A Girl's Gotta Eat!

  Have you ever come across a recipe in a book or magazine, or perhaps an idea on Pinterest, that once you see it, you think, "Duh! This is brilliant and easy. Why didn't I ever think of it?"   Several months ago, Mike and I had such an experience when we saw a recipe in our Food Network Magazine for, wait for it....Tomato Orzo Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons .   Seriously? How many of us grew up eating Campbell's tomato soup alongside a grilled cheese sandwich, dipping the sandwich into the bowl or mug of hot orangish liquid?   ( Side note: growing up, my mom called the soup "orange soup" for YEARS, as none of my siblings nor myself liked tomatoes. I guess none of us ever looked at the label or noticed that it had a distinctly non-tomato flavor. A fond memory nonetheless.)   Anyway...we knew we had to try this. I'm happy to say it was fantastic! While it may be tempting to push the "easy button" and open up that fail-sa...

Nothing much to say about this recipe other than it was easy, tasty, and made an excellent weeknight meal. We came across it in our much-used copy of Recipes Worth Sharing while making Shrimp and Grits for my MIL's birthday dinner. It looked tasty, and we have salmon in the freezer from Mike's Alaska trip and most of the other ingredients on hand, so it was perfect! The most "difficult" part was cooking and flaking the salmon, but there are a few things you could do for that. 1) Buy smoked salmon. It's more expensive, but easier to flake and you'll save time cooking it. It will impart a stronger flavor, but I think it would be good in the cream cheese-based sauce. We even talked about smoking our own salmon next time and trying it. I'll post an update when we do. 2) Grill salmon for dinner one night and purposely make enough extra to make this pasta a few days later. It will be cool enough that flaking it will be a breeze, and you save a little time no...

I usually think it’s ridiculous when I read a recipe for a sandwich. I mean, come on…it’s a sandwich. How difficult can it be to layer some stuff on bread or in a wrap and eat it? Then I saw the following recipe in our Food Network Magazine , and I became a believer that while sandwiches are still certainly an easy fix for lunch or dinner, sometimes it’s nice to have some inspiration for what to combine between those bread slices. Its preparation may seem more complicated than what you wish to mess with, but trust me that you will be pleased with the result. The most time-consuming part is roasting the sliced butternut squash, but you could do this a day in advance. Or, you can do what I did: choose a squash with a much skinnier neck. You’ll need more slices, but they won’t take as long to bake. I even went a step further and used my toaster oven instead of having to preheat the real oven. One more tip…there are two types of manchego cheese: firm and semi-firm. Firm is more like Par...

It’s the time of year again for Christmas parties and company potlucks. Our company Christmas luncheon was today. After seeing plenty of people signed up for vegetables and desserts, I decided to bring macaroni and cheese. After all, you can’t have ham without it! The glitch to bringing this dish, however was two-fold. 1) Mike and I have had a lot going on with finals, visiting with friends, and our new German Shepherd pup, Leopold, so I needed to make something quick and easy; and 2) warming up large portions of food in our work microwaves is tedious and frustrating. Cooking something in a slow-cooker solved both these problems in one fell swoop. I was pleasantly surprised. It was very easy to whip up, and I thought it was very tasty. The sauce would have been a bit creamier if I had served it 30 minutes earlier, but it was still very good. And had I been at home cooking it, I could have simply stirred in some extra milk or margarine.  Before Cooking  The original recipe cooks ...

Mike and I first tried this dish long before I ever thought about doing a food blog. When I realized I had not yet shared it on my blog, I decided we just had to make it again, if not for ourselves, for those out in the world who had never tried such tastiness. We originally found the recipe in an issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray, and have left a sticky note on the page so we always have quick-and-easy access to it. When Wednesday rolled around this week, Mike was supposed to have his flag football tournament. The weather had another idea, and after raining for about 36 hours straight, they decided to postpone for a drier time. Because of this, I needed some easy to shop for and make (I don’t normally cook on football nights), and I wanted something warm and comforting after have a very soggy couple of days.   We do everything by the book on this one, although we rarely use the amount of horseradish called for in the recipe, opting instead to add plenty of extra. And coo...

No clever story to this one. We just saw the recipe on the cover of our Food Network Magazine and really wanted to try it. It was easy, tasty, and something we'll definitely be making again. Don't skip the croutons on top; they add a ton of flavor! Broccoli-Cheddar Soup 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 ribs celery, finely chopped 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups half-and-half 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 cups chopped broccoli florets 1/3 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups) Croutons for topping Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-l...

Mike and I have been getting quite a few cucumbers in our CSA. While we are happy to chop them salads or slice them for cucumber-onion salad (with our own twist of Greek yogurt), we were on the lookout for something a little different. That's where this recipe comes in. Cucumber Feta Salad seemed perfect for us: quick, simple, and with a twist (that's where the fennel comes in.) The recipe is pretty self-explanatory, and we didn't chage anything. For those who may not have tried it, fennel has a subtle licorice-type flavor. Don't worry, it's not overpowering at all in this salad. Instead it adds a nice little crunch and complements the other flavors. I would say that if you're unsure if you'd like it, chop it into pretty small pieces. We had some large chunks in ours that, while tasty, can take you aback if you're expecting the mild flavor of cucumber instead. While you're getting together this weekend for your Labor Day picnics and barbecues,...

I’ve wanted to try this one for a while, and with the arrival of the first tomatoes in our CSA yesterday, decided today is the perfect time! (Also, Mike’s mom is coming over for dinner, and she doesn’t mind when I try out new recipes on her.) Remember the Amaretto Fruit Salad I made for Easter? This pasta is from the same book, Seasoned to Taste . I told you it was good one and that you’d see more recipes from it…I’d hate to not deliver on a promise. With tomatoes in the farm box, basil growing one our deck, and pasta always in our pantry, all I really had to pick up was the Brie. I didn’t want to be eating too late, so I chopped the tomatoes the night before, put them in a medium bowl so everything else could be added tonight, and stored them in the fridge overnight. I thought about chopping the basil early as well, but didn’t want to run the risk of it bruising overnight. We made everything as directed, with the exception of adding a bit of extra garlic. We have a ton of it from o...

Mike and I planned on grilling steaks and having some sort of frozen veggie tonight, and then we realized we had a bit of asparagus we needed to eat before it went bad. Upon looking at it, however, we also realized there wasn't quite enough for both of us to enjoy. And so, I whipped up a new side dish. I know you've had or heard of broccoli rice casserole, but we were dealing with asparagus here. We had white rice in the pantry and a little shredded Cheddar in our deli drawer... Cheesy Asparagus Rice it is! 1) Cook 1 cup rice according to the package directions. While it's cooking... 2) Chop asparagus spears (a little less than half a bunch) into about 1-inch pieces (after trimming off the bottoms.) Saute those in 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoons butter. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons minced or pressed garlic (depending how how garlicky you like it.) Cook over medium-low to medium heat while the rice is simmering. 3) When the rice is done, add the asparagus ...

There's no story behind this post...just a recipe we saw in our latest Food Network Magazine that tickled our fancy: Salami-Mozzarella Calzone. As you have probably gathered by now, I'm a sucker for anything with cheese in it; what you may not know is that salami may well be my favorite deli meat (try a grilled cheese and salami sandwich and you'll see what I mean.) Calzones with salami instead of pepperoni? Yummy indeed. Don't be scared by the pickled vegetable ingredient (giardiniera). It comes in a jar and can be found in the pickle and olive aisle of you grocery store. Look in the international aisle near the Italian food if it's not with the pickles. (This week, Publix has Mezzetta brand on sale for $ .99!) I've never made my own calzones before, so I liked that on my first attempt, two factors made it seem easier. 1) The recipe uses store-bought pizza dough. I'm all for fresh, homemade doughs and pastries, but there is a sense of relief is being ...

This past week was a particularly hard one in the Nash house. We very suddenly and unexpectedly lost our beloved cat, King Lear. With the stress of visiting vets and grieving our loss, cooking for ourselves was pretty far down on our to-do list. Cooking, however, can be therapeutic as well as necessary, so yesterday we decided to try a new recipe for Smoky Enchilada Soup. The weather was gloomy (like our mood), and it sounded like the perfect comfort food—warm, easy, and soothing. We made everything as directed and were quite pleased. You can adjust the amount of adobo if you need it more or less spicy, but it was about perfect for me as-is. Don’t skip the queso fresco on top…it really adds a nice little touch. I found the recipe in Texas Tables , a multiple award-winner from the Junior League of North Harris and South Montgomery Counties . Smoky Enchilada Soup ¼ cup vegetable oil 1½ cups finely chopped onions 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped 2 tablespoons chicken base 1 t...

Here’s one of our favorite stand-by dinners: Stuffed Bell Peppers. With the price of bell peppers rising (along with most other grocery items) they have become more of a special dinner, so I was extremely excited to see them on sale this week. You can use green bell peppers, but the red, orange, and yellow have a slightly sweeter flavor that I enjoy, and many times they seem bigger than the green ones. It’s pretty much whatever you prefer. I did originally look at recipes, but after getting a general idea of what we wanted, the following is the “recipe” Mike and I more or less created to suit our tastes. Stuffed Bell Peppers 4 large bell peppers 1 (7-ounce) package Zatarain’s Black Beans and Rice mix 1 (11-ounce) can corn 1 cup (about) shredded Cheddar cheese 4 slices white American cheese Salsa Cut off the tops of the bell peppers; discard the seeds and membranes. Chop the tasty part of the tops (not the stems), if desired. Boil the peppers for about 5 minutes or until softened; dr...

Snow is coating everything in sight, so it's time to hunker down and have some grilled cheese sandwiches. This time, though, I'm borrowing an idea from a fellow blogger ( http://www.grilledshane.com/ ) who specializes in all things grilled cheese. Tonight it's all about homemade Beer Bread and melted aged Cheddar. The aged Cheddar was something else we recently picked up from the farmers' market from JD Country Milk , and the beer bread is just about the easiest thing you'll ever make. Fresh from the oven   Easy Beer Bread 3 cups self-rising flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 (12-ounce) beer ( something cheap is perfectly fine ) 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted Sift the flour and sugar together in a bowl ( do NOT skip this step ). Stir in the beer until moistened. Spoon into a 5 by 7 loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Pour the butter over the top while the bread is still in the pan. Let cool slightly, then remove from the pan. ...

About a month before I started my blog, Mike and I made Shrimp and Grits for the first time. Since this was recipe that helped lead me to the idea of having a food blog, I decided to invite our parents over and blog about the recipe at long last. I have never tried shrimp and grits anywhere else, but the following recipe would be hard to beat in my opinion. You have creamy, cheesy, slightly spicy grits topped with a sauce mixture of crispy bacon and tender shrimp—how could you possible improve perfection? Mike even commented after this time around that this is one of his favorite meals I make now. We adjust 2 things: we double the amount of grits . The amount made here just doesn’t seem like enough for the amount of shrimp made. When doubling the grits, we used an 8-ounce block of cheese, which seemed about perfect to us. Variation Two: we only use 2 jalapeños instead of 5. That leaves it plenty spicy for Mike and not so spicy it burns my mouth. When we doubled the shrimp recipe fo...

A Facebook friend recently asked the FB world for help finding tasty vegetarian recipes to help her keep her New Year’s resolution to become a vegetarian. I remembered that the Junior League of San Fran’s latest cookbook had a vegetarian chapter, so decided to try out a new recipe… just to be helpful, of course J I decided to give Penne with Kalamata Olives and Cheese a try. It was really easy to mix together and VERY tasty. I bought my Havarti cheese from the deli counter (just ask them to cut it as thick as possible.) It was difficult to shred, so I just sort of crumbled it up into the sauce. I forgot to grab asiago cheese at the store, so we used Parmesan cheese instead. We also used chicken broth instead of vegetable brot; it’s what we keep on hand, and neither of us is a vegetarian. Last thing… recipe doesn’t specify to cut up the olives, but I did cut those I mixed in with the pasta into halves so they’d be more spread out. I think you would be fine either way. Hope you enjo...

Christmas morning tradition involves all of us heading to my parents' house to open presents and eat breakfast, which usually takes us well into the afternoon. Typically we have breakfast casserole, sticky buns, and curried fruit. This year I contributed Cheddar Dill Scones, something I thought would be good for breakfast as well as sandwiches later that afternoon. I've never attempted scones before, but I have thought about it often. Making these made me even more grateful for my KitchenAid mixer...I don't know that a regular mixer could stand up to the thick dough. I was also a bit nervous about the kneading process. I've only ever made quick breads. My mom and granny make fantastic breads, but it always seems like I'm watching art as they knead the dough. I decided to go for it, anyway. It was past time to learn... I did all as directed in the recipe, except for the eggs. I always buy large eggs, so used 5 to compensate for their slightly smaller size. Ina G...