Happy Valentine's Day (Homemade Marshmallows)

Homemade Marshmallows (recipe repost)
source:  Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina Garten
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3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
nocoupons

1. Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.  Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. 
2. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
4. Dust the bottom of a 9x13 inch non metal pan with confectioners sugar and pour in the marshmallow batter.  Smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle more confectioners sugar to the top and allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.
5. Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares (or use cookie cutters as I did above). Roll the sides of each piece carefully in confectioners' sugar. Store uncovered at room temperature.  

Pot Roast Ragu

Sunday's Pot Roast turned into Monday's Ragu

Remember that lovely Sunday Dinner Pot Roast I posted on Monday?  My apologies for not providing a picture of the pot roast, but I just really, really think brown food (chocolate excluded) is just terribly U-G-L-Y.  Delicious yes, but not too photogenic.

Pot Roast is The Baking Hubby's favorite meal.  I think he could eat on it for a week, but why eat the same meal two, three, four times in a row? One of my favorite winter meals is a recipe that uses leftover pot roast, veggies and gravy.  I chop some vegetables and meat, then stir them into a homemade tomato sauce to serve a fast, hearty and divine pasta ragu.  It is a must try and I promise you it won't disappoint.

Pot Roast Ragu
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Martha Stewart Living February 2002

Serves 4

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. dry red wine

2 c. finely chopped leftover roast & vegetables

1/2 c. leftover gravy or beef stock

1-28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, w/ juice

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cooked pappardelle or other pasta

Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved for garnish
Red pepper flakes, for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add chopped pot roast, vegetables, gravy or beef stock, tomatoes, and thyme.
2. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.  Cover; cook 30 minutes for flavors to blend and for sauce to thicken slightly.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve hot over cooked pasta, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and red-pepper flakes, if desired.

Sunday Dinner-Pot Roast

A Snowy Sunday Stroll

Does anyone ever have Sunday dinner anymore?  You know the one-a picturesque family sitting down to a fabulous spread of food, everyone is smiling and passing various food platters around licking their lips with anticipation.  It sounds and looks very much like a holiday dinner but lacking the actual holiday or forced purpose to celebrate.

We used to have Sunday dinner at my grandparent's house quite often when I was a kid.  But I really don't remember any significant Sunday dinners past my teens years.  If I'm not working I love to make something that fits the idyllic Sunday dinner-like roast chicken or roast beef, and I have to admit, it doesn't happen very often.

On my quest to become a better weekly menu planner (a topic for another conversation,) I hope to adopt my Sundays (if available) to make a good ol' fashioned Sunday Dinner.  And what is even better, is that I can turn around the next day and use Sunday's leftovers as Monday's dinner (or lunch).

Tune in on Wednesday and see what happens to these Sunday Leftovers!

Sunday Pot Roast
This pot roast is AMAZING, so flavorful and cuts like "buttah."  My husband is a roast fanatic and I've made several different recipes, this one is our household favorite.

yield:  4-6 servings

• 1 (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth, plus extra, as needed
• 4-6 carrots, cut into quarters
• One dozen cremini mushrooms
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with it really well with salt and pepper. In a heavy 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth.
4. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding more beef broth, as needed. Add mushroom after roast has cooked 1 1/2 hours.
5. Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove carrots and mushrooms and keep warm.  Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Using an immersion blender (or blender), blend the pan juices and onion until smooth. Add the rosemary. Bring sauce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Souper Bowl Party-Split Pea Soup

 

Hosting a gathering for Super Bowl Sunday?  Why not make it a Souper Bowl Party! It is a great idea for a chilly weekend or game day party. 

Souper Bowl Game Plan

• Soup by nature is relaxing and so should your party! Ask your friends to contribute a favorite homemade soup, bread or other fixin' to the party.  Does your bestie despise cooking?  Well, someone needs to bring the wine, right?  And don't forget the supply of tableware, napkins, glasses, etc.
• Ask guests to bring their soups in their own slow-cookers if possible.  Serve the meal buffet style.  If you invite more than your burners can handle, set up a table or soup station where the cookers can plug in and wires can be tucked away for safety.  
• Your dining room table is probably not the best option to house the soup.  Soup is a difficult balancing act, so you want your table free for guests to sit and eat at.
• Keep tabs on who is bringing what to eliminate duplications.  You want to avoid having six chicken noodle soups on the table.
• Provide place cards and/or recipes in front of each pot to identify the soup.
• Remember crusty bread, fabulous wine and a casual dessert are perfect accompaniments for a soup party.

Split Pea Soup

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Ina Garten

6-8 serving
soup will thicken as it sits, you may need to add extra stock if needed.

• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
• 1 1/2 cups medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled
• 1 cup chopped smoked ham
• 1 pound dried split green peas
• 8 cups chicken stock

1. In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 pound of split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off foam while cooking. 
2. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. 
3. Add smoked ham and cook until heated through.  Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

The Breakfast Cookie (Banana Oatmeal Cookie)

These cookies remind me of the old adage "everything under the kitchen sink," except it would be called "everything in the toddler's pantry cookie." I really liked these cookies-oh and by the way, they are one of my "ones left behind" recipes.  This cookie is an adaptation of NutureBaby's Banana Oatmeal Cookie or as our household dubbed it "The Breakfast Cookie."

I was so happy to have found the NurtureBaby website when The Baking Toddler was transitioning into solids.  I loved He loved the Super Mac N Cheese and their recipes inspired me to dive in and feed him bolognese, lentils and other foods I really didn't think about giving him at the time.  If you have babies or are interested in making your own baby food I highly recommend the site.

These cookies came from NurtureBaby except I added some dried fruits to the batter to make it extra special.  The Baking Toddler didn't quite like dried apples or raisins at the time, but when I put them in a cookie, he quickly changed his mind.

Breakfast Cookies (Oatmeal Banana Cookies) 
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1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup freeze dried apples (found in baby food section at grocery store)
1/4 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk WW flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and oats in bowl and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and bananas. Mix until bananas are well incorporated, then add flour mixture. Add apples and raisins and stir until just combined; over mixing will make the cookies tough.
3. Spoon cookies onto baking sheet and cook for 12-13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Sometimes You Just Need A Quickie (Wild Mushroom Agnolotti)

That's right.  You heard me.  A quickie...and I was in need of one the other day.  Now, get your mind out of the gutter!  I'm talking about a quick meal, one made in a matter of minutes.  You see, the Baking Toddler has had croup this week and a new ear infection festering up (can we say hello tubes?)

He has been sounding like a Phil Hartman-esque Frankenstein from the old SNL skit Frankenstein, Tonto and Tarzan.  No words, just moans, grumbles and growls.  All.  Day.  Long.  The only thing that is missing is him grunting "Fire Bad."  He even sports the same scowl.

One of my favorite quickie meals is Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Brown Butter, Pignolis and Parmesan.  Say what you will about me featuring an already made product on my blog, but it is tasty and quick and exactly what you need when you are tending to a sick Frankenstein all day long.


Wild Mushroom Agnolotti with Brown Butter, Pignolis and Parmesan
1-package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook Pasta according to package directions
2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a heavy saute pan until it has melted and has began to brown.  Take off heat immediately and set aside.  I set my skillet on the edge of the range so it is slanted and all the liquid falls to one side.  Skim off foam once it cools.
3. Drain pasta, place onto plates and drizzle butter sauce over pasta, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.

***To toast pine nuts:  In a clean, dry skillet, heat pine nuts over medium heat until fragrant and slightly golden.  Remove immediately and cool.

The Ones Left Behind-Black and White Cheesecake Squares

I am so glad the holidays are past us.  This year was not that super jolly for me.  I suppose I can blame it on my part time retail job.  Its like the shoppers sucked all the Christmas spirit right out of the air.  I don't know what it was with this year, but people seemed extra greedy.  And it ate at me, almost every day.

I understand being frugal and thrifty, but some folks are ruthless once Black Friday rolls around.  Why do they feel so damned entitled?  I think I finally had it on Christmas Eve when a customer threw a fit over four measly dollars.  Let me see if I can explain this:

She bought items all on sale for 20% off and then she added a $20 welcome offer (coupon) on top of that.  The computer system totaled her items, deducted the $20, and then took 20% off of that final total.  OH NO, that WAS NOT good enough...because if the computer deducted 20% off of her items FIRST, then took off the $20 for the coupon it would be four dollars less.  She huffed and puffed over this until she figured out we couldn't change it and then ranted on how a 20% sale was not enough for the holidays.  But here is the kicker people, I work in a store that sells high end purses/bags/accessories...already marked down 25-50% for an everyday price.  What a moron.  I wanted to give her four damn dollars and shove her out the door.

I just want to leave that day behind me, leave all of those stingy, greedy people behind, leave the season behind me...

Speaking of things being left behind,  I found a few photos that were tucked away and just never made it onto the blog.  And if the photo didn't make it, well, the recipe didn't make it either.  It's not that they were bad recipes, but maybe I just thought something would be better at the time.  So here is the first recipe that was left behind...in errr, 2009????

I wish I had these black and white cheesecake squares greeting me on Christmas Eve.  They would have been the perfect pick me up!

Black and White Cheesecake Squares

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source:  Martha Stewart Living April 2009

Makes 24.

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
3. Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
4. Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Please bring an appetizer...(Recipe: Pesto Cream Cheese Spread)

"Please bring an appetizer..."  were the words that left my husbands lips as he re-read a holiday party evite...an hour before we were supposed to leave!  I had yet put on my party face, fed the Baking Toddler, packed my bag with toddler gear, or gotten dressed for that matter.  Of course I wasn't going to walk through the door empty handed so I had to act FAST.  Like make something in 5 minutes fast!

When I worked at Central Market, we would whip up a pesto cream cheese spread and serve it on our freshly baked breads.  It became so popular that our store would sell out of Tex-A-France pesto every time we served it.  You can choose your favorite pesto, it works well with all flavors.  It has become a staple at my parties and always seems to be a crowd pleaser wherever I take it.  And whats even better, you can make it in about (or less than) 5 minutes.

Pesto Cream Cheese Spread
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1-16 oz. container Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1-7 oz. container Tex-A-France Sundried Tomato Pesto (you can use any-but this is my favorite)

1. Place cream cheese and pesto in a bowl of a kitchen aide mixer and mix until incorporated.
2. Pour spread into a serving bowl.  Serve with baguette slices.