The ties that bind

Ok, I admit. I'm a lazy cook. The quicker the better, but not necessarily fast food (though In And Out is right up there when Matt and I are so inclined). As much as I love to cook, I want to be in and out in about 45 minutes. For this reason, I never make my own spaghetti sauce until now. I was tired of all the choices on the shelf and wanted to make my own. Except I didn't know where to look!

When I got engaged, I was thrilled with one of my presents that I still carry with me. A recipe notebook filled with recipes from my 2 cousins, Aunt Sharon, and Grandma Betty. Full of things I never thought of, or dishes that I wondered as a kid "how did they do that?" I love making these dishes, it's a connection that I feel when cooking Grandma's Soup, putting together Sharon's Lasagnae, or the aching temptation over Lisa's Cinnamon Rolls.

Last night, I decided in honor of our blog, to create one of Staci's tempting dishes. It's her famous spaghetti sauce, which I absolutely adore. When mom died last year, she came over with about 10 tupperware dishes full of this wonderful red sauce. The double batch easily makes more than enough to put away and freeze for later, for those nights you're too tired to cook but are trying to save money and don't want to order in.

Here's to you, Staci, and all the other fabulous women in my family that have and continue to teach me how to love and live, especially in the kitchen!

Cousin Staci's Spaghetti Sauce

Seasoning Mix:

1 T instant minced onion (I chopped my own)
1 T parsley flakes
1 T cornstarch
2 t green pepper flakes
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t instant minced garlic (I crushed one garlic clove)
1 t sugar
3/4 italian seasoning

Sauce:

1 lb lean ground beef or italian sausage
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce (I used diced tomatoes)
1 (6 0z) can tomato paste
2 cups water or tomato juice
Seasoning Mix
1 jar spaghetti sauce (for double recipe)

Directions:
Brown meat, drain grease, add tomato sauce, paste, juice/water, and sauce (if making double receipe). Stir in seasoning. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Staci's note: I make double recipe and freeze the remaining in "gladware" for easy dinners!

Temptations

I like to listen to the TV when I'm cooking. I don't know why, but background noise often helps me in the kitchen. Even better, I love listening to the Food Network. You'd think it would confuse me but it just inspires me even more hearing about all these great recipes. Unfortunately I have a very tiny kitchen with little room for error and storage space. So, it's mostly listening to the voice of the host, thrilled and excited to share their dish for the night.

One of my favorites, I admit, is Rachael Ray, with her peppy and sassy attitude while measuring and describing what she's doing. Tonight I heard a recipe that I have to try, which I will document once I try it out. It's a play on an old favorite of mine...too bad my meal plans are all set through Friday! Guess I'll just have to wait until Saturday night.

Super Sides Me

Because I love to blog, I'm trying all the new recipes I can so that I can write about them. This has included looking up new and interesting side dishes. Last night I picked out this recipe as an accompaniment to the Brunswick Stew. This was a neat twist on your ordinary cornbread recipe and though it dirtied a lot of dishes for the amount of food it produced, I had so much fun making it. I don't normally prepare anything that falls into the baking category, so the fact that I was making pancakes out of fresh vegetables was really exciting to me. If you make these, watch the pan carefully because they go from perfectly done to burnt in a matter of seconds. I almost considered halving the recipe since it said it produced 16 cakes, but don't be fooled. I only got 8 cakes out of them and they were pretty small so figure two to a person.

Fresh Corn Cakes

Dress up these cakes with salsa and sour cream and serve as an appetizer. They're also delicious as a side dish, simply smeared with butter. Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes.

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Ingredients

1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse corn and green onions until chopped but not smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 2 tbsp. oil and the egg yolks.

2. In another large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Add to corn mixture and mix thoroughly but gently.

3. In a large clean bowl, whisk or beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into corn mixture.

4. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop large spoonfuls of the corn mixture into pan (do not spread or flatten). Cook until edges begin to set and undersides are browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until cakes are browned and cooked through. Cook remaining batter the same way, adding oil as necessary. Serve hot.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per cake.

Yield

Makes 16 cakes

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 63(60% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 0.6g); PROTEIN 1.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; SODIUM 0.0mg; FIBER 0.0g; CARBOHYDRATE 0.0g

Lynn Lloyd, Santa Cruz, CA , Sunset, AUGUST 2007

The Secret Life of Lima Beans

In my opinion, Lima Beans are about the unsexiest most boring things on the planet. They are dull, they are mushy and they taste like cardboard. But they are also one of the healthiest sources of low-fat, low-cholesterol protein out there so when I found this Cooking Light version of New Brunswick Stew, I decided to give it a chance despite the fact that it called for an entire 10 ounce carton of frozen lima beans. After all, the whole point of this blog is to get us to try NEW things that we might not otherwise have been brave enough to try and allow ourselves to be surprised by what we might find. I'm glad I did. The entire stew was excellent, and lima beans moonlight in this dish like the ugly duckling that has finally blossomed into the beautiful swan. The lima beans are even more enriched by their surroundings, absorbing the flavours of the other ingredients and giving a heartiness to the stew that makes you wish it could be winter all year round. Like that friend you never saw in that certain light until they finally started dating someone else, Lima beans... I never knew you had it in you.

For everything you ever wanted to know about the secret life of lima beans, check out The World's Healthiest Foods.

Much of the flavor of this recipe depends on the Tabasco sauce so don't be shy. The recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon and I used about a Tablespoon which came out nice and flavorful without being too spicy.

Brunswick Stew

From 19th-century Virginia, this stew originally included squirrel meat (we opt here for chicken). Although the stew is sometimes thickened with stale bread cubes, this version uses flour to give it body and features garlic bread on the side. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
6 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread, toasted
2 garlic cloves, halved

Preparation

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper, onion, and celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add oil to pan. Combine flour and chicken in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through lima beans) to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Rub bread slices with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Serve bread with stew.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew and 1 slice bread)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 319(26% from fat); FAT 9.2g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 2.6g); PROTEIN 22.4g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 58mg; SODIUM 596mg; FIBER 5.8g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Midday Quickie

Like most Americans, I have a problem with delay of gratification. I was so excited about our cooking blog and so eager to try a new recipe to share that I actually got up this morning and searched for an exciting new lunch recipe! I knew I would not be around to cook this evening since we are celebrating the wedding of a dear friend and I could not, COULD NOT, wait until tomorrow.

After searching a few of my favorite internet recipe websites I found what I thought to be an exciting lunch combination: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich with Mango Chutney from www.myrecipes.com and Arugula and Pear Salad with Dijon Sherry Vinaigrette from www.foodnetwork.com. The best part about both of these recipes is that all of the ingredients can be purchased in a single trip to Trader Joes! (However, I recommend not going there at noon on a Saturday like I did.)

The sandwich was delicious. Do not overcook the eggs. This is best when they are still slightly runny to really bind the sandwich together. I will definitely make the sandwich again and cannot wait to try experimenting with different flavored jams and chutneys. As far as the salad goes, it was a nice energy booster with the dark greens (I substituted the fresh spinach I had on hand for the arugula) and great to make this time of year because those Bosc pears are really in season. The vinaigrette itself was mediocre. I sprinkled a little crumbled goat cheese over the top as well for an added treat.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich with Mango Chutney

Ingredients

Cooking spray
8 (1/2-ounce) slices soy ham (such as Lightlife) or Canadian bacon
4 large eggs
4 whole-grain English muffins, split and toasted
8 teaspoons mango chutney
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add ham; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium; recoat pan with cooking spray. Break eggs into hot pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Place muffin halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Spread 2 teaspoons chutney over bottom half of each muffin; top with 2 ham slices, 1 egg, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over top half of each muffin. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until bubbly. Place top halves of muffins over the bottom halves.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 334(30% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 24.8g; CHOLESTEROL 228mg; CALCIUM 380mg; SODIUM 865mg; FIBER 4.7g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.7g

Robin Vitetta-Miller , Cooking Light, JULY 2003

Arugula and Pear Salad with Dijon Sherry Vinaigrette Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman Show: Good Deal with Dave Lieberman Episode: Pantry Challenge

1 medium bunch arugula, washed and stemmed 1 Bosc pear 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 2 heaping teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard 1/3 cup olive oil 1 shallot, minced Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup walnuts halves, toasted Add the arugula leaves to a medium bowl. Core and slice the pear into 1/8-inch thick slices and add to arugula. In another small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the arugula and pears with the dressing. Divide the salad between the plates and top with the toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.

Foreplay

Welcome to the no holds bar, backstage pass to our experimentation in the kitchen. We believe there is nothing better than a little food gossip. Cooking is a decisively sexy experience. It can be exciting, comforting, spontaneous, and a little daunting. Ever wanted to try that new position but a little shy to ask your partner or worried you might not be able to pull it off? Here in the comfort of our new community kitchen, we are shaking off old habits and trying all new recipes. We like to think of our selves as the Cooking Kama Sutra. We put the sweet, the spicey, the savory, and the sexy back into food.

So hot my lips went numb!

Sunday night I made Greek Turkey Burgers and after I was done I saw next to it this recipe for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. Even though it called for Serrano Peppers (which sounded horribly spicey and wound up calling Cindy from the grocery store because I had never heard of them) I thought it looked like a great recipe to make quickly after getting home from a long day's work. Matt gobbled them up. Yes, my lips went numb (and I used jalepenos, significantly less spicey than Serranos) and could only eat half. Be warned, non lovers of spice!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
(from Better Homes and Gardens)
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R100186

Spicey lovers rating: 5 wooden spoons
Non-spicey lovers rating: a metal lid (be sure to have a tall glass of milk nearby)

Ingredients:

* 1 2- to 2-1/4-pound deli-roasted chicken
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/3 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup tomato sauce
* 3 to 4 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped fresh red and/or green hot chili peppers
* 2 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 sandwich buns, split
* Bread-and-butter pickle slices

Directions:

1. Remove meat from chicken (discard skin and bones). Use two forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally to separate into rings. Add vinegar; cook and stir 1 minute more.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, chile peppers, thyme, molasses, water, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add the chicken; tossing gently to coat. Heat through. Serve on rolls with pickle slices. Makes 6 sandwiches.