Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 large Red Bell Peppers
1 tsp Olive Oil
4 Roma Tomatoes
1 Onion
1 clove Garlic
1/2 Jalapeño Pepper
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Pine Nuts
Kosher Salt to Taste

Rinse red peppers. Coat with olive oil. Place peppers directly over the open flame of a gas burner, or grill. Allow the skin to turn black, turn the peppers so they darken each side.

Remove from stove and immediately place peppers in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow pepper to steam, and cool. Once cooled, peel peppers under running water. Remove stem and seeds.

Core and slice Roma tomatoes. Peel one clove of garlic. Remove the stem and seeds of 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper. Place prepared vegetables, along with cleaned roasted peppers in a small sauce pan along with chicken stock.

Allow mixture to boil, stirring frequently for 1/2 hour. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree mixture in a food processor with pine nuts. Season to taste.

~SD

Quick Pear Tart
1 prepared Pizza Crust (plain)
1/4 cup Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Pears, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Milk

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and brown sugar. Stir together to mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture over prepared pizza crust. Arrange pears on top over cream cheese spread. Bake at 450 degrees unti lightly golden, about ten minutes.

In another small bowl whisk powdered sugar together with milk. Drizzle icing over warm pear tart.

I try to serve bread with every dinner. This recipe for cheddar biscuits is a great variation to plain old bread and butter.
Makes 8 biscuits

2 cups Self Rising Flour
¼ cup Vegetable Shortening
¾ cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
¼ cup Green Onions, finely chopped
½ - ¾ cup Buttermilk

Start by combining self rising flour and vegetable shortening in a medium sized mixing bowl. Work the shortening into the flour with your hands. Gather a handful of both shortening and flour between the palms of your hands, and lightly sift the mixture back into the bowl. Repeat this step until the shortening is well incorporated. This can also be done by sifting the flour with one hand, as shown.

Next add the shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onions the flour mixture. Toss with a wooden spoon to blend. Begin pouring buttermilk into the flour mixture, a ½ cup at a time. Blend gently with a wooden spoon. If dough looks dry, add the remaining buttermilk. Be careful not to over mix the dough, or the biscuits will be tough. Stir only long enough for the flour to absorb the liquids.
Spoon biscuit dough onto a lightly greased sheet pan. Do so by filling a large spoon with about a ¼ cup of dough, the scraping the dough onto the sheet with a smaller spoon. Space each biscuit about ½ inch apart.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully. The tops will be golden brown when the biscuits are done. Best served straight out of the oven.

~SD

When I was younger my mom would buy us crazy seek and find books like I Spy and Where’s Waldo. I did not like them then. I do not like them now. I am horrible at seeing “beyond” the picture and finding a thimble, tiny horse or guy dressed in red stripes! Now, in my later years, I have a similar problem. It is Morel Mushroom season. The woods in my area are abuzz with people, noses to the ground, hunting the infamous sponge mushroom. Of course, I attempt to hunt mushrooms- more than I ever attempted Where’s Waldo. The difference here is that there is food at the end of this game! Not just any food, the best, most coveted springtime treat!

Let’s play a game of I Spy, shall we?

Look at this picture and what do you see?

Now, look a bit closer… there it is! A perfect, fresh yellow morel!

This time of year you can find a few types of sponge mushrooms, like this gray colored one. I find these rather hard to hunt, because they blend very well into the background.

There are so many theories on where one can hunt for morel mushrooms, so many that I can’t begin to tell you. If you are eager to play a little I Spy for yourself, google Morels, or ask an old timer where to find them in your area. Many people have “secret spots” to find mushrooms… so don’t expect to get a treasure map!

These little beauties are very easy to prepare when you have collected enough to eat. First, split them in half length wise. Soak them in salted water in the fridge over night. This helps to rid them of any little bugs and dirt particles. I am sure there are fancy ways to prepare morels. Around these parts, however, there is only one way. Fried. In butter. Period. Simply dip them in seasoned flour and fry them until they are crispy. If you want to get adventurous with your finds, that works too. Just don’t bring any to my house! We like ‘em Fried!

~ SD

We interupt this blog visit for a quick detour. If you have a baby, want a baby, or just need a gift for someone with a baby, take a look at strapoose.com. These wonderful Amish Made baby carriers are the perfect handsfree way to carry a baby up to 35 pounds! They are super comfortable for both mom and baby.

Take a look at strapoose.com, then come right back for a great Peach Blueberry Crisp Recipe!

~SD

I know that if I had an Italian Grandma she would frown on this recipe. Unlike a traditional, homemade red sauce this sauce can be made in under an hour! While most sauces are simmered for hours, this simple meat sauce has a fresh tomato flavor that will suit any palate. With only three main ingredients, the flavors (and grape tomatoes!) burst in your mouth.

Baked Rigatoni with Simple Meat Sauce
1 lb Ground Beef
1 16 oz Petite Dice Tomatoes, with juice
1 pt Grape Tomatoes, whole
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
4 quarts Water
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
½ lb Uncooked Rigatoni Pasta
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated

Cook ground beef over medium heat in a medium saucepan, or tall sided sauté pan. Drain grease from meat, when meat is cooked. Stir in canned tomatoes, and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for ½ hour. Season to taste and add olive oil and vinegar.

While the sauce is simmering bring 4 quarts of water and kosher salt to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse with cool running water.

Toss pasta with sauce and place into a 9×13. Top with grated cheese.

Bake pasta at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.

This pasta is lightly sauced, but each time you bite into one of the warm cherry tomatoes the flavors is so intense. In just under an hour you can prep and serve this simple pasta dish, try it for dinner tonight!

~SD

Can you close your eyes and imagine a flavor that is tart, sweet, crisp and refreshing all at the same time? I can. Because I am eating a piece of it right now! This week I decided to tackle and unknown territory for me- Lemon Meringue Pie. Now, I fancy myself to be an “average” baker. I can do just enough to get by- as long as it does not involve measuring! If you would have asked me in the middle of the preparation of this pie if it was worth- I would have said no. But, after eating piece after piece I can see myself dusting off the good old measuring spoons and dried beans again. This pie has many steps, and takes some time to prep and chill- but trust me, if you are up for the challenge it is so worth it!

(more…)

Today is the official first day of Spring! Although we have had a few warmer days here and there in the past fews weeks… today makes it legit! After months and months of gray skies, snow and cold, I am ready to break into warm weather. I am however, stuck in a winter rut. The only recipes I can think of to cook involve heavy cream sauces and the the only wardrobe I am used to is thick sweaters and wool socks! So, to inspire myself I took a quick walk outside and found some great signs of spring!

It seems as if these little flowers, Hibiscus, are always in a race with the buttercups to see who blooms first. They grow right outside our front door, and the smell is welcoming to all of our guests.

I love buttercups, their bright color is a welcome sight after a dreary winter. Can you see my little friend that decided to tag along for a ride in my cup?

Looking at the bare trees all winter, you would think they will never bloom again! The little buds give me hope for a beautiful spring!

After making it through winter it is always exciting to enjoy springs wild bounty. Watercress is one of the first wild greens. It can be found in cool, slow flowing streams, like an old spring. This flavorful green is easy to pick and can be enloyed in salads, vinegar gravies or simply with some soft bread and butter as a sandwich. I am so inspired for spring, and cooking with fresh ingredients. Hopefully you will be too!

~SD

If you would like to step up your knife collection or kitchen ware- please visit my new page dedicated to my favorite kitchen tools. On this page I have featured Zwilling JA Henckel Knives, a high quality German brand of knives and cookware. Together we can figure out just what tools and tricks of the trade you need to work well in the kitchen!

Visit my Henckel Page

Email Stacey

~SD

Chopping onions. Probably one of the most avoided and dreaded tasks in the kitchen. Whether it is the burning eyes or the complicated procedures, people just don’t like to chop onions. There are many different methods out there, and some tricks to make your eyes burn less, but I have a tried and true method. I have touched on my technique in other posted, but I decided to break it down and really show the ropes.

The most important thing when chopping onions, or really anything that you might cut, it the way you hold your knife. First, start with the right knife for the right job. A 5-7 inch chefs knife is perfect for many applications. With a sharp knife any cutting job is made easy. To properly hold a knife, grip the knife just above the handle as shown above. This offers the best balance, much like choking up on a basebal bat to achieve the best swing.

When holding a knife many people first reaction is to point their finger as shown below. This might look fancy, but really hurts your cutting technique. Some people also hold the knife by the end of the handle. Both of these grips throw your balance off, and essentially make you work harder.

The go-to method for cutting an onion involves cutting off one and and leaving the root to hold the layers together. This is all well and good if you are a prop with a knife, but it can be tough for the home cook. To start, cut both ands off of the onion.

Continue by slicing the onion in half from top to bottom, then peeling.

The key to this onion cutting technique is following the natural lines on the onion. As you can see there are horizontal and vertical lines. These will be your guidelines.

Next, lay one of the onion halves on its flat side. Cut slices to the desired thickness of your dice.

Be sure to hold the slices together tightly, so that they don’t shift around. Rotate the onion one quarter turn. Notice the lines going horizontally across the onion. Simply follow the lines with your knife, slowly changing the angle of your knife as you follow the lines.

Repeat these steps on the other half of the onion. The result will be perfect and uniform dices! With no hassle!

~SD