Roasted Potatoes with North Indian Spices

These potatoes were amazing. I know these will be a regular in our house.



Roasted Potatoes with North Indian Spices(CookingLight.com)

Ingredients
3 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 pounds small red potatoes, halved (about 8 cups)
1 3/4 teaspoons black mustard seeds (I used a dash of dry ground mustard instead)
6 dried red chiles
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (skipped!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
8 lime wedges

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and potatoes, tossing to coat. Set aside.

3. Heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, and chiles in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until seeds begin to pop. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add ginger, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, turmeric, and Garam Masala; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
I totally skipped this step and just made the spice mixture without cooking. I think this step only matters if you have actual mustard seeds. I couldn't find them.

Add spice mixture to potatoes, tossing to coat. Arrange potato mixture in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned, stirring every 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, mint (skipped the mint because I am not a fan), and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I made this coffee cake the night before our trip to Vegas. It was a great snack to eat on the way to the airport. I froze the rest and we had it after our trip. I'm always on the look out for good coffee cake and this one is a repeater.

Blueberry Coffee Cake (CookingLight.com)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (I used regular sugar)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, egg, and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.

4. Spoon half of the batter into a 9-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over the blueberries; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup blueberries. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Chicken and Mushroom Tacos

Sorry, no picture. Have you ever tried to take a picture of a taco? It doesn't look that pretty all the time. These tacos were good, but won't satisfy you if you like your tacos spicey. They have a very mild flavor.

Chicken and Mushroom Tacos
(CookingLight.com)

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups thinly vertically sliced onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 cups presliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add jalapeño; sauté 2 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over onion mixture; sauté 1 minute. Remove onion mixture from pan.
2. Return pan to heat; recoat with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add Madeira to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in onion mixture and chicken; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

3. Warm tortillas according to package instructions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons cheese; fold in half. Serve with sour cream.

Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce

This cheddar sauce was ok. I might add some cayenne pepper and use it as a nacho sauce in the future. :)



Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce (CookingLight.com)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extrasharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets (about 9 cups)

Directions:
1. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and thickened, stirring constantly. Cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Keep warm.
2. Add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; set a large vegetable steamer in pan. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli to steamer. Steam broccoli, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve broccoli immediately with sauce.

Grilled Portobello, Bell Pepper, and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

This was amazing! So good! I actually only made 2 and kept all the ingredients the same and it turned out perfectly! If you aren't fond of goat cheese, you can reduce it a bit.



Grilled Portobello, Bell Pepper, and Goat Cheese Sandwiches (CookingLight.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
4 (4-inch) portobello mushroom caps (I used 2)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls (I used 2)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl. Add bell peppers and portobello mushrooms; toss gently to coat. Remove vegetables from vinegar mixture, and discard vinegar mixture.

3. Place bell peppers and mushrooms on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side. Remove vegetables from grill; cool slightly. Cut bell peppers into thin strips. Combine bell peppers, basil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

4. Cut rolls in half horizontally; spread cheese evenly over cut sides of rolls. Arrange 1 mushroom cap on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with about 1/3 cup bell pepper mixture and top half of roll.

5. Place sandwiches on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently to flatten. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook).

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake

I'm still trying to use up my lemons from my lemon tree. This cake was really delicious. The cake flour makes it very soft, light, and fluffy.



Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake (Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta

I found this gnocchi to be ok, but nothing spectacular. Don't get me wrong, it tastes good, but I tend to like my food with more of a kick. Its a great way to use asparagus though.



Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta (CookingLight.com)

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Vigo)
2 ounces pancetta, cut into thin strips (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Keep warm.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.

3. Add shallots and asparagus to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add gnocchi, pancetta, reserved cooking liquid, juice, salt, and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute. Serve with cheese.

Four-Cheese Focaccia

I attempted to make a four cheese foaccia. I didn't let it have enough time to rise and overcooked it slightly, but given enough time to make it right, I think it could be really good. Give it a shot and let me know if you liked it or not.



Four-Cheese Focaccia (Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:
1/4-ounce package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella (about 1/4 pound)
1/2 cup finely crumbled Gorgonzola (about 2 ounces) (I skipped this cheese)
1 cup grated Fontina (about 3 ounces)
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment proof the yeast with the sugar in the water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy, add the flour, the salt, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and combine the dough well. With the dough hook knead the dough for 2 minutes, or until it is soft and slightly sticky. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk. The dough may be made up to this point, punched down, and kept, covered and chilled, overnight. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.

Press the dough evenly into a oiled jelly-roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inches, and let it rise, covered loosely, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is almost double in bulk.

In a bowl stir together the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, the mozzarella, the Gorgonzola, the Fontina, the onion, and pepper to taste and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the cheese mixture and sprinkle the focaccia with the coarse salt. Bake the focaccia in the bottom third of a preheated 400°F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until it is golden brown, let it cool in the pan on a rack, and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Chicken-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

I'm alive! Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been cooking, but I have not had time to update this blog, but I am trying to get caught up.

Last month, I made a Chicken-Orzo salad with goat cheese. I really loved it and its great for a really hot night when you don't feel like cooking or turning on the stove.



Chicken-Orzo Salad (CookingLight.com)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (such as Tyson)
1 1/2 cups trimmed arugula
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup prechopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
2. Combine pasta, chicken, and the next 6 ingredients (through oregano) in a large bowl; toss well.

3. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.