BIZZY BAKES

For me, this is one of the best recipes, we have had, so far.  The Eggplant, Ricotta and Parmesan Bake was chosen by Margaret for our Wednesday with Donna Hay group.  I knew originally when I saw the ingredients, I would love this.  It is my kind of dish.  Even if you are not a fan of eggplant, it is well disguised and I think most people who like a cheesy kind of dish, would enjoy it. The ingredients include eggplant, ricotta, parmesan, eggs, cream and basil.  They seem to be made for each other.  I finished this by myself over several days.  You can find the recipe here .  You can see what others have done with this recipe here.    Foodie Friends Friday                  Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge      This is How We Roll

Memories of childhood have lots to do with mashed potatoes. If I did not feel well, I got mashed potatoes and I felt better or so I told myself. I don't have strong memories of food and my childhood but oh how I remember potatoes. I still like almost any kind of potato but it is the mashed that bring back the memories. I guess, I sat on the sofa and ate them, when unwell. I can picture cuddling on one end of the sofa with a bowl in my hand, filled with those wonderful potatoes. So, here I am remembering and making mashed potatoes. These are light and tender. Memories are funny.  Some are vivid, some are dim and others are gone which means they are not memories.  My hubby and I have different times that we remember clearly.  I assume this is related to the importance of the incidents to each of us. Mashed Potato L ove Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon chopped onion 8 ounces re...

I bought the Kitchn cookbook after being impressed with the site, The Kitchn .  I did not get far into the recipe pages when two dishes jumped out at me, Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Hash with Baked Eggs and Morning Egg Bake with Turkey, Red Peppers and Spinach. I do not like the name of either recipe - much too long and specific but they did get my attention.  I think, in general, cooks have started listing too many ingredients in the titles of recipes, and that includes me. I made the latter without the turkey and had a pretty and tasty dish in front of me. I also cut the recipe way back to accommodate my needs. Morning Egg Bake Ingredients: olive oil 3 eggs 1/3 cup of milk salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup Parmesan 1 1/2 ounces goat cheese 2 ounces chopped baby spinach 1/2 red pepper, chopped Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6 inch square pan. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs and add in mil...

Penne with Spinach and Ricotta Usually ricotta does not last long in my house.  There are so many delicious recipes one can use it for.  For some reason, I noted this particular container just sitting there for much too long and was even afraid the date was not going to be good.  Fortunately, the date was fine, the cheese was fresh and the dish, I made with it was delicious. The recipe comes from Hazan's book, Thirty Minute Pasta. .  Often, he adds vegetables to his pasta recipes which makes this lady very happy.  Of course, you can make the dish without the veggies if your family or you are not big on vegetables. My youngest granddaughter begs for two foods, chocolate and peas and I think her first choice is peas.  It is how it is presented.  She also likes anchovies, something I have not given her but her Dad has.  One day, when I was chopping onions, she wanted to taste a piece.  She loved it although, she had trouble chewing it....

It is those two words that brought this pie into being, GOAT CHEESE.  I really do love it and find reasons to use it, whenever possible. This got me wondering as to how you select recipes to make.  Do you use Cook Books, the Internet, family favorites, cooking magazines or your instincts?  What appeals to you most, a photo, the ingredients, what type of dish it is or any of the many reasons that we all  have? A good photo will sell me but I am more attracted to those magic words like, goat cheese, cauliflower, onion, corn, soup, etc.  If it were up to me, it would cheese, every night. Tomato Goat Cheese Pie Ingredients  1  9-inch pie crust 2  tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon basil 6 ounces goat cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup mayonnaise Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees or temperature on package. Bake crust in according t...

I was at Kim's blog, Stirring the Pot and saw a photo of this wonderful recipe. Like everyone else who looked at it, I wanted to get into that kitchen and make it. I did just that, just not at that moment. It took me one whole day to make it happen. I love hard boiled yolks but I am not crazy about the whites of the egg.  I was a bit hesitant about that and I didn't love the whites in the finish dish but the sauce was delicious and almost negated the whites.  I would like to try this with vegetables.  I could see a spinach gratin being delicious. I seem to be getting back to  I Heart Cooking Club and I hope, I can keep committed.  With summer vacation coming, I just may be able to get back to this and other fun blogging activities. It has been a hard two years for our family and what I need the most is a nice normal life and blogging is part of "normal" for me. Jacques Pepin is not a chef I know a lot about and I am excited to learn more about h...

This is not diet food but it is so good that it should be used for a spluge if you are counting calories.  I grew up loving mashed potatoes but I never made them as rich as this recipe did and I am guessing that there are many more with more fats added.  I did cut back on the butter and used a half of a stick instead of a full one.  For me, that seemed like way too much but for this one time, it was well worth  it.  Even hubby who usually does not appreciate much fat in a dish loved this one. Cheesy, Creamy, Yummy Mashed Potatoes (adapted from Nancy Fuller of Food Network) Ingredients: 3 poundst potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 4 tablespoons  butter 1/2 cup milk Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar or a little more Method: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer.  Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 2...

There are  certain vegetables, I purchase without any plans for them such as mushrooms and eggplant.  I usually have them on hand and decide what to do with them, as I am cooking. This time, I also had some spinach in the refrigerator.  It was not enough to make a full casserole for company but enough for the two of us to enjoy.  I suggest adding garlic to this recipe.  I didn't because of hubby's reaction to it but it would enhance the whole dish. I buy spinach, usually two pounds at a time and spread it out in many dishes.  It is amazing how some greenery makes a dish look better as well as adding flavor.  What I used in this dish was those last two cups from the large package. Kale is even better because it maintains a shape and does not shrink down to very little.  I don't like cleaning kale though and I like the taste of spinach better so you will find more spinach in this blog. Dairy Spinach and Mushroom s  Ingredien...

I don't remember goat cheese being popular a decade ago and certainly not twenty years ago.  Today, goat cheese seems to be a buzz word for yummy.  At least, it is for me.  I see goat cheese and I have a new recipe to make.  I made this Mac and Cheese and it proved me right.  The tangy flavor of the cheese and the creaminess it brought to a simple mac and cheese made all the difference. I used to add some sour cream to mac and cheese recipes and it made the dish a lot creamier but it did not add the flavor, one gets from goat cheese. Creamy Goat Cheese Mac and Che ese Ingredients: 1⁄2 pound gluten-free macaroni (Elbows, Shells, Ziti) 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter) 2 tablespoons brown rice flour or any other gluten-free flour of choice 2  cups milk fresh ground black pepper 1⁄3 cup packed grated parmesan cheese 1⁄3 cup goat cheese Method: Cook pasta according to package directions. In a medium saucepan, me...

I felt a need for cheese. I kept thinking of quiche, pizza, mac and cheese, spaghetti with Parmesan, Feta with anything..........big chunks of cheese, sliced cheese, squishy cheese, smelly cheese.....just cheese. What do you do when you see cheese in everything? ---- You grab a piece of cheese and while eating it, you start to cook. At least, that is what I did. This recipe has no name and I can't think of one. A recipe really needs a name, doesn't it? A recipe without a name is like water without a glass. It is nebulous. So, what name should I give it. These are the facts: It has Gouda and Parmesan. Scallions and tomatoes. It is broiled. It has my least favorite ingredient - mayonnaise. It is delicious. It has that nice brown top from the broiler. We finished it off in no time, at all. So, what would you name it. Nothing? You think about it, while I type the recipe and then maybe, one of us will come up with a name for it. No Name Cheese Recipe 1/2 cup Parm...

Silky Cauliflower Soup adapted from D avid Lieberman Ingredients: 1 large bag frozen culiflower  (32 0unces) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Salt and pepper to taste Method: Chop frozen cauliflower and put aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.  ( I left a few small pieces of cauliflower intact.) Add the Parmesan and stir. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to ...

Cauliflower, Caramelised Onion and Fontina Thank you Gaye for selecting this week's WwDH recipe.  I could not get enough of it.  It is a different way of making cauliflower but one I plan to repeat many times. I did not have Fontina and subbed in a smoked cheese which worked beautifully.  I made caramelized onions and differed from the recipe by  layering the cauliflower, onions, cream and cheese.  It was rich in flavor.   This is another, easy to make recipe, from Donna Hay.   Go on over to Wednesdays With Donna Hay page and see what the other cooks are making.  Please feel free to join us and find yourself some delicious recipes which are easy to make.

I don't make salads enough.  I really do love them but I just don't bother making them.  It is funny how I don't mind chopping and shredding for hot food but I do mind for salads.  I did make this combination and we liked it.  And.......I don't like olives. Pepper, Olive, and Mozzarella Salad  Ingredients: 24 Cherry Tomatoes, halved 1/2 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper 1/2 Cup pitted Olives Mozzarella Balls (I used small chunks instead.) 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon RiceVinegar with basil and oregano Pinch of ground cumin Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste Method: In a large salad bowl, mix together the tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, mozzarella, and basil. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and enjoy! Results: I took my first bite and my mouth was filled with pops of flavor. This is delicious. I would make it again, happily and I will eat olives, from now ...

Usually when I am looking for a recipe, I check out Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, Eating Well of any of those generalized and wonderful sites.  In reality, it is a lot more fun to check blogs that are new to me.  Not only do I get a new recipe, I get a new blog to view and possibly a new online friend. This time, I came across, Gimme some Oven  , written by an upbeat blogger Ali who wants to make cooking easy, healthy and delicious.  She not only enjoys cooking, she enjoys people and puts the two together.  She sounds delightful and I think you might like to meet her. Potato Soup Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup diced  yellow onion 1/4 cup gluten-free flour 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups milk, warmed 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled  and diced 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 2 handfuls of baby spinach, sliced 1 shredded carrot Method: Place butter in a large soup pot .   Ad...

I have been enjoying cooking from Joy Bauer much more than I had expected.  She is known for her healthy cooking .   "As a monthly columnist for Woman’s Day magazine and the creator of  JoyBauer.com , Joy continues to be a leader in developing and delivering fresh, cutting edge health content to millions." She did not disappoint me with the recipes, I have chosen to make. Each one has been better than successful.  I plan to make a lot more.  She has many recipes also listed online for you to check out if you like healthy and tasty food, presented in a respectful way . Roasted Eggplant Parmesan  (adapted from Joy Bauer) Ingredients: 1 eggplant, ends trimmed Kosher salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste 3/4 cup marinara sauce * 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese dried oregano, to taste Method: Preheat the oven to 400°. Liberally coat a baking sheet with oil spray. Slice the ...

I made this quite a while ago and set it up to be blogged.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the details of making it.  I know I used gluten free flour but I do think, I followed this pretty much to the letter.  The addition of cheese to cornbread is yummy and a real treat.  I do have to make this again, soon and if I find any changes, I will have to get back to you.  This is a bread I could manage to devour on a regular basis. You see how crumbly, this is, in the photo and I am doubting, if you made this with regular AP flour, you would have so many crumbs.  I find, in general, my cakes are more crumbly than the ones, I used to make with AP flour. Do check out t he cheesy cornbread, I made, from Mark Bittman .  I made it my own by adding broccoli and shallots and that was another winning quick bread. Cheesy Cornbread    adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients: 1 cup gluten-free baking mixture, (spooned and leveled) ...