BIZZY BAKES

For me, this is one of the best recipes, we have had, so far.  The Eggplant, Ricotta and Parmesan Bake was chosen by Margaret for our Wednesday with Donna Hay group.  I knew originally when I saw the ingredients, I would love this.  It is my kind of dish.  Even if you are not a fan of eggplant, it is well disguised and I think most people who like a cheesy kind of dish, would enjoy it. The ingredients include eggplant, ricotta, parmesan, eggs, cream and basil.  They seem to be made for each other.  I finished this by myself over several days.  You can find the recipe here .  You can see what others have done with this recipe here.    Foodie Friends Friday                  Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge      This is How We Roll

In the Jun/Jul 2015 Donna Hay Magazine on page 32, you will find a recipe for Pumpkin, Caramelized Onion, and Feta Gratin.  This week, Gaye selected this intriguing recipe for our group, WwDH to make.  When I first saw it, I was quite happy about the choice and already knew, I would use butternut squash. My problem was, in this case, I felt I needed a photo and since I did not have the magazine, I only had a copy of the printed word.  The recipe called for chopped squash or pumpkin, but I had no idea what the size was.  Was it more diced like chop or a bigger one?  I guessed and easily lived with the decision.  I can't wait to check out everyone else and see how they interpreted this if they also did not have the magazine. Also caramelized onion relish was called for (store bought) and I have never seen that in any of the stores.  I simply caramelized the onions and ended up burning some, in the process. The recipe called for flaked almon...

Memories of childhood have lots to do with mashed potatoes. If I did not feel well, I got mashed potatoes and I felt better or so I told myself. I don't have strong memories of food and my childhood but oh how I remember potatoes. I still like almost any kind of potato but it is the mashed that bring back the memories. I guess, I sat on the sofa and ate them, when unwell. I can picture cuddling on one end of the sofa with a bowl in my hand, filled with those wonderful potatoes. So, here I am remembering and making mashed potatoes. These are light and tender. Memories are funny.  Some are vivid, some are dim and others are gone which means they are not memories.  My hubby and I have different times that we remember clearly.  I assume this is related to the importance of the incidents to each of us. Mashed Potato L ove Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon chopped onion 8 ounces re...

Melting Goat Cheese  I  have found that I like to add vegetables or different cheeses to Hazan's recipes.  I find his dishes simplistic but they have the flavor and texture.  I just, at times, want  a little more, maybe a tomato, zucchini, Ricotta or Feta.  As I go through the book, I take advantage  of his flexible recipes and make them more intact with my family. You can see the original recipe here . T agliatelle with Peas adapted from  Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta Ingredients:  1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup frozen peas   1/2 orange pepper, sliced 2 tablespoons Parmesan 2 ounces goat cheese, chopped Salt Freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces left over small pastas ( using up pasta in house) Method: Fill a pot for the pasta with about  4  quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a skillet, add peas and bell pepper to the olive oil and seas...

I bought the Kitchn cookbook after being impressed with the site, The Kitchn .  I did not get far into the recipe pages when two dishes jumped out at me, Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Hash with Baked Eggs and Morning Egg Bake with Turkey, Red Peppers and Spinach. I do not like the name of either recipe - much too long and specific but they did get my attention.  I think, in general, cooks have started listing too many ingredients in the titles of recipes, and that includes me. I made the latter without the turkey and had a pretty and tasty dish in front of me. I also cut the recipe way back to accommodate my needs. Morning Egg Bake Ingredients: olive oil 3 eggs 1/3 cup of milk salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup Parmesan 1 1/2 ounces goat cheese 2 ounces chopped baby spinach 1/2 red pepper, chopped Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6 inch square pan. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs and add in mil...

This is catch-up week at our group, WwDH.  Each of us has selected a recipe, we missed making along the way.  When I originally saw this recipe, it was immediately on my radar but for some reason, I was not able to join in, that week.  This is my second chance and I happily made this refreshing breakfast, lunch, brunch, snack or  dessert. This was originally with pistachios which I did not have in the house.  Almonds and honey go so well together that I easily adapted the recipe to the almonds. Roasted Almond and Honey Yogurt     -   Adapted From New Food Fast by Donna Hay They say that today is the hottest day, this year, and what is more appropriate for such a day, but a nice cool mixture, sweet and nutty, creamy and smooth. It can't be easier to make.  I roasted nuts in the microwave and that is a quick job.   Place honey in the bottom of a glass.  Cover with slivered almonds.  Top with creamy yogurt - ...

Penne with Spinach and Ricotta Usually ricotta does not last long in my house.  There are so many delicious recipes one can use it for.  For some reason, I noted this particular container just sitting there for much too long and was even afraid the date was not going to be good.  Fortunately, the date was fine, the cheese was fresh and the dish, I made with it was delicious. The recipe comes from Hazan's book, Thirty Minute Pasta. .  Often, he adds vegetables to his pasta recipes which makes this lady very happy.  Of course, you can make the dish without the veggies if your family or you are not big on vegetables. My youngest granddaughter begs for two foods, chocolate and peas and I think her first choice is peas.  It is how it is presented.  She also likes anchovies, something I have not given her but her Dad has.  One day, when I was chopping onions, she wanted to taste a piece.  She loved it although, she had trouble chewing it....

It is  traditional to have chicken soup on Friday night for Shabbos.  Sometimes, we change and have a vegetable soup or beef soup.  This week, I took a sharp turn and had cold strawberry soup.  My guests thought it was a smoothie in a bowl.  It tasted like a smoothie also.  That made it one delicious soup. In the summer heat, this is a wonderful option and I hopefully will make fruit soups more often. Cold Strawberry Soup Ingredients: 2 pints of strawberries 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon vanilla Method: Using a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. That is it.  Pour into bowls and enjoy. Tuesday's table           Waste Not Want Not Wednesday              This is How We Roll   

I adore Peggy for selecting this  Spinach, Herb, and Goat Cheese Frittata  found on page 228  of Weeknight Wonders.  For me, this was a week day lunch and it could have been a treat for breakfast as well.  Since, I was making this just for one person and that person is me, I didn't completely follow the recipe and I used only two eggs and no egg whites. I  ran out of fresh spinach and subbed in frozen spinach.  I had just cut a red onion for something else so I used that in place of leeks or yellow onions. I think the secret ingredient was the goat cheese because its tangy taste lit up the whole frittata.  It was delicious and I would make this again and would be happy to try sliced bell peppers instead of spinach or maybe I would use both.   I love this recipe and recommend it to you egg lovers.Check out the other cooks and see how their frittatas turned out at Eating with Ellie. Linked to Full Plate Thursday     ...

It is those two words that brought this pie into being, GOAT CHEESE.  I really do love it and find reasons to use it, whenever possible. This got me wondering as to how you select recipes to make.  Do you use Cook Books, the Internet, family favorites, cooking magazines or your instincts?  What appeals to you most, a photo, the ingredients, what type of dish it is or any of the many reasons that we all  have? A good photo will sell me but I am more attracted to those magic words like, goat cheese, cauliflower, onion, corn, soup, etc.  If it were up to me, it would cheese, every night. Tomato Goat Cheese Pie Ingredients  1  9-inch pie crust 2  tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon basil 6 ounces goat cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees or temperature on package. Bake crust in according t...

Goat-cheese is one of those words that get my attention every time.  Goat cheese has an enchanting flavor in its creamy frame.  Add it to salads, vegetables, muffins, breads and you have made a good dish - a great dish. I have a bunch of goat cheese recipes to try and I started with this one from Bev Cooks .  I added about a teaspoon of smoked salmon to each muffin, cut into small pieces for extra taste.  I used gluten-free flour and skipped the rosemary and used herbs de provence. This was easy to do and took little time.  It basically is mixing everything  (except the goat cheese)after chopping the onion.  This is my kind of cooking. Savory Goat Cheese Muffins Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter 1/3 cup  chopped red onion 3/4 cup gluten-free flour 1/2 tablespoon baking powder 1  pinch coarse salt 1/2 cup milk 1 large egg 1 tablespoon  Greek plain yogurt 1 tablespoon herbs de provence 2 ounce softe...

I was at Kim's blog, Stirring the Pot and saw a photo of this wonderful recipe. Like everyone else who looked at it, I wanted to get into that kitchen and make it. I did just that, just not at that moment. It took me one whole day to make it happen. I love hard boiled yolks but I am not crazy about the whites of the egg.  I was a bit hesitant about that and I didn't love the whites in the finish dish but the sauce was delicious and almost negated the whites.  I would like to try this with vegetables.  I could see a spinach gratin being delicious. I seem to be getting back to  I Heart Cooking Club and I hope, I can keep committed.  With summer vacation coming, I just may be able to get back to this and other fun blogging activities. It has been a hard two years for our family and what I need the most is a nice normal life and blogging is part of "normal" for me. Jacques Pepin is not a chef I know a lot about and I am excited to learn more about h...

This is not diet food but it is so good that it should be used for a spluge if you are counting calories.  I grew up loving mashed potatoes but I never made them as rich as this recipe did and I am guessing that there are many more with more fats added.  I did cut back on the butter and used a half of a stick instead of a full one.  For me, that seemed like way too much but for this one time, it was well worth  it.  Even hubby who usually does not appreciate much fat in a dish loved this one. Cheesy, Creamy, Yummy Mashed Potatoes (adapted from Nancy Fuller of Food Network) Ingredients: 3 poundst potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 4 tablespoons  butter 1/2 cup milk Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar or a little more Method: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer.  Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 2...

There are  certain vegetables, I purchase without any plans for them such as mushrooms and eggplant.  I usually have them on hand and decide what to do with them, as I am cooking. This time, I also had some spinach in the refrigerator.  It was not enough to make a full casserole for company but enough for the two of us to enjoy.  I suggest adding garlic to this recipe.  I didn't because of hubby's reaction to it but it would enhance the whole dish. I buy spinach, usually two pounds at a time and spread it out in many dishes.  It is amazing how some greenery makes a dish look better as well as adding flavor.  What I used in this dish was those last two cups from the large package. Kale is even better because it maintains a shape and does not shrink down to very little.  I don't like cleaning kale though and I like the taste of spinach better so you will find more spinach in this blog. Dairy Spinach and Mushroom s  Ingredien...

I love potatoes, all kinds of potatoes, made in a variety of ways.  My least favorite is potato salad because I like my potatoes hot.  Bake them, boil the, fry them or roast them, I love potatoes.   I grew up on potatoes and sour cream.  In our home, it was a comfort food.  It always appealed to me and I loved when Mom made it.  I also liked when she put both into borscht. This is a super easy dish to make but it tastes like a million dollars. It is almost embarrassing to post this but it tastes so good.  The plus is that it is made with half yogurt and half sour cream, cutting the calories.  I would guess, you could make it, totally with yogurt. Baked Potatoes with Yogurt and Sour Cream  -  Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics  Ingredients 4 Idaho russet baking potatoes  (I made 3.) 1/2 cup yogurt  ( I put a little more sour cream in than yogurt.  I didn't know what the yogurt would do to the so...

This was a super treat without the work of making crepes and filling them and frying them,  This is much easier to make and does not call for any frying.  A rich baked recipe is just what we want.  Delicious. Blintz Brunch Bake (adapted from Kraft Recipes ) Ingredients: 2 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened 1 container (15 oz.) Ricotta Cheese 5 eggs, divided ¾ cup sugar, divided 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup gluten free flour (I used brown rice flour) ¾ cup butter melted I melted butter in the microwave and forgot about it. It did not need it. Mine turned out perfect without it. ¼ cup milk 1 tablespoon Baking Powder Method: Prehear oven to 350°F.  Beat cream cheese, ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice in large bowl with mixer until blended.  Whisk remaining eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk and baking powder in separate bowl until blended. Spread 1/3 of the batter onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with co...

Silky Cauliflower Soup adapted from D avid Lieberman Ingredients: 1 large bag frozen culiflower  (32 0unces) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Salt and pepper to taste Method: Chop frozen cauliflower and put aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.  ( I left a few small pieces of cauliflower intact.) Add the Parmesan and stir. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to ...