Oatmeal Craisin and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love oatmeal raisin cookies, but I really love Craisins, so I decided to swap them out. But you could really use any type of dried fruit. I had some leftover white chocolate chips that I decided to throw in, too. It made a great combination.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried Craisins
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture and stir until well blended. Fold in the Craisins and white chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Italian-Style Meatloaf

My husband loves the meatloaf at our favorite local Italian restaurant, so I thought I'd try to replicate it. I haven't had it myself, so I went by his description. I doubt mine was as good as Gino's, but it was good and my husband said it was on par. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, but now that I am thinking about it, polenta would be really good. Oh well, there's always next time.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 lbs. ground beef/pork combination
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce (I made a batch of homemade sauce. Get the recipe here.)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the onion and sautee until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee for a couple of more minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To make the fresh bread crumbs, tear 4-5 slices of white bread into pieces, add to a food processor, pulse until fine. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.

In a large bowl, place the ground beef/pork combination, bread crumb mixture, eggs, milk and cheese. Mix well, but be careful not overwork. Place the meat mixture onto a greased 9 x 13 pan and form into the shape of a loaf.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes. Once it's done, spoon the marinara sauce over it and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven and allow the cheese to melt for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat off and turn the broiler on low. Broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chicken and Broccoli with Spaghetti

Here is another pasta dish I threw together this past week. (Sorry to my low-carb readers, but I may have something for you later this week.)

Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli, florets trimmed into smaller pieces
1 lb chicken cutlets, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lb spaghetti (I used a whole-wheat, chive and garlic spaghetti I got at the Farmer's Market.)
lots of olive oil and parmesan cheese

Bring about a cup of water to a boil in a skillet with a lid. Add the broccoli florets and season with a little salt. Place the lid on the skillet and let the broccoli steam for a few minutes. The broccoli should be a little tender and bright green. Remove to a plate.

Drain the water from the skillet. Add a little oil to the pan and cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through. About 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and slice.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

In the skillet, add more oil and the garlic; cook for a couple of minutes. Add the parsley. Return the broccoli and chicken to the skillet to re-heat. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Toss the pasta with the chicken and broccoli. Add a little more oil, season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates and top with lots of fresh parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Spaghetti with Sausage and Mushrooms

While at Publix last weekend I saw this Italian sausge with parsley and cheese. I was intrigued, so I bought them. I realized I had a couple jars of marinara from a previous shopping trip and decided to make a little pasta dish.

Ingredients:
1 package of Italian sausage, your favorite kind
1-2 portabello mushrooms, chopped
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 (14-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
1 lb. spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
parmesan cheese

In a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, add the sausage with a cup of water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water, return the skillet to the heat, add a little oil and brown the sausage on each side for another 5 minutes. Remove the sausage to a plate. Add a little more oil to the skillet and add the mushrooms. Season with a little salt and pepper, sautee the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the jar of sauce and can of tomatoes. Slice the sausages and add back to the pan. Allow to simmer together while the pasta cooks.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, divide the pasta among plates and top with the sauce. Serves 4.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Busy Week

So, I'm sorry I've been neglectful this week and haven't posted anything since Saturday. It has been a busy week, but I promise to post some new recipes this weekend.

Just a reminder Julie & Julia opens tomorrow! I'm very excited. I'm not sure when I'm going to see it because I have like 4 people who want to see it with me. I have a feeling I'll be seeing it in the theatres more than once. And I have a feeling after seeing it I am going to be very hungry and craving pastries.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

And the winner is...

Middle-Aged Diva! She submitted three ideas/recipes, and they all sound delicious. I will probably make all three at some point. Check out her recipe suggestions here: http://amodernhousewife.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-bay-giveaway.html

The other two people were disqualified because one was my husband and the other emailed me the recipe instead of posting it. It does sound good though, so I have posted it below.

Congratulations, Middle-Aged Diva and you can expect your Old Bay Seasoning gift basket soon.

Steamed Shrimp and Old Bay Aioli (Idea from my sister, who is also a great cook)
Last night I played around with my shrimp idea. I put about a half a pound of shrimp (peels on) in a steamer bag and then added a few pieces of sliced lemon and sprinkled in a couple of tablespoons of old bay. I closed the bag and shook it up and put it in the microwave for 2 and a half minutes. Be careful opening the bag because the steam is hot. The shrimp were cooked nicely and had a nice flavor from the lemon and old bay.

I was out of horseradish so instead of cocktail sauce I made a sort of remoulade but Brad renamed it Old Bay Aioli. I mixed equal parts mayo and ketchup and added a healthy dose of cayenne pepper, salt and old bay seasoning. Brad loved the dipping sauce. This is a great quick appetizer if you have people drop by because I usually have lemons on hand and you can keep shrimp in the freezer. In fact, you can add the shrimp right to the bag frozen if you want to. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to make. I also, thought that this might work with salmon or other types of fish.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Snow Crab Legs

There is nothing my husband loves more to feast on then Snow Crab Legs, so when I noticed Publix had them on sale this weekend for half the normal price, I knew I had to pick some up. And indeed I did, 4 pounds to be exact. I know that sounds a little excessive for two people, but it doesn't happen often, so when it does, you must indulge yourself.

Fill a big pot with water. Season with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and Old bay (about 1/4 cup). Cut two lemons in half, squeeze in the juice and just throw them in the pot, too. Bring it all to a boil. Add the crab legs in batches and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Remove and repeat. Serve with melted butter.

Delicious. It just melts in your mouth.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad