Jenny's Baked Beans

I'm loving the time I've been spending on Just A Pinch, the recipe site I talked about in my last post. Jenny Moretz, another Blue Ribbon winner, posted her recipe for what she calls Land Your Man Baked Beans. And even though I'm not looking to land anything but a good night's sleep, I had to try this simple, creative and cost efficient baked bean recipe. Aside from all the condiments that you already have in your fridge, she included a package of Taco Bell Seasoning Mix that I found in the international aisle of my grocery store. How easy is that?


Jenny's Baked Beans

2 28 oz cans Bush's Original Baked Beans

1 large onion chopped

1 large green pepper chopped

1.5 pounds ground beef

1/3 cup ketchup

2 T yellow mustard

4 T brown sugar

3 T hot sauce

6 slices hardwood smoked bacon

1 package Taco Bell Seasoning

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the ground beef on stove top in large pan on medium heat. Halfway through browning, add Taco Bell seasoning and cook until beef is cooked through. Set aside. In large bowl, combine beans, onions, peppers, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and hot sauce.

Pour into large baking dish that's been prepared with cooking spray. Add the seasoned beef to the top of the bean mixture. Place bacon on top. I didn't have any bacon in the house so I ended up omiting it, but I imagine it would only enhance the fabulous flavors already in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil, leaving one corner folded back for venting. Bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes or until bacon is brown and excess liquid has cooked out.

This dish was fantastic. Every ingredient in the recipe worked, and the hint of Mexican spice was a pleasant addition to one of my favorite comfort foods. Give this one a try. Oh, and for my second helping I added some sharp cheddar cheese. Yummy.

Blue Ribbon Cookies

These Mini Cream Filled Delights recently won me a Blue Ribbon from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club and I couldn't wait to share it on the blog. I haven't felt this passionate about a recipe since my Asian Green Bean Salad for Cooking Light. These little morsels are really that good.

They're decadent, creamy and crowd pleasing. If you like a cakey, brown sugar cookie, filled with a creamy, yet crunchy, chocolatey filling, go directly to the ingredient list, get what you need at the market and make these cookies now.

Mini Cream Filled Delights
makes 45 delectable sandwich cookies

Filling:
8 oz neufchatel cheese softened to room temp
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips

Cookies:
3/4 cups butter softened to room temp
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs room temp if possible
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Confectioner's sugar for dusting

To make the filling: In medium size bowl combine all ingredients except the mini chips. Mix until combined. I use a hand mixer. Add the chocolate chips and fold to evenly incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge while you prepare the cookies.

To make the cookies: Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In medium size bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, with hand mixer, combine butter and sugar and mix until smooth and airy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix, remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl. When mixture is smooth, add half the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on low. Add the rest of the dry ingredients until dough is smooth. Don't be surprised if dough is sticky, it's supposed to be.

Using a teaspoon or small cookie scoop, form dough into small balls about 3/4 inch each. Place on baking sheets, flatten slightly with a spoon and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly on cooling rack, then remove to paper or kitchen towels to cool completely. You will get about 90 cookies.

Remove filling from the refrigerator and when cookies are cooled, take a teaspoon of the filling and place it on the flat side of a cookie. You can see I pile it pretty high.

Take a second cookie and cover the filling to make a sandwich. Now you only have 44 more times to do this. It is worth it.

Dust with confectioner's sugar. Now if 90 cookies seems a bit daunting, make the cookie balls a little bigger, about 1 to 1-1/4 inch in diameter and bake them for 12 minutes. I made them this way last weekend, and the work does go faster and the end result is just as delicious. I got 40 individual cookies and 20 sandwiches. And the portion is almost equivalent to 1 cupcake.

I store the cookies in the refrigerator wrapped in an air tight container and take them out about 20-30 minutes before I serve them. Try these, you'll be ever-so happy!

Is It Soup Yet?

Remember that commercial? It was years ago, it was Campbell's and it was ever so comforting. My mom used to make a mushroom and barley soup that I absolutely adored- chock full of vegetables, aromatic, and when she made it, it always reminded me of that commercial. But ours was home made. Unfortunately she never gave me the recipe. So this weekend I decided to do my best to recreate this soup. And I did it!

Barley, Mushroom and Vegetable Soup
Inspired by Elaine Dalton

3/4 cup barley
2 T olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 small carrots diced, 1/2 inch
2 stalks celery diced 1/2 inch
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
8 cups of liquid- I used three 14.5 oz cans of fat free chicken broth and water
3/4 cup split peas
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz button mushrooms sliced

In medium size pot cook barley according to package directions (usually about 45 minutes). While barley is cooking, begin the soup prep.

In large pot on low heat, add olive oil, chopped carrots, onions, celery, garlic and Old Bay Seasoning. Cover and sweat the veggies until soft (8 minutes or so) stirring occasionally. When veggies are soft, add chicken broth and water, bring to a boil and add split peas. Bring back to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and mushrooms and simmer 15 minutes more. Add cooked barley, stir and serve. This recipe makes 4-6 servings. Enjoy.

It's soup now and dinner is ready. I had some fabulous rosemary-infused artisan Italian bread on hand, so I grilled it, placed it on top of my steaming bowl of soup, and enjoyed this tasty bowl of goodness just like I used to in mom's kitchen.

Saucy

I made a saucy little dinner last night with the help of Lidia Bastianich, one of my favorite celebrity chefs and cookbook authors. Her cooking is always simple and ever-so flavorful, and reminds me of the way my mom used to effortlessly cook. Haddock's been on sale this week, so that was my fish of choice, but any white fish will do. I changed Lidia's recipe slightly and added a yummy roasted red pepper and caper tarter sauce (aioli), which turned out to be a great complement to the garlic and lemon flavored fish. This recipe serves four and it's definately company fare. I give it five stars.

Savory Bread Crumb Topped Baked Haddock with
Roasted Red Pepper, Lemon and Caper Aioli
Adapted from Lidia Bastianich

Fish
1-1/2 pounds haddock
1 tsp kosher salt
4 T extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup white wine (I used chardonnay)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a big chef's knife
1/2 cup seasoned (store-bought) bread crumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Fresh lemon slices for garnish

Sauce
1/2 roasted red pepper (I use Pastene jarred) chopped fine
3 tsp capers chopped fine
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp jarred white horseradish
1/2 cup light mayonnaise

To make the fish: Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly salt the fish on both sides, using about 1/2 tsp in all. Pour 2 T of the olive oil, the lemon juice, white wine and an additional 1/4 tsp salt into a baking dish (I used a glass Pyrex) and whisk together well. Drop in the crushed garlic cloves and stir with the dressing. Lay the fish filets in the dish, turn and swish them around in the olive oil mixture so both sides are thoroughly moistened. Arrange them skin side down, in one layer. I tucked the crushed garlic under the fish so it wouldn't burn while cookin in the high temp oven.

Toss bread crumbs in a bowl with the lemon zest, cayenne pepper and remaining salt. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and toss crumb mixture well until evenly moistened. Spoon the seasoned bread crumbs on top of the filets in an even layer. Bake uncovered until the crumbs are crisp and golden and the fish is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk until combined.


If time permits, make the sauce ahead of time. Refrigerate and let the flavors get to know one another and thicken a bit. I think you'll be very happy. I know that while writing this post, I nibbled on some microwaved leftovers and aioli, and I'm very pleased with last night's dinner.

Slow Cookin'

Tonight my friend Fran, known on this blog as "the gardener" came over with a steaming pot of soup made in her crock pot. I don't own a crock pot, but I think I'd like to purchase one now.

I have never before posted a recipe that I haven't made myself, but tonight I decided to share Fran's delicious Unstuffed Pepper Soup that can feed a crowd, and please that crowd as well. If you like stuffed peppers, this soup is for you. It has all the flavors of your mom's stuffed peppers, but none of the fuss. We served it with sliced, grilled ciabatta bread rubbed with fresh garlic, then dove into this hearty meal that was oh-so-good. Not to mention healthy and economical.

Fran's Slow Cooker Unstuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
6 oz can tomato paste
4 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3 cups chopped green pepper
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until browned. Drain any juices or fat and transfer mixture to your slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add water to thin if necessary.

If I were to re-mix this, I'd toss in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes before cooking and add some lemon juice to the soup before serving. But this is the kind of recipe that you can really make your own. Thanks Fran. I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow. And I'm happy.

Whoopeee! It's World Nutella Day

February 5th is World Nutella Day (my favorite holiday) and this year I came up with a recipe that makes me say whoopee! every time I think about this Nutella filled, cakey little cookie that's slightly chewey and is a snap to make. I've decided to call these little darlings "Nutella Whoopie Pies".

Nutella Whoopie Pies

2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups butter softened
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for dusting
1 Jar (13 oz) Nutella

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In medium size bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, with hand mixer combine butter and sugar. Beat until smooth and airy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla and mix, making sure to scrape down the edges of the bowl as you mix. When mixture is smooth, add half the dry ingredients and mix on low. Add the rest of the dry ingredients until dough is smooth. Don't over mix. And don't be surprised if the dough is sticky. It's supposed to be.

Form cookies into small balls about 1 inch to 1-1/4 inch. Place on baking sheets, flatten slightly with a spoon and bake 11 minutes. Cool on baking rack, then remove to paper or kitchen towels to finish cooling. You'll get approximately 40-42 cookies.

When cookies are cooled, take a big dollop of Nutella and place it on the flat side of a cooled cookie. Cover that mass of delicious chocolateness with another cookie.

Taste to see if it's decadent enough, and if not, add more Nutella.

Dust with Confectioners sugar and enjoy. You don't have to refrigerate these cookies. I think they're perfect when left at room temperature.

And don't just make these for World Nutella Day. They're perfect anytime.

Umm-Umm Good

In all my years of cooking, I have never attempted to make split pea soup. I love it out of a can, but really, how much extra salt does a body need? My mom used to make it and it seemed like it took forever. The rinsing and soaking, and whatever other rituals she used to go through kind of turned me off to preparing it from scratch. Well yesterday I was in the market doing my weekly dash down the aisles and I picked up a bag of split peas, got home, chopped some veggies and within the hour had a steaming, delectable pot of soup that I'll certainly make again, and again, and again. It was just so easy.

Turkey Bacon and Split Pea Soup

Serves 4

2 tsp canola oil

2 carrots diced

2 ribs of celery diced

1 cup onions diced

3 slices turkey bacon diced

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

6 oz dried split peas

1 14.5 oz can low sodium, fat free chicken broth

4-1/2 cups water

In a colander, rinse peas under running water and check for any stones or debris that may be hidden. I didn't find anything, but it's good to check. Set aside.

Heat oil in large pot over medium to low heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and bacon. Add salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables and bacon soften but do not brown (about 10 minutes). Add chicken stock, water and split peas and bring to boil. Cover pot, lower heat to simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with croutons for garnish.

Re-mix: Since this was my first time making this soup, I took the simple route and didn't add any exotic seasonings. Next time I will add a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin for a bit more warmth, and a dash of ground cayenne pepper for some heat. Tonight I reheated the soup and enjoyed it with a grilled brie and pepper jelly flat bread sandwich. Umm-umm good.