Nov 7th, 2010 // Giveaway
Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite time of year. I like the holiday, I like being with friends and family, I like the ritual, I like the turkey, but mostly I like the sides. I love Thanksgiving sides so much I would marry them. I wouldn’t even miss the turkey if it wasn’t there. (I would, however, miss the friends and family.) In honor of my favorite holiday we will be experimenting with Thanksgiving sides all week! We may even do two per day so check back often. We’re also giving away one of my most used kitchen sidekicks, a Mini Prep Food Processor.
We’ll start with our first Thanksgiving side by noon on the 11/9. We’ll post at least one (sometimes two) new recipes every day through 11/16. All you have to do is comment on one of our Thanksgiving sides recipes to be entered to win the Cuisinart Prep Plus Food Processor. If you want more chances to win, come back each day and enter another comment. (Only one comment per Thanksgiving side recipe please.) The giveaway will close at midnight on 11/16 and the winner will be selected at random from all the comments received. Can’t wait to hear from you!
Fine print: This giveaway is intended for play in the United States. Giveaway must be shipped to a valid address within the 50 United States. Void where prohibited by law.
Nov 6th, 2010 // Swell Suppers
We hope you are enjoying our Swell Supper Series. On this week’s dinner menu: Balsamic & Tomato Chicken served with Cous Cous Cakes and Dill & Cheddar Popovers followed by Quick Apple Crumble for dessert. It isn’t exactly a one-pot meal but it’s what I like to call a one-oven meal. By adjusting the temperature and cooking time, you can get several elements of the meal done ‘”in one oven.” Start preparing your Swell Supper by peeling apples for this Quick Apple Crumble. Toss them in lemon juice and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then prepare the Cous Cous Cakes according to the recipe and set aside. (You’ll cook it later.) Meanwhile, prepare this amazingly easy Balsamic & Tomato Chicken recipe. Pop the chicken in the oven and set your timer for 35 minutes. (Note: the chicken recipe calls for cooking at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, but since we are cooking at 375 it’s going to take more time.)
Once the chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, place the Cous Cous Cakes in the oven as well. (Note: the recipe calls for the Cous Cous Cakes to be cooked at 350 for 30 minutes. Since we are cooking them at 375, we want to cook them for a shorter period of time so as not to over cook.) Place your empty popover pans in the oven to warm up while the other items are cooking. You’ll need them to make these Dill & Cheddar Popovers.
While the chicken and Cous Cous Cakes are in the oven, prepare the batter according to this Dill & Cheddar Popover recipe. When the chicken timer goes off test to see if it is done by poking it with your finger. If it bounces right back it’s done. Be sure not to over cook – it will still cook when it’s out of the oven! Once set, remove Cous Cous Cakes from the oven and place the tin on top of the stove. (The stove top should be warm due to the heat radiating from your oven. This is a good way to keep things warm.) When the chicken is done remove it from the oven and place on top of the stove top as well. Turn the oven temp up to 425 degrees. Cover the chicken and the Cous Cous Cakes with foil and let rest. Remove the popover pans from the oven, spray them liberally, fill them with batter and return them to the oven. Set your timer for 30 minutes and remember not to peek. Let the Balsamic Chicken rest covered on your stove top for 10 minutes and use the time to assemble the rest of the Quick Apple Crumble.
Set aside the crumble and start plating the Balsamic Chicken and Cous Cous cakes. Put the plates on the table and line a basket with a cloth napkin. Let folks know dinner is ready and by the time they are all seated the Cheddar & Dill Popovers should be ready. Remove from oven when the timer goes off, turn the heat down to 350 degrees and transfer the Cheddar & Dill Popovers to your prepared basket. Place the basket on the table, pop the Quick Apple Crumble in the oven and sit down to enjoy your meal. The crumble should be done by the time you’ve finished eating and started cleaning up. Once the crumble is done, remove it from oven and let rest for a few moments before serving with vanilla ice cream. Now doesn’t that sound swell?
Nov 6th, 2010 // Breakfast, Drinks, Recipes
Imagine my surprise when my kid came bounding into my bedroom at 6:30am begging to make a smoothie for breakfast. It wasn’t so much the hour that was surprising (unfortunately) and it wasn’t so much the smoothie request that was surprising it was one the ingredients he requested that blew me away.
He asked to make a smoothie using whole carrots. He wanted to start off the day quick like a rabbit. I was a little skeptical thinking he wouldn’t like it, but I obliged.
He eagerly filled the bender and watched intently as the carrot chunks swirled around turning to pulp. Even as he took his first sip I wasn’t sure that the cooking experiment would be a success, but it turns out he knew what he wanted. He sucked the entire cup down and asked for seconds. Now for the recipe…
Read more after the jump…
Nov 5th, 2010 // Dinner, Recipes
There’s something so autumnal about a warm bowl of chili on a cool fall day. Here in Los Angeles, where the leaves barely change and it’s 80 degrees in November, we still do our best to celebrate the seasons.
This fall we had some friends over for a weeknight dinner. Using the rice cooker to make the chili kept our hands free to pull together the rest of the meal.
Irma and Mike, who were here for our very first Cooking With My Kid experiment, each had two bowls full. My husband and Mike grew up together in Texas. They ate quite a lot of BBQ in their youth. Now they are both vegetarians.
Shana, who I met in my teens, used to be a vegetarian but it turns out she’s eating meat these days. Regardless, she loved the chili too. Now for the recipe…
Read more after the jump…
Nov 4th, 2010 // Uncategorized
Remember our Prudent [Kitchen] Advice Giveaway? It’s about time we announced a winner, isn’t it? The winner selected at random was Marisa who said “Read the recipe. Twice. Three times, even. All the way through. THEN start. And if you’re doubling/halving/etc., write down the newly calculated quantities before you start. Most of my mistakes happen when I don’t heed my own advice.”
I’m loving my copy of Prudent Advice: Lessons for My Baby Daughter. Can’t wait until my little girl is old enough to benefit from the wisdom Jaime has imparted.
