Veal Patties with Chives

The other day when I was at the store and ground veal was on sale, so I picked up a pound. Then I got home and I realized I had no idea what to make with it.

So I searched online a bit and found this recipe which I thought looked pretty interesting. So I decided to give it a whirl, with some changes of course (aka did NOT use mushrooms)!

My husband and I both had the same word to describe this meal - different. Not BAD different- just different! We both really enjoyed it very much and it was a great diversion from the normal chicken or beef dinner.
Ingredients
Adapted from Epicurious.com, originally from Gourmet, February 2006

2 slices firm white sandwich bread, coarsely crumbled
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 1/4 lb ground veal
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs - not seasoned (I used Panko Breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut into sixths (I omitted)

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.

Soak bread in cream in a large bowl 5 minutes. Stir in egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon chives until blended well. Add veal and mix with your hands until combined well. Form veal mixture into 4 (4-inch) patties. Spread dry bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper and coat patties all over.

Heat oil with 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook patties, carefully turning over once, until golden brown, firm to the touch, and thermometer inserted into center of each registers 148°F, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer patties to an ovenproof platter and keep warm, covered with foil, in oven. Do not clean skillet.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms (I actually used onions), stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chives and salt and pepper to taste. (I also added 2-3 tablespoons of cream to thicken it up a bit.)

Serve veal patties topped with mushrooms (or onions!)

Potato Focaccia

One of my favorite things to bake is bread. I love kneading the dough, watching it rise, and the smell as it bakes in the oven. I also love to find new recipes for bread, just to keep things interesting, so I was very excited when I found this recipe for potato focaccia. However, as I read this recipe I realized it was only half finished! There was no instructions for cook time or temperature. So, I figured it out and it turned out great.

Not only is there a potato in the dough which results in a very moist and airy bread, the top has layers of thinly sliced potatoes and caramelized onions. This is a delicious bread that pairs perfectly with soups or salads. It's flavorful on its own, or as an accompaniment to any main course.

Ingredients
Adapted from Epicurious

1 Tbs active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp table salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour or as needed
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 medium sized russet potato
3 small sized red potatoes
5 cloves garlic, roasted
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions
Peel russet potato and boil until soft. Mash or push through a potato ricer (I pushed the potato through a fine meshed sieve with a spoon which worked great) and set aside. In large bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar over 1/2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining water and sugar, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, table salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat with the paddle attachment until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the potato and 1/2 cup of flour and beat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the diced onions. Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Remove the paddle attachment and replaced with the dough hook. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft, moist and somewhat sticky. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for about an hour, until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tbsp. olive oil until hot. Add sliced onion to pan as well as a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, on low until caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle onions with about 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, stir and set aside.

Spray a heavy cookie sheet with non stick spray. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough into a rectangular or oval shape approximately 1 inch thick. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for another hour. With oiled fingers, flatten and press the dough a second time until about 1 inch thick. Make deep indentions 1 inch apart and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice red potatoes. Lay out potatoes on dough in 3 rows, and sprinkle on caramelized onions and roasted garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown. If the onions and garlic are browing up too quickly, cover the pan very loosely with foil. Remove from oven, cut and serve hot.

Mujadrah

I'm pretty sure I'm still not saying this correctly, since I first 'heard' of it browsing through Good Things Catered last week. But I decided to try it since it looked like a healthy side dish. And that it was.

And not only was it healthy it's super filling and comforting. This could easily be a meal in and of itself (which I'm guessing it probably is supposed to be) but it also worked great as a satisfying side.

Lentils, brown rice, caramelized onions...what's not to love?!
Ingredients
Source: Good Things Catered

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
4 c. water (for some reason I had to use way more then this...the rice and lentils kept absorbing all the water but it wasn't finished cooking. I'd say I used at least 5 cups, but I started with 4 and just kept adding more until it was right.)
1 c. lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 c. long grain brown rice (I used short grain since it was all I had...this worked fine)

optional (non traditional):
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/16 tsp ground allspice

Directions
-Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat.
-Add onions and salt and cook until they are deeply caramelized. (This takes a while but be patient).
-After about 35-60 minutes (usually takes me about 45 minutes) the onions will be a rich amber color and darker in spots.
-Make sure not to burn, it will turn the taste of the entire dish.
-When the onions are ready add the garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add water and deglaze the pan, scraping up all browned bits.
-Add lentils and bring to a boil.
-Cover pan and cook for 15 minutes.
-Add rice and stir to combine.
-Recover pan and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until rice is done.
-Mix thoroughly, cover and turn heat off.
-Let sit until slightly cooled and thickened, with no liquid left in the pan.
-It is now ready to serve: plate and season with salt and pepper to bring out taste.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

I have to admit, the main reason I decided to try this soup was because I wanted to use my immersion blender. I've had it for over a year now and have never really had the opportunity to use it! So I decided to look for a recipe where I could use my sort of new immersion blender.

When I found this soup, I thought it would be perfect for my immersion blender test run. It looked super healthy and the ingredients were all things that I like. And what really got me was that it looked like a creamy soup (my favorite) without cream! So I was sold on it!

This soup was just great! I turned it into a "one pot" meal which worked perfectly and made for very little clean up. It was easy to make and tasted just great. My husband even liked it...and he was a bit skeptical at first. It tasted just like a cream based soup but happily there was no cream! This is a healthy, satisfying and just plain delicious soup.

Ingredients
Source: My Man's Belly

1 Medium Head Cauliflower (roughly chopped)
2 Leeks, White and Light Green Part Only (cut in half lengthwise) (I used one leek)
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 onion, diced (I added this)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 14 Ounce Cans Chicken Stock (I used about 1 carton of chicken stock)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a stove/oven safe dutch oven (I used enameled cast iron), put in cauliflower, leeks, garlic and onions. Drizzle olive oil over everything and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss together so the veggies are coated in the olive oil.

Roast uncovered in oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring vegetables after about 20 minutes. After about 45 minutes or so, vegetables should be brown on edges and slightly softened.

Transfer dutch oven to the stovetop and add 2 cans of chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (stick blender), thoroughly puree all contents of the saucepan. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be careful putting hot liquids in a blender as they can cause the lid to come flying off sending your yummy soup all over your kitchen. (You can vent the lid a little to help reduce the chance of this happening.)

Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Confession: I decided I wanted to make this after having watched the movie Julie & Julia. After seeing this movie, I was totally inspired to make a Julia Child's recipe since I've never done so and the beef bourguignon looked like something I could actually handle.

This was simply really, really, really good beef stew (well, in my case a venison stew since I used venison). It was certainly much more complex then the beef stew that I usually make in the crock pot. It required careful timing and a good deal of prep work, but it certainly was a very manageable recipe. But I honestly have to say that my favorite part of the whole recipe was the brown braised onions. OH MY GOSH. Amazing is all I have to say. Those onions were melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked, flavorful perfection. I found myself picking the onions out of the stew to eat them by themselves. Yum.

But this really was a great recipe. I had a lot of fun making it, especially knowing how many other people have made it before me. Oh, and of course I skipped the mushrooms in this. Because we all know how I feel about mushrooms.

I found the link to the recipe on Pantry Raid and instead of typing the whole thing out, I'll just link you to the PDF so you can see the recipe right out of the book, and so I don't mess anything up by typing it. Enjoy!

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Brown Braised Onions

Julia Child's Brown Braised Onions

I thought these needed a post to themselves. They were amazing in Beef Bourguignon, but they are also just a perfect side dish to I'd say just about any meal. They are just so amazing that I can't even describe how amazing they are. Did I mention they are amazing?! :)

And since this is a Julia Child's recipe, I'll link right to the PDF from the cookbook. Enjoy!

Brown Braised Onions

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

As soon as I told my husband we were having "Spaghetti Squash Casserole" for a side dish that night, I instantly knew what he was thinking before he could say a thing.

Spaghetti and squash? in a casserole? Yuck!

I let him stew for a minute to ponder this idea before I told him Spaghetti Squash is a type of squash. I wasn't going to be combining spaghetti and butternut. He instantly looked relieved.

This was my first time using a spaghetti squash and I was definitely impressed. We both liked this casserole as a side dish very much and I loved how easy it was to make. This was a great weeknight side dish that is perfect for this time of year. I'll definitely make this again.

Ingredients
Adapted from All Recipes.com

3 pounds spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (I omitted as I don't like mushrooms)
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices bread, cubed (I used a few handfuls of plain stuffing bread that I had left over)
salt
pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Cook squash on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until tender. Shred with a fork once cooled slightly, then transfer to a lightly oiled casserole dish, discarding shell. Do not turn off the oven.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions, mushrooms, and basil until onions are translucent and tender. Stir onion mixture and sour cream into the squash until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with bread cubes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through and top is lightly browned and toasted. Enjoy!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I got the idea for this meal last year from a co worker who says this is how she prepares her acorn squash. It sounded like a perfect fall side dish. So I tried it last year and have made it many, many, many times since then (so it's tried and true).

If thanksgiving was one dish, this would be it. The delicious Acorn squash mixed with the comforting flavors on classic stuffing make for a hearty side that everyone will love. This is certainly a treat that is perfect for this time of year!

Ingredients
Inspiration for idea: My Coworker
Source of Classic Stuffing Recipe: Martha Stewart

1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds removed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2-3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
Aprox. 2 cups chicken stock
2-3 big thick slices of homemade french bread (you'll need more bread if you have thin slices) and cut into 1 inch cubes
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Make sure squash will stand up straight (hollowed-side up) without tipping over. If it does, cut off the tip of the bottom until it will stand up. Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, poke a few small holes into the hollowed section of the squash. Place 1/2 tbsp of butter and brown sugar on both halves of squash. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender and onions are translucent (about 5-10 minutes). Add sage and stir to combine, cook about 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl add onion/celery mixture, bread, and more chicken stock. I honestly never measure the chicken stock so 1 1/2 cups (after the 1/2 cup already used) is just an approximation. Just add a little bit at a time until the bread has soaked up most of the liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff stuffing into your acorn squash until completely filled up. Put into oven and bake for 1 hour. Check the stuffing after about 20 minutes until the end of cook time. If the stuffing looks like it's getting two brown I simply put an empty sheet pan on the rack above the squash which prevents burning. Serve hot.

White Chicken Chili

After I told my good friend Julie that I had never had White Chicken Chili, she urged me to try this recipe and I was very anxious to do so! The weather is getting very cold (it actually SNOWED a bit north of where I live earlier this week!) and I am officially in the mood for soups and stews.

This recipe went above and beyond my expectations. It was perfectly seasoned and had a great, hearty flavor that is perfect for fall. It's also a 1-pot meal which is easy and great for clean up! This recipe is for the archives, you will absolutely love it.

Directions

Source: My friend Julie who got the recipe from her "Church Suppers" Cookbook

1 lb. BS chicken, cubed (about 2 large breasts)

1 onion, chopped

1-1/2 t. garlic powder (I used 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic instead)

1 T. oil

2 15 ½ oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

14 ½ oz. can chicken broth

2 4 oz. cans green chilies (I used 1 can which I thought was the perfect amount of heat for me)

1 t. salt

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. dried oregano

½ t. pepper

¼ t. cayenne pepper

8 oz. container sour cream

½ cup whipping cream

aprox. 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I added this)

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Top with a sprinkle of cheddar. Serve immediately.

Brie Cheese and Roast Beef Panini

When my mom and I visited one of our favorite restaurants for lunch, I decided to try the special of the day. A roast beef panini with brie cheese and caramelized onions on sourdough bread. After the first bite, I was in panini heaven. The tender beef, soft onions and melty brie cheese all harmonized in one truly amazing panini. As soon as I finished it I knew I had to make it for my husband. It's really an easy panini to make and results in a great and hearty lunch.

Ingredinets
Adapted from one of my favorite restaurants

4 slices sourdough bread (for 2 sandwiches)
1 small onion, sliced
aprox. 1/2 circle brie cheese cut into think chunch and with the rind removed
thinly sliced roast beef
aprox. 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sugar
butter, softened

Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add about 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add onions and a pinch of sugar. Cook for about 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are wilted and caramelized. Set aside.

Butter 1 side of each piece of bread, and on the other side add roast beef, caramelized onions and pieces of brie cheese. Add as much as you want to each sandwich. Top with other slice of bread, buttered side out.

Place each sandwich on a preheated panini maker, and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the outside of the sandwich is golden brown. Remove, and using a serated knife cut sandiwich on an angle. Serve hot, and with horseradish if desired.

Zucchini Feta Casserole

This is by far one of my favorite summertime dishes. It's fresh, flavorful and filling! I always end up with way too many zucchinis from my garden, so this is a great recipe to make because it uses a whole zucchini. My inspiration was originally from a Cooking Light recipe, however I have altered it to my tastes quite a bit over the years, so I don't think it's much like the original! The reason I like this meal so much is because you can adapt it to suit your mood and tastes. Sometimes I add tomatoes, use different cheeses, or add in chopped chicken breast. I was also thinking that artichokes would be great in this, although I haven't tried that yet. In addition, it's a really quite a healthy recipe! Overall, this meal is the perfect summertime dinner.
Ingredients
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 14.5 oz. box Penne Pasta
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped and cooked (optional)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (optional)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, then zucchini, onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes or until onion is tender and opaque, and zucchini is wilted. Then add tomatoes (if desired) and cook for another 5 minutes or until tomatoes are soft. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock and flour until thoroughly combined, then add to vegetables. Cook for another minute or two, until sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, zucchini mixture, feta cheese, and cooked chicken (if desired) until combined. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over entire casserole and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

BLT Macaroni Salad

Now that food from the grill is officially in our regular dinner rotation, it was high time I made some macaroni salad to go along with it! I found this recipe on Buns in my Oven and was anxious to give it a try as a departure from my 'regular' standby.

We thought this was really good! I mean, who doesn't love bacon....in anything? It definitely takes on a whole new feel and taste with the addition of the green onions and tomatoes, but they were a welcome addition! And I know that there is technically no "L" in the BLT Mac salad, but I think the green onions kind of give it that 'green' feel that one would be looking for in a BLT! All in all this was a great recipe that I'm sure to be making again!!!

Ingredients
Source: Buns in my Oven

1lb. macaroni pasta
8 slices bacon
2 medium-large tomatoes (I only used 1 tomato as my husband isn't a huge fan of tomato 'chunks')
2-3 bunches of green onions, plus extra for garnish
1 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup white vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and pour into large mixing bowl.

2. Fry 8 slices of bacon and, when cool enough to handle, crumble into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

3. Chop tomatoes and green onions, add to small mixing bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Pour mayonnaise mixture over macaroni and stir together well. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

5. Serve in a pretty dish with some chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Beer and Cheddar Risotto

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I have to admit that I've had the recipe bookmarked for ages now. I knew it would be something my husband would really like but I wasn't too sure about it. I really, really dislike beer, and this called for a whole bottle so I was honestly avoiding making it. But when I couldn't think of another side to make for my Cornish Game Hens, I decided to give this a whirl.

I was honestly very, very pleasantly surprised how this came out. The beer added flavor without being overwhelming. The cheddar made it wonderfully cheesy with a fantastic bite (I used very sharp cheddar!). This was probably the most flavorful risotto I've made to date, and all of the flavors, textures, etc. worked perfectly together. This was a fabulous recipe that I will most certainly be making again!

Ingredients
Adapted From Cooking This and That
Originally from FayeD on the What's Cooking board on the Nest

1/2 small onion, diced (I used 1 onion)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2+ tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
12 oz. bottle of beer (preferably not light beer) (I used Michelob Ultra which is light and it was totally fine!)
49.5 ounce can of chicken broth
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted)

Directions

Pour chicken broth into medium saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Heat large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat just until butter is melted. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Turn heat to medium-high and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Add rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until opaque, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice.

Pour in beer, turn heat up to high until it starts to simmer.

Turn heat back to medium-low and add the chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid dissolves. You may not need to use all of the chicken broth - risotto should be creamy and just slightly al dente. This should take 30 minutes or more.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and cayenne pepper.

Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Focaccia

Focaccia Bread has been on my list of things to make for a while now, so as soon as I saw this recipe on Good Things Catered, I printed it out and made it on the earliest day possible and I'm so glad I did! I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with bread, caramelized onions, roasted garlic and lemon? You can't! There is no possible way! My husband and I absolutely loved this bread. And in addition to being absolutely delicious, it was one of the easiest breads I have ever made which is a huge plus!

Whether you make this for company or just dinner for two, you will be so glad you did. It will most certainly dress up your table and your meal.

Ingredients:
Source: Good Things Catered

1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water, 110 degrees
1 1/2 c. milk, room temp
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp for onion
5 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced (I didn't have thyme, so I used a full sprig of rosemary and it was just wonderful!)
2 small yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced (I used about 1 1/2 onions, but they were very large)
5 garlic cloves, roasted (or roasted while dough is rising) and halved from end to end
1/2 lemon, sliced very thin
kosher salt

Directions
-In medium bowl, combine warm water and sprinkle with yeast.
-Let stand until frothy, about 5-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile combine flour, salt and thyme in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
-Once yeast mixture is frothy, add milk and olive oil and stir to combine well
-Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and turn mixer on low to combine well.
-Fit mixer with bread hook and knead until mixture is not sticky, but springy and elastic, about 5 minutes.
-Remove dough from bowl, wipe out, spray with non-stick spray, knead dough on counter into a ball.
-Place dough back into bowl, cover with a cloth and let sit in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium low heat, add an additional olive oil until hot.
-Add onions to pan as well as a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, on low until caramelized, about 25-30 minutes.
-Place in bowl and set aside.
-Once dough is risen, spray a large jelly roll pan with nonstick spray.
-Punch dough down and spread out over jelly roll pan evenly.
-Top with caramelized onions, halved roasted garlic, and lemon slices.
-Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Using finger tips, make small indentations across the dough.
-Drizzle very lightly with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle top with kosher salt to taste, and place in oven to bake.
-Bake until turning slightly golden brown, about 25-30minutes.
-Remove from oven, let cool for at least 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Rosemary Couscous with garlic and shallots

Confession: I've never had couscous. Well, until last night that is. On my quest for healthy and different side dishes, I stumbled upon couscous. It seemed like it couldn't be easier to make, and could be adapted to suit many different flavors. So I had some rosemary that I wanted to use before it went bad, so I added some of that with the garlic and shallots. I thought it was absolutely delicious! The texture was really pleasing to me. And while I'm not sure if this could even be considered a "recipe" because it was so easy, I thought it was great and should be shared!

Ingredients
3/4 cup dry couscous
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
4-7 rosemary "leaves", minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add about 1/2 - 1 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic, shallots and rosemary and cook for about 10 minutes or until rosemary is fragrant and shallots are soft and almost translucent. Set aside.

In a medium pot, add water, chicken stock, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Bring just to a boil and add couscous and all of your softened shallots, garlic and rosemary. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for about 5 minutes, and salt and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork. Serves 2.

Oven Baked Onion Rings

The other day I was in the mood for Onion Rings but was not in the mood for all the fat that deep frying brings! So I baked them! It was really easy to make and a great side dish for some simple chicken wraps. I knew how I was going to make them, but checked out this website for an oven temp. and baking time. Also, I used an organic yellow onion (all I had) but next time I will use a Vidalia. There just didn't seem to be enough onion taste coming through. But other then that, they were great!

Ingredients
Adapted from Cooks.com

1 onion, sliced into rings
1/4 - 1/2 cup AP flour
1 egg white
2 tbsp skim milk
1/2-1 cup plain Panko Bread crumbs
salt
pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray a large baking sheet covered with foil with non stick spray. Sprinkle onion rings with salt and pepper to taste.

In one bowl, place flour. In another, mix together egg white and milk with a fork. In a third bowl, place Panko.

Dust onion rings with flour until coated thoroughly. Then, dip in egg white mixture. Next, cover in Panko making sure there is a nice coating. Place in a single row on your baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Shallots

I think asparagus is just naturally pretty. Something about it entices me, so it is usually my veggie of choice. I usually roast it just like this, just because it's so easy to do and always comes out great. It always dresses up the plate. So enjoy this pretty veggie - in sight and taste!

Ingredients

Asparagus (as much as you want!) rinsed and dried
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray it with non-stick spray. Lay your asparagus on the baking sheet in a single layer, and sprinkle it with your garlic, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over all of the asparagus. Roast in oven for about 10-12 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and shallots look semi-translucent to translucent.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Over the weekend my husband and I had SUCH a taste for pulled pork sandwiches! I have never made them, and we haven't been to our local BBQ joint in ages! So I found a recipe on Colleen's awesome food blog: Cooking this and that and gave it a go this past weekend. The recipe couldn't have been simpler and the pulled pork couldn't have been more delicious! My husband and I agreed that this is a fabulous recipe and one that I will be keeping for the archives!
Ingredients
Adapted from Cooking this and that

2 lb pork tenderloin or cut of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 bottle of barbecue sauce of your choice (I use Dinosaur BBQ Roasted Garlic Honey BBQ sauce which is amazing!!!)
salt
pepper

Directions

Pour a little BBQ sauce in your slow cooker to completely coat the bottom. Place pork tenderloin in slow cooker, and rub with a little salt, pepper and all of your minced garlic. Spread chopped onions over pork. Pour remaining BBQ sauce over everything to coat. Cook on low for 7 hours. Shred the pork with 2 forks and cook for 1 additional hour. Serve on fresh kaiser rolls.