We moved!

If anyone is still out there, I moved my blog! Still blogger but I don't have food enough food posts to have a blog dedicated to food so my new one is all of me!  My life, my threesome family, and our home! There will still be lots of food but now it's all in one!

Come check me out!

http://ahouseofsprout.blogspot.com/

Simplest Bruschetta

BruschettaThe first year Vinny and I were dating, I brought Bruschetta to a St. Patty’s Day party…hm..looking back, what a weird food to take to a St. Patty’s Day party..but anyways, I brought Bruschetta and he absolutely loved it and has asked for it and hinted about it many many MANY times since.  So, I decided to finally give in and make this for him…I don’t really know why I don’t make this dish more..I love it, I always order it when we go out to eat, and it’s a piece of cake to make..who knows but anyways..yummy and a perfect start to a meal!!!
There are a million ways to do bruschetta, just google bruschetta recipes and you'll see everyone does it different..this is just what we do because it's the simplest and it's yummy!

Simplest Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, rough chopped
• 2 tablespoons torn basil-I learned this trick from Extra Virgin plus I like how it looks!
• 1 garlic clove, minced--don't you dare used jarred garlic for this, it's supposed to be fresh! :-)
• drizzle of olive oil plus one more for good measure
• drizzle of balsamic vinegar-don't be tempted to use more or it overpowers it..unless you like that then go for it!
• salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted baguette slices
• Fresh grated Romano Cheese-Parmesan substitutes perfectly, Vinny just likes Romano

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl, let sit for about 10 minutes for flavors to mix and then serve toasted baguette slices with grated Romano on top!

I FINALLY found one I love! Salsa!

Sorry for the absence!  No, my kitchen did not catch on fire preventing me from cooking.  No, my Italian husband did not decide to kick me out of the kitchen and start taking over(although that would be nice except for the fact that he doesn't really cook..ever.).  And no, I have defiintely not lost my love of cooking. 
Three of the last months WERE spent with me avoiding my kitchen and refrigerator as much as humanly possible because it was making me sick but that's all behind me now and I'm pregnant and HUNGRY.  

I love salsa..like L.O.V.E. it. and I'm snobby about it.  I know exactly what I want it to taste like and get very dissapointed when it doesn't. I hate jarred and I've given jarred an honest try and it just doesn't have that homemade taste that I crave when I want salsa.   I have been searching and messing with salsa recipes and just haven't found one I like until today when I got home from work and wanted salsa STAT!  I just kinda threw this together and was amazed at how much I loved it!  Maybe it's hormones but me and the Italian LOVED this!  We had this with some simple baked tortilla chips since I had left over Corn tortillas! 

Doesn't it feel good when you finally find exactly what you're looking for!

PS, anyone who photographs their food..doesn't summer lighting make it about a 1000 times easier!

Quickie Salsa

Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
1/2 cup cilantro(I could have used more of this but the Italian said that would have ruined it..you decide)
1/4 sweet onion, rough chopped
1 can diced tomatoes(this would probably be AMAZING with fresh tomatoes but our garden's a bit behind this year like everyone elses!)
1 can diced green chiles
1 pinch or two of cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt(I used kosher)
1 pinch fresh ground pepper
2 tsp lime juice

Directions
1.  In a food processor, combine all ingredients except lime juice and pulse until desired smoothness, I like mine pretty smooth!
2.  Add lime juice.  Let sit in the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour so flavors combine and then grab some chips and margaritas(or lime soda if you're in my predicament ;-)  )  and enjoy your salsa!!  Sombrero optional. 

Strawberry Cinnamon Chiffon Cake

I'm back!!!
I know I said I was going to start with a healthier meal but this tasted so good that I couldn't resist.

It's been a little warmer here which reminds me of Spring, which reminds me of gardening, which reminds me of summer and all the yummy foods that come with summer(yes my mind really does move this way). 
Last fall, one of my BF's and I went to a cooking exhibition and our local "cake lady" made this cake for her demonstration and it looked soooo good and refreshing.  When I walked out of work yesterday and it was warm, I knew it was the day to make it.  It did take some time but it was so worth it!!  I can't wait to make this again in the summer when the strawberries are at their sweetest.   I brought it into work so poor Vince didn't get any yet..hopefully there will be a piece left over to take to him.

PS: Make sure you don't put this on a cake stand that doesn't fit in your fridge, it'll only end with you loudly cursing at yourself in the kitchen and your neighbor's dog outsite barking at you while you try to pick the cake up and move it to another plate.   The morale of the story:  think ahead.

Strawberry Cinnamon Chiffon Cake
Recipe Source:  Lisa Decker Cakes, Altoona, PA

 Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 quart strawberry
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 2 1/2 hrs

1 Heat oven to 325 degrees. - you will need an angel food cake pan.

2 Combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.

3 Separate eggs. Combine the yolks, oil, water and 1 tsp vanilla. With an electric mixer set on low, gradually beat egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until just smooth.

4 Clean beaters and beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed with they hold soft peaks. Beat in 1/2 cup of remaining sugar, adding it gradually. Continue until whites hold stiff peaks.

5 With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.

6 Pour into UNGREASED 10" angel food cake pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean - 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes - Cool.

7 Slice off top of cake 1/2" and set aside. Cut a tunnel about 1 1/2" deep in the cake. The cut should be about 3/4" from the center and the outside of the cake. Remove cake with a fork to form the tunnel.

8 Hull and chop half the strawberries. Beat heavy cream with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar (add more or less depending on sweetness) and 1/2 tsp vanilla until the cream has stiff peaks. Combine 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream with the chopped strawberries.

9 Fill the tunnel with the strawberry and whipped cream mixture. Replace the top of the cake.

10 Frost cake with remaining whipped cream. Before serving, hull and halve the remaining strawberries and decorate the cake with the berries

Starting New February 1st!

I hope everyone's having a great 2011!  I have been busy in the kitchen and enjoying making lots and lots of food and trying to eat MUCH healthier and make over my recipes.  Vince isn't a fan of knowing he's on a diet so I've launched a sneak attack diet on him.   I have a bunch of new recipes that are healthy and yummy!  Even Vince says so, hehe! 

A holiday break

I'm sure you've already realized that I'm on holiday!  Cooking up lots of yummy treats and spending time with family.  I'll be back next year with hopefully an arsenal of posts! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Halloween 2010: Mummy Dogs

My last recipe for the Halloween 2010 series.  I really had so many more that I wanted to make but just not enough time..oh well, there's always next year.  Happy Halloween everyone! 

The movie:

The food:
Pretzel Mummy Dogs
This is the recipe that had to be tried twice because my first round was made with expired yeast and never did rise.  Second round was much much better!  And really not that hard to make! Definitely worth trying for anyone who likes pretzels! 

Pretzel Mummy Dogs

Source:  A Dash of Sass, with credit to Alton Brown.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package dry active yeast
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda*
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt (or kosher salt), for topping
• 8 hot dogs, cut in half

 

Directions:

1. Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and begins to smell of yeast.
2. Add the flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and, on medium-low speed, combine the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and appears shiny, roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray (or lightly grease with vegetable oil) and place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm area (near the oven, perhaps) and let dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
5. In a large pot, bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a roiling boil.
6. Place the dough on a greased surface, and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, roughly 12 inches long. Carefully wrap each piece around a half hot dog. Pinch the ends together to seal the dough. Alternatively, to make regular pretzels, shape the rope into a U shape, cross the ends over each other and fold the twisted ends back onto the bottom of the U. Again, pinch the dough together to form a seal. Place each shaped pretzel on the parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Boil the shaped pretzels and pretzel dogs, one at a time, in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each. Using a slotted spatula, remove each pretzel dog from the water and place it on a drying rack to allow any extra baking soda mixture to drip off.
8. Place the boiled pretzel dogs back on the parchment lined baking sheets.
9. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with pretzel or kosher salt.
10. Bake until golden brown, roughly 14 to 15 minutes. Transfer pretzel dogs to a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a variety of mustards.

Makes 16 pretzel dogs.
* Yes, I know that this seems like a crazy amount of baking soda, but trust me, Alton has clearly done the math on this one. The baking soda mixture gives the pretzels that perfectly crisp crust that you are looking for.

 

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I went to a fundraiser earlier this month with my mom and Lil Sis(who's always been a big supporter of breast cancer awareness).  And I decided to make these cupcakes in honor of it.  Jello Poke Cake is a recipe that I absolutely love.  I wondered if you could make this recipe into cupcakes and I decided that the worst that could happen was I'd have a huge syrupy jelloey(okay I don't know how to spell that!) mess but it turned out great!  I took these into the girls at work who agreed!  I can't wait to try these for different events with different colors.  I hope you enjoy and please don't forget about breast cancer awareness, it's so important!

Jello Poke-Cupcakes

Original Source: close family friend who I've always begged for the recipe when she made this

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix, prepared as directed on box as cupcakes
• 1 box jello(any flavor you like, I picked strawberry because it was pink, but you can really have fun with all the the different colors and flavors)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 can frosting(again, any kind you like, I used cream cheese because I had it on hand)

Directions

1.  Let cakes cool for 15 minutes.  Mix 1 cup boiling water and jello and mix until dissolved.

2.  Add 1/2 cup cold water

3.  Line 2 baking pan with foils.  Place cakes in one of the pans but keep the other one close by.  Poke hold in top of cakes with fork or chopstick and pour jello down into holes.

4.  Remove cakes from pan and place into clean one so the liners don't get soaked in jello.  Chill completely and frost as desired. 

Halloween Recipes-Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

LIke my previous post said, I'm a little behind on this...but thanks for sticking around!  Vince and I both LOVED this dish and it was sooo easy!

 

The Movie:

 

The Dish:

 

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Source: All Recipes-Sandy Witek

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• 6 small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

 

2.Place chicken and potatoes into a large bowl. Pour olive oil over them, and stir to coat. Scatter the chicken and potato pieces in a large baking dish, or cookie sheet with sides. Sprinkle with rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

 

3.Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, uncovered. Baste during the last 15 minutes for extra crispness.

sorry about the Halloween delay!

But I've had a few failures on the halloween dinners..OOPS! ..but I've learned..

• Yeast does expire when it says it does..WHO KNEW!
• Hot Dogs do NOT like to be left out accidentally over night...we accidentally left them on the counter after unpacking groceries
• Bananas are like grab bags..just because the outside looks nice does not mean they're bakeable..CRAP.
• Set a timer if you're cooking and doing other things otherwise, your food will look like Freddy's Kreuger's face.

Have you learned anything interesting  about food lately?