Help Me Decide…

One year when I was little, my dad made plum pudding for Christmas dinner and don’t ask me why, but I’ve been wanting to try it again since then. It seems like a very festive, very grown-up thing to cook. So I did what any sensible blogger does and hit Pinterest for recipes. Apparently, however, ‘plum pudding’ means a lot of different things, some of which are more cake-like and not so much with the pudding. I’ve narrowed it down to a few different possibilities but I really only have time to try one of these this year so…I’d love your opinion. Which of these sounds the best to you? Have you had plum or ‘Christmas’ pudding before? Did you like it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: allrecipes.co.uk via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

Source: tastemag.co.za via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: retroplanet.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: guardian.co.uk via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: octoberfarm.blogspot.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

I know. This is a highly momentous decision. Thoughts?

What is your favorite Christmas dish?

love, elizabeth

The Tuxedo of Spaghettis

I call this Tuxedo Spaghetti because it’s so fancy you need to put on a tuxedo to eat it.

….

Not really. But this spaghetti sauce is a healthy, veggie-rich crowd pleaser and super easy!

I realize Italian grandmas everywhere are throwing up their hands in horror but I like to start with an inexpensive can of           pre-made spaghetti sauce as a base. You can think of this recipe as putting a tuxedo on a $1.04 can of sauce.

I like to go crazy with the vegetables. You can put almost anything in a pasta sauce and this time I added mushrooms, red bell pepper, yellow onion, zucchini, and tomatoes. (You can also try eggplant, carrots, squash, asparagus, and other peppers.) I have a finicky husband so I chopped the zucchini super fine and he swears he didn’t even taste it so if you’re feeding non-veggie-lovers you can sneak extra vitamins and nutrients in easily.

I’m a garlic fiend so I diced up four cloves but you can edit this to taste. If you’re feeling EXTRA adventurous, you can stir in a few tablespoons of an inexpensive table wine, too.

I stirred all the veggies together with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir-fried until tender. TIP: I kept the tomatoes separate and added them right before serving for a less stew-like texture.

I added two cans of sauce to make what Kyle likes to call “a vat of spaghetti.” He could seriously eat this for the next three or four meals and be totally happy. It’s his favorite kind of leftovers and it also freezes well (although some vegetables hold up better than others at subzero). If you’re feeding carnivores, you can add browned ground beef, chicken, or meatballs to this recipe. TIP: For the extra health-conscious, switch to a whole-grain pasta for extra fiber and watch the portion sizes. I overdid it a tad here.

Serve with a mozzarella or parmesan garnish and a little black dress wine and presto, digito, minuto, delicios-o, you’ve made Tuxedo Spaghetti.

Lol. All the actual blog cooks who are reading this: “So…you added some vegetables to your sauce and heated it up. It’s a freaking spaghetti revolution in here.”

Do you have a dressed-up version of a simple recipe?

love, elizabeth

Vote for Thanksgiving Stuffing and a Giveaway Winner

First of all, many apologies to my blogging community for my nearly week-long absence. It was a crazy week at school and I lost my blog time. But I am BACK.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday because it’s the one day I feel totally confident about my cooking. I love making a mountain of food and eating leftovers for the whole next week. I love getting up early and starting the turkey. I love peeling potatoes and watching cheesy Christmas movies and drinking cheap wine and dancing around in my apron and pajamas. It’s pretty much my favorite day of the year.

Source: Uploaded by user via Elizabeth on Pinterest

 

For whatever reason, homemade dressing is the thing that always intimidates me and I always end up with a box of Stove Top and a whole lotta shame. But not this year. THIS year, I am going to conquer Thanksgiving dressing. I’m torn, though. I have two recipes I'm thinking of trying. So I need your thoughts…

Should I make Carmelized Onion and Herb Stuffing courtesy of Real Simple Magazine OR Cornbread Dressing handed down from my grandmother?

Decisions, decisions.

Oh, yeah, and I’m pleased to announce the winner of the vintage handkerchief giveaway!

And entry #4 is…

 

Congratulations, Kate! Send me an email with your address and I will get your gift in the mail right away…

love, elizabeth

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

Yesterday was cool and rainy and I was definitely feeling the whole kitchen thing. I had spotted a recipe for stuffed peppers attached to a coupon in the Sunday paper a couple weeks ago and clipped it. Here’s the modified version I made for dinner last night.

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice (I used Basmati but it would probably be great with Jasmine or brown rice, too)
• Large red, yellow, and orange bell peppers (1 pepper a person)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 package fully-cooked chicken sausage (I used Johnsonville Chicken Apple Sausage and it was delicious) thinly sliced/diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 package of fresh mushrooms, chopped (I used portabella but I think cremini or anything else would work well)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 1 teaspoon, fresh sage, fresh oregano chopped

Cook rice. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove pepper tops and seeds.

Brush with olive oil inside and out. Lightly salt and pepper inside.

Roast peppers, open tops up in oven for 30 min.

While peppers are roasting, saute sausage, onion, mushrooms, and herbs with 1-2 T olive oil on stovetop. Add chopped apple. Cook until all tender.

Stir in rice and heat through.

Fill peppers and serve. Garnish with pepper tops, if desired.

This was a light, satisfying meal and served about 4. Will totally make this again. I think it’s a company-worthy dish and looks so pretty on the plate. I also think this would be yummy without the meat, for any of my vegetarian/vegan readers.

 

What about you? Anyone have a fall recipe they’ve been itching to try?

love, elizabeth

PS: I hope you’re getting excited because it’s going to be Friday very soon…in case you haven’t heard, I’ll be announcing the fall giveaway!

How to Look Like a Cook When You Don’t Feel Like It

Need a yummy fall-ish Sunday dinner recipe? Have company coming for a meal? Need to impress your mother-in-law with you’re a-mazing cooking prowess? Just don’t feel like making a big, fancy meal today?

Meet the best slow-cooker recipe you will ever make. It’s pretty much a staple around our house and Kyle’s absolute favorite. It’s my stand-by, my old faithful, my uh-oh-we-invited-our-neighbors-to-dinner-and-I-don’t-have-time-to-cook recipe…

Cranberry Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken (I like boneless, skinless thighs but you can use whatever)

1 16-oz can whole cranberry sauce

2 T dry onion soup mix

2 T instant or quick-cooking tapioca

Where are the rest of the ingredients?? you ask. What kind of game are you playing, Elizabeth?

The directions are kind of complicated so read slowly. First, dump ingredients in crockpot (I usually go chicken, then berries, then tapioca and soup mix, followed by stirring). Next, turn crockpot on (this is very important and I have forgotten this step in the past). Wait 2 1/2-3 hours (if on high) or 5-6 hours (if on low). Eat.

Seriously, though. I have never had someone NOT love this meal. You can serve it with anything. I like mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes (like I’m doing today) but you can also use rice, pasta, bread, or just a side salad or veggies. The leftovers heat up great, too, and are delicious on a sandwich.

In case anyone’s wondering, the original recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens’ All Time Favorites Slow Cooker 2005. Just so we’re clear that I didn’t invent this impossibly perfect slow cooker meal.

What about you? Anyone have a recipe they can’t live without?

love, elizabeth

PS: It will make your home smell like you’ve been slaving away in a kitchen all day, cooking like a fiend. When, in fact, you went to work, got a pedicure, went for a walk, read a novel, took a hot bath… and then set the table. Bam.

Adventures in Domesticity: "Safe in Her Arms Bruschetta Pasta"

For those of you who have experienced my cooking, you know that while I LOVE great cookbooks, that I'm a huge fan of experimentation in the kitchen. Behold, my newest recipe! I've named it for its significance in the moment. Kyle said something to the dog tonight after dinner like, "When Mommy holds us, everything seems better, doesn't it?" So I present to you a very easy Italian-inspired dish, named in honor of my sweet husband's words.

Safe in Her Arms Bruschetta Pasta

(Serves 2-4)

Grape or cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mushrooms (I used portabella but I think another variety would work great, too)
Fresh mozarella (parmesan, asiago, feta, or romano could be substituted)
Garlic (fresh or minced)
White wine (just a splash of whatever bottle you happen to have open)
Olive oil
Butter (margarine or olive oil may be substituted)
Salt
Linguine pasta

Saute mushrooms (I used half a package for the two of us) with a splash of white wine, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 1/4 tablespoon of butter until soft.

Chop cooked mushrooms finely.

Slice tomatoes thinly (I like the grape or cherry variety because they make perfectly sized circles).

Chop fresh basil (I used 8-10 leaves) finely.

Chop fresh garlic (or use minced). I'm a fan of the garlic so I probably used more than most people would like. I recommend no more than 2 cloves for the average diner (or 1 tablespoon of minced).

Stir together. Add 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste, mixing thoroughly.
Serve over bed of pasta with sliced mozarella.

Here's the finished product:

Adventures in Domesticity: Thanksgiving Part One

Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite days of the year. Because for me, it's no just a day to redefine gluttony (although, that usually happens at our house). No, Thanksgiving is a harbinger of CHRISTMAS. Thanksgiving weekend, we drag out the Christmas tree and decorations, we put on the cheesy holiday movies, we do the majority of our holiday shopping (although this year, I've already done most of it to beat the rush). So I start counting down to Thanksgiving Day as soon as possible. I swear, the day after Halloween, it's like I can hear the Butterballs calling to me from the down the grocery aisle. This year, I thought I'd share some of my recipes and traditions, both old and new.

Normally, I make my grandmother's orange-cranberry jello salad but this year I'm trying something new:

Bourbon-Cranberry Compote
(Serves 8)

1 12 oz bag cranberries, fresh or frozen (3 1/2 cups)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. apple juice
1/4 c. bourbon

Combine ingredients in saucepan.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and the sauce thickens, 20-25 min. Cool before serving.

- from Real Simple magazine, November 2010, p. 247

So what about you guys? What are your plans for Thanksgiving Day? What traditions do you and your family have? Are you doing anything different this year?