Found it!

I thought it was gone forever!! I thought I had lost it and it had waved bye bye to me while wearing a tiny red polka-dot bag hanging on a stick. My creativity that is....but I was pleased to see it reappear for a short time tonight. :)

I signed up for E-Mealz last week and while I feel relieved that the last thing I have to worry about in our hectic lives is dinner and my ever shrinking pocket book, I feel less and less creative. At this time, I don't have time to be creative though. With the helping of Jason's new company, Real Estate school, Brayden, and being a wife, I just don't have time! Really you should see my house!! So this new menu plan is saving me time, brain power, and dollars, which I love.

Tonight I looked at Jason and said, "what are we having for dinner?", since our new menu plan won't come out until tomorrow. He looked at me with nothing...no ideas...no want to cook...so I knew it was either eat out or I had to get creative. I poured myself a glass of wine and pulled out what I had. Thin, boneless pork chops, chopped tomatoes, grilled and marinated artichokes, and my...gasp! White wine! Wonderful...something was about to happen.


Here is how to make it:

4-5 thin, boneless pork chops
Grilled, marinated artichokes (rough chopped), drained
1/2 can of chopped fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, drained
1/4 cup white wine
few tabs of butter
Salt & Pepper
Parsley for garnish
Parmesan cheese

Get a nice large Saute pan and turn it to medium high. While the pan heats up pat dry your chops and season with salt and pepper. Put a tab of butter (tab...did I make that up?) and coat the pan. Carefully put 2-3 chops depending on the size of your pan and brown on  both sides. Be careful not to overcrowd because that can change the temprature of the pan and not allow your chops to get nice and brown. Also, it's ok if they don't cook all the way through at first...set aside and proceed with next batch until you are finished. Add another tab of butter to pan and then pour in wine (often called deglazing the pan). Add chopped artichokes and tomatoes and stir. Then, nestle your little pork chops into the mixture and allow the flavor to mingle. When internal temprature of the meat reaches 160 degrees, about 5-7 minutes, place the meat on a platter and spoon sauce over the pork chops. Done!

Serve and Enjoy!!

Cecilia

Better Homes and Gardens Strawberry Bars

I decided to make this scrumptious looking dessert for my lovely In-Laws on Easter. I usually always bring something that everyone is scared to eat so I decided to go with something they can't resist, fresh Strawberry Bars. I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine and by the picture alone this dessert just screams spring and happiness. Definitely not something you can pass up on, right? I look forward to massive amounts of delicious treats sitting on Meme's table (that's Jason's Grandmother) but I hope this one can stand up to the challenge. It looks relatively easy and if you have baked anything before you should have all if not a majority of the ingredients on hand. I just grabbed a 1lb. clamshell of fresh strawberries at the grocery store and I plan to get wrist deep in some flour tomorrow night. Here is to a wonderful day with family and remembering what Easter is truly about. Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup strawberry jam

4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Vegetable Lasagna

Trying to eat better....Maybe try this! I made this for a lunch a few weeks ago and it was a hit. Jason told me that the clients were a little hesitant but after they tasted it they were pleasantly surprised that it was so good. Usually people think vegetable....no flavor. I saw a recipe for a Veggie Lasagna in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook but it called for a lot of previously frozen vegetables. I thought we could do better than that so I improvised! I decided to use fresh ingredients and sauté them for some much needed flavor.

Here is my recipe:



10-12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (3/4 cooked)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups low fat cottage cheese

1 15 oz container of Ricotta cheese- I used part-skim

2 1/2 cups fresh sliced Cremini mushrooms

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

6-7 oz of baby spinach

2 large heads of broccoli

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup parmesan

1 8-oz package of mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Panko breading

2 TBS of parsley



What I did was coat a large stockpot with olive oil and let it get nice and hot. I added the onion and let it sweat for about 5 minutes and then started to sauté all the veggies. I added S&P to taste and let it all cook together. Meanwhile, I combined all the cheeses (except the mozzarella), the egg, Panko, parsley, and S&P. After all the veggies were all soft and delicious I layered the noodles, veggies, and cheese. Top all layers with the mozzarella. I let it cook in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until nice and golden brown and bubbly. Super delicious!



If you have any question let me know!



Have a wonderful week,



Cecilia

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze

I decided to make these cookies as dessert for my dinner guests this week. I will be doing a lot of cooking and I wanted a dessert that can last through a few dinner parties. Of course this recipe is not my own and I must give the chef her thanks. So, thank you Giada!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients


Cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.



Cookies:



In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.



In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.



Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.



Glaze:



Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.



I will post some pics of the final product as soon as possible.

Have a wonderful week,

Cecilia

Coconut Macaroons

I LOVE a good Coconut Macaroon. I actually prefer it drizzled in chocolate....a lot of chocolate. As I was feeding the baby today and feeling particularly uninspired, Ina Garten was effortlessly whipping up a batch of lovely Coconut Macaroons on her show. They looked so good and I just had that feeling… the "I want macaroons right now" feeling. I decided to go through the cabinets and gather ingredients. I figure all I can do is try and if I mess up, I bet they will still be good and no one needs to know but me and well, you.


I also decided at that very moment that I want to try and expand my recipe horizons. I want to try new and more difficult recipes that will test my culinary know how. Depending on how busy I am I would love to try a new"out of the box" recipe a week. So, in that spirit here is recipe #1 courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa.


Ingredients



14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.


I'll let you know how they turn out!

Cecilia