Matthew's Modified Pizza

Jay's Pizza Crust (Modified by Matthew)

from All Recipes

**This recipe (the old one, unaltered) will result in a sticky, gooey mess. I changed the quantity of oil and flour to reflect what I've found to work well. **

2-1/4 t active dry yeast (1 packet)

1/2 t brown sugar

1-1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)

1 t salt

4 T olive oil

6 c all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit 10 minutes. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 4 cups of the flour.
**mix in the flour with one hand only, leaving your other hand free and clean. If you get a sticky mess where you can't clean off your hand, use your other hand to dump more dry flour on your sticky hand. This will help get your hand free**

Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour (approx. 1.5 cups more) until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until doubled in size; approximately 1 hour. Punch down the dough and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax a little before rolling out.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise 15-20 minutes before topping and baking it. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

**Makes 1 large pizza

Pizza Sauce

from Linda

1 can tomato sauce

2 t dried oregano

2 t dried basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

salt

pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on low for about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly before spreading on crust.

Our first meal in our new dining room.

I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's magazine, though I don't remember which issue. I halved it since the recipe claims it serves 4, but Rachael's recipes tend to serve twice the number she says it will. We didn't have any leftovers, but that was because we both enjoyed it so much and decided to stuff ourselves a little. A quarter of what I made would have satisfied us, so keep that in mind when trying this recipe. I also only used 1/2 lb of ground beef, but I always use less meat than recipes call for. Matt and I save a ton of money that way and we don't feel we miss out on any meaty goodness.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

from Rachael Ray

6 T butter, chilled

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 c beef broth

salt and pepper

1 1/2 c flour

2 t baking powder

2 c shredded cheddar

1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8x12 baking dish (I used 8x8) and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 T butter over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as it browns. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 t salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 T butter and the cheese until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry, shaggy dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured surface and roll or pat into a large, 1/2-in thick round. Using a 3-in cookie cutter, cut out 8 biscuits. Repeat with the scraps until all the dough has been used. Place biscuits on top of the beef mixture as close together as possible and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Serves 4 (In RR's world)

It is finished.

After two and half very long months, our dining room is finally finished. What was supposed to be a weekend project turned into one of the more frustrating experiences of our married life together. We survived, though, and actually made it through the whole remodel without any serious fights! Go us.

We had plans for the dining room from day one since it was an absolute disaster. Before I post the pictures of our lovely new dining room, I want to post some before pictures so the change can be fully appreciated.

This is the room before.








This is the awful crown moulding.




And this is what we found underneath it. Yes, that is flowered wallpaper behind the sheetrock. Instead of taking down the wallpaper, the previous owners put another layer of sheetrock over it. And then they didn't bother to cut it right, so there was a gap of as much as one inch around the entire perimeter of the dining room. Fun.




And now, the finished project.














I am so proud of the work we did. It doesn't look anything like the room we started with. We filled the gap, fixed the crooked door trim, then painted the room. The ceiling was not level, making me worry that new paint would emphasize the waviness. My parents suggested that we create a false straight line with picture rail. I painted the ceiling, trim, and approximately 35 centimeters of the wall a light peach. Then I painted the rest of the room orange. The color is perfect and orange supposedly makes people hungry, so it's the perfect color for the dining room.



After the paint, we stained and installed the picture rail. The color was supposed to be a dark mahogany, but looks more brown than anything. It works, though, since the railing is almost a perfect match with the drapes. We also installed a faux cast iron wall sconce over the buffet, hung our clock and a few pictures and ended with an amazing room. It is now our favorite room in the house.



Big thank yous need to be sent to my parents, not only for the decorating advice, but also for loaning us the miter saw, which made cutting the picture rail a breeze. They also provided home renovation support and some gloves so I didn't stain myself mahogany. Thank you also to Ryan, who drove an hour to see us and was then roped into helping us fill the gap at the ceiling. We couldn't have done it without him! Ladies, this very handy man is single...

Thai at Home

I found this recipe while browsing my new favorite recipe website, http://www.myrecipes.com/. It was originally in the December 2004 issue of Cooking Light. It was pretty tasty, but I didn't think it tasted much like Thai food. My husband actually liked it much more than I did, which shocked me. I'm not sure I'll make it again (but when do I ever make things more than once?), but the recipe is worth a try.

I served it over angel hair pasta because I forgot to pick up rice noodles, but the recipe doesn't have you serve it over anything. Rice would work just as well and maybe even better since the sauce is pretty thin.

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Chicken

from Cooking Light

1/4 c rice vinegar

2 T brown sugar

2 T fresh lime juice

2 t red curry paste

1/8 t crushed red pepper

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 T vegetable oil, divided

1 c chopped onion

1 c chopped carrot

1 (8 oz) pkg presliced mushrooms (I omitted these- mushrooms are gross :) )

1/2 c light coconut milk

1 T fish sauce

1/2 t salt

1 c fresh bean sprouts

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, lime juice, red curry paste, and crushed red pepper in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from the bag, reserving marinade. Heat 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet or work over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 1/2 t oil to pan. Add onion and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in chicken and salt; cook 1 minute. Top with sprouts and cilantro.

Pizza Quiche?

Yes. This is a pepperoni pizza quiche. I found the recipe in the Food section of my local paper and decided to try it. I had some leftover pepperoni from our pizza Tuesday night and figured this was as good a way as any to use it up. I also had a pie crust that had been sitting in our freezer for who knows how long. All signs pointed to pizza quiche.

The recipe is a little weird, and I was nervous at first, but the final product was actually quite tasty. I would recommend it for an easy weeknight meal. It certainly fit the bill here. Matt hasn't tried it yet, as he had parent-teacher conferences last night and was fed very well there, but I know I liked it.

Pepperoni Pizza Quiche

from the St. Louis Suburban South Journal

1 unbaked deep-dish frozen pie shell

2 c shredded Italian blend cheese (I didn't use this much)

2 oz thinly sliced pepperoni, about 20-30 slices, cut into quarters

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (I used skim)

3 eggs, beaten

2 T flour

1 t dried basil

1/8 t garlic powder

Other pizza toppings, if desired (I used chopped black olives)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle 1 c cheese and half the pepperoni on bottom of pie shell. In medium bowl, whisk evaporated milk, eggs, flour, basil and garlic powder until blended. Pour egg mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Decorate top with remaining pepperoni pieces and any other toppings.

If pie pan is made of aluminum foil, place quiche on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

I remember my mom making this as a kid, and as I am still remiss in my meal planning duties, this was something I could put together with stuff from my freezer and pantry. It was really good and was definitely a Matthew meal. Put a potato on anything and he'll eat it. There were no leftovers, but there should have been. Matthew found himself in a food coma after dinner, but he said it was worth it. I guess that means the dinner was a success. If Matt's bloated, tired, and happy, I have done my job as a wife and cook.

I used this recipe from Rachael Ray as a starting point, but most of the recipe is mine.

*I have recently been enlightened; because my pie was made with ground beef instead of lamb, mine is actually a cottage or cowboy pie, not a shepherd's pie. You learn something new everyday in the blogging community.

Shepherd's Pie

from Linda with a little help from Rachael Ray

6 potatoes, cleaned and chopped into cubes

1 T butter

1/4 c skim milk

splash of chicken broth

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 c frozen peas

1/2 c frozen corn

1 T flour

1 T butter

1/2 -3/4 c beef broth

2 t Worcestershire sauce

paprika

Cover potatoes with water in a large pot, then bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, salt, turn heat down, and simmer covered until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add butter, milk, and chicken broth and smash to a smooth consistency. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.

While potatoes cook, brown beef in a large pan. Just before beef is no longer pink, add onion and continue to brown until onion is translucent. Move beef and onion to the outside of the pan, leaving an open spot in the middle of the pan. Melt butter in the pan and whisk in flour, making a roux. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, making a gravy. Once thick, which should only take a few minutes, stir into the beef mixture and add the frozen corn and peas. Let simmer on low heat until potatoes are done.

When potatoes are finished, spoon the beef mixture in to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until top starts to brown slightly. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes to further brown the top. Serve hot.

Pumpkin Cookies = Addiction

This cookies were among the best cookies I have ever had. They were so good, I sent a dozen with Matt to school to share with his department and took the rest with me to work to share with my co-workers. I received three recipe requests for these cookies. They were that good. The cookies are cakey, which makes for a super moist cookie. The frosting is to die for and I had a lot of fun browning the butter. I told Matt how fun it was and he told me I was weird. Whatever. He wasn't there to see the butter turn brown! Too cool.

Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

from What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen, originally found in Betty Crocker's Fall Baking

2/3 c granulated sugar

2/3 c packed brown sugar

3/4 c butter or margarine, softened

1 t vanilla

1/2 c (from 15-oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 eggs

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t salt

Browned Butter Frosting

3 c powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

3 to 4 T milk

1/3 c butter (do not use margarine or spread; it will burn)

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well blended. Beat in pumpkin and eggs until well mixed. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

In medium bowl, place powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until light brown.

Pour browned butter over powdered sugar mixture. Beat on low speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Gradually add just enough of the remaining 1 tablespoon milk to make frosting creamy and spreadable. Generously frost cooled cookies.

Pumpkin Bread

Of all the things I have cooked or baked, this is by far the most intimidating. My mother-in-law is practically famous for her pumpkin bread and Matt absolutely loves it. She bakes it in a coffee can and it is always super moist and really yummy. We had some pumpkin muffins at my parents house this past Sunday and he mentioned he wanted pumpkin bread. My mother gave me two cans from her pumpkin stash and that was that. Matt would get his pumpkin bread.

I looked at a few different recipes, trying to find one that looked good, but was also a little different from my mother-in-law's. I settled on this one, which I found on Deborah's blog. It used applesauce instead of oil, which also appealed, since all this recent baking has made my pants shrink a little. It was a good bread, but Matt still prefers his moms. He called it a pumpkin cake instead of a pumpkin bread and claimed the pumpkin flavor didn't shine. Every one's a critic. I guess I'll keep looking for a recipe that compares.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

from Deborah's Culinary Confections

2 c granulated sugar

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

3 eggs

1 c applesauce

1/4 c water

2 1/2 c flour

2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1 1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 c mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans. (I halved the recipe since I only have one loaf pan.) In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce and water until well combined. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until just combined - do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour evenly into prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean.

Another Pantry Winner

For some reason, this past week I have failed in the meal planning and grocery shopping arena. Monday nights I'm on my own for dinner, so I decided to play with some flavors that aren't Matt's favorites. There was some white wine in the fridge that needed to be used or thrown away, so I used that as a base and came up with a super tasty pasta with a white wine gorgonzola sauce. I didn't measure ingredients, so this is my best guess as to what the recipe is. Everything is certainly to my tastes, so someone else who makes it should make it to theirs. Enjoy!

Bow Ties in a White Wine Gorgonzola Sauce

from Linda

8 oz bow tie pasta

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c chopped onion

1/2 c white wine

1/2 t cornstarch

1/4 c gorgonzola

salt, pepper and dried basil to taste (I think it was basil. It may have been oregano. I really don't remember.)

1 small tomato, chopped

2 handfuls baby spinach

chopped black olives

Cook the pasta according to package directions. In a large saute pan, saute the garlic and onion in a little olive oil until onion is soft. Add white wine and cornstarch. Let simmer until reduced by 1/4-1/2, about 5 minutes. Stir in gorgonzola and seasonings. Add cooked pasta, along with a little of the cooking water (maybe 3 T). Toss to coat. Stir in tomato and black olives. Wilt in spinach by handfuls. Serve hot.

20 minutes from start to tummy.

Now this is what I call fast food. This took almost no prep work, was on the table in under 10 minutes, and was super tasty. It will definitely be filed under the "too tired to cook but don't want to order out" tab in my head. It was all stuff I had on head, too. I'm not sure there is anything better than that. Again, I must thank Annie for having a fabulous blog and introducing me to this recipe. Now if I could just get her to cook for me.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

from Annie's Eats

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 c vegetable broth

1 c salsa

1 t cumin

sour cream, green onion, and shredded cheese for garnish (I had some guacamole left over from the tostados, so I used that as well)

Combine beans, broth, salsa and cumin in a food processor. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat soup in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Put soup in bowls and garnish as desired.

You're killing me, Smalls.

Unfortunately, this fall I have not been to a hayride and have not had the pleasure of sitting around a bonfire and making S'mores. That was not going to stop me from having S'mores, though! I saw this recipe on the Williams and Sonoma website, but before I had a chance to make them, I saw them on Annie's blog. That sealed the deal. I had to make these treats. I didn't have to use the oven, so it was nice to keep the kitchen a little cooler while we had our mini-heat wave in the middle of October. They were good, but I think in the future I will limit them to something fun to make with my cousins. Not a star dessert, but a fun concept and certainly tasty. It's hard to go wrong with grahams, chocolate, and a (flaming) mallow.

S'More Bars

from Williams and Sonoma

3 T unsalted butter, cut into chunks

6 whole graham crackers

3/4 c sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

1 c miniature marshmallows

2 whole graham crackers or 1 c mini-graham cracker shapes

Line an 8-inch square baking pan or dish with aluminum foil so that the foil hangs over the sides. Grease the foil with butter.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the 3 tablespoons butter. Using a pot holder, move the pan to a heatproof surface. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Put the 6 whole graham crackers into a zippered plastic bag. Press out all the air and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, gently but firmly crush the cookies to make tiny crumbs. You should have 1 cup of crumbs. Add the crumbs to the melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Scrape the crumbs into the baking pan.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the crumbs. Place your hand on the plastic wrap and spread the crumbs to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the crumbs are in place, press down firmly to make a solid, even layer. Throw away the plastic wrap when you are finished flattening the crumbs.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and chocolate chips. Heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a pot holder, move the pan to a heatproof surface. Add the vanilla and salt and stir until blended. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and spread evenly with the spoon.

Scatter the marshmallows evenly over the chocolate filling and press them in gently. If using the 2 whole graham crackers, break them into little pieces. Stick the broken crackers or mini-cracker shapes into the filling among the marshmallows.

Cover and refrigerate the bars until they are firm, about 4 hours. To serve, lift the foil from the pan and set the smore square on a cutting board. Peel the foil away from the sides, and cut the square into rectangles with a sharp knife. Keep refrigerated until just before serving.

Makes 12 bar cookies.

Tostadas

This dinner was so tasty. I put it together without a recipe, but anyone who has ever made tacos at home could have put this together. I didn't have any taco seasoning, so I seasoned the meet on my own and that ended up being a great decision. I don't think I'll ever buy taco seasoning again. I can do it just as well for cheaper! Yay! I also got to make some guacamole for this dinner, which automatically makes it a great dinner. I lightly fried the tortillas, but they could just as easily be baked for a healthier version. I decided to go more authentic tonight, but I've been using so many Cooking Light recipes lately, I figured I could splurge.

I made these with ground beef, but they could just as easily be done with shredded beef, chicken or pork. I just happened to have ground beef on hand.

Tostadas

from Linda

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 T chili powder

1/2 T cumin

1 t salt

1 t pepper (all the seasonings are approximate)

1/4 c water

4 corn tortillas

1/2 c canola oil

refried beans (I used canned, but you could definitely make your own)

guacamole (I made my own)

shredded lettuce

tomato

cilantro

diced onion

shredded cheese

sour cream

Brown ground beef. Add seasonings and water and simmer to reduce slightly. In a small frying pan, heat oil. Lightly fry both sides of each tortilla and drain on paper towels.

To assemble, spread each tortilla with beans, then top with meat and the toppings of your choice. I meant to serve these with olives and salsa, but I forgot to get them to the table.

I served these with salsa rice (rice cooked in chicken broth with cumin and chili powder then mixed with salsa).

Another Cooking Light Dinner

This one was really really good. I loved this dinner. Matt and I both did. I could have put the Gorgonzola salsa on anything and loved it. So tasty. I served the chicken with Gorgonzola mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was a perfect meal and took almost no time at all to put together. After having one of my brownies for dessert, it ended up being a lovely Cooking Light dinner.

Because this recipe was in one of their menu sections, I halved the recipe for the salsa and only used 2 chicken breasts, but this was definitely a dish worthy of company, so I'm posting the recipe as the magazine published it.

Chicken Breasts with Gorgonzola-Tomato Salsa

from Cooking Light, September 2007

2 c chopped tomato

1/3 c minced red onion

1/3 c finely chopped fresh basil

2 t olive oil

1 t kosher salt, divided

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 t pepper

Cooking Spray

3 T crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Combine tomato, onion, basil, oil, and 1/2 t salt in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with remaining 1/2 t salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 3 chicken breast halves to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is browned and done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 chicken breast halves.

Stir cheese into tomato mixture. Place 1 chicken breast half on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1/3 c salsa.

For my Gorgonzola mashed potatoes, I cooked potatoes until tender in salted water, then mashed them with about 1 T butter, 1/4 c buttermilk and pepper. Right before serving, I stirred in about 1/4 c Gorgonzola.

A Cooking Light Brownie is a Small Brownie

But still a tasty brownie! The recipe says it makes 2o brownies, but that makes for a brownie that is approximately 1.5 square inches. I made the brownies in an 8x8 pan since I didn't have a 9x9, but that won't make the brownies all that much bigger. I really enjoyed them, but they were slightly over baked. I forgot to reset the timer on the microwave, so I lost track of the time. It is definitely time to get a kitchen timer. Who knew my oven wouldn't have a timer, light or window?

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

from Cooking Light, September 2007

Cooking Spray

2 T instant coffee granules

1/4 c hot water

1/4 c butter

1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/3 c sugar

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla

2 large eggs

1/4 c toffee chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Combine coffee granules and 1/4 c hot water, stirring until coffee granules dissolve. Combine butter and semisweet chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter melts; stir until chocolate is smooth.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine coffee mixture, butter mixture, vanilla extract, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture, stir just until combined (don't stir this one with a whisk- I made that mistake!). Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with toffee chips. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Serves 20 (yeah, right!)

Feels Like Fall!

I think my menu may have been inspired. The first night the temperatures fell enough to finally feel like fall, I had chili cooking in the crockpot. It was perfect. The chili recipe was the same as I always make, but this time I decided to make something other than traditional cornbread as a side. I saw this recipe in September's Cooking Light and just had to try it. They were so good! I will definitely make them again. They were perfect with the chili and took almost no time at all to put together. I highly recommend them!

Cornmeal, Jalapeno, and Fresh Corn Scones

from Cooking Light, September 2007

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

3/4 c cornmeal

1 T baking powder

4 1/2 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 c fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear)

2 T finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper

1 c nonfat buttermilk

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in corn and pepper. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be slightly sticky).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 2 or 3 times with lightly floured hands. Pat the dough into a 9-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting to, but not through, dough. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

More South of the Border Inspiration

Mexican food may be my most favorite food in the world. These chimichangas were wonderful, and because they were baked and not fried, it made them much better for us and I definitely had less guilt issues while eating them!

At first, I wasn't sure I liked the relatively strong tomato taste in the filling, but it grew on me. It was a little different, but in the end I decided I liked it and will add it to the make again file in my head.

Skinny Chimichangas

from Weight Watchers via Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats

½ lb ground skinless turkey breast (I used lean ground beef)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 t chili powder

1 t dried oregano

½ t ground cumin

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 T chopped mild green chiles

⅓ c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and the chiles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Spoon about ½ cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla.

Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling. Place the chimichangas, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with nonstick spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Do not turn. You can top these chimichangas with your favorite salsa and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream.

I served this with rice cooked in chicken broth, cumin and chili powder and mixed with some shredded cheese and salsa.

Mexican Chicken Soup

I pulled a Robin Miller and when I made the breaded chicken breast for the dinner the night before, I pan fried two chicken breasts for tonights dinner. It made it super easy to put this soup together. I got the recipe from Bean's Bistro and thought it was pretty good. I did, however, use a little more than a dash of cinnamon (oops- darn shaker) and it was a very distracting flavor. Not a bad flavor, but it was a much bigger player in the soup than I would have wanted. I also didn't use as much olive oil, but I've included the recipe as it should have been.

Mexican Chicken Soup

from Bean's Bistro

1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 T olive oil
1 c water
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 med tomato, chopped
1 cooked corn off the cob (I used 1/2 c frozen corn)
2 cans chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 T chipotle powder
1 t dried cilantro
Dash cinnamon
1 c cooked chicken
1 T sour cream

1 avocado

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft.

Add in all the other ingredients except the sour cream and simmer over medium heat for about 30-45 minutes.

About 5 minutes before soup is complete, stir in the sour cream.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Top with chopped avocado, shredded cheese and more sour cream, if desired.

Finally went to the grocery store!

The first of the month is my favorite day in the world. It means I can make a menu with whatever I want because I get to go the grocery store! This meal was very easy and tasty, two of my favorite things. The orzo salad was inspired by the lovely Joelen (who I finally got to meet!), but I didn't really use a recipe. The chicken breasts I used must have been from a relative of Dolly Parton, so they took forever to cook. Next time I will definitely remember to pound them thin!

Orzo Salad

from me (with some help from Joelen)

8 oz cooked orzo

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 c chopped green pepper

1 small red onion, sliced

1/2 c reduced fat feta

1/3 c sliced black olives

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 T olive oil

red pepper flakes

dried oregano

Combine all ingredients. Serve. (I told you it was easy!)

For the chicken, all I did was bread the chicken with seasoned breadcrumbs and pan fry.

Still cleaning out the pantry

Cooking at the end of the month requires a little more creativity than usual. I'm trying to avoid grocery shopping before October 1st, but my usual pantry staples are starting to dwindle. I had a package of Trader Joe's chicken sausage in my freezer so I decided a simple pasta dish would work well. However, I had no tomatoes or tomato sauce, so I had to get a little more creative. With a little help from my What's Cooking ladies, I came up with this very tasty white wine sauce. Pretty tasty pantry/freezer dinner.

Spinach and Fontina Chicken Sausage with White Wine Sauce

from Linda

1 package chicken sausage

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T olive oil

1/2 c white wine

1/2 c chicken broth

1 t cornstarch

1 T butter

8 oz cooked pasta

fresh chopped parsley

Remove casings from sausage. Slice into bite size pieces and brown in a large saute pan with 1/2 T olive oil. When browned, remove from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil and saute garlic until just softened. Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Mix cornstarch with chicken broth and add to pan. Bring to boil, then simmer to reduce by approximately 1/2, about 10 minutes. Melt in butter and add cooked sausage; warm through. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with parsley.

A little piece of cupcake heaven

My mom is a Rachael Ray fan (she just can't help it) and was one of the first subscribers to her magazine. While Rachael's giggling and super annoying hand gestures make her show a little difficult to watch, I do like her magazine. After she gets her new issue, my mom loans me her old one and I write down the recipes I'm interested in trying. These cupcakes were one of them. I made them for a BBQ we had a few weeks ago and they were a hit. I will definitely add them to my "make again" list.

Chocolate Red-Wine Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing

from Every Day with Rachael Ray September 2007

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
4 oz chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 c boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 c medium- to full-bodied red wine, such as cannonau
Two 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 c confectioners' sugar
Red grapes, halved, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line 2 muffin pans with baking liners.

In a medium, heatproof bowl, combine the cocoa powder and chocolate pieces. Whisk in the boiling water until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is combined.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until blended. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined. Alternating, add the chocolate mixture and wine in batches, mixing well between each addition, until the batter is smooth. Divide among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan.

Lightly beat the mascarpone, then add the confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Remove the cooled cupcakes from the pan, spread each with icing and top with a grape half.

I recommend storing them in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. The cupcake is a super light cake and the frosting runs a little, so letting it harden a little in the refrigerator makes the cake and icing hold up a little better. Definitely store leftovers in the refrigerator!