Recipes »Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

20120414-185306.jpgfrom A Year of Slow Cooking

I’m still exploring the crock pot and with the seasonal chill in the air I decided on a Salsa Chicken and Black Bean soup. It’s a reader favorite from the A Year of Slow Cooking site and understandably so.

It’s mild though flavorful and could please most palettes, though personally I was glad to have some chipotle Tabasco on hand to spice things up.

I made the mistake of skipping the step of rinsing my canned beans. It meant a “soupier” soup rather than the slightly thickened one I was expecting. Still a great easy recipe that will please a wide variety of people raised on Tex Mex (Americans).

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Posted on April 14, 2012

Recipes »Potato Leek Soup

20120326-161243.jpgfrom Alton Brown

Delicious! Potato Leek soup is a personal favorite but this is my first time making it myself.

I trusted Alton Brown with the recipe which can’t claim to be low fat but is amazingly yummy both hot and chilled.

Best left over lunch ever!

 

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Posted on March 26, 2012

Recipes »Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches

from A Year of Slow Cooking

I’ve embraced a new level of mom-ness by busting out the crock pot for the first time ever.

These Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches have to be the easiest of the easiest to make – and the most likely to make you doubt they’ll turn out any good.

You just drop some beef in the pot with a jar of peperoncini peppers and cook low eight hours.

The result is quite surprising (in the best way).

Make sure to melt from fresh mozzarella and add the peppers to your sandwich.

I think I might love my crock pot now (so expect more slow cooker recipes to come.)

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Posted on March 18, 2012

Recipes »Pork Ssam

Momofuku Specialty

This pork ssam may very well be the best meal I’ve ever made.

Easy too, you just need to set aside 12 hours (only 6 of which you even need to be awake for).

Chang might be a culinary great but I prefer myself as chef. I won’t get all dicky about taking photos of the food and the cost was a fraction of what I’d spend in the restaurant.

Thanks to Mike for the special sauce ingredients and buns.

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Posted on March 5, 2012

Recipes »Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

from Epicurious

These Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes may not be much to look at but I can’t tell you  how delicious they are. We were raving with every bite.

They are healthier than other recipes I’ve seen because there’s only a tb of butter. And don’t let the name Buttermilk unnerve you, it’s less fat and calories than whole milk.

I am a big buttermilk fan, so it’s nice to find a recipe that displays it so nicely.

This recipe is very easy, but leave yourself about an hour for cook time. It made me, a person with no problems with boxed mashed, never want to have potatoes any other way.

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Posted on February 21, 2012

Recipes »Three Tea Cup Chicken

from Simply Recipes

I know, I make a lot of these Asian ground chicken recipes. What can I say? It’s my thing.

This Three Tea Cup Chicken is subtle and a little sweet. And if you don’t share my crazy enthusiasm for ground chicken, the original recipe calls for sliced anyway.

Easy, mild and sophisticated.

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Posted on February 15, 2012

Desserts,Recipes »Fluffy White Frosting

20120205-111621.jpgfrom Allrecipes

A combination of seeing a Good Eats about frosting and cake and it being my birthday soon had me pining for birthday cake.

And what I really wanted was this marshmallowy fluffy frosting in a box I remembered from my childhood. “But wait,” I thought, I’m an adult. Instead of moping over my craving I can just make it!

I opted for a box of white vanilla cake that I had in the cabinet (I love box cake and white is so much better than yellow) and found this simple recipe for Fluffy White Frosting.

I was in a self-made heaven. And like an adult I only made half a batch (no one decent can have a dozen cupcakes in their home without a party planned.) This is great frosting and my new go-to anytime frosting is needed. And I didn’t even need a box.

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Posted on February 5, 2012

Recipes »Shaking Beef with Pea Shoot Salad

from Food and Wine

Shaking beef is something I always jump to order the rare times I find it on a menu so finding a easy tasty recipe was excellent luck.

The pea shoot salad adds much needed green to a meaty dish.

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Posted on January 12, 2012

Recipes »New York Strip and Fall Vegetable Roast with Mustard Cream Sauce

20111225-103334.jpgfrom Bon Appetit

I wanted to make something out of the ordinary for Christmas Eve and happened upon a list of festive roasts from Bon Appetit.

Don’t worry though, even though this New York Strip and Fall Vegetable Roast with Mustard Cream Sauce looks beautiful and as if it took lots of work, I chose the simplest recipe of the bunch and it was pretty much a breeze.

A definite way to impress without working at it. Pair with your favorite roasted vegetables and hold on to the sauce recipe for other things.

I am not sure what it will also go with but it was so super yummy I am sure we can find other uses, right?

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Posted on January 4, 2012

Recipes »Creamy Gazpacho

from NY Times

I was craving gazpacho in the wrong season but I decided to make some myself anyways.

This Creamy Gazpacho recipe is labor intensive if you’re lazy in the kitchen like me. But it is lots of squishing stuff, which is fun.

I always assumed creamier gazpachos were named so because they were made with cream but the lighter color and thicker tecture actually comes from bread.

We scarfed our bowls before I thought to take a photo but I did capture part if the prep work.

While I couldn’t replicate La Buenas this was pretty excellent. Next time I might make a huge batch to keep in the fridge for healthy snacking.

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Posted on January 2, 2012

Recipes »Best of 2011 – Recipes

Lots of hearty comforting food was made in our home this year. A simple fish stew tops the list but spaghetti made it in two slots!

1. Moqueca

2. Slow-Roasted Salmon with Cabbage, Bacon, and Dill 

3. Spaghetti with Ground Lamb and Spinach

4. 30 Minute Turkey Chili

5. Gai Pad Krapow

6. Spaghetti with Crab Sauce

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Posted on December 26, 2011

Recipes »Roast Chicken with Spicy Hoisin Glaze

from Serious Eats

I’m very wimpy when it comes to anything labor intensive in the kitchen.

So a roasted whole cut up chicken sounded daunting but, really this Roast Chicken with Spicy Hoisin Glaze is one of the simplest things we’ve made.

You just need to allow about 30-40 minutes for cooking.

We enjoyed the first round with a baked yam (big and delicious this time of year) and I used the left over meat atop some ramen with scallions. Yum.

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Posted on December 9, 2011

Recipes »Calf’s Liver With Onions

from Serious Eats

As adventurous an eater as I am, I’ve always been a little afraid of liver and never thought to make it myself. But in the Halloween spirit I got freaky with this Calf’s Liver and Onion recipe.

The key is to not over cook the liver, leaving a hint of pink inside and let the onions get nice and deep brown. For an extra spooky touch, the balsamic dressing looks a bit like blood but no worries, it tastes like yum!

One to scare the family with.

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Posted on October 31, 2011

Recipes »Sweet Pea Ravioli with Scallion Cream Sauce

20111013-053245.jpgfrom Big Girls Small Kitchen

I was in search of a nice, easy sauce to accompany some sweet pea raviolis from the Ravioli Store (via Fresh Direct). I came across this great Scallion Cream Sauce at Big Girls Small Kitchen and knew, as a scallion fan, it would be perfect.

The recipe also includes quick homemade raviolis if you’re more ambitious than me.

Fresh tasting and simple, this was perfect for an impromptu dinner get together.

Just pair with some wine, meats and cheeses.

 

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Posted on October 13, 2011

Recipes »Mediterranean Fish Sandwich

from Giada De Laurentiis

I’m glad that Giada is more than a soothing voice that could drift you to sleep on a hammock. Any time I’ve tried out one of her recipes, they exceed my expectations.This Mediterranean Halibut Sandwich is no exception.

I’ve made similar flakes fish sandwiches with canned tuna (haven’t we all?) but a freshly roasted fillet – in my case I substituted lemon sole- makes for an entirely different and elevated dish. The filling with sun dried tomatoes capers zest and parsley is mellower than it’s parts but still flavorful. I added a slice of fresh mozzarella.

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Posted on September 9, 2011

Recipes »Spaghetti With Garlic, Lamb Sausage, and Arugula

A Brix Picks Original

I am usually slave to a recipe, so I was very proud of myself for producing such a great meal tonight without one. I owe a lot, of course to the awesome ingredients I picked up from Eataly (a madhouse on the weekend, phew!).

I opted for a thin lamb sausage that proved to be delicious and a jar of Sugo al Pomodoro e Verdure Dell’Otro (tomato and vegetable sauce).

I had my favorite dry pasta waiting at home – Rao’s and went to work.

I started with tons of garlic slices (at least 5 cloves), olive oil and the sausage and let it cook while the water boiled.

Once the sausage was browned and the pasta was cooking (9 and a half minutes makes perfect al dente) I added the jar of tomato sauce, parmesan rind, garlic salt and cracked pepper.

Lastly, with just a few minutes left on the pasta, I threw in three handfuls of arugula which wilted quickly as well as a splash of lemon juice.

Just add the pasta to the mixture once it’s done and top with a heap of parmesan – mmmm!

I deserved (and got) a Sixpoint Sweet Action for such a yummy meal.

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Posted on July 31, 2011

Recipes »Chicken with Bamboo Shoot Curry

from Thai Table

This Thai recipe for Curry with Bamboo Shoots called for ground beef, but I went a lighter route with ground chicken instead.

As monochromatic as it looks, it was alive with flavor and quick to make.

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Posted on June 6, 2011