the latest: january

how have i not stumbled upon 365 days of slow cooking before?! i am loving it and could spend hours going through the archives!

i love to can in the summer and jams and jellies are my favorites. but there comes a point each winter where i realize i have way too much jam than can be consumed before the next season. luckily break or bake has the same problem and rounded up a few of her favorite ways to use them up.

i've had my pinterest account for the last year or so and used it mostly for planning the baby's nursery and other baby related purchases. in the last week i took the plunge and decided to transfer all of my tagged posts in google reader to pinterest. it's a big undertaking, but i'm hoping in the long run it will be easier for me to meal plan and find and share new recipes. once i've got it all - or am a lot closer to finishing - sorted out, i'll be sure to add a follow button if you want to follow me.

part of my day job is to educate the public on ways in which the things we do at home affect the health of the great lakes. one of the chemicals we often discuss is BPA. the environmental working group just released their guide to BPA. it's a quick read with info about the concern and tips to reduce your exposure, such as limiting canned food consumption. 

the ewg blog posted recipes for homemade pledge and oven cleaner. i have used white vinegar as fabric softener in my washing machine and as a jet-dry substitute in my dishwasher and we use baking soda and vinegar to clean our drains. i have seen the oven cleaner method on multiple websites and talked to others who have used it and say it works great. now that the holidays are over, i need to try it!

i stopped at dunkin donuts last week on the way into work and tried a new dark chocolate mocha coffee with cream and sugar. i liked it better than their regular mocha. it had a stronger chocolate flavor and was less sweet.

i'm curious: what would you like to see more of here? less of? what types of posts are your favorite? let me know in the comments or email me kitchentrialanderror [at] gmail [dot] com.

44 clove garlic soup with chicken

i really hate to start it this way, but i'm sorry. i'm sorry deb, this garlic soup was just plain too garlicky for me. too garlicky for my garlic loving husband. this is the first and only recipe i've made from deb at smitten kitchen that was a bust for me. that said, i think there are a few ways to totally redeem this soup & it's on my radar to try again.

the original recipe calls for 44 cloves of garlic - or three heads, to make it easier. two heads of garlic are roasted and added to the soup later and the remaining head is simmered in chicken stock. the roasted garlic is nice and mild, still garlicky, but not as pungent. i think either skipping the third head completely or roasting all three heads would make a soup full of garlic flavor, without the super strong bite. please let me know in the comments if you try it. and i'll be sure to update this post when i do.

44 clove garlic soup with chicken

click to get the recipe at smitten kitchen.i made two changes: i didn't bother counting cloves and roasted two heads (where deb calls for 26 cloves) and simmered 1 head (where she calls for 18 cloves) and i added two precooked, shredded chicken breasts when the soup was finished.

pan roasted chicken with balsamic bell peppers

here's yet another way to jazz up a relatively boring chicken breast. we eat a heck of a lot of chicken breasts around here, so much so, that we buy them 10 at a time. and even though we eat chicken in many different ways, a simple one dish pan roasted chicken is something i've been gravitating to lately. there's something satisfying about making chicken, vegetables, and sauce in one pan. it's something i can do while simultaneously cleaning up from the day and getting ready for the next. these types of dishes are my favorite.

and if you aren't a fan of balsamic or bell peppers, i've got 49 other ways to enjoy chicken.

a housekeeping note: for those of you on pinterest, i've added a pin it button to the bottom of each post to make it easier for you to share your favorites.

chicken with balsamic bell peppers

adapted from cooking light

30 minutes, serves 4

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 medium or large bell peppers, sliced

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and preheat over medium-high heat.
2. combine garlic powder, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. coat the chicken breasts with vegetable or olive oil and the spice rub.
3. add the chicken to the pan, and cook, about ten minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through. remove the chicken from the pan and return the pan to medium heat.
4. coat the pan with oil and add the peppers, shallot, and rosemary. saute about three minutes or until the pepper start to soften. deglaze the pan with the broth, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes until thickened. stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and cook three minutes. 
5. add the chicken back into the pan and toss with the pepper mixture to reheat. serve the chicken topped with the peppers. 

vegetable noodle soup

why yes, that is the may 2012 issue of bon apetit on my coffee table. and yes, my bookmark is on the editor's letter page, so i didn't make it very far. i'm a bit behind on my reading. i have a good 15 or so magazines that have piled up since last june (and apparently earlier) along with a few new cookbooks from christmas and my birthday. same thing goes for some of the posts saved in my google reader. which brings me to this soup: this soup has been sitting in my reader, starred, waiting for me to make it, since it was posted two and a half years ago. week after week it got pushed aside for something flashier. what a shame, considering how delicious, easy, and adaptable this soup is. and now that i have the last four pounds of baby weight to lose, this meatless soup may make it's way into our weekly rotation more often.

vegetable noodle soup
adapted from the other side of 50
45 minutes, serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek, white and light green parts, cleaned well and thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup dry sherry
8 cups (2 quarts or 64 ounces) chicken stock
2 large potatoes, peeled, and cubed
8 ounces egg noodles
1 cup half & half

1. in a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. add the leek, celery, and carrots. season with salt and pepper and saute until they have softened about 8 minutes.
2. add the mushrooms and thyme and saute until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and the liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes.
3. add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
4. add the flour and mix well. cook, mixing frequently, for a minute or two, or until the flour is light brown.
5. deglaze the pan with the sherry and cook until evaporated.
6. add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and add the potatoes and noodles. simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and noodles are tender.
7. remove from heat, stir in the half & half, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

chicken yakitori rice bowl

it took three and a half years for us to find a decent chinese restaurant near our house. when jason finally found it, we had chinese a couple times in just as many weeks. and each time we ended up with a lot of leftover rice. not wanting to let the rice go to waste, i ripped this rice bowl recipe out of my december cooking light and made it for dinner one weeknight. i love the flavor of green onions when they've cooked in soy and sugar and they go really well with snow peas and chicken. if i had any carrots at the time, i would have cut those into matchsticks and tossed them in too. stir fry is the perfect vehicle for lots of vegetables, since they're coated in sauce.

chicken yakitori rice bowl
adapted from cooking light
20 minutes, serves 4

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
8 ounces snow peas
1 small bunch green onions, cut into one inch pieces
4 cups leftover white or brown rice

1. combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, vinegar, and chicken broth in a small saucepan. bring to a boil and simmer three minutes. remove from heat.
2. heat a large non stick pan over medium heat. coat the pan with vegetable oil and cook the chicken, tossing frequently, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. remove the chicken from the pan.
3. add the snow peas and onions to the now empty pan and saute just until the onions wilt. add sauce and chicken and cook a few more minutes, until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken well. 
4. place about 1 cup rice in each bowl and top with the chicken and vegetable mixture.

whole wheat vanilla scones

last thursday morning i woke up craving a scone. more specifically, i craved a scone that i could slather with homemade peach butter i completely forgot about until i stumbled on a few jars in the basement while getting jarred apples for the baby the night before. i was so dead set on scones that after i got us up and ready for the day, i plunked him and a few toys in his high chair in the kitchen next to me. much to my surprise, in the 15 minutes or so it took me to whip these and coffee together, he never touched a single toy. instead, his eyes moved from me, to whatever ingredient i had in my hand, to the cupboard i opened. he was fascinated. and it made my scones a heck of a lot easier.

if you love vanilla as much as i do, then these scones are for you. i bought myself vanilla bean paste as a birthday present the last time i was grocery shopping. i love the flecks of vanilla bean seeds it gives to the scones. not too sweet and not too vanilla-ey, they're perfect spread with jam or butter. i spread mine with a smidge of salted butter and a generous amount of deb's peach butter that i made last summer. i know, i completely forgot to tell you guys about it! don't worry, i'll remind you again this summer, when we're in the thick of peach season and i made another batch for next winter. 

whole wheat vanilla scones
30 minutes, makes 6 scones

i like using vanilla bean paste in these since it peppers the vanilla bean seeds throughout. if you don't have any on hand, replace it with additional vanilla extract.

1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
about 2 tablespoons sugar for topping (optional)

1. preheat your oven to 375F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. whisk the flour,s sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
3. using your hands or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. add the milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste and mix just until combined.
5. turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and use your hands to form it into a rough circle or square. cut into about 6 equal pieces.
6. sprinkle the bottom of your mixing bowl with a layer of sugar. turn each scone over into the sugar, coating the top. turn right side (sugar side) up and place on the baking sheet.
7. bake for about 15 minutes. transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

cherry vanilla cake

the last few years, my birthday cake has been a labor of love. two years ago, when i turned 29, it was all about pistachios and last year, for the big 3-0, it was all about salted caramel and chocolate. this year, it's cherry overload. 

i usually start thinking about my birthday cake, and narrowing it down to a couple recipes, around christmas and i have the recipe chosen by the time i return to work after new years. this year, i had a hard time deciding exactly what i wanted. the pistachio and chocolate masterpieces were both from the baked cookbooks. in hindsight, i should have stuck with one of them, but i wanted something different. something with fruit. if you love maraschino cherries, this cake is for you.

i had high hopes for this cake and was actually disappointed. while i finally tackled swiss meringue buttercream - it really is easy and isn't nearly as sweet as buttercream, but has a flavor all it's own - the filling and buttercream had too much butter in them. too much butter?! i know, madness! but true. the cake itself is delicious. with a few tweaks, i bet these would be great as valentines cupcakes, topped with the cherry filling (made with less butter) instead of the buttercream.

what to do with all those leftover egg yolks? make ice cream, of course.

cherry vanilla cake
one 8 or 9 inch three layer cake that serves 16

annie has great instructions and i followed them perfectly, so click to get the recipe from annie's eats.

1/15/13 ChefElla's Teriyaki Fried Rice

CHEFELLA'S TERIYAKI FRIED RICE

My Grandmother likes to come visit as often as she can.  When I was little we always went to the restaurants that I liked.  But as I got older my Grandmother wanted me to try more of the foods that she likes.  I did not always like the food we tried, but I tried everything.  One night my Grandmother took me to a Japanese restaurant, it was so much fun because the chefs cooked right in front of you on a grill at the table.  This is called teppan-yaki or hibachi style cooking.  The chef put on a show cutting the ingredients, mixing the food, and making funny noises.  For dinner I had teriyaki chicken, vegetables, and fried rice.  I can't wait until my Grandmother comes for another visit, but until then, I can make my own special fried rice recipe for dinner.
For this recipe you will need to use the stove and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the stove or a knife by yourself you can have a grown up help.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  For this recipe you will need a cutting board, a knife, measuring cups and spoons, a small cup, a
    heat proof spatula and a large sauté pan.

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 4-6 servings)

4 Cups      Brown Jasmine Rice, Cooked
                 -The rice needs to be cooked the night before and cooled in the refrigerator overnight
                 uncovered.  If you cannot find brown jasmine rice you can use, brown basmati or other long
                 grain brown rice.

1/2 Cup    Carrot, Small Diced
                 -The carrot should be cut to about the same size as your peas.

1/3 Cup    Peas

1/3 Cup    Red Onion, Small Diced
2              Eggs
3 Tbl.        Canola or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp.       Kosher or Sea Salt
1/2 tsp.    Black Pepper
3 Tbl.        Soy Sauce
2 Tbl.       Teriyaki Sauce or Marinade

3.  Heat your sauté pan on medium high heat on the stove.

4.  When your pan is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.  

5.  Crack your eggs into a small cup.  Pour unbeaten eggs into the sauté pan.  Mix the eggs in the hot
     oil with your heat proof spatula.  As the eggs cook there will be white and yellow pieces of egg in
     your pan.

6.  When the eggs are cooked (the liquid is gone).  Add the remaining oil and vegetables to the pan.

7.  Mix the vegetables well and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Continue to stir the ingredients frequently so
     they do not burn.

8.  Add the rice and mix well with all of the other ingredients.

9.  Let the rice sit on the heat for 1 minute and then stir.  Continue to do this for 4-5 minutes.
10.  The rice will begin to brown.  Add the soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.

11.  Mix the rice until all of the sauce coats the rice.  Continue to cook the rice for 2-3 minutes stirring
       occasionally.  The rice should be dry, but look shiny when it is done.

Put your fried rice in a bowl and serve with dinner.

*If you want you can add as many other ingredients or vegetables to your rice as you like:
  water chestnuts, corn, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli or what ever other vegetables
  you like in your fried rice.

*To make your fried rice a meal you can add 1 pound of cooked chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu.

Enjoy

-ChefElla

Tuesday's with Dorie: Pizza Dough

Okay, okay, so I really only made half of this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe, which is supposed to be Pizza with Onion Confit (can find the recipe here at The Boy Can Bake).  I didn't make the onion confit, which sounded very interesting, because my husband was horrified by the idea of topping a pizza with so many onions, and I envisioned my house reeking of onions for the next 3 months.  So I decided to make a different kind of pizza, though the dough recipe was followed straight from the book.  Sorry, Dorie and Julia!

The verdict: Pretty good!  Easy to make, easy to work with, tender, soft.  Definitely not a chewy crust (which may or may not be good, depending on your own tastes!), not heavy or dense, and not too breadlike, which is good.  Not especially remarkable though, and no better than my regular pizza dough recipe but takes longer to make since first you make a sponge, let it rise an hour and a half, then make the dough, and let that rise for an hour and a half.  Don't think I'll be making this one again, but we ate it happily and the other half of the dough will be enjoyed later, too.

I made my dough into a good ol' pepperoni and olive pizza, which is our default.  Used my pizza sauce recipe and baked it on my cast iron pizza pan.

secret recipe club: scalloped ham & potato bake and andes mint cake

i am kicking off the new year with potatoes and leftover christmas ham doused in cheese sauce and a four layer chocolate cake filled with candy and covered in mint buttercream. what, this isn't what you had in mind after two months of "holiday" eating?!

i either had family staying with us or was staying with family from mid december to after the new year, so i was itching to spend some time in the kitchen. these choices from melissa's blog, i was born to cook, for this month's secret recipe club were perfect. not only were they easy, and delicious, melissa taught me to embrace scalloped potatoes. sorry mom (hi mom!), but scalloped potatoes are one of the few things you made that i just plain didn't like as a kid. since before we were married, jason has requested it whenever we have ham leftovers. this time i gave in to his request and am so glad i did! these potatoes were delicious. and would make a great addition to a potluck.

if it was the cake that caught your eye, it's every bit as delicious as it looks. when jason declared at christmas that yes, he likes the combination of mint and chocolate, (for some reason i was convinced he hated it), i knew this cake was mine as soon as i saw it. and since it's only the two of us, and the whole new years resolution mumbo jumbo has me thinking about eating a bit better, i made a six inch cake. and really, even that is almost too big for the two of us. almost.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!  

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

scalloped ham and potato bake

adapted from i was born to cook

30 minutes prep, 60 minutes bake, serves 4 as a main dish

5 cups potatoes, sliced thin (about 3 medium potatoes)

1 medium onion, sliced thin

2 cups ham, diced

for the sauce

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups 2%, 1% or whole (skip skim, if you can) milk

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese

for the topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1. grease a two quart casserole dish. layer about a quarter of the potatoes, ensuring the bottom is covered. top with about a third of the onions and a third of the ham. season with salt and pepper. repeat, layering potato, onion, and ham, and finish with a layer of potato. set aside.
2. preheat your oven to 350F. 
3. to make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. when melted, whisk in the flour and cook about one minute. slowly whisk in the milk. continue cooking over low heat, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens. once thick, season with mustard, salt, and pepper, remove from heat, and whisk in the cheese until melted.
4. pour the sauce over the potato mixture. cover and bake 45 minutes.
5. combine the melted butter and bread crumbs. uncover the casserole and spread the mixture evenly over the top. return the casserole to the oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 15 minutes. if you would like your crust to be a bit more brown, turn on your broiler and broil for a few minutes. be sure to check frequently while broiling as the topping can go from perfectly browned to burnt in a short time.

andes mint chocolate cake

adapted from i was born to cook

makes one 6 inch, two or four layer cake

if you have parchment paper, i highly recommend lining your pans with it, especially for this cake. the candy tends to fall to the bottom, making a nice crust stuck to the bottom of the pan. i could have avoided it with two pieces of parchment.

to make an 8" or 9" layer cake, double all of the cake ingredients, split the batter between THREE pans (instead of two), and bake for the same amount of time. double the buttercream ingredients too. 

for the cake

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (or 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) flour

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped andes mints (about 16 mints)

for the buttercream

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

1/4 cup milk 

green food coloring

1. preheat your oven to 350F. grease and flour - or line with parchment - two 6 inch cake pans. set aside.
2. to make the cake, bring the water to a boil. while the water is heating, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. add the egg, milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until combined. mix in the boiling water and the andes mints.
3. divide the batter equally between the two pans. bake for about 23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. cook in the pan for a few minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.
4. while the cake cools, make the buttercream. combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and mint and mix until combined. slowly add the milk, a tablespoon at a time, until your buttercream is the consistency you want. beat for about a minute. add green food coloring, if you like, and be sure to mix well to ensure the color is evenly distributed.
5. to make a four layer cake, cut each of the layers in half. place bottom layer on serving plate, top with about a third of a cup of icing, top with the next layer. repeat until the cake is built. spread a thin layer of icing over the cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes. ice with the remaining frosting. top with more chopped andes mints.

1/02/13 ChefElla's Quesadillas

CHEFELLA'S QUESADILLAS

I like nachos, but someone always gets the chips with all of the cheese, and someone else gets the chips with all of the meat and I always end up with just plain chips.  One day while visiting my favorite Mexican restaurant I saw something that looked like a pizza smashed in between two crispy tortillas.  I just had to know what it was.  My Mom said it was a quesadilla (k-saa-de-ya).  At home I took my favorite nacho ingredients and put them in between two crispy tortillas and I made my own quesadillas.

Quesadillas are fun because they give you the best parts of nachos in every bite.

For this recipe you will need to use the oven and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the oven or a knife by yourself you can have your mom or dad help.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  For this recipe you will need a cookie sheet, a microwaveable bowl, a large sauté pan, measuring
    cups and spoons, a spoon, a fork, a pancake turner, a spatula, a cutting board, and a knife.

Refried Beans: (This recipe will make 4-6 servings)

1 Can         Refried Beans, Fat Free, 15oz

1 tsp.         Butter

2 tsp.         Ground Cumin

1/4 Cup     Cheddar / Jack or Mexican Cheese Mix, Shredded

3.  Add All of your ingredients in a microwaveable bowl cover loosely and microwave for 2 minutes.

4.  Remove bowl from the microwave with a hot pad or dry towel.  Remove cover and mix well.

     Set beans aside for later.

Taco Meat: (This recipe will make 6-10 servings)

1 lb.          Ground Turkey Meat, you can also use beef or ground meat substitute.

1 packet    Taco Seasoning, lower sodium

5.  Heat your sauté pan on the stove on medium-high.  Spray the pan with pan spray.  Add the meat

     to the hot pan.  Using your spatula, gently chop the meat as it cooks.  Make sure to break all of the

     big pieces into small pieces.  Be careful not to touch the pan with your hands.  When the meat is not 

     pink anymore, add the taco seasoning, and 1/3 of a cup of water, and mix well.

     Let the meat cook for a few more minutes or until the water is almost gone.  Remove from the
     stove and set aside.
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 8 inch: (You will need 2 for each Quesadilla) 

6.  Pre-heat your oven to 425F.

7.  Put two tortillas on your cutting board and dock.
     -Docking is when you take a fork and poke a lot of holes in something.  Do not tear the tortillas,
      only pierce the skin.

8.  Put your tortillas on a cookie sheet and spray the top with pan spray.  Bake for 4 minutes.  If the
     tortillas balloon up just flatten them with your pancake turner.  Remove tortillas and put on the
     cutting board and let cool for a few minutes they will harden like chips.

9.  Spread 1/3 cup of refried beans on one of the tortillas.  Spread evenly all the way around.

10.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of taco meat on top of the refried beans.  Spread evenly over the beans.
11.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the taco meat.  Spread evenly over the meat.
12.  Take the other tortilla and put on top of the cheese and push down lightly.  Spray the top
       tortilla with pan spray.
13.  Repeat process and make two quesadillas in the oven at a time.  Bake Quesadillas on cookie sheet
       for 5 minutes.

14.  Remove the quesadillas from the cookie sheet and let cool on the cutting board.
15.  Cut into triangles and serve with whatever toppings you like.  Sour Cream, Salsa,
       Guacamole, Cheese Sauce, or whatever toppings you like.
       -You can also make your quesadillas with whatever ingredients you like, corn, black beans,
       chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, or whatever you like on your nachos.

Enjoy

ChefElla.

your favs of 2012

some old, some new, these are the 12 most viewed posts in 2012:
1. creamy tomato pasta [september 2010]
2. creamy mints [may 2011]
3. dr pepper cake [march 2010]
4. holiday shortbread cookies [december 2010]
5. brown sugar poundcakes with brown butter icing [april 2010]
6. electric lemonade [june 2010]
7. white layer cake with blackberry buttercream [august 2010]
8. the chewy: alton brown's chocolate chip cookie [march 2011]
9. chocolate peanut butter layer cake [march 2012]
10. baked's aunt sassy cake [pistachio cake with vanilla honey buttercream] [january 2011]
11. creamy barley with tomatoes, chicken, and spinach [march 2011]
12. baked's sweet & salty cake [january 2012]

Salad Stuffed Shells

I came across this recipe on AllRecipes the other day and had to make it right away!  What a clever idea, spooning chopped salad into large pasta shells.  It's also quick to make and pretty healthy.  These would make a great lunch or summer dinner, but I didn't want to wait that long and anyway it was in the 20s here today which is practically summer, right?

This is more of an idea than an actual recipe.  Make your favorite salad (with the salad and other ingredients chopped up), add dressing, and stuff it into pasta shells.  Feel free to follow this recipe, but you can really put in whatever you want!  Oh and if you decide you want leftovers, you can mix up the salad part on the first day, just make sure to only add the dressing to the portion you plan to serve right then.

Salad Stuffed Shells

20 large pasta shells (I suggest just cooking the entire 12 oz box since some will undoubtedly tear)
1/2 of a 10 oz bag pre-washed lettuce, chopped into slightly smaller than bite size pieces
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 C cooked, shredded, and cooled chicken
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
caesar salad dressing to taste (this recipe is our favorite, or you can use bottled)
6 T grated parmesan, divided

Cook pasta shells in a large pot of salted water, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water until shells are cold.  Drain well, then blot each shell dry.

While pasta cooks, combine salad ingredients, dressing, and 2 T of the parmesan.  When shells are ready, spoon some of the salad mixture into each one.  Arrange on plates and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Yield: 4 or 5 dinner sized servings

chicken cutlets with lemon oregano sauce

i don't know about you, but i go through what i call "kitchen ruts" where i find myself making pretty much the same dinners, sometimes with slight variations, for a couple weeks in a row. lack of time is what usually triggers them and we eat our default meals - those that we've made dozens of times before and are easy, quick, and delicious. when i finally got out of the last rut, this is one of the first dinners i made. and i should have made it sooner. there's something delicious that happens to lemon slices that are cooked underneath chicken. they almost disintegrate and loose enough of their tartness so they're edible, but not so much that you forget you're eating lemons. they're delicious. paired with carrots and rice, this made a great weeknight meal for us.

chicken cutlets with lemon oregano sauce
adapted from bon appetit
30 minutes, serves 4

1 lemon
3 large chicken breasts, split or 6 chicken cutlets
3 sprigs oregano
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

1. preheat your oven to 435F. thinly slice half of the lemon and cut the remaining half into wedges.
2. coat a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is browned, but not cooked all the way through, a few minutes on each side.
3. remove the pan from heat, place half of the lemon slices under the chicken pieces and the other half on top. transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
4. transfer chicken and lemon from under the chicken to a plate, leaving the lemon that was on top of the chicken in the pan. return the pan to medium heat. add the oregano, shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute.
5. add wine and cook until reduced by half. add the broth and cook until thickened. return chicken to skillet to warm. squeeze remaining lemon over the pan and serve with caramelized lemon.