Turkey Meatloaf

Since being married I have never made meatloaf. Kurt says he doesn't like it. I remembered it being good so when ground turkey went on sale I jumped at the chance to make the Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Meatloaf.

To be honest, I'll admit, it doesn't look that appealing in loaf form:
But it made a pretty yummy dinner. Kurt ate it and didn't complain. I really liked the left overs as a sandwich.

Homemade Applesauce

The first time I made applesauce I was in college. A friend taught me how to make it in the crock-pot. It was nothing like applesauce from the store. It was lumpy and we at it warm- it was heavenly! It was like apple pie without the crust (and I never really cared for crust).

This Barefoot Contessa Applesauce recipe is full of spices, very much like apple pie filling. Kurt loved it, but I thought it was a bit strong... so I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum! Next time I think I'll half the citrus called for... but probably still add the ice cream.

(Don't mind that it's in a measuring cup.)

2 navel oranges, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

6-8 granny smith apples, peeled and quartered

6-8 macintosh (or other sweet red apples), peeled and quartered

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed (you could probably reduce this if you cut some of the citrus)

4 T unsalted butter (I think I left this out)

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2-1 cup water*

In a large pot toss apples in juice and zest. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice. Add some water and cover. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher.

*The actual recipe doesn't call for water since you bake the apples in a Dutch oven, but I don't have one so I just cooked it on the stove and I added some water so it wouldn't burn. You could probably cook it in a crockpot w/o the water.

Another note, the actual recipe says to add the peel while cooking to add color and then remove after. I would say skip it. It was impossible to remove all of it and left you picking peel out while eating it.

Roasted Winter Vegetables/Soup

The cool weather has made me feel like making soup. This one is made from the leftovers of the Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Winter Vegetables. Delicious! And so easy:

1 lb carrots, 1 lb parsnips, 1 large sweet potato, 1 small butternut squash

Peel, cut, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 425 for 25-35 min. (Sprinkle w/ fresh parsley if you like.)

The Roasted Vegetable Soup is simple. Coarsely puree the roasted veggies in a blender/food processor, add chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian) and heat it up! If you have an awesome blender like a VitaMix this would take minutes!

My husband really liked the soup but I think I like the veggies better.

Challa French Toast

While Sabrina was visiting we tried this Barefoot Contessa recipe for french toast. Mmm... It was delicious. We found the Challa bread on our trip to Trader Joe's (Sabrina went crazy buying stuff to take back home). The bread totally made it so rich. I can't decide if I like this (with the orange flavor) better than regular cinnamon french toast it was that good. Anyway, if you can find some Challa or Brioche you should make this.

Tequila Lime Chicken (minus the Tequila)

For a (late) Cinco de Mayo celebration I made this Taquila Lime Chicken Recipe from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Mmmm, I love lime so I couldn't resist. Only I didn't use tequila. I didn't feel like buying tequila so I just decided to use lemon-lime soda instead. It was really yummy, but once again I forgot to take a picture.

(I made it on the grill so it had this great, uh, grilled flavor. Only problem was it took me like an hour to cook it on the community grill cause I had no idea what I was doing. I've only used that thing twice.)

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oven roasted carrots

Here's another example of roasted veggies. Just drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20-40 minutes (depending on thickness).

My daughter said they were "too spicy" (the pepper) so my husband and I ate these and I made some more- steamed- for the kids which they gobbled up.

Late Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars are Kurt's favorite so I make them for his birthday instead of cake. I was a little late this year.

I kind of used different parts of the Barefoot Contessa recipe and the Better Homes Recipe because I was low on some ingredients.

(The powdered sugar melted into the top before I took the picture.)

Lemon Bars

1/2 c sugar

2 c flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 c butter, room temperature

4 eggs slightly beaten

1 1/2 c sugar

3 T flour

1 T lemon zest

3/4 c lemon juice

1/4 milk

powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and salt. On low speed add butter until just mixed. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Chill for a minute, then bake 18 min at 350.

Mean while whisk eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest and milk. Pour over crust and bake 20 minutes- until filling is set. Cool completely and sift powdered sugar on top.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I decided since the frosting we are supposed to make to decorate the cakes for my cake decorating class is not very good (to be honest, it seems completely inedible to me) that I would make a yummy filling.

This buttercream frosting actually uses butter (amazing, huh). A whole pound of it! It's in the first Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It was so light and fluffy it seemed like chocolate mousse. I couldn't help but lick the beater afterwards.

It was a bit involved to make, so I don't know how often I'd use this recipe, but it was fun to try it out.

*caution: it calls for unsalted butter (her recipes usually do) and I only had salted butter and forgot to reduce the amount of salt it calls for to compensate. Kurt said it tasted a bit on the salty side. Also I used regular salt since it didn't specify kosher, so that might have been the problem.

10 oz bittersweet chocolate

6 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 c egg whites

1 teaspoon salt (kosher?)

pinch cream of tartar (1/8 tsp?)

1 lb unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons instant expresso, dissolved in 1 tsp water (I just used some cocoa powder mixed with a little water)

Chop the chocolates and place them in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan simmering water. Stir until melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan of simmering water and heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Return the bowl to the electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak.

Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and rum, if using, and mix for 1 minute or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If the buttercream seems very soft, allow it to cool, and beat it again.

This recipe is pretty much the same as her Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe at foodnetwork.com it just looks to be reduced 2/3.

asparagus

I ate asparagus growing up but it was never something I really loved. My husband and kids LOVE it. So I've been making it for them and eating it too, but it wasn't anything special... until I found this recipe for Parmesan Roasted Asparagus in my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I love it! It's great even without the parmesan cheese.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks have started me roasting my veggies a lot more. The flavor is just wonderful that way. I still have to steam some for Eleanor and Gregory (it's easier for them to chew), but Kurt and I really enjoy it this way.

I usually foil line my cookie sheet for easier clean up.

Just drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt (kosher) and pepper (freshly ground).

After 20 min at about 400, grate cheese over and put back in oven for a few minutes.

These asparagus were really skinny I usually like to get them bigger, they seem to have more flavor and don't get dried out as much.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes & Scrambled Eggs with Green Herbs

I tried these pancakes at a friends house and fell in love with them. I've added mashed bananas to french toast and pancakes before (to secretly make them healthier for the kids), but I think the diced bananas are so much better (even if Eleanor doesn't).

I was afraid to try these scrambled eggs because I've never been a real fan of dill. Growing up I would protest whenever my poor mom added it to anything. She loves it. Maybe my taste buds have grown up. Maybe I just grew up. But I thought these tasted great.

I dyed the pancakes green for St. Patrick's Day. hehe

guacamole

I love avocados. Whenever they go on sale I buy a bunch and make some guacamole. This time I used the recipe in the Barefoot Contessa cookbook as a guide. Very basic ingredients- avocados, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper and tabasco sauce. I didn't have any tabasco or lemon, but it was still so yummy. Don't let the small portion on a plate fool you, that's just for the picture. I always eat it straight out the bowl, and I usually eat the whole thing myself (sometimes Kurt gets some). Do I feel guilt for eating a whole bowl by myself? Of course not! All there is in this recipe is fresh veggies! What could be healthier.

Curried Couscous

I found this recipe in my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and was excited to try something different. Kurt wasn't that fond of couscous (I think he'd only had it plain), but he loved it. Now he insists I make enough to be sure there's leftovers. It's really simple (why I love so many of her recipes; simple ingredients, easy to make, yet so delicious). It's really fast, the most time consuming thing is chopping the veggies.

You can’t go wrong simply following one of Ina Garten’s recipes, but below is the recipe with my changes.  You could easily make it ahead of time and keep refrigerated until it’s time to eat. Just mix in the almonds right before serving or they will not be as crisp -that doesn’t really bother us though, we like it as left overs too!

We often just buy a Costco rotisserie chicken to eat with it or just eat it plain! I tried a recipe for Moroccan chicken once, but I'm not very good at cooking poultry, always turns out tough and dry. A meat thermometer would probably help, any other tips?

Curried Couscous

1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous 

1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces 

1 1/2 cups boiling water 

1/2 cup grated carrots 

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley 

1/2 cup dried Crasins

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts) 

1/4 cup small-diced red onion

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup plain yogurt 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 teaspoon vinegar 

1 teaspoon curry powder 

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (if you don't have this that's fine)

3/4 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Place the couscous and butter in a large bowl and pour boiling water over the couscous, stirring just to make sure the butter melts. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let soak for a few minutes while you chop the veggies. Toss in the carrots, parsley, Crasins, scallions, red onions and almonds, if using. Whisk together dressing, pour over salad and mix well. 

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Curried Couscous. I use whole wheat couscous, Craisins in place of currants, grate the carrots instead of dice them, use salted butter and rice vinegar, and make the almonds optional.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/curried-couscous-recipe.html