snack

done.

Triple Summer Berry Pie

No summer is complete without this pie. And with an abundance of berries at Costco, it's an easy dessert in under an hour. BUT and this is the part that I am sure to forget the first 2 times I make a recipe like this...it has to chill for 3 hours. I made it the night before a 4th of July party and the only problem was that there was not enough for second helpings. You could make it super-fast if you (ahem) buy a pre-made (eye roll) graham cracker crust. I mean pie crust is hard, but graham cracker crust is uber-easy, even my 7 year old can do it. Like 99.9% of my recipes, this is a tried and true favorite from the Cooks' Illustrated folks. I even took this picture myself. Of course, I had to brush away all of the crumbs, silly bandz, pixos, and old macaroni first.

Triple Summer Berry Pie

For the crust:
9 graham crackers
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter melted

For the filling:
2 cups raspberries
2 cups blackberries
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1 T lemon juice
2 T red currant jelly which I never have, so I used Welch's grape jelly last time. I've also used strawberry, apple, etc. whatever I have.

For the topping:
To be honest, I've never made the topping. This pie is too damn good without it. Why ruin it? But here goes for the over-acheivers in the group...
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 T sugar
1 t vanilla

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325. Process graham crackers in a food processor. Add sugar and pulse. Add butter in a stream and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Put crumbs in a 9" glass pie plate, form the crust. Dang, that's the hard part. Use a flat bottom glass. Bake 15-18 min.

For the filling:
Rinse and dry berries. Mix 'em all together, then measure out 2 1/2 cups and put them in your food processor. Yes, you should wash the butter crumbs out first. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the berries for 1 minute. Strain the puree through a mesh sieve into a saucepan. You should have about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of thick seed-free juice. Whisk sugar and cornstarch into puree to combine. Bring puree to boil over medium heat stirring constantly. When it resembles dark purple pudding, remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt. Cool slightly while you heat jelly til melted (30 sec. in the microwave should do it). Toss remaining berries with jelly.
Pour puree into pie shell. Top with shiny, sticky berries and chill 3 hours.

My hand-written copy of this recipe stops here, but I'm guessing you would mix all of the topping ingredients in a pre-chilled stainless steel bowl with an electric mixer until it forms peaks. Soft or stiff...your guess is as good as mine. Enjoy!

nana's chicken and rice

If you just need some good comfort food try this recipe of Zach's Grandmother Weisse (aka Nana). She had 13 kids so she learned how to cook on a low budget and make easy dishes that would feed a lot of people. This is really simple, but you can do a few things to spice it up if you want.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken (I use full Breasts)--use as much as you want

1 can Cream of Mushroom

2 can Cream of Celery

1 packet of dry Onion Soup Mix

1 can water (or 1 1/2 cans for larger meal)

1 cup rice (or 1 1/2 rice for larger meal)

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Mix all ingredients (except chicken)

2.) Place in a greased pan

3.) Place chicken on top and cover a little with the rest of the ingredients.

4.) Cover with Foil. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Notes: I didn't have the soup mix so I just put in about 3/4 a cup of chopped onions. I had a bunch of mushrooms that I needed to use up so I diced those and threw them in too. You can fuss with the recipe however you want and it will still turn out pretty good. I served this with asparagus, but green beans or another green veggie would be good too.

they draw and cook

i love this new food blog i just found and thought i would share.

allie, christine, john..?  which of you artistic chefs wants to join their efforts?

following suit...

*photo from sunday suppers.

ok, so sara requested a menu call and no one answered.
come on, ladies, let's help each other out.
nothing like some simple suggestions to get you inspired...
i was hesitant to respond, as i knew this week would be a little lame for me (coming off of vacation and sickness), but i figured if i posted my "nothing special" menu, maybe others would follow suit...

monday night - we got back from california late friday night and i spent the rest of the weekend super sick and by monday i still couldn't pull it together to get to the store.  plus, pete teaches catechism on monday nights, so he is never home for dinner.  i made waffles.  needless to say, it was a big hit.  how's that to start off my menu call.

tuesday night - spaghetti (confession: i still hadn't gone to the store, so this was what we had on hand...)

wednesday night - cauliflower soup and cheese toasts with green beans on the side (random, i realize, but at the store today lucy was so excited to buy green beans and make them immediately...  i am surprised i talked her out of having them for lunch).  it is cloudy and possibly going to rain here tonight, so i couldn't help but jump on making soup, as it might be our last chilly evening for a very, very long time.

thursday night - gyros.  not sure what i am going to make with them yet.  any suggestions?

friday night - bbq pulled pork with baked potatoes.  also, lucy's request.  the second we hit the produce section at the grocery store, she is desperate for green beans, russet potatoes and blueberries.  this is a super easy meal, as i make the pork in the crock pot and baked potatoes are about as easy as they come.

so, there you have it.  nothing special.
now its your turn.
inspire me, please.  as you can see, i could definitely use it.
and, i think, pete would truly appreciate it.

and, thank you, thank you, sara.  your menu looks much more delicious than mine.
i will definitely be adding that pasta lagardo to my menu next week.  mmmm...

Menu Call

OK, I think we all need to get back to posting over here!! Here's my menu for the week, nothing fancy, but give me some new ideas!
Tues: Chicken and Dumplings

Wed: Pasta Lagardo (we named this after Tommy and Kathleen Lagarde made it for us in North Carolina 3 years ago) It's become a favorite.

Thurs: Greek Chicken Cutlets

Fri: a spring risotto, maybe with shrimp, asparagus...

Potatoes Supreme

Since I remembered to take pictures this time and they don't look too disgusting, I thought it was about time I shared something again. Zach's mom gets mad at me when I make them because she says they are too fattening, but I say that I a sure sign that they are delicious! Basically, it is just mashed potatoes that you throw lots of good stuff into and then bake.

Here are the basic instructions:

• Peel and Cube about 6 medium potatoes. Boil them until tender and then mash.
• Then add some variation of the following: 2 cups sour cream, as much butter as you like, tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 2 cups cheese, 1/2 to 1 cup of green onions, and sprinkle with Paprika
• Put in a casserole dish and then top with 2 cups crushed corn flakes and drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

My little masher.

The final product pre-oven.
Enjoyed.

a new salad

i love finding new inspiration for salads and recently my mother-in-law made a delicious one.  it is nothing i would have ever thought to put in a salad, but it all tasted so good together.  she served it with grilled salmon and the whole meal was fabulous.

ingredients:
romaine hearts, chopped
baby arugula
corn (fresh, if you can get it, otherwise you can use what you have)
dried cranberries
pepitas
parmesan, shredded
ranch dressing (she said it actually calls for trader joe's parmesan ranch, but she didn't have any on hand, so she just added parmesan and used regular ranch).
(bev also said the actual recipe calls for some baby pasta, but i didn't get the details on that.  and i kind of doubt i will be able to rope bev into posting anything... perhaps she will leave a comment?)

i definitely recommend it.  i think i just might be making it this week myself.

pink meringue cupcakes with raspberry curd

for valentine's day we had the speiers over for dinner.  the menfolk grilled steak (which allie made a delicious italian peppercorn sauce for... perhaps she will share) and i made cauliflower soup and spinach salad.  it was all delicious.  and for dessert i made these tasty (and pretty... although not quite as pretty as martha's, i still thought they looked lovely) little cupcakes.  thank you again, martha stewart.

ingredients:

Makes 1 dozen

• Vegetable oil cooking spray, for baking cups
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• Gel-paste food coloring in Tulip Red (sugarcraft.com)
• 2 cups creme fraiche
• 1 container (6 ounces) raspberries, halved if large
• Raspberry Curd

directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line every other cup of 2 nonstick 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups; coat with cooking spray. Whisk egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, and salt with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, making sure the sugar dissolves. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in 6 drops food coloring.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a plain coupler (no tip), and pipe into prepared baking cups, about 2 inches above rims, finishing with a peak in the centers. Bake, rotating halfway through, 3 to 3 hours and 20 minutes. (Cupcakes should be completely dry on the outside but still soft in the middle. A toothpick inserted horizontally at base of top should have moist but cooked crumbs attached.) Transfer cupcakes in baking cups to wire racks; let cool completely.

Beat creme fraiche and remaining cup sugar in a clean mixer bowl on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Carefully slice off tops of cupcakes using a serrated knife. (Run the knife just above the liner and slowly work your way to the center.) Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons raspberry curd, a few raspberries, and 2 tablespoons creme fraiche mixture. Replace tops, and serve immediately.

raspberry curd:

ingredients:

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 container (6 ounces) raspberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

directions:

Whisk all ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until slightly thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain; refrigerate until cold and thick.

Chicken stew and Focaccia.

I have been a total Pots and Peter Pans slacker lately, so I'm answering Emily's query. Here's what I made for dinner last night.

Crock Pot chicken Stew:

3-4 large yukon gold potatoes chopped

2 cups of chopped carrots

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 chicken breasts

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper (or Tony's) to taste

4 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup torn basil

1/2 cup shredded asiago

Throw everything but the last three ingredients in the crock pot and let it do its magic all day. A few minutes before you are ready to eat, add the spinach. When it is nicely wilted, garnish with basil and asiago.

I tried out the Pioneer Woman's pizza dough recipe for the focaccia (or pizza bianca: whatever you call it.) the recipe's lack of kneading struck me as odd, and I thought the flavor was great and the texture was fine for focaccia, but not chewy enough for pizza...maybe the dough would benefit from some kneading. If anyone has a good tried-and-true pizza dough recipe PLEASE post it...I have never found one I really love. Anyway, I just spread the dough out on a greased sheet pan, brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled it with chopped fresh rosemary from my backyard and sea salt.

OK...so I'm passing it on...what's on your menu this week?

cauliflower soup

so, this post is kind of a cheat, as i am stealing the pictures and recipe from another site (one of the prettiest recipe sites i have found), sunday suppers.  i could honestly stare at the pictures on this blog all day, they are so beautiful.  they also do reviews of little markets, delis and restaurants in NY, which is always fun to see as well.  i made this soup on valentine's day and it is delicious.  i am already dreaming of making it again.

Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4

1 head cauliflower, separated in to medium size pieces
1 onion, diced
3 c chicken stock
¼ c heavy cream (allie speier told me she made it with milk and said it is still delicious)
3 sage leaves
salt and pepper

Boil cauliflower florets in chicken stock until soft. Sautee onions separately and add to cauliflower mixture. Add cream, sage salt and pepper and reduce by half.
Remove sage leaves and add cream mixture to blender. Puree on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chive oil and parmesan crisp.

Parmesan Crisps
Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Place tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese on parchment and spread each out with a spoon into small flat circles. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes.

Chive Oil

Blanch 2 bunches of chives, Dry on paper towels. Blend in a blender with 1 cup of good olive oil. Strain through a fine sieve.

so, what is on everyone's menu for the week?  

flaky brown sugar (pop) tarts

this recipe was born of christine's and my childhood love for brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts with NO frosting, my desire to bake something last thursday and my obsession with the book once upon a tart.  to top it all off, my sister had left vegetable shortening in my fridge (which i never buy... this was actually my first time ever using it), thus creating one of those "meant to be" kind of mornings.  if you do not own this book, i absolutely recommend it.  it is full of all sorts of buttery goodness (also, delicious soups, salads and sandwiches).

*this is the flaky tart crust recipe from this book (these scones are also from there), but as far as the filling for these, you will just have to make up your own little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon combo because i have no recollection of how much we used of each.  i am sure you cannot go wrong with any combination of those three things, however.  now brace yourself for another recipe with massive amounts of butter (and shortening)...*

Flaky Tart Crust (makes enough for two 9-inch tart crusts)

- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

- 5 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

- small glass of ice water

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.  dump flour, sugar and salt into bowl of a food processor and pulse.

2. add butter and shortening all at once and pulse 5 to 10 times until it resembles moist crumbs and no chunks of butter or shortening remain. (they are very strict about the fact that you "pulse" not "run" your food processor).

3. dump crumbs into a big bowl.  sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ice water over the surface of the crumbs.

4. use your hands to bring the dough together.  add more water if you have to, 1 tablespoon at a time.  the dough should be just past crumbly and just barely coming together.  you don't want it to be so wet that it sticks.

5. cut the dough in half (if you are making a regular tart with this recipe, each half is enough for a 9 inch tart pan), press each into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.  refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

6. on a floured surface, roll out disk of dough as thinly as you can.  cut same-size shapes out of dough.  we used a round tart cutter for some, but they looked so much like silly little raviolis, that we decided to just hand-cut our own little rectangles, to more resemble pop tarts.  they would also be very cute in heart shapes for valentine's day...

7. place the first layer of each tart on a baking sheet (we lined ours with parchment paper) and plop a little of your filling (whatever it may be... it would probably also be really delicious with some sort of strawberry preserves to further the valentine's theme) in the middle of each.  then place the top layer of each tart on top of the filling and use a fork to press around all sides.   poke holes in the top of each with your fork.  at this point, you might want to brush the edges with an egg so as to keep them completely pressed, seeing as ours oozed a little, but either way they still come out delicious.  bake until brown around the edges (maybe 15 minutes?  i don't really remember...  just sit close by with your coffee and a good book, magazine, etc. and keep an eye on the first batch).

Jessica's Pot Roast

We call this "Jessica's" because she first made it for us after I had Sam, and it was one of those amazing dinners that tastes so good you almost die. Also, I have to distinguish it from my typical/ordinary pot roast that just involves a packet of onion soup mixed with a can of mushroom soup, slathered on the meat and roasted for several hours. But that one is also delicious. Anyway, it seems like pot roast time around here... so this is what we're having for dinner tonight. And I don't even have a slow cooker/crock pot. I just throw it all in a lidded pot and cook it in the oven for 6-7 hours at 250 or so. Mmmmm... its starting to smell good already. Try it with mashed potatoes or polenta on the side.

Country-Style Pot Roast with Gravy

Adapted from “Cook’s Country”

Cook’s Country Note: If you can’t find a large 5 1/2- to 6-pound chuck roast, use two 3-pound roasts.

* 1 large boneless beef chuck roast (5 1/2-6 pounds), tied
* Salt and pepper
* 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 3 medium onions, chopped
* 1 large celery rib, chopped
* 4 medium carrots, chopped
* 6 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 cup red wine
* 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Liberally season roast with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer roast to slow cooker.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet, along with onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. Increase heat to high. Add red wine to empty skillet, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth, and bring to a boil. Add pepper flakes, bay leaves and thyme. Transfer to slow cooker.

4. Set slow cooker to high, cover, and cook until tender, 6 to 7 hours. Or, cook on low for 9 to 10 hours. (Check the temperature with a meat thermometer about 2 hours before the roast is supposed to be done to prevent overcooking. It will be well done at 160 degrees F.)

5. Transfer roast to carving board; loosely tent with foil to keep warm. Discard bay leaves. Allow liquid in pot to settle, about 5 minutes, then use wide spoon to skim fat off surface. Puree liquids and solids in batches in blender or food processor. (Or, use an immersion blender.) Stir in parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Remove strings from roast and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer meat to serving platter. Pour about 1 cup gravy over meat. Serve, passing more gravy separately.

NOTE ON REDUCING RECIPE: If you cut this recipe in half, be sure to reduce your slow-cooker time to about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

coco mint cookies

So I have not tried this recepie yet, but I have tasted them. The recepie is from Urban Cookies in Phoenix....some friends of ours who have the cutest place across the street from Xavier HS. Anyhow, I just live for these cookies and dream about them. I asked for them for Christmas even. Just the other day I was thinking I should beg them to give me the recepie, but surely they wouldnt. To my surprise I went on AZ Central's website and they had local cookie recepies noted. Yippee!

I just hope mine turn out as lovely and delicious as theirs! Thanks for sharing Urban Cookies!

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint oil or extract

1 egg

2 egg whites

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

For coating: Granulated sugar and Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl with hand beater or a mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and peppermint extract on medium-high speed until everything is well-blended. Add egg and egg whites to bowl. Mix on medium speed until eggs are fully mixed into the sugar mixture.

Sift cocoa powder.

Warm milk in microwave for 30 seconds. Add cocoa powder to the bowl on low speed. Mix until fully incorporated. Stream the milk into the mixture on low speed. Stop and scrape the bowl.

Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl on low speed. Once incorporated, increase speed to medium for 30 seconds.

Refrigerate dough for 2 hours or until stiff. Using an ice-cream scoop, make evenly sized portions of dough, or roll dough into balls, about 3 ounces each, using hands. Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar until completely covered. Next, roll the dough ball in powdered sugar. Make sure it is completely coated with no brown showing. Place on cookie sheet with a non-stick surface or covered with parchment paper. Bake about 25 minutes, or until done. For crispier cookie, bake longer.

Makes 1 dozen.

The Best Holiday Cranberry Relish

My name is Jessica and I have an addiction to cranberries. Sweet, sour, and so much vitamin C!


I found this New England Cranberry Relish recipe in the Chicago Tribune at least a decade ago.



Wonderful Fact Number One: You don't have to cook anything.

Wonderful Fact Number Two: This recipe can be made up to 3 weeks ahead! If you can keep from eating it for 3 weeks. Ideally, it's supposed to be made at least 4 days in advance. But we had it on Thanksgiving and don't tell anyone, but I only made it 3 days in advance. Actually, I didn't make it, my 12 year old did. Even better.
Wonderful Fact Number Three: My dear friend, Rose makes this every year and calls me on that day.

Terrible Fact: Cranberries aren't even sold in Chicago before October, which is too bad because soon I will post Aunt Deb's Amazing Cranberry Salsa that will knock your socks off. But you can't make it in September.

New England Cranberry Relish

Prep time: 15 minutes
Yield: 20-24 servings, 4 cups

Serve the relish with poultry, game, pork, ham and lamb. Mix with mayonnaise for a flavorful sandwich spread.

1 bag (12oz) cranberries
1 red apple, cored, cut into 1-inch wedges (We used a granny smith. Shh.)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup NOT PANCAKE SYRUP.
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup pecans

Put cranberries, apple, sugar, syrup, cinnamon, and cloves in food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse processor on/off to chop ingredients, stopping every few pulses to avoid over-chopping. The texture should not be too fine. Scatter pecans over mixture; pulse until coarsely chopped. Make at least 4 days ahead. Can be kept up to 2-3 weeks, refrigerated.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops with Polenta

I am actually posting something again! Emily, aren't you impressed? This is a sure sign that my play is over and my semester is coming to a close. Don't count on another one for quite sometime though because I will be moving soon and the holidays will hit us pretty fast here. Zach actually picked out this recipe because he loves to grill meat. They turned out really great, but I want to see if it would be good just doing it in the oven instead of on the grill (that way I won't need Zach's help... I really should learn how to use it I guess). Next time I may experiment with that. If anyone else decides to try them in the oven, let us all know how it goes.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork ChopsPrep: 25 Minutes, Grill: 35 MinutesMakes 4 Servings (we made it into 6)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms (button, chanterelle, or shiitake... we used portabello)1/4 cup chopped onion1 tablespoon butter or margarine1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach1/4 cup soft bread crumbs4 pork loin chops or pork rib chops, cut 1 1/4 inches think (we got them cut by the butcher)1/4 cup ginger jelly or preserves or orange marmalade (we left this out, but it probably keeps it more tender)
1. For stuffing, in a small saucepan cook mushrooms and onion in hot better until onion is tender. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in ginger, salt, and pepper. Add spinach and bread crumbs, tossing gently until combined.2. Trim fat from chops. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting horizontally from the fat side almost to the bone. Spoon one-forth of the stuffing into each pocket. Secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chops with additional salt and pepper.3. For charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chops on grill rack over pan. Cover; grill fro 35 to 40 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in center and juices run clear (160 degrees F) turning once, brushing occasionally with ginger jelly during the last 5 minutes of grilling (For gas grill, preheat. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above)
*Compliments of Better Homes and Gardens New Grilling Cookbook

Polenta With Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Slowly whisk in the polenta.
3. Add the salt and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Mix well.
5. Serve immediately.

Note: These directions did not say to turn down the heat, but I did anyway after I whisked in the Polenta. Even with the heat on Medium the Polenta started spitting out of the pot at me. I took it off the heat completely and then just put it back on simmer and it turned out fine. Also, one cup of Polenta should be 4 servings.

Giardiniera

This is one of those tasty treats you can get in Chicago, but it's hard to find elsewhere. A few years ago I found a recipe in the paper and we've made it a few times - the homemade version is even better than the jars you can get at the store. It is great on sandwiches or nachos.


Preparation time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 2 1/2 days
Yield: 3 cups

6 jalapenos, thinly sliced (I usually only do 3 so it's not too spicy)
2 each, diced: green and red bell peppers
1 each, diced: celery rib, carrot, yellow onion
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped stuffed green olives (I usually omit)
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup each: apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine the jalapenos, bell peppers, celery, carrot, onion and cauliflower florets in a large bowl; stir in the salt. Add cold water to cover vegetables; cover bowl. Refrigerate 12 hours. Drain salt water; rinse vegetables. Set aside in the bowl.
2. Combine the garlic, olives, oregano, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and black pepper to taste in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Pour the vinegar into a medium bowl; whisk in the seasonings. Whisk in the olive oil. Pour over the vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cover;refrigerate at least 48 hours before using. The giardiniera will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Fingers

This is a 2 step process.
Step 1 - find a wonderful 11 year old girl who loves to help make dinner.
Step 2 - take pictures of her while she makes this recipe:

Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 18)
* 3 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
* 3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic with the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and then the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small serving bowl.

Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken tenders and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken tenders to a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside for dipping.

afternoon snack (or lunch)

good bread (this was a loaf of french bread), cream cheese, avocado and tomatoes.  sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  enjoy.

tomato soup and grilled cheese

i used the following recipe to make tomato soup the other night at jack's request.  i altered it based on ingredients i already had, so as to avoid a trip to the store and i think it still turned out delicious (i actually prefer basil to thyme, so i might have made that substitution anyway).  the kids all loved it and especially loved dipping their grilled cheese in it.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. plum tomatoes, cored and halved (i used canned tomatoes and was able to completely skip roasting them, although i am sure that is the tastier way to go...  i was going for quick and convenient).  
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs  (i used chopped basil instead)
• 4 garlic cloves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 5 Tbs. olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    cheese (optional)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 4 slices country-style bread, toasted (we made grilled cheese instead of toast)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 275°F.

Arrange the tomato halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Scatter the thyme sprigs and garlic on top of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Roast until the tomatoes have dried slightly and some of the skins have burst, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, stir together the mascarpone and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pass the roasted tomatoes through a tomato press according to the manufacturers instructions. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, stock and bread and simmer for 5 minutes.

Using a stick blender or blender, puree the soup and season with salt and pepper. Divide the soup among 6 warmed soup bowls and top each with a dollop of the cheese mixture.

Serves 6.

sorry to be kind of a cheater by not following the recipe and make it more confusing by still posting it.  i figured there might be people who likes to follow recipes more exactly.  otherwise, just make any tomato soup recipe you love.