BIZZY BAKES

I was looking for a dish to round out my Shabbos meal on Friday night.  I had made chicken cutlets and a roast in gravy, spinach kugel and roasted potato slices.  We had plenty of food for the main course but it felt wrong since we were having a nice crowd for dinner.  I wanted something to complete the meal and make sure, there was something for every one.  Rice sounded right. This makes a pretty dish and a neutral one.  While it definitely has flavor, it seems to go with almost any other food.  It served its purpose since it did a disappearing act. This is a Cooking Light recipe and I have been fortunate with their recipes.  I get their magazine and always find a few new recipes to test.  Many go on the roster for future meals. Baked Rice with Butternut Squash (adapted from Cooking Light September 2002) Ingredients: 1 24 ounce bag of frozen butternut squash cubes 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth 1 cup water 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage 1 teaspoon olive oil

Glennis selected Grilled Tandoori Chicken Breasts from Weeknight Wonders - page 137. I think the world of Glennis. In the short time, I have known her, she has been a positive force and a happy voice within our group. Please explain to me how this lovely woman sent us out to grill in a temperature of only a few degrees. I do forgive her though since this was a fabulous dish and we both ate every bite and wanted more. I served it with a spicy quinoa dish with red bell pepper. They went well together. I did have to make a major change since the recipe called for yogurt and as a kosher cook, I don't use dairy and meat together.  Thanks to Tofutti sour cream - I had a good substitute. This recipe had mostly spices mixed in with the Tofutti sour cream.  It marinated for a short while and then was grilled.  Another easy dish that was not time consuming. Do check out what the other Ellie cooks have made and if there were any changes.   Eating with Ellie has all of our recipe

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sage Butter - Adapted from Donna Hay This week, our Donna Hay group made a simple pasta dish, selected by Margaret .  I did not have pumpkin but I did have butternut squash which I subbed in.  I also did not have fresh sage but I did have some dried sage to take its place. I am not sure how I would rate this dish.  We enjoyed it and I would make it again but it would not go on my must haves.  I think, I would have liked another element, caramelized onions of a green vegetable.   This only had butter, sage, pasta, Parmesan and squash and other than browning the butter and cooking the pasta, it went together with ease and did not take long at all.  I did not have to cook the squash; I bought a bag of frozen cubes and that really made this a snap. Please go on over to the Wednesday with Donna Hay page and see what everyone else did with this dish and whey they thought of it. Weekend Potluck       See Ya at the Gumbo       Real Food Recipe Round Up    

At first, I was making a plain spinach kugel but when peering in the refrigerator, I saw a little chimchurri dip left.  We do not waste if we can help it so into the kugel, it went.  I have no idea what chimchurri tastes like so it is hard for me to evaluate the dish.  I know, I liked it. Chimchurri Spinach Kugel Ingredients: 4 - 6  cups fresh baby spinach 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 large onion, diced 1/4 cup chimchurri dip (store bought)1 tablespoon flour 2 eggs (I think 3 might have worked better) 1 teaspoon onion powder salt and pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Method: Saute onion in heated olive oil.   In a large bowl, place spinach and add cooked onions. Add chimchurri dip, flour, eggs, nutmeg, onion powder, salt and pepper, Mix all ingredients together, mixing well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.  It should be dry when you put a knife into it. Eat and enjoy. Linked to:    See Ya at the Gumbo       Real Food Recipe Round Up        Two

Usually when I am looking for a recipe, I check out Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, Eating Well of any of those generalized and wonderful sites.  In reality, it is a lot more fun to check blogs that are new to me.  Not only do I get a new recipe, I get a new blog to view and possibly a new online friend. This time, I came across, Gimme some Oven  , written by an upbeat blogger Ali who wants to make cooking easy, healthy and delicious.  She not only enjoys cooking, she enjoys people and puts the two together.  She sounds delightful and I think you might like to meet her. Potato Soup Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup diced  yellow onion 1/4 cup gluten-free flour 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups milk, warmed 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled  and diced 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 2 handfuls of baby spinach, sliced 1 shredded carrot Method: Place butter in a large soup pot .   Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirri

This is one of those throw it together recipes, using what is found, in the cupboard and refrigerator. As you may have noticed, I make many of these, and usually am pleasantly surprised by the good results. Penne with Broccoli and Apples Ingredients: 16 ounce box of gluten-free penne pasta 1 box frozen broccoli, chopped 1 apples, peeled and diced 1 cup shredded or diced Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 cup sliced almonds Method: Cook penne according to package directions. Three minutes before draining, add broccoli to the pot and finish cooking.  You can also cook the broccoli separately or microwave it. Drain.  Replace in saucepan. Add the cheese and mix through the penne and broccoli. Add the apples and almonds and heat for another minute or two. I didn't add milk but I think a half cup of coconut milk would be a great addition. Add milk after the cheese and mix in.  Eat and enjoy.   See Ya at the Gumbo       Real Food Recipe Round

It is common for me, it bread chicken with different nuts, but not peanuts, which of course, are not really nuts. This was my first attempt and a very successful one at that.     I find good recipes in a variety of places and I think, I am the most successful with Cooking Light. Usually, healthy recipes run rampant and they don't lack for taste and appeal.  I was thinking that I could have mixed the honey and mustard with peanut butter and coated the chicken with that combination and then breaded it in the tortilla crumbs. The best part of this recipe is that it is baked and there is no grease to contend with. Peanut Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light) Ingredients: 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/3 cup peanuts 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed 4 chicken breast cutlets  Cooking spray Method: Preheat oven to 500°. Combine honey and mustard in a small bowl; stir well. Place peanuts and tortilla chips in a food p

This turned out to be an incredible experiment.  It was one of my last-minute deals when I had to use up some produce, pronto.  I had a few sweet potatoes and no immediate plans for them.  We had come to the point that they were talking to me. SP (sweet potato):  Why did you buy us? Me: To eat, of course. SP: So, why are we sitting in the corner of the hydrator with celery, of all things.  Don't you know, we generally are not friends with celery unless you are making a savory salad and then their crunch makes them endearing. Me:  Hmmmm, savory salad sounds good but I was thinking hot, a nice hot dish and sweet, not savory. SP:  That is fine with us.  Just do it.  If you leave us any longer, we are going to get ugly and then you might throw us in the garbage. Me:  Garbage?  Of course not.  You are the diamonds of the hydrator.  No garbage for you. SP: Then, it is time to warm us up.  Do you have any idea how cold it is, in here? Me: Refrigerators are supposed to

This week, Eating with Ellie, presented a real problem for this kosher cook. The recipe called for Pork Tenderloin so I substituted chicken. I wanted to see how this dish came together. Fennel, grapes and chicken (or pork in everyone else's case) didn't sound right but I have learned that some of those dishes that sound odd to me are the very best. This recipe was chosen by Gaye The Eating with Ellie group made Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Grapes, which is found on page 119 of Weeknight Wonders, You can see the recipe  here . I used chicken breast, olive oil, fennel bulb, vegetable broth, red grapes, lemon juice and a tiny bit of black pepper. This was a cinch to make and timewise was a dream. We are having it for dinner so I don't know how much we will like it or not but based on the other Ellie cooks, I am pretty sure, this will be a success. Check out our EwE page a nd see what others cooked and what is coming up in the future. We would love to have yo

This title tells what I made but not what the group made.  The correct dish is  White Fish with Pine Nut Brown Butte r .  Ok, mine is  fish and has the butter but my changes were major.   When I ran out of pine nuts, a few months ago, I did not replace them because of the price.  That is where the almonds come in; they are my replacement in this recipe.  I was planning on picking up white fish in the store but it has been so cold, I opted out of facing the ice and freezing temperature and settled for salmon which was already, in the house. I admit, I am not at all sorry, because I love salmon and almonds are as good as pine nuts, in my opinion.  This quick dish was delightful.  It was mild flavored and on spinach, it seemed perfect. The ingredients were few, butter, almonds, lemon juice, salmon and spinach.  I added a little water when I put the spinach in the pan, for the last two minutes.   It came together easily and took little time.  I recommend it. Please do ch

We tend to think of wontons as a savory wrap but it works as well with sweet fillings.  Since, I made chocolate wontons, I knew this was my secret weapon for interesting desserts.  Chop up some apples. Add a little sugar and use that as a filling.  Try a little marshmallow cream with a few chocolate chips.  Use your imagination and bring variety to the dessert table. Creamy Pumpkin Wontons Ingredients: 30 - 40 wontons 1 small can of pumpkin 3/4 cup of cream cheese 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice hot oil about 1 1/2 inches deep in saucepan (large) Method: Heat the oil in a pot or deep frying pan. Lay out the wontons.  Put water around the edges of one wonton, at a time.  Put a small amount of cream cheese on the wonton. Top with a  small amount of pumpkin. Fold into a triangle and seal by pushing around the entire edge with your finger. Continue doing 3 or 4 of these. Drop a few at a time into the hot oil. Turn over after a minute or when it is light brown. Cook anot

Go right on over to Menu Plan Monday and check what others are making this week. This week does not have a theme. That probably reflects my thinking these days. It is report card time and that is my main focus. Of course, we have to eat but that is not my prime concern. I am not ignoring food, just putting it on the bottom of the ladder, in priorities. Sunday - Family party. Monday - Penne with Broccoli and Apples Tuesday - Potato Soup, White Fish with Pine Nut Brown Butter - Donna Hay Wednesday - Chicken Breast Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Grapes - Ellie Krieger Thursday - Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Dried Pears Friday - Peanut Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli Saturday - Chulent

I shouldn't like chili because I don't usually like mixed meat and vegetable dished but this chili was very good.  I went back for seconds. Turkey Chili Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground turkey (lean) 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes 2 cups water 2 large onions, chopped 1 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (or more to taste) 2 teaspoons brown rice flour one 15-ounce can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups frozen corn kernels  Method: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the turkey, stirring to break up the meat.  Drain the fat. My turkey had almost no fat. Add the tomatoes, water, onions, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and red pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the beans a

I am blessed to sit for my less than a year old granddaughter in the mornings.  It is different than mothering.  I look back and when my kids were young, life was filled with many mundane chores.  I didn't have time for anything but the basic cooking.  My first child spent the first three months crying day and night.  Only if I walked with him did I get a break.  I was exhausted.  In the following months, I was learning and missed some of the fun growth. After that as we were blessed with more children, I did not have time to watch for every nuance each child did and was thrilled with the biggies, turning over, sitting up, standing and walking.  The funny little actions may or may not have been seen. After  my fourth, I was teaching, and the day only got busier.  I did only teach afternoons because even then, I knew, I did not want to be cheated out of seeing my precious ones grow.  It still is not the same as not having those responsibilities and taking care of a baby.

I have been enjoying cooking from Joy Bauer much more than I had expected.  She is known for her healthy cooking .   "As a monthly columnist for Woman’s Day magazine and the creator of  JoyBauer.com , Joy continues to be a leader in developing and delivering fresh, cutting edge health content to millions." She did not disappoint me with the recipes, I have chosen to make. Each one has been better than successful.  I plan to make a lot more.  She has many recipes also listed online for you to check out if you like healthy and tasty food, presented in a respectful way . Roasted Eggplant Parmesan  (adapted from Joy Bauer) Ingredients: 1 eggplant, ends trimmed Kosher salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup marinara sauce * 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese dried oregano, to taste Method: Preheat the oven to 400°. Liberally coat a baking sheet with oil spray. Slice the eggplant into round

I made this quite a while ago and set it up to be blogged.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the details of making it.  I know I used gluten free flour but I do think, I followed this pretty much to the letter.  The addition of cheese to cornbread is yummy and a real treat.  I do have to make this again, soon and if I find any changes, I will have to get back to you.  This is a bread I could manage to devour on a regular basis. You see how crumbly, this is, in the photo and I am doubting, if you made this with regular AP flour, you would have so many crumbs.  I find, in general, my cakes are more crumbly than the ones, I used to make with AP flour. Do check out t he cheesy cornbread, I made, from Mark Bittman .  I made it my own by adding broccoli and shallots and that was another winning quick bread. Cheesy Cornbread    adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients: 1 cup gluten-free baking mixture, (spooned and leveled) 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

This week,  for Eating with Ellie , I got to choose the recipe and I couldn't resist these Japanese Style Savory Vegetable Pancakes with Chicken.  I am not sure why she calls them vegetable pancakes with chicken.  Once there is chicken, we no longer consider them vegetable or at least, I don't. I loved these.  The taste and the texture were pleasing.  they were good with or without the sauce which was easy to make. I did sub in chicken for the shrimp which is not kosher, therefore not allowed for us.  I cut two cutlets into small pieces (one half inch) and browned them in a little olive oil.  I added them to the rest of the ingredients at the end. Japanese Style Savory Vegetable Pancakes with Chicken - adapted ingredients. This has 2 chicken cutlets 1 bag of shredded cabbage 4 large scallions, chopped 2 medium carrots, shredded eggs gluten-free flour low sodium soy sauce toasted sesame oil oil for cooking the pancakes For the sauce:  ketchup, Worcestershire sau