MOVING MOVING MOVING

Yes it is true, I am moving to Wordpress. I think it will be better organized for recipes etc. Please support me!!!!!

Plus my name is so Cute.....

http://www.kitchensherers.wordpress.com/    


See you there

Butternut Squash and Leek Risotto

Well, I had to use up my butternut Squash. The old staple is butternut squash soup, and to be honest, I really don't like it. However, tonight I did find a recipe I did enjoy. It was creamy, rich, and had an earthy flavor.

I found it on one of my favorite websites, epicurious.

Here is the Link:

I also took some photos:

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/102617

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Leeks
1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups (about) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place squash on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Bring stock to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep stock warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot stock; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes longer. Add roasted squash, cream, Parmesan cheese and sage; stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Bon Appétit
December 1999
1999-12-09 11:27:34.0

Best time of the day: TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beef Stroganoff for Valentines Day.....

I hate going out for Valentines Day and lucky for me, I found a man who hates going out for Valentine's Day. As I drove home from the gym tonight, I noticed cars lined up trying to find a parking spot at the neighborhood hot spots. Now don't get me wrong, I love good food. (Obviously) But I find it much more intimate and romantic to be home, not rushed, turned over at somebodies table so they can make a tip for a hallmark holiday. Yeah Yeah Yeah call me the Scrooge of Valentines, but because I am, hopefully you can enjoy this recipe........

Adapted from 1000 Gluten free Recipes by Carol Fenster

Beef Stroganoff:


1 1/2 pound of beef chunks (you could use lamb to make it a little more elegant)
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 T Olive Oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms
1 yellow onion chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 3/4 cup beef broth
2 T Tomato Paste
1 1/2 T Brandy (it is valentines day!)
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 cup flour mixed into 1/4 cup beef broth mixed into a slurry
3/4 cup sour cream

Rice------ Yep should be over pasta but mixing it up and serving it over Rice, Surprise!!!!


In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over med high heat, toss in beef and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides. Turn down heat to Med, then add in fresh mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.

Turn up the heat, to med high, and add plain beef broth, tomato paste, mustard, dill, and brandy, stir well. Cover and then turn heat to low for about 20 minutes.

Take the slurry, which is 1/4 flour mixed with 1/4 beef broth which has been combined into a paste. Add that to the pot and stir constantly until the mixture has thickened. You will then need to turn the heat down to low to add the sour cream or else you will have curdled stroganoff (and nobody wants their stroganoff curdled, trust me!)

You can additional salt and pepper, or even some grated cheese on top. I will be using paprika!

Best time of the day....... TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honey Pizza....Say What?!?

Today was 51 degrees. It was gorgeous outside. It took me back to memories of Moab, Utah. I don't know why, it just did today. And when I think of Moab, I think of Zax's Pizza, and when I think of Zax, well I think of the honey pizza. I don't really remember what all was on it, I just remember it had honey!

So tonight, I thought what the heck, I have honey, I have arugula, I have goat cheese (if you haven't figured it out yet, I pretty much always have goat cheese) so I went to the store and grabbed some prosciutto and inspiration kicked in.

Found a gluten free pizza dough recipe and Ta Da...... Dinner tonight!

I recommend using your favorite pizza dough, or my favorite ready made is at Whole Foods in their deli!

Needed:

Pizza Dough (your own, or ready made)
good honey for drizzle
extra virgin olive oil for drizzle
cracked black pepper
prosciutto 4-5 slices
arugula - 1/4 -1/2 chopped
goat cheese 1/8 cup crumbled (or more if you like it)

Place dough in oven for about 10 minutes to start the cooking process. Once out of the oven drizzle with olive oil and cracked black pepper

Next Drizzle with honey

When it comes to the honey it kind of depends on you. I just do a light drizzle all over the pizza. This isn't a dessert pizza :-)

Next layer the toppings, meat, veggie, and then cheese. Pop it back into the oven for about 10 more minutes until the crust is finished cooking and the cheese is gooey.

Best time of the day...... TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Appetizer Time!!! Easter Egg Radish

Okay Okay Okay, you are probably thinking what in the world is an Easter Egg Radish......well here you go...

I know I was! Aren't they just beautiful! They are very pretty. This recipe will work with regular ones, but if you are going for something out of the ordinary, try this. The nice thing about this recipe by slightly cooking the radish, it takes away the bitter peppery taste, and the nice sugary glaze is a great accompaniment to the cheese and bread.

Braised Radishes With Gouda Cheese:

1 Bunch Easter Egg Radish
2 T Butter
1 1/2 T Sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 black pepper
1 cup cold water
sliced Gouda cheese
thin sliced french bread

Wash radishes and trim off greens.

Place radishes in pan and cover with 1 cup cold water,



add butter, sugar, salt, pepper bring to boil.


Continue to cook and stir frequently for about 15 minutes. The sauce will become dark and thick.

Place cheese on bread.

Place one radish on each slice and drizzle with sauce.

Best time of the day............TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!

Guacamole!!! and CSA part Deux

So after a hard days work, whether it be at the office or with family, or just plain life; sometimes you just want that nice easy comfort food. Tonight, it was NACHOS!!!! Every night can't be all fancy smancy, but I did have a little twist. I picked up some great tortilla chips from Liberty Heights when I grabbed my CSA. I'm sorry but there is a difference between a good chip and a so so chip. And then of course salsa and the guac! Tonight I have included my simple simple guacamole recipe. Nothing flashy, but man is it tasty! Sometimes simple is best!!!

Sarah's Simple Guacamole:

3 Ripe Avocados (mash with fork)
Juice of lime (fresh)
kosher salt about 1/2 tsp (more to taste after you finish and mix)
1/4 tsp pepper
3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix together. You can add a little bit more salt and pepper to your taste, that is the beauty of this, flexibility!! So Good. The fresh lime juice is key. You can add chopped onion or diced tomato, but the flavor of the avocado is so good on its own that you really don't need to, so up to you.

For the Nachos- I just made some Rice, but you could add black beans, corn, meat, anything....... my new favorite salsa.... Green Mountain Gringo

Best time of the day...... TIME TO EAT!!!!!

On the second note, very excited to try out our second week of the CSA.

Navel Oranges, Arugula, Baby Beets, Easter Radishes (aren't they pretty), Butternut Squash.....and Super Surprise GOAT CHEESE from Drake farms........ Very excited to come up with some recipes for the week, so stay tuned!!!!

Chard is not a WEED!

So all my fears have been put to rest tonight. Chard is not a weed, even though, if it was growing in my yard, chances are good I would have pulled it. But I am happy to report that it is pretty tastey, and yummy!!! So try this one out, lots of good flavors

Here is a healthy little ditty that I whipped up tonight:

1 Bunch of Chard
1 8 oz  mushrooms
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1-2 T Butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like spice)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine (can be omitted and use chicken stock instead)
Penne Pasta
Parmesan Cheese

Wash and chopped the Chard. Chop and Dice the onions and mushrooms. Mince the garlic.

In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, then add mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms have soften, add the chard, chicken stock, wine, salt, pepper, and red pepper and cook on low for 10 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water to Veggie mix. Drain pasta and then add to Veggie sauce. Toss together, pour into a bowl and add parm cheese!

Best time of the day...... TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the show must go on

So yesterday we got to use the first of Mike's Christmas present. I got him season tickets to Hale Center Theater and we got to see Born Yesterday. It is nice to get to go out, get dressed up, and have six guaranteed dates throughout the year! The show was fantastic as well!!!!

It is theater in the round, and I think all the seats are great! You really feel part of the action. The next show is A Tale of Two Cities which I have never seen and can hardly wait.

So if you like the theater or if you have never been, I highly encourage you to get out there and support the local arts!

This upcoming Friday me and some of the girls are going to go and see the Vagina Monologues in celebration of Valentines Day :-)


Go Packers!

Baby Fennel, Cocktail Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

Well, getting to try out some of that wonderful bounty of the SFF, CSA, or Veggie Box.

I usually am not a big fan of fennel, mainly due to the fact that it taste like black licorice and that has always been disgusting in my book.You know the scenario, you are 7 years old and you get that bag of jelly beans for Easter. Of course you eat the pretty Red, Pink, and Purple ones first. Then you settle on the Green, Yellow, and Orange, but then there they are those horrible Black Jelly Beans staring at you, ruining the otherwise beautiful rainbow!

 But I am trying to open my horizons and widen my taste buds into a much broader sense of appreciation for different types of flavors and foods.

To start with, I thinly sliced the fennel and placed it in an ice bath to make sure it crisped up. (read that somewhere on the Internet) Then I proceeded to segment the grapefruit, and peel and slice the avocado. I placed these things along with goat cheese (it wouldn't be a dish for me, without a little dairy. The creaminess of the goat cheese was a nice compliment to the fennel and the grapefruit) Added this to a bed of greens. Poured said below vinaigrette over:

Best time of the day....... TIME TO EAT:

For the vinaigrette, super easy.

1/4 cup olive oil, just shy (the rest of the way I added some truffle infused olive oil)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup good honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (you can add a little more if you want some extra kick)
1 tsp lime juice

Combine and then whisk together.

Totally Geeking Out

Okay, so I am totally geeking out today! Today feels like Christmas, a vegetable laden Christmas with a hunk of cheese added to the mix. We started our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) yeah I had no idea what those letter stood for until I googled them...... with Liberty Heights Fresh. Only, they call their CSA, SFF which is Sustainable Farmed Foods, all organic goodness.
Regardless of all the acronyms, I am very excited. Mainly, because I get to experiment with vegetables I normally run away from in the grocery store due to fear of the unknown. And every week they throw in a little extra "surprise" if you will; Cheese, Eggs, Honey, Jam.... I am really a dork.......

So Here is a little pic of this week, my brain is already contemplating the recipes. You know the other great thing. Liberty Heights provides recipes for you if you are like me and have no idea on how to cook some of these veggies. Potatoes I have down, but Chard.......I thought that was a giant weed in the garden. Who Knew!

This week we get to try: Fennel, Chard, Potatoes, Baby Broccoli, Grapefruit, and Habanero Cheese mmmmm

Creamy Vegetarian Enchiladas:

I love this recipe as a nice way to mix up the usual routine and get some more vegetables into the diet. Plus the creaminess is perfect for winter. You can really change the flavor of this dish by changing the type of salsa you use, as well as controlling the heat. So if you like it spicy, by all means use a spicy salsa!

-          Corn Tortillas

-          ½ T Olive Oil

-          1 cup Fresh Mushrooms diced small

-          ½ Zucchini diced small

-          ½ red onion diced finely

-          2 cloves fresh garlic diced

-          1 can black beans drained and rinsed

-          1 can of corn drained

-          1 tsp salt

-          ¼ tsp pepper

-          1 tsp cumin

-          ½ tsp paprika

-          1 cup light sour cream

-          1 jar or favorite salsa or picante sauce

-          1 cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup reserved for sprinkling over top (I like to use sharp, actually the sharper the better, yummy)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a sauce pan heat olive oil over med/high heat. Add red onion, mushroom, garlic, and zucchini. Saute until cooked, and drain off any excess liquid.

In a mixing bowl, combine black beans and corn. Add onion mixture and mix well. Sprinkle seasonings over the mixture, stir and then set aside.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and salsa, along with ½ cup cheddar cheese. Mix well and then place ½ of this mixture over the vegetables and stir.

In a 9x13 glass dish, spray pan. Take your corn tortilla and fill with vegetable mixture. (about 2-3 T per tortilla) Fill up until mixture or space is gone. Don’t worry if there is left over vegetable mixture, just pour that over top, mmmmmm. Take rest of the Sour cream mixture and spread over the top of the tortillas. Finish off with Sprinkling of Cheese.

Bake in over for 25 minutes covered with foil. Take off foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Best time of the day……TIME TO EAT!!!!!!!

Veal Picatta

I know, I know, not the most politically correct dinner; however, you can substitute chicken for the veal. (But for the record, the veal was mighty tasty)

To start with gather the ingredients:

1 T Butter
1T Olive Oil
1/2 pound veal
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 cup white wine (you know the good stuff, that you are going to drink while making, eating, and cleaning up)
1/4 cup chicken stock
capers (I used about 2 T, but I say use how much you enjoy)
Lemon juice from one FRESH Lemon (sorry folks but fresh is best in this case, NO CONCENTRATE, well you can use concentrate, but don't blame me if it isn't as yummy!)
Another Tablespoon of Butter reserved for the end to add to the sauce


Heat a large pan over med/high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and heat until bubbly.

First of all, you will want to pound the veal (or chicken) into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. Then in a shallow bowl or cooking pan, combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together. Dredge the Veal.

Then place veal in the pan and cook for about two to three minutes each side. Then remove and set on a separate plate.

After you remove the veal, turn the heat to med/low. You will then add the wine, stock, capers and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Cook for about one minute stirring occasionally.

Finally, add the last pat of butter to help thicken the sauce.

After the butter has melted, return the veal back to the pan.

I served this with mashed potatoes. Super easy dish, a little rich, but hey sometimes you got to enjoy things in life!

So once again, it is the best time of the day, TIME TO EAT!

Weekend update

Another weekend, flies by. We had a great time. Got to see the Utah Jazz beat the Timberwolves with Paul and Brittany. And then got to go to our friends house for an amazing dinner that they prepared. (They are so kind and made the entire thing gluten free!) It was delish! We talked about how great it is to freshly cook and prepare food from scratch, and that really there is such a misconception that we just don't have "time" to do this. A notion given to us by the processed food meanies as we put it.

I have noticed that this year and really since I have to prepare my foods, that things just taste better. I feel more energized, and I actually know what I am eating. (That translates into, I can pronounce the words that are going into my mouth)

Tonight, I wanted pizza. From start to finish it took 40 minutes, that's it! I am talking making homemade pizza dough (with yeast) with fresh ingredients. The best part, it was fantastic. And I am a picky pizza eater, and trust me, I am sold on this one!

We decided to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to assist with eating fresh vegetables and fruits. That begins Thursday. So I hope to have a bunch of new adventurous recipes for you!

Until next time......

Soups On- Cauliflower and Potato

So I love soup, I mean love it. The reason, you can't really go wrong when it comes to making soup. In fact, I usually just throw stuff together and whoo hoo warm goodness down my throat......And soup is so easy and it fills you up and for the most part, it is really good for you!

However, many times people ask me for my soup recipes, so tonight, I will attempt to record it while I am throwing things that are in my fridge together.

Ingredients:

1 T butter or olive oil
1/2 Onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic (or if you have the real stuff, for sure use that!)
3 peeled Potatoes
1 small to med size cauliflower
6-7 cups of chicken stock (you got to feel this one out)
3/4 milk (once again I am cleaning out my fridge and have some whole milk to use up, however, this soup would be fine without adding any dairy, or if you want a real treat add cream or cream fraiche!)

In a large pot, (I whipped out my dutch oven, cuz I LOVE IT) heat butter or olive oil. Add onions, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until onions soften but do not start to brown. Add chicken stock, and then add chopped potatoes and cauliflower. You will now boil this until they become soft enough to blend about 15 to 20 minutes (The secret is to cut up those potatoes into littler chunks so they cook faster). mmmmmmm blend to a nice smooth soup! (you can use a food processor, blender, or an emulsifier blender)  At that point you can add in the cream of your choice and garnish with a multitude of choices. For me tonight, I am going with some Parm Cheese, but crisp bacon or pancetta would be nice too, or even some crushed walnuts with some nutmeg for the real adventurous! I added parsley in to give it a little color.

So once again, best time of the day, TIME TO EAT!



New Beginnings..... and Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie.....

Well first things first, Mike passed his boards, whoopie!!!!! very excited for that. He is an official RN! Finally, all his hard work has paid off. To celebrate we are going to watch the most inspiration movie of all time, (well Mike's anyway, mine is Hoosers) Chariots of Fire. You see Mike had all 265 test questions on Saturday, and it was 6 hours long. Not the best day, but the results are worth it. Next week he starts in the OR and is very very excited for that.

For Dinner tonight, Chicken Pot Pie.... with Massive Chunks (this ain't no Grandma style)

Cube up 2 Chicken breast and saute in about 2 T olive oil seasoned with kosher salt and pepper. Set aside



Preheat oven to 375-

In mixing bowl combine the following ingredients:

1/2 yellow onion diced
1 tomato diced
1 1/2 cup frozen veggie melody (I used Asparagus, Gold and White Corn, and Baby Carrots)
1 small potato diced in small cubes (I leave the skin on for nutrition)



2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 T granulated garlic
1/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup whole milk (cream if you are feeling naughty, all chicken stock if you are feeling really good)
1 T Cornstarch mixed into 2 T water, then add to the bowl

Add chicken and stir well

Pour mixture into a greased 9x9 pan and throw (or place, whatever works for you) in the oven for about 35 minutes covered with foil


While the goop is cookin......get a smaller bowl ready.....

Add the following

1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp parsley
2 T melted butter
1 Egg White
1/2 cup milk

Whisk together and then drop by tablespoons over chicken mixture. Bake for another 20 minutes

And finally the best time of the day....... TIME TO EAT!!!!



WHOO HOO

So it has been a little hectic, who am I kidding, it has been very very hectic lately, hence the lack of posting. Biggest news......Mike has a job! Yeah very excited. He takes his boards this Saturday, so will celebrate in fullness at that point and will elaborate at that point as well!

Saw a fantastic movie... The Kings Speech. Highly recommend it!

So for picture this week. I will be making a Boston Cream Pie for Dinner group for dessert! Very excited. Will post as I go with that one.

Anyway, will do better, it has just been a dosey!

Brisk Morning Hike

So we got up early and decided to take Brinx on a nice hike up Red Butte today. Yep 20 degrees read the thermostat. Surprisingly, there were a lot of other people who had the same idea as us this morning. However, it was gross how much gunk we could see in the air over Salt Lake, so the big list on my prayer bucket is a mega storm to blow this crap outta here.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Brinx with a small stick that she had fun totting around

Us together on the trail

Breathe in Deep Today Everyone! MMMM FRESH AIR!!!!!!

After the hike heading back