Category Archives: Food & Recipes

Food is an important part of our family. I don’t believe in “secret recipes.” If I make it, I’ll share it. And if you like it, I hope you’ll share it, too.

February 15, 2011 · 8:10 AM

Recipe Review: The Pioneer Woman’s Beef with Snow Peas

Mmmmm….beef with snow peas. Where’s smell-a-vision when you need it? I can still smell the heavenly aroma wafting through my kitchen. How do I describe this dish and do it justice? I can’t, but I’ll try. How about tender, thin-sliced flank steak marinated in soy, sherry, brown sugar and ginger seared over high heat with snow peas and scallions, creating its own sweet and spicy, gooey soy and ginger sauce? Or even better – let’s call it heaven on a plate. If you love Chinese food like I love Chinese food, you MUST add this recipe to your collection immediately. And if you love ginger like I love ginger, you may just want to run to your kitchen and make this dish right now. It’s that good. Pinkie swear.

Here’s what I did right:
1. I read the recipe in advance so I was prepared
2. I bought a beautiful piece of flank steak
3. I picked out a superb hand of fresh ginger
4. I made a perfect batch of toasted Texmati basmati rice (such good stuff)
5. I added a little garlic with the ginger, and a little water to make more sauce

Here’s what I did wrong:
Nothing. I followed the directions (except for #5 above). I was a good girl, for the most part, which was not easy for me. I love to mess with recipes!

Be warned: this dish has a very strong flavor of fresh ginger. If you’re adverse, or you like it in small doses, cut the ginger back to 1/2 to 1 teaspoon and add a clove or two of garlic to compensate. It’s also a pretty dry final dish, since the marinade carmelizes on the beef. I like my Chinese dishes with sauce so I can spoon it over my rice, so I added about 1/4 cup of water at the end and stirred it to thicken into a lovely sauce. It was perfect. Another word of caution: please don’t overcook the meat. It’s sliced thin and cooks within seconds, so please, please if you love me, don’t cook this too long and ruin your beautiful flank steak. Remember: quick stir-fry = tender, wonderful beef.

As is my custom, I’m not going to print the recipe here. I could never do justice to the original recipe, the funny stories, or the gorgeous step-by-step photographs of Ree Drummond over at The Pioneer Woman. She is the queen, and why listen to the jester when you can get it straight from the queen? So, is your mouth watering yet? Are you ready to jump in and try this? Good. Then click on the link and be transported to heaven. Go on…you know you want to.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/beef-with-snow-peas/

8 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 9, 2011 · 7:15 AM

Handy Helpers from Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart may take a lot of flack, but I have to say I find a lot of helpful hints and creative ideas on her website. While I won’t claim to be her biggest fan, I’m also not a hater. I admire her creativity. Recently, I found a couple of handy kitchen printables on her website. The first is the template for Cook’s Helpers, a set of 3 printable kitchen conversion guides. I especially find myself using the cute Measuring Equivalents chart. So much so, I printed the template page and pasted them to the inside of my kitchen cabinet so I can reference them while I’m cooking. There’s also a baking pan substitution chart to help you convert a 13×9 baking pan into rounds (or vice versa), and a handy candy making temperatures chart to help prevent high-heat disasters. You can post the entire page, or cut them out and place them in different areas of the kitchen. You can also cut them out, laminate them, hole punch the tops and attach them to a set of colorful measuring spoons/cups to add to a kitchen gift basket for a housewarming gift.

I also love these Clip-Art Freezer Labels. Print them on full-page label paper, cut them apart, then fill in the contents line, circle the correct date information and stick them on bags or containers. How handy is that? This is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments for me. It’s practical, clever and handy. I wish my mind worked like that. Say what you will, but Martha is a wealth of information and I like that. Of course, I like anything that makes my life easier!

13 Comments

Filed under Craft Projects, Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 3, 2011 · 10:35 AM

Big storm’s coming…and I’m bummed

Not because we’re expecting snow and ice in Houston, but because my first attempt at cake balls will go unconsumed for a few days. And I had such a good time making them. They smell so good. They’re made with dark chocolate cake with some coffee in it, a tub of dark chocolate fudge frosting and some miniature chocolate chips, then dipped in Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. My house smelled like a fudge factory yesterday, and it was AWESOME! I was supposed to host a Super Bowl themed Bunco party for friends tonight, but we’ve decided to postpone until the storm passes. We tend to get a little paranoid down here in the deep South. It’s not that we’re afraid to drive on ice as much as it’s that we don’t know HOW to drive on ice. We just don’t get much down here. In our 21 years in Houston, we’ve only had a few rare snow flurries. The last ice I remember was Thanksgiving 1989. We’re not equipped for this kind of weather. But fear not…we’re stocked up on toilet paper, food, hot beverages, candles, and blankets so we’re prepared to stay in until it passes. It’s a good excuse to snuggle, anyway. Until then, the cake ball footballs are going into an airtight container in the back of the fridge. I sure hope they keep until next Thursday. I’d hate for The Complete Package and I to have to eat 15 of these over the weekend. That would be horrible…with a cup of coffee…and some vanilla ice cream. Tragic, really.

The best kind of football - a dark chocolate one!

UPDATE: This recipe is posted on The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen page at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/fudgy-footballs/

16 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

February 2, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Things I Love, Volume 6: Dickinson’s Gourmet Preserves, Jams & Jellies

This post will be short & sweet – both literally and figuratively. My biscuit’s getting cold, and I don’t like cold biscuits. Especially when my butter is already melting into my fluffy biscuit layers. I’ve never considered myself a “jelly” person. I never ate much of it. Then I found Dickinson’s gourmet preserves and jams, and it changed my mind. I bought the black raspberry and apricot to use for thumbprint cookies, and they were so incredible, I started buying them to put on my English muffins and buttermilk biscuits. Now I’m in love….jelly love. And it’s a groovy kind of love. Before you get caught up in the “gourmet” part of the name, I should tell you they are a division of Smucker’s. That makes them a little less hoity-toity in my book. And don’t let that half-empty jar of blueberry fool you, either….the black raspberry is my personal favorite. Good gravy, it’s spectacular! The flavors are intense, and some of them have big chunks of fruit (apricot, cherry & blueberry). And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my biscuit before it gets cold. You know how I hate a cold biscuit.

Oh, one last thing…I’m also in love with Krustaez Oat Bran Muffin Mix. Here’s a tip for you to try: replace the cup of water with a cup of orange juice, then spoon a dollop of Dickinson’s jam on top. As the muffins bake, the jam will sink into the middle. Use a variety of different jams in one batch, and you’ll have Surprise Oat & Jam Muffins, since you won’t know what you’ve got until you bite into it.

Here are the muffins, warm & smelly. Open them up, and there's the jelly!

For more information on the Dickinson’s brand of products, check them out at:
http://www.dickinsonsfamily.com/products/Products.aspx

Note: NanaBread is not related to anyone named Dickinson and is not “on the take” or “in cahoots” with this or any other vendor. She is just a girl, standing in front of a biscuit, asking him to love her. Wait…that was a movie, right? Sorry. Bottom line: NanaBread’s not selling jelly, just enjoying it. A lot.

9 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes, Things I Love

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

January 28, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Recipe Review: Panko-Crusted Tilapia from Lacey at “A Sweet Pea Chef”

My compliments to the chef...the Sweet Pea Chef. Her fish rocks!

Fish does not appear regularly on my dinner table. It’s because I have a real distaste for anything that smells or tastes fishy. I’m not a picky eater, but I am really picky about fish. But then I found this recipe on the A Sweet Pea Chef blog, and I knew I was going to try it. This one intrigued me. Here’s the breakdown: tilapia fillets dipped in a combination of melted butter, garlic powder and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, then dredged in panko bread crumbs seasoned with dry mustard, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika and browned in olive oil in a skillet with sliced lemons, and finished in a hot oven. Trust me, this fish does not smell fishy. It smells like heaven. The combination of lemon, olive oil, ginger, panko and spices creates magic in a pan. And the best part is that it tastes as amazing as it smells.

Here’s what I loved about this recipe:
1. It is really easy to make
2. I had most of the ingredients in my pantry
3. It doesn’t take long to make; from start to finish was 30 minutes
4. I loved the combination of spices in the panko mix – things like dry mustard, nutmeg, ginger, red pepper flakes and more. I was expecting this to be flavorful, but it was more than that. It was extraordinary. There is so much flavor in this dish, it jumps off the plate. And the roasted lemons knocked my socks off.

The Complete Package is not one to dance around a food critique. He does a great job of giving me his honest opinion when I try something new. When he tried this dish, he immediately said, “Wow. Everything about this is perfect.” I didn’t even have to ask my standard new recipe question – would you eat this again? The answer is a definite, enthusiastic YES! Everything about this dish is perfect. And we will be making it again and again. Thanks, Lacey. This one is a keeper. No, a treasure. You can find the recipe and Lacey’s beautiful photos at http://www.asweetpeachef.com/entrees/panko-crusted-tilapia.

6 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

January 26, 2011 · 10:31 AM

“Buy Local” Spotlight – Texmati Rice from RiceSelect out of Alvin, Texas

RiceSelect is one of my favorite food companies in the Houston area. Located in Alvin, Texas, they produce a full line of rice products which are, in my humble opinion, the best rice products on the market. Our personal favorite is Texmati, a basmati rice grown just minutes from our home. The texture is perfect, and that nutty flavor is heaven. I like to toast raw rice in a little hot oil until it smells like warm toasted nuts, then add water & a pinch of salt and cook it until it’s perfectly fluffy. Add a pat of real butter, and it’s heaven on earth. The Complete Package is a nut for this stuff. He says, “I like rice” the same way Bubba says “I like shrimp” in Forrest Gump or Karl says “I like them French fried potaters” in Sling Blade. I think it may be his favorite food on earth. It’s one of the staple products we make sure to always have stocked in our pantry. We love rice, so we feel blessed to live so close to such a culinary gold mine. Our local grocery stores are great about carrying a variety of their products, which are numerous. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Texmati (basmati) and Jasmati (jasmine) rice, and I’ve recently fallen in love with their tri-color pearl couscous. Those little babies are like buttery pearls of pure gold. I can’t even begin to describe the texture and flavor. Just try it. You’ll like it. You’ll see.


You can learn more about RiceSelect brand products on their website at: http://www.riceselect.com. Their comprehensive website includes the nutritional information for each of their products, cooking instructions, and recipes. It’s just one more reason to love them. And we do, oh how we do.

10 Comments

Filed under "Buy Local" Spotlights, Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

January 18, 2011 · 2:02 PM

NanaBread’s “Mexican Martinis”

I’m not really a drinker, but I love this cocktail. We discovered these at Chuy’s Mexican Cantina in Austin, Texas. And once we did, we made a conscious effort to rediscover them over and over again {insert cheeky wink here}. The name is a little misleading. While these are served in martini glasses, they are actually margaritas. Here’s the breakdown: a mind-blowing homemade margarita mix poured into a cocktail shaker full of ice, vigorously shaken, and strained into glasses garnished with salted rims and a skewer of jalapeno-stuffed olives. Sold yet? You will be.

NanaBread’s Mexican Martinis:
2 cans (12 ozs. each) Minute Maid limeade frozen concentrate
2 empty limeade cans full of cold water
1 good pinch of salt
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup Triple Sec
3/4 cup good quality tequila (I use Hornitos Reposado)
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive juice from the olive jar
a bowl of ice cubes or crushed ice for the cocktail shaker
1 jar of jalapeno-stuffed olives, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except for the ice and jalapeno-stuffed olives in a pitcher and mix well to combine. To serve, dip the rims of your glasses in lime juice and then into salt to “rim” the glasses. Put jalapeno-stuffed olives onto a toothpick or drink skewer and set aside. In a cocktail shaker or canning jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1 cup of ice and enough margarita mix to fill to 2/3 full. Make sure the lid is on tight and shake for at least one minute or until the mix is freezing cold. Strain the margarita mix into your glasses (being careful not to ruin your salted rims). Garnish with a skewer of jalapeno-stuffed olives and serve immediately.

A few recommendations:
1. Save the olives for last; they taste even better after they soak a while.
2. Feel free to add more or less olive juice, to your own taste. I go for more.
3. These are good on their own, but I prefer them with a plate of Mexican food.
4. Drink responsibly; don’t drink & drive; designate a driver; or plan to stay in.
5. Invite me to your house when you make these & I’ll be your new best friend.

18 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 14, 2011 · 7:56 AM

Hidden Treasure Cupcakes: Mocha Fudge Cupcakes with Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Inside


Chocolate and coffee and Reese’s…oh, my! Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? If you think the title is awesome, you should taste the cupcakes! No fooling, these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever eat warm out of the oven…while the peanut butter cup was still gooey. And they’re fabulous when they’re cooled and frosted with dark chocolate ganache, too. That’s dark chocolate ganache with the extra peanut butter cups melted in. You heard me. Wipe the drool off your chin, and I’ll tell you how I made them. It all starts with a cake mix, so it’s easier than you think.

Dark Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes:
• One Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix
• One cup of your leftover morning coffee (room temp)
• 1/3 cup Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 jumbo (or extra-large) eggs
• One 12-oz. package of miniature Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat everything but the peanut butter cups together with a mixer for 2-3 minutes, until everything is combined and fluffy. Place 24 cupcake liners into muffin pans. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure each cupcake is the same size. Once filled, unwrap the miniature peanut butter cups and press one into the top of each cupcake, just until level with the top of the cupcake batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Remember, the peanut butter cup will be in the center, so you may want to test the cupcake closer to the edge. Once done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pans. Remove from the muffin pans and place them onto baking racks to cool completely.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:
• One 11.5-oz. bag of Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips (63% cacao)
• One cup of heavy whipping cream, just brought to a gentle boil
• The leftover peanut butter cups (I had 10 leftover from above)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of powdered sugar, as needed (read instructions below)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips and leftover peanut butter cups (unwrapped, of course). Pour the hot whipping cream over the chocolate and allow to sit and soften for 3-4 minutes. Using a mixer, slowly beat the chocolate and cream until mostly combined, then turn the power up to high and beat until smooth. Turn the mixer speed back down to low and slowly add powdered sugar just until the ganache starts to thicken. Remember, ganache thickens some on its own, so you don’t need to mix too much sugar in. I say mix it up, let it sit for 30-45 minutes, then decided if you want it thicker or not. If you’d rather dip the tops of your cupcakes into the ganache, you can omit the powdered sugar all together. The ganache without the powdered sugar will give you a glossy chocolate glaze. The ganache with the powdered sugar will give you a thicker, spreadable frosting that will not be glossy. It’s really just a matter of personal preference. I used the powdered sugar and made mine thick so I could really pile it on. Either way, make sure your cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting. There’s only one last thing you’ll need for these: a really big glass of cold milk. I’d share, but these are going to Austin this weekend for my daughter’s birthday. Maybe next time.

Note: Special thanks to my cupcake muse, Jennifer at Jane Deere Blog. She made something similar for her son’s birthday last week, which inspired me to create my own version for my daughter. Thanks, Jennifer! You can see her little masterpieces at: http://janedeereblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/peanut-butter-cup-cupcakes.html

15 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

January 7, 2011 · 3:20 PM

Coconut “Tunnel Of Fudge” Bundt Cake

Chocolate fudge cake batter wrapped in a coconut cake batter hug. Have mercy.

I did it again. I can’t seem to help myself. Like the lead character in the movie Julie & Julia, I seem determined to cook my way through The Pioneer Woman website. This time it’s cake. Easy, delicious bundt cake. And because I rarely follow directions or color within the lines, I had to put my own spin on it. Click here to see Ree’s original recipe for Pistachio Cake. If you’re a pistachio fan, I’m sure you’ll love her version. And while I do enjoy a good watergate salad every 20 years or so, my love of all things pistachio rates a solid “not so much.” Instead, I decided to swap the pistachio for coconut. Here’s how I did it:

NanaBread’s Coconut “Tunnel of Fudge” Bundt Cake
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 package (4 ozs.) vanilla instant pudding mix
• ½ cup cream of coconut
• ¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 whole eggs
• ¾ cup Smuckers Special Recipe Dark Chocolate ice cream topping

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Mix all ingredients except the dark chocolate ice cream topping and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes on medium-high. Pour ¾ of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Add the chocolate topping to the remaining batter in the bowl (I microwaved it for 45 seconds to loosen it up first) and mix well. Pour the chocolate batter over the coconut batter. Bake for one hour at 350F, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate or cake stand. You can frost or glaze it if you like, but I’m a plain bundt cake kind of girl. I like the portability of an unfrosted slice. Another great thing about unfrosted bundt cake – it freezes well. Just wrap leftover slices in Glad Wrap (it’s the best) and put the wrapped slices into a freezer container with a tight-fitting lid. Any time you NEED a piece of cake (and we all do from time to time), unwrap a slice and microwave it for 30 seconds or so. Presto. Cake. Anytime. And it’s perfectly portable. Just don’t carry it with you to the bathroom scales.

12 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

January 5, 2011 · 1:55 PM

NanaBread’s “Get me to the Greek” Dip

It may not be the prettiest dip, but it is mighty tasty!

When given a choice between sweet or salty, I go for salty. This dip is all the things a dip should be – salty, creamy and easy to make. It’s also low in fat, if that kind of thing appeals to you. I just love that it’s delicious.

Here’s what you’ll need:
8 ounces of feta cheese, in a block or crumbles
1 cup of Fage 0% fat-free Greek yogurt
18 Mezzetta kalamata olives, pitted
6 small to medium Mezzetta peperoncini peppers
1 small handful of flat-leaf Italian parsley, stemmed
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper

If you’re using a block of feta cheese, cut it into cubes. Cut the stems off the peperoncini peppers and remove the seeds. Remove the stems from the parsley; you’ll need about 1/4 cup without the stems. Toss all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse just until everything’s combined. You want to see small chunks – they’re a good thing. Remove the blade, scrape down the sides, and give it a stir. Pour it into a container with a tight-fitting lid or a bowl you can cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to bloom. I love to eat this with toasted pita bread or bagel chips (my personal favorite). I’m betting it would also be awesome on Gardetto’s toasted garlic rye chips. If you’re trying hard to be good, try it with sliced cucumbers or cherry tomatoes. Either way, choose a vehicle and start dipping!

4 Comments

Filed under Food & Recipes

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,