09.30.09 Pumpkin white chocolate blondies

When September arrives, I start humming Christmas carols and mentally decorating Christmas trees. This is my favorite time of year and I want it to last as long as possible! I knew I had to try this recipe for pumpkin white chocolate blondies as soon as I saw it. And Oh. My. Goodness. They're delicious!! I recommend making a batch of these as soon as possible.

(I also recommend baking them a bit longer than suggested - my toothpick came out clean, but when I sliced them, they were gooier than the cake-like substance I expected. I borrowed the above picture from the blog where I got the recipe because hers photographed better).

09.26.09 Beef tenderloin grilled flatbread

Over the weekend, we made beef tenderloin grilled flatbread, a Bobby Flay recipe. Every component adds a ton of flavor - the white bean puree was great as a dip with tortilla chips, and roasting the shallots made them out-of-this-world delicious! I halved the dough recipe, which made 2 flatbreads instead of 4, so I have one in the freezer for another day. Similar to grilling pizza - a must-try!!

09.28.09 Chorizo-potato frittata

Dinner last night (and leftovers tonight!) was chorizo-potato frittata from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. This was my first time making a frittata (kind of like a crust-less quiche) and we loved it! I substituted monterey jack cheese for mozzarella because that's what we had on hand. Otherwise we followed the recipe as is (we skipped the salad). This dish has a lot of flavor with the chorizo, onion and bell pepper - delicious!!

09.26.09 Ultimate pancakes

We made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Pankcakes for breakfast this morning. They were light, fluffy and delicious! They are made with ricotta and lemon, which balances the sweetness of a fruit or syrup topping. Robert made a blueberry compote (fresh blueberries simmered in water and splenda) in place of Tyler's roasted apples. We halved the recipe, which yields 6-7 pancakes. This requires more work than using a box mix, but we think it's worth it to achieve less dense, non-rubbery pancakes!

09.24.09 Cinnamon roll cupcakes

I've been eyeing recipes for homemade cinnamon rolls for months, and finally dove in last night and tried one. I don't have a lot of experience with kneading, rolling, or forming dough, so my cupcakes weren't uniform sizes. I ended up with small ones for the little tykes (Lucy devoured one for breakfast this morning), and jumbo ones for hungry adults. These are called cinnamon roll cupcakes because they're cooked in a muffin tin with cupcake liners. They are delicious, and definitely have a more authentic taste than what you get from a can. I made a simple icing of powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract (hand mixed, measurements to taste), but they are delicious plain and I saved some to top with cream cheese frosting at a later date. These are sweet - kind of like that South Carolina victory over Ole Miss last night!!

09.24.09 Poblano burgers

There is a new(ish) restaurant in Hillcrest called The House. So far the menu is pretty limited, but the burgers are perfection. We replicated their BBQ burger for dinner last night. Our version was pretty simple - roasted poblano peppers, ground sirloin seasoned with salt and pepper, smothered in BBQ sauce, and stacked up on an onion roll. To roast the poblanos, heat the grill to high, place whole peppers on the rack, and char each side until completely black. When they're finished, put them in a bowl and cover with saran wrap. Let the peppers "steam" for 10 minutes, then peel the skin and remove the seeds.

09.21.09 Pork pot stickers

We made pork pot stickers for dinner this week, a recipe from Everyday Food magazine. This was my first time cooking with wonton wrappers (found in the refrigerated section by the specialty cheeses at my Kroger). These were fun to make and yummy to eat - little pockets of Asian flavor! (Robert had pot stickers later this week at a business dinner and said mine were far superior. Might have had something to do with sitting out all night on a buffet, but it shows that this recipe is a keeper!)

Pork pot stickers
Makes 20

1/4 lb ground pork
1 tbsp minced chives
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp dry sherry
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp cornstarch
20 wonton wrappers
1 tbsp vegetable oil
(Soy dipping sauce recipe follows)

In a bowl, combine pork, chives, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch and 1 tbsp water. Place a heaping teaspoon of pork mixture in center of a wonton wrapper. Lightly wet edge of wrapper, fold over, and press to seal. Repeat to form remaining dumplings.

In two batches, cook dumplings in a large pot of boiling water until cooked through (4 minutes); transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. In a large nonstick pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high. In two batches, cook until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.

Soy-ginger dipping sauce:
In a bowl, stir together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger, 2 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp sesame oil.

09.13.09 Braised short ribs

We made braised short ribs from the Food Network on Sunday. This was a repeat recipe (first time was pre-blog), and one of our favorites. I didn't get a good photo, but the recipe is worth sharing so I'm posting anyway. These ribs get their great flavor from braising in beer, then being basted with hoisin sauce as they finish in the oven. (Our liquid cooked down to almost nothing in the recommended cooking time, so it took extra beer to maintain liquids in our pot). The hoisin sauce gives it a kicky Asian flavor, and the meat falls off the bone!

09.12.09 Mexi-pizza

We made Rachael Ray's mexi-pizza last weekend, including her homemade chorizo (just browning ground pork with spices) because I couldn't find fresh sausages at my grocery stores. I also couldn't find queso fresco, so I substituted ricotta as suggested. I love anything with roasted poblano peppers - they are great on burgers, too. This was a delicious, meaty pizza, with lots of spice!

09.12.09 Pumpkin-ginger-pecan waffles

Breakfast this morning was pumpkin-ginger-pecan waffles from another food blog, My Baking Heart. I am a sucker for a pumpkin recipe, and these waffles were amazing! They tasted like fall (if it's possible for food to taste like a season), and were perfect with warm maple syrup. A decadent, delicious treat on a lazy weekend!

09.09.09 Lemon-ginger bundt cake

This lemon-ginger bundt cake is a departure from my typical sweet cravings because chocolate is usually at the top of my list. But I had all of the ingredients on-hand other than a few lemons, so I decided to go for it. It was a successful change of pace - the cake is dense like a pound cake, and the lemon is refreshing. Clearly it was a big hit with Robert, too - he didn't want a single crumb to go to waste!

09.09.09 Fajita chilaquiles casserole with pico de gallo

Dinner tonight was fajita chilaquiles casserole from the Rachael Ray show. I made pico de gallo to top our casserole with (along with sour cream, of course). The spices on the chicken were a great mix of flavors, and you can't go wrong with a recipe that calls for tortilla strips and melted cheese! Leftovers would be great wrapped in a tortilla.

09.08.09 Cheesesteak sliders

Dinner tonight was cheesesteak sliders from Rachael Ray's magazine. This recipe was a big hit at our house - few ingredients, and quick and easy to prepare. It's basically a one pot meal, other than finishing them off in the oven to melt the cheese. I used Sister Schubert rolls for our buns, and served it with a side of sweet potato fries. I have a feeling this recipe will be in heavy rotation at our house!

09.07.09 Grilled rosemary steak and red white beans

Dinner tonight was grilled rosemary steak from Cooking Light and red white beans from Rachael Ray. Both recipes use rosemary, so they make a great team! The search for the steak recipe was last minute, so we didn't have lemon on hand. Also, we didn't have time for the rub to sit for a full hour - we did 30 minutes. On the side dish, I mashed a few beans so the starch would thicken the sauce while it simmered. Yum-o!

9.1.09. Spicy Shrimp Pizza (Guest Post!)

My people. You missed me. I know you did, and I missed you too. Robert here with a guest post, straight out of Blue Mountain Beach, FL - and bringin the heat.

Tonight was homemade pizza night and we've become accustomed to grilling our pizza crusts. I got my creative juices flowing and came up with this shrimp pizza recipe. We marinated shrimp in a mixture of oil, chopped cilantro, and 1 minced habanero pepper. We fired up the grill to roast a poblano and a red pepper (until charred) and then threw on the shrimp (just a few minutes on each side). Then we grilled the pizza crust (about 1 to 2 minutes per side).

Then it was time to construct our masterpiece. We topped the crust with homemade marinara sauce (that you better be making!), skinned and chopped the peppers and added them. Then we added the grilled shrimp, some chopped cilantro, and a few handfuls of mozzarella cheese. Finally, we julienned a raw jalapeno pepper and added that on top of the cheese.

After putting the whole thing under the oven broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese, this baby was ready to eat!