You Can't Win 'Em All

Tonight I tried RR's Bacon, Leek and Tomato Soup and Nikki's Turkey burgers.  Burgers were awesome.  The soup was Ok.  I will spare you that recipe as it was pretty boring.  These turkey burgers are great and pretty easy.  Connor ate an entire burger and a half tonight!!!  He should sleep well :)

A little tip: those of you with the PC mini food chopper.  Try using it to "grate" the carrots and zucchini.  It comes a little course but is much easier than shredding and tastes just as good.

Turkey Burgers
1 lb ground turkey

1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form the mixture into patties.  

I baked the burgers on my PC stone at 400, 8 minutes each side and then broiled for 1 minute, flipped, placed cheese on and we were golden.

They are excellent on the grill...but in the winter this is a great alternative.

Best Sunday Chicken!!!

This is one of my latest concoctions.  It is my favorite dish I have made of recent.

Bare with me as it is my own, so amounts are dicey...

2lbs. Bone in Chicken (I used skinless legs and thighs)
drizzle of EVOO
salt and pepper
1/2 lb baby carrots
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic minced
3 red peppers, chopped
1 can muchrooms
1 large (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 cup red cooking wine
fresh basil

Make sure you start with a large deep pot.  Large enough for all chicken to fit in one layer on the bottom.  Salt and pepper the chicken.  Get EVOO hot in pot and add chicken.  Cook on each side about 5 minutes or until carmelized.  Once chicken is browned on each side remove from pan.

Add diced shallot to drippings in pot, add red pepper and carrots.  Once veggies start to soften add garlic.  Allow garlic to sweat a bit.  Add mushrooms.  Remove all veggies from pan and add chicken back in at the bottom in a single layer, pour veggies on top, add tomatoes and wine.  Allow to simmer.  Chop a decent amount of fresh basil and add to put.  Stir while leaving chicken on bottom.  Reduce hit to a low simmer.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes.

I served with rice and wine.  Enjoy!

Rachael Ray's Mexican Spaghetti

I felt like trying something new.  This sounds a little strange, but WOW this Rachael Ray recipe was great.  Totally different from the norm.  Great for those who like it hot, especially on these cold winter nights.  Andy and I loved it.  I must admit I had to give the kids mac n'cheese and veggie nuggets because this was way to spicy for them.  But it is a great adult meal.  Definitely not an easy weeknight meal though.  Special weekend meal as it take some time.



2 ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound fresh chorizo
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pasted (finely chopped then mashed with salt) or grated
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and pepper
2 pinches cinnamon
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 bottle Mexican beer (12 ounces), such as Dos Equis brand
1 pound spaghetti or whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup grated queso asadero, cotija or Jack cheese (a couple handfuls), plus more for passing at the table
Finely chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, for garnish

Simmer the peppers in the stock for 15 minutes, then puree the stock and softened peppers in a food processor.

Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and chorizo, brown for 12-15 minutes, then add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes more. Sprinkle in a little cinnamon, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the beer, stir a minute more, then add the stock and pepper puree. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring water to a boil for the spaghetti. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Heads up: save a cup of starchy cooking water just before draining. After you drain the pasta, toss it with the reserved water, half of the sauce and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.

Serve in bowls with extra sauce on top, garnished with more cheese, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

I will need to continue the bloggin later as the kids are awake.  I can hear Catelyn tormenting Connor by telling him that he is on the "naughty list".  I only have one more recipe to go and I am completely up to date...Yeehaw!

Black Bean Soup...Chili...whatever.

This dish is Andy's all time favorite.  He says it is chili.  I say it is soup.  What really is the difference?  It is great with homemade guacamole and quesadillas.  I made up the recipe after reading several.
I don't really have it written down or amounts, but here goes.

Saute some chopped carrots (2 large carrots), onion ( 1 large) , red pepper (1 pepper), and garlic (2 cloves) with a little salt and pepper and EVOO.

Puree 2 cans of black beans with liquid in a food processor.

Pour pureed beans into veggies. Add one additional can of black beans with liquid whole to mixture. Add a splash of white vinegar, add two cans of rotel. Add 1 tsp of ground cumin and 2 tbsp. chili powder. Add liquid smoke as desired. I put quite a bit in. Keep smelling and tasting it and adjusting to your tastes.  Add fresh cilantro.
Add boxed vegetable stock slowly trying to obtain the consistency you like (slightly thinner as it will cook off a bit). Keep extra stock on hand if needed later for thinning.

Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Be sure to stir it as the beans will seperate and burn to the bottom.

Laundry List of the Holiday Menu

Over Christmas I wanted to deliver homemade goods to all of our awesome neighbors.  I didn't want to do sweets as it just seems that we all have too many sweets as it is.  I had heard that they you can make Homemade Boursin Cheese.  We love Boursin and thought that it would be a great gift.  I had one recipe from the Pucketts.  But knowing me I have to read all the recipes available and then make it up myself.  I have to say that it tasted great, but the consistency was just not right.  I am still playing with it and will post the perfected recipe eventually.

In the meantime the neighbors enjoyed the cheese spread and it was a great addition to the Christmas festivities in our house.

I always wonder what people serve for Christmas.  It varies from family to family.  This was the menu in our house this year.

Grilled NY Strip Steaks with Boursin
Boursin Twice Baked Potatoes (Cool trick- use your cupcake decorator to pipe the potatoes back into the spud...looks so pretty)
Lemon Pepper Asparagus
Coquilles St. Jacques
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mushrooms and Onions
Sticky Toffee Pudding with hot custard

It was all delish!

On New Years Day we had the traditional Pork and Kraut.  I always crock mine with salt pepper onions and a bit of rice.  The rice gives it a really different consistency and then I usually don't make potatoes.  Although this year I did for Courtney.  She claims my potatoes are the best.

Funny thoughts

Over the Christmas break we were all sick.  In this time we watched more movies than I care to admit.  One of which was Julie and Julia.  I loved the movie!  It was too cute!  And I watched it twice.  I did find it comical that she was blogging her journey.  I had no idea that that was a portion of the story.

As I am sitting here bloggin away and watching Rachael Ray I here that a woman is cooking one Rachael Ray recipe each day for the next year.  I like Rachael Ray alot.  Especially her daytime show.  Actually I can't stand her Food network shows and I have 2 of her cookbooks and haven't found that much in them.  But I DVR her daytime show and FFWD to the cooking segment.  It is a quick 10 minute deal that is usually pretty good.

Finally the picture posted today is for Andy L.  He was in charge of creating shrimp platters for the holidays.  His creativity is obvious.  Who thinks to salt the cocktail sauce dish with Old Bay...gotta love him!

Christmas Cookies

We consumed our share of Christmas Cookies this year.  Catelyn and I had one major baking day.  We made Russian Tea Cakes, Spritz Cookies, and Dutch Chocolate Cookies (like the Archway Cookies from your childhood).

I picked these three because they were pretty easy, a variety of colors/tastes, and minimal mess (I am OCD and baking with my daughter is a recipe for disaster if I pick the wrong thing.)

The Russian Tea Cakes are by far my favorite.  This recipe is my Uncle Frank's.  My Uncle Frank (Valentine DeAmiches) was a wonderful inspiration in my life, not to mention a phenomenal Italian cook!  His cookies were a favorite holiday staple.

Russian Tea Cakes:
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and roll into balls.  Bake at 400 for 12 minutes or until firm.  Cool and roll in powdered sugar.

Spritz Cookies:
1 1/2 cups of softened butter
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Beat butter.  Add one cup flour, add sugar, egg, baking soda, vanilla, almond extract.  Beat well and add remaining flour.

Fill cookie press with unchilled dough.  Force unchilled dough onto cookie sheet. 

Bake at 375 8-10 minutes.  Cool.

Dutch Chocolate Cookies:
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cup sugar

Cream butters and margarine.

3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cup flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Add to creamed mixture and blend.

Roll into balls.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Bake at 350 8-10 min.  Cool.