Spinach Cheese Burritos with Blender Hot Sauce

We love all things Mexican food in our house. Any excuse to have avocado, Mexican Coke and cilantro is good enough for me! My mom's husband, Jack, sent me this recipe a while back, and I've been hanging on to it for a while waiting to try it. This is from Moosewood Restaurant; they do vegetarian recipes that are delicious. So, I knew it would be tasty even before making it. I matched this with Moosewood's Blender Hot Sauce as well, which was the best part of the whole meal. I will use this hot sauce on many other Mexican dishes. Yum.

Spinach Cheese Burritos
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bunch scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
10 cups (10 ounces) loosely packed fresh baby spinach, stemmed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Nutmeg (optional)
3 cups (10 ounces) lightly packed Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup cream cheese
8 to 10 7- or 8-inch flour tortillas
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick oil spray.

2. For the burritos: In a large skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the scallions, garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, if desired, grated cheese and cream cheese. Remove from the heat.

3. To keep the tortillas from cracking, place them on a baking sheet (overlapping is fine) and heat them in the oven for a minute or two.

4. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling on the lower half of a warm tortilla, fold the bottom up and the sides in to encase the filling, roll it up and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. When all the tortillas are ready, brush the tops with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until hot, 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Serve the burritos with the blender hot sauce on top.

Blender Hot Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can (15 ounces) whole tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. In a heavy saucepan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Add the onion, bell pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the bell pepper is blistered and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, stirring to combine, and remove from the heat.

2. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the tomatoes and puree.

3. Return the sauce to the pan and add the cilantro, if desired, and salt to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, partially covering the pan to avoid splatters.

Tori's Cheesecake

My friend Tori makes a super yummy cheesecake. When I asked her about it, she told me it was the easiest recipe ever. I asked her to share. I'm so glad she did - it was super easy to make and very delicious to eat! I know my sister Kendis doesn't believe cream cheese should be used for sweet dishes, but this cheesecake is wonderful! Tori has put mini chocolate chips in it, put chocolate on top of the crust, topped it with a raspberry sauce...it's all so good! I had a jar of my freezer strawberry jam from the summer, and I knew it would be a tasty topper for this cheesecake. Boy was it ever - like it was made for that sole purpose!

One note about cheesecakes...they sometimes split on top during or after the cooking process. I used a water bath in the oven in a pan underneath my cheesecake to prevent the splitting, and it worked during the cooking process. You are supposed to let the cheesecake cool in the oven (with the oven off and the oven door open) before removing it, and I'm thinking if I'd done that with the water bath intact during that time, it might not have split, but I had to get my lasagna in the oven, so I removed my cheesecake when it was done cooking and, well, it split a bit on top...but that's what the strawberry sauce was for! No one even noticed!

Tori's Cheesecake
Ingredients:

For the crust:
1.5 cups crushed graham crackers
2 tbs sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

1. Mix together and press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

For the cheesecake:
(3) 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
(1) 14-ounce can Eagle brand condensed milk
3 eggs
2 TBSP vanilla

1. Beat/whip cream cheese until light, add milk and mix until well incorporated. Mix in eggs, add vanilla. Pour into pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes (until top springs back lightly when touched).

2. Open door of oven and cool in oven, then refrigerate.

3. When cool, top with topping of cheese or eat plain!

Cheddar Batter Bread

To go with my delicious farm apple butter, I made Art Smith's Cheddar Batter Bread. This bread is wonderful in that it is a yeast bread, which means it has all the delicious smells and taste associated with those beautiful bubble-making creatures, but it's a quick rise bread, meaning it only goes through one 45-minute rise before it's ready to cook. I've used this bread with the apple butter, but also as a side for my meatball soup, to make a quick sandwich, for cheesy croutons, or just as a quick snack. This is a versatile bread and can be changed quickly by using Swiss instead of cheddar! Think homemade bread is out of your reach? Try this bread out - you'll love it!

Cheddar Batter Bread
Ingredients:
4 tbs unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
One 1/4-ounce pkg active dry yeast
3 large eggs
1 tsp hot red pepper sauce
4 cups AP flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbs water, for glaze

1. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the buttermilk and water and heat just until warm to the touch (105 to 115° F). Pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk to dissolve the yeast. Whisk in the eggs and hot sauce.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir into the liquid to make a thick batter. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 3/4 cup of the Cheddar (or Swiss) cheese.

3. Lightly butter two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F.

5. Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg mixture. Bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar and bake until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when removed from the pans and tapped on the bottoms, 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely. (The breads can be made 2 days ahead, wrapped in aluminum foil, and stored at room temperature.)

Avocado, Bruschetta and Havarti Chicken with a Balsamic Reduction

My sister-in-law posted a recipe she saw on line for Avocado, Mozzarella and Bruschetta Chicken on Facebook the other day. It looked amazing, so I earmarked it and promised myself to make it. Tonight, it was just Micah and I, and I thought, ooh, I think I have all the ingredients! Well, not quite, but close! I didn't have mozzarella, but I did have Havarti, so I subbed out the cheese and made my own bruschetta. I also was running low on my standard balsamic vinegar, but I had white balsamic vinegar, so while the picture isn't quite as dramatic as the original, the taste was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!!! People, this recipe is DIVINE! You have to try it. Like tonight. It's that good. Where did the original come from? From a cute little blog called Iowa Girl Eats. Check her stuff out - it's yummy looking and the link above is to her original recipe.

Avocado, Bruschetta and Havarti Chicken with a Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients:
1 cup balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar)
4 chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup pre-made bruschetta topping
1 avocado, sliced
4 slices of havarti cheese (or mozzarella)

1. Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan then bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium then simmer and reduce until vinegar is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. (Vinegar will continue to thicken while cooling.) Set aside to cool.

2. Place oven rack in top position then preheat broiler. Brush chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush a large skillet over medium-high heat with oil then add chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes a side, or until no longer pink in the center.

3. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet then top with 2 Tablespoons bruschetta mixture, 3-4 slices avocado, and 1 slice of cheese each. Broil until cheese has melted and serve with the balsamic vinegar reduction drizzled over it.



My white balsamic vinegar reduction.

Bacon salad with farmhouse cheese dressing

Lunch for our Irish meal today was this beautiful salad topped with a lovely farmhouse cheese dressing. I was a bit cautious about this salad dressing, but oh my goodness, it was wonderful! The sauteed apples and bacon mixed with the warm dressing was a delight...crunchy, soft and tangy all rolled into one! I made fresh soda bread to go with this salad, and it was the perfect complement. This recipe also came from my Irish Food & Cooking cookbook, and I can't believe I haven't tried it before. Give this one a try, even if it's not St. Patrick's Day.

Bacon salad with farmhouse cheese dressing
Ingredients:
For the salad:
2 tbs olive oil
4 oz. bacon, diced
1 eating apple, cored and chopped
2 small heads of lettuce
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper

For the dressing:
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tbs cider
2 oz Camembert-style cheese, chopped
a dash of cider vinegar

1. Heat 1 tbs of the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the diced bacon. Cook over a medium heat until crisp and golden. Add the chopped apple and cook gently for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and softened.

2. Tear the lettuce carefully into bite-sized pieces.

3. To make the dressing, heat the sour cream, cider, cheese and vinegar together in a small pan over a low heat until smooth and creamy. Dress the lettuce with some of the remaining oil and lemon juice and season to taste, then divide among the four plates. Place the warm apple and bacon on top, then drizzle over the dressing.

Sweet Potato, Spinach and Feta Whole Wheat Muffins

My friend Brita mentioned in an email the other day that she had made a batch of Sweet Potato, Kale and Feta muffins for snacks in her house. I was intrigued and asked her to send me the recipe. The original recipe is Betty Crocker, and they looked delicious. But I made a few modifications to make them whole wheat and to remove the refined sugar in it. All I have to say is wow! These are really delicious! They are moist, packed with flavor and full of good-for-you ingredients. These will become a staple in my house, for sure! My batter stretched to 18 muffins, which made each of these little gems only 145 calories a piece. I had two with my spinach salad today at lunch. Yum.

**WARNING: These are savory muffins, not sweet ones!

Sweet Potato, Spinach and Feta Whole Wheat Muffins
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Toss sweet potatoes with oil. Place in single layer on 15x10x1-inch pan.

2. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

3. Spray 18 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray or olive oil. In large bowl, beat eggs, melted butter and milk with whisk (or with an electric mixer) until well blended. Add flour, honey, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and pepper; stir with spoon just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in sweet potatoes, kale and cheeses. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.

4. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Farro Salad

If you haven't heard of farro, you might've been living in a cave! It seems to be the most talked about grain of late. In fact, farro has been around a long time. Packed with protein and all sorts of whole grain goodness, farro is a nice alternative to quinoa, couscous or barley. Many stores offer quick-cooking versions of the grain that cook up in 10 minutes. I bought a couple little bags from Trader Joe's and then whipped up a farro salad for dinner that knocked my socks off! I will be making this salad again and again.

Farro Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked farro
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (pecans or almonds would work here)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs vinegar (I used an orange champagne vinegar - YUM!)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard until an emulsion forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Combine the farro, feta, cranberries and walnuts. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top of the salad and stir lightly to combine. Serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Brussels Sprout and Bacon Hash

I was flipping through the television the other day and ran across an episode of Tyler's Ultimate. This is one of Tyler Florence's shows on the Food Network where he takes a dish and makes what he calls his ultimate version of it. The episode was all about chicken cordon bleu, one of my favorite dishes since I was a kid. To go along with it, he made a Brussels sprout and bacon hash, a cranberry chutney and a roasted chicken jus. I drooled through most of the show. I was making my grocery list anyhow, so I quickly added all the ingredients to my list with the designs of making these dishes this week.

Tonight was the night. I was not disappointed. What a delicious and filling dinner this was! It did take quite a bit of work, I won't lie. And my cranberry chutney went the way of the garbage disposal (disappointingly) because I was trying to do four things at once and text, and well, let's just say the cranberries got a little overcooked. Oh well - they would've added the perfect balance to this fairly savory meal. Next time!

These recipes are straight from Tyler's page on Food Network.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

4. Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through. (I cranked my heat to 425 at 15 minutes and finished these at 425 for the last 15 minutes.)

5. Cut into pinwheels and serve on top of Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Jus and Cranberry Chutney, if desired.

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 pints Brussels sprouts, cut in 1/2
1 pound fingerling potatoes, split down the middle
1/2 pound red pearl onions, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped

1. Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil. Cut bacon into long strips and add to pan together with thyme. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes to render the fat then strain and set aside. Add Brussels sprouts, potatoes and pearl onions.

2. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly browned. Add chicken stock and steam for 3 to 5 minutes until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender. Add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat. Cook until balsamic has reduced then fold in fresh parsley and bacon.

Roasted Chicken Jus
Ingredients:
6 chicken wings
1 large onion, quartered
3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
5 sprigs thyme
1 head garlic, cut in 1/2
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a roasting pan add chicken wings, vegetables, thyme and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes until the wings are nice and brown.

2. Remove from the oven and set over medium-high heat on the stove top. Add white wine to deglaze and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock and continue to simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid until about 1 cup remains. Remove from heat and strain through a china cap, pushing some of the vegetable pulp through the strainer with the back of a ladle - this will help thicken the jus slightly. Add the cold butter cubes to the jus and swirl until it melts. Season again with salt and pepper.

Cranberry Chutney (not pictured)
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup full-body red wine
1/4 cup sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Add ingredients to a small saucepan and set over low-medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the cranberries are just cooked through and tender. You want them cooked through but not falling apart.

Cheese Souffles

Okay, I admit it, I watch Master Chef. Gordon drives me crazy with his constant use of curse words. Joe insults me (heh, heh) with his obsessive need to overly criticize someone's dish if it happens to go wrong. I don't mind Graham at all. But I watch the show to see some amazing cooking. The other night, the pressure test was souffles. I was delighted! After my success with chocolate souffles, I was eager to see Frank and Josh at work crafting their three souffles. And it inspired me to try my hand again at another round of souffles, but this time, I wanted to try cheese souffles. I made these for lunch today for the boys and me.

Nathan, who watches Master Chef with me, was HILARIOUS! When I took them out of the oven, he was all goggly-eyed and oohed and aahhed at their magnificent peaks. He asked to take the first bite, and we watched as he made a perfect circle in the center of his souffle (the way Graham does on Master Chef), pulled out a bite, eyed it a bit, and pronounced, "It looks perfect, fluffy and light." He proceeded to take a bite and then told me that it was wonderful, creamy and very cheesy. Between chuckles, I dug in myself. Yum and oh so cheesy! I actually had to stop mid-way and eat my salad because these are so rich. Another score for souffles. This recipe is a modified version of one out of my Cooking Light magazine.

Cheese Souffles
Ingredients:
1.5 tbs fine, dry breadcrumbs
3/4 cup low-fat or non-fat milk
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs canola oil
1/8 cup AP flour
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4 - 10 oz. ramekins

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Coat 4 - 10 oz. ramekins with cooking spray (or oil). Sprinkle with enough breadcrumbs to generously coat the inside, tilting to evenly distribute; tap out excess. Place ramekins of a baking sheet.

2. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Melt butter and oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking until the mixture is the consistency of thick batter, 2-4 minutes. Whisk in the cheese until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, until incorporated.

3. Clean and dry a large mixing bowl and beaters, making sure there are no traces of oil. Beat egg whites in the bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add salt; gradually increase speed to high and beat until shiny and stiff, but not dry. Do not overbeat.

4. Using a rubber spatula, stir one-third of the whites into the egg-yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until evenly distributed. It's ok if a few white streaks remain. Spoon the batter into the prepared dishes.

5. Bake until puffed and firm to the touch, 20-24 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cuban Sandwiches

The day I've been waiting for all week finally arrived: Cuban Sandwich time!!! I stopped by the bakery and picked up some soft hoagie rolls (very similar to French bread), some good ham, and Swiss and Provolone cheeses. Cubans are typically made with Swiss, but I like the smoky flavor of the Provolone. I made mine panini-style, but I don't have a panini press, so I just used a grill pan and a heavy cast iron skillet on top to press the sandwich down. Remember that roast pork from earlier in the week? It was a wonderful addition to this delicious sandwich.

Cuban Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 hoagie roll
2 tsp yellow mustard (or spicy brown, if you like a little kick)
1 slice Swiss or Provolone cheese
Couple slices of thinly-sliced roast pork
Couple slices of good, thinly-sliced ham
Dill or Sweet Pickles (I used my quick sweet pickles, of course, which started this whole Cuban sandwich thing in the first place!)

1. Preheat your grill pan over medium heat. Cut your hoagie in half lengthwise. Spread mustard on both sides of the bread. Then build your sandwich, starting with the ham, pork and cheese and finishing with the pickles. Top with other half of bread.

2. Put the sandwich in the grill pan. Take your cast iron skillet and press down onto the sandwich. Cook low and slow for about 10 minutes. If it starts to smoke, your heat is a bit high. If your cheese doesn't quite get as melted as you would like, pop the sandwich into the microwave for about 30 seconds. **Or use your panini press as directed.**

3. Serve immediately to oohs and ahs and happy stomachs!

Baked Potatoes with Cheese Sauce and Ham Steak

I love making baked potatoes. They are fast (if you cook in the microwave, even faster), easy, and they can be topped with virtually anything! Last night, I made baked potatoes with a homemade cheese sauce and ham steak for dinner, along with a green salad with chocolate cherry tomatoes. Yum! While I've made numerous cheese sauces before (most notably for my mom's macaroni and cheese), I followed this recipe from my Cuisine at Home magazine, which called for yellow mustard, rather than dry mustard, like I usually use. Very tasty!

Baked Potatoes
Ingredients:
4-6 Russet Potatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash, scrub and dry potatoes. Pierce them several times over with a fork.

2. Put the olive oil and potatoes in a bowl. Add the salt and toss to coat.

3. Bake in the oven (on the rack) for 1 hour. Put a piece of aluminum foil underneath the rack to catch any oil drips.

4. Remove and slice open.

Ham Steak and Cheese Sauce
Ingredients:
1 ham steak (bone in)
3 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 tsp yellow mustard
1.5 cups milk (I used whole milk for this, but you could use skim)
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Put a large pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tbs of butter. Sear the ham steak on both sides. Remove to a plate. When cool, cut into chunks.

2. Add the other two tbs of butter. When melted, add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Add the yellow mustard and milk, whisking the entire time. The sauce will begin to thicken. You will have bits of brown from the sear on the ham steak. THIS IS GOOD! It adds tremendous flavor!!!

4. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the cheese. Whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over the potatoes with the ham.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

These are directly from the 100 Days of Real Food blog. She really has a lot of great, healthy, yummy recipes on her blog. You should check it out!! Next time, I'll make these a bit thinner to stretch the recipe a bit more. At the thickness I made, this made 26 crackers.

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into tablespoon size chunks
4 oz. or 1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all three ingredients in a food processor and blend. The mixture will eventually turn into one big ball chasing itself around the bowl. Be patient because it can take a few minutes.

3. Roll the ball into a log about 1 ½” in diameter. At this point you could refrigerate the dough until later.

4. With a sharp knife slice ¼” thick pieces off the log (pictured above) and place each one flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Try to rotate which side you are cutting down on because the top of the log does start to flatten a little. It is like your very own homemade slice and bake!

5. If you want, you can take a fork and gently mash down the top of each one before baking.

6. Bake for 8 – 14 minutes or until golden brown. The thicker the crackers the longer it will take.

Vegetable Tian

I ran across a neat new blog today called Deliciously Organic. It is packed with delicious, healthy, all-organic recipes that are simple, delicious and so pretty to look at! I had a refrigerator full of veggies that I didn't want to go to waste, but I knew we wouldn't get them all eaten if I didn't do some cooking. So I went looking for a recipe that was a little different from what I'd prepared before. I landed on this one for a vegetable tian while perusing the Deliciously Organic site. This was easy to make, is quite the statement piece and from the small bite I snuck tonight, is quite yummy. I used yellow summer squash rather than zucchini, and I didn't quite have enough tomatoes to make it all the way around, but this worked out quite well! I'm eager to try it with some different veg next time.

Vegetable Tian (via Deliciously Organic site)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 large zucchini, sliced into thin coins
6-7 small yukon or yellow potatoes, sliced into thin coins
4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced into thin coins
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated gouda or Pecorino Romano cheese **I used Parmesan**

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook for about 10 minutes until soft and just beginning to caramelize. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Spread onion mixture in the bottom of an 10-inch diameter baking dish.

**I used a 9X13 baking dish - not quite as pretty, but this is a LOT of veg!**

2. Layer tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini in alternating layers (as shown in photo above). Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Place a piece of parchment paper over dish followed by a piece of foil. Wrap the foil tightly around the dish. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and parchment and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Serve.

Petits Filets with Blue Cheese Glacage

Wow - fancy name of this dish, I know, but this dish is pure and simple and hands down, the BEST MEAL I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! Andy made this for me years ago, and since then, I've asked him to make it for me every year on my birthday. He found some petit filets on sale at Costco the other day, so I didn't even have to wait until my birthday next year to get this dish again. This is originally an Emeril Lagasse recipe, that we modify just a wee bit. So, I'll write it the way Mr. Lagasse writes it, and then I'll tell you what changes we make. Enough chit chat...let's get to the good stuff.

Petits Filets with Blue Cheese Glacage
Ingredients:

1/4 lb. blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp + 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 lb. of bacon, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
3/4 lb. haricots verts (thin green beans), blanched in boiling salted water for 4 minutes, drained and rinsed in cool water
8 filet mignons (about 6 oz. each)
2 tbs Creole Seasoning (recipe to follow)
2 tbs vegetable oil (or canola)
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put the cheese, buttermilk, 1/8 tsp of black pepper, the Worcestershire, and hot sauce in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized skillet, fry the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving 2 tbs in the skillet. Add the onions, season with remaining pepper, and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the haricots verts and toss to mix. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

4. Season the filets with the Creole seasoning. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the filets and sear for about 4 minutes on each side.

Spread 1 tbs of the blue cheese mixture on top of each filet and put in the oven. Roast for 8 minutes for medium-rare, 10 minutes for medium, or 12 minutes for well-done.

5. To serve, divide the haricots verts into 8 equal portions and arrange in the center of eight serving plates. Place the filets on top of the beans, spoon the pan juices over and garnish with the parsley.

**We make double the sauce, so we can serve extra with our filets. Also, we chop the bacon up, add half to the sauce and the other half to the beans and onions.**

Creole Seasoning
Ingredients:

2.5 tbs sweet paprika
2 tbs salt
2 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs freshly ground pepper
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs cayenne
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs dried thyme

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Can be stored this way for up to 3 months.