you do go out, try and stick to the sit down, have to pay a tip restaurants because they tend to use better, more fresh ingredients than the fast food joints.
After reading this article, I may never eat another hamburger from a chain fast-food restaurant.
The coming weeks will be bringing new recipes! And if I get my grill put together, even some grilling recipes because who says you can only grill in the spring and summer? Bring it!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
My Love Affair With Paul Newman
I love Paul Newman! And not for the reason you think. While I enjoy watching him in movies (like "Butch and Sundance" - fantastic movie; highly recommended), I enjoy his food better!
Paul Newman's company, "Newman's Own" makes quality, all organic products. They make everything from Salad Dressing to Salsa to cookies! Probably the line of products I buy the most are the salad dressings and pasta sauces. But I have also tried the salsa and few other things. I have yet to have one of their products that I hate. I love everything! The best part is that all of their products are organic and all natural which means there are no fillers, no preservatives, and no artificial ingredients. And the products are no more expensive than the non-organic counterparts.
What I love about Newman's Own is that the food products are very versatile and can be used for other things than the original intended purpose. For example, tonight when I got home from spinning class I wanted a delicious dinner, but I didn't want to put much effort into it! This is where Paul Newman comes in! He gives inspiration! His salad dressings make great marinades! I thawed out a boneless pork chop and marinated it (actually, I put the pork chop in the pan and dumped the dressing on top) in Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing! It's like eating Chinese food and I didn't have to go out! I paired the pork chop with some peas and some pasta (you know the Pasta Roni kind).
I could go on about my love affair with Paul Newman. I like this love affair because it is healthy (literally).
I have decided to add yet another "section" to my blog. It will be a question about something food related. It will be something open for discussion and I would love ideas and comments. So to start off, I have been thinking a lot about healthy eating. I know a lot of us get discouraged and kind of groan when someone mentions healthy eating, but really we all need to do it to live a long life. And it makes us feel better overall. So, my question is, how do you find ways to eat healthy, while still enjoying the foods you love? Newman's Own is one way I eat healthy!
Paul Newman's company, "Newman's Own" makes quality, all organic products. They make everything from Salad Dressing to Salsa to cookies! Probably the line of products I buy the most are the salad dressings and pasta sauces. But I have also tried the salsa and few other things. I have yet to have one of their products that I hate. I love everything! The best part is that all of their products are organic and all natural which means there are no fillers, no preservatives, and no artificial ingredients. And the products are no more expensive than the non-organic counterparts.
What I love about Newman's Own is that the food products are very versatile and can be used for other things than the original intended purpose. For example, tonight when I got home from spinning class I wanted a delicious dinner, but I didn't want to put much effort into it! This is where Paul Newman comes in! He gives inspiration! His salad dressings make great marinades! I thawed out a boneless pork chop and marinated it (actually, I put the pork chop in the pan and dumped the dressing on top) in Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing! It's like eating Chinese food and I didn't have to go out! I paired the pork chop with some peas and some pasta (you know the Pasta Roni kind).
I could go on about my love affair with Paul Newman. I like this love affair because it is healthy (literally).
I have decided to add yet another "section" to my blog. It will be a question about something food related. It will be something open for discussion and I would love ideas and comments. So to start off, I have been thinking a lot about healthy eating. I know a lot of us get discouraged and kind of groan when someone mentions healthy eating, but really we all need to do it to live a long life. And it makes us feel better overall. So, my question is, how do you find ways to eat healthy, while still enjoying the foods you love? Newman's Own is one way I eat healthy!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Easy Peasy Chili!
This time of year I tend to turn to foods like chili, soup, and really anything that is designed to warm you up! Chili is one of my favorite things to eat and it is a very easy thing to make. This post is more like a recipe post, but I have had people ask me how I make my chili.
I do know how to make chili from "scratch" but why when there are many more easier alternatives out there? There are brands of chili you can buy at the store that are really good and taste almost as good as homemade, but I have discovered a trick from my mother. With a few extra ingredients, you can disguise the store bought chili and make everyone think it is homemade.
So, this is what I do. I buy Stagg brand chili. Stagg brand is, in my humble opinion, one of the best brands of canned chili out there. It has chunks of meat and different kinds of beans and just the right amount of flavoring. I also recommend Nalley chili as well, but I prefer Stagg.
Depending on how many people you plan to serve depends on how many cans you need. I used two cans of Stagg chili for a group of about 12 or so. I put the chili in a crock-pot and then I added a can of diced tomatoes and I did not drain the tomatoes when I put them in so there was a little bit more moisture. I then added a can of drained red kidney beans. I mixed it all together and added some salt, pepper, and some chili powder. I like my chili a little on the spicy side, so I added quite of chili powder. Add the chili powder to your taste. I put the crock pot on low and the let all of the flavors combine and marry! When I served it, everyone thought it was homemade. Nope! It was dressed up, but not homemade.
To make this chili even more tasty, I would serve this along side some corn bread, and have some grated cheddar cheese and onions for mixing into the chili. I didn't add these things when I made it because it was being served along side other good things to eat. You could even do this chili for Navajo tacos, chili-dogs, or really anything that has chili in it. I have posted the "recipe" below.
Easy Peasy Chili:
2 Cans of any brand chili (recommended is Stagg or Nalley brand)
1 Can of red kidney beans, drained
1 Can of diced tomatoes, undrained
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste
In a crock pot mix all ingredients together. Put on a low for a few hours. Check flavor after about an hour. Add more salt, pepper, and chili powder if needed. Serve immediately.
I do know how to make chili from "scratch" but why when there are many more easier alternatives out there? There are brands of chili you can buy at the store that are really good and taste almost as good as homemade, but I have discovered a trick from my mother. With a few extra ingredients, you can disguise the store bought chili and make everyone think it is homemade.
So, this is what I do. I buy Stagg brand chili. Stagg brand is, in my humble opinion, one of the best brands of canned chili out there. It has chunks of meat and different kinds of beans and just the right amount of flavoring. I also recommend Nalley chili as well, but I prefer Stagg.
Depending on how many people you plan to serve depends on how many cans you need. I used two cans of Stagg chili for a group of about 12 or so. I put the chili in a crock-pot and then I added a can of diced tomatoes and I did not drain the tomatoes when I put them in so there was a little bit more moisture. I then added a can of drained red kidney beans. I mixed it all together and added some salt, pepper, and some chili powder. I like my chili a little on the spicy side, so I added quite of chili powder. Add the chili powder to your taste. I put the crock pot on low and the let all of the flavors combine and marry! When I served it, everyone thought it was homemade. Nope! It was dressed up, but not homemade.
To make this chili even more tasty, I would serve this along side some corn bread, and have some grated cheddar cheese and onions for mixing into the chili. I didn't add these things when I made it because it was being served along side other good things to eat. You could even do this chili for Navajo tacos, chili-dogs, or really anything that has chili in it. I have posted the "recipe" below.
Easy Peasy Chili:
2 Cans of any brand chili (recommended is Stagg or Nalley brand)
1 Can of red kidney beans, drained
1 Can of diced tomatoes, undrained
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chili Powder, to taste
In a crock pot mix all ingredients together. Put on a low for a few hours. Check flavor after about an hour. Add more salt, pepper, and chili powder if needed. Serve immediately.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Merry Berry Christmas!
I have lived in my condo for a year and last year I didn't do anything for the neighbors at Christmas, because I didn't know anybody. Well, that has changed. I know quite a few neighbors now and you would be surprised what a freak carport accident will do to help you get to know your neighbors. They first wonder how the carport could fall down and smash your car, and then they come and admire the hot new sexy car later! Want to know the rest of the story? E-mail me.
I have always enjoyed treats at Christmas and so I wanted to make treats for my neighbors this year. I didn't want to do the typical cookies and brownies, though. I wanted to do something different. In the December\January 2010 edition of "Everyday With Rachael Ray" there was a recipe for granola -- a nut and fruit granola! So, I decided to make this. They officially call it Berry Christmas Granola. This recipe is very easy to make and tasty to!
My favorite part of this granola is the pistachio nuts! I love pistachios! I could eat a whole bag to myself without even thinking about it! There is also dried blueberries, dried cherries, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, rolled oats, butter and honey in this recipe. The oats, sesame seeds, and almonds are coated with the honey and butter and then gets baked for about a half hour. After it is baked and cooled you mix the oat mixture with the fruit and pistachios! Delicious! If you do buy pistachios still in their shells, do keep in mind you will be shelling for awhile and the salt on the nuts can dry out your hands, so I had to take a couple of breaks while shelling the nuts. Some stores sell shelled pistachios but they are typically more expensive than those in the shell.
I wanted to have a cute presentation for my granola and I wasn't sure what I would do initially. The magazine suggested using cellophane bags and tying them with some ribbon. I was going to do that as I was not getting any inspiration, but then I was perusing around the Dollar Spot at Target and saw them! Target had these cute Chinese take-out boxes with Christmas decor on them, so I bought some those! I put the granola in a sandwich bag and then put that inside the take-out boxes! I am now going to make a cute little tag to go with them and then I will be delivering them.
Neighbor Christmas gifts work well if you need to get to know your neighbors a little better. While I know my neighbors, I don't know know them. This will be the opportunity to formally introduce myself. This recipe also does have multiple people in mind, so it makes quite a bit! Happy munching!
Finished Granola in bag:
Granola in Chinese Take-Out Container:
Finished Gifts:
I have always enjoyed treats at Christmas and so I wanted to make treats for my neighbors this year. I didn't want to do the typical cookies and brownies, though. I wanted to do something different. In the December\January 2010 edition of "Everyday With Rachael Ray" there was a recipe for granola -- a nut and fruit granola! So, I decided to make this. They officially call it Berry Christmas Granola. This recipe is very easy to make and tasty to!
My favorite part of this granola is the pistachio nuts! I love pistachios! I could eat a whole bag to myself without even thinking about it! There is also dried blueberries, dried cherries, sliced almonds, sesame seeds, rolled oats, butter and honey in this recipe. The oats, sesame seeds, and almonds are coated with the honey and butter and then gets baked for about a half hour. After it is baked and cooled you mix the oat mixture with the fruit and pistachios! Delicious! If you do buy pistachios still in their shells, do keep in mind you will be shelling for awhile and the salt on the nuts can dry out your hands, so I had to take a couple of breaks while shelling the nuts. Some stores sell shelled pistachios but they are typically more expensive than those in the shell.
I wanted to have a cute presentation for my granola and I wasn't sure what I would do initially. The magazine suggested using cellophane bags and tying them with some ribbon. I was going to do that as I was not getting any inspiration, but then I was perusing around the Dollar Spot at Target and saw them! Target had these cute Chinese take-out boxes with Christmas decor on them, so I bought some those! I put the granola in a sandwich bag and then put that inside the take-out boxes! I am now going to make a cute little tag to go with them and then I will be delivering them.
Neighbor Christmas gifts work well if you need to get to know your neighbors a little better. While I know my neighbors, I don't know know them. This will be the opportunity to formally introduce myself. This recipe also does have multiple people in mind, so it makes quite a bit! Happy munching!
Finished Granola in bag:
Granola in Chinese Take-Out Container:
Finished Gifts:
Thursday, December 2, 2010
P.F. Chang's Orange Chicken
So, I did indeed get to the grocery store, so I will be trying a few new recipes this coming week. Because it is Christmastime, I won't be blogging as often, but I will try to stay on top of it. However, I went shopping late tonight and while I was at the grocery store I saw some frozen Chinese entrees. I decided to buy one and try it for dinner. While I didn't make the recipe, I still want to critique it as this is the point of this blog.
I tried one of the new frozen entrees from P.F. Chang's. I tried their Orange Chicken. Very spicy to me but tasty! It has chicken (obviously), edamame (soy beans), carrots, and water chestnuts. It also has a nice spicy orange glaze! What I liked about this was that the glaze was in the bag with the rest and frozen in chunks, so as it cooked they melted and mixed in. It was very easy to make. It was done in about 12 minutes. These entrees serve two, but you could buy a couple and serve a family of four. And overall this was cheaper than going out to eat at P.F. Chang's or really any other Chinese restaurant.
I will definitely be trying their other selections in the future.
I tried one of the new frozen entrees from P.F. Chang's. I tried their Orange Chicken. Very spicy to me but tasty! It has chicken (obviously), edamame (soy beans), carrots, and water chestnuts. It also has a nice spicy orange glaze! What I liked about this was that the glaze was in the bag with the rest and frozen in chunks, so as it cooked they melted and mixed in. It was very easy to make. It was done in about 12 minutes. These entrees serve two, but you could buy a couple and serve a family of four. And overall this was cheaper than going out to eat at P.F. Chang's or really any other Chinese restaurant.
I will definitely be trying their other selections in the future.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
I Like Cake! Potato Cake That Is!
So sorry it has been almost a week since my last blog post. I have been battling (yet again) the sinus infection from the unmentionable place. Hopefully I am on the mend this time!
For tonight's dinner I made Potato Cake With Bacon, Sour Cream, Apples, and Kale. This was probably a recipe I was hesitant to try, but I persevered and made it anyway.
The potato cake did not look so cakeish to me, but that could be because I cooked the potatoes in my cast iron casserole dish and not a skillet. I don't have a skillet deep enough for this recipe, so I had to improvise. The potatoes did get cooked all the way through and they had a very nice bacon, salty flavor to them.
I have never really had cooked apples outside of apple pie. These were quite interesting. As they cooked in the pan, the apples released their sugars and so they got all sorts of caramelized. It was pretty good! I would have saved the extras, but I left the bowl with the apples in them on the stove while I had the broiler going and they got all mushy. If you do have left over apples, make sure you take care of the extras right away so you don't end up with mushy apples.
I am not a huge fan of dark leafy greens because I tend to get sick when I eat a lot of them in large quantities, but I still tried the kale. Surprisingly, the kale had a flavor similar to celery or romaine lettuce. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The sour cream was to be served with both the potatoes and kale. I felt like the sour cream took away from the flavors of both, so I preferred to eat the rest of this dish without the sour cream. Of course if you like sour cream, then you will like it in this dish.
Well, that is tonight's critique. Tomorrow I will be hitting the grocery store for ingredients for a new set of recipes. So watch this space for more exciting recipes!
Potato Cake in pan:
Potato cake out of pan:
Potatoes, Apples, and Kale:
For tonight's dinner I made Potato Cake With Bacon, Sour Cream, Apples, and Kale. This was probably a recipe I was hesitant to try, but I persevered and made it anyway.
The potato cake did not look so cakeish to me, but that could be because I cooked the potatoes in my cast iron casserole dish and not a skillet. I don't have a skillet deep enough for this recipe, so I had to improvise. The potatoes did get cooked all the way through and they had a very nice bacon, salty flavor to them.
I have never really had cooked apples outside of apple pie. These were quite interesting. As they cooked in the pan, the apples released their sugars and so they got all sorts of caramelized. It was pretty good! I would have saved the extras, but I left the bowl with the apples in them on the stove while I had the broiler going and they got all mushy. If you do have left over apples, make sure you take care of the extras right away so you don't end up with mushy apples.
I am not a huge fan of dark leafy greens because I tend to get sick when I eat a lot of them in large quantities, but I still tried the kale. Surprisingly, the kale had a flavor similar to celery or romaine lettuce. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The sour cream was to be served with both the potatoes and kale. I felt like the sour cream took away from the flavors of both, so I preferred to eat the rest of this dish without the sour cream. Of course if you like sour cream, then you will like it in this dish.
Well, that is tonight's critique. Tomorrow I will be hitting the grocery store for ingredients for a new set of recipes. So watch this space for more exciting recipes!
Potato Cake in pan:
Potato cake out of pan:
Potatoes, Apples, and Kale:
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Cheese Fondue
So I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I sure did! I ate way too much but enjoyed every minute of it!
As I said, I was put in charge of appetizers for Thanksgiving and so I decided to do cheese fondue. I didn't take a picture of it, but I am sure everyone can imagine what melted cheese in a pot looks like. I found this recipe online the other day, but cannot remember the website, so I have posted it below for your convenience.
A couple of years ago I received a fondue pot for Christmas and I LOVE it! This could almost be a product review. I love my fondue pot because it is so versatile. It is good for fondue (DUH!) but it works well as a fryer as well as a way to keep food warm. Today I used it for its intended purpose.
I made a cheddar cheese based fondue. This recipe has beer as the liquid base in it (the alcohol cooks off, but make sure your fondue pot can get hot enough for that or you may have to prepare this on the stove top and then transfer to a fondue pot) and so it made the cheese a little sharper. My favorite part of this recipe was the things I paired with the fondue to dip in it.
I had those Flip-Side crackers -- the ones that are pretzel on one side and cracker on the other. I also had some Italian bread sticks and green apples. I also toasted and diced some french bread. The french bread was probably the biggest hit. I think if I do cheese fondue next time I will just do bread and nothing else. So all in all the fondue was a decent hit!
Happy Thanksgiving! Look for a more regular post from me soon! Next up is a potato cake with fried apples and a kale salad. Hope it is good!
Cheddar Cheese Fondue
1 lb. of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup of beer
1 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. of dry mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
In a mixing bowl combine the cheese, flour, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, bring the fondue pot to 375 degrees and add the beer and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a rolling boil. Gradually add the cheese mixture. Stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Lower the temperature on the fondue pot to 200 degrees. Serve with various dippers such as french bread.
As I said, I was put in charge of appetizers for Thanksgiving and so I decided to do cheese fondue. I didn't take a picture of it, but I am sure everyone can imagine what melted cheese in a pot looks like. I found this recipe online the other day, but cannot remember the website, so I have posted it below for your convenience.
A couple of years ago I received a fondue pot for Christmas and I LOVE it! This could almost be a product review. I love my fondue pot because it is so versatile. It is good for fondue (DUH!) but it works well as a fryer as well as a way to keep food warm. Today I used it for its intended purpose.
I made a cheddar cheese based fondue. This recipe has beer as the liquid base in it (the alcohol cooks off, but make sure your fondue pot can get hot enough for that or you may have to prepare this on the stove top and then transfer to a fondue pot) and so it made the cheese a little sharper. My favorite part of this recipe was the things I paired with the fondue to dip in it.
I had those Flip-Side crackers -- the ones that are pretzel on one side and cracker on the other. I also had some Italian bread sticks and green apples. I also toasted and diced some french bread. The french bread was probably the biggest hit. I think if I do cheese fondue next time I will just do bread and nothing else. So all in all the fondue was a decent hit!
Happy Thanksgiving! Look for a more regular post from me soon! Next up is a potato cake with fried apples and a kale salad. Hope it is good!
Cheddar Cheese Fondue
1 lb. of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup of beer
1 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. of dry mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
In a mixing bowl combine the cheese, flour, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Set aside. Meanwhile, bring the fondue pot to 375 degrees and add the beer and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a rolling boil. Gradually add the cheese mixture. Stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Lower the temperature on the fondue pot to 200 degrees. Serve with various dippers such as french bread.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Bacon Makes The World Go Round!
I love bacon! I don't eat it all the time but I do enjoy it! I finally had a chance to cook tonight! Tonight I made Penne with Bacon, Butternut Squash, and Spinach. Pasta is one of my favorite things to eat!
Probably the most time consuming part of this dish was the butternut squash but it didn't take me that long to prepare. Last Thanksgiving I made a butternut squash dish and so I learned how to peel the squash. Use a vegetable peeler! You have to run the peeler down the squash a few times, but it gets the peel off safely and pretty quick.
I was concerned that the recipe didn't have enough moisture but it turned out to be enough. The spinach was a nice compliment to this dish as well. It cooked quickly upon adding it to the pasta squash. I am surprised I liked the spinach as much as I did. I am typically not a fan of spinach, but this was tasty!
I should have read the recipe a little closer. I was only supposed to cook the pasta part of the way and then finish cooking it with the squash. Well, I cooked the pasta all the way before adding it to the squash. To compensate I cooked the squash a little longer by itself and then I added the pasta. The pasta was a tad overcooked, but it still tasted good. My favorite part of this dish was the bacon and Parmesan cheese! Yummy! The cheese and bacon brought this dish together.
The recipe says this meal serves four, but I think you could get 6-8 servings out of this if you served this dish with something else. I plan to take this to Thanksgiving tomorrow and serve it along side the turkey. It is a tradition in some Italian families (such as mine) to serve pasta as well as the standard Thanksgiving dishes!
Well, I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I am going to be trying a new cheese fondue recipe, so I will blog about that. I possibly won't blog about it tomorrow, but I will be blogging about it for sure! Again have a great holiday and happy shopping on Friday.
The finished pasta:
My serving:
Probably the most time consuming part of this dish was the butternut squash but it didn't take me that long to prepare. Last Thanksgiving I made a butternut squash dish and so I learned how to peel the squash. Use a vegetable peeler! You have to run the peeler down the squash a few times, but it gets the peel off safely and pretty quick.
I was concerned that the recipe didn't have enough moisture but it turned out to be enough. The spinach was a nice compliment to this dish as well. It cooked quickly upon adding it to the pasta squash. I am surprised I liked the spinach as much as I did. I am typically not a fan of spinach, but this was tasty!
I should have read the recipe a little closer. I was only supposed to cook the pasta part of the way and then finish cooking it with the squash. Well, I cooked the pasta all the way before adding it to the squash. To compensate I cooked the squash a little longer by itself and then I added the pasta. The pasta was a tad overcooked, but it still tasted good. My favorite part of this dish was the bacon and Parmesan cheese! Yummy! The cheese and bacon brought this dish together.
The recipe says this meal serves four, but I think you could get 6-8 servings out of this if you served this dish with something else. I plan to take this to Thanksgiving tomorrow and serve it along side the turkey. It is a tradition in some Italian families (such as mine) to serve pasta as well as the standard Thanksgiving dishes!
Well, I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I am going to be trying a new cheese fondue recipe, so I will blog about that. I possibly won't blog about it tomorrow, but I will be blogging about it for sure! Again have a great holiday and happy shopping on Friday.
The finished pasta:
My serving:
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Chopper Is Awesome!
I am so sorry I haven't blogged for a few days! You can tell it is the holiday season when you have no time for anything! So, I haven't had a chance to really cook anything new. I am hoping to try a new recipe this evening, but we will see how things play out. So, as promised I am starting a product review as part of my blog!
The first product I have decided to review is the Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I love this chopper! It is awesome for everything that needs a-chopping! I even learned the other day how awesome it is for fresh herbs. In many of the recipes I have been trying, fresh parsley has been an ingredient. I hate using fresh herbs because they are a pain to chop up. I thought I would try chopping parsley with my chopper. I put the parsley in the chopper, put the base on, and started chopping. The parsley was chopped up in no time! Awesome!
This chopper is awesome for onions and other pungent veggies. Onions and I are bitter enemies and have never been friends. Every time I chop an onion with a knife, it takes me forever, because I spend hours crying my eyes out. I have found if I put the onion in the fridge overnight and then use the chopper to chop it up, I don't cry my eyes out and the onion is chopped quickly. If you do use the chopper to cut onions, though, don't use the base or you may infuse the smell into it.
So, with this chopper I have found that if something needs to be chopped, this handles it and handles it well. It comes with a warranty, so if during that time, something breaks on it or you lose a part (as the chopper does come apart for cleaning), Pampered Chef will replace the item at no charge to you.
Happy Chopping!
The first product I have decided to review is the Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I love this chopper! It is awesome for everything that needs a-chopping! I even learned the other day how awesome it is for fresh herbs. In many of the recipes I have been trying, fresh parsley has been an ingredient. I hate using fresh herbs because they are a pain to chop up. I thought I would try chopping parsley with my chopper. I put the parsley in the chopper, put the base on, and started chopping. The parsley was chopped up in no time! Awesome!
This chopper is awesome for onions and other pungent veggies. Onions and I are bitter enemies and have never been friends. Every time I chop an onion with a knife, it takes me forever, because I spend hours crying my eyes out. I have found if I put the onion in the fridge overnight and then use the chopper to chop it up, I don't cry my eyes out and the onion is chopped quickly. If you do use the chopper to cut onions, though, don't use the base or you may infuse the smell into it.
So, with this chopper I have found that if something needs to be chopped, this handles it and handles it well. It comes with a warranty, so if during that time, something breaks on it or you lose a part (as the chopper does come apart for cleaning), Pampered Chef will replace the item at no charge to you.
Happy Chopping!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Mmm. . . .Grasshoppers. . .
So, I got your attention, huh? Let me explain. Last night I made and had Shrimp and Rice Bake. Shrimp is like my most favorite food ever, so I was definitely excited to try this dish and also have menial success with cooking rice. My father does not like shrimp and every time I have shrimp for dinner when we go out or I cook it on his grill he always asks me, "How are the grasshoppers?" So, this is why I have titled this post what I have.
This dish was a one pot wonder! My parents got me this enamel coated dutch oven (it looks like a casserole dish, but it is really a dutch over) and this pot worked wonders for this meal. I put the dutch oven on the stop and cooked the bacon and then basically threw in all of the other ingredients on top of that and went from there! This recipe also had rice in it and I was a little hesitant to do rice again after Monday's fiasco, but hey, it turned out! This dish also looked very pretty in the pan!
The only thing I would do different next time is prep the shrimp sooner or put the shrimp in the fridge to thaw! It took me awhile to clean my grasshoppers. There isn't a particular kind of shrimp I recommend. I do recommend that you get whatever is cheapest at the store and make sure you get already deveined shrimp as it makes it easier to peel and clean. Deveining shrimp is not the funnest thing to do, so paying an extra dollar or two for shrimp that has already been deveined is well worth the extra cost!
I liked all of the flavors in this dish. There was zucchini, onions, and tomatos in this dish in addition to the rice, bacon, and shrimp! The recipe also had a little paprika in it which gave it this nice smoky, cajuny flavor! I have a lot of leftovers and I am thinking this will be great in a pita pocket or even mixed with some cheese for a fajita of sorts!
There will be no blog posts on recipes for the next couple of days as I will be off playing and do other wonderful things. I do plan, however, to blog about something. I have decided to add a product review section on here where I will rave about my favorite kitchen gadgets! Have a great rest of the week and remember if you have any ideas on how to make the blog better or on what to try next, let me know!
Shrimp And Rice Bake:
This dish was a one pot wonder! My parents got me this enamel coated dutch oven (it looks like a casserole dish, but it is really a dutch over) and this pot worked wonders for this meal. I put the dutch oven on the stop and cooked the bacon and then basically threw in all of the other ingredients on top of that and went from there! This recipe also had rice in it and I was a little hesitant to do rice again after Monday's fiasco, but hey, it turned out! This dish also looked very pretty in the pan!
The only thing I would do different next time is prep the shrimp sooner or put the shrimp in the fridge to thaw! It took me awhile to clean my grasshoppers. There isn't a particular kind of shrimp I recommend. I do recommend that you get whatever is cheapest at the store and make sure you get already deveined shrimp as it makes it easier to peel and clean. Deveining shrimp is not the funnest thing to do, so paying an extra dollar or two for shrimp that has already been deveined is well worth the extra cost!
I liked all of the flavors in this dish. There was zucchini, onions, and tomatos in this dish in addition to the rice, bacon, and shrimp! The recipe also had a little paprika in it which gave it this nice smoky, cajuny flavor! I have a lot of leftovers and I am thinking this will be great in a pita pocket or even mixed with some cheese for a fajita of sorts!
There will be no blog posts on recipes for the next couple of days as I will be off playing and do other wonderful things. I do plan, however, to blog about something. I have decided to add a product review section on here where I will rave about my favorite kitchen gadgets! Have a great rest of the week and remember if you have any ideas on how to make the blog better or on what to try next, let me know!
Shrimp And Rice Bake:
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Should Have Babysat The Rice
My blog is a little late. Typically I blog about what I have made and eaten shortly after I have eaten it, but I didn't finish making my dinner until around 10:15PM, so by the time it was eaten, I was ready for bed.
For dinner last night I made Crunchy Chicken with Sesame Rice and Green Beans. Well, by the time I was done making everything, there was no rice.
I have a microwaveable rice cooker and I used that to cook the rice in. Well, I have only ever done like box rices (Rice-a-roni and the like) in my cooker. I have never done regular rice in it. I don't know where I went wrong, but when I went to take the rice out of the cooker, it was like this hardened white disk (see picture below). There was no way I could save it. So, I imagine the rice would have been good with this recipe if I had gotten to taste it. It was the rice tragedy that made my dinner be so late.
Again this recipe (just like last Thursday's) had fresh green beans in it. These beans were steamed and finished off with a little salt and sesame seeds. Definitely a tasty combo! I would recommend prepping the green beans ahead of time, so you don't have to snap ends of the beans right before dinner.
Last Friday, the soup I made had a baguette on the side. Well, I only used 2/3 of the baguette for that recipe. The rest of the baguette was used in this recipe. It was what made the coating for the chicken. I thawed out two massive chicken breasts overnight and then cut them into tenders. You could by chicken tenders at the store, but buying chicken breasts and usually in bulk save you money. The baguette was as hard as a rock by this point, but since I was turning into bread crumbs for the chicken, it worked out beautifully. The recipe said to use a food processor to make the bread crumbs, but you don't have to use a food processor. I don't own one and my bread crumbs turned out fine. I used my Tupperware chopper (it looks like a food processor but it has a hand crank). You could also throw the bread into a freezer baggy and roll a rolling pin over it.
The chicken turned out really well. I now know how to make crispy chicken tenders at a much cheaper price and the nice thing about these is that they are not deep fried, which makes them a healthy alternative to the ones you can get at fast food joints.
On the side I made a soy-mayo type sauce for the chicken. It was a nice fit for the chicken and painfully easy to make.
This meal was definitely one of my favorites this week. I was able to re-heat the leftover chicken tenders today for lunch. I paired them with some honey for dipping! I will also be making these again to be using in a wrap later. This meal is definitely kid friendly! I would recommend it to everyone! Next time, I will babysit the rice and just cook it on the stove top.
My rice "disk:"
The Chicken and Green Beans:
For dinner last night I made Crunchy Chicken with Sesame Rice and Green Beans. Well, by the time I was done making everything, there was no rice.
I have a microwaveable rice cooker and I used that to cook the rice in. Well, I have only ever done like box rices (Rice-a-roni and the like) in my cooker. I have never done regular rice in it. I don't know where I went wrong, but when I went to take the rice out of the cooker, it was like this hardened white disk (see picture below). There was no way I could save it. So, I imagine the rice would have been good with this recipe if I had gotten to taste it. It was the rice tragedy that made my dinner be so late.
Again this recipe (just like last Thursday's) had fresh green beans in it. These beans were steamed and finished off with a little salt and sesame seeds. Definitely a tasty combo! I would recommend prepping the green beans ahead of time, so you don't have to snap ends of the beans right before dinner.
Last Friday, the soup I made had a baguette on the side. Well, I only used 2/3 of the baguette for that recipe. The rest of the baguette was used in this recipe. It was what made the coating for the chicken. I thawed out two massive chicken breasts overnight and then cut them into tenders. You could by chicken tenders at the store, but buying chicken breasts and usually in bulk save you money. The baguette was as hard as a rock by this point, but since I was turning into bread crumbs for the chicken, it worked out beautifully. The recipe said to use a food processor to make the bread crumbs, but you don't have to use a food processor. I don't own one and my bread crumbs turned out fine. I used my Tupperware chopper (it looks like a food processor but it has a hand crank). You could also throw the bread into a freezer baggy and roll a rolling pin over it.
The chicken turned out really well. I now know how to make crispy chicken tenders at a much cheaper price and the nice thing about these is that they are not deep fried, which makes them a healthy alternative to the ones you can get at fast food joints.
On the side I made a soy-mayo type sauce for the chicken. It was a nice fit for the chicken and painfully easy to make.
This meal was definitely one of my favorites this week. I was able to re-heat the leftover chicken tenders today for lunch. I paired them with some honey for dipping! I will also be making these again to be using in a wrap later. This meal is definitely kid friendly! I would recommend it to everyone! Next time, I will babysit the rice and just cook it on the stove top.
My rice "disk:"
The Chicken and Green Beans:
Sunday, November 14, 2010
It Never Looks Like The Picture
Well, I am back after a day off. I Had a great time last night with my mother and my grandmother. We went to the BYU Museum of Art and visited the Carl Block exhibit! Awesome!
For tonight's dinner I made Bean Taquitos With Cucumber Salsa. This was a tasty meal but not a pretty one. My taquitos did not look like the way they do in the picture. The biggest issue I ran into was with the corn tortillas. Maybe I bought the wrong kind, but the kept falling apart in the pan. This is one of the main reasons I prefer flour tortillas when I cook with tortillas. Don't get me wrong, I think corn tortillas are tasty, just messy.
This recipe had a lemony sour cream on the side. I don't typically like sour cream really anyway, but surprisingly I didn't mind it in this recipe. I think in combination with the spicy beans and pepper jack cheese, the sour cream was a nice cool down. The cucumber salsa also helped tone down the acidic taste of the sour cream.
The cucumber salsa was something I was excited to try. I was not disappointed. I have never had cucumber in salsa. It was really good. Most people salt their cucumbers before eating, and so this just kind of took it up another step.
This recipe is definitely good for all kinds of people. Kids would like it because it is very simple and can be picked up with the fingers if need be. Vegetarians would like it because there is no meat in it, but it is definitely full of protein! This would also be good for people with other dietary needs, such as those who with gluten allergies. There is no gluten in this recipe, so it is safe for all.
With the leftovers, I plan to bake the rest of the corn tortillas and make some healthy nachos with the rest of the beans and cucumber salsa and pepper jack cheese. They will be delicious!
My not so pretty Bean Taquitos:
For tonight's dinner I made Bean Taquitos With Cucumber Salsa. This was a tasty meal but not a pretty one. My taquitos did not look like the way they do in the picture. The biggest issue I ran into was with the corn tortillas. Maybe I bought the wrong kind, but the kept falling apart in the pan. This is one of the main reasons I prefer flour tortillas when I cook with tortillas. Don't get me wrong, I think corn tortillas are tasty, just messy.
This recipe had a lemony sour cream on the side. I don't typically like sour cream really anyway, but surprisingly I didn't mind it in this recipe. I think in combination with the spicy beans and pepper jack cheese, the sour cream was a nice cool down. The cucumber salsa also helped tone down the acidic taste of the sour cream.
The cucumber salsa was something I was excited to try. I was not disappointed. I have never had cucumber in salsa. It was really good. Most people salt their cucumbers before eating, and so this just kind of took it up another step.
This recipe is definitely good for all kinds of people. Kids would like it because it is very simple and can be picked up with the fingers if need be. Vegetarians would like it because there is no meat in it, but it is definitely full of protein! This would also be good for people with other dietary needs, such as those who with gluten allergies. There is no gluten in this recipe, so it is safe for all.
With the leftovers, I plan to bake the rest of the corn tortillas and make some healthy nachos with the rest of the beans and cucumber salsa and pepper jack cheese. They will be delicious!
My not so pretty Bean Taquitos:
Friday, November 12, 2010
Excuse Me, Sir, There Is A Fish In My Soup
So tonight's menu was a Salmon and Leek Chowder. I am not sure how I feel about this one.
As I stated earlier today, I don't typically like fish in things, with maybe the exception of tuna fish sandwiches. But this didn't deter me from trying this recipe. The recipe was quite simple in terms of preparation and very quick soup. Most soups take all day to cook, but this one took less than a half hour to cook.
The broth and the vegetables were quite flavorful in this recipe. I tried a new vegetable in this recipe. I tried leeks for this first time. For those of you that don't know what a leek is, it is basically a giant green onion. The leeks taste a lot like green onions and the smell like onions too. And just like onions, they got sweeter as they cooked.
The potatoes were good too. If you make this recipe, it is essential the potatoes be sliced very thinly or they will not cook in less than a half hour.
Now onto the fish -- not my favorite part. It had nothing to do with the fish itself. As the daughter of an avid fisherman, I essentially grew up on fish. The salmon itself was very good and very flavorful, but its texture did not match with the rest of the elements of the soup. I feel if I were to do this recipe again and were to use the salmon, I would serve the salmon on the side instead of putting it in the soup. The soup can definitely hold its own without the fish, so to anyone who is a vegetarian that might be reading this, this is a great soup for you!
On the side the recipe called for baguette slices toasted and rubbed with olive oil. If I hadn't forgotten the bread, the bread would have been great. The bread is toasted by broiling it and I put the bread in the oven and did not babysit it, so it burnt a little. . .but it tasted alright so long as I dipped it in the soup.
Please, don't misunderstand me this recipe would be good for anyone who likes fish in things, and I would imagine without the fish, I would have loved the soup!
So, tonight's meal wasn't as good as I had hoped but I am glad I learned how to cook with leeks. All I have to do now is figure out what to do with a put full of soup.
Salmon and Leek Chowder:
I would like to mention there will be no recipe for tomorrow evening. I am going to be taking my mother out for her birthday! More recipes to come Sunday or Monday.
As I stated earlier today, I don't typically like fish in things, with maybe the exception of tuna fish sandwiches. But this didn't deter me from trying this recipe. The recipe was quite simple in terms of preparation and very quick soup. Most soups take all day to cook, but this one took less than a half hour to cook.
The broth and the vegetables were quite flavorful in this recipe. I tried a new vegetable in this recipe. I tried leeks for this first time. For those of you that don't know what a leek is, it is basically a giant green onion. The leeks taste a lot like green onions and the smell like onions too. And just like onions, they got sweeter as they cooked.
The potatoes were good too. If you make this recipe, it is essential the potatoes be sliced very thinly or they will not cook in less than a half hour.
Now onto the fish -- not my favorite part. It had nothing to do with the fish itself. As the daughter of an avid fisherman, I essentially grew up on fish. The salmon itself was very good and very flavorful, but its texture did not match with the rest of the elements of the soup. I feel if I were to do this recipe again and were to use the salmon, I would serve the salmon on the side instead of putting it in the soup. The soup can definitely hold its own without the fish, so to anyone who is a vegetarian that might be reading this, this is a great soup for you!
On the side the recipe called for baguette slices toasted and rubbed with olive oil. If I hadn't forgotten the bread, the bread would have been great. The bread is toasted by broiling it and I put the bread in the oven and did not babysit it, so it burnt a little. . .but it tasted alright so long as I dipped it in the soup.
Please, don't misunderstand me this recipe would be good for anyone who likes fish in things, and I would imagine without the fish, I would have loved the soup!
So, tonight's meal wasn't as good as I had hoped but I am glad I learned how to cook with leeks. All I have to do now is figure out what to do with a put full of soup.
Salmon and Leek Chowder:
I would like to mention there will be no recipe for tomorrow evening. I am going to be taking my mother out for her birthday! More recipes to come Sunday or Monday.
Please sir, I want some more.
About a week ago I stopped at McDonald's for breakfast. In an effort to eat more healthful I opted to order something different and not order my standard Sausage Egg McMuffin. I ordered the Yogurt Parfait instead. It cost only a dollar, so I thought it was a great deal. On both McDonald's website and their commercials, they make the parfait look like a significant size. HA! When they handed me this parfait, it was little puny thing with substandard frozen fruit and a little bit of granola! Maybe worth a dollar, but not my dollar!
I have found a much healthier and cheaper solution to this. I went to the grocery store and bought some Yoplait yogurts (Yoplait, in my opinion, is by far one of the best brands of yogurt out there). I bought some different flavors and then I went to the cereal isle and bought some granola. Don't ask me what brand I bought, because I don't know. I would suggest buying a brand of granola that has some substance to it. I am not very brand loyal when it comes to products like this. I buy what looks good and is usually the cheapest. So after I bought these, I opened my yogurt and mixed in some of the granola. Tasty! And much better than McDonald's and I got a lot more for a lot less than a dollar. I recommend pairing this homemade parfait with some fruit and maybe some cheese if you are looking for a meal. It makes a great breakfast! There are always coupons in the paper, online, and other places for the yogurt so when you have those, the meal gets cheaper! But I will leave those tips to the coupon experts.
So that is my vent for the day. Watch the blog for my blog on tonight's dinner. It is a Salmon and Leek Chowder. Not to sure about it. I have a hard time eating fish when it is something else, but I am confident it will turn out well.
I have found a much healthier and cheaper solution to this. I went to the grocery store and bought some Yoplait yogurts (Yoplait, in my opinion, is by far one of the best brands of yogurt out there). I bought some different flavors and then I went to the cereal isle and bought some granola. Don't ask me what brand I bought, because I don't know. I would suggest buying a brand of granola that has some substance to it. I am not very brand loyal when it comes to products like this. I buy what looks good and is usually the cheapest. So after I bought these, I opened my yogurt and mixed in some of the granola. Tasty! And much better than McDonald's and I got a lot more for a lot less than a dollar. I recommend pairing this homemade parfait with some fruit and maybe some cheese if you are looking for a meal. It makes a great breakfast! There are always coupons in the paper, online, and other places for the yogurt so when you have those, the meal gets cheaper! But I will leave those tips to the coupon experts.
So that is my vent for the day. Watch the blog for my blog on tonight's dinner. It is a Salmon and Leek Chowder. Not to sure about it. I have a hard time eating fish when it is something else, but I am confident it will turn out well.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Meat On A Stick! Does it Get Much Better?
After much deliberation and thought I have finally decided what I am going to blog on for the time being. I don't have a husband and I don't have kids, so I can't really blog about my family. And my personal life isn't usually that exciting enough to blog about -- at least in my opinion. I have decided to start a food blog. Now, this is not a recipe blog -- there are enough of those. This is a blog about my personal experience with trying a new recipe and then eating it and what my thoughts are on it.
I have been in food rut as of late, and so I decided to try some new recipes. Last night I went to the grocery store and bought ingredients for seven recipes I decided to try. All of these recipes come from November 2010's "Everyday With Rachael Ray." So, these are not my own recipes, but these are my own attempts at them.
My first recipe I tried is called Beef Kebabs With Roasted Green Beans and Almonds. This recipe is basically meatballs on sticks, but it is tasty! This is a good recipe for kids. The green beans in this recipe are fresh, so they have to be prepped by breaking off the ends. This would be a good chore for kids, because it will allow them to learn how to prep a food they may only be familiar with in canned form. Fresh green beans are much tastier than canned! These green beans are very tasty too because of the almonds. The almonds are all nice and toasty and give a little extra crunch to the green beans! Yumness! I think kids would also like this recipe because meat tastes better on a stick, and it is very kid friendly that way. Easy to eat! There is fresh parsley in this recipe as well, but dried parsley could easily be substituted. The recipe calls for finely chopped garlic. Chopping garlic, in my opinion, takes a day and a half, so I recommend pressing the garlic. I also think pressing the garlic brings out the flavor more as well.
I had to change a few things. First of all, I don't have a grill -- indoor or out, so I had to use a skillet. Even with my biggest skillet, my skewers were still too long for the pan, so I cut them in half. Works well. If you do use a skillet, make sure you use a little olive oil so the meat doesn't stick.
The recipe called for squeezing lemon juice on the kebabs after they were cooked and a little on the green beans. I tried it both ways. I personally liked everything better without the lemon juice, but if you are one that likes things a little tart, this is a nice addition.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it has provided me three meals. The dinner I just ate, lunch for tomorrow, and a future dinner (Green beans and beef freeze well and thaw well.) This recipe technically serves four, but if you are one person (like me) or just a couple, I would still make the full recipe so you do have leftovers.
So this is my first culinary adventure! Here's to many more culinary adventures!
Green Beans:
Beef Kebabs:
I have been in food rut as of late, and so I decided to try some new recipes. Last night I went to the grocery store and bought ingredients for seven recipes I decided to try. All of these recipes come from November 2010's "Everyday With Rachael Ray." So, these are not my own recipes, but these are my own attempts at them.
My first recipe I tried is called Beef Kebabs With Roasted Green Beans and Almonds. This recipe is basically meatballs on sticks, but it is tasty! This is a good recipe for kids. The green beans in this recipe are fresh, so they have to be prepped by breaking off the ends. This would be a good chore for kids, because it will allow them to learn how to prep a food they may only be familiar with in canned form. Fresh green beans are much tastier than canned! These green beans are very tasty too because of the almonds. The almonds are all nice and toasty and give a little extra crunch to the green beans! Yumness! I think kids would also like this recipe because meat tastes better on a stick, and it is very kid friendly that way. Easy to eat! There is fresh parsley in this recipe as well, but dried parsley could easily be substituted. The recipe calls for finely chopped garlic. Chopping garlic, in my opinion, takes a day and a half, so I recommend pressing the garlic. I also think pressing the garlic brings out the flavor more as well.
I had to change a few things. First of all, I don't have a grill -- indoor or out, so I had to use a skillet. Even with my biggest skillet, my skewers were still too long for the pan, so I cut them in half. Works well. If you do use a skillet, make sure you use a little olive oil so the meat doesn't stick.
The recipe called for squeezing lemon juice on the kebabs after they were cooked and a little on the green beans. I tried it both ways. I personally liked everything better without the lemon juice, but if you are one that likes things a little tart, this is a nice addition.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it has provided me three meals. The dinner I just ate, lunch for tomorrow, and a future dinner (Green beans and beef freeze well and thaw well.) This recipe technically serves four, but if you are one person (like me) or just a couple, I would still make the full recipe so you do have leftovers.
So this is my first culinary adventure! Here's to many more culinary adventures!
Green Beans:
Beef Kebabs:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)