Spinach and Artichoke Mac & Cheese - Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound regular or whole wheat penne
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups milk
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• 1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
• Ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop in the pasta. Cook to al dente, according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook them until very soft, about 10 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, veggies and some salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more of the fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

I've made this before and I love it, its addicting! It has been getting so cold and I wanted something comforting to make, mac & cheese makes for the perfect comfort food.

I did make some changes. First I have never added nutmeg when making this, maybe I will one day but for now I'm anti-nutmeg. I also use artichokes canned in water. I usually buy everything the day I make it and defrosting them would probably take longer. I used a small onion because the store didn't have larger ones and they are easier to chop. Another thing to point out is the Parmigiano Reggiano is kind of like really fancy and expensive Parmesan. I use it because it does taste really good, but if you can't find it or don't want to pay $12 for cheese use Parmesan.

Have a great week :) The holiday countdown is on!

Chili-lime fish fry with Tex-Mex Peperonata - Rachael Ray

First the Veggies:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup beer or chicken stock
• Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, the hot and sweet peppers, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Saute the onion mixture until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Add the beer or stock and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, garnish with cilantro and serve. 

You can start the fish while making the peperonata:

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder, a couple of palmfuls
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2/3 palmful
• 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2/3 palmful
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Directions

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 shallow dishes. Put the flour in 1 dish and add the eggs to the second dish. Combine the bread crumbs in the third dish and season with 1 tablespoon of lime zest, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, the garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs.

Heat the oil, about 1/4 cup, in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If your pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, in a single layer, heat the oven to 275 degrees F and put a cooling rack on a baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer them to the rack in the oven to keep warm. Fry the fish until deeply golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, and transfer to a serving platter. Season with a little extra salt, top with lots of lime juice and serve.

This was really yummy. I served mine with tortillas; my mom and I ate them like fajitas. I served it with whole grain rice, which I mixed with the peperonata to soak up the sauce. I've also never cooked fish, I'm really glad I took the risk!

I cooked the fish in olive oil, I always use olive oil. I think the oil itself is healthy and I don't really care for the taste of vegetable oil. I also cut down the chili powder just a little, I've made some of her food before and its been VERY spicy but this time it was right on.

As a note: be careful when you cut jalapeno peppers. The first time I cut and seeded them I did it with out using plastic gloves; I had to soak my hands in milk because the seeds are crazy spicy. Jalapenos themselves are mild, but the ribs and seeds are very hot. While my friend Lili was amused (and felt bad) at the situation, it was really uncomfortable. My mom and I laughed about it tonight actually, lesson learned :)

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies - Martha Stewart

I made these for my cookie swap tonight. Delicious!

Ingredients

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape.

Tonight I'm off to a cookie swap, so I made these :) They came out very dense, much like a hermit cookie. The white chocolate is awesome with it!

These weren't hard to make, the hardest part was spreading the batter into the pan. Its very thick and kept moving the parchment paper around. Well worth it though. I can't wait to try everyone's cookies!!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry - Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Ground pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds flank steak, cut diagonally across the grain into 1/2-inch-by-3-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 head broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt

In a large, shallow bowl, mix soy sauce, apple juice, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add meat; toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate; reserve marinade.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. In two batches, cook meat until lightly browned, turning once, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove meat. Add 1/2 cup water to pan; stir up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour into marinade; whisk in cornstarch.
In same skillet, fry broccoli in remaining teaspoon oil over high heat until bright green and crisp, tossing often, 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until broccoli is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir marinade, add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 30 seconds. Return meat to pan; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

I love this recipe because it is easy to make and clean up after. I pretty much just follow this recipe straight through and I served it with 10 minute rice (which is also so easy).

I did forget to get the broccoli today though. I pull out all of the ingredients we already have so I can see what I need. I thought didn't make a list this time because all I needed was the steak, apple juice, and broccoli, really who makes a list for three things. Apparently I need to because when I got home, I apologized to my sister as I couldn't find the snack she asked me to get and then I realized I forgot the broccoli. I went all the way back to the store while the steak sat in the marinade, which ended up being perfect timing. The girl at Shaw's said "back so soon." Dinner did turn out really well and I know next time to make a list :)

A Pie Story

This Thanksgiving is my mom's holiday to work, so I offered to make some things for her. She said "how about pies?" I made the crust from scratch, which was a lot of work!

Pate Brisee (Piecrust)- Martha Stewart

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed

Chill ingredients for half an hour before using. 
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. After the dry ingredients are pulsed together, the butter pieces are added all at once. The mixture is pulsed again until it has clumps ranging in size from coarse crumbs to 1/2 inch. This usually requires only a few pulses and takes about 10 seconds; it's very important not to overprocess the dough. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)
Ice water is added (with the machine running) until the texture of the dough is crumbly and just holds together; the dough should not be wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
The crumbly dough is transferred to a work surface and divided in half. Each portion is placed on a sheet of plastic wrap; the wrap is gathered around the dough and pulled toward the center to form a ball. The dough is then flattened into a disk and chilled. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Roll dough back to its proper dimension. Start rolling, working from center. If dough loses circular shape, place end of pin near the crooked edge and roll, working that area by pressing with one hand while holding the pin loosely with the other. Keep the work surface floured so the dough doesn't lose its shape, stick, or tear. Every few passes, release the dough by running a long offset spatula underneath, then throw more flour under it. As you go, run your fingers around the edges of the dough to feel if the thickness is even (and if not, to find where you need to roll more).
After the pie dough is rolled out to its proper dimension, it's then rolled back up over the pin and gently draped over the pie plate. The dough is then fitted into it.

I found that placing the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer works better. For me, it was easier to roll out. It also doesn't matter too much if the dough is completely round, mine squared out a bit and it was fine once I trimmed the end. Below is the filling: apples!!

Apple Filling:

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 3 pounds assorted apples (such as Macoun, Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonagold, and Empire) (about 5-7 apples depending on the size)
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of piecrust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer pan to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream; set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; place in chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter.
Roll out the remaining disk of piecrust as in step one. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with the egg wash. Place second piece of dough on top, and trim so 1 inch overhangs. Tuck the dough under, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator, and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Remove pie from the refrigerator, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Cut four vents in the top, allowing the steam to escape.
Bake until crust begins to turn light brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 60-75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This pie filling became a bit frustrating for me. My mom was in the kitchen prepping for food tomorrow before work and she kept coming over to help me. I have more of a temper than I like to admit and I was like can you please stop! Needless to say, my mom was right about the following suggestions (and I said I was sorry). She put almost two tablespoons of cinnamon and extra sugar in. We also didn't do this whole business of placing the pie in the refrigerator to chill. I just moved quickly to make sure the crust didn't get soggy.  I also didn't sprinkle with sugar, we didn't have sanding sugar and my mom said the sugar we had might burn. I also used whipping cream for the egg wash instead of heavy cream; we didn't have heavy cream. In Martha's Pie and Tart cookbook she has different washes in the back of the book, so any wash would've been fine. I also recommend that cookbook, I think Martha breaks things down and its helpful if you're a novice (like me) at baking pies/tarts.

I am really glad my mom was there to help me today. I made a total of three pies (two apple and one pumpkin) and she definitely made it easier.

I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving!

Lemon Risotto + Balasmic Chicken - Rachael Ray

So this is two recipes, in the cookbook it was suggested to make them together.

Lemon Risotto

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 small-medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• Zest and juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
• 2 tablespoons slivered mint leaves
• A handful basil tops, shredded or torn
• Salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat the stock and 2 cups water over medium-low heat.

In a risotto pot or large skillet with rounded bottom, heat the EVOO over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté to soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the rice and add the zest of lemon. Heat the rice a minute or two, then add the wine and cook to evaporate. Add in the stock a few ladles at a time and stir for a minute with each addition of stock to develop the starch and creamy aspect. Keep adding the stock each time pan starts to become dry at the edges. The total cooking time will be 18 minutes or so.
When the rice is cooked to al dente, stir in the butter, lemon juice, cheese and herbs. Serve immediately.

Orange-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts or any combination of light and dark meat
• Salt and coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
• 4 cups baby arugula

In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high to high heat.
Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. When the EVOO ripples, add the chicken and brown for 5 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with rosemary. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, vinegar and stock and pour over the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and becomes a thin glaze. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and serve topped with the glaze, scallions and arugula greens.

My brother came home this weekend for Thanksgiving and immediately asked "what's for dinner Sunday?" I had no idea what to make, so I quickly picked this because it looked yummy. Him and my mom commented "oh, risotto? That's a lot of work. Rachael (Ray, in her cooking show) spends the whole time stirring it." I sort of shrugged it off.

Well they were right. This dish required a lot of stirring and I should've spent more time prepping. I thought I had my time planned well and could do things as needed (like make the chicken glaze while everything was cooking), but I had to focus so much on the risotto it wasn't easy and it made me a little stressed. I had also never made risotto before I became a little nervous; I hate when risotto is slightly crunchy or super mushy. I knew we had 10 minute boil rice, so I kept reminding myself "you have a back-up plan, you have a back-up plan." It did end up turning out good and the chicken was a nice match with it. I served it with Shaw's Focaccia bread sticks; I put my brother to work and had them brush them with olive oil.

I couldn't find Pecorino Romano cheese so I just used Romano. I have no idea if this is a brand or type, but being as a I live in a fairly small town we sometimes don't have ingredients. I'm also not sure I would use arugula again. It was bitter and I prefer spinach. I figured I would try it because its not something we've had in a really long while. My dad didn't eat it, so next time I'll be sure something I know everyone will eat!

I'm so glad we're all home for Thanksgiving. I'm definitely thankful for my family <3 I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Gazpacho Pasta - Rachel Ray

I found this recipe in Rachel Ray's Look and Cook cookbook. You'll need a food processor. Serves 4-6

• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound penne, regular or whole wheat
• 3-4 stalks celery from the heart, roughly chopped
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (two large handfuls)
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (a small handful)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic
• 2-3 pimientos or roasted red peppers, chopped
• A few dashes of hot sauce (I didn't use)
• Grated Manchego cheese or Pecorino Romano, for garnish (optional)
• 3-4 scallions, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF and place a large pot of water over high heat to bring to a boil.
Scatter the tomatoes and zucchini onto a baking sheet and drizzle them with about 2 tablespoons EVOO and some salt and pepper. Toss them in the oven and roast until the tomatoes have burst and the zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.
When the water is boiling, add some salt and drop in the penne. Cook until al dente, according to the package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve a mugful of starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then return it to the pot it was cooked in.
While the pasta and veggies are working, toss the celery, parsley, cilantro, almonds, zest and juice of the lime and garlic into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse everything together until chopped, then stream in the remaining EVOO while the machine is running until it forms a nice pesto. Reserve.
Once the pasta and veggies are ready, add the roasted veggies to the pot with the cooked pasta along with the pesto. Throw in the chopped peppers and a few dashes of hot sauce and give everything a good toss to evenly coat.
Turn the pasta out into a serving dish and garnish with shaved slices of Manchego cheese and/or scallions, if you like.
This took me about 25 minutes to make. After a weekend which didn't include healthy eating or drinking, I felt like I needed veggies. I didn't use hot sauce because I don't really care for it and I felt as though it would take away from how fresh everything would taste.  I also think next time I will use less lime juice, it was a little strong for me. I forgot to save the starch water, don't forget to save it! I think it would have made the pesto blend better. The Manchego cheese was the most expensive item I had to purchase, I'm not sure how much the Pecorino Romano cheese is but I would definitely be willing to try it. I got the pimientos in the jar (international foods isle) because I had no idea if they were something I could buy fresh and I didn't have much time to shop. I bought pre-made garlic buttered bread from Shaw's (its the fresh Italian bread in which you cook in the bag it comes in, super easy!). I would  make this again!

I also recommend getting a food processor. I bought one on sale at Macy's and its been awesome. I'm in charge of pies for Thanksgiving this year so I'm looking forward to using it for those.

Making Dinner

One summer, a couple of years ago, my mom insisted I learned how to prepare meals. "How are you going to take care of yourself, your family?" was her argument. It was also during this time I was learning, my mom is usually right.
So on Sundays I would make dinner. My mom has always worked third shift as a nurse and said there is nothing she loves more than waking up to dinner before she leaves for work. She would pull recipes out of magazines and cookbooks and I would get to work.
I moved back home after not finding full time work. This year I'm living at home and saving money. I have off on Sundays again and have decided to start making dinner again. Cooking relieves stress from my job as a school counselor and I get to know everything that goes into my food. The recipes I'll share are from cookbooks and what I've changed about them. I am certainly no food critic and I have no formal training; I'm just a person who appreciates food and the people in my life who I love and who deserve fresh meals.