Last week I cooked brown rice for the first time and I loved it!  It’s a healthier recipe, so if you’re looking for a mouth-watering, fattening rice casserole, this is not for you.  However, the flavors blended well, especially with the crunch of the almonds, and it I think this dish is a wonderful accompaniment to grilled meat. Ingredients:2 1/2 cups water1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules, or 1 beef bouillon cube1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice1 tablespoon margarine (or butter!)1/3 cup slivered almonds1/2 cup chopped onion (1/2 large onion)1 small red bell pepper chopped (I used a green one this time, but red would be better for color and flavor)1…

Here’s another yummy recipe from my Bon Appetit collection!  I used the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce leftover from my favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe.  If you have fresh herbs growing in your garden, you’ll be glad to use them for this! 4 Servings:1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed3 cups spaghetti sauce*1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, divided 4 5 to 6-inch-long pieces French baguette, split horizontally1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (I used cheddar because that was all I had on hand) Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix sausage, 1/2 up marinara, Parmesan, 2…

The best brownies I’ve ever eaten, by far, are Baker’s One Bowl Brownies.  You can easily whip them up in about five minutes, and they’re done after baking for 30.  So, get rid of those brownie mixes and just keep some unsweetened Baker’s chocolate in your pantry from now on.  Trust me, you won’t go back to the box. Recipe:4 squares unsweetened chocolate3/4 cup butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks)2 cups sugar3 eggs1 tsp vanilla1 cup flour Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large bowl for about 2 minutes.  Remove and stir until the chocolate is melted (this may take a bit more time depending on your microwave).  Stir…

My basil started taking over the window box herb garden, so I decided to put it to good use and make some pesto.  Did you know that you can make pesto with nuts other than pine nuts?   I don’t remember where I read this, but somewhere in my culinary research I stumbled upon this remarkable fact.  I used almonds as a substitute, but you can also use walnuts or pecans. Here’s the recipe for the pesto: 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves1/4 cup slivered almonds1 garlic clove1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper2/3 cup olive oil1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese In a food processor…

Here’s another recipe for you that uses some of that leftover chicken from my how to roast a chicken post.  I make this frequently, as it’s easy, healthy, and my family loves it!  Guess we cancel out the healthy aspect because we have cheddar bay biscuits on the side.  I figure we need something a bit more hearty, i.e. fattening, when we eat this light soup.  Wouldn’t you agree? Recipe:2 tablespoons butter1 onion, chopped fine2 stalks celery, chopped fine4 cups chicken broth*1/2 green pepper, chopped fine1 can diced tomatoes, with juiceslat1 cup cooked chicken meat Melt the butter in a large pot, add the onion and celery, and cook for…

The Recipe: 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon garlic salt Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.  Using a pastry knife, cut in the cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Stir in the cheese and parsley flakes.  Mix in sour cream and milk until well combined.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (this makes about 12).  Bake in a 400F oven for 9-12 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Mix the melted butter…

Right after we purchased our first home (almost four years ago–time flies…), a sweet friend gave me this cookbook as a housewarming gift. I’ve enjoyed cooking Giada’s recipes over the years, and one has become our favorite spaghetti recipe.  I’ve changed it a little from the original, but it is yummy.  It also freezes well, which is nice, because you can make a double recipe and have lots to freeze. Sauce:1/2 cup olive oil1 large onion, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, finely chopped2 celery stalks, finely chopped2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes  (Note: I’ve yet to find…

When I married into my husband’s family I quickly discovered that I was going to be eating well.  They lived in a former French colony of West Africa for 16 years, so any western food they were served in a restaurant was of course French cuisine.  They came to greatly appreciate this food and so incorporated into their home. Their favorite dish was lobster thermidor, which I tasted there a few years ago, and it is amazing.  My mother-in-law altered the dish slightly to use shrimp instead of lobster, since lobster is so expensive here in the US, so I’ve mixed a bit of her twists along with a recipe…

In 2004 I was introduced to the cooking magazine Bon Appetit, and the following year I requested a subscription for my birthday.  For the next 3 years, I saved every single magazine with high hopes of one day making the recipes that sounded great.  Each time that we’ve moved (which is a lot), I’ve gone through my collection and weeded out the ones that I know I’ll never make.  Now that I’m blogging, I decided this would be the perfect place to document my tries, so I went through my collection once again and highlighted the ones I want to do.  From time to time I’ll be posting the recipes that I…

If you happened to read my post How to Roast a Chicken, I mentioned that I would be posting some recipes that use the leftover chicken.  Here’s one for you!  If you don’t have leftover chicken, any kind of cooked or grilled chicken would work just fine on this pizza.  Ingredients:1 uncooked pizza dough disc (either purchased or homemade)1/2 cup BBQ sauce (see recipe below)1 cup cooked chicken2 cups mozzerella cheese, shredded1/4 cup sliced red onionfresh cilantro, optional Roll out the pizza dough to approximately 12″ in size.  Spread BBQ sauce over entire crust.  Place red onions and chicken evenly on top of sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Then, top with…