Mashed Cauliflower - Potatoes Be Afraid!

I am a huge..HUGE potato fan but my fiance and I started a new diet where we eat no white potatoes (okay maybe the occasional Wendy's french fries..I am weak!). Tonight I tried making mashed cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes. I had heard about people making this and it turning out great but I had my doubts. I took a bag of frozen cauliflower and added it to boiling water with some salt. I drained the cauliflower and put it in my blender with some butter, half and half, salt, and pepper. It blended well but I noticed the consistency was a little bit too watery (it was like cream of wheat) so I added some bread crumbs to soak up the excess moisture. It worked like a charm. I served the mashed cauliflower with some left over chicken gravy I had from last night's dinner and it was AWESOME. I asked my fiance and his brother how they liked the cauliflower and they didn't know what I was talking about. If I hadn't mentioned it they probably would have gone on thinking they were eating potatoes. Cauliflower..mission accomplished.

Pumpkin Pie

I got this recipe from Foodnetwork.com. It is one of Paula Deen's recipes so you know its gonna be rich and definitely not low fat! Her recipe calls for adding melted butter towards the end of the mixing process but I added it at the beginning with the cream cheese and liked the way it turned out. I made this pie this weekend for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my future in laws. My fiance's brother who is a big pie fan thought it was really good.

1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1/2 stick butter, softened (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 piece of pre-made pie dough
whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Macaroons

My sister and I love macaroons; we fell in love with them when we bought a box at Whole Foods. I wanted to try to make them so found a recipe from AllRecipes.com. The smell of coconut is intoxicating!

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour cookie sheet. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla, almond, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar and whip until stiff. Toss together flour, salt, and coconut in a separate bowl; fold into egg whites. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until golden. Allow cookies to cool.

The first time I made these I noticed it was too wet and when I baked them they did not come out as coconut mounds, more like a flatter cookie. Next time I added more coconut flakes until mixture was more coconut than mix so the shape held better.

Poppy Seed Muffins

Another winning recipe from AllRecipes.com. My fiance's sister in law loves these and I made them for her for her baby shower. I especially love the almond extract addition.

3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups all purpose flour

Beat together eggs, sugar and vegetable oil. Add milk, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, vanilla extract, almond extract, and flour. Mix well. Bake in paper lined muffin cups (recipe makes about a dozen) at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Tops should be browned and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

French Toast

I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook. I love breakfast foods and was looking for a good french toast recipe and this one was a crowd pleaser. I like to garnish with fresh berries, black berries and raspberries especially. The finishing touch is dusting the powdered sugar on top. Pass the syrup!

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
8 slices of bread
cooking spray

Beat first 5 ingredients together in a bowl (one wide enough to dunk your sliced bread into or you can always pour mix into square baking dish so its easier to cover bread with batter). Heat frying pan over medium high heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Soak bread slices on both sides and place into pan (two at a time is what I do). Let them brown and flip slices over to brown other side. Once both sides are golden brown place on baking sheet and place in warm oven to keep crisp.

Applesauce Muffins

These are a nice treat to have around the house when you are looking for something sweet. They have that great cinnamon aroma.

1/2 cup margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake holders into cupcake pans; this recipe makes about a dozen or so. Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Blend in cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, and baking soda. Now add 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1 cup of flour. Blend until smooth and then add remaining 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1/2 cup of flour. Once blended divide batter into cupcake holders. Bake for about 17 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

For my fiance's brother's birthday, instead of a cake I made him a stack of chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches. I used the chocolate chip cookie recipe that is on this blog (all purpose flour instead of whole wheat this time though!). I let the cookies cool completely. Then put vanilla ice cream between two cookies, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and put them in the freezer to set. They came out really well except the only complaint was that they were SO big, but SO yummy!

Apple Pie

I think I got this recipe off of AllRecipe.com a long time ago but its been so long I can't remember. When I studied abroad in England, I attended Lancaster University, a school about 3 hours north of London. My flatmates and I got together and made a Thanksgiving feast for our friends and so I wanted to make pie and this was the recipe I used.

6-7 Granny smith apples, sliced
2 pie crusts (I have not delved into dough making so I buy the pre-made ones from the store)

Place crust in pie dish and press down firmly so it covers dish. Layer apples in dish. Slice other pie crust into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Using these strips create lattice top; it may sound complicated but its not so bad. You just line every other strip across your pie top vertically. Then with the strips remaining you weave them over and under horizontally across the vertical ones. Pinch edges so that strip ends are connected to the rest of the edges of the pie crust.

The following ingredients are for the sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup of butter (unsalted)
1 tablespoon of flour
1/3 cup of water

In a small pot on low heat, add all ingredients and mix till combined. It should have a consistency of a thick a sauce, like syrup. Once combined, take off heat and pour into pie. The sauce should be able to enter the pie between the lattice top and any sauce that gets onto the crust will make a lovely glaze look. Bake for about 35 minutes; crust should be golden brown.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from BonAppetit magazine (April 2007 issue). I have made classic chocolate chip cookies many a time but wanted to take a try at the chocolate dough ones. The magazine had this as a cookie to make ice cream sandwiches with; I just baked them and ate them alone and they were pretty good. I brought them to work and by the end of the day only crumbs were left.

2 cups all purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Use electric mixer to beat butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in both sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla, and dry ingredients. Stir in chips. Drop 2 big tablespoonfuls batter onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until cookies are dry but soft to touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Serve with cold glass of milk for dunking. Delicious!

Giada's Chicken Tetrazzini

I am a big fan of the Food Network and one of the chefs I like to watch is Giada de Laurentis. I checked out one of her cookbooks, Giada's Family Dinners, from the local library and tried her chicken tetrazzini recipe. It was amazing and was the perfect rich and creamy consistency. Growing up I only had this dish at school for lunch but this is definitely a step up from the school cafeteria.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 1/4 tsp salt, plus more for pasta
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
12 oz dried linguine
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried Italian style bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. In large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper (1/2 tsp of each) and cook in pan until pale golden and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate to cool, shred meat into bite size pieces, and place in large bowl.

Add mushrooms to same pan, saute until golden and liquid from mushrooms evaporates. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. After it melts, add onion, garlic and thyme. Saute till onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer mushroom mixture to the bowl with chicken.


Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in same pan. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, broth, cream, nutmeg, remaining salt (1 3/4 tsp) and remaining pepper (3/4 tsp). Increase heat to high. Cover the sauce and bring to boil, then simmer uncovered, whisking often, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until tender but still firm, about 9 minutes. Drain and add pasta, sauce, peas, and parsley to chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. In small bowl, stir the cheese and bread crumbs to blend. Sprinkle cheese mixture over the casserole. Bake uncovered until golden brown on top and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Mexican Chicken Soup

The weather has gotten colder and there is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup to warm you up. I had left over chicken and decided to throw it together with some Mexican spices and some canned goods in the pantry; it came out great. I liked eating it with toast but my finacee and his brother ate it with tortillas.

2 cooked skinless chicken breasts, meat shredded
1 can diced tomatoes, in juice, about 14 oz.
1 can charro beans, about 16 oz.
2 tablespoons of green onion, chopped
3 tablespoons of cliantro, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp mexican oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
dash of salt and pepper

I literally put all the ingredients above into a pot and let it come to a boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes or so. The soup broth is created from the tomato juices and canned beans. This recipe makes 4 - 5 servings.

Enoteca for Wonderful Italian Food

This Friday I went to lunch with a friend at Enoteca, a small Italian eatery on South Congress in Austin. It is the casual lunch version of the fancier Vespaio restaurant that is next door. I ordered the spaghetti carbanara and it was amazing. It was rich and creamy and delectable. It was definitely not a low carb option but I had to try it since I have recently discovered pancetta so anything I see with this on the menu has caught my eye lately. Pancetta is an Italian meat basically like bacon except it is not smoked.

My friend Cobbie got the gnocchi with a red sauce which she said was very good. Gnocchi is a pasta that looks more like a dumpling which is made out of potatoes. Enoteca had a good selection of pasta dishes as well as panini sandwiches and medley of antipasto (or appetizers). I didn't try anything else for lunch that day but I will definitely be going back to sample the rest!

Best Whip Cream for Cakes

I love making cakes but don't usually like the icings that are sugary and too sweet. This whip cream is light and fluffy and very easy to make. The picture below is a cake my fiance made for my 28th birthday. He made pineapple flavored cake, used this whipped cream recipe for the icing, and sprinkled rose petals on top. It came out SO beautiful.



1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod (optional)

Split vanilla bean pod open and scrap out vanilla bean seeds. They are black and very tiny; they will give the cream these wonderful little black dots like those you see in vanilla bean ice cream. Remember to keep the pod which can be used in other recipes.

Place whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds into a mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, start mixing on low and gradually increase to medium high. The liquid will start to thicken and you know when you have mixed enough when it has become the consistency of think whipped cream. This usually takes about 7 - 10 minutes.

Now you can spread the cream on top of your cakes for a delicious dessert! For two layer cakes, try adding fruit to the middle layer after you've spread on the cream; great for strawberry shortcakes!

Thoughts and Tips on Parmesan Cheese

I love Parmesan cheese and like to keep it in the house at all times. It's so easy to make some pasta, toss it with butter, salt, and pepper, and then add some Parmesan and you've got a great dish! (I have to confess I did not think of this concoction myself but was introduced to it by my friend Michelle!) I have since made some tweaks to this original recipe and added sauteed garlic and red pepper flakes for a kick. Remember the dish is only as good as its ingredients. I like to buy my Parmesan in wedges so I can grate it myself. Then you can really get that fresh taste. Look for wedges that are light colored and still somewhat soft to the touch. The harder Parmesan is the darker color it will be and the harder to grate. When you can see wedges with darker edges, that means that portion has lost some moisture and is harder than the lighter portion. Remember you can also use Parmesan in sauces or just cut a chuck and nibble on it with crackers. Yum!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love baking cookies but feel so guilty when I eat them! So I took the traditional Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe you find on the chocolate chips bag and substituted whole wheat flour. The cookies come out delicious. They're probably just as sinfully delicious as the all purpose flour ones but somehow I feel a bit healthier. The first couple of times I made these they came out too soft but I baked them a little longer (15 minutes) so they were firmer and kept their shape. Remember the secret to getting the cookies soft and the correct consistency is the order you blend the ingredients. Many people like to blend all the ingredients at once which can save you some minutes but will likely get you a harder or cake-ish cookie. The directions on the bag are point on. One of the biggest things is blending the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla into softened butter. I remember melting butter to save time and this doesn't get you the soft cookies you want. To soften butter, let the butter sit for about an hour outside the fridge till it is creamy. These have become one of my favorite cookies to have around the house when family comes to visit.

Red Enchiladas

You can replace many of the ingredients listed below with whatever substitutes you may have handy at home already. The above picture is with shredded cheddar cheese instead of monterrey and for garnish I just sprinkled some parsley flakes for color.

28 ounce can of Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
1 pound ground turkey meat
10 corn tortillas
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces of shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
cooking spray for baking dish
Cholula hot sauce

1. Heat oil in pan, add garlic and half the chopped onions, and saute till golden
2. Add ground turkey and season with fajita seasoning
3. Cook meat till done and add half the can of enchilada sauce
4. Let simmer for 5 minutes then take off stove
5. Spray baking dish with cooking spray
6. Roll 2-3 tablespoons of meat filling into each tortilla and place in baking dish; to help keep enchiladas closed place them in dish with open side down
7. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce
8. Cover dish with cheese
9. Place dish in 375 degrees oven for 20 minutes
10. Sprinkle remaining onions on top of enchiladas and place in oven for another 5 minutes
11. Serve with hot sauce