The Clean Out Continues

I am getting bored and am really wanting to do some serious cooking. However, I have set a goal and I will not allow myself to fail! My freezer and pantry are almost empty, I think by Monday I will be ready to hit the stores to restock!

This week the cupboards did allow me to make two meals that we both enjoyed. The first came from Cook's Country Magazine which I recently received a free trial issue from. Here is the recipe exactly how it is printed in the magazine, I made several adjustments which I will detail, but in case you wanted to make the real deal, here it is.

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Serves 8 to 10

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tbls. unsalted butter, melted; plus 2 tablespoons, chilled

1 garlic clove, minced

2 pounds broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stems peeled & chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

1 1/4 cup long grain white rice

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Prepare Topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking dish. Pulse bread, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic.

2. Make Filling: Microwave broccoli florets, covered, in large bowl until bright green and tender, set aside. Melt remaining butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion and broccoli stems until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minutes. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar, cayenne, remaining Parmesan, and broccoli florets.

3. Top and Bake: Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

So, what did I change? I added chicken. I think I have mentioned this before, but Peter does not believe you are having a meal unless there is some kind of meat. I disagree, however I was trying to make us both happy with this meal. I just cooked up 2 chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy.

Second, I cut down on a lot of the fat and dairy! I sprayed the dutch oven with PAM cooking spray and only used 1 tbls. of butter to cook the onion. I also left out the bread topping. Not only because I didn't have any bread in the house, but also because it really didn't appeal to me. So I threw the garlic in with the onions. I didn't have the cheddar cheese but I had about a half bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese so I used that and about 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan. And I used frozen broccoli florets because that is what I had on hand.

We both really loved this dish! It was very comforting and gave the "feeling" of being really bad for you, but was only mildly as the creaminess of the dish came from the starch in the rice and not too much actual cream or dairy. YUM! I am sure I will make this again before winter is over.

The second meal that we like this week was a version of my slow cooker chili.....have I ever blogged about the real version.....I don't think I have....I will do that soon, it is YUM.

Anyhoo, I didn't have everything I needed so I just whipped up what I did have. I had some chunky stew meat, onion, carrots (not in the original recipe), diced tomatoes, Carroll Shelby Chili Seasoning (great stuff, I have been using it for years and always have it on hand), kidney beans, black beans and tomato sauce. I put it all on to cook and headed out to the office for the day.

When I came home we topped it with just a bit of shredded cheese and low-fat (really not as good as full fat) sour cream and enjoyed. We are just about done eating when Peter turns to me and says "Babe, this taste awesome." Me, "Thanks, I am happy you liked it I just threw it together." Peter, "But I have to say, don't get mad, that it kind of looks like Alpo". I about died!!! He was so right, hilarious! So although it wasn't very pleasing to the eye it really was delicious and helped to clean out a large amount of food in the kitchen!

Cleaning out the cabinets

A goal that I set for 2009 that I didn't list in my previous post is to use up what food we have in the house before going to buy more. I find that my freezer and pantry end up full of things that basically become out of site out of mind. So this week I made two recipes using ingredients that I already had in the house (with the exception of fresh produce). Both recipes came from my cookbook of the moment, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

The first dish I made was Skillet Ziti with Chicken and broccoli. Basically the recipe gave me more of an idea of what I wanted to make, but I made several adjustment to the recipe to make it a bit lighter and healthier.

The two major changes I made were instead of using the 3 tablespoons of butter that the recipe called for I only used one and instead of heavy cream, I used skim milk. I also used whole wheat ziti and added cauliflower and carrots. I am a sucker for pasta and this one was really good, I will make it again for sure.

The second recipe I made was Slow Cooker Chicken with Sausage and Corn. Again, I made just a couple of adjustments to boost the health factor. Instead of bone in skin-on chicken breasts I used boneless skinless breast and thighs. Also, instead of pork of beef kielbasa I used turkey kielbasa.

I love the convenience of my slow cooker(s) and this recipe was easy and sounded comforting. The addition of fresh corn was appealing as well. The dish was good served over rice, but it didn't knock my socks off. I found it to be a little bit bland. Peter added hot sauce which he said helped.

I still have plenty of things to use up in this house, I am looking forward to finding creative uses for all of it!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

I know, there's no such thing! :-)

I was looking for a decedent, but easy chocolate cake recipe to make for Christmas dinner at my father in laws and ran in this one, which I loved because it allowed me to cheat a little bit and use a boxed cake mix! Shh....that's a secret!

Everything about the recipe made me think it would be rich, moist and decedent which is exactly what I wanted in a Christmas dessert so I also decided to make miniature cakes for some of my co-workers. There was one left over that Peter and I tried, which was good but not as moist as I had hoped it would be. I figured that making the larger version would make for a moister cake and I was right. This cake is fantastic and will become one of my go to cakes when I am in a hurry! The other great thing, you don't have to make frosting!!

Out with the Old & In with the New- Welcoming 2009

I find myself feeling very reflective this dreary Friday afternoon. As the new year begins and the old one moves out I am excited for new adventures.

2008 was my best year yet. Not because any major event took place, although many did, but because I think I got to know myself better, worried less and generally had more fun. Because of this I am welcoming 2009 with open and excited arms!

This year I resolve to do the following.

1. Become more healthy. Eat cleaner, exercise more, and spend more time outdoors.

2. Find a culinary challenge that really inspires me (suggestions welcome)!

3. To be more green! In 2008 we started composting and grew some of the best tomatoes ever! I also started using canvas grocery bags religiously! In 2009 we will recycle more, cut down on our electricity and water use and walk more!

4. Slow down enough to enjoy the things that I really like to do, even if others don't.

5. Travel

I hope that you all are as excited about the coming year as I am! I think it will only prove to be better and more delicious than the last!

Banana Cranberry Bread......YUMMMMMM!!!!

I am not one for banana's, you would never catch me eating one plain, but I do enjoy a good banana bread. I had some holiday baking to do for clients over the weekend so I decided on a recipe that I found in my new The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. This is the second cookbook I have purchased from the Test Kitchens and I love it. They test every recipe to find the best variation.

This banana bread recipe calls for plain yogurt which I think really helps to keep the bread moist. As I am sure that I have mentioned (one more than one occasion) I do not like nuts, so I used dried cranberries instead.

This is by far and away the best banana bread I have ever eaten! Peter really likes it to, but says until I add the walnuts in it will not be the best he has ever had....maybe next time! ;-)

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I love my crock pot and I tend to use it a lot during the winter when we are craving heartier meals. It is so handy, especially for weeknight meals. There is nothing better than coming home to the smells of something cooking and knowing that all the work is done for you and all you have to do it enjoy!

Tonight I tried a recipe for slow cooker beef stew from my latest cook book purchase (it really is an obsession) The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipe was easy to follow, but I did cheat a little bit and didn't brown the meat before putting it into the crock pot. This was for two reasons, 1. I was too lazy to do it the night before after having just cooked another meal and 2. I really didn't have time to do it this morning before leaving for work. However, the dish was still fantastic and really hit the spot on this dreary, rainy day.

Amish Friendship Bread.....Last Post (I think).

I have really enjoyed the whole process of making this bread. It was very easy to find the basic starter on the web but finding a winning recipe to make the actual bread was the hard part.

The first recipe I tried was this one which was just OK. The main reasons being that it had few ingredients, lots of cinnamon (YUM) and no nuts or fruits. It made the kitchen smell fantastic, however it was fairly dry and lacked flavor.

Then I was on to the winning recipe. Although this one calls for walnuts (yuck, yuck, yuck), raisins (sort of yuck) and dates (can't say I have tried one but I am thinking they taste similar to a raisin) everything else about it appealed to me, I just left these ingredients out, but I am sure if you are a fan of these it would still be great.

Unlike the first recipe it calls for vegetable oil, applesauce, and instant vanilla pudding all of which would made the bread very moist. What a hit! I made two loafs the first go round and Peter and I basically had it for dinner that night and ate almost all of one. Then I made four more loaves to share with the family for Thanksgiving and I had none left to show for it after people left for the evening.

I will be making many loafs for Christmas gifts this year, I am so excited!!!