Rabbit Organs in Garlic Cream with Sauteed Root Veggies and Pancetta

As Rabbits come with organs, usually, at least they have them, as most living beings, you have to figure out how to cook them. Of course, you could throw them out, but honestly, rabbit liver is the best I’ve ever had. In any case, if you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and give this recipe a try if you’ve got some rabbit organs, and don’t know what to do with them. Use it up quickly, do not refreeze them!

This recipe is for one.

This will use up 1 liver, 2 kidneys, and 1 heart that comes with the rabbit. Although, I found a lung with my rabbit, I discarded that because I remember my grandmother telling me that (for some reason) lungs are not clean to eat.

I have to say, although I’m not a 100% liver fan, but I enjoy the occasional chicken liver pate, this liver was amazing. It’s not the same taste and about the same texture. Only silkier, smoother, much milder. Perfect over pasta, although I opted for veggies and potatoes. In total, this was enough to feed only 1 person, if you want to feed two I recommend you cut the liver in half and add it to pasta, with pancetta, or another salty meat, and carrots, peas, or lima beans to be more filling.

Rabbit Organs in Garlic Cream with Sauteed Veggies 

• 1 rabbit heart, 1 rabbit liver, and 2 rabbit kidneys (fresh, make sure they are no more than 3 days old out of packaging)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 baby potatoes quartered
• 4 baby carrots, cut into thirds
• 1/2 a celery stalk, cut in half, and into thirds
• salt and pepper
• 2 oz chopped pancetta (my butcher had pancetta so I was lucky enough to ask for 1/4 inch thick slice- if you’re this lucky I used half of a slice, cubbed)
• Parsley, for garnish

Add oil to pan and heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you would like. Cayanne works really well with Rabbit liver. Add in pancetta and brown, about 6 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water to hot pan and cover. This will steam the veggies and ensure they cook faster.

I added some cayanne, although that wasn’t part of the original plan when I first started cooking, and the spice paired nicely with the cream sauce, and the silky liver.

To another pan, add garlic and melt on medium-low heat. Add in the organs and season with salt and pepper. Brown for 3 minutes a side. Add garlic to the oil and allow to golden, swish the oil around the pan to make sure the garlic pieces and the,now, garlic infused oils are coating the meat.

Lower heat and cook for 2 more minutes. When potatoes are done (check with a fork or knife to your liking), place on plate and add the meat. Put meat pan back on heat, and turn it up to high. Add in the heavy cream with a pinch of salt. Allow to simmer for 30 seconds, just enough time to pick up some garlic, meat bits, and thicken. Pour over meat.

you can add a splosh of red wine right before you simmer the meat for 2 minutes (as shown here) for added flavor.

Rip bits of parsley over the dish as garnish.

This is a very filling but light dish. There is maybe 3 oz or so of meat, so you’re eating basically veggies with butter and cream fat. Especially when eating celery and carrots, it’s important to add fat to your diet, to ensure that the nutrients are properly absorbed. I read that in women’s health- and it’s always stuck with me. I think it’s because it justifies me dipping my baby carrots into ranch whenever I “feel like being healthy”. Don’t judge.

This dish came to a total of about 327 calories, perfect for dinner for one. Enjoy!

French Rabbit “Stew” with Mushrooms and Pancetta & Endive Side with Pancetta

I am sick of chicken and pork. Totally tired of turkey meatballs and the pasta with endless varieties of meat and nonmeat sauces. Creamed and tomato alike. This weekend was the day(s) that was going to end! I found a recipe that I just had to try, to be more specific, an ingredient: rabbit. I got this french cuisine cookbook maybe a year ago, and I thought I’d master every recipe in it, including all those odd rabbit, eel, and veal ones, however, I haven’t opened since it first arrived in an amazon package.

I have to say, in Los Angeles it isn’t as hard as I thought to get rabbit. Although it was more expensive than in Europe. Mainly, that’s because in America we don’t really hunt it, and certainly not in Los Angeles. I’m sure if I lived in the Midwest or even in the South, or hell, even in Fresno, I’d be able to get rabbit for a lot cheaper than what Gelson’s was offering to sell me.

I did get lucky with a local butcher. And honestly, nothing is better than local. Seriously folks, I felt amazing just knowing that  I was supporting someone that had great produce, great service, and a reasonable price! Well, as reasonable as it could get.

And so I set forth to make this fancy (in my eyes) “stew”. I put that into quotations because my notions of what a stew was, were tested. I thought of stew as a thick soup, usually overly hearty, and filling. This was delicious, and filling, but certainly not hearty, and not thick. It was essentially Rabbit that was browned in butter and garlic, and then braised in a cup of white wine, with some flour added in to make a slightly thickened sauce for the finished product to cover the meat in.

French Rabbit Stew with Mushrooms and Pancetta 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 oz thick cut pancetta, cut in cubes
• 5 pearl onions, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 lb rabbit (I used a 2.8 lb rabbit) cut into serving pieces or dissected at butchers
• 1 tbso all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bouquet garni made with parsley, thyme, and bay leaf (fresh)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb white mushrooms, halved (I roughly chopped mine, and used brown)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and onions and cook until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta and onions to  a bowl.

Add the rabbit pieces and cook until nicely browned on all sides (I had to do this in two shifts). Stir in the flour and cook until lightly browned. Return the pancetta and onions to the pot. Add the wine, garlic, and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the mushrooms to the rabbit and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni. Transfer the rabbit and sauce to a warmed serving dish and serve.

Serve with Buttery Endives with Pancetta (below)

Endives in Butter with Pancetta

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs endives ( I only used two endives, about .6 lb, and trust me, it was not enough, when cooked down, even for two)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb thickly sliced pancetta, cubed
• 3 1/2 ounces dry-cured ham (optional)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the endives and cooking until lightly brown all over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the pancetta and ham, if using, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Special Thanks to Boyfriend, who was patient and caring enough to take the photos for me this time, while was dashing to and fro in the kitchen trying to time the two recipes together. Thanks!**

Cognac, Garlic Steak for my 100th Post

Until I checked my blog maybe ten minutes ago, I had no idea this was my 100th blog. I have to say, I’m surprised. I was so busy just trying to keep it semi-regular that I lost count of how many posts I’ve actually put up. I hope they’ve been good so far!

Spring break has been very rewarding. I went to Vegas for the first time, and in that excitement forgot to take any pictures of the Strip at night. Or during the day, for that matter. Boyfriend and I couldn’t even find the Vegas sign, the one below is courtesy of Google images. Go Google. I have to say, having this some 10 days off work and school has been amazing. Although work resumed this week, and school (officially) starts next week, I already have homework and studying lined up for my Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

The break off did give me time to consider crafts. I know this seems like a stretch, but the time off gave me some perspective. Instead of trying to watch all the seasons of  Breaking Bad in about three days, nonestop, I should have been more productive. I used to love to photograph, well, anything really. To draw. To paint. To crochet. Just make something out of nothing, so to speak. So I’ve started a smallish list of crafts that I’ll be working on during the next few months and hopefully into the summer. I’m going to try to get a few homemade gifts out of the way, as well as general jamming and homemade pantry goods.

Things to look forward to is lots of BBQ and overall sauces. As well as, some freezer staples, and jamming fun. Nothing says fun like berries bubbling on a hot day, and slaving over a hot water bath for delicious, slick, jam. Indeed.

Similarly, I will try to share my crafting ideas here as well. For those that aren’t into it, I’m not good at writing, or reading patterns, so those posts will be short, and will probably feature food so there’s a little bit for everyone coming up!

Now to the steak.

I just felt like having red meat. I’m American after all (hehe, watching King of the Hill right now, and it’s seeping into my thoughts). I got this really nice 5 oz tri tip from the grocers the other day and what better day than, actually, a few days ago, to make it and settle my red meat craving?

GARLIC STEAK w/ Congnac Sauce

• 1 steak (preferably an inch thick, at least, any cut you like)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• cognac, optional
• heavy cream , optional (for the sauce)
• salt and pepper to taste

All a steak needs is salt and pepper, if the meat is good. That’s what my step-dad taught me, and dammit if he wasn’t right. Start off by patting the meat down on a paper towel (Julia Child’s secret to perfectly browned meat). Season with salt and pepper on both sides. If you like, you can add more flavors, like paprika and granulated onion.

Heat the oil in the pan, and after about five minutes, making sure the pan is nice and hot, add the garlic. Stir for maybe 45 seconds to infuse the oil and take out of the pan. Place the steak into the skillet and top with garlic. Cook for 3 minutes a side depending on thickness. I had to cook mine about 5 minutes a side, and it was still pretty medium rare ( I had a thick, short piece, so I had to be patient).

Take off the garlic and place either on same plate or to the side of the skillet and flip your steak over. Place the garlic back on top of the steak.

Okay, here I added some cayanne pepper. It was so hot and nice with the cream sauce- just a thought.

Take off the heat and place on plate, covering with foil, to rest. Add in a splosh of cognac to deglaze the pan. Maybe 3 tbsp. Wait a minute for it to cook off, and add approx 1/4 cup of cream. This depends on how you want to make your sauce. Season with salt and pepper (easy on the salt, just a pinch if necessary), and pour over the steak.

 

 

Side note: I realize these are awful photos, but I was in a hurry when I was making this, we are talking about steak, aren’t we? Who wouldn’t be in a rush?

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

So sorry! I know I said that the post would be up earlier last week, but too much homework got in the way, and by the time everything was said and done, I didn’t want to look at the computer screen any longer than I had to.

But here it is!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

• 2 chicken breast, preferably organic
• 4 tbsp cream cheese, whole fat
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup of pickled jalapenos, or 1-2 fresh, chopped into pieces
• 1 egg
• panko breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil (for frying)

Start off by cutting your chicken breast almost in half, but stopping so that one side is still attached, essentially butterflying the breast.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeno, and some salt and pepper.

Season the butterflied breasts with salt and pepper as well, on the outside of the breast. Stuff each breast with half of the mixture and fold over as well as you can to cover the filling.  Crack an egg in another bowl and lightly beat, then, pour out enough panko to cover both breasts on a plate. Use as much or as little panko as you like. I wanted a really nice crust so I used about a cup and half of panko.

Dip each breast in the egg and then, in the panko breadcrumbs. Fry in about 2 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet for about 3 minutes a side.  Make sure that it’s really hot, to get a good char on the panko.

Then you can lower the heat, and cover the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes a side longer, turning till it’s reached an internal temp of 180 degrees (according to my meat thermometer), or when you cut into it, it’s not pink on the inside.

 

Serve with fries, if necessary. Although, this chicken was very filling, and I barely finished it without the rice side I had attempted to eat for dinner as well.

 

Enjoy!

The Crisis

Okay, so this was my day.

I got off work and ran some errands (and in the process got a killer new split-end leave-in treatment), then went home and discovered my doctor’s appt was not covered under insurance so I stayed on the phone with Aetna for 35 minutes fixing that mistake. Afterwards, I worked out, and made some nice jalepeno popper chicken (recipe tomorrow), and decided to be really awesome and clean my fish tank. A simple water change. Cause I’m so wonderful.

No!

I’m not wonderful. Somehow in the process of doing a simple 30% water change I introduced a deadly and swift enemy. This enemy is still unknown, and sadly there were four casualties. My lovely and sweet cardinal tetras (photo below is not aquarium… cause sadly I barely have any fish in there) died. Within 30 minutes of the water change. At least the death was quick and painless (I hope).

I digress. Luckily, my ottos survived and the water is more or less clean. I went to my local sea/fresh water pet store and they double checked my water levels… and it was all good. All clear. I just have to say, I’ve never felt so helpless than being away from my ottos in those 45 minutes I was away. Simply awful.

When I got home I had a bunch of solutions to my problem, even one that was on the back burner for a while (my plants), and advice on how to proceed. I decided to share with you all, all those fishie lovers out there, that if this happens to you- don’t panic, and follow these rules, if the following applies to you.

Comments if I’m wrong on anything, etc are welcome. I want to know if I’m wrong so I never kill another fish again. Thanks

Here are my aquarium specs, before the tragedy happened:

• 5.5 gal freshwater
• 3 ottos
• 4 cardinals
• live plants
• gravel, not sand
• 3 years old
• heater, filter, and aerator in operation

1. I cleaned and moved around the gravel and noticed when the fish died that little white worms were in the water- and I thought “on no! they got my fish! Bastaaaards”.
2. Don’t think #1
3. The wormy things are planeria, and are harmless. If anything they break down the gravel bacteria. (see, it’s still a mystery of what killed my fish).
4. Check your water for nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia.
5. Check the pH level.
6. Check if your temp is too high or too low (the shock of the change usually kills all fish unless the tank is over 30 gal- then the change is less noticeable and is mildly irritating to fishies).
7. Add a poly-filter to your filter medium (this will help remove ANY additional toxins, irritants, bacteria that’s not good,etc in ONE week).

Cut this baby to size to fit into your filter.

1. Toss poly-filter in a week and note it’s color. whatever the color that’s what the problem was.
2. Add in SeaChem Stability (or similar) every other day in half doses for about 3-4 days for the good bacteria in it.
3. Feed fish every other day
4. Don’t MESS with the tank anymore for AT LEAST a week
5. DON’T ADD ANY NEW FISH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, just don’t.

BONUS:

I have live plans in my aquarium, and for a while they flourished. So did my algae. That’s why I got the ottos. Then, they started to die out, like the leaves would slowly disintegrate, one by one. I used Excel 3 times a week (to regulate the algae problem).

Apparently, my water was too clean (oddly, cause I do water changes about once every 3 months) and therefore the plants were starving. How strange! But basically, I had no nutrients in the water; in order for photosynthesis to occur in a tank, the plants need potassium, iron, and small traces of phosphate and nitrate (according to the aquarium dude- he’s worked there for like 8 years). And I had none!

I quickly picked up SeaChem Flourish which has all the different chemicals in varying levels to support plant growth.

So lessons learned. Several of them. And although I’m going to miss my three year old carindals I’m excited at the prospect of maybe getting some new fish, aside from tetras (should my tank survive this mystery attack).

Thanks for hanging in there in this “lesson of the day” sort of post. But seriously, I was bawling, I take fish seriously. This was traumatic, and now I’ve got a plan. And when there’s a plan there’s bound to be success.

Wish me luck!

Corned Beef to Celebrate March

I was trying to figure out what to make this weekend, and I couldn’t think of anything better than corned beef. The first time I’ve made corned beef I followed a recipe and roasted it. The end result was dry and chewy. I knew I should have boiled it, but the instructions on the package just said roasting. This time I wouldn’t have any of that nonsense and I decided to do some research.

Apparently, roasting is very popular but timing varies between beef roasts and it’s just a guessing game. That’s not something I’m comfortable with. A few recipes however did mention braising. Braising is boiling but in the oven, basically. That sounded like a melding of the two things that people argued the most about. So I decided to try it.

Corned Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Cabbage

1 3-lb package of corned beef with spices included
fennel seeds
black peppercorns
coriander seeds
mustard seeds
1 small head of lettuce, cut into half and chopped into strips.
4 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peels and cut into half
1 medium onion, cut into quarters

In a large pot add the corned beef and the packaged ingredients. Fill pot with lukewarm warm 4 inches above the meat. Put on medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer while skimming the skum off the top of the water for 15 minutes. When you skim, chances are you’re also going to be scooping the spices as well. Not to worry, you’ll be adding those before you put the pot into the oven.

After 15 minutes preheat oven to 325 degrees F and add carrots, onions, and garlic to the pot. Simmer for 4-6 more minutes. Add in the spices (seeds and peppercorns) according to your tastes, usually 2 tbsp each. Cover the pot with foil, and cover that tightly with the lid.

Place in oven for anywhere between 2 hr 45 min to 3 hrs.

Take out of the oven, and gently peel off the foil (careful not to burn yourself with the steam). Take out the corned beef and place into  foil, wrapping all sides tightly around the meat to keep with warm and tender. Attempt to remove the garlic (it’ll disintegrate, so be gentle with it), and add in the cabbage. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Excuse the spot by the plate. Some Guinness couldn’t help but spill.

Tortellini Soup and Garlic Bread

Earlier this week I made the best tortellini soup. I’ve tried to make tomato and tortellini soup in the past, and I’ve got to say, it never worked out. The Tortellini need to be eaten day of otherwise they absorb the liquid as they’re in the fridge and turn into a mushy pasta. Not the case with this recipe.

I adapted the soup from The Eccentric Cook

1 package of cheese tortellini (in the pasta isle, not the fresh ones)

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, grated

1 onion, finely cohpped

about a cup of chopped/ sliced mushrooms

5 large sausages – cut into pieces ( I used boarhead)

1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (the 14.5 oz)

1 can tomato sauce (about 14.5 oz)

about 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

dried oregano

dried basil

garlic powder

onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

paprika, to taste

chili powder, to taste

2 dashes soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the sausages, onion and carrots. Saute them until they get soft. Season with salt and pepper. After 7 minutes, add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle them generously with the oregano and basil, garlic and onion powders, and paprika and chili powder (if using). Cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Pour the broth and tomato cans on them. Bring the soup to a boil. Add more seasonings.

When it comes to a boil add in the brown sugar.

When the soup is simmering, add the beans and tortellini to the soup. Cook as long as the package indicates. Add soy sauce and stir until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top and garlic bread

The garlic bread recipe I followed exactly, except I used more garlic, of course. The recipe was taken from Drizzle and Dip and is by far my favorite quick and easy garlic bread recipe.

• 1 loaf of ciabatta bread or a large baguette (2 small)
•  2 large tbsp butter softened to room temperature
• 1 tbsp of kosher salt
• a small handful of coriander leaves finely chopped (about 2 T), or dried oregano
• 5 cloves of garlic crushed
• 2 cups of finely grated Parmesan cheese (an d a bit extra to sprinkle over the loaf)
• (a squeeze of lemon juice if desired)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix all of the above ingredients thoroughly to combine. Slice the bread loaf into desired slices, ensuring that you don’t cut all the way through. I like fairly thick slices. Spread the butter mix fairly generously between all the cut slices, without overdoing it, you don’t want to land up with dripping oil-soaked bread. Sprinkle the extra Parmesan over the bread and wrap in foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then open the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes to brown the loaf.

It was an amazing meal!

What I Did for Valentine’s Day

I’ve had quite an eventful weekend. This was the first weekend where I forced myself to do homework, tons of homework, after work  and throughout the week, instead of waiting for the weekend. This was because Friday, February 15 was my Valentine’s Day. I haven’t had a chance to really hang out and see Boyfriend the past three weeks or so. And I know there’s a chance I won’t be seeing him this weekend either (thanks odd work schedule). So we decided to be indulgent, and extravagant, and lovey-dovey (sort of), and have a Valentine’s Weekend.

Not so much because we’re lovers of the holiday (and I’ve read plenty of blog posts about how Valentine’s day should be every day, and why should men assume that they can be awesome this one day, and completely romantic and the rest of the time be completely ignorant in the ways of love) but because we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and we haven’t been alone in a long time, and just, couple-y, therefore Valentine’s way the perfect excuse to go over the top.

That being said, I was so happy with how our plans turned out that I, sadly, didn’t take many photos (being so lost in the many moments). My apologies. I did take a few photos. And I hope to be better in the future about it, however, there are recipes that I made (even though two photos are missing), that were completely amazing, and I can’t wait to make them again!

But first, say hello to my three new Otto fishes. I could only get a shot of two at a time, so you’ll have to imagine the third

First recipe up, is this lovely Molten Chocolate Cake. 

This was my first time making this recipe, so I followed it to the T, except for used two larger ramekins (to serve two, obviously), and adjusted the cooking time to 15 minutes. The original recipe follows.

4 pieces (squares) Bitter-sweet or Semi-sweet or just plain sweet Chocolate (this is a matter of preference)*

½ cups Butter, chopped into several pieces

1 cup Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar plus an extra 1-2 Tablespoon for dusting, separated

2 whole Eggs plus 2 Egg yolks

6 Tablespoons Flour

*I actually used chocolate chips, and eyeballed what I thought 4 squares would be. It really doesn’t matter here how much chocolate you use. I think mine was roughly 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chips.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease/spray about 4 custard molds/cups or small ramekins with a non-stick spray and then place them on a baking tray (cookie sheet).The next step requires melting the butter and chocolate. You can use the microwave, in 20 second increments till the butter is melted and the chocolate is softened. Or, you can use a double boiler. (I used the microwave. It’ll look scary with all that butter surrounding the chocolate, at least it was scary for me, however you have to keep stirring, and it’ll all work out).

Add 1 cup powdered sugar then whisk together until smooth.

Add the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks then whisk together again until smooth. Stir in the flour till just combined. Divide the batter into the four (or two) ramekins you’re using.

Bake until the sides and top are firm, but center is slightly wobbly and gooey. Let sit for 2 minutes (no more and no less, I MEAN IT), and serve by inverting to a plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream.

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Next recipe comes without a photo. This one came from Add A Pinch, and was really an amazing recipe. The only thing I can say I followed was the gorgonzola butter and improvised, to taste, the rest. Below is my rendition of the recipe, but you can follow the link to view the original.

Skillet Steaks with Gorgonzola Butter

2 Ribeye steaks

Salt and pepper

Herbs de Provance

1/2 cup cognac

Gorgonzola cheese, about 4 tbsp

4 tbsp butter, softened at room temp

Pat dry the steaks to they are free from blood. Take a fork and liberally stab the steaks throughout, on both sides, and by the fat areas. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steaks in a ziplock bag and add the cognac. Close the bag and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, and up to several hours.

Next, season your cast iron skillet* and heat it over medium heat. Take out the steaks and let them come to room temperature (about 10 minutes) while the skillet is heating up. Dry the steaks again, when taking out of the cognac marinade. Do not do this liberally. I did because I was so hungry and in a hurry, and my steaks did not brown as well as I would  have liked.

Place in skillet, and cook about three minuets each side. I started off with two minutes a side, but had to turn mine about two and a half times because they were thick .

While the steaks are cooking, mix the butter with the gorgonzola cheese, and place in fridge, to wait for the steaks.

When the steaks are ready, sprinkle top with herb de provance and let sit for three minutes before plating. When placing on plate add a generous tbsp of the gorgonzola butter to melt and ooze around the meat.

Serve with potatoes, salad, bread, and good wine.

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Lastly, this recipe has been in the making for a while. I added more cheese than the recipe called for and added my own spices to the mix, however, the recipe basics were thanks to allrecipes.com.

This recipe too, was too good to be photographed. I even forgot to photograph this while writing up this post, when eating leftovers. So Sorry!

Baked Ziti

1 lb dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 lb gound beef

2 (26 oz) jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I used tomato and basil flavor)

1 tbsp salt and pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp herbs de provance

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp grouond garlic and ground onion powders

dash of liquid smoke

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 oz of provolone cheese (sliced)– again, I used I believe 8 oz, a full Sargento bag of sliced provolone

6 oz of sliced mozerella—again from sargento, and I used the whole bag

1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozerella cheese slices and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

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Lastly, I want to say Happy Valentine’s Day again to all those that celebrate or enjoy the lovey stuff that comes with the holiday. The photo above has become a standard dessert treat I’ve been making myself after working out and a light dinner. I’m feeling great and happy, and I must say, nothing makes me feel better than strawberries, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream.

Chicken and Dumplings for a Not-So-Rainy Day

Today was one of those days were the weather started out being sort of dreadful and cold, and got lovely and sunny. However, my internal mood was one that related only to the morning weather.  Basically, I was in a funk.

So I did what any adult would do. I ignored that feeling and worked on homework and work notes all day. Then, went to the mall and got myself a new bra.Finally, I went home and worked out.

After a nice (and for some reason, short) shower I decided I had to do something before I started up on my homework again. This whole weekend is basically going to be me cooking and indulging Boyfriend and mine’s tastebuds. I’ll attempt to post of these recipes within hours of making them, but since it’ll be this weekend, you’ll have to save the love for next Valentine’s Day. Or a Birthday, or whatever weekend/day. Doesn’t matter.

I’m rambling.

My point is that I was in the cooking mood, and I figured that I could use a warm up recipe, like running a few miles before a marathon the next day (not that I know specifically how that would work, I’ve never run more than a mile, and a low one at that).

This recipe came into mind simply because the weather felt cold, for me, and I wanted something comfortable, yet delicious. I’ve been eating and working out regularly, and eating everything I want, in moderation, and I’ve been pretty successful. I think I’ve lost 3 lbs since my last weigh in, and why not give myself a lovely lunch tomorrow?

This was my first time making chicken and dumplings, and my FIRST TIME TRYING THEM! And after this recipe, I’m a fan. I’m sure it’s not the best, but it’s pretty awesome in my opinion. My dumplings ended up being a bit “Freeform” in size, but that made me love them even more.

Recipe adapted from here (I cut my recipe in half)

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp herbes de provance
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast- roughly one
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (I used mixed veggies)

Dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp butter (softened)
1 cup milk

In heavy bottomed Dutch oven or large wide pot, over medium heat, add chicken broth, water, butter and all seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Add to soup mixture, (at this point, I also added some lemon juice for a bit of zing, if you’re not a fan of zing, by all means omit it). Stir to combine and cover.

In a sealable container combine flour and milk. Seal tightly and shake vigorously to combine well. You will create a smooth flour mixture for thickening your sauce called a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into broth, stirring constantly. Add frozen vegetables. Cover.

Combine dumpling ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well with a fork. Remove cover from stew and stir well. Drop dumplings into stew one tablespoon at a time, use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make it even easier.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes

Walnut & Pear Jam Cookies and What I Did With My January

Hello All!

It’s been a very, very long time. As my friend pointed out earlier today, it’s been about a month since I’ve lasted attempted at making anything delicious (well, I have, like ribs, but sadly I haven’t really attempted to chronicle the occasion).

Today was the day. I’m procrastinating pretty hard today when it comes to homework. I’ve been cleaning, baking (obviously), and working out. Doing anything I can not to think about the hours of work that’s ahead of me. I’m even going to be a perfect, model student and meet with a classmate to work together and study. That’s right, about 7 hours worth of study and ABA terminology for my Saturday. How fun.

Mostly, I’m excited to get work over with, and just sleep in past 7 am.

In the meantime, I get to enjoy these lovely cookies. They were adapted from Home Cooking Adventure and I couldn’t be happier with the way they smell, and taste.

The only thing that I changed really, was that I didn’t add walnuts on top of my cookies (and that was explained below) and I used pear jam I got from a trip to Yuciapa for apple picking. I know, funny how I got pear jam when I went apple picking. But I got enough apples that I thought I’d be making my own (secretly).

It turned out amazing, and since I’m trying to be healthier overall, I did a little calorie count for y’all: these cookies are a smooth 90 calories each! Which means I get to enjoy them as I’m typing this up AND when I’m done working out. Win win, indeed.

Walnut and Pear Jam Cookies

• 1 stick butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup pear jam
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• walnuts for top (I omitted this, as I prefer to have more walnuts IN my cookies than ON TOP of them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat in the egg.

Add apricot jam, almond extract and vanilla extract and stir well to incorporate. Stir dry ingredients together,  flour and baking powder and add into butter mixture.

Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Using a tablespoon or your ice cream scoop take small balls and place on prepared baking sheets with distance between them. Top with chopped walnuts and bake 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown. Remove from sheet to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

 

 

Now that I’ve got you hooked on the cookies, I can discuss where the rest of my January went.

I’ve been eagerly (and frighteningly) preparing for my first ever visit to Cal ABA. For those of you that don’t know. Cal ABA is a California based conference for professions and students (and affiliates and parents and everyone) that discusses future and current research in Applied Behavior Analysis. My company will be going there, as well as my University program. Not to mention a few of my classmates will be presenting their research there– I couldn’t be more excited.

In other news… I accomplished one of my 2013 goals already! If you all remember, I wanted to purchase an item from Agent Provocateur , just for myself, not for anything special, or for a birthday (or Valentine’s Day). So basically, instead of that store, I chose another, based out of New York, Called Journelle.

As soon as I got this pretty package in the mail I knew I’d be happy.

In my humble opinion, I think that Journelle is a lot better (price wise for the same quality) and it’s more versatile  I can wear it for a romantic night out, or under work clothing (and not feel filthy).

I purchased about 5 different styles (bras with undies to match), and they all fit perfectly, true to size and quality to boot! Absolutely wonderful! Aaaand free shipping~

I know that January is a long month, but that’s basically all I’ve been doing with it.