tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52165043683453562662024-03-15T20:27:21.963-04:00Mary Ellen's Cooking CreationsA food and cooking blog Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.comBlogger771125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-50869673706055245262021-01-27T16:44:00.005-05:002021-01-27T16:57:12.594-05:00Game Day Food! Game Day - the perfect excuse to eat all of your favorite foods and not feel guilty about it! In preparation for the big game, here are some of our favorite appetizers and comfort foods to enjoy while watching football! <div><br /></div><div>Jalapeno Poppers are great, and we took these up a level with bacon... Try these <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/09/cheesy-blt-stuffed-jalapenos.html" target="_blank">Cheesy BLT Stuffed Jalapenos</a>. </div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9hclSsNidQ/YBHH1-726BI/AAAAAAAAOCA/_01gXKrAtMwGiE9fLmpDo8oB9E_xCBwfACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/FBP%2Bjalap5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! BLT Stuffed Jalapenos" border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="640" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9hclSsNidQ/YBHH1-726BI/AAAAAAAAOCA/_01gXKrAtMwGiE9fLmpDo8oB9E_xCBwfACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h344/FBP%2Bjalap5.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! BLT Stuffed Jalapenos" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />
</div><div><br /></div><div><center style="text-align: left;">Chips and dip are probably my #1 guilty pleasure. You can't go wrong with this 5-minute dip that tasted like a loaded baked potato. <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2014/01/loaded-baked-potato-dip.html" target="_blank">Loaded Baked Potato Dip</a>! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkD2JF8GncU/YBHI76KJM2I/AAAAAAAAOCI/Ez02SHUf5_oSASbGBpZW2seTG6unWTtCACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/010114%2Bpotato%2Bdip2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Loaded Baked Potato Dip Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="640" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkD2JF8GncU/YBHI76KJM2I/AAAAAAAAOCI/Ez02SHUf5_oSASbGBpZW2seTG6unWTtCACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h482/010114%2Bpotato%2Bdip2.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Loaded Baked Potato Dip" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I must have something for loaded baked potatoes! These hot <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2012/11/recipe-swap-loaded-baked-potato-bites.html" target="_blank">Loaded Baked Potato Bites</a> really are the perfect bite. Make your mashed potato a day ahead of time to make assembling these cute little bites a breeze! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0B1-7U9-rqk/YBHN9aFKJDI/AAAAAAAAOCw/BzuHs0R6vi4eYVAN4v-gkf31XdxNJHw8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9846F.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0B1-7U9-rqk/YBHN9aFKJDI/AAAAAAAAOCw/BzuHs0R6vi4eYVAN4v-gkf31XdxNJHw8gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9846F.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Loaded Baked Potato Bites" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center></div><div><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Pinwheels are perfect little bite-sized appetizers and can be hot, using Crescent rolls, or cold, using flour tortillas. Try these <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2010/01/easy-and-savory-appetizers.html" target="_blank">Baked Pinwheels</a> or these cold <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2008/05/time-for-party.html" target="_blank">Tortilla Pinwheels</a>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdPBQJc2Rio/YBHLRr1IuyI/AAAAAAAAOCc/Zqw0EPGtmo0AvMPn5odQcDqO3pxZMS5ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Untitled%2Bdesign%2B%25281%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdPBQJc2Rio/YBHLRr1IuyI/AAAAAAAAOCc/Zqw0EPGtmo0AvMPn5odQcDqO3pxZMS5ZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Untitled%2Bdesign%2B%25281%2529.png" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Baked Crescent Pinwheels and Tortilla Pinwheels" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">I think deviled eggs always belong when having an appetizer party. Try these <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2017/06/western-deviled-eggs-with-pickled.html">Western Style Deviled Eggs</a> with ham, onion, green peppers, topped with pickled mustard seeds. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr-Awxcd0W8/YBHLz0Yji5I/AAAAAAAAOCk/-8zbXprn0xMlwfGXBJE08lq1r04hEeRNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mr-Awxcd0W8/YBHLz0Yji5I/AAAAAAAAOCk/-8zbXprn0xMlwfGXBJE08lq1r04hEeRNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B6.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Western Deviled Eggs" width="426" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">You might want to eat the entire tray after trying one of these <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2013/05/lets-do-brunch-sweet-ham-swiss-sliders.html" target="_blank">Sweet Ham and Swiss Sliders</a> (say that 10 times fast!). Gooey melted cheese and baked ham on a toasted roll, all topped with a sweet and spicy Dijon and brown sugar butter glaze - perfection. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_QHnJAO6IM/YBHO8IxDsPI/AAAAAAAAOC4/onsuGYjA0HQ-IyXZs2SXM1SaJCd7bVIFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/033113%2Bsliders%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="640" height="484" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_QHnJAO6IM/YBHO8IxDsPI/AAAAAAAAOC4/onsuGYjA0HQ-IyXZs2SXM1SaJCd7bVIFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h484/033113%2Bsliders%2B3.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Ham & Swiss Sliders" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">You'll want to make these just for the creamy and cheesy roasted jalapeno sauce! <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2017/02/oven-baked-chicken-burritos-and-creamy.html" target="_blank">Smothered Chicken Burritos </a>- the chicken cooks in your crockpot all day, and then assemble and bake when you are ready to eat! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02wHJ29pfFU/YBHRVICQaSI/AAAAAAAAODE/0sGJ-TE1mOwmhOQQ_fzyvcetapslMzJRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s615/FBP%2Bchic%2Bburrito%2B3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="409" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02wHJ29pfFU/YBHRVICQaSI/AAAAAAAAODE/0sGJ-TE1mOwmhOQQ_fzyvcetapslMzJRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/FBP%2Bchic%2Bburrito%2B3.png" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Smothered Chicken Burritos" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crisp, buttery grilled bread stuffed with creamy melted cheese and a hot and bubbly spinach artichoke spread. It's like everybody's favorite party dip in a sandwich. <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/10/spinach-artichoke-grilled-cheese.html" target="_blank">Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese - </a></span></div></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HVU2LeANbF4/YBHTNEJ_tgI/AAAAAAAAODQ/w74pdr6x-3MYehO0zP80fAIq2zd3Da0kQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/FBP%2BSAGC8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="640" height="430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HVU2LeANbF4/YBHTNEJ_tgI/AAAAAAAAODQ/w74pdr6x-3MYehO0zP80fAIq2zd3Da0kQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h430/FBP%2BSAGC8.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Spinach Artichoke Dip Grilled Cheese" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Finally, making pizza at home can be a lot of fun. This pizza combines a Philly Cheesesteak with a make-at-home pizza - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2014/03/recipe-swap-cheesesteak-pizza.html" target="_blank">Philly Cheesesteak Pizza</a>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EwRYYaho0j0/YBHVhmcQgkI/AAAAAAAAODc/XN5AjKtyU1wFvJLX9pTAu5FcEOIaHQ8LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/0222314%2BRS%2Bcs%2Bpizza.jpg"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="640" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EwRYYaho0j0/YBHVhmcQgkI/AAAAAAAAODc/XN5AjKtyU1wFvJLX9pTAu5FcEOIaHQ8LgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h434/0222314%2BRS%2Bcs%2Bpizza.jpg" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more! Philly Cheesesteak Pizza" width="640" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">Enjoy!! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IfdCL2p43oQ/YBHhoa-3gGI/AAAAAAAAOD0/yT-FI72qvIYILoV8UtV1tx5DzumPxpQAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/10%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IfdCL2p43oQ/YBHhoa-3gGI/AAAAAAAAOD0/yT-FI72qvIYILoV8UtV1tx5DzumPxpQAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/10%2B%25281%2529.png" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" width="266" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUW3Lp5ef_M/YBHenm_IXeI/AAAAAAAAODo/lwAAuP4FbdgVOpqbg_bxCkJGu3OO1TNlwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/10.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUW3Lp5ef_M/YBHenm_IXeI/AAAAAAAAODo/lwAAuP4FbdgVOpqbg_bxCkJGu3OO1TNlwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/10.png" title="Favorite appetizers and comfort food perfect for game day! Hot and cold appetizers, burritos, sliders, pizza and more!" width="133" /></a></div><br /><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center><br /></center><center> </center></div>Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-67177214248688575522020-05-29T14:19:00.004-04:002020-05-29T22:10:51.662-04:00Our Favorite Chocolate Cakes<br />
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<b>Love Chocolate? Check out some of our favorite chocolate cakes!</b></center>
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I'll start with a really simple no-bake recipe that comes together quickly and is the perfect cake for entertaining - <b>No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake</b>. Picture this - an crunchy Oreo base, a silky, creamy Nutella center, a rich ganache topping and just because we have to go over the top, crumbled Ferrero Rocher hazelnut candies on top. </center>
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Find the recipe for this No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/03/no-bake-nutella-cheesecake.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-ZqaTiSKxI/XtFMc99DXUI/AAAAAAAANug/clIoy1_rrVg6_JEc1CCyl70DrV6AdtfbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/nutella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1-ZqaTiSKxI/XtFMc99DXUI/AAAAAAAANug/clIoy1_rrVg6_JEc1CCyl70DrV6AdtfbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/nutella.jpg" title="Mmm..chocolate! Chocolate cakes are our favorite and these chocolate cakes take top prize. No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake" width="640" /></a></div>
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This next cake is a yellow bundt cake with creamy chocolate swirled it. It's so pretty when you slice into it. And while its not completely chocolate, that layer of chocolate definitely satisfies any chocolate craving. The recipe for the <b>Philly Fluff Cake</b> is simple enough for the most inexperience baker (fact - this Philly Fluff Cake was the first cake I ever baked from scratch!). Click <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2013/03/recipe-swap-philly-fluff-cake.html" target="_blank">here</a> for the recipe. </center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2zzq9QivQU/XtFOBLyyJFI/AAAAAAAANus/bdnbSYkUDl8TWteg4EqKX71NCj6jgVPBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/philly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="485" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M2zzq9QivQU/XtFOBLyyJFI/AAAAAAAANus/bdnbSYkUDl8TWteg4EqKX71NCj6jgVPBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/philly.jpg" title="Mmm..chocolate! Chocolate cakes are our favorite and these chocolate cakes take top prize. Philly Fluff Bundt Cake" width="484" /></a></div>
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This next cake is ALL chocolate and mmm, so sweet and delicious! It's another easy bundt cake with a beautiful chocolate glaze. This is the cake that I request when my husband feels like baking something! Get the recipe for this <b>Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake</b> <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2013/11/chocolate-sour-cream-bundt-cake.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMxEg1zmX0w/XtFOpDC41gI/AAAAAAAANu0/jqNjUrOA56MJq-nnrnwceIV0PYLUK7rZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sour%2Bcream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="640" height="454" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMxEg1zmX0w/XtFOpDC41gI/AAAAAAAANu0/jqNjUrOA56MJq-nnrnwceIV0PYLUK7rZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/sour%2Bcream.jpg" title="Mmm..chocolate! Chocolate cakes are our favorite and these chocolate cakes take top prize. Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake with a Chocolate Glaze" width="640" /></a></div>
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And finally, I've saved the absolute best for last. This cake is so impressive, it's almost too pretty to eat. This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy whipped ganache and a chocolate glaze. The cake is topped with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and then rolled in Dutch process cocoa powder. But why stop there? There are also fancy chocolate swirls on top! </center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqviEvOBoao/XtFRYduOt1I/AAAAAAAANvA/_qlDxOWcTtgloiZuoKxGwBAob7RmMSAXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="525" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqviEvOBoao/XtFRYduOt1I/AAAAAAAANvA/_qlDxOWcTtgloiZuoKxGwBAob7RmMSAXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake.jpg" title="Mmm..chocolate! Chocolate cakes are our favorite and these chocolate cakes take top prize. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Covered Praline Hazelnuts" width="524" /></a></div>
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This cake takes some time to make, but it's SO worth it. Click <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2017/07/chocolate-hazelnut-cake-with-chocolate.html" target="_blank">here</a> for the recipe for this <b>Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Covered Praline Hazelnuts. </b></center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rNmJcqvJKKI/XtFReW6TgLI/AAAAAAAANvE/I_iMX8C_qmAHzl0R4Hwd_FDeOCrREvXkACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="444" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rNmJcqvJKKI/XtFReW6TgLI/AAAAAAAANvE/I_iMX8C_qmAHzl0R4Hwd_FDeOCrREvXkACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B5.jpg" title="Mmm..chocolate! Chocolate cakes are our favorite and these chocolate cakes take top prize. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Covered Praline Hazelnuts" width="444" /></a></div>
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We hope you enjoyed this round-up of our favorite chocolate cakes. Please let us know if you make any of them! Enjoy!</center>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-68302520702932999862020-05-18T18:30:00.005-04:002020-08-03T17:38:43.670-04:00Easy Homemade Wonton SoupNo need for takeout - make this incredibly easy wonton soup at home.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZO-SEKbrPs/XsMJAVmgQ1I/AAAAAAAANsw/QxHZOFo3QhQifeCJokzd9iEDnKaGBqBdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6266.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1299" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZO-SEKbrPs/XsMJAVmgQ1I/AAAAAAAANsw/QxHZOFo3QhQifeCJokzd9iEDnKaGBqBdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6266.jpg" title="Tender pork wontons simmer in a rich and flavorful broth. Comes together quickly and will satisfy all of your Chinese food cravings!" width="518" /></a></div>
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Just a few ingredients are needed for this rich and flavorful broth. The wontons also only have a few ingredients, and once you get the hang of wrapping them, you will put this together in no time.<br />
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One quick tip - make a big pot of broth and then only drop in the wontons you plan on eating that night and freeze the rest. The next day you can pull out your pot of broth, heat it up and drop the frozen wontons in. This worked much better for us than cooking all the wontons at once as they would be soggy the next day.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yvHbZlHju3k" width="320" youtube-src-id="yvHbZlHju3k"></iframe><br /><br />
<b>Easy Wonton Soup</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from: <a href="https://www.spendwithpennies.com/homemade-wonton-soup/" target="_blank">Spend With Pennies</a></span><br />
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<b>The Broth </b><br />
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<b><i>Broth Ingredients</i></b><br />
<ul>
<li>3 32 oz cartons chicken broth (not low sodium)</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions, chopped</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, peeled</li>
<li>4 slices of fresh ginger</li>
<li>3 Tbsb low sodium soy sauce</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Broth Directions</i></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Add all broth ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil.</li>
<li>Reduce to a simmer for one hour.</li>
<li>Once ready to cook your wontons, remove the garlic and ginger and increase to a steady simmer. </li>
<li>Drop wontons in and let cook about 6 minutes. Serve immediately. </li>
</ul>
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<b>The Wontons</b><br />
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<b><i>Wonton Ingredients</i></b><br />
<i>Note: I made 50 wontons with these ingredients. The broth will be able to cook 30 total; the rest of the wontons can be frozen for future use. </i><br />
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<ul>
<li>1 package wonton wrappers (50)</li>
<li>1 lb ground pork</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 tsp freshly grated ginger</li>
<li>3 Tbsp soy sauce</li>
<li>2 tsp sesame oil</li>
<li>3 tsp cornstarch </li>
<li>Other things needed: water, flour (about 2 Tbsp), parchment paper</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Wonton Directions</i></b></div><div><ul><li>Mix the pork, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch in a large bowl until combined. </li>
<li>Prep your area - put a small bowl of water and a small plate of flour near your wrapping station. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a clean cutting board or other flat surface in front of you.</li>
<li>There are several ways to wrap wontons and they all work! I used this process, but you could take a look at some videos online before choosing how to wrap yours: Place a wonton wrapper on the cutting board. Spoon 1 tsp of the filling onto the center of the wrapper. Wet the edges with water, and then fold the wonton wrapper in half to form a triangle, pressing the edges together tightly. Wet the 2 pointed ends and pull them together, pinching tightly. Dip the bottom in flour and place on your parchment paper lined baking sheet. </li>
<li>Continue until you have wrapped all of your wontons. </li>
<li>At this point, either place them in the freezer and once frozen place in freezer baggies, or drop into the broth to cook. Or do like I did - cook half and freeze half! </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPPN-4SBBRU/XsMIfH_Bv-I/AAAAAAAANsk/Smx8p7FEz5sG-Qs-jZSXZy07r2WImK8ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Wonton%2Bpin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPPN-4SBBRU/XsMIfH_Bv-I/AAAAAAAANsk/Smx8p7FEz5sG-Qs-jZSXZy07r2WImK8ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Wonton%2Bpin.png" title="Easy Homemade Wonton Soup.Tender pork wontons simmer in a rich and flavorful broth. Comes together quickly and will satisfy all of your Chinese food cravings! #wontonsoup #porkwontons" width="426" /></a></div>
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</div>Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-15986532682669194592019-09-04T12:54:00.001-04:002021-02-08T12:21:24.182-05:00Jumbo Lump Crab Spaghetti with Lemon Gremolata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pw96iTI_5x8/YCFy7OBIxGI/AAAAAAAAOFI/DkU9-owDDOU7tXtP1DPYA2oDNXTa2AhTACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/crab%2Bpasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Spaghetti with a Lemon Gremolata and Toasted Breadcrumbs. Restaurant quality dish yet quick and easy #weeknightmeal Can be #dairyfree" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="640" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pw96iTI_5x8/YCFy7OBIxGI/AAAAAAAAOFI/DkU9-owDDOU7tXtP1DPYA2oDNXTa2AhTACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/crab%2Bpasta.jpg" title="Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Spaghetti with a Lemon Gremolata and Toasted Breadcrumbs. Restaurant quality dish yet quick and easy #weeknightmeal Can be #dairyfree" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Fresh, sweet jumbo lumb crab meat with spaghetti is such simple classic. Take it to the next level by adding lemon gremolata and toasted bread crumbs. And yes, I did tag this as a quick and easy weeknight meal (it is, I promise!).</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NfmyxLkasw/XWVmWtxz8dI/AAAAAAAANZ0/6I7eBVoTYZI5gLCb6iKHgQX0xW4dBdziACEwYBhgL/s1600/mecc4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NfmyxLkasw/XWVmWtxz8dI/AAAAAAAANZ0/6I7eBVoTYZI5gLCb6iKHgQX0xW4dBdziACEwYBhgL/s640/mecc4.jpg" title="Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Spaghetti with a Lemon Gremolata and Toasted Breadcrumbs. 20 minute meal." width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whenever my husband and I go to a nice restaurant that has crab cocktail on the menu, we have to get it. I just love the sweet flavor of the crab with a touch of heat from the cocktail sauce. And it's pretty much guilt free with low calories and low fat.<br />
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Last weekend we decided to cook something restaurant quality at home instead of going out, and I was craving crab. I ran to Costco just to get a container of jumbo lump crab meat - it's totally worth it. Their container is bigger than what you can get at a regular food market and it's about $10 less. Plus, it's fresh.<br />
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When I walked in to Costco I put my blinders on and headed straight for the food section as I kept telling myself "don't go in the middle section, don't go in the middle section." Because you know if you even glance that way something is going to suck you in and I'd end up coming home with a new coat, a jumbo pack of socks, a book, Christmas wrapping paper (in August), and I'd forget the crab. I'm happy to say that this time I checked out with just one item - this huge container of jumbo lump crab meat.<br />
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When using jumbo lump crab, you never want to break up those big, beautiful chunks of meat. If you want something more broken up, just buy the regular lump crab. The jumbo lump chunks are the perfect bite. And when you get the huge container at Costco, you will definitely have extra. It makes great crab cocktail the next day!<br />
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So I mentioned that the gremolata and toasted bread crumbs take this dish pasta to the next level, and they really do. It's such a simple part of the dish, but turns it from an at home dish to a fancy restaurant quality dish. Don't skip the breadcrumbs! They seriously give the pasta such a distinctive crunch.<br />
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This can be a dairy free dish, which is how I made it. The original recipe calls for butter to start the pan sauce; I used oil. The recipe also calls for butter to toast the breadcrumbs; I used oil again. Finally, I did not put Parmesan cheese on mine, but my husband did.<br />
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Jumbo Lump Crap Spaghetti with Lemon Gremolata and Toasted Breadcrumbs<br />
Adapted from: <a href="https://www.foodiecrush.com/crab-spaghetti/" target="_blank">Foodie Crush</a><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients for the Crab Spaghetti</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>1 pound of spaghetti</li>
<li>3 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, sliced</li>
<li>1/2 c dry white wine</li>
<li>1 lemon, juiced</li>
<li>1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)</li>
<li>1 lb jumbo lump crab meat</li>
<li>Kosher salt, black pepper to taste</li>
<li>Optional: Parmesan cheese</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><i>Ingredients for the Lemon Gremolata and Toasted Breadcrumbs</i></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>3 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 c bread crumbs</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, minced</li>
<li>2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped</li>
<li>2 Tbsp lemon zest</li>
<li>Kosher salt to taste</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b><br />
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<i>Gremolata and Toasted Bread Crumbs</i><br />
<ul>
<li>Combine the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Season with salt if desired. Set aside. </li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the bread crumbs and stir for 3 minutes, until toasted and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl OR combine with the gremolata (your choice! I kept them separate the second time I made this dish since my husband didn't want them).</li>
</ul>
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<i>Spaghetti</i></div>
<ul>
<li>Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain, reserving 1 c of the water.</li>
<li>Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the sliced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the red pepper flakes, wine, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and toss. Add the crab and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Serve topped a spoonful of the gremolata and toasted bread crumbs. Add Parmesan if desired. </li>
</ul>
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<br />Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-11916744103958912082018-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:002020-05-11T17:01:20.037-04:00Mussels Roasted in Almond Garlic Butter<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K9l4uUBveLg/W2NlptuDg3I/AAAAAAAANI8/ucboPUNe-y48Nivc_xd7EDSasWtgxfS7wCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2BMussels%2B5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K9l4uUBveLg/W2NlptuDg3I/AAAAAAAANI8/ucboPUNe-y48Nivc_xd7EDSasWtgxfS7wCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2BMussels%2B5.jpeg" title="Mussels roasted in an almond butter with garlic, lemon and wine. Easy yet impressive appetizer or meal. Perfect with wine and crusty bread. Recipe via Fore Street, Portland, Maine. " width="426" /></a></div>
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Think back to your favorite meal or dish that you ever had. The one you dream about. The one you can taste if you just close your eyes and remember. The one that reminds me of the best tagline I have ever seen - "You only live once, but if you dine well once is all you need."<br />
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I've asked my husband his favorite meal and he consistently says "the mussels from Fore Street."<br />
<a href="http://www.forestreet.biz/">Fore Street</a> is a cozy and rustic restaurant in Portland, Maine that has been on many lists, including landing a spot in the top 100 in the world! And after finally getting there myself several years ago, the restaurant is now in my top 5.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mp3YWicZPmg/W2Nhil9x5yI/AAAAAAAANH8/1RA7etVAs_EXXSwaE7iANizM4qcmCHChACLcBGAs/s1600/Fore%2BStreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mp3YWicZPmg/W2Nhil9x5yI/AAAAAAAANH8/1RA7etVAs_EXXSwaE7iANizM4qcmCHChACLcBGAs/s640/Fore%2BStreet.jpg" title="Mussels roasted in an almond butter with garlic, lemon and wine. Easy yet impressive appetizer or meal. Perfect with wine and crusty bread. Recipe via Fore Street, Portland, Maine. " width="640" /></a></div>
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My husband has been lucky enough to get back there a few times when traveling and of course he orders the mussels.<br />
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So what's a girl who loves to cook to do when she wants to really take care of her man? Recreate his favorite dish, of course! My husband has been traveling non-stop over the past 10 months, only coming home for quick 40 hour weekends. He deserved some spoiling.<br />
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I knew if I was making mussels it would have to be the Fore Street recipe. Luckily I found it without any trouble.<br />
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Having tasted them before I knew they were roasted in a garlicky butter sauce, but was surprised to read that almonds were the main ingredient in the sauce. I guess that explains the richness in the sauce.<br />
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Now, I have never prepared mussels at home and wasn't sure what was meant by debearding the mussels (and honestly I was a bit scared to find out!!). Turns out it is simply removing the tag, or the beard, from the side of the mussel. <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-and-debeard-mussels-50028">Click here</a> for a great demo.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbGdsgLGYGE/W2NlofCpCfI/AAAAAAAANI8/wuJigJsoANYN_hgVBOkmgtK_L3ZzrxjmwCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2BMussels%2B3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RbGdsgLGYGE/W2NlofCpCfI/AAAAAAAANI8/wuJigJsoANYN_hgVBOkmgtK_L3ZzrxjmwCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2BMussels%2B3.jpeg" title="Mussels roasted in an almond butter with garlic, lemon and wine. Easy yet impressive appetizer or meal. Perfect with wine and crusty bread. Recipe via Fore Street, Portland, Maine. " width="426" /></a></div>
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This is a very easy dish to pull together - all you need is a food processor, an oven-safe skillet (or cast iron pan), 25 minutes of prep-time and 12 minutes of cook time. </center>
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Making the sauce is simply combining the almonds, butter, garlic and other ingredients in your food processor until creamy. Dollop that over the mussels, roast the mussels (while you cut the bread and pour the wine), and that's it. Sometimes the most amazing and sophisticated things you eat really are the most simple. Back to basics, true, good food. </center>
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<b>Mussels Roasted in Almond Garlic Butter</b></center>
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<b>Adapted from: <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mussels-roasted-in-almond-garlic-butter">Food and Wine</a> (via Fore Street Restaurant)</b></center>
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<i>Notes: the original recipe called for 4 pounds of mussels for this amount of sauce. I used 2 pounds of mussels and the same amount of sauce - we definitely wanted extra for sopping it up with bread. Also, I used a lot more garlic at my husband's request. Glad I did! </i></center>
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<b>Ingredients</b></center>
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<li>2 pounds of mussels, scrubbed and debearded</li>
<li>1/2 c salted roasted almonds</li>
<li>1 stick unsalted butter quartered</li>
<li>4 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li>4 garlic cloves, halved</li>
<li>1 medium shallot, minced</li>
<li>2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley</li>
<li>1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</li>
<li>1 tsp finely grated lemon zest</li>
<li>1 tsp minced jalapeno </li>
<li>1 tsp finely ground pepper</li>
<li>Salt to taste </li>
<li>1/2 c dry white wine </li>
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<b>Directions</b></div>
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<li>Preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit</li>
<li>In a food processor, grind the almonds until they are mostly fine with some larger pieces. Add in the butter, minced garlic, parsley, shallot, lemon juice and lemon zest. Process until blended. Season with salt. </li>
<li>Place the mussels in a large, oven-proof skillet. </li>
<li>Pour in the wine and then dollop the butter all over the mussels, making sure each area of the pan has some of the butter. </li>
<li>Roast the mussels for 12 minutes, stirring once and shaking the pan a few times. Discard any mussels that did not open after 12 minutes.</li>
<li>Serve with crusty bread.</li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMnJ_zU-0NY/Xrm9BoIaMuI/AAAAAAAANq4/saeGrY2efP8K6x2orocm6sBmAGesSOAggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Oven%2BRoasted%2BMussels%2B%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jMnJ_zU-0NY/Xrm9BoIaMuI/AAAAAAAANq4/saeGrY2efP8K6x2orocm6sBmAGesSOAggCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Oven%2BRoasted%2BMussels%2B%25281%2529.png" title="Oven Roasted Mussels in Almond Butter with Garlic, Lemon and Wine. Grab some crusty bread and enjoy as an impressive appetizer or meal. This recipe comes from one of Maine's top restaurants - Fore Street in Portland, Maine. " width="426" /></a></div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-78215387487133316512018-08-02T12:58:00.000-04:002018-08-02T12:58:42.913-04:00Hello Again!<br />
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Hello my friends! </center>
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My, it sure has been a while. Nine months, to be exact when I published this <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2017/11/easy-pork-ramen.html">Ramen recipe</a>. And while I love the recipe and make it at least every 2 weeks (my husband actually cooks it more than I do - he rocks!!), I'm getting a little tired of seeing it as soon as I open my blog. New recipe coming tomorrow!! </center>
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I knew I'd always come back to this blog, I just had to take some time to focus on me. </center>
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Back in December I had some health issues that led me to explore cutting gluten and dairy as well as focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet at the recommendation of my doctor. For the first few weeks I completely cut all gluten and dairy out and quickly lost almost 20 pounds. I did miss cheese so much, but came to realize that I was addicted to it. I depended on it. I always turned to it for some quick protein instead of taking the time to make breakfast or prep lunch. And while I have been able to eat very small amounts of cheese every now and then, but any more than that and I'm in pain and bloated! This makes me think back to so many times in my life when I thought I was sick, but it was probably all food based.</center>
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As for the gluten, I can mostly tolerate it, but because of the weight loss I now focus on avoiding carbs such as bread, pasta, waffles, flour tortillas, etc. I haven't had pasta since December!!! And pasta is another thing I'd turn to for a quick and easy dinner. </center>
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Throughout the process I learned that I don't need to replace everything I removed with a gluten free or dairy free option. There are a few things that I do buy when I want to indulge - like Trader Joe's gluten free sandwich bread when I want a good BLT, gluten free panko for chicken cutlets (I actually now prefer the GF panko over regular!!), or Lotus Foods Gluten Free Ramen noodles when I make ramen. But overall I just eat differently. </center>
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I also learned so much more about food allergies and how dangerous they can be for many people. So while I feel lucky that I can tolerate these foods to a point, I have serious empathy for those who cannot. This post is not in any way about a food allergy, but simply my quest to use food as medicine and to focus on being healthier. </center>
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So as I move forward with this blog I'll share what I'm eating but also things I cook for my family. After a few months it became really easy to cook pasta or bread for them and not crave it, so at this point my cravings are pretty much gone and I like the way that I eat.</center>
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I look forward to sharing many new recipes with you!! </center>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-52143142650356566012017-11-09T08:00:00.001-05:002020-10-07T15:35:49.292-04:00Easy Pork Ramen<div>
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One of my favorite things about visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Portland, Oregon, (besides seeing them and my adorable new nephew!!) is the food scene. I have had some of my best meals in this great town - seriously, even the airport has such a great restaurant - <a href="http://thecountrycat.net/">The Country Cat</a> - that I go back to the airport early JUST so I can eat there. Plus, I am lucky to have foodies in my family who enjoy taking me to great places! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7RUQ1Bn0B2w/WgOR93o2huI/AAAAAAAAM2w/QiRuacj-7Kcf0qXtU3BhmE52Q-CLk81PwCLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B081517%2Bramen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7RUQ1Bn0B2w/WgOR93o2huI/AAAAAAAAM2w/QiRuacj-7Kcf0qXtU3BhmE52Q-CLk81PwCLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B081517%2Bramen.jpg" title="Easy Pork Ramen - A rich broth with noodles, mushrooms, greens, scallions, thinly sliced pork and egg. #ramen #noodles #soup" width="480" /></a></div>
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The first time I went out there I got to experience something for the first time - ramen. Confession... I didn't have my first real bowl of ramen until I was 40. It's not because I didn't want to try it, we just don't have any ramen places around here! </div>
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The next summer when I visited we went to the <a href="http://www.pinestreetpdx.com/">Pine Street Market</a>, a very cool food hall. Walking around this place is like a trip to heaven for a foodie. Nine of the city's best chefs and restaurants all in one place! How do you decide what to eat? </div>
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I went with ramen, as well as some pork buns from another spot, and once again, my meal in the great PDX did not disappoint. Rich, salty broth with curly noodles, scallions, spinach, and thinly sliced pork. This soup IS a meal. </div>
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When I returned home I was craving ramen so badly that I had to try to recreate it. I thought back to the few times I had ramen and just went based on my memory of the flavors and ingredients.<br />
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I made a chicken stock-based broth with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a few other ingredients. We filled our bowls with mushrooms, scallions, thinly sliced grilled pork, noodles, and an egg. Craving satisfied!<br />
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Note: you can sub any protein for the pork. The last time I made it I used crispy, pan-seared tofu. You could also use chicken, beef, shrimp, mussels, clams, etc - really anything you like! Experiment with different flavors and ingredients, too - add a dash of fish sauce, dried kelp, bonito flakes, grated carrots, miso paste, sprouts, or oyster sauce.<br />
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<b>Easy Pork Ramen</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients </i></b><br />
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<li>1 tsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, pressed </li>
<li>1 tsp ginger (I used the jarred ginger - prefer the consistency)</li>
<li>32 oz low sodium chicken broth</li>
<li>2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce</li>
<li>1 tsp rice wine vinegar</li>
<li>1 tsp sesame oil</li>
<li>1 tsp mirin</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions - stems cut at 2 inches, the rest chopped </li>
<li>1 c sliced shiitake mushrooms</li>
<li>1 tsp miso paste</li>
<li>2 soft or hard-boiled eggs (your preference)</li>
<li>1 grilled pork chop, thinly sliced *</li>
<li>8 oz cooked noodles of your choice (soba, ramen, Chinese noodles)</li>
<li>Optional: bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, or spinach</li>
<li>Optional for serving: Sambal Oelek </li>
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* I season the pork chop with salt and pepper and grill it to 140 degrees; let rest 5 minutes before slicing. </div>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
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<li>Heat olive oil in a pot</li>
<li>Add the garlic and ginger; saute 1 minute</li>
<li>Add the broth, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, mirin, and green onion stems. Bring to a steady simmer and then reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the green onion stems and add the mushrooms. Let simmer 3 minutes. </li>
<li>If using greens, add them to the pot for one minute before you are ready to serve. </li>
<li>Remove from the heat and stir in the miso until combined. </li>
<li>To plate: Put noodles, chopped green onions, greens, mushrooms,<br /> and sliced pork in a bowl. Pour broth on top and garnish with Sambal and an egg. </li>
</ul><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSzHErpQDd4/X34YMR5SVeI/AAAAAAAAN10/9GESCN2AHcsIYULc5NE7CMmwg8r-bL1AACLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/easy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Quick and Easy Pork Ramen! A rich, miso broth with mushrooms and bok choy. Add noodles, sliced pork, green onions, an egg, and sambal. Weeknight meal!" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSzHErpQDd4/X34YMR5SVeI/AAAAAAAAN10/9GESCN2AHcsIYULc5NE7CMmwg8r-bL1AACLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/easy.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-69831067990538342952017-11-06T16:39:00.004-05:002020-11-18T12:01:38.829-05:00The Perfect Roast Chicken - Includes a Step by Step Guide to Brining (Turkey or Chicken!!)<center>
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<center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">This may just be the perfect Sunday dinner. Juicy, tender chicken with homemade gravy and a plate reminiscent of Thanksgiving - mashed potatoes, veggies and stuffing.</center>
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Roasting a chicken can seem intimidating - there are so many decisions. Brine or no? Stuff or not? What to season it with? Roast in a bag or not? And how to make gravy without lumps? </center>
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I am going to take you through it step by step, and I'll make all the decisions for you. Honestly, it's easy. As long as you plan ahead so you have enough time to make and cool your brine, the steps are really simple. </center>
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In this post I share details of each step with pictures, but just so you don't get overwhelmed, here is a simple, sample timeline. At the end of this post I'll give you easy to read, step by step instructions. </center>
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Based on Sunday Dinner, adjust as needed: (this can be used for Turkey, too!!!)</center>
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- Friday night: make and chill the brine</center>
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- Saturday morning: add the chicken to the brine </center>
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- Saturday night: remove the chicken from the brine and dry it in the fridge overnight</center>
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- Sunday, 4 hours before you plan on eating: season and stuff the bird, truss and cook. </center>
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So yes, I did decide to brine for the first time ever and now I will ALWAYS brine! Why? The skin was crispier, the chicken was juicier, and the overall flavor was out of this world. (note - if you buy a Kosher chicken it has already been brined). </div>
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I did a lot of research on brines before making my own, and I decided to go with the advice of Chef Daniel Boulud and use a boiled brine that you chill as well as the drying method. If he can charge $75 a plate for his brined chicken, I'm sure his method has to produce some darn good chicken. </div>
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Basically you bring your water and salt mixture to a boil (1 c salt to 1 gallon water). Adding sugar and other spices/herbs is optional, but I recommend doing it to maximize the flavors the brine will add. Once boiled, it is important to completely cool your brine. Putting your chicken into a warm bath to sit for 12 hours will just breed bacteria. So give yourself the time and completely chill the brine (use my timeline above). </div>
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I brined the chicken for 12 hours. After that, I dried it and set it on a serving tray to dry in the fridge. This is something I hadn't heard of before, but <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/roast-chicken_n_4726025.html">Boulud says</a> that it "r<span style="font-family: inherit;">eally helps improve the purity of a chicken’s flavor and, especially, the crispness of its skin." I was a bit freaked out about leaving an uncovered chicken in my fridge overnight so I used my garage fridge which only holds beer and water :) </span></center>
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On Sunday morning it was time to finish prepping the chicken by adding more flavor. I always stuff my turkey with herbs and garlic, so it was a no brainer to do it with the chicken, too. I chose fresh thyme, chunks of lemon, onions and garlic. I often add sage and rosemary, too. </center>
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Flavoring the skin and meat is important too. Make a mixture of butter (or oil), garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Use your fingers to gently lift the skin so you can season the meat. Be generous with it! You'll also want to season the skin. </center>
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The final step is trussing the chicken, and I really like <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/roast-chicken_n_4726025.html">this tutorial</a>. A woman behind the butcher's counter at the supermarket tried to tell me that you only need to tie the legs together, but following this tutorial helps to keep everything tucked in nice and tight. </center>
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Put that bird on a roasting rack in a roasting pan that has been layered with carrots and onions. Feel free to add celery, garlic, or any other aromatics that you like. This is what is going to help flavor your gravy. If you don't plan on making mashed potatoes, throw some potato chunks in there too for amazing roasted potatoes. </center>
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I like the high heat method of cooking chicken to get golden brown, crispy skin. Start your bird on 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, and then lower it to 350 degrees for the remainder. Plan on 20 minutes per pound. </center>
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<u>To summarize all of that, here is a timeline based on Sunday Dinner:</u></center>
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- Friday night: make and chill the brine</center>
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- Saturday morning: add the chicken to the brine </center>
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- Saturday night: remove the chicken from the brine and dry it in the fridge overnight</center>
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- Sunday, 4 hours before you plan on eating: season and stuff the bird, truss and cook. </center>
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Look at this beauty!!! Is that a perfect chicken or what?? </center>
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When you take the chicken out of the oven, you'll want to let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. In that time you can make the perfect gravy - I share my recipe below which is a spin on my husband's recipe from his mom. Creamy, lump-free and perfect every time!</center>
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Gorgeous. Mouth watering. The perfect Sunday meal. </center>
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<b>Whole Roast Chicken</b></center>
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<i>Based on a 7-8 lb chicken</i></center>
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<b><i>Step 1 - The Brine</i></b></center>
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<li>1 gallon of cold water</li>
<li>1 c salt</li>
<li>1/2 c sugar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp black peppercorns</li>
<li>4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped</li>
<li>2 sprigs of fresh thyme</li>
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In a pot large enough to hold your chicken, combine the water, salt and sugar and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let cool to room temperature and then cover and transfer to your fridge to chill overnight. </div>
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24 - 30 hours before your planned dinner, add the chicken to the brine. Keep in the fridge for 12-16 hours. </div>
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<b><i>Step 2 - Drying the Chicken</i></b></div>
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Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Transfer to a large plate and place in the fridge, uncovered, for 12 hours. </div>
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<b><i>Step 3 - Stuffing and Seasoning the Chicken</i></b></div>
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<li>1 lemon, roughly chopped</li>
<li>A few sprigs each of fresh herbs - thyme, sage, rosemary</li>
<li>4-6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped</li>
<li>1/2 of a white onion, roughly chopped</li>
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Put all of the above ingredients in the cavity of the bird. </div>
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<li>1/2 c olive oil (or 4 Tbsp butter, softened)</li>
<li>1 Tbsp salt</li>
<li>1 Tbsp black pepper</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed/crushed</li>
<li>2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (same as what you use to stuff the chicken)</li>
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Combine the above ingredients. Gently lift the chicken's skin and apply the mixture directly to the flesh of the breasts. </div>
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Additionally, brush your bird with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. </div>
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<b><i>Step 4 - Trussing the C</i></b><b><i>hicken</i></b></div>
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Follow <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/roast-chicken_n_4726025.html">these steps: </a></div>
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<li>With the breast meat facing up, tuck the wings under the shoulders</li>
<li>Place a long piece kitchen twine across the breast and using both hands, flip the chicken over. </li>
<li>Tie the twine</li>
<li>Flip the chicken back over</li>
<li>Using your right hand only, wrap the twine around the smallest part of the drumstick two times (I'd call it the ankle :). Repeat with the left side.</li>
<li>Tie the twine tightly so the legs close over the cavity. Now we're all trussed up with somewhere to go!</li>
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<b><i>Step 5 - Cooking the Chicken</i></b></div>
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<li>4 carrots, chopped into chunks</li>
<li>1 onion, chopped into chunks</li>
<li>Other optional ingredients: cloves of garlic, celery, potatoes - all roughly chopped. </li>
<li>1 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in the bottom of your roasting pan. Place the chicken on a rack in the roasting pan. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 and cook 20 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 180 (breast) and 190 (thigh). Another way to test is to cut between the leg and the thigh and see if the juices run clear. </div>
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Transfer the chicken to a cutting board (make sure it has a well, the chicken will leak!) and let rest for 20 minutes before <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/article/15621/how-to-carve-a-whole-roasted-chicken/">carving. </a> Using a slotted spoon, transfer the veggies to a serving bowl. </div>
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<b><i>The Gravy</i></b></div>
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Place your flour in a bowl leaving a well in the center. Slowly add 1 c of the liquid, whisking as you add. </div>
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Place your roasting pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the 2 Tbsp of liquid, whisking it around the pan as you scrape up all the good brown bits. </div>
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Slowly add the flour/liquid mixture - just a bit at a time - whisking constantly. Continue adding until you have the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. </div>
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If it is too thick, add more liquid. If it is too thin, make another flour/liquid mixture and continue to add it until you have the gravy you desire. </div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-54672462415066187942017-08-31T17:40:00.003-04:002017-08-31T17:41:34.829-04:00Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-L7m9q9UQA/Wahyn6X1fMI/AAAAAAAAMx4/HPl77dp-ORU_02bM0D3lELWMdMMRIomLACLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1205" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-L7m9q9UQA/Wahyn6X1fMI/AAAAAAAAMx4/HPl77dp-ORU_02bM0D3lELWMdMMRIomLACLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B4.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="482" /></a></div>
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This salad may be my favorite thing about grilling, and it's all because of the bread.<br />
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Charred bread - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tossed with oil and balsamic. It's seriously the perfect bite. If you haven't grilled bread for salad before, you need to do it ASAP.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pNjVENlpT44/WahypAZoSBI/AAAAAAAAMyM/tFqCKu8Aiusxz4_kfdc6siT3mz7bBsxbQCLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pNjVENlpT44/WahypAZoSBI/AAAAAAAAMyM/tFqCKu8Aiusxz4_kfdc6siT3mz7bBsxbQCLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="426" /></a></div>
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I first made this salad several years ago. It has changed a bit over the years so I am sharing this updated post.<br />
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When making this bread, you don't want soft, fresh bread. Buy day old bread, or buy your bread the day before. The best bread for this salad is day-old ciabatta bread. Slice it open down the middle, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and char it as little or as much as you want.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xhtkk8HBWtc/WahykSvOP3I/AAAAAAAAMx0/vn_NG0usg0IR3TfQPjnKNI4kZt2uxE86gCLcBGAs/s1600/083117%2BFBP%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xhtkk8HBWtc/WahykSvOP3I/AAAAAAAAMx0/vn_NG0usg0IR3TfQPjnKNI4kZt2uxE86gCLcBGAs/s640/083117%2BFBP%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad2.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="426" /></a></div>
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Once charred, you chop it into bite sized pieces and let it soak in an oil bath with cilantro and red onions for 15 minutes before finishing the salad.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5rD5f1vurqY/WahynwNI_ZI/AAAAAAAAMyA/AM3_5cOa_9MP-EZ4PIB9x-ZMh0ktEa8FwCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1229" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5rD5f1vurqY/WahynwNI_ZI/AAAAAAAAMyA/AM3_5cOa_9MP-EZ4PIB9x-ZMh0ktEa8FwCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B3.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="490" /></a></div>
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At this point I guarantee you will be stealing pieces of the bread to eat!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G1bbNZAlJsg/Wahyo50kxEI/AAAAAAAAMyI/cygoIZ-QPKgqsmDI_0pDk-UxJx_Ke0VYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G1bbNZAlJsg/Wahyo50kxEI/AAAAAAAAMyI/cygoIZ-QPKgqsmDI_0pDk-UxJx_Ke0VYQCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B7.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="640" /></a></div>
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The salad is finished with baby spinach, chopped tomatoes, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of sea salt and black pepper.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nAP4Wt6LLk0/WahynzpDMUI/AAAAAAAAMyQ/FpSn7hqCMkc-15TdyFRum79d5I107q3HACEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1155" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nAP4Wt6LLk0/WahynzpDMUI/AAAAAAAAMyQ/FpSn7hqCMkc-15TdyFRum79d5I107q3HACEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B083117%2Bciabatta%2Bsalad%2B5.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="462" /></a></div>
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<b>Grilled Bread Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese</b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>1/2 red onion, sliced</li>
<li>1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped</li>
<li>1/2 c good olive oil plus more for brushing the bread</li>
<li>1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced open (see pics above)</li>
<li>Sea salt and black pepper</li>
<li>2 c baby spinach</li>
<li>2 juicy red tomatoes, roughly chopped</li>
<li>2 Tbsp blue cheese</li>
<li>2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Pre-heat your grill</li>
<li>Put the onions and cilantro in a large bowl with the oil; let sit in the fridge while you prep the bread</li>
<li>Brush both sides of the bread with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place on the grill for 4-7 minutes per side, depending on how charred you want it. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces. Add the bread to the bowl with the oil/onions/cilantro and toss. Let sit 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the spinach, tomatoes, blue cheese, and balsamic vinegar. Toss. Adjust oil/vinegar/salt/pepper.</li>
<li>Serve immediately.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RoQChyicRiQ/WahydKBppsI/AAAAAAAAMxw/YgLkNmC90VslvS2vo6knKbUqvyg6ekJPQCLcBGAs/s1600/Grill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RoQChyicRiQ/WahydKBppsI/AAAAAAAAMxw/YgLkNmC90VslvS2vo6knKbUqvyg6ekJPQCLcBGAs/s640/Grill.jpg" title="Cripsy, charred grilled bread for grilled bread salad with spinach, tomatoes and blue cheese. The perfect summer salad. Great for entertaining. #salad #grilledbread #panzanella" width="426" /></a></div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-34739018341791626122017-07-25T05:00:00.000-04:002020-05-13T16:32:23.234-04:00Crunchy Asian Slaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing<div style="text-align: center;">
Colorful and crunchy veggies with cilantro and peanuts, all tossed with a Thai-inspired peanut-lime dressing. Light, fresh, and perfect for entertaining! </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u8NNr-JaSe4/WXZR9xSQO6I/AAAAAAAAMwI/dS6sC7iu4WEQqXDd85Z5ejiK4QJMyEV2QCLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asian Coleslaw" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1130" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u8NNr-JaSe4/WXZR9xSQO6I/AAAAAAAAMwI/dS6sC7iu4WEQqXDd85Z5ejiK4QJMyEV2QCLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw.jpg" title="Colorful and crunchy veggies with peanuts and cilantro tossed with a peanut-lime dressing. A light and fresh Thai inspired salad. " width="452" /></a></div>
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It's hard to believe we have been in this home for 4 years already. Prior to that we lived in our first home together for 9 years, and spent the second half of those years house-hunting looking for a home we could stay in forever.<br />
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When we first looked at our current home we liked the layout, the size, and the possibilities, but knew it would take some work. Ok, a lot of work. Then we stepped out onto the patio and were sold - a large, private, tree-lined back yard (gives us so much shade!!!) with an enormous flagstone patio (that needed a lot of work and we eventually replaced). But the best part of the entire yard is the garden wall that curves around the entire patio with a large garden behind it. We spent an hour sitting on that wall, looking at the trees, and talking about the house - and it was March in the Northeast so it was chilly. Immediately we made an offer.<br />
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Yes, we bought the house for the garden wall and trees.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sVJVJoVqfTg/WXZR93xX7JI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/AoSwlU9TaDQzvT_IzT-Lo_3EPwX_QmtXQCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asian Coleslaw" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1233" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sVJVJoVqfTg/WXZR93xX7JI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/AoSwlU9TaDQzvT_IzT-Lo_3EPwX_QmtXQCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw%2B2.jpg" title="Colorful and crunchy veggies with peanuts and cilantro tossed with a peanut-lime dressing. A light and fresh Thai inspired salad. " width="492" /></a></div>
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One of my friends calls our backyard an oasis, and because of this we made plans to have dinner together on the patio. We were so determined to enjoy a night on the patio that we rescheduled twice due to weather! Then, last week, we had the most perfect Saturday. It was sunny with low humidity and a light breeze. We lit several torches around the garden bed and I made really easy centerpieces out of mason jars, groundcover and herbs, and floating candles to sit on our new table. An oasis it was!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pSmnNJLQZPs/WXZkf7saArI/AAAAAAAAMws/xXvZwp3qqrM1OZMYU1oD7hOxI9qNiFO0gCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled%2Bdesign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pSmnNJLQZPs/WXZkf7saArI/AAAAAAAAMws/xXvZwp3qqrM1OZMYU1oD7hOxI9qNiFO0gCLcBGAs/s640/Untitled%2Bdesign.jpg" title="backyard oasis, outdoor centerpieces, floating candles, torches" width="640" /></a></div>
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My menu had to revolve around grilling and warm weather food, and since my friend loves Asian inspired food but never cooks it, I went in that direction.<br />
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We had edamame to start. Our main course was Jon's <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2012/07/grilled-beef-negimaki.html">grilled beef negimaki</a>. To go along with it I made noodles tossed in a sesame soy mixture with green onions and sesame seeds, and this amazing Asian Slaw.<br />
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This slaw is packed with so many crunchy veggies and just look at those colors! Just looking at this slaw makes me want it again ASAP! The dressing for this is awesome too - peanut butter, lime juice, and some heat from Sambal Oelek. It is thick enough to really coat all of the veggies but isn't too heavy at all. Surprisingly, even after being dressed, the leftovers held up fine in the fridge for 2 days! So feel free to make a lot of you want to have some leftover.<br />
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Thanks to our friends for sharing a great night of friendship and food with us!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kXAK1zaocCE/WXZR99CZHiI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/ltrjdUou4Po_RobUHCzLkA4Ii1mtnMBjgCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asian Coleslaw" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kXAK1zaocCE/WXZR99CZHiI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/ltrjdUou4Po_RobUHCzLkA4Ii1mtnMBjgCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B071517%2Bslaw%2B3.jpg" title="Colorful and crunchy veggies with peanuts and cilantro tossed with a peanut-lime dressing. A light and fresh Thai inspired salad. " width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>Asian Coleslaw with a Peanut-Lime Dressing</b><br />
<b>Adapted From: <a href="http://www.centercutcook.com/asian-coleslaw/">Center Cut Cook</a></b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded</li>
<li>1/2 head red cabbage, shredded</li>
<li>2 carrots, julienned and then copped into 2 inch pieces</li>
<li>1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into 2 inch pieces</li>
<li>1 sm can water chestnuts, sliced</li>
<li>1 cucumber, julienned and then chopped into 2 inch pieces</li>
<li>2 green onions, sliced into 2 inch strips</li>
<li>1 bunch of cilantro, chopped</li>
<li>1/3 c peanuts, roughly chopped</li>
<li>1 Tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter</li>
<li>3 Tbsp soy sauce</li>
<li>1 Tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek</li>
<li>1 Tbsp hoisin sauce</li>
<li>Juice of 1 lime</li>
<li>1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, minced</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Combine the cabbage, carrots, pepper, water chestnuts, cucumber, green onions and most of the cilantro. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.</li>
<li>In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vegetable oil, Sambal, hoisin, lime juice, ginger and garlic. Tip: I used the whisk attachment on my handheld immersion blender. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. </li>
<li>When ready to serve, quickly whisk the dressing before pouring it over the salad. Toss well, and then top with the remaining cilantro and peanuts. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WXNkSJXfms/XrxYsbCgfWI/AAAAAAAANrQ/JkEJdDMPk3sefywcQCEiobkSeI90EsyiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/crunchy%2Basian%2Bslaw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WXNkSJXfms/XrxYsbCgfWI/AAAAAAAANrQ/JkEJdDMPk3sefywcQCEiobkSeI90EsyiQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/crunchy%2Basian%2Bslaw.png" title="Crunchy Asian Slaw is packed with colorful and crunchy veggies with peanuts and cilantro tossed with a peanut-lime dressing. A light and fresh Thai inspired salad perfect with grilled meats. Summer entertaining recipe. " width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPdBD8c2bgc/WXZdvMj6BEI/AAAAAAAAMwc/wmIqlQJ1xXQ4KvXYlfEoz61fLHR-cx3BwCLcBGAs/s1600/Asian%2BColeslaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asian Coleslaw" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPdBD8c2bgc/WXZdvMj6BEI/AAAAAAAAMwc/wmIqlQJ1xXQ4KvXYlfEoz61fLHR-cx3BwCLcBGAs/s200/Asian%2BColeslaw.jpg" title="Colorful and crunchy veggies with peanuts and cilantro tossed with a peanut-lime dressing. A light and fresh Thai inspired salad. " width="133" /></a></div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-48986353877841953182017-07-18T20:03:00.004-04:002020-10-21T14:36:22.949-04:00Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Covered Praline HazelnutsThis cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache and a chocolate glaze. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch-process cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V542Vr6c4S0/WW5DRy91HFI/AAAAAAAAMuo/QWoLZ94y4dMVh0j8UokxBZAbg7BKzbQ5QCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate Hazelnut Cake" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1255" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V542Vr6c4S0/WW5DRy91HFI/AAAAAAAAMuo/QWoLZ94y4dMVh0j8UokxBZAbg7BKzbQ5QCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B2.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="499" /></a></div>
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Our daughter turned 7 last week. 7!!! Being the daughter of foodies, why wouldn't she request a Belgian chocolate cake for her birthday? My husband heard the request and got to work! As he said, he couldn't let her down.<br />
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He chose a rich chocolate-hazelnut cake with so many elements he was in the kitchen for 4 hours on Saturday. But this cake - SO worth it.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-412tgDL8fdI/WW5DSx_k4xI/AAAAAAAAMu8/W8QZNQ35NnEwCIB5rZDnzt3o7mShDEUkwCLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1313" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-412tgDL8fdI/WW5DSx_k4xI/AAAAAAAAMu8/W8QZNQ35NnEwCIB5rZDnzt3o7mShDEUkwCLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="521" /></a></div>
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Instead of making a single layer cake, he turned this recipe into two layers of rich chocolate cake. He layered the cakes with whipped, creamy chocolate ganache in between and on top. Next, he drizzled a chocolate glaze on all of the cake.<br />
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He could have stopped there, but this cake is seriously over the top in so many ways - layers, taste, elements, and beauty. In addition to the whipped chocolate ganache and the chocolate glaze, this cake has 2 more toppings - chocolate swirls and chocolate-covered praline hazelnuts.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzFjKMXtl_s/WW5DSSuJXhI/AAAAAAAAMuw/yi3hNh6Zu4sdAMhy51S8XtXzZoVSPPFmQCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1110" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzFjKMXtl_s/WW5DSSuJXhI/AAAAAAAAMuw/yi3hNh6Zu4sdAMhy51S8XtXzZoVSPPFmQCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B5.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="442" /></a></div>
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The swirls started with tempered chocolate that he chilled in a thin layer and then scraped to make chocolate swirls.<br />
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The hazelnuts start by toasting hazelnuts that are then candied in a caramelized sugar. Once cool, they are coated in tempered bittersweet chocolate and chilled until hardened. The final step is rolling them in Dutch-process cocoa powder.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9A69f5uF8w/WW5DSn9cbhI/AAAAAAAAMu4/z4st86GlA9IR-gu1in_2l098t17rxA_FQCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1145" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a9A69f5uF8w/WW5DSn9cbhI/AAAAAAAAMu4/z4st86GlA9IR-gu1in_2l098t17rxA_FQCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B7.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="458" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4JZH1QVJNXk/WW5EiG6UpBI/AAAAAAAAMvI/leCDEf80Wvc4DtAdiEHdiIX0EK0-04YIgCLcBGAs/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4JZH1QVJNXk/WW5EiG6UpBI/AAAAAAAAMvI/leCDEf80Wvc4DtAdiEHdiIX0EK0-04YIgCLcBGAs/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B6.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="480" /></a></div>
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Drooling yet?<br />
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Once we sang happy birthday and cut the cake, you didn't hear anything out of any of us for about 10 minutes, except "Mmmmm...." and "wow...." And our 7-year-old was very, very happy :)<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJXFFWYWyuA/WW5DR4uCLWI/AAAAAAAAMus/VspkLcjZcsYx_M1XLhQ4NrPKLOoHjrshgCEwYBhgL/s1600/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1236" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJXFFWYWyuA/WW5DR4uCLWI/AAAAAAAAMus/VspkLcjZcsYx_M1XLhQ4NrPKLOoHjrshgCEwYBhgL/s640/FBP%2B070917%2Bcake%2B4.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="494" /></a></div>
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<b>Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake</b><br />
<b>Adapted from: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/1158011/belgian-chocolate-birthday-cake">Martha Stewart</a></b><br />
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Tip: Read the entire recipe before starting since several elements can be done together. Such as the hazelnuts for the cake and the hazelnuts for the topping can be toasted together and then separated. The ganache and glaze can be prepared together and then separated to whip some and to keep some as the glaze.<br />
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<b><i>The Cake Ingredients and Directions</i></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>4 oz hazelnuts</li>
<li>13 1/3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (1 2/3 sticks)</li>
<li>2/3 c Dutch-process cocoa powder</li>
<li>6 Tbsp granulated sugar</li>
<li>1 2/3 c all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/4 tsp table salt</li>
<li>2/3 c boiling water</li>
<li>1 3/4 c packed, dark brown sugar</li>
<li>4 large eggs, at room temperature</li>
<li>1 1/3 c buttermilk, at room temperature</li>
<li>2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>Equipment: 2 9-inch cake pans; food processor; hand or stand mixer. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Directions</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and rub to loosen skins. Transfer them to a food processor and grind with the granulated sugar until fine, but not pasty. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.</li>
<li>Butter your cake pans and then dust with cocoa powder, shaking out any excess. </li>
<li>In a heat-proof bowl, mix the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Once smooth and cooled, stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. </li>
<li>In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. </li>
<li>Switch mixer to low and add in half of the dry ingredients (the ground hazelnuts/sugar, flour mixture). Once blended, add in the cocoa mixture. Then add in the rest of the dry mixture, mixing until just incorporated. </li>
<li>Scrape batter into your prepared pans so they are both even; smooth on top. Bake 50 min - 1 hr until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove from a pan until completely cooled.</li>
<li>Directions for frosting and decorating the cakes can be found after the rest of the instructions below. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Chocolate Glaze and Whipped Ganache Ingredients and Directions</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1/1/2 lb bittersweet or semisweet chocolate</li>
<li>3 3/4 cups heavy cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
Chop the chocolate with a serrated knife and place it into a heat-proof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil over high heat. Pour over the chocolate and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently loosen the chocolate, and stir until smooth. Let sit at room temp for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To make the whipped ganache: take 2/3 of the prepared glaze and transfer to a bowl. Place that bowl over a larger bowl of ice. Whip the chocolate with a balloon whisk until lighter in color and spreadable, removing the bowl from the ice bath and returning it as needed. </div>
<br />
<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>The Chocolate Swirl and Candied Hazelnuts Ingredients and Directions</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups hazelnuts</li>
<li>1 c granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 Tbsp water</li>
<li>1 lb bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped</li>
<li>1/4 c Dutch-process cocoa</li>
<li>Equipment: baking sheet, heavy skillet, parchment paper, stainless bowl, saucepan, a bench scraper, a sifter</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Directions</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and rub to loosen skins.</li>
<li>Place sugar and water in a medium heavy skillet. Stir with a fork over medium-high heat until dissolved. Let boil without stirring for 3 minutes. </li>
<li>Add nuts to the pan. stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar mixture coats the nuts. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let cool. </li>
<li>Once the nuts are cool, place half of the chocolate in a stainless bowl, and place the bowl over a pan with 1 inch of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and hot. Add the rest of the chocolate, remove the pan from the water, and let stand 5 minutes and then stir until smooth.</li>
<li>Pour half of the chocolate onto an inverted baking sheet and spread with the scraper until smooth and about 1/8 inch thick. Let stand until tacky. Hold your scraper at a 45-degree angle and scrape the chocolate off the surface to make the curls. Store curls at room temp in a parchment-lined airtight container.</li>
<li>Add candied nuts to the remaining chocolate in the bowl, stirring until coated. Spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let stand until set. </li>
<li>Sift cocoa powder over the chocolate nuts and toss to coat. Store in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for up to 1 week.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Finishing the Cake</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Place one layer of the cake on your serving plate. Spread some of the whipped ganache on top of the cake. Place the second layer of the cake on top of the ganache. Frost the entire cake with the remaining whipped ganache.</li>
<li>Pour the chocolate glaze onto the center of the cake, letting it drip over the edges. </li>
<li>Let the cake stand at room temperature until the glaze is set. </li>
<li>Decorate with the swirls and nuts. </li>
<li>Store in the fridge until 30 minutes before serving. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yfQJ4T1ZWZ0/WW5EVIXmz2I/AAAAAAAAMvE/siQjh20zGoAVF4udmEdHqOanhmnrns09gCLcBGAs/s1600/Belgian%2BChocolate%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chocolate Hazelnut Cake" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yfQJ4T1ZWZ0/WW5EVIXmz2I/AAAAAAAAMvE/siQjh20zGoAVF4udmEdHqOanhmnrns09gCLcBGAs/s640/Belgian%2BChocolate%2B%25281%2529.jpg" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache and a chocolate glaze. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls." width="426" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T5ed8C-jmS0/X4SVcz7_nJI/AAAAAAAAN28/WzZ59JWP4F8J-uwZISzOrx1_BqnaHp7CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Chocolate%2BHazlenut%2BCake%2B%25282%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls. #chocolatecake" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T5ed8C-jmS0/X4SVcz7_nJI/AAAAAAAAN28/WzZ59JWP4F8J-uwZISzOrx1_BqnaHp7CQCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Chocolate%2BHazlenut%2BCake%2B%25282%2529.png" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div>
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<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeRzufcTKPM/X5B_cEv-XmI/AAAAAAAAN4I/SKSRlKiBmGY-iPxHjrJotS3etrDJVONjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Health%2BGoals%2BPinterest%2BGraphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EeRzufcTKPM/X5B_cEv-XmI/AAAAAAAAN4I/SKSRlKiBmGY-iPxHjrJotS3etrDJVONjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Health%2BGoals%2BPinterest%2BGraphic.png" title="This cake is a chocolate lover's dream - a rich, double-layer chocolate cake with a creamy, whipped ganache. The cake is dressed with hazelnuts that have been toasted, candied, coated in tempered chocolate and rolled in Dutch cocoa powder, and with fancy bittersweet chocolate swirls. #chocolatecake" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-19534755940959013752017-07-13T11:36:00.005-04:002021-03-12T12:33:47.471-05:00Crispy Fish Sticks with Pineapple Salsa<div style="text-align: center;">
Crispy and crunchy homemade fish sticks with a fresh pineapple salsa. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A kids' style dinner good enough for adults!</div>
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<br />
I love to cook, but there are a few things I always have in for super quick dinners for my daughter, like on nights when my husband is traveling and we have 45 minutes between school and dance class. Frozen chicken nuggets, frozen fish sticks, baby carrots (to make "soft carrots," as she calls them), frozen broccoli, and a container of cooked spaghetti can almost always be found in my house.<br />
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<br />
However, homemade versions are always better. It's not like making homemade chicken nuggets or fish sticks is hard or takes a long time - it's probably faster to bread your own and fry them up. Actually, in the time it takes to preheat your oven and cook the frozen version, you could already have homemade ones on the table.<br />
<br />
But I get it - convenience foods are a must! Some nights you just don't want the extra dishes, or you need to be focused on helping with homework instead of prepping and cooking dinner. When you have the time, it's always fun to cook from scratch!<br />
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Over the holiday weekend I made some homemade crispy fish sticks that were so incredibly easy and super yummy.<br />
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All you need is a fish that will hold up well and that doesn't have much fat. Cod, haddock and pollock are the most popular, but I prefer to use something a little better, like halibut, mahi, or even swordfish or catfish.<br />
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Cut your fish into "sticks" and then bread them - flour, egg, seasoned breadcrumbs/Panko. I fry them in just a small amount of oil - no need to deep fry - and in just 5-6 minutes they are done. Perfectly crispy and crunchy, yet light and flaky on the inside.<br />
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I love a light and fresh topping for fish, so I chopped up some pineapple to add to pico de gallo I had made for the weekend, and it was the perfect accompaniment. Bright, citrus flavors with some heat - so refreshing!<br />
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<br />
<b>Crispy Fish Sticks </b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>6 oz fish cut into 6 sticks (double or triple to your liking!)</li>
<li>1/2 c flour</li>
<li>2 eggs beaten and mixed with 1 Tbsp whole milk</li>
<li>1/2 c breadcrumbs and 1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs</li>
<li>Seasoning: approximately 1 tsp each salt, black pepper, onion powder and chili powder </li>
<li>3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil (enough to generously coat the bottom of your pan)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Set up breading station: flour in 1st bowl, eggs in second, bread crumbs mixed with seasoning in third (tip - I love using a throw away paper plate for the flour and bread crumbs - makes cleanup so easy!)</li>
<li>Heat your oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat</li>
<li>Roll each piece of fish in flour. Shake off the excess and roll in the egg mixture followed by the breadcrumbs. Place on wire rack.</li>
<li>Add the breaded fish to the pan being careful to space them out (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Cook until one side is golden brown; repeat on all sides until crispy. Transfer to the wire rack on top of paper towels.</li>
<li>Serve immediately! </li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br />
<b>Pineapple Salsa</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
<br />
You can make this in a small amount as noted below (serves 4), or you can <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2007/05/take-me-back-to-cabo.html">make a large bowl of the pico</a> (all of the ingredients below x 4, minus the pineapple) and remove some to mix with the pineapple for this recipe.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>4 Ripe tomatoes, seeds removed and diced </li>
<li>1/2 of a jalapeno, minced</li>
<li>1/4 of a red onion, minced</li>
<li>Small handful of cilantro, chopped</li>
<li>2 tsp Kosher or sea salt</li>
<li>3 Tbsp pineapple, diced</li>
</ul>
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<td><img border="0" width="100px" height="150px" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwwpu8fiajU/YEuj68HinkI/AAAAAAAAOHk/pgQLgc0h-nQXdZqCQGgeAlzFokWfnIAdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/crispy%2Bhomemade%2Bfish%2Bsticks.png" /></td>
<td><img border="0" width="100px" height="150px" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UwoIarXWisw/Xr1dmeMmj3I/AAAAAAAANrg/2N_hP0D94c8p6l8t79wv1Evh8OM4XImMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Kids%2527%2BFavorite%2BCrispy%2BFish%2BSticks.png" /></td>
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</table>Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-45252529343212040102017-07-06T14:40:00.001-04:002017-07-06T14:40:58.461-04:00Please stand by while we make updates!As many of you may have heard, Photobucket changed the terms of their agreement without any notice, and many of us bloggers who host photos on their site were left with that big messy black notice at the top of this page. I'm working to get it fixed as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding!!<br />
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- Mary Ellen<br />
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-26723991756069846202017-06-06T19:13:00.003-04:002020-12-10T13:40:16.632-05:00Western Deviled Eggs with Pickled Mustard Seeds<div style="text-align: center;">A fun twist on classic deviled eggs - Western style with diced ham, onion and green peppers and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-974qqJlleBQ/WTcsjcdujBI/AAAAAAAAMpY/i7lwK6pxcKo3RubXnZmiQ0i4SyqUZ19RQCLcB/s1600/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-974qqJlleBQ/WTcsjcdujBI/AAAAAAAAMpY/i7lwK6pxcKo3RubXnZmiQ0i4SyqUZ19RQCLcB/s640/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B6.jpg" title="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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When I was a kid I couldn't get enough of deviled eggs. I loved making them as much as I loved eating them, so my mom bought me a deviled egg serving platter. It was a fancy white plate with grooves to hold about 16 deviled eggs. Every time we went to a party I'd have to make my eggs to bring. I was only 8 or 9 years old - how cute is that?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Hh921svu4/WTcsiF5rxyI/AAAAAAAAMpE/BK95DJhwepANO2Iy6O4HYEXTM8OlYec9gCEw/s1600/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1091" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Hh921svu4/WTcsiF5rxyI/AAAAAAAAMpE/BK95DJhwepANO2Iy6O4HYEXTM8OlYec9gCEw/s640/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B2.jpg" title="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" width="436" /></a></div><br />
I don't know if I got burnt out on them, but I haven't had deviled eggs in years. But lately I've been making a lot of hard boiled eggs to have in for a quick breakfast on the go, so last weekend I decided to turn some of them into a fun appetizer for dinner with family.<br />
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Ham and eggs are such a classic combination, and add in peppers and onions and you have one of the most popular omelette recipes ever - the Western. No need to buy a whole ham, either. Just ask your deli counter for one sliced of cooked ham sliced approximately 1/4 inch thick.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klmC_fbGUkA/WTcsiMxyC6I/AAAAAAAAMpc/6gVFKsykJMMxeSDdfCb22IAga-blNEejwCEw/s1600/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1113" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klmC_fbGUkA/WTcsiMxyC6I/AAAAAAAAMpc/6gVFKsykJMMxeSDdfCb22IAga-blNEejwCEw/s640/FBP%2B060317%2Bdev%2Beggs%2B3.jpg" title="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" width="444" /></a></div><br />
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The first step to getting a good deviled egg is to make the perfect hard boiled egg. There are so many tips and tricks out there - boiling, adding vinegar, baking, etc. I keep it simple and my eggs peel perfectly every time and the yolks are bright yellow - no green ring.<br />
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Place the eggs in a pot and cover with water until they are submerged. Bring the water to a boil for one minute, remove from the heat and cover. Set your timer for 13 minutes and as soon as the 13 minutes are up, run cold water into the pot. I do this for several minutes and even add ice. You really want to shock the eggs so they peel comes off clean. By using this method, that thin skin between the egg and the shell sticks to the shell, not the egg, and makes it super easy to peel the eggs.<br />
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These pickled mustard seeds were a find at a recent cooking demonstration. I had never had them before, but love the texture and the touch of sweetness they add. What a perfect topping for a deviled egg!<br />
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These were so yummy - sweet, creamy, and salty - that I have made them twice in the past 3 days!<br />
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<b>Western Deviled Eggs with Pickled Mustard Seeds</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
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</b> <b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled</li>
<li>1/4 of a green pepper, diced (2 Tbsp)</li>
<li>2 Tbsp minced white onion</li>
<li>2 Tbsp diced ham (see my tip above about buying deli ham)</li>
<li>1/4 tsp each salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 tsp stone ground Dijon mustard</li>
<li>3-4 Tbsp mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's)</li>
<li>Pickled mustard seeds to topping</li>
</ul><div><b><i>Directions</i></b></div><div><ul><li>Slice the eggs in half and gently remove the yolk (they should pop right out if cooked properly). </li>
<li>In a bowl, mash the yolks using the back of a fork. Add the green pepper, onion, ham, salt, pepper, Dijon and mayo. Mix until creamy. Taste and adjust any seasoning. </li>
<li>Spoon the mixture evenly between the 16 halves and top with the pickled mustard seeds. </li>
<li>Chill until ready to serve. </li>
</ul></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WN2P9MWrYqc/X9JrXtAM91I/AAAAAAAAN-8/qaX4BrCG0xM5jASYTd9n-yxZIY5jgU8NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/Western.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WN2P9MWrYqc/X9JrXtAM91I/AAAAAAAAN-8/qaX4BrCG0xM5jASYTd9n-yxZIY5jgU8NwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/Western.png" title="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" width="426" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytbxM3p23IM/WTct-cbS1MI/AAAAAAAAMpk/AZZCknEkjIglEPGLb8CcVzXuk2y2q0mJQCLcB/s1600/Western%2BDeviled%2BEggs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytbxM3p23IM/WTct-cbS1MI/AAAAAAAAMpk/AZZCknEkjIglEPGLb8CcVzXuk2y2q0mJQCLcB/w133-h200/Western%2BDeviled%2BEggs.jpg" title="Western style deviled eggs - diced ham, onion and green pepper mixed with yolks and topped with sweet pickled mustard seeds. Deviled eggs make the perfect one-bite party appetizer!" width="133" /></a></div><br />
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<br />Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-8151451317083169202017-06-01T06:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:00:59.989-04:00Weeknight Chicken Marsala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TXQSaFJvecg/WS36RAnXHcI/AAAAAAAAMoY/d29LqY49CvE56pj30UfHA9uOaeD-b7nNwCLcB/s1600/FBP%2B053017%2Bchic%2Bmarsala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="1600" height="462" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TXQSaFJvecg/WS36RAnXHcI/AAAAAAAAMoY/d29LqY49CvE56pj30UfHA9uOaeD-b7nNwCLcB/s640/FBP%2B053017%2Bchic%2Bmarsala.jpg" title="Quick and easy weeknight chicken marsala. Chicken breasts with mushrooms in a rich marsala wine sauce. 25 minute meal. " width="640" /></a></div><br />
You can have rich, delicious, juicy Chicken Marsala on the table in 25 minutes! This is a great weeknight meal that will make your family think you cooked for an hour.<br />
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To save even more time, dice your onions, slice your mushrooms, and trim and pound your chicken ahead of time. I love having the prep done so when I get home I can just grab my ingredients and get cooking. Some mornings I'll even put my pots/pans on the stove and get out my tongs and cooking utensils. Every little bit helps.<br />
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I love the semi-sweet but earthy sauce that coats the chicken. Although this is a chicken dish, I prefer to use beef broth for a richer sauce.<br />
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Chicken Marsala doesn't have to be something you order in restaurants or something you spend an hour making. Try this weeknight Chicken Marsala the next time you need a quick and easy weeknight meal.<br />
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<b>Weeknight Chicken Marsala</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
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</b> <b><i>Ingredients (to serve 3-4 people)</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>3 chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded to 1/4-1/2 inch thin</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground sage</li>
<li>1/2 c all-purpose flour in a Ziploc bag. </li>
<li>3 Tbsp butter, separated</li>
<li>1 Tbsp olive oil, separated</li>
<li>1 c mushrooms, sliced</li>
<li>1/2 sm white onion, diced</li>
<li>1/4 Marsala wine or Marsala cooking wine</li>
<li>3/4 c beef broth </li>
</ul><div><b><i>Directions</i></b></div><div><ul><li>Preheat oven to 400 degrees</li>
<li>Season your chicken with salt, pepper and sage. Add the chicken to the flour bag and shake until coated. </li>
<li>Heat 1 Tbsp butter and half of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Shake the excess flour from the chicken and add it to the pan. </li>
<li>Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to an oven-safe dish and put in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees (probably 7-10 minutes depending on your thickness).</li>
<li>Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan the chicken cooked in. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute 6 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the Marsala wine and stir; let simmer, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol and reduce the wine. </li>
<li>Add the beef broth and stir. Taste and adjust s&p. </li>
<li>Return the cooked chicken to the pan and let simmer 1 minutes. </li>
<li>Serve with pasta, noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted potatoes (or whatever you prefer!). </li>
</ul></div><br />
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-65293687374667464412017-05-29T14:50:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:01:25.662-04:00Banana-Oat Muffins with Walnuts<div style="text-align: center;">Healthy, whole wheat banana muffins with oats and walnuts, sweetened only with maple syrup. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFoPet031p8/WSxsgunSA0I/AAAAAAAAMno/dyE9qqh2QSYiVTTtHQ0_iLRPfhmLrBPxQCLcB/s1600/FBP%2B052917%2Bbanana%2Bmuffin%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFoPet031p8/WSxsgunSA0I/AAAAAAAAMno/dyE9qqh2QSYiVTTtHQ0_iLRPfhmLrBPxQCLcB/s640/FBP%2B052917%2Bbanana%2Bmuffin%2B3.jpg" title="Healthy, whole wheat banana muffins with oats and walnuts, sweetened only with maple syrup" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe yet!!! I first made and photographed these muffins a YEAR ago, and have made them so many times since, but somehow the post sat as a draft for a quite some time. So there's no time like now to finally share these muffins with you.<br />
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Over the past year I have made several types of muffins using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and pure maple syrup instead of white sugar - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/09/healthy-apple-walnut-raisin-muffins.html">Healthy Apple-Walnut-Raisin Muffins</a>, <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/06/healthy-carrot-muffins-with-raisins-and.html">Carrot Muffins with Walnuts and Raisins</a>, <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/04/whole-grain-blueberry-muffins.html">Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins,</a> and some Banana Chocolate Muffins that I still need to photograph and blog! All of these muffins are so yummy and healthy (you won't miss the sugar!), and are a great choice for breakfast on the go or a mid-morning snack.<br />
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One of the best things about these muffins is that it uses up those over-ripe bananas you probably have sitting on your counter. And if you are like me, you also have a bag of over-ripe bananas in your freezer. My second favorite thing is that you don't need to use a mixer at all - just your hand, a whisk, and a spoon. Super simple!<br />
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Finally, they freeze so well! I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap followed by foil, and then put them all in a freezer bag. I pull one out of the freezer at night and let it defrost in the fridge overnight, and by the time I'm going to work it is perfect to eat with my cup of tea.<br />
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<b>Banana-Oat Muffins with Walnuts</b><br />
<b>Adapted from: <a href="http://cookieandkate.com/2015/healthy-banana-muffins-recipe/">Cookie and Kate</a></b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/2 cup pure maple syrup </li>
<li>2 large eggs at room temperature</li>
<li>3 bananas, mashed</li>
<li>1/4 cup skim milk</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup old-fashioned oats</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped walnuts</li>
<li>1 tsp granulated sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)</li>
</ul><br />
<b><i>Directions</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and fill your muffin tins with cupcake liners (12)</li>
<li>In a large bowl, beat the oil and syrup together with a whisk. </li>
<li>Add in the eggs and beat well. </li>
<li>Stir in the mashed bananas, milk, baking soda, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.</li>
<li>Add the flour, most of the oats (save some for topping) and the walnuts; mix with a spoon until just combined. </li>
<li>Divide the batter evenly between the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining oats and a pinch of sugar.</li>
<li>Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.</li>
<li>Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. Remove the muffins from the tin after 5 minutes and let them cool completely before storing. Muffins will store for 2 days at room temp or 4 days in the fridge. If you plan on freezing any, freeze them on the first day for best results. </li>
</ul><br />
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-34699855661809396212017-05-25T09:36:00.006-04:002020-10-21T14:51:27.606-04:00Grandmom's Macaroni Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISp1ZZRnVHo/WSbcu_jEteI/AAAAAAAAMmo/X3C2pCFwUpI0ONe9pCvv9hKN4B05M3sqACLcB/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img alt="Elbow macaroni salad" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISp1ZZRnVHo/WSbcu_jEteI/AAAAAAAAMmo/X3C2pCFwUpI0ONe9pCvv9hKN4B05M3sqACLcB/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B7.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="426" /><br />
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</div><center style="text-align: left;"> This is one of those dishes that takes me back to childhood, and now I make it often for my family. It is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients, but is one of my favorite sides for burgers, dogs, grilled chicken, or really any summer party or BBQ food.<br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> You know those mac salads that you sometimes get at a diner in a little cup and they are all wet with way too much mayo? And they are a bit too sweet? That's not this salad.<br />
</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-poz2KAj6L-c/WSbcuHo2gQI/AAAAAAAAMmc/A0B9-7iFzUIyMjalRnSDdAZ6lfAElF5dgCEw/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1179" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-poz2KAj6L-c/WSbcuHo2gQI/AAAAAAAAMmc/A0B9-7iFzUIyMjalRnSDdAZ6lfAElF5dgCEw/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B4.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="470" /><br />
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</div><center style="text-align: left;"> I have a few tips to make this the best mac salad you will every try. First, you have to cook the pasta to al dente. You want it to still have a bite, so definitely rinse it with cold water as soon as you drain it. Overcooked, soft mac mixed with mayo is not what you are going for! <br />
</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VuwUP0J18GI/WSbcuwWZlsI/AAAAAAAAMms/jcrrCvgSU-AheL1dRED5qRZ-PeJ0ZgLlQCLcB/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1105" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VuwUP0J18GI/WSbcuwWZlsI/AAAAAAAAMms/jcrrCvgSU-AheL1dRED5qRZ-PeJ0ZgLlQCLcB/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="442" /><br />
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</div><center style="text-align: left;"> I use only carrots, red onion and green pepper. It's important to dice them into the smallest dice you can get. You don't want them to stand out in the salad, but simply give flavor and some texture. <br />
</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jhTlpEyJgwg/WSbcuDW5ZEI/AAAAAAAAMmg/f2LacZbentEnPwcDM5LZQ-yKkZWWQxTBwCEw/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jhTlpEyJgwg/WSbcuDW5ZEI/AAAAAAAAMmg/f2LacZbentEnPwcDM5LZQ-yKkZWWQxTBwCEw/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B2.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="640" /><br />
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<center style="text-align: left;"> I add my mayo in 2 steps and end up with a perfectly creamy mac salad. The first time I add it I mix it up and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. When you take it out it will look almost dry. That's when I add the rest of the mayo and veggies. Oh - and it must be Hellman's Mayo!!!!<br />
</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ1F-8X3rbM/WSbct8QlvpI/AAAAAAAAMmY/SZ6C2K7eBPQz_qVleGfuLT3vw6pRGHmOwCEw/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJ1F-8X3rbM/WSbct8QlvpI/AAAAAAAAMmY/SZ6C2K7eBPQz_qVleGfuLT3vw6pRGHmOwCEw/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B3.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="510" /><br />
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</div><center style="text-align: left;"> Finally, don't be scared to season it! Salt and pepper only, but be generous and keep tasting every time you mix. <br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> Timewise, this is a really quick salad to pull together. The water takes a few minutes to boil and then the pasta only takes 5 minutes to cook. During that time I chop my veggies, and then the mixing only takes a few minutes. I'll even pull this one together for a weeknight meal as long as I have an hour to let it chill in the fridge. <br />
</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMn3fI_fFm8/WSbcuZ8QynI/AAAAAAAAMmk/tCgZzXsSz3wMk7UmvcWdZuLe89GM9bq2gCEw/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMn3fI_fFm8/WSbcuZ8QynI/AAAAAAAAMmk/tCgZzXsSz3wMk7UmvcWdZuLe89GM9bq2gCEw/s640/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="426" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMn3fI_fFm8/WSbcuZ8QynI/AAAAAAAAMmk/tCgZzXsSz3wMk7UmvcWdZuLe89GM9bq2gCEw/s1600/FBP%2B052317%2Bmac%2Bsalad%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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</div><center style="text-align: left;"> So forget those sweet, wet mac salads that have given macaroni salad a bad name and give this one a try! I guarantee it will be the one everyone asks for! <br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> <strong>Grandmom's Macaroni Salad</strong><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> <strong>Original family recipe</strong><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> <strong><em>Ingredients</em></strong><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"> <ul> <li>1 lb macaroni/elbow noodles</li>
<li>6 Tbsp mayonnaise, separated (amount is approximate)</li>
<li>1 carrot cut into a small dice</li>
<li>1/4 red onion cut into a small dice</li>
<li>1/2 green pepper cut into a small dice</li>
<li>Salt and pepper, approximately 1 Tbsp each</li>
</ul> <div> <strong>Directions</strong><br />
</div> <div> <ul> <li>Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously and then add your noodles. Cook to al dente, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl.</li>
<li>Add half of the mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and place in the fridge for one hour. </li>
<li>Add the veggies, and slowly add more mayonnaise until you get the creaminess you want - remember, you don't want it to be too wet. Continue to season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go.</li>
<li>Chill until you are ready to serve, stirring before serving. </li>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFGV3GpFiBw/WSbdS6MAx5I/AAAAAAAAMm0/zurmYrP5eqcb6ff28xN30wcAFmJD9cX7wCLcB/s640/Grandmom%2527s.jpg" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="426" /><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe7LuIsXmYQ/X5CDEj_pkGI/AAAAAAAAN4U/-LyxnERZlQ4Mmp4dGQdR5t62kDHL_NcUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/ostella%2Bbistro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xe7LuIsXmYQ/X5CDEj_pkGI/AAAAAAAAN4U/-LyxnERZlQ4Mmp4dGQdR5t62kDHL_NcUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/ostella%2Bbistro.png" title="A creamy macaroni salad with crunchy veggies. The perfect side for any summer party or barbecue. Elbow noodles, mayonnaise, green pepper, red onion and carrots." width="426" /></a></div><br />Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-87614464696645199852017-05-10T05:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:06:04.739-04:00Celebrating 10 Years with our Best RecipesToday Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations turns the big 1-0!! Ten years of sharing recipes from my kitchen - I can't believe it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVqDQPg0VCs/WQkeQdlXq1I/AAAAAAAAMjg/fqAuC_fidkEeZR9q3sV0HEwDX3-fFA0xwCLcB/s1600/blog%2Bbuton.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVqDQPg0VCs/WQkeQdlXq1I/AAAAAAAAMjg/fqAuC_fidkEeZR9q3sV0HEwDX3-fFA0xwCLcB/s1600/blog%2Bbuton.png" /></a></div><br />
It's funny to think back on how much has changed in ten years both with this blog and with me personally. When I look back through the blog year by year I can remember things happening in my life by the way I was cooking and the food I would make. Kind of like when you hear an old song and it brings back a memory. My food brings back so many memories of times in my life. Oh how things have changed! Ten years ago we were both in our early 30s -<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egFXHhaLmFk/WQko5Pz_nLI/AAAAAAAAMjw/ZtL8I3gls1Qt1FxjXS8fTaaLBg-XekfdQCLcB/s1600/1924225_34972973324_8437_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egFXHhaLmFk/WQko5Pz_nLI/AAAAAAAAMjw/ZtL8I3gls1Qt1FxjXS8fTaaLBg-XekfdQCLcB/s640/1924225_34972973324_8437_n.jpg" title="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." width="640" /></a>Ten years ago I had never cooked risotto. I had never baked something that didn't come in a box. Believe it or not, I had never worked with bone-in chicken (except that one time I made chicken soup from scratch in high school). There were so many dishes and ingredients I hadn't heard of, or wasn't brave enough to try. I (thought) I loathed mushrooms and blue cheese and eggs. Things like homemade tomato sauce, pan sauces, homemade frosting and whipped cream did not exist in my kitchen. And my knife skills? None. I still used to put my index finger along the top of my cheap knives.<br />
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But then after being married for about three years, I took an interest in cooking, mostly because both my husband and I were getting sick of tacos, stuffed peppers, pepper steak, and cheese nip chicken. Sadly, that's about all we ate when we were both home... Thank goodness for work travel!<br />
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When I first jumped into <u>really</u> cooking, I immediately discovered that I did not enjoy measuring and preferred to go by taste, look, and smell. I soon started to read recipes and decide what I'd change before even trying the recipe. I had some failures and some successes, and learned a LOT along the way. Weekly I was trying at least 2-3 new recipes, and Saturday nights were dedicated to date nights at home where we'd cook something new and fancy together (yes, my husband is an awesome cook and loves being in the kitchen whenever he can!). I don't think we ate the same thing more than twice for at least 2 years because I was in love with experimenting and creating new recipes. That is when I decided to start this blog - it was really just a way to keep track of recipes. I had no idea where it would take me.<br />
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During those first few years, favorites were discovered and put on rotation, however I never lost that love of creating new recipes. Over the years my food has evolved to suit our lifestyle, and these days, instead of spending hours on one recipe, I focus a lot more meals to feed my family. Although every now and then I do get a full day in the kitchen and love it!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0H5DInmfr0/WQ36n8KfXRI/AAAAAAAAMk8/ipUbMmzhYMgOpW5cSvG50WBnXz_aDol0gCLcB/s1600/FBP%2Bnoodles%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T0H5DInmfr0/WQ36n8KfXRI/AAAAAAAAMk8/ipUbMmzhYMgOpW5cSvG50WBnXz_aDol0gCLcB/s640/FBP%2Bnoodles%2B3.jpg" title="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." width="426" /></a></div><br />
Writing this blog has taught me and brought me so much more than just cooking.<br />
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Entertaining and planning menus is one of my favorite things to do. I love sitting with my notebook writing out ideas and I totally appreciate that my husband lets me run them by him a million times. Luckily he enjoys it too, and we love creating holiday menus together. We often start talking about Christmas months before the big day!<br />
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Photography has also become a hobby of mine. I know I still have a lot to learn and hope to find the time to take some classes soon, but on my own I can see much improvement. Those early food pics were pretty homely, as my husband would say! (so please, as I share some old recipes below, be mindful of that :)<br />
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And finally, it's crazy to think that I wasn't even on Facebook when I started this blog. There was no such thing as Twitter, Instagram, Yummly, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, etc. I could go on and on! It has been fun connecting with people through those platforms and learning the best ways to use them to connect with all of you (and meanwhile my 6 year old sees a logo and knows what social media platform it belongs to - it's like second nature to them!).<br />
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<center></center><center style="text-align: left;">Since my life and this blog are completely entwined, I can't help but think of how my personal life has changed over the past ten years. Ten years ago I was in my early 30s, married almost 4 years and working in the corporate world, traveling the country (and world) for pharmaceutical and medical meetings. After the birth of my daughter I decided to move on from that life, and now I consider myself very lucky that I am able to work part-time for now so I can be there for the school bus, school events, and extracurricular activities with my amazing 6 year old daughter. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQ-gEzfAqEo/WQkppGu2eCI/AAAAAAAAMj4/GW_O0P6FlRIg5AVe_Uc2V6eJKr59mkxXACLcB/s1600/15624260_388991358109018_1805055448907251712_n%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cooking with kids" border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lQ-gEzfAqEo/WQkppGu2eCI/AAAAAAAAMj4/GW_O0P6FlRIg5AVe_Uc2V6eJKr59mkxXACLcB/s640/15624260_388991358109018_1805055448907251712_n%25281%2529.jpg" title="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." width="640" /></a> Ten years ago I wasn't even thinking of kids yet, and now this little one is almost 7! How awesome is it that she loves to get in the kitchen with me and we can pretty much get her to try (almost) anything. Most recently she tried mussels and loved them! She's an energetic little girl and keeps us on on toes - our little first grader who loves acting, dancing, cooking, singing, playing outside, reading, writing, making lists, playing games and telling jokes. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">Things haven't always been easy over the past ten years - although blessed to be in our forever home, it has been a continuous work in progress and it always seem like something is going wrong or breaking. We have both dealt with unemployment, secondary infertility, pregnancy losses, and the death of our first dog, Daisy Mae. During all of those times, I always turned to cooking as my therapy. Family and cooking have been my one constant through all of these ten years. </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">So take a trip down memory lane with me as I share my most popular and/or favorite recipes. These are recipes that have been shared the most, liked the most, and recipes that have been favorites of my family. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: center;"><b>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</b></center><center style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
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</b></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">My top post of <u>all-time</u> comes from May of 2008 - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2008/05/time-for-party.html">Time for a Party.</a> In this post I shared a menu for a party including this recipe for tortilla pinwheels, and now I see them pinned all over Pinterest. They are a hit! I take them to every party and get asked for the recipe several times at each party. Sometimes simple is the best! </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bp3.blogger.com/_VXVqHWzVlXA/SD2dYN-M1II/AAAAAAAAAhc/Ui-u0uqwwyM/s640/052408+party+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The perfect party appetizer - tortilla pinwheels" border="0" height="480" src="https://bp3.blogger.com/_VXVqHWzVlXA/SD2dYN-M1II/AAAAAAAAAhc/Ui-u0uqwwyM/s640/052408+party+001.jpg" title="The perfect party appetizer - tortilla pinwheels" width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">My husband has contributed several recipes, desserts, and wine reviews to this blog. Two of his recipes are in my top searched, pinned and shared recipes! </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">He loves making this <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/02/maine-lobster-stew.html">Maine Lobster Stew</a>, has made it for the last 2 years on Christmas, and is always looking for excuses to make it again. I'll take credit for helping with the plating and taking the photos. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H91gfLqDfiw/VrOxWSOZqaI/AAAAAAAAJ2g/mSZWzZ0imww/s640/Lob%2BStew%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maine Lobster Stew - decadent and creamy with sherry and lobster meat" border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H91gfLqDfiw/VrOxWSOZqaI/AAAAAAAAJ2g/mSZWzZ0imww/s640/Lob%2BStew%2B9.jpg" title="Maine Lobster Stew - decadent and creamy with sherry and lobster meat" width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">Another recipe of his that sends a lot of people to this blog through searches is his <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2009/02/beef-negimaki-cooked-by-jon.html">Beef Negimaki</a>. After ordering it several times at our local sushi place he decided to make it on his own. We both agreed it was even better than the restaurant's! Since this post is from 2009 the pic isn't great, but what I do love about this post are the step by step photo instructions for cutting and rolling the beef. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VXVqHWzVlXA/SZiUv7033YI/AAAAAAAABYM/tcORAMKZWtA/s400/DSC04888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beef Negimaki - rolled flank steak with green onions. Japanese food made at home" border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VXVqHWzVlXA/SZiUv7033YI/AAAAAAAABYM/tcORAMKZWtA/s400/DSC04888.JPG" title="Beef Negimaki - rolled flank steak with green onions. Japanese food made at home" width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">My top breakfast post of all time, and one that I make often, is a grab and go breakfast - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2015/10/breakfast-on-go-egg-muffins.html">Egg Muffins for Breakfast-on-the-Go</a>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XPpBAHvhkk/Vha8-DqQsVI/AAAAAAAAIes/FGcOL1EmMHY/s640/0915%2Begg%2Bmuffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakfast on the go - egg muffins. Egg muffins with vegetables, egg muffins with sausage. Grab n go breakfast" border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XPpBAHvhkk/Vha8-DqQsVI/AAAAAAAAIes/FGcOL1EmMHY/s640/0915%2Begg%2Bmuffins.jpg" title="Breakfast on the go - egg muffins. Egg muffins with vegetables, egg muffins with sausage. Grab n go breakfast" width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">I'm so happy that this next recipe is in my top ten of all time because it is one of my favorites - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/02/jumbo-lump-crab-cakes-with-garlic-aioli.html">Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with a Lemon-Garlic Aioli.</a></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zDyeOex9Zeg/WKNV8xA7BcI/AAAAAAAAMZE/_NhzHICIgngsVqzJelY828tl-PYUNR9bgCLcB/s640/crab%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with a lemon garlic aioli. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zDyeOex9Zeg/WKNV8xA7BcI/AAAAAAAAMZE/_NhzHICIgngsVqzJelY828tl-PYUNR9bgCLcB/s640/crab%2B3.jpg" title="Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with a lemon garlic aioli. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a> "Too hot to cook" and "grilled chicken salads" are both so commonly searched, and lead my followers to this post for <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/06/yakitori-chicken-with-cold-veggie-and.html">Yakitori Chicken with Cold Veggie and Soba Noodle Bowls</a>. This is one of my top chicken recipes as well as a top salad recipe. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnDTN0S4L_U/V2BnPYr8JgI/AAAAAAAAKUU/iLChvhDbRMI6MyZr56bWKr3f4nACk25kACLcB/s640/FBP%2Byakitori%2B3%2B053116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grilled yakitori chicken with cold veggie soba noodle bowls. Too hot to cook! Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnDTN0S4L_U/V2BnPYr8JgI/AAAAAAAAKUU/iLChvhDbRMI6MyZr56bWKr3f4nACk25kACLcB/s640/FBP%2Byakitori%2B3%2B053116.jpg" title="Grilled yakitori chicken with cold veggie soba noodle bowls. Too hot to cook! Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">With close to 200 chicken recipes in this blog, it was really, really hard to narrow it down to my favorite. I have so many, from this <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2012/02/french-onion-braised-chicken.html">French Onion Braised Chicken</a> and this <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/05/chicken-and-mushrooms-with-gruyere.html">Gruyere Chicken with Mushrooms</a>, to <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2012/08/shredded-chicken-with-chiles.html">Shredded Chicken with Chiles</a> and <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2014/02/chicken-and-dumplings.html">Chicken and Dumplings</a>. I finally chose a popular recipe, and it is fitting that it is a bone-in recipe - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/06/garlic-herb-roast-chicken-with.html">Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Vegetables</a>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wOuGn3TaO48/V1TJRzM9QMI/AAAAAAAAKRk/5ErhU_jJNtc_99Fc6mMTVRU1KU438z2jwCKgB/s640/FBP%2Bchic%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Garlic Herb Roast Chicken Breasts with vegetables. Bone in chicken. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wOuGn3TaO48/V1TJRzM9QMI/AAAAAAAAKRk/5ErhU_jJNtc_99Fc6mMTVRU1KU438z2jwCKgB/s640/FBP%2Bchic%2B4.jpg" title="Garlic Herb Roast Chicken Breasts with vegetables. Bone in chicken. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">Soups are cooked in my kitchen once a week over the cool and cold months, so with over 80 soup recipes in this blog it is hard to choose a favorite. This <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2014/11/potato-and-corn-chowder-with-bacon.html">Potato and Corn Chowder with Bacon</a> is one of my most popular, and it is one of my favorites because it is so hearty and well, bacon!</center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRWTb7dvg28/VEVFhNytR6I/AAAAAAAAEek/z3NLCXF6PP4/s640/091514%2Bpotato%2Bcorn%2Bchowder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRWTb7dvg28/VEVFhNytR6I/AAAAAAAAEek/z3NLCXF6PP4/s640/091514%2Bpotato%2Bcorn%2Bchowder.jpg" title="Potato Corn Chowder with Bacon. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">It's funny that ten years ago I had never made risotto, and now I have over 20 risotto recipes on this blog. Risotto is in my top ten search words, so I picked one of my favorites for this anniversary post - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/03/three-garlic-risotto.html">Three Garlic Risotto</a>. I have been making this one for years (it was probably one of the first risotto recipes I ever made!) but finally just blogged it recently. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t6KmBPutQR0/VsNAYDdCCSI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/sd3xEUBOWyc/s640/FBP%2B021416%2Brisotto3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three Garlic Risotto - Roasted garlic, toasted garlic, sauteed garlic. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t6KmBPutQR0/VsNAYDdCCSI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/sd3xEUBOWyc/s640/FBP%2B021416%2Brisotto3.jpg" title="Three Garlic Risotto - Roasted garlic, toasted garlic, sauteed garlic. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">Still, after ten years of doing this, I only use my crock-pot for shredded/pulled chicken, pork or beef. My top slow cooker and top pulled pork recipe is this amazing <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2015/04/guinness-pulled-pork.html">Guinness Pulled Pork</a>. I'm so happy it gets so much love because it definitely gets a lot of love in this house! </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/07/korean-pulled-pork-tacos-with-creamy.html">Korean Pulled Pork Tacos</a></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP44cAWvEcM/VSLBjTpwI8I/AAAAAAAAEpw/OYrR2ahymYw/s640/032615%2Bguiness%2Bpork2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Guinness Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Crock pot slow cooker cooking. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP44cAWvEcM/VSLBjTpwI8I/AAAAAAAAEpw/OYrR2ahymYw/s640/032615%2Bguiness%2Bpork2.jpg" title="Guinness Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Crock pot slow cooker cooking. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center></center><center></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">My personal favorite pulled pork recipe is the pork for these <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/07/korean-pulled-pork-tacos-with-creamy.html">Korean Pulled Pork Tacos</a>. These are pretty popular on Pinterest, too! </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_hR5fpZOhg/V4VNkvFPLkI/AAAAAAAAKfk/MkDnmNFnbcQeCGv1HI14LGm4VNUrauqZACLcB/s640/FBP%2Btaco%2Bslaw%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Korean Pulled Pork Tacos with a Creamy Sriracha slaw. Crock pot slow cooker cooking. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="374" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_hR5fpZOhg/V4VNkvFPLkI/AAAAAAAAKfk/MkDnmNFnbcQeCGv1HI14LGm4VNUrauqZACLcB/s640/FBP%2Btaco%2Bslaw%2B3.jpg" title="Korean Pulled Pork Tacos with a Creamy Sriracha slaw. Crock pot slow cooker cooking. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">And sticking with the pork theme, this <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2008/12/christmas-day-2008-stuffed-pork-loin.html">Stuffed Pork Loin with a Mushroom Wine Gravy</a> is one of my most popular posts. It is a great recipe, perfect for holidays or entertaining, and the tutorial for cutting and rolling the pork is spot-on. This post, and the picture, are from 2008 - </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TBbML08hso8/WQkvDS1smXI/AAAAAAAAMkQ/GcB3aj57UiEfWPYqLILkpF-abSR1WrkyQCLcB/s1600/pork%2Bspiral%2Bfixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stuffed Pork Loin with a mushroom wine gravy. Great recipe for Christmas or Easter or entertaining. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TBbML08hso8/WQkvDS1smXI/AAAAAAAAMkQ/GcB3aj57UiEfWPYqLILkpF-abSR1WrkyQCLcB/s640/pork%2Bspiral%2Bfixed.jpg" title="Stuffed Pork Loin with a mushroom wine gravy. Great recipe for Christmas or Easter or entertaining. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">This is a newer recipe and it quickly became my second most popular appetizer - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2016/09/cheesy-blt-stuffed-jalapenos.html">Cheesy BLT Stuffed Jalapenos</a>, and it is easy to see why. Look how yummy! </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9w4t_XPRBo/V88NLnsJlXI/AAAAAAAAMCw/Z3RkN3ZjD1MxGflkuoo1lQYTtygX3HJBQCLcB/s640/FBP%2Bjalap5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creamy and cheesy BLT Stuffed Jalapenos. BLT Jalapeno Poppers - perfect appetizer or party food. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="344" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9w4t_XPRBo/V88NLnsJlXI/AAAAAAAAMCw/Z3RkN3ZjD1MxGflkuoo1lQYTtygX3HJBQCLcB/s640/FBP%2Bjalap5.jpg" title="Creamy and cheesy BLT Stuffed Jalapenos. BLT Jalapeno Poppers - perfect appetizer or party food. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="640" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center></center><center></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center style="text-align: left;">Let's finish this off on a sweet note! I don't bake that often - my husband is actually the baker in the house. This cake recipe has become a favorite of both of ours, and is my most popular dessert recipe on the blog - <a href="http://www.maryellenscookingcreations.com/2013/03/recipe-swap-philly-fluff-cake.html">Philly Fluff Cake</a>. </center><center style="text-align: left;"></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smX9n_rpzRk/UVChsH-LDbI/AAAAAAAADA4/lenAXUfs_cE/s640/032313+cake4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Philly Fluff Cake. Philly cream cheese cake with chocolate swirl. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-smX9n_rpzRk/UVChsH-LDbI/AAAAAAAADA4/lenAXUfs_cE/s640/032313+cake4.jpg" title="Philly Fluff Cake. Philly cream cheese cake with chocolate swirl. Celebrating 10 years of our best recipes. " width="484" /></a></div><center style="text-align: left;"></center><center></center><center style="text-align: left;">Thank you to all of my readers and followers for making the last 10 years possible. I have enjoyed sharing and learning with all of you, and I appreciate all of your comments, likes and shares. I look forward to continuing this journey in my kitchen and with this blog, and hope you will be there with me! </center><center></center><center>Thank you!</center><center></center><center></center><center><br />
<center></center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Va1qFmPZmdA/WQ4KuchHhkI/AAAAAAAAMlM/K-z-GSJDSpMbVFPVZ4MXq7yoi2GnwqHqQCLcB/s1600/10%2BYears%2Bof%2BRecipes%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Va1qFmPZmdA/WQ4KuchHhkI/AAAAAAAAMlM/K-z-GSJDSpMbVFPVZ4MXq7yoi2GnwqHqQCLcB/s640/10%2BYears%2Bof%2BRecipes%2B%25281%2529.jpg" title="Food Blog Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations celebrates 10 years with their best recipes. Chicken, salads, pork, beef, lobster, quick and easy weeknight meals, romantic meals, meals for entertaining, soups, appetizers and party food." width="302" /></a></div><center></center>Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-14043856283544574492017-05-02T05:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:05:20.855-04:00Beef and Bean Burritos<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Ground beef, pinto beans and salsa fill this crispy, oven-baked burrito. Personalize them with your favorite toppings for a great dinner everyone will enjoy! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFiXMrRzfr0/WQfDvB60hKI/AAAAAAAAMi0/jhZT9jVXPL831S1he9wc-97ZGBSFAnDbwCLcB/s1600/FBP%2B042517%2Bburrito%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFiXMrRzfr0/WQfDvB60hKI/AAAAAAAAMi0/jhZT9jVXPL831S1he9wc-97ZGBSFAnDbwCLcB/s640/FBP%2B042517%2Bburrito%2B2.jpg" title="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " width="512" /></a></div><br />
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I crave the flavors of Mexican food (or at least Tex-Mex) at least weekly. Some of my favorite things include jalapenos and cilantro! And then there's the cheesy dishes and dips you get with Tex-Mex - I cannot resist!<br />
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Last week's package of ground beef was begging to be turned into an amazing Tex Mex dinner, and I just happened to be craving it, so this happened - ground beef, pinto beans, and salsa all stuffed in an oven baked burrito and personalized with out favorite toppings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3F-qwuk_19U/WQfDwDpwupI/AAAAAAAAMjM/5BUHbseNyBgnxo5HFyKjAg998RV6ESOuQCEw/s1600/FBP%2B042517%2Bburritos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3F-qwuk_19U/WQfDwDpwupI/AAAAAAAAMjM/5BUHbseNyBgnxo5HFyKjAg998RV6ESOuQCEw/s640/FBP%2B042517%2Bburritos.jpg" title="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " width="474" /></a></div><br />
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Usually when I make tacos I just brown the meat, add the spices and let it simmer for a few minutes until I'm ready to start assembling. With some extra time to spare last week, I let this meat mixture simmer for 45 minutes to give it some really amazing flavors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0T1R80-F-5M/WQfDvHsVdoI/AAAAAAAAMi4/T5InMOyfOxwo7NVDwc-nIn3Q8YeKUinFQCEw/s1600/FBP%2B042517%2Bburrito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " border="0" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0T1R80-F-5M/WQfDvHsVdoI/AAAAAAAAMi4/T5InMOyfOxwo7NVDwc-nIn3Q8YeKUinFQCEw/s640/FBP%2B042517%2Bburrito.jpg" title="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " width="640" /></a></div><br />
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When stuffing the burritos it is really important not to include the liquid from the meat. You'll naturally get some in there, but use a slotted spoon so most of it drains. Once stuffed, I placed them on a rack on a foil lined baking tray and sprayed them with cooking spray. 20 minutes in the oven and they were perfectly crispy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBOA7yBNI-k/WQfDux7i5UI/AAAAAAAAMiw/3XDwXYBqAL0tz_dbJLOZcoroDlstJyxpACEw/s1600/FBP%2B042511%2Bburrito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBOA7yBNI-k/WQfDux7i5UI/AAAAAAAAMiw/3XDwXYBqAL0tz_dbJLOZcoroDlstJyxpACEw/s640/FBP%2B042511%2Bburrito.jpg" title="Oven Baked Beef and Bean Burritos for a weeknight or celebration. Great dinner for Cinco de Mayo! Ground beef, beans, salsa, and toppings in crispy, oven-baked burritos. " width="506" /></a></div><br />
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The best thing about build-your-own meals (things like pizzas, tacos, baked potatoes, etc.) is that everyone can top their food with their favorite things.<br />
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My husband chose salsa, cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno slices and avocado slices with some sour cream on the side.<br />
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I love creamy and cheesy sauces, so I made a creamy cheese sauce with a kick from a special spice blend that my friend makes. It has so much heat and the best flavor! I also topped mine with jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro.<br />
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I was so excited to cut into these. The meat had such a robust flavor from simmering in the salsa and spices, and the cheese sauce combined with everything for such an amazing, flavorful bite.<br />
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Give these a try and let me know how you like to top yours!<br />
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<b>Beef and Bean Burritos</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
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</b> <b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>1 lb of lean ground beef (I prefer 96%)</li>
<li>1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped</li>
<li>3 cloves of garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 24-oz jar of your favorite chunky salsa </li>
<li>1/2 tsp cumin</li>
<li>1 tsp chili powder</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>1/2 can pinto beans (or black beans if you prefer)</li>
<li>6 burrito sized tortilla shells</li>
<li>Cooking spray</li>
<li>Toppings: cheese (cotija or queso blanco would be my choice), tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, cheese sauce (recipe follows)</li>
</ul><div><b><i>Directions</i></b></div><div><ul><li>Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and top with a rack. A cooling rack works perfectly for this. </li>
<li>Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add your ground beef and brown, breaking it up into smaller pieces. </li>
<li>Once browned, add the onions and garlic; stir 1 minute. </li>
<li>Add the salsa, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir and let simmer, uncovered, for 15-45 minutes, depending on how much time you have. Stir occasionally.</li>
<li>Place a tortilla on a flat surface. Spoon 2 spoonfuls of the meat mixture below the center of the tortilla. Fold in the bottom to cover the mixture, fold in the 2 sides, roll away from you. Roll in the sides again and roll until everything has been tucked in. Place seam side down on the rack and spray quickly with cooking spray. Repeat to make all of the burritos.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes, turning the broiler on for the last 2 minutes. </li>
<li>Plate and top with your preferred toppings. Serve immediately.</li>
</ul><div><b>Creamy Cheesy Sauce</b></div></div><div><ul><li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 Tbsp flour</li>
<li>1 c whole milk</li>
<li>1 Tbsp of your favorite chili/spicy spice blend OR chili powder/salt/ground cayenne pepper/black pepper mixture</li>
<li>A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce</li>
<li>1/2 c shredded Mexican blend cheese</li>
</ul><div>Melt the butter and oil in a small pot. Whisk in the flour until completely combined. Slowly whisk in the milk and add your spices and hot sauce; continue to stir. Once the milk comes to a light but steady simmer, remove it from the heat and add in your cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve over the baked burritos. </div></div><div><br />
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-19501616135975100162017-04-25T06:00:00.000-04:002020-05-11T16:22:40.439-04:00Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Baby Spinach<center>
<b>A quick and easy side dish - orzo with bright and zesty lemon, fresh garlic, and baby spinach.</b></center>
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This side dish is light and summery but satisfies that pasta craving. Orzo also reminds me a lot of risotto, but without the time or labor. </center>
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I served this lemon-garlic orzo with baby spinach alongside grilled chicken. I love when I only need to make one dish inside and Jon can be grilling the rest outside. Easy prep and super easy cleanup. </center>
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<b>Lemon-Garlic Orzo with Baby Spinach</b></center>
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<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b></center>
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b></center>
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<li>12 oz dry orzo</li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>Juice of 1/2 of a lemon</li>
<li>Zest of 1/2 of a lemon</li>
<li>1 bag (6oz) baby spinach</li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese</li>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
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<li>Cook orzo according to package directions</li>
<li>In the meantime, heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.</li>
<li>Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn</li>
<li>Add in the lemon juice and rind.</li>
<li>Toss in the orzo and stir in the spinach.</li>
<li>Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. </li>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-5943963694793012102017-04-12T06:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:07:11.323-04:00Grilled Lemon-Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dDZPpv1xgA4/WOzq-FGm2FI/AAAAAAAAMho/RD_BFMuykpUb-aT_JVGhFKJm2r3Z--MngCLcB/s1600/Grilled%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dDZPpv1xgA4/WOzq-FGm2FI/AAAAAAAAMho/RD_BFMuykpUb-aT_JVGhFKJm2r3Z--MngCLcB/s640/Grilled%2B%25281%2529.jpg" title="Grilled lemon-garlic asparagus with Parmesan cheese. Grilled asparagus." width="426" /></a></div><br />
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Asparagus is hands-down my favorite vegetable to grill, so I am crazy excited that asparagus season is upon us. We have a friend who cuts asparagus at his brother's farm, and I am just counting the days until we get our first bunch. There is nothing like cooking it just a few hours after it was cut - it's so sweet and fresh, and we easily eat the entire bunch in one sitting!<br />
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Not only is asparagus delicious, it has so many health benefits. Check out more info on asparagus <a href="https://www.quickeasycook.com/how-to-cook-asparagus/">shared by Quick Easy Cook</a>.<br />
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There are so many ways to cook asparagus. I usually toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast it, but for our first grilling night of the season, I wanted it to scream spring. Adding lemon brightens up the flavors, and garlic is a must because, well, garlic! It makes everything better.<br />
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I mixed olive oil with lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic and poured it over the asparagus before adding sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.<br />
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These grilled up quickly, so they were still slightly crunchy with a perfect char on the tips. Once they came off the grill I quickly added some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.<br />
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<b>Grilled Lemon-Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan</b><br />
<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b><br />
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</b> <b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
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<ul><li>One pound of asparagus, woody ends snapped off</li>
<li>1/2 c olive oil</li>
<li>Juice of 1/2 of a lemon</li>
<li>Zest of 1/2 of a lemon</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, pressed</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese</li>
<li>Additional lemon zest, if desired</li>
</ul><div><b><i>Directions</i></b></div><div><ul><li>Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic. Pour over the asparagus and toss until coated. </li>
<li>Season with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Place on a hot grill and cook 2-4 minutes; flip and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until charred but still crisp.</li>
<li>Transfer to a plate and top with the grated Parmesan cheese and additional lemon zest. </li>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-91736814131570190492017-03-30T09:04:00.004-04:002017-09-20T11:21:18.005-04:00Pork Medallions with a Mushroom Pan Sauce<div style="text-align: center;">
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Tender pork medallions seared to a golden brown and served with an herbed mushroom pan sauce. And yes, this is a 25 minute meal! </center>
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25 minutes for something this elegant? Yes! </center>
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Slicing a pork tenderloin into medallions is an easy way to prepare this cut of meat. Often we will grill or roast it, but searing medallions brings something else to the table. </center>
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Once the medallions are seared you are left with a pan full of brown bits. I never let those brown bits go to waste - they hold so much flavor! Bring on the deglazing for a flavorful pan sauce! </center>
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For this dish I chose to use earthy flavors mushrooms and thyme, two things that go perfectly together. The color was so rich, too. Can you imagine the oohs and aahs you'd hear as you set this serving dish down at a dinner party? I love it - fancy enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a weeknight meal. </center>
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<b>Pork Medallions with a Mushroom Pan Sauce</b></center>
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<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b></center>
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b></center>
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<li>1 small (1-1.5 lb) pork tenderloin</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>1 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>6 large white mushrooms, sliced</li>
<li>1/2 sm onion, sliced</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, minced</li>
<li>1/4 dry white wine</li>
<li>1/2 c low sodium chicken broth (note - you can sub beef broth for a richer sauce)</li>
<li>A few sprigs of fresh thyme</li>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b><br />
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<li>Slice the pork into 1 inch medallions and season generously with salt and peppers</li>
<li>Heat olive oil in a large saute pan (I prefer a stainless pan as opposed to a non-stick pan). Add the pork and cook 4 minutes on one side; flip and cook for 4 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a dish. </li>
<li>Add butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute.</li>
<li>Add the wine to the pan and stir, scraping up all of the brown bits.</li>
<li>Add the broth and thyme leaves from one sprig. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes. </li>
<li>Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Pour sauce and mushrooms over the pork and garnish with the remaining sprigs of thyme. </li>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-43830012559077753782017-03-16T13:09:00.001-04:002017-09-20T11:21:31.942-04:00Classic Chicken Pot Pie<b><br /></b>
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<b>Classic Chicken Pot Pie - comforting, traditional home cooking from scratch. </b></center>
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When Jon and I got married I really didn't cook much at all. I was a vegetarian at the time, so I had the tofu and vegetable stir fry meals perfected, and could make stuffed peppers and tacos using both real and "fake" ground meat, but that was about it. </center>
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Jon loves to tell the story of the first time we hosted dinner for friends and I decided to make a roast pork tenderloin. I wanted to infuse it with some garlic flavor, so instead of marinating or rubbing it, I decided to put full cloves of garlic in the pork. Well, that's fine and all, but I didn't push the cloves all the way in, so they were all sticking up all over the pork. Jon jokes that I made porcupine pork. </center>
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Not my proudest moment, but I was inspired to learn more and keep trying. I started reading recipes like crazy, but never liked to cook from them exactly, not even the first time making something new. That is what started my love of experimenting and cooking, and is a big part of why I don't like to bake - too much measuring!! I'd rather wing it and go on flavors. </center>
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I started this blog almost 10 years ago when I was still very much a beginner. I look back at some of my recipes from 10 years ago and besides being horrified at the pictures, they make me laugh but also smile because I see how much I have learned. And I'm so glad that I truly LOVE to cook and that my daughter thinks I am the best cook ever :) </center>
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It is for that reason that I have started to revisit some of my much older posts not only to take updated pictures, but to make some changes to the recipes. Most recently I updated a Chicken Pot Pie recipe. </center>
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Chicken Pot Pie is such a comforting and traditional dish. And really, it's not that hard to make, even completely from scratch. Ok, I can't lie - you know that I didn't make the crust from scratch. But with so many good store bought pie crusts out there, I don't see a reason.</center>
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What is important to me is a good stock as the base. You won't find any cream soups in this recipe. </center>
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So here it is - my updated Classic Chicken Pot Pie based on my old adaptation of a Martha Stewart Recipe. </center>
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Don't be overwhelmed by the list of ingredients and steps. I'll break it down like this for you - </center>
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Step 1 - cook your chicken which also is the stock making step. </center>
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Step 2 - chop and saute your veggies.</center>
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Step 3 - add liquid to make the sauce. </center>
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Step 4 - put in a dish, cover with pie crust and bake. Enjoy!!!</center>
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One final tip before we get to the recipe. Look at that picture above - see how some of the sauce bubbles out and down the sides of the dish? To avoid making a total mess of your oven, place a large piece of foil or a cookie sheet on the rack below the rack the pot pie is on to catch any drips. </center>
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<b>Classic Chicken Pot Pie</b></center>
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Loosely adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/339154/chicken-potpie" target="_blank">Martha Stewart</a></center>
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b></center>
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<i>For Step 1: </i></center>
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<li>2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts</li>
<li>2 sprigs of fresh thyme</li>
<li>1 tsp whole black peppercorns</li>
<li>2 bay leaves</li>
<li>1 stalk of celery cut into chunks</li>
<li>1 yellow onion, roughly chopped</li>
<li>Salt and pepper</li>
<li>2 c low sodium chicken broth</li>
<li>1 c water</li>
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<i>For Step 2: </i></div>
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<li>4 Tbsp butter</li>
<li>1 brown Russet potato, diced into small bit sized pieces (if you do this ahead of time, just store the diced potatoes in a bowl covered with water)</li>
<li>1 large carrot, peeled and diced (same size and potato pieces)</li>
<li>1/2 red pepper, chopped</li>
<li>1/2 yellow onion, chopped</li>
<li>4 large white mushrooms, chopped</li>
<li>1/4 c frozen corn</li>
<li>1/4 c frozen peas</li>
<li>1/2 tsp each salt and pepper</li>
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<i>For Step 3: </i></div>
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<li>4 Tbsp flour</li>
<li>2 cups of reserved stock (from step one, cooking the chicken)</li>
<li>1/2 c heavy cream</li>
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<i>For Step 4: </i></div>
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<li>1 refrigerated pie crust</li>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
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<li>Step 1: Place the chicken in a pot with the thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, celery, onion, pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and then add water slowly until your chicken is just covered. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until the chicken is cooked through (180 degrees), about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate. Pour the contents of the pot through a colander into another pot; discard what is left in the colander and reserve the stock. Cut chicken into bite sized cubes.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. </li>
<li>Step 2: Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the potatoes and saute for 5 minutes, until turning translucent. Add the carrots, red pepper and onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, peas and corn and stir. Season with salt and pepper. </li>
<li>Step 3: Add the flour to the pan and stir, coating all of the veggies. Slowly add the stock, stirring as you add it to thicken the sauce. The slower you add the sauce, the thicker you will be able to make your sauce. Once you have added all of the stock, add the cream and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, and let simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken. </li>
<li>Step 4: Transfer the chicken-veggie mixture to a deep dish pie plate. Top with the pie crust, cutting off anything hanging over the edges. Cut a few slits in the top. Bake until the crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Make sure you put a piece of foil or a cookie sheet on the rack below the pie as it may bubble over. </li>
<li>Let the pot pie sit for several minutes before serving. </li>
<li>Tip: makes great leftovers! </li>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-35227315881382331852017-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T11:09:23.105-04:00Grilled Flank Steak Crostini <br />
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An elegant appetizer for entertaining - crusty, toasted bread topped with creamy melted cheese and thinly sliced grilled flank steak. </center>
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Our friends were in town on business recently so we were lucky to spend a fun night with them over good food and of course, lots of good wine. We definitely don't get to see them enough so this midweek visit was a special treat. </center>
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As soon as the visit was planned I started to discuss the menu with my friend Jeff who shares my love of food and cooking. My husband tried to contribute (I'm lucky he loves to cook, too!), but whenever Jeff visits the food is always our thing. </center>
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I knew our menu would include several courses. We ended up with three appetizer courses an an entree. Honestly, but the time we were done with apps I didn't even need an entree, but after an hour break we got back to cooking. </center>
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Our favorite appetizer was this grilled flank steak crostini. I love crostini with different toppings, so for this one we decided on melted cheese and thinly sliced grilled flank steak. From there I just winged it and made several kinds of crostini with different toppings. </center>
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Look how beautiful!!! </center>
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Half of the crostini had melted provolone and steak, while the other half were topped with blue cheese and the steak. Toppings I used were chopped grilled red onions and sliced roasted red peppers. Once the crostini came out of the oven I topped some of them with cold tomato bruschetta topping and fresh arugula. </center>
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I can't even pick which combination of ingredients were my favorite - they were all good!! They were so good that the next night my husband and I made more for dinner with the few leftovers that we had, and I plan on making them for a girls' night I am hosting next week (as long as the blizzard doesn't mess up my grilling plans!!). Yes, THAT good!</center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82F_6FY5tgw/WMCQ9zIYAYI/AAAAAAAAMdU/ko16eowJ7fMA2U4V6qlglxOUFR5qg2KZgCEw/s1600/FBP%2Bcrostini%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-82F_6FY5tgw/WMCQ9zIYAYI/AAAAAAAAMdU/ko16eowJ7fMA2U4V6qlglxOUFR5qg2KZgCEw/s640/FBP%2Bcrostini%2B4.jpg" title="Grilled Flank Steak Crostini with melted cheese, roasted red peppers and grilled red onions. Perfect, easy appetizer for entertaining. " width="532" /></a></div>
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<b>Grilled Flank Steak Crostini</b></center>
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<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b></center>
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b></center>
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<li>1 baguette sliced into 3/4 inch pieces on the bias (a slight diagonal slice)</li>
<li>Extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole</li>
<li>1 flank steak</li>
<li>Kosher salt</li>
<li>Freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li>1 tsp dried thyme</li>
<li>Extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>Cheese (I used sliced provolone on half and crumbled blue cheese on the other half)</li>
<li>Other toppings, such as:</li>
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<li>1 roasted red pepper, sliced</li>
<li>2 rings red onion, grilled and chopped</li>
<li>Fresh arugula</li>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
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<li>Heat grill to high. Season flank steak liberally with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Cook __ min per side, flipping only once, to medium rare (or medium, depending on your liking). Let rest 10 minutes before slicing into very thin slices.</li>
<li>In the meantime, heat your oven to 400 degrees. </li>
<li>Place the baguette slices on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Put in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until crispy.</li>
<li>Remove from the oven and rub each baguette with the raw garlic. Top each baguette with cheese, steak, and other toppings, except the arugula (optional: put some more cheese on top). Return to the oven and turn your broiler on high for 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted. </li>
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<li>NOTE: if you don't want your steak to cook any more under the broiler, only top the baguettes with cheese and other toppings and broil. Top with the steak after removing from the oven.</li>
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<li>Optional: top with some fresh arugula and drizzle with olive oil before serving. </li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gIX5xs47tc/WMCQ-JNTcUI/AAAAAAAAMdc/EXGXRUdOGeA-FjAC6SR4zOK-II90359pQCEw/s1600/FBP%2Bcrostini%2Bfor%2BPIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gIX5xs47tc/WMCQ-JNTcUI/AAAAAAAAMdc/EXGXRUdOGeA-FjAC6SR4zOK-II90359pQCEw/s640/FBP%2Bcrostini%2Bfor%2BPIN.jpg" title="Grilled Flank Steak Crostini with melted cheese, roasted red peppers and grilled red onions. Perfect, easy appetizer for entertaining. " width="426" /></a></div>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216504368345356266.post-22465778062774801092017-02-27T07:00:00.000-05:002017-09-20T11:21:46.992-04:00Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder<br />
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A take on corn chowder using quinoa instead of potatoes, and with a spicy kick!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OjFd-7uHj-o/WKuBLdLgayI/AAAAAAAAMbU/FbFKLA2gGbYtW12Ec0_lWBMVyfk60nOgwCLcB/s1600/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OjFd-7uHj-o/WKuBLdLgayI/AAAAAAAAMbU/FbFKLA2gGbYtW12Ec0_lWBMVyfk60nOgwCLcB/s640/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B3.jpg" title="Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder - a take on corn chowder using quinoa instead of potatoes, and with a spicy kick. Healthy yet hearty vegetarian corn chowder. " width="504" /></a></div>
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On Christmas Eve we were hanging out with family at my parents' house. My cousin handed my daughter a gift that she immediately started to open. When she got some of the paper off, she saw the American Girl logo on the box and started to get really excited. Meanwhile, we are all sitting there thinking "oh no, she thinks it is a doll." There is no way it was a doll, it was a flat, square box. </center>
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She continues to rip off the paper as we all hold our breath. Well, once she saw that the box contained her own set of cooking utensils, she screamed "YES!!!!" over and over and kept jumping up and down. BEST reaction EVER, and my cousin wins the prize for best gift ever! </center>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mLGthKsgPU/WKM_5yDZcfI/AAAAAAAAMYk/wsc966ZIq1kzDK9kTPAaOFiJ6QuwTc2jwCLcB/s1600/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mLGthKsgPU/WKM_5yDZcfI/AAAAAAAAMYk/wsc966ZIq1kzDK9kTPAaOFiJ6QuwTc2jwCLcB/s640/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup.jpg" title="Williams Sonoma American Girl Cooking Utensils - making a spicy quinoa corn chowder. Cooking with kids is the best! " width="508" /></a></div>
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In addition to the cooking tools, we gave our daughter a set of plastic chopping knives, so she now has her own drawer in the kitchen with all of her tools. Every time she is ready to cook with me she pulls out every single tool, even if she only needs a knife and a spoon, grabs her stool and gets to work. </center>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--HeEYcuNcKg/WKM_5bBYftI/AAAAAAAAMYc/POF-5FQ5hgArL2ZXPRVPQvAlCe4CmdfsACEw/s1600/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--HeEYcuNcKg/WKM_5bBYftI/AAAAAAAAMYc/POF-5FQ5hgArL2ZXPRVPQvAlCe4CmdfsACEw/s640/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B2.jpg" title="Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder - a take on corn chowder using quinoa instead of potatoes, and with a spicy kick. Healthy yet hearty vegetarian corn chowder. " width="480" /></a></div>
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The last time we cooked together we made this Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder - a hearty yet healthy soup using quinoa in place of potatoes, and only a touch of cream. </center>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zh9ahHgQjI/WKM_5f-41iI/AAAAAAAAMYg/bd--FfWq6aIslyyP61SGRXZh9atXUbQ_gCEw/s1600/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zh9ahHgQjI/WKM_5f-41iI/AAAAAAAAMYg/bd--FfWq6aIslyyP61SGRXZh9atXUbQ_gCEw/s640/FBP%2Bquinoa%2Bsoup%2B5.jpg" title="Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder - a take on corn chowder using quinoa instead of potatoes, and with a spicy kick. Healthy yet hearty vegetarian corn chowder. " width="426" /></a></div>
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I like a bit of kick in my corn chowder, so the minced jalapeno adds just the perfect amount. I round it out with some chili powder and cumin for that smoky flavor. The next time you want a chowder, try using quinoa - it worked so well in this soup and one cup was a delicious and filling lunch. </center>
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<b>Spicy Quinoa Corn Chowder</b></center>
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<b>Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations</b></center>
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b></center>
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<li>1 Tbsp light olive oil</li>
<li>1 carrot, diced</li>
<li>1 stalk of celery, diced</li>
<li>1 small onion, diced</li>
<li>1 jalapeno, seeds and stems removed, minced</li>
<li>1/2 red bell pepper, diced</li>
<li>1 clove of garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 sm can creamed corn</li>
<li>3/4 c frozen corn</li>
<li>1/2 c quinoa, rinsed</li>
<li>1 tsp each chili powder and cumin</li>
<li>1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper</li>
<li>4 c low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth</li>
<li>1/2 c light cream</li>
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<b><i>Directions</i></b></div>
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<li>Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven</li>
<li>Add the carrots, celery and onion; saute 2 minutes</li>
<li>Add the jalapeno, garlic and red pepper; saute 2-3 minutes</li>
<li>Add the frozen corn and creamed corn; stir</li>
<li>Add the quinoa and spiced, stir to combine</li>
<li>Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and let simmer 15-20 minutes until quinoa has cooked through.</li>
<li>Add the cream and stir. Adjust seasoning if necessary</li>
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Mary Ellenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14955260596820276848noreply@blogger.com0