basil tomato grilled cheese

For an easy Sunday supper (and inspired by a Cooking Light recipe): stack in turn: a slice of white bread, small handful of mozzarella, slices of one small tomato, about 8 or 9 big basil leaves, another small handful of cheese, another slice of white bread. Grill on a skillet covered in cooking spray on one side, then the other, till cheese is melted and bread is crispy. Yum.

Even better if it includes licorice basil. Mmmm, mmm.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

hiatus

Hi folks -

From Print to Plate is going on summer hiatus. At least. I might post here and there, but while I'm not taking a break from cooking, I do want to take a break from uploading pictures of food.

Have a great summer!
Jessica

Brautwurst in Beer Sauce

I'm sorry, but I have no idea how to photograph a brautwurst - even a brautwurst in beer sauce on a homemade roll - so that it looks attractive. Brautwurst are just unfortunate-looking things.

Very tasty though. The beer sauce was almost incidental to how good this meal was. Much more integral were the goodness of the sausage itself, and the very sweet hoagie rolls I made using Better Home and Gardens' Red Plaid Cookbook. I just made their dinner roll recipe, and shaped them like hoagie rolls. Mmmmm! The sweetness of the rolls contrasting with the savouriness of the brautwurst was wonderful, and the beer sauce provided a nice, bitter foil.

We didn't give the sauce to the kids, because it was so bitter. You'll probably like it if you've got a taste for a nice, dark, stout, but otherwise, either alter the recipe to use broth instead of beer, or switch the stout out for a nice amber ale.

Great meal though. We had seconds. We would have had thirds, but there wasn't anymore. Oh so good. Yum. Meat and bread, who knew?

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Tomato Feta Frittata

"Tomato Feta Frittata": say that five times fast.

This was good. It was pretty easy, and I really liked the cooked, firm bites of garlic here and there. I served it on top of toast, which I think was a mistake, because I had a second piece by itself, and I was really able to savour the flavors in it more during that second helping.

And there's a lot of good flavor here. I substituted fresh basil for the parsley and majoram, and it was delicious. I also used a feta cheese that had some herbs added to it, and I don't think that hurt either. (And I added an extra egg, because I was cooking it in such a big skillet.) But if you want to dress up eggs to make them into a main dish, this is a good way to go.

My toddler didn't like it though.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

cauliflower curry

First, I feel I must warn you: this makes a LOT of curry. We had it on Thursday for dinner, and we're still trying to mop up the leftovers. I think I'm going to actually end up throwing some away, and that hardly ever happens around here. Lots and LOTS of curry, folks.

Second, the instructions for this (see last week's Menu Plan Monday post for the link) are a bit confusing, because they don't list the ingredients in the order that they're used.

Third, this is really good curry. Who knew vegetables could taste so good? 'Cause that's what this is: lots and lots of vegetables. (Lots and LOTS.) Lots and lots of vegetables, some curry powder, a bit of broth and some coconut milk. The coconut milk adds a rich texture that saves this from feeling like, you know, just lots and lots of vegetables. I was surprised when I realized that it was vegan, because it had a much nicer feel in the mouth than a lot of vegan food does.

And the kids ate it.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Menu Plan Monday

I really wanted to make spaghetti this week. Just plain, ol' ground beef and tomato sauce spaghetti. I was looking and looking through my cookbooks for a recipe, and finding very creative, wonderful things to do with spaghetti noodles and tomatoes, but no basic, no-frills recipe, until I looked at my Klutz Kids Cookbook, and found the recipe I learned on as a kid. Woo-hoo! "Ready Spaghetti" to the rescue! :D Isn't it funny how these things work sometimes?

I'm curious about how the brats in beer sauce will turn out . . . I found bratwurst on sale and had no idea what to do with it. I'd just serve it with sourkraut, but my husband hates sourkraut (why? why?), so that was out. Brats 'n' beer, here we come!

Then on Thursday, we're jumping into sophistication with a snazzy-looking recipe from Cooking Light - I feel like I'm all over the place on this week's menu. Check back to see how it all turns out! I'll be posting pictures and results all through the week.


Monday: Bratwurst in Beer Sauce
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Ready Spaghetti
Thursday: Sesame Brown Rice with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts
Friday: Pumpkin Bean Soup with corn muffins
Saturday: bean burritos!


Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Soup, which my notes say I got from Better Homes and Gardens. I can't find the recipe on their site though, so here it is:

-15 oz. can pumpkin
-14 oz. can coconut milk
-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
-14 oz. can chicken broth
-1 tsp. dried sage
-salt and ground black pepper
-fresh lime slices

1) In medium saucepan, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, beans, broth and sage. Heat through.
2) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and drizzle with lime. Serves 4.

You have to like the ingredients in it to like this soup, but we like it very much indeed. And it's a cinch to make and pretty healthy. And surprisingly tasty. Don't forget the limes though.

For more great menus, check out Org Junkie!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Menu Plan Monday

I really wanted to make spaghetti this week. Just plain, ol' ground beef and tomato sauce spaghetti. I was looking and looking through my cookbooks for a recipe, and finding very creative, wonderful things to do with spaghetti noodles and tomatoes, but no basic, no-frills recipe, until I looked at my Klutz Kids Cookbook, and found the recipe I learned on as a kid. Woo-hoo! "Ready Spaghetti" to the rescue! :D Isn't it funny how these things work sometimes?

I'm curious about how the brats in beer sauce will turn out . . . I found bratwurst on sale and had no idea what to do with it. I'd just serve it with sourkraut, but my husband hates sourkraut (why? why?), so that was out. Brats 'n' beer, here we come!

Then on Thursday, we're jumping into sophistication with a snazzy-looking recipe from Cooking Light - I feel like I'm all over the place on this week's menu. Check back to see how it all turns out! I'll be posting pictures and results all through the week.


Monday: Bratwurst in Beer Sauce
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Ready Spaghetti
Thursday: Sesame Brown Rice with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts
Friday: Pumpkin Bean Soup with corn muffins
Saturday: bean burritos!


Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Soup, which my notes say I got from Better Homes and Gardens. I can't find the recipe on their site though, so here it is:

-15 oz. can pumpkin
-14 oz. can coconut milk
-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
-14 oz. can chicken broth
-1 tsp. dried sage
-salt and ground black pepper
-fresh lime slices

1) In medium saucepan, combine pumpkin, coconut milk, beans, broth and sage. Heat through.
2) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and drizzle with lime. Serves 4.

You have to like the ingredients in it to like this soup, but we like it very much indeed. And it's a cinch to make and pretty healthy. And surprisingly tasty. Don't forget the limes though.

For more great menus, check out Org Junkie!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

twice-baked potatoes

This recipe is half BHG cookbook and half me. I got the basic directions for twice-baked potatoes from that excellent cookbook, and then improvised. Here's the basic recipe, and it's well-worth making:

1) Bake three potatoes. Allow to cool slightly.
2) Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 minced head of garlic, and a few chopped carrots till bright and soft. Puree in food processor.
3) Cut baked potatoes in half, scoop out the insides, taking care not to puncture the skins. Place skins on a cookie sheet, and set aside.
4) Add potato insides to carrot puree; puree it all together. Add about a cup of light sour cream, puree some more. Add some chopped-up ham, blend till mixed. If you need to, add a bit of milk to get a good consistency.
5) Preheat oven to 425. Scoop potato-carrot-ham puree back into reserved potato skins. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Enjoy!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

p.s. This recipe is very open to alterations. You can add cheese or some other kind of meat at the pureeing point. You can sautee different kinds of veggies and add them in. It's a nice, versitile dish. And very filling. And very tasty. :D

Menu Plan Monday: Back to Normal Life

That picture shows you the kind of cooking I did this weekend; my husband and I got to camping (just the two of us! thanks Mom and Dad!) for our anniversary, and I rediscovered the truth that all you really need for a good meal is bacon, a cast iron skillet, and a good fire. Oh, and maybe some eggs and bread. :)

But it's back to normal life, and here's what we're eating this week:
Monday: Twice-Baked Potatoes
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Corn-Sausage Chowder
Thursday: cauliflower curry w/ pita bread
Friday: dinner @ folks
Saturday: frittata with tomatoes and feta (I might make this on Tuesday, and do a freezer meal on Friday, I'm not sure)

I got the link to the cauliflower curry from someone else's blog a Monday or two ago, and I'm sorry I don't remember who, because I'd like to credit you for the link! But I'm really looking forward to making it, it looks just splendid.

For more great menus, visit Organizing Junkie

Have a great week, and remember to check back here to see how the recipes turn out!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

rosemary foccacia sandwiches

Oh yum. The recipe for this foccacia is from the vegetarian cookbook that Amber recommended: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Sooooooo good. And thick enough that it can be split into sandwiches, as in the picture. Our sandwiches fillings were greens tossed with caesar dressing, mozzerella cheese, tomatoes and cucumber. Yum, yum, yum.

And the next day, I toasted a bit of this bread with butter for a snack. Oh, I just about melted. So good. So very, very good. Warm, savoury goodness.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Coconut-milk Pudding Rolls: Sunset

I'm gonna have to give a mixed reviews on these. While the sweet yeast rolls themselves were absolutely scrumptious, and I could have eaten the whole pan of THOSE, the coconut icing part was too much for me. Too rich, too cloying, too . . . coconutty.

However, my husband thought I should make them for the next ten weeks straight, every night of the week.

Or something like that. From me, two stars. From the rest of the family, five.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

Tortellini with Spinach Pesto: Better Homes and Gardens

This one didn't make it onto Menu Plan Monday, 'cause I was too eager, and made it before I meant to. Especially given that it contained fresh spinach, I wanted to make it while the spinach (and everything else) was still fresh.

And the conclusion: what a great way to use fresh spinach! As my husband raved, "You can't even taste it!" :) This, despite almost four cups of the stuff in the recipe.

While he didn't like the baby pattypan squash in the dish, I did, which expands my toleration of squash a millimeter more. (You can feed me butternut, but oh zucchini, come not near me!) Also? The kids loved it. Especially our one-year old, who shoveled it all in and squawked for more.

We're definitely making this one again.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

alterations:
-I used dry mini cheese tortellini instead of fresh ravioli. This might have contributed to my one-year old's approval of the dish.
-I used just plain ol' Caesar instead of Caesar Parmesan vinaigrette.

Menu Plan Monday

Today I have a few fewer magazine recipes, because I'm trying out a cookbook recommended to me by Amber: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison.

So, here's the menu for this week:

Monday: Rosemary Focaccia sandwiches with ricotta, tomato, cucumber and dressed greens
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Coconut Milk Pudding Rolls, with sausage and fruit
Thursday: Spicy Chickpeas with Ginger, over rice
Friday: dinner @ folks'
Saturday: Frittata with Tomatoes and Feta, with toast.


Last week's Cheesy Spinach Bake was a hit: warm and satisfying food, that.

And here's a recipe I cooked up last night, riffing on Vegetarian Times' Linguine with Black Bean Sauce:

1) Cook about a pound of whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2) In a blender, puree one can drained black beans, one cup broth and about 1/2 cup rinsed fresh basil leaves.
3) In a large skillet, sautee one chopped onion and half a head minced garlic in olive oil. Add about 2 cups chopped bell pepper (frozen, if desired) and saute for a minute. Add pureed bean mixture and 1 1/2 cups frozen peas to skillet, heat through. Turn off heat and mix in cooked spaghetti noodles. Serve with parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired.

Enjoy! and check back here to see how it all turns out.

For more great menus, visit Org Junkie's site.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

cheesy spinach bake: Cooking Light

Last night I made this dish from Cooking Light (see my Menu Plan Monday post for the link to the recipe). It turned out a bit like an upside-down quiche. You make it by pouring a bit of melted butter in the baking dish, then lining it with a huge pile of spinach, sprinkling the spinach with cheese, and then pouring something like a spiced pancake batter over the whole thing, and baking it. The batter sinks down to fill all the crevices, and you end up with a cheesy-spinachy-pastry-like thing. Pretty good!

I used eggs instead of egg substitute, and full-fat cheddar cheese, and part-skim mozzarella, so I don't think it quite fit Cooking Light's idea of a low-calorie dish, but we were quite happy with it. Oh, and I used a bit more cheese than they called for. Mmmmm.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Menu Plan Monday: Chickpea-Potato Curry

So, my husband told me I'm a "spice cook" - that I choose to cook things based on the spices in the recipe. And tonight, I got confirmation of that. I had Emily over, and cooked her a curry (which she liked - thanks, Em!), and when she asked me what was in it, my answer was something along the lines of "Well, there's potatoes and chickpeas and onions . . . and then there's jalapenos, ginger, garlic, cilantro, coriander, garam masala, curry powder . . ." yep. The recipe was mostly spices.

Therefore, following this menu is the recipe for my chickpea-potato curry. I got the basic recipe out of "the best ever Indian" cookbook, but I tweaked it. And here's the menu:

Monday: Spinach-Cheese Bake and blueberry muffins
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Black Beans and Rice
Thursday: Chickpea-Potato Curry
Friday: dinner at folks'
Saturday: huevos rancheros tostadoes

For more menus, visit Org Junkie. And now, the Chickpea/Potato Curry:

-4 T. vegetable Oil
-2 onions, sliced in half rings
-2-3 t. minced fresh gingerroot
-1-2 t. curry powder, to taste
-1-2 t. garam masala, to taste
-1 t. powdered coriander
-2 jalapenos, seeded and minced.
-1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
-2/3 c. water, more as needed
-2-3 potatoes, diced
-1 can chickpeas, drained
-salt, to taste

1) Heat oil over med-high heat, add onions, and saute till golden. Reduce heat to med-low, and add the ginger, curry, garam masala, coriander, jalapenos and cilantro. Stir-fry for 2-4 minutes.
2) Add 2/3 cup water to pot and stir to mix.
3) Add potatoes and chickpeas to pan. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add more water as needed, to make curry saucey.
4) When potatoes are tender, turn off burner, and serve hot. (Being careful, 'cause, um, it's hot!)

As always, check back here to see how the recipes turn out! (And check out last week's yumminess.)

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Spring Pea Tarts: Vegetarian Times

Yesterday I made these tarts from Vegetarian Times. They turned out really well - but my daughter wouldn't eat hers.

These mix cooked spinach and peas with Neufchatel (cream) cheese and some other flavorings for the filling, and you put them in shells assembled from puff pastry. The puff pastry's on the pricey side, and I think you could make something very similar just by hollowing out some rolls in place of the tart crust. The filling is certainly worth making again, and both my husband and I think it'd make a good dip. I could see it as a sandwich spread too.

It is a pretty rich filling, for all that it's mostly vegetables, and in the middle of the tart I wished for a little more crust to balance out the richness. But overall, an excellent recipe. And very pretty.

(Blogger's giving me grief, so for a link to the recipe, please see my previous "Menu Plan Monday" post. I'll see if I can edit the link in later.)

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

alterations:
-I used frozen rather than fresh spinach, and so possibly a little more than was called for. But as it was all just pureed, I don't think it made a difference.

Not Your Mother's Chicken Soup: Woman's Day

Lesson 1 Learned from Not Your Mother's Chicken Soup:
-When the recipe suggests cooking "x amount of time or until vegetables are tender", don't just cook "x amount of time", actually check and see if the veggies have become tender.
Lesson 2 Learned from Not Your Mother's Chicken Soup:
-untender yams - unlike creamy-soft roasted yams - taste amazingly like carrots.

Good, gingery, sinus-clearing soup this. We shredded the chicken and added it to the soup, but you could just take the chicken out the broth and eat it seperately. If you're sick, this is the soup you'd want, I think. Nice and spicy, and no nausea-inducing soggy noodles.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

p.s. I really cook more than just soups. Honest. :D

Herb Ravioli Soup: Sunset

This soup was pretty!

I admit, I was sucked in by the title of the section this soup was under. But doesn't "Bright, savory soup" just make you want to cook up a batch? It only would have been better if it was "Bright, savoury soup". Ah, British spelling.

Anyway, very yummy, and perfect for a Saturday night.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

alterations:
-I didn't exactly measure the herbs. I just picked a bunch in about the right amounts.
-I forgot to pepper it.
-My package of ravioli was 9 oz, not a pound, and it was chicken sausage pesto something else, not plain ol' chicken. :D

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Not Your Mother's Chicken Soup
Tuesday: freezer meal
Wednesday: Spring Pea Tarts
Thursday: Easy Chicken Adobo with rice
Friday: dinner at folks'
Saturday: Tomato & Cheese Strata

This is a week full of experiments! I don't think I've made any of the above-linked recipes before. Check back later in the week to see how they turn out; and take a peek at the archives for past experiments - and maybe to get some ideas for your next menu or two. :D

I'm pretty sure Saturday's recipe, for Tomato and Cheese Strata, comes from Womans Day, but I can't find a link for it, so here's the recipe:

-10 slices white sandwich bread
-4 tomatoes cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices
-1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
-4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
-4 large eggs
-2 cups milk
-1/2 tsp. salt

1) Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish.
2) Place four slices bread over bottom of dish. Arrange half the tomatoes, cheese and scallions on top. Cover with remaining 6 slices bread (overlapping) and rest of the tomatoes, cheese and scallions.
3) Whisk eggs in a large bowl to mix yolks and whites. Add milk and salt; whisk until blended. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate at least two hours or up to 24 hours.
4) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover and bake strata 40-45 minutes until puffed and golden, and a narrow knife inserted near center comes out clean.


The recipe notes that a) this is a good one to make ahead of time, b) bread that's stale works fine in this recipe and c) the tomatoes should be cored. But, frankly, I don't hold with coring tomatoes, so I say take all the advice but the last. :D

Check out Laura at Organizing Junkie for more great menus!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Hummus Cakes: Vegetarian Times

I think this is the best hummus I've ever made. And it's baked: go figure.

The best as to taste, that is. They are pretty dry, but I served them in pita with yogurt-cucumber sauce and tomatoes, so that wasn't a problem.

This did take a bit of time to put together, for all that it looks simple on the plate.

peacce of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

alterations:
-I doubled the recipe, and used one can of black beans in place of chickpeas, 'cause I only had three cans of chickpeas. Turned out fine!