Rose’s Ultimate Vegetable Casserole

Rose featured this Ultimate Vegetable Casserole on her blog, and I wanted to try the recipe myself. It was a great opportunity to use ingredients such as polenta and leeks which are not in my regular rotation. This seems like a very flexible recipe, but here are the amounts that I used:

18 oz. tube polenta
9 oz. bag fresh spinach
15 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
2 carrots
2 leeks
1 T olive oil
Garlic powder, salt, and pepper
2 Arnold Sandwich Thins, torn into small pieces
1 c. mozzarella cheese
2 T Parmesan cheese

This doesn’t hold together like a traditional casserole, but I loved the mix of vegetables! It was really easy to put together for dinner, and then take for lunches the rest of the week. Next time I might add either zucchini or mushrooms, which would lend some additional moisture and perhaps allow the carrots to cook more fully. I would definitely recommend you give this recipe a try!

Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings

Before “soup season” really winds down, I wanted to try this recipe for Miso Soup with Sweet Potato Dumplings. I even bought my very first bottle of miso for the occasion! Ideally, you would start with a sweet potato which has already been baked since that would save a lot of time. I followed the recipe as written, although I left out the edamame. I closed the dumplings as best I could, sealing the edges with a few drops of water.

As other recipe reviewers noted, the soup itself is a bit lacking, but the dumplings are fantastic. I definitely added more miso at the end to try and give the broth some extra flavor. Next time I would consider adding a few mushrooms as well. My biggest disappointment though is that the leftover soup did not hold up in the refrigerator; this is a meal meant to be enjoyed right away.

Chicken Salad

“Take me out to the ballgame…
Take me out with the crowd…
Buy me some carrots and chicken salad…”

Oh wait, that’s not how it goes! But my sister and I did make these chicken salad sandwiches for tailgating before the Red Sox-Mets game at the new Citi Field. We started with shredded chicken, and added chopped carrots for crunch and chopped grapes for a hint of sweetness. We mixed in a spoonful of real mayonnaise, and then made the sandwiches on Arnold Sandwich Thins with lettuce and spinach.

Guest Blogger: Fondue with Fabulous Friends

I am pleased to introduce my first official guest blogger, Karla! She embodies the spirit of the blog in her willingness to try cooking new things, and she always has a lot of fun.

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I received two fondue sets at my bridal shower almost 5 years ago, and had never used them. So I decided to invite two girlfriends over my house to enjoy an evening of cocktails and fondue!

The first course was an oil fondue in which we dipped steak, chicken, shrimp and sausage, and for veggies we dipped peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Everything was delicious other than the steak, which didn’t have much flavor.

Danielle selecting items to dip in the oil fondue.

We made a cheese fondue with extra sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and red zinfandel wine. The cheese was quite tasty; however, I would use a recipe that called for white wine next time. Eating purple cheese was a bit odd!

Here’s a photo of Danielle dipping bread into the purple cheese.

Dessert fondue – semisweet chocolate chips with heavy whipping cream, and a variety of fabulous items to dip: Strawberries, marshmallows, Oreos, pound cake, lady fingers, cantaloupe, bananas, and pretzels!

Once again, KB showing off with her creativity toasting a marshmallow over the stove and then dipping in the dessert fondue!

Notice the gorgeous lia sophia ring on Danielle’s hand!

Fondue with Fabulous Friends was a huge success, and I’ll be sure to do it again!
We had a great time and a ton of laughs!

Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf

CarrotsnCake was one of the first food blogs I ever read, and this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin bread caught my eye months ago. I was disappointed to realize at the last minute that I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand, but I kept going since I was due to bring a baked good to work the next morning.

What makes this bread so good is that it isn’t too sweet; one taster commented that it would be perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon and I agree. If there is still a can of pumpkin lurking in the back of your pantry, give this a try!

Chicken Meatballs

When I make traditional meatballs, I use a mixture of ground beef and pork. Looking for something a little lighter, I tried the chicken meatballs from this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. They were a hit!

I made regular sized meatballs, and baked them on a cookie sheet at 350F for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Finally, I let the meatballs simmer in a mixture of tomatoes, chicken broth, and garlic. I wouldn’t bother with the sauce again as it did not thicken as I expected, but I will make the meatballs again soon.

Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Traditional lasagna can be a time consuming project, although the end result is certainly worth the effort. This Super-Fast Spinach, Pesto, and Cheese Lasagna certainly lives up to it’s name, but still made a nice meal. I bought several key ingredients at Trader Joe’s including a jar of Pesto alla Genovese, 2 jars of Roasted Garlic Marinara, and a bag of Quattro Formaggio. I also used a bag of fresh baby spinach instead of the frozen spinach indicated in the recipe.

I mixed the ricotta, pesto, spinach, and 1 c. cheese together, but forgot to add in the egg. Oops! This may have been the reason the lasagna was a bit messy to cut. I took this photo from the lasagne’s “best side”.

Crockpot Eggs and Feta

I normally wouldn’t consider using the crock pot for eggs, since they cook quickly on the stove top. Yet I was intrigued by this recipe and wanted to give it a try. I cut down the recipe slightly, using 8 oz. each regular and Portobello mushrooms, 8 eggs, and 6 oz. of fat free feta. I cooked it for 2 1/2 hours on high, and it was done.

I completely agree with The Crockpot Lady about the great taste and creamy texture. I would be most likely to use this recipe again if I was serving a group for brunch, although the presentation is a bit lacking. Give this a try the next time you have a crazy weekend morning!

Spring Green Quinoa

This salad really is like spring in a bowl. I used this recipe and substituted green beans for the asparagus. I also used 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in the dressing. The flavors in the salad are all light and fresh; it would have been perfect to eat on a patio with a glass of wine. If you haven’t tried quinoa yet, I really hope this recipe inspires you!