Ratatouille

Finally! I finally made Ratatouille!!! This may seem like no big deal to you savvy cooks who have "been their" and "done that" but I have always wanted to try it out and had NEVER met an eggplant that I liked . . . until this weekend . . . when a beauty came in my Bountiful Basket. I did have to trade using fresh tomatoes for canned stewed . . . but for a first time I think this dish turned out VERY tasty and pretty lovely to look at too . . . a sequel will be coming when summer tomatoes make it back but until then I can say that I made it and liked it! Ratatouille
1 large Eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large Zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium Onion, chopped into large chunks
2 Large Ripe Tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces OR 1 can Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Freshly chopped or torn Basil
1/2 tsp dry Thyme
1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1. Place the eggplant in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat and allow to drain for 2 hours. Rinse with cold water and firmly pat dry with paper towels.

2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine zucchini and eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Evenly spread mixture on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant and zucchini in the oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 8 or 9 minutes to evenly brown.

3. While the eggplant and zucchini roast, heat a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add the chopped onion, cook until the onion begins to brown and lower heat to medium low. Cook for 15 minutes then higher the heat to medium, add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds and add the can of tomatoes and thyme. Allow the juices to reduce for 5 minutes then add the roasted vegetables and fresh herbs. Cook for 2-3 more minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and serve. Enjoy!
This is INCREDIBLE in lasagna!!!

Fancy Nancy Birthday Cake and Airplane Birthday Cake

I loved making this "Fancy Nancy" cake for my cousins DARLING little girl's birthday! It just got my girly glams going to add a little sparkle and make a feather fan and find little jazzy jewels for this super cute girls cake!!!


Also flying out of my kitchen is this airplane cake for my cousins son. He is such a sweetie and I hope he likes it!!! I love the puffy marshmallow clouds!!!

Potato, Cheese and Caramelized Onion Perogies with Ham and Mustard Brown Butter Sauce

I made a large batch of these babies and froze whatever escaped the dinner table. They are addictive! I especially love what browning them in butter does to the taste and texture! Delish!
Potato, Cheese and Caramelized Onion Perogies with Ham and Mustard Brown Butter Sauce
Recipe By: Emily

Dough:
1 cup water
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 Egg
3 3/4 cup Flour
Dash of Salt

Filling:
3 Cups Mashed Potatoes
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Medium Onions, chopped and caramelized
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
1 cup Chicken broth
1/2 cup finely chopped Ham
2 Tbsp Butter
1-2 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tsp Honey

1.In a stand mixer with a dough hook mix the wet dough ingredients and then add the flour. Mix until dough comes together and is not sticky. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes before using

2. While the dough rests boil the potatoes and caramelize the onions for the filling. Mix filling ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roll out dough and use a cup or cookie cut to cut out rounds. Spoon filling onto the dough rounds and seal dough.

4. Cook the perogies in salted boiling water until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook in batches until they are all done. In a large sauce pan brown the perogies in butter. Set aside while preparing the sauce.

5. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan and allow to begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped ham to the fraying pan and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1-2 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard and 1 teaspoon of honey to the pan. Allow to cook until slightly thickened. Serve over browned perogies. Enjoy!

Homemade Bagels with Butternut Squash Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese

All I can say is that my husband ate these bagels . . . a few of them . . . WITH the cream cheese! If you know my man this is quite the feat . . . the eating of the butternut squash cream cheese! When I told him I was making bagels he asked if we had cream cheese and I told the boy that I "made some" . . . at which point he said that he had to stop at the store on the way home and would buy some plain cream cheese . . . but he trooped it out . . . came home and enjoyed my creation . . . made my day! I have to say that he is ALWAYS a trooper! All I have to say is pumpkin burgers and my fam will say "yeah you owe the kid big time lady!" Thanks love for being the best sport and indulging your wife by eating things that you normally would never dream of!!! I used the recipe for bagels from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. . . so check out their site for the recipe or better yet the book is a GREAT investment! I love it!

Butternut Squash Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Cream Cheese
Recipe by: Emily

8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1/2 - 3/4 cup Pureed roasted Butternut Squash
2-3 Tbsp Caramelized Onions
1-2 cloves Roasted Garlic
Salt
Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together and spread on toasted bagels or use as a spread for sandwiches!!! Enjoy!

Beach Birthday Cake

This beach birthday cake was made for a LOVELY young lady who celebrated her 9th birthday this week! It was a fun distraction from Thanksgiving cooking and shopping prep for black Friday! I hope you had a wonderful birthday Chloe! (and enjoyed your cake)Thanksgiving has come and GONE . . . again . . . our family had a great time AND this years black Friday shopping was a LOT less crazy than in years past! We also hit a few new places to eat and have been filled to the gills for the past few days . . . all in all it was a great Thanksgiving and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!

Laser Tag Birthday Cake

My kickin' nephew B-man asked me to make his birthday cake again this year . . . (You may remember his Pirate Cake from last year . . .) I swear these kids must think I am like Miss Artist/Sculpture/Baker extraordinaire with there cake requests! I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid and still enjoy painting watercolors but I cannot sculpt worth beans kiddles . . . so your cake figures may look cartoonish at best . . .
. . . but you devour them in a flash . . . and seem pretty tickled in your macho manly high five giving ways . . . so I'm a happy Aunt! (And love you to pieces!) I made a ricotta vanilla cake this year and the Birthday boy requested a laser tag cake with "two guys shooting each other" (with lasers). Next up is a beach themed cake for a birthday girl . . .

Caramel Apple Oven Puffed Pancakes with Apple Butter, Buttermilk Syrup

I am not a huge pancake fan . . . I don't go for "regular" pancakes often . . . but I do LOVE Ricotta pancakes . . . and any "jazzed up pancakes." I made these pancakes with the plethora of apples waiting patiently in my kitchen to shine.I am in love with the apple butter, buttermilk syrup! It would make anything taste good! In fact it was a pretty decadent breakfast! Caramel Apple Oven Puffed Pancakes with Apple Butter, Buttermilk Syrup
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese, or blended cottage cheese, or strained sour cream, or strained yogurt
3/4 cup Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Milk
3 eggs, divided
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Apple Butter
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
2 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add butter and brown sugar to an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the sliced apples and cook until softened and the butter and brown sugar have thickened a bit.

2. While apples are cooking whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together in a medium bowl. Seperate egg whites and yolks. Combine ricotta cheese, milk, eggs yolks, apple butter and vanilla in another bowl, mixing well. Combine the flour mixture with the ricotta mixture and set aside.

3. Beat the 3 egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into ricotta batter.

4. Turn off the burner and arrange apples evenly on the bottom of the skillet. Butter the sides of the skillet and then pour the batter over apples and bake in a 375 oven until pancake is puffed and golden brown. Flip pancake onto a plate so that the apples are on top. Serve with butter and syrup or fruit preserves if desired. Enjoy!

Apple Butter Buttermilk Syrup
1 cube Butter (or margarine)
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/3 cup Apple Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, buttermilk, apple butter and vanilla. Cook and stir until thick. Add the baking soda, stir and serve warm.

Carolina Style Nectarine BBQ Pork Ribs

Halloween has come . . . and almost gone again. It is now time to trade in the spider webs and ghoulish decor in our home for fall leaves and turkeys. To welcome fall I made a killer BBQ sauce to baste some amazing ribs for dinner. We loved it!
The next day I shredded the leftover ribs from this recipe, added a little cider vinegar to the meat and made pulled pork sandwiches that were unbelievably delish! I LOVE BBQ! My hubby took me to Troy's BBQ in St. George UT for lunch a few weeks ago and um yeah . . . it was amazing! I am all over their pulled pork and fried leeks! If you haven't been their . . . try it! Carolina Style Nectarine BBQ Sauce
Recipe by: Emily
1 cup *Nectarine Mustard
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup light Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients in a sauce pan except butter. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in butter and simmer for 10 more minutes. Use to baste meats, or as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

For the ribs I put boneless pork ribs in the crock pot smothered in Carolina Nectarine BBQ Sauce and slow cooked them until nice and tender. I usually reserve 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and lay the ribs on a baking sheet when they are done, baste them with more sauce and broil them for a minute to get an intense BBQ sauce coating.

*I made nectarine mustard this summer and canned it . . . use any mustard in place of it if you need to!

Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Wonton Noodles

I am a home body when it comes to eating . . . I like eating out here and there but there is nothing quite like cooking at home and knowing what you put into your food and having the satisfaction of presenting something delish to your family and enjoying it together.
This recipe is proof that making dinner surpasses going out in my mind. Last night was the perfect night to kick it at home with my handsome husband, eat chow mein and watch Halloween movies! The wonton noodles were ueber yummy and we dusted the remainder noodles with cinnamon and sugar and munched some more during our flick. Es Smeckt!
Chicken Chow Mein
Recipe by: Emily

1/4 cup Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
1/2 cup Boiling Water
1 medium Onion, sliced into "moons"
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
3 cups low-sodium Beef Broth
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola oil
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 cup Celery, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
2 Large Chicken Breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small can sliced Water chestnuts, drained
1 can Bean Sprouts, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water allowing mushrooms to seep for 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms and save for another recipe. Set the mushroom broth aside to use.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Add the onions and cook until the chicken is done. Set the chicken and onions aside in a bowl while preparing the gravy.

3. Add the garlic to the pan that the chicken was cooked in and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth and the reserved mushroom broth, and bring to a boil.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, cornstarch, celery salt, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and soy sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and onions back to the pan and reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Add the water chestnuts and sprouts. Serve over crispy wonton noodles. Enjoy

Crispy Wonton Noodles
2 cups Vegetable oil
1 package Wonton Wrappers, cut into thin strips about 1/4-inch wide

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or pan with deep sides until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fry the strips in the hot oil, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the heat with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

* Coat any leftover crispy wonton noodles with cinnamon and sugar and enjoy as a snack!