Food to Die for

My new favorite tasty beverage

2009-12-10T23:30:00.001-08:00

The first time I tried Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini mix I got hooked. I don't drink this often, so when I decide to have a tasty hard alcoholic beverage, this is a top choice. It's tasty and smooth. Mix and match quantities to your liking.

Ingredients:

Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini Mix (Available at most grocery stores and the liquor store)
Grey Goose Vodka
Ice

Beef with Broccoli

2009-12-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

I created this recipe after deciding to find healthier ways to eat beef while incorporating a fresh vegetable. I avoided a traditional Chinese recipe that uses a lot of salt and unnecessary ingredients. I served this over brown rice. This is low in calories, low in fat and lower in sodium!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless round steak, cut into bite size pieces
4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use a low sodium brand)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili paste
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sized crowns of broccoli, cut into pieces
1 can water chestnuts

Directions:

Place cut pieces of beef in a gallon ziplock bag and add all ingredients except broccoli and water chestnuts. Squeeze all excess air out of the bag and squish the bag so the beef and marinade is well mixed. Let the beef marinade for at least 2 hours. The longer the better.
In a large pre-heated skillet add all the contents of the ziplock bag and saute until almost cooked. Add broccoli and chestnuts and cook until broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes. If the sauce is still slightly thin after everything is cooked, go ahead and thicken with cornstarch or flour. In order to thicken, you'll need to separate some of the broth into a small bowl, add cornstarch/flour until thoroughly mixed, then add this back into the skillet. The sauce will thicken once it boils again.
Serve hot over brown rice.

Regent Bakery & Cafe

2009-12-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Regent Bakery & Cafe
15159 NE 24th Street
Redmond, WA 98053
(425) 378-1498

My mom introduced me to this place a few years back, and I have to say, they probably have the best looking, the largest, best priced and most flavorful Hong Kong style pastries in Western Washington. Located in Redmond, WA near the Microsoft Campus, this place offers a large variety of baked goodies, drinks and smaller lunch/snack items (off a menu). I don't live near this place, but make an effort to stop by and pick up goodies before I head back to Spokane for visits with my family.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

2009-12-10T21:50:00.001-08:00

I wanted to create a healthy baked chicken nugget to accompany the deep fried homemade fries Scott made, so here is what I created. These turned out really good!

Ingredients:

2 - Chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
Panko crumbs, about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Freshly ground pepper
Flour to dredge chicken
1 egg
PAM baking/cooking spray

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in medium bowl: panko crumbs, salt, thyme, basil, oregano, and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine one beaten egg with about 2 tablespoons water.
Place chicken chunks and a handful of flour into a large ziplock bag, seal, and shake. Make sure each piece of chicken is thoroughly covered with flour.
Dip each piece of chicken in the egg wash, then dip into panko crumb mixture. Place each piece onto a cookie sheet. Once all have been dip and coated, spray the nuggets with PAM baking/cooking spray prior to baking.
Bake for 20 minutes.

Homemade French Fries

2009-12-10T21:42:00.001-08:00

Crispy, golden brown, soft centered and double fried. French fries done by Scott. I usually avoid frying anything. :-)

Ingredients:

Frying Oil (canola)
Large russet potatoes, cut length wise
Salt, for dusting

Directions:

Heat frying oil to 350 degrees.
Fry cut potatoes in oil until slightly golden. Remove from oil and lay flat on paper towels or drying rack covered with paper bags. Let the fries cool for a few minutes.
Once cooled, fry potatoes a second time until golden brown. This second fry will insure a crispy exterior and soft/cooked interior.

Creme Brulee

2009-12-10T21:07:00.001-08:00

Recipe Courtesy of BHENGEN of Allrecipes.com

This recipe was good, but can definitely be better. It seemed that the custard didn't have much of a custard flavor. It was lacking in something, I'm just not sure what. I will be experimenting with this recipe to perfect it!

Ingredients:

3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (I added an additional 1/2 teaspoon)
3 eggs (I used 4)
4 tablespoons white sugar for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line the bottom of a large baking pan with a damp kitchen cloth.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, combine cream, 1/4 cup sugar and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally 4 to 5 minutes, until steam rises. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Pour hot cream into yolks, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into four 6 oz. ramekins.
Place ramekins on towel in baking dish, and place dish on oven rack. Pour boiling water into dish to halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until custard is just set. Chill ramekins in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch or oven broiler to brown top, 2 to 3 minutes.

The BEST French Toast EVER

2009-12-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

We had a craving for french toast, so we did what we do best and created a recipe! This is so good, you will not be disappointed!! For best results, let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes so all the flavors can incorporate. Best served with fresh fruit, butter, and syrup!

Ingredients:

Texas toast bread
1/4 cup flour
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1 cup half and half (or milk of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, eggs, half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended and smooth and let sit for a few minutes.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Buttery Soft Pretzels

2009-12-10T20:33:00.001-08:00

Recipe Courtesy of Christa Rose from Allrecipes.com

At the time I made these I only had whole wheat flour on hand so the recipe outcome definitely was not the same. If I make these again, I will definitely be using white flour.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar (or honey)
1 1/4 cups warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Seasoned Catfish

2009-10-12T21:32:00.001-07:00

Scott and I had decided to stock up on all sorts of seafood and meats from Costco. Definitely the best way to go. You get your money's worth per pound of meat/seafood. Plus, who doesn't like shopping in bulk??? I will typically stock up then portion and freeze as necessary. Each Costco shopping spree lasts a couple months. We decided to season up and pan fry some catfish and serve it with sauteed fresh vegetables and rice.

We seasoned the catfish with some salt and pepper then dredged the fish in a seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture. In the mixture was: flour, cornmeal, pepper, paprika, Cheyenne pepper, and parsley flakes. We sprayed the fish with a little bit of PAM then baked in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. I believe the temperature was 400 F.

While the catfish was baking we sauteed up some freshly cut vegetables in a mixture of vegetable oil and sesame oil. We seasoned the veggies with salt/pepper and lightly sprinkled them with sesame seeds.

Pizza Dough I

2009-10-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Gudny Bjorg Kjaerbo from allrecipes.com

I wanted to to start making my own pizza at home so found this recipe and gave it a shot. It turned out ok, nothing crazy. I think the dough could be a bit sweeter. Next time I will check out another recipe. I usually bake all my pizzas on my awesome pizza stone. You'll never get a soggy crust!
I went ahead and added all the water, honey/sugar and yeast in my kitchen aid mixer bowl and let that sit for about 10 minutes. I mixed all dry ingredients in another bowl and gradually added them to the wet using my dough hook. I let my kitchen aid knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (or honey)
1 cup warm water

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

2009-10-12T21:08:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of SOMEONESWT from allrecipes.com

This recipe turned out o.k. The pumpkin flavor was a bit overwhelming and made the chili consistency funky. In addition to the recipe, I added: corn, kidney beans, and pinto beans.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
dash salt
cheese, sour cream, and chives for toppings

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Seasoned Pork Chops

2009-10-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

I can't remember when I made this, but I didn't use any recipe. I'll typically season any meats I have with whatever seasonings I have on hand. Nothing special, and nothing too crazy. I served this pork chop with my garlic mashed potatoes and canned corn :)

I think I seasoned the pork with:

Salt
Freshly grated pepper
Thyme
Rosemary

Limited Edition: Coconut Flavored M&M's

2009-10-11T20:47:00.001-07:00

One word to describe these: YUM! Scott found these a little while back at the Chevron near my house. I have gotten a few packs since then, but have not been able to find these anywhere else. These are about the same size as Peanut M&M's. The chocolate center has a nice coconut flavor without any coconut bits. These are definitely worth buying and worth snacking on if you can get your hands on them. I hope their limited edition status changes to a permanent one.

Tiger Cupcakes

2009-10-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

I have decided that it would be fun to create birthday cupcakes in the shape of a favorite animal for coworkers. These were for my friend Alex who requested tigers.

Ingredients:

One box cake mix
Orange, pink, and black food coloring
Butter cream frosting (store bough or homemade) - I make my own
Mini marshmallows

Directions:

Prepare cupcakes as directed by boxed cake mix. Allow cakes to cool.
In small bowls, color portions of butter cream in orange, pink and black. You'll need mostly orange.
Frost each cupcake with orange colored frosting.
Use the corner of a small ziplock back as a piping bag to create ears, a nose, whiskers and stripes.
For the eyes: cut mini marshmallows in half, and place a small drop of black butter cream on top.

Strawberries in Spiced Syrup

2009-10-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of LFRAME29 on allrecipes.com

I had vanilla ice cream, and I had a bunch of strawberries. I didn't want just plain strawberries on my plain vanilla ice cream, so I found a recipe to spice them up! Serve these warm fresh spiced strawberries over your favorite ice cream and you'll surely be pleased.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 pints strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced

Directions:

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes syrupy. Mix in the nutmeg and cinnamon, and remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour over sliced strawberries.

Froggy Cupcakes

2009-10-11T18:39:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to find ways to liven up the usual boring cupcake, so I did some internet searching and have seen several pictures and ideas! I made these on a whim and they turned out awesome.

Ingredients:

One box cake mix
Butter cream Frosting (store bought, or make your own) - I make my own.
Large Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips
Green sugar sprinkles
Green Food Coloring
I used blue frosting for the lips, but you can also use the thin red licorice candy.

Directions:

Make the cupcakes according to the boxed cake mix. Allow them to cool.
Frost each cupcake with green food colored butter cream frosting.
To make the eyes: Cut large marshmallows in half, dip curved side in water, then dip into green sugar sprinkles. Take one chocolate chip and place on marshmallow using a little bit of frosting as glue.
The mouth can be either a small piece of thin red licorice candy or colored butter cream frosting.

Vanilla Ice Cream

2009-10-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have had my Kitchen Aid ice cream bowl attachment for years now, and this is probably the 3rd time I've ever used it. I really need to use it more often, as it produces some lovely ice cream. We used a standard vanilla ice cream recipe and spiced up our "portions" with toppings of our choice. I went ahead and added caramel sauce, Reese's peanut butter cups and brownie bits in mine; Scott added chocolate fudge sauce, caramel sauce, and peanut butter in his. Both combination's were really good, but extremely sweet. Next time I'll cut back on the caramel and perhaps just use it as a topping after scooping the ice cream.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups half and half
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon and reaches at least 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat; cool quickly by setting pan in ice and stirring the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to freeze, pour custard and vanilla into the cylinder of an ice cream freezer or kitchen aid ice cream bowl.

Snow Ice Cream

2009-10-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

After Seattle had gotten several inches of snow back in December of 2008, I decided that I wanted to do something with it! What better thing to make with freshly fallen snow than ICE CREAM! I found a few recipes and put together something of my own.

Ingredients:

About 6-8 cups of snow
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine vanilla, sugar, and evaporated milk.
Gradually add snow until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Irish Soda Bread

2009-10-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of MP Welty on allrecipes.com

I had never made nor eaten Irish soda bread until I made this recipe so I did not know what to expect. I actually had Irish soda bread this last March for the first time after making this recipe. I was pleasantly surprised that this recipe tasted a lot like what I had eaten at this Irish pub.

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Banana Crumb Muffins

2009-10-04T20:47:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Lisa Keft on allrecipes.com

I'm not a big banana bread person (I prefer zucchini bread), but these were pretty tasty. They were like moist banana bread, in muffin form, with a nice brown sugar crumb topping. These were awesome straight out of the oven with a pat of butter.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sweet Corn Bread

2009-10-04T20:36:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Virginia Hanker on allrecipes.com

These turned out wonderful! Extremely moist and very sweet! These would be best served with any BBQ, soup or stew! Or as a dinner roll substitute. I made these in Oklahoma and didn't have a whole lot of baking pans so I ended up using an over sized muffin tin for this recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (I used white corn meal)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg slightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the egg, sour cream, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Peppy's Pita Bread

2009-10-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Sandy on allrecipes.com

These turned out pretty good. I've only made these once, and it was while I was living in Oklahoma. I have not made these since moving back to Washington. I know they will turn out differently as the weather is very different. Next time I will roll out the dough a bit thinner in order to allow for a much bigger "pocket." These would definitely make for a great light sandwich bread.

1 1/8 cups luke warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Directions:

Place luke warm water, sugar, vegetable oil and yeast into Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Allow to rest for approximately 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.
Using the dough hook attachment, gradually add dry ingredients into wet. Allow machine to knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

French Baguettes

2009-10-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Judy Taubert on allrecipes.com

WOW, is all I have to say about this recipe! These turned out awesome and were extremely tasty! Obviously best served fresh out of the oven with a little bit of butter. I have made this recipe several of times and highly recommend it to anyone. The original recipe was made for a bread machine (which I used the first time I made this), but because I do not own a bread machine I've modified the recipe slightly for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

1 cup water, luke warm
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 tablespoon white sugar (I used honey)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Place one cup luke warm water, sugar/honey, and yeast in Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Let rest approximately 10 minutes.
While yeast is activating, combine flour and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
While using the Kitchen Aid bread hook attachment, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet. Allow the stand mixer to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Once kneaded, place into lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8 x 12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pushing out air any bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches. Cover, let rise in a warm place about 30-40 minutes.
Mix egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water, brush over tops of loaves.
Bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Colcannon

2009-10-04T20:01:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Marc Boyer on allrecipes.com

1 pound cabbage
1 pound potatoes
2 leeks (or green onions)
1 cup milk
1 pinch ground mace (I omitted this)
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
Chop leeks (both green and white parts), and simmer then in just enough milk to cover until they are soft.
Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well and enjoy!

General Tsao's Chicken

2009-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe for the first time down in Texas for Tom and his family and I've only made it one other time since then. I'm long overdue for this one. I somehow lost the recipe during my move from Houston but still have pictures! I will update this post with the recipe as soon as I find it.

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

2009-09-03T19:25:00.001-07:00

Recipe Courtesy of Robin Siedel from Allrecipes.com

This recipe was mediocre. The raspberry sauce really just tasted like a runny jam. I definitely prefer my pork chops moist, well flavored and free of sauces.

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.
Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.
In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme.

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce

2009-09-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe straight out of my Good Housekeeping Best Chicken Dishes cookbook. Quick, easy and delicious! Don't let the title deceive you, the flavor of this dish is very light on the mustard side. In fact, you can't taste it unless you're really looking for it. The second time I made this I went ahead and added red and yellow peppers for some color.

1 tablespoon butter
1 pound medium mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion (I used a medium one)
4 medium chicken-breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (9 oz) frozen artichoke hearts (I used a small jar of hearts)
1 cup half and half or light cream
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Dijon mustard with seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mustard and cook about 15 minutes until well browned and liquid evaporates from skillet. Transfer mushrooms to bowl.

2. In the same skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender and golden. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms.

3. In skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add chicken breast pieces and cook until golden (about 10-12 minutes). Add mushrooms, onions, salt, artichoke hearts and 1/2 cup of water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook chicken covered 5 minutes longer.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in half and half and Dijon mustard; heat through. Sprinkle chicken with parsley and serve!

Ultimate Shrimp Scampi

2009-08-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

Recipe Posted by: Slipmaloney on All Recipes.com

This recipe turned out excellent!

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti noodles)
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry white wine
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, diced (or the shredded kind)
1 large avocado - peeled, pitted and diced (I did not use)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta, and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and white wine. Once the mixture begins to bubble, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir in the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp turn pink, and are no longer transparent in the center, about 5 minutes.
Serve the scampi over a bed of angel hair pasta, and sprinkle with Asiago cheese and avocado to serve.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

2009-08-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

I make this all the time as a side dish, but I don't really have a recipe. I just add as I go, but here is a list of the ingredients that I usually put in. I also use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment to make things easier.

Baby red potatoes
Whole roasted garlic cloves
Cream Cheese (sometimes)
Milk
Butter
Fresh Chives, Green onions or Parsley (sometimes)
Salt & Pepper to taste

I roast the garlic with olive oil in the oven for about 35 minutes, and add them along with the garlic infused oil into the potatoes. After the garlic and oil I'll go ahead and add the cream cheese, butter and milk. I only add milk to get the desired consistency. Once it's creamy, I'll add salt/pepper and any other add-ins.

Finally started!

2009-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

It all started when a classmate of mine noticed my obsession with photographing and critiquing recipes I've made. I didn't think much of it, but knew I loved baking and cooking and enjoyed photographing the finished product. She thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to start a blog where I could post recipes I've tried. We also wanted to use this as an avenue to share recipes. Nothing builds good friendships like food, and we loved every bit of it.
So...after a few years of procrastination and constant nagging from one awesome friend, I've finally decided to start a food blog.

So here is my thanks to Katie Roche for the constant pushing to get this started!!