Mom's Summer Salsa

Here's another recipe for the holiday weekend. My mom used to make this salsa with fresh veggies from our garden. It was always the perfect treat after spending the day playing in the sun and sand at the beach. This recipe is super easy to make and keeps for several days. Serve it with tortilla chips or as a side to your favorite meat dish.

Summer Salsa

2-3 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 very large, or 2-3 small tomatoes, diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 can sliced black olives

1 can green chilis

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp white vinegar

Seasoned salt & garlic salt to taste

Mix the veggies together with 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Season with salts, mix, and chill.

Farm Fresh Beans with Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Continuing in the vein of barbeque fare, I thought I'd share a recipe I made this weekend. We spent Saturday morning at the farmer's market and came home with some tasty treats, including an assortment of green and yellow beans. I didn't want to take away from the natural taste of the beans, but thought I'd add a little sweetness. The result was delish! After eating the leftovers on Sunday, I found that this dish is good both warm and cold, which makes it perfect for a backyard barbeque!

Farm Fresh Beans with Bacon Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 lb. green and yellow beans, washed & ends trimmed

6 slices precooked bacon, diced (I used precooked because it is leaner, but you can use uncooked bacon)

Olive oil*

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook diced bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add green beans and oil for sauteing. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. Add to the beans and cover. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or cool and serve later.

*If using uncooked bacon, olive oil may not be necessary. I added it because most of the fat had already been cooked out of the bacon so there wasn't much in the pan for sauteing the green beans.

Perfect Potato Salad

The Fourth of July is upon us so I've decided to post some of my favorite Independence Day fare. If you're like me, you'll have at least one barbecue invitation for the holiday weekend and will likely need to take a dish to share. One of my family's favorite sides is this potato salad. It's super easy and very tasty. I don't care for the mustard/mayonnaise version of potato salad so this recipe is just to my liking. I can't take credit for it though, it was passed on to me from one of my grandmother's dearest friends, Jane Trask. They have both since passed on, but I think of them fondly each time I make it. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends have over the years.

Mrs. Trask's Potato Salad
3 lbs red new potatoes, sliced with skin on
1 C diced celery
1 C diced green onion, white and green parts
1/2 C Italian salad dressing
1/2 C Creamy Cucumber salad dressing
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C mayonnaise

Boil potato slices until just tender, but not falling apart. Drain and place in a large salad bowl. Pour Italian dressing over potatoes and allow them to cool. In the meantime, mix remaining ingredients together in a small to medium size mixing bowl. Once potatoes have cooled add mix and stir to coat. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

May be made a day ahead. Serve cold.

Goulash

It was another one of those nights, I stood before the nearly empty fridge and pondered what to make for dinner. I wasn't interested in spending a lot of time cooking, nor did I want to take a trip to the grocer for ingredients. I knew I had some ground turkey in the freezer, so I took out the Google machine and set to work searching recipes. Thankfully the Food Network site has a section on ground turkey. I sorted through them, but wasn't particularly interested in making a burger (it was raining outside, so grilling was less than appealing) and finally came across a Rachel Ray recipe for Goulash. After consulting the fridge again, I added some additional veggies and seasonings. The end result was quite tasty, but way too much food for one person...good thing I like leftovers!

Goulash
1/2 lb macaroni pasta
1 lb ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 Tbsp butter
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded & chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 C chicken broth
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 C sour cream

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a cast iron skillet, or other deep skillet, over medium heat. Add butter, once melted, add meat and cook, breaking up, until browned. Add veggies and seasonings, cook another 10 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes and heat through. Add pasta and sour cream, cook until warmed through.

Garnish with sliced scallion and serve with garlic bread.

Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients:

14 oz.block of firm organic tofu

1/4 C corn starch

vegetable oil

1/3 C sesame seeds, toasted

2 C brown rice

1 red pepper, cubed

1/4 medium red onion, sliced

1/2 8 oz package sugar snap peas

1 crown of broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 medium carrots, sliced

Sauce:

2/3 C Agave nectar

3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp finely minced ginger

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp Mirin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp red chili flakes, optional

Stir sauce ingredients together in a sauce pot, simmer sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook brown rice according to package directions.

Drain and press tofu so excess liquid is expelled. Cut tofu into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes and dust lightly with corn starch. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Fry tofu under golden brown, turning as necessary to cook all sides. Remove tofu and drain on a plate.

Add veggies to steamer basket of rice cooker or cook in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water.

Toss cooked veggies with tofu and sauce. Serve over brown rice.

Cheesecake

Almost everyone has a favorite cheesecake, whether it's from a restaurant or an old family recipe. This one is my favorite because I think the vanilla and almond extract ratio is perfect. It is best when made with full fat cream cheese, but is also good, albeit not quite as thick, when made with a combination of full and reduced fat varities. Either way, it's always a crowd pleaser!

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter

Filling Ingredients:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 C sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

To make crust: Put graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and add sugar. Melt butter and pour over graham cracker mix, stir to combine. Grease bottom and sides of a spring form pan. Pour crumbs into pan and press to the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

To make filling: Put cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts in the bowl of mixer. Mix until mixture is smooth, without any lumps. Pour filling into spring form pan, covering the crust.

Place pan on a baking sheet and surround with 1/2 inch or so of water. Place sheet, with cake, in the center of the oven. Cook for 1 hour, or until set. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool on a wire rack. Chill cheesecake before serving.

Mediterranean Chicken Pizza

This pizza came out of laziness and a need to clean out some odds and ends from the refrigerator. The result was quite delicious, if I do say so myself!

Pizza Crust
3 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
1 C warm water
2 Tbsp yeast (use less if you don't like a strong yeast flavor)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Toppings
Pizza sauce of your choosing
1 1/2 C shredded chicken
1 C low fat feta crumbles
1/4 large red onion sliced thinly
Sliced black olives, to your liking
1 C baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

To make crust: Pour warm water into the bowl of a mixer. Add the honey and salt and mix on low until well blended. Add the yeast and mix. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup of flour and the olive oil and mix until well blended. Add the rest of the flour and mix well (you could add oregano or basil at this time, too). The dough should turn into a ball. If the dough does not ball up because it's too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If the dough is too sticky, more like batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Once the dough is balled up, place the ball on a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute. Place the dough in a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise.

After about 45 minutes the dough should have almost doubled in size; punch it down. Let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half. The dough is then ready to be rolled out (or frozen for later use, but bring it to room temperature before rolling it out). Roll the dough to fit the size of your pan, round or square. If you prefer thin crust, halve the dough ball and roll out two crusts. Once dough is rolled out, puncture it in a few places with a fork. This keeps it from bubbling up while cooking.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the crust briefly, for about 5 minutes.

To top pizza: Remove crust from oven and top with your favorite pizza sauce. Disperse chicken, feta, onion, and black olives around crust. Tear spinach into small pieces and disperse around pizza. Top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles and browns.

Spring Greens

Spring has sprung and I couldn't be more excited to welcome it! The lawn mower is tuned and the vegetable garden has been planted. My allergies are terrible, but that hasn't stopped me from getting out and enjoying the warm weather. Morning walks and afternoon runs have motivated me to get out of my winter (read: heavy) eating rut. So, I took my larger-than-I'd-like-it-to-be fanny to the farmer's market, Trader Joe's, and my local grocer to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies and started experimenting in the kitchen. Well, that is, if you believe salads count as experimentation.

Spinach, Beets, & Wheat Berry Salad

2 1/2 C chicken broth

1 C wheat berries

2 C baby spinach

4 small beets, sliced

1/4 C walnut pieces

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 C blue cheese crumbles

Vinaigrette dressing to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add wheat berries, simmer for 50 minutes. Drain wheat berries and put in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients to wheat berries. Toss with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

1/4 C white wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1/3 C EVOO
Lemon juice from 1/4 of a small lemon

Fresh ground salt and pepper

And the winner is....

Congratulations D_vs_D has won the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown Covered Casserole! You have 48 hours to claim your prize, or another winner will be selected.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Stay tuned to The Simple Gourmand for more tasty recipes and new give away opportunities.

It’s that time of year when the weather is getting warmer, the ice cream truck is circling the block, and the smell of charcoal barbeques is in the air. What could make a girl happier?! How about a special giveaway? Well, I’ve got just that! The generous folks from the family of CSN stores have offered a special treat for my readers – the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown 4.25 qt. Oval Covered Casserole. This dish is perfect for roasting your spring veggies, making a quick one-dish meal after spending a summer afternoon at the beach, or baking your favorite casserole on a cold winter’s night – it’s totally versatile!

The CSN family doesn’t just offer cooking supplies, they have over 200 stores to meet a variety of your shopping needs. Just browsing through some of their sites I found items for every room in your home. From home bars and outdoor living to bedding and office furniture. You name it, they’ve got it! Many of the items I saw were on sale and most of them come with free shipping. It doesn’t get much better than that!

So what are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway and get shopping!

How to enter:
First entry, visit CSN Stores and tell me one product you found that you would love to have. This is mandatory before other entries will be counted.

For extra entries:
Become a follower of my blog
Add me to your blog roll
Follow me publicly in google
Post this giveaway link on your Facebook page (1 per day)

Be sure to leave a comment for each entry and a valid email address. Open to U.S. and Canada only. Winner will be chosen by random integer selection. The winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen. Contest will close on April 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST. Good Luck!!!

Product Features:

Excite your dinner guests by bringing these vibrant, fun oval casserole to the table. Whether it be a baked chicken or cheesy pasta, food has never looked and tasted so fabulous.

Features:
• Multiple use stoneware
• Contemporary design
• Playful shape in a vibrant and fun color
• Use directly from oven to table
• Extra wide handle holes allow you to get a good grip from any angle
• Can be used for serving salads and slaws
• Glazed interior is nonporous

Specifications:
• Material: Stoneware
• Capacity: 4.25 Qt.
• Color: Green
• Freezer, microwave, and oven safe to 500°F
• Overall dimensions: 8" H x 13" W x 13" D

**I did not receive any compensation or products in exchange for this post**

Shrimp n' Grits

I've been trying new recipes again, and I don't just mean new variations on old recipes, but rather things I've never made before. This was prompted in part by boredom with my recipe repertoire and in part by my attempt to be better about using ingredients I have on hand. I had a few less than stellar results, but I also had some great successes.

This recipe for Shrimp n' Grits was one of the more successful dishes I tried. It is adapted from a recipe in the current issue of Real Simple (Smoky Shrimp and Grits, pg. 267). I had some shrimp in the freezer, as well as the grits, cheese, and scallions that the original recipe called for. I also had pancetta, andouille sausage, and roasted red peppers, which I thought would add some extra zing to the dish - I was right! In fact, I suspect the dish would have been a little bland without the sausage. See what you think and feel free to add suggestions and other comments. Happy eating!

Shrimp n' Grits
1 lb. raw peeled, deveined medium or large shrimp
1 C grits
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C diced pancetta
1 large roasted red pepper, diced
3 scallions, sliced

Cook grits according to package directions. Once water is absorbed, stir in the garlic salt and cheddar cheese.

While the grits are cooking, brown the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it begins to brown. Add the shrimp and diced red peppers. Cook until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stir in scallions.

Serve the shrimp mixture over the warm cheese grits.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. goat cheese
1 cup spinach (thawed frozen spinach is fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, quartered
5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 large roasted red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp French white wine vinegar
1/2 C chicken broth

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Butterfly chicken. Combine cheese with chopped spinach and divide the mixture between the 2 chicken breasts. Season with salt/pepper. Fold each breast tight and secure with toothpicks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown breasts evenly for 5 mins on each side. Add the artichokes, red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, and vinegar; cook for 2 mins. Add the chicken broth. Transfer the chicken mixture to a glass baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 12 minutes.

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad

This has been a week of sampling from various cookbooks. The recipe below is adapted from the Marshall Field's cookbook. I had to make some changes based on the ingredients I had on-hand, but the outcome was just as good as the original. This salad is good served either warm or cold.

Thai Sauce
1/2 C sugar
3 tsp sesame seeds
1 C reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seed oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Thai garlic chili sauce
1 C thinly sliced green onion

Combine sugar, sesame seeds, soy, sesame oil, garlic, and chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and immediately stir in green onion. Can refridgerate for up to 5 days.

Thai Peanut Dressing
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/4 C vegetable oil

Combine 1/4 C of the sauce cilantro, peanut butter, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Whisking constantly, add oil. Slowly make an emulsion.

Stir Fry
3/4 C broccoli florets
1/4 C vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
3/4 C asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths
3/4 C julienned carrots
1/2 C julienned red bell pepper (I used yellow)
3 C cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Submerge the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute, until it turns bright green. Drain the broccoli and place in ice water.

Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until almost done. Add the broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and bell pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the rice and 1/2 cup of the Thai sauce and stir until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with dressing drizzled over the top and garnish with green onion.

Farfalle with Meat Ragu

This recipe is is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, The Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Cook. The original version calls for 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound pork or veal. Although I am sure that version is quite tasty, I wanted to lower the fat content. The result was delish!

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb ground turkey sausage*
1/2 C full-bodied red wine
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
1/2 C tomato puree
1/2 C 2% milk**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 lg basil leaves cut into slivers
1 package farfalle pasta
1/2 C freshly grate Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and cook for 1 minute. Add the turkey sausage and cook, stirring to break up any chunks, until the turkey is no longer pink. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, puree, and cream and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the suace is thickened and slightly reduced, 1/2 to 1 hour*, or more. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired, then stir in basil. To make the ragu ahead, let the sauce cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook until tender.

Pour 2 cups of the sauce into a warmed large, shallow bowl. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl. Toss to coat the pasta evenly and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon more sauce on top and serve with additional cheese, if desired.

*If using the beef and pork version, cooking time may vary.
**Original version calls for 3/4 C heavy (double) cream

Jalapeno Burgers with Cilantro Mayonnaise

As you might have guessed from the recent batch of posts that include heat laden dishes, I LOVE spicy food, and lately I've been craving it. The Jambalaya and the Chicken Curry were hot, but not quite spicy enough to satisfy my need for heat. Thus, I decided to add some jalapenos to the mix, in the form of a burger. They turned out pretty darn well, if I do say so myself!

Jalapeno Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb Laura's lean ground beef
3 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp worcestershire
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 toasted buns
Cilantro mayonnaise (recipe below)

In a medium bowl combine ground beef, jalapenos, garlic, cajun seasoning, and worcestershire. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Cook 4 to 5 minutes each side on a grill or in a grill pan over medium heat.

Serve on toasted buns with cilantro mayonnaise.

Cilantro Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
1/4 C mayonnaise
3 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1 small clove chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

Indian Chicken Curry

From

The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection For Today's Home Cook
Ingredients:
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground tumeric
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 C unsalted cashews
1 lg yellow onion
2 small tomatoes
2 Tbsp clarified butter or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp seeded and minced green jalapeno chile
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1/2 C coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Toast and grind the coriander and cumin seeds. In a bowl, stir together the toasted seeds, turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, the cayenne pepper, and oil until well mixed.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to the bowl with the spice paste and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Toast the cashews and then chop coarsley. Set aside.

Thinly slice the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds, then chop the flesh. In a saute pan over high heat, heat the clarified butter or canola oil. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, bay leaves, and star anise and continue to saute until the onion is light golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken and saute just until the meat turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Transfer to a warmed bowl, garnish with the cashews and cilantro, and serve at once.

Serving tip: Offer basmati rice to accompany the chicken and its curry sauce.

Who Dat Game Day Feast

Unlike other celebrations that involve food, game day doesn't place many restrictions on the types of food to be served. Of course there are some old standbys like chili, chicken wings, 7 layer dip, etc, but there aren't really any expectations that those items be on the menu, at least not in my family. Since none of my guests seemed to particularly side with one team or the other this year, I decided to make dishes that favored the underdog. And in my un-football-educated opinion, the New Orleans Saints seemed to be that team. Thus, our menu consisted of Creamy Crab Dip, Jambalaya, and Black-Bottom Cupcakes, among other items.

Creamy Crab Dip

11 oz cream cheese, softened
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 16 oz can Phillip's crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, plus extra for dusting the top of the dip
1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, mayonnaise, crabmeat, garlic powder, Old Bay, and lemon juice. Fold in parmesan cheese. Spread mixture into a 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle Old Bay over top of dip.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While the dip is baking, slice bread and toast. Serve dip while still hot.

Note: *I used light cream cheese and mayonnaise, measurements may need to be adjusted if using full fat versions of these ingredients.

** Consider adding Dry Cooking Sherry and Worcestershire Sauce for extra flavor.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped or 4 green onions, chopped
1 each medium green and orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C diced celery, greens included
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 package (12 ounces) andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) cubed, seasoned (see below)

Directions:

Season Chicken:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl and combine with chicken. Work in seasoning well.

Jambalaya Directions:

In a large deep cast iron skillet heat oil over high heat. Add onion, pepper and celery, cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauce.

Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional chicken seasoning.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
The Great Book of Chocolate, David Lebovitz

For the Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C firmly packed light brown sugar
5 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C water
/3 C vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

To Make the Cupcakes:

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.

Yield: 12 full-size cupcakes. The cupcake will keep nicely unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

* I only used 1 heaping Tbsp of the filling for each cupcake.

French Onion Soup

I really do eat more than soup in the winter, I swear! The funny thing is, if you asked me if I liked soup I would probably say, "It's ok, but I don't love it." I guess I didn't realize just how much I like it, in it's many varities, until I started blogging. I suppose my hidden love of soup has something to do with how warming it can be on a cold winter's day, and we have had plenty of those this year. In fact, we just got 8-9 inches of snow over the past weekend - something this area hasn't seen in over a decade! So, with being snowed in over the weekend and school cancelled the last two days, what's a girl to do but make some more soup! I started the weekend with a pot of my Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup and today I made the French Onion Soup recipe posted below. Both of which proved perfect when I needed to warm up after playing in the snow.

French Onion Soup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)*
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 C dry white wine or vermouth
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 slices French bread, toasted & rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 C shredded cheese (1/4 C Parmesan & 1/4 C Asiago)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover the saucepot, return heat to medium, and cook for another 30 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown.

Stir the flour in the saucepot and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, wine (or Vermouth), thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual crocks. Top with a slice of the french bread toast and parmesan cheese. Place in oven under broiler until cheese melts.