Everyone needs a dessert recipe they can turn to that is quick and delicious. This recipe for moist and chewy Coconut Blondies is one of those. I think they’re really good exactly as written, but extra good with 3/4 cup of chocolate chips added to the dough. The recipe calls for toasted pecans but I don’t bother with that; I just use regular pecan halves and chop them in my handy nut grinder (see my post for the nut grinder under Cooking Gadgets).

Coconut Blondies
-recipe from Gourmet Magazine - epicurious.com

Yield: Makes 32 (2-inch) squares

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecans (6 ounces), toasted and cooled
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 13- by 9-inch baking pan.

Melt butter in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Whisk in brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy and smooth.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, then whisk into butter mixture. Stir in pecans and 1 1/2 cups coconut.

Spread in pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Tags: bar cookies, coconut, coconut blondies, pecans

In my book, risotto is comfort food…kind of like mashed potatoes or mac & cheese. I love just about any version of this creamy rice dish. One night recently when Husband was busy and the kids were engrossed in a movie, I decided to make some risotto just for me.

I took stock of what I had on hand and decided to make Fresh Corn Risotto, which is basically just arborio rice (a starchy, Italian short-grain rice), corn and a few other simple ingredients. Seeing as we’re at the end of January, I substituted Trader Joe’s Frozen White Corn for the off-the-cob variety (way out of season). I waited on adding the thawed frozen corn until the very end of cooking, stirring it in to the risotto then adding the butter and Parmesan cheese. Now if you’ve never made risotto before, you have to know that this is not a dish you can multi-task with. You pretty much have to devote the time to standing at the stove while you stir the rice and add the stock. It’s not difficult but it does demand your attention. A steaming bowl of hot risotto is worth every ounce of effort, in my opinion, and this Friday night corn risotto did not disappoint.

Fresh Corn Risotto
-recipe from foodandwine.com

SERVINGS: 6

6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (12 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup white corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the bay leaf. Keep the stock warm over very low heat.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1 cup at a time and stirring until it is absorbed
between additions. After about half of the stock has been added, stir in the corn, then add the remaining stock. The rice is done when it’s al dente and creamy, about 25 minutes total. Stir in the cheese and butter; season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf and serve.

Tags: corn, rice, risotto

Now don’t let the word casserole scare you away. Festive Chicken Casserole is simply a chicken, cheese and tortilla dish, similar to enchiladas only layered instead of rolled and served with salsa instead of baked with enchilada sauce. I substituted chile powder for paprika and cheddar cheese for the jack cheese. I also added some thawed frozen white corn for added flavor. To add a little color to the finished casserole, I garnished with chopped red peppers and green olives. Serve with plenty of good salsa.

Festive Chicken Casserole
-recipe from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

Serves 6.

This is a good casserole to make for a party because it should be assembled several hours ahead or even the night before baking. Layers of tortillas, chicken, chiles, and cheese in a creamy sauce will get you “raves” on this casserole dish. Serve with a salad of orange and jicama slices.

2 cups light sour cream
1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles, drained
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including some tender green tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
9 corn tortillas, softened*
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
4 cups (about 1 pound) grated Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa for topping

In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, chiles, paprika, cumin, salt, onions, and garlic. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, place 3 tortillas so that they overlap slightly. In layers, add one third of the chicken, one-third of the sour cream mixture (it will not cover chicken completely), and one third of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, beginning with tortillas. Cover and refrigerate sevral hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring casserole to room temperature and then bake, covered, until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa as an accompaniment.

*To Soften Tortillas: There are a number of easy methods for warming tortillas. Wrap them in paper towels and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Wrap them in aluminum foil and place in a 350F oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Fry them one at a time over medium heat in a small nonstick skillet or griddle lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Heat on a grill turning once with tongs. Stack tortillas and keep warm until ready to use.

Tags: Casserole, Chicken, Mexican, tortillas

I love pasta! It’s versatile, and a perfect foundation for a quick weeknight meal. I came across this recipe when I was looking for a dish that called for both Italian sausage and broccoli because I had both in the fridge and needed to use them. My whole family loved this pasta dish, and you know you’ve got a keeper when everyone from the 5-year-old on up to Grandma enjoys the meal. 

I used penne pasta (didn’t have orecchiette) and Foster Farms turkey Italian sausage; the dish would also be really good with a spicy Italian sausage for some added kick. I really like onions with pasta so I thinly sliced half an onion and sauteed it with the sausage (omitting the scallions). Be sure to cook your garlic over medium low heat or it will brown too quickly or burn (not very tasty). Also, I added 1/3 cup of Kalamata olives toward the end of cooking when I added the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. This simple, flavorful pasta dish will be appearing regularly at our dinner table.

Orecchiette with Caramelized Garlic, Sausage & Broccoli
- recipe from Fine Cooking magazine

Serves four.

10 oz. broccoli crowns, cut into 1-1/2-inch florets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, skinned and crumbled into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 lb. dried orecchiette (or penne)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
3 Tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; more for serving
scallions (whites and greens), thinly sliced

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until it softens to a tender crunch, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer it to the bowl of cold water.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the sausage and sauté, stirring, until it browns and is just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Put the pasta in the water. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium low; add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the garlic. Season with salt and cook, flipping the pieces occasionally, until they start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Raise the heat to high, drain the broccoli, and add it to the skillet, along with the sausage. Cook until everything is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and thyme.

Finish cooking the pasta until it’s just tender, about 10 minutes total. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the broccoli. Raise the heat to high and toss well for 30 seconds. If the pasta appears dry, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the lemon juice, Parmigiano and scallions. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more Parmigiano.

Tags: broccoli, italian sausage, Pasta, sun-dried tomatoes

Chili is a great for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time and reheated, and it’s an easy dish to serve when feeding a crowd. I decided to make this White Bean Chicken Chili recently when I was hankering for chili but wanted to try out something new. 

I pretty much followed the recipe except for omitting the aniseed (didn’t have it), adding more cumin, and substituting more chicken broth for the reserved bean liquid. I think I added a bit too much broth because it was a little soupier than chili normally is (oops). The recipe calls for whipping cream (aka heavy cream…not the sweetened variety) which is something you don’t normally see in chili. The combination of flavors were great…slightly creamy, slightly spicy and a great change from the typical versions made with tomatoes and chili powder. This recipe could easily be doubled or tripled. And, as an added bonus, it’s a cinch to make. What more can you ask for?

White Bean Chicken Chili
- recipe from Bon Appétit

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons corn oil
1 large onion,chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon aniseed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 cup whipping cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, aniseed and dried red pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Push onion to 1 side of pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan. Sauté chicken approximately 5 minutes.

Drain beans; reserve 1/2 cup bean liquid. Add beans, broth, chilies, cream and reserved bean liquid to chicken. Simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before using.) Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Tags: beans, Chicken, chili

Some mornings I just don’t have time to make a big deal about breakfast. That’s why I love smoothies. You make it, slurp it down, then you’re on to the next thing. Husband bought me The Little Black Book of Smoothies several years ago and I’ve enjoyed trying many of it’s smoothie concoctions. The Strawberry Sunrise Smoothie is one of my favorites. The ingredients can be found at just about any grocery store and are easy to keep stocked up on. The recipe calls for wheat germ, which is loaded with vitamins and minerals including folic acid, iron, zinc and vitamin E (among others); while bananas are a good source of potassium and fiber.

Strawberry Sunrise Smoothie
-from The Little Black Book of Smoothies by Ruth Cullen

Buy golden yellow bananas without any visible bruises, and prepare for freezing by removing peel and slicing. A half cup of sliced banana is approximately a half banana.

1 cup chilled orange juice
1/2 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Pour orange juice into blender and add yogurt, banana, wheat germ, and strawberries. Blend at high speed until smooth. For extra sweetness, add 1 tablespoon honey. Makes approximately 2 servings.

Tags: banana, Breakfast, smoothie, snack, strawberry, wheat germ

Mmmm, chocolate cupcakes.  I’ve tried making Devil’s Food Cupcakes before but have never been happy with the results. That is until I met this recipe for Chocolate Devil’s Food Cupcakes.  These cupcakes were really good…moist and chocolatey with a fine crumb. Although the cupcakes and frosting are from two different sources, I thought they worked great together. I recommend spending the extra money for the cake flour because it is specially milled to create a tender texture in cakes. The creamy vanilla frosting recipe makes enough to spread an ample amount of frosting on each cupcake. You’ll want to double it, however, if you want mounds of frosting on each cupcake or you’re going to pipe the frosting on with a decorating bag.

For other great cupcake ideas, visit Cupcake Tuesday.

Chocolate Devil’s Food Cupcakes
-recipe from foodnetwork.com

Makes: 36 medium-sized cupcakes

 3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cocoa powder
6 ounces butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together boiling water and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. Add cocoa and water mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop into cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before decorating. 

Easy Vanilla Frosting
- recipe from kingarthurflour.com

Yield: 2 3/4 cups frosting

This is a simple, basic frosting, good for spreading on cupcakes or in-the-pan cakes. It goes together quickly and spreads easily.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk or cream

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, and salt till fluffy. Add about half the confectioners’ sugar, and beat slowly until well blended. Add the vanilla and half the milk or cream, and beat until fluffy. Continue mixing in sugar and milk alternately until they’ve been completely incorporated. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. 

Tips from King Arthur bakers:
If you want some frosting left over to use in decorating, increase the ingredient amounts to: 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, approximately 6 cups confectioners’ sugar, and up to 1/2 cup milk or cream.

Tags: chocolate, cupcakes, vanilla frosting

This spicy beef noodle dish made a good weeknight dinner; nothing fancy but certainly quick and easy. You’ve got a little bit of everything in one bowl with this meal…thinly sliced beef, stir fried veggies, pasta. The soy sauce, Sriracha and tomatoes combine to lightly coat the meat, veggies and pasta without standing in the way of their individual flavors. I thought that the one tablespoon of Sriracha was enough to give the dish a pleasant amount of heat. Use less, though, if you’re apprehensive about the spice factor; you can always drizzle more on later if you want more zip.  

The beef released alot of juices when I was browning it so I transfered the beef (and it’s juices) to a bowl, wiped out the pan, added more oil, and proceeded with the recipe. Some of the prep could be done ahead of time to speed up the cooking process. The handy hint in the recipe on chilling the beef in the freezer (before cutting) for a half hour really does make it easier to slice. Just don’t leave it in there too long or you’ll have a frozen hunk of meat. Sunset even includes recipe variations in case you want to change things up a bit. When it comes to food, variety really is the spice of life!

Beef with Tomatoes, Pasta, and Chili Sauce
-from Sunset magazine

While researching a story on Peruvian cooking (“Peruvian Passage,” June 2006), we came across tallarín saltado, a popular fusion dish that combines Asian stir-fry techniques with beef, fresh tomatoes, Asian chili sauce, and Italian spaghetti. It was a hit here at Sunset: It’s fast and easy, and you can substitute other meats, vegetables, or different kinds of pasta. This is our favorite combination, using broccoli and fusilli. Notes: Slicing the beef is easier if it has been chilled for 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer. For less spicy heat, decrease or leave out the chili sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 pound fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef sirloin, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-in.-thick slices
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and cut into thin wedges
3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 in. each)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha (Asian red chili sauce)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-in.-thick wedges
Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add fusilli. Cook until tender to the bite, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add beef and cook until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir and let it continue to brown for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer beef to a plate, reserving oil, and set aside.

Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broccoli and cook until bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, Sriracha, cilantro, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved beef and cook until tomatoes begin to release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the cooked fusilli, stir, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed by the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with additional soy sauce or Sriracha. Serve hot with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, if desired.

Variations: This dish is extremely flexible, and the soy-chili sauce tastes great with any of the following additions and/or substitutions.

Chicken or shrimp:Use 1 lb. boned, skinned chicken breasts cut into 1/4-in.-thick strips, or 1 lb. medium shelled and deveined shrimp.

Other vegetables: Add your favorite green vegetable (such as green beans or zucchini) in addition to or in place of the broccoli. You can also toss in a thinly sliced red or green bell pepper or 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage (add at the same time as the onion).

Swap pastas:Try using penne pasta instead of fusilli. Or, for a more authentically Peruvian version, use spaghetti.

Tags: Beef, broccoli, Main Dish, Quick Cooking, stir-fry, tomatoes

A few days ago I decided to make baby back ribs for Husband on New Year’s Day (NYD). Mere words cannot describe the look of glee and sheer joy that lit up his face when I told him my cunning plan. I purchased the meat on my Costco run two days before NYD, a 5.5-lb. package of 2 racks of pork loin back ribs. Late on New Year’s Eve afternoon, I prepped the ribs with Emeril’s Creole Seasoning (recipe below) and marinated them in some of Husband’s homebrew (an amber ale recipe based on a popular local microbrew called Hammerhead). On NYD morning, I brought the ribs out of the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature, a process that seems to take practically forever. After about 1.5 hours, I got impatient and decided to put them in the oven even though they weren’t quite at room temperature yet. I cooked the ribs until tender and made the sauce.

The recipe makes a ginormous amount of sauce for two racks of ribs so I just made a half-recipe of sauce (which was plenty). I used molasses instead of the pure cane syrup, added a splash of liquid smoke, and omitted the jalepeno peppers and the cayenne (I didn’t want the sauce to be too spicy for the kids). Once the grill was ready, I sprayed the grill rack with PAM GRILLING spray, brushed the ribs with the sauce, and started grillin’. I grilled the racks of ribs on each side for about five minutes over low direct heat, basting with sauce before I turned them (a total of four or five times). I took the ribs off the grill and let them sit for a few minutes while I told Husband that his ribs were ready. 

The rib recipe also included a recipe for Smashed Potato Salad but I didn’t get around to making it so I’m not including it in this post. If you’re making these ribs and serving them with side dishes then this recipe could serve four people. Without sides, though, two hungry rib-eaters could probably polish off both racks. The finished ribs were delicious…tender, slightly charred and perfectly cooked. The sauce had a nice balance of tomato, onion, sweetness and spice. This is definitely a recipe worth repeating! I’m in good shape if the rest of 2009 works out as well as these ribs did!

Emeril’s Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
-recipe from Emeril Lagasse – foodnetwork.com

Makes: 2 to 4 servings of ribs and 5 cups sauce

2 racks baby back pork ribs, about 4 pounds, each cut in half
2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows or favorite rib rub
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark brown ale (recommended: Abita Turbo Dog)
4 cups ketchup
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup pure cane syrup (recommended: Steen’s 100 percent) or molasses
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Creole or other spicy whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon or other hot pepper sauce (recommended: Emeril’s Red Pepper Sauce)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
 
Rub the ribs on both sides with Essence or rib rub. Place in a large sealable bag or on a large sheet of aluminum foil placed in a large roasting pan. Cover with the beer and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the ribs from the bag and bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with heavy aluminum foil, lay the ribs on top, and tightly cover with foil. Roast for 2 hours.

Preheat the grill. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the ketchup, onions, cane syrup, red wine, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, jalapenos, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, salt, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix well. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Remove the ribs from the oven and uncover. Transfer to the hot grill, cover, and cook over indirect heat for 30 minutes. Brush the ribs with the sauce, and baste and turn every 10 minutes, for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove ribs from the grill. Serve with additional sauce on the side.
 
Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Tags: Grilling, pork, ribs