05.29.09 Vanilla frozen yogurt

This weekend we made vanilla frozen yogurt in our ice cream maker. I used Greek yogurt (found in the organic section of Kroger) vs. the straining option - who has the time and patience for that? Anyway, the texture of this is very creamy and smooth. The dominant flavor is definitely the sourness of the yogurt - it isn't sugary sweet like you might get at TCBY. It is a great compliment to peaches, which is how we ate it, and would be delicious with berries or granola, too.

05.29.09 Buttermilk-brined pork chops

This recipe for buttermilk-brined pork chops doesn't sound very glamorous, but I was intrigued by the reviewers who raved about how the buttermilk mixture tenderizes and flavors the meat and decided we should give it a try. I'm so glad we did - it's delicious!

05.28.09 Banana bread

This is my favorite recipe for banana bread, and it comes from the Perfect Light Desserts cookbook. Lucy loves all bread products, so I try to have muffins or bread made at all times, particularly with fruit in them, to add to her otherwise picky diet. The key to great banana flavor is to use very ripe bananas - you know, the ones with brown spots!

Banana loaf cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 large, very ripe bananas)
One 9 x 5 x 3 -inch loaf pan, sprayed with vegetable cooking spray and the sprayed surface
coated with fine, dry breadcrumbs

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to break them up, then whisk in the sugar and the brown sugar. Whisk in the butter and vanilla, followed by the mashed bananas.

Sift the flour mixture over the banana mixture and thoroughly fold it in. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55-65 minutes. (I cover mine with foil after 40 minutes to prevent the top from browning too much).

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold it and cool completely on a rack.

Storage: Keep the cake wrapped in plastic at room temperature after it has cooled. For longer storage, double wrap and freeze for up to a month.

05.23.09 Fried chicken

Dinner tonight was Fried Chicken from the Rachael Ray show. It was our first time frying chicken, and it was a success! I purchased a whole chicken that was already cut up from Kroger, and we removed the skin to cut some calories. We marinated ours for about 5 hours, then cooked it in canola oil. The chicken was juicy and tender, and seasoned perfectly!

05.18.09 Key lime pie ice cream

Tonight was the Bachelorette premiere, so I made key lime pie ice cream for our watch party (I can't find the link on Rachael Ray's website, so the recipe is below). This recipe is more involved than my usual ice cream recipes because you make a custard first, then churn it in your ice cream maker. It was worth it, though - it was creamy and delicious, and tasted JUST like key lime pie!

KEY LIME PIE ICE CREAM from Rachael Ray magazine
Makes 1 quart

4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
Ice water
3 tablespoons store-bought key lime juice, such as Nellie & Joe's (I found this at Kroger on the juice aisle)
3/4 cup chopped graham crackers (plus more for garnish)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt. In a medium saucepan, whisk the cream, milk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until just beginning to simmer, about 5 minutes (this step took longer for me). Add to the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes.

2. Strain the custard into a bowl set in an ice water bath; stir in the key lime juice. Let cook, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

3. Using an ice cream machine, process the custard according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in the graham crackers, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

05.18.09 Honey-chipotle barbecue chicken sandwiches

Dinner tonight was honey-chipotle barbecue chicken sandwiches from Cooking Light. No notes really, except that Robert and I thought they could use a little more sauce, so I suggest making extra. Spicy and delicious!

05.12.09 Chocolate flank steak with pineapple salsa

Dinner tonight was chocolate flank steak with pineapple salsa from Paula Deen. I marinated the meat in the refrigerator for 8 hours and we cooked it on the outdoor grill. The flavor is rich and delicious, and the pineapple salsa is the perfect compliment to the meat! (The salsa is great on its own, too - I ate the leftovers with chips).

On a side note, here are two simple tips on how to pick a ripe, sweet pineapple - smell the bottom, then look for the "eyes" on the skin to be the same size. A sweet fragrance should yield a sweet flavor!

Banana ice cream

Robert and I love making homemade ice cream in the summer - it is simple to do with our Cuisinart ice cream maker and there is an endless number of flavors and recipes to try. Our first batch of 2009 is this delicious banana ice cream recipe from Alton Brown (Food Network). I lightened it up a bit by substituting skim milk for some of the cream (3/4 cup of each). Creamy and delicious!!

Now, if you're a reasonable person like Robert, you put a few scoops in a mug to enjoy.

But if you're 35 weeks pregnant and eating everything in sight like me, you put a scoop between chocolate chip cookies and add a layer of peanut butter for good measure. YUM!!

05.10.09 Mother's Day brunch

Robert was the head chef and creator of a delicious Mother's Day brunch this weekend. The crowd favorite was Paula Deen's french toast casserole (no surprise there), but everything was delicious and a big hit. Other items on the menu were prosciutto-melon bites with lime drizzle from Cooking Light, bacon, hot spinach dip with pitas, and Trace Creek potatoes (hashbrown potato casserole). My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

05.09.09 Mexican lasagna

We tried a recipe at the lake over the weekend that Mom saw at the Taste of Home cooking school earlier last week. It was a Mexican lasagna (recipe below), with layers of yummy goodness!

Mexican Lasagna
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (we used lean ground beef)
1 cup each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded light sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions

sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the ground chicken, onions, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as it is cooking.

Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.

To assemble casserole, spread a third of the sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with half of the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with a third of the sauce mixture, followed by half of the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings.

05.08.09 - Tequila Lime Chicken and Caesar-Cado Salad (GUEST POST!)

Holla to me (Robert) for a guest post on Lindsay's Menu! Whoop Whoop!

Tonight's dinner was Tequila-Lime Chicken with Tex-Mex Chimi Chop and Grilled Romaine with Caesar-Cado Dressing. Man thats some gooooood stuff right here. No shortage of big bold flavors in this one - red onions, jalapeno, mint, cilantro.....you get the idea. Do yourself a favor and fire the grill up tonight for this one!

05.04.09 Chocolate chip cookies

I baked my favorite chocolate chip cookies from Cooking Light earlier this week. These things are irresistible! I have to admit I add extra chips, using a heaping 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup. Also, I used silpat pads instead of greasing my cookie sheets, and the cookies spread quite a bit more than usual. But other than that the recipe is perfect!

05.05.09 Cinco de Mayo guacamole

I made Alton Brown's guacamole for Cinco de Mayo this week. Guacamole recipes are pretty standard, and really the only decision you have to make is if you want tomatoes in it. The hardest part is planning ahead to make sure your avocados are ripe!

05.04.09 Italian pot pie

Dinner tonight was Italian pot pie from Everyday Food magazine. The recipe calls for jarred or homemade tomato sauce, so I used my standard recipe for easy marinara, with the same changes and substitutions as this original post. Also, I used a spicy Italian seasoning blend to spice up the meat mixture, and skim milk instead of whole for the biscuit topping. It was very tasty - perfect for a cool, rainy night!

05.01.09 Grilled pizza with sausage and peppers

Dinner tonight was grilled sausage and pepper pizza from Bobby Flay. All this post really needs to say is - do yourself a favor and make this recipe - but of course I'll elaborate... I have been hearing a lot lately about making pizza on the grill, and this was our first time trying it. It definitely has a different flavor than pizza baked in the oven, and it's fantastic! My suggestions and changes are as follows: 1) I used Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, 2) the onions and peppers took longer than 8 minutes to soften on the grill, so I suggest starting them with the sausage and just keeping an eye on them, 3) we made Bobby's tomato and mozzarella salad to give us another reason to use the basil vinagarette. The pizza recipe is a bit complicated/time consuming, but I think it's worth the effort. If it's too much for you, at least try your own favorite pizza recipe on the grill - I may never bake a pizza again!