From the category archives:

Fall Favorites

Warm Winter Soup Recipes with Wisconsin Cheese!

by Joi on February 8, 2010

I love soup pretty much year-round but never more so than during the months of January and February. The recipes below are three of the most outstanding soups you’ll ever eat. They each star wonderful Wisconsin Cheese which, without a doubt, makes homemade soups heartier and homier. Wisconsin Cheese is also fantastic shredded over canned soups such as Bean & Bacon, Tomato, Potato, and Mushroom.

The following recipes, courtesy of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, incorporate savory Aged Cheddar, Asiago and Gruyère cheeses beautifully. Try each one, you’ll soon have 3 favorite new soups.

Cauliflower and Wisconsin Aged Cheddar Soup — features a creamy Aged Cheddar base with tender cauliflower florets.
Onion Soup with Two Wisconsin Cheeses — this twist on a classic combines the mellow flavors of Asiago and Mozzarella Cheeses with satisfying onion-beef broth.
Wisconsin Gruyère Cheese and Sweet Potato Soup — combines the full-bodied flavor of Gruyère Cheese and sweet potatoes with a creamy chicken stock. Serve with Maple Brioche Croutons.

Cauliflower and Wisconsin Aged Cheddar Soup Recipe

Makes 8 servings

For the Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, white part only, medium dice
1 bay leaf, halved
2 heads cauliflower, broken into florets
1 cup Chardonnay wine
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) Wisconsin Aged Cheddar, shredded

For the Garnish:
Olive oil for sautéing
4 slices firm bread of your choice, crusts removed and cubed for croutons

Soup:
Heat olive oil in heavy stockpot and add the diced leek. Sauté until translucent and flexible and the leek releases its sugars. Add bay leaf halves and the cauliflower florets. Stir until cauliflower releases juices. Add the wine and reduce liquid by half or three-fourths. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Continue to boil until cauliflower is tender. Add heavy cream and bring back to boil. Remove from heat. Remove and discard bay leaf halves. Blend soup to a fine texture.

Return to stove over low heat. Gradually add shredded Cheddar, whisking until fully incorporated.

Garnish:
Heat small amount of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the bread cubes and sauté until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and divide croutons evenly to garnish.

Onion Soup With Two Wisconsin Cheeses Recipe

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups onions, sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cans (14 ounces each) beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine (or water)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 slices 3/4-inch French bread, toasted
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Wisconsin Asiago cheese, finely shredded
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin part-skim Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Cooking Directions:
Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir to coat with butter. Cook over medium-low heat about 35 minutes until onions are golden brown, stirring often.

Add broth, red wine and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Ladle equally into four 1 1/2-cup ovenproof bowls. Add a slice of toast to each; push down to saturate with broth.

Mix cheeses and thyme. Completely cover bread and soup with cheese mixture, dividing equally. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 425°F about 10 minutes, until cheeses melt and turn lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Wisconsin Gruyère Cheese and Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Brioche Croutons Recipe

Makes 6 to 8 servings

For Croutons:
4 thick slices brioche, cut in 1” cubes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 pinch cayenne
1 pinch kosher salt

For Soup:
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, large dice
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart heavy cream
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups Wisconsin Gruyère cheese (Roth Käse Surchoix), grated
1 sprig fresh sage, for garnish

Cooking Directions:

Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl combine brioche cubes with melted butter, syrup, cayenne and salt. Toss brioche cubes generally to cover with the mixture. Place croutons on a sheet pan and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove croutons from oven and set aside to prepare soup.

Soup:
Combine sweet potatoes, chicken stock and heavy cream in a large pot; bring to a boil and cook until sweet potatoes are soft. Place sweet potatoes and liquid into a blender and puree until smooth.

Return liquid to a medium size pot and add cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; simmer. Using a whisk, slowly stir in the Wisconsin Gruyère cheese. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

Final Preparation:
Divide croutons evenly among bowls and place in bottom of bowls. Ladle soup over the top; garnish with fresh sage.

For more recipes featuring Wisconsin Cheese, visit www.EatWisconsinCheese.com.

Healthy Recipes from Prevention’s Flat Belly Diet For Men

by Joi on February 6, 2010

Football and unhealthy food often go hand in hand. Chips, dips, nachos, wings — not necessarily the best food for one’s waistline! The following recipes are from Prevention’s new book, The Flat Belly Diet! for Men and I can easily see them putting the other foods on the DL – as in Don’t touch List. Okay, that would actually be the DTL, but we’ll just let it go.

Of course, these recipes will be fantastic whether it’s Superbowl Sunday or not.

Every recipe in this book, written by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief of Prevention, with Milton Stokes, MPH, RD, weighs in at less than 400 calories per serving and boasts a MUFA, or mono-unsaturated fatty acid, which have been proven to help shed belly fat (including the dangerous visceral fat that increases your risk for a number of serious health problems) and improve heart health.

They certainly have my attention, how about you?

For more information, visit Flat Belly Diet for Men.com. After checking out Flat Belly Diet for Men’s website, you’ll want to head to Prevention’s website for more great recipes from the Flat Belly Diet. There’s a Spinach-Pesto dip that I have an appointment with soon. Very soon.

SPICY CHICKEN CHEESE STEAK WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Preparation time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 16 minutes / Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil (MUFA)
12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces shredded 50 percent reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8-ounce) French baguette, split lengthwise

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and reserve. Return the skillet to the stove and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, oregano, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 9 minutes, or until the onions are golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until starting to brown. Add the chicken, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Cook 1 minute, or until hot. Remove from the heat and add in the cheese, stirring until melted.

2. Top the baguette with the chicken mixture. Cut into 4 portions and serve.

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BLACK AND RED BEAN CHILI WITH WAGON WHEELS

Preparation time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes / Makes 4 Servings

4 ounces wagon wheel pasta
1/4 cup olive oil (MUFA)
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook 1 minute. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and salt, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Serve over the pasta.

Original Super Bowl Recipes Courtesy of the Amazing Avocado!

by Joi on January 31, 2010

I can’t even tell you how much I love avocados. I’ve tried before and felt that I came up short, so I figure why even try? Suffice to say, I could eat two every single day for the rest of my life and want more. I use them in guacamole (of course), on paninis, in tossed salads, in pasta salads, on pizza, in tacos, in fajitas, and I’ve even put them into scrambled eggs before.

I also love to slice them, remove the pit, and sprinkle a little fresh lemon juice inside. Then I toss a little finely chopped tomato with a little olive oil and salt and glob the tomato mixture onto the avocado. If I have fresh cilantro on hand, I sprinkle some on top. Then I have a party in my mouth. Naturally, I also simply slice them and eat them quite often as well.

A year or so ago, while reading a favorite cookbook, Nigella Express, I came across this quote from the beautiful author: “I eat an enormous amount of avocados…. (I remember reading) when I was really quite young, just in my teens, that the dogs that lived in avocado orchards always had shiny, glossy coats because of all the windfall fruit they snaffled up daily. That image has stuck with me, and it is such an appealing one. I always have it in mind as I prepare myself an avocado, which is often.”

Ever since reading that quote, I picture Nigella’s gorgeous hair when I cut open an avocado!

Below you’ll find a wealth of Avocado information – how to pick an avocado, how to cut an avocado, how to prepare an avocado, the nutritional values of avocados, a guacamole recipe, and a Chicken and Avocado Pizza recipe. Have mercy! The avocado recipes below (as well as the ones linked to at the end of this Mega Avocado Post) can give you the power to have the best Superbowl Snacks on the block when the Colts and the Saints fight it out for the big one. This has nothing to do with avocados or even cooking, but for the first time EVER, I honestly don’t care which team wins this year – I like them about the same. Peyton Manning is a class act and the Colts are a classy organization -what’s not to like about them? At the same time, the Saints are a lot of fun to watch and they’ve really built their program up to a position of dominance. It’d be great to see them rewarded for all their hard work.

I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy the game, almost as much as the snacks!

Guacamole Monster Dip Recipe

1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico – halved, pitted and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon wasabi
1 cup plain thick Greek-style yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In bowl, combine avocado, yogurt, ginger, salt, wasabi, garlic, and lime juice; stir until well mixed.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.
Serve as a dip with chips or vegetables or topping for iceberg lettuce wedges or romaine hearts.

Preparation time is about 5 minutes. Yields about 1-1/2 cups.

Chicken and Avocado Pizza Recipe

California-style pizza, ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes | Serves 2-4

1 12-inch Boboli ready-made pizza crust
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico, halved pitted, peeled and sliced

-Heat oven to 425°F. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet; bake crust 7 minutes.
-In small bowl, combine pizza sauce and Tabasco.
-Spread pizza with sauce; top with chicken, Avocado and cheese.
-Bake until crust is crisp on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Yields 8 slices.

Nutritional Information for Avocados:

One-fifth of a medium avocado (3 slices), or about one ounce, has only 50 calories.
Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
Avocados contribute good fats to one’s diet, providing 3 grams monounsaturated fat and 0.5 polyunsaturated grams fat per 1 oz. serving.
Avocados have a favorable unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio of 3.5 grams to 0.5 grams, making them a great substitute for foods rich in saturated fats.
Avocados can help consumers meet the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA), which are to eat a diet that is low to moderate in fat. According to the AHA, mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease.
Avocados are cholesterol- and sodium-free, and more than 50 percent of the fruit’s fat content comes from monounsaturated fats. The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat.
Avocados act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
Avocados contain 76 milligrams beta-sitosterol in a 3-oz serving of avocado. Beta-sitosterol is a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Avocados contain 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein in a 1 oz. serving, which some studies suggest may help maintain healthy eyes.

How to Choose the Perfect Avocado from Mexico

(Or, How to recognize your Hass!)

Avocados from Mexico are available year round. You can spot a ripe Hass Avocado from Mexico by its green-black pebbly textured skin.
Look for the “Avocados from Mexico” sticker
It appears on only the finest Avocados imported from Mexico.
Hass has heft
When you hold the Avocado, it should feel heavy for its size and have no mushy spots.

Get it ripe
Avocados mature on the tree, but they soften and develop their fullest flavor after picking. You can count on a firm green Avocado to ripen within three to four days. If the skin is a mottled color – green with black patches – it will be ready for use in a shorter time, two to three days.

Need your Avocado now?
If you need Avocados to use right away, look for fruit whose skin has turned dark green or black. The Avocado should yield to gentle pressure from a thumb.

Avocado Ripening and Storage Information

How to tell if your Avocado is ripe
To determine if your Avocado from Mexico is ripe, gently press on the bottom with your finger; ripe Avocados will feel slightly soft. And when shopping for and storing Avocados, use this guide:

Storing ripe Avocados
Avocados at stages 2 – 4 can be stored at room temperature in an area with good circulation to continue their ripening. For speedier ripening, keep Avocados in a closed paper bag. To slow down ripening, refrigerate them until a few days before use.
Avocados at stages 4 – 5 can be stored in your refrigerator (36º to 40º F) for up to one week. When saving part of an Avocado for later use, cover the exposed flesh with plastic wrap to slow oxidation.

How to Cut and Prepare an Avocado

Cut
Using a sharp knife, cut into the Avocado straight down, longitudinally (from top to bottom) until you hit the pit.
Twist
Take the Avocado and twist it until it separates into two halves, one of which will contain the pit.
Hit
Carefully strike the pit with your knife. Using a twisting motion, use the knife’s leverage to loosen and dislodge the pit.
Spoon
With a spoon, gently scoop away the Avocado’s flesh from the outer skin.
Enjoy
Your Avocado is now ready to make your appetizer or entrée a work of culinary art.

Ways to Serve Avocados

Avocados are most commonly used to make guacamole, but they are so versatile and can be incorporated into many other dishes like main entrees,, salads, dips, desserts, and sandwiches.

Avocados substituted as a spread in place of many other popular foods may help reduce dietary intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

Images, recipes, and information are courtesy of www.theamazingavocado.com. Visit their site for hundreds of recipes. I just found one for Fish Tacos that I’ll be trying this week (I’d make it tonight if I didn’t already have a huge pot of Great Northern beans, potatoes, and ham cooking!). Another favorite is the Portabella Burgers with Avocado Spread. I’ve linked you to the page containing these recipes – be sure to browse around for more. That’s where I’m headed!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs for Dummies

by Joi on January 17, 2010

I just made some Sweet and Sour Meatballs that I found on, of all places, Dummies.com. How outrageous is that?

What’s more, these are the best meatballs I’ve ever had – they’re sensational! Click the link, print out the recipe and give these amazing meatballs a try asap. In the category of by the way, I used grape jelly (the recipe gives you a choice between apple jelly and grape jelly).

I also made my famous Spinach Artichoke Dip to serve with tortilla chips We take Game Day seriously in our house!

Outstandingly Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Game Day

by Joi on January 15, 2010

One of our biggest pitfalls as a family trying to eat healthy foods is snack time. I make healthy meals and, even when we eat out, we make healthy choices. But when we’re watching football games, basketball games, baseball, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, or anything else on TV – we love our snacks.

Also – aside from my youngest daughter and our cats – the members of my family come and go all day and night. It can be exhausting for us homebodies watching them come and go. I’ve noticed that they all love to snack along their journeys… fuel for the road, I suppose. I try to keep healthier options in the kitchen and dining room for them to grab. Sure, we’ll have various forms of chocolate at any given time – I won’t even try to deny that. Besides, you’d smell the chocolate on my breath and call me out.

I always remind people that chocolate…

Is actually good for you – nutritionists sing the praises of dark chocolate almost as much as I do
Chocolate makes the world go round
Chocolate is sexy

So, you can count on this kitchen always, always, always boasting plenty of chocolate goodness just as surely as there will always be a coffee pot ready to play . The coffee will warm your body as the chocolate warms your mood. But potato chips, soft drinks, and fried, greasy crap has been exiled from our home.

Nuts are also remarkably good for you, so I keep several candy dishes filled with different kinds of nuts and nut blends. The largest candy dish is currently holding chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered nuts. Another has almonds, which are a huge hit in my family.

Recently, I happened upon a combination that blew me completely away: Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins and walnut pieces. I keep these yogurt covered raisins on hand because I’m totally addicted to them. They are ridiculously delicious. They had commandeered a large candy dish and I couldn’t find a spot for a bag of walnut pieces I’d just brought home from the store. So, I tossed the walnuts in with the yogurt covered raisins. When I passed by, I’d either pick out the raisins or the walnuts until I saw my husband grab a mixture and put them in his mouth. In an unsettling display of monkey-see/monkey-do, I jumped over and tried it for myself.

Holy deliciousness, Batman!!!

The combination reminds me of one of my favorite cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies. For whatever reasons, the vanilla-flavored yogurt, the raisins, and the walnuts make a powerhouse combination that convinces your mind that you’re eating the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie ever made. With less calories.

Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruit with your snackers… but, whatever you do, try the Vanilla-Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins paired with Walnuts first. It’ll blow you smack away. These yogurt-covered raisins are also outstanding when eaten with fruit such as pineapple wedges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries (!!!), blueberries, blackberries, and so on.

Below is a great recipe for Trail Mix Bars from Mariani – makers, not only of the yogurt covered raisins I eat like a cat with salmon, but also makers of many outstanding dried fruits and other snacks. Look for them on the shelves at your grocery store. In my favorite store, they’re located in the health food section.

Mariani Trail Mix Bars Recipe

2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups mixture of Mariani Premium Banana Chips – crushed, raisins, mixed nuts, and chopped, Mariani Premium Mixed Fruit.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to butter and egg mixture. Stir in trail mix, oats, and granola. When mixed, drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For more healthy recipes from Mariani, see their website.

Did you know that walnuts are very good for your brain? Click the link to learn how!

Delicious Pace Recipes For Superbowl Snacks: From Wings to Spinach Dip

by Joi on January 11, 2010

As a nation, we love our food, don’t we?! So much so that in a study they conducted, Pace found that the Super Bowl has become as much about the food as it is about football. Especially if, like me, your team never seems to make it to the big game. But enough about my Broncos.

The study revealed that Super Bowl Sunday has become the top at-home party day of the year (surpassing even New Year’s Eve!) and is second only to Thanksgiving as the biggest eating day of the year. The study even found that more people remember what they ate on Super Bowl Sunday than who won the game.

I can attest to that… Who did win last year?

In preparation for Super Bowl XLIV (taking place Feb. 7 in Miami), here are four of Pace Kitchens’ favorite recipes for Super Bowl Sunday, to help make your party more festive and more memorable.

Warm Spinach Dip with a Kick
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Yield: 32 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1cup)
Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables

1. Spray a 2-quart saucepan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it’s tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the spinach and flour in the skillet. Gradually stir the milk in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the picante sauce and cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with the tortilla chips for dipping.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min. Yield: 24 pieces

12 chicken wings or 24 chicken drumettes
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1. Cut off chicken wing tips and discard. Cut chicken wings in half at joint. Place chicken into foil-lined shallow baking pan.
2. Stir picante sauce, honey and ginger in large bowl. Toss chicken with 1/3 cup of picante mixture.
3. Bake at 500°F. on lowest oven rack 35 min. or until crispy and cooked through, turning chicken over once halfway through baking. Remove chicken and toss with remaining picante mixture.

Sweet & Spicy Barbecued Brisket
Prep: 10 minutes Marinate: 8 hours Bake: 4 hours 30 minutes Yield: 10 servings

1 trimmed beef brisket (about 5 pounds)
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cups Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 Pepperidge Farm® Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds or Pepperidge
Farm® Farmhouse Premium White Rolls with Sesame Seeds

1. Season the beef with the black pepper and garlic powder and place into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Stir the picante sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire in a small bowl. Spread the picante sauce mixture over the beef. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
2. Bake, covered, at 300°F. for 4 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Slice or shred the beef. Divide the beef and sauce among the rolls.

Salsa Verde Meatballs
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. Yield: 16 meatballs

1 1/4 cups Pace® Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
4 green onions, minced

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly mix 3/4 cup salsa, beef, egg, tortilla chips and green onions in large bowl. Shape mixture firmly into 16 meatballs.
3. Place meatballs into 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Top each with 1 tsp. salsa.
4. Bake 20 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa. Mini Meatballs: Prepare beef mixture as directed above. Shape mixture firmly into 48 mini meatballs. Place meatballs into 4-qt. shallow baking dish. Bake at 350°F. 10 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa.

Cooking 101: How to Brine a Turkey

by Joi on December 15, 2009

How to Brine a Turkey

When it comes to making and serving turkey – your reputation as a cook is riding higher than ever! If it’s tasteless, dried out, and lacks any resemblance of moistness, you’re toast! However, if you serve up a nice, juicy, flavorful turkey – you’re everyone’s hero. If you wouldn’t mind achieving this sort of hero status and want to serve a turkey that’ll have them raving all year long, try soaking your turkey in a brine solution overnight.

Brining a turkey is probably the simplest and easiest way to add flavor to any holiday meal. Here are the basic tools and utensils you’ll need to brine a turkey:

large 10+ quart cooking pot
chest cooler bigger and deeper than your turkey
large wooden spoon

And here are the ingredients you’ll need to brine your turkey:

2 cups kosher salt
2 tbsp peppercorns
5 bay leaves
2 cups brown sugar
1 bag of ice
1 6-12 lb turkey
6 cloves fresh garlic peeled

How to brine a turkey

Make sure you make your brine mixture 2 days before you’ll actually be cooking your turkey!

First of all, fill up your large cooking pot with at least 2 gallons (8 litres) of cold, fresh water and put it on the stove on the highest setting. Now pour in your kosher salt and brown sugar. A general rule of thumb is to add one cup of each per gallon of water used.

Next throw in your bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Then bring the whole thing to a boil while stirring occasionally. Boil the brine mixture for about a half hour to make sure the pepper, bay leaves and garlic have had a chance to infuse the liquid nicely.

Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a couple of hours before putting it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next night before you go to bed, wash off your turkey under the faucett and remove anything from the inside, like the neck and giblets. Put your turkey in the cooler and pour in your brine mixture, making sure that the entire turkey is covered with liquid. Then pour in the bag of ice and place the cooler in a cool place like your garage or basement. Leave it in the brine solution for about 9 or 10 hours and no more or it could be damaged beyond repair.

Then take the turkey out of the brine mixture and dry it completely with paper towels, inside and out. Place it into your roastpan and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to put it into the oven.

Be sure to clean and disinfect all the tools and utensils immediately after using them and don’t forget to wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat of any kind, especially poultry.

Of course, there are many variations you can use when cooking just about anything. As a rule though, one cup of kosher salt and a cup of sugar per gallon (4 litres) of water is best. The other ingredients of the brine mixture are optional and can be experimented with depending on what your tastes are.

Video: How to brine a turkey – by someone who isn’t associated with me or this site in any way. But what skills!

A Holiday Tradition: Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole Recipe

by Joi on December 14, 2009

Campbells Green Bean Casserole

Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole Recipe: A Delicious Holiday Tradition

Prep: 10 minutes|Bake: 30 minutes | Makes: 12 servings

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups cooked cut green beans
2 2/3 cups French’s® French Fried Onions

1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cups onions in 3-quart casserole.

2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

3. Bake 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

TIP: Use any of the following – 2 bags (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, 4 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, 4 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans or about 3 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.

Extra Tips!

For added crunch, add ½ cup sliced almonds to the onion topping.

For bacon lovers, add 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, to the bean mixture.

For a festive touch, stir in 1/2 cup chopped red pepper with soup.

For cheese lovers, stir in 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup additional Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.

For Golden Green Bean Casserole, substitute Campbell’s Condensed Golden Mushroom soup for Cream of Mushroom soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped red pepper with the green beans.

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I LOVE Holiday traditions. My family can certainly attest to that. There are certain things we eat each Thanksgiving, each Easter, each Christmas, New Years, etc. On Thanksgiving morning, for example, I make delicious cream puff pastries. New Year’s Day always means a new soup recipe and our traditional New Year’s Punch. Every holiday meal features a family favorite: Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole. I was trying to think how long I’ve been enjoying this remarkable casserole and, guess what, I can’t remember ever NOT having it at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. Even before I was old enough to cook, my mother and grandmothers fixed it.

We all look forward to this casserole each holiday. We certainly aren’t the only ones who love Campbell’s® Green Bean Casserole with a passion. In fact, after 54 years it has not only become synonymous with the Christmas season, it is expected to be part of the holiday meal on nearly 30 million tables across the U.S.

The traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe includes a creamy, crunchy combination of green beans, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup and French’s® French Fried Onions. Over the years, holiday hosts have added their own custom touches, including garlic, red pepper, hot sauce, bacon, almonds or cheese. No matter how you choose to serve it, this is one side that generates rave reviews each and every time.

And Cream of Mushroom soup is not just for Green Bean Casserole! This year, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup has reached a true milestone – 75 years of helping America’s cooks create memorable meals. This versatile ingredient can also help transform holiday leftovers. Two easy recipes to try are Turkey & Stuffing Casserole and Turkey & Broccoli Alfredo. For these and other great tasting recipes, visit www.CampbellsKitchen.com.

Buffalo Chicken and Sargento White Cheddar Cheese Panini with a Special, Unexpected Guest

by Joi on December 8, 2009

You know me, I’m always playing with, and loving, my Hamilton Beach Panini Press Gourmet Sandwich Maker. But this afternoon, I took it for a ride that neither one of us were too sure of.

I kept saying, “Trust me. Been doing this for ages,” and P.P. (He goes by his initials – come on, wouldn’t you if your name was Panini Press?) kept saying, “I – just – don’t – know –” As it turned out, I was so totally right! The panini I built today goes down in history as one of my own personal best.

I heated up the Panini Press and lightly buttered the top and bottom. I would have gone with Olive Oil but, somehow, I ran out of this wonderful staple. Oh, well… I’m never out of butter, so butter it was.

I spread a little spicy brown mustard on one slice of my Sarah Lee White Whole Wheat bread and placed it onto the buttered press. Then I added a slice of “Buffalo Chicken” deli meat (from Kroger’s deli). Any sliced chicken sandwich meat would suffice, but this was extra, extra special. On top of the chicken, I spread a little Cattlemen’s Smokehouse Barbecue Sauce (sensational BBQ sauce). Then I placed a slice of Sargento White Cheddar cheese on top of the Cattlemen’s. Then… now this is where P.P. nearly fell off the counter – I spread a tablespoon of leftover coleslaw on top of the White Cheddar cheese. I caught the press as it started to commit Harry Carry and topped the whole production off with the other piece of bread.

I cooked it until the texture amused me, then sat the deliciously aromatic sandwich on my cutting board – allowing it to get its bearings for a minute. Then I cut him in half, plated him with a few pickles and sat down to see how the experiment turned out. Two minutes (at most) later, I was kicking myself for only making one. I generally never eat much at a time – especially since a recent dental extraction – but I seriously wanted a second sandwich right then and there.

The different flavors mingled and tingled and created one of the best – if not the best – panini I’ve ever tasted. The coleslaw gave a wonderful crunch in the background of a delicious party being thrown by some of my personal favorites: remarkable deli luncheon meat, Cattlemen’s extraordinary bbq sauce, and Sargento’s white cheddar cheese, a flat-out addiction. Also, Sarah Lee makes the best bread known to man. Or woman. Or Panini Presses.

The buffalo chicken could have been replaced just as splendidly with smoked turkey or smoked chicken. Give this one a try – and don’t you dare leave out the coleslaw. Grab an individual size from KFC or Long John Silver’s if you don’t have any made up.

Sauerkraut and Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage: A Fast and Easy Recipe

by Joi on December 2, 2009

Kroger Sauerkraut

My husband had a business dinner tonight and our resident vegetarian (daughter #2, Brittany) is at work, so I made the rest of us a meal with a German accent.

In a large skillet, I combined a little Olive Oil and butter (no imitations allowed or encouraged). Then I threw in some fresh coarsely chopped garlic. After a minute, I added my chopped up Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage. There are tons of varieties, but my favorite of the moment is the Smoked Sausage. When a lot of people get to this stage, they make a grave error – they don’t cook the sausage nearly long enough. If it’s still piggy pink, keep it in the pan!

I added salt and pepper and cooked until the sausage was the beautiful golden color I was after.

I opened my large can of Kroger Sauerkraut (As you know I’m a brand snob, like, 98 percent of the time – but Kroger brands are almost always first rate and their Sauerkraut is honestly my favorite of all the brands. It’s slightly sweet and that amuses me.). After draining about half the liquid off of the kraut, I added it along with a heaping tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to the sausage and it’s drippings.

It simmered. I stirred. My cat watched.

This is a fast, inexpensive, easy, and delicious meal. It’s great served alongside applesauce and corn muffins or even toasted bread and sweet potatoes.

This particular recipe is a perfect example of one of my favorite, most consistent cooking tips: When cooking, never just throw ingredients together and expect magic to happen. Give each ingredient and each step in the cooking process your complete attention… and flavor! When I’m making spaghetti, for example, I season the pasta as though it will be a dish all on its own. By the time it’s hit with the right amount of olive oil, rosemary, basil, and salt, it could be. In fact, my daughters will often simply put a little butter on the noodles and let the spaghetti sauce wait in the bowl for a while.

The end results in any meal will be a lot more satisfying if you treat each ingredient as though it will be flying solo. That’s why I always season the sausage before adding the kraut in this particular dish. When a cook simply opens packages and throws them all together, it’s obvious in each bite. But when each ingredient has the self confidence it needs… magic!

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage