Edamame with Pork and Tomatoes

Matt got this recipe from the "Dining In" section of the New York Times. It's so simple, but really good. We get the frozen edamame at Costco. I've seen it at Wal-Mart too.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion or 3 scallions, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, oregano or marjoram or 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (canned are fine, drained or not)

2 cups edamame, fresh or frozen and thawed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Put oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add pork chunks. Cook, stirring, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Halfway through, add herb and continue to cook.

2. Add tomato and cook at a gentle bubble until tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 minutes. Stir in edamame and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until edamame are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, stir in parsley, and serve.

Texas Sheet Cake

My friend Shauna requested this recipe so I thought I'd post it here. This is the cake we make for Cord's birthday every year -- it is so easy and so, so good! (the picture is from Stormy's blog)


Bring to boil:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 Tbs coco powder

In a large mixing bowl combine:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour & sugar and mix.

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

When the batter is smooth pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 25-30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Icing
1/2 cup butter
6 Tbs milk
4 Tbs coco powder
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a sauce pan melt the butter with the milk and simmer. Add the coco powder & powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Cool slightly and pour on the cake. When the frosting has set the cake is ready to enjoy!

m&m Popcorn balls

Lily made these for her class today. Here is the recipe in case you would like to make these tasty treats:

2 quarts popped popcorn
10 pkg large marshmallows
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup m&m's

1. Put the popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan melt the marshmallows with the butter & brown sugar.
3. Pour the melted mixture on top of the popcorn and stir.
4. Add the m&m's
5. Butter your hands and for the popcorn into balls
6. Share with your friends!

Ina's Lemon Cake

I love this lemon cake. The lemon syrup makes it so moist and gives it extra zing. This cake is divine when served with fresh raspberries! This recipe make 2 8-inch loaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter @ room temp.
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs @ room temp.
1/3 cup grated lemon zest
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk @ room temp.
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour two loaf pans (or use cooking spray).

Cream butter & 2 cups of the sugar for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine 1/4 cup of the lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the remaining 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a rack set over a cookie sheet, and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes. Allow to cool completely.

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3/ 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

Combine sugar & lemon juice and mix with a whisk until smooth. Pour over tops of cakes and let drizzle down the sides

Suprise Cake

I know that the "Udall" girls already have this recipe but this is for any of you who don't. Symonie introduced me to this cake -- I guess you could say that Matt actually was the one. It is super easy and I have to say that I love, love, love the topping. My kids request this cake all the time & my book club LOVED it.

1 chocolate cake mix, prepared as box directs
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips
dash of salt

Prepare the cake mix and pour the batter in a greased & floured 9x13 pan.

Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, egg & salt. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls onto the cake mix. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Topping
1 small box vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 container Cool Whip ( 8 0z)

Mix the pudding and milk together then fold in Cool Whip. Spread on cake only when the cake is cool.

Garlicky Broiled Salmon and Tomatoes

I got this recipe from Real Simple a few months ago. They promoted it as a 15-minute dinner, and they are not kidding. Quick, easy and delicious!

4  6-ounce pieces skinless salmon fillet

4 medium tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 teaspoon paprika, preferably hot

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

8 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Heat broiler. Place the salmon and tomatoes, cut-side up, in a broiler-proof roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the salmon with the paprika.

Drizzle the salmon and tomatoes with the oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Scatter the thyme and garlic over the top.

Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout and the tomatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate Orange Muffins

These are perfect after school snack. This recipe makes 12 regular muffins or 36 miniature muffins. I love to make the miniature muffins because they are so dang cute.

2 medium-size oranges -- cleaned
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter at room temp.
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I have used sour cream)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups or use baking cups.


Finely zest the oranges and chop the chocolate into small bits with a knife

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add orange zest.

Stir in the yogurt, orange juice, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well, the batter will be quite liquid.


Sprinkle flour, then chocolate, over batter. Fold gently, just enough to blend in flour.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. For the mini muffins bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

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Here is an alternative method to make these yummy muffins. It saves me time.

Use the pulse lever of the food processor to coarsely chop the chocolate. Tip out onto waxed paper.

Remove orange peel and place in the food processor with the sugar. Process for about 40 seconds or until finely chopped. Add butter and process a few seconds until creamy. Add eggs one at a time processing after each addition. Add yogurt, oj, baking powder and baking soda. Process a few seconds to blend. Fold in flour & chocolate. Continue as above.

Green Chile Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 can chicken
3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pepper, to taste
(Optional: I add 4 cubes* cauliflower, 1 cube* of zucchini)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in potatoes and carrots; cook one minute. Stir in flour; continue cooking for one minute.
2. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in milk, chiles, and celery salt; heat to simmering. Add chicken and optional vegetable cubes. Add cheeses; stir and heat just until cheeses melt. Do not boil. Add pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls and eat!

*I am still making vegetable purees and freezing them in ice cube trays. Griffin will still eat a bowl full of vegetable puree at almost every meal. I have been putting these "vegetable cubes" in everything I make, soups, pasta, on pizza, even in scrambled eggs. So you may see these in other recipes.

Tennille's website picks

Here are a few great websites!

www.picky-palate.com The great thing about this
website is that there is so much to choose from. New
recipes are added almost daily, main dishes and
lots of desserts.

www.downrightdelish.wordpress.com This one has
lots of recipes also, and rates them from easy to
difficult.

Foodie websites you want to share?

Hey girls...I thought we could keep a running list of good food/cooking websites as a resource for when we need ideas! To share a website, either just leave a comment here or make a new post giving the link and a short review of the website (and/or list some favorite recipes from it). I'll make sure it gets a permanent spot on the sidebar.

I've started the list with a few for you to search and browse.

A new one I've been looking at recently is The Rookie Cookie. Lots of good stuff here covering the whole range of feeding a family. If you're wondering how to make meals more healthful (i.e. using brown rice, quinoa, flaxseed, etc.), she has tasty-looking options.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is awesome. I don't know if anything on this site is necessarily healthy, but it all looks delicious. She's entertaining to boot.


Another blog I like: This Week for Dinner. Her blog isn't exactly organized well, but at least there is a link to look at only Recipes (she has a "Menus" link as well...over two years' worth of meal planning...lots of ideas!).