Are you Pinterested?

Well, I am...
Sadly I haven't had time to be the blogger I'd like to be these days. But I've fallen for Pinterest- an application/site where you can keep a record of all things wonderful. From recipes to remodeling ideas, Pinterest is a feast for the eyes. Photo links can be pinned and repinned and organized in any way you desire.
So, in this time when I have so little time, I hope you will follow me and my boards on Pinterest!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope it's off to a wonderful beginning!

We shared the first morning of 2011 with family and the playgroup. The menu ran the gamut of savory and sweet... Here are the recipes!

Two Paula Deen recipes for a rather over-indulgent beginning to the year:
Canned Biscuit Dough Donuts- These are SO simple, inexpensive, delicious, and FUN!
French Toast Casserole- Um, yum!


And my Baked Eggs and Asparagus, and Black-Eyed Peas with Collard Greens:


Baked Eggs and Asparagus
(15-20 servings)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

2 bunches of pencil-thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped

20 eggs
1/2 c milk
kosher salt and black pepper
8 slices swiss cheese, torn 
1/2 cup monterrey jack cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan for topping


PH oven to 350. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until just softened. Add asparagus, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are al dente, 5-7 minutes. Spread cooked vegetables evenly in a large baking dish (or two, if needed.) Sprinkle with monterrey jack cheese. 
In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and a dash salt and pepper with a whisk until frothy. Pour egg mixture over vegetable mixture. Distribute torn pieces of swiss cheese on top of eggs. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and grate fresh parmesan on top of eggs. 
Cut into squares for easy serving.


Black-Eyed Peas with Collard Greens
3 (~16 oz) bags fresh black-eyed peas
3 slices thick bacon, uncooked, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled
1 small celery stalk
2 cups chicken stock
4 cups water  (more/less to cover veggies)
2 cups chopped, trimmed collard greens (not stalks)
salt and pepper to taste


Place first seven ingredients (through chicken stock) in a large stockpot. Add water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook 45 minutes to an hour, or until peas are tender. Add collard greens, cover and cook 10-15 minutes more, until greens are wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat and enjoy good luck for the year to come!


Don't forget the drinks!


Bloody Mary Bar
Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix (Spicy V8 works well too!)
Hot Sauce
Black Pepper
Horseradish
Celery Salt
Jalapeno Stuffed Olives
Celery Stalks
Worcestershire Sauce
Vodka!


Simple Mimosas
Pulp-Free OJ
Whatever champagne is left over from the night before!

May 2011 bring you good luck, good health, and good gatherings!

Holiday Cookbook!

I simply remember my favorite things... and then I don't feel so bad!
A few recipes (both the tried and true- and the aspirational too!) for the Christmas Dinner or a NYE blast! Happy Eating!


Herb-Crusted Standing Rib Roast from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com
Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com

Roast Chicken with Meyer-Lemon Shallot Sauce from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com

Pommes Anna (Potatoes Anna) from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com
Brussels Sprouts Gratin from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com

Salty Caramel Croquembouche from Fine Cooking

Easy Chocolate Chess Pie- Like my momma makes!

Apple, Fennel, and Cheddar Cheese Straws from Fine Cooking

Winter Salad from The Gourmet Cookbook and epicurious.com

Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream from Gourmet Magazine and epicurious.com


















Tomato-Basil Soup from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com
Herbed Goat Cheese from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com
Beef Rib Roast and Yorkshire Pudding from the Grill from Cooking Light Magazine
White Bean Dip with Rosemary Olive Oil from Sunset Magazine and myrecipes.com
Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail from Cooking Light Magazine and myrecipes.com

Indian Take-In

Surprisingly, there aren't a whole lot of options for good, cheap, quick Indian food here in Central Austin. So, when we don't feel like shelling out 40+bucks for Clay Pit, or driving down to Tarka, or up to Bombay Bistro- here are my go-to recipes for a yummy Indian feast. (Yes, there's India Palace, and Star of India- but sometimes even they seem to far to travel. And they're not that cheap, either. We like a sampling of everything for our Indian fix!)
(Modified slightly from Bon Appetit- and I apologize for all the borrowed photos lately! By the time dinner is ready, this baby is ready to EAT! I'll try to take more pics.)

Event: Indian Take-In
Menu:
Easy Chicken Masala
Basmati Rice with Cumin, Peas, and Carrots
Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots
Cool Cucumber Raita
Oven Warmed Naan (Indian flat-bread, HEB makes white, wheat and garlic versions and sells it in the deli area.)


Easy Chicken Masala
1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c coarsely chopped cilantro
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garam masala (Indian spice mixture available at Whole Foods or Central Market in bulk spice section)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 roasting pieces OR 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 pkg chicken tenders
2 small onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices


Mix yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, salt, garam masala, and garlic in a roasting pan or large bowl. Add chicken and coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Or overnight!)
PH oven to 400 degrees. Arrange onions on a large rimmed baking sheet to form bed for chicken. Arrange chicken pieces on top of onions in a single layer. Discard remaining marinade. Roast chicken until cooked through and juices run clear. (30mins to an hour, depending on cut of chicken used. Breasts/tenders will take significantly less time than bone-in chicken pieces.) Serve chicken with roasted onions. 


Basmati Rice with Cumin, Peas, and Carrots
1 c basmati rice
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 c frozen peas and carrots mixture


Cook rice according to package directions. While fluffing, add cumin seeds and peas and carrots. Cover and let veggies thaw before serving. (Approx. 5 mins)


Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots
non-stick spray
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal 1/4 inch slices
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp kosher salt


PH oven to 400 (Same as for chicken recipe.) Spray roasting pan with non-stick spray. Combine carrots and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on roasting pan. Roast carrots until tender and lightly caramelized; turning once. 35-40 minutes.


Cool Cucumber Raita
(One way to make raita... out of many. I could do a whole post about different takes on yogurt sauces.)
2 c plain yogurt 
1 english (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsp finely chopped fresh mint


Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill 30 mins. Serve with chicken and warmed naan.

Holiday Cookbook!

I'm putting together my favorite faves for the holidays... Stay tuned.

Food52

Gotta mention that I signed up at Food52. A competition/sharing venue for people exactly like me! They are creating a cookbook out of recipes submitted throughout the year. Each week brings another recipe competition.

Haven't had time to really get into it... but I'll keep you posted.

Fellow cooks and concoctioneers, take a peek:

www.food52.com

The (Somewhat) Organized Home Cook

Some helpful resources:
1. A recipe vat.
I call it a vat; you'd probably call it a filing system. Unfortunately, my system breaks down quite often... like when I put the Southwestern Chicken Soup recipe in the Beef folder. Filled with my tried and true recipes, it's my go-to place for recipes for the week. Handwritten, cut from the newspaper, ripped from a magazine, printed from the internet... all good things go here.
2. Other good resources.
Magazines: Cooking Light, Gourmet, Real Simple, Southern Living (sometimes), Food &Wine, Bon Appetit... haven't bought Food Network's new mag.
Books: Cooks Illustrated: The Best Recipe, The Joy of Cooking (my bible), Pol Martin, the list goes on... in fact... I may have to dedicate a post to my favorite cooks and cookbooks.
Internet: www.epicurious.com, www.foodnetwork.com, www.recipezaar.com (only if I feel like placing the fate of my dinner in the hands of some stranger of unknown taste...), www.cookinglight.com

2. Meals for the Week List.
This is where I look at our schedule and figure out how many meals we'll actually eat at home... and plan out the menus.
3. Grocery list.

Usually written on the back of the meals for the week list. Tip: As you shop, tear a tiny notch in the edge of the paper next to each item you put in the cart. (Mark's fabulous idea!)
4. Pantry staples and common ingredients.
The more you cook, the easier shopping will become. Every pantry should have a line-up of versatile ingredients. Monitor your supply of these ingredients and buy as much as you can when they go on sale!
Also, look for recipes with common ingredients... If a recipe calls for only part of an ingredient's package, try to find another recipe that uses the rest for later in the week.

THE PANTRY BASICS (I'll probably be editing this for the next few days.)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Canola Oil or Other Frying Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• White Wine Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• White Flour
• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Chicken Stock (15 oz cans or larger boxed packages... which can be re-sealed and refrigerated)
• Beef Stock 
• Dried Basil 
• Dried Oregano
• Dried Thyme
• Ground Cayenne (Red) Pepper
• Ground Cumin
• Ground Cinnamon
• Garlic Powder
• Black Pepper (Fresh ground is best)
• Kosher Salt
• Table Salt (Esp. for baking)
• Coarse Sea Salt

4. Weekly Display. 

This one is pure fun. I write our weekly menus on a cabinet door coated with chalkboard paint. (BTW...a fantastic invention!) The Henster likes to help with this part. And his daddy looks forward to seeing what's on the board for the week!