Photo from AllRecipes.com

I made Beef Stew last night with a new recipe. I was skeptical when I tried it....but it was pretty darn good. I struggle with the slow cooker from time to time. I really don't like slow cooker recipes that require pre-cooking most everything and dirting multiple pans. Isn't the point of a slow cooker is to do the cooking for you so you can do other things? Most beef stews that I've made require browning the meat prior to throwing everything in the cooker. This one didn't, so I had to try. I'm glad I did!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used more like 1/3)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf (I used 2 because that's what fell in)
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika)
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3 potatoes, diced (mine were small; so I might use more next time)
  
• 4 carrots, sliced (I'll add more next time)
  
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (I used 2 because I wanted to use it up)
  

Directions

1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Annie's Eats rarely disappoints me. Here's another super simple, super delicious recipe from there. It's so simple that I'm thinking about prepping extra packets and freezing them for later use....just thaw and throw on the grill for an easy weeknight dinner. Sara loved these...she couldn't cram it in her mouth fast enough. Enjoy!

Halibut with Chipotle Compound Butter in Foil Packets

Ingredients:
4 skinless white fish fillets (such as halibut), 6-8 oz. each
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, divided
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels
½ red onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium-high heat. (Alternatively, preheat the oven to 425˚ F.)

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the butter, half of the chipotles, the orange zest, half of the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir with a fork until well blended. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the fillets.

In a medium bowl combine the remaining chipotles, the orange juice, the remaining garlic, the beans, corn, onion, scallions, and half of the cilantro. Add in ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix well to combine. Lay four 14-inch squares of foil out on a work surface. Divide the bean mixture evenly between the pieces of foil, placing it over the lower half of each piece. Top each mound of the bean mixture with a fillet. Fold the foil over the fish and fold up the edges to seal the packets.

Place the packets on the grill, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the fish registers 160˚ F. (You can poke the probe of a thermometer directly through the foil rather than opening the packets.) Alternatively, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes just until the fish is cooked through.

Open the packets carefully to avoid contact with the steam and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve warm.

Source: Annie's Eats

Bacon Ranch Pasta

Every once in awhile, I stumble acroos a recipe that makes me want to shout from the rooftops...."GO MAKE THIS...NOW!". The gem happens to be one of them. We had it for dinner tonight. It's super easy and super yummy. It might not be the healthiest, but it's good. I tried to make it a little healthier with fat free 1/2 and 1/2, whole grain pasta, and peppered turkey bacon. Yummy!

Ranch Pasta with Bacon, Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 cup cream and 1 cup fat-free 1/2 and 1/2)
1 bag baby spinach
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used peppered turkey bacon
1 lb short cut pasta, cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients (through dried thyme) in a bowl and mix together. This is your Ranch seasoning. You can also use a packet of pre-made dried seasoning.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet large enough to hold the pasta over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add Ranch seasoning, spinach and tomatoes. Cook until the spinach wilts. Add pasta and cooked bacon and toss to combine. Add grated cheese and taste for seasoning.

Source: Bacon Ranch Pasta

Spring Risotto

Asparagus is in season and we are excited to be getting it each week in our farm box. My mom and dad also have it growing in their garden, so we have a lot of asparagus right now....it makes me very happy...albeit my pee stinky! It was perfect Spring weather over the weekend, so Brian and I grilled a tri-tip, and I made this Spring Risotto. I love risotto....yes, it involves a lot of stirring....but I enjoy the process and happily sip on wine while stirring.... Here's the recipe.....enjoy!

Spring Risotto

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

3/4 cups dry white wine

6 cups chicken broth, heated

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, blanched

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Add 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once butter foams add the onion and saute until tender and soft, about 6 minutes. Season the onion with salt and pepper. Add the rice and cook while stirring, until you can hear the rice crackle softly, and it becomes translucent around the edges. Add the wine and cook, while stirring, until the wine is almost dry and absorbed. Once wine has been absorbed, add 1 cup hot broth at a time, stirring until almost all the liquid is absorbed, and then adding more. Cook until the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the blanched asparagus and peas. Cook until the peas are very bright green and the asparagus is warmed through. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1tablespoon butter and the finely grated Parmesan.

Source: The Food Network

Adventures in Baby Food...

I've been making the majority of Sara's food. As she's gotten older, I did introduce a few jarred Stage 3 meals, but she's been eating more and more table food. We went out to eat last week and, due to being out longer than expected, I didn't have any food for Sara. So, she ate off of our plates....chicken, black beans, and avacado. She did so good! Today, I made her some Pasta with Very Veggie Sauce that I found on Annies-Eats. It was super delicious....Brian and I would glady eat it for our dinner! I took Annie's suggestion and used cream cheese, since that's what we had in the fridge. It does make quite a bit, so I froze individual portions that I'll use for her lunches at day care.

Sleepy girl gave it a thumbs up!

Pasta with Very Veggie Sauce

Ingredients: 2 tbsp. light olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped 3/4 cup cleaned and chopped button mushrooms 3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup vegetable stock 1 tbsp. torn fresh basil leaves Freshly ground black pepper 6 oz. pasta shapes 3-4 tbsp. cream or mascarpone cheese (optional) Directions: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes more. Add in the fresh tomatoes and the butter and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the can of tomatoes with about half of the juice. Finally, add the vegetable stock, basil, and season with pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Check to be sure all the vegetables are tender, then blend to a puree. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions (with no added salt) until tender. Toss the cooked pasta with the vegetable sauce and stir in cream cheese or mascarpone, if using. (Note: This recipe makes a fairly large quantity of food, and is suitable for freezing.)

Roasted Garlic and Grape Tomato Pasta with Basil and Arugula

Last week, I had to use up some tomatoes from the garden, basil, and arugula. I was craving pasta. So, when I googled these ingredients, several recipes came up and one from Rachel Ray struck my fancy. It was light, delicous, and easy. The perfect pasta for summer! I served with bread and pinot gris.

Roasted Garlic and Grape Tomato Pasta with Basil and Arugula

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound penne rigate
2 pints grape tomatoes
8 to 10 cloves garlic, cracked but left in skins, plus 1 clove peeled and halved
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmigianino-Reggiano, a few generous handfuls
1 cup basil leaves, about 20, torn or shredded
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula

Directions:

Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta. Salt water, add pasta and cook to just-shy of al dente. It needs to have a real bite left to it because it will sit in the sauce for 2 minutes later on and continue to cook. Heads up: you will need 2 ladles of starchy cooking water just before draining, about 1 1/2 cups.

Place the grape tomatoes on a cookie sheet with the garlic. Coat the tomatoes and cracked garlic with 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and season with lots of salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes.

Take the tomatoes and garlic out of the oven. Turn the oven off.

Remove the roasted garlic from the skins and mash into a paste with the side of your knife. Transfer the garlic paste to the bottom of a pasta bowl. Using a fork, mix the garlic into 2 ladles of starchy pasta cooking water, about 1 1/2 cups. Add the tomatoes to the bowl and mash them with a potato masher until a sauce forms and tomatoes are well combined with garlic broth. Add penne, grated cheese, arugula and basil and toss a minute or 2 to allow the pasta to soak up flavors.

Adapted from: Rachel Ray

Deviled Eggs

My Great Aunt Wanda made the best deviled eggs. I remember sitting on the kitchen counter as a young girl helping her peel the eggs and then watching her mix the yolks with a perfect blend of mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.



I love deviled eggs and everytime I make them, I think of Aunt Wanda. I made them this past Labor Day weekend. As I was making them, I thought of Aunt Wanda and I looked forward to the future. I can't wait to make them with Sara and tell her all about her Great-Great Aunt Wanda!



I really don't have a recipe. But, here's what I do:

1. Hard boil desired number of eggs


2. Cool and Peel the eggs


3. Cut eggs in half horizontally and removed yolks into separate bowl


4. Mix mayo and mustard with yolks using a fork to smash all together (or use a food processor). Add salt and pepper to taste


5. Fill the eggs white halves with filling. Aunt Wanda always filled them by hand with a spoon. I like to pipe filling into eggs using pastry bag and the tip of choice.


6. Dust the tops of eggs with paprika .


7. Chill and Serve!

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

I found the recipe on the Annie's Eats blog a while back. I've been reading in a lot of the cooking blogs I follow about how good and easy they are. Even my friend, Heather, had heard about them. So, I had to try them. When we were at the farmer's market last week, a stand had cucumbers for 50 cent a pound. I took it as a sign.....I had to give this recipe a try.

Boy....am I glad that I did! They are great and super easy to make! I will be making them again! I made spears and chips with my fancy wavy cutter! I've read they will last for about three weeks in the refrigerator, but as quickly as we're going through them, I doubt I'll be able to test that theory.


Refrigerator Dill Pickles
3 cups water
6 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Cucumbers
Minced garlic
Fresh dill sprigs
Dried red pepper flakes (optional, but I going to try next time)

Combine water, vinegar and salt; stir until salt is completely dissolved.

Cut cucumbers as desired. I cut some into spears, but also cut some into slices for sandwiches and burgers.

Place dill sprigs in the bottom of a canning jar (I used 2-3 depending on their size). Fill jar half full of cucumber pieces. Add garlic, another dill sprig and fill the rest of the way with cucumber pieces. Pour brine into the jar, making sure all cucumber pieces are covered. Cap and refrigerate for two days before eating.

That's it! Just repeat with as many cucumbers as you have, making more brine as needed. For variety, adjust the amount of garlic and dill to your taste, try different kinds of vinegars or add red pepper flakes to some of the jars for spicy pickles.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Crisp

Yummy! Brian loves blueberries. When we were in the hospital with Sara, Brian's favorite food from the hospital cafeteria was a delicious blueberry crisp. So, when we went to the Farmer's Market this weekend and saw fresh blueberries, we had to get some and make a crisp.

I googled Blueberry Crisp and a number of recipes came up. I decided on this one from the Food Network. It was easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. The only changes I made was to 1/2 the recipe. I served warm from the oven with French Vanilla ice cream. Yumm!

Ingredients
•6 cups blueberries, rinsed and lightly dried
•1 tablespoon cornstarch
•1/4 cup sugar
•Pinch salt

Topping Mixture:
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
•1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
•1/4 cup sugar
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•3/4 cup chopped pecans
•1/2 stick room temperature unsalted butter, cubed

•Whipped cream, for topping
•Ice cream, for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Toss blueberries, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a bowl.
Combine flour, oats, brown and white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans in a bowl. Add butter and pinch into chunks. Mix until it looks crumbly.
Add the blueberries into a 2-quart baking dish. Top evenly with the crumb mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream and whipped cream.


Source: adapted from Food Network

Pasta With Sausage and Spinach

Do you have a recipe that you seem to make over and over again? I don't have many, because there's just too many good recipes out there to get stuck in a rut. But, I found this gem in the March 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine. I love it because it's so versatile. The recipe originally called for gnochhi, but I like it even better with other pasta shapes.

Other variations I have tried are:

• Adding fat-free 1/2 and 1/2 instead of the pasta water for a creamy version
  
• adding whatever veggies I have on-hand (zucchini, bell peppers, etc)
  
• putting in a can of drained diced tomatoes or fresh grape tomatoes
  

I urge you to try this....it's tasty and simple!

Pasta With Sausage and Spinach
Ingredients
Pasta shape of your choice; penne works well
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (I like the Hot Italian Sausage)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Directions
1.Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3.Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
4.Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan and toss. Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Southern Banana Pudding

Brian and my dad spent Father's Day working hard on finishing the casing on our new doors. My mom and I washed windows. So, after a day of hard work, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner complete with dessert.

I never made pudding from scratch before.....but man....it was super easy. It was the perfect dessert following a heavy meal. Enjoy!

Southern Banana Pudding

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes Chill Time: 4 hours

2 cups whole milk (I used 1%)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

30 vanilla wafers
2 large bananas, cut into ¼-inch slices

¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the egg and yolk in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 20 seconds.

2. When the milk mixture reaches a full simmer, gradually whisk the simmering mixture into the egg mixture to temper. Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula; return to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.

3. Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to keep a skin from forming.

4. Line the bottom of a 1½-quart serving dish with vanilla wafers. On top of the wafers, place a layer of the sliced bananas. Pour ½ of the pudding over the bananas, and spread to the edges of the dish. Repeat the vanilla wafers, bananas, and pudding again. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. When ready to serve, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread on top of the pudding and top with crushed vanilla wafers. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

(Recipe adapted from Evil Shenanigans)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I guess I'm just a stereotypical pregnant lady.....I love ice cream these days. I have a small bowl 4-5 times per week. I love making ice cream at home because it's so easy and simple. Simple to prepare, simple ingredients, and simple bliss!

I love David Lebovitz and his book The Perfect Scoop. Every recipe that I have tried has been a success. When I saw this recipe, I could resist! I had all the ingredients in my pantry and it was quick to mix up. Simple yumminess...The balance between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors was just right, and the texture was unbelievable thanks to the addition of creamy peanut butter. Next time, I think I want to mix-in some mini peanut butter cups that I found at Trader Joes. You can never have too much PB and Chocolate, right!?!?!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups half-and-half

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used good ole Hershey's)

½ cup sugar

pinch of salt

½ cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, Ten Speed Press, 2007.

What's Cooking Wednesday: Grilled Talapia with Mango Salsa

So, I have been seriously neglecting my food blog. Going forward, I think it's going to be next to impossible to keep up. So, I decided to aim for posting a recipe once a week.

Mangoes were on sale and looked delicious a few weeks ago. So, I decided to grill talapia with mango salsa on the side. Brian wasn't sure if he was going to like the mango salsa, but he tried it and was pleasantly surprised. This is the perfect summer dish....super easy on the grill and no need to heat up the kitchen. I served with black beans and grilled corn on the cob. Yummy!

Grilled Talapia with Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.
4. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.

Recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Tilapia-with-Mango-Salsa/Detail.aspx