Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe adapted from: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers
Soup
1 c coconut milk
1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 c broth (vegetable or chicken)
4 c peeled, seeded, and chopped butternut squash
1 lime
3 c baby spinach, washed and dried
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Place the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth into a large dutch oven. Whisk ingredients together. Add squash, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until squash is tender. Remove from heat for a few minutes to allow the soup to cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to puree.
Place back over heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the juice and zest from the lime and stir. Finally, add the spinach and the tofu (see recipe below), and heat until the spinach is just wilted.
Serve garnished with some fresh cilantro.

Pan Fried Tofu
8 oz extra firm tofu, drained well, and cut into small cubes
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbs olive oil

Whisk the soy sauce and curry paste together in a large shallow bowl. Toss the tofu in the soy sauce mixture. Heat a cast iron skillet with the olive oil, over medium to high heat. Once hot, add the tofu. Cook about 5-10 minutes, turning very occasionally so that the tofu brown significantly and gets crispy.

This meal was fabulous! The soup had so many wonderful flavors. D and I agreed that you could really taste the coconut, the lime, the spinach, and the curry so distinctly. The overall flavor was somewhat sweet, and I assume it would have been more spicy if I had added more curry paste. But, I really loved it just the way it was! The tofu was absolutely phenomenal. The texture was perfect, and the flavor was really great as well. And, the best part was that it remained firm and crispy even in the soup. I will definitely make this tofu on its own in the future, and D thought it would taste great on a salad...I agree.

J tried a tiny piece of the tofu, and took a couple bites of the soup, so I was pretty happy about both of those things! I served the soup with a sliced baguette. It may sound like a slightly strange accompaniment to a Thai soup, but it worked really well, and tasted great dipped in the soup. To top this meal off, it couldn't have been simpler to make. I was even able to put it together while J played next to me. This soup will certainly be making another appearance in the future.

Asparagus Fennel Risotto

Adapted from a Mario Batali Recipe
3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
2 tbs olive oil
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced and cut into 1" chunks
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 Arborio rice
1 c broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 tbs butter
3/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper

Place about 3 qts of water in a pot to boil on the stove. Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus. Once boiling, add the asparagus, and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove the asparagus out of the water quickly, and place into a bowl of ice water to blanch. Retain the asparagus cooking water, and keep over low heat.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. Once heated, add the onion and saute for about 4 minutes. Add the fennel, and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until it just begins to soften. Add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, or until the rice begins to turn opaque.
In a small sauce pan, heat the broth to a simmer. Add the broth to the rice mixture, and stir constantly.
Once the broth is largely absorbed, add some of the heated asparagus water to the rice mixture, one ladle at a time. It is important to retain the liquid level just below the level of the rice for the first 15 minutes of cooking, while stirring constantly. This prevents the rice from drying out. Continue to add the asparagus liquid, one ladle at a time, cooking until the rice has absorbed the liquid some. After about 20-25 minutes, the rice should be cooked through, but al dente. Ad this point, stop adding more liquid and cook until almost all the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat, stir in asparagus, butter, parmesan cheese, and parsley.
Season with freshly ground pepper, and garnish with additional parsley as desired.

This meal was fabulous! The risotto was so rich and creamy, and the rice was cooked just perfectly. The asparagus and fennel lent to a wonderfully warm and fresh flavor combination. Even J ate some! D and I both agreed that this was one of my best risottos yet! I have never added any butter to risotto before, but the result was incredible. Adding just the perfect amount of richness and creaminess to the dish. Yum!

Food for Thought: Risotto describes rice that is cooked in a broth until it is very creamy. Traditionally in Italy, risotto is served as an appetizer or accompaniment to a main dish. It can be vegetarian, meat-based, fish-based, etc. Arborio rice is the most commonly used type of rice, however, carnaroli rice is also used. Risotto is wonderfully hearty in the wintertime, or it can be fresh and lighter when made to be more spring-like. Since there are so many options, risotto is a wonderful springboard for many fabulous meals!

Chicken Fingers and Sweet Potato Fries

Chicken Fingers
3/4 lb chicken tenders
1 c all purpose flour
1 c buttermilk
1 1/2 c breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Place the flour in a large shallow bowl, the buttermilk in a second, and the remaining ingredients (minus the chicken) in a third. Dredge the chicken tenders into the flour, follow with the buttermilk, and finally coat with the bread crumb mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 heaping tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with the chicken fingers.

Sweet Potato Fries
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2" wide strips
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the potatoes with the oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, turn, and continue to bake until the potatoes begin to brown in spots and get crispy (about 45 minutes-1 hr total).

Tonight's dinner was yet another attempt of mine to get J to eat some meat and vegetables:) I thought I'd try to do a homemade version of every kid's favorite: chicken fingers and fries. Plus, D and I really enjoy the meal as well. I love how the sweet potatoes almost get caramely in spots, and D and I can't get enough of this dipping sauce. Yum! I'm proud to report that J ate some of the sweet potato fries (definitely a victory!), and he had a bite or so of chicken. He rounded out his meal with some other things, but overall, I was pretty glad that he actually put some of it into his mouth!

Baking both the chicken and the fries makes for a much healthier meal than the usual fried counterparts. I find that using the flour-buttermilk-breadcrumbs combination actually leads to a tender that is legitimately crunchy on the outside, while being very moist on the inside. This is certainly a meal fit for kids, and their parents!

Shrimp Scampi

3 tbs olive oil
3/4 lb peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c white wine (dry, Chardonnay is good)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tbs butter
3/4 lb spaghetti
1/2 c parsley, chopped

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, salt the water, and cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, place the oil into a large skillet. Once hot, add the shrimp and saute for about 2 minutes per side, or until just pinked through. Remove shrimp from pan, and set aside.
Add the garlic, and saute for about a minute. Next, add the red pepper flakes, lemon juice, wine, salt, and pepper. Heat over high heat for about 4 minutes, or until it begins to reduce. Add the butter and the shrimp and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in a generous 1/4 c of the parsley.
Drain the pasta, and place into a large bowl. Toss the pasta with the shrimp and the sauce from the saute pan. Serve topped with a sprinkling of parsley and some parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

This meal was surprisingly easy, fresh, fast, and absolutely delicious. The major problem was that the local fish market did not have raw peeled and deveined shrimp, so unfortunately, I had to do the honors. That was the most time consuming, and somewhat gross part of the meal! The flavors were all so fresh and unadulterated, and I am proud to say that my pasta was perfectly al dente. D very much enjoyed this shrimp scampi as well. J certainly enjoyed the spaghetti, but refused to try any of the shrimp...surprise, surprise!

Food for Thought: It turns out that the term "scampi" is actually a somewhat confusing one! In many cultures, "scampi" refers to the preparation, such as the one I've made for dinner tonight. Whereas, in other cultures, it appears that "scampi" stands for either shrimp or in some cases lobster!

Black Bean Burgers

I have been thinking about making a new vegetable burger for a while now, and I wanted something that would be really simple to make. Since D was working another late night tonight, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe for black bean burgers. The recipe originally hails from Gourmet magazine.

I followed the recipe almost exactly, but I omitted the cayenne pepper to make these more J-friendly, and I lightly hand-mashed the second can of black beans before stirring it into the processed black bean mixture. The burgers were filled with flavor, and were definitely "meaty". I served them with some guacamole, and lettuce (for crunch). I think a tomato slice would have really rounded it out nicely, but unfortunately, we didn't have any tomatoes. My only complaint, which is almost always my complaint with homemade veggie burgers, is that the consistency was rather soft. This being said however, my burger actually stayed within the bun while I ate it, and D's did as well. He enjoyed his too, and we have a couple leftover for lunch tomorrow, which is always a bonus. J definitely liked the bun more than he liked the burger, but that was to be expected!

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

1 c old-fashioned oats
1 c whole milk
2 large ripe bananas
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbs wheat germ
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Place the oats and milk in a large bowl, and let them sit for about 15 minutes to soften.
Meanwhile, mash the bananas, and add them to the oat mixture, along with the eggs, wheat germ, and cinnamon.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the banana-oat mixture and mix well.
Preheat a griddle with a light coating of oil or butter. Add about 1/4 c of the batter to the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles begin to show through, flip, and cook through.
This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetite 1997.

This is another attempt on my part to get more fruit into J! He hasn't been into eating bananas much at all lately, so when I stumbled upon this recipe, it seemed perfect. And, let me tell you, these were a total hit with the little man! The pancakes are VERY thick and hearty, and would go really well with some berries and jam as a topping. Or maybe even a cinnamon-butter topping, if you were going to be really bad;)

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup...Take 2!

Today was the first day that I felt we had made a complete return to the real world post J's illness. It felt wonderful, and I knew that I'd be able to get this meal on the table for the entire family to sit down and eat together. Plus, J loved watching me use my immersion blender!

It's been absolutely frigid here these past few days, and what better way to warm up than by having soup for dinner? This is the second time that I've made this butternut squash and apple soup, a recipe courtesy of my friend R. It was just as good as I remembered it being, but this time I added a bit more nutmeg, and some freshly ground pepper. In addition, I served the soup with a dollop of sour cream, which balanced out the soup's sweetness perfectly. While at the store, I also discovered that Terra Chips makes a "Terra Sticks" version, so these chip strips went into the soup perfectly. D completely agreed. And, to top this meal off perfectly, J actually ate some of the soup!

Sourdough Waffles...for Dinner, again!

Today felt like the longest day ever, and one of the worst as well! We're on day 5 of a sick little one, with a fever and all around misery. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be anything easily treatable, and seems to be an evil virus that has to take its course. This makes for one crabby kid, and one exhausted mama! At least I had made the overnight sponge for sourdough waffles last night. This meant that I was able to actually make the waffles for dinner, while holding one sad baby on my hip...talk about multitasking. I served the waffles with chicken apple sausage to give it a bit of protein. Even though the meal was a trying one, the waffles were perfectly delicious. D and J agreed. Here's hoping tonight is peaceful, and tomorrow brings a better and healthier day!

Spinach Cannelloni

Cannelloni
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 1/2 c ricotta cheese
1 c parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pkg "manicotti" noodles, cooked al dente
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Tomato Sauce
2 tbs olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mix the spinach, ricotta, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the olive oil into a medium sized sauce pot and heat. Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the tomatoes and the spices and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Carefully stuff the manicotti noodles with the spinach-cheese mixture using a small spoon. Place the stuffed noodles into a large lasagna pan (baking dish). Continue stuffing all the noodles until all the filling and noodles have been used. Top the stuffed tubes with the sauce. Finish by topping with the mozzarella cheese, and place into the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

The past two days seem to be filled with tube-shaped starches stuffed with delicious things and topped with cheese! This wasn't my intention, but with the switching of the dinner schedule due to the sick baby (who's still sick, by the way), it ended up this way. Neither D nor I were complaining though because this cannelloni was just as delicious as the enchiladas!

For some reason, this recipe brings me back to my childhood. This was one of the favorite meals my mom used to make, and I remember using a strange frosting-tipped container to fill the manicotti noodles with my mom.

This recipe is very similar to my spinach lasagna, although instead of layered sheets of pasta and filling, it's just nice little tubular packages. The spinach really helps to add flavor and flush out the filling, and let's face it, nothing can top melted mozzarella cheese! And, to make this night even better, D was actually home from work well before 7pm. It felt like a small miracle. Too bad J was still feeling pretty bad:( Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow...

Food for Thought: Most people erroneously call cannelloni "manicotti", and I have to admit to being guilty of this sin for a long, long time! It turns out that cannelloni describes a pre-rolled pasta that is filled (as displayed in this recipe); where as "manicotti" is actually a filled crepe. Cannelloni can be filled with everything from spinach to eggplant, to salmon, shellfish, meat, etc! And, a red sauce isn't always traditional, sometimes a white sauce is used in its place.

White Bean Enchiladas

*Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
3 tbs sour cream
1 16 oz can cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
3 tbs canned, mild, chopped green chiles
2 tbs scallions, chopped
3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 28 oz can enchilada sauce
10 6" corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the sour cream and beans into a medium sized bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the beans and sour cream together until a chunky paste is formed. Add 1/2 c cheese, chiles, scallion, cilantro, and cumin to the bean mixture. Mix well.
Meanwhile, heat the enchilada sauce in a small saucepan. Once simmering, dip a tortilla into the sauce (using tongs). Remove, and place about 1/4 c of the bean filling into the center of the tortilla. Roll, and place into a large lasagna pan (11X14), seam-side down. Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling are used.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas in the pan, and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
*You can make the entire dish, and bake it later on in the day. Simply stop before the baking step, and place the pan into the fridge. If you choose to do so, just make sure you leave a little extra cooking time since the enchiladas and pan will be cold.

Once again, this picture does not do this meal justice. But, after my week so far, I think I'm allowed this indiscretion! Let me start by saying that this meal had been planned for last night. I returned home from a class I'm helping to teach, only to find out that J had woken up from his nap with a fever. Since he's been nursing a cold for a while, I called and took him into the pediatrician for an ear check. Of course the ears were fine, but my poor feverish baby was still unhappy, and with D working another late night, there was NO way this meal was ever going to materialize. So, I had a fluffernutter (peanut butter and marshmallow fluff!) with J, while we waited for D to come home.

So, J woke up still sick, surprise, surprise. We had a long morning filled with a lot of lap time and book reading. And, even though D is working late again ,well past any dinner time tonight, I decided that if I could make these enchiladas while J was napping, I would. Well, I'm proud to say that despite all the obstacles, I managed to put these together while J slept (and do a bunch of other things), and I enjoyed eating these enchiladas for dinner! D plans on having some for "dessert" when he finally gets home.

I was introduced to this recipe when we went for dinner at our friend's E and N's house. E had made these, and shared the recipe. I love enchiladas, but sometimes feel guilty about how bad they can be for you, especially the ones filled with delicious things like cream cheese. But, I couldn't even tell that these were stuffed with beans, and they were so yummy! I changed a few minor things with the recipe, adding a bit more of the "bad stuff", and some of the spices. The result was just as good as I remembered. Even in J's sick state, he took one miniature bite!

Food for Thought: Although I'm always lazy when it comes to enchilada sauce, and generally buy it canned, I did some searching, and it appears to be very easy to make. It basically consists of some vegetable or chicken stock, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Some recipes call for a bit of flour to thicken the sauce. Maybe next time I'll make my own...

M&M Cookies

It's only Wednesday morning, but it's already been one rough week. D has been working late every night so far this week, and is not expected home until well past J's bedtime tonight. And, to make matters worse, poor little J has come down with a nasty virus and is feverish and all around miserable:( Poor baby! All of this means that I'm one tired and over-worked mommy...

So, what can make this mommy feel a bit better? Cookies! I had a bag of M&M's lying around the house, and after seeing a giant and delicious looking M&M cookie at a local coffee shop, I was inspired. Now, D certainly wasn't going to stop the momentum and tell me to sit down and relax last night...he definitely wanted these cookies as badly as I did! So, off into the kitchen I went, and we ended up with these delicious treats!

I used the same recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I used the last time I made cookies. It's slightly different than my usual (Nestle Toll House recipe), and the jury is still out on which I definitively like better. Out of the oven, these definitely take the cake. They're so chewy on the inside, but perfectly crispy on the outside. But, by day 2, they tend to harden up more than my usual recipe....however, they are still VERY tasty and retain some chewiness deep inside. Also, this recipe tends to give a more caramely flavor to the cookies because of the extra brown sugar. Either way, these passed the test, and D and I can't get enough. Good thing I stuck them downstairs in the deep freezer to be rationed out!

Spicy Curried Tomato Lentils with Rice

This recipe came from my friend C, and I actually had never made it myself before tonight...I'd only eaten her version:) D and I both thought we didn't really like lentils, but the more we try them, the more we are really enjoying them! So, maybe we were just under the misconception of dislike.

I changed a few things from the original curried lentils in tomato sauce recipe. I used about 4 tbs of fresh ginger in total, I added 1 tsp of ground cumin, I only felt I needed 1/4 tsp of cayenne to get a really nice spice, and finally, I added about 1/4 c of fresh lime juice. The results were fabulous. The dish had a fair amount of heat, which we balanced out nicely with the rice and a heaping spoonful of Greek yogurt. D was totally converted and raving about the meal. We both can't wait for our leftovers tomorrow!

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pancakes

2 eggs
2-2 1/2 c buttermilk, divided
2 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 c sweet potato, pre-cooked and mashed

Whisk the eggs, 2 c buttermilk, and vegetable oil together in a large bowl.

In a separate medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg-buttermilk mixture until just combined. Fold in the mashed sweet potato. Heat a lightly oiled skillet, and place about 1/4 c of the pancake batter in dollops onto the pan. Cook until bubbles start to show through, flip, and cook pancake through.
* If the batter seems way too thick, add the remaining 1/2 c of buttermilk.

In my desperate attempt to get J to eat more fruits and vegetables, I decided to get a bit creative with pancakes, since he absolutely LOVES them. It's somewhat of an obsession considering that "pancake" is one of the first words out of his mouth most mornings! Today's experiment consisted of coming up with a nice, thick, hearty pancake batter that would withstand a good amount of sweet potato mixed into them. The results were actually surprisingly good. Not only did J seem to like them, but I would eat them, and so would our nanny:)

The cakes were thick and filling, and the sweet potato flavor was detectable, but not overwhelming. The sweet potato also gave slightly softer bits in the midst of the pancake to give it a nice overall texture. I think that if I were going to eat them as a meal, I'd probably serve them with some type of sweetened cinnamon-flavored butter.

Expect to see more creative pancake recipes soon!

Chicken Sausage with Sauteed Onions, Peppers, and Fennel

Tonight D was working late again, so I needed a quick dinner that we could throw together once J was in bed. D had been asking about sausage with peppers and onions for a while now, so I thought tonight would be the perfect occasion. Plus, I decided to add fennel to the vegetable medley, and both D and I were really happy I made that decision! I purchased raw chicken sausage from Whole Foods, and while the sausages sauteed in some olive oil, I got the veggies going. I placed one sweet onion (cut into small wedges), one red pepper (also sliced into wedges), and a sliced fennel bulb into a large cast iron pan with about 1 tbs of olive oil. I sauteed the vegetables for about 10-12 minutes, just until they were soft and starting to brown. The meal was absolutely delicious and perfectly low-maintenance. The fennel added a really pleasant flavor to balance out the onions and peppers. And, a bit of grainy good mustard sealed the deal on this great meal.

Pasta with Peas, Cream, Parsley, and Mint

So, this meal was kind of a mess...I wanted a new, quick, easy, but flavorful pasta dish for tonight's dinner, since D was working late and then had an appointment to have his hair cut right after we put J to bed. When I came across the recipe for Pasta with Peas, Cream, Parsley, and Mint on www.epicurious.com, I thought I had found the perfect dish. Since our nanny was here this afternoon, I was able to make dinner, eat with J, and D was able to scarf down his food before jetting off after the bedtime routine. Here's the scoop: I should have read the reviews of the recipe carefully. Although many of them sung their praises for this recipe, a fair number also described what turned out to be a sauce-less pasta with a clumpy mess of cheesy-peas! Well, this is exactly what happened. I think that I left the half-and-half mixture (I substituted for the cream) on the heat for a few moments too long, and the cheese became clumpy, taking the peas along with it. Although the flavors in the dish were quite good, and if you took a bite of the pasta with a clump of cheese-peas, it was tasty, overall I was completely disappointed. Something in the whole presentation was completely lost with this failing. Our nanny and D agreed that it tasted good, but was definitely weird. I think if one were to be really careful and remove the sauce from the heat the moment it begins to thicken, this would be quite a nice meal; however, I don't think I'll be making this dish again...

Baba Ghanoush and Greek Salad

With all of the crazy birthday celebrations that have been going on in our house this past week and weekend (D and I have birthdays 4 days apart), I needed something light and simple for dinner tonight. I made a batch of Baba Ghanoush that D deemed to be my "best baba ever"! Not sure why this one turned out so well, but maybe it was the presentation with some paprika and olive oil drizzled on top. We ate our baba with some whole wheat naan (not homemade today!), and a large Greek salad with beets, olives, tomato, avocado, cucumber chickpeas, etc. The meal was just what I had been wanting, and really quite tasty. J even tried some of the baba ghanoush, which felt like a small victory. We are definitely settling back into the post holidays/celebration swing of things, so expect to see a bit more posting going on here.

Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Dill Dipping Sauce and Sweet Red Cabbage with Apples

Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Dill Dipping Sauce
*Adapted from Fine Cooking Feb/March 2011
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 c plus 1 tbs Dijon mustard
3 c pretzels
3 chicken cutlets, sliced into strips
1/2 c low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbs honey
1 tsp dried dill
3 tbs olive oil
Put the flour into a large shallow bowl. Place the pretzels into a food processor, and process until a slightly chunky "flour" consistency is reached. Place the pretzel "flour" into a separate large shallow bowl. Finally, in a 3rd large shallow bowl, place the eggs with 1 tbs of mustard, and beat.
Place a chicken strip into the flour, followed by the egg mixtures, and finally coat in the pretzels. Place the coated chicken strips into the fridge for about 5 minutes before cooking.
Heat the oil in a large cast iron (or non-stick) skillet. Once the oil is hot, place in a chicken finger. Cook until browned, flip, and cook through. If the chicken is browning a lot, but not cooking through, turn down heat slightly, and flip more frequently.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk the mayonnaise, remaining mustard, honey, and dill together in a small bowl. Serve the chicken fingers along with the dipping sauce.

First, let me start this post by saying that the picture does not do this meal justice. It was way more delicious than it looks here! Tonight's meal had an almost German Octoberfest theme to it, and it was certainly a tasty hit with the entire family. The sweet red cabbage and apples was a recipe that I had previously made over the summer, but it was just as good in the wintertime! I ended up using slightly more red cabbage than the original recipe called for (closer to 3 c), and it was just as tasty as I remembered. D loves sweet red cabbage, and he loved this batch as well! J even ate some of the chicken...a total victory as far as I'm concerned. And, he enjoyed dipping his green beans into the mustard-dill sauce. Not surprisingly, he had no interest in the cabbage. Oh well, his loss for sure.

The pretzel coating kept the chicken fingers juicy, while imparting a superb crunch and a slightly salty taste. The dipping sauce's sweetness along with the bite from the mustard really complemented the slight saltiness of the pretzels absolutely perfectly. And, the sweet and slightly sour cabbage and apples rounded out this meal. A total winner. D even enjoyed a Hefeweizen with his meal to really capture the German feel.

Food for Thought: Pretzels traditionally come in a knotted shape, and can be either hard or soft in texture. Soft pretzels are sometimes sweet, or accompany sweet dipping sauces, where the harder variety tend to almost universally be more on the salty side of snack foods. Pretzels are thought to be of Medieval origin, and also have some history as having religious significance in the Catholic church. Pretzels are enjoyed in many different countries around the world, and have slight variations depending on their country of origin.

Sundried Tomato Fennel Sauce..Take 2

I can't believe that it has been almost a year since I last made this recipe, especially considering that sundried tomato fennel sauce for pasta is one of my favorites! This time I got a bit creative, and added about 3/4 c of sundried tomatoes, opposed to the 1/2 c that the original recipe called for. The result was a slightly thicker and chunkier sauce, and a more brownish tinge to the sauce. I have to say that the taste was just as good as I expected, but with the extra 1/4 c of sundried tomatoes, the color was slightly off-putting. Use your own judgement on whether you'd rather have good color or good flavor when making this sauce!

D and our nanny really enjoyed the sauce, J not so much. Good thing I had left out some pasta before adding sauce to it, and J was in "noodle" heaven.

Apricot Banana Bread

This is a simple variation on my blueberry banana bread recipe, with 3/4 c of diced dried apricots replacing the blueberries.

The result is a very moist bread with a wonderful textural contrast provided by the slightly chewy apricot morsels. It was a total hit around the house with J devouring about 1/4 of the bread before I had to put it out of his sight!

Food for Thought: Dried apricots are a healthy treat, boasting a very large amount of fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C. Apricots have been used to relieve digestive complaints, and apricot seeds have been demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties.

Philly "Cheese Steaks"...again!

This week is going to be filled with repeat recipes, as I still feel like easing into this new year. Philly "Cheese Steaks" are one of our favorite vegetarian meals, and since D got stuck at work until VERY late (basically 10 minutes before J's bedtime tonight), we needed something fast! And, we were both starving, so this hearty sandwich really satisfied. I think that the hoagie rolls are key. Occasionally, we've made these using another type of roll or bun, but really nothing compares. I love how the onions become so sweet, along with the red peppers, and the mushrooms really give this dish a meaty flavor. Since I've been chasing a toddler around all day, and didn't get help until bedtime, it's time for me to hit the couch for some much needed R&R. I hope everyone has a good night!

Black Beans and Rice

1 1/2 c long grain white rice
2 c water
1 c broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 tbs scallions, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
shredded cheddar cheese
avocado, sliced

Place rice, water, broth, onion, pepper, 3 tbs of scallion, and black beans into a rice cooker. Turn on and cook according to the rice cooker's directions. Serve with some uncooked scallion, cilantro, cheese, and avocado. Enjoy!

This is one of the easiest meals on the planet, and it's super healthy and just as tasty. Plus, all the colors really make it appealing to eat! You can always add Greek yogurt or sour cream as well, to add a bit more flavor. Since it was so easy we all ate dinner together. True to his picky self, J didn't want any of the rice and beans...it was a good thing I had some leftover noodles for him, which he happily devoured!

I'm slowing adjusting back into life in the new year. We have a lot on the social calendar this week with both D and my birthday's coming up! So, excuse any absences that may be on What's for Dinner?

New Years Day Brunch

Menu:
Deviled Eggs
Pecan Sticky Buns
Cheddar Dill Scones
Winter Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Cheese and Crackers
Grapes
Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and a Coconut Drizzle

I love a good New Years Day brunch, and it's become somewhat of a tradition in our household. It gives me a wonderful excuse to do what I love, cook and entertain, and it gives me a reason to make certain things that only come out once a year...most likely because they're not very good for you! (The pecan sticky buns and deviled eggs fit that bill!) And, I think it's a great way to ring in a New Year with some close friends and family. I like doing an informal "brunch-style" meal where everyone can mingle and eat some tasty treats.


Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs, hard boiled, halved and yolks removed
4 tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 heaping tbs fresh chives
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
paprika for garnishing

Place the egg yolks in a large bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and chives. Mash together using a large fork until the mixture is creamy in texture. Add the salt and pepper and mix to combine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the egg yolk mixture. Pipe the egg yolk mixture into the halved egg white shells. Top eggs with a sprinkling of paprika.

These deviled eggs are absolutely divine. The mustard and vinegar gives the perfect tang to the filling, and the paprika adds a wonderful color. These eggs keeps for about 2 days in the fridge, so don't feel too badly if there are any leftover...we only had 2 halves. They were definitely a hit!

Yeasted Coffeecake (From the New Joy of Cooking)
1/4 c warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 c cake flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c bread flour
6 tbs very soft butter

Place the water and yeast in a large bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes or until the yeast is dissolved.
Add the cake flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed in a stand mixer until all ingredients are well blended.
Slowly add the bread flour (in 1/2 c increments), using a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together and then continue to knead for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth, but not too sticky.
Add the butter and knead until well Incorporated.
Place dough into a large clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hrs or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and recover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight (at least 12 hrs).

Pecan Sticky Buns (From the New Joy of Cooking)
Yeasted coffeecake (see recipe above)
1 c packed light brown sugar
8 tbs butter
1/4 c honey
3/4 c pecans, chopped
1 tbs butter, melted
1/3 c light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon, ground

Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out the yeasted coffeecake dough into about a 16X12" rectangle. Meanwhile, place 1 c brown sugar, 8 tsp butter, and 1/4 c honey into a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add pecans. Pour into a 13X9" baking pan and let it cool.
Brush the rolled dough with the tbs of melted butter. Then top with 1/3 c sprinkled brown sugar and cinnamon. Starting at one of the long sides, roll the dough into a jelly roll. Using a sharp knife, slice jelly roll into about 15 slices. Place the sliced rolls into the baking sheet on top of the butter-sugar-pecan mixture. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.
Place into the oven for about 30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and the syrup is bubbling. Remove from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Carefully invert onto a baking sheet and tear buns apart.
These sticky buns are beyond delicious. They are sinfully good! And, pretty bad for you, so they definitely only come out once a year. D certainly looks forward to this moment, as do I! And, as usual, they did not disappoint!







Winter Salad
8 c mesclun greens, washed and dried
3 granny smith apples, thinly sliced
2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 c dried cranberries
Mustard Vinaigrette

Place greens in a large bowl. Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a smaller bowl. Add the tossed apples to the greens along with the cranberries. Toss entire salad with about 1/4 c of the mustard vinaigrette.
Mustard Vinaigrette
1/2 c olive oil
1/8 c cider vinegar
3 tbs grainy mustard
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until dressing emulsifies.

This salad was crunchy and fresh with a perfectly tangy dressing. I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers for dinner!

Cheddar Dill Scones

These cheddar dill scones are perfectly savory and so tasty. And, this recipe is one of my old standbys, thanks again to Ina Garten. The only difference here is that I half the recipe, but increase the amount of dill to about 3/4 c in total. I think that the extra dill really brings out the flavor, and I love the color contrast with the green peaking through the yellow cheddar. They're crispy and light, never dense, and just about perfect!

Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut Drizzle

I had this cake a few weeks ago at a friends brunch and I just couldn't get enough. So, I thought this brunch would be a perfect occasion to try out the recipe for myself. This Coconut Cake is from Bon Appetite Jan 2010, but I found the link on Epicurious. I modified the pan and baked it in a bundt pan because I thought it felt more "brunchy" in the bundt! The orange zest and the chocolate chunks just made this absolutely wonderful with different flavors poking through every bite.

I hope everyone's start to 2011 was as tasty as ours. Happy New Year.