Pecan Pressure

On Thanksgiving almost ten years ago when my sister was a newlywed, she volunteered to bring the Pecan Pie to her in-laws holiday dinner. With a propensity for running behind schedule and still figuring out how to juggle two families for the holiday; she prepared the pies from scratch but ran out of time to bake them before she had leave for my family's house for lunch. She decided that she would bake the pies in my mom's oven as we all enjoyed lunch. They would be ready in time before she had to make her way to her second destination and none of her in laws would know about her scheduling snafu. As we sat down to eat she put the pies in the oven, set the timer and then headed into her first tryptophan overdose of the day. Exactly 45 minutes later the timer went off just in time to allow for the 15 minute cooling period and then off to the in laws. As she opened the oven door she realized she had made a terrible mistake. She had put the pies in and set the timer, but had neglected to turn the oven on. Her pies had sat in the oven for 45 minutes unaltered. We were all too engrossed in the happenings of the Thanksgiving feast to notice that there were no baking smells escaping from the kitchen.With no other options left, she had to arrive at her first in-law holiday dinner with a pre-made supermarket pie.

Pecan Pie Cookies
Adapted from Land O' Lakes Butter

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl.

Beat at medium speed until creamy.

Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.


Combine all filling ingredients

in small bowl;


fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon filling.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Recipe Tip
These cookies can be made ahead and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Place cookies in containers with tight-fitting lids, separating layers with waxed paper.

Oh, Baby...Shower

This past weekend my sister and I threw a baby shower for our brothers wife. I was in charge of all of the food and decor and I had such a blast pulling everything together. I centered the decor around the shower invitation and created what I thought was a perfect list of baby shower finger foods for the menu. These Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry rounds were one of the items I made in addition to several others. I made a bunch of things that I have blogged before and have included pictures below so you can see them in action! There were several other menu items, but I didn't get pictures of them all due to the hustle and bustle once the shower started.

Spinach and Artichoke in Puff Pastry
Adapted from Southern Living November 2000

Yield

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry

Preparation

Drain spinach well, by placing in a clean dish towel and twisting each end of the towel.

Stir together spinach, artichoke hearts, and next 5 ingredients.

Thaw puff pastry at room temperature 30 minutes. Unfold pastry, and place on a lightly floured surface or heavy-duty plastic wrap. Spread one-half spinach mixture evenly over pastry sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

Roll up pastry,

jellyroll fashion,

pressing to seal seam;

wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap.

Repeat procedure with remaining pastry and spinach mixture. Freeze 30 minutes; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Rolls may be frozen up to 3 months.)

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Other Food and Decor:

Mini Cheesecakes and Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Baby Button Cookies in Cellophane bags with matching stickers for the favors

Ham and Cheese Skewers with Matching Flags

Midwest Morsels

A friend of mine at work is from Ohio. One time at happy hour she was talking about her hometown and I asked her if she liked Buckeyes. I wanted to be able to relate and of course the only thing I could come up with was associated with food. What can I say? - Food is my thing. I don't know much about Ohio except for the fact that most people from there are crazy about these little candies. As soon as I mentioned them she perked up and expressed her love for them. I promised to make them for her and made a practice batch for Forrest to take to his softball game. There were three Ohio natives there and they all gave them the Ohio State seal of approval.

Buckeye Candy
Adapted from Nestle

Ingredients:

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter, (not all-natural)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 3 3/4 cups (16-oz. box) powdered sugar
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Directions:

LINE baking sheets with wax paper.

BEAT peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened.

Shape into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets. Freeze for 1 hour.

MELT morsels and shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.

DIP peanut butter centers into melted chocolate using a toothpick,

leaving a small portion of the center uncovered.

Shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of candy on side of bowl.

Return to baking sheets; refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Perfect Picnic Pasta

My friend Sarah and I recently went to see 42nd Street at an outdoor theater in Northern Virginia. Wolftrap is an outdoor performing arts amphitheater with in-house (covered, fixed) and lawn (uncovered, grass) seating. If you choose to buy lawn tickets you have the luxury of bringing in your own cooler packed with goodies. I love this option! You bring a blanket, some of these, a little of this and an ice chest packed with a picnic catered to your liking. This recipe was perfect as the starch in our picnic basket and even better later as a snack during "We're in the Money".

Prosciutto and Olive Pasta Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light August 2004

Yield

2 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups uncooked bowtie
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto (about 1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons chopped pitted black olives

Preparation

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl,

stirring well with a whisk; set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain. Add pasta, parsley, and remaining ingredients to vinegar mixture; toss well to coat. Cover and chill.

Shrimp Skewers - Second Set

I almost didn't post this because it was really too easy to be considered a recipe and I had just posted another shrimp skewers recipe recently. But this was too yummy to deny its presence on the blog. The spicy chorizo and the citrus flavored shrimp made a great pair. So here goes....

Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2009

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 12 jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 8 ounces dried chorizo, cut on the bias into sixteen 1-inch pieces
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Toss shrimp, garlic, oil, and lime juice in a large baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak 8 wooden skewers in water. Or use metal skewers like me and skip this step.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Thread 3 shrimp and 2 slices chorizo onto each skewer, alternating pieces.
Season with salt. Grill until shrimp are opaque and chorizo is slightly softened, about 3 minutes per side.Serve the grilled skewers.

Leeked

One day my sister was sitting in the other room as her husband and four year son played Lego's in the adjacent bedroom. She was sifting through emails as she casually listened to her son and his father having a conversation. It started off pretty benign and quickly took a turn for the worse. Scout (her son) asked his Daddy if anyone was ever mean to him when he was a little boy. Robbie (her husband) responded in the affirmative and asked why his son was curious. Scout proceeded to explain that one of his friends at school told him that he hated him earlier that day. My sister was crushed, how could anyone say such a cruel thing to her special little son? Not wanting to get involved where she wasn't needed, she let them talk through the situation on their own over the toy building blocks.

But her lack of interference didn't mean she wasn't still extremely upset about what she overheard. She understood kids could be mean, but it took on a whole new meaning when someone was directing that animosity toward her own offspring. She was devastated. She called me to report the situation and then she called my parents. We tried to comfort her; however we did little to calm her frustration. As she lay down to sleep that night her husband explained that it would be OK. He told a story of how when he was the same age as Scout some of the kids at his school used to pick on each other as well and it rarely had any type of lasting effect. She asked brokenheartedly, "Well did anyone ever tell you that they hated you?" To which Robbie responded, "No, but they used to tell me that my Daddy ate leeks." What?!? She couldn't help but laugh which was exactly what she needed after her evening of worrying. Although the insult seemed to pale in comparison to the one her son had suffered, it made her realize that tomorrow was another day and that her son would be just fine.

Creamy Artichoke Soup
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, white part only, washed well and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir.

Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender,

about 20 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup.

Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.

* When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Wheat Wrap Walter

My Daddy has an aversion to bread, he says it's fattening. Which it is, but who doesn't indulge once in a while? Not my father, he is very strict with the dietary restrictions he sets on himself. He is on a very stringent heart healthy diet and he rarely strays. During the week he is on his own for lunch while he works and is in control of what he decides to eat. The weekends are a different story. He runs my poor mother ragged trying to come up with ideas of lunches to feed him that do not incorporate thick, fluffy bread. At this point, I think she has made every wrap known to man. In fact, there was a period when I still lived in New Orleans that I thought my dear dad was a broken record as I heard him request something on a "wheat wrap" almost every Saturday. As I made this simple lunch I knew it would be the perfect recipe for them to try. So Mom, here is your lunch for next Saturday......

Chicken, Mushroom and Fontina Quesadillas
Adapted from Cooking Light July 2009

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1/2 quesadilla)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup presliced cremini (baby portobellos) mushrooms
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces), i used a rotisserie chicken
  
• 1 cup arugula or baby spinach
  
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Fontina cheese
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add cremini mushrooms, sliced onion, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, and sauté 30 seconds.

Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates.

2. Arrange half of mushroom mixture over half of each tortilla.

Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup chicken, 1/2 cup arugula,

and 1/4 cup cheese;

fold tortillas in half.

3. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Heat pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tortillas to pan, two at a time.

Place a heavy skillet on top of tortillas; cook 2 minutes on each side or until crisp.

Flanally

Sometimes I am shocked at the ease of a recipe. I attempt what I believe to be my hardest recipes on days when I have a lot of free time to devote to them. When I finally decide to undertake a recipe I don't want to rush through it or skip steps because of time constraints. This recipe had been on my "to try" list for a long time. I was intimidated by the prospect of making anything custard-like after my failed attempt at the Lime Tart over a year ago. I finally had a weekend that wasn't overly busy so I put it on the menu as a side to our seafood and sausage skewers. I was amazed at how quick this recipe came together and how effortless it ended up being. And the results were incredible! The sweet corn paired perfectly with the light custard and the salty bite of the Parmesan rounded it out. I really didn't know what to expect from this recipe since I had never eaten flan of any sort before. These would be great as a side or an appetizer at any meal and are sure to impress. They made a beautiful presentation and the flavor was marvelous.

Sweet Corn and Parmesan Flan
Adapted from Cooking Light June 2006

Yeild

6 servings

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• A pinch of cayenne
  
• 4 large eggs
• 18 small multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Set aside 1 cup corn kernels.

Place remaining corn in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until coarsely chopped. Add the teaspoon of flour and pulse 2 more times. Add milk and next 5 ingredients (through eggs) to food processor;

pulse 4 times or until combined.

Pour about 1/2 cup corn mixture into each of 6 (7-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray using a ladle.

Place ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until the center barely moves when ramekins are touched. Remove ramekins from pan; cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Invert flans onto each of 6 plates. Garnish each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons corn kernels, 6 tomato halves, and 1 teaspoon basil.

Salty Sweet Satisfaction

One childhood memory that I reflect on fondly is that of sharing the summer treat of watermelon with my family. I don't know how frequently this happened; whether it was once a week, once a month or only once every other summer. In my mind it was a very exciting occasion so I can only deduct that we didn't do it too often or it would have lost its charm.

My Mom would buy one of the gigantic melons at the grocery store and bring it home. Then my Dad would get a cooler out of the garage and cover the melon with ice for 24 hours to chill it to perfection. I am sure this 24 hour waiting period had a lot to do with the excitement - anticipating anything for 24 hours as a child can seem like a lifetime. When the wait was over my Mom would lay out newspaper on the table to catch the juice and then my Dad would cut the melon into slices for everyone. The shape of the slices was a very key factor. He didn't slice them into triangular shapes with the small rind to melon ratio you would expect at a party or a festival. Our portions were oblong so they could sit upright on the table as you ate. Everyone would have a butter knife that was used to cute bite size pieces of the melon as you worked your way down to the white flesh before the rind.

The most important part is that we didn't eat the melon on its own. Every freshly exposed layer of melon got a generous sprinkling of salt before you begin to chop it up into cubes. I don't know if other people around the world eat salt on the their watermelon. I have never seen it done this way in a movie and have never witnessed others eat it like that in person. But our watermelon was always paired with salt.

The combination of salty and sweet has never been done so well. The sweet juicy flesh of the watermelon was the perfect compliment to the common table seasoning. I knew right away I would love this recipe because I knew that the salty flavor of the feta would work wonderfully with the sweet fruit and would no doubt bring me back to those childhood summers and that special treat.

Watermelon and Feta Salad
Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 (5-pound) watermelon
• 1 red onion
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
  

Directions

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into paper thin rings and then chop the rings into 1 inch pieces.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta.

Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish a sprinkle of dried parsley.

Enchi-LOT-a

I have been wanting to make enchiladas for a very long time now. I could never justify making the dish for just Forrest and I. All the recipes I came across yield so many and I knew that the deliciously cheesy leftovers would not be good for our waistlines. I was so excited to have Forrest's brothers and his parents stop by our house in DC on the way back from their visit to Upstate New York. I threw together a batch of these the night before they arrived and baked them off the day they got here. These were AMAZING! They were very simple to assemble and were unbelievably creamy. Make these - trust me.

Baked Chicken Cheese Enchiladas
Adapted from the Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cans of Enchilada Sauce
  
• 2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken
• 1 small can of diced green chiles
  
• 1 cup canned corn kernels
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 12 to 14 soft round 6 to 8-inch flour or corn tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese.

In a second bowl toss together the chicken, the corn, chiles, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the scallions.

Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

In a baking dish, spray bottom with cookie spray and spread a 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom. Lay tortilla on a flat surface and brush the surface with enchilada sauce to moisten.

Place about a 1/3 cup of the filling on a corn tortilla,

roll up being careful not to break the tortilla

and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat process for remaining tortillas.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them.

Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over the top.

Enchiladas may be prepared up to this point 12 hours in advance. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enchiladas may be reheated, covered with aluminum foil, before service. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve warm.

Sandwich Switch Up

I found this recipe online and thought it was a very unique twist on a really popular sandwich. It was super easy to make and made for an extremely pretty presentation. It was a great addition to our Fourth of July cookout.

BLT Pasta Salad
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 12 ounces corkscrew-shaped whole wheat pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounces lean bacon
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons chopped scallions
• 1 head of Bibb lettuce, cut into 1 inch chunks
  

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.

Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 5 tablespoons scallions with the pasta until evenly combined.

Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon scallions. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe Round Up

We are heading out of town for the Fourth of July. Here are some of my past recipes that are very fitting for the holiday weekend. Try one or two or all of them to keep you busy while I am gone.

From Top left to Right:

Roasted Corn Salsa with Tequila Lime Dressing

Flag Cheesecake

Tomatoes stuffed with Corn and Goat Cheese Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

Mustard Glazed Barbecue Chicken

Ham Stuffed Deviled Eggs

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Lime Butter

Corn Casserole

Happy 4th of July everyone!