Christmas Sugar Cookies, and Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2011 · 16 comments

in sweets/desserts

I figured since I was unemployed during the holidays this year and had a bit more time on my hands, I’d make some decorated sugar cookies to give away in treat boxes this year. I also made my standard melomakarona, cranberry shortbread bars (recipe forthcoming), and peppermint bark (which I tried making in pretty molds and ended up not so pretty).

Although my decorating skills may still leave a bit to be desired (my snowmen looked like they were wearing pirate hats and had no noses, and some of my outline piping was way too thick, for example), I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out, considering it was only my second attempt at decorating with royal icing.

Like the first time, though, these were definitely a process. I’m sure that those who make these frequently get much better and quicker with time, but man, it can be exhausting! I also made the mistake of doing too many shapes and colors. I only have a few couplers and 2 tips that are decent for outlining so it was a  bit of a nuisance for me.

On the first day, I made and refrigerated the dough. Easy peasy.

On the second day, I rolled the cookies out, baked them, and then outlined them once they had cooled. At this point, I was already exhausted and questioning why I chose to do this.

Later that day, I flooded the cookies.

I then let them sit out overnight to dry.

The next morning, I decorated them. And then breathed a huge sigh of relief.

I decided to try a different sugar cookie recipe this time around. I mentioned in my first sugar cookie post that I was planning on trying a few – not that I ever had any issues with that first cookie, not at all. This time around I used Ashlee’s Famous Sugar Cookies, to try a recipe that used  both granulated and powdered sugar. I omitted the lemon zest (just never been my thing in cookies) and upped the almond extract a  bit. These cookies puffed a bit more than Annie’s, though they still kept their shape pretty well. The surface was just a bit more raised and not as flat. I liked the texture of the cookies a little bit better, though I liked the more pronounced almond extract in the first recipe a  bit better. So, it’s a toss up!

I used the same royal icing recipe as I did the first time around and, once again, used Annie’s incredibly helpful royal icing tutorial.

I would like to wish all of you the happiest of holidays!

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Slowcooker Asian Pork

December 21, 2011 · 10 comments

in asian,crockpot,healthy,pork

It’s not often that I see a slowcooker recipe that catches my eye and elicits me to make it almost immediately. I wish I did, really. Crockpot cooking is so convenient but the truth is, there just aren’t a lot of meals I make in mine (though I very much enjoy the ones  I do).

This recipe, on the other hand, seemed pretty perfect. First of all, it’s shredded meat, which the slowcooker excels at. Secondly, there are no other ingredients added in the beginning—save for the liquid and seasoning—to turn into a mushy pile of ick by the end.  And lastly, the ingredients are not only pantry staples, but are extremely flavorful. Oh, and it’s also nice when you’ve taken on entirely too much holiday baking and are too damned tired to cook by dinnertime.

We all thought this recipe was great. I can get behind pretty much anything with a garlic/ginger/soy sauce flavor combo. Zachary really enjoyed this and kept asking for “more chicken” (he apparently thinks all shredded meat = chicken). Thank goodness we are past the stage of him refusing meat almost altogether.  He also freaking LOVED the snow peas, which is good to know because he has now started turning his nose up at several vegetables. Toddlers, gotta love ‘em.

I ended up adding a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce up for this a bit. You could also dredge the pork in flour and then sear it before adding to the crockpot for a similar effect. I was admittedly hesitant about not searing the pork before throwing it in, since I normally do, but then I remembered another slowcooker pork recipe with fabulous results, despite not searing, so I went with it.

I ended up reducing the liquid a bit overall, and also using a center cut roast since it’s leaner (and was on sale for the same price as shoulder). I also threw the snap peas in during the last few minutes, with the cornstarch slurry, because I like them to remain really crisp. As I’ve mentioned, I always use the Saveur method when making brown rice, and it worked out especially well with this because I threw the peppers into the crockpot the same time I threw the rice in to cook, and then I put the snap peas in while the rice was finishing steaming.

Guys, I am always SO happy to add a new slowcooker recipe to my repertoire. It gives me the warm fuzzies. Try this one out, I promise you’ll like it (and so does Zachary :-D).

Slowcooker Asian Pork

Adapted from Apple a Day and Food Network
1.5 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 (2.5 lb.) center cut pork roast
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (2″) knob ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
6 scallions, sliced, white parts separated from green
1 oz. dried shiitake (or other) mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup snap peas, halved
cornstarch slurry, optional

In a small bowl, mix together the 5-spice, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Rub over the pork, wrap rightly, and refrigerate overnight.

In the bowl of a slowcooker, mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and red pepper until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the ginger and garlic. Place the pork roast into the slowcooker, and place the mushrooms and white parts of the scallions around it. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Shred the pork into large pieces.

Forty minutes before serving, add the pepper strips and continue cooking on low.

During the last 5 minutes, add the snap peas and, if desired, the corn starch slurry. Cook on high, with the lid off, for 5 minutes. Top the pork with the green parts of the scallions before serving.

 

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Baked Oven Fries

December 18, 2011 · 8 comments

in potatoes

I love potatoes. LOVE. Who doesn’t? That said, I don’t make them very often. We usually have some sort of complex carb for dinner instead (bulgur, farro, etc.), and I find myself rarely thinking of using potatoes these days, unless I’m making some sort of hash or using sweet potatoes (since I only discovered I liked them in the last year or two). Even when we have burgers for dinner, we usually have them with a salad because I don’t like to have two different carbs, and the burgers already have a bun (well, it’s not that I don’t like to, it’s that I probably shouldn’t).

I made these oven fries a while back and we both loved them. I wouldn’t classify them as healthy (though they are better for you than their fried counterparts), but they really aren’t too bad, given the amount they make. I reduced the oil on the baking sheet by a bit the second time I made them, too, and it was totally fine.

These potatoes cook fairly quickly, because they are soaked in hot water first, and then cooked with tightly covered foil, before being uncovered and finishing up. They are roasted at a really high temperature, which makes them nice and crispy, and definitely better than any other baked fry I’ve attempted to make previously.

Tom and I deemed this dinner Iron Chef: Oil. With these fries, we also had skirt steak with chimichurri, and green beans roasted with oil, salt and pepper. I’m pretty sure our cuisine would have reigned supreme in this battle.

Oven Baked Fries

From The New Best Recipe, via Annie’s Eats

2 large or 3 medium russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total) peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 Tbsp. canola, vegetable, or peanut oil, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, and more to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and more to taste

Preheat the oven to 475. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl, and cover with hot water. Soak for 10-30 minutes.

Put 4 Tbsp. of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet  to evenly coat the pan with oil. Using a pastry brush can also help. Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels and pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is completely dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes.  Flip over each potato wedge, keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. (Mine have never taken more than about 6 minutes at this stage.)

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

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Chestnut-Maple Biscotti

December 16, 2011 · 12 comments

in breakfast/brunch,healthy

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may have seen that I officially declared hot pink a holiday color. Why, you ask? Wellllll…because I may have accidentally dyed maple glaze that color instead of red. But it was TOTALLY intentional, obviously. Yeah…

 

A while back, Hodgson Mill contacted me to see if I would be interested in creating an original holiday recipe, that was healthy. I agreed, but soon realized I had no clue what to make. Original, healthy, AND holiday-themed. Not that easy, really.

Since I’m not a huge baker, I find coming up with original baked goods slightly challenging. That said, I feel comfortable creating quickbreads/muffins and biscotti, since I’ve done both a fair amount of times. I figured gingerbread would be the go-to for other participants, so I wanted to make something else, when I finally thought about chestnuts. I LOVE roasted chestnuts. A lot. As a kid, I would sit in a barstool at the kitchen counter, while my grandma roasted chestnuts in the toaster oven. I’d eat them piping hot, and loved them.

I added pure maple syrup to these in place of some of the sugar, and of course I used the whole wheat flour Hodgson Mill sent to me to make these even healthier. These come in at about 105 calories a pop, and under 1 gram of fat. I’d call that a success!

Like I do with many things, I waited till the last week of the deadline to make these, so I had to cross all appendages that they would be tasty and that the recipe would work, because I didn’t have time to remake it. Thankfully, they are and it did! The chestnuts, maple, and spices made these very holiday-friendly and tasty, to boot. One thing I thought, though, was that they looked pretty boring and just…brown. That’s when I decided a maple glaze would not only bring out the maple flavor a little more, but would also provide a vehicle for some color. Well. I definitely brought some color, wouldn’t you say?

 In housekeeping news, the winner of the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch baking set is commenter #70, Elise, who said “My favorite thing to bake around the Holidays is anything new, I love trying new recipes! Or anything with chocolate! Chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies are great.” Congrats, Elise!

[Disclaimer: Hodgson Mill provided me with the whole wheat flour to make this recipe. All views expressed in this post are my own.]

Chestnut-Maple Biscotti

Makes 20 biscotti

Total Time: 1.5 hours
Total Baking Time: 55  minutes

print Printer Friendly Recipe

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
0.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped, roasted chestnuts (see notes blow)

Maple-glaze:
1/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
a few splashes of milk

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

In another bowl, or in the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the sugar and the eggs until well incorporated, and then beat in the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla until thick, about 2 minutes.

Slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated (I always like to do the last part with a rubber spatula so as not to overmix). The dough will be sticky, but if it’s overly sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Fold in the chestnuts.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for about a minute. Shape the mixture into a loaf, and then pat it down a bit until it’s about 1″ high. Transfer the log to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, slightly puffed, and firm, rotating the pan once halfway through. Remove the loaf from the sheet and allow to cool for 5-15 minutes before continuing.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Transfer the loaf to a cutting board and cut 1/2″ diagonal slices, to make 20 biscotti. Place the pieces onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes; flip each piece over and then bake for an additional 10-12 minutes. Cool the biscotti completely.

To make the maple glaze, stir together the confectioners sugar and maple syrup (and food coloring, if using), and add just a splash or two of milk, until it’s a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle the cooled biscotti with the maple glaze.

 

Roasting chestnuts: For this recipe,  you can certainly buy chestnuts that are already roasted (or even boiled) and jarred. However, I prefer to roast them myself. The amount of chestnuts required for this recipe is about 10 oz. There is a good chance you will roast some chestnuts and only after opening them realizing they are bad, so you will want to start with more like 12-14 oz. of chestnuts. That said, since these are just an add-in, the 1 cup is  not a live and die rule. To roast the chestnuts, preheat your oven to 425°F. When the chestnuts are on their flat side, slice an X in the top corner of each one with a paring or utility knife. Place on a baking sheet and roast about 20-30 minutes, until shells have opened and chestnuts are tender. Be sure not to overbake them, or they will become rock hard. While the chestnuts are still hot, peel the shells.

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Chicken Cacciatore Risotto

December 14, 2011 · 12 comments

in chicken/poultry,italian,rice and grains

I remember coming across this recipe a really long time ago, thinking, “I need to make this right away!” and then somehow it got pushed from the menu the following week and back into the depths of my Google Reader. It’s really quite unfortunate, because this was a great meal.

I love meals that are spins on other popular dishes. I do it frequently with burgers and risotto myself. This risotto is based on chicken cacciatore. Cacciatore, while flavorful in itself, is usually put on top of plain pasta. It’s still delicious, but letting the flavors of the cacciatore permeate through the whole dish, as it does with this risotto, is a fabulous idea.

I normally use white wine in my cacciatore [please click only if you want see a  horrific picture and an even more horrific "write up"], but I liked Josie’s use of red wine so I went with it. I’m now looking forward to making another red wine risotto very soon. The red wine just gave the risotto a greater depth of flavor—and a very pretty color!

Although this recipe called for chicken thighs, I used breasts. It’s not that I don’t like thighs—in fact, if you read this blog at all, you should know I hold them far superior to chicken breasts—but breasts were what I had in my freezer. I made a few other small changes to this recipe, and we were very happy with the results. I’m looking forward to making this again and not letting it get lost in the black hole of internet recipes.

Chicken Cacciatore Risotto

Adapted from Pink Parsley

1 large chicken breast (about 8 oz.)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup red wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
3/4 cup grated Romato or Parmesan cheese

 

Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence.   Heat a large saute pan or wide/shallow saucepan over medium heat, and add the olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook 4-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and crushed red pepper to a simmer.  Keep at a low simmer.
Add 1 Tbsp. butter to the pan where you cooked the chicken.  Once melted, add the shallot and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, and mushrooms and cook an additional minute.

Add the rice to the skillet, and cook, stirring continuously, until the edges are translucent.  Decrease the heat to medium-low.  Add the red wine, and stir continuously, scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is mostly absorbed.

Add 1-2 ladle-fulls of the chicken broth/tomato mixture to the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.  Add another 1-2 ladle-fulls.

Continue adding liquid until the rice is cooked al dente.  Taste to check doneness—it should have a slight bite in the center.  When cooked to al dente, add 1 more ladle of chicken broth, and remove from heat.  Stir in the remaining Tablespoon of butter, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, and add to the risotto.  Divide evenly among serving plates, and top with more cheese and parsley.  Serve immediately.

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Favorite Holiday Goodies and a GIVEAWAY!

December 12, 2011 · 317 comments

in misc.

I’m making a lot of “old” staple recipes for holiday tins this year. I’m not making much, and I’m certainly not going overboard. That said, I probably won’t be posting any new recipes this year (though I am majorly eyeing these Linzer cookies as a possible last minute addition), so I wanted to give you a list of some of my favorites, a few of which will be making an appearance in this year’s treat boxes. And also to make it evident that I really need to re-photograph some of these…


Melomakarona- These are the cookies I make every year, no questions asked. They are traditional Greek holiday cookies with a hint of cinnamon and orange that are then doused in a honey syrup and topped with a cinnamon, clove, and walnut mixture. In other words, they are the best cookies ever.

Kourambiedes – Another traditional Greek holiday cookie. These are almond shortbread cookies rolled in powdered sugar, very similar to Mexican wedding cookies.

Chocolate-Mint Thumbprints – These cookies have the quintessential holiday combo of chocolate and mint. Plus, they’re pretty!

White chocolate, cranberry, and pistachio fudge – I know that white chocolate is very polarizing. It’s not “chocolate” for one, and some people hate it. I am not one of those people. I adore white chocolate. Love it. Think it’s one of the best things on earth. Studded with red cranberries and green pistachios, this is a very festive fudge!

Sablés – These cookies are perfect for every holiday treat bag. Not only are they delicious, they are incredibly simple to make. Plus, you can make them ahead of time, freeze the log, and slice and bake when you’re ready.

Gingerbread scones – These are a great change of pace from the cookies most people tend to give out. They have that unmistakable holiday gingerbread flavor in the form of a scone, and they are drizzled with maple glaze.

Peppermint Bark – This is about as easy and classic as holiday treats go. This year, I’ll be pouring these into holiday candy molds, rather than into a sheet pan and breaking into shards (thank  you, Pinterest).

Romano and Black Pepper Biscotti – While this is a sort of unusual addition to a list of holiday tins, that’s what makes it so great. People get so overloaded with sweet stuff during the holidays, that a savory biscotti is a welcome addition. It’s also easy to make the dough and freeze in advance, plus biscotti is shelf stable for quite a while.

 

And now, for the giveaway!

I’ve never been a huge baker, but I’ve definitely gotten into it more, and have gotten much better (thankfully). Originally, I had some pretty cheap and not all that great bakeware. I got a few recommendations for the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch pans, so I bought a couple pieces. I fell in LOVE. I want to eventually rotate out all my old bakeware for new, shiny, perfect, awesome WS pans.

I’m actually jealous of whoever wins this giveaway, because I don’t even have all these pans!

I’m giving away a 6-piece set of Goldtouch essential bakeware to one lucky winner!

The set includes a cookie sheet, a half sheet pan, 2 (9″) cake pans, a cooling rack, and a muffin tin.

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me what your favorite thing is to bake around the holidays. 

  • Giveaway ends on Thursday, December 15 at 11:59 PM CST. The winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck!
  • Open to U.S. addresses only.
  • You must include an email address when commenting, otherwise I can’t reach you if you win (don’t worry, no one can see your email address but me).

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by yours truly. 

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Chicken Pot Pie

December 8, 2011 · 17 comments

in chicken/poultry

Chicken pot pie was one of the first things I ever learned to make. I even remember it being my “thing” in college, because I would make it semi-frequently and everyone loved it. Of course, a few years prior I had discovered the magic of Campbell’s cream of ___ soups (before then, those cans never passed the plane of our door), and Pillsbury also assisted in the making of this particular pot pie.

There is certainly nothing wrong with that, and I definitely liked the pot pie well enough. But as I started cooking more and more, I started using less and less processed ingredients. Eventually I made my own filling, but still used a store-bought pie crust. I then moved to Trader Joe’s multigrain baking mix, and finally, to my own pie crust.

I’ve posted chicken pot pie before, but it was in the early stages of the blog, with the TJ’s mix, and with an atrocious picture. So, I’ve decided to update the ol’ blog files with a from-scratch chicken pot pie with a homemade pie dough.

I first came across this dough on Josie’s blog, and it seemed like the perfect topping for pot pie, since it was biscuit-like. The added bonus was that it had less butter than a standard pie crust and, while no means “healthy,” every little tablespoon of butter you take away helps, right? I also added some whole wheat flour to boost the nutritional content a bit.

I don’t use a lot of butter and flour when making roux of replacements for cream of soups, generally, because I feel like I can get away with it and it’s thick enough for me. Of course, you can use more butter/flour if you choose.

This does take a little time, since you have to make the dough, filling, and then assemble, but each step is really easy. Give it a try! If you’d rather make a whole pie, you will need to use the original recipe for the pie dough, since I used 2/3 of the recipe.

 

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Filling is an original recipe; pie crust is adapted from Gourmet, via Pink Parsley
Makes about 4 pies, depending on baking dish size
print Printer Friendly Recipe

Pie Crust:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup AP flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk

Filing:

2 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 small onion or leek, diced
1 small russet potato, diced into small cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. minced thyme
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. flour
1.5 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/2 cup milk or cream, at room temperature
1 cup cooked chicken, diced or shredded (I like using a mix of white and dark meat)
1/3 cup peas

1 egg, lightly beaten

 

To make the crust: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and  salt in a bowl, or pulse a few times in your food processor. Blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse with the food processor) until it resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball and pat into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the filling: Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a deep saute pan. Add the onion, potato, carrot, and celery and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, mushrooms, and thyme, and cook until mushrooms have given up their juices.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter to the pan to melt. Sprinkle in the flour and cook about 1-2 minutes until combined and no longer raw. Slowly stir in the warmed chicken broth, followed by the milk to cream. Continue simmering over medium low, stirring, until thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the chicken and peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the baking dishes on a sheet pan, and pour the filling into them.

Roll out your pie dough on a floured surface and cut 4 circles that are about 1/2″ bigger than the tops of the baking dishes you are using. Place each circle over the baking dish and press the sides to adhere. Brush the beaten egg on top of the dough, and then cut a slit into each dough round, for steam to escape.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until pie crust is golden.

 

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Meatless Monday: Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

December 4, 2011 · 20 comments

in mexican/tex-mex,vegetarian

I get that whole wheat and “natural” products cost more. I don’t like it, but I get it. Once, I was in a grocery store and wanted to buy a bottle of iced tea. The unsweetened kind (aka the one that has tea leaves and citric acid) cost $0.40 more than the sweetened kind (which has like 10 ingredients). They were the same brand, of course.

Grumble grumble.

Brown rice? Costs more than white. Whole wheat bread? Costs more than the enriched kind, even though the “enrichments” add like 50 ingredients.

But what really kills me is when the product is not only more expensive, but smaller, too.  For the love of God why is it SO HARD to find a box of whole wheat pasta that weighs a pound? I am sick of this 12.5 and 13.5 oz. bullshit. If you’re going to charge me extra, fine, but can you at least give me the same amount? Have you ever seen a recipe that calls for 13.5 oz. of pasta? NO.

This time, though, those puny “large” tortillas made with whole wheat were actually beneficial. You see, with a 10 inch tortilla, you need to trim it to fit a springform pan. But with one that’s only about 8.5″ if you’re measuring generously? No trimming necessary. I’ll just pretend the extra money I spent on them was a trade-off for my time.

I realized just as I was about to make this that I didn’t  have anywhere near the amount of corn called for (honestly, I just assume I always have at least 1 full bag of corn in the freezer. My bad.) I ended up using what I had (about 1 scant cup) and then added about another cup of frozen tricolored peppers.  I would just make it this way again next time, because it adds some more flavor (and color) and also cuts down a bit on the starchiness of this dish, which already has the tortillas, beans, and corn.

This is a filling dish that’s just a bit different from your standard “Mexican lasagna” (or “enchilada brick” as Tom so hilariously refers to it). It’s easy to make and fairly quick, especially if you make the bean mixture ahead of time.

(By the way, if you live in IL, or want to order online, check out Majave habanero hot sauce. It’s quickly become one of my favorites!)

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Adapted from Martha Stewart

4 (9-10″) flour tortillas
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion
1 jalapeno, minced (remove or leave seeds and ribs to your preference)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
12 oz. beer
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen tri-colored bell peppers (or another vegetable of  your choice, or just more corn)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (plus additional for garnish)
8 oz. shredded cheddar (I got away with about 6-7 oz. and used 2% cheese)

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a springform pan with a little cooking oil. If necessary, trim your tortillas to fit into the pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the beer is almost completely evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the peppers until warm. Add the corn and scallions. Remove from heat, and season to taste.

Fit a tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan. Layer with 1/4 of the bean mixture, followed by 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat layering 3 times, finishing with 3/4-1 cup of cheese on top.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until cheese melts. Let rest 5 minutes before removing from pan, sprinkling with scallions, and slicing into wedges.

 

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Fund for Jane

December 1, 2011 · 25 comments

in misc.

Jane, still showing off her middle school pride - Eagles! Soaring off to fame...

This month, you can help donate money to my friend Jane just by visiting this blog. I have a couple advertisements on my blog, and the revenue I receive from them is tied to how many hits my blog (not the ad itself) receives. I plan on donating 100% of my revenue for December to my friend Jane.

So, who is Jane, and why am I giving her money? Jane is a friend of mine from high school. She moved to Nashville to attend law school and while she was there, she got bitten by a poisonous brown recluse spider, on each of her legs. That tiny, stupid spider caused an insane amount of damage. Join me in saying “F YOU, SPIDER!”

For well over three years, Jane has been dealing with the repercussions of the bites, including infections, the triggering of an autoimmune disease that nearly killed her, countless blood and iron transfusions, 19 surgeries, and losing 40 lbs. She has been in and out of the hospital numerous times and she’s currently there for a two month stint—covering Thanksgiving, her birthday, and Christmas. Feeding tube in place, more transfusions, the works.

Jane has always been a huge sports fan, and a really devoted soccer player. Since the bites, she can’t play sports at all. She passed the Bar, but she hasn’t been able to practice law a single day. Her parents have been paying all her medical bills, which as you can imagine, have surmounted to quite a bit—especially because in the beginning she was an uninsured college student and later had, you guessed it, a pre-existing condition. Her dad had a stroke earlier this year, rendering him unable to work, and her mom is on leave from work right now, staying with Jane. Obviously, they can use all the help they can get.

Being unemployed myself (hooray, grand-funded positions!) this is the best way I can think to help Jane out. I know I have some really amazing readers that want to help her, too. You don’t have to do anything but visit this blog; maybe pop out of your Reader every once in a while, instead of viewing all the posts in there—at least this month. That’s it. Well, okay, you could maybe tell some friends and family, too, so they can also visit the blog. :) I know that Jane and her family will really appreciate it.

If you would rather donate directly to Jane, you can do so by visiting this site and clicking on the donate button. If you are in MI, let me know if you are interested in attending a fundraiser, or in donating blood at a drive some friends are organizing, in honor of Jane. 

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Happy 5 Years to Moi! And your Eat to the Beat Roundup!

November 30, 2011 · 21 comments

in eat to the beat

Today marks the 5th (err, I guess the beginning of the 6th) year of this blog. When I started my blog back in the day on Vox, I never imagined I’d have more than maybe 3 people reading it – and that included my husband and myself. I still remember the day I got my first comment from a stranger, and I was so excited!

Over the years, readership has grown and I’ve made so many blogging friends. I’m thankful for each and every one of you, for giving me the motivation to keep blogging. It’s been so fun, and I hope to get 5 more years out of this gig. :) I plan on doing a (delayed) blogiversary giveaway soon, so be sure to check back for that.

Eat to the Beat was always one of my favorite parts of this blog, and it was a lot of fun to bring it back. Thanks so much for everyone who participated this time around. As always, it was so fun to read your entries, and of course see your gorgeous food! It amazes me that after doing this 5 times now, there are SO few duplicates. We’re talking less than 5. So awesome!

If you are viewing this from the homepage, you’ll have to click below to visit the round-up (I don’t intend on making you click out of your Reader for posts, since I find that annoying. But, there are quite a few pics, so I didn’t want the front page to slow down, and I didn’t want people who didn’t care about EttB – *gasp* – to have to scroll a bunch before getting to the recipes. So forgive me just this once, okay?)

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