Betty Crapper

Rosemary Focaccia

2010-11-15T14:55:00.000-05:00

There is something about homemade bread that I find intoxicating. Maybe it's the glass of wine I wash it down with. Betty Crapper loves her daily glass of wine.

Regardless, there's something special about bread you make yourself. This recipe is easy, but time consuming. Those of you without a stand mixer are in luck. The only fancy equipment you need to make the dough is a bowl and a wooden spoon. A rubber spatula plays a minor role. I promise it's really easy.

Betty Crapper doesn't lie.

The bread gets baked in two 9-inch cake rounds placed on top of a super hot baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, use an upside down, preheated rimmed baking sheet.

Rosemary Focaccia

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated (September/October 2010)

(makes two 9-inch round loaves)

Biga

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) warm water (100-110 F)

1/4 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

Dough

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) warm water (100-110 F)

1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Process

The day before, combine biga ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute. You should have a uniform mass with no dry flour.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours (up to 24 hours).
For the dough, stir flour, water, and yeast into the biga with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute. You should have a uniform mass with no dry flour.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 15 minutes.
Add 2 teaspoons Kosher salt to dough and stir with wooden spoon about 1 minute.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
Spray rubber spatula with nonstick cooking spray.
With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:

lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
turn bowl 90 degrees.
repeat, repeat, repeat......until you've folded dough over 8 times.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:

lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
turn bowl 90 degrees.
repeat, repeat, repeat......until you've folded dough over 8 times.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
With rubber spatula, fold dough over itself 8 times as follows:

lift an edge of dough with spatula and fold it towards the middle.
turn bowl 90 degrees.
repeat, repeat, repeat... until you've folded dough over 8 times.

Place oven rack in upper middle position. Place baking stone on rack and preheat oven to 500 F.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 30 minutes.
Transfer dough to lightly floured surface (counter). BE GENTLE!
Lightly dust top of dough with flour and divide in half.
Shape each piece into a 5 inch round by GENTLY tucking under edges.
Coat two 9 inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each.
Sprinkle each pan with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt.
Place each round of dough in a pan, top side down. Slide dough around pan to coat with oil and then flip dough over.
Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise 5 minutes at room temperature.
Press dough out towards edge of pan with your fingertips. If dough resists, let rest 5-10 minutes and try again.
Grab a dinner fork and poke each dough 25-30 times. Make sure you pop any large bubbles.
Sprinkle rosemary over top of dough.
Let dough rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until slightly bubbly.
Place pans on baking stone and immediately lower oven temperature to 450 F.
Bake until top is golden brown 25-28 minutes. Switch pan placement on stone halfway through.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
Remove bread from pans and return to wire rack. If any oil remains in pan, brush that on loaves.
Cool 30 minutes before serving.

I promise this focaccia recipe is worth all those annoying steps. I've made it a handful of times and it always come out fantastic.

How do you feel about bread?

Meal Plan 11/1-11/7

2010-11-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

Last week we enjoyed chicken parmigiana, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary focaccia, ground beef tacos, prosciutto pizza, and chocolate raspberry ice cream. A couple of meals did not get cooked due to leftovers and Halloween!

Monday: spaghetti with Marinara sauce, green salad, homemade wheat bread
Tuesday: chicken breast with bacon and boursin (from My Kitchen in the Rockies)
Wednesday: picadillo with white rice
Thursday: pork chops with herbed rice
Friday: prosciutto pizza made with homemade dough
Saturday: chicken paella
Sunday: leftovers

Desserts: mamey ice cream, chocolate chip cookies

I reserve the right to make deletions and substitutions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream

2010-10-31T13:58:00.000-04:00

Betty Crapper must confess. I have an addiction that is insidious and unforgiving. I must have my weakness daily. Some days the need for chocolate is so overwhelming that the bittersweet chocolate chips I usually consume by the handful are not enough.

A few days ago, my addiction forced me to make chocolate raspberry ice cream. That's right. My addiction made me do it.

Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream

(adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

1 tbsp Chambord black raspberry liqueur

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat, whisking often, until it comes to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add the raspberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Puree the mixture. If desired, strain to remove the seeds. Chill the mixture for several hours or overnight. Freeze in your ice cream maker.

Notes

I didn't strain the mixture due to Betty Crapper's inherent laziness. Careful, those little seeds like to lodge themselves in between your teeth. Perhaps next time Betty Crapper will strain.
I would have used more Chambord, but all I had left was 1 tbsp. If I make this again I will definitely use a bit more and update this post with my impression.
I found this ice cream paired perfectly with my unfrosted, warm chocolate cake. The combination was enough to satisfy my chocolate craving. I wasn't wowed by the ice cream alone.
Chocolate raspberry ice cream has not replaced my favorite ice cream.

I may need some sort of 12-step program. What do you think?

Edible Garden Festival & Giveaway Winner

2010-10-29T12:33:00.001-04:00

This is my favorite time of year in South Florida. Hurricane season will soon be over and the humidity is on it's way out. Pause, and imagine me doing a happy dance! I look forward to this time of year for many reasons. Chief among them are the produce stands that will soon be bustling with activity. In the months to come I'll introduce you to some of my favorites.

Here in South Florida the temperature is becoming more and more comfortable. It is now tolerable to be outside longer than it takes to dash from one air-conditioned venue to another. I love going to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden this time of year. Last Saturday, I attended the Edible Garden Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden with my mother, aunt, cousin, and 14 month old daughter.

Fairchild holds several festivals each year and my favorites are the upcoming Ramble (11/12-11/14) and the International Chocolate Festival in January.

This past weekend, I was on a mission. I headed straight for the organic heirloom tomato starts from Bee Heaven Farm. They had 66 varieties for sale.

I've never grown tomatoes before, but I knew I wanted to try. If you have any tips, suggestions, or words of encouragement please share. They are most definitely welcome because there are now some tomato plants resting comfortably in my very first square foot garden.

I also left Fairchild with a few things from Redland Herb Farm. Herbs I can grow. Usually, my herbs live happily on my covered terrace in pots. This year, some will reside in my square foot garden. At least I'll be certain something will grow in there and my efforts won't be a total failure.

Giveaway Winner!

There were 144 comments on my Stovetop Espresso Maker & Cuban Coffee Giveaway post. Thank you everyone for entering. I enjoyed sharing one of my favorite things and am looking forward to sharing another giveaway soon.

Random.org selected the number corresponding to MM's comment. Congratulations MM!!! The winner has been confirmed and the goodies are on their way. I am holding MM to her promise of making espresso brownies and blogging about them over at Ms. enPlace.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and Happy Halloween! Tomorrow my father-in-law is building me the support my baby tomato plants will one day need. He is the best father-in-law ever and I am very lucky indeed. Sunday, we'll be enjoying Halloween with friends. What are your weekend plans?

Tag, You're It!

2010-10-26T22:50:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder, there's still one more day to enter my stovetop espresso maker and Cuban coffee giveaway. No entries after 11 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 27, 2010.

One of my favorite bloggers, Susi from Susi's Kochen Und Backen Adventures, has tagged me (and seven other bloggers) with a get-to-know-you internet game. If you haven't yet discovered Susi's wonderful blog, what are you waiting for? Susi makes great food and I know you'll agree.

The rules of the internet "game" are simple: answer eight questions provided by the "tagger" and then chose eight blogs to tag with eight questions of my choosing.

Susi's questions for Betty Crapper

1. What is your favorite kitchen tool to use?

It's so hard to pick just one! I love cluttering up my kitchen drawers with gadgets. Since Susi twisted my arm and is making me decide, I'll pick... see I changed my mind already. I'm horrible at making decisions. Ok, I pick the rubber spatula.

2. What is your all-time favorite dessert?

I drool over chocolate cake, but lately I'm going gaga over Tiramisu ice cream.

3. What cooking show would you love to be part of?

It's been a while since I watched a cooking show. Probably the last cooking show I enjoyed was Alton Brown's Good Eats. I would love to play one of the kooky characters on that show, but only if I got to wear a funny costume. This month is Halloween after all.

4. If you could travel to any country just for the food, which would it be?

France! I want to eat lots of cheese and bread washed down with wine.

5. Is there a food you can't stomach, no matter how often you've tried it?

I'll eat just about anything, but don't make me eat raw fish. Sorry sushi fans. Betty Crapper can't stand sushi.

6. What is your most treasured recipe?

My carrot cake. I've been making it since I was a little girl and it was the first recipe I memorized.

7. What is your best kitchen tip?

Don't be afraid to try making something new. It's probably a lot easier than you thought it would be (especially if you read the recipe before you start) and if you mess up it makes a great story.

8. With the holiday's approaching, tell us about a food you must have on either your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table!

There's nothing in particular I must have; however my sister and cousin will be mighty upset with me If I don't make three layer brownies this Christmas. I've been making those things since I was a little girl.

I am tagging the following eight bloggers.

Alicia's Homemaking
Andrea the Kitchen Witch
Baking Serendipity
Hun...What's for Dinner?
Indigo's Sugar Spectrum
Lindy & Ree
Me, Myself & Pie
Ms. enPlace

Here are eight questions you get tagged with. I would love to learn a little bit more about you, but don't feel obligated to answer if these internet games don't float your boat.

1. What is your favorite cookbook?
2. What do you feel like eating when you are grumpy?
3. What is your favorite dessert?
4. How did you learn to cook?
5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance or tool?
6. Is there anything in the kitchen that intimidates you?
7. How far in advance do you plan your meals?
8. What is your most treasured food related memory?

Meal Plan 10/25-10/31

2010-10-24T21:43:00.001-04:00

If you love caffeine and haven't entered my giveaway yet, you still have time. I am giving away a stovetop espresso maker and Cuban coffee. Enter until 11 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 27, 2010.

Last week, we ate our meals out of order. We enjoyed ribeyes with a tomato, basil, and fresh mozarella salad; salami pizza; picadillo with white rice; shells stuffed with ricotta and ground beef; and homemade rosemary focaccia. We loved the focaccia recipe and will be making it again this week. I also finished the Tiramisu ice cream I was hoarding in the freezer. Must make more of that soon.

I didn't get around to making the chicken parmesan or the tacos; therefore they will be carried over to this week.

Monday: Chicken parmesan, spaghetti, green salad

Tuesday: Ground beef tacos with all the fixings and homemade flour tortillas

Wednesday: Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

Thursday: Pork tenderloin

Friday: prosciutto pizza made with homemade frozen dough and green salad

Saturday: TBD

Sunday: Chicken breast with bacon and boursin recipe from My Kitchen in the Rockies

Desserts: chocolate raspberry ice cream and individual cherry cobblers

I reserve the right to make deletions and substitutions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Giveaway, Stovetop Espresso Maker & Cuban Coffee

2010-10-20T12:02:00.002-04:00

***This giveaway is now closed. updated 10/27 at 11 PM EST***

These items are near and dear to my heart. I use them daily to make Cuban Coffee.

One of my lucky readers will receive a three cup (serving size) stove top espresso maker, Pilon Cuban Coffee (espresso), and an eight ounce metal pitcher (for making espumita).

If you do not drink Cuban Coffee, think of all the other drinks and desserts you can make with the espresso maker. Can't think of any? Just ask in a comment or send me an email. I love to hear from my readers.

I recently used espresso to make Tiramisu Ice Cream and Tiramisu Cake. I have even replaced the water with espresso in my chocolate cake to make me extra happy.

If you comment on this post, I would love to know what you would use the espresso for. Are you a coffee drinker? If so, how often do you indulge? Have you ever had Cuban Coffee?

Giveaway Rules

After much thought, Betty Crapper has decided not to force her anonymous followers to reveal themselves. Therefore, following publicly is not required to enter; however, following publicly will give you an extra opportunity to win.

You have up to two entries. If you desire two entries, you must leave a separate comment for each entry.

To enter you MUST:

1. Leave a comment on this post.

If you want a second optional entry you MUST:

2. Follow me publicly via Google Friend Connect and leave a separate comment indicating you are a new follower. Current public followers are also eligible for the second entry, simply leave another comment stating you are a current follower.

You have until 11 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 to enter.

This giveaway is only open to US readers. International shipping charges scare Betty Crapper.

The giveaway items are new and were purchased by me at my local supermarket. They are the same products I use daily. I am in no way affiliated with the makers of these products. I just want to share something I love. Truly.

The winner will be selected by comment post number via www.random.org and will be announced in a post dated Friday, October 29, 2010. Once the winner is announced, they will have 48 hours to contact me or another winner will be randomly selected.

Betty Crapper loves her morning cafe and this she will gladly share.

She does have two stovetop espresso makers after all!

(they darken with age and use)

Thank you so much for stopping by these last few months. If you are new to Betty Crapper, welcome! I look forward to getting to know you too.

Tiramisu Ice Cream

2010-10-19T14:52:00.003-04:00

I've found my new favorite ice cream. I have made it twice--less than two weeks apart. Oh my! The first time I made Tiramisu ice cream, I had to share. This time, I made French vanilla ice cream as a freezer decoy! It is conveniently placed in front of the Tiramisu ice cream.

Betty Crapper does not like to share her ice cream! Don't judge me.

The cast of characters. Do you see that teeny tiny can of cocoa? That cocoa was incredibly difficult to find. More about that in the notes that follow. Among the cast of characters is the item I mentioned yesterday that is near and dear to my heart.

Don't skimp on the dairy. You won't be sorry. This mascarpone brand has almost twice the fat of my supermarket brand. Betty Crapper believes more fat yields tastier ice cream.

I love that this ice cream has alcohol. If you do not partake, this is not the ice cream for you. The alcohol keeps the ice cream from getting hard in the freezer. It also makes it taste and smell wonderful. This is definitely an adult only ice cream.

Once you have all your ingredients, blend and place in your refrigerator to chill overnight. I left the mix in my blender. One less thing to wash.

After you blend the ingredients for the ice cream make the Mocha Ripple. Refrigerate in a bowl overnight. Don't worry if the chocolate seems runny. It will thicken up (not to hot fudge consistency) overnight.

In the morning it's time to make your ice cream. It took about 30 minutes to churn up. Due to the alcohol, it will not be as solid as other ice creams (soft-serve consistency).

I love watching ice cream churn. Betty Crapper can't help watching with a spoon in hand. She is just checking for doneness!

When the ice cream is done churning, it is time for my favorite part. Grab your chilled container and alternate spoonfuls of ice cream and Mocha Ripple. Place in the freezer for a few hours to harden before indulging.

Tiramisu Ice Cream

(adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop)

2 cups mascarpone

1 cup half-and-half

2/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur (I used Kahlua)

3 tablespoons brandy or dark rum (I used Bacardi Gold rum)

Mocha Ripple

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup strongly brewed espresso

6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (I used Green & Black's)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The night before you are ready to churn your ice cream, puree the mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, Kahlua, and rum in a blender. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

That night, also make the mocha ripple. In a medium saucepan whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, espresso, and cocoa powder. Whisking constantly, heat over medium heat until bubbles form at the edges. Continue to whisk until mixture comes to a low boil. Stop whisking periodically to check for the light boil. Cook for one more minute, whisking often. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. When cool chill overnight in refrigerator.

The next morning freeze the ice cream in your machine. (My machine took 30 minutes). As you remove it from the machine, alternate layers of the chilled Mocha Ripple with the frozen ice cream in your storage container. Place in freezer for a few hours before indulging.

Notes

I've made this ice cream twice. It will work with natural cocoa, but it won't taste as amazing. The first time I made this recipe I did not have Dutch processed cocoa on hand and used Hershey's natural cocoa. I liked the mocha ripple, but noticed the bitter aftertaste. It was good, but I knew it would be incredible if I could get my hands on Dutch processed cocoa. I searched high and low all over my surrounding regular supermarkets in South Florida. It seems no one here carries Dutch processed cocoa anymore. Hershey's even stopped making it several years ago. Hershey's special dark is not all Dutch processed. Boo to Hershey's and my local supermarkets for not carrying Dutch processed cocoa.
In the past I have used Green & Black's organic cocoa. It is alkalized (Dutch processed), so I decided to hunt for it. This was not an easy feat in Miami, or even online (Amazon was out of stock). My local Whole Foods told me they discontinued it from their local stores and that the warehouse might have a few left. I was told I could try and order a case of 12. I was sad. As I was leaving, I walked passed their coffee aisle. I spotted a few dust covered cans. I snatched them up real quick! They told me those were the last of them.
I found that mascarpone at Whole Foods. It is produced from milk and cream that is rBST-free.
David Lebovitz is my new guru/idol. If you love making ice cream you must buy his book. Everything I've made from The Perfect Scoop (link from D. Lebovitz's Amazon store) has been amazing and far better than any other recipe I've used for the same flavor.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Do you share?

Plea to my South Florida readers

If you spot Dutch processed cocoa, and most especially the Green & Black's cocoa (not the Hot Chocolate) contact me via my blog/email. I will love you forever!!!!!!

Upcoming Giveaway

I've passed 100 public Google Friend Connect Followers. Yippee!!!!

I appreciate all your comments and have really enjoyed getting to know you all these last few months. Tomorrow I will let you know about my first giveaway. One lucky reader will receive something that I love and use daily. Making this ice cream and the Tiramisu cake would not have been possible without it.

Look for my first giveaway post tomorrow.

Meal Plan 10/18-10/24

2010-10-18T08:47:00.004-04:00

Betty Crapper is happy she stuck with last week's meal plan Monday through Friday. Due to weekend outings, dinner Saturday and Sunday went off the plan. Saturday we ate leftovers and Sunday I made picadillo with white rice. Picadillo is my go-to meal when I'm in a rush and have no clue what to make.

Last week I made the following yummy desserts: cherry cobbler, vanilla ice cream (new recipe to me), and Tiramisu ice cream. I took pictures of the vanilla ice cream and the Tiramisu ice cream. Look for those posts soon.

Monday: leftover picadillo
Tuesday: beef manicotti
Wednesday: chicken tacos
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: homemade pizza
Saturday: ribeyes on the grill
Sunday: chicken parmesan

Dessert: We are still working through the Tiramisu ice cream and the Vanilla ice cream. I will probably make more cherry cobbler. I make individual portions with frozen cherries. Why did Betty Crapper make two ice cream's last week? She doesn't like to share her Tiramisu ice cream!

I reserve the right to make deletions and substitutions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

***Look for an upcoming giveaway post once I hit 100 public Google Friend Connect followers! The items are near and dear to my heart and I can not live without them.

Meal Plan 10/11-10/17

2010-10-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

Due to unforeseen (*positive) circumstances, two meals were not made last week. We ate out on Saturday and Sunday. Peach chicken and mini meat loaves will be carried over to this week. Nothing new was made for dinner. For dessert, I am ecstatic with the coffee ice cream I made; so rich and creamy. Next time, and there will most definitely be a next time, I'll take pictures and post the recipe.

Monday: mini-meat loaves with mashed potatoes

Tuesday: peach chicken with brown rice

Wednesday: pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

Thursday: homemade pizza

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: beef manicotti with salad and rosemary focaccia

Sunday: french onion soup and salad

Desserts: cherry cobbler and Tiramisu ice cream

I reserve the right to make deletions and substitutions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

* Look out world. Our baby girl now has her first pair of shoes. She wore them on Sunday and we tried them out at the zoo. Every animal is a "cat!"

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2010-10-11T11:55:00.002-04:00

As I am currently thinking about lunch, I decided it was time to finally post the recipe I promised back in August (before I went on vacation). I usually have most of the ingredients for this yummy pasta salad. I absolutely love how quick it is to put together. By the time the pasta is done, everything else is ready to mix in.

Betty Crapper promises it is easy and foolproof. Cook your fusilli pasta. Dice your ingredients. Make the dressing. Are you with me so far?

Put everything in a big bowl and toss.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style, 2002)

1/2 pound fusilli pasta
kosher salt
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced (I quartered grape tomatoes)
3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

dressing

5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta. Just before serving add the Parmesan and basil. Toss well.

How could something so easy to put together taste so good? This would make an excellent party dish. It keeps very well and the flavor improves the longer it sits. Next time I make it I am going to use sun-dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil. I am curious to see if it makes a huge taste difference. What do you think?

***update using half the salt and sun-dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil was really great and the version of this recipe that I will make from now on

Chicken Tabbouleh

2010-10-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

Chicken Tabbouleh

(Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style, 2002)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup bulgur wheat

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

olive oil

kosher salt

1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, bone in, skin on

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup minced scallions (green onions), white and green parts (1 bunch)

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch) *Ina uses 1 cup

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and medium-diced

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl pour boiling water over the bulgur wheat. Add the lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Meanwhile, place the chicken breast on a baking sheet. Rub it with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until done. Use a thermometer!!!! Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into medium dice.

Add the chicken, scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the bulgur wheat. Gently mix. Season to taste.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. The flavors improves as it sits.

Notes

This was eaten over three days. It tasted fantastic each day.
It made an excellent sandwich. I wish I would have had pita bread to stuff with this Tabbouleh.
I love that you can make it ahead of time. It tastes better the longer it sits!

Meal Plan 10/4-10/10

2010-10-04T16:08:00.000-04:00

How is it that a two week vacation completely derailed my meal planning routine? I have been back home for over three weeks and have yet to plan a menu. Did Betty Crapper get used to room service and dining out?

No time like the present time to jump back on the bandwagon. I'm tired of eating takeout and spaghetti due to lack of planning.

Monday: salad and prosciutto sandwich
Tuesday: salad, spaghetti & meatballs, rosemary focaccia
Wednesday: chicken paella
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: homemade pizza with salami
Saturday: mini meatloaves
Sunday: peach chicken

Dessert: homemade coffee ice cream

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Meal Plan 8/23-8/29

2010-08-23T11:29:00.000-04:00

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Previous Week (Meal Plan 8/16-8/22)

Last week I made everything on the meal plan, except Saturday's burgers. Everything was fantastic. I tried three new recipes (pasta with sun dried tomatoes, chicken tabbouleh, and meatballs) and can't wait to make them again. Look for upcoming recipe posts for the pasta and tabbouleh.

Meal Plan 8/23-8/29

We are going out of town on Saturday and need to use up leftovers. It is going to be a light cooking week.

Monday: leftover chicken piccata
Tuesday: pizza with dough from freezer
Wednesday: spaghetti with meatballs from freezer
Thursday: picadillo with white rice
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: San Francisco ??
Sunday: San Francisco ??

If you are in need of further inspiration check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

I have procrastinated with the vacation planning. We will be gone two weeks. The week in San Francisco is booked since the husband has a conference. Any suggestions for how to fill up my days while my husband is occupied? I will have a 12 month old with me and we are staying in the Union Square area.

I have not yet booked the second week of the vacation. I am leaning toward a relaxing short stay near Big Sur somewhere, a return trip to Yosemite, and back to San Francisco for the last couple days to explore Muir Woods.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Raspberry Granita

2010-08-19T14:33:00.001-04:00

It's been a blistering summer in South Florida. What else is new? The heat and humidity are stifling. The heat has completely zapped my desire to cook, therefore Betty Crapper has resorted to eating foolproof cool desserts such as raspberry granita with lemon sorbet!

Making granita could not be easier. Puree fruit, strain mixture, add water and sugar, stir, freeze, and scrape every so often. Granita requires the minimal amount of effort Betty Crapper is capable of this summer. You should try it when you are feeling lazy.

Just don't try it when you are pressed for time. Granita requires lots and lots of time. Lucky for me, I don't have to do much during that time and can devote my attention to my one year old. Where did these last 12 months go?

Raspberry Granita
Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

4 cups raspberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Puree raspberries in a blender. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds. Add water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Freeze for one hour. Remove from freezer and stir with a fork. Return to freezer. Every 30 minutes remove from freezer and scrape with a fork until mixture has achieved fine crystal perfection!

Tips

Use some of the required water when pureeing the raspberries. It will be easier to strain the seeds out.
Strain the mixture in small batches. Remove seeds from the sieve after each batch. Those little seeds clog up the sieve and make straining a nightmare.
Pairs very well with lemon sorbet. Make both at the same time.

Meal Plan 8/16-8/22

2010-08-16T15:39:00.001-04:00

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Last week we were out of town Thursday to Sunday visiting family in Orlando. Betty Crapper's kitchen was mostly closed. On Monday I made chicken fajitas with homemade tortillas and salsa. The rest of the week home was spent emptying the refrigerator and eating leftovers.

Meal Plan

Monday: fusili pasta with sun dried tomatoes

Tuesday: ground beef tacos with homemade flour tortillas, salsa, and guacamole

Wednesday: chicken tabbouleh

Thursday: spaghetti with meatballs

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: grilled burgers with homemade buns

Sunday: chicken piccata

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness!

Baking/Sweets Wish List

chocolate cupcakes
lemon granita
white bread

If you are in need of further inspiration check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Apple Cake

2010-08-10T14:51:00.001-04:00

As a young child, Betty Crapper refused most fruits. She loved vegetables, but couldn't tolerate the taste or texture of fruits. Apples were the exception. Betty Crapper didn't love apples; she tolerated apples. Betty Crapper's mother used to try and make her eat an apple a day. Oh the trauma!

This apple cake is delicious and deserving of your attention whenever you have a surplus of apples and a craving for sweets. It's a very easy recipe and does not require complex assembly like the Tiramisu Cake I made last month. You can even convince yourself it's healthy. Betty Crapper's mother used to tell a stubborn little girl, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. This cake has FOUR!

Betty Crapper would make apple cake more often if peeling, coring, and chopping apples wasn't so much work. Remember, Betty Crapper is lazy!

Apple Cake

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens All Time Favorite Cake & Cookie Recipes, 1980)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 medium cooking apples

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup cooking oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch tube pan. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Peel, core, and finely chop apples; set aside. In a large bowl stir together eggs and vanilla; beat on high for 2 minutes. Gradually add oil and beat for two minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Add dry ingredients, apples, and walnuts alternately. Beat well after each addition. Beat at medium for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until cake tests done. Place cake on wire rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Drizzle with powdered sugar icing or sift powdered sugar on top.

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

milk

Stir together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk (about 1 1/2 tbsp) until of pouring consistency.

You know you want a slice. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Meal Plan 8/9-8/15

2010-08-10T11:17:00.000-04:00

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Previous Week (Meal Plan 8/2-8/8)

Last week Betty Crapper didn't cook as much as I would have liked. I managed to make marinara sauce for spaghetti, pepperoni pizza from dough in my freezer, and picadillo. We never got to the chicken fajitas or the penne pasta from the freezer because we ate out at Outback Steakhouse and Five Guys Burgers. We also ordered pizza from one of my favorite local Italian restaurants Mama Mia's when family descended on the house on Sunday.

Meal Plan 8/9-8/15

There will not be much cooking at Betty Crapper's house this week and that's a good thing. We are driving up to Orlando for a long weekend to meet family driving down from North Carolina. We've rented a house with a grill and a pool. I am positive we will over indulge.

Monday: Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: penne pasta from freezer

Thursday: on the road

Friday: TBD

Saturday: TBD

Sunday: on the road

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Meal Plan 8/2-8/8

2010-08-04T10:06:00.000-04:00

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Previous Week (Meal Plan 7/26-8/1)

Life intervened and many meals did not get made last week. Betty Crapper was ~~lazy~~ busy reading some good books and enjoying the beach. There's still a few more books to go in the series and a few more beach days left this summer. What is a girl to do? What would you do?

Monday, I made Ellie Krieger's four cheese penne pasta and half is sitting in my freezer right now. Tuesday and Thursday were spent at the beach. After a long day having fun, Betty Crapper did not cook. Tuesday, we ate leftover pasta and Thursday we had air. That's right, air. Betty Crapper did not cook! Wednesday, I'm so glad I made Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana. It was delicious and will be made again. Friday, I met my husband for lunch and ate such a huge meal there's no way we could eat dinner. That's two days in a row of no cooking. Saturday, my wonderful husband made ham fried rice. If you are keeping score, that's four days of no cooking last week. Woo Hoo!!!! Sunday, I made peach chicken.

Meal Plan 8/2-8/8

Monday: ate at Outback Steakhouse

Tuesday: spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce and salad (baby greens, grape tomatoes, & homemade croutons)

Wednesday: pepperoni pizza (dough from freezer)

Thursday: picadillo with white rice

Friday: chicken fajitas

Saturday: four cheese penne pasta from freezer

Sunday: TBD

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Meal Plan 7/26-8/1

2010-07-26T09:23:00.000-04:00

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Previous Week (Meal Plan 7/19-7/25)

Monday, I made balsamic chicken with white rice. The leftovers were eaten on Wednesday. Tuesday, we ate ground beef tacos with homemade flour tortillas and tomato salsa. I was going to make guacamole, but when I cut into the avocados they were spoiled. Betty Crapper should have refrigerated them when they were ready a few days before. Lesson learned. Thursday and Sunday, we had spaghetti and salad. Betty Crapper will never, ever tire of spaghetti. She has tired of pizza. Last week I ate more pizza than I did as a freshman in college many years ago. I had pizza for lunch Tuesday, dinner Friday, dinner Saturday, lunch Sunday. NO MORE PIZZA (at least in the next week). Only Friday's pizza was homemade. Unfortunately I never made the peach chicken and it will be carried over to this week.

Meal Plan 7/26-8/1

Monday: four cheese baked penne
Tuesday: peach chicken with white rice
Wednesday: ham fried rice
Thursday: chicken parmesan
Friday: mini meat loaves with buttermilk mashed potatoes
Saturday: grilled pork tenderloin
Sunday: TBD

Baking/Sweets Wish List

Last week we finished eating the Tiramisu cake and I made lemon sorbet and raspberry granita (look for upcoming post). I still have a good amount in the freezer. If I have time I may make chocolate chip cookies.

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness!

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Have a fantastic week and thank you for stopping by!

Tiramisu Cake

2010-07-25T11:32:00.001-04:00

This cake is time consuming, but it is worth making for a special occasion. Betty Crapper chose her husband's birthday to make this cake; however, I underestimated the time it would take to make, assemble, and chill and we ate the cake the following day. Don't let that dissuade you from making the cake. Remember, Betty Crapper has an 11 month old.

Begin by buttering and flouring two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and place pans on a baking sheet. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 F.

Sift together your cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside. Grab your room temperature butter, sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk.

Beat butter on medium until soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each. Beat in the vanilla. Betty Crapper would not want to mix this cake batter with a hand held mixer. Her wimpy arms would get really tired.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Divide batter into both pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 28-30 minutes, rotating cake pans halfway through. Cool on rack for 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and remove parchment paper. Cool to room temperature right side up.

When you are ready to assemble your Tiramisu cake you will need espresso (or instant espresso powder), water, sugar, Kahlua, mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and bittersweet chocolate. You will be making espresso extract, espresso syrup, and a frosting. These were my favorite parts of the cake.

For the espresso extract, I made Cuban coffee with my stove top espresso machine. I grabbed the first four tablespoons of cafe that came out. These first drops tend to be the richest and thickest.

To make the syrup, you heat water and sugar just until it comes to a boil. Then you add 1 tablespoon of espresso syrup.

The frosting is made by whisking the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and Kahlua until blended. Use your stand mixer to whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. LIghtly fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

To assemble, place one layer on your serving plate right side up. Soak the layer with 1/3 of the espresso syrup. Smooth about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting over the layer. Press the chopped chocolate into the frosting. Soak the other cake layer with half the remaining syrup. Place the cake layer, soak side down, on top of the chopped chocolate. Soak the top of the cake with the rest of the syrup.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining frosting. Frost your cake and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day. Before serving dust the top with cocoa.

Tiramisu Cake
(Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours)

cake

2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk

espresso extract

2 tbsp espresso powder
2 tbsp boiling water

or about 4 tbsp espresso

espresso syrup

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp Kahlua

frosting

8 ounces mascarpone
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Kahlua
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

cocoa powder, for dusting

Making the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 9-inch rounds. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and place pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs individually, and then the yolk. Beat for 1 minute after each egg. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients (3 additions) alternately with the buttermilk (2 additions).

Place the batter in the pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 28-30 minutes until cakes test done. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and remove the parchment paper. Place cakes right side up on wire rack and cool completely.

Making the extract

In a small bowl, stir espresso powder with boiling water. Or make espresso. Set aside.

Making the syrup

In a small saucepan stir the water and sugar and bring just to a boil. Pour syrup into a bowl and then stir 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the Kahlua. Set aside.

Making the frosting

In a large bowl whisk the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and Kahlua until smooth. In another bowl whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Very gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Assembly

If the layers are not even, use a serrated knife to level. Place one layer right side up on cake plate. Protect plate with strips of parchment paper. Use a pastry brush or spoon and soak the first layer with 1/3 of the espresso syrup. Smooth 1 1/4 cup of the frosting over the layer. Gently press the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate onto the frosting. Put the second layer on the counter and soak with half the remaining syrup. Turn layer over and place (soaked side down) on top of the first layer. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining frosting. Frost the sides of the cake and the top.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to one day. Just before serving dust the top with cocoa.

Meal Plan 7/19-7/25

2010-07-18T23:52:00.000-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 7/12-7/18)

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Last Sunday I made focaccia dough for the first time and baked it on Monday to go with our spaghetti dinner. The rosemary focaccia was delicious and will be made again.

Tuesday, we ate picadillo with brown rice and roasted potato wedges. The plate looked very brown and sad, so we decided to add a splash of color to our meal and opened an amazing bottle of wine.

Wednesday, I was supposed to make balsamic chicken; however someone in the house (not Betty Crapper) was craving fast food fried chicken. Betty Crapper said no way. I compromised and breaded the chicken. A little olive oil and butter in the skillet and we had some delicious cutlets a few minutes later.

On Thursday, I had planned on leftovers. Betty Crapper ate spaghetti. Have I told you how I can eat spaghetti every single day?

Friday, Betty Crapper made pepperoni pizza on her new baking stone. What happened to her old one? hmmmmm

oops. Betty Crapper struck again! I swear I set it, very gently, in the sink to rinse. Do you think it was revenge?

Friday, I also made a very moist and delicious apple cake. Look for an upcoming post.

Saturday, we ate churrasco with chimichurri sauce and roasted potatoes. The steak was great; however next time I won't add so much garlic to the chimichurri sauce. I also baked and assembled a tiramisu cake. Because I procrastinated, we were not able to indulge until Sunday. Look for an upcoming tiramisu cake post.

On Sunday, we went to my in laws for dinner. They grilled steaks, chicken, and vegetable skewers. We also ate salad, rice, and roasted sweet potatoes. For dessert we had a very yummy tiramisu cake! It's amazing I didn't roll out of there. Betty Crapper is still stuffed.

Meal Plan 7/19-7/25

Monday: balsamic chicken with white rice
Tuesday: ground beef tacos
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: homemade pizza and salad
Friday: spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce
Saturday: peach chicken
Sunday: TBD

Baking/Sweets Wish List
(all homemade of course)

lemon sorbet
raspberry granita

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Chicken Paella

2010-07-14T17:35:00.001-04:00

Chicken paella is one of my favorites. Betty Crapper could eat several platefuls quite happily.

It's not the quickest meal to put together, but requires minimal effort once you have the chicken and chorizo browned. I find the hardest thing about the dish is removing the casing from the chorizo. Betty Crapper really hates getting chorizo under her fingernails.

You will need chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, white rice, peas, olive oil, salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron, chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced chorizo, and cut up chicken thighs.

Don't skip the saffron. Buy it because you will make this dish again. It's good. Betty Crapper would not lie to you.

Once you have everything chopped, sliced, minced, and measured you are ready to go.

Brown the chorizo, followed by the chicken. Let them hang out in a plate while you saute the onions and garlic.

The hard part is done. Add a little chicken broth to the pan and scrape up all the browned bits. Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet and add the rest of your ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven. After 25-30 minutes it's done. The rice will be hiding under the chicken, chorizo, peas, tomatoes, and olives. I promise.

Stir it all together and it will look like this:

Betty Crapper would not lie to you. Trust me, she is a horrible liar.

Chicken Paella

(inspired by Ellie Krieger's So Easy)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 ounces Spanish chorizo, casing removed, sliced into 1/4 in rounds

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 ounces frozen peas (half package)

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1/4 cup sliced green pimento-stuffed Spanish olives

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to season chicken

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to season chicken

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

small pinch of saffron

Preheat oven to 375 F. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large, oven-proof skillet with lid. Brown chorizo and remove to a plate (about 3 minutes). Next, brown chicken in batches and remove to a plate (about 5 minutes each batch).

Add remaining oil to skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add some of the chicken broth to pan and scrape up all the brown bits. Return chicken and chorizo to skillet and add the remaining ingredients (rest of broth, peas, rice, tomato, olives, and spices). Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook 25-30 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir and serve.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Tips/Notes

Don't forget to season your chicken with salt and pepper before browning. I have made this recipe without seasoning the chicken, as Ellie Krieger wrote her recipe, and have found the chicken pieces to be tasteless in the finished dish.
My recipe has half the amount of peas called for by Ellie Krieger. When I made the dish with 10 ounces of peas, the peas were overwhelming.
Use caution when removing the skillet from the oven. Betty Crapper once (ok twice) absentmindedly reached into the oven without protection and burned herself. Oops! That handle sure does get hot.
This recipe doubles very well and makes great food for a party. Just make it in a large Dutch oven.

Meal Plan 7/12-7/18

2010-07-12T08:08:00.002-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 7/5-7/11)

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out; some good, some not so good.

On Monday, the eight ears of corn taking up space in my kitchen were evicted and I made fresh corn soup with roasted corn guacamole. The soup was exceptionally spicy, and excellent as usual. Dessert was lemon sorbet.

Tuesday's ground beef tacos did not disappoint. We really love this meal.

Wednesday, Betty Crapper was supposed to make chicken paella; however I felt like pizza instead. I should have stuck with the meal plan. Betty Crapper waved her magic wand and ruined the pizza. I assembled it perfectly, with three cheeses (fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and parmigiano-reggiano). It just wasn't meant to be. As I attempted to transfer the pizza from the peel to the stone, disaster struck. The pizza folded over onto the hot stone. Betty Crapper almost cried and ate it anyway.

On Thursday, Betty Crapper decided to reheat a homemade waffle for dinner. The pizza disaster was too recent too cook. Waffles are great with vanilla ice cream.

Friday afternoon I made banana bread with bananas far past their prime. The baking loaves smelled so good, I ate half a loaf for dinner.

The chicken paella finally got made on Saturday. It was delicious both Saturday and Sunday. Look for an upcoming chicken paella post. Spaghetti and focaccia will wait until Monday.

Meal Plan 7/12-7/18

Monday: spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce and rosemary focaccia

Tuesday: picadillo with brown rice

Wednesday: balsamic chicken with brown rice

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pepperoni pizza

Saturday: churrasco with roasted potato wedges

Sunday: TBD

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness.

Baking/Sweets Wish List

(all homemade of course)

apple cake on Monday
Tiramisu cake

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Sunshine Award

2010-07-11T23:59:00.005-04:00

Sarah from Baking Serendipity has given me the Sunshine Award. Thank you so much. The recognition is much appreciated.

Per instructions, I am supposed to share this award with 12 blogs. I chose to share with blogs who frequently light up my day. Betty Crapper does not mind if you do not follow instructions. You are worthy of recognition.

Lemon Sorbet

2010-07-10T22:53:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's been really hot. Around here, summer has definitely arrived and won't be leaving until sometime in November. South Florida is a great place, from November to April. Now, not so much.

You step outside and immediately feel like you've entered a sauna. The AC in your car does not feel cool until you have arrived at your destination. There is only so much heat Betty Crapper can take before she melts, or has a melt down.

A few days ago a bag of lemons prevented a melt down. I was hot. I was tired. Betty Crapper's ten month old was crying to be picked up; and then, I saw the bag of lemons on the counter.

Betty Crapper has a weakness for frozen lemonade. How many spoonfuls do you think she ate before the sorbet was completely frozen?

Lemon Sorbet

Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

zest from 2 lemons

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (6-7 lemons)

Mix 1/2 cup water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the zest of 2 lemons. Heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 cups water. Chill mixture in refrigerator. Once chilled add the lemon juice and freeze in your ice cream maker. Makes about 1 quart.

Notes

It was very tart and perfect for me. I can't wait to make it again.

I gave some to my mother in law and it was too tart for her. If you like your lemonade sweet use 1 1/4 cups sugar!

How do you like your lemonade? Betty Crapper wants to know.

Chicken with Warm Tomato Corn Salad

2010-07-07T13:57:00.001-04:00

This dish is perfect for summer. It cooks quickly so you don't have to sweat very long in a hot kitchen. It's also light and perfect for the night before you need to fit into a bathing suit.

All you need are cherry tomatoes, corn, garlic, scallions (green onions), cilantro, limes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and chicken breasts. I feel healthy already.

Don't forget to season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Betty Crapper has made this mistake before. I don't recommend you skip it.

Once you've preheated your skillet, brown your chicken breasts in a little olive oil. Remove chicken to a plate and get started on that yummy tomato corn salad.

Add some more olive oil to the skillet. Saute the scallion whites, followed by the garlic. Toss in your tomatoes and corn. Stir and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Cook for a few minutes, until tomatoes and corn soften.

Add the scallion greens and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve sprinkled with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Chicken with Warm Tomato Corn Salad

(adapted from Ellie Krieger's book So Easy)

1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, cut thin

salt

pepper

4 tsp olive oil

4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen)

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add the scallion whites and cook for about 1 minute. Stir frequently. Add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and corn to the pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When serving, sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Tips

This dish is so quick to put together, I definitely recommend prepping all the ingredients before you start.
It is a really light meal. I serve mine with white rice to make it more substantial.
If you are serving white rice, start the rice before you begin chopping and everything should be done at the same time.

A Blog with Substance

2010-07-06T09:39:00.000-04:00

April at Angel Foods Kitchen has given me an award. Thank you April for deeming my blog "a blog with substance." It sure does feel great to get recognition from your peers. Thank you! It is appreciated.

The guidelines for accepting this award are:

(Betty Crapper doesn't mind if you break the rules.)

thank the person who gave you the award.
sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience in/with five words.
choose ten other blogs you consider to have substance.

Betty Crapper's philosophy, motivation, and experience in five words

fun (philosophy, motivation)
humorous (philosophy)
welcoming (philosophy)
hunger (motivation)
novice (experience)

Ten Blogs with Substance

Have a Terrific Tuesday.

Meal Plan 7/5-7/11

2010-07-05T08:19:00.003-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 6/28-7/4)

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Monday, I was supposed to make shredded chicken tacos. I was pressed for time and made chicken fajitas instead. It would have taken too long to shred chicken and take pics. It was nearing sleepy time for the baby. Betty Crapper was racing the clock and almost didn't make it. Oh the sacrifices Betty Crapper has to make when she procrastinates!

On Tuesday, we ate pepperoni pizza. Will I ever tire of homemade pizza? If you haven't made homemade pizza dough, what are you waiting for? It freezes really well.

Wednesday was a busy day for me and I was out and about running errands. It was way too hot and I was not up to cooking soup. We ate salad and bread instead.

Thursday, I made SnoWhite' three cheese ziti. Her recipe is fantastic and I highly recommend you try it. We will definitely have that on the menu again.

On Friday we ate chicken with warm tomato corn salad and white rice. Look for the recipe in an upcoming post.

Saturday and Sunday we did not cook and ate takeout and some leftovers. Oh well, better luck next week.

Meal Plan 7/5-7/11

Monday: fresh corn soup with roasted corn guacamole

Tuesday: ground beef tacos

Wednesday: chicken paella and homemade whole wheat bread

Thursday: homemade pizza, toppings TBD

Friday: leftover chicken paella

Saturday: spaghetti and meatballs with rosemary focaccia

Sunday: TBD

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness!

Baking/Sweets Wish List

(all homemade of course)

apple cake
chocolate chip cookies

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

White Rice

2010-07-04T11:07:00.001-04:00

Growing up I ate white rice every day. If that sounds odd to you, let me inform you that I was born and raised in Miami and my heritage is Cuban. We ate white rice every day because white rice goes with everything. At least that's what the Cuban in me thinks.

I can't think of a Cuban dish that is not served with white rice, often topped with black beans. White rice is a staple that is even served alongside traditional American holiday fare. You want white rice with your Fourth of July hamburgers and hot dogs?

My abuela always rinsed her rice to get rid of excess starch. I don't rinse mine, but you are welcome to if you want. Cubans also do not usually serve their white rice sticky.

Arroz Blanco

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a lidded pot on the stove. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover pot, and lower heat to medium low. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Leave covered for 5 - 10 minutes. Uncover and serve.

The rice may also be made in a rice cooker. I kid you not, my family sent me off to college with a Hitachi rice cooker. Those things are fool-proof, or in my case Betty Crapper-proof!

Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Spring Mix Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Red Onions

2010-07-01T17:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I had fresh corn soup with roasted corn guacamole on the menu. Before you think I'm nuts, I have my thermostat set incredibly low year round here in South Florida. It's always soup weather in Betty Crapper's house.

The thing is, I was not inside the house yesterday, I was out running errands most of the day. I felt the heat and the soul crushing humidity. I almost melted, twice. Betty Crapper could not make soup (and her avocados were rock hard).

The only thing I felt like eating was a cold salad. I diced up a tomato, half a peeled and seeded cucumber, and an 1/8 of a red onion. I plopped these goodies on a bed of baby leaves and whisked up a red wine vinaigrette. A store-bought french baguette and lots of butter completed my meal and kept my tummy happy.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients.

Stay Cool!

Beautiful Blogger

2010-06-30T11:12:00.000-04:00

Alex at Ma, what's for dinner? has given me an award. Thank you Alex for deeming Betty Crapper beautiful. I truly appreciate the recognition.

The guidelines for accepting this award are:
(Betty Crapper doesn't mind if you break the rules, she thinks you are beautiful and worthy of recognition.)

list 10 facts about yourself.
pick 10 beautiful bloggers to pass this award on to.

Ten random facts about M

I am really short, as in 4'11'' short.
I slipped and fell once when I stood on wheeled dog food bins to reach something up high in the pantry. Luckily, I did not get hurt.
Chairs and counters are more stable. Now, I stand on chairs and climb onto my kitchen counter to reach things.
I'm not a fan of most fruits, except tomatoes. I really, really love those things.
I like vegetables.
I used to be scared of flying. My husband constantly reminds me of the free trip to Switzerland I turned down. What was I thinking? Now I can't wait to head off somewhere, anywhere.
My favorite drink is water, always has been.
I do not drink soft drinks because I've never, ever liked the taste.
I procrastinate, a lot.
A black bear crossed the trail right in front of me in Sequoia National Park, and I didn't even notice. I was too busy looking for wild flowers. Oops!

Ten beautiful bloggers I admire and love visiting. If you love food, you might love them too.

Bumbles and Light
Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
Finding Joy in My Kitchen Check out her great new look and current giveaway ($70 for use in CSN Stores).
The Kitchen Witch I love, love, love her new sight design. Her new header is beautiful and evokes such happiness in me.
Ms. enPlace
One Perfect Bite
Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner
The Peppered Pantry
Phoo-D
Stirring the Pot

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

Meal Plan 6/28-7/4

2010-06-28T08:24:00.008-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 6/21-6/27)

Meal plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Monday we had grilled ribeyes, vegetable skewers, and roasted garlic potato wedges. Hubby put a coffee spice rub on the steaks and grilled them medium. The grilled vegetables turned out great. Monday's meal would have been perfection without the super salty potato wedges. I halved my recipe and forgot to halve the salt and garlic. Oops, Betty Crapper struck again!

On Tuesday I used my thawed frozen pizza dough and made a pizza topped with marinara sauce, salami, red onions, green peppers, mushrooms, kalamata olives, and fresh mozarella cheese. I loved the combination of toppings.

Tuesday I also made mamey ice cream for the first time. My father in law picked up his ice cream before I had a chance to take a picture. He tells me it was excellent and there's none left. I'll be making it again this coming weekend for my mother.

Wednesday I deviated from the meal plan and made picadillo. There was enough to have leftovers for lunch on Friday.

On Thursday, I met my husband for lunch and over ate: definitely not conducive to cooking dinner. That evening I had a small bagel with cream cheese and let my husband fend for himself. I believe he had cereal.

Friday's planned meal was also a bust. We ate spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce. Later that evening I made a cucumber salad to take to the beach. I found the recipe over at Use Real Butter.

On Saturday I ate the Thai cucumber salad at the beach. The salad was delicious and perfect for the hot day. I will definitely make it again.

Have I told you how much my ten month old loves the water? Lots and lots and lots! We followed up the beach with a dip in the pool at my sister's condo. The baby kicked and splashed and laughed. I believe she loved the pool more than the beach.

There was definitely no time to cook dinner on Saturday, so I picked up food from Outback on the way home.

Sunday, was a busy day in the kitchen. I made pizza dough for my freezer, chocolate cake to satisfy my chocolate cravings, and balsamic chicken over brown rice for dinner.

Meal Plan 6/28-7/4

Monday: shredded chicken tacos with salsa, guacamole, and homemade flour tortillas

Tuesday: pepperoni pizza

Wednesday: fresh corn soup with roasted corn guacamole

Thursday: chicken with warm tomato corn salad and homemade bread

Friday: three cheese ziti inspired by SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Saturday:TBD, beach bound! dinner will likely be take out or leftovers.

Sunday:TBD, Fourth of July!

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness.

Baking/Sweets Wish List

(all homemade of course)

mamey ice cream
apple cake

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Picadillo

2010-06-27T14:16:00.009-04:00

I first learned how to make picadillo in college. There's only so much pizza delivery a poor undergrad can tolerate. One starving weekend, I called my mother up and asked for something Cuban that was within my minimal culinary capabilities. Mami suggested picadillo and I've been making it ever since.

There are many ways to make Cuban picadillo. Growing up, we ate picadillo without potatoes. My husband's family made their picadillo with potatoes. I now love picadillo with potatoes and wouldn't dream of omitting them.

You will need ground beef, potato, onion, green pepper (or red if you are out of green), garlic (or garlic powder if you are out of fresh), tomato sauce, green olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and rice. The entire meal can be prepared in about 30 minutes. Betty Crapper loves that!

Start your white rice. By the time the rice is done, your picadillo should be as well.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook for about 6 minutes, until they begin to get some light color. Add chopped onions and green peppers and saute until vegetables begin to soften. If using garlic, add it in the last minute.

Once the potatoes, onions, and green peppers have softened, add your ground beef. Cook until browned. Use your wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into tiny pieces.

When your ground beef is browned, add tomato sauce, olives, and spices.

Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Recipe

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small red potato, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/4 green pepper, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb lean ground beef

8 ounces tomato sauce

1/4 cup green olives, halved

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook about six minutes until they begin to get some color. Stir occasionally. Add green peppers and onions and saute until vegetables begin to soften, about four minutes. Add minced garlic and saute about one minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Use wooden spoon to break up clumps into small pieces. Add tomato sauce, olives, and spices. Stir and lower heat. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes until liquid has reduced and ground beef is cooked through. Serve over white rice.

Betty Crapper loves picadillo, for many reasons. Picadillo is

easy.
cheap.
fast.
tasty.
satisfying.

Have I sold you on picadillo?

Marinara Sauce

2010-06-22T17:02:00.004-04:00

Betty Crapper has had a love affair with spaghetti since about age 12. I had a swim coach who touted the benefit of eating pasta before swim meets. Imagine that. Carbs being good for you!

I used to eat spaghetti topped with jarred spaghetti sauce. Betty Crapper didn't care if the sauce was cold. This was something Betty Crapper could cook. Who can't boil water and open a jar?

Although I no longer swim, or expend great amounts of energy, I still eat spaghetti quite often. Because I am picky about where my food comes from, I now make my spaghetti sauce at home. The sauce is easy to make and uses onions, garlic, carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. I almost always have those ingredients on hand.

First, you saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes. Then you add carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and saute for another 10 minutes.

Once your vegetables are soft, you add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. An hour later you have homemade marinara sauce.

Marinara Sauce

(Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Italian)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 dried bay leaf

In a large pot heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic after five minutes. Once onions are translucent, add the celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Saute until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat about 1 hour, until thickened. Makes about one quart.

Tips

If using as pizza sauce, puree cooked sauce until smooth. You don't want someone (cough, cough) asking if you meant to put carrots on your pizza.
If you want it thicker, simmer longer.
Puree sauce if you are picky and don't like little pieces of carrot, celery, or onions. You know who you are.

Betty Crapper has used this sauce for spaghetti, beef manicotti, and pizza. What else do you suggest she use this marinara sauce for?

Meal Plan 6/21-6/27

2010-06-21T08:56:00.008-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 6/14-6/20)

Meal Plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Monday, I made spaghetti with marinara sauce and homemade whole wheat bread. I made enough sauce to eat spaghetti for lunch the next day, have a spaghetti dinner later in the week, and use as pizza sauce.

Tuesday's chicken fajitas were great. I used a spice mixture languishing in my pantry from Williams-Sonoma. This was the first time I ate fajitas without any tomato salsa. I made corn guacamole, instead.

On Wednesday, I made chicken piccata with white rice. Quick and easy as usual. This time I used half the capers called for in the recipe and it was perfect. I need to update my chicken piccata recipe to reflect the positive change.

Thursday I had a salad for dinner.

On Friday we had homemade pizza topped with prosciutto, red onions, and fresh mozzarella. Delicious combination.

Saturday I had spaghetti for dinner. I really, really love spaghetti and could eat it every day.

We went out to eat for father's day.

Last week, I never made Wednesday's ribeyes or Saturday's picadillo. Those will be carried over to the current week.

Meal Plan 6/21-6/27

Monday: grilled ribeyes, grilled vegetable skewers, and roasted garlic potato wedges

Tuesday: homemade pizza with salami
Wednesday: balsamic chicken over brown rice
Thursday: picadillo over white rice
Friday: shredded chicken tacos

Saturday: TBD
Sunday: TBD

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness.

Baking/Sweets Wish List

(all homemade of course)

mamey ice cream
chocolate cake

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Pizza Dough

2010-06-19T15:19:00.003-04:00

Homemade pizza dough is easy and delicious. The ingredients couldn't be simpler: all-purpose flour, water, olive oil, and active dry yeast. That's it. Can you say the same about store bought crust or chain delivery places? Don't be afraid to try. It takes about 3 1/2 hours start to finish. Three of those hours are just waiting for magic to happen.

The first thing you do is add tepid water to yeast in your mixer's bowl. Stir and leave it alone for 5 minutes.

Stir in olive oil and then some flour. You are going to make a sponge.

Cover your bowl and let the mixture rest in a warm place for about an hour and a half. Look at all the bubbles! Magic. Pure magic.

Use your spatula to deflate that sponge. Hear it squeak and protest the intrusion.

Fit the dough hook on your mixer. Add the rest of the flour and the salt. Mix on low speed.

Betty Crapper learned the hard way to cover the mixer with a towel for the first few minutes.

After about about 8 minutes, your dough looks like this

Shape it into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours until doubled in volume.

Turn out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 or 3 balls. I like my crust thin and crispy, so I make 3 dough balls. Wasn't that easy?

Pizza Dough

(Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking with Julia)

Sponge:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups water (about 80F)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Place yeast in your mixer's bowl. Add water and stir to dissolve yeast. Let yeast rest for 5 minutes, until it turns creamy. Stir the oil into the mixture. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula. Scrape down sides of bowl. Cover and let sponge rest in warm place for about 1 1/2 hours until the sponge is very bubbly and has doubled in volume.

Dough:

The sponge

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tbsp salt

Deflate the sponge with a rubber spatula. Fit your mixer with the dough hook. Add 2 cups flour and salt to the sponge. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium. If the dough is not coming together, slowly add flour by the spoonful. Knead dough on medium for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl. Turn ball of dough over to moisten with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, until double in volume.

Shaping:

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape the piece into a ball and then flatten into a disk. Pull and stretch to shape pizza or use a rolling pin. Have patience. If dough springs back, allow it to rest a few minutes. Work the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick, or thinner. Transfer dough to a pizza peel. Top with your favorite toppings.

Baking:

Bake pizza on a stone in a preheated 475F oven. Stone should be in lower third of oven. Bake 13 to 15 minutes if you made two dough balls. If you made three dough balls, and your pizza is really thin, bake 11 to 13 minutes.

Tips

Preheat your oven as long as possible. You want that stone hot, hot, hot.
Sprinkle a light dusting of cornmeal on your peel to make the dough slide easier.
The crust tastes better if you make the dough the day before. After the second rise, wrap your dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.
Brush your crust with olive oil before you add toppings.
Pizza dough freezes really well. Wrap dough ball tightly in plastic wrap after second rise. Place in freezer safe bag and freeze. The night before you want to use it, place dough ball in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.
Invest in a pizza stone and peel. Both can be obtained inexpensively. Betty Crapper's pizza stone was less than $20 and her peel was less than $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I'm currently loving my pizza with pepperoni, red onions, ricotta, fresh mozarella, and homemade marinara sauce. What do you love on yours?

Meal Plan 6/14-6/20

2010-06-14T00:12:00.004-04:00

Previous Week (Meal Plan 6/7-6/13)

Meal Plans are wonderful, but life happens. Here is a review of last week's eats and how it all turned out.

Monday's meatloaf and buttermilk mashed potatoes were quite delicious and filling. Meatloaf is the perfect comfort food. I used Ina Garten's recipe for individual meat loaves and was not disappointed.

Tuesday, I made one of my favorites. Peach chicken is easy to assemble and absolutely worth adding to your repertoire. It's a sweet and savory dish with a hint of garlic and ginger. Don't skip the toasted almonds.

Wednesday, I baked my childhood friend a carrot cake. I got home late from delivering the cake and was glad picadillo was on the menu. Picadillo is a Cuban classic that is quick and easy to prepare. It is so easy Betty Crapper has been making it since before she learned how to cook.

Thursday I made two loaves of banana-nut bread, one for me and one to share.

Betty Crapper showed her true colors and burnt her arm in the process. Betty Crapper needs to be more careful when taking things out of a hot oven. She needs to be even more careful not to scratch the blister hours later. I made it worse, much much worse.

For lunch on Thursday, I ordered a red curry chicken dish from the local Thai restaurant. Because Betty Crapper refuses to cook Thai food at home, I overindulged and consumed a vast quantity of food. I only had room for a small salad for dinner. The hubby had leftovers.

I still have nightmares about my first experience using fish sauce.

Friday we were supposed to have beef manicotti, homemade bread, and a salad. Life happened and I was out running errands all day. The beef manicotti got pushed to Sunday and homemade frozen pizza dough came to the rescue.

Saturday, my aunt made camarones enchilados. I should have brought home leftovers.

Sunday we enjoyed the previously postponed beef manicotti. I love pasta. Pasta plus cheese is Betty Crapper's weakness. Add ground beef and I'm in heaven.

Meal Plan 6/14-6/20

Monday: spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and homemade whole wheat bread

Tuesday: chicken fajitas served with sauted red peppers and onions, roasted corn guacamole, sour cream, and homemade flour tortillas

Wednesday: grilled ribeyes, grilled vegetable skewers, and roasted garlic potato wedges
Thursday: chicken piccata with white rice
Friday: homemade prosciutto pizza and salad
Saturday: picadillo with white rice
Sunday: Father's Day plans TBD

I reserve the right to make substitutions and deletions due to laziness.

Baking/Sweets Wish List

(all homemade of course)

My father in-law requested mamey ice cream. He gave me frozen pulp from the mamey sapote trees in his yard. I can't find a recipe anywhere. Do you have any suggestions?

banana-nut bread (I have more over-ripe bananas)
mamey ice cream
Tiramisu (Anyone have an entirely homemade recipe and wish to share?)

If you are in need of further inspiration, check out the weekly Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Versatile Blogger

2010-06-14T00:07:00.002-04:00

Michelle at All Home Cooking. All Year Long has given me an award. Thank you for deeming Betty Crapper worthy!

The guidelines for accepting this award are...

Thank the person/people who gave it to you.
Tell 7 things about yourself.
Pass the award on to 15 bloggers, whom you have recently discovered, and think are fantastic.

7 random things about M

I eat chocolate every day.
Yellowstone is my favorite place.
I have two labrador retrievers.
I don't like black beans.
My favorite color is red.
I refuse to run.
I like blowing bubbles.

I've recently discovered, and read, many great blogs. If you find you are not among my list, please note I've focused my teeny, tiny flashlight on the little guy. ... and the award goes to ...

Peach Chicken

2010-06-12T11:32:00.004-04:00

Peach chicken has been in heavy rotation at my house since my mother in law gave me Ellie Krieger's book So Easy. I love that I almost always have the ingredients on hand. Peach chicken is quite tasty and the toasted almonds add a nice crunch to the dish.

You will need chicken, peaches, soy sauce, rice vinegar, canola oil, orange juice, chicken broth (not pictured), brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and sliced almonds. That's it.

Begin by whisking orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and brown sugar. Set this aside and prep your chicken.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and grab your chicken with confidence. Betty Crapper used to fear raw chicken. With time, Betty Crapper overcame her fears. Take a deep breath, you can too. Rinse and pat dry your chicken with paper towels. Slice chicken cross-wise. Season with salt and pepper. How much salt is up to you and your doctor.

Add 1 tbsp oil to skillet. Brown your chicken in batches. Do not crowd your pan and have patience. When browned set chicken on a plate.

As chicken browns, grab your garlic and ginger. Don't be afraid of fresh ginger. Snap off a little piece and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Use a micro-plane and grate about 1 tsp.

I dare you to taste the ginger. Do it. You know you want to.

Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and mince. Betty Crapper loves her micro-plane and garlic press. The best kitchen tools EVER.

Once chicken is browned and all on a plate, add 1 more tbsp of oil to your skillet. Add ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds with no time for pictures.

Add your liquids to the skillet and scrape up all the lovely browned gunk on the bottom of your skillet. This layer of yum is the base of Peach Chicken's delicious sauce. Add your peaches and stir. Cook uncovered for about 6 minutes to reduce slightly.

Nestle chicken into your yummy sauce. Cover and lower heat.

Toast your almonds for about 2 minutes.

Baby cried. Betty Crapper walked away and came back to...

Betty Crapper was lucky she had more almonds and toasted some more...

Peach Chicken

(adapted from Ellie Krieger's book, So Easy)

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/4 lbs boneless chicken breasts

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large firm but ripe peaches, sliced into 1/4-inch slices, or two 10-ounce packages frozen peaches

2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chicken broth until the sugar is dissolved. Set liquids aside.

Prepare your chicken. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Slice cross-wise to make thin, if desired. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the skillet and brown both sides. Only turn chicken once. (Chicken unsticks from skillet when browned!) Brown the chicken in batches and transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the liquid mixture and scrape up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon/spatula. Add the peaches and stir. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the peaches soften, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the chicken is done, about 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with brown rice and toasted almonds.

Tips

Conventional peaches have high pesticide residue. If at all possible try to buy organic. My regular supermarket does not carry frozen organic peaches. Whole foods sometimes has frozen organic peaches. The package must say "365 organic", not just "365." They carry both kinds. When they have them in stock, I buy several bags for my freezer.
Do not walk away from your stove when roasting almonds.
Start your brown rice first and it will be ready by the time you are done making peach chicken.
Have patience when browning chicken. Your pan must be preheated. The chicken will unstick when it is browned. Only turn chicken once.

Betty Crapper's ten month old loves peach chicken (without the almonds). I feed her little pieces off my plate.

Brownies

2010-06-09T10:42:00.000-04:00

Brownies make me happy; very, very happy. Why, you wonder? Brownies are loaded with chocolate. Anyone who knows me understands my complete and utter chocolate devotion. Betty Crapper NEEDS daily doses of chocolate.

There's something about the chewy, gooey goodness of a brownie that I love. Brownies are so chocolaty, I do not have to eat ten of them to satisfy a chocolate craving. A couple of squares for me and the rest for you. Betty Crapper loves giving away her baked goodies. It's a must for my lack of self-control, and girlish figure.

Anyone with an oven can make brownies. No fancy equipment required. If you have the ingredients you are good to go. Betty Crapper says so!

I didn't want to bother with a double boiler set up so I melted my chocolate and butter over very low heat. Brownies are very forgiving.

Who am I kidding? Betty Crapper's bowl was dirty and needed washing. I was in a hurry and wanted to get this party started. Chocolate was calling my name.

Once the chocolate melts, allow it to cool and then mix in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs.

Sift in your dry ingredients and stir until barely combined. You should still see lots of white.

Stir in your chips and nuts. By now Betty Crapper's batter has been taste tested quite a few times. I can't resist. It's the chocolate demons calling my name.

Pour your batter into your buttered and floured pan. Bake. Super easy. No box mix required. When the brownies are cool, cut them up and reap your rewards.

Brownies

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (one Ghirardelli semi-sweet bar)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), cut into pieces

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour an 8X8 pan. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over very low heat. (Best to use a double boiler) Stir frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into large bowl. Cool slightly. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and mix. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift dry ingredients into large bowl. Mix until barely combined. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool. Remove from pan and cut into squares.

Tips

Melt your chocolate in a large mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Now you have one less thing to wash!
Don't hurry when melting chocolate. Use very low heat and stir frequently.
Do not over mix your brownies. Stop stirring the mixture before all the flour has disappeared. You still have to add chips and nuts.

How do you satisfy your chocolate cravings? Shhhh, is that chocolate calling my name ...