Typically Mondays are exciting nights at our house for my husband and me, as we have a late dinner of tapas after the kids are in bed.  However, this past Monday was even more exciting as we had power in our home again.  After a nasty ice storm struck late Thursday, we were without power until Monday morning.

It is amazing how much you appreciate power and heat after a few days without them.  So, after cleaning out our refrigerator and freezer Monday morning and letting them return to their correct temperatures, I bought a few necessities:  milk, cream cheese for the kids’ bagels, and ingredients for Monday night tapas.

I decided that I wanted to serve a bottle of Shiraz with dinner and was debating what dishes would coordinate well with it.  I decided to try marinating some sirloin tips in a little bit of the Shiraz.  It turned out that that was a great choice.  The meat was very tender and flavorful.  Served with some baked brie, fruit, and crackers, it was a delicious late meal for two.

And even though power had returned, I couldn’t resist but serve our dinner by candlelight.

Shiraz-Marinated Sirloin Tips

1-1/4 lb. sirloin tips

1/2 cup Shiraz

1 Tb. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

salt

pepper

Cut sirloin tips into bite sized pieces, and place in a 1-gallon resealable bag.  Pour wine into a 1-cup liquid measuring cup.  Add oil, garlic, seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Whisk well, and pour into the bag.  Seal bag, and shake gently to cover all of the meat with the marinade.  Place in refrigerator for an hour or two.

Preheat frying pan over medium heat.  Rub bottom of pan with olive oil so that the meat does not stick but also so that there is no standing oil.  Place sirloin tips and marinade into pan, allowing meat to braise.  Flip after 3 or 4 minutes.  Cook for another 4 minutes, or until meat is cooked to the desired doneness.

Our main course for Thanksgiving was something different and delicious.  As with many dishes, there were definite advantages and disadvantages to this dish.

Let’s start with the disadvantages to homemade ravioli.  The preparation required for making this dish took a lot longer than putting a turkey into the oven.  Filling and sealing 24 ravioli took a decent amount of time, and that produced enough ravioli to feed only four people.  I can’t imagine making this dish for a crowd!  The flavors of turkey and cranberry are present in the ravioli, but if you really want the taste of Thanksgiving dinner, the ravioli will not provide that.

There were also certain advantages to this entree.  The clean-up after dinner was minimal, especially as there wasn’t a grease-splattered roasting pan to be washed.  Also, while the ravioli didn’t have the full flavor of Thanksgiving, the combination of the turkey, cranberry sauce, and cream sauce created a delightful cornucopia of flavors.  It also was a very elegant dish to serve that had beautiful presentation.

Having weighed both the pros and cons of Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli, it is a keeper in my recipe book.  However, it is an entree that I will reserve for small dinner parties (possibly just for 2!) and special occasions.

Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli

2/3 lb. ground turkey

1/3-1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce, preferably homemade

1/3 cup Asiago cheese, grated

2 Tb. bread crumbs

2 tsp. dried parsley

3 eggs

salt and pepper

48 wonton wrappers

cream sauce*

Combine turkey, cranberry sauce, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, 2 eggs, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl.  Place one wonton wrapper on a cutting board (or other work surface), and brush all four edges with egg.  Place 1-1/2 tablespoons of turkey mixture in center of wrapper.  Top with another wonton wrapper, press from the center to the edges to remove all air pockets.  Seal edges well, and cut with a decorative pastry crimper, if desired.

When all ravioli are assembled, heat a large pot of salted water to boiling over high heat.  Add ravioli in small batches, so as not to crowd the pot.  Cook for approximately 3 minutes, or until the ravioli float and the turkey is cooked.  Place cooked ravioli in a serving dish, and sprinkle lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Cream Sauce

6 Tb. butter

2 shallots, diced

2 Tb. flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. dried parsley leaves

salt and pepper

In a frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook until tender.  Add the flour, stirring for one minute.  Add the chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly so there are no lumps.  Add the cream, parsley, salt, and pepper, and stir for 2 minutes while sauce thickens.  Serve immediately with prepared ravioli.

It dawned on me this morning that ours is a household of minis.  In addition to our vehicles (a minivan and a Mini), there are other minis.  My husband and I are both foodies, and thus, a couple of our children are mini-foodies.  They love to cook and critique new foods, be it at a restaurant or home.  We also have a mini-farm, with 15 egg-laying hens in a backyard coop.

When you have mini-foodies and a mini-farm, you sometimes need to find recipes that combine the two, which was the case last week.  With our chickens hitting a daily high of 9 eggs, I decided that we needed to make a dinner that incorporated eggs.  As two of the kids are on a cooking streak, I wanted to find a dinner that would allow for two assistant chefs.

Enter mini-quiches.  There would be plenty of chopping, egg cracking, cooking, shredding, and blending to keep everyone busy.  Plus, each person could create his or her personal mini-quiches, so everyone would be happy.  A winner of a meal!

With a dozen mini-quiche and four diners, there were some leftovers, which reheated very nicely for breakfast on a different day.  Perhaps this recipe could be considered a mini-victory for me.

Mix and Match Mini-Quiches

FIllings:

splatterless bacon, crumbled

baked deli ham, diced

crimini mushrooms, sliced and sauteed

red bell pepper, diced

sweet onion, diced

shredded swiss cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Base:

12 eggs

1/4 cup skim milk

1-1/2 tsp. onion powder

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare all desired fillings.  In large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and whisk well.  Spray 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Place desired toppings for each mini-quiche in individual cups.  (Do not fill more than half full with toppings.)  Using a ladle, fill muffin cup to brim with egg mixture.

Place muffin pan in oven, and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until top is golden and egg is set.

A little food and math equation for the day:

Monday night at our house = Late dinner night for the adults

As I am the adult at home with the kids on Monday evenings, I am the planner of these late night dinners.  Quite frequently I make a dinner of smaller dishes or tapas.  This past Monday I felt inclined to create an Italian style dinner that consisted of bite-sized food.

So that there would be a decent amount of variety without too much food for only two people, I created three dishes.  For one dish I chose to make a simple pan of Italian sausage bites with peppers and onions.  The second dish was Italian style stuffed mushrooms.  Sadly, I have tried making stuffed mushrooms twice, and neither has been a “Wow!” dish to my mind.  (When it does achieve that status I will post the recipe!)  The last dish was the hit of the evening, sweet potato gnocchi.

The gnocchi did take a bit of time to make, but they were well worth the effort.  Tender to the bite, they had a nice contrast in flavors, with a mix of cheese and sweet potato in the gnocchi and a blend of maple syrup and sage in the sauce.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2 sweet potatoes

6 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tb. light brown sugar

1 tsp. & 2 Tb. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1-1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter

10 fresh sage leaves, minced

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tb. maple syrup

salt & pepper to taste

Wash, dry, and pierce sweet potatoes, and cook in microwave until tender.  Allow to cool.  Scoop flesh out of sweet potatoes, and mash.  (You need to have 1-1/2 cups of sweet potato.)  Add ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and nutmeg.  Stir well.  Mix in flour, 1/3 cup at a time.

Place dough on a floured surface, and divide into 3 sections.  Roll each section into a 2 foot rope, adding flour if the dough becomes sticky.  Cut each rope into 24 1-inch pieces.

Fill a large pot 2/3 full with water, add 2 tablespoons salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, add batches of gnocchi (not so many that they are crowded in the pot).  Boil for 5 - 6 minutes, or until the gnocchi float.  Remove gnocchi, and place on a waxed or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow to cool, flipping once so that the gnocchi are not too moist.

Once the gnocchi are almost cool, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add sage leaves to the melted butter, and allow to cook for a minute or two.  Remove the pan from the heat, and add cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.  Stir gently, and add gnocchi.  Toss gnocchi to coat fully with sauce.  Serve immediately.

*If desired, you can roll each gnocchi over the tines of a fork to create indentations.  However, to save time (as I did) this step can be skipped.

Working from home, I have the benefit of making lunch in my kitchen.  I don’t have to decide either the night before or early that morning what I will want for lunch.

With plans to go to dinner with friends at an Italian restaurant tonight, I wanted a lunch that would not be heavy.  This restaurant is new to my husband and me, so I want to be hungry enough to sample lots of items on the menu.

When lunchtime came around today, the air had a chill and the sky was overcast.  Definitely not a salad sort of day.  I wondered what I could create that would be warm but not too filling.  We had leftover zucchini and cremini mushrooms from a dinner earlier in the week.  We always have whole wheat wraps and a variety of cheeses in the refrigerator.  Together, I decided I would make an interesting pizza.

My husband, who was working from home today also, shared this lunch with me.  For a quickly thrown together lunch, we both thought it was tasty.  One more thing to add to my “What to eat for lunch today?” list.

Very Flat Zucchini Flatbread

2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ rounds

1/2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

5 cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

salt and pepper

1 piece whole wheat flatbread

2 Tb. shredded provolone

2 Tb. shredded parmesan, divided

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.  Place zucchini rounds in pan, cooking for 2 -3 minutes per side, or until zucchini is golden brown.  Remove zucchini from pan, pour olive oil into pan and add mushrooms and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Place flatbread on a pizza peel.  Place zucchini rounds on flatbread, and top with mushrooms and onion.  Sprinkle with provolone and 1 tablespoon of parmesan.  Slide flatbread directly onto oven rack and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove using pizza peel and top with remaining parmesan.  Cut into slices, and serve.

With a live animal show at our local library, the kids needed to have an early dinner last night.  However, with a work meeting scheduled for 6:30, the adults needed a late dinner.  So, in the interest of making dinners that pleased everyone, the kids had hot dogs while I planned a surprise meal for the adults.

Thinking about our upcoming, though delayed, honeymoon to Hawaii, I decided to make foods with that flair.  When I was at the grocery store, I found a special on pork tenderloin, which became the basis for our meal.  I also purchased a pineapple to accompany the pork.

Rummaging through our cupboards, I created what I thought would make a sweet and flavorful Hawaiian marinade.  As I would be grilling the pork, I decided that the pineapple should be grilled also.  Instead of just serving the pineapple plain, I decided to add a little extra flavor to that also.

Served with my own version of a Hawaiian cocktail and parmesan crisps, this was a wonderful dinner for us.

Hawaiian Pork

1 4-ounce can pineapple juice

1/4 soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 lb. pork tenderloin

Cut pork into 1 inch slices.  Combine first four ingredients in a resealable gallon bag and add pork.  Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.  Preheat grill to medium heat.  Place pork slices on grill and cook for 4 minutes per side.  (Times may vary for each grill.)  Discard marinade.  Serve pork immediately when done.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 pineapple, cored and peeled

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tb. cinnamon

Cut pineapple into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Pour coconut milk into a small bowl.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another small bowl.  Preheat grill to medium heat.

Make an assembly line starting with cubed pineapple, then a bowl of coconut milk, next a bowl of sugar and cinnamon, and finally an empty plate on which to place the completed cubes. Dip one pineapple cube in the coconut milk and allow the excess to drip off.  Then place the pineapple in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Finally set cubes on the last plate.  Put completed cubes on metal skewers.

Put skewers of pineapple on grill and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side.  Serve immediately.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we took a trip to Whole Foods the other weekend.  Both my fiance and I enjoy a wide variety of cheeses and were not disappointed with the cheese counter at that store.  Perusing the selection, I noticed some wedges of Wensleydale with cranberries.  I asked the clerk behind the counter about this cheese, and he generously offered samples to us.

The cheese was slightly crumbly with a hint of acidity to its flavor.  The cranberries offered a nice contrast to the taste of the cheese.  Upon first bite, I knew we would need to bring some home.  What would take more time was deciding how to serve the cheese.

I knew that the cheese would be popular with none of our four children, so that gave a greater range of options for recipes.  Having recently seen recipes for grilled cheese and fruit sandwiches, I decided to make a slightly different version, which led to our French toast combination.

I found that it tasted best with a drizzle of maple syrup, while my husband-to-be opted for honey.  Served with a glass of Merlot, this made for an excellent dinner for two.

French Toast with Apples and Cheese

4 slices multi-grain boule, cut 1/2″ thick

1/3 cup egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

dash nutmeg

unsalted butter

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

4 oz. Wensleydale cheese with cranberries, thinly sliced

In a wide, shallow dish (such as a pie pan), mix the egg whites, vanilla, and nutmeg.  Preheat griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.  When heated, melt a small amount of butter in the frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom lightly.  Place one piece of bread in the egg mixture, coating the bottom.  Flip the bread, so that the second side gets coated with egg mixture.  Remove bread from pie pan, and place in frying pan.   Cook for 2 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown.  Flip, and continue for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat process with remaining pieces of bread.

Place french toast on a broiler-proof pan.  Top each slice with 4 - 5 apple slices.  Place slices of Wensleydale on top.  Put tray under broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching to ensure that the cheese doesn’t burn.

Serve immediately, with honey or maple syrup, if desired.

Looking for an interesting Saturday night dinner, we decided to try a dish that had fruit included.  Although native blueberries weren’t quite ready, we knew we would be shopping at Whole Foods and decided that we would be able to find some decent produce there.

So, this past Saturday, with just us two adults in attendance, we embarked on the 35 minute drive to the nearest Whole Foods.  Knowing that we would have an afternoon of shopping, we packed a cooler in hopes of finding interesting foods that would need to be kept chilled.

We were not disappointed.  We found 3 varieties of hummus, 2 unique cheeses, excellent salami, and delicious green olives, among many other items.  We even found some organic blueberries to use for that night’s dinner.  With everything packed in the cooler, we spent several hours shopping and browsing at an area mall (especially enjoying all of the cooking stores).  Upon returning home, together we cooked this delicious meal for two.

With blueberry season beginning just today in our area, I am sure this recipe will be on our menu again in the next couple weeks.

Blueberry Salsa-Topped Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts

juice of 1 lime

1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

blueberry salsa*

Place chicken, lime, and olive oil in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 - 2 hours.  Preheat grill.  Cook chicken over medium heat for 3 -4 minutes per side.  Make sure chicken is fully cooked before removing from grill.

Place chicken breasts on dinner plates, and top with blueberry salsa.

Serves 2.

Blueberry Salsa

1 pint blueberries

1 Tb. habanero pepper, finely chopped

2 Tb. shallot, minced

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dried cilantro

1 tsp. dried basil

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped

juice of 1 lime

Put 1 cup of blueberries in a medium bowl, and mash with a fork.  Add habanero, shallots, salt, cilantro, basil, mint, and lime juice, and mix well.  Add remaining blueberries, and stir.  Chill, if desired.

Christmas has been celebrated at our home no less than 5 times this season.  We have had 2 Christmas Eves and 3 Christmas Days.  Needless to say we are ready for New Year’s - a different holiday to celebrate.

Christmas Eve#1 was celebrated with 1 set of parents, friends, and 2 of the 4 kids.  Christmas Day#1 was celebrated quietly with just a set of friends.  Christmas Eve#2 was enjoyed by the other set of parents and the other 2 kids.  Christmas Day#2 was all 4 kids and 1 set of parents.  Today was the final get together, Christmas Day#3.

Today’s gathering was the largest of all.  Included in our gathering was both sets of parents, my brother and his family, a set of close friends, and all 4 kids.  We wanted to make this occasion relaxing and enjoyable.  Unlike our Thanksgiving that kept us in the kitchen most of the day, we wanted to have time to talk and laugh with our family and friends.  Therefore, we went with a menu that would have most of the work done hours before our guests arrived.

To start our afternoon, we had a simple platter of crackers and cheese - pepper jack, smoked jack, and sharp cheddar.  We also had wasabi tamari almonds and sesame honey cashews.  For dinner we served garden salad, meat lasagna, veggie lasagna, meatballs and sauce, and bread.  For dessert, we had an assortment of holiday cookies and chocolates.

The fifth (and final!) Christmas celebration was a success.  The food was delicious, and the company was enjoyable.  It was the perfect way to wrap up our Christmas season.

Veggie Lasagna
1/2 medium eggplant 16 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese 1 egg Italian seasoning	12 oz. whole milk mozzarella, divided pasta sauce 8 no boil lasagna noodles 1/2 10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
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Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.  Heat nonstick skillet and saute slices until tender and golden. In medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, and Italian seasoning (1-2 Tb. depending on your preference.)  Using 8 ounces of the mozzarella, cut into small cubes, and add to cheese mixture.  Stir well. Shred remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella, and set aside. Put a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking pan.  Place 2 lasagna noodles on sauce, top with half of the ricotta mixture.  Place 2 more noodles on ricotta.  For this layer, spread a thin layer of sauce, followed by a layer of spinach.  Arrange eggplant slices atop spinach.  Cover spinach with 2 noodles.  Spread remaining ricotta mixture on noodles, and cover with 2 remaining noodles.  Pour enough sauce to cover noodles.  Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top. At this point, the dish can (and should) be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours to allow flavors to blend.  Remove lasagna from refrigerator an hour or two before cooking.  Place covered dish in 400 oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove cover, and allow to cook an additional 10 - 15 minutes so that top layer of cheese is golden. Serves 6.

On a recent weekday, I had a middle of the day appointment that kept me home from work.  While getting ready for my day I thought about the meal I could make, as I would have more free time in the afternoon.  Before going to my appointment I had decided it would be some sort of oven-baked egg recipe.

After the appointment, I made a few stops and pondered my ingredient options.  Knowing that this dish would most likely not be appealing to the children, I allowed to mind to wander through more “adventurous” fillings.  Something savory, yet simple seemed the most intriguing. I decided a mushroom tart with cheese would be the perfect combination.

Much as I suspected, the tart was not exactly what the kids had in mind, though the older of the two tried a few bites of the tart.  Therefore, dinner became a combination of dishes that made everyone happy:  mushroom tart for the adults, scrambled eggs and toast for the kids, fresh pineapple chunks for everyone.

Mushroom Tart
1 Tb. butter 8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms, sliced 1 medium onion, diced 3 eggs 1/4 skim milk	1 cup shredded fontina cheese salt and pepper 1 refrigerated pie crust 1/2 cup + 3 Tb. shredded parmesan cheese
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Preheat oven to 425.  Heat skillet over medium heat.  Melt butter and add mushrooms and onion.  Saute for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and onion is translucent.  Remove from heat.  In large bowl combine eggs and milk, whisking well.  Add mushrooms, onion, fontina, salt, and pepper.  Unroll pie crust, and place in 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup parmesan cheese onto crust.  Pour egg mixture on top of parmesan.  Top tart with remaining parmesan cheese.  Place tart in oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until filling has set.  Serve warm.