Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad was my first time cooking with eggplant, and I really enjoyed it. What a colorful, spongy vegetable! I was pleased with the salad, but my husband and I both felt the flavor got a little strong by the end. I think it would have been better as a side dish or a dip.

Chipotle Bean Burritos

I loved this recipe for Chipotle Bean Burritos, and it was very easy. I'll definitely make this one again.

Chili

This chili recipe did not come from a cookbook, but instead from the Jane Green novel, Promises To Keep. I omitted the meat and felt the chili was hearty enough without it.

Chili (from Promises To Keep)
1 green pepper
1/2 large white onion
2 cups baby carrots
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 pound minced chicken or turkey (optional)
2 small cans kidney beans
1 small can black beans
1 large can chopped tomatoes
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro

1. Chop the pepper, onion, carrots, and garlic in a blender, then gently saute in the oil until soft and flavorful (about 5 minutes). Add the chili, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, and turmeric and stir well.
2. For vegetarian chili, omit the meat step and carry on. If adding meat, add it now and keep stirring and turning until the meat changes color.
3. Add the kidney and black beans, making sure you rinse them well in a colander beforehand. Then add the tomatoes and the Worcestershire sauce.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover, leaving to simmer for about 30 minutes. The longer you simmer it the better the flavor will be. Also, it's best to make it a couple of days in advance and leave in the fridge for all the flavors to fully absorb.
5. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, finely chopped onion guacamole, and shredded cheese to garnish, allowing guests to help themselves as desired.

Mashed Root Vegetables

My contribution to our Thanksgiving dinner this year was mashed root vegetables. I used carrots, turnips, parsnips, and rutabaga. I always like dishes that have color to them, so I thought this made a nice addition. The recipe came from Good Housekeeping A Very Merry Christmas Cookbook. I doubled the recipe below.

Mashed Root Vegetables
2 pounds assorted root vegetables (carrots, celery root, parsnips, white turnips, and/or
rutabaga), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (5 cups)
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
pince nutmeg

1. In 5- or 6-quart saucepot, combine root vegetables, potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and enough water to cover; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 15 minutes, or until vegetables and potatoes are tender. Drain.
2. Return vegetables to saucepot; add butter, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mash with potato masher until smooth. Spoon mixture into 1 1/2-quart casserole; cook slightly.
3. To serve, preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Cover casserole and bake 30 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Jessie's Dinner Rolls

This recipe for home-made dinner rolls was given to me by a very special friend, Jessie, who will turn 97 this February. Jessie is no longer able to make them herself, so I thought I'd surprise her this Thanksgiving with a batch of her own famous recipe. While she was pleased with my effort, her (always honest) response was, "Honey, they're supposed to be bigger." I followed the recipe exactly as written, but perhaps they would have risen more if they weren't rolled as tightly? I'll have to try them again and find out.

Jessie's Dinner Rolls

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

Scald milk (heat until bubbles form around the edge). Do not boil. Add shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.

2 pkgs. dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and allow it to dissolve. You may stir gently if needed. Add lukewarm milk mixture and mix.

4 3/4 cups sifted flour

2 eggs

Add to above mixture and stir until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead until the dough is pliable and thoroughly mixed. Place dough in a sprayed bowl, put in a warm place and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

When dough has risen, turn out onto flat surface sprinkled with flour. Cut in half keeping one part in reserve. Roll dough into a circle about 12-15 in. in diameter. Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces (triangles). Roll each triangle from large end to point and place on baking pan point end down. Repeat procedure with second half of dough. Place rolls in a warm place to rise as before. When double in size, bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cook on wire rack.

Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Clearly I'm on a soup kick, but this one was soooo good. A very richly flavored soup.

Hummus Club Sandwiches

Making Hummus Club Sandwiches allowed me to use my new food processor for the first time to make the hummus. The hummus was pretty garlicky, which was good in the sandwich, but a little too strong to use as a dip or eat for a work lunch before returning to close-quarters patient care. A very hearty veggie sandwich though; I liked this one!

Potato and Roti Curry

Potato and Roti Curry

Peanut and Squash Soup

This recipe for Peanut and Squash Soup was a favorite of everybody in the family, including this little black and white princess.

Swiss Chard Spanakopita Casserole

Swiss Chard Spanakopita Casserole

I couldn't find the phyllo dough recommended for this recipe, so I used Pillsbury dough sheets instead (I needed 3 sheets, one for the bottom, one for the top, and one to cut up for the sides). This dish was delicious, and made great leftovers. I'm curious to find the phyllo dough and try it again! The swiss chard was fresh from my in-laws' garden.

Mushroom Frittata

Mushroom Frittata
I used an assortment of fresh portabella, cremini, and white mushrooms. Very good flavor, but I left it on the skillet too long and it got a little brown.

Autumn Salad With Red Wine Vinaigrette

Autumn Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Broccoli and Parmesan Casserole

I recently bought Cooking Light Way to Cook Vegetarian and I absolutely love it. Most of the next few recipes are from this cookbook.

Broccoli and Parmesan Casserole

Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Grilled Asian Drumsticks, one final grilling recipe for the season. It is now officially fall here, so I'm looking forward to getting back into soups and slow-cooker recipes and Holiday dishes!

Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry

This recipe calls for a bag of frozen stir-fry to speed things up, which I was happy to use since I had one I had been ignoring for awhile, but of course you could use fresh stir-fry as well.

Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry

from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Bridal Edition

1 12-16 oz. package refrigerated water-packed firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp rated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 16-oz bag frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed

2/3 cup bottled stir-fry sauce

2 cups hot cooked rice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 medium orange, cut into 8 wedges

1. Place tofu on paper towels. In a bowl combine 1 tbsp of the peanuts, the sesame seeds, ginger, and red pepper. Add tofu; toss.

2. In a skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu mixture; stir-fry 4 minutes or until sesame seeds are toasted and tofu is golden.

3. Remove tofu mixture from skillet. Add vegetables to skill; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add stir-fry sauce; cook until mixture is bubbly. Stir in tofu; heat through. Serve over rice. sprinkle with remaining peanuts and green onion. Serve with orange wedges.

Shredded Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

Shredded Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

from Weber's Real Grilling

Sauce:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

4 large sandwich rolls

1. To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes.

2. Lightly brush or spray the chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over Direct Medium heat until the meat is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8-12 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Shred the chicken, add to the sauce, and heat through over medium heat.

3. Grill the rolls over Direct Medium heat until lightly toasted, 30 to 60 seconds. Build each sandwich with a roll and some shredded chicken.

Makes 4 servings

Southwest-Style Chicken Burgers

Either chicken or turkey will work for this recipe. I didn't get a very good picture of it, but don't let that stop you from trying this one, it was really good!



Southwest-Style Chicken Burgers
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Bridal Edition

1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup finely crushed nacho-flavor or plain tortilla chips
3 tablespoons finely chopped green sweet pepper
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground uncooked chicken or turkey
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, sliced
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced
4 lettuce leaves
1/4 cup bottled salsa

1. Preheat broiler. In a medium bowl stir together egg, tortilla chips, sweet pepper, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Add chicken; mix well. (Mixture will be wet.) Shape chicken mixture into four 3/4-in. thick patties.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat for 14-18 minutes or until no longer pink (165 deg F), turning once halfway through broiling. Top burgers with cheese. Broil about 1 minute more or until cheese melts.

3. Serve burgers on toasted rolls; top with avocado, lettuce, and salsa.

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry

I'm always looking for new tofu recipes. I liked this one, but I would definitely recommend fewer onions and more spinach.



Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry
from The Complete Book of Asian Stir-Fries

Serves 4

1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 1/2 oz firm tofu, cut into 1-in. cubes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 onions, cut into eighths
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. lengths
3 1/2 oz snow peas (mange-tout), trimmed and sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and sliced
1 cup drained canned baby corn
1 bunch bok choy, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. lengths, or 1 bunch spinach, trimmed
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
steamed white rice, for serving

In a wok over medium heat, warm vegetable oil. Working in batches, add tofu and stir-fry until golden on all sides, 2-3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove from wok and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil from wok and return to medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and onions and stir-fry until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli, snow peas, bell pepper, corn and bok choy or spinach. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add tofu and oyster and soy sauces and gently stir-fry until heated through, 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot, accompanied with steamed white rice.

Tuna Melts with Avocado

Delicious, Tuna Melts with Avocado!

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Honey-Lime Dressing

Mr. Knight can be domestic too.






Cedar-Planked Salmon with Honey-Lime Dressing
from Weber's Real Grilling

Dressing:
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large salmon fillet (with skin) 2.5 to 3 pounds, about 16 in. long and 3/4 in. thick
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 untreated cedar plank (about 16 in. x 8 in. and 3/4 in. thick), submerged in water for at least 1 hour

1. To make the dressing: In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients except the oil. Mix until well blended. With the blender still running, slowly pour in the oil to make a smooth dressing.
2. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet. Using needle nose pliers, remove and discard any pin bones from the salmon. Season the flesh side of the salmon with the salt and pepper. Pour about half of the dressing over the flesh and use a brush to distribute it evenly.
3. Remove the soaked plank from the water and immediately place it over Direct High heat until the edges start to smoke and char, 3 to 10 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't flame). Move the plank over Indirect High heat and place the salmon, skin side down, on the plank. Grill until the salmon is just slightly pink in the center and brown on the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the plank and salmon to a heatproof surface. Serve warm with the remaining dressing.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Creamy Chicken Salad

Creamy Chicken Salad - one of my favorites!

Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes

This recipe for Beef and Mushroom Sloppy Joes calls for approximately a 50:50 ratio of mushrooms to hamburger. Here I am, adding the chopped mushrooms to the browned hamburger. Cremini mushrooms are recommended for more flavor.

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Baked Buffalo Wings

These Baked Buffalo Wings were a tasty alternative to fried wings. Messy, but worth it!

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

Opposing-Sides Two-Bean Dip

I made this recipe for Opposing-Sides Two-Bean Dip for our Superbowl Party back in February, and really liked it. The white bean side was very difficult to work with in the blender though, since it was so thick, so beware!

Orange Chipotle-Spiced Pecan Mix

Orange Chipotle-Spiced Pecan Mix - yum!

Firecracker Salmon

Another great recipe from Susan!

Firecracker Salmon

4 to 8 (4-oz) fillets salmon

1/2 cup peanut oil

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

4 Tbsp. green onions, chopped

3 tsp. brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger or 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Place salmon fillets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours (or overnight).

Line dish with parchment paper and bake salmon at 350 F. for 15-20 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork.

Or grill the fillets for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part. Turn over halfway through cooking.

Eggs Florentine

I have decided to return to blogging, though I might not write much for each post. I found that I like having a record of the meals that I have made, even if it is just a picture and a link to the recipe.

I made this recipe for Eggs Florentine a few months ago. I was hoping to spend a week mastering all different methods for cooking eggs, but so far I can still only do fried, scrambled, and hard-boiled. Eggs Florentine made a great weekend breakfast food, and a good substitute for omelettes.

Eggs Florentine

2 tablespoons olive oil

10 button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic

dash hot sauce

dash red pepper seeds

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 6-ounce bag of cleaned baby spinach

4 large eggs

goat cheese to taste

5-6 large basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

1. Heat olive oil on medium high. Brown mushrooms on both sides without seasoning. Add onion and season with a little salt and pepper. Saute for about 1 minute.

2. Add garlic, hot sauce, and red pepper seeds. Add tomatoes and white wine. Saute for an additional minute.

3. Add spinach and toss until wilted. Make 4 little indents in the mixture with the back of your spoon. Crack 1 egg into each indent. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Crumble goat cheese all over and sprinkle with basil ribbons. cover and cook till eggs are set but yokes are soft. Serves 2.

Thanksgiving

I am planning to take an official break from my blog, at least for awhile, as I'm finding it too hard to keep up with regular postings. I am still cooking, but plan to revisit some of my favorites from 2010 rather than always trying new recipes. I am leaving you with my contributions to the family Thanksgiving dinner, Framboise Cranberry Sauce and Citrus Green Beans with Pine Nuts. Both were delicious and easy side dishes to make ahead of time. This will wrap up my 2010 New Years resolution to learn to cook, and mark the beginning of my 2011 New Years resolution to learn to sew (unblogged).