Blogging with a Purpose

In my free time, I love to look at blogs. I was visiting Bethanyjg's blog, and I saw that she nominated me for this award. I'm humbled!!! Please go to her blog and look at her recipes. They look so good... especially the bananas foster. Visit her at http://www.bethanyjg.blogspot.com/

Some of my favorite bloggers that I'm sending this award to:

1. My dear friend Jenny at http://jennyhope-jennyhope.blogspot.com/:
I promise you will be so encouraged by her blog. She has encouraged me so much. Make sure you have your volume turned on.
2. Katie from http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/
She has some amazing recipes. Check out her organic lemon cake with fresh raspberry filling. It looks professoinal!
3. Lauren from http://lacucinadilauren.blogspot.com/
This lady is so organized and even has her weekly menu posted before the week starts. Maybe one day I can be like that.
4. I love looking at the Prescription for good food blog at http://courtcooks.blogspot.com/
She has some great recipes. The cool thing is that we're both pharmacists and love to cook and travel.
5. Ashley at http://delishfood.wordpress.com/
You have to check out her cheese cake pops. I have a slight obsession with bite size foods, and these look "delish."

Award-winners, here's what you should do:
1. nominate 5 blogs which haven't had this award before2. each of the blogs must have a purpose3. the nominated blogs must make a link back to this page4. the logo from the award must be put on their blog and it must link back to this blog!

Spaghetti with Bolognese Sauce

Aubrey and I had some spaghetti noodles that were left over from this week when we made pasta. I found this recipe on marthastewart.com, but we cut the recipe in half and made a few changes (in red). It turned out good, and I like the carrots in there. You can't taste them, but it's good to know we're getting our veggies.

serves 4

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped (3 cups)
3 carrots, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 cloves garlic , minced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork (omitted)
1/4 cup tomato paste
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine (we had white cooking wine on hand)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
1 cup milk (we used skim)

Garlic powder, to taste
12 ounces spaghetti
Finely grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
Make sauce: In a Dutch oven (or 5-quart saucepan), heat oil over high heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and pork; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add wine and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a simmer; cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 hour. Add milk; simmer until completely absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Season again with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
When sauce is almost done, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions; drain. Toss pasta with half the meat sauce; save remaining sauce for next day. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Homemade "Cheese-y" Lasagna

Aubrey and I decided to have a cooking night together and try out the pasta maker that he gave me for Christmas. I'll admit that I have a fear when it comes to making dough, but that's Aubrey's specialty. When I cook, I have to go exactly by the recipie (of course, there are some exceptions). I'll blame that on all of my Chemistry classes. Aubrey, on the other hand is the kind of cook that just "dumps." Somehow his dough always comes out perfectly. I insisted that we do the recipe just like the recipe said, but I made a mistake in telling him how much flour to use. Long story short.... he had to start dumping the ingredients until it got to the right consistency. He did a perfect job! He also made up the recipe for the fillings (he just wanted lots of cheese).

We had to roll the dough through the rolling machine several times to knead it. After kneading it, we made the lasagna noodles.

Finished Product

Ingredients:

Pasta-
4 large eggs
1 TBSP water
3 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling-
About 6-9 large lasagna noodles
16 ounces tomato sauce
15 ounce container part skim Ricotta cheese
1 pound bag Mozzarella cheese
About 4 ounced freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Pasta-
Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in Kitchen Aid mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to speed 2 and mix 30 seconds.
Exchange flat beater for dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead 2 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead for 1-2 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Divide dough into 4 pieces before processing with pasta sheet roller attachment. We cut our dough into several pieces so it would work better in the pasta machine. Once pasta is rolled out into lasagna noodles, cook in salted boiling water for about 6 minutes or "al dente."

Lasagna-

Preheat oven to 400.

Put 1/4 of the tomato sauce at the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Put a layer of noodles on top of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer with 1/3 Ricotta and 1/4 Mozzarella and spread another 1/4 tomato sauce on top. Continue to layer with noodles, cheese, and tomato sauce until the last layer of noodles are on top. Top with the last 1/4 tomato sauce and the Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Take foil off and broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese browns.

***We had some leftover dough, so we used our spaghetti maker and made spaghetti noodles. We are drying them on paper towels and storing in an air tight container for an easy dinner this week.

Banana Bread

Here is another recipe from marthastewart.com. I had some ripe bananas that were giving our kitchen the "banana" fragrance, so I decided to make use out of them. I'd never made banana bread before, but the preparation was really quick and easy. The bread was really moist, which is from adding the sour cream. My favorite way to eat it is right out of the oven with a slice of butter on top. If it's already cool, I like to stick it in the microwave for a few seconds with a little butter. Mmmm!

This recipe makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Baked Ziti

This is really good with garlic bread and a crisp green salad. I got this recipe from marthastewart.com and was very impressed. Aubrey said this is one of the best things I've cooked, so I know I'll be making it again.

Ingredients:
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Black Bean Soup


I absolutely LOVE Panera Bread's black bean soup. The best thing about it is that it's low fat. I searched the internet to try to find their recipe, but I could only find a recipe that someone created to taste like Panera's black bean soup. I found the recipe on recipezaar.com, and I have to say that they did a good job recreating it! Aubrey loved the soup, and we made some cornbread to go with it. The cornbread recipe is also on my blog at this address: http://maryanna-bishop.blogspot.com/2008/02/skillet-cornbread-this-is-best.html.



Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small chicken bouillon cubes
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sour cream and cilantro

Directions:
In a pot, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.
Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.
Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot)... but you can pour it in a blender to puree.
Add the rest of the beans to the soup.
Combine the cornstarch with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of water.
Pour soup into 4 soup bowls and serve with a scoop of sour cream and sprigs of cilantro.
Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened.

Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 4 servings): 313 calories; 1.3 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 312 mg sodium; dietary fiber 19.5 g; 2.1 g sugars; 19.5 g protein

Blackened Grilled Red Snapper

Blackened fish is typically cooked on a skillet, but Aubrey changed it up a bit. We used a seasoning that's made in Selma, Alabama called Southern Flavor. It's the one with the green label used for wild game, but it can also be used to blacken fish. I have to say that this red snapper was so good.


Ingredients:
4 red snapper fillets
2-3 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
4-6 ounces olive oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Seasoning powder, to taste (we used Southern Flavor)
Cooking spray

Directions:
Prepare grill. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Marinate fish in lemon juice and olive oil for 30 minutes in a baking dish covered with saran wrap or a large zip lock bag in the fridge. Spray fish baskets with cooking spray, and place the fish inside. Sprinkle with seasoning powder and place on the grill. I think Aubrey grilled them for about 5-10 minutes on each side. Just make sure the fish are flaky when pulled apart.

London Broil Teriyaki

This is another recipe that I received from Time Life. This was a quick and easy recipe, and the best part is that it's low fat/low cal. The recipe makes tons of sauce... much more than needed, and I will also recommend using low sodium soy sauce. Soy sauce can be over powering with the salt flavor sometimes. I just drizzled a small amount over the sliced beef, and I served a small dipping bowl for Aubrey and me to dip the meat and peppers in the sauce if needed. I served this with green and red peppers quartered and broiled skin side up for about 10 minutes. We really enjoyed this meal.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 and 1/4 pound boneless top round, about 1-inch thick
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger and garlic, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove 1/2 cup of sauce for basting.
Place steak on rack of broiler pan; brush generously with basting sauce.
Broil 4 inches from heat for 10 minutes.
Turn and brush with remaining reserved sauce. Broil an additional 5-6 minutes or until desired doneness.
Mix cornstarch with water and add to mixture in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened, 8-10 minutes.
Let steak stand for 2 minutes. Slice diagonally across grain. Stir scallions into sauce and serve with steak.

Nutritional Contents per serving: 380 Calories; 20g Carbs; 44g Protein; 5g Fat; 1920mg Sodium; 80mg Cholesterol; less than 1g Fiber; 17g Sugar

Chicken Romano

I got this recipe from a stack of recipe cards that were mailed to me from Time Life. I think they wanted me to buy a cookbook from them, and this was their little free gift and a little "peek" of their book. This was advertized as being a quick and easy meal, and that it was! I'll definitely be making this again. Aubrey really enjoyed it, too! The best thing about it is that it's low calorie & low fat (see bottom of post). A nice piece of garlic bread would be the perfect partner for this chicken. I omitted the olives since I'm not a big fan, and I used Mozzarella instead of Romano cheese since I had some on hand. I guess I should have named this "Chicken Mozarella."

Ingredients:
3 TBSP salt-free seasoned dried breadcrumbs
3 TBSP grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 thin sliced boneless chicken cutlets
1 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, liquid reserved
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBSP sliced pitted Kalamata olives
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
3 TBSP coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in shallow dish or pie plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in crumb mixture to coat on both sides.
Heat 1.5 tsp oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat.
Add drained tomatoes, garlic, olives, vinegar, red pepper and 1/3 cup of tomato liquid. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and discard garlic. Stir in basil. Spoon sauce over cutlets and serve.


Nutritional Content Per serving: 280 Calories; 16g Carbs; 28g Protein; 2.5g Fat; 630mg Sodium; 70mg Cholesterol; 2g Fiber; 7g Sugar

Filet Mignon with Savory Mushrooms

Aubrey bought me the Junior League at Home cookbook for Easter. It's got recipes from all over the nation. This recipe came from the Junior League of Oakland - East Bay, CA. It was so good and nothing like I've ever made before. I served it with steamed asparagus drizzled with hollandaise sauce. You can make your own (recipe at http://maryanna-bishop.blogspot.com/2008/02/sunday-brunch.html) or you can buy a mix at the grocery store. I bought the mix tonight to save time, and it was good.

Ingredients:
6 ounces fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 and 1/4 TBSP minced shallots
3/4 TBSP butter
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 TBSP red wine
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley, plus additional for garnish
1 and 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil
2 (6-ounce) filet mignon steaks, 2 inches thick
1 cup beef broth

Directions:
Saute the shallots in 2 TBSP of butter in a skillet over medium heat until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until they release their juices. Continue to saute until the juices evaporate. Stir in 2 TBSP of the wine and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, until the mushroom mixture is dry but not sticking to the skillet. Stir in 1 TBSP chopped parsley, thyme, 1/8 - 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the filets generously with salt and pepper. Sear for about 2 minutes per side or until well-browned on both sides and edges. If preparing just before serving, transfer the filets to an ovenproof pan (do not cover) and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 125 degrees for rare or 140 degrees for medium.

Pour off and discard the oil remaining in the skillet after the steaks are seared. Add the remaining 2 TBSP wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until most of the stock has evaporated. Add the remaining 1/2 cup stock; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Cool slightly. Whisk in 1/2 TBSP butter to enrich the juices. Pour through a strainer into a small pitcher.

To serve, top each filet with half of the mushroom mixture and half of the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

**Note** The filets can be browned early in the day and stored, covered, in the fridge. Bake, uncovered, at 425-degrees for 15 minutes or until the desired degree of doneness has been reached. The sauce and mushroom mixture may also be prepared in advance, stored in the fridge, and reheated just before serving.