Recycle K-Cups

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Deborah

This isn’t a new recipe for you to try but it is an interesting way to re-use k-cups. My spouse is the only one in the house that drinks coffee so it made sense to go with a single serve coffee maker.  They’re nice, make good coffee and the kids like the hot cocoa and teas you can make in them too. And the little cups are recyclable, which is great.

But the other day I was going through my seed packets, getting ready to start some seeds indoors when I had an epiphany. Instead of buying those seed starting kits you see, why not just use the k-cups? They are the perfect size and already have a hole punched in the bottom of them.

With that I set to the task of gently removing the foil, emptying the contents which was a little tricky since there is a tiny filter in there too. I rinsed it well then added my seed-starting soil and a few pepper seeds. My husband only drinks one coffee a day so tomorrow I will do the whole process again and start another little group of seeds. By the weekend, my garden will be well on its way.

I hope you start some seeds of your own this February or March. Spring is right around the corner.

UPDATE: It works!

Wisteria

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Basic Muffin Recipe

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Deborah

Chocolate Chip Muffins

This muffin recipe is a keeper because it is so versatile. I came across it one day while doing a “pantry challenge” and have never needed another muffin recipe again. I first made it with dried apricots but the family didn’t care for it. The next time I tried dried blueberries and they were gone before dinner. I’ve made it with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and dried cranberry and even chopped fresh strawberries. I think anything you try will work and that makes this recipe very valuable.

Here’s why I love this muffin recipe~

Versatile – dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate – you name it.
Quick and Easy – this recipe can be mixed and baked in under 20 minutes
Not too sweet – you can be chincy with the sugar!
Just the right amount – it only makes 12 muffins which is perfect for my family of 4.

Basic Muffins

1 cup dried or fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. (chopped)
1 cup boiling water (only if you use dried fruit)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*
1 egg

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan and line with paper muffin cups (I always do both). If you’re using the dried fruit,  place into a small bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the melted butter, oil, buttermilk and beaten egg,  stir until just blended. It is okay for the batter to have some lumps. Drain water from dried fruit, and mix into the batter. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan over a wire rack.

*I never have buttermilk on hand so I use the old trick of adding white vinegar to fat-free milk and it works perfectly. Measure out just under one cup of milk then add in 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes. The milk will look thick and clumpy. It’s OK.

A pantry challenge occurs every few weeks in my house. It happens when my pantry is bursting at the seams and I need to use up any odd ingredients that are sitting around the shelves and taking up room.

 

 

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Rigatoni with Pancetta and Basil

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Deborah

Wow was this a great dish. It was light and savory, perfect for a rainy, chilly evening. I found this recipe here and modified it only slightly. Honestly I had never tried pancetta and almost substituted prosciutto instead but boy am I glad I stuck with the pancetta. It’s delicious and I plan to try more recipes with it soon. I should say the basil flavor is really heavy, which is fine because we love basil. If you don’t like the licorice flavor of basil very much, I would cut it down to maybe 2 tablespoons or so. Enjoy.

Rigatoni with Pancetta and Basil

  • 12 ounces rigatoni (or ziti)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 oz pancetta, diced
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 3 cups diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese (part skim)
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded


Preheat the oven to 375°F and put a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the onion. Continue cooking until both the onion and the pancetta are very lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid reduces slightly, then add the tomatoes and oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking for 7 to 10 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

Stir the ricotta cheese into the sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add the pasta and chopped basil and combine thoroughly.

Coat a 2-1/2 to 3 quart shallow casserole dish with nonstick spray. Spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture into the dish, then top with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Add the remaining pasta, and top with the balance of the mozzarella, cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and return to the oven for 5 minutes to lightly brown the cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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My Top 5 Kitchen Tools

Posted on August 15, 2011 by gretchen

axed chickenI’ve been out of pocket for a while. We just relocated to Germany. Actually we’ve been here nearly 4 months (wow!) but I’m just now getting back into the swing of things.

Moving can be a bit of a hassle, and moving overseas even more so. Being without my “stuff” was frustrating, especially since I was trying to assure that we ate somewhat normally (eg not in restaurants and not just Kraft mac n cheese). Most of the time in transition we had a somewhat-equipped kitchen, either at “home” with the kitchen tools I kept behind or in temporary lodging.

All of this made me realize there are simply a few things I must have in the kitchen. (I was going to write “cannot live without” but that is a bit of hyperbole. I think you know what I mean.) I had the basics – dishes, glasses, pots and pans, measuring cups and spoons - but to my future self, this is what I need to have in my “unaccompanied baggage” when we head back to the States.

1) A 9×13 Pyrex. This is versatile – can be used for casseroles, lasagne, as a baking dish – but most importantly, BROWNIES. From-scratch brownies (I use the recipe on the back of the Baker’s unsweetened chocolate box) are a good friend when homesick, and they are easily made without a mixer. However, if you try to bake them in some other size dish, it is likely that the top will be burned and the middle will be gooey. (Thankfully the batter is still delish.)

2) A Rubber Spatula. More accurately, silicon, but I think you know what I’m talking about. Great for mixing, and even better for assuring that the last half-tablespoon of said brownie batter does not go to waste.

3) A Lemon Juicer. Have you ever tried to get lemon juice – more than just a spritz – out of a lemon without a juicer? Very inefficient. Plus if you do so please wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from stray drops.

4) A Paring Knife. One kitchen we were in had a great assortment of cutlery, but everything was at least 8 inches long. Not so handy for cutting up apples for a healthy snack.

5. A Metal Spatula. I made French Toast and flipped it with a wooden spoon but it wasn’t easy. Same with grilled cheese sandwiches.

And a note about the photo above: We were dying for some chicken fajitas, which in my world require flattening the chicken breasts. Of course I did not have my meat pounder thing or even a plastic bag, so I made do with a hatchet I found in the garage of our rental home and the interior bag from a box of cereal. It was a success: no fingers were lost in the process and that bag was far superior to a standard plastic bag. (I’d read the tip about using the cereal bag  in Cooks’ Illustrated long ago.)

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Honey Chicken Tenders Recipe

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Deborah
Honey Chicken Tenders

Honey Chicken Tenders and Corn Muffins

These little nuggets are my way of serving kid friendly meals that are also light in calories and fat. By lightly coating the chicken, and skipping the milk soak and double dredge of flour found in most nugget recipes, we are able to keep the nuggets tasty and light. The light drizzle of honey is a nice bonus and keeps the kids happy. Serve along side with kids other favorites like carrots and corn muffins.

Honey Chicken

1 pkg. chicken thighs, deboned and skinned, about 8
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tbls canola oil
1 tbs honey

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and layout flat on a sheet of parchment paper to dry. In a flat dish mix the flour, pepper and paprika. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour mix, coating both sides and shaking off any excess.

Heat up the oil in a skillet and quickly cook the chicken. You don’t want too much oil in the pan or it will splatter. Once the chicken is done through, about 6 minuets per side, transfer to a wire rack that is set over a paper towel. Let cool slightly then move to platter and drizzle with honey.

Because the chicken has very little coating, it won’t absorb as much oil and is a healthy version of chicken nuggets.

Serves 4

 

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Sushi Salad

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Deborah
Sushi Salad

Fresh Tuna, Rice and Vegetables

I am fortunate to have a friend that runs a fishing charter. Occasionally, he drops by with the fresh catch of the day. Last night, it was tuna. Fresh, sushi grade tuna. He suggested we just dice it up and mix it with wasabi and soy sauce but I had bigger plans.

Not wanting to roll sushi myself, I settled on this easy alternative – sushi salad. The fun part is you can use just about any vegetable and fish combo you want. One key ingredient is the rice seasoning. I am able to get this at our local commissary but I think it might be widely available. If not you can use the dried seaweed that I know for sure is available at most supermarkets.

Sushi Salad

4 cups cooked rice (cooled)
fresh raw tuna, diced (1 large fillet)
fresh cooked crab meat (about 1 cup)
fresh diced vegetables like carrots, snap peas, cucumber, avocado, and spring onions.
Pickled Ginger
Soy Sauce
Rice Seasoning
Wasabi paste

I portioned out the rice into 4 bowls then let everyone add their own ingredients. I also splashed a little seasoned rice vinegar on the top for a kick. I hope you try it. It was delicious and so much easier than preparing rolled sushi!

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Lamb and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Deborah
Lamb and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Lamb and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I have a very distinct taste memory from my childhood of stuffed bell peppers. They were whole bell peppers with their tops cut off, stuffed with mixture of ground beef and rice with a tomato base and topped off with a slice of American cheese. I didn’t really care for them, and I honestly don’t think we had them very often, but the flavor from the oven roasted peppers is very prominent in my mind.

Now that I’m a grown-up, I like the flavor of bell peppers, especially the sweeter red and yellow ones. I picked some up at the farm-stand the other day and wholly intended on stuffing those bad boys with the filling from my youth. But fate intervened and I wound up with a pound of ground lamb. My husband had been wanting some lamb, so, why not stuff the peppers with the lamb? This also led to swapping out the rice for Quinoa and for the cheese, well, I blended Swiss and mozzarella. It’s a more grown-up version, to be sure. I wonder if my kids will remember it, years from now, as I have this week.

Lamb and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1 lbs ground lamb
1/4 cup uncooked Quinoa
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion (sweet or yellow)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole lemons
15 oz canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes, diced
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary (chopped)
3-4 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded, cut into large sections (halves)
Mixture of shredded Swiss and mozzarella cheese ( about 1 cup total)

Boil 3/4 salted water and add Quinoa. Cover and gently cook until soft and all the water is absorbed. 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large pan saute the onion, celery and garlic in a little butter or oil until soft, season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb and gently brown. Pour off the fat then return to the skillet and add the tomatoes and the rosemary and squeeze both lemons over the top. Remove from heat and stir in the Quinoa until nicely blended. If I had some fresh mint, I would have added that now.

Heat your oven to 350°. Evenly divide the filling amongst the peppers. I had enough for about 8 halves. Top with cheese and some fresh ground black pepper. Heat in the oven until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted and browned a little, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

The kids each did as I did as a kid and just ate the filling. :} But I enjoyed the whole thing, roasted pepper and all. I hope you try it!

 

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Pork Carnitas

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Deborah

Pork Tacos or Carnitas

These delicious carnitas are easy to make and quite pleasant for a quick week-day dinner. The recipe puts to use your crock pot and a lovely marinade which you actually cook the pork in. No marinating time necessary!

My favorite marinade for chicken and pork is Mojo Cirollo. Goya and Badia both make good ones. The thing I like the most about these marinades is that they don’t have High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. Try finding a marinade on the shelf that doesn’t have that as the first ingredient.

Pork Carnitas

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and lightly seasoned with salt & pepper
24 oz. Mojo Criollo marinade
Corn Tortillas
Cilantro, chopped
Sour Cream
Diced Avocado
cooked and cooled black beans

Place the tenderloin in your crock pot and cover with the marinade. If you are going to be home, turn it on high and let it go for a couple hours until the pork starts to pull apart and shreds easily. If you’re not home, turn it to low and let it go until you get home.

Remove the pork from the crock pot and let cool, wrapped in foil for about 10-15 minutes. Discard the juice. Once the pork has cooled, shred with 2 forks or your fingers.

Wrap about 10 tortillas in a clean dish towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds until warm.

Assemble the carnitas by placing 1 tortilla on a plate and add the pork, cilantro, sour cream, beans and avocado. Garnish with a wedge of lime. Repeat!

PS. I know traditional carnitas are dried in the oven after cooking but I really prefer the meat tender and juicy. That’s just the way I roll.

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Soulful Souffle

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Deborah
Asparagus and Gorgonzola Souffle

Asparagus and Gorgonzola Souffle

Believe it or not, I had never made souffle until last night. It had never even crossed my mind until we were at Panera bread in Morehead City this past weekend and my husband asked “What’s a souffle?” They have a delicious spinach souffle on their menu now. My ornery husband pronounced it “soul-ful”. I corrected him with only a slight grin and we got on with lunch. Somehow, however, the kids and I worked “soul-ful” into most of our conversations over the next few days. He was a good sport and rolled with it.

Since it had been the topic of the week, I had to find a recipe to try. The one I ended up with is here . The Gorgonzola cheese is also fabulous on sliders. :) And how do you say “Gorgonzola”? I say “gore-gun-zola”. Correct me if I’m wrong.

I don’t own a souffle dish. I think they are tall and skinny to boost the souffle upward in a nice round column. I used my pampered chef mini baker instead. It worked well and kept the souffle warm and puffy. I’m going to try a dessert souffle next because honestly, I had always thought souffles were hard to make but actually, it was quite simple and the end result was fantastic.

Asparagus and Gorgonzola Souffle

12 oz trimmed asparagus spears
3 tbsp salted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, separated
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then drain, allow to cool and finely chop.
Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a souffle dish (about 2.5 pints) with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan , add the asparagus and cook for about 2 minutes, allowing any excess moisture to evaporate.
Mix in the flour and cook very gently for one minute. Stir in the milk, season with salt and pepper and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens. This all happens rather quickly. No more than a few minutes.
Cool slightly, then beat in the egg yolks, a little bit at a time and half the Gorgonzola.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture.
Transfer the mixture into the souffle dish and sprinkle with the remaining Gorgonzola.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes until well risen, then serve immediately.

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Southwestern Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Gina Otero
Southwestern Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Southwestern Spiced Pork Tenderloin

We grill almost every night during the Spring and Summer.  Actually we grill almost every night, weather permitting, even in December, so I am always trying new combinations of spices and marinades to keep things interesting on the grill.  This is a new combination that I tried and it came out wonderful.  I served it with Mashed Baked Potatoes and it was a hit with my family.  If your grill is not open for business yet, sear the tenderloin in a skillet, browning well on all sides then finish in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your tenderloin.  Allow the tenderloin to rest on a board, covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 Tablespoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil

For the Tenderloin:  Combine all the spices in a bowl and mix well.  Drizzle all sides of the tenderloin with the oil until well coated.  Sprinkle the spice mixture, a little at a time, onto the pork and rub into the meat.  I used about half the mixture when I made this recipe, use more or less, depending on how spicy you would like your meat.  Allow to marinate at least one hour or over night.  Cook on the grill or prepare in the oven. Allow the tenderloin to rest on a board, covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Allow the tenderloin to rest on a board, covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.  Slice and serve.

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