Monthly Archives: October 2014

Lemon Squares

Desserts, , ,

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Lemony is the best way to describe my new lemon squares recipe. I like the taste of lemon although I could never actually suck on a lemon the way my cousin JB did when we were kids. It would make my mouth pucker just watching him suck on lemons and then eat them without flinching.

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I call this a new recipe because my original recipe had a little too much sugar in it. I think I was trying to counter the lemon flavor to make sure no one’s mouth would pucker up. However, that did not work since my taste tester’s mouths puckered up from too much sugar.

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Now I think I have a healthy balance between the lemon and the sugar with a nice lemony finish for the taste buds. I was surprised at how easy it was to create these tasty little treats. There are only a few basic ingredients which are staples in most households. Lemons, sugar, eggs, butter and flour. Throw in a few flavors like vanilla or almond extract and you have yourself a lemon square.

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I have said on other occasions that I am not a baker but after making lemon squares, pumpkin spice cupcakes and few other desserts I may have to stop saying it. I am becoming a decent baker and I actually enjoy it. For anyone who doubts their baking abilities remember, if I can do it so can you. Just give it a try and don’t give up the first couple of times if you fail. Keep trying and one day you may call yourself a decent baker like me.

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Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 stick of butter room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, sugar and softened butter in a bowl until a dough is formed. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Press dough in the bottom of the baking pan and slightly up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes until light golden brown.

Filling:
4 eggs room temperature
1 tbsp lemon zest
Juice from two lemons
2 tbsp lemon curd
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour over warm crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set (jiggles just a little). Let cool completely then sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into squares and wrap individually with plastic wrap.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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I was chatting with my youngest son the other day about ideas for the blog and he told I needed to come up with a few ethnic dishes. I already had a few ideas in the back of mind but decided I would try to create an ethnic dish using ingredients I had on hand.

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There are certain staples I keep on hand because I use them in a number of dishes. Things like onions, various hot peppers, fresh salsa and cheese. While I was looking through the pantry and cabinets I realized I could create my own quick version of chicken enchiladas. I happen to have tortillas and pre-cooked chicken that was meant for another dish but that one could wait.

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Although I am mostly a northeastern girl with southern roots, I appreciate and enjoy all types of foods. Hispanic foods are often spicy and always full of flavor which reminds me of the foods I grew up with. Hot sauce was always on the table growing up and hot peppers were infused in a lot of my mom’s recipes that I love.

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Chicken Enchiladas is one of those easy go to recipes you can prepare whenever you have run out of ideas on what to make with chicken for the third time in a week. Try it. I know you will like it.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
10 oz pre-cooked chicken roughly chopped
6 medium sized tortillas
1 large shallot or 1 small onion sliced
4 medium jalapeno peppers sliced thin (remove seeds for less heat)
½ cup fresh salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bottle of enchilada sauce (Trader Joe’s)
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray long baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan then add onions and sliced jalapeno peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute veggies until soft. Set aside.

Take one tortilla and layer a small amount of cheese, veggies and chicken in the middle of the tortilla. Gently fold over the tortilla then fold in the sides towards the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in a long baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas then top with salsa and cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes to melt cheese.

 

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Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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For a while now my hubby has been asking me to make a “brothy” soup. My most recent soups have been thick and rich like my Carrot soup and my Leek and Potato soup.

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Vegetable soup seemed a simple choice but I wanted to make a soup that reminded me of the fall weather and colorful changing leaves. I love to see the trees speckled with orange, red and green leaves. That was the inspiration for the butternut squash and mixed baby kale soup. The soup is full of fall colors from the orange of the butternut squash, the red of the tomatoes and the bright green leaves of the mixed baby kale.

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I know. Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup is a long name. But, it would have been even longer if I added the names of some of the other ingredients that make this soup so delicious. I added Daddy’s to the title because my hubby claimed it to be his soup once he tasted it.

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Butternut squash is quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables. It is great all by itself or tastes even better when paired with vegetables like sweet potatoes or in this case mixed baby kale. The sweetness of the butternut squash along with the slightly bitter kale and spicy Italian sausage created a wonderful combination of flavors that swirl in your mouth.

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It’s the little things in life that often inspire us whether it is leaves changing colors in the fall or a nice pot of hearty soup.

Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian hot sausage
2 14oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed
1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 bags mixed baby kale
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
3 lemon slices
In a dutch oven or large pot brown sausage then drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off grease from the sausage and add olive oil to the pot. Add onions and Add broth, water, seasonings and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage, butternut squash and lemon slices. Stir and cook for 25 minutes. Add baby kale and cook an additional 10 minutes then turn off heat. Serve with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.

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Macaroni and Cheese

Pasta and Grains, , ,

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Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods ever made. Recipes for mac and cheese have been passed down from generation to generation. My family is no different. My mom passed on her mac and cheese recipe to me when I started learning how to cook. I am sure it is the same recipe my grandmother passed on to my mom and her sisters.

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Tradition is important when it comes to family and cultures. Without traditions our histories would not be as rich and wonderful. We would not know or understand the meaning of true love, sacrifice and success. Yes, traditions are important and each family has at least one tradition that is passed on and on. However, as new families are created so are new traditions.

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Although I have made my mom and grandmother’s mac and cheese for years, I recently decided to try a new recipe. I was inspired by a show on Food Network where Giada  featured a macaroni and cheese dish she loves. Giada’s macaroni and cheese included fontina cheese among other cheeses. I had never considered using fontina cheese in my mac and cheese. Fontina cheese is a semi-soft Italian cheese that has a rich and creamy texture with a slightly nutty flavor. My traditional mac and cheese called for extra sharp and sharp cheddar cheese period.

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New traditions call for new ingredients. My new mac and cheese includes five different cheeses. After all, the main attraction in macaroni and cheese is the cheese. Bringing together several different cheeses raised the flavors to a new level of goodness. Also the various textures of cheese which were hard, soft and semi-soft made the dish extra creamy.

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I will always love my mom’s mac and cheese but with my family I am creating new traditions to pass on to my children and grandchildren.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 cups medium pasta shells
5 oz Gruyere cheese grated
3 oz fontina cheese grated
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
¼ cup pepper jack cheese grated
3 tbsp Velveeta cheese cubed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp pasta water
¾ cup half and half
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare pasta according to package adding 1 tsp of salt to the water. Drain and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Stir 1 tablespoon of butter into the pasta to coat. Season with black pepper.

Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle a tablespoon of each cheese in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add half of the pasta and half of the cheese. Add remaining pasta and cheese. Pour half and half along with 2 tablespoons of pasta water over cheese and stir to mix cheese into pasta. Make sure cheese is well blended into the dish. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and paprika on the top of the dish. Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

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Apricot Glazed Chicken

Meat/ Poultry, ,

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If I took a survey about chicken and asked how many times per week do you eat chicken, I would bet it would be at least twice if not more. Having chicken a few times per week means coming up with a number of ways to prepare it. Fried chicken is good but I would not recommend eating it more than once per week. Baked chicken is healthy but can be a little on the boring side.

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We eat a lot of chicken in our family so I try not to repeat the same chicken dish in the same week or couple of weeks. I put baked chicken into my dinner rotation every couple of weeks. The last time I thought about preparing baked chicken I wanted to put a slight twist on baked chicken to keep the dish healthy but packed with more flavor. I decided adding an apricot glaze to the chicken would boost up the flavor and compliment the other seasonings on the chicken.

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Apricot glazed chicken sounds like it could be hard to prepare but really isn’t. The glaze is a simple combination of apricot preserves and butter. If you really what to shake things up, add a little brandy apricot liqueur to the glaze.

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Try making Apricot Glazed Chicken the next time you serve chicken. Yummy will be the main word you all around the dinner table.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken drumsticks
1 lb chicken wings
1 medium onion sliced
1 tbsp Adobo seasonings
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp cilantro
2 tbsp butter
½ jar Smucker’s apricot preserves
½ cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt apricot preserves and butter in a microwave safe bowl.

Layer bottom of baking pan with onions. Place chicken on top of onions and season with salt, pepper, Adobo and parsley. Sprinkle with with paprika. Pour preserves and butter mixture over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and cooked through.

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Black Forest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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Every kid at least once during their childhood has eaten a grilled cheese sandwich. Crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Cheddar cheese was usually the center piece of the sandwich and was complemented by tomato soup.

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Remember dipping your sandwich into the soup and letting it soak in the all that tomato goodness? I loved grilled cheese sandwiches back then and I still love them today. Only now I make big kid grilled cheese sandwiches.

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Cheese, of course, remains the center piece of my big kid grilled cheese sandwiches. But, this version uses 3 types of cheese to create the gooey goodness inside. Swiss, Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese (for the extra kick) combine to make a nice creamy tangy sandwich. To top it off I added black forest ham. Now that is a big kid grilled cheese sandwich!

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Since I decided to make a big kid grilled cheese sandwich I decided to also make a grown up soup to go with it. Leek and potato soup.  A thick and creamy soup to go with a wonderful creamy sandwich. You can check out the recipe for the Leek and Potato Soup at dmariedining.com.

Black Forest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:
¼ lb black forest ham sliced thin
¼ lb Swiss cheese
¼ lb pepper jack cheese
¼ lb Monterey Jack cheese
4 tbsp soft butter
1 French loaf of bread
cooking spray

Spray a griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

Spread a generous amount of butter on one side of a slice of bread. Place butter side down on the griddle. Layer bread with 3 cheeses and 2 slices of ham. Spread another slice of bread with butter and place over ham with the butter side up. Brown bread then flip to brown the other side. Repeat with other slices of bread. Serve with chips or your favorite soup.

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Leek and Potato Soup

Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetables, , ,

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Many, many years ago I had a bad reaction to cream of potato soup. It really was not the soup’s fault because it just happened to be the last thing I ate before I came down with the flu. Enough said.

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So, it took me a long time to try leek and potato soup. Once I mustered up the nerve to try the soup I was pleasantly surprised at the delicious combination of leeks and potatoes. Since my hubby and I are fans of all kinds of soups I thought I would create my own version leek and potato soup.

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The result received a thumbs up from all of my taste testers including me. Rich and creamy with tasty bits of potato,this soup easily fits into the category of comfort food.

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Topped with sauteed mushrooms and drizzled with melted butter, all I could say was um um good when my spoon hit the bottom of my empty bowl.

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Keeping it simple. Keeping it easy. Keeping it good!

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 – 3 leeks cleaned and sliced (white and light green part)
1 medium onion diced
2 large potatoes peeled and diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp parsley chopped
2 tbsp butter melted
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp roasted cumin
½ tsp chives
¼ cup assorted mushrooms
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup half and half
1 small hot pepper sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
5 dashes hot sauce
To clean the leek leaves remove the hard bottom then separate the leaves and rinse with cold water.  Saute mushrooms in a 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.

Place leeks, onions, potatoes and peppers in a large pot. Add seasonings and broth then stir. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes until leeks and potatoes are soft and tender. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, cream and half and half. Puree mixture leaving a few chunks of potato. Stir in hot sauce. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Place soup in a bowl and top with mushrooms then drizzle with melted butter.

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Sloppy Joe’s

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, ,

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Loose meat sandwiches. That is what sloppy joe’s were called long ago. The origin of sloppy joe’s is not clear and doesn’t really matter. What matters is that sloppy joe’s were a wonderful creation and has not changed much over the years.

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The great thing about sloppy joe’s is that although the basic recipe remains the same, you can experiment with additional flavors and make it your own. I added hot Italian sausage to the recipe and a few other ingredients to give the dish a little heat to go along with the sweetness of the sauce. I even made a crock pot version so my friend Mr. E could try it out.

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Crock pots are a very useful kitchen tool for when you don’t have time to prepare food and watch it cook. I have to admit that I get a little weird about using my crock pot only because I don’t like leaving it plugged in all day without being able to check on it. Yes, it may seem to defeat the purpose of throwing everything in a pot and letting it cook without having to guard it. But, I like to add a little bit of this or that during the cooking process and still feel like I don’t have to watch it every second.

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Sloppy Joe’s are a comfort food that brings back childhood memories. Sloppy Joe night meant you could eat with your hands, let sauce run down your fingers and not get in trouble for being messy. What kid wouldn’t love that?

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Now when I eat sloppy joe’s I still let the sauce run down my fingers and I won’t get in trouble for being messy.

Sloppy Joe’s

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork or sirloin
1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
½ cup red peppers chopped
½ cup green peppers chopped
1 large onion diced
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mustard
½ cup ketchup
5 dashes of hot sauce
1 crock pot

Turn crock pot on high.

Place all the ingredients into the crock pot and stir. Let cook for 3 – 4 hours until meat is cooked all the way through. Serve over hamburger or soft kaiser rolls.

If you want to cut down on the cooking time,  try making the sloppy joe’s in a pot on the stove.  Brown the meat and drain then place all of the ingredients into a pot.  Let simmer for 1 hour over medium heat.

 

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes

Desserts, , ,

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As I have said in the past, I am by no means a baker unlike my mom who can whip up a pound cake or apple pie in the blink of an eye.

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However, I recently I thought I would stretch my wings and take a baby step towards baking a new dessert. Inspired by the smell of fall, the rustling of leaves and pumpkins everywhere I decided to make pumpkin spiced cupcakes. Yes, I know cupcakes are probably one of the easiest things to bake but I am talking baby steps here.

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So while looking for canned pumpkin at the grocery store (baby steps remember) I ran across pumpkin butter in the preserves aisle.  Don’t let the name fool you. I soon discovered that pumpkin butter does not contain butter at all. Since I was stretching my wings I figured I could try using pumpkin butter instead of canned pumpkin for the cupcakes.

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The results…? Scrumptious cupcakes! I had my hubby test the cupcakes with a hot cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and he was in heaven. I preferred a tall ice cold glass of milk. Whatever you choose to drink with your cupcake I have a feeling you will enjoy it.

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For my fellow beginner bakers, try making my pumpkin spiced cupcakes. It will help build up your baking credentials. For more advanced bakers, making my pumpkin spiced cupcakes may just beef up your credentials even more.

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines french vanilla cake mix
3 tbsp Dickinson’s pumpkin butter
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 can cream cheese icing
¼ cup sliced almonds crushed
Cupcake foil cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake mix according to box instructions. Add pumpkin butter and pumpkin pie spice to batter and mix until well blended. Spoon into cupcake cups. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the center is done. Test by sticking a toothpick in the center of a cupcake and see if it comes out clean.

Spread icing on top of each cupcake and sprinkle with crushed almonds.

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Crock Pot Roast

Meat/ Poultry, Vegetables, , ,

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I am dedicating this blog to Mr. E who is a family friend. Mr. E has been a faithful follower of dmariedining.com and has attempted to make a few recipes. Recently he asked me if I had any crock pot recipes that would make it easier for him to cook. He admitted he sometimes winds up with burnt food.

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First, I have to commend Mr. E for even trying to cook for his new wife. I wish more men would take up the ladle and attempt to cook for the family. Don’t get me wrong. I know there are a lot of great male chefs but usually they cook for a living. I do have a few men in my family who enjoy cooking for the sake of cooking but not many.

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After my conversation with Mr. E I started digging through old recipes and tried to come up with a few good crock pot meals. One of my friends nicknamed “Doll” helped me out by sharing a recipe she makes for special occasions. It is a pot roast simmered in mushroom and onion soup. I took the liberty of tweaking her recipe and added a few things of my own.

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I think this recipe is simple and will certainly put a smile on both Mr. E’s and his lovely wife’s face.

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One pot wonders are the way to go for aspiring chefs and anyone who doesn’t have time to fuss over a meal.

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 medium sized pot roast
1 packet onion soup mix
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz packet of frozen peas
2 large red potatoes peeled and cubed
6 carrots peeled and sliced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced (keep seeds if you like heat)
1 pint baby portobello mushrooms sliced
1 tbsp parsley chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ cup water
1 crock pot

Combine mushroom soup, onion soup mix and ½ cup of water in a small sauce pan. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Season meat with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Place in crock pot. Pour soup mixture over meat and add mushrooms. Cook on high for 3 hours until meat is tender. Add potatoes, parsley, peas and carrots. Cook an additional 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up all the wonderful juices.

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