Food In Many Forms

This recipe made AMAZING royal icing that went perfect on Christmas cookies. Of course, me being who I am, I was have freaking out the whole time that I was eating raw egg whites. Well, I did some research, and although it is not recommended to eat raw eggs, if you are going to it helps if they are from cage-free hens or from an organic market, since they live in healthier conditions. It is supposedly also safer to eat raw egg whites than raw egg yolks. Or if you can plan ahead, just buy pasteurized egg whites - then you are completely in the clear :)  Royal Icing 2 large egg whites or 5 tablespoons meringue powder 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted Food coloring, if desired For Royal Icing: With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes till stiff and g...

Last night I was hungry, there was no fresh food in the house , and I went into a food frenzy . Immediately, I pounced on the frozen shrimp and canned tomatoes, and before I knew it I was cooking Giada's Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe. Of course there are a few small differences. No fresh food means no fresh onions, so those were nixed, but it actually made the recipe ten times simpler. Ingredients 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 cup dry white wine 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1 tablespoon chopped  Italian parsley leaves 1 tablespoon chopped  basil leaves Directions Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for abou...

Even in the picture you can tell that these Kolachky cookies are sticky and shiny. I can tell you when I split them in two, they definitely weren't cooked all the way through. The insides were doughy even after they cooked for forty minutes and they were burned on the outside. I got the recipe from the food network  website from an episode of Sweet Dreams called "Bubbe's Bakeshop", but in this case I think you just need to go to real people to find out the tricks. On All Recipes, someone said to knead the dough until it lost its stickiness, and I bet when I try this again it will turn out better. After all, I used a pound of prunes to make the homemade filling, now I have to find a way to use it all up!

This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for . Despite my attempts to avoid family gatherings by working three shifts this week, people worked around my schedule to make sure I could participate. I ended up going to a total of four meals , and inevitably there was cooking involved . I made a pumpkin pie , a carrot dish, and cornbread stuffing . The pumpkin pie was made from the recipe on the back of the can - does wonders every time :) The carrot recipe was from an Israeli friend who has great recipes for all kinds of Mediterranean-type foods. Moroccan Carrot Salad: Serves 8 Ingredients: 2 lbs Carrots Fresh parsley, chopped 5 garlic cloves, chopped very finely 1 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tsp sweet Moroccan paprika lemon juice from one large lemon a dash of pepper salt to taste, roughly 1 tsp Golden Raisins (optional) Preparation: 1. Peel and trim carrots, place in pot of water and bring to a boil. (If using raisins, simmer them in broth until plump.) 2. Cook until a fork is insert...

These sandwiches were a really great way to clean out the fridge and they worked great for our little tea party. After some research I decided on four different recipes: Duchess of York Tea Sandwiches Hardboiled Egg Curry Powder Cream Cheese White Bread Cucumber Sandwiches Sliced Cucumber Cream Cheese Tomato Tea Sandwiches Tomato Cream Cheese Cucumber Tomato Basil Sandwiches Tomato  Mozzarella Basil Paste

These tea cakes were perfect bite size treats for our roommate tea party. I only filled the muffin cups half way so they wouldn't overflow - so cute! Adapted from Taste of Home. Almond Tea Cakes 60 Servings Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 20 min. Ingredients 2 cups butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 4 teaspoons almond extract 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Filling: 1 egg white 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup ground almonds 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice Milk Sliced almonds Directions In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and almond extract; mix well. Add flour and baking powder (dough will be soft). Chill. For filling, in a small bowl, stir egg white, sugar, almonds and lemon juice. Remove a portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place 1-in. balls of dough into miniature muffin cups, pressing slightly into sides and bottom. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling ...

This November has been a month a white sauces... and I never make white sauces. Last week I made an attempt at cheese fondue, and it didn't turn out, so I made macaroni and cheese from the melted cheese/milk/butter mixture. Last night I made cheesy potatoes because the potatoes were sprouting and I needed to use them up. Both of them required a white sauce and both of the white sauces were kind of funky. The macaroni cheese sauce was grainy, and the potato cheese sauce wouldn't thicken!! Clearly I need to learn how to make white sauces!                         

It's starting to get cold outside, and food that sticks to your insides are starting to look more appealing. Paula Deen's Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole was just what I needed to warm me up before going out for Halloween! (Just a few alterations) Ingredients 1 (8-ounce) package wild rice 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoons butter 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of potato soup 1/4 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack Cheese Salt and pepper Directions 1. Cook the rice. 1/4 wild rice, 3/4 basmati rice with 2 1/4 cups water for 45 minutes. 2. Cook the onions, peppers, and shrimp together with a teaspoon of butter. 3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 4. In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1/4 cup of cheese,shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. 5. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glasscasserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan a...

I finally got a chance to use my AMAZING new cookie recipe book.There was a bake sale friday to raise money for Children's Literacy and pumpkin bars seemed like the perfect thing two days before Halloween . I quadrupled the recipe from 16 bars to 64 bars, and it was definitely less than I expected; I guess those 64 bars are pretty small. Scaling up the recipe also gave me an excuse to use less oil, which I am always trying to do. Quadrupled Harvest Pumpkin Bars (makes 64 bars) Ingredients 1 cup canola oil 8 large eggs 2 15 oz cans pumpkin puree 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon nutmeg 4 teaspoons salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 5 cups AP Flour Pecans, for topping Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil,  eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and use a mixer to combine. Stir in flour gradually and mix. Pour batter into several pans and bake for 30 minutes, taking them out half-way in between to spread peca...

The Scenario: It's midnight . I don't want to do homework. There are four large apples staring at me across the room in my lovely fruit bowl. There are pre-made pie crusts in the fridge. I am going grocery shopping tomorrow. I need to clear out the fridge before I go...  Darn, I guess that means I'm making pie .  (And in case you're wondering, it's supposed to be a flower.) Ingredients 1 Premade Double Crust Pie Pastry 6 Cups Of Fresh Skinless Chopped Green Apples 1 Cup Of White Superfine Sugar 2 Tablespoons Of Real Softened Unsalted Butter 2 Tablespoons Of White All Purpose Baking Flour 1/4 Teaspoon Of Freshly Ground Nutmeg 1/8 Teaspoon Of Fine Ground Table Salt 1 Teaspoon Of Freshly Ground Cinnamon Instructions Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, or 225 degrees Celsius. Take out a nine inch pie dish, and carefully add into it the bottom crust pastry layer. Next take out a small mixing bowl, and sift together the white superfine sugar, white all purpose...

I was looking for a Baked Pear recipe. This one from Disney Family was easy and hard to resist (see above). If you don't have a melon baller or a peeler (like me), slice the pear, cut off the skins and cut the slices into small chunks.  Juicy pears are the star of this flavorful baked dessert. Hands-On Time: 1 hour Ready In: 2 hours Yield: 2 servings Ingredients 1 ripe pear (Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of nutmeg 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Pinch of salt Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the pear in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeded centers with a teaspoon or melon baller. Then spoon out most of the flesh onto a cutting board, leaving the pear shells intact. Put the shells in a baking dish. Chop the scooped pear into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a small bowl. Cut 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Your child can add the cinnamon,...

Chicken may be healthy, it may be cheap, but I am still scared to cook it. The threat of Salmonella is constantly in my mind every time I use a new utensil or dish. My biggest mistake is overcooking it. Without a thermometer, I always err on the side of caution and cut up the chicken into small pieces so I can make sure every piece is cooked through. I couldn't do that for this recipe since I had to cook them whole, and they actually turned out really moist and flavorful. Ingredients •4 4 oz chicken breasts •Olive Oil Pam •2 Tbsp flour for Breading •6 oz white wine •1 garlic clove •1 bay leaf • Salt and Pepper Directions  Slice the chicken breasts along the length to obtain large, medium-thick slices. In a large frying pan pour the extra virgin olive oil and add the crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt. set a layer of flour on a flat dish and dampen the slices of chicken one by one on each side, until you have covered the entire slice with a thin layer of flour. Avoid clumps of...

My recipes need to be turned in next week, so I was in a scramble to find a good vegetable side dish after making some very lackluster spinach cakes. I needed more bright color, which initially made me think of spinach, but eggplant also has a beautiful color . The big issue with eggplant that I always hear is that it soaks up oil very quickly, so I reduced the olive oil from 5 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon, and it turned out great! I served it with toasted French bread and spread the eggplant mixture on top like a crostini - delicious! Ingredients 1 tablespoons olive oil 1 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 medium onion, cubed 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings in juice 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil Directions Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. sauté until eggplant is soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Add d...

A week or two ago, one of my classmates in Foodservice lab made a butternut squash and spinach pasta with balsamic vinegar and sage. I tried to copy hers using a recipe from Sandra Lee and it turned out really well. I cooked the squash in the oven, while cooking pasta on the stove. When they were both done, I threw them together in a bowl and covered them with aluminum foil I used on the baking sheet. Then, I quickly cooked the spinach in the pot I used to make pasta with a little bit of Pam. Minimal cleaning required! Ingredients 1 (20-ounce) package peeled cubed butternut squash 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning 3 tablespoons olive oil Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix to coat the squash. Place squash on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until the squash is tender and brown about 30 to 35 minutes making sure to flip the squash after 15 minutes.

I needed to go grocery shopping yesterday, but with two exams this week, it just isn't happening until tomorrow. So, for once, I checked the freezer last night to see what I could defrost. I found Imitation Crab Meat - the kind you find in salad bars and is pre-cooked. I figured the worst case scenario was that I would eat it straight out of the bag as a snack. Well turns out inspiration came at the right time and I had delicious and light crab cake sandwiches for lunch! Ingredients: Whole wheat bread, 2 slices I package (7 oz) Imitation Crab Meat Two stalks of celery, finely chopped 2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped 4 Tbsp stone-ground mustard 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce  Zesty lemon seasoning, to taste Pepper, to taste  Sliced Cheese (optional) Directions: Mix together last 7 ingredients in a bowl and spread on toasted bread. Grill in George Foreman grill or panini maker until warm, or cheese is melted.

My mom always makes the best stuffing at Thanksgiving and Christmas - just celery, onion, butter and Pepperidge Farm stuffing . She would always make twice as much and leave half of it uncooked in the refrigerator. Everyday I would have a small bowl as a snack or as part of the meal, and at the end of the week, the flavors have all marinated together and the stuffing is absolutely delicious . I had a bunch of leftover oatmeal bread that was going to go bad, so I bought some celery today and made homemade stuffing.  All the recipes I found said to use poultry seasoning , a mixture of thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg, but it just didn't smell the same as my mom's. Some recipes said to use parsley , and some suggested garlic or garlic powder, but any recipe with sausage or apples or cranberries is just overly extravagant. It's definitely going to take a couple tries to get this right. Celery and Onion Stuffing Ingredients 1/2 loaf sl...

I found this in Barnes & Noble on Friday. I'm super excited after so many bad or mediocre cookie recipes to try (hopefully) tested recipes for not one, but four different types of sugar cookies - chewy, crunchy, browned edges or cut-out ! Plus each one has variations - just think of the possibilities!

Once I did the nutritional analysis of my original appetizer for my themed meal - a prosciutto and goat cheese salad - I knew I had to change it. It had more fat then I care to admit. So I went in the exact opposite direction and found a recipe that is amazing with minimal oil and no cheese at all. Just think how good it would be with a sprinkle of Parmesan! It was still tasty after a few days in the fridge so I had it for lunch a few days in a row. Thanks Giada! Ingredients: 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups) 1 head Romaine lettuce, torn 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup pitted black olives 1/2 red onion, cut into slivers 1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup) Directions: Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tende...

There were no cookies in the apartment, so darn, I had to make some. I went back to Paula Deen to supply me with these sweet sugar cookies . The combination of Almond and Vanilla is DELICIOUS ! Instead of making cut-outs I just rolled the dough into balls and flattened them with a fork, like you do with peanut butter cookies. Only you press it once instead of twice, or else they flatten too much and burn the edges. 10 minoutes in the oven makes perfectly soft cookies, 14 minutes makes crispier ones.  Ingredients 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon pure almond extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Granulated sugar Royal Icing, recipe follows Directions In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter, then mix in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter; mix the dry ingredients into the c...

I am trying a new thing where the only cookies and sweets I eat are the ones I make myself. This gives me an excuse to try all the super unhealthy cookie recipes by Paula Deen. The other day I made her coconut macaroons. They went really well except that they kept making all this steam and setting off the smoke alarm every time I opened the oven door. Only later, when I told my mom that the macaroons stuck to the wax paper, did I find out that the steam was the wax paper burning of the wax. Oops! Hope I didn't inhale wax or something. Next time, I will be sure to use parchment paper. Ingredients: 3 cups shredded coconut 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine coconut, almond extract, and salt. Mix in condensed milk to form a thick paste. Fold in egg whites with cream of tarter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie shee...

These beans had great reviews and were promoted as great cold-weather comfort food , but although they were good, they were not AMAZING, and I am going to have to make them again before I completely decide to make these for my theme meal. First of all, they took 2 1/2 hours to cook, which may or may not have been because I kept steaming off the bean broth. Second, maybe I just don't understand how to cook dried beans, but "boiling the beans until 3/4 done " doesn't mean anything to me. I ended up just boiling them for an hour and fifteen minutes and transferring them to the other pot because I don't want them to "go soft on me", but I'm not sure why since they are going to get soft when they stew in the tomato mixture. Anyways, bitterness and confusion aside , I'm going to give the recipe another chance, and maybe with this experience under my belt (and a little google research), I can do better . Fagiuoli all'Uccelletto Prep Time: 30 minutes...

       For my food service class, I have to plan a big three or four course meal, and I decided I would make tiramisu for dessert . Although there are many complicated recipes, this one by Sandra Lee who is known using preprepared ingredients and simple preparation methods, took only about 20 minutes. The most time-consuming part is layering the ladyfingers, cream cheese frosting and whipped cream. I didn't have wine glasses so I experimented with making parfaits in bowls before trying them in some plastic cups.         It didn't take me long to figure out that if you dip ladyfingers in hot coffee they pretty much disintegrate , so I began spooning coffee over the cookies instead. Spreading the cream cheese mixture on top was also a little frustrating. But when I used a cup instead, I could just drop a generous tablespoon in and press it down with the next layer of ladyfingers to spread it out.  Ingredients 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup su...

These Honey Almond Flower Cookies turned out so much better! But they could have tasted a little bit more like almonds - gotta keep looking for the perfect Almond Cookie Recipe!

Courtesy of hotpolkadot.com Honey Almond Flower Cookies Makes about 4 dozen cookies. 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 4 tbsp honey 2 tsp almond extract 3 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Slivered almonds for garnish 1 egg yolk for egg wash 1 tsp water for egg wash Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper then set them aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it's light a fluffy. Add the egg, honey and almond extract then beat it until it's combined well. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt then add it to the butter mixture and mix it well. Scoop a heaping tbsp of dough for each cookie and roll them into balls. Lightly compress the balls into thick discs between your palms. Carefully press five of the slivered almonds into each cookie in a flower arrangement. Whisk together the egg yolk a...

The Two that Didn't Burn Fluffy, Chewy, Sweet, Almondiness with Burnt edges is how I would describe these cookies from AllRecipes . I was so excited to use my new almond paste, I just picked the first recipe with good reviews that I had all the ingredients for. What I realized afterwards? This cookie is basically just sugar, flour and egg whites! I think there needs to be a little more substance! I tried to improve with each batch, and the last batch was definitely the best. The first one I left in for exactly 15 minutes and they all were burnt and stuck to each other. I used Pam spray to coat the baking sheet, and sometimes I think Pam seeps into the edges and cooks them faster, so I decided to use butter in the next batches.  The First Batch The second batch, I used a stick of butter to lightly grease the baking sheet and I made much smaller cookies. I was sitting by the oven, checking on them every minute and some how, they still ended up crispy. They were still tasty, and t...

I spent last week in Ocean City, MD and after eating out for three days in a row, I was actually craving vegetables. The result? A combination of Paula Deen's Dirty Rice , a Dirty Rice recipe from AllRecipes , and the Sausage Jambalaya recipe on the back of Uncle Ben's Parboiled Rice . I took onion, celery and bell peppers from Paula Deen, kidney beans from AllRecipes and garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth and Andouille sausage from Uncle Ben.  Cajun Rice a la Ocean City Ingredients: 1/2 onion, finely diced 1 can dark red kidney beans 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped 4 pack of precooked Cajun Andouille sausage, sliced Bouillon cube (Recommended: Edward & Sons Not Chick'n)  Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 cups white rice Salt & Pepper Directions: 1. Boil 3 1/3 cups of water, drop in 1 bouillon cube and allow to melt, pour in rice 2. Sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper, flavoring with Worcestershire s...

I finally got up the courage to try making tofu the other day. I used what they call the dry method . You chop the tofu into small cubes, pat them down with a paper towel and fry them in a non-stick skillet with no oil until the sides are golden.While they are browning, press them down with a spatula to steam out the water. Then marinate for 30 minutes or more.  We used a Balducci's Thai Marinade. I am going to have to experiment with marinades because the one I used was a little salty.  After marinating, we stir-fried the tofu with olive oil and mushrooms. I cooked the scallions, carrots, snow peas and bell peppers separately and added them in later. Deliciousness complete! I'm going to test out different marinades this week and see which ones are best :)

From Quincy Market: Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

I have been working at a hospital and helping them run a Wellness Program all summer. Each week we send out recipe ideas and workout tips in a newsletter to the participants. Each week I promise I will try the recipe before hand to make sure I am not going to discourage people from eating vegetables or trying a new food. And each week, I fail to do it. Well, this week the recipe is not a vegetable or a new way to bake chicken, but muffins. Muffins I can do. I have no problem finding the motivation to bake up a batch of Fig Muffins. Especially because there is a valuable lesson in recipe substitutions to be learned. And the added bonus? The recipe was written by a Registered Dietitian! Check out Ellie Krieger on the Food Network if you get a chance - she is the real deal. Ingredients Cooking spray 1 cup chopped dried figs, plus 3 whole dried figs 1 1/2 cups bran cereal (recommended: All-Bran) 1 cup lowfat milk 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2...

If you recall, Valentine's Day 2010 consisted of crostini appetizers, stuffed peppers and rack of lamb . See February 17th . But until now, there has been no photographic evidence. This makes me want to make those stuffed peppers again... they were sooo delicious!

One of my good friends is a chocolate fiend and we thought this would satisfy her craving because of the 4 ounces of chocolate that goes into it (about 1 Hershey's chocolate bar ). However, the resulting taste was more like a coffee cake than a birthday cake. I don't recommend shaving the chocolate by hand with a cheese grater - it was very messy!! But Wiki Answers says the best methods are with a potato peeler or a melon baller: Vegetable or Potato Peeler - Hold the chocolate with a paper towel and pass the vegetable peeler over the narrowest side of the chocolate block. The chocolate will curl up like wood shavings. Melon Ball Scoop - Position the bar of chocolate on a parchment paper covered pan and hold it down with a paper towel. Scrape the melon ball scoop across the surface of the chocolate. You will get curved shavings. OLD WORLD CHOCOLATE SPICE CAKE WITH CITRON A tempting tube cake with a rather heavy crumb. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Hav...