Since it is the beginning of the year, I've been enjoying cooking my way through the Southern Living 2008 cookbook (Mama gets me a copy each year, and I love trying their new recipes--and John likes picking out ones for me to try) and through the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook from Missy. Ones that I've liked from Southern Living (with links, in case this makes you hungry):
Creole Fried Rice (I skipped the chicken thighs and used more andouille--have lots of sausage fans in this family!)
Green Bean, Grape, and Pasta Toss (Sounds weird, unless you're a big fan of broccoli salad like me! Unlike broccoli salad, this is best eaten within the first 24-36 hours--after that, the green beans got a little mushy on me. Would be a good side to grilled chicken or pork chops.)
Smokin' Mac'n'Cheese (I substituted regular Gouda for smoked--last time I used a smoked cheese, it overwhelmed the dish, so now I'm scared of that ingredient. Half-smoked, half-regular would probably be good. John didn't love the corn flakes on top--I usually use cheese or sometimes breadcrumbs to top macaroni and cheese, so will do that next time with this recipe. Will gobbled it up.)
Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes (I thought for sure Will would love this--I roast sweet potatoes a lot as a side dish, so this is pretty similar, with different spices and added apples. He just picked at it though. John and I liked it a lot.)
The Back to Basics Cookbook by the Barefoot Contessa has also been fun--I haven't made quite as many things because she uses some ingredients that are off limits to me at the moment (goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, and wine--I think the small amount of wine in the recipe wouldn't hurt, but what's the fun in cooking with wine if you can't enjoy a glass while you cook?!). Ina is pretty proprietary about her recipes, and she only posts them on foodnetwork.com for a limited time, so I've learned to print out and save the ones that I love. However, I did find a link for her Brownie Pudding to share with you (after clicking the link, scroll to the bottom)--this dessert is sooooo good, although it is very, very rich. I made it incorrectly the first time (my eyes are terrible, so I mistook 3/4 cup of cocoa powder to be 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, and I also undercooked it), so we ended up with something that was more like chocolate soup. The second time turned out awesome, however. Don't forget to buy some ice cream to have with it!
While we're talking about the Contessa, I have to include the link for maybe my all-time favorite recipe of hers--it's not in the cookbook, although she does mention it in her intro. It's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, and I make it pretty often (in fact, we're having it tomorrow night). It's an adaptable recipe--last year when we had access to the fantastic farmer's market in Greensboro, I would buy whatever interesting vegetables I saw and throw them in. We tried all kinds of eggplant using this recipe--white, lavender, even striped!
So that's what I've been up to in the kitchen--but I need a little help with my next project. I'm trying to find some recipes to make ahead and freeze for after the baby's arrival. So if you have any recipe that "freezes beautifully," please send them to me!!! (PS...who knows who I'm quoting, and what movie???)
11 years ago
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Daryl Hannah in Steel Magnolias! Do I win anything? =)
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