A French Snack

Have you ever heard of this snack? Baguette, slathered with butter, topped with radish slices and finished off with some sea salt? I've been seeing it around lately and decided I should see what all the hoopla is about. Apparently, it is a very popular snack or hor-duerve in France alongside a glass of white wine. My verdict? Very tasty, however I wasn't overwhelmed. It was great but I don't see myself preparing it again anytime soon. Compared to my favorite snack, I think mine wins! No recipe here, I think the photo is pretty self explanatory.

Now, guess what else! You see that fluffy bread in the photo? Well..... I made it! I baked my very own bread. I feel so accomplished :) I followed the "no-knead" bread baking recipe step-by-step, and it turned out fantastic! Here is the site I followed. No bread machine required, just time and a dutch oven (I used my crock pot bowl) and whoala! This is what came out of the oven:

Isn't it pretty? The crust is crispy and crunchy while the inside is moist and soft. I think next time I will add a little more salt. I can't wait to try other types of breads, like olive and sun dried tomato. Please check out the website and you'll be amazed at what a little time and yeast creates! One tip, make sure to use Instant yeast, otherwise it won't rise as needed. Let me know how it goes!

Kale: two ways

Kale is a wonderful thing, did you know that? It is a versatile green that can be used in anything from soups to casseroles or just as is. Were going to focus on how to prepare kale as is — pure, green and delicious!

I usually cook down some spinach as a green side dish, but I decided to switch it up when i spotted some kale at the farmers market. I cooked it the same exact way I prepare spinach — just throw it in a pan, stir in minced garlic, cook until barely wilted, and top with parmesan cheese. It's slightly tougher than spinach, but still very tasty. And pretty, see you how bright green it is? This is definitely a quick easy side dish for any occasion.

Garlicky Kale

olive oil

kosher salt

1 bunch kale

2 cloves garlic, minced

parmesan, optional

1 Remove center stalks and wash leaves very well to remove any dirt. Tear or roughly chop the leaves.

2 Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat with salt and throw in the kale. Stir in the garlic and combine throughout.

3 Cook, stirring, until bright green until soft but not wilted. Top with grated or shredded parmesan cheese if you'd like.

-------------------

Another way to prepare kale is to pop 'em in the oven and...whoala! Kale chips! They crisp up perfectly and taste like a salty chip, only healthy. Give this a try and I promise you won't be able to stop snacking!

Kale chips

1 bunch kale

olive oil

sea salt

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tough center stalks and wash leaves very well from any dirt. Tear into bite size pieces.

2 Arrange kale leaves in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.

3 Bake for about 20 minutes until crisp. Add more salt if needed.

Quick Roasted Potato Slices

Crunchy around the edges yet soft and tender in the center – the perfect roast potato. This is yet another quick and easy way to serve my favorite side dish. It takes about 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients – Potatoes, olive oil, salt, and paprika. I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes very thin (be careful with that blade!), tossed with the remaining 3 ingredients, and let the oven do the rest.

Roasted Potato Slices

3 russet potatoes

olive oil

paprika

salt

1 Prepare a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2 Wash the potatoes and use a mandolin to slice them thin.

3 Lay potatoes in a single layer, some overlap is ok; brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and paprika.

4 Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Easy Eggplant & Olive Tomato Sauce

I know that I've said my favorite way to eat pasta is plain with olive oil and feta, but this is one of the few sauces I will tolerate in my pasta, other than this one. It is a wonderful sauce that takes less than 30 minutes to make. It is especially excellent over rigatoni, a wide tube-shaped pasta, where the chunks of tomato and eggplant nestle inside the pasta tube for the perfect bite — yumm! It has greek flavors because of the olives which provide the perfect amount of salt to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. I can't remember if I used capers or not in this sauce, but if you happen to have it in the fridge, pop 'em in!

I know I just posted an eggplant recipe but I just found this deep in my photo folder and had to share it asap!

Eggplant & Olive Tomato Sauce

1 medium sized eggplant, cubed

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with garlic (be sure to look for the one with garlic, it adds tons of flavor)

Green or black olives, kalamata work great too

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cube up the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes until tender.

2 While the eggplant is roasting, prepare a saucepan over medium heat and saute the diced onions until translucent.

3 Dump the two cans of tomatoes, sauce and all, and stir. Add in the olives and simmer until heated through.

4 When the eggplant is tender, put them in the sauce pan and give a good stir.

Serve on pasta with grated parmesan cheese.

Bite-sized Eggplant & Goat Cheese Appetizers

These baby Indian eggplants are so cute! And even better, bite sized! Ok, maybe two-bite sized but nonetheless a great size for an appetizer. I washed and cut the eggplants lengthwise, leaving the stem so that it is easy to pick up and bite. I brushed them with an olive oil, garlic and paprika marinade and roasted them in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Afterwards, I spooned some goat cheese on top. I didn't do anything fancy with how I put it on, I felt that it looks more natural and homestyle just slapped on.  Just pick it up by the stem and take a bite of the warm roasted garlicky eggplant paired with the cool soft goat cheese...mmmmm. Enjoy!

Indian Eggplant & Goat Cheese appetizers

6-8 indian eggplants

5 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tsp paprika

goat cheese

salt 

1 Wash eggplants and cut lengthwise. Salt and let sit for 15 minutes.

2 Prepare a bowl with some olive oil, garlic and paprika. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and brush the garlic olive oil onto the open face of the eggplants. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes and don't let the garlic burn.

3 Once the eggplants are soft, prepare a platter and scoop some refrigerated goat cheese onto the eggplants. Sprinkle with salt, pick up by the stem and bite!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I've been on a 101cookbooks kick lately. Heidi's recipes are so simple, healthy and delicious ever time. I wanted a healthy version of a classic lunch style soup — Broccoli cheddar soup. Potatoes are normally used to give a thicker consistency as an alternative to cream, as this recipe does. This is a must for your fall soup collection and a great way to get your veggies in. In the photo above I used mozzarella cheese as a topping because I used all my cheddar for the actual soup, but if you have cheddar leftover use it!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup- I omitted the croutons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

3.5 cups broth

1 large head broccoli cut into small florets (I used two small ones)

2/3 cup cheddar, shredded

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot, saute the onions until softened with some salt. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook for about 4 minutes until tender.

2 Uncover, stir in the garlic and stock. Bring to a boil and stir in the broccoli. Simmer for about 5 minutes until tender.

3 Remove the soup from heat and blend with an immersion blender. Add the cheese and mustard. Add more water or stock if needed for desired consistency.

The underestimated Brussel Sprout

Have you ever had a brussel sprout? I mean, I know people hear brussel sprouts and say "blech, gross!" but have you actually eaten one before?? I admittedly have not until I ordered it at a restaurant as a side dish. I asked the waiter what he recommended, as I always do, and I was surprised when he replied "the brussel sprouts." At first I was apprehensive but he talked me into it, and I am so happy he did. It was a delicious, slightly bitter tender green that melted in my mouth. The sprouts at the restaurant were sauteed in butter, but I opted for a slightly healthier version at home. I found this recipe at 101cookbooks. The golden sprouts were a great side dish to a fillet of fish.

You can even sprinkle them with grated parmesan cheese!

Try these as a side dish and I promise you will see brussel sprouts in a whole new way!

Golden Brussel Sprouts

1 pack brussel sprouts, around 20 sprouts

olive oil

salt

grated parmesan cheese, optional

1 Wash sprouts well and cut stems off. Slice each sprout in half from root to tip.

2 Heat a large skillet over medium heat with some olive oil, enough to coat the pan. While the oil in the pan is heating up, pour some olive oil on a plate and dip the cut side of each sprout into the oil and then place onto the heated pan.

3 Arrange the sprouts in a single layer in the pan (I had to do it in two batches) so none overlap. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, taste one to test if tender enough.

4 Serve with grated parmesan, optional.

Flank Steak

After running errands all day, I couldn't wait to have a delicious Sunday night dinner — flank steak was on the menu. I like flank steak because it lends itself well for leftover sandwiches the next day because it is so thin. This recipe only calls for 30 minutes or more of marinading time. Of course the longer you marinade it, the better, but I only had time for 30 minutes and it still had tons of flavor. I then boiled the remaining marinade into a sauce which was fantastic spooned over the steak. A perfect start to the week ahead!

Flank Steak

Marinade:

2/3 cup red wine

2/3 cup soy sauce

6 gloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped parsley

ground pepper

Flank steak, about 2 lbs

1 Whisk together the marinade and pour over flank in a large ziplock bag. Seal and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove and pat dry when ready.

2 Heat grill (I used my george foreman, of course!) and cook on about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and place on a cutting board to rest. 

3 While the meat is resting, pour the remaining marinade from the ziplock bag into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. The reduce to a simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

4 Once the meat has rested, slice diagonally against the grain and serve with sauce.

Comfort Chickpea Noodle Soup

This soup recipe began with two lonely leeks in my fridge. I could have done a delicious hearty potato-leek soup, but I wanted to do something different with leeks this time. I searched around and somehow found this vegan chickpea soup recipe that sounded great. I love chickpeas and never had it in a soup, so I wanted to test it out. I used my two leeks instead of yellow onions and it turned out just as hearty and delicious. I used thin egg noodles, which I boiled separately so the noodles won't get overcooked and soggy in the soup. I loved the simplicity of the frozen veggies in this soup, I just dropped it in the pot and the soup was ready. Perfect for an quick snack and a great way to get all your veggies in for the day!

Chickpea Noodle Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 leeks, sliced (or 1 small to medium onion)

4 cups broth (I used chicken broth, so vegans can use vegetarian broth)

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp thyme

1 can cooked chickpeas

2 cups thin egg noodles

1 small pack frozen veggies of your choice

salt and pepper to taste

1 In a small soup pot, saute leeks and garlic until softened.

2 Boil another small pot with water and cook the egg noodles.

3 Add broth, dill, thyme and chickpeas, bring to a boil. Add frozen veggies and simmer.

4 Simmer soup until veggies are tender. Serve with plenty of noodles.

 

Pistachio Cherry & Cinnamon Granola

Another delight I had at Cracker Barrel, besides the hashbrown casserole, was their homemade granola! You would never think to order granola at a cracker barrel, I know, but I was blown away. It was so crunchy and cinnamon-y delicious! I decided to try to make my own at home. I looked at a few recipes and decided to combine them together and put my own spin on it. I had a half bag of pistachios in the pantry as well as some dried cherries. I figured pistachios would be a nice salt to the sweetness of the cherries. I also added some maple syrup to the honey and it turned out delicious. Sprinkled over a dollop of yogurt, it was a delicious start to a sunday.

Pistachio Cherry & Cinnamon Granola

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 and a half cups oats

1/3 cup pistachios

1/3 cup dried cherries

a few sprinkles of cinnamon

1 Preheat toaster oven to 300 degrees.

2 Over low heat, heat a small saucepan with the honey and maple syrup and let melt together.

3 Meanwhile, in a big bowl combine all ingredients except the cherries.

4 Once honey and maple syrup are combined, about 5 minutes, pour over oat mixture and mix thoroughly until all is coated.

5 Spread coated oats into a baking sheet in one even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, making sure to watch it so it wont burn and toss every few minutes to evenly toast the oats.

6 Let cool and store in an air tight container.

Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Crisps

It's soup season! Hooray! Making soups is one of my favorite things to cook, its relaxing in a weird way. I thought my first soup of the season would be with something I have never cooked before – cauliflower.  I've always been intimidated by cauliflower when I pass it by in the grocery store or market. It seemed so big and scary. But, I finally got one and it turned out to be really easy! You just remove the inner core and chop into smaller florets. This soup came out so flavorful, and the cheddar crisps, wow! They were such a nice touch! I could snack on those all day long. Great just by itself as an appetizer with a glass of wine.

Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Crisps

adapted from Dave Lieberman

1 head cauliflower

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, light green and white parts, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

salt and pepper

1 Preheat oven to 350

2 Remove leaves and inner core of the cauliflower and chop into pieces.

3 Heat olive oil in large pot and saute leeks and garlic until soft.

4 Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is softened, about 15 minutes.

5 Use a hand immersion blender to puree the soup until creamy and smooth. Add the parmesan and and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste,

Cheddar Crisps

handful of shredded cheddar

1 Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the cheese in 1 thin even layer.

2 Bake around 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Break into large pieces and garnish each soup bowl with 1-2 crisps. Enjoy!

Maple Mustard Garlic Chicken Thighs

Last but not least, I'm posting the main dish to the dinner of a few nights ago. Its a chicken recipe I found through the food network site by Ellie Krieger. It sounded really good mainly because I'm a huge mustard fan and the sound of maple syrup doesn't hurt either! It's a very simple recipe with tons of great flavor, perfect for a weeknight meal.

Maple Mustard Garlic Chicken Thighs

8 pieces boneless chicken thighs, you can use breasts or bone-in thighs

4 tablespoons country style course ground mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon marjoram

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2 Pat dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in 1 layer on a baking dish.

3 In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together and brush on the chicken pieces. Slather the chicken with plenty of sauce to form a crust once baked.

4 Bake for 40-50 minutes until juices run clear or mustard sauce is golden brown.

Hashbrown casserole

This past weekend Adam and I drove to Knoxville, TN for my friends' beautiful wedding. On the drive back home, we were determined to find a cracker barrel and chow down. Exit after exit, every cracker barrel was packed to the brim. Eventually, even after following the GPS to a cracker barrel that doesn't exist anymore, we found one that only had a 10 minute wait! I know I've had their hash brown casserole before, but I didn't get it this time. Adam, however, did order it. I tasted a bite from his and I was in heaven! Melty, oniony, cheesy hashbrowns. Mmmm. When we got home I started investigating for the recipe and I found it! It tastes almost exactly like it and is satisfying hot or straight out of the fridge. If you know the cracker barrel hashbrown casserole Im talking about, you will love this! This was also the side dish to last night's dinner, stay tuned to find out what the main dish was!

Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole

1.5 lb frozen hash brown package

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1.5 cups sour cream, reduced fat

1.5 cups sharp cheddar, grated

Bread crumbs

salt 'n' peppa

Original recipe included a can of cream of chicken soup, but I omitted it

1 Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350

2 Defrost the hashbrowns and mix all ingredients except the bread crumbs in a big bowl. Mix well.

3 Spread the mixture in a glass dish evenly, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake for 40-50 minutes.

4 Savor every bite.

Honey Balsamic Garlic Grilled Eggplant

I've missed cooking and posting so much! Tonight I finally put my foot down and told myself that I'm going to cook, photograph and post everything I make tonight for dinner. Its sort of a mish mash of stuff, but oh so good together. First up was this honey balsamic garlic grilled eggplant. I picked up an eggplant at the market today and didn't feel like making eggplant parmesan like I usually do. After searching the internet for inspiration, I found this eggplant recipe. I liked how the flavors sounded together and I had everything for it already at home.  I used my amazing george foreman grill to cook the eggplant slices. It worked great as a side dish and was delicious. Tune in tomorrow to find out what else I cooked up!

Honey Balsamic Garlic Grilled Eggplant

1 eggplant

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat grill. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.

2 Lay out a sheet of paper towels and arrange the eggplant slices in one layer and sprinkle with salt on both sides to release the bitter liquid. Let sit for 15 minutes  and dry both sides.

3 In a bowl, mix honey, olive oil, garlic, and balsamic and salt and pepper.

4 Dip both sides of the eggplant slices into the marinade and place on the grill until grill marks appear and the eggplant is soft and broken down.

5 Arrange grilled eggplant on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!

Quick Honey-Lemon Chicken

The weeks are just flying by aren't they? I can't believe its already fall. Time to break out the scarves! I've still been very busy with the house hunt so dinner has been very last minute, not giving me a chance to write posts and photograph. This meal, however, was fast and easy which gave me a moment to share it with you.  It has a few ingredients and very easy to make, and of course, the oven does all the work for you. Enjoy!

Honey-lemon Chicken

1 lb chicken tenders, breasts, or thighs

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice, plus a few lemon slices for garnish

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1 garlic, minced

salt 'n' peppa

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken in one layer on oven-proof tray and season with salt and pepper.

2 Whisk lemon, honey, rosemary and minced garlic in a bowl and pour over chicken. Arrange lemon slices on tops of chicken and bake for 30 minutes. Done and done!

Shakshuka!

Many of you may not be familiar with this Israeli dish, but let me tell you, Israeli or not — you will LOVE this! I grew up on this dish and it was a treat every time my mom made it for brunch. Last year I had it at the famous Dr. Shakshuka restaurant in Tel-Aviv. They served it right out of the skillet and was absolutely amazing. It was even better with toast to soak up every last bit of juice. I decided to make it for dinner tonight as a treat and boy was it a treat! AND it was quick which made it even better. This is definitely a crowd pleaser and easy to double or triple the recipe. Perfect for guests or just yourself!

I forgot to add the basil before I took the picture, so pretend its there. Thanks!

Shakshuka (Serves 2)

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pepper (green or red), sliced

1 can tomatoes, crushed (you can use fresh tomatoes and crush them by hand too)

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

3 eggs (you can use 4 for this recipe, but I only had 3 on hand)

cilantro, basil or parsley for garnish

1 Saute onions until softened. Then add green peppers until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so.

2 Pour tomatoes and water in the same pan as the veggies. Season with salt and pepper and cumin.

3 Crack egg into a glass and pour directly into the sauce. Proceed with the rest of the eggs, equally distanced from each other.

4 Cover and cook until eggs are set. Garnish with basil cilantro or parsley.

Lemon-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Braised Leeks

I was quite uninspired for dinner tonight. All I  knew was there was a defrosted package of chicken thighs and drumsticks in the fridge waiting for me when I got home, and had no idea what I was going to do with it. I stared inside the fridge. And stared. And stared. I realized that my fridge was full of odds and ends. Everything was either halfway done, or almost done. This bothers me. I hate buying and buying new stuff when I have a fridge full of scraps. Does this bother anyone else?

So, the moral of the story is that I ended up taking some of my odds and ends and put them in this chicken dish — an almost finished jar of dijon mustard, a spare leek that was left from the beef stew, rosemary that was about to go bad, and too many lemons that I bought from the market. The result was this delicious aromatic creamy herbal chicken with braised leeks. The meat was so soft and tender it fell off the bone. I cooked the leeks in the same roasting pan as the chicken so it had the juices and flavors from the chicken and just melted in your mouth. I have to say, this was quite the meal along with mom's roasted potatoes. It felt so good to air out the fridge a bit too!

Lemon Roast Chicken with Braised Leeks

1.5 lbs chicken thighs/legs

Salt 'n' peppa

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

3/4 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 leek, sliced

1 Preheat oven to 375. Pat dry chicken parts and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on tray.

2 Slice leek lengthwise and wash well to remove dirt in between the layers. Slice into 1 inch pieces and break up over the chicken pan.

3 In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, rosemary, dijon, honey and garlic together and pour over the chicken, turning the chicken and leeks with tongs to coat with the marinade.

4 Bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Beef & Bean Stew

I know its still hot outside, but even in the scorching summer I still crave beef stew. I love the fall-apart beef and hot flavorful vegetables. This time I added a can of soft cannellini beans that just melt in your mouth. I threw everything in the crock pot (the best invention ever!), went about my day and forgot about it. When I got home, dinner was ready and delicious!

Beef & Bean Stew

1.5 lb boneless beef chuck or round cut into 1 inch cubes (I bought mine already cut)

olive oil

Salt 'n' peppa

1 leek, sliced

3 cups stock

1/2 cup red wine

3 medium potatoes, cut into quarters (I left the skin on, but you can peel them if you want)

1 carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 can cannellini beans, washed and drained

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 Heat a saute pan over medium heat with olive oil and let get very hot. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and brown on the hot pan. Work in batches as to not overcrowd the pan. Cook on both sides until brown.

2 Throw browned beef into the crock pot. In the same pan, cook leeks and carrots until softened. Season with salt and pepper and throw into the crock pot with the beef.

3 Pour stock, red wine, potatoes, and beans on top and give a good stir in the crock pot. Set on low for about 8 hours or 4 hours on the high setting.

Cinnamon French Toast

I've been experimenting with french toast lately. A lot. Is that a crime? I didn't think so.

I've tried:

-orange french toast (just add some orange juice to the beaten eggs)

-vanilla french toast (just add a touch of vanilla to the beaten eggs)

and

-apple french toast (just add some apple juice to the beaten eggs)

All of them were good and I still licked the plate and all, but I think cinnamon is by far the best because its closest to the classic french toast flavors. I added cinnamon to the beaten eggs and light brown sugar and maple syrup as a topping. Doesn't it look delicious? I served it with grapefruit juice as something tart to balance the sweet. I wish I had time to make this every morning! What's your favorite way to eat french toast?

Cinnamon French Toast

Challah bread, however many slices you need

2-4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Slice up your challah, medium thick slices. Prepare a bowl with the beaten eggs and add the cinnamon.

2 Dip the challah slices into the beaten eggs and let it absorb for a few moments, both sides.

3 Place egg'd challah on a skillet over medium high heat and cook until brown on both sides.

4 Continue to dip and cook the slices until all the slices are cooked. Top with favorite toppings (Maple syrup is a must!)

Fresh Okra and Tomato salad

I love okra any which way — raw, fried, or sauteed — but what I don't love is the slime. Why? Why? Why must there be slime when you cook okra?! I believe the trick is to keep them whole, and not cut them into bite-sized pieces. In this lovely side dish, I cooked the okra whole over medium high heat and then threw in some grape tomatoes. The sauce is lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Thats it! This is a perfect weeknight dinner side dish or a festive labor day dish!

Sauteed Fresh Okra and Tomato Salad

1/2 lb fresh okra

10 or so grape tomatoes, split lengthwise

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of half a lemon

salt 'n' peppa

1 Trim ends of okra and cook over medium high heat until bright green and slightly softened.

2 Throw in the tomatoes and garlic, and squeeze lemon juice into pan and mix all together.

3 Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Phyllo "Cigars"

This dish reminds me of my grandmother's friday night dinners. She would always prepare these "cigars" and we always looked forward to them. Mine, however did not come out as thin and perfectly rolled as hers, but still tasted wonderful. This is the first time I worked with phyllo dough, the thin papery dough that becomes crispy in the oven, and it was a bit difficult. It is extremely thin and delicate but after I got the hang of it, it became easier to work with. I made two varieties, one with minced meat and fried onions, and another with mashed potatoes. The potato one is not pictured because it just came out a mess. I think I didn't use enough of the phyllo dough layers to hold the heavy potatoes, so it kind fell apart. It's ok, I fed it to my dog so it didn't totally go to waste :) But the meat ones were so good!

These are great as an appetizer or a fun side dish. I want to try them in those puff pastry shells, and then maybe with a layer of mashed potatoes on top since it will hold it better, like a cup rather than a roll. Then in the oven it goes and the top of the mashed potatoes get all brown..yummm meat and potatoes! Sorry, I'm thinking ahead of myself! I can't wait to try it, and if one of you does, let me know how it comes out!

Meat filled Phyllo Rolls

1/2 lb ground beef

Half an onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

salt 'n' peppa

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper optional

1 tsp dried parsley (was out of the fresh stuff)

1 Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bowl with the ground beef and break up with the back of wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and garlic.

2 Chop and mince onion and saute over medium heat in a large skillet until soft and golden.

3 Pour ground beef in the same skillet as the onion and brown until no pink shows. I turned the heat up at the end to get some real color on the beef. When beef is done cooking, put aside.

4 Prepare the phyllo dough by taking 5 layers and brushing each layer with melted butter or margarine and stacking them on top of each other (These directions are on the box).

5 Spoon a thin line of meat lengthwise across the phyllo and begin to roll, tightly, without tearing the dough. Place the roll seam down in the oven. Brush top of roll with butter or margarine and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. If doing more than one roll, repeat steps 1 through 5 again.

6 Once rolls are baked and golden, cut them in half for easier to eat pieces. Enjoy!

Garlic Chips

I remembered seeing these on Rachel Ray a while ago, and it just popped back in to my head to try them yesterday. They sounded so simple and of course, any form of garlic is good in my book. The trick to these are to cook them over low heat because garlic burns very easily. Once it turns brown, you have to immediately remove them from the oil or otherwise they will burn and taste bitter (I burnt a couple of them until I got the hang of it). These are awesome garnishes on vegetables — green beans, potatoes, broccoli, etc. — or just as a snack. Not to mention, the oil that remains is now infused with garlic and adds tremendous flavor when used in cooking vegetables, meat or chicken. Garlic Chips

3-4 Garlic cloves

1/4 cup oil, I used olive

1 Cut garlic cloves into really thin slices, I used a mandolin (and I didn't cut myself this time!)

2 Heat oil in a small deep saute pan over medium to low heat. When you throw in a garlic chip and it bubbles around it, you know the oil is hot enough.

3 Cook garlic slices until slightly brown, about 3 minutes, and immediately remove from oil. You can cook may slices at one time, but don't overcrowd the pan.

Look what I won!

I never win anything, seriously. The only time I ever won anything was on the cruise playing roulette and it was only $10. So, I was so excited when I was randomly chosen by the foodie blogroll as the winner of this cool canvas bag! The packaging was really cool and the bag is so cute! Thanks foodie blogroll!

Roast Chicken with Rice-Pistachio Stuffing

I just bought Mark Bittmans' How To Cook Everything, do any of you have it? I've heard all about it in the blogosphere and decided to give him a try. This book is like an encyclopedia of everything you would want to cook. Ever. It is amazing. I knew I had to make this recipe when I read it. Plus, I had a friend coming over for dinner that night so it was the perfect opportunity to try out something new and a little more festive. And even if it didn't come out good, being the good friend that she is, she wouldn't mind a bowl of cereal for dinner :)

 At first, stuffing a roast chicken may sound daunting (believe me, I was very nervous) but it was surprisingly simple! Like any roast chicken, the oven does all the work. Plus, normally when you buy a whole chicken the inner cavity is already cleaned out and ready to go!

I adapted this recipe slightly form Mark's original recipe. He used white basmati rice as is but I couldn't help but have some color in the rice. I sprinkled some Turmeric, a spice that gives gorgeous yellow color to rice. The results were fantastic! And honestly, who doesn't love pistachios? Especially when they are sauteed in butter. MMmm. On to the recipe!

Roast Chicken with Rice-Pistachio Stuffing

adapted from Mark Bittman

1/2 cup basmati

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

Turmeric, enough to give some color (I just kept adding little by little until it reached the color I wanted)

Salt 'n' peppa to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 whole chicken, interior cavity cleaned (the butcher at the market already did this for me)

1 Bring a large pot of water to boil and season with salt. Add the basmati rice and simmer until tender, but not mush (this is very important). Wash and drain the cooked rice in a colander. Twice. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large skillet and toss in the pistachios. Stir for about 1 minute, add the cooked rice and stir. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric until desired level of color.

3 Add lemon juice to the rice mixture. This mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

4 Stuff the chicken loosely with the rice/nut mixture. If there is some left over, leave it for the side dish.

5 Rub the chicken with the remaining butter or oil and season well with salt 'n' peppa. Place on a rack in a roasting pan (I use disposable ones) and cook for about 1.5 hours, depending on the size of your bird. Baste with oil or butter and pan juices about halfway through.

6 Remove chicken from the oven when done and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carve and serve with stuffing and pan juices.

My favorite way to eat pasta

I know this pasta bowl might look plain and bland, but I can't help this being my favorite way to eat pasta. I try to break out of this feta-parmesan-pasta rut, I really do! I tried the caramelized onion pasta, the sun-dried tomato and artichoke pasta, and even made bolognese sauce from scratch! I'm not saying those pasta dishes aren't amazing (or else I wouldn't post them!) but they are amazing in their own way. I always will crave soft buttery pasta and salty feta with grated parmesan cheese. Nothing can beat my classic favorite pasta toppings. I just don't like a lot of "stuff" in my pasta. Everyone has their "thing" with food, right? I have been hiding this, afraid that people will think I'm weird but I am ready to be proud of this pasta dish once and for all!! :) What is your classic most favorite way to eat pasta?

Pasta with feta and parmesan

1/2 pound pasta, any shape (I combined two leftover pasta shapes for this batch, don't be afraid to mix it up!

1/4 stick butter or some olive oil

A couple of spoonfuls of feta

Grated parmesan cheese

1 Boil 6 cups water and season with salt. Boil pasta until al-dente, about 7 minutes.

2 When pasta is finished cooking, toss with desired amount of butter.

3 Toss buttered pasta with feta and parmesan cheese.

4 Enjoy my masterpiece.