December 23, 2008

Rose’s Baked Artichokes

sooo good.

nuff said.

if you like baked/stuffed artichokes but hate the hassle- try this recipe.

you will crave it

day and night

like me!

Rose’s Baked Artichoke Hearts
(recipe via Martha Stewart.com)
serves 8ish

Ingredients

-1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
-1/4 cup finely chopped fresh curly leaf parsley
-2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
-2 ounces Pecorino Romano, grated (1/4 cup)
-1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, and savory, or Italian seasoning blend
– 1 teaspoon coarse salt
– Freshly ground pepper
– 3 packages (9 ounces each) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
– 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dishes
– 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
– 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
-2 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoons)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine breadcrumbs, parsley, cheeses, herbs, and salt in a medium bowl, and season with pepper.

2. Brush oil inside one 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread artichokes into a single layer. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over artichokes, pushing it into cracks between hearts. Tap bottom of dishes on counter to settle breadcrumb mixture.

3. Whisk oil, lemon juice and zest, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle dressing evenly over breadcrumb topping. Cover dishes with parchment, then foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 375 degrees. Uncover, and bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

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December 20, 2008

Chewy Molasses Cookies

i love this cookie. if i wasn’t already married, i could possibly marry it. (sorry honey!)
But i don’t think one of these cookies would look as good in a suit…so fantasy ABANDONED.

so please make these…and then send me some….cuz I fear I might run out soon!

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
(recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cookie Book)
Makes about 36

Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
-1 large egg
-1/4 cup molasses

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms. Put dough in the fridge and chill it for at least an hour.

3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

4. Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

around the home, Uncategorized

December 18, 2008

11 weeks!

11 weeks have passed since Cooper came into the world. 11 weeks! I remember when 11 weeks of being pregnant felt like half a lifetime!!!

He’s the happiest baby! Right now he’s squealing and smiling…and I am totally smitten.

Having a child is worth all of the work. When you wake up grumpy and you look over and there’s the sweetest little face looking at you and smiling because they are sooo excited to see their momma- that’s love…. It’s the most precious thing I’ve ever experienced! And I am lucky that I get to spend my days with such a cute little man!

Even if he has some really foul diapers! 😉

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December 17, 2008

Spicy Maple Glazed Walnuts

Ummmmm if you want to save your diet, DO NOT MAKE THESE.

They are irresistible!

I’ve never had such a perfect blend of salty and sweet in my LIFE. I left them on the kitchen island last night and noticed that Casey had an affinity for them too! I told him to try some and he said “Believe me, I already have! I could eat the whole container.” Luckily he didn’t, cuz momma wants some too!

They are that good, folks!

I am trying to orchestrate all my baking/cooking so I am not doing it all at the last minute. I tried these yesterday so I could see how long they stay fresh. I figure they should be good for another few days. Although I have a feeling they won’t last that long to find out.

Oh yeah- the best part of them is that they require NO baking!

Spicy Maple Glazed Walnuts
(recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
-2 cups (about 7 ounces) walnuts

1. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon; set aside. Pour the maple syrup into a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, toast the walnuts over medium-high heat, stirring or shaking the pan constantly, until they are hot, about 5 minutes. Immediately add the nuts to the maple syrup and toss to coat. Stir in the spice mixture until the nuts are evenly coated. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Let cool completely before serving, about 20 minutes.

So good when it hits your lips!

recipes, Uncategorized

December 16, 2008

Gonzo Garbanzos

Over the weekend I tried out a recipe from Rachael Ray’s magazine for “Gonzo Garbanzos”

I’ve been snacking on this crunchy mix for the past few days. Of course, I didn’t follow the recipe ACCURATELY. There is something about recipes that give me A.D.D. — I have a hard time reading the whole thing again after I’ve read it once. My mistake was putting the pistachios in at the very beginning…they turned out super “roasty” not burnt… still good though.

I’ll be making this again- but correctly. The spice is perfect and I find myself walking by the container of it in my kitchen…swiping copious handfuls between picking up laundry and baby burp cloths from the garage. Perhaps these will be my savory treat for my Christmas goodies packages 😉

“Gonzo Garbanzos”
-makes 2 1/4 cups

-2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas- drained, rinsed & patted dry
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 teaspoon coarse salt
-1 teaspoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-2 teaspoons dried thyme
-1 cup shelled pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and discard any loose skins. Toss with olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin & cayenne until evenly coated.

3. Spread the chickpeas on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. This takes about 25 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and add the pistachios and thyme. Bake until crunchy, about 10 minutes more. Let cool and serve at room temperature.

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December 10, 2008

Sausage Chard Stuffing

Let me tell you that the Sausage Chard stuffing recipe in last month’s issue of Sunset Magazine made me SALIVATE hardcore. Oh yeah baby…look at the picture (if you have the issue) and you’ll see what I mean. I ripped it out immediately…and slept with it under my pillow so I could continuing dreaming of it late into the night.

I wanted something hearty for our Sunday late afternoon lunch (I didn’t make a special breakfast this past week because we stayed in bed as LONG as we possibly could). I didn’t have a turkey or a chicken to accompany this recipe, but I figured what the hell- It has meat, veggies & carbs. How can a girl go wrong?

And let me tell you…it was SCRUMPTIOUS! If only they could make a candle that smelled like that yummy stuffing- I would light it all day long…..

Anyways- here’s the recipe!

Sausage Chard Stuffing

serves 6

(adapted from a Sunset Magazine recipe)

-1 1lb. Italian Sausage (remove from casings)
-1 large bunch Swiss Chard (chopped, stems removed)
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 heaping tablespoon olive oil
-1 medium onion chopped
-3 stalks of celery finely chopped
-1 1/2 cup nonfat milk
-3/4 loaf of french bread
-1 cup chopped parsley
-3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 teaspoon dried basil
-1 teaspoon dried rosemary
-dash of red pepper
-salt & pepper to taste

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

1. Cut pieces of bread into 1 inch slices. Put slices in a large bowl and pour the milk all over it. Let sit in bowl for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, place a 6-8 quart pot over high heat. Add sausage (without the casings) stirring often to crumble. Cook until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes; discard fat. Add parsley, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes and celery. Cook, stirring often, until veggies are lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chard and 1/2 cup of water and cook, stirring often until wilted, about 5 minutes.

3. With your hands, squeeze bread slices to break them into tiny pieces. Add cooked meat mixture, Parmesan, basil & rosemary. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3 quart casserole dish. For moist stuff, cover with foil. For crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot or lightly brown (at least 30 minutes).

I got a request from Casey last night to make it again. He was reading my mind!
Who needs Thanksgiving as an excuse to make stuffing. Just do it!

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