Lemon Meringue Fool

I made a really delicious Lemon Dream Cake for my Mom's birthday a few weeks ago.  In fact, if lemon is your thing and you like super easy cake recipes, I would highly recommend it. This particular lemon cake called for lemon pie filling, but I was unable to find any so I substituted lemon curd instead.  After making the cake I had a good amount of lemon curd leftover and I had no idea what to do with it. Well, actually that's a little bit of a lie.  Eating the remaining lemon curd by the spoonful crossed my mind several times, but it hardly felt like justice for something so delicious.  So I kept hunting for recipes.  Then I remembered this recipe from Nigella.

When I daydream about desserts I tend to think of cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies.  This is a shame in many ways, but mostly because I always forget how much I love a light, creamy, fruity dessert like this fool.  A fool is also a cinch to make and goes together so quickly.  A little lemon curd mixed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice then folded into some whipped heavy cream and you're pretty much all set.  Crumble some store-bought cookies into the mix, if you'd like, or eat it as is.  It's a very pretty dessert and can be very elegant if served in a martini or parfait glass. Everyone in my house really enjoyed this one. 

Lemon Meringue Fool

Adapted from Nigella Kitchen

by Nigella Lawson

Serves 2 or 4

2/3 cup good-qualit store-bought lemon curd, plus a little extra to decorate

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, or limoncello if you have it

1 cup heavy cream

4 small meringue cookies (store-bought is fine)*

lemon zest, to serve

*Note: I couldn't find meringue cookies so I used shortbread cookies instead.

Grate the zest of one lemon, reserving the zest for the garnish.  With the remaining lemon, squeeze one to two teaspoons of lemon juice into a medium-sized bowl.  Add the lemon curd to the lemon juice and stir.  If this mixture feels too thick add a little more lemon juice.  

Pour the heavy cream into another bowl and whisk until just thick.  It should hold to its shape, but not be so thickly whipped that it looks dry; it will thicken more as you fold in the lemon curd.

Drizzle half the lemon curd mixture over the cream and fold in with a rubber spatula, then do the same with the remaining half.  You don't want it all folded in completely, whipped cream rippled with lemon is what you're looking for.

If you have the meringue cookies, go ahead and crumble them with your fingers into the fool, and gently fold most of this into the mix.  Spoon it into 4 small martini glasses (or fill 2 large goblets) and decorate with some lemon zest curls and a drizzle of lemon curd, scraped out of the bottom of the bowl it was mixed in, or spooned out of the jar.  If you have any thin, crisp cookies put them on the table for serving. 

Potluck Week at IHCC (Sharing the recipes of Nigella Lawson, Mark Bittman, Giada De Laurentiis, Jamie Oliver, Tessa Kiros, Rick Bayless, and Yotam Ottolenghi)

Slut's Spaghetti

This morning Nigella Lawson opened up her cooking show, Nigella Kitchen, by making a recipe called Slut's Spaghetti. Nigella's Slut's Spaghetti is her take on an Italian classic, Pasta Puttanesca, which Nigella mentions is translated in English as "pasta cooked in a whorish fashion." Nigella explained the reasons behind the name of the dish and went on to say that she preferred to call her version simply "Slut's Spaghetti. When Nigella finished making the spaghetti, she plated it, and took the entire dish to bed with her. I love that woman!

I already had a recipe in mind for this month's Food 'n Flix movie, Mystic Pizza. While watching Nigella I had a change of heart. I stopped writing the post and got up to make Nigella's Slut's Spaghetti. What better reason to make Slut's Spaghetti than for the girls of Mystic Pizza? After all, the movie is all about three young-spirited girls who definitely are crazy about men! A classic 80's movie all about coming of age, learning about yourself, life, and naturally, lots of heartbreak. Typical young girls who I'm sure would love this pasta just about as much as they loved their men.

Nigella Lawson's Slut's Spaghetti - recipe adapted from Food Network
Nigella says:
Well, how could I resist this translation of pasta alla puttanesca, whore's pasta as it usually is described in English? The general consensus seems to be that this is the sort of dish cooked by slatterns who don't go to market to get their ingredients fresh, but are happy to use stuff out of jars and cans. I hold my hands up to that. Or maybe one should just attribute the name gamely to the fiery tang and robust saltiness of the dish? But, anyhow, what better recipe to start off this section devoted to the fruits of the larder.

Please fire up the sauce if you want, but do know that even though the first mouthful might seem not quite hot enough, the heat builds as you eat. I sometimes go a little cross-cultural in my chili-case and use hot pickled jalapenos from a jar found on the Tex-Mex shelves of the supermarket. And while you're there, do look out for the tiny French nonpareil (or nonpareilles) capers: they may be smaller, but they pack more of a pungent punch than the larger capers.
Ingredients
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 8 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced, crushed or grated
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or 1 to 2 tablespoons jarred or canned jalapeno peppers (preferably red), drained, sliced, and diced, or to taste
* Salt
* 1 pound spaghetti
* 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 1/4 cups chopped drained pitted black olives
* 2 tablespoons small capers, well rinsed and drained
* 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish, optional
* Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water, for the pasta, to a boil over medium heat, though you don't need to get started on the sauce until the water is pretty well boiling.

Pour the oil into a wide, shallowish frying pan, Dutch oven, or wok, and put it over medium heat.

Add the anchovies and cook for about 3 minutes, pressing and pushing with a wooden spoon, until the anchovies have almost "melted". Add the garlic and red pepper flakes or jalapenos and cook, stirring, for another minute.

This is probably the stage at which you will want to salt the boiling water and adding the spaghetti to cook, following the package instructions.

Going back to the sauce, add the tomatoes, olives, and capers to the pot with the anchovies and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, by which time it will have thickened slightly. Taste for seasoning.

Just before the pasta is ready, remove and reserve about an espresso cupful of cooking water.

When the pasta is cooked as desired, drain and add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce, adding a little reserved pasta water, if needed, to help amalgamate the sauce. Scatter with chopped parsley, if there's some to hand, and serve in slatternly style, preferably with an unfiltered cigarette clamped between crimson-painted lips.

Make Ahead Note:

The sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer the sauce to a nonmetallic bowl to cool, then cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. Reheat gently in large saucepan, frying pan, or wok, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.

Freeze Note:

The cooled sauce can be frozen in a resealable container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.

Notes/Results: Big love to Nigella Lawson and the girls of Mystic Pizza for making me laugh and smile. I enjoyed watching Mystic Pizza back in the day, just as much as I enjoy watching it now. It will always be one of those classic 80's movies. It seemed fitting to combine Nigella with the girls of Mystic Pizza since all of these ladies are good at saying exactly what's on their mind. I did make one change to the recipe, based only on the fact that I was also feeding a male slut. I added one pound of ground beef. Otherwise I kept the recipe the same. It was perfectly vulgar with flavor and a very satisfying dish. A gutsy pasta recipe that best represents both Nigella and the girls of Mystic Falls.

Head on over to Food 'n Flix, a monthly celebration of movies and food. Next month's movie is going to be The Ramen Girl!

Nigella's Chocolate Fudge

Six months ago I joined up with I Heart Cooking Clubs to celebrate the wonderful and eloquent Nigella Lawson. Armed with my copy of Nigella Express, I was excited to get cooking and testing out Nigella's recipes. Right out of the gate, I loved Nigella's recipes and her style of writing. Cooking up one hit after another for my picky family, we grew to love her recipes. After thirty or so of Nigella's recipes, Nigella Express holds a very special spot on my cookbook shelf.

One of our family favorites is this recipe for Nigella's Chocolate Fudge. In Nigella Express, Nigella adds pistachios to her fudge, but my son is allergic to nuts so we omit them. This is just your standard recipe for fudge using condensed milk, but the entire family loves it and most importantly my son can eat it, therefore it makes us all happy.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge
Adapted from Nigella Express
12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use a bag of semi or milk chocolate chips)
(1) 14 oz. can condensed milk
pinch of salt
1 cup shelled pistachios (I omit these and sometimes sub dried fruit)
2 tablespoons butter

Melt the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat. Put the nuts into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin until broken up into both big and little pieces. Add the nuts to the melted chocolate and condensed milk and stir well to mix. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch square aluminum foil pan, smoothing the top. Let the fudge cool and then refrigerate until set. You can then cut into small pieces approximately 1-3/4 by 1-3/4 inches in size. Cutting 7x7 lines in the pan to give 64 pieces best achieves this. Once cut, you can keep it in the freezer, no need to thaw; just eat right away. Makes 64 pieces of fudge.

Notes/Results: This fudge is a family favorite. It is quick and easy to adapt to your taste. I love pistachios and I'm sure they would be wonderful, but we usually make the fudge plain. I have toyed with the idea of adding dried fruit, but haven't experimented with that just yet. Since we are celebrating Easter over at IHCC, I bought some cute little Easter cupcake holders, filled them with the fudge, and topped them with some cute little bunnies. My son is allergic to flour, eggs, nuts so he can't have a traditional cupcake. These little fudge cupcakes were the perfect treat for him (and the rest of the family too)!



Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what everyone else cooked up for their Easter Basket.

This is the last week we are celebrating Nigella Lawson over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Starting next week, we will be featuring the recipes of Mark Bittman. I'm looking forward to cooking my way through his recipes!!

Rib-Sticking Stir-Fry

Last night was one of those crazy and chaotic nights with the kids. My eight year old was outside playing with the whole neighborhood and let me tell you, there are easily 50 kids in this neighborhood. Every child was out and about. The doorbell was ringing, there was constant knocking at the door, everyone was hungry and thirsty, everyone had a million questions, and each and every time I went to the door my three year old took the opportunity to make a mess or get himself into trouble. My evening consisted of cleaning up messes and answering the door, repeatedly. My husband has been gone for almost two weeks on business, so thank God that my Mom was over. She and I went so crazy with the kids that we got slap silly and started laughing. The doorbell rang so much that my Mom finally took a chair and sat by the door so she could answer it while I made dinner. I laughed as I heard her out there answering all of their silly questions with equally silly answers. It was good stuff.

With my three year old riding his bicycle in circles around my island in the kitchen, I made Nigella's Rib-Sticking Stir-Fry. It sure was a good thing that this recipe was quick and easy, requiring absolutely no attention whatsoever. I whipped it up in about ten minutes and Mom and I sat down to eat with the blaring noise of Hungry Hungry Hippo in the background. As the hippos slammed loudly against the gameboard we discussed how we really enjoyed this meal. It was a funny evening and we were nearly crying with laughter at the sheer chaos.

I'd been looking forward to the day I got to try this recipe. Nigella's Rib-Sticking Stir-Fry is served with cannellini beans in place of rice. As a bean lover, I was very excited to try this meal.

Rib-Sticking Stir-Fry
Adapted from Nigella Express
Serve 2
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (you can use just a tad of oil if using a nonstick wok)
10 oz. chicken or turkey breast fillet, cut into 1-1/2 inch x 1/4 inch strips
4 cups chopped stir-fry vegetables (from a package)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (I used chicken broth)
1 (14 oz) can cannellini beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat the oil in a wok, and over fairly high heat add the chicken or turkey strips and toss them about to color. Once the meat has seared, add the vegetables and toss around again until beginning to soften, ten add the soy sauce and the wine. The soy will help the meat strips bronze beautifully. Once the heat is back up and sizzling, add the beans and toss everything about to mix before tipping onto two plates. Sprinkle with the herb and serve straight away.

Notes/Results: I added a few things to this recipe: one minced shallot; two good-sized cloves garlic, minced; and one teaspoon hot pepper flakes. Mom and I don't like to eat a lot of meat sometimes, so I just used one chicken breast for the entire recipe. We were craving vegetables, so I used an entire package of frozen Asian Medley Veggies (carrot sticks, baby corn, broccoli, sugar snap peas). I was a little short on 4 cups of veggies, so I added a cup of an edamame mix I had in the freezer. I wanted to garnish the meal with crushed peanuts or cashews, but there just wasn't any time for that. Maybe next time. Next time? Yes, there will definitely be a next time! This is an extremely quick and easy meal that goes together in record time. Healthy, quick, easy, delicious, very filling and a little spicy from the pepper flakes. I was impressed and will definitely be making this meal quite a bit. In fact, if I had the ingredients on hand, I would make it for dinner again tonight!

This is our last potluck round with Nigella over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. We have one more week with Nigella and then we will be cooking with a new chef for the next six months. Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out this week's potluck roundup and vote for the next chef!

Mustard Pork Chops Go Green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing your green today? If not, maybe you can eat green today! It's Easy Being Green Week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs and everyone is eating green. Some of us have cooked up some truly green dishes, others had to satisfy those deep dark mustard cravings and just threw some green on the plate for good measure;D

Yep, that would be me! I kinda cheated this week because I have been wanting to make Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops for a super duper long time. The problem: mustard pork chops are not green! Well, I don't know about you, but I can rationalize just about anything when I want to. I found some perfectly green spinach in my refrigerator and called it a day. One fairly green dinner on the table in less than a half hour, perfect for satisfying your mustard cravings. What? You don't crave mustard? Sorry to hear that! I can put mustard on anything (or so I thought).

Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops
Adapted from Nigella Express
2 pork chops (about 1 pound total)
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 hard cider (couldn't find this so I used apple cider)
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half)

Cut the fat or rind off the chops, and then bash them briefly but brutally with a rolling pin between 2 pieces of cling film/plastic wrap to make them thinner.

Heat the oil in a pan, and then cook the chops over a moderately-high heat for about 5 minutes a side. Remove them to a warmed plate.

Pour the cider into the pan, still over the heat, to deglaze the pan. Let it bubble away for a minute or so then add the mustard and stir in the cream.

Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes before pouring over each plated pork chop. If you're having gnocchi with, make sure you turn them in the pan to absorb any spare juices before adding them to your plates.

Notes/Results: This was the first recipe I bookmarked when I received my copy of Nigella Express. The funny thing is that I received the book at least a year ago and never got around to making these mustard chops. I kept hunting for hard cider and after a year or so of looking, I finally gave up. I decided to go ahead and substitute apple cider for the hard cider. I feel like a Negative Nelly lately, but I have to say that I really didn't care for this recipe. The pork and mustard sauce were okay, but not great. I took Nigella's advice and tossed the potato gnocchi in the mustard sauce and it was definitely not a great combination, if you know what I mean. I ate both the pork chops and spinach in mustard sauce, but thought the gnocchi and mustard sauce was pretty inedible. Maybe it was my fault for substituting apple cider for hard cider and substituting fat-free half and half for heavy cream.

What do you think? Have you ever had hard cider? If so, what does it taste like? Is there a substitute for hard cider? Also, have you used fat-free half and half as a substitute for cream with good results? Just curious.

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see all things green this week!

Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins for Tea Time

I grew up in a pretty small family. My Dad and myself are both only children and my Mom had only one sibling, an older sister, my Aunt Jenni. Always a beauty, Aunt Jenni was my idol. I loved her auburn hair, her bright blue eyes, and the sprinkling of freckles that ran across her nose. It was such a treat to visit her. Filled with anticipation, I could hardly wait for her to paint my nails, do my hair and bring out the high heels. I would happily raid my Aunt's closet while she and my parents chatted away. When it was time to leave, she always gave me something of hers, usually a purse, which always smelled of her perfume. I hid those gifts in my closet, saving them for my eyes only, smelling them when I missed her, treasuring them while waiting for the next visit.

In this Photo: My Aunt Jenni in her twenties


Even as a teenager I adored her. In fact, I paid even closer attention, noticing things I hadn't before. It seemed that when my Aunt would become angry or frustrated, she would utter the same silly phrase over and over. The words "Oh Sugar" came out of her mouth like some kind of candy-coated swear word. Even in anger and frustration this woman was polite and ladylike. When other kids my age were using real swear words, I was uttering "Oh sugar" under my breath and laughing.

In this Photo: My Aunt and I looking through photo albums


My Aunt passed away unexpectedly in her late-forties, when I was about 20 years old. Still in shock of her passing, my Mom and I were tasked with going through her belongings. For all of my life, my Aunt's belongings had been such a thing of joy to me and now they were overwhelmingly sad. The only laugh of the day occurred when we opened up her kitchen belongings and found the coffee mug in the above picture with the words "Housework is a Bitch". I'm sure the look on my face was priceless. I couldn't believe that this mug belonged to my sweet and ladylike Aunt. I just couldn't picture this lady, who never swore, using a mug like this. My Mom, trying to make light of the entire day, reminded me of my bad housekeeping and encouraged me to keep the mug. For one reason or another, this mug was one of the few things I kept that day and I'm so glad that I did. To me, it resembles something I may have had in common with my Aunt Jenni as an adult. It reminds me of the gleam in her eye and makes me believe that there was much more to this woman I only knew as a child. I so wish that I had been given the chance to know my Aunt in my adult years. It appears we would've had some things in common.

In this photo: My Mom, Me and my Aunt on the day I took my first steps



Whenever I drink tea, I use this mug and think of my Aunt Jenni. I've thought of buying some new mugs, but I like this old one far too much. I debated using this mug for this week's Tea Time celebration over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. In the end, I went ahead with it. Sorry if the language offends anyone! To go along with the tea, I baked up Nigella's Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins, recipe can be found online HERE.



Notes/Results: Nigella says to use a good quality cocoa powder, so I broke out the Valrhona cocoa powder for the first time. I thought there would be a noticeable difference in using Valrhona cocoa powder, but there really wasn't. Good old Hershey cocoa powder is just as good, at least in a muffin anyway. I used buttermilk in place of regular milk because I think buttermilk makes a better muffin. I wanted to add some cinnamon or cayenne for added spice, but knew my daughter wouldn't eat them if I did. The muffins were nice, moist, and chocolatey and my daughter and I each ate two in place of a normal and healthy lunch. I'm doing my best to teach her that chocolate is a proper food group!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out all the other Tea Time Celebrations!



P.S. I believe whole-heartedly in the quote on this mug!

Nigella's Noodle Soup for Needy People

Are you needy? I am. I need lots of things. I need new plates. I need a set of wooden bowls. I need a cast iron dutch oven. I need a new cutting board and it needs to be a BOOS. I need a new outdoor grill. I need at least $500 for all the new cookbooks I want. Along with my grocery list, I have a list of kitchen equipment, specialty foods, and cookbooks. Yes, when it comes to the kitchen I will admit that I am high maintenance.



My name is Kim and I have a problem. No matter how much kitchen related equipment and cookbooks I buy, I always need more! It certainly doesn't help that I work in the mall part-time. I have a great job at Lush Handmade Cosmetics, which is located inside of Macy's. When I close the store at night, I have to take the money upstairs to customer service. Ironically, customer service is located right next to the kitchen/housewares department. This is dangerous. Dangerous for many reasons. Dangerous because I get a discount, but mainly because I have a credit card and I'm alone. You see where I'm going with this, right? I'm like a kid in a candy store, only the candy store is closing, nobody else is in there, and I have free reign. Did I mention that I have a credit card?

Last night, I needed a set of wooden bowls. I had to have them. They were such a good deal, especially with my discount, or at least that's what I told myself.

Feeling needy, I made Nigella's Noodle Soup for Needy People. I adapted the recipe quite a bit (notes below). I also want to share a new item I found at Whole Foods, Dau Miu, otherwise known as snow pea shoots. Info and pictures below.



Here is what they look like out of the package


Nigella's Noodle Soup for Needy People
Serves 2 for supper, very heartily
6 oz udon noodles (dried, from a package)
3 cups chicken, vegetable, or dashi broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I almost doubled the soy sauce)
1 teaspoon soft dark brown sugar
1 star anise (I didn't have any, so I omitted)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 cup bean sprouts (I omitted)
3/4 cup sugar snaps
3/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (I omitted)
1/2 cup finely sliced baby bok choy
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
I added:
1 large garlic clove, minced
About 1 teaspoon or more red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
2 sliced radishes
1 sliced green onion
handful of Dau Miu (snow pea shoots)
Roasted chili oil

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions and while their water is boiling, fill a nearby saucepan with stock, soy sauce, sugar, star anise, and ginger. (When the noodles are done, just drain them and put half in each bowl.

When the flavored stock comes to a boil, add the vegetables. They should be cooked before 2 minutes are up.

Pour half into each bowl, over the cooked and drained noodles, and sprinkle with cilantro.



Notes/Results: I've wanted to make this soup for awhile because it always looks comforting. I halved the recipe, using chicken stock, omitting the bean sprouts and mushrooms. I added two radishes, the dau miu, green onion, garlic, lots of red pepper flakes and really upped the quantity of the soy sauce (I'm addicted to sodium). I also tossed the noodles in roasted chili oil before pouring the broth over. This recipe makes a ton of soup. It was pretty tough eating the whole portion, but I was able to pull through! The additions I made to the soup made it pretty spicy and I really enjoyed all the green veggies. I questioned adding the radishes, but they turned out rather nicely. I will definitely be making this soup again with my leftover ingredients. I really enjoyed it.

I'm sending this recipe over to I Heart Cooking Clubs in celebration of soups and stews. I'm also sending a shout out to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen. Deb also made Nigella's Noodle Soup for Needy People this week and her version looks terrific! Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out Deb's version and everyone else's soups and stews!

North American Salad

Wild rice is a group of grasses that grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams; and often, only the flowering head of wild rice rises above the water. Wild rice is native to North America and is harvested as a grain. Wild rice has less calories, fat, carbohydrates and higher protein levels than brown rice. Sounds good to me!

While flipping through pages of Nigella Lawson's Feast, I couldn't help but take notice of her recipe for North American Salad. This recipe immediately stood out to me based solely on the beauty of the dish. A background of gorgeous black wild rice, with jewel-toned cranberries, flecks of vibrant green parsley, and chunks of golden pecans running throughout. This was the perfect recipe in celebration of great grains at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Nigella says "Since this salad was made up by me in my kitchen in London, there is an argument that says it isn't remotely American, North or otherwise. But it seemed to me that a salad comprising turkey, wild rice, cranberries and pecans couldn't really go under any other name".

North American Salad
Adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson
Serves 6-8, recipe can be halved

3 cups wild rice
1/2 cup dried sliced cranberries
4 cups diced cold turkey (I omitted the turkey this time around)
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or jelly
2 tablespoons lime juice (I used lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup halved pecans or pecan pieces (I recommend toasting the pecans)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook the rice according to the package instructions, rinse and leave to cool. Add the dried cranberries and turkey to the cold, cooked rice. Make a dressing with the cranberry jelly, lime juice and oil by whisking everything together in a bowl. Toss the dressing through the rice, cranberries and turkey. Snap the pecans in half (or if using pieces leave as they are) and add to the salad with most of the parsley, turn out on to a plate or serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

NOTE: Reserve the pecans until ready to serve so that they remain crunchy.

Notes/Results: This was a very fun salad to make and it was also my first time cooking wild rice. This is an easy recipe, but takes some time to cook since the wild rice takes about 60 minutes on it's own. I thought this was a truly stunning salad that would be delicious with the diced turkey or on it's own. I also loved the flavors and textures in this recipe. The wild rice has quite a bite to it and goes well with the sweetness of the dried cranberries. Toasting and salting the pecans turned out to be a great and crunchy addition to this salad. I really loved this salad and enjoyed it even more knowing that it was good for me at the same time!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what everyone is cooking up in celebration of Great Grains!

Valentine's Throwdown: Prosecco

Alcohol hardly ever gets any love in our house. We live in a dry county, where no alcohol or beer is sold. The next county over sells alcohol, but only in liquor stores, not in the grocery stores or convenience stores. Since I have two small children with me at all times, I usually never get the chance to visit the liquor store. So, when I made a trip to Trader Joe's over the holidays I stocked up on a few things, namely white wine, but also Prosecco.

I had never tried Prosecco before and was excited to try it out. I have an entire list of drinks I wanted to make using Prosecco, so I decided a Prosecco Throwdown was in order for Valentine's Day.

I mixed up three different Prosecco drinks this week. There were so many recipes that I wanted to try, but I settled on a Pomegranate Bellini, a Fruit Fizz with Meyer Lemon Sorbet, and an Amaretto Sour with Prosecco. While I did have a favorite, all of them would be a great drink for your Valentine's Day table.

First up, and probably the prettiest, is Nigella's Pomegranate Bellini. This recipe is the simplest of all three drinks. It only consists of two ingredients (pomegranate puree/juice and Prosecco). The color of the drink is gorgeous, but the drink was a little too tart for me. I think this drink would be best served in smaller amounts, perhaps a champagne glass.
Pomegranate Bellini
1 part chilled pomegranate puree or concentrated juice (I used concentrated juice)
3/4 part chilled Prosecco or other fizzy dry white wine
Pour the pomegranate puree/juice into a glass. Top with Prosecco. One 750ml bottle of Prosecco should yield about 6 Bellini


Next up, was Giada's Amaretto Sour with Prosecco. Back in the day, an Amaretto was one of my favorite drinks, so I was really excited to get started on this one. This was a really tasty drink made with Amaretto, simple syrup, and Prosecco. The glass is dipped into a lemon/lime sugar to coat the rim and the drink is supposed to be served on the rocks. I got a little too excited and forgot to serve mine on ice. This is definitely a sweetly flavored drink that is served with even more sugar on the rim, but I really enjoyed the flavor of the Amaretto mixed with the bubbly Prosecco. I will definitely make this drink again, especially if I had a party or people over. You can find the recipe HERE online at Food Network.
The last drink I mixed was Nigella's Fruit Fizz, which is almost like a dessert because it starts with a scoop (or two) of sorbet. You simply scoop some sorbet into a glass and top with Prosecco. I used a Meyer Lemon Sorbet that I made earlier this week, but almost any flavored sorbet will do. For Valentine's Day, a strawberry or raspberry sorbet would be gorgeous! This drink was cold, crisp, bubbly, fruity goodness and I really enjoyed it. You can find the recipe for the Fruit Fizz HERE on the Food Network.

AND THE WINNER IS..................................................................................................

NIGELLA'S FRUIT FIZZ WITH MEYER LEMON SORBET!!!

Why?

Well, Nigella's Fruit Fizz was really cold, crisp, refreshing and fun! The Meyer Lemon Sorbet seemed to compliment the Prosecco much more than the Pomegranate juice or the Amaretto. I loved that sour tang from the lemon sorbet and would definitely make this drink again using other sorbets.

Giada's Amaretto Sour with Prosecco still deserves a shout out because it was a really tasty drink. I would be happy to serve it anytime.

Do you have a favorite drink that is mixed with Prosecco?

Granola Muffins

I got these sweet little heart shaped ramekins at Target a few weeks back and just couldn't wait to use them. Valentine's Day is still one of my favorite days of the year. I love the cutesy decorations, the parties for the kids, the romance in the air, and of course, the emphasis on the food. Food is a big part of Valentine's Day, isn't it?
I was searching through Nigella's recipes, looking for something romantic, but I kept focusing on her Granola Muffins. I absolutely love granola and have never had it in a muffin before. I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I settled on Granola Muffins in sweet little heart shaped ramekins. Since my husband is out of town working, these muffins were a perfectly sweet treat just for me!
Granola Muffins - adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson
*Makes 12 muffins * I halved the recipe and it filled three ramekins*
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granola (I used a storebrand oats and honey granola)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups. (I halved the recipe, and just buttered and floured the ramekins). Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a wide-necked pitcher, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, sugar and oil. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix lightly to combine. Fold in the granola and then divide the muffin mixture between the 12 paper cups (or greased ramekins). Bake for 25 minutes, by which time they should have risen and become golden brown. (Mine baked about 28 minutes). Remove from oven, let cool, on a wire rack.

Results/Notes: I sprinkled some extra granola on top of the muffins before baking, which made them a little prettier and added that extra crunch on top. I really enjoyed these muffins with a little honey drizzled over the top. I halved the recipe, which was somewhat tricky trying to add in one half of an egg, but the muffins turned out perfectly with a very tender crumb. Muffins aren't usually my favorite type of food, but I passionately love this muffin recipe! I will be making these muffins again and can't wait to try out some different flavors of granola. I can see maple flavored granola muffins in my near future!

I am submitting this recipe to I Heart Cooking Clubs. This week we are celebrating a little romance. Stop on by to see all the romantic recipes this week!
Happy Valentine's Day!!

Egg and Chips

"Fish and chips, steak and chips, chicken and chips, all are desirable, but none comes close to the simple, harmonious perfection of egg and chips." _Nigella Lawson

Have you ever had egg and chips for breakfast? I haven't.

Egg and chips seemed like a great idea for this week's theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, Budgets and Bargains. A couple of eggs and potatoes and you have an entire meal. You can't get much more economical than that.

Egg and Chips - adapted from Feast, by Nigella Lawson
*Serves 2
Eggs (fried overeasy, overhard, scrambled, etc)
One decent sized potato (about 7 oz) One per person is about right

Heat the oil to 325F. And when I say oil, I mean a lot of oil. These babies swallow gallons at a time.

Peel the potatoes then slice them thickly, then cut these thick slices into thick chips (or the size you want them). Put a dishtowel out, plonk the chips in the middle and then wrap over the two ends, like a package, and give a gentle rub. Now your chips are ready for frying.

Put the chips into the basket and lower this into the hot fat and wait for it to rise, yellow and bubbling, up above the pale strips of potato. Unless the basket is really packed, 5 minutes is all you should need for this stage. Lift up the basket, give it a second or two to settle and for oil to drip off and then turn the chips out onto the paper towels.

Turn the gauge up to 375F and when it's reached that temperature, re-fry the chips. About 2-3 minutes should be plenty, but just do this by eye and ear; the chips should look golden and golden-brown in places (good to have some vairety) and they should rustle when shaken in the basket and clatter when turned out on to a plate.

Notes/Results: Easy, fun and extremely economical. The whole family loved the chips for breakfast. I think Nigella intended for the eggs to be fried or served over-easy, but I served my eggs scrambled. I started cooking the eggs when the chips went back into the oil for the second fry. The timing worked out great. Nigella's recipe is written to serve two. I think you definitely need at least one potato per person. The chips are really good (especially with hot sauce). I made two batches. This is definitely something that we will enjoy again!!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs today to see what other budgets and bargains everyone cooked up!

Ina Garten's Broccoli & Bowties And Nigella's Cheesecake

I haven't been cooking a lot of new recipes this lately. Instead, I have been repeating some new favorites. A few weeks ago I made Copycat Broccoli Cheese Soup from Panera and it was so good that I have made it two more times since then. It has become one of my new favorite recipes. I have also made peanut butter and chocolate chip muffins twice, which is a recipe I got from Donna at My Tasty Treasures. Those muffins are super delicious and everyone loves them. Another favorite this month was Ina Garten's herb-marinated loin of pork, which I just made again last night. We loved Ina's version of pork tenderloin so much that it is our new "go to" recipe for pork tenderloin. I used Ina's biscuit recipe to top my ham pot pie and we loved the biscuits so much that I made them again for breakfast a couple days later.

On a roll with Ina's recipes, I decided to make her Broccoli and Bowties (recipe found here). It begins with four heads of broccoli which are cooked in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes and then added to 1/2 pound of cooked bowtie pasta. A sauce is made from butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and lemon zest and poured over the pasta. The pasta is topped with toasted pine nuts and Parmigiano-Regiano.

I think I had rather high expectations for this dish and although it was good, it wasn't great. I enjoyed the broccoli and pasta and loved the hint of the garlic and lemon, but I would rate this more along the lines of a solid three stars, possibly four stars. I guess they can't all be five-stars!

For dessert I broke out my new springform pan and made Nigella's cheesecake from Nigella Express. Nigella's cheesecake is a no bake recipe with a graham cracker crust. In her cookbook, she tops her cheesecake with cherries. We didn't have any cherries so I topped ours with chocolate sauce. The recipe went together in about 10 minutes and was super easy. After chilling in the refrigerator for a couple of hours it was ready to eat.

Nigella's cheesecake recipe can be found here, online at Food Network. The cheesecake filling is a combination of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla folded into whipped cream. I tasted the cheesecake filling before adding it to the pan and found that it needed a little more sugar. I added about 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar to the filling. Nigella's instructions tell you to fold the whipped cream into the thick cream cheese mixture, which was almost next to impossible. Instead, I mixed the two in my Kitchenaid mixer and I think it worked out fine.

The cheesecake was light and creamy and we liked it, but it wasn't anything spectacular. The upside of this recipe is that it can be thrown together with very few ingredients and also very little time. Great if you need a dessert in a hurry and don't have time to run to the store.
I am submitting this cheesecake to I Heart Cooking Clubs. This week's theme is potluck, which means anything goes. Head on over to the to see what everyone else is cooking up this week.

Red Pepper Hummus and Spicy Whole Wheat Crackers

What do you think of when you think of exotic destinations? When I think exotic destinations, I think of places far away, mysterious and unique. There is no place more mysterious and unique to me than the Egyptian pyramids. Wouldn't you love to see those ancient wonders? Along the way you might stop at a bazaar and bargain for spices, gold, copper, perfumes, and Egyptian cotton. When your stomach started to grumble you might find a place to sit and enjoy some hummus with pita or flatbreads. It would be a pleasant and warm 70 degrees and there would be a perfect breeze.

Or, you could wake up in Kentucky where the weather is a crisp 29F. Your toddler is screaming for juice, you have a cold and you realize that dreams of exotic destinations will have to wait for another day.

This Red Pepper Hummus is my contribution to Exotic Destinations week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I served this with some homemade spicy whole wheat crackers, which I baked for my Healthy Bread in 5 group.
Red Pepper Hummus - adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
1 - 14 oz. can chickpeas
1 - 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons garlic infused oil (I used 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 clove of minced garlic)
1 teaspoon lime juice (I used 1 tsp. lemon juice)
1 teaspoon paprika
salt

Drain the chickpeas and peppers and put them into a food processor. (I used my blender with great results) Add the cream cheese, oil, lime juice, and paprika. Whiz to a hummus-like puree, and then add salt and perhaps more lime juice according to taste. Makes 2 cups

Notes/Results: While Nigella's addition of cream cheese is not authentic, it does make a very creamy hummus. The hummus was a beautiful orange color and paired very well with my spicy crackers. It was a little on the spicy side, although I'm not sure why and since I like spicy that is okay by me. Although I prefer traditional hummus, I am really enjoying Nigella's variation and would probably make it again if I had the ingredients on hand.

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out all the other exotic recipes this week.


As part of the Healthy Bread in 5, I also made the master recipe. A beautiful whole wheat boule, which will create some wonderful hummus sandwiches this week.

You can check out the HB in 5 group over on Michelle's site, Big Black Dog. We are going to be baking our way through the new HB in 5 book. This is our first group post, so there is still time to join along!

Naan Pizza Bites

This is my 200th post! While up in Ohio for Christmas I was able to go shopping at a Trader Joe's, which is one of my favorite grocery stores. I really wish I had enough room for a cooler because there were so many things that I wanted to buy and bring home. I stocked up on wine because they have such good deals AND I live in a dry county that doesn't sell any alcohol. I bought some great salami with white wine, some gorgonzola crackers, and I also bought this delicious Naan Bread.I had been wanting to try Naan Bread, but never found it anywhere here in Kentucky. It's really a shame because the bread is thick, soft, fluffy and delicious.
Plus, it has a really cool shape to it and lends itself well to some delicious and speedy pizza.
By the time we got home, 5 hours later, I only had two pieces of naan bread left. I had Nigella's recipe for Naan Pizza in mind when I bought the bread, so I had to get to work right away before it was all gone.

This week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are celebrating small plates. When I think of small plates I think of appetizers, or little bites, and these little pizza bites are perfect for grown ups and kiddos.

Naan Pizza Bites - adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
1 naan, about 8" long
2 teaspoons tomato puree or other tomato sauce
1/2 cup drained mixed mushroom antipasto from a jar
1/2 cup roughly chopped fontina
3 fresh thyme stalks

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Top the pizza with toppings of your choice, starting with the tomato sauce, veggies or meat, and cheese. Lay thyme or other seasonings on top.

Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until pizza has reached the desired result.

Notes/Results: We loved it! The naan bread is very similar to pizza crust and makes a very quick pizza. I used Nigella's recipe as a guideline and create a simple cheese pizza for my daughter and a hot and spicy sausage pizza for my husband. I cut them into little pizza bites and they were gone in no time. The only problem was that we wanted more and we had no more naan bread left!! I guess I'm gonna have to learn how to make some naan bread because there is none to be found around here. If naan bread is sold in your local market, definitely whip this recipe up. It is a real keeper that is quick and easy! Even the kids will love it.

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out all the other small plates this week.

Christmas Traditions: Big Breakfasts

My Mom always cooked up a big breakfast on Christmas morning, usually consisting of eggs, toast, and corned beef hash. My parents and I enjoyed those intimate big breakfasts in our cozy little breakfast nook, all the while talking and laughing about what shenanigans Santa was up to and what our favorite presents were. This tradition is something that I like to carry on with my own family now.

Speaking of tradition.......anyone remember these bowls from the 70's? My Mom had the whole collection, along with matching measuring cups, and a matching pitcher. In fact, we used to have the matching green refrigerator and stove. A special shade of green made popular only in the 70's :D
My Mom used these bowls for everything, heck, she even baked casseroles in them. I inherited these bowls in my early twenties and have loved them dearly since. They remind me of my Mom working in the kitchen and I love thinking about all the times my family held them and ate from them. There is no telling how many thousands of meals have been mixed and served from these old worn out bowls. If I'm in the kitchen, odds are that I'm holding one of these mixing bowls. They are the only set of mixing bowls I own and are some of my most treasured items. I baby them, handle them with care and get very cranky if anyone else fondles them!!
This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs is all about the holidays and traditions. Seems fitting as I took out my Mom's old bowls and set to work on Nigella's Homemade Instant Pancake Mix as part of our big Christmas breakfast.

Now, I must say that I am not known for my pancakes. In fact, I'm really not good at them. I have tried over and over to produce the light and fluffy pancakes that my family adores, but to no avail. I bet I've tried at least six recipes over the past few years only to turn out pale, dense, and heavy pancakes........ until now. I'm happy to say that it seems Nigella's homemade mix is the right recipe for me! In fact, they turned out so well that I forgot to take a picture. They just started disappearing from the serving plate!!

HOMEMADE INSTANT PANCAKE MIX - adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
For the Pancake Mix:
4 cups flour *I used half white whole wheat and half a/p*
3 tablespoons baking powder **wow - this is a lot of baking powder, but it works well**
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix the above ingredients together and store in a jar.

To Make the Batter and The Pancakes:
**For every 1 cup of pancake mix, add and whisk together:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Heat a dry flat griddle or pan- no need to oil it. Spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.

**Makes 15 pancakes of about 3 inches in diameter

NOTES/RESULTS: This is the first time I've produced a great pancake! I'm so happy that I tried this recipe. I noticed that Nigella's recipe has a lot of baking powder and I'm not sure if this is what sets it apart or not. Another difference is that I have always buttered or oiled my skillet before adding the pancake batter. I'm thinking that was a big mistake. I followed Nigella's tip and didn't oil or butter the pan and the pancakes turned a lovely shade of golden brown and puffed up nicely. They bubbled when they were supposed to and were so easy to flip. I'm gonna have to say that I love this mix. Too bad I don't have a final picture to share.


I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I'll be headed up to Ohio tomorrow morning to visit with some of my very favorite people: my Dad and my old childhood friends. I'm taking tons of cookies and Tyler's Ultimate Lasagna Bolognese (now frozen and set to defrost in my car on the drive). I'm wishing you all a wonderful Holiday weekend and I'll see you next week for a recap of my favorite top ten recipes from 2009!!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to check out everyone's special post about the holidays and traditions!!

Oh, and I can't publish this post without sharing my favorite presents of the day. I finally got a springform pan and I'm really excited about that. I also got a couple of little crocks for individual casseroles, perfect for french onion soup, little mac n cheeses, etc. I also got a grill pan for the stovetop. I have been pretty busy thinking of things to cook and bake in my new gadgets!! Sweet dreams to me :D

Nigella's High Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries

What kind of foods did you grow up eating? For me, there were several staples that my Mom cooked often: spaghetti and meatballs, pork chops, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, stuffed peppers, fried chicken, various casseroles, and of course burgers and fries.

Burgers and fries was always a family favorite. I would sit in the kitchen and watch my Mom cut up long sticks of potatoes to fry while she lectured me about the perils of cooking with hot oil. Every couple minutes my Dad would pop in and tell her to cut more potatoes and make more fries. He was always worried that there wouldn't be enough, and he had good reason because they always went fast.

It's really no wonder that Nigella's high-speed hamburger with fast fries has always caught my attention. To me, burgers and fries at home is one of life's simplest pleasures. It reminds me of times when burgers and fries were something you ate at home and not at a fast food restaurant.

Nowadays, burgers and fries are still a family affair. Everyone sits in the kitchen knowing that dinner is only minutes away. Toppings are gathered and buns are toasted and naturally someone is screamed at for getting near the hot oil, only it isn't me for once!

High-Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries- adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
Burgers:
8 oz extra lean ground beef **I used 95% lean Hereford Beef which is excellent**
1 tablespoon caramelized onions from a jar **couldn't find them in a jar, used my own**
1-1/2 teaspoons buttermilk or plain yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
good grinding of pepper
vegetable oil for brushing

Mix the ground beef with the onions, buttermilk, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with pepper, then divide in two and form into two patties, either using a press or by hand. Heat a ridge griddle and lightly brush the burgers with oil. Cook the burgers for 2 minutes on the first side, and then flip them and cook them for another minute. Remove and let stand for a minute or two; this will give you medium-rare burgers. Serve with the fast fries and sandwich in a toasted bun, if you wish, and add lettuce, melted blue cheese, and bacon or a fried, poached, or squished soft-boiled egg, as you like.

Fast Fries:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
9 oz new potatoes, cleaned and scrubbed

Place the potatoes in a freezer bag and hit them with a rolling pin until they are broken into pieces. Heat a frying pan with the oil until hot, then add the potatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes a side with the pan partially covered. Remove the potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels.

Notes/Results: I bought the 95% lean Hereford beef and really loved it. The burger was extremely juicy and you would never know you were eating lean beef. I will be replacing all my ground beef with the Hereford beef from now on. I have never thought to put soy sauce in my burger, but both my husband and I loved the flavor of it. I decided to top my burger with blue cheese and bacon and it was delicious. If you haven't tried blue cheese on your burger, you are missing out. You only need the slightest bit of cheese to add immense flavor. The fries were a lot of fun to make. I smashed up some new potatoes with a heavy bottomed pan and shallow fried them on the stove while I lectured my kids about staying away from the hot oil - LOL! They were the cutest little fries. A real blast from the past!

This week is potluck week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, which means that any recipe is game. Head on over there this week to check out all the different recipes that will be shared. Better yet, pick any Nigella recipe and cook along with us!

What are some of your favorite childhood foods?