Roasted Beets and Beet Green Salad

The farmer's market opened last weekend and I was excited to see they had some fresh beets. I roasted the beets in the oven and wilted the greens for a tasty salad. Yum, yum, delish!

5 medium beets with greens
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced & sauteed with tsp of olive oil
1 C water
1/3 C crumbled feta cheese
1/4 C toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.

Cut green tops off beets; reserve tops. Arrange beets in single layer in 13x9x2-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water. Cover with foil; bake until beets are tender when pierced with knife, about 50 minutes. Peel beets while warm. Cut beets in half and slice thinly. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in pine nuts and 1/4 cup dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut stems off beet greens; discard stems. Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to leaves, to large pot. Stir over high heat until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens; squeeze out excess moisture. Cool; chop coarsely.

Transfer greens to medium bowl. Toss with beets and enough dressing to coat; add feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fish Tacos

Hello, friends! I apologize for being MIA! I recently started a second job two-three nights a week, in addition to taking a class one night, and just trying to make it through the week I've had little energy for cooking. Fortunately the freezer was stocked with leftovers and I had lots of fresh fruits and veggies to snack on. This weekend I had a chance to get caught up on some of my magazine reading and decided to make some things in recent editions. This recipe for fish tacos is in the March 2011 copy of Cooking Light - it was delish!

Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos

1/4 C reduced-fat sour cream

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped (I used pickled jalapeno)
1 C thinly sliced white onion (I used 1/4 C yellow onion)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (I used Cayenne)
4 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets (I used 2 for 2 people)

1 Tbsp canola oil

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1/2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges (I omitted)

I added the following:

1/4 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 C shredded cabbage 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor or blender, process until smooth. Combine sauce and onion in a small bowl.

Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through ground red pepper); sprinkle evenly over fish. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide fish, onion mixture, avocado, and red pepper, and cabbage (if desired) evenly among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

And the Winner Is....

Commenter #31, Sharon!!

Please respond within 48 hours or another winner will be selected. Thank you to all who entered the giveaway. Stay tuned for future opportunities!


Just in time for Valentine's Day another opportunity to win a $35 online gift certificate to CSN Stores. If you don’t already know, CSN stores offer a wonderful online shopping experience where you can browse literally thousands of items at wonderful prices. One lucky follower of The Simple Gourmand will have the opportunity to use the gift certificate at any of the CSN sites. Personally, I have my eye on some of the Modern Bar Stools, Cookware, and Bakeware at AllModern.com, one of the hundreds of CSN Stores. Tell me what you'd spend the CSN gift certificate on and you'll earn an entry in the giveaway (mandatory before other entries count). Earn extra entries by doing the following:

• 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.
• Become a follower of my blog
• Add me to your blog roll
• 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 Thursday, February 10 at 5:00 PM EST. Good Luck!!!

Chai Tea Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

A good friend of mine from work had a birthday last week, so I decided to make her some treats. These cupcakes were a huge hit so I promised the ladies from work that I'd post them here.

Chai Tea Cupcakes
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 heaping tsp ginger
1/2 heaping tsp nutmeg
1/2  heaping tsp cloves
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil or apple sauce
1 C Almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Scrape the bowl, then add the oil and mix until just incorporated.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over batter and mix until just combined. Add 1/2 of the Almond milk mixture, mixing on low until combined. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat until just mixed. Scrape the bowl, then add the remaining milk and mix until combined. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until the batter is thoroughly combined.

Fill each cupcake liner about half full of batter and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
1 C butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
3 C confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and cream together. Once combined, beat in another cup of sugar, then mix in the vanilla. Add the cinnamon and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. If your frosting is too stiff or dry, beat in up to 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Thanks to Tricia from Thirty-One Gifts!

I just received my new lunch tote from Tricia and Thirty-One Gifts and I couldn't be happier with it! It's roomy, well insulated, and super cute! If you missed the recent giveaway Tricia offered to The Simple Gourmand followers be sure to check her website for these totes and all of the great offerings from Thirty-One Gifts. Tricia included the Spring/Summer 2011 catalog with my tote and there are several cute new patterns - I've already dog-eared several pages with items I've got my eye on. Check out all of the latest and greatest on any of the following: Tricia's webpage, Facebook or on Twitter (@tricia31gifts).

Be sure to come back to The Simple Gourmand in the next few days because I'll be posting another giveaway soon!

I scream, You scream, We all scream for ice cream!

My best friend and I just did our Christmas exchange last week (yes, we're a little late, but sometimes it's hard for busy ladies to coordinate schedules - especially around the holidays!); she surprised me with the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. What a treat! I have been wanting one for several years so I couldn't wait to get started. I immediately made a grocery list and started dreaming of which flavors to try, which one to try first, and how many I could have in the freezer at once - then I gained control over myself and decided to start with just one. Although my boyfriend wanted to start with classic vanilla, we already had a carton of Breyer's Vanilla Bean in the freezer. So, we decided to make coffee ice cream. We used a recipe that came with the ice cream maker and it turned out great! I served the ice cream with my favorite homemade brownies.

Coffee Ice Cream
1 C whole milk, well chilled
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee, to taste (I used 3 Tbsp)
2 C heavy cream, well chilled
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine the milk, sugar, and espresso powder until the sugar and espresso are dissolved, about 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the ice cream maker on, pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.*

*Or follow the directions for your particular machine.

Please check out my best friend's blog for more delicious ice cream recipes.

A Family Treasure

While I was visiting my boyfriend's family over the holiday his mom was nice enough to share with me a copy of his Great Aunt Opal's cookbook, "The State Fair Blue Ribbon Cookbook". It's filled with recipes she submitted to the Illinois State Fair over a 45 year period - during that time she won over 2,000 Blue Ribbons, 42 trophies, and 16 Purple Rosette Sweepstakes Ribbons. In 1955, 115 of the 130 entries she submitted won Blue Ribbons - obviously, she knew what she was doing! Needless to say, I am thrilled to have a copy of this family treasure. The recipes range from breads to cookies and from cakes to jams. I've been eyeing several of the bread recipes and decided to start with the Great Aunt Opal's Cheese Bread - no surprise, it's as scrumptious as it sounds!

Cheese Bread

1 pkg dry yeast

1/4 C warm water

1 3/4 C scalded milk

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 C grated cheese

5 1/4 C sifted flour

Soak yeast in 1/4 C warm water. Add cheese and shortening to hot milk. Let cool. Add yeast mixture. Add 1 C flour, sugar, and salt and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour, stir until smooth, put on floured board and knead about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Put in a greased bowl, cover and keep warm 80-85 degrees, until doubled in bulk.

Divide dough in half, using the rolled dough method* mold into two loaves. Place in well greased pans, 9x5x3 inches. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

Butter top of loaves while hot. Cool on rack.

Rolled dough

 *I wasn't sure what the rolled dough method was and couldn't find any info online or in my other cookbooks, so I did what I thought Opal meant - I divided the dough in two and rolled out each ball of dough, then I rolled each like a jelly roll and placed them in the pans. If I did it again, I would sprinkle a little shredded cheese on the dough before rolling it.

More Dog Treats

Fruit & Veggie Dog Biscuits

3 C white whole wheat flour

1 C quick-cooking rolled oats

2 Tbsp flaxseeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C water
1/2 C chopped carrot
1/4 C finely chopped cored apple
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, flaxseeds and cinnamon. In a food processor, combine water, carrot, apple, molasses, oil, egg and vanilla. Puree until smooth. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix well.

In the bowl use your hands to knead the dough until it holds together; you may need to add water in small amounts if dough seems too dry. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to about 1/8-inch. Cut dough with a cookie cutter or knife into bite-size shapes. Place about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until firm. Place pans on racks and let cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until hard. Transfer cookies to a rack and let cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 30 days.

These biscuits should be hard and crunchy, which is good for your dog's oral health.

Great Giveaway for a Healthy New You!

And the Winner is:

# 19 Kristen

Congratulations!

Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Check back for more great recipes and giveaways!

Did you resolve to eat healthier or save some money by packing your own lunch for work? Win your choice of a small or large personalized thermal lunch tote from Thirty-One Gifts with Tricia. Tricia is a dear friend of mine and an independent consultant with Thirty-One Gifts whose mission is to celebrate, encourage and reward women through offering quality products and an outstanding opportunity to become successful business owners. The products offered are exclusive to Thirty-One and provide style and convenience at an amazingly affordable price. From their signature purses and totes to kid's items and accents for the home, you'll find something to fit every personality and situation. They continue to develop new products built on the idea that the products must be stylish, functional, affordable and easy to give as gifts to encourage someone special.

How to enter:

• First entry, "like" Tricia's page on Facebook. This is mandatory before other entries will be counted
• Comment on her post "It's the New Year!  Which Thirty-One product would best help you accomplish your new year's resolution?". You can view the catalog directly from her Facebook page (and check out the cute lunch totes on page 26!)
• 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 Friday, January 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM EST. Good Luck!!!

Come back to The Simple Gourmand throughout the week for healthy on the go lunch options.

Roasted Beet Salad

I love beets, but have always been hesitant to cook with them since they can be so messy. I have a white kitchen and the thought of my cabinets and countertops being stained by beet juice is a little off-putting. Yes, I did say cabinets - it's not uncommon to find sauces and such splattered or dripped down the cabinets. I like to blame that on my boyfriend, but the truth is, I do most of the cooking around here so statistics would point to me. I digress....Late last week, I bit the bullet and bought some beets. I got the orange variety, not so much because I thought they'd be less messy, but because that's the only kind my grocer had. I hemmed and hawed for a few days before deciding what, exactly, to do with the beets. Then I was reminded of a delicious salad I had over the Christmas holiday at Wild Fire, a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, where I had a delicious salad of mixed greens, beets, and goat cheese. So I decided to make something similar to pack in my lunches this week and here it is! (Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a super cute lunch tote from Tricia and Thirty-One Gifts)

Roasted Beet Salad
1 bunch of beets, 1 lb or less
Mixed baby greens
Crumbled goat cheese
Blanched slivered almonds
1 Tbsp Sherry vinegar
3/4 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C light olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut greens off of beets (beet greens sauteed with garlic and a little olive oil are delish, so retain the greens if you'd like). Scrub the beets and place them in a baking dish with a small amount of water or white wine (about 1/4 inch). Cover with a lid or foil and roast in oven for about 35 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Let the beets cool in the baking dish. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, cut off the ends and the skin should slip off. Slice the beets.

Whisk the vinegars, oil, mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl or jar.

Toss salad greens, beets, goat cheese, and almonds together with small amount of dressing.

Healthy Lunch Options

Lots of people make resolutions to get healthy this time of the year, so I've decided to make some posts this week in keeping with that theme. First, my dear friend Tricia is offering The Simple Gourmand followers a chance to win a cute lunch tote from Thirty-One Gifts - click here to enter. To go along with the giveaway, I decided to make a post on healthy and tasty dishes that are easy to pack for lunch. The first dish, Lentil Ragout, is from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook. I will be completely honest and tell you that this dish turned out so much better than I was anticipating. I had tried lentils before, only to be disappointed by their mealy texture and bland flavor. This Lentil Ragout turned out smooth and creamy and the flavor was rich and savory - it did not disappoint!

Note: I made a few changes to the original recipe based on ingredients I had on hand, and one mistake (oops!). Since I really liked the way it turned out, I've posted it here the way I made it.

Lentil Ragout
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 C chopped onions
2 large leeks, white part only, washed and chopped
2 large celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp crumbled dried oregano
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 C uncooked lentils, rinsed (I used red lentils)
1 1/4 C Flavor Kick (recipe below)
1 3/4 C vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves, and saute over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and vinegar, and stir to blend. Stir in the lentils, Flavor Kick, and vegetable broth. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Eat plain or serve over quinoa or on whole wheat pasta.

Flavor Kick
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, scrubbed, trimmed, and chopped
2 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped
1 large leek, including greens, washed and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 C red wine (I used Sweet Vermouth instead)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp crumbled dried thyme
2 C vegetable broth
2 C plus 1 tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick saucepan. Add the celery, carrot, leek, onion, shallot, and garlic and saute until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste to blend thoroughly with the vegetables. Still stirring, add the red wine, and let the mixture simmer until most of it has evaporated, about 7 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, vegetable broth, and 2 cups of the water. Let the broth simmer until it's reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

Blend the cornstarch with the remaining tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Stir the mixture into the broth, and continue to simmer until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine sieve, discard the vegetables, and refrigerate until ready to use. Or transfer to smalle containers and freeze.

As for my lunch, I packed the lentils, some roasted cauliflower, and a spinach salad with dried cherries, goat cheese, and blanched slivered almonds.

Treats for the Pup

In all the hustle and bustle of holiday baking be sure to remember your favorite furry friends. This recipe is from the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook and my hound, who is on an animal protein free diet, loves these (note: he's licking his lips in the pic below).

Simple Simon's Birthday Bones
2 C whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 C natural peanut butter
1 C skim milk (I used soy milk)

Preheat oven 375 degrees.  In a bowl combine flour and baking powder.  In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Add wet mixture to dry and mix well. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface and knead. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes. Place on a greased or non stick baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container

Makes 30 large bones.
 

Roasted Butternut Squash

Here's another dish I'm thinking of adding to the Thanksgiving menu. See the notes at the end of the recipe for turning this dish into Roasted Butternut Squash soup - yum!

Roasted Butternut Squash

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced*
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 medium orange, juiced
1 stem fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange squash on sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with oil.

Mix oil, maple syrup, and orange juice in a liquid measuring cup or another vessel with a spout. Drizzle over squash and toss to coat. Tear sage pieces and scatter on top of the squash.

Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test pieces for tenderness and adjust cooking time as needed.

*I microwave my squash for a few minutes to soften it before trying to cut it

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Use leftover squash from recipe above and add the following:

Shallot, thinly sliced & sauteed in a little olive oil
Vegetable broth (amount depends on how much squash is left and how thick you want the soup)
Pinch of nutmeg

Heat all ingredients in a stock pot. Once warmed, working in batches, puree in blender or food processor. Return to stock pot and heat thoroughly.

Brussel Sprouts with Shallots and Pancetta

This recipe is so delicious I'm thinking of serving it on Thanksgiving. I have to give credit where credit is due and thank Cooking Light for putting it in their magazine recently (October 2010). Enjoy!

Brussel Sprouts with Shallots and Pancetta

1 1/2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 C thinly sliced shallot

1 oz finely chopped pancetta

4 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp sweet vermouth

Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange brussel sprouts on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil - toss to coat sprouts with oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Add shallot, pancetta, salt and pepper, toss well. Bake for 10 minutes. Add sugar and vermouth, toss to coat and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

CSN Product Review

Well, I finally made a decision on how to use my CSN gift card. I was complaining to my step-mom about how awful the grout looks in my kitchen when she told me she had just gotten the Bissell Steam-Mop. Let me tell you, her floors look a-may-zing, so I was instantly sold. I went directly to the CSN website to check it out. The price was about $20 less than what stores were selling it for and I had that giftcard burning a hole in my pocket - how could the deal get any better? Well, it did! Bissell is offering a mail-in rebate right now, so I'll end up getting $10 back. This purchase was a match made in heaven!

The mop arrived in about 5 days and was quickly put to work. The first go-round did not result in the immediate results I was looking for, but I have a lot of kitchen to clean! I've since gone over the floors a few times and they look better and better each time, so I have faith that this product will not disappoint!

Once again, many thanks to CSN for their great products and services. It's always a pleasure doing business with them and I look forward to offering my followers more CSN deals in the future.

Focaccia alle Erbe

I've been craving focaccia lately and decided I had better make it before my herb garden dies off for the winter. After doing some searching I decided on the Focaccia alle Erbe from the Williams-Sonoma Savoring Italy cookbook. The recipe was easy and the house smelled amazing while the bread was cooking. Served with some good olive oil and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano - nom, nom delicious!


Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp (or 1 package) active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water
1 1/2 C milk
6 Tbsp olive oil
5 C unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh sage or 1/4 tsp dried sage
coarse salt to taste

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir until dissolved. Add the milk and 4 Tbsp of the olive oil and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Add the yeast mixture and stir until soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball.

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn it once to coat the top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Oil a 15-by-10-by-1 inch jelly roll pan. Punch down the dough, transfer to the prepared pan, and flatten it out with your hands to cover the bottom completely. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Using your fingertips, press down firmly into the dough to make dimples about 1 inch apart and 1 inch deep. Drizzle the entire surface with the remaining 2 Tbsp oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Finally...Crispy Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

After many failed attempts, I have finally mastered crispy sweet potato fries. It was well worth the wait and the solution is super simple. Check it out...

1 lg sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lg egg white
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray.

Mix olive oil and egg white in a medium bowl. Place potato strips in the bowl and coat with oil/egg mixture. Remove strips, one at a time, and place on the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salts and spices, turning them over to evenly coat on all sides.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning each individual potato strip every 10 minutes with tongs. Serve warm.

Tip: Leave space between the potato strips. If they are too close they tend to steam, thereby producing soggy fries.
 

Tomato Sauce

My step-dad is a phenomenal cook, in fact he’s such a good cook that not long after we met him my sisters and I took to calling him, “Bill of all foods.” Before meeting Bill I’d never tasted chicken paparika with homemade spatzle, chicken picata, jerk seasoned meats, or haggis (admittedly, I still have not tasted haggis, but I learned of it from Bill). As an adult, I now realize that he deserves credit for inspiring much of my culinary interest. It was Bill who taught me about using spices to enhance flavors and which ingredients you can substitute for others that you are missing. One of the most important culinary lessons Bill taught me was that anyone who calls him(her)self a cook knows how to make a good tomato sauce . Sadly, it has taken me 10+ years to finally master a really good sauce. I started with the Italian Tomato Sauce (Basic) recipe from The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking, but over time have put my own touches on it. I think it’s finally in a form that would make “Bill of all foods” proud.

Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ C chopped fresh basil leaves

(1) 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes, with juice

(2) 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp agave nectar, or granulated sugar
Freshly ground salt & pepper, to taste

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and basil and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce it thickened, about 10 minutes.

Ladle sauce into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the cinnamon, pepper flakes, and agave nectar and blend to desired consistency.

Serve with preferred pasta dish or cool and store for later use.

Chicken Parmigiana

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

My dear freind, A Part-time Happy Homemaker, celebrated a Birthday this weekend, which was a great reason to try some new cupcakes. So I set out on a search for the perfect recipe and this one did not disappoint. Seriously, how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?!

Chocolate Cupcakes
8 Tbsp butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 C cocoa powder
3/4 C all purpose flour
2 large eggs
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine. 

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick. The consistency will be like a thick chocolate mousse.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 C confectioners’ sugar
1 C creamy peanut butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/3 C half-and-half

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

CSN Product Review

Have I expressed just how much I love CSN Stores? They have been so great to my readers and me over the past few months with lots of opportunities for giveaways and product reviews. So you can imagine my excitement when they contacted me to do a review of a product of my choice. My dilemma is they have so many great options, from end tables, to kitchen gadgets, to goodies for Coleman (my pooch), and countless others, that I haven't yet decided which item to choose. I've got my eye on a few things, but stay tuned to see which product I pick. In the meantime, check out the CSN Stores website and let me know if you have any suggestions. Happy shopping!