Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Q & A
Zesty Spring Salad
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Presidents Day Brunch
Here's why I love Presidents day: you forget about it. There's no anticipation and then suddenly you realize, "Hey! I have Monday off!" Unless you are my 3 year old ex-neighbor, Aida. Last year she invited us over for breakfast to celebrate and we each got to wear a different president's hat. We all looked dashing in our three corner GW hats and Honest Abe top hats. I believe her mom got to wear a Martha Washington bonnet. So this post is for you Aida. If you were here I would make you this breakfast on President's Day.
Rösti by Guest Chef Marianne
Rösti is a Swiss potato dish that my husband and I couldn’t get enough of on a trip to Switzerland two years ago. It’s a common breakfast eaten by farmers and mountain-folk (lots of those there). I however, ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Loved the simplicity. Some consider rösti the Swiss national dish. This is one of my traditional New Year Day dishes, along with some Swiss Fondue. No time like the winter for the heavy cheese dishes!
1. Lightly toss hash browns with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic.
2. In non-stick frying pan, saute onion, bacon or ham, and mushrooms for a few minutes in 1 TBS. oil and pour grated potatoes on top.
3. Mix and fry on low for a minute, mix ½ of cheese into potato mixture and form into cake by patting it down with spatula. Let cook for about five minutes.
4. When crust forms, turn carefully (using a plate to flip it over) and brown other side. Top with remaining grated cheese. Put frying pan in broiler for a minute till cheese bubbles – looks so pretty like that! Garnish with sliced cheery tomatoes if you like.
5. If you want to be REALLY authentic, top with fried egg.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Blueberry Smoothie
I never really got into making smoothies because it seemed like you always had to throw a banana in to get the right consistency and I really don't love bananas (unless they are served with Dulce de Leche). Then I came across The Pioneer Woman's blueberry smoothie post and I fell in love. I don't even like blueberries. But I love these smoothies. The only change I make is that I use vanilla yogurt instead of plain. I think it adds a little extra punch.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Valentine's Day
Spinach Almond Salad
Grilled Ribeye with Gorgonzola Sauce
White Cheddar Mashers
For most of my life I saw mashed potatoes strictly as an accompaniment to gravy. They were only there so that I didn't have to drink the gravy straight from the gravy train. Then I tried these and I find myself eating the leftovers straight out of the dish. No adornments needed. I also find myself hiding them in the back of the fridge so that no one else will see them and I'll get them all to myself, but that's another issue all together.
Tropical Green Beans
Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Janie's back folks! Check out this beautiful cheesecake. If there was ever any question, your Valentine will be yours after getting a taste of this.
- Heat oven to 350. Coat an 8-inch spring-form pan with nonstick spray. Have ready a roasting pan larger than the spring-form pan.
- Crust: Put crumbs in a small bowl; stir in butter until evenly moistened. Press firmly over bottom of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Cool on rack. Wrap outside of pan with heavy duty foil. reduce oven temperature to 300.
- Filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping sides of bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Beat in sour cream and vanilla to combine. Divide batter evenly between 3 medium bowls. Stir melted milk chocolate into one bowl; pour into crust in an even layer. Whisk pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice into another bowl. Carefully spoon over chocolate layer to cover, then gently smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula (take care that batters don't run together). Stir semisweet chocolate into remaining batter. Carefully spoon over pumpkin layer; spread carefully as above.
- Set spring-form pan in center of roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven rack and add boiling water to come halfway up sides of spring-form pan.
- Bake 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours until set, but center still jiggles slightly when shaken.
- Turn off oven (leave door closed); let cake cool in oven 1 hour (if cake hasn't pulled away from sides of pan, carefully run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake). Remove foil. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack. Cover; refrigerate at least four hours, overnight, or up to one week.
- Chocolate Glaze: Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
- Remove pan sides; place cake on serving plate. Spread glaze over top to edge (some may drip down side of cake). Refrigerate until glaze sets.
Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake
I've had this recipe bookmarked for a long time from The Sisters' Cafe and I finally got to try it when Abram made it for me for my birthday. It is fantastic. And dare I say even better the next day for breakfast?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Meal Rotation Recomendations
Chili Verde
Love this stuff. It comes from The Sister's Cafe. I recommend frying corn tortillas in canola oil and filling them with the shredded pork, sour cream, monterey jack cheese, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.