Pasta Bean Toss

Okay, so the majority of things I post are sweet -- my dirty little secret is that I don't really care about food all that much. I mean, I don't JUST eat sweets, but I wish I could.

This recipe below is adapted from one in the April 2010 issue of "Runner's World". I like it because it's easy, pasta-based and my kids will eat it without weeping.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound whole-grain penne

1 medium red onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp vegetable oil

3 carrots, cut julienne-style

1 cup raw broccoli florets or snow peas

1 8 oz can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp fresh basil (optional)

1 15 oz can kidney beans

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Cook pasta.

2. While pasta cooks, saute onion & garlic in a large frying pan until tender. Add remaining vegetables, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce & basil, if using.

3. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add beans and simmer about 2 more minutes, or until veggies are tender.

4. Toss in pasta and cheese. Serve.

Serves 3.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is from the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light. It's a little fiddly what with the toasting of oats and walnuts -- I don't usually like any recipes with too many steps, but it is worth it. I made this for a meeting with the School Board President when she came to my house to discuss an email I'd sent her. How many elected officials take the time to respond personally like that? Vote Yes for the budget!

I've noticed that I'm using a lot of sour cream lately. What can it mean?

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (8 oz) carton reduced fat sour cream

2 tbsp finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees.

2. Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and a light brown.

3. Coat a 9" springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.

4. Reserve 1/4 cup toasted oats and set aside. Whiz remaining oats in blender until finely ground.

5. Combine whizzed oats, flours, baking soda & powder and salt; stir with a whisk.

6. Put granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, alternating with with sour cream. Batter will be slightly lumpy, so do not overbeat unless you like a tough cake. Spoon batter into pan.

7. For topping, combine remaining oats, brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1 tbsp of butter until well blended. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.

8. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes.

Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

This is a five-year old recipe from Cooking Light. I'm always inspired to make it when the lemony forsythia bushes start to bloom.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2 tbsp granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 butter, softened

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

4 large eggs*

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

16 oz reduced fat sour cream*

2 cups fresh blueberries*

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Coat 12 cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Set aside.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a small bowl. Stir gently with a whisk.

4. Put 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, butter and lemon rind in mixing bowl and beat until well-blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and sour cream

5. Add flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Fold in blueberries.

6. Spoon into prepared Bundt pan and bake for at least 1 hour. Cool completely before glazing.

7. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

Makes 16 servings.

Today's full disclosure includes the fact that I used 5 eggs instead of 4, didn't have enough sour cream so used about 10 oz of Turkish yogurt plus 6 oz of sour cream and used frozen instead of fresh blueberries. (That last substitution required that the cake bake for an extra 1/2 hour.)

Salted Caramels

I have stolen this recipe in its entirety from my high school classmate, Miranda Levenstein. I simply ripped it straight off her website (as you can tell, because I never take pictures of the making, only the made.) Check out her blog: InSweetTreatment.com

Don't Be Scared Salted Chocolate Caramels
Gourmet, December 2006
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
10 1/2 oz fine-quality dark chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt such as Maldon
Vegetable oil for greasing

Directions
Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.
Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.
Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes.
Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255°F on thermometer, about 15 minutes.
Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan).

Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.
Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up.
Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.
Yield: 64 caramels
More notes: Additional sea salt can be pressed onto caramels after cutting.
Caramels keep, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks or they can be wrapped in 4-inch squares of wax paper; twist ends to close.

Chocolate Walnut Cake

I'm always looking for desserts to bring to potlucks or dinner parties that are not decadent and fat-laden. I don't know, maybe I've been watching too much "Food, Inc." or "Super Size Me" lately, but I'm kind of obsessed with how rotten the American diet has become. And I don't exclude myself from that statement -- I can snack all day and never eat a proper meal. So, when I'm asked to contribute something to a meal, I want to make it healthy and tasty. (God, I sound like Nancy Drew or something!)

Here's a recipe I adapted from a Weight Watcher's recipe of the same name. It has only FOUR ingredients!

Ingredients:

9 large eggs, separated

1 cup sugar, divided

5 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used 4 oz semi-sweet and 1 oz unsweetened just because that's what I had in the house!)

1 cup walnuts, ground to a powder (just use your food processor or blender)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Beat eggs yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Pour in warm chocolate (not hot or you'll cook the eggs) and 1/2 of ground nuts. Mix well.

3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar. Beat some more until egg whites are glossy and hold their shape.

4. Mix a heaping cup of egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then, fold chocolate mixture into egg whites (do NOT use the blender, do this by hand with a spatula.)

5. Spoon batter into an angel food pan and bake for about 75 minutes. (Test with a toothpick)

6. Remove from oven invert cake pan on rack to cool (if your angel food pan doesn't have feet, invert over a bottle.) Cool thoroughly before loosening with a knife to remove cake from pan. (If you do this before the cake is completely cool, it will break apart!)

7. You might want to serve this with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

However, without any toppings, this makes sixteen teeny tiny pieces at 4 Weight Watchers points per piece.

One Dish Sausage & French Toast Breakfast

I just love hearty weekend breakfasts. And since my days of brunching on Columbus Avenue seem from another life, this is as close as I can get!

This recipe is adapted from one I found on the Fleischmann's Yeast website.

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp Rapid Rise yeast (sometimes known as "bread machine yeast")

2 tbsp sugar

2/3 cup milk (heat in microwave for 60 seconds. Check with thermometer if obsessive)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cold butter, cubed

1 egg

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

2 tbsp milk

6 pre-cooked sausage patties (I use Morningstar veggie patties to feel healthy.)

Method:

1. Coat an 8" x 8" baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Combine batter ingredients in bowl, scrape into prepared pan.

3. For topping, combine sugar and cinnamon in measuring cup. Beat eggs and milk together in a small bowl.

4. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over batter. Put sausage patties on top, pour egg mixture over all.

5. Place in COLD oven, set temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

6. Drizzle maple syrup on top before serving if you need your teeth to fall out.

Wild Mushroom and Lentil Cottage Pie

On first glance this might just look like a bowl of chips, but in fact this is $8 worth of organic mushrooms purchased this morning from the Briarcliff Farmer's Market. Yes, I'm going to realize my dream of acting like a talented chef who can whip up a meal based on the freshest, seasonal ingredients that present themselves to her.

The following recipe comes from the December 2009 issue of Cooking Light.

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup dried lentils

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

2 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth, divided

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped

1 cup carrots, finely chopped

1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced

4 oz. exotic mushroom blend, sliced

2 tbsp dry sherry

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tbsp white truffle oil (optional)

Topping:

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash of ground red pepper

Method:

1. For the topping, put potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, drain. Return potatoes to saucepan and add buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and red pepper. Mash until smooth and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. For the filling: combine lentils, 4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.

4. Combine 1/2 cup vegetable broth and flour in a small bowl, whisking until well blended. Set aside.

5. Heat olive oil in a 2-qt casserole (one you can use on the stove top!) Add mushrooms, onion, carrot & celery; cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sherry, soy sauce, tomato paste, thyme, vegetable broth & lentils to mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer then add flour mixture. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

6. Top with potato mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until potato topping is golden. Serve, drizzling truffle oil over the potatoes if desired.

Yield -- 8 servings

Calories: 235

Fat: 4.3 g

Protein: 9.8 g

Fiber: 5.8 g

Sodium: 734 mg

More on tea -- this time chai tea

Whenever I think of chai tea, I think of that Simpson's episode where someone asks Lisa how she handles the stress of being smarter than everyone. Her reply is "sometimes I do Tai Chi, sometimes I drink chai tea."

Anyway, this recipe results in a drink that is far more palatable than that horrible diabetic-coma inducing beverages they call "Chai Latte" at those fancy, chain-type coffee bars. Plus, it's supposed to be good for you, so what's not to like?

Easy Chai Tea

from Real Simple, March 2010

Ingredients:

8 cardamom seeds

8 whole cloves

4 black peppercorns

2 cinnamon sticks

1 1" piece of fresh gingers, sliced

2 cups milk

3 tsp loose black tea (Darjeeling is nice)

1 - 2 tbsp maple syrup, honey or sugar

Method:

1. Place cardamom seeds, cloves & peppercorns in your handy mortar and grind lightly with the pestle (alternatively, you can put the spices in a zip top bag and crush them with a heavy skillet.)

2. Place crushed spices in a pot along with cinnamon sticks, ginger and two cups of water. Bring to a boil.

3. Remove from heat, add tea, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

4. Add milk and sweetening, then strain into cups.

I like to make this and pour it into a teapot. I'll have my cup, then put the rest in the refrigerator and drink it over the next couple of days. It actually tastes better on each successive day because the spices and tea continue to steep and mature.

George Orwell's Recipe for the Perfect Cup of Tea

I'd like to talk about tea. (Yes, I did just see Alice in Wonderland.)

Tea is totally misunderstood in this country. We've finally learned to appreciate the finer points of coffee (and I'd say Starbuck's has had a big role in that) but tea is still definitely the black sheep of the hot drink world. Think of those nasty mugs of tea you've been served when you get it only because you have a cold -- warm water with a pallidly floating Lipton tea bag. Or the ridiculous fruity flavored tea -- Lemon Ginger, Raspberry Almond, Apple Cider -- cheap tea leaves flavored with some laboratory-concocted essence. These are not teas. They are merely hot deception.

Below is George Orwell's essay on the perfect cup of tea and I agree with his method wholeheartedly. Think of the time and effort and expensive machines we buy (or stores we go to) to obtain that perfect latte or espresso. Tea deserves the same respect. Try it and I think you'll find that the perfect cup of tea can be just as satisfying as that Starbuck's latte. Invest in a tea pot, tea strainer and some loose tea -- it's cheaper than that that Giaggia 90500 titanium super espresso machine they're selling on Amazon!

A Nice Cup of Tea

By George Orwell

(Evening Standard, 12 January 1946)

If you look up 'tea' in the first cookery book that comes to hand you will probably find that it is unmentioned; or at most you will find a few 
lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several of the most 
important points. 

This is curious, not only because tea is one of the main stays 
of civilization in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New 
Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject 
of violent disputes. 

When I look through my own recipe for the perfect cup of tea, I find no fewer than eleven outstanding points. On perhaps two of them there would 
be pretty general agreement, but at least four others are acutely 
controversial. Here are my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard 
as golden: 



First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has 
virtues which are not to be despised nowadays--it is economical, and one 
can drink it without milk--but there is not much stimulation in it. One 
does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone 
who has used that comforting phrase 'a nice cup of tea' invariably means 
Indian tea.

Secondly, tea should be made in small quantities--that is, 
in a teapot. Tea out of an urn is always tasteless, while army tea, made 
in a cauldron, tastes of grease and whitewash. The teapot should be made of 
china or earthenware. Silver or Britanniaware teapots produce inferior tea 
and enamel pots are worse; though curiously enough a pewter teapot (a 
rarity nowadays) is not so bad.

Thirdly, the pot should be warmed 
beforehand. This is better done by placing it on the hob than by the 
usual method of swilling it out with hot water.

Fourthly, the tea should 
be strong. For a pot holding a quart, if you are going to fill it nearly 
to the brim, six heaped teaspoons would be about right. In a time of 
rationing, this is not an idea that can be realized on every day of the 
week, but I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak 
ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a 
little stronger with each year that passes--a fact which is recognized in 
the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners.

Fifthly, the tea should be 
put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to 
imprison the tea. In some countries teapots are fitted with little 
dangling baskets under the spout to catch the stray leaves, which are 
supposed to be harmful. Actually one can swallow tea-leaves in 
considerable quantities without ill effect, and if the tea is not loose 
in the pot it never infuses properly.

Sixthly, one should take the teapot 
to the kettle and not the other way about. The water should be actually 
boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on 
the flame while one pours. Some people add that one should only use water 
that has been freshly brought to the boil, but I have never noticed that 
it makes any difference.

Seventhly, after making the tea, one should stir 
it, or better, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves 
to settle.

Eighthly, one should drink out of a good breakfast cup--that 
is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The 
breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one's tea is always half 
cold--before one has well started on it.

Ninthly, one should pour the 
cream off the milk before using it for tea. Milk that is too creamy always 
gives tea a sickly taste.

Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. 
This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family 
in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The 
milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I 
maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting 
the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the 
amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does 
it the other way round.



Lastly, tea--unless one is drinking it in the Russian style--should be 
drunk WITHOUT SUGAR. I know very well that I am in a minority here. 
But still, how can you call yourself a true tea-lover if you destroy 
the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally 
reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, 
just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer 
tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very 
similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water. 

Some people would answer that they don't like tea in itself, that they 
only drink it in order to be warmed and stimulated, and they need sugar 
to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try 
drinking tea without sugar for, say, a fortnight and it is very unlikely 
that you will ever want to ruin your tea by sweetening it again. 

These are not the only controversial points to arise in connexion with 
tea drinking, but they are sufficient to show how subtilized the whole 
business has become. There is also the mysterious social etiquette 
surrounding the teapot (why is it considered vulgar to drink out of your 
saucer, for instance?) and much might be written about the subsidiary 
uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of 
visitors, feeding rabbits, healing burns and sweeping the carpet. It is 
worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water 
that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one's 
ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, 
ought to represent.

Blue Cheese-stuffed Chicken

This is from Cooking Light Magazine . . .

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled blue cheese

1 tbsp reduced fat sour cream

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp 1% milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 1/2 tbsp butter, divided

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine blue cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit in the thickest portion of the breast and stuff with cheese mixture.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in another dish and the panko in a third dish. Dredge the stuffed breasts one at a time in the flour, egg mixture and then panko.

4. Heat a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to pan and swirl until melted. Arrange chicken in pan; cook for at least 4 minutes. Turn chicken over and then place skillet in oven for 20 minutes (or until done.)

Absurdly Easy chocolate Fudge

This recipe is lifted in its entirety from the March 2, 2010 Dining section of the New York Times. It IS absurdly easy -- I made this to give out as favors for Sean's birthday tomorrow.

Ingredients:

1 lb. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used semi, but think bittersweet would be divine!)

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

4 tbsp butter

1/8 tsp salt (I forgot this)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Line an 8" x 8" squre baking pan with wax paper, allowing paper to overlap the edges of the pan. Coat with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients, except walnuts, in a microwave-proof bowl. Heat on low for 10 - 15 seconds, then stir, and keep going until melted. We did this 8 times in 10 second bursts.)

3. Mix in walnuts if using and pour into pan.

4. Chill until set, about 4 hours or overnight. Lift fudge out of pan on paper and use a large knife to cut into 2" squares. Makes about 16.

Thoughts:

I can't help but think of all the great mix-ins you could use here -- almond extract, dried cherries, pecans, white chocolate chips, marshmallows . . .

Torihamu or Japanese Chicken "Ham"

In addition to fantasizing about being Jaime Oliver or Nigella Lawson, I also fantasize that I will send my children to school with healthy and inventive lunches, preferably served in a bento box. I'll make flowers out of hardboiled eggs, add some homemade sushi, include a medley of steamed vegetables and my children will be the laughingstocks of the lunchrooms. No, seriously, I've always been intrigued by the neatness, efficency and, well, just all around Japanese-ness of the bento box. And, this being the Internet age, there is no shortage of websites with cunning bento box supplies and recipes.

I don't remember exactly how I came upon this recipe from JustBento.com (probably just by chance on a bento fantasy surf) but I'm always looking for new and different ways to serve chicken. It is a protein I can be sure will be eaten without tears.

Don't be put off by the marination time (2 days) or the number of steps (really just 4). It's actually all quite simple. Check out the website JustBento.com.

Ingredients:

1 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Dried herbs of your choice (I used thyme, but they also suggest tarragon, red chili peppers, steak mix spices, Emeril's best -- you get the picture.)

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in a sturdy ziploc bag. You can do more than one breast per bag, just make sure you double the marinade ingredients.

2. Press out as much air as possible from the bag, then squish the chicken and marinade together. Let rest in refrigerator for at least 48 hours, squishing and turning the bags when you think of it.

3. Remove chicken from bag and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Let soak in a bowl of cold water for an hour. This step apparently gets ride of excess salt while leaving enough for flavor. After an hour, dry off the chicken with paper towels.

4. Cook the chicken. There are three ways to do this (just choose one. You can only cook the chicken once):

a) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Roll up the breast lengthwise and tie with kitchen string, then put the breasts on an oiled baking sheet for 30 - 40 minutes. (This is what I did because the next cooking method scares me with its use of plastic wrap in boiling water.)

b) Bring a pot of water to boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Roll up the chicken breasts and tightly wrap in microwave-safe cling film. Put chicken in water for 5 minutes, then remove pot from heat, cover with a lid and let breasts poach for at least an hour.

c) Same steps as b) above, but don't wrap in cling film, just tie with string. Put the bare naked chicken breasts in the simmering water for 5 minutes, then remove pot from heat, cover with a lid and let breasts poach for at least an hour. You can get fancy and add leek, parsley, ginger or whatever you think might be nice.

Confession:

I cooked those suckers in the oven for nearly 40 minutes and they still looked raw on the outside. So, I boiled a pot of water, popped them in for 5 minutes, sliced and served them. The consistency was a little rubbery, but the chicken tasted like ham as promised! The children ate it with gusto (even the one who was sent home from school today with a stomachache and fever.)

Nigella's Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

You make the batter in the blender so they're really easy to pour into the pan and they freeze well. So you can have pancakes even on school mornings! (And no, you can't taste the banana if that's an issue like it is with my son.)

This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's "Feast".

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon sugar

1 very ripe banana

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 oz melted butter

Method:

1. Whiz the first 4 ingredients together in the blender, then add the flour, baking powder & soda.

2. Let mixture sit for 5 - 10 minutes while you melt the butter (use the microwave, please, it's early!) and heat up the pan.

3. Mix in the butter right before you start frying up the pancakes.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

This is just fantastic. I'm going to make this into cupcakes and bring them into school for Sean's birthday.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

1 package chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 can cherry pie filling

For frosting:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 15" x 10" baking pan.

2. In a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs and almond extract. Add pie filling and mix in by hand.

3. Pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. For frosting -- combine sugar, milk and butter. Cook, stirring gently, until sugar is dissolved and butter is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Pour over warm cake, spreading evenly. Cool completely before cutting.

Makes 32 servings (OH MY GOD, IF THAT'S TRUE I HAVE EATEN WAY TOO MUCH OF THIS CAKE!)

Ravioli

Ravioli is one of my go-to dinners when I have no other ideas. I get the kind with spinach filling so I can pretend my children are eating vegetables. (Seriously, does a teaspoon of spinach count as a serving? I don't think so!) I don't usually go to all this trouble, but this recipe doesn't seem so hard.

(Adapted from the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light and it's what's for dinner tonight):

Ingredients:

9 oz package of frozen ravioli

1 cup green beans (cut into 2" bits)

1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned will do)

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh grated parmesan

Method:

1. Cook ravioli. Add green beans during the last 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Add ravioli, beans, salt & pepper; toss gently to combine.

3. Top with cheese and serve!

Confession:

I didn't have the sun-dried tomatoes that I thought I had, but this tasted okay. Though I think they would butch up the sauce and shouldn't be skipped.

2nd Confession:

One child liked this, the other dissolved in a puddle of tears when served this. He is now pathetically trying to eat a single ravioli (that has been scraped clean of sauce) while choking and weeping in order to qualify for chocolate cake. How's that for excellent parenting?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Adapted from the Weight Watcher's website.

Ingredients:

6 oz sausage

6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 clove garlic

10 oz frozen gumbo-style vegetables

1 tbsp flour

1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 medium scallion (optional)

Cooking Spray

Method:

1. Brown sausage. Add chicken breast and minced garlic when the pan is coated with the sausage grease (icky, I know, but it happens!)

2. Remove meats from pan and cut into 1" chunks. Return to pan and add frozen vegetables.

3. Cook until vegetables are thawed and sprinkle with flour.

4. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and spices. Simmer for at least 5 minutes. (I've simmered this for up to an hour and the gumbo reduces to a lovely, rich sauce coating the meat and vegetables. Your preference.)