CEiMB: Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce and Shrimp

This week's pick for Craving Ellie in My Belly is from Jessica from Learning to love vegetables.  She chose for us to make the Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.   I knew as soon as I saw this recipe that I wanted to make it.  I love roasted red peppers in pasta sauces, and the addition of feta cheese sounded delicious. 

I made a few additions to the dish that I thought would work well the red pepper sauce.  I added some chopped spinach and crushed pepper to the sauce.  Once it was pureed, I tasted it, and it tasted too much like just a jarred red pepper, so I added a few tablespoons of tomato paste to the sauce to add some sweetness and remove some of that "jarred" flavor.  It worked perfectly. While the pasta was cooking I sauteed some shrimp seasoned with salt and pepper in some olive oil.  Once they were cooked, I added them to the pasta and sauce. 

This was another great recipe for me.  I think the additions I made really enhanced the sauce, especially the crushed red pepper and the tomato paste.  I would definitely make this again, the shrimp were wonderful with the pasta, but I think shredded chicken or Italian sausage would also work well.  Thanks Jessica for a great pick, and be sure to check out the blogroll to see what others did with their recipe!

CEiMB: Vanilla Spice Oatmeal

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was picked by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet.  She chose for us to make the Vanilla Spice Oatmeal from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  This is a simple recipe, but a hearty and healthy one.  It makes a wonderful breakfast that will keep for days in the fridge, so you can make it on Sunday and enjoy a great breakfast throughout the week.


I made quite a few changes to the original recipe to accommodate what I already had on hand in my kitchen.  First, I used steel-cut oats instead of old-fashioned oats.  I really love the nutty, chewy flavor of them, and if you stir them often while they are cooking, they become really creamy, similar to risotto.  Granted, they take quite a bit longer to cook than the old-fashioned oats (about 25 minutes), but I think it is worth it.

I added dried cranberries instead of raisins.  This recipe has a unique technique in which you add the dried fruit at the same time you add the oats, so the dried fruit plumps up and releases some of its flavor into the oatmeal.  I used some honey cinnamon almonds instead of pecans, and used cinnamon to complement the almonds.  


This isn't a dish that you typically find in a cookbook, and it is one that you might easily pass over because it is so simple, but I am glad I participated this week.  I learned a new trick for oatmeal that I will use again and again.  Thanks to Mary for this week's pick, and be sure to check out the blogroll to see what other bloggers did with their recipe!

Roasted Salmon with Honey Mustard and Dill

I can't start this post without thanking my Uncle Gary.  He went to Alaska last year and sent back some beautiful salmon that was frozen just after it was caught.  It is some of the best salmon I have ever tasted, so fresh and flavorful.  I literally made this dish in anticipation of making salads and pastas with it later in the week, but I just stood in the kitchen eating it after it came out of the oven, so I may only get one more dish out of it. 

This is a very simple, but delicious way to serve salmon.  You roast the salmon in the oven, and the salmon is covered in a honey mustard and dill sauce that keeps the salmon from drying out. I roasted a whole fillet of salmon, but you can easily use the sauce for individual portions, you may just have to cut back on the cook time.  I know it's not the most beautiful picture, but this recipe is so good and easy, I couldn't help but post it on this blog. 


Roasted Salmon with Honey Mustard and Dill

• 1 1/4 lb salmon fillet (skin on, pin bones removed)
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 2 T. honey
• 1 T. mayonnaise
• 1 t. dried dill (or 1 T. fresh dill, finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat liberally with non-stick cooking spray.  This will help with clean up and will keep the salmon from sticking to the foil.  Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, dill, and garlic.  Spoon the sauce over the whole fillet and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors permeate into the salmon.

Roast in the oven until the mustard sauce has formed a nice crust and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 25 minutes.  If you are using individual portions of salmon, the time may be less.  Transfer to a platter and serve (if it makes it that far, like I said, I stood in my kitchen and ate some of it right off the baking pan :) ).

Penne with Braised Short Ribs

I love short ribs.  They are delicious when cooked low and slow until the meat just falls off the bone, so when I saw this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, I knew I wanted to try it.  The ribs and onions and garlic are sauteed on the stove top, then they are braised in a unique tomato sauce for a few hours in the oven.  This braising results in a rich sauce that goes great with the hearty meat.  Once you pull the short ribs out of the oven, the sauce is pureed, so even picky eaters (like my boyfriend), who don't like big chunks of tomatoes, like this sauce.  It's a great weekend meal, and perfect for those cold winter nights.

Ingredients

4 pounds beef short ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths

1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. 

Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone. 

Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid.  Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

CEiMB: White Turkey Chili

 

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was picked by Leslie of Lethally Delicious.  She chose for us to make the White Turkey Chili from from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.   This is an easy weeknight recipe that is light and fresh, which is good the week after lots and lots of Christmas indulgences.  

After looking at the recipe, I decided that I wanted my chili to be a bit heartier, so I halved all of the ingredients except for the turkey and the spices.  This made for a meatier chili with less beans, which is how I make chili normally, so I quite liked it.  I am also glad I kept the spices at that level as well, because without, the chili might have been less flavorful.  I added a jalapeno for a bit more spice, and instead of salt and pepper I used Goya Adobo with cumin, which is what I use for seasoning whenever I am cooking Mexican or Southwestern food.  I absolutely love it.  I used corn instead of hominy because that is what I had on hand.  I also would say it is imperative to add a splash of lime juice and fresh cilantro to your chili because it really brightens up the flavor.  Thanks Leslie for a great pick, I thought it was light, but comforting at the same time.  Be sure to check out the blogroll to see what the other CEiMB bloggers made.  

Chocolate Mint Cookies

 

When I was shopping at my local grocery store the other day, I came across these Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips.  They are basically small pieces of those Andes chocolate mints you get after dinner at restaurants.  I wanted to find a chocolate cookie recipe where I could incorporate these chips, and I found this one, which sounded really good.

These cookies have a great mint flavor, and they taste a bit like Thin Mints, but thicker, so Thick Mints I guess.  Next time I make these I will probably dip them in chocolate, that would really make them great.  The batter was quite thick and the cookies seemed a bit dry, so dipping them in chocolate would be a great addition.   They were crisp, rich, yet refreshing cookies. Great for the holidays!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa, sifted
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2  cup shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cup (1 - 10 oz. package) Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.  With a hand held or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. Fold in Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips.

Roll the dough, by hand, into a 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to fully cover ball. Flatten the balls gently into 1/2 inch thick disks and place about 2 inches apart, spacing them evenly on ungreased baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove from sheet and move to wire rack to cool completely.

CEiMB: Beef Stroganoff with Green Beans and Grainy Mustard

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen.  She chose for us to make the Beef Stroganoff recipe from from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  It's a pretty straightforward beef stroganoff recipe in which beef is simmered in red wine and beef broth with mushrooms and onions.  At the last minute, I added some light sour cream to the gravy.  The original recipe called for some nonfat Greek yogurt, but I like the flavor and tang that the sour cream adds to the dish. The beef stroganoff is served over some egg noodles with a side of steamed green beans that have been tossed in some grainy mustard and seasoned with salt and pepper.  


I liked this dish, it was a nice hearty, weeknight dinner.  Perfect for this time of year when the low tonight is supposed to be in the single digits. I did think that it was a bit underseasoned the way that recipe called for, but with a bit extra salt and pepper, it perked right up.   The green beans were a simple easy side that packed a lot of flavor, and it was a good accompaniment to the beef, so thanks Liz for a good pick, and be sure to check out the blogroll to see what everyone else did with their dishes!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Myself and another co-worker usually make the desserts for the birthday celebrations at work.  For a particular birthday, I had a request for Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I had never made Red Velvet Cupcakes, so I wanted to make sure I had a good recipe.  I decided to try a recipe I found over at Simply Recipes.  Elise has such wonderful recipes, and I love her descriptions of the food she cooks.  This particular recipe was from a guest blogger named Garret McCord.  He has his own website called Vanilla Garlic.  I recommend checking out both Garret's and Elise's websites.  You will find wonderful recipes at both sites.

Red Velvet Cake is quite interesting.  It is basically a white cake that has just a touch of cocoa powder added to the batter.  It gives the cake a nice, subtle chocolate flavor, kind of like the hot cocoa I used to have as a kid. The cake is also called Red Velvet due to the copious amounts of red food coloring added to the batter.  I actually cut back on some of the food coloring because the batter began to be so red, I didn't think it needed anymore.  I also have included my recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting, which is the typical accompaniment to Red Velvet Cake.  This was a good recipe.  I recommend it if you are planning on making some Red Velvet Cupcakes in the future.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
makes about 24-30 cupcakes (depending on how high you fill your cupcake molds)

• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups of cake flour
• 2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of buttermilk (I used low-fat)
• 1 tablespoon of red food coloring (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 tbsp)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese (low fat is fine), room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more if you like a sweeter frosting)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.  Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.

Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.  Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting: 

Ensure that the butter and cream cheese are both fully at room temperature, otherwise you will not be able to achieve uniform, creamy frosting.  Beat the butter and cream cheese together until they are thoroughly mixed.  Next, add the vanilla extract and mix briefly to combine.  

Gradually add the powdered sugar until desired sweetness and consistency is achieved.  I like my frosting to not be overly sweet, but feel free to add more powdered sugar if that is what you like.  

CEiMB: Cioppino

This week's pick is from Margaret of Tea and Scones.  She chose for us to make the Cioppino from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger.  Cioppino is fish stew originally from San Francisco.  It is a tomato-based broth that has wine and garlic added to it.  Ellie's recipe called for a combination of scallops, shrimp, and halibut.


Unfortunately, my stew only contained scallops and halibut.  I thought I had frozen shrimp at home, but when I got home from the store with the scallops, I went  in the freezer to get out the halibut, but there was no shrimp.  So, scallop and halibut cioppino it was. 

I really liked the flavor of the broth.  It had a rich tomato taste, and I enjoyed the heat from the crushed red pepper.  I added a bit of smoked paprika as well to give the broth a hint of smoke.  I thought it was a nice touch.  I do have to say that as much as I like the broth flavor, I didn't think that flavor infused into seafood.  The seafood was a bit bland, but overall I did like the dish.  I think the broth would also be good with some pasta and some Italian sausage, but I would substitute the fish broth with beef broth.  Thanks to Margaret for hosting this week, and be sure to check out the blogroll to see what the other bloggers did this week!

Happy Halloween: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves change color, and it starts to get cooler. I also love the baking that begins this time of year. Apples, pears, and especially pumpkin. This is the first of many recipes I plan on making this year. I wanted to make something for Halloween and these pumpkin cookies from The Joy of Baking looked delicious. These cookies are more like little cakes than cookies, light and fluffy. I changed some spices from the original recipe and reduced the sugar a bit. They are very flavorful, and the cream cheese icing is a nice balance with the cookies because it is not too sweet.

Cookies:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup plus 2T light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (or other flavorless oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Icing:
4 ounces room temperature cream cheese, regular of low fat
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 pure vanilla extract

Halloween sprinkles (optional)

Note: Instead of frosting the cookies, you could add to the batter 1 cup of chopped nuts or 1 cup of chocolate chips.

For the Cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Place small mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. I used a 3T cookie scoop. Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Place small dollops of the frosting on each cookie. Decorate with Halloween sprinkles if desired. Store uniced cookies at room temperature. Store iced cookies in the refrigerator.

For the icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter until combined. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until the frosting is soft and creamy.

Makes about 20 cookies