CEiMB and HBi5

Normally I'm supposed to post Craving Ellie in My Belly on Thursdays, but yesterday my brain was only functioning at 50%. The night before I thought I'd act like a college student and stay out half the night with some girlfriends, great times, but I'm left braindead the next day! So, it wasn't until noon today that it hit me "I never posted CEiMB!" My apologies to the folks in the group, but hopefully my "two-in-one" post will make up for it.


This week for CEiMB we made Emerald Stir Fry with Beef, hosted by Alyssa's Two Bites. Now, I enjoy a good stir fry, but I do have to be careful not to make them too often because my husband tends to think that they all taste the same, and he's just not that crazy about them.

I made quite a few changes with this stir fry. I used green beans and a frozen veggie mix in place of the sugar snap peas and asparagus. I also added a little sugar to the sauce to sweeten it a bit. It was good, everyone was pleased, but I do think I have to side with Glenn and agree that it did taste about the same as every other stir fry I make. A delicious dish, just not that exciting. Maybe we'll do shrimp or scallops next time? That might mix it up a bit. You can find the recipe here.

And now for HBi5. The starter this week was a bit different, calling for more things like honey and eggs and I liked it! I made the loaf of bread, which got eaten very fast. It was sweet, soft and great with sandwiches, especially my all time favorite one.



And I made the hamburger buns. The tops were brushed with a bit of butter and sprinkled with a bit of garlic salt, my favorite condiment! To fill them we made our favorite burgers ever. The recipe comes from one of my Weight Watcher cookbooks and they are fantastic. Ground beef mixed with a whole variety of veggies and seasonings, then we just grill them on our Foreman. They have a ton of flavor and would satisfy anyone, whether they're dieting or not!



Mushroom BurgersWeight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced carrot
2 tablespoons minced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon steak sauce
salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion, carrot, celery and garlic until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms; saute until the mushrooms brown and the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

2. Spray the broiler racl with nonstick cooking spray; preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, beef, steak sauce, salt and pepper. Form into 4 hamburgers. Broil the burgers 3-4 inches from heat, 5-7 minutes each side, or grill in Foreman Grill.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 153 cal, 8g fat, 3g sat fat, 44mg sod, 1g fiber

Points per Serving: 4

Unfortunately I waited too long to do my apple strudel bread, and the starter wasn't good anymore, drat! I will definitely try it another time though! I'm excited to see how the rest of you clubbers did and have a fantastic weekend ya'll!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Pepper

I think I speak for all Cooking Light subscribers when I say that this month's edition is awesome! So awesome in fact that my mom called me last night just so we could discuss this month's magazine, I'm not kiddin' when I say that we love our food. One of the first questions she asked me when she called was "have you tried the roasted chicken with balsamic peppers?" my answer, "heck yes I did!" This dish, while maybe not the most photogenic dish, far exceeded my expectations of how I thought it was going to turn out. The chicken is juicy from being roasted, the peppers are so tangy and bright from the balsamic vinegar, and the potatoes are smooth and mild and bring this whole dish together. I just made regular mashed potatoes, but CL suggests making mashed potatoes with Mascarpone cheese, which is what my mom did. She said that it really added to the potatoes and made them fantastic. I also really liked pouring the tangy balsamic sauce over the potatoes, an unlikely combination, but very addicting and hard to stop eating! I think you'll love this dish!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers
Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 fennel seeds, crushed (I just did this in my mini food processor)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless, chicken breast
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups, thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup, thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes, or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; loosen brown bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Serves 4: 1 breast half and 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture, potatoes not included

Per Serving: 282cal, 11g fat, 35.9g prot, 8.8g carb, 1.9g fiber, 94mg chol

Points per Serving: 6

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy

Happy Monday my friends. You know, usually I don't care for Mondays, but so far I'm having a great day. I just got a wonderful workout, and despite the rain, I'm in a great mood. How was everyone's weekend? Ours was very nice, and we finally made it out to Whole Foods. Oh my goodness, talk about a foodie's playland! We weren't there for very long on account of my boy not being as excited about roaming up and down every aisle of a grocery store as me, but I got a good idea of what they had, and we'll definitely be going back!

I remember making this dish on a particularly hectic night, and it turned out to be the perfect remedy for all the chaos. It's quick and easy to make and its so rich and warm with a lot of great flavor. It's also a way for someone who is watching their calories (me) to get in a nice fix of steak! And of course those meaty baby bellas don't hurt either!

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy
Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 lb top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
8 oz baby bellas, sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (I used all dried thyme)

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to directions with no salt or fat.

2. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; saute 5 minutes, browning on each side. Remove from pan; cover.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil; book 2 minutes, or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Serves 4: 3/4cup beef mixture and 2/3 cup noodles

Per Serving: 344cal, 12.5g fat, 27.3g prot, 28.7g carb, 1.7g fiber

Points per Serving: 8

The Winners!

Thanks for everyone that participate in the Silpat giveaway. The lucky winners are Jenn and Debbie! Congratulations ladies! I'll contact you to get your info.

And now's the time where I should post a recipe, but to be honest, it's Friday and I'm ready to lounge with my babes. I will leave you with a little rice tip that I discovered the other day though. I always end up making too much rice and I don't really like leftover rice, it just doesn't taste as good to me the next day. So I threw some in a skillet with olive oil, and cracked and egg right into it. I stirred it so the wet egg completely coated the rice, threw in some salt and pepper and kept stirring until the egg was cooked. It gave the rice such a nice flavor and texture, but it wasn't necessarily "eggy" tasting. A bit like fried rice, minus all of the other goodies. My picky little boy ate about three helpings of it, so we'll definitely be trying it again!

What does everyone have planned for the weekend? The area that I live in just had a Whole Foods open up so I'm patiently waiting for my hubby to get home so we can check it out! Is it weird to go to the grocery store on a date? Kim I think I'm going to try and find that cheese and bread that you posted the other day! Anyway, apparently I'm in a rambling mood, so I best be going to before I really get going. Have a wonderful weekend my friends and I'll see you Monday!

CEiMB: Five Layer Mexican Bean Dip

I am in love with any type of party food, mostly because it usually means there is a party attached to it! This week's CEiMB recipe was perfect because last night I had a little scrapbooking gathering with some girls in our card club. By the end of the night, it was GONE, which almost never happens, I was thrilled! There is no way you're going to eat this and know that it's lowfat. It's so full of flavor and heat that you'll feel like you're indulging. This is actually the second layered bean dip I've posted and I think I like Ellie's more then my own!

A little tip with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, since usually you open an entire can to use just one. To avoid having to throw the rest away, freeze the peppers, individually in small baggies, and thaw right before use. A great tip if you're like me and you lose sleep over wasted food!

Five Layer Mexican Bean Dip
By Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo
4 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 ripe avocados
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.

In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.

Serves: 12, a serving size is 1/2 cup

Per Serving:Calories 140; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.7 g) ; Protein 5g; Carb 16 g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 245 mg

Points per Serving:3!

You still have until 10pm tonight to enter here in my giveaway for a Silpat, don't miss out!!

Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon

About two months ago the good people at Newman's Own contacted me asking if I would be interested in trying their products and reviewing them. Heck yes I would! So when I got back from my vacation, I was greeted with a big old box filled with these goodies...Merry Christmas to me, again!

The first thing I decided to work with was the Honey Mustard dressing, one of my favorites. The first thing I wanted to do with it was make this salad again. But I thought I'd try something different instead, and this pork loin was born.


I realize it's not the prettiest thing to look at, but it sure was tasty! I combined the honey mustard with garlic and rosemary, brushed it all over the surface of the pork loin, covered it in bacon and roasted it slow and low until the pork was tender and juicy and the bacon was crisp. It turned out to be a very delicious dinner, however I think next time I'm going to try marinating the pork loin in the honey mustard for a few hours to let the flavors penetrate a bit more. Of course that was a problem easily solved by just pouring a little extra dressing right onto my cut after it was cooked! I thought the honey mustard was perfect for this pork loin, definitely try it!

Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon

Ingredients

3/4 cup Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (fresh would be even better if you have it)
1 (3 1/2lb) center cut pork loin
5-8 slices of bacon, enough to cover your pork loin

Directions

Place oven rack on bottom third of oven. Preheat to 350.

Combine dressing, garlic and rosemary. Dress pork loin generously with dressing in a casserole pan or roasting pan. Layer bacon over pork loin, covering the entire roast. Secure with either toothpicks or kitchen string. Roast for 1 hour, cover with foil and roast for another 10-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pork to rest for 20 minutes, keeping it covered in foil. Slice and enjoy!

Here's a much prettier, and healthier looking shot for you.

Stay tuned for more Newman's Own reviews and don't forget to enter in my giveaway for a silpat, just below!

Speedy Chicken Potpie and A GIVEAWAY!!

I think the best way to look at this dish is more as a stew with breadsticks. To me, potpie is covered in a rich and flaky top, and while this is an absolutely delicious stew, it's just not potpie to me. However, don't let that stop you from making this. It's so flavorful, chunky and comforting. My kids gobbled this down and asked for seconds, which means it's definitely going to be a regular at our house!

Speedy Chicken Potpie
Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
1 pound rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups fat free chicken broth
1 bay leaf
3-4 peeled, diced potatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup green beans
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
15 ounces pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Bring 2 1/2 cups broth and bay leaf to a boil in a large saucepan. Add potatoes and onions; cover and cook medium-high for 8 minutes. Stir in greenbeans; cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken. Combine remaining 1/2 cup broth and flour; stir into potato mixture. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2 minutes until bubbly and thick. Remove bay leaf. Stir in thyme, pepper and sage.

4. While stew cooks, cut pie crust dough crosswise into 12 strips. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 7 minutes or until browned and puffy. Top chicken mixture with piecrust strips.

Serves 4: 1 1/2 cups stew, 3 piecrust strips

Per Serving: 341cal, 8.5g fat, 30.4g prot, 33.6g carb, 2.5g fiber

Points per Serving: 7

And to say thank you to all of you for being such wonderful reader, I am FINALLY having a giveaway! You can enter for a chance to win a Silpat!


These are smaller silpats, as you can see by my scientific fork comparison. They are 11 3/4 x 8 1/4, and being smaller practically guarantees that they'll fit into your favorite baking sheet. They are SO wonderful for baking and absolutely nothing sticks to them. I swear by mine, you'll love this!

For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me what sort of delicious goodies you plan to bake with it. That's it! BUT, for extra chances, you can subscribe to me as a reader (or let me know that you're already subscribed). You can link this giveaway somewhere on your blog. Or, you can post this giveaway on facebook or twitter. Just be sure to leave me an extra comment for each additional entry. If you leave an anonymous comment, be sure to leave contact info. And...
1. You must be 18 or older to enter.
2. You must live in the continental US.
3. You DO NOT have to be a food blogger to enter, you just have to have contact info.

This giveaway closes Thursday Jan 21st at 10pm. I will announce the winner on Friday the 22nd. Good luck, and THANKS FOR READING!

HBi5: Loaf of Bread, Epi, and Crackers

My first HBi5 post, and I think I'm sold with their concept. The whole way it works is you make a big batch of starter dough, which stays good in your fridge for up to two weeks. As the week goes by, you can cut pieces off of the starter as you please and make a large variety of fun breads. Plus, it's healthy!

This round was pretty simple. I started out with making a simple loaf of bread.

The bread was rich and delicious and had a wonderful nutty softness to it. We used it to make these paninis (what else!)


Inspired by Cooking Light, it is loaded with spinach, bacon, caramelized red onions and garlic, and a low-fat white cheddar. Talk about a rich and hearty sandwich, I was full for the rest of the night!

Later in the week I made an Epi shaped loaf of bread. It was fun and amazingly easier to make. It was also fun to tear off the individual "grains" and eat them as rolls. Again, wonderful wheaty flavor.



Coming in last, and probably my favorite were these great crackers. Rolled very thin and dusted with kosher salt and chili powder, they were crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and great with lowfat cheddar cheese or cottage cheese. My kids also loved them!


So far, I'm very excited about this book!
Be sure to come back Monday, I have a long overdue giveaway that I'm absolutely giddy about!

Craving Ellie in My Belly: Her Pizza Adapted

Joining the group Craving Ellie in my Belly was my way of killing two birds with one stone. Now I am signed on with two cooking clubs, and they both include eating healthy. Sweet! I'm really excited about cooking Ellie Kreiger recipes. She's always been a favorite of mine on Food Network and I've been happy with a lot of her recipes.

The reason I'm adapting this recipe is because, as of yet, the only food in this world that I just can't get myself to like, is goat cheese. Granted, I've never had it baked in a pizza, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it with the risk that I wasn't going to like it. So, I used feta instead, it's a cheese made out of sheep's milk, so kind of similar right? And since I was already adapting, I figured I'd use spinach which I already had in the fridge instead of arugula. The result? Fantastic! I plan to have it for lunch again very soon. It's quick, easy and PACKED with flavor, which is good. I read somewhere that if you eat foods that are very flavorful, you'll feel satisfied quicker and eat less. Give this pizza a try, you'll love it!

Feta, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Pizza
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
For One

Ingredients

1 tortilla, (I love the Carb Balance, they are one point each!)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 spinach
2 tablespoons feta
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the oil and onions in a medium skillet and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with some of the spinach/onion mixture. Crumble some feta on top of each, and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut each pizza into 4 triangles.

Awesome Cookie Cupcakes

I know it seems a bit silly posting a recipe like this after whining about how hard it's been staying the healthy course, but in my defense, I made these before making my goals, and they're just too fun not to post.

I couldn't help of thinking of my sweet bloggy friend Kim when I made these. If you know Kim, you know that she is the queen of all things cupcakes. I believe she's even turned savory dishes like lasagna into a cupcake, so fun! These are so rich and delicious, and a bit different from your average chocolate chip cookie because instead of chocolate chips, we used chocolate covered raisins, and chocolate covered peanuts, with mini M&M's to make them adorable. They can be made into full sized cupcakes as the picture shows, or for a more bit-sized treat, you can do mini muffin sized. And of course, they do just fine as regular cookies too. It was amazing to me how different the flavor and texture of these cookies were in cupcake form, so chewy and moist, a very fun variation on one of my favorite treats. I hope you enjoy!

Awesome Cookie Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup butter flavored Crisco (not butter, or margarine)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate covered raisins
1 cup chocolate covered peanuts
1/2 cup mini m&ms, optional

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Beat Crisco, sugars, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs and beat again until fluffy. Pour in flour, soda and salt. Stir until well-blended. Add chocolate covered nuts and raisins (fold in gently). Drop a large spoonful into muffin paper, filling 3/4 of paper. Bake 18-20 minutes, don't overbake!

Dough refrigerates very well, so you can make a few cookies at a time if desired.

Taco Pockets

You know, while I was spending every waking minute munching, gorging and snacking on non-health food, I kept thinking to myself, "it's the holidays! as soon as they're over I'll be right back on track. I'm not out of control, I could quit anytime!"

Well, the holiday are now over and I'm experiencing what can only be described as holiday food withdrawals! I am just jones'n for some cookies, cake, and maybe a big fat cheeseburger. It's turning out to be much harder then I ever expected. But, hopefully with some self control and perseverance, the shakes will go away and I can start eating healthy without wanting to break down everytime I see a juicy rack of ribs being advertised on TV. (Have you ever watched Diner's Drive In's and Dives late at night? It's diet suicide!)

Annnnyway, to help those of you in the same boat, I thought I'd offer up a nice healthy recipe. My sister-in-law made these over our vacation and they were delicious. They are completely vegetarian, but trust me when I say you'd never know it! The bulk of the filling are black bean burgers that are typically found at Costco. Unfortunately our Costco doesn't carry them, so I will probably just make my own filling of black beans, bread crumbs and spices. Definitely try these, and take a deep breath with me as we try to detox from the holidays, aaaaaaaaaah.

Taco Pockets

Ingredients

2 Morningstar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burgers, thawed and cut into 1/4 inch squares
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup chopped olives
2 teaspoons salt-free southwest or Mexican seasoning
10 8-inch flour tortillas
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
chopped lettuce
sour cream
guacamole
salsa

Directions

1. In a medium bowl toss together black bean burgers, salsa, Cheddar cheese, Pepper jack cheese, and seasoning.

2. Use pizza cutter to cut tortillas into 7-inch triangles. (Save trimmed edges for another use.)

3. Place about 2 tablespoons burger mixture in center of each triangle. Fold corners of large triangles. Secure with toothpicks. Place on baking sheet, toothpick side up. Brush with butter. Bake at 375 F for 9-12 minutes or until beginning to brown on top.

4. Arrange on top of shredded lettuce. Cover with garnishes if desired.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I really don't know what I enjoyed more about these biscuits, making them or eating them. I don't work with sweet potatoes much, I happen to love them, but my family does not. However, I don't care how much you hate sweet potatoes, you'll like these biscuits. The sweet potato adds a wonderful softness and bright flavor to the biscuits. They are really easy to make and go wonderfully with just about any meal. My kids probably ate about ten of these!

Sweet Potato Biscuits
From My Mom

Ingredients

1 C cooked, drained and pureed sweet potato or winter squash
2 C all-purpose flour
1 scant t salt
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2-5 T cold butter (more is better--that's what the actual recipe says!)
1/2-7/8 C plain yogurt or buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450*

Mix the dry ingredients together in bowl or food processor. Cut the butter into bits and either pulse it in the food processor or blend in standard fashion. All the butter should be thoroughly blended before proceeding.Stir in pureed sweet potatoes or winter squash into the butter-flour mixture (I just smash them with a fork!). Add only enough yogurt or buttermilk to form the dough into a ball, usually between 1/2 and 3/4 C (if your potatoes are very dry, you may need the whole 7/8 C).

Use a large spoon to stir in the yogurt or buttermilk, just until the mixture forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it ten times; no more. If it is very sticky, add a little flour, but very little; don't worry if it sticks a bit to your hands.

Press into a 1/2" rectangle and cut into 2" rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again; this recipe will produce 10-14 biscuits.

Bake 7-9 min, or until the biscuits are a golden brown. Serve within 15 minutes for them to be at their best.

Mushroom and Havarti Panini

Whenever I visit my parents, I enter food heaven. My mom shares the same love for food as I do, and we have so much fun discovering new dishes together. This was something we came up with for lunch after looking through the fridge. My mom had a panini press that had yet to be taken out of the box, so it was high time to put it to good use.

I love paninis and each time I eat one, I probably say that it's my favorite, but seriously, this is my favorite panini! The baby bellas made it so meaty and rich, the caramelized onions added texture and sweetness, and the Havarti...well. Have you ever had Havarti? I hadn't until the day I ate this sandwich, and I've been slapping my face for missing out on twenty eight years of Havarti goodness. This cheese is amazing, it's has an ever so slightly pungent flavor, but is so soft and melts like a velvet dream. gaaaaaaaah. Go get some today and make this sandwich!

This sandwich is so simple that I'm not going to post an actual recipe, I'm just going to tell you how I made it, and you can adjust to taste and quantity.

Saute sliced baby bella mushrooms in olive oil. Once mushrooms are slighly browned and wilted, add kosher salt, pepper and dried thyme. Be sure that the mushrooms are flavored well, the second time I made them, I didn't add enough salt and the sandwiches weren't quite as good. At the same time you're sauteing your mushrooms, caramelize your onions. Place onions in a skillet with olive oil. Cook until onions are slightly soft. Add sugar until onions are sweet, then add soy sauce, all to desired taste. Onions should be a caramel color and very soft by the time you are finished cooking them. Assemble sandwich. I put down a layer of mushrooms, a slice of Havarti cheese and the onions. Putting the cheese in the middle will help glue the whole sandwich together. Get a napkin, your favorite beverage and devour!

A New Year!

Well, I know it's already the fourth, but what the heck...

It's good to be back! How was everyone's holiday? I did my best to check up on ya'll from time to time, but I have to admit, I missed our regular interactions. We are back from our vacation, still getting unpacked, but excited about the new year. I feel so good about 2010 and I have a lot of goals, but first things first...

Check out my blog! My super talented, web designin' brother voluntarily made me a new header and background. What a Christmas present! I love what he's done with it, and yes, I look exactly like the girl in my header (snort, cough). If you're interested in having your blog redone by Kendall, email him at kendall@bengalworks.com for pricing and packages.

And now onto my goals. I don't know about you, but I love making new year resolutions. I do it every year, and I make a lot. I never accomplish all of them, but I do accomplish some, and it feels so good. Some of the goals I have in the kitchen are:

1. Eat healthier. I'm not going to say lose weight. I would like to lose weight, but it's not about weight right now as much as it is about health. I need to eat healthier and exercise to avoid diseases that run strong in my family. I need to be healthier for my joints, muscles and skin. I want to have energy for my family and obligations. I also want to keep my husband and kids healthy, and being the primary cook in the home warrants me that responsibility. AND, if I happen to lose weight on that particular journey, then that would be a fantastic bonus!

2. Join at least two clubs this year. I've already joined the HBin5, which I am so excited about (my sweet man got me the book for Christmas). Does anyone have any recommendations for another club that you've enjoyed? I think this would be a fun way to push myself and meet new people.

3. Make homemade ravioli, potstickers and beef wellington. I've been intrigued with all three of these things and I'm dying to try them myself.

4. Create more original recipes. Most of the things I post are simply recipes that I have found to be very good. I think it would be so fun to start experimenting and writing up my own dishes.

So there you have it, now that it's all out there, I'll be more likely to do it! It will take a week or so to post the mouthwatering foods that are responsible for my unwanted holiday pounds, but after that hopefully there will be some goal accomplishing!

And on to the food. Since this has already been a long post, I'll just show you what our Christmas Eve meal was comprised of. We decided this year we would just set out a huge spread of appetizers to fill up on. This is such a fun idea because everyone gets so full, but also gets to try a huge variety of fun party food.

My mom made these awesome pears, covered in a Gorgonzola mixture and dipped in pecans. Heaven!


We also had a fantastic shrimp cocktail and veggie tray, two of my holiday "must-haves."


And I was SO excited because I finally got to make a cheese platter. I've been wanting to try one of these for a long time. Unfortunately when I went to Costco, the cheese selection was a little slim, but it was still fun. I followed Ina's rule, which is to have one hard cheese, one blue cheese, and one soft cheese. For the soft cheese, I used a triple cream Brie. For the blue, I used a cheese called Cambozo, which was a very soft and subtle blue cheese. It was delicious on apples. And for the hard cheese, I used a cheese called Comte. It had the flavor of Swiss or Gruyere, and it was pretty good, but I probably would have preferred something a bit tangier like Pecorino Romano. And for good measure I threw in some Baby Bellas, which is a soft and mild cheese, great for kids. It was so fun and came out rather pretty if I may say so myself.


Throw in a bunch of cookies, candy, chicken fingers, hot bean dip, and spring rolls, and here you have the final spread. Mmmmmm, can it be Christmas again!



And last, but not least, I'd like to thank Debbie, at Dining with Debbie for this cute award! I am just getting to know Debbie, but I already really enjoy her for her fun posts, personality and delicious food.

Thanks Debbie! I'm going to think of who to pass this on to!

Phew, well, there you have it! I wish you all health, peace and prosperity this year of 2010 and may your tables always be full of good food!