Weekend Cookbook Challenge Garlic Round-Up

Ok seriously, as I write this entry, my cat Murray is biting my butt. I guess the snap on my back pocket is very shiny. So please bear with me as I post the round-up because this isn't very comfortable haha

Acting like he did nothing by taking a bath
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Weekend Cookbook Challenge this month! I'm sure everyone's kitchen kept the vampires away. Let's see what's on the menu.


Cynthia from Diary of a Glad Housewife recommends making your kid do the mashing while making Garlic Chived Mashed Potatoes.

The creator of WCC, Sara from I Like To Cook, made garlic dressing in a handy little tool she found at the grocery store.


Judy from Judy's Gross Eats lives near Gilroy, CA, the garlic capital of the world, so she just had to enter her Creamy Garlic Soup.

This one cracks me up. Megan from Megan's Cookin stunk up the house so much with her garlic jelly that her and her husband couldn't sleep the first night!


Clara from I Heart Food 4 Thought baked delicious buttery garlic knots. I, too, love the smell of garlic on my finger tips.

Michelle from Je Mange la Ville contributed her Shrimp de Jonghe recipe. Smelling like garlic the next day? I'm in!


Ruth from Once Upon A Feast's entry may look like an ordinary steak, but the buttery garlic flavor kicks through with every bite. Check it out!

Lisa from Confessions of an Apron Queen spices up her favorite salad with homemade garlic croutons.


My mentee Lauren from I'll Eat You used pan roasting to highlight her garlic with Pollo All'Aglio.

Reeni from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice recommends making Garlic and Lemon Pasta for Halloween so you can keep the vampires away!


Virginia from Living the Local Life made her lasagna extra special by adding slices of roasted garlic bread.

Mike from Mel's Diner made aioli, even though he couldn't find his intended cookbook.


Lisa from Lady Concierge was the only one to enter Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic because everyone else assumed that would have been the most popular recipe to enter.

Mrs. L from Pages, Pucks, and Pantry combined my favorite ingredient garlic with another favorite ingredient - mushrooms!

Thanks to everyone who participated! Hopefully your social life wasn't impacted too greatly by this wonderful ingredient. You can check out my entry for Steak with Roasted Garlic and Chili Rub. Thanks Sara for creating Weekend Cookbook Challenge! I'll be sure to host again in the future :)

My WCC Entry

Ok so I haven't gotten a chance to post about my Weekend Cookbook Challenge entry or the round-up. I'm working on the round-up this weekend, so hopefully that will be up tomorrow or Tuesday.

I was having the toughest time figuring how what I wanted to make. My dad gave me a small piece of steak to take back to school, so I decided to make a garlic spice rub. The recipe isn't perfect because the mashed garlic didn't want to stay on when I flipped the meat. Plus I think it needed more than two cloves, but that's just me. I got the recipe online, but I cut it in half since I clearly didn't have 1 lb. of steak. Maybe next time I will cut the spices in half but keep the garlic at four cloves.

Steak With Roasted Garlic and Chili Rub




Recipe from Recipe Zaar

A Challenge I Have Neglected

Does anybody remember when I made my 100 foods to make list? Although I have been cooking new things, I haven't really been following my list. And some things I have made but never blogged about. So I decided to update my list and either link to what I have done or bold it. How is everyone's list coming along? Did anybody even make a list? I know Javagirlkt has.

For those of you who are not familiar with this, I decided back in March I was going to make a list of foods that I either have never made, have made but not in a long time, have made but screwed up *coughFUDGEcough* or have made but want to try a different recipe. So when you see common recipes like cream pie or chocolate cookie, I mean either a new recipe or a successful recipe (such as not having my cream pies be all runny - twice!).

If you want in on the action, feel free to create your own list and share with me. It can be 50 things, 100 things, whatever. My list is a lifetime goal. However, I know some people like to set goals for the year. You can be as broad (pie, cake, fish) or as specific (tiramisu, butternut soup, biscotti) as you want. There really are no rules, and everyone has a list, whether mentally or written out.

1. Baked Alaska
2. Yeast bread
3. Biscotti
4. Thumbprint cookies
5. Pizza dough (never blogged about it)
6. Pie crust (never blogged specifically about it)
7. Kabobs
8. Pound cake
9. Mango salsa
10. Chutney
11. General Tao’s chicken (I messed up the sauce because I forgot the sugar)
12. Donuts
13. Biscuits and gravy
14. Gumbo
15. Jambalaya
16. Clam chowder
17. Tiramisu
18. Baklava
19. Ice cream
20. Torrone
21. Paella
22. Flan
23. Homemade oreos
24. Bruschetta
25. Bolognese sauce (I made this two nights ago but I didn't have red wine, so I'm going to try this again)
26. Crepes
27. Fortune cookies
28. Irish soda bread
29. Potato farl
30. Ice cream cake
31. Homemade marshmallows
32. Fudge (I'm talking without marshmallow cream or evaporated milk)
33. Chocolate orange peels (haha FAIL! Not even close)
34. Homemade tootsie rolls
35. Homemade cow’s tails
36. Funnel cake
37. BBQ sauce
38. Hamburgers (still working on a blog-worthy recipe. I just randomly throw stuff together)
39. Milkshake
40. Hummus
41. Egg rolls
42. Pulled pork sandwiches
43. Stuffed chicken breast
44. Stuffed meatloaf
45. Homemade lemonade
46. Carrot cake
47. Cocktail
48. Homemade pocky
49. Bread bowl
50. Gingerbread house
51. Fondue
52. Omelet
53. Bread pudding
54. Peda
55. Samoas
56. Do-si-does
57. Thin Mints
58. Tagalongs
59. Soft pretzels
60. Angel food cake
61. Cinnamon rolls
62. Cheesecake
63. Filled cupcake
64. Peanut butter cups
65. Peanut brittle
66. Exotic meat
67. Fish
68. Cream pie
69. Brownie
70. Blondie
71. Drop cookie
72. Cut-out cookie
73. Non-chocolate cookie
74. Chocolate cookie
75. Veggie casserole
76. Beef casserole
77. Chicken casserole
78. Puff pastry
79. Stuffing
80. Vinaigrette
81. Pickled
82. Calzone
83. Bread machine
84. Egg
85. Caribbean
86. Éclairs
87. Dip
88. Seafood (I don't have a great picture, so I have to redo this recipe)
89. Truffles
90. Coffee cake
91. Tart (I need a tart pan first!)
92. Scone
93. Tortilla roll-ups
94. Italian wedding soup
95. Creamed soup
96. Custard
97. Ramekin
98. Granola bars
99. Rice Pudding
100. Stuffed French Toast

16 out of 100. I need to get moving.

I Need Those Garlic Entries!

Just a reminder that I'm this month's host for Weekend Cookbook Challenge. I only have two entries so far, so run to your kitchen and start cooking!

The theme I chose involves my favorite ingredient - garlic! I'm not talking about a pasta dish that happens to have two cloves of garlic. No, I'm talking about garlic being the main star, whether it's in the sauce, stuffing, whatever. And some of you may even be daring enough to make a garlic dessert.

How do you know if garlic is the main star? Chances are garlic will be in the title of the dish. Or make the dish and ask someone to smell your breath. If you are unsure, just ask. :)

So go to your cookbook collection, pick out a book, and start making those garlic dishes! If you can't use a cookbook for whatever reason, or you are struggling with finding a recipe, you may use a recipe from the internet.

Send your entries to mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com with the following:

-Your Name
-Your Blog's Name
-Entry Link
-Picture (250x188 preferred. If you can't resize the picture, I have no problem resizing it for you)

I'll reply to each entry, so if you don't get an email after a week or two, please send it again or leave a comment on my blog.

Deadline is Tuesday, September 30.

Wanted: Garlic Entries!

Just a reminder that I'm this month's host for Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

The theme I chose involves my favorite ingredient - garlic! I'm not talking about a pasta dish that happens to have two cloves of garlic. No, I'm talking about garlic being the main star, whether it's in the sauce, stuffing, whatever. And some of you may even be daring enough to make a garlic dessert.

How do you know if garlic is the main star? Chances are garlic will be in the title of the dish. Or make the dish and ask someone to smell your breath. If you are unsure, just ask. :)

So go to your cookbook collection, pick out a book, and start making those garlic dishes! If you can't use a cookbook for whatever reason, or you are struggling with finding a recipe, you may use a recipe from the internet.

Send your entries to mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com with the following:

-Your Name
-Your Blog's Name
-Entry Link
-Picture (250x188 preferred. If you can't resize the picture, I have no problem resizing it for you)

I'll reply to each entry, so if you don't get an email after a week or two, please send it again or leave a comment on my blog.

Deadline is Tuesday, September 30.

Hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge - Again!

Because I had a lot of fun hosting my first Weekend Cookbook Challenge, I offered to host WCC for September. The theme I chose involves my favorite ingredient - garlic! I'm not talking about a pasta dish that happens to have two cloves of garlic. No, I'm talking about garlic being the main star, whether it's in the sauce, stuffing, whatever. And some of you may even be daring enough to make a garlic dessert.

How do you know if garlic is the main star? Chances are garlic will be in the title of the dish. Or make the dish and ask someone to smell your breath. If you are unsure, just ask. :)

So go to your cookbook collection, pick out a book, and start making those garlic dishes! If you can't use a cookbook for whatever reason, or you are struggling with finding a recipe, you may use a recipe from the internet.

Send your entries to mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com with the following:

-Your Name
-Your Blog's Name
-Entry Link
-Picture (250x188 preferred. If you can't resize the picture, I have no problem resizing it for you)

I'll reply to each entry, so if you don't get an email after a week or two, please send it again or leave a comment on my blog.

Deadline is Tuesday, September 30.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge Round-Up

Thank you all for the amazing turn out! I was expecting only 5 entries, but I received 16! This is my first time hosting any event, and it certainly won't be my last (hear that, Sara?).


We have the original hostess herself, Sara from I Like To Cook. She had a nice breakfast of Bacon and Apple Rings, from 1976.

Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen made Jalapeno Spoon Bread, the perfect Southern dish to serve either for breakfast or with soup and salad.



Mary from Baking Delights decided to make a Mile High Buttermilk Cake, 1975. If only it were a mile high.

Even though gross eats is in the blog title, Judy's cooking isn't. Unless you hate tuna, this Cheddar Tuna Chowder, 1965, looks yummy!



Although Pittsburgh and Cleveland are rivals, this didn't stop Linda from Cooking in Cleveland from entering. She baked Anadama Bread, which is said to have gotten its name from a bitter husband.

The Apron Queen is all about vintage. She even has Vintage Thingies Thursday. Naturally, she entered her Aunt Jemima's Peach Cobbler, 1954.



Megan and I goofed when picking a recipe from our bake-off book, so she made it up by baking Apple Harvest Squares, 1964

Lysy of Munckin Mail made some yummy gingerbread, 1930s, even though both her and I have no clue what a gill of milk is.


This is Deb from Kahakai Kitchen's first challenge, and she submitted two recipes from Nancy Drew cookbook - Ivory Charm Shrimp Curry and Fire Dragon Spiced Fruit, 1973.

Heather from Sherry Trifle made a dish that I often cook for dinner - Chicken a la King, 1970s. Even her cat joined in on the fun.


Being in love with cookbooks, Paula from The Cookbook Junkie had to enter. Despite her watching what she eats, she snuck in her Danish Cinnamon Coffee Cake, 1961.

Michelle from Big Black Dog was encouraged by a fellow blogger to enter. She has never made bread pudding, 1896, until now!


Mike from Mel's Diner didn't think pre-1980s was considered vintage, but he entered his Boston Baked Beans anyway.

Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe was in a food history kick, so this challenge was perfect. She contributed Banana and Spinach au Gratin, 1965.


As another Ohio foodie, Becke from Columbus Foodie made Mom's Sticky Buns, 1970.

Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska forgot about her thrift store purchase, but when she discovered some vintage cookbooks in her basement, she used one of them and made Cannelloni with Spinach Filling, 1967.


I decided to make Sweet Applets, 1964, for the challenge.

Thanks again for entering! Stay tuned to the Weekend Cookbook Challenge blog for next month's theme.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge Entry

Back in November, Megan baked Sweet Applets for our cookbook exchange. There was a misunderstanding, so I ended up making Apple Harvest Squares. To make us even, I went ahead and made the Sweet Applets. This is also my entry for this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

I don't know why this recipe was listed in the cake section. This is definitely a muffin. Maybe because they used a cupcake pan for this? Or maybe the standards were different in 1964. I used McIntosh apples, chopped instead of shredded. I cut down on the topping, so the adjustments are listed below. Next time, I would consider adding chopped walnuts to the batter.


Sweet Applets




1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chopped or shredded apple
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners or grease cups well. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. Cream 1/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar together. Beat in egg. Alternate between adding milk and dry ingredients. Stir in apple. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp butter in one bowl. Mix 2 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon in another. After 10 minutes is up, roll each muffin into the butter and then cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Pillsbury's 15th Grand National Bake-Off Recipes, 1964 p.23

Challenge Reminder

Just a reminder to participate in this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge.

I'm hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge #27 for April. I decided to go with Vintage Cookbooks as the theme. That means you pick a cookbook dated before 1980 (that means 1979 and earlier), pick any recipe, make it, blog about it, and send me your entry. It's that easy!

To enter the challenge, please email the following to mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com:

-Your Name
-Your Blog's Name
-Entry Link
-Picture

I'll reply to each entry, so if you don't get an email after a week or two, please send it again or leave a comment on my blog.

Deadline is Saturday, April 26.

Am I The Next Cupcake Hero?

I've been meaning to enter the Cupcake Hero challenge, but the themes haven't been compatible with me. Don't know how I missed the coffee one, but the liquor one was a little illegal for me haha I was ready for this month's theme - marshmallow. I know most people are probably going for rocky road or peanut butter marshmallow cupcakes, but I wanted something that (hopefully) nobody else will bake. Ok so it wasn't really my idea, but I did find the perfect recipe. I had too many books and not enough time to find a cupcake recipe involving marshmallow, so I resorted to Recipe Zaar. I came across Baked Alaska-ettes. I love Baked Alaska, so this recipe was perfect! Normally I would've used a meringue on top, but since I needed a marshmallow cupcake, a big marshmallow worked too.

My biggest problem with this was the broiler. I have never used our broiler before. According to our manual, you aren't supposed to preheat the broiler, which is weird, right? For this particular recipe, the cupcakes need to be under the broiler for 30 seconds, no more, no less. With the broiler not preheated, it took me 2 minutes for the marshmallows to toast. Normally, this would've been fine except the ice cream melted into the batter (which is why I didn't take a picture of a cross-section). So, make sure your broiler is hot and ready to go.

Also, I didn't have light cream, so I used 3/4 cup milk + 2 Tbsp butter, melted.


Baked Alaska-ettes




1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup light cream (or 3/4 cup milk + 2 Tbsp butter, melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint ice cream
12 marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line cupcake pan with liners.

2. In a small bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat egg and cream together. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients, beating thoroughly.

3. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about an hour or so.

4. Preheat broiler. When cupcakes are completely cool, cut a hole in the middle of each and spoon in ice cream. Make sure you don't go all the way to the bottom. Don't make the holes bigger than the marshmallow half because you want the marshmallow to completely cover the ice cream. The marshmallow will act as an insulator. Place under a hot broiler for 30 seconds. The marshmallows should be toasted. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Source: Recipe Zaar

A New Challenge

Before I entered the food world, I used to draw pixel art at Color Me Pretty. Pixel art are graphics you made either in Paint or Adobe Photoshop. Although I enjoyed doing it, I grew out of it when I came to college. One of my best friends Ida came up with a challenge called 100 Things Challenge. You made a list of 100 themes to draw (medieval, fantasy, etc.) and then complete it. I never finished my drawing one, but I did adapt it for food. I invite all foodies around the world to participate in this challenge. The only rules are you have to have 100 items and no double-dipping. You can be as broad (pie, cookie, tart) or specific (tiramisu, fudge, baklava) as you want. I have things I've never made, things I haven't made in years, and things I make all the time but want to try a new recipe. I have no time limit on my list because this is a lifetime goal, but feel free to put one for an extra challenge. You can copy my list or make your own. Or you can sit back and watch me complete my list over the next few years.

1. Baked Alaska
2. Yeast bread
3. Biscotti
4. Thumbprint cookies
5. Pizza dough
6. Pie crust
7. Kabobs
8. Pound cake
9. Mango salsa
10. Chutney
11. General Tao’s chicken
12. Donuts
13. Biscuits and gravy
14. Gumbo
15. Jambalaya
16. Clam chowder
17. Tiramisu
18. Baklava
19. Ice cream
20. Torrone
21. Paella
22. Flan
23. Homemade oreos
24. Bruschetta
25. Bolognese sauce
26. Crepes
27. Fortune cookies
28. Irish soda bread
29. Potato farl
30. Ice cream cake
31. Homemade marshmallows
32. Fudge
33. Chocolate orange peels
34. Homemade tootsie rolls
35. Homemade cow’s tails
36. Funnel cake
37. BBQ sauce
38. Hamburgers
39. Milkshake
40. Hummus
41. Egg rolls
42. Pulled pork sandwiches
43. Stuffed chicken breast
44. Stuffed meatloaf
45. Homemade lemonade
46. Carrot cake
47. Cocktail
48. Homemade pocky
49. Bread bowl
50. Gingerbread house
51. Fondue
52. Omelet
53. Bread pudding
54. Peda
55. Samoas
56. Do-si-does
57. Thin Mints
58. Tagalongs
59. Soft pretzels
60. Angel food cake
61. Cinnamon rolls
62. Cheesecake
63. Filled cupcake
64. Peanut butter cups
65. Peanut brittle
66. Exotic meat
67. Fish
68. Cream pie
69. Brownie
70. Blondie
71. Drop cookie
72. Cut-out cookie
73. Non-chocolate cookie
74. Chocolate cookie
75. Veggie casserole
76. Beef casserole
77. Chicken casserole
78. Puff pastry
79. Stuffing
80. Vinaigrette
81. Pickled
82. Calzone
83. Bread machine
84. Egg
85. Caribbean
86. Éclairs
87. Dip
88. Seafood
89. Truffles
90. Coffee cake
91. Tart
92. Scone
93. Tortilla roll-ups
94. Italian wedding soup
95. Creamed soup
96. Custard
97. Ramekin
98. Granola bars
99. Rice Pudding
100. Stuffed French Toast

A Way To Start The New Year Right

Ok, so technically this recipe is what I made for Christmas Eve dinner, but I haven't gotten around to posting it yet. And since The Weekend Cookbook Challenge's theme is veggie meals, now is a good time to post. This lasagna was made by me, sorta. I took my mom's meat lasagna recipe and subbed spinach and mushrooms for the meat. Another great dinner for a veggie lover's menu.

Also, I'm doing a search for internships in video production. If anybody can hook me up with somebody this summer, preferably in the Pittsburgh area (although I'm willing to travel if housing is arranged), please send me an email at mooseymoosecc[at]hotmail[dot]com. The changes of anybody helping me in the food world is very slim, but it's worth a shot. I had an offer, but it'll depend if any films are being made this summer. I haven't heard back from any tv station yet.

Wouldn't it be cool if I could help produce or even edit shows on Food Network? Especially Iron Chef America. It's amazing how many camera angles they can get. I would ask them for an internship, but that means living in NYC for the summer. I wouldn't mind that, but I doubt I could rent an apartment for three months, nor could I afford NYC.


Spinach Mushroom Lasagna




9 lasagna noodles
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
16 oz ricotta cheese
6 slices mozarella cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Boil noodles for 10 minutes or until flexible and somewhat chewable. You don't want to cook them completely. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process.

2. Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in spinach and mushrooms. Add ricotta cheese. Stir until hot.

3. Spread 1/2 cup sauce onto the bottom of 13x9 pan. Place 3 noodles on top. Divide 3 slices of mozarella cheese in half. Place over top the gaps between the noodles. Top with half the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Spread 1/2 cup sauce on top. Repeat once.

4. Place remaining 3 noodles on top. Spread rest of the sauce on top. Top with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover in foil. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Source: My family

Sugar High Friday - My First Time

Challenges are awesome to enter because they give you another excuse to bake (or cook). For this month's Sugar High Friday, I had to bend the rules a tiny bit. You see, the theme is drunken apples. Given that I'm only 20, I can't go out and buy any alcohol. My parents don't keep any alcohol in the house, and they weren't going to buy me a bottle just for this challenge (damn it). I decided to use the next best thing - rum extract. I ended up baking this cake at home during my fall break two weekends ago after I went to a local apple festival. I was going to sub the vanilla extract for rum extract, but my mom is very picky and isn't crazy about rum. No worries; I used it in the glaze. Since my mom didn't want the rum extract, I made a little bit of glaze for about two pieces of cake. Let's just say the extract is really strong for such a little bit of glaze. I think if you made an actual bowl of glaze, the milk and sugar would balance out the strongness of the rum. I suggest only adding 1/8 tsp and then add more for taste.

Also, I learned an interesting fact while baking this. I thought the title was Apple Streudel Cake, not Apple Streusel Cake. The streusel is the crumb topping usually baked on top of baked goods. In this case, it's in the middle. A streudel (or strudel) similar to a pocket pastry.


Apple Streusel Cake




Streusel
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped apples (I used Golden Delicious)
1 cup nuts
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, melted

Cake
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk

Glaze
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1/8 tsp. rum extract (add more if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bundt pan. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, apples, nuts, 1/4 cup flour, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter.

2. In another bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk.

3. Spoon half of the batter mixture into pan. Spread all of streusel on top. Top with remaining batter. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

4. For the glaze, stir all ingredients together. Add more sugar if it's too runny; add more milk if it's too thick.



Source: Creative Cook's Kitchen handout, Cakes and Pies group 1 card 3




When I'm home from school, I have a little sous chef. Unfortunately, he was a little occupied when I was baking.

I Love a Good Bargain!

As summer is coming to an end, certain vegetables stand out at farmer's markets - pumpkins, yellow squash, zucchini, the list goes on. My favorite vegetable to eat has to be squash, whether yellow or zucchini. Next year I'm bugging my dad to plant zucchini along with his tomatoes. While our annual Friends and Family weekend was happening at my university, farmers set up stands to sell produce. I bought a baby squash for 50 cents. It also happened that the one church was having a rummage sale with books 6 for $1.00. I bought 12 cookbooks!!! I'm not talking only those thin ones you buy at the grocery stands. I'm talking those plus a few thick books that are 300-some pages long. Boy were my arms tired from carrying that load across campus! That brings my collection up to 103 books plus my huge binders and online recipe boxes. Obsessed? Just a little ;) With that being said, I picked up a vegetable cookbook at the rummage sale, so I decided to find a recipe for my newly-purchased squash. Being a college kid, I didn't have a lot of ingredients on-hand, but I did find Kate's Pan-Fried Summer Squash to be pantry-friendly. If I had time to read more than the recipe, I probably would've discovered who Kate was. All I know is this dish was amazing!





In honor of the Weekend Cookbook Challenge, which is "Show and Tell" a cookbook in your collection, I am entering this recipe. I chose to feature this because it's more than just recipes; it has little anecdotes and tips for cooking and purchasing each vegetable. Even though I just bought this cookbook, I believe it is going to be my vegetable Bible to both me and my roommates. I tried not to overwhelm them with my collection, so I only brought the ones I know we could use being in college. I'm also starting to make The College Cookbook binder where I place recipes I have found online, in magazines, or have photocopied that are easy to make with a college budget. Suggestions for college recipes are welcome and encouraged :)

In regard to the recipe, I hate really soft squash, so mine definitely didn't cook for the 40 minutes it calls for. I ended up draining the broth rather than have it be completely evaporated. If you want a vegetarian version, sub the chicken broth for either vegetable broth or water. The water won't give it as much flavor but will still cook the squash. It also called for fatty bacon drippings, but I omitted that since it also called for butter.


Kate's Pan-Fried Summer Squash




1 pound yellow squash, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fatty bacon drippings (optional)
2 Tbsp butter

Combine squash, broth, and onion in skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered until broth has evaporated, about 10 minutes. If you don't like your squash super soft, you may need to cut that time in half and drain the broth later. Add butter and cook uncovered over low heat until tender to your liking (recipe calls for 30 minutes but mine only took another 10 minutes).

Source: "Greene On Greens" 1984 p. 325

What is your favorite end-of-summer meal?
I think this fried squash is my favorite side dish. I haven't had too much experience making dinner from squash, so I'll have to stock up at farmer's markets and experiment.

A Good Way To Eat Your Greens

In order to spark more interest in the LJ community, Arty Chokes is holding a recipe contest. What you need to do is prepare and submit a vegetarian recipe using mainly greens. I knew I had jumbo shells, frozen broccoli, and a block of cheese in the house. What does that get me? Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells!!! Probably not my best recipe because it was dry due to the cheese. Plus I'm not a huge cheese fan. Also, don't always trust the first recipe you get online. I got a cheese sauce recipe from Recipe Zaar where you add the cheese first then the other ingredients. Big no-no. Luckily, I had milk and a giant chunk of melted cheese in the pan, so I used a colander and poured the milk into another saucepan. Then I googled and found several recipes with the same steps. Here you added the cheese last. That Recipe Zaar person got a bad review on her/his recipe.


Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells




12 jumbo shells
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed
8 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 tsp garlic, minced
Desirable spices, such as black pepper, chili powder, etc.
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1. Boil water for shells; cook for 10 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. The cold water will keep them from cooking further. This is important because you will be baking the shells later.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour; stir. Gradually add milk. Add a few cubes of cheese at a time until fully melted. Stir in broccoli, garlic, and spices. Remove from heat.

3. Assemble shells in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Fill each shell with cheese mixture. If you have any leftover cheese mixture, fill the gaps between the shells. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on each shell.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

*If you want your broccoli to be soft, cook for a few minutes before stirring into the cheese sauce. Otherwise, they will be hot and crunchy in the shells (the way I like it).

You can also add various veggies to the broccoli - red pepper, carrots, zucchini, etc.

Source: Me! (Cheese sauce - don't remember)

A Challenging Pie

You must have patience when it comes to making Coconut Cream Pie. If you rush the filling, it will become super runny. I was doing fine with the filling until I burnt it. I was trying to clean out the one cabinet so I could pack for college. Apparently you have to stir it quite often; otherwise it will burn on the bottom. Since I burnt it, I poured what I could into a new pan (which was most of it). Since I didn't want to burn it a second time, I let it get bubbly and then turned it off. It took about 15-20 minutes. It wasn't as thick as it called for, so next time I'll let it go maybe another 5 minutes. As a result, the pie filling was super runny. The meringue acts as an insulator, so the filling does not cook anymore when you toast the meringue.

You can easily make Banana Cream Pie with this recipe. Omit the coconut and put sliced bananas in the bottom of the pie before adding the filling.

I already had plans for this pie before I joined Chefs Like Me. When I saw the challenge this week was pie, I thought the timing couldn't be better.


Coconut Cream Pie




9 inch pie crust (mine was pre-made but homemade works too)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour OR 1/4 cup cornstarch (I used cornstarch)
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Line a pie plate with pie crust. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge. This is important because when it's baked, the excess will break off. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes. After crust is removed, turn heat down to 350F.

2. For filling, in saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, flour/cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Make sure you stir because it will burn on the bottom. Reduce heat; cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Separate egg whites and yolks. Beat yolks in a bowl. Stir in 1 cup of hot milk mixture into the yolks. This will allow the yolks to get used to the heat; otherwise, they will curdle. Pour egg mixture into milk mixture. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Stir in 1 cup coconut. Pour into baked pie crust.

4. For meringue, beat egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla, and cream of tartar at medium speed for 1 minute. Soft peaks should form. This means when you take the beaters out of the egg whites, peaks will form but fall back down.

5. Gradually add sugar, about 2 Tbsp at a time. Beat at high speed for 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. When you take the beaters out, peaks will form and keep their shape.

6. Spread meringue on pie. Make sure you spread all the way to the crust and no holes are present. The meringue acts as an insulator. The filling will not cook anymore. If heat does get in, the pie may shrink. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top. Bake at 350F for 12 - 15 minutes or until meringue and coconut are golden. Cool in the refrigerator.

Source: "Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Pies," 1978 p. 32

Waiter, There's Something In My Sauce

Pastitsio is a Greek pasta dish that is served as a main course. I made this dish a few years ago and decided to make it again. Normally you would use a tube pasta, such as ziti, but elbow pasta works fine. The original recipe calls for jarred Alfredo sauce. Since I didn't want to buy jarred sauce and this month's Waiter, There's Something In My... challenge is sauces, I decided to make my own. I haven't made homemade Alfredo sauce since high school, so I was hoping everything would work, and it did. If you don't want the sauce to be as dry, cut back on the parmesan cheese. Also, the cinnamon and nutmeg may sound weird in this dish, but trust me you need to add them.


Pastitsio




8 oz. elbow or tube pasta
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon

Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray casserole dish non-stick cooking spray. Boil pasta in water for 10 minutes; drain. Run under cold water so the pasta won't cook any further.

2. Meanwhile, brown beef in skillet. Drain grease; remove beef to separate plate. Wipe any remaining grease from skillet. Return beef; add tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Drain any remaining tomato juice.

3. Spread half the pasta into casserole dish. Add meat mixture on top. Cover with remaining pasta.

4. In saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and cream, stirring constantly. If you don't stir constantly, a milk skin will form on top. Whisk in cheese, egg yolk, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add water.

5. Pour sauce over pasta dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Casserole should be bubbly and golden brown.

Source: Dish from Family Circle Sept. 2001, p. 136; Sauce from high school cooking class

The Next Browniebabe

I've been waiting for Myriam to start another round of Browniebabe of the Month. For my entry, I decided to bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies. Very successful but very rich. I had 2 brownies, and now I feel sick. Maybe next time I wouldn't use a stick of butter in the cookie dough. I like this recipe because there's no egg in the cookie dough so it's perfectly safe to eat. It overpowered the brownie, so although you get the texture of the brownie, you can't really taste it. Next time, I'm going to try baking the cookie dough on top for a few minutes. I think it might not be as rich than just chilling it on top in the fridge.

Now I know what you're thinking. If I had changes to make, why am I entering this into the round up? I don't expect to win. I enter challenges to try new recipes and to share recipes I find successful or recipes I tried and suggest ways to improve them. I would make these brownies again but with the changes listed above.

I got this recipe from Cookie Madness but I changed the ingredients a good bit.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies



Brownie
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour

Cookie Dough
1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablepsoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 8x8 inch pan with parchment.

2. Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts. Add cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a bowl. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in baking powder. Stir in the eggs, one by one, then add vanilla and flour. Pour in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brownies are set. Let cool for 30 minutes.

3. Beat together butter, both sugars, milk and vanilla. Add flour and chocolate chips and stir. Spread this mixture over cooled brownies and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm.

Source: Cookie Madness



*Wink*

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 18

What do you do when you can't find the recipe you're looking for? Make it up. That's right. I made my own recipe!! I had 1 lemon that I needed to use up. When my dad was going through the cupboard above the stove, he pointed out that I had jumbo shells I needed to use (they were up there probably at least a year). What does lemon juice + shells equal? Greek stuffed shells, of course. I googled for recipes, but I got nothing. So I took the typical Greek ingredients and replaced the Italian ingredients with these. I also decided to enter this into the Weekend Cookbook Challenge 18 - Red and White due to the tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

EDIT - Round up is now posted.


Greek Stuffed Shells




12 jumbo shells
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dillweed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 egg, beaten
5 black olives, chopped

1. Boil water. Cook shells for 10 minutes. Drain; run under cold water to stop any further cooking.

2. For the sauce, combine yogurt, cucumbers, garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dillweed, and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator.

3. Combine cheese, 1/2 tsp dill, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, tomatoes, egg, and olives.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread the bottom of 13x9 pan with some of the sauce. Place shells on top. Stuff with the cheese mixture. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

Source: Sauce from Recipe Zaar, Shell recipe by me


Nectarine Crisp




I also made dessert. This has nothing to do with Greek cuisine but still delicious nonetheless. I used this recipe from Recipe Zaar. I left out the blueberries and wheat germ. Next time, I will try it with raspberries.

Weekend Cookbook Challenge 17

The theme for the next WCC is cornmeal. Cornmeal is very cheap to purchase, so I usually have a couple of boxes handy. I made this cornbread muffin recipe before and enjoyed them so much, I decided to share for this challenge.

EDIT - The round up has been posted here.


Corn Pup Muffins




3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten with fork
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 hot dogs, cut into 1 inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin pan with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

2. Stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Make a hole in the bottom of the bowl and pour in milk, beaten egg, and oil. Stir just until blended. Fold in cheese.

3. Drop a spoonful of batter into each muffin cup. Place hot dog piece into batter. Fill with enough batter to cover the hot dog (This does not mean drown the hot dog. It means make sure the piece is covered in batter because the batter will rise).

4. Bake 10-12 minutes. Muffins should be lightly browned and clean when toothpick is inserted. Let cool before removing from pan.

My thoughts: Being tired does not help me with this recipe. First, I forgot to add the chili powder. Second, I forgot to switch the oven from preheat to bake, so my baking time was alot longer. Third, I filled each cup too much so I only got 12 muffins and used only 2 hot dogs. The recipe does call for mini-muffin tins so that could justify for my amount. Despite my mess ups, I love eating these.

Source: USA Weekend Newspaper - Nov. 10-12, 2006