Roasted Cauliflower

My mother-in-law first made this recipe about a year ago, and everyone in the family polished it off before I could even go back for seconds!  Now when I make them, my husband (who is not a veggie-lover) starts picking at them before I get them off the baking sheet.  The garlic sweetens a little and the Parmesan cheese adds a bit of saltiness to each bite.  They are perfect as a side to any dinner but can also be munched on left over as a snack.

1 head cauliflower, cut and rinsed

4-6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet with the garlic.  Pour the lemon juice on it and drizzle a little olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, then toss all together.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over cauliflower.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from The Cookie Bible.

These are honest-to-goodness the best darn chocolate chip cookies ever!  People rave about them wherever I take them.  Unfortunately, I can't take any sort of credit for this recipe.  The only time I've altered it is when I'm in the mood to try to make them a little healthier.  Rather than doing all white flour, you can do 1 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour - you won't even taste a difference.

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

12 oz. Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.  Add the egg.
4. Gradually mix in the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Add the chocolate chips.
5. Drop on a baking sheet in tablespoon size amounts, spreading about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sunrise French Toast

My mom always used to put orange juice in her French toast.  I never gave it much thought, and it wasn't until recently that I realized it was a more unique ingredient.  As my husband put it, this French toast tastes "exotic."  You'll feel like your on a tropical vacation while enjoying these.  I could almost hear the wind blowing through the palm trees and the waves lapping up on the shore as we ate our breakfast.

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 loaf Italian or Portuguese bread (the denser the bread, the better)

cinnamon

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.  Slice the bread and add to the egg mixture.  Allow the bread to sit until the egg has completely soaked in, about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bread slices and the density of it.
2. Arrange the French toast on a hot griddle with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Orecchiette with Chicken Meatballs

Recipe adapted from Giada's Kitchen by Giada DeLaurentiis.

I've made this dinner for a variety of guests ranging from the age of 1 to 81, and it's pleased even the pickiest of palates.  Orecchiette with Chicken Meatballs is great for entertaining since it can be made ahead of time.  All your left to do is boil the water and cook the pasta when you're ready to eat!

1 pound orecchiette pasta

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, basil, or a combination of both

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 TBS milk

1 TBS ketchup

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups (2 pints) cherry tomatoes, halved

8 ounces pearlini (small mozzarella balls)

chopped basil

1. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley or basil, eggs, milk, ketchup, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Add the ground chicken and mix together.  Form the chicken into small meatballs.
2. Use a large skillet, such as a Dutch oven, and heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken meatballs to the oil and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer the meatballs to a plate.  Do not drain the oil or brown bits from the bottom of the pan!
3. Add the halved tomatoes to the hot oil and cook for approximately 2 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften.  Add the the wine and cook for an additional 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken broth.  Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the chicken meatballs back into the pan.  Turn the heat down to low and cook about 20 minutes.  (If you're making this ahead of time, turn the heat off the pan after 10 minutes.  Turn the heat back on low when you begin to heat the pasta water.)
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions.  Add the cooked pasta to the meatball mixture and finish cooking in the broth.
5. Sprinkle additional basil across the top and serve with the pearlini on the side along with extra freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Chipotle Mayo

Recipe from Bobby Flay.

Entertaining is one of my favorite things to do.  I look forward to planning the menu as I think about what my guests would enjoy.  When Superbowl rolled around this year, I wanted to make sliders with a special "kick."  I found this recipe on the Food Network website.  I completely trust Bobby Flay when it comes to Southwestern flavors so I knew this would be a hit.  This Chipotle Mayo instantly became one of my favorite condiments.  Smokey bacon compliments the spicy mayo fabulously.  I typically double this recipe as it keeps for a long time without spoiling.

1 cup mayo

2 chipotle chiles, packed in adobo sauce

1 TBS adobo sauce

1/2 lime, juiced

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined.

Some uses for Chipotle Mayo:

1. BLT, as shown above
2. Cheddar burgers or sliders
3. Turkey wrap with bacon, lettuce, and Pepper-Jack cheese
4. Roast beef sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese
5. Chicken, roasted pepper, and mozzarella panini
6. Baked on tilapia

Raspberry-Lemon Muffins

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma-Food Made Fast: Baking.

I have an affinity for lemon.  There's something about it's clean, fresh taste which brightens the flavor of whatever it's paired with that I just can't resist.  I love how the lemon zest in these muffins enhances the natural sweetness of the raspberries.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup milk

6 TBS unsalted butter, melted

1 TBS lemon zest

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin pan with 12 paper cups, or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar.  Add the milk, butter, and lemon zest and blend.
4. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and gently mix with a spatula or dough whisk.  Fold in the raspberries.
5. Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for an additional 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Herbed Potato Gratin

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

One of my favorite stores has always been Williams-Sonoma.  I could spend hours there just walking around, looking and learning about all the tools.  When I leave that store, I typically have the urge to cook up a storm.  The recipe cards have fabulous, mouth-watering dishes, but I usually don't take them due to the fact that they require specialty (expensive) ingredients only found there.  On one of my shopping expeditions, I saw this recipe and thought it would make a fancy side to our Easter dinner.  Much to my surprise, I could find all of the ingredients at the grocery store.  I was able to throw these together in about 30 minutes.

3 large baking potatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds, peeled and sliced to about 1/8 inch thickness

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

6-8 ounces Gruyere cheese

chives (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place 8 ramekins on a baking sheet.
2. Prepare the potatoes and divide the slices evenly among 8 ramekins.
3. In a small sauce pan, combine the heavy cream, thyme, salt, bay leaf, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Once the cream is bubbling, remove from the heat and throw away the bay leaf.  Add a little more than half of the cheese, about 4-6 ounces stirring to combine and melt.  Divide the cream mixture evenly over the potatoes, about 1/4 cup per ramekin.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the potatoes.
4. Bake the potatoes until tender and the cheese is browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with chopped chives as a garnish.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Recipe from The River Cottage Family Cookbook.
I have always been terrified of making bread with yeast.  I was worried that the yeast wouldn't work, the bread wouldn't rise, and my ingredients would go to waste.  The picture of the bread in this cookbook made me crave homemade raisin bread and I was left with no choice but to attempt it.  Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to make.  The only specialty tools I used were a meat thermometer and my hands.  I suggest you try it.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3/4 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup hot water
1 egg
2 generous TBS orange marmalade

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast, raisins, and cinnamon.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and measure out 1/2 cup water.
3. In a second bowl, mix together the egg, milk, and hot water.  Check the temperature with a thermometer.  It should come to 100 to 110 degrees.  If it's too cold, add a little more hot water.  If it's too warm, allow to cool.
4. Pour the warm milk mixture over the flour mixture, and add the orange marmalade.  Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined, then turn onto a floured work surface and knead the dough until all ingredients are well incorporated.  If you push your finger in the center and the dough bounces back, it's ready.  Form into a dough ball and place back in the large bowl.  Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place, away from drafts, until the dough doubles in size, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. Push your fist in the center, then knead gently.  Form the dough into a long, thick rope.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and place the dough in the pan so it touches the ends.  Allow to rise an addition 25 minutes.
7. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 12 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 12 minutes.  Remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool on the cooling rack.

Parmesan Crisps

Recipe from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis.

My husband and I went on vacation to Cancun a few years ago.  We found ourselves returning to the same restaurant multiple nights just to have the salad they served complete with Parmesan Crisps.  Ironically, when we returned home, I received a phone call from Mema saying she made these while I was away.  I had to try them!  I make these often since they are the perfect substitute for croutons.  They are salty and crunchy, but allow me to avoid the calories, preservatives, and trans fats that are so often found in the store-bought brands.

Parmesan Crisps look fancy and delicate propped up on a side salad, and our dinner guests always seem to be impressed.  The best part is, they can be thrown together at the last minute.  Use shredded Parmesan cheese in order to give the crisps a lacy appearance.

Parmesan cheese, shredded

freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add a tiny handful of the shredded Parmesan cheese to the baking sheet and spread out into a small disk.  Sprinkle a little freshly ground black pepper over the cheese.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crisps are golden brown.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet, then gently place on your salad.

Easter's Coming...Ready or Not!

Post written by my wonderful husband.

Easter is quickly approaching.  It's time for family gatherings, the Easter bunny, egg hunts, and jelly beans!  But do you know why we celebrate Easter?  Have you stopped and thought about the origin of this Springtime holiday?  People around the world are preparing their Easter menus, but are they preparing their hearts?

I believe that the answer to these questions can be found in the Bible.  The Bible conveys a message about Easter that is far too important to be ignored.  However, before I share this message, I need to first tell you about the events that led up to Easter.  The Bible first begins with a Holy God who is perfect in every way.  Then in a miraculous act of love and grace, God created the human race!  Humans were given "free-will" so that we had the ability to do whatever we want.  Unfortunately, humans for whatever reason, choose to disobey God.  We use the term "sin" to describe this selfish disobedience.  Tragically, our sin has created a serious problem between humans and God.  Since God is Holy he cannot coexist with sin.  Therefore, our sin separates us from God and this results in our spiritual death!  So how can God and man coexist?

In order for God and man to coexist someone must pay this penalty, but who?  The Bible tells us that Jesus (God's only son) was sent to earth to pay this penalty for our sin.  He was the only human in history whose purpose of being born was to die.  Good Friday is the day when Christians remember Jesus Christ's death on the cross.  On that day Christians also remember how Jesus did more than die!  As Jesus died he took on the burden of every sin that was ever committed.  Think about how you felt the last time you did something wrong.  Now imagine what it would feel like to take the blame for sins committed by Hitler, Stalin, and Charles Mason combined.  Jesus, who was the only sinless and perfect human that every existed, actually became sin.  There are truly no words that can ever describe what Jesus experienced on that day.  But why would God allow this to happen to His one and only son?  The answer is love!  He loved you and I so much that he sacrificed His Son so that we may have a relationship with Him.

Thankfully, this is not the end of the story.  This is actually where the Easter celebration begins!  Three days after Jesus died, he defeated sin by miraculously rising from the dead.  Jesus is now up in Heaven seated at the right hand of God.  Easter Sunday is when Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  It is a day to rejoice in the fact that we serve a living God!  He was the Lamb that was slain for us and we must remember, rejoice, and give thanks.

What must we do to prepare our hearts?  God simply wants us to admit that we are sinners and trust that Jesus took our sin away by dying on the cross.  Whoever does this will be declared sinless before God and spend an eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.  If you do not believe, then you will spend an eternity separated from God in a place the Bible calls Hell.

In the end, the question is whether you believe this message from the Bible.  I am not here to make that decision for you, but I encourage you to look deeper into what the Bible says.  Do not let life pass by without believing.

Is your heart ready for Easter?