August 9, 2010

Orange Hazelnut Biscotti

I briefly mentioned that my oven broke this summer. We got a new one. It’s fantastic. I love it. It works like a charm! Would you believe that I spent close to three days figuring out what it’s maiden baking voyage would be!?! I will now share with you the recipe that popped my oven’s cherry. Hazelnut biscotti!

As a child, I never really understood the appeal of biscotti. Through kid goggles, they were an icky grownup “treat.” I’d watch my dad dip a ridiculous amount of biscotti in a short class of Vin Santo and wanted to gag. I always thought dipping a cookie into something that wasn’t milk was weird, but now as a grown up I totally get it. These biscotti don’t need to be dipped in ANYTHING. They have TONS of flavor on their own. A nice cappuccino or some milky tea would be a good companion—but that’s it. Notes of orange, spicy anise undertones & crunchy toasted hazelnuts will assault you with each bite. They’re delightful!

So yeah- I’m a grown up and I love biscotti. I’m always surprised at how easy they are to make. Some people think that because they are baked twice, it means more work in the kitchen. It’s really not that bad!! I find cutting up the baked “logs” to be quite therapeutic (WEIRDO alert). It’s really nice to see a huge batch of cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet that have no risk of melting & sticking to each other. To me, that is worth any “extra” effort. Another upside- they last in an air tight container for a few weeks. They taste soo good that you might not have any around that long enough to find out…
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favorites, Uncategorized

August 4, 2010

Easy Peasy Tomato Basil Pasta

I’m happy to announce that Shutterbean is now a contributor at Modern Kiddo!

I’ll be posting ideas quick meals/ideas/beverages! Perfect for parents of kiddos and people who are short on time!

Check out the recipe for this Easy Peasy Tomato Basil Pasta!

Let’s put your tomato loot to good use!

recipes, Uncategorized

August 2, 2010

Spaghetti with Zucchini Walnuts & Raisins

I’m normally not a fan of pastas like this. There isn’t a sauce that saturates all the noodles so you really have to work at creating the perfect bite with all the ingredients. It’s also a bear to mix together because all of the fun stuff just wants to hang out at the bottom of the pot. It was hard for me to judge how much I liked the pasta until half of the spaghetti on my plate was eaten. Verdict? YUM!

All of the leftover zucchini, raisins & nuts on my plate tasted wonderful! We got a little fancy and topped our pasta mounds with some white truffle oil. It brought out the earthy flavors of the nuts & Parmesan cheese. Good call, Casey. If you’re a walnut & raisin fan like Cooper, you’re in for a real treat! He was begging for more plump golden raisins & toasted walnuts. Two out out two boys in this household approve. Which makes the only mom/wife/cook in this household thrilled.
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recipes, Uncategorized

July 31, 2010

Shrimp Cucumber Mango Salad

I predict that 5 months from now, in the dead of winter, I’ll totally be jonesing for this salad. It’s zesty, crunchy, sweet & spicy!!! All of my favorite things! It’s summer in a cup; which is how I served it tonight! No need to turn on the oven/stove/grill. This recipe requires nothing but a fridge, a cutting board, a knife & a few bowls to execute. The best part is that it’s super duper low in calories & has like no fat whatsoever. You know what this means? I get to go hog wild for dessert tonight!

I’m gonna go do that now…Peace out.
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around the home, Uncategorized

July 30, 2010

My life. Summer 2010.

I check on my plants at least twice a day. I like watching their progress. I do a lot of watering.

recipes, Uncategorized

July 28, 2010

Summer Squash with Goat Cheese

Another bucket of summer squash was set outside our front door a few days ago!! My neighbor is going crazy with this summer squash business! After making the risotto the other night, I needed to make something simple and uncomplicated (aka-I just got home from work and don’t feel like cooking!) So here’s what happened: I sauteed zucchini & summer squash in a pan with onions & thyme. I browned them a bit and added garlic at the very end (so it wouldn’t burn). It all went on a lovely plate and was topped with crumbles of goat cheese. We made a main course out of it with some yummy toasted french bread. The goat cheese crumbles melted on top of the squash; adding a scrumptious creamy/tangy element to the dish!

Feel free to substitute the goat cheese for feta or Parmesan. I’ve been on a great goat cheese binge lately, haven’t I? Sorry! If you aren’t into cheese, the squash is fine without it!! It would make any vegan happy. Thank you Ann for the best summer squash I’ve tasted! I’ll will let you know when we’ve had enough! At this rate, it could be soon!
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recipes, Uncategorized

July 27, 2010

Simple Banana Ice Cream

I keep going back to this post on the kitchn….ONE INGREDIENT ICE CREAM. It’s absolutely bananas! That’s it! I started to preheat the oven today for banana bread and said SCREW IT. I couldn’t be bothered, so made ice cream instead! It’s the simplest little recipe. There’s no ice cream maker required. You just need a device that can puree almost frozen bananas and then you have banana ice cream! No wonder everyone’s been raving about it! It’s CRAZY DELICIOUS.

You’ll find that it’s pretty adaptable. A scoop of peanut butter mixed in would be good…cocoa powder would be dandy! Some cocoa nibs or some chocolate chips? Heaven! I put a scoop of unsweetened coconut flakes in ours tonight! It added a nice little crunchy texture. I topped it with a little chunk of pizelle my grandma made. Hummina Hummina!

The directions go something like this:
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