Grilled Pizza Party

If you want to see how this is done, go to youtube.com and search whitney klein. I'm the girl in the pink shirt. I've always wanted to make a movie like the food network and this was my chance. Although we weren't the most professional and I got teased while trying to talk, we had a blast making this. I especially want to thank Patrick Akhamlich for filming, editing, and doing some sweet graphics.

I had the guys over for a poker/fight night so I wanted to do something fun and customizable so everyone was happy. If I did this again I would buy more pizza dough because the guys could have eaten 2 mini pizzas each.

Buy pizza dough (4.50 for large ball of dough)
mozzarella cheese
fontina cheese

possible toppings:
pepperoni
bell pepper
onion
chicken
roasted garlic
basil-cheese
proscuitto
chorizo

tomato sauce:
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs oregano
3 tbs fresh basil
red chili flake
up to 2 tbs of sugar

For directions You'll just have to watch my video and see for yourself! please leave comments so I can improve for the next video which should be beef stew.

here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDkr5nRImc

Pineapple and Onion Chicken with Brown Rice and Green Beans

Marinade:
1 can pineapple chunks and liquid
1/2 vidalia or sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs dry thyme
1 tsp red pepper flake
zest of one lemon

6 pieces of chicken (I prefer dark meat)
green beans
shallot
butter
brown rice
chicken stock

optional: extra onion, thinly sliced and caramelized to top chicken after baking

Directions:
1. combine all ingredients for marinade in a plastic bag. combine well and then add chicken. Remove as much air as possible from bag so marinade has maximum contact with the chicken. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Add pineapple pieces and onion slices to cook alongside chicken. bake chicken for 55 minutes.

3. While chicken cooks prepare any side dishes you like. I made brown rice according to the package directions except instead of water, I added chicken stock. I also made some green beans like I have in other posts so check those out for directions.

4. Remove chicken from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve everything together. For a fresher/brighter taste I like to squeeze a little lemon or lime on top of the chicken right before serving.

Remaking Favorites

CHICKEN RISOTTO


Chicken and Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce


Meatloaf and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes


Some dishes just make me happy inside or are just great go to meals. I recently remade my meatloaf (posted in September), frozen store bought ravioli (posted in February), and chicken risotto (posted in September). These meals are all crowd pleasers and use things that I usually keep on hand.

Veal Schnitzel

This dish is a Czech favorite of mine. We like to make it for special occasions because veal can be a little pricey. Most stores don't carry veal but you ca order it and they will get it for you. Do this a few days before you plan to serve it. If you don't like the idea of eating veal you can do this same thing with thinly sliced pork or thin cuts of tender beef like the tenderloin.

I've already posted this recipe on here in October so look for it there. This dish is so tasty and it turned out really well this time. Give it a try if your looking for something new!

Fajitas

Today I felt like fajitas because they're quick cooking and they can marinade while I'm at work. Then when I get home I just have to grill them.

I really wanted to use chipotles in adobo sauce (found in a can) but I couldn't find any at the store. If you do find some, chop them roughly and add them to the marinade but cut down on the chili powder and red chili flake so the meat doesn't get too spicy unless you like that.

Ingredients:
2 lbs skirt steak
20 flour tortillas (any size you like)
1 can pinto beans (any beans you like)
2 onions, sliced thin
2 bell peppers sliced thin
1 avocado, for topping
sour cream, for topping
cheese, for topping
salsa, for topping

Marinade for Skirt Steak:
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbs. worchestire sauce
1 tbs. hot sauce
1 tsp. red wine or rice vinegar
spices to sprinkle directly on the meat (use as many as you have and put a light sprinkle of each):
paprika
chili powder
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
thyme
oregano
cumin

Directions:

1. combine all the ingredients for the marinade into a plastic bag and rub spices onto meat. Place meat into bag of marinade and seal tightly. Squish everything together with your hands and then allow to marinade in the fridge for up to 10 hours. I suggest putting the plastic bag inside a container so it doesn't spill or leak all over your fridge.

2. Remove meat from fridge and preheat a grill

3. Slice the onion and pepper thinly and place into a pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Season with a little salt and pepper. Allow to cook until veggies get soft. Set aside when finished.

4. Pour can of pinto beans into a sauce pan and season with a little salt and pepper. Heat through over low heat. Set aside

5. Place meat onto the grill and allow to cook on one side for 3 minutes. Turn once and continue cooking 3 minutes on the other side. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest 4 minutes.

6. Slice avocado and set out any other sides and toppings you'd like with your fajitas. Heat tortillas (I suggest flour) about 20 seconds per side over high heat. I just use the open flame and keep turning the tortilla with tongs. Place into a clean dishtowel so they stay warm.

7. Slice meat thinly perpendicular to the grain. This cuts the meat fibers shorter so it feels more tender in your mouth. Toss with any juices on the plate and serve.

8. Put the meat and any topping you'd like together onto a single tortilla and enjoy!

Fried Chicken

I had some left over buttermilk from making cornbread so I decided to make something I've only made once before, fried chicken. The first time I made it I put the wrong crust on it so the crust burned and the chicken was raw inside. It was disgusting in all honesty. Luckily this time it turned out all right. If you want to watch how to make this dish before cooking it, I suggest going to food network and looking up Alton Brown's recipe for fried chicken (also below) and watch his video. I think the key to this chicken is soaking it over night in buttermilk. It just makes the texture and flavor of the final product so good.

Ingredients:

1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Flour, for dredging
Safflower oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Place chicken pieces into a plastic bag and cover with buttermilk. Place in a plastic container to prevent leakage disaster and cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

2. Pour oil so it comes 1/2 inch up the side of a cast iron skillet. Make sure oil comes about half way up chicken cuz you'll flip it once and you want even cooking.

3. Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. It's a good idea to let the chicken rest for about 2 minutes so the coating will stick better to the chicken.

4. Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

5. Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.

Grilled Pizza Party

If you want to see how this is done, go to youtube.com and search whitney klein. I'm the girl in the pink shirt. I've always wanted to make a movie like the food network and this was my chance. Although we weren't the most professional and I got teased while trying to talk, we had a blast making this. I especially want to thank Patrick Akhamlich for filming, editing, and doing some sweet graphics.

I had the guys over for a poker/fight night so I wanted to do something fun and customizable so everyone was happy. If I did this again I would buy more pizza dough because the guys could have eaten 2 mini pizzas each.

Buy pizza dough (4.50 for large ball of dough)
mozzarella cheese
fontina cheese

possible toppings:
pepperoni
bell pepper
onion
chicken
roasted garlic
basil-cheese
proscuitto
chorizo

tomato sauce:
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbs oregano
3 tbs fresh basil
red chili flake
up to 2 tbs of sugar

For directions You'll just have to watch my video and see for yourself! please leave comments so I can improve for the next video which should be beef stew.

here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDkr5nRImc

A Big Breakfast

I got a little tired of doing dinner parties so instead I decided to do a brunch type thing with my friend. Plus, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so why not eat a ton?!?! I made sure they were already at my house before I started to cook because eggs don't take to long and if they just sit around, they get rubbery and gross. I just made things that I had on hand like bacon, eggs, english muffins and a special treat of cinnamon rolls.

I love cinnamon rolls in the tube in the store. You can bake them yourself so they are fresh and your whole house smells delicious. They're easy and all you have to do is follow the directions on the packaging.

The eggs can be made anyway you like. I made mine scrambled with some sauteed onion and a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese. I liked adding these other flavors to spice up what the scrambled eggs I already eat everyday.

You can make any other breakfast favorites you'd like but my favs are bacon and english muffins. Breakfast is usually quick cooking so it's great for entertaining!

Beef Short Ribs and Mashed Potatoes

I really wanted to braise some meat today because I know I'll be home for a while. I tried to find some brisket because it's cheap but when I got to the meat counter there wasn't any. So I picked the next cheapest thing I could braise- short ribs. I really like these anyways so I was actually pretty excited to make them. Since I had to buy a few extra short ribs due to how they were packaged I decided to invite some friends to help me eat it all. I don't think they minded the free and good food haha.

Short ribs tend to shrink during cooking so make sure you have about 2 ribs per person and 3 if people are really hungry. You can also do a whole lot of side dishes to stretch the meat. You could make this dish in a slow cooker by doing steps 1-3 in a pan and then transferring everything to the slow cooker. I suggest this way you can have a delicious meal right when you come home for work.

Ingredients:
6 Short Ribs (trimmed)
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 onion, large chop
3 carrots, peeled and largely chopped
3 stalks of celery, large chop
1 28 oz can of san marzano tomatoes (diced if you can find them)
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup beef stock

Mashed Potatoes:
4 Yukon Gold potatoes
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella (or any cheese or your choice)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
milk and butter

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 300 degrees. Drizzle 1 tbs olive oil in the bottom of a large, oven proof pot and heat over medium high. Season short ribs with the spices of your choice and salt and pepper. Place short ribs in to brown and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Leave the short ribs alone while cooking on one side so it forms a nice crust. Turn meat and continue to cook until all sides are browned up. Remove ribs and set aside

2. While meat is browning, roughly chop all the vegetables. Once meat is finished add veggies to the hot pan and season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until veggies start to soften, about 7 minutes.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and cook another minute. Then add the wine and beef stock. Allow everything to come to a simmer then add the short ribs back to the pan. Make sure they are completely covered with liquid. Place in preheated oven for about 2 hours or short ribs are tender.

4. When ribs get close to being finished go ahead and make any side dishes. I decided to make some decked out mashed potatoes. Peel the yukon potatoes, cut into small chunks, and place into cold water. Allow the water to come to a boil and cook potatoes until fork tender.

5. Drain the potatoes and mash with the cheese, a little butter and a splash of milk. Add more milk for consistency if needed. Once everything is mashed up together add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the fresh basil.

6. Once ribs are tender, remove them from pan and set aside. Pour the rest of the veggies and liquid into a blender and mix. If you want a thinner sauce add water, if you want a thicker sauce add more veggies. Place ribs on a platter and spoon some of the sauce on top. Place on a table with all the other side dishes and enjoy!!!

Stuffed Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce

I was chilling with some buddies for the afternoon and we decided to make this dish. Luckily for me, my friends were able to finish it for me with some directions because I wasn't feeling too well. They did a great job and it tasted wonderful! This dish takes about an hour to make but the good news is you can prepare everything and put it all together than freeze the dish. Then bake it frozen and enjoy it as a quick dinner after a long day.

First make the Arrabiata Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 strips of bacon, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dry oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Now it's time to make the filling for the pasta and par-cook the noodles

Ingredients:
1 box of Manicotti noodles or some kind of large shell or any shape pasta that can be stuffed
1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon red chili flake
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry thyme
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella, extra for sprinkling on top
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
Parmesan for sprinkling on top

1. Place a large pan of water onto the stove, cover and allow to come to a boil.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high flame. Add a drizzle of olive oil and then add ground beef. Season with the first set of spices above. Stir and allow to brown for about 10 minutes. Then set aside and cool

3. While meat cooks, make the rest of the filling by combining the cheeses, egg, basil, and spices to a bowl. Stir well to combine. Once meat has cooled down a bit add meat to cheese mixture and mix well.

4. Once water is boiling drop in a few of the noodles. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes so there are flexible but not finished. Place them on a sheet pan covered with olive oil so noodles don't stick. Do this for the rest of the noodles

Putting it all together:

1. If making these now preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can put everything together and then cover the dish well and freeze. Then bake the frozen noodles at 400 degrees for an hour.

2. Take a glass or ceramic baking dish (13 x 9) and butter dish well so noodles don't stick later

3. Take a noodle and gently fill it with the cheese mixture. You can use a spoon, your hands, or put the filling in a plastic bag and cut off the corner so it's like a pastry bag. (make sure cut on bag is same size as noodle hole)

4. Place a small amount on bottom of casserole dish so it covers everywhere with a thin layer. Then place filled noodles on top in an even, single layer.

5. Once all the noodles are filled and in the dish, pour the rest of the sauce on top. Make sure to cover all the noodles with sauce or they will come out dry. Top with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese

6. Bake the whole thing for 20 minutes. Feel free to make garlic bread or some kind of meat or veggie dish to go along with this but the dish itself really is a meal all in one.

Remaking Favorites

I've had some people over lately and instead of creating new dishes, I've been making things I know will please a crowd and please me! haha. I made the tri-tip and venison chili again (both of these recipes are on here) The only difference I did was making it for more people and plating it differenty so I wanted to share how it all looks. Now that summer has started, hopefully I'll have more time to blog again. Look back here soon for some updates.

Steak and Potatoes

I know I've made this dish before but it's just so delicious I can't help but make it again. I was at bristol farms and I was looking at the meat department and said to myself I want some steak. They had some beautiful rib-eyes so I picked one up. The butcher couldn't believe I was going to eat the whole thing by myself since "every other girl always asks me to cut these in half" so I responded to the butcher "I don't know who you've been hanging out with but they're the wrong type of girl" haha. So I must say I was quite proud when I finished that whole steak.

This steak takes a bit of patience but if you do the steps below and you take your time, it'll turn out really delicious. I actually thought my steak was as good as one in the restaurant and with practice yours can be too!

When it comes to steak I'm a relative purist. I like seasoning it up with lots of spices but I don't put any fancy sauce on top. I want to taste the beef not any sauce. Once you get the method down of cooking steaks like this you can conquer just about any type of steak. I suggest practicing on a smaller/cheaper type of steak for your first few times so you don't waste money.

When it comes to spicing your steak up, use whatever spices you have handy. There's no need to go out and buy 10 diff kinds. Just mix what sounds good together to you and put just a sprinkle of each spice so nothing over powers the flavor.

Ingredients:
1 rib-eye steak (about 1 lbs)
1 baked potato
butter
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
grill seasoning
cumin
red pepper flake
paprika

Directions:
1. pull meat out of fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Wash potato and pierce with a fork all over. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Place in oven to finish (don't leave in longer than 15 min)

3. Heat a cast iron skillet up on high heat (or pan that can go into the oven safely). You want it to be really hot. Place spices onto beef and press gently so it stays on meat and will form a crust.

4. Once pan is hot, pour a drizzle of canola oil and place meat onto pan. It might smoke up a bit so be prepared but it'll be ok. Now don't touch it, turn it, or even peek at it for 4 minutes. This will give it a delicious crust. Then flip the steak and cook it for another 4 minutes. no peeking!

5. If you have a thermometer stick it into the thickest part of the meat as close to the center as possible. Place beef into oven and allow to finish gently. The temp should read 130 before pulling it out of the oven to let it rest. Let it rest at least 5 min, covered with foil and leave thermometer in place.

6. Pull potato out of the oven and serve with sour cream, butter, chives, bacon, and cheese if you have it. Place the steak on a large plate put potato on the side and your ready to eat.

Salad

There's nothing like a simple salad. It makes you feel good and you can eat as much of it as you want. I made this salad really basic. I just chopped up some cucumber, took some lettuce from a bag and drizzles both with ranch dressing. You can add any other veggies you like or other dressing. Salads are great because their versatile so just put things that you like on it and enjoy!

Crescent Roll Pizza

This dish uses kitchen staples I keep around all the time. I made it as a snack during a hockey game and it was a hit with my friend. I decided to try both marinara and alfredo sauce as a base. I also wasn't sure if I wanted chicken on it so I only put it on one half of each pizza. Feel free to top this with whatever you like or have on hand.

Ingredients:
1 tube of crescent rolls
marinara or alfredo sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded parmesan cheese
toppings of your choice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Unroll crescent rolls onto a parchment lined sheet pan.

2. Spread a very thin layer of sauce over the dough.

3. Evenly distribute about 1/4 cup of both cheeses combined per 2 flat crescent rolls

4, Place toppings on top of cheese. Make sure not to over do it on the toppings, you want room for each ingredient to shine.

5. Bake 5-10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Cut into slices and allow to cool slightly before eating.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I feel like crap today because I'm sick so I decided to make some quick and simple soup. It was easy for me because I happened to have all the ingredients. I know I never want to go to the store when I'm sick so it's nice to stock up on chicken broth and heat that up for a soothing concoction.

I didn't have many veggies at my house but you could add tomatoes, onions, potato, carrot, celery. If you want a bit of freshness you can add a squeeze of lemon right before serving.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup diced chicken
2-3 cups of chicken broth
10 strands of spaghetti

Directions:
1. Place broth in a small pan and bring to a simmer.

2. Once liquid is hot, snap spaghetti into bite size pieces right into the broth. Cook as long as spaghetti directions say to cook, usually about 10 minutes.

3. Then throw in the diced chicken and cook another minute to heat chicken and serve.

Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is a quick cooking dish that is great for left overs. Make sure everything is cut up and prepared before you start cooking because everything happens really fast. I love eating it because you feel full and it's relatively healthy.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 green onions, if you have them
1 large eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
2 cups cold cooked rice
1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce
1 cooked chicken piece like thigh or breast cut into bite size pieces

Directions:

1. Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper. Cut up chicken.

2. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a minute, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Add chicken pieces and cook for another minutes. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.

4. When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

Chicken, Bean, and Cheese Nachos

I wanted a quick snack and while scouring my fridge I found all the above ingredients and I though NACHOS! haha. Instead of piling all the chips up and dumping everything on top so there are a bunch of naked chips in the middle I did them in a single, spread out layer. There are lots of other things you can put on nachos like jalepenos, sour cream, salsa, guacomole basically anything that sounds good haha. The sour cream and guacomole shouldn't be put under the heat but be added right before eating.

Ingredients:
Tortilla Chips
Refried beans
Shredded Chicken
Shredde Cheese (I suggest a blend of swiss and american but you can use monterey jack or just about any cheese you like)

Directions:

1. Lay chips out in a single layer on a foil lined sheet pan. Preheat oven to 400

2. Spread a small amount of beans onto each chip.

3. Add a piece of the shredded chicken to each chip. Make sure to press chicken into beans because beans act like a glue so chicken doesn't fall off when trying to eat them.

4. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of each chip. This should be the top layer so it gets melty as everything heats up.

5. Place into the oven just until beans are heated through and cheese has melted. Make sure it doesn't burn.

S'mores

We bought these for the BBQ during spring break but got distracted and never made them. So last night Axel and ryan brought over the ingredients and we made s'mores at my house. I don't have an outdoor fire so we just stuck the marshmallows on a long knife (or skewer if you have one) and roasted them over my stove burner.

Ingredients:
Graham Crackers
Chocolate Bars
Marshmallows

Directions:

Do I really need to put these on here? It's a smore. I hope everyone has a childhood memory of sitting around the fire making one. Just remember: marshmallow goes in the middle

Meatloaf and a Baked Potato

For this dish I used my basic meatloaf recipe. We've had this recipe for a really long time and this time I had to be creative because I didn't have milk but I had heavy cream. I combined 1/16 cup of cream to 3/16 cup of water. This seemed to work really well and the meatloaf tasted exactly the same. Instead of mashed potatoes I went for the baked potato because it was faster which sounds strange. It's quick because I microwave it for 5 minutes after poking it with a fork (if there isn't vent holes for the steam in the potato, it will explode!) This is such a homey meal that makes you feel good deep down inside.

Pasta Bianco

This is Italian for white pasta haha. Everything in this dish is white like the spaghetti, chicken, alfredo sauce, and parm cheese. I also love this dish because I bought everything in the store so it was super fast and it's impossible to mess up. It is a heavy dish so don't eat it on a warm summer day, try more for a cold evening.

I love getting the roast chicken because you can serve the chicken with sides like potatoes and other veggies and then use the left overs in this dish. If you have veggies I say through them in too though it won't be a bianco pasta anymore.

Ingredients:
1 cooked roast chicken
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 pound spaghetti
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. boil water. Cut large pieces off of chicken, enough for how ever many people your serving.

2. Add 1/8 cup salt to the water once boiling. Drop in pasta an stir gently until noodles are completely submerged. Stir noodles every once in a while during cooking.

3. Half way through pasta cooking add chicken to a saute pan with a little butter. Cook over medium heat for a minute or 2 or until heated through. Then add alfredo sauce to the pan, reduce heat slightly and allow to heat while pasta finishes.

4. Add pasta to sauce and stir to coat pasta. Grate some parm cheese on top and plate. I suggest serving this with some rolls or fresh bread and butter.

Tri Tip Spaghetti

For this dish I used the left over tri tip, store bought pasta, and jarred marinara sauce so it was super quick. I love making simple and quick things that satisfy me at the same time.

Ingredients:
tri-tip, cut into bit size pieces
1/2 cup marinara sauce
handful of whole wheat spaghetti
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Place water in a large pan and boil over high heat. Cut beef into bit size pieces

2. Drop pasta into boiling water. Add a lot of salt (you want the water to taste like sea water)

3. After about 3 minutes add 1 tbs butter to a medium saute pan. Add beef and saute until heated through and slightly browned. Add marinara sauce and turn heat down to low.

4. Once pasta is al dente add to saute pan and cook another 2-3 minutes.

5. Sprinkle on a ton of parmesan cheese, plate, and enjoy.

Tri Tip Tacos

I have a ton of left over beef which is fantastic for me because I LOVE BEEF! haha. I decided to make something simple so I decided to make some beef tacos. For sides I did cheese, secret sauce,refried beans, and onions marinated in lime juice. If you have left over marinated onions you can chop them up small and they're great in salads.

Just follow the recipes for all my other tacos and enjoy! I know I did! haha

Spring Break BBQ

My friend and I wanted to BBQ at his house and now that it's spring break we're able too! Instead of simply burgers and hot dogs I am making the burger patties with lots of good flavors and instead of hot dogs I got really good looking italian sausage both spicy and mild. There were about 8-9 people there so this ingredient list serves that many.

Our grill was really small so I couldn't grill veggies and I didn't feel like doing too complicated side dishes so I just bought some chips and dip. For dessert I made brownies from a store bought mix. I love these because they are a huge time saver and they're a crowd pleaser.

The biggest hit of the night was the cheese inside the patties so I really suggest everyone try that!

Ingredients:
Your favorite sausage (2 packs of 5 since I got 2 diff kinds)
Buns for sausages and burgers
2 sweet onions
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Slices of american cheese for topping burger

For Burgers:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 slices of swiss cheese cut into 8ths
2 eggs
2 tbs. salt, 1 tbs. pepper
1 tbs. dried thyme
1 tbs. red chili flake
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. paprika
1 tbs. onion powder
1 tbs. garlic powder
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs worchestire sauce
slices of swiss cheese, chopped small


Directions:

to do before the BBQ-
1. slice onion and bell pepper thin and place into a large pan with 2 tbs. olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook this down over medium low heat until onions are slightly browned and bell peppers have a little browning on edges. Allow to cool then place into a container to take to BBQ area.

2. Combine all ingredients for burger into a bowl except for cheese. Mix well but be sure not to squish the meat too much. I suggest using your hands for this but feel free to use a fork. Lightly push meat into an even layer in bowl, score with your hands into quarters, then split each quarter in half so you end up with 8 even sections. Shape into globes/patty shapes. Then push your thumb into the middle and place a small amount of cheese inside. Reform meat around cheese and make sure to seal well. Place burgers on a sheet pan lined with parchment and cover with saran wrap and keep in fridge until your ready to grill.

3. Cook brownies according to package directions. Allow to cool and cut into small squares and place in a plastic bag or cute container.

When It's BBQ Time:

1. Bring out everything on the ingredient list. Also put out condiments and anything extra you want to eat or top your food with.

2. Heat up some coals in a grill or preheat your electric grill. (if using coals let them heat for a while then right before cooking add an extra layer of coals so you don't run out of heat while cooking)

3. Place burgers onto grill. Cook on one side for about 5 minutes. Don't flip the burger or you won't get a nice crust. Also don't press down on the burger, you know that sizzling sound you hear when you do it? that's all the juice come out of the burger and making your meat dry.

4. At the same time your grilling the burgers, grill the sausages. About 4 minutes per side until it gets a slight char.

5. When first side of burgers are done, flip and top with cheese. Throw buns onto grill for about 30 seconds to lightly toast. Place cooked meat into the toasted buns and top with onions and pepper and any condiments you like. Plate your food with chips or grilled veggies and enjoy pleasing your friends!

Apple Pie Surprise

There's nothing as American as apple pie. At least that's what they tell me haha. I made this as a birthday surprise for my dad. I'm just going to pick up some vanilla ice cream and candles and I'll be all set when we celebrate tomorrow! There's a lot of steps but each is simple. It's really impressive to people when you say you made a pie from scratch. As a short cut you could buy a premade frozen pie crust. You could then use a sheet of puff pastry and cut that into strips for the top. Make sure to dock all the puff pastry by poking it all over with a fork so it doesn't puff too much.

You can freeze the uncooked pie, but don't brush it with egg or dust it with sugar beforehand. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes, to harden it slightly, and then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to bake, unwrap the pie and brush it with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake, from the frozen state, until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This is great to keep around because if guests ever surprise you to come over for dinner you know you have dessert finished and waiting.

Ingredients

For Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt
7 tablespoons cold butter, diced
3-8 TBS, cold water

For Filling
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 pounds baking apples like Golden Delicious, Cortland, or Mutsu (about 4 large apples)
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. To Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.)

2. Sprinkle up to 8 tablespoons of cold water over the mixture. Add water 1 tbs at a time to mixture until you can squeeze dough and it stays formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour until dough has had time to hydrate and rest.

3. Make the filling. Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly.

4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.

5. Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.

6. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)

7. Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide.

8. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

9. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. "dock" the pie crust by taking a fork and piercing some holes in the bottom of the dough. This way the dough won't puff up while cooking.

10. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center. Take the second disc of dough and cut into 1/2-1 inch thick strips. Place them one way across the dough then lay them the other way. Make sure to weave the layers together like a plaid pattern. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wherever the strips touch the outer edge of the pie pan. Flute the edge with a fork. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

11. Bake the pie on a baking sheet until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Tri Tip with Roasted Veggies

I go to Loyola Marymount University up in LA and I now live alone. Previously I lived in the dorms with some awesome chicks and since we haven't hung out in a while I invited them all over for dinner as a roomie reunion. I love having an excuse to make lots of food and this meal was pretty simple to do but impressive to eat.

I was shopping in costco and discovered a marinated tri tip. I love this because it keeps for a long time in the fridge or freezer and as it sits, it's marinating and becoming more flavorful. It's just so awesome! hahha. Plus it's a large piece of meat so I had leftovers which will be used on here shortly.

For the Roasted Veggies I suggest using fresh herbs. You can use dried but use less because dried herbs are much stronger then their fresh counterparts.

For dessert I made a pizookie of chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream. We had a great time eating it straight out of the pan. I was excited because the ice cream scoops looked so perfect haha.

Ingredients:
Pre-marinated tri tip
3 russet potatoes
5 carrots
Olive oil, salt, pepper
1 tbs. rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbs. parsley, finely chopped
1 lb green beans, blanched
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp with fat reserved
Tube of pre-made crescent rolls

Directions:

1. Take tri-tip out of fridge so it comes to room temp. Wash potatoes under running water and peel carrots. Cut potatoes into medium sized chunks and cut carrots on the bias/diagonal about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Place potatoes and carrots on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and season with salt, pepper, and chopped herbs. Place in oven 1 hour 15 min before you want to serve dinner. Stir gently every 20 minutes.

3. Put thermometer into tri tip in the very center of the meat or as close to it as possible. Place in oven 5o minutes before dinner. You'll want to pull meat at 120 so the carry over temp cooks it to medium rare.

4. Place 1 tbs of bacon fat into a large pan. Add shallots and cook over medium heat until caramelized, about 5 min. This can be done ahead. Right before serving dinner add blanched green beans and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes or until heated through.

5. Place everything into nice serving dishes, make sure to let meat rest and slice the tri-tip across the grain for a juicer meat. Crescent rolls are also a great touch because just about everybody loves fresh rolls.

Roasted Lamb with Polenta Rounds

When I rolled up my polenta and threw it in the fridge to store I was thinking about what meat to use to top the polenta for tomorrow and I just happened to throw it right next to the lamb and it was just an "AHHHHHH" moment of enlightenment and I knew what to make haha.

I cut the meat of the bones from the left over lamb. I wanted to make a really tasty sauce for this and I wanted something hearty so I chose to make a lamb gravy from the bones.

Ingredients:
leftover lamb (including bones)
Left over polenta, cut into 1/2 inch rounds. The flatter/straighter the cuts the better.
chopped parsley

For Gravy:
bones
olive oil
pat of butter
1 tbs flour
1 cup beef stock
pinch of salt, pepper, red chili flake, thyme

Directions:
1. Cut off any extra meat from the bones that you can. set aside

2. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pan. Add bones and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until some brown bits appear in the bottom of the pan.

3. Remove bones and add butter and flour. Whisk together well and let roux cook for about 2 minutes. Add beef stock and dried herbs and whisk everything together. Cook until gravy is slightly thickened. Add lamb to gravy and turn off heat.

4. Melt another pat of butter into a small sauce pan over medium heat. Place polenta rounds in it and cook about 2 minutes per side or until there is a golden crust. Flip and repeat.

5. Place polenta rounds on a plate then top with lamb, gravy, and fresh herbs. Enjoy your leftovers.

Herbed Polenta with Shrimp

I wanted something simple but still really good. I had all these ingredients in the fridge randomly so it was super easy to make this. There was some left over polenta once I'd finished the shrimp so I went ahead and placed it in parchment paper in a long tube shape like I would cookie dough. Then I refrigerated it and I'm planning to slice into it and grill it to make little polenta rounds next time I have some left over meat.

Ingredients:

For Polenta:
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
2 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Shrimp:
2 pieces bacon, cooked crispy with fat reserved
6-8 shrimp
1 tbs butter
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook up bacon until crispy. Remove and reserve 1 tbs of fat.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes.

3. Put butter into bacon fat pan and melt. Add shrimp and season with a good sprinkle of paprika, salt and pepper. Cook about 1 or 2 minutes per side or until shrimp is pink.

4. Remove polenta from the heat once cornmeal is finished. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and top with shrimp, a little extra cheese, some chopped parsley, and crumbled bacon then serve.

Eggs In Purgatory

Eggs in Purgatory refers to cooking the egg right in the tomato sauce. This adds a lot of flavor and is an easy sauce for the dish. I also love that this is yet another eggs and bacon dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 egg
1/2 bagel, toast, or english muffin
grated parmesan cheese
2 slices of bacon

Directions:
1. cook bacon until it is nice and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. Toast bagel and butter lightly.

3. Place tomato sauce into a small saucepan. Crack an egg on top and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes over low heat then place a lid on top and continue to cook until whites are set but yolk is still runny. You'll want to stir the tomato sauce but try to leave egg alone.

4. Once egg is finished, place on top of bagel. If sauce is really thick from cooking, add a tablespoon of water and stir to combine. Spoon sauce over egg. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top and serve with bacon.

Brown Rice Risotto with Leftover Salmon

I was trying to think of a way to spice up my salmon and brown rice and I thought to myself I love risotto. I've never made risotto with brown rice so I was excited to try it out. I used the exact same method for making other risotto but substituted brown for arborio rice. This risotto also stretches one salmon fillet to serve two people. To be honest normal risotto is much quicker than the brown rice risotto. I did this to be healthy and nutritious but I mean rice is rice haha.

The leftover salmon was sitting in the fridge all night in the foil packet. The salmon seems to have infused with the lemon/oil liquid that was on the bottom of the packet and it's really delicious! The downside to this dish is the fact that the brown rice takes forever to cook. It took me about 55-60 minutes. If your in a rush I suggest just cooking brown rice in chicken stock because it still gets a lot of flavor and it takes a lot less stock and time.

Ingredients:
1 cooked salmon fillet (salmon in foil style from my november post, with shallots and tomatoes)
Pat of Butter
1 cup brown rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 onion chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. red chili flake
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Lemon

Directions:
1. Place chicken stock in a separate sauce pan and set over medium heat until it's simmering

2. Remove shallots from foil packet and roughly chop. Add this and chopped onion to a pat of butter in a pan. Season with salt and pepper and other dried herbs and cook until onions are translucent about 5 min.

3. Add rice and toast for a few minutes or until fragrant about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of stock and stir into rice. Turn up or down heat so liquid is slowly simmering. Keep stirring as rice absorbs liquid and once absorbed add another 1/2 cup of liquid. Continue until rice is tender

4. Flake salmon into very large pieces (they will break up when stirred into the rice) Once rice is finished add salmon, tomatoes from fish packet and 1.2 cup of grated parm cheese. Stir until salmon is warmed through. Plate family style and top with extra parm cheese and lots of fresh lemon.

Pan Seared Salmon with Brown Rice

This is a spin on my salmon in foil dish. I used the same flavors but cooked the fish on the stove top and not in the oven so it was much faster. It only takes about 7-8 minutes to cook each fillet so this is great if you need to feed someone in a hurry or if your in a rush between classes like I was.

This method is best for fillets that are about 1 inch thick. If it's 2 inches thick or more use the oven method because with the pan sear the outside will be cooked and the inside will be raw. This method is also good if you want to eat crispy skin. As long as the scales are off the skin is safe to eat but heads up, the skin is fatty.

For a fancy garnish you can grill lemon halves. Simply cut the lemon in half and place directly on the grill cut side down for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks appear. You can do this in a skillet pan but it won't get as crisp. The carmelization just adds a depth of flavor to the lemon juice.

Ingredients:
1 salmon fillet
olive oil
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1/3 can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
salt and pepper
lemon

Directions:
1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Add shallots and saute over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook another minute. Remove veggies to the side.

2. Cover salmon in olive oil then season with spices and salt and pepper. Turn heat on pan to medium high and place salmon flesh side down. Cook for 4 minutes. This will give it a nice color and slight crust

3. Flip salmon gently (you might need to use two spatulas). Cook another 4 minutes or until salmon is firm to the touch.

4. Once fish is done put on a plate and serve with some brown rice, shallots and tomatoes, and lemon. For a fresh taste you can add some fresh chopped basil or parsley.

Hot Chocolate

I wanted something warm and chocolate-y that wasn't too heavy so I made some hot chocolate. Make sure to have lots of whipped cream for topping. Whipped cream is one of those foods that both delicious and really fun haha.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk (if you want to be really decedent you can use heavy cream instead)
hot chocolate mix packet
1 tbs. espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt
chocolate chunk or bar for garnish
whipped cream

Directions:
1. heat milk or cream in microwave or on stove top. Add hot chocolate, espresso powder, and salt and mix well.

2. Pour into a cup and top with whipped cream. Grate a little chocolate on top and serve.

Duck Risotto

I used up a frozen duck quarter that was in my fridge. When I thawed it I found it a bit stringy so I wanted to soak it in a flavorful liquid. I decided to shred the meat off the bones and then use the bones and skin for a sauce. This dish was surprisingly flavorful.

Ingredients:
For Duck "sauce":
1 duck quarter
1 carrot roughly chopped
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
1/4 onion roughly chopped
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups beef stock

For Dish:
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups beef or chicken stock
2 tbs butter
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 large basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
1. Shred meat off duck bones. Set aside. Add olive oil into a pan and saute carrots, celery, and onion(1/4) until soft. Add duck bones and skin to pan and turn heat to medium. Allow to all cook together about 5-8 minutes. Add stocks and allow to simmer for 20 minutes over very low heat. Allow liquid to cool then strain and return to pan. Add duck meat and allow to soak at least 30 minutes.

2. To make the risotto saute the onion and shallots in some butter in a large pan while heating stock in a separate pan. Once onions are translucent add arborio rice. Toast for 2 minutes while stirring constantly. Add spices and stir. Slowly ladel in stock about 1/2-1 cup at a time. Stir constantly and once rice has absorbed first amount of stock. Continue doing this until rice is almost tender.

3. For the last 2 or 3 ladelfuls add the liquid you cooked the duck in (keep duck till end). Once this is absorbed and rice is tender add duck, cheese, and half of basil. Stir until duck is heated through

4. Pour into a bowl and top with a little more parmesan cheese and the reserved basil. Then ENJOY!

The Hot Dog- Deconstructed

I still have some weiners from alpine village so I wanted to deconstruct a hot dog. This isn't the most creative way but instead of the bun I used a buttered piece of bread, served the hot dog on the side and dipped it in a little ketchup since that's what I normally top a hot dog with. This dish is quick and simple to make because the only cooking is the wiener. Boil some water, place wiener in pot and then turn off water. Allow dog to cook for 5 minutes in warmed water. Then butter some bread, squirt some ketchup and serve!

100th Blog Post Dinner

I was really excited to make this meal because rack of lamb is expensive so I've never made it before. I was worried I would burn it or mess it up but it turned out fabulous! I invited some friends over (hey joe, clare, ryan, and axel! haha) and we all had a good time hanging out and eating. I was stoked to use a torch for the creme brulee but when I went to use it, it didn't work! We ate it anyways and it was a tasty custard but without the crunchy top it's just not the same so if your making this make sure you have a torch. I made the creme brulee because it can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge, this way I was able to focus on my expensive lamb. You could use the marinade from this dish for a cheaper piece of lamb.

Menu:
Rack of Lamb with roasted fingerling potatoes and crescent rolls
Creme Brulee

Lamb:
marinade:
2 lamb racks, frenched about 1 1/2 pounds each. Try to make them as equal in size as possible
2 tbs chopped rosemary
2 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tsp worchestire sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper
5 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup red wine

For Potatoes:
1 lb. fingerling potatoes, cleaned and halved lengthwise
1 tbs finely chopped rosemary
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt
1 tube pre-made crescent rolls (bake according to package directions)


Creme Brulee
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.

4. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. It's easiest to do this step when the pan is on the oven shelf so the water doesn't get into the custard.

5. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.


For the Main Course:
1. Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Place into a plastic bag and add lamb racks. Remove as much air as possible and seal bag. Rub meat all over with marinade and place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and place in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Pull lamb out of fridge so it comes to room temp.

3. Cut potatoes in half and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with foil. Sprinkle butter, oil, salt and rosemary over potatoes and mix well with your hands. Place in oven 1 hour before you want to eat.

4. Remove lamb from marinade and place into a large roasting pan on a rack so that bones curve downward. Place a probe thermometer into the center of the meat (make sure it's not touching a bone) Once potatoes have been cooking 15 min add lamb to oven.

5. Pull lamb out of oven when temp reaches 122. With carry-over heat it will reach about 130 which is medium rare. I think this is the only way to serve lamb but medium is 140 and well-done is about 150. Make sure to pull the lamb earlier then desired temp due to carry over. Rest lamb on a cutting board for about 15 min and cover loosely with foil.

6. Let potatoes finish in oven while lamb rests and add crescent rolls to bake. Plate potatoes in a nice bowl and add a little extra butter and salt (I added some parsley to garnish)

7. Slice lamb into portions. I like 2 bones per piece but cut it up how you like. An electric knife makes this step much easier. Serve everything together and watch as everyone is filled with joy and delicious food.

8. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. (pull it out right before you start to eat lamb) Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Snickerdoodles

This is the third month of cookie of the month for my cousin Alexa. She requested snickerdoodles so that's what I made. Make sure theres plenty of room between the cookies when you bake them because they puff up and if they're too close they make one giant cookie. This is tasty but not necessarily what I wanted today for my cousin. I wanted to have a little fun with the dough so I used cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Refridgerate the dough for an hour once finished. Then roll out thin on a flour cutting board then use cutter to make shapes. If you don't want to do this just follow the directions below for circular cookies.

Ingredients
For the topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cookie dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

2. To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.

3. In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

6. Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Lasagna

I made this dish for some friends Axel, Ryan and Joe. I taught Axel how to make it so I hope he tries it again soon. Ryan made us drinks and joe just ate haha. It was a blast to hang with everyone and teach someone to cook. Then we got to enjoy our meal and then play some halo. It was a good night. haha

Ingredients:
1 jar tomato sauce
1 package of lasagna noodles (make sure they are the pre-cooked or no boil kind)
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, rough chopped
salt, pepper, 1 tsp red chili flake, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika (you need salt and pepper but the rest are optional)
1 small container ricotta cheese
5-8 basil leaves, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
squeeze of lemon juice
2 cups of packaged of shredded mozzarella
1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Place some olive oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and season with salt and peppper. Saute until soft and translucent. Add ground beef and seasonings. Cook over medium high heat until beef is browned.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Add jarred sauce to beef and stir to combine. set aside.

3. Place the ricotta in a bowl. Add half of chopped basil, squeeze of lemon, and some salt and pepper. Mix. make sure to taste and check seasoning/balance.

4. Prepare a 9 x 13 casserole dish by rubbing butter around the outside. Now add a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer noodles (takes about 4) over sauce. make sure layers slightly overlap. Add a few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese (about 1/3). Spread all over noodles because any dry part of noodle will stay hard and crunchy after cooking. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan on top of ricotta. Spoon on some sauce. Add noodles. Add cheese layers. Repeat this pattern sauce, noodles, cheese until you get to the top of the casserole. Don't put any ricotta on the top layer and only use the parm and mozz so you get a nice crust on the top.

5. Cover with foil (make sure it doesn't touch cheese or it will take off the layer. you can spray the foil with some non-stick spray) and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes or until top is melted and slightly browned. Let set after cooking for 10 minutes. (this is a good time to cook garlic bread) Then just slice it up and serve!

Finger Sandwiches

I love small sandwiches. And since I bought a ton of meat at Alpine Village when I bought the wieners I figured mini sandwiches would be a win win. You know, the mini, bite size, petite kind of sandwiches. haha. The daintiness of the sandwich makes you feel better about eating 3 or 4 of them! You can use croissants or bread instead of crescent rolls but I just happened to have some left over.

Ingredients:
roast beef
smoked turkey
danish butter cheese
mayo
salt and pepper
crescent rolls

Directions:
1. cut crescent roll sin half with a serrated knife.

2. Spread a little mayo on both halves

3. put cheese on both halves.

4. Add roast beef and turkey to each sandwich

5. Close sandwich, serve with chips, and eat!

Wieners

haha. Ok so this dish is really a type of hot dog. On the way to my apartment in LA from OC I stopped by alpine village. It's a German deli/market and they make the best salamis and sausages. In the meat case these are literally labeled wieners. I made lots of dirty jokes while buying them haha.

To finish the dish I simply baked a potato and some crescent rolls. Look in my previous posts to see how to make the potato. To make the crescent rolls just follow the package directions. For a really nice touch pour some large grains of salt (like sea salt or kosher) into your hand. Press the top of the crescent roll dough the salt becomes in-bedded. This is a simple step that adds a ton of flavor because salt wakes up your taste buds.

For the wieners: bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prick wieners with a fork a few times for venting holes (don't do this around guys, it makes them wince hahahah) Add wieners to boiling water and then turn heat off. allow wieners to heat through slowly for about 5 minutes. Leave extra wieners in water to keep warm while eating.

Mac and Cheese

Blog Announcement: this is recipe #95. If anyone has any ideas about something really good for the 100th meal I'd love to hear them!!!

This dish was made for some friends back home in the OC. I wanted something that would please just everyone and that I could make ahead so that when people arrived at the house all I had to do was bake the mac and cheese and some garlic bread and was able to play drinking games while dinner finished haha. I wanted a hearty taste so I added mushrooms and then came to find that my friends don't like mushrooms. It was still tasty but there were a lot of piles of mushrooms on plates haha

Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate or macaroni noodles
6 pieces of bacon
2 containers of sliced mushrooms
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 table spoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons of red chili flake
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (reserve 1/4 cup to side)
1 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (reserve 1/4 cup to side)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper


Directions:
1. put a large pot of water to boil. ONce boiling cook pasta to al dente doneness according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Make bacon in a large saute pan. Try to get it crispy so finished dish has texture. Set bacon aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.

3. Add onions to bacon fat and cook over medium heat. Cook until onions are caramelized or translucent. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender and cooked down slightly ( about 10 minutes)

4. Make Cheese Sauce: melt butter in a sauce pan. Add flour and whisk until combine. cook mixture for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, whisking constantly. Add milk and whisk to combine. add nutmeg and chili flakes and allow to simmer. Liquid should thicken in about 10-15 minutes. Once thickend to a saucy consistency add cheese slowly and whisk to combine.

5. Putting it all together. Butter a large casserole dish. Place the pasta in the large now empty pot you originally boiled the water in. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Mix together. Add mushrooms and onions and stir to combine. Finally add 1/4 of the cheese sauce then stir. add another quarter and stir again. repeat until all cheese sauce is incorporated. Crumble in bacon and stir one more time. Pour everything into the casserole and even the top.

6. To make the topping mix the bread crumbs and reserved cheese. Sprinkle over the casserole. You can place this in the fridge at this point and keep until later that night. I don't suggest making it any earlier then that day.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Pull casserole from fridge while oven heating. When hot add mac and cheese and cook until hot and top is slightly browned.

8. I served this dish with garlic bread and an artichoke but feel free to add whatever sides you want. enjoy!