One of Mike's Favorites...

Mike likes food.  There are only a handful of foods that Mike won't touch: mushrooms, eggplant, squash, tofu, and cooked carrots.  Really, that's all I know of.  One of Mike's favorite foods is pasta with vodka sauce.  Vodka sauce doesn't really score a home run in my ball park, but that may be because I have only had vodka sauce out of a jar... never homemade.  Until last night!!!  I found this recipe on this other blog I read, Annies Eats.  I pitched the idea to Mike, we ran to Wegmans, and then went for it.  It was not heavy at all, despite having cream in the sauce, and it had a nice spicy kick to it that was just right- it didn't leave your mouth burning after the meal.  Mike perfectly grilled some chicken breasts marinated in rosemary and basalmic vinegar (prepacked in the Wegmans meat dept).  It went so well with the pasta.  I will definitely make this again!

Redhead Pasta alla Vodka (adapted from Annies Eats)
1 (16 oz or so) package dried pasta of your choice (I used Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Italian Classics Orchiette, but I bet bowtie pasta or penne would be delicious too!)
-1 cup diced, canned tomatoes
-1 cup tomato puree
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 minced onion
-1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like spicy, add a dash more.  If you don't like spicy, just put a small dash in the recipe)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup plain, NOT flavored, vodka (save the flavored stuff for a post-cooking refreshment)
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup reserved pasta water
-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
-parmesan cheese, for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente (a little chew).  My pasta took about 14 mins.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a LARGE saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and tomato paste and cook until the onions are soft and translucent (3 mins or so).  Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper.  Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomato puree and diced tomatoes.  Take the saucepan off the heat, and add the vodka (so it doesn't catch fire and flare up, burning you).  Return the pan to the heat, and stir.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer for 8-10 minutes, to cook off the alcohol flavor.  Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent it from burning.  Next, add the cream, stirring until heated through, about 1 minute.  Toss in your cooked pasta, and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes.  If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.  Lastly, add the basil.  Serve pasta topped with parmesan cheese.  Delish!!

Mike's Review:  "I would say it had good flavor.  But if you don't like spicy food, I would see it being too spicy [which is why you should add the red pepper flakes according to your own taste preferences!].  I thought it was delish!"

What a weekend...

Wow, have I been busy.  Long story short:  Classes for grad school started back up again last week, which means my Monday and Wednesday nights are hectic with work then class until 9pm.  It’s intense, but the class I’m taking (Traumatic Brain Injury) is interesting.  Somewhere in my crazy schedule last week I found time to make copious amounts of cinnamon rolls for my amazingly wonderful coworkers, gluten-free/sugar-free/dairy-free cinnamon raisin bread, and spinach and artichoke dip before spending the weekend in Ithaca for my brother’s graduation from undergrad.

Yayyyyy Aaron!!!!!! 

So let’s start with the dip.  Spinach and Artichoke dip.  You know, like what you find at Applebees.  Except mine is better.  At least, that is what people tell me.  I literally am not allowed to a picnic/party/gathering unless I bring this dip.  And seriously people, this is crazy easy to make.  There are no excuses here: you CAN make this.  And impress everybody. 

Redhead Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

-1 (16oz) bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed, with excess water squeezed out

-1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

-1 cup grated or shredded parmesan-romano cheese mix

-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-1 (10oz) jar alfredo sauce

-2 tsp minced garlic

-4 oz cream cheese, softened

 (there's more ingredients than usual in this picture since I made several pans for Aaron's grad party)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Spray a pie pan or any adequate sized baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread dip into the baking dish.  Top with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese.   

Cover with foil.  Bake 20 mins.  Remove the foil.  Continue baking until the dip is hot and bubbly, and the cheese has thoroughly melted on top.  Yup, it’s that easy.  If you are making this dip for a party where people will be continuously eating, throw the dip into a crock pot, melt everything, then keep the crock pot on warm and stir the dip occasionally to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn along the edges.  You really just want the ingredients to melt and get hot and bubbly.  Microwave any leftovers (ha, like there will be leftovers) for a great snack.  Serve the dip with tortilla chips, crackers, bruschetta bread, whatever!  One girl on my brother’s crew team spread it on a bagel and gobbled it up. 

As American As...

The pie pictured above I made on Mother's Day a few weeks ago (hence the "MOM" crust on it), and gave it to Mike and his family in exchange for a brand new, never used desk!  They were going to put this desk up for sale at their neighborhood garage sale, but they offered it to me for free!  Then Mike held it hostage for "one of those pies with the crumb topping stuff..."  A large, brand new desk for one pie? Deal.

Apple Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping:
-one single pie crust.  Might I recommend the crust mentioned in Lemon Meringue Mother's Day Pie?  Just cut the recipe in half, or refrigerate the other half and use later.

Filling:
-5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (feel free to use whatever apples you prefer.  I like Granny Smiths)
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 tbsp flour

Crumb Topping:
-1 heaping cup oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal)
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-6 tbsp flour
-1 stick butter or margarine
-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
-dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your crust, then line a deep 9" or 10" pie dish with it.  Crimp the edges.  Take those delicious apples you peeled, cored, and sliced, and toss them in with all those other filling ingredients in a large bowl.  Set the apples aside to absorb some of that cinnamon-nutmeg-y goodness.  Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together.

You can use a fork or pastry cutter if you want to cut the butter in.  I just used my [clean] hands.  In my opinion, getting your hands dirty is the best way to cook.  Just go for it.  "Be one with your food."  Whatever.  Just blend all of the topping ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Its ok if it's a little dry, once the pie starts to bake the butter/margarine will melt and run throughout the crumb topping making it all good. 

Remember those juicy, delicious apples?  Well throw those babies in your crust-filled pie pan.  Just DON'T throw in that juice that has seeped from the apples and pooled on the bottom of the bowl.  Why you ask?  Because that extra juice will make your crust soggy and your filling extra soupy once its baked.  Soggy pie crust?  Yuck.  Save the juice for an easy dessert:  microwave the juice for a few seconds and pour it over vanilla ice cream or stir cold juice in plain yogurt!  Waste not!

Side note:When I'm not feeling rushed, I will actually take the time to layer the apples in the crust, that way I get as much of that delicious apple filling in as I can.  Here's a secret though:  if you CHOP the apples after you slice them(as in cut the slices in half), they will lie in the crust easier, making it easier to fill the crust and top the pie with the crumb topping.  My dad likes big "traditional" pieces in his pies though, so I don't usually chop mine.  Feel free to handle your apples at your own discretion.

Back to that pie you're making.  Got the apples in?  Great.  Take your crumb topping, and using your fingers, crumble it on top of the apples.  Press the crumbs down enough to make a seal around the crust, and cover any holes.  When I made this last time I had some extra crust left over, so I rolled it out into a thin rope and spelled "MOM" on top of the pie.  If you wanted, you could spell a name or someone's initials, or roll the crust out flat and use a cookie cutter to cut out a shape for a holiday or something.  Its a little something extra that gives the pie that fancy twist.

Gorgeous!  Place your pie in the oven and bake for 50-60mins, until the filling is hot and bubbling and the crust is a nice golden brown.  While your pie is baking, check on it every now and then to make sure the outer crust is not getting too browned.  If it is, wrap some aluminum foil around the edges to prevent it from burning.

Oh, and FYI, this is the best ice cream to pair with hot apple pie.  Hands down.  Go buy it.  Like.  Right now.

Lemon Bars

I'm on a lemon kick.  It's spring time, so that means lemons, right?  April was pumpkin month, so May is lemon month.  There, I've made it official.  I originally made these lemon bars for my mom for Mother's day.  And they were gone in a day.  The shortbread crust is light and buttery, the lemon filling cool, and refreshing, and the powder sugar top ties it all together!

Lemon Bars (adapted from the Joy of Baking cookbook):
-1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
-1/4 cup powdered sugar
-1 cup flour
-1 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-1/3 cup lemon juice
-1 tbsp lemon zest
-2 tbsp flour
-extra powdered sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch square pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray.
To make the crust, in a small mixing bowl beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy.  Beat in the flour.

Press the dough mixture into the bottom (and slightly up the sides) of the square baking dish.

Bake in the oven for 18-20 mins until the crust is a light, golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly while you make the filling.

For the filling, beat the granulated sugar and eggs until smooth.  Add the lemon juice and lemon zest,beating until combined.

 

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 17-20 mins, or until the filling has set (if you tap or shake the pan, the filling should not jiggle).  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Once cooled, pull on the edges of the aluminum foil, lifting the bars out of the pan.  Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar.

Cut into bars, and enjoy!  Refrigerate any left overs!

Lemony and Delicious Chicken French

Chicken French.  The ultimate Rochester entrée.  The perfect combination of savory white wine, tangy lemon, and hearty chicken: light, flavorful.  Delicious.  And really, not hard to make at all.  I always serve mine over angel hair pasta and some alfredo sauce.  When I’m being lazy and don’t make my own alfredo, I always use Wegman’s alfredo sauce- first of all, it’s absolutely delicious, and second of all, it has fewer fat/calories than a lot of the other brands on the shelves.

Redhead’s Chicken French: served with angel hair pasta and alfredo sauce.

-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces, sliced (or pounded) thin [tip: Wegmans packages thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts- it cuts a lot of your prep work in half to buy them packaged like this]

-2 eggs

-1/4 cup parmesan cheese

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp basil

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp each salt & pepper

-1/2 cup flour

-olive oil

-2 tbsp butter

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 cup chicken broth

-1/2 cup white cooking wine (or regular white wine, just make sure it’s on the dryer side.  A sweet wine would probably make this taste a little funky)

-1/4 cup lemon juice

-1 lemon, sliced

-parsley

-1 box angel hair pasta

-1 jar alfredo sauce

*note: it looks like a lot of food in my pictures, because I made a double batch tonight.  

Fill a large stock pot with water, add 4 tbsp salt (salting your pasta water adds flavor to your pasta), and 4 tbsp olive oil.  Bring the water to a boil.  While the water is heating up, in a small bowl, beat together the two eggs, parmesan cheese,  oregano, basil, and garlic powder.  In another small bowl, blend together the flour, salt, and pepper.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat enough olive oil to evenly (and just barely) coat the bottom of the skillet.  Dredge (coating both sides) each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then dredge the chicken in the egg mixture.  

Place in the hot skillet.

 Cook for several minutes, until the one side has turned a dark, golden brown, then flip over.

Brown the other side, cooking until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate with papertowels.  Add the garlic.  Vigorously stir (to prevent the garlic from burning) until the garlic has lightly browned.

Add the wine.

Bring the garlic/wine to a boil, and allow it to reduce for about 5 minutes or so.  Reducing the wine allows the flavors to concentrate, aka making the dish more flavorful.  Next, add the lemon juice and chicken broth.

Bring the mixture a boil again and allow it to reduce for 5 more minutes or so.  While the sauce is reducing again, pour the jar of alfredo sauce in a small saucepan, and over medium heat, warm the sauce, stirring occasionally.

Multi-tasking at its best!  After the sauce has finished reducing, add the butter.

Melt the butter.  Bring the mixture back to a boil, and add the chicken.  Now add the angel hair to the boiling pot of water.  The pasta and the chicken will be done in 3-4 mins.

Drain the pasta, and add a little bit of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together too bad.  Remove the chicken from the heat, add the sliced lemon, and sprinkle with parsley. 

Yum.  I plate mine with a base of angel hair pasta, a scoop of the lemon-wine sauce, a scoop of the alfredo sauce, and the chicken on top.  I also served this dinner with garlic bread and a garden salad. 

Make it for your family!  They will love you for it, I promise!

Low-Fat Low-Cal Chili

This chili has become a favorite at BOCES, where I work.  I made a batch tonight, after my coworkers made numerous requests for it!  It's pretty simple to make, and because it is made with ground chicken or turkey and lots of fresh vegetables, its really low in fat and calories (one serving has less than 200 calories, if you don't add cheese and tortilla chips, like I do!).

Redhead Chicken/Turkey Chili: (adapted from Wegmans Menu magazine)
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 lbs ground chicken or turkey (I use chicken, 'cuz it's cheaper!)
-2 tbsp minced garlic
-2 sweet red peppers, diced
-2 green peppers, diced
-1 large yellow onion, diced
-3 tbsp chili powder
-2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-3 dried bay leaves
-dash each of ground cloves, celery salt, onion salt, garlic powder
-3 tsp ground cumin
-2 tbsp sugar
-2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
-1 carton (32 oz) low sodium chicken broth
-2 (15.5 oz) cans white beans
-1 (15.5 oz) can corn
-1/4 cup ketchup
-1/4 cup BBQ sauce (your preference, I used Wegmans Memphis BBQ sauce)
-1 tbsp hot sauce (again, your preference, I used Franks Red Hot)
-salt and pepper to taste

In a large (and in charge) stock pot, heat the olive oil on high heat.  Add the ground chicken or turkey, and brown, using a spoon or spatula to crumble the meat as it cooks. 

Once the meat has browned, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cloves. celery salt, onion salt, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, and sugar.  Stir. 

Next add the onions and peppers, and allow them to cook for 3-4 mins, stirring to prevent the meat from browning too much (if you think the meat is starting to burn, add a little bit of the chicken broth).  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring the chili to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and allow the chili to simmer for 30-45 mins, although longer than that wouldn't hurt.

Taste it!  Want more deep, hearty flavor?  Add some more chili powder and cumin.  Sweeter?  Add more sugar and BBQ sauce.  Want more of a smokey flavor?  Use a hickory flavored BBQ sauce.  Want more kick?  Add more hot sauce.  Experiment people!  Make it your own!  It's just chili, which is pretty hard to screw up.  Just add a little bit of whatever you are adding at a time, and taste taste taste.  Like I said, I like to eat my chili with some crushed tortilla chips for added crunch, and a little bit of cheddar cheese on top.  Corn bread or fresh, whole wheat rolls would be lovely also.  Just don't eat those bay leaves.  If you make the chili a day head, the flavors really come together when it sits in your fridge overnight.  Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Mother's Day Pie

My mom got to pick what dessert she wanted for Mother's Day.  And her choice:  Lemon Meringue Pie.  I love this pie, but I have a confession.  As much as I love to cook/bake everything from scratch, I just can't make this pie 100% homemade.  It's the filling.  Every time I attempt to make this filling it comes out lumpy and not what I want.  So.... I use a boxed pudding/pie filling by Jello.  Its half home-made, since you use a powdered mix and add eggs, sugar, and water to it then cook it.  But its not the old fashioned, like grandma used to make, homemade filling.  So forgive me for that.  But the rest, I assure you, was prepared from scratch, with my own two hands and raw ingredients.

Pie Crust (yields 2 crusts):
-2 c all purpose flour
-1/4 c sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-2/3 cup (10 tbsp) BUTTER- cold (not margarine, because margarine turns this crust oily, and I don't like it.  Cold, cold, cold butter is best, since the bits of butter will stay hard and melt when you bake it, making the crust deliciously flaky)
-1/4 ice cold water.

Place water and ice in a small liquid measuring cup with a pour spout.  Set aside, allowing the water to get ice cold.  In the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut the butter up into small chunks, and place in the bowl of the food processor with the flour mixture.

Put the lid on, and pulse until the mixture turns to even, coarse crumbs.

Through the feed-spout of the processor, add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball.  Each time I make this it takes a different amount of water to get the dough to come together.  Air on the side of LESS water, since you can't remove the water once it has been added, and too much water makes the dough taste like glue, and no one likes the taste of glue.  Except maybe Pre-schoolers.

Ta-Da!  Pie dough. Divide the dough into two portions (remember this makes 2 separate crusts).  Cover those suckers in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour, or pop them in the freezer for 20mins.  Cold dough is easier to roll out and work with then super stretchy warm dough.  Plus, the colder the dough is when it enters the oven, the flakier the crust when it comes out!
After your dough has chilled, roll one crust out to a circle large enough to fit your pie pan.

Clearly, I need to work on my circles...  Fold the dough into quarters to make it easier to transfer to the pie pan. Once in the pan, unfold the dough and gently press it into the pan.  Don't try to pull and stretch the dough to fit, that will cause the dough to shrink up when it bakes. 

For Lemon Meringue pie, you only need one crust, and you need to bake it before you add the filling.  Prick the bottoms and sides of the dough with a fork.  This helps prevent the crust from bubbling up or shrinking when you bake it.

Cover the dough with two layers of aluminum foil, making sure to press the foil into the crust and wrap it tightly around the edges, again to prevent the dough from shrinking while baking.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 mins.  Remove foil.  Bake for another 6-8 mins, or until the crust is a light golden brown.

Hey good looking.  While the crust cools, make the filling according to box directions.  Remember to stir constantly, otherwise your filling will turn lumpy and burn, and no one likes to eat lumpy pie filling with burnt pieces in it.  Let the filling cool while you make the meringue.

For the meringue, beat 3 egg WHITES, 6 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  By stiff peaks I mean when you pull the beaters out of the meringue, the meringue should hold its shape, forming a little peak that does not melt back into the mixture.

Pour the lemon filling into the baked pie crust.  Spread the meringue on top, making sure the meringue covers all of the filling, and making a seal along the crust.  This seal will help prevent the meringue from shrinking while baking.  Take your spatula or knife, and with a gentle tapping motion, create small peaks all over the top of the meringue.  These will brown when you bake the pie, giving it that beautiful, textured look.  Since this was a Mother's Day pie, I took a small amount of meringue and, using a pastry bag, piped "MOM" on top of the pie.

Bake your creation in a 350 degree oven for 15 mins, or until the meringue has formed a nice golden color along its edges.

Tart and Tasty.  Yum.

Fancy/Easy Dinner Rolls

Since today was Mother’s Day, my dad and I made my mom a special dinner.  To go along with dinner, I made some homemade dinner rolls.  And boy, were these good.  I ate 6.  Yep.  I’m a glutton.  But they were so warm and buttery and soft and airy and...... perfect.  I will definitely be using this recipe again! 

Rosette Dinner Rolls: (adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook)

-4- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

-1 tbsp active dry yeast

-1 c. milk

-1/3 cup sugar

-1/3 cup butter or margarine

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 beaten eggs

-extra flour for dusting/kneading

Mix 2 cups of the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl.  In a large microwave safe measuring cup, combine the milk, sugar, and butter.  Microwave the milk mixture on high, 1-1/2 mins, stirring every 30 secs and after each stir, measuring the temperature of the mixture (I used a meat thermometer), until the mixture is between 120-130 degrees.  Add the milk mixture and eggs to the flour mixture, and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed.  Once everything is combined, gradually add in the rest of the flour, making sure it is thoroughly combined after each addition.  

Once all of the flour has been worked in, pull the dough out of the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface.  Flour your hands, and knead the dough for 6-8 mins, adding more flour as you go to keep the dough from sticking, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.   

Grease a large mixing bowl with cooking spray.  Roll the dough in the bowl to coat the dough in oil, cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel, and place in a warm, dry place to rise for an hour. 

After the dough has risen and doubled in size, punch the dough down by placing your fist through the center of the dough.  Turn the dough on a lightly flour surface, and halve it.  Let the dough rest for 10 mins.  Divide each half into 16 equal pieces.   

If you want, simply roll the pieces into smooth balls, place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise for 30 mins before baking.  I got a little fancy, and made my rolls into “rosettes.”  Take each piece of dough, and using your palms, roll the dough into a 12” strip.

Tie the dough into a simple knot.

Take the “bottom piece”, wrap it upwards, and push it down through the center of the knot from above.   Tuck the “top piece” under the knot, pushing it up through the center of the knot from below.

Place each rosette on a greased cookie sheet (I actually covered my cookie sheets with parchment paper and didn’t grease them).  Let the rolls rest and rise for 30 mins.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Melt a tablespoon or so of butter.  Brush the tops if the rolls with butter, and bake for 12-15mins. or until golden brown.   

Enjoy!