Already Friday

I have been enjoying having the week off. I relaxed and cooked and relaxed (and got a some work done). This week, I made ribs on Tuesday with mashed potatoes. Wednesday, I made Stout and Chicken Stew (from Eating Well, Feb. 2012)and tonight Veal and Gorgonzola meatballs. I can wait to try the meatballs...they are cooking as I write.

I usually like to start the New Year with some prepared food in the freezer. It did not happen on this vacation. Oh well! No use stressing over it.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and we are going out for dinner and dancing. New Year's Day is at family houses, so no cooking for me, unless I bring something. As of right now, I have not been assigned anything. That will change.

Happy New Year!

Lazy Week

The holiday week is half over. I am stuffed and have eated too many Italian cookies (and loved every minute of if). Last night, I served leftovers. Tonight, back to real meals, at least until New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

I have to share this recipe; the Best Dinner Rolls. This is a yeast recipe that made up very well. The dough was beautiful. I topped mine with pepper and Parmesan.

Almost

I am not forgetting to feed my family while getting ready for the holiday. Repeat 10 times.

I had planned to make Fiesta Pork over Polenta (scroll on right side of blog for recipe) but had a problem. When I opened the pork loin, it smelled terrible. Horrible, in fact. The whole kitchen smelled. I had to get rid of it. I could not even keep it to return to store.

Plan B: I had my peppers and onion cut already for that recipe. I sauteed the cut vegetables in olive oil and butter, added corn and black beans (leftover from another night), and cooked some fettuccine. Dinner!

Holiday Update

As I am getting ready for our Christmas Eve meal and the usual holiday baking, I still have to feed my family...go figure. I did make the Sausage Stuffed French loaf (recipe linked on bottom right list). That is a good and easy sandwich and I doubled the recipe and froze the extra for another meal.

So far the completed cooking list includes:
Freezer Chocolate Souffles
Crab cakes
Italian cookies
Peppermint Patty cookies
Sugar cutout cookies
Fettuccine
Tuna Sauce
Chocolate Chip Cookies

That does not seem like a lot, does it? Some more cookies and a cake or two will get done and the Christmas Eve Meal is ready except for last minute stuff. You can cook the clams too early.

If you want recipes to any of the above, comment on this page to me. I will be happy to share.

Broccoli, Leek and Potato Soup

I have been seeing combinations of broccoli, leek, and potatoes in soups from a few magazines, but could not find one that suited my taste. So, I made one up. This was supposed to be a project in action, but it was loved by my husband and 13-year-old daughter, so I am calling it complete. Here it is:

Broccoli, Leek and Potato Soup

1 stick butter
2 heads broccoli, chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced and washed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
chicken or vegetable stock
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper

Melt butter in a stockpot. Add broccoli, leek, potato and saute until vegetables are coated with butter and starting to brown. They will begin to smell delicious. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and place rosemary sprig on top. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove rosemary and blend soup with an immersion blender. Serve.

Sesame Chicken

Thursdays are generally a busy day in our house and usually, I serve "leftover buffet". Wednesday, the chicken I took out of the freezer was still frozen (we went out to eat), so I used the chicken yesterday. Orginally, I planned pesto chicken, but I saw the Sesame Chicken segment on TV. I had all the ingredients so I cut and marinated the chicken in the morning before work. I was only home for a brief time between jobs, so I put it in the oven, skipping the flour part of the recipe.

Luckily, I doubled the recipe. My husband said the kids wiped it out. This is a keeper recipe...maybe next time I will actually follow the whole recipe.

Pasta Making

In many families, getting ready for the holiday means setting the meal around ham, turkey, lamb, or another great cut of meat. In our family, pasta is the center stage. Last night, I went to Aunt Cookies' house to make ravioli. Usually, we make manicotti, but this year, we changed it up. That's another story all together. We made 311 ravioli; meat, cheese, and prosciutto fillings.

Today, I still had my mom's Kitchen Aid pasta maker (worth its weight in gold!), so I made the fresh fettuccine for Christmas Eve. I make the "7 Fishes" for that night and tuna sauce and clam sauce are on the menu.

Shrimp Scampi

I was tired after a day in NYC but I was able to make this Shrimp Scampi recipe. Shrimp scampi is one of those recipes that I keep trying new ones, but never find a keeper. This is a keeper.

Five Spice Pork Tenderloin

Last night's vodka sauce with sausage was exceptional. I recommend the recipe.

Tonight, I made Five Spice Pork with Roasted Oranges and Broccoli. Easy, fast, and delicious. I served it with mashed potatoes. Rice would have also been a good choice.

Tomorrow: leftover buffet. Friday: Pizza for kids, adults are going to a Christmas party. Saturday: family trip to NYC. Not cooking until Sunday.

Vodka Sauce with Sausage

Usually when I make vodka sauce I make it as a meatless meal, typically during lent. I have been wanting to try this Vodka Sauce with Sausage recipe for a while. Tonight is the night. I will let you know how it turns out.

PA Live

Today I will be making an appearance on PA Live. The segment is about kids and cooking, focusing on skills that the kids can learn and do. The recipe will be Cinnamon Pita Chips with Pineapple Spread. Here's how it is done:

1 package whole wheat pita bread
1 stick butter, melted
cinnamon sugar mixture
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained well

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pita bread into triangles and separate the layers. Place pita triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Brush melted butter on pita triangles. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar on top of butter. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.

Beat cream cheese and pineapple in a mixing bowl. Place mixture into a serving bowl. Spread onto to cinnamon sugar pita chips.