Fluffy Rice

I needed a side to serve as both vegetable and starch since I was in a pinch for time. I already had some spinach & dijon stuffed chicken breasts in the oven when I threw some rice into my rice cooker. So I decided instead of dirtying one more pot I'd just throw my broccoli into the rice cooker as well.

With the addition of a few herbs and some garlic I ended up with a yummy smelling meal! I decided to make it even more delicious by adding some cheese into the mix. This rice was fabulous. Even my husband enjoyed it! And my son ate it up bite after bite.



Broccoli & Cheese Rice

• 3/4 cup white rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup light shredded cheese

Place rice, chicken stock, herbs, garlic and broccoli in a rice cooker and set to cook. When the rice is done cooking stir in cheese. Serve right away.

6 servings
4 WW points per serving (less if you use brown rice)

Happiness in a Bowl of Cheese

It was a bit rainy to say the least last week in Sunny So Cal so I added some soup to the mix that would be filling and warm us up. This recipe sure did both. With the heartiness of the potatoes and the fiber filled broccoli one bowl of this soup kept me full all night. Add that with the creaminess of cheese and you have yourself a bowl full of comfort perfect for a rainy night.

I served this with some rosemary garlic focaccia bread from Trader Joes that was super tasty. I toasted it up, rubbed it with garlic and dipped it right into the soup. It's great heated up the next day too!



Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, minced
• 16 ounces frozen chopped broccoli
• 29 ounces canned chicken broth
• 4 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes, or similar product
• 1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 8 dutch potatoes (the small ones at Trader Joes), diced
• 1/2 cup light shredded cheddar

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add broccoli, potatoes and broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes, until broccoli is tender.

Reduce heat to low, add cheese and stir until cheese melts; stir in milk, garlic powder, oregano and onion powder.

Whisk together water and cornstarch. Add mixture to pan and simmer 2 minutes, until thick. Serve hot and top with shredded cheddar.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving, 4 servings.
7 WW points per serving, omit potatoes and extra cheese to make the soup 4 WW points per serving

Marshmallow Madness

I finally did it. I made marshmallows from scratch. I've been wanting to make these since I first saw Alton Brown make them on his show, Good Eats. And I'm so happy I got around to it this Christmas. These marshmallows were light and fluffy and perfectly sweetened. They spiced up my cup of cocoa on Christmas and have been making their way into my coffee/cocoa combo in the morning every day since.

I'm going to keep this recipe in my folder and will be pulling it out every time I need some marshmallows in my life. Next time I really want to try dipping them in chocolate and rolling them in some crushed candy canes.

Source: Alton Brown



Homemade Marshmallows

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Beautiful Bolognese

I knew exactly what I was going to make for Christmas dinner when my coworker Krista mentioned lasagna rolls that her mom made the night before. They sounded heavenly. And easy! And like something you could make in advance.

So I went searching for an easy recipe online and stumbled across Giada's recipe (yes, in this house we're on a first name basis with Giada). What could be more perfect? Spinach AND prosciutto. Heaven! When I saw marinara sauce in the recipe I knew I'd want to make something more than just a jarred sauce.

So I went to the place I knew I'd find great recipes. The Pioneer Woman. Everyone in the cooking blogosphere talks and raves about her. There are recipes galore that have been tested by just about every cooking blog I read from her site so I knew I could trust her. And I didn't even do a practice run.

The sauce was perfect for these lasagna rolls! And I can't wait to make it again for spaghetti night. The only thing I changed was switching out the ground beef for italian sausage.

My only regret? Not getting a shot of this sauce bubbling on the stove. I thought about it the whole 4 hours it was simmering on the stove but had so much to do in between that I didn't have a moment to stop and take a shot. It was lovely! Looked EXACTLY like the picture in the link below.

And there was only about 1/8 of an inch of room left in the dutch oven. I was sooo worried it'd boil over and we'd lose some deliciousness. Thankfully that didn't happen and all of the sauce was used up.

Source: Pioneer Woman



Bolognese Sauce

• 1/2cups olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1 whole red onion, diced
• 2 pounds ground Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 cups red wine (plus more for drinking)
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire
• 2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground sausage. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Compound Perfection

I am always looking to put a little extra on the dinner table. Make something ordinary a little more. So I went a searching on the interwebs (well... really just in my Google reader) for some different items for Christmas dinner. I knew I saw a recipe for compound butter on Annie's Eats but couldn't remember how far back it was so with a little searching I found it.

This is so easy to do and really makes a difference. I used fresh herbs and I think you could definitely taste that. 1/2 of the butter was gone before we even started dinner since people were spreading it onto the bread sitting out on the table while we waited for the lasagna rolls to come out of the oven.

I highly recommend using this recipe or any other compound butter combo the next time you have bread or rolls on the table. Oh, and I tried to make the butter as pretty as Annie did but had no luck with my pastry bag skills. Gotta work on those... I just scooped it all out of the bag and plopped it into the dish. No one minded.

Source: Annie's Eats



Herb Compound Butter

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1-2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely minced
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, finely minced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely minced
• ½-¾ tsp. kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well with a spoon until combined and all ingredients are evenly incorporated. To serve, pipe butter into small serving dishes with a decorative pastry tip. Alternatively, place the butter mixture onto plastic wrap, form into a log, wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Allow to come to room temperature before serving so it is spreadable.

Cheddar!

I love an easy side item when it comes to dinner. Some days I ::gasp:: leave out the sides and just serve the main course. I try not to leave out vegetables but some days it's just hard to even get dinner on the table. With the help of a crock pot I had a roast ready to go and with the help of the frozen veggie bags from Costco I had the vegetable but I really wanted something savory and bready to go with my meal

Enter the baking mix from Trader Joes. This stuff is great. It's my normal mix for pancakes (when I don't make my own mix) and has lots of potential for other things like coffee cake and these biscuits!



Cheddar Biscuits

• 3 3/4 cups Trader Joes Baking Mix
• 1/4 cup softened salted butter (I always use unsalted)
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add baking mix and butter to a large bowl. Using a pastry knife cut butter into the mix until lumps resemble coarse meal (butter can also be pinched in with fingers)

Add milk and optional ingredients (cheddar in my case) for flavor variations. Stir all ingredients together until moistened. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, drop dough onto a baking pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown Serve warm

Mmmm.. Ribs

I love good ribs. I love simple meals. So when my husband brought home some ribs from the clearance section of the marketplace (perfect place to find a last minute dinner idea, by the way!) I knew this would be perfect. We had been wanting to try more ways of using the Old Bay seasoning (other than on fish) and this seasoning tastes very good on pork.

Source: My Head



BBQ Ribs

1 pack of boneless ribs (6-8 ribs)
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Your Favorite BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season ribs with seasonings. Pan fry in a bit of olive oil until browned. Place ribs in oven safe dish and top with BBQ sauce. Bake until fully cooked (about 30-40 minutes).

What to do with ground beef?

This recipe was easy to make, made my tummy happy and satisfied my husband. It's the all around perfect meal to use up that extra ground beef in your freezer! And an added bonus is that it's ready in less than 30 minutes. No, seriously, it is. You gotta try this if you like a good salisbury steak or meatloaf!

Source: Sweet Tea in Texas



Salisbury Steak

• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used panko)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (I just used 1 tablespoon mustard)
  

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties. Pour off excess fat.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth. Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Pour over meat in skillet. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I Scream, You Scream...

Why oh why do we buy ice cream when it's so much better homemade?? It doesn't take very long, you control the ingredients (i.e. all organic/good quality), and it tastes so much better! This recipe is no different. Dorie is wonderful!

I also have The Perfect Scoop and really want to try a few recipes in there. Isn't it funny how summer just ended and I'm finally jumping on the ice cream bandwagon? I'm sure my husband will be happy! But my waist line wont. I need to loose those extra 5 pounds of baby weight and this will not help :)

Source: Baking from my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan



Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar

Break up chocolate and place in a 2 quart measuring cup. Boil 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for a minute. Stir slowly until the ganache is smooth.

Bring other 3/4 cup of cream and milk to a boil. While this is coming to a boil whisk sugar and egg yolks together until thickened and creamy. Add a bit of boiled milk/cream to egg mixture to temper the eggs. Than add egg mixture to milk/cream mixture and whisk continuously until a custard forms. The custard mixture should coat the back of a spoon and when you take your finger and run a line down the custard it should stay separated.

Add custard mixture to chocolate ganache and stir with a spatula until incorporated. Chill mixture. Once mixture is chilled add to ice cream machine. Place into a separate container and freeze until firm (I like to wait overnight).

When ready to serve allow ice cream to sit out for a bit to thaw. This will make it easier to scoop.

Pumpkin Perfection

This past Sunday Joseph, the baby and I went to the pumpkin patch. And I had one thing on my mind... bringing home some sugar pumpkins! No carving pumpkins for me. I want ones I can eat. So we went, took lots of pictures of the little one playing with the pumpkins and picked out all kinds of wonderful squash and pumpkins.

This was my first time baking and pureeing a pumpkin but I think I did pretty well. It was soo easy. I now wonder why I never tried this before. This will definitely be the way I do pumpkin in the future.

Source: Adapted from BakeSpace and My Head



Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups applesauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

Combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, applesauce, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Maple Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Whip all ingredients until soft peaks form. You can either use the frosting right away or refrigerate it a bit to let it stiffen.

* Once you frost the muffins you can top with a few chopped pumpkin seeds for a little extra something.