Pesto Paninis

Sometime in the Summer (or was it the spring?) my lovely friend Melissa and her husband went to the Strawberry Festival (which was sadly lacking in strawberries) with Lucas and I at a local church. Our manly men enjoyed the pit beef provided by the church while we ladies waited to eat a lighter meal back home. Melissa is a vegetarian and I was excited about the opportunity to make a veggie counterpart to the pit beef sandwiches. From this exciting opportunity came my pesto paninis which I now love and make often. They're really simplistic, but taste awesome.

To make the paninis, I simply spread about a tablespoon of pesto on one slice of Italian bread then add to that sandwich one slice of a Roma tomato and one slice of mozzarella (folded in half). Next, I place a second slice of Italian bread on top and brush the outsides of each bread slice with olive oil. Finally, I cook the paninis on our George Foreman Grill (because I don't have a schmancy pants panini maker).

 
Lucas recently had the idea of adding strips of bacon to them which works really well with the other flavors in the panini. But they're just as rad without the bacon for all y'all non-meat eaters.

Hasselback Potatoes with Pesto

A few days ago I saw this blog post by Joy the Baker and decided right then and there that I needed to make it for dinner this week. Her post shows step by step how to make this wonderful dish. Basically, you take a baking potato, cut slits in it, stuff slices of garlic in the slits, drizzle olive oil and salt over the potato, place a tablespoon of butter on top, and roast it for one hour in the oven (basting the potatoes every 10 or so minutes). Sound tempting enough? Potatoes, garlic, salt, olive oil, and butter. What more do you need?

She tops her dish with spinach pesto (recipe listed on her blog post), but I just used the basil and parsley pesto I had in our freezer. Easy peasy. The potatoes are good enough on their own, but just a smidge of pesto adds a little sumtin sumtin. Honestly though, mine didn't look very pretty with the pesto. I guess it's what I get for putting the cold icy pesto on top of the super hot potatoes, but it got all melty and runny and looked quite unappealing. But, hey, it still tasted awesome.

Here is a picture of the potato looking pretty, before I ruined it.

Taters and succotash. I never even knew succotash was a type of food until Lucas and I started dating. I always assumed it was just a silly word that the writers of Looney Tunes made up (Sufferin' succotash). Now, I know it as a delicious side dish that I like to drench in melted butter.

I realized after the fact that I didn't make as many slices in my potatoes as Joy did. I think next time I'll be sure to do that to ensure that more of the potato insides get covered in the butter and oil. It'll also allow me to stuff more garlic in there. Mmm. Garlic.

CouscousCouscous

I've been slacking in the blogging department. Sorry :/. We had a super crazy week of events, and now we're experiencing the most quiet week we've had in a long time. It's nice to not have to rush through dinner to get out the door in time. And to have extra time to tidy up the house and do some reading, which has been on my to-do list forever now.

Tonight I made two of Lucas' favorite foods for dinner: couscous and pork chops. The first time I ever had couscous was after we were married, and I fell in love. Of course, I always try to find my own way to sweeten things up and was excited when I found a recipe for couscous with cranberries, carrot, and cinnamon. The first time I made it Lucas was a little overwhelmed by the sweetness, so I had to dial it down a little bit. Tonight though, it was perfect. This side dish is really good with pork chops or chicken. I cooked the pork chops in the same skillet that I used to saute the cranberries and carrots and added about a tablespoon of honey.

Cranberry and Carrot Couscous
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (optional; I didn't have any on hand tonight and it was just as good without it)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and paper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring one cup of water to a boil, then stir in couscous, cover, and turn off heat
2. Heat oil in skillet and add onion over medium-high heat; saute for one minute or until translucent
3. Add carrot to skillet and cook for one minute
4. Add cranberries and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute
5. Add cinnamon and cumin to skillet and mix well, cooking for 15-20 seconds until spices become aromatic
6. Pour skillet ingredients into cooked couscous along with the cup of chicken broth then cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
7. Fluff couscous and serve!

Spanakopita

I still have no clue how to pronounce the Greek word for spinach pie, but I have mastered the recipe. I get ridiculous cravings for junky food like Kit Kat bars and pizza, while Lucas gets cravings for more hearty meals like Italian sausage and spinach pies. Usually my cravings are fulfilled once I eat and savor whatever my current craving is. His seem to last a lot longer. Since he's been on a real spinach pie kick lately, I felt it was my wifely duty to learn how make some homemade spinach pie. I felt all fancy when I told him we were having spanakopita for dinner, until he let me know I pronounced it wrong. Wah waaaah.

I modified the recipe slightly. In the picture you can tell that the phyllo looks a tad thin. It's only 4 sheets on top and bottom here, but next time we plan on doubling it. You, however, may like a thinner layering. Adjust accordingly :]



Spanakopita (or Spinach Pie, for us less fancy girls)
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 lbs spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup crumbled  feta cheese
• 16 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter a 9x9 or 8x6 in. baking pan
2. Heat oil in sauce pan
3. Saute onion in olive oil until translucent
4. Add in butter, green onions, and garlic and cook until soft and lightly browned
5. Stir in spinach and parsley and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes (add salt and pepper if desired)
6. Remove pan from heat and cool
7. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ricotta and feta cheese with eggs
8. Mix spinach mixture into cheese mixture
9. Lay down one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly brush with melted butter
10. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo
11. Spread spinach and cheese mixture over sheets of phyllo
12. Lay down one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly brush with melted butter
13. Repeat with remaining 7 sheets of phyllo
14. Tuck in any overhanging sides of phyllo
15. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown
16. Let the pie set up then serve!

Pork Chops w/Apple Cider Sauce

At the advice of the owner of Deer Park Farm, I made some apple cider sauce with pork chops for dinner this week. Typically the only apple recipes we see are desserts, but they work beautifully in dinner recipes as well. They add a nice touch of autumn and go really well with pork chops.

Pork Chops and Apple Cider Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter (for pork chops)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter and oil together
2. Salt and pepper pork chops then brown on both sides in skillet
3. Introduce apple slices to skillet and cook over medium heat
4. Turn down heat on skillet as you make the apple cider sauce
5. To make apple cider sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan then mix in corn starch. Next, mix in spices and brown sugar. After well blended, mix in apple cider and bring just to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Pour half of cider mixture over pork and apples then finish cooking
7. Plate pork then pour the rest of mixture over it, or reserve for gravy.

B4D

I've tried out many fancy recipes since becoming a wife. I've experimented and created all kinds of meals. But, truth be told, my husband's favorite meals are the simplest ones. Apparently a new and excited meal every night was a little too overwhelming. I think I spent so many years being picky and eating nothing but chicken fingers that I'm now addicted to trying new meals. Like every day. But, all of the testing has helped us to discover what food we like best and identify which ingredients are the most cost-friendly.

Lucas doesn't know how to cook much, but he has a couple go to meals that he generously makes when I'm not feeling well. Our favorite? Brinner. Also known as breakfast for dinner or as we like to call it, B4D. There's something about eating breakfast food for dinner that is exciting and very satisfying. French toast, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs. Mmm. I feel so spoiled when he makes B4D. He got fancy with it tonight and used heavy cream and brown sugar in the french toast. How lucky am I?






Mr. Chef in action :]

Broccoli Cheddar Mmm..

I was excited to find a little recipe box this past weekend that I lost in the sea of packed boxes prior to our wedding. There is one recipe in particular that I was super excited about finding- Broccoli Cheddar Soup. My friend Mollie made this soup for a few of us girls when we were over her house and it was amazing. It's just like the yummy Broccoli Cheddar Soup they serve at Panera Bread. I'm happy that she decided to share it with me. Lucas and I definitely benefited from her generosity tonight.


This is the original recipe. It's amazing as is, but I think next time we'll make a couple changes based on personal choice (such as using mild instead of sharp cheddar). Mollie served us this soup in bread bowls, just like they do at Panera Bread, which was really neat. You can buy bread bowls from Panera or get really creative and make your own.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half & half
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar

Directions:

1. Saute chopped onion in butter then set aside
2. Cook melted butter and flour together in a pot using a whisk constantly over medium heat for 3-5 minutes
3. Slowly add in half & half, still whisking constantly (a spoon would work as well)
4. Slowly add chicken stock, whisking the whole time
5. Simmer for 20 minutes
6. Add in broccoli, carrots, and onion and cook over low heat until veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes
7. Add salt and pepper to taste
8. The soup should be thickened at this point. Pour batches into food processor and puree.
9. Return to pot over low heat and add cheese. Stir until blended.
10. Stir in nutmeg

If you don't have a food processor, you could just finely chop up the broccoli before adding it to the pot.

Beef Stew

Is there a better day for a hot bowl of beef stew than a cold and rainy one like today? It seriously warms up your entire body. We had to retire beef stew for the summer because it warmed us up a little too much, but now is the perfect time for it to make its return. This is one of those dishes that I didn't really care for when I was younger, but now that I know how to make it myself and can tweak the ingredients to fit my own taste, it's a favorite. It's also one of those meals that my husband often requests, which makes it all the more awesome.

Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2lbs beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 cup flour (hubby likes it thick; use less flour to make it thinner)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced

Directions:

1. Place meat in slow cooker and season with salt and pepper
2. Cover meat with flour and stir to coat
3. Add vegetables and spices
4. Pour beef broth and Worcestershire over top of vegetables and meat
5. Stir, cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours

Date Night

On Friday night my husband and I had a date night. We were excited to watch the Blu Ray release of Beauty and the Beast. Okay, I was excited about watching the movie, he was just excited it was on Blu Ray.

I watched an episode a couple weeks ago of Mad Hungry on the Hallmark Channel featuring a lasagna made with Italian sausage and decided that I had to make it for our next date night dinner. Lucas loves Italian sausage and as of late has been seeking out every chance possible to eat some. I also made homemade sauce which turned out awesome. I like being able to create as many of the ingredients in a recipe as possible. Now if I could just own a cow or a goat, I could make my own cheese too!

In case you can't tell by looking at the picture, I used a LOT of cheese.

If you're already a whiz at making lasagna, you can just make it the way you usually do but use Italian sausage instead of whatever meat you typically use. Lasagna is a really good dish to prepare then freeze for easy cooking on a minute's notice. A lot of cooking shows I've been watching lately talk about having food to throw together easily when those unexpected guests show up. I've yet to experience these unexpected guests showing up on our doorstep. I guess that's what happens when you live out in the sticks.

This recipe was made using a 8x6x2in dish.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 Italian Sausages (removed from their casing)
• 1 lb of ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese (or parmesan)
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano (you really don't need a lot of spices since the sausages are already seasoned)
• 2  1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 6 lasagna noodles
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Break up and brown sausages in pan then transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain
3. If lasagna noodles are not precooked, boil as directed by packaging
4. Mix together ricotta and pecorino cheese with eggs and oregano
5. Lightly cover the bottom of your baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce
6. Lay down two lasagna noodles over the tomato sauce
7. Spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the lasagna noodles
8. Lay down two more lasagna noodles over top of the cheese
9. Spread tomato sauce and cooked Italian sausage over lasagna noodles
10. Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the Italian sausages
11. Lay down the final two lasagna noodles
12. Spread remaining tomato sauce over top of noodles
13. Cover top of dish with slices of mozzarella
14. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes
15. Uncover dish and bake for 10 more minutes, or until slightly golden

Sloppy Joes

I've been feeling a little under the weather the last couple of days, which always seems to bring on cravings for comfort food. Oddly enough, today I started craving something I never thought I would- Sloppy Joes. The name is enough to make me think that I wouldn't like this dish. But I saw a recipe earlier today posted on Design Sponge about Sloppy Joes and it hit me instantly. This warm, messy dish just seemed so appetizing all of a sudden. I followed the recipe just as they explained, except I added some chili powder. Next time I'd add a little less brown sugar. It was really sweet.

But, it was just the comfort I needed.

Chicken Pot Pie

I love meals that are homemade, but easy to make. It's always nice to have a few easy to throw together meals aside from boxed macaroni and cheese and hot dogs.

A few months ago I decided that I wanted to make chicken pot pie from scratch. I searched around online and found a Paula Deen recipe called "Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie". I changed just a few things, based on personal taste, and it was awesome and easy to make. We always have all of the ingredients, except for the chicken, in the house so I can make this recipe without having to make a big shopping trip. The first time I made it, I used two small dishes so that Lucas and I could have individual servings, which was nice. But a single casserole means less dishes and more sharing :]

Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cup instant biscuit mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter (half a stick), melted
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Salt and pepper, if desired
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots (I used a vegetable peeler to make slices)
• 1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cook pre-cut chicken
3. Layer chicken, peas, and carrots in the bottom of either a 2 quart casserole or two 1 quart casserole dishes
4. Mix together broth, cream of chicken soup, and salt and pepper (if desired) in a medium mixing bowl
5. Pour broth and soup mixture over the layers of chicken, peas, and carrots
6. Stir together biscuit mix and milk in a small mixing bowl
7. Pour biscuit mix over top of casserole
8. Pour melted butter over top of biscuit mix
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown

This dish would be really good with other veggies too like broccoli or diced potatoes. You could also add herbs or garlic to it for a little more oomph.

Fries 101

Yesterday we talked burgers, today we're talking fries.

Fries and burgers are a perfect pair. Unfortunately, the fries you get at fast food restaurants are usually soaked in grease and not really something you're likely to make at home. But, there is a healthier, fresher way to make fries.

Making fries at home is really simple. All you really need is a potato and a knife. You can cut your potato into wedges for more of a steak fry, or make slim fries. You also have the option of leaving the skin on or peeling it off.

To give your fries some crispiness, olive oil does the trick, plus you can use so many different spices to give your fries a little flavor. For my fries, I like using garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper (about a teaspoon of each). But, just salt and pepper alone can make yummy fries. Simply sprinkle the olive oil and spices over the cut potato fries and mix with your hands to evenly coat. Be careful not to add too much olive oil though or they'll get soggy. Unless, of course, you like soggy fries. I use about 1 1/2 tablespoons.

When you bake them, they should all be placed flat on the baking sheet so that they all get cooked evenly. Bake the fries at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how thick your fries are. The ones pictured above took just 30 minutes.

Instead of regular potatoes, you could substitute sweet potatoes and make sweet potato fries. They'd be really good with melted cheese on top too!

Burgers 101

A couple of months ago we hosted a game of flashlight tag at the farm. Yes, I said flashlight tag, and it's still just as fun as when we were kids. Except, I'm a lot slower now. It was a really fun time and a really good excuse for me to make cook out food.

I had recently learned everything I'd want to know about hamburgers in the book Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook! and was excited to put my new knowledge into practice.

A lot of people use ground round beef, as that is what is most commonly packaged in grocery stories. Everyone differs in their preference of cut, but it seems that ground chuck is most preferred by cooks. It has a fat content of 20%, which makes very juicy burgers. To be honest, I usually use ground turkey when I'm cooking for my husband and I and beef for everyone else. Ground turkey just feels lighter and healthier, though it's not for everyone.

When I make burgers I usually add paprika, Worcestershire sauce, garlic or onion powder, and salt and pepper to the meat. For turkey burgers, it's also a good idea to add in bread crumbs and some olive oil to give moisture and hold the burgers together well. You can make a 2 inch burger as your tester to see if you need to increase your sauce or spices. When mixing together the meat and ingredients and when making the patties, make sure you don't over work the meat. Too much heat from your hands can remove the fat from the beef that gives it it's juiciness. After you make your patty, it's good to make a little dent in the center with your thumb to help the burger to cook fairly flat instead of puffing up into a ball. Also, try to to resist pushing the burgers down to make them cook quicker on the grill- this will squeeze out all those yummy juices.

Tomorrow we'll talk fries :]

Chicken Corn Chili

As a direct result of the colder weather moving in, my slow cooker will be making a regular appearance in my kitchen. It's time for stews, soups, and chili.

To be honest, chili never appealed to me much before, until I saw an episode of Giada at Home where she made some delicious looking chicken and corn chili. After I had Lucas look at the recipe, he was craving chili, but not exactly the way that Giada had prepared it. We looked through a few different chili recipes and picked out the ingredients that we liked best and I created my own version of chicken corn chili for dinner tonight.

It turned out to be really delicious, especially with a side of homemade cornbread. I'm happy to say that I am now a big fan of chili.

Chicken and Corn Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 (16 oz) jar of salsa
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers
• 2 diced garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cups frozen corn
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients except for beans and corn in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8hrs. 
3. 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add corn and beans to the chili

(To add more heat, you could add red pepper flakes or increase the amount of chili powder)

Labor Day Cookout

Happy Labor Day, friends.

Lucas and I went over my parents' house today for a little family cookout. I was excited to have an opportunity to make some pasta salad (with fresh tomatoes from here at Pohickery Farm!), burgers, and cookies. We've been getting our beef from a local farmer who is at the Farmer's Market on Tuesdays. It's neat knowing where our meat is coming from, what kind of cows provided the meat, how they were fed, and support the local farmers who provide the meat.

I made pasta salad for the first time a couple months ago. When searching for a recipe for pasta salad, I stumbled upon this article, Five Steps to Perfect Pasta Salad. It's a really nice, simple outline of how to make pasta salad using your favorite ingredients. These steps include pasta, key ingredients, intense flavors, onions & herbs, and dressing. The article includes a link to a recipe for dressing, but simple zesty italian dressing from the grocery store works just fine, as does balsamic vinaigrette. However, balsamic vinaigrette tends to brown your salad and make it less pretty looking. After trying many different combinations of ingredients, I settled on rotelle and penne pasta with yellow peppers, celery, red onion, feta or peccorino romano cheese, basil, and grape tomatoes as my go-to pasta. One of the main reasons I like this combination is because of how colorful it ends up being. You can also do pasta salad in different themes like Italian (sun-dried tomatoes & Italian sausage), Asian (sesame seeds & citrus zest), or Greek (feta cheese & olives).

You can just have fun with it and make it fit whoever you're serving it to!

Tips Cooks Love

My awesome friend, Camille, gifted me an awesome book called Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook!


It's pretty much the encyclopedia of cooking in a neat little package. This little book is jam-packed with amazing tips and explanations for all things cooking and baking from cookies to grilling to pressure cooking. I've learned the chemistry of baking soda and baking powder, the difference in heat conduction between a ceramic and glass pie pan, the way to make a perfect fudge brownie, and the best way to make a nice and juicy hamburger.

I once tried to convince Lucas that baking could be fascinating to him because it's scientific. He just laughed at me. This book however provides the proof that baking is scientific! In cooking you can throw a dash of this and a dash of that (which admittedly, I find to be the fun part), but with baking you must accurately follow the recipe. The amount of baking powder or soda you use impacts the way your baked goods rise and how much air is incorporated. The difference between cold butter and warm butter impacts how flaky your pie crust will be. How long and at what heat level you cook corn starch impacts the thickness of your pie filling. I love learning more about the things I love.

You can get your own copy of this book on Amazon.com!

Contest given by Gypsie {On My Mind}!

*CONTEST NOW CLOSED*

Head on over to Gypsie {On My Mind} to learn about a contest, hosted by CSN, to win a $40 gift card which can be redeemed at any of their 200+ online stores!

As mentioned in the giveaway post, they have awesome and affordable cookware, including Le Creuset. You can take a peek at their list of stores here.

Just leave a comment on her blog about what you would spend your money on if you're the lucky winner, and you'll be entered into the contest. Then check out the rest of her blog. She is the manager of the new Farm Chicks store and posts all kinds of cute stuff.