Finally a picture!

I'm working on adding pictures to my blog. I am a MUCH better cook then I am a photographer. Nut I'm trying so bare with me. Below is my first Food Blog Photo. Do you know how hard it is to get a good shot of Beef Stroganoff? But here she is!



And here is a link to the recipe that I posted last week. Enjoy!

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Field Trip Friday! (Jan. 30th)

Today's Field Trip Friday takes us to the blog of my fellow Nestie krkapple. What is a Nestie you might ask? A Nestie is someone who is a member of the On-Line community TheNest.Com. It's a great group and the What's Cooking board is full of foodies who make me feel much better about my food obsession.

Enjoy your Field Trip to krkapple's blog ~ Apple A Day

Word to the wise...

If you make your own bread at home please don't omit the salt. It really makes for a horrible loaf of bread.

And how would I know this? Let's just say my morning toast wasn't so yummy today.

By request - White Bread

I don't make a lot of white bread. If I do use white flour it's usually in conjunction with something else, be it whole wheat or flax seed or whatever else I might have on hand. But I know my friend Kimmy has used this recipe to make bread for her family a number of times and she really like is. I hope this works for you. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Super Dessert (Roast Your Own S'mores)

This is so easy it's wrong. And what better food idea for a Super Bowl Party? It's interactive and tastes good too. Monday morning people won't even remember the game or the commercials...they are going to be too busy talking about your dessert.

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are my Monkey's favorite muffins. He asks for them all the time. I liked the Vegan Lunch Box version but played with it and like this version much better. Chocolate is so much better then Carob!!!

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from recipe at veganlunchbox.com

Pineapple Chicken

I can't take credit for this recipe at all! This came to me from my good friend Jen. My husband sends thanks to her every time I make this.

Announcing Tipsy Tuesday!

I love to cook with alcohol. To me it enhances the flavors of many a dish. But who am I kidding? I also love to drink a glass of wine or a cocktail while cooking. So IHO the glass of wine I want tonight I am declaring that every Tuesday will be Tipsy Tuesday here at Rumble In The Kitchen. Each Tuesday I will have a recipe for either a drink or recipe that calls for alcohol of some kind, like French Onion Soup for example.

And what better way to kick off Tipsy Tuesday then with the recipe for my all time favorite drink. Slightly sour, slightly sweet with just enough salt for a perfect balance. The Perfect Margarita, by the pitcher of course!

Honest-to-Goodness Margaritas for a Crowd

http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/drink_margarita.html

Makes 20 to 24 old-fashioned margaritas
In the age of the 32-ounce (or larger) Big Gulps and the like, a small drink may not necessarily seem fashionable. But large quantity is not always related to good quality, as is attested by those mammoth margaritas, laced as they are with artificially flavored sweet-and-sour mix. This margarita is the real thing ­ purity and refreshing freshness that's strained into martini glasses after a vigorous rumble with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Just before your guests arrive, combine the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a pitcher, and you'll be poised for the shaking to begin.
Though we gave an "equal part" recipe for the three main ingredients in our Top-of-the-Line Margarita in Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, these proportions focus a bit more on the flavor of the good tequila. And it's silver (unaged) tequila here, the freshest and most agave-flavored of the tequilas. Reposado (6-month-old) tequila is a little softer, without the bright freshness of a silver, while the añejo (aged) tequila is moving toward the flavor of an aged brandy ­ and I personally don't think that's what margarita flavor is all about.

• 1 750-milliliter bottle silver tequila (in this margarita, the better the tequila, the better the drink. Try Herradura, El Tesoro, El Viejito, Patron, or practically any of the 100% agave tequilas that are available in the market)
• 1 to 2 cups (1/3 to 2/3 of a 750-milliliter bottle) triple sec or Cointreau
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus several tablespoons extra for rimming the glasses
• Several tablespoons coarse (kosher-type) salt, for rimming the glasses
• About a gallon of ice cubes

1. Just before serving, in a half-gallon pitcher combine the tequila, the minimum amount of triple sec or Cointreau, and the lime juice. Taste and add more of the orange liqueur if you think your margaritas need more sweet oranginess to balance the other flavors. Remember, you're tasting it warm and undiluted: when chilled and diluted, the flavors will be mellower and the lime's tartness will be more compelling (tangy, warm champagne is not nearly as inviting as ice-cold).
2. Pour several tablespoons of lime juice onto one small plate, several tablespoons coarse salt onto another. Have martini glasses at hand (for an extra special touch, you can chill them). I like the 5-ounce size, since that size drink will stay cold from first sip to last. As your guests ask for their margaritas, invert a glass into the plate with the lime juice to moisten the rim, then lightly dip into the plate with the salt. For each drink measure 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of the margarita mixture into a cocktail shaker ­ I can do 3 drinks at a time comfortably in mine. If you have a 2-ounce ladle that you can keep in the pitcher, measuring goes much faster. Add ice cubes (I put in 5 cubes for 1, 8 for 2, and 10 for 3). Secure the lid and top and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the salt-crusted glasses and hand off to the lucky recipients.

Meatless Monday! (Homemade Seitan & Maple Balsamic Dressing)

Today's recipes are courtesy of my good friend Robin. She is vegetarian and pretty darn close to vegan. She is also a wonderful cook so we swap recipes all the time and love to try each others cooking.

But first a word about Seitan. Seitan (pronounced Say-shawn or Say-tan depending on what you prefer) is a flavored wheat gluten. Seitan is a seasoned gluten wheat loaf. I had tried some store bought stuff and hated it. It tasted like rubber. Then I tried the stuff Robin made and was sold. It's so good! So this week I'm posting her recipe for Maple Balsamic Grilled Seitan. I've also included the links to where she found the recipes for this and the Homemade Seitan. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (aka Lactation Cookies)

These turned out so good it's hard to believe these things are actually good for you! I found the recipe at epicurious.com and only made a few changes. I didn't have Brewer's Yeast so I used Nutritional Yeast Flakes instead. Also, the original recipe called for only 1 cup of chocolate chips. I purposely read it to read 1 BAG of chocolate chips! Here is the original recipe if you are at all interested. Lactation Cookies

And while these cookies may have been intended for nursing mommas, the added health benefits won’t hurt anyone in your family so enjoy!

Update May 2010
NEW:  I have added in a Reduced Allergen Version of the Lactation Cookies!   Doesn't hurt that they are vegan too! Enjoy!

Honey Balsamic Chicken

Another quick and easy meal. From freezer to table in about an hour.

Honey Balsamic Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Put chicken in baking dish that has been sprayed w/ non stick spray or lightly coated in olive oil. Sprinkle salt & pepper on both sides of chicken.

3. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. (1 hour if cooking chicken from frozen)

French Bread

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com( http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Bread/Detail.aspx) and it works great. It makes a great bread that goes perfect with artichoke dip or soups. Or anything else you can think of.

Homemade Pizza Crust

This is quick and makes a great crust. It's also easily adaptable so if you have an adventurous side add in herbs, spices and other yummy stuff like roasted garlic.

"Faustess" Cupcakes (aka the best cupcake I've ever had)

My friend Robin made these and I seriously though I had died and gone to cup cake heaven. She combined two recipes, her mother-in-law's Ho-Ho Cake and the Fauxstess Cupcakes by Vegan With a Vengeance. All I know is that they are amazing. Enjoy!

My take of Birthhand's Brownies

My friend Tara (also known as Birthhands) gave me a recipe for brownies that taste even better then box brownies. But for some reason the edges got too hard for my liking so I played with it and figured out that this recipe works every time. But they should come with a warning. You just might eat the whole pan...and that's after you've licked the bowl clean. Enjoy!

First Ever Field Trip Friday!

I've been planning this for over a week and then I almost went and missed it! Opps.

Every Friday will be Field Trip Friday here. Each week I will highlight a blog that I visit. Not all will be cooking blogs, actually, this week's is not. I hope everyone will enjoy it.

And if you want me to highlight your blog please let me know! Comment here or e-mail me at hippinski@gmail.

This week's Field Trip Friday is to the blog my my friend Megan...or mlarkin/goodtobethelarkster on one of the message boards I frequent. She is a wonderful writer and is straight up funny. Enjoy!

Tales of Mild Interest

Easy Alfredo

Another fool proof recipe. I promise. Enjoy!

Alfredo Sauce

6 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg

1. Melt butter until lightly browned. Add garlic.

2. Add cream and boil rapidly until large shiny bubbles form. Stir occasionally.

3. Add cheese a little at a time, stirring very well in between to really melt and incorporate into the sauce.

4. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. (Fresh ground nutmeg makes a huge difference if you have it.)

Serve over noodles. This sauce is also great to add things into. So far I've added sauteed chicken and spinach. But I'm betting any veggie would be awesome.

Serves 4 - 6

The Secret to my Chili Success

For some reason everyone really likes my chili...even though I don't have a specific recipe. The only thing I'm consistent on is that I add pickle juice. You read right. Dill Pickle Juice. About 1/4 to 1/2 a cup per batch. Not at lot...but just enough to make a difference.

I know, sounds crazy. But it's not! I promise. But there is something about the tang that adds just that special something. No one will ever know it's in there...but they will notice if you skip it. And before anyone asks, yes, it HAS to be Dill Pickle Juice. I've tried different kinds of vinegar and it just isn't the same.

It's a cold winter weekend. Perfect for a nice pot of chili. Add some pickle juice. You won't regret it.

Amy's Hot Cocoa Mix (Just for you mom)

I make a huge batch of this a couple of times each winter. This year we gave the mix as Christmas gift. It was a hit. My mom asked for the recipe and I kept forgetting to get it to her so I told her I'd put it here for everyone.

WARNING: This makes a huge batch. Give some away but make sure you keep enough for you...because it goes very quickly. Enjoy!

Hummas

Hummas

4 cups chick peas (or other cooked bean)
½ cup tahini (ground sesame paste)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1 tbls water
1 heaping tsp garlic paste
1/2 cup good olive oil (Cold Press Extra Virgin is best)

Combine the first 6 ingredients in your food processor. Turn on and let work for about 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while processor is on. Continue to let processor run for about 2 minutes.

This will produce a very creamy and tasty spread.

Variations Include (but not in any way limited to):
adding roasted red peppers
chili powder/chili peppers
herbs of any sort
artichoke hearts

Easy Beef Stroganoff

My husband will tell you that the only thing I can't cook is Beef Stroganoff. That is because before we were married I tried to make it and something went wrong. Very, very wrong. So wrong we ordered pizza. Yes, it was that bad.

So I searched, experimented and found a recipe. Now it's one of his favs. This is the easy recipe version, the one I use for quick weeknight dinners. But it's yummy and satisfying. And he can no longer say I can't make something. ;)

Aunt Mickey's Famous Banana Bread

My aunt gets asked to make this bread all the time. She gives it out as gifts each Christmas and we literally fight over the loaves. It's so easy and fool proof.

Aunt Mickey's Famous Banana Bread
Ingredients:

4-5 really ripe bananas (the blacker the better)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour

1. Mash or mix bananas
2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs milk and vanilla. Add in bananas and mix well.
3. Add flour
4. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes in large loaf pan or 30-35 minutes for muffins.

You can add just about anything to the recipe and it works great. Walnuts, almonds, craisins, chocolate chips.

It's Meatless Monday again! (Red Lentil Curry Stew)

Meatless Mondays FAQ

My friend Robin got a recipe for Eastern Red Lentil Soup from Vegetarian Times and it was really good. So I used that recipe as an inspiration for this yummy and satisfying stew. It even filled up my meat loving husband. He even asks for it now and one of his coworkers and me make a HUGE batch for a wedding shower she threw. Everyone loved it and here goes the recipe. Enjoy!

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

Based on this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Cranber...p-2/Detail.aspx

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds apples - peeled & cored
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, split
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, split
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flakes
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil (DF), melted
1/4 cup apple juice



DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Butter a baking dish.

2. In a food processor, chop cranberries and half of the sugar.

3. In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries and half of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.

4. In the same food processor, combine oats, flour, cornflakes and remaining sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. Process until just mixed. Pour in melted butter and pulse just a few times. Take top of food processor off and mix in apple juice until mixture in crumbly.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup

This soup is wrong on so many levels. NOTHING in the world should be allowed to taste this good. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe and those changes are reflected below but here is a link to the original: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/bu...pot-recipe.html

Bread Pudding

This recipe is based off of the good old standard from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Enjoy!

Bread Pudding

1/2 loaf French or Italian bread, cubed
2 1/2 cups milk, scalded
2 tbs butter
1/3 brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins or craisins
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray 1 1/2 qt baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Heat milk and butter to scald.
4. Mix brown sugar & cinnamon together.
5. Layer cubed bread, raisins and cinnamon sugar mixture into making dish.
6. Mix eggs, vanilla, salt and sugar in bowl. Slowly add in heated milk mixture.
7. Pour egg mixture into baking dish, coating all pieces.
8. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
9. Bake in water bath (make sure to use hot or boiling water) for 65 - 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

~ This is even better if you use left over cinnamon rolls to make it. Reduce the sugars to 1/4 cup each and omit the cinnamon, craisins and raisins if you like.
~ Sometimes I'll add a little bit of fresh grated nutmeg to the custard and it changes everythign ever so slightly and is such a yummy addition.

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is from allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Rolls-I-2/Detail.aspx

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature
2 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar


DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, egg and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up the dough along the long edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up.

4. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Have Leftovers? Make bread pudding using the left over rolls instead of bread. You will not be disappointed.

Garlic Cream Chicken

I think this recipe gets requested more then any else. OMG is it good. It was given to me by my friend Elizabeth when I was on partial bed-rest and was dying to still cook. This is easy enough that I was able to make it in the limited spurts I could get up for. It also tastes like it takes a lot more work then it does. Anyone sensing a theme here? I like to make things that taste great but don't require a ton of effort. My family & guests don't need to know that though. All they need to do is to enjoy the yummy food I make. Enjoy!

Chocolatini

I told you all I was obsessed with Valentine's Day. A few years ago I made this drink up to have as dessert. Wowsa was it yummy. Strong. But yummy. Enjoy!

Easiest. Chicken. Recipe. Ever. (Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts)

3 ingredients. That's it. It's so easy that it's almost not fair. But, it's yummy and will make anyone look like a pro. You can cook this for guests and they will think you slaved for hours. They don't need to know it took about 5 minutes to prepare, and those 5 minutes include getting out all the ingredients. Enjoy!

Yes, I'm already thinking about Valentine's Day (Cheese Fondue)

I love Valentine's Day. Some might say I'm a little obsessed. I think it stems from the fact that my brothers'(yes, twins) birthday is the day before so my parents always celebrated Valentine's Day pretty big. I always remember it as a big deal.

So in my house Valentine's Day is always something special. I star planning the menu right after New Years. Dinner includes candles and a nice bottle of wine for the grown-ups. Chocolate is a must at some point. But a romantic dinner is always the star and now that my little guy is big enough we even have our very own waitstaff.

But this year we have something extra special. My friend Kathy shared her amazing Cheese Fondue recipe. It's divine. I'm counting the days until I get to eat it. And Valentine's Day seems like the perfect opportunity. Enjoy!

Amazing Artichoke Dip

I get asked for this recipe a lot. It's easy but no one believes me because it is so good!

Funny story about this recipe, this is the recipe that made me realize I was a pretty good cook. I say that because it was the first recipe that my Aunt Jackie asked me for and she is one of the best cooks I've ever met! I figured if she asked me for a recipe maybe I had something going on.

Why did it take a week for me to update?

Part of it was because our computer hard drive crashed and I couldn't get to my recipes. But the bigger part was I was distracted. Sorry.

So I'll post a few that have been requested this week. This should help get me back in the swing of things.

Homemade "Mrs.Butterworth's" Syrup

I used the recipe for Homemade "Maple" Syrup to give me inspiration for a syrup that we like a little more then the pure stuff. OMG was it good! Enjoy!

Homemade "Maple" Syrup

I can't take credit for this recipe. My good friend Robin shared it with me and she got it from TheVeganLunchBox blog. It's so easy and so yummy! It even fooled my family. Well..until I told them I made it because I was so proud of it. And no HFCS either! YEAH!

I love Saturday mornings (The Perfect Pancakes)

Saturdays equal pancakes in my house. And I LOVE pancakes. I can't get enough of them. I would even eat them for dinner once or twice a week if my husband didn't hate breakfast food for dinner.

And they are so easy to make from scratch! Once I made this recipe up I have never turned back. They are yummy, light, filling and fool proof. Enjoy.

Barley Lentil Stew

I have a new love of lentils. They are cheap, versatile, easy to prepare and are really good for you. This is one of my husband's favorite lentil recipes. Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays

We eat pretty healthy here. Sure we have our vices, like say the Chicken Wing Dip that everyone else in the world seems to love as much as we do, but for the most part we do pretty well. But I read about this idea in Eating Well Magazine (http://www.eatingwell.com) and thought I'd give it a try. Check out http://www.meatlessmonday.com for recipe ideas.

ISO: A really good donut recipe

The plan was to wake up this morning and make homemade donuts. That was before I was up every other hour nursing a teething, growth-spurting peanut.

I now do not have the energy to try out a new recipe. If anyone has a wonderful tried and true recipe that they would share I'd love to try that.

But tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow. Today I'm sticking to making tea and soup. I'm too tired to do anything else.

It's a soup day (Black Bean Soup)

It snowed tonight and more snow is supposed to fall tomorrow so I can't think of anything better to make then soup. I've got the black beans soaking overnight to make my Black Bean Soup. This is one of my favorite soups to make and I've brought it to a number of families when they are welcoming a new baby home. It's simple, easy and tastes much more complicated then it is. Enjoy!

No Bricks Allowed (Whole Wheat Bread)

I love homemade bread. Up until I year ago I was terrified of yeast so I avoided making it at all costs. But then I decided to give it a try and with the help of my good friend's Robin & Kathy I actually got pretty good at it!

But 100% Whole Wheat bread eluded me. Try as I might, it turned into a brick. I did great with a combo of white and whole wheat flour, but I wanted 100% whole wheat. I was about to give up when my friend Brea told me her husband made bread all the time and had a recipe I could try. I was very skeptical, but figured I'd give it a try.

And it worked! It worked great! But I wasn't 100% happy so I tinkered a bit and now I love making this bread. Now I don't have to worry about creating bricks...I have to worry about stopping my husband from eating an entire loaf by himself when I take the fresh baked loaves out of the oven.

Very Basic Muffin Recipe

Good morning from the Frozen Tundra. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to make. Especially on the weekends when I have a little more time. But there are days when I don't have time to make something hot and yummy or when I'm just too sleepy to think. This is my go-to recipe that helps me look like a super star even on days when I'm not feeling up to par.

The Crack Sauce (Warm Butter Rum Sauce)

This sauce was originally made to go with the Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake but it has so many other options. Ask my friends Kristen and Barbara. They poured it just about everything they could at our annual Mom's Night Out Holiday Party!

The Christmas Cake (Cranberry Orange Cake)

I can't take total credit for this cake. I first had a similar one when my aunt made it for Christmas about 7 years ago. It became an instant family favorite.

Then about 5 years ago I decided to make this cake and it's yummy sauce to give as gifts for Christmas. Ah-Karumba! That year I baked close to 30 cakes to give out to family, friends and business acquaintances. Thus a tradition was born and I still do Christmas Cakes each year. This year I added a new cake to the mix...but here is the classic and still the most popular.

Happy New Year!

I love to cook. Period. I have said it before and will say it again many times...I am happiest when I am in my kitchen making something for people to eat and enjoy.

So you think I would have started a food blog earlier. But I didn't. So I'm doing it now. It's my 2009 New Years Resolution!

I hope you enjoy. Happy New Year & Happy Eats to all!