Roasted Asparagus

The other day, Matt and I were trying to decide what to have for dinner after deciding to bail on our previous plans to go to Epcot's food and wine festival. I realized that I still needed to make something out of mommom's cookbook this week. I had some turkey sausage that needed to be cooked, so I asked Matt to find a side dish out of the cookbook. He picked out the roasted asparagus recipe. 

When I first met Matt, he hated all things vegetables. He would only tolerated broccoli. One of the first vegetables that I re-introduced him to was asparagus and he now loves and requests for it often! Needless to say, I was not surprised that this was the recipe he chose. 

In Mommom's note, she said she got this recipe from Joyce Rice and from further inquiry I found out that Joyce was my mom's Home Economics teacher in Jr. High School. Her note also said that she liked to marinate the asparagus over night or at least from the morning of until supper time. 

I make roasted asparagus (a different recipe) all the time and I'm slightly picky about it. I always want super skinny asparagus and right after washing it, the woody ends need to go. Even if you are not making it that night, you still should cut of the ends and put it in a jar with water just like you would do to any fresh flowers you bring home. I never thought of marinating it in all the goodies for longer than just the time to mix all the ingredients together. I will definitely do that from now on. I was able to marinate it for the hour or so that the main dish was being prepped and cooked since I didn't know I was making it until a few hours before dinner. I also really like that it's all mixed in a baggie. Before, I would always mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then have something else that needs to be cleaned. While Matt and I probably slightly prefer my other recipe for roasting asparagu, I did learn a few new tricks about marinating from this recipe and it provided a good alternate to what we normally have.

Roasted Asparagus 

Ingredients:
Asparagus (1lb)
Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
Garlic (about 1 clove minced)
Tarragon (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions:
Place above ingredients in baggie. Coat the asparagus well.
Place asparagus in single layer in backing dish.
Place in preheated oven 475 degrees and bake for 3 minutes. Turn the asparagus over and baked an additional 4 minutes.

Polynesian Volcano

I was standing in the middle of my living room the other day just staring at my huge bookshelf of just cookbooks and smiled proudly. I have so many cookbooks it's crazy and I love all of them. They each have a story, but my favorite story is for the one that sits first in line at the very top. A few years ago, my grandma (my mom's mom and will hence forth be referred to as Mommom) asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted all her recipes. All her favorites that she's collect from cookbooks, magazines, friends, etc over the years. Not only did she come through for me with all the recipes, but at the end of most of them was a little note of the history of the recipe and maybe a tidbit of who's favorite it was/is and who makes it best. I was in love! I haven't made most of the recipes in it. I might have been a little intimidated at first, but I'm ready now. I have decided to set off on an adventure of making at least one of her recipes a week until I've made them ALL and to blog about each one! Wish me (and Matt) good luck!

First off the block, Polynesian Volcano! The reason I decided to make this one first is because I hosted "girl's night" this week and I like to theme my meals around the movie we're watching (we happen to be in the middle of watching the top 100 Disney movies). This week's movie was Swiss Family Robinson. While I don't think their ship wrecked anywhere near the Polynesian islands, I still wanted an island feel for the dish.

Mommom didn't have a note for this one, but I do know it's one of my Uncle Joe's favorites. We've had it at least three years for his birthday that I can remember. He probably knows the history of the dish or it might even be his recipe. I don't know. Funny story from his birthday this year, my great-grandmother (Granny) wasn't too thrilled with him or anyone else really (she gave him a tomato for his birthday) and she wouldn't really comment on the dish (she had obviously had it before). She just kept asking who's birthday was next and they better want something "American". She was essentially insulting his choice without actually saying it. Fun fact: The Hawaiian islands are part of Polynesia and therefore their meals would be considered "American". If you are feeling a burger though, don't make this. You'll be disappointed. Granny has since passed, but this was a fun story to remember while prepping the meal.

The recipe doesn't give the quantity for each ingredient, so I kind of just guessed a good amount of each for the number of people that were going to be eating it (the amounts I used in purple below). This would easily serve 4 adults. I hate celery. I felt I needed to keep it in the recipe though. After all, I didn't have to put it on my volcano. Ashleigh and Shannon both loved the meal and even went back for seconds. That's the biggest compliment I think there is!

Polynesian Volcano

Ingredients:

Rice, cooked (2 cups uncooked in my rice cooker)

Chinese noodles

Chicken, cooked, cubed (1lb)

Can crushed pineapple, heated (8oz can)

Celery, chopped (2 stalks)

Green onion, chopped (2)

Shaved coconut (1 cup)

Sliced almonds, toasted (1/2 cup)

Grated cheddar cheese (2 cups)

Chicken gravy made from chicken broth (1/2 cup) and cream of chicken soup (8oz can) 

Directions:

Arrange food on table in given order. Serve to plate in like order. 

Lasagna Dip

Since moving my job to a new department in the company and my co-workers are now four grown men, I've been given the opportunity (and reason) to try more new recipes. They love being my "guinea pigs".

One recipe that I've already made twice in the month and a half that I've worked in my new position is Lasagna Dip. It's roughly based on this recipe from closetcooking.com, but mine is FAR less healthy.

This recipe is the definition of comfort food. It makes you feel full and happy even at work which is where I put this together both times I made it. I usually start putting it together around 9am and the guys have my crock-pot empty by 11am. We've had it with Triscuits and Ritz Crackers, but their favorite dipping utensil was Tostitos Fajita Scoops.  

Lasagna Dip

Servings: 16 (or lunch for 4 grown men)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• garlic salt to taste
• Italian seasoning to taste
• 16 oz ricotta cheese 
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 (16 oz) jars of tomato pasta sauce (I usually just get whatever is bogo at Publix)
• 2 c mozzarella cheese
• box/bag of your favorite crackers/chips

Directions:
1. Brown ground beef and ground Italian sausage with the garlic salt and Italian seasoning until done.
2. Throw in the browned meat, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, and pasta sauce in your slow cooker. Mix together.
3. Top mixture with mozzarella cheese.
4. Place lid on top and cook on high for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and started bubbling.

It's a Boy! Cake Pops

Recently, my friend, Izzy, found out she was pregnant with a new baby boy! She wanted to tell all her friends and family the sex of the baby in a creative (and yummy) way, so she asked if I would make cake pops for the occasion. That's easy enough, but she also wanted them to be German Chocolate in flavor. 

I started out making a blue velvet cake (they sell the mix at Walmart) and mixing it with cream cheese frosting. I made it in to smaller balls than I normally do so that they could be covered in the German Chocolate cake mixture and not make a colossal cake pop.

When the little balls were in the refrigerator getting hard, I made the chocolate cake and mixed it with the German Chocolate coconut frosting. When it was ready to go, I took a little bit of the German Chocolate cake/frosting mixture and spread it out in my hand. I then placed one of the blue cake balls on top and covered the blue completely with the German Chocolate cake making a bigger ball.
After those balls had been in the refrigerator an hour, one by one I took them out, put them on a stick, and dipped them in chocolate candy coating. Once the chocolate was hardened, I decorated the pops with pink and blue question marks using pink and blue cookie icing. After the icing was dry, they were ready to be bagged, tied, and delivered to the mommy-to-be. 

Olaf Cake Pops

One of my friends is a Kindergarten teacher and for the end of the school year she wanted to give the kids a treat. She asked me if I thought I could make Olaf (from Disney's Frozen) cake pops. After thinking on it, I thought it was possible and went to try it. He wasn't the easiest design I've ever made, but I think he turned out adorable. 

She wanted chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Usually having chocolate cake and needing a white candy coating is a bad combination because the brown color shows through the white, but it worked out this time. The coating was white almond bark. The nose was an orange tic-tac. The hair was chopped/sliced black licorice. His eyebrows were black sprinkles. His eyes were bought pre-made (I got those at Walmart). I made his mouth with black cookie icing and stuck pearl sprinkles on for his teeth. 

Her class loved the way he looked and thought he tasted yummy!

New Orleans Style

Every Thursday night is girl's night for me. I meet up with my friends Ashleigh, Shannon, and Izzy to watch a movie, eat, and hang out. Right now we're going through the top 100 Disney movies according to www.disneymovieslist.com. We switch up hosting every week. This time it was my turn and the movie was Disney's The Princess and the Frog. It's one of my favorites (a princess that cooks? amazing!). To theme our meal with the story, I decided to make Gumbo and Beignets. I knew they were both going to be a challenge. I had to work all day and then come home and cook. Both recipes take a long time. Luckily (only in this instance), I still live with my parents and my mom was there to be my helper. Another challenge: yeast and I do not get along... ever.. like every attempt has failed! I was determined though! I got both recipes from www.foodnetwork.com. Both by Paula Deen. She might be racist, but she knows Southern cooking. 

I kept to the Gumbo recipe except I left out the celery (mostly because I just don't like it). Everything turned out great! I was looking for a recipe that wasn't too spicy and this wasn't at all. When putting it together, it might look like there's way too much garlic, there really isn't. I mean, it'll taste garlicky, but it's really delicious! The girls (and my parents) loved it too and even went back for seconds. I served it over rice. 

I followed the Beignet recipe exactly. I did not want to mess this one up. To my own surprise, I nailed it! They came out perfectly!!! Everyone loved them and they were gabbled up quickly. I ended up only making half the recipe because we were already stuffed and there wasn't that many of us. I can't wait to make these again and maybe vary the toppings. 

Gumbo

Total Time: 2 hr 40 min
Servings: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups hot water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

French Quarter Beignets

Total Time: 2 hr 30 min

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Three-Cheese Macaroni

We made this on Saturday when my boyfriend was over. We wanted to have something he would enjoy and wouldn't completely destroy my mom and I's lower calorie eating. I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com. We served the macaroni with bratwursts and steamed broccoli. I didn't change anything about the recipe and it turned out delicious. My boyfriend didn't even notice there was cauliflower in the dish.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)

4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)

Directions:

1.Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.
2.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.
3. Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.
4. Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Per serving (about 1 1/3 cups): Calories 403; Fat 17 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 517 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 20 g