Category Archives: Cook

by | February 23, 2011 · 8:37 am

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This Sunday, snow was in the forecast which meant my family spent a lazy day snowed in.  I love breaking out my slow cooker on days like these.  It makes the whole house smell wonderful and warm as dinner slowly cooks away all day.

This pot roast recipe couldn’t be any easier and it truly is delicious.  Some people add potatoes and carrots to their slow cooker while the meat cooks, however I never seem to have success with this.  So, I usually make mashed potatoes and roasted carrots on the side.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

4-5 lb Beef Roast, any kind
3/4 cup water
1  (1  1/4 ounce) packet of gravy
1/2 of a ( 1  1/4 ounce) packet of ranch dressing mix
2-4 teaspoons of corn starch, for thickening gravy at the end

Place the meat in your slow cooker and sprinkle with entire packet of gravy mix and half of the packet of ranch mix.  Pour water around the meat.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the roast is fully cooked.  I recommend cooking it on low because that seems to make the meat more tender.

After the roast has finished cooking, remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred.  Tent with foil and set aside.  Next, make the gravy by placing all of the drippings from the roast into a sauce pan. I recommend skimming off the clear layer of fat from the top.  Heat over medium heat until warm.  Add cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the gravy has a nice thick consistency.

Poor the gravy over the shredded beef and serve.

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by | February 18, 2011 · 7:46 am

Heart Healthy Beef and Broccoli

February is National Heart Health Month and today we are joining up with Sodium Girl, a fellow Homies nominee, for a recipe rally in the name of healthy tickers. The USDA recently announced new dietary recommendations, cutting the daily average of sodium intake by over 50% to 1,500 mg daily.

Take a look at your labels. Sodium is everywhere, in copious amounts. So the challenge of the day is to recreate a typically sodium-packed meal into a low to no sodium meal. When I think sodium, I think Chinese take-out. Can you really recreate a Chinese meal, like saucy savory Beef and Broccoli, with no sodium and still have it taste like Chinese food?

Challenge accepted.

I’m not going to lie. I made this dish twice. The first dish was okay, but nothing to share. My husband and I both agreed it was missing what I didn’t add – soy sauce. Why not just add a dash of soy sauce?  Even lower sodium soy sauce is packed with a quarter of your daily sodium intake in just one tablespoon! So I embarked on a mission to evade the almighty soy sauce.

Heart Healthy Beef and Broccoli

1 lb. thin sirloin tip steak, cut into strips across the grain
2 C fresh broccoli florets
8 oz water chestnuts
1/2 TBSP minced garlic
1/2 TBSP grated fresh ginger
1 TBSP peanut oil
1/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 TBSP white balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP honey
1/2 TBSP corn starch

Heat peanut oil in a wok or deep skillet on high heat.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, rice wine, honey, pepper, corn starch and Chinese Five Spice. Set aside.

Toss beef into the oil, searing on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add broccoli and water chestnuts, cooking until broccoli is softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add vinegar mixture and toss until well-coated, about one minute.

Serve over a brown rice.

The second time around, this dish was quite a success! Juicy, flavorful, I hardly missed the soy sauce. I hope you enjoy it too.

Here’s to healthy hearts!

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by | February 16, 2011 · 8:34 am

Corn Salsa

It is the middle of February and I am desperately missing fresh, homegrown produce after this long winter.  During the summer months I love making salsa with things that I grow in my garden and this week I got a craving for some fresh, homemade salsa.  However the fact that my garden is currently under 10 inches of snow means that I need to look elsewhere.


This corn salsa strays from a typical tomato based salsa, but it is full of flavors and tastes fresh from the garden.  Just what I needed!

Corn Salsa

4 cups frozen corn, cooked and cooled
1 green pepper, diced
2-3 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 small red onion, diced
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
3-4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste.

Toss all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Eat with chips or use to top tacos,  quesadillas or even a crunchy salad with chipotle ranch dressing.

Think Spring!

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by | February 14, 2011 · 8:20 am

{Haute Pie} Berry Mousse Pie

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist sharing a sweet red & pink dessert. This Berry Mousse Pie is probably one of the easiest icebox pies you’ll ever make. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to spend more time cuddling than cooking today and a foolproof option for the beginning chef looking to impress their sweetheart.

Also, the mousse (or “Pink Fluff” as my sisters and I called it as kids) works equally well without the pie crust as a sweet side dish.

strawberry mousse pie

Berry Mousse Pie
1 pkg strawberry jello
2/3 C boiling water
2 C ice cubes
1 pint strawberries, diced
1 tub Cool Whip, thawed
1 pre-made graham cracker crust

In a large bowl, whisk jello mix into boiling water until completely dissolved. Add ice cubes and stir for 2-3 minutes until jello thickens. Remove ice cubes and whisk in thawed Cool Whip.

Dice strawberries into bite-sized chunks and gently fold into mousse mixture. Pour mousse mixture into graham cracker crust. Refridgerate for 2-3 hours until mousse is solid, yet fluffy.

valentine's day dessert

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by | February 9, 2011 · 8:41 am

Velvety Hot Fudge Sauce

One taste of this Hot Fudge and I promise you will never buy the stuff in a jar again.  It is so decadent and creamy you might just want to eat it with a spoon.  To me, it tastes like melted brownie batter which is one of my weaknesses.

This Valentine’s Day, surprise your sweetie with a special dessert.  Drizzle this hot fudge over ice cream, grilled pound cake, brownies, cheese cake…the possibilities are endless!

Hot Fudge Sauce

3 Squares (3 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate
1/4 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

In a heavy medium saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat stirring constantly. Stir in Evaporated Milk and sugar. Cook and stir over medium hear until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly, stirring often.  Remove from heat. Add vanilla and stir until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Although I will bet it won’t last that long!

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by | February 4, 2011 · 7:52 am

Rising to the Challenge: Bacon Artichoke Souffle

I recently teamed up with my friend Erin from Hot Dinner Happy Home to tackle the much-feared souffle. And today, we share our experience with you.

Erin: Wimp.  Yellow-belly.  Coward.  Fraidy-cat.

I consider myself all of the above. I refused to ride a roller coaster until I was 13, and even then it required incredibly strong peer pressure. I cried when my husband tried to coerce me down a slightly steep ski slope. And, unfortunately, this character trait has crept into my kitchen. There are things I deliberately avoid making because, well, I’m scared. I shudder when I read “yeast” in an ingredient list. And deep-frying? Oy. Dangerous.

Stef: A natural competitor lurks within. It started as a very small child. A crib couldn’t confine me, I’d crawl out of it. I read 116 books as a second grader to ensure I won the Bubble Gum Book Report Award. Anyone can walk on their feet, so I decided I would walk on my hands. While my inner daredevil may have been tamed a bit over the years, my competitive nature will never die.

I’ve been cooking for quite some time now and occasionally step out of my comfort zone. But recently, I got the urge for a challenge. So I enlisted a friend to embark on a culinary adventure.

Erin: Yes, and I was that lucky friend! Stef was willing to drag me out of complacency to try something new. Armed with room-temperature egg whites and a powerful stand mixer, we were ready to tackle the (nearly) impossible. We, Stef and Erin, regular gals on a cooking crusade, would make a souffle.

Bacon Artichoke Souffle

unsalted butter for greasing
5 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
4 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
3 1/2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C whole milk
6 large egg yolks
10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, squeezed of excess water and finely chopped
4 ounces cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt

Cook bacon according to directions. Crumble and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the souffle dish by thoroughly greasing the bottom and sides with a stick of unsalted butter. Once coated, spoon in 3 TBSP grated Parmesan and coat the dish. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, make a modified blonde roux by melting 4 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter and slowly whisking in flour, until fully dissolved. Continue to whisk as it bubbles, about 20 seconds. Do not allow it to brown. Slowly whisk in milk, continuing until the  mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Remove pan from heat.

One at a time, whisk in egg yolks, creating a smooth mixture. Continually whisk to avoid making scrambled eggs in the still hot mixture. Next, stir in bacon, artichokes, dill, pepper, nutmeg and 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on high-speed, making sure your bowl is fully clean and dry, add room temperature egg whites and salt. Beat mixture until whites are smooth and shiny and create stiff peaks. The mixture should increase about eightfold in volume.

Delicately fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the sauce pan with a rubber spatula. Next fold the sauce pan mixture back into the egg white mixture, turning over the egg whites with the sauce until combined.

Once combined, gently spoon (do not pour!) the mixture into your souffle dish. Place in oven, close the door, and immediately decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not disturb the souffle by opening the oven door. When complete, the top of the souffle should be browned and crusted. Take out of the oven and serve immediately, as souffles deflate once they lose steam.

Stef: Success. That souffle had nothing on us. Airy, fluffy, crispy on top and bursting with bacon-y goodness. With a kitchen victory under our belts, we indulged in our culinary delight with a glass (or two) of crisp white wine. Even the baby gobbled a healthy serving of souffle. Who knew souffle was family friendly?

Erin: In addition to being delicious, it wasn’t even that hard.  Stef, thanks for showing me that it’s worth it to step outside your comfort zone!  Now, about that packet of yeast that’s been languishing in my cupboard…

What is your biggest cooking fear or challenge? We’d love for you to share!

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by | February 2, 2011 · 8:20 am

Orange Scented French Toast with Nutella

I recently found out that February 5th is World Nutella day.  This is great news because I have a not so secret obsession with Nutella.  So, what did I do?  I spent all week cooking with my favorite chocolate hazelnut spread, of course!

This stuffed french toast recipe is so decadent, it could pass as dessert.  The Nutella center makes it sweet, so there is no need for syrup and the addition of fresh orange juice and orange zest in the batter creates a flavor combination that is to die for.

Orange Scented French Toast with Nutella

1 loaf brioche bread or a bread of similar consistency, day old is preferable.  You will need about 10 slices.
4 eggs
1 cup milk
zest of 1 medium orange
Juice of 1 medium orange
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt
Jar of Nutella
Vegetable Oil for cooking

Slice your bread into 1/2 inch thick slices.  I used a cookie cutter to cut out hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day, but feel free to leave the crust on if you prefer it that way.  Spread a layer of Nutella on the bread and cover with another slice of bread, creating a Nutella sandwich.  The amount of Nutella is up to you, the more you load on, the sweeter it will be!

Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, sugar and salt in a shallow bowl and whisk.  Next, Place about 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a pan and heat to medium or medium low heat.

Dip one of your Nutella sandwiches into the batter until it is fully coated.  Be careful not to soak your bread or you might not have enough batter to get through all your french toast.

Cook in the oiled pan until golden brown on both sides and fully cooked.  Because the french toast will be thick, you might feel that the sides didn’t cook and crisp up as nice as you would like.  If this happens, just place them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes or until nice and crispy on the outside.  This also works well for keeping the first couple warm while you finish making the rest.

Repeat dipping and cooking the french toast, adding oil to the pan each time.

Once they are complete, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

mmmmm, Nutella.

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by | January 31, 2011 · 8:15 am

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

Less time-consuming than lasagna but sexier than plain ol’ spaghetti, stuffed shells are sometimes the forgotten stepsister of pasta dinners.  What I also like about them is that they’re easy enough for a weeknight dinner but can still be impressive enough for entertaining – my favorite type of recipe!

In this recipe I used chicken and spinach but the options for fillings are endless.  Get creative with different meats and vegetables and make up combinations that include italian sausage, beef, mushrooms, artichokes or even squash.
stuffed pasta shells

Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
1/2 box jumbo pasta shells
1 pkg chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquid drained
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/2 C grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C low fat ricotta cheese (heaping)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water well and add 1/2 box of pasta shells. Reduce heat to medium and cook shells for 6-8 minutes. Shells should be al dente. Drain shells in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop further cooking. Preheat oven to 375.

Slice chicken into small chunks and transfer to a saute pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper and minced garlic. Saute until meat is just cooked. Add drained spinach, taking care to squeeze out as much water as possible before placing it in the pan. Warm spinach slightly, then transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Add 1/4 C parmesan, ricotta and 1/2 C mozzarella cheese. Stir well.

Pasta Shell Filling

Place empty shells in an 9×13 baking dish. Spoon filling into each shell. Pour spaghetti sauce over filled shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes so that cheese is melted and just golden.


Stuffed Pasta Shell recipe

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by | January 28, 2011 · 8:11 am

Cranberry Orange Sunrise Muffins

I happen to be quite famous for my muffin baking. Every Monday night in the later years of college, I would bake muffins and bring them over to my friend’s house for muffins and Mario Kart.  I’ve tried a lot of recipes over the years, but this one tends to be a favorite. These beautiful burst cranberries make a festive plate for the winter months or for a Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed.

Cranberry Orange Sunrise Muffins

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
2 C all-purpouse flour
1 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 C milk or heavy cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 C fresh whole cranberries
zest of one orange
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Place cranberries in a small bowl. Take one tablespoon of flour mixture and coat cranberries. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Slowly add milk, until combined. Fold in cranberries and orange zest. Divide batter amongst muffin cups. (I use an ice cream scoop for even measurement). Sprinkle top with extra granulated sugar if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown. Allow pan to cool. Remove muffins and place on wire cooling rack.

These treats are extra scrumptious when served warm and when served on a Monday night while playing Mario Kart…

*photos courtesy of Michael G. Coates, from the latest HAP photo shoot. More to come!

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Thanks to everyone who entered our recent giveaway! We were blown away by all the mouth-watering cheesy recipes you mentioned. Congratulations to reader, James & Katie, for winning the Wisconsin artisan cheese basket giveaway! We hope you enjoy rooting for the Packers with your cheese platter.

We have more giveaways planned for the next few months so be sure to check back for another chance to win!
The winner was chosen at random using random.org.


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by | January 26, 2011 · 8:47 am

Apricot Chicken in a slow cooker

As a working mom, I love using my slow cooker to create simple and delicious meals.  This apricot chicken recipe is one of my family favorites.  The sweet apricot sauce is so tasty and the recipe uses chicken thighs which makes it budget friendly.

Apricot Chicken
1 small jar apricot preserves (11oz)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional, if you like heat)
6-8 chicken thighs

Place chicken in your slow cooker.  In a separate bowl, mix the apricot preserves, mustard, soy sauce and chili flakes if you are using them.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred, removing all bones.  Serve over rice.

Quick, delicious and budget friendly.  My kind of meal.

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