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Coconut Layer Cake

Posted on April 26, 2011 by amydeline

Like typical young siblings, my sisters and I would spend hours of our youth engaging in pretend play scenarios based on our favorite TV shows. Each play session would begin with a tense negotiation over who would represent each character. As the oldest of my siblings, I typically drew a first-pick card, of my own creation. This meant that I was usually Alvin when we played the Chipmunks, Brittany when we played the Chipettes, Lion-O when we played Thundercats, and Stephanie Zinone when we played Grease 2.

Looking back, it now seems somewhat inappropriate that my sisters and I played Grease 2 games in our youth. We truly had no comprehension of the lyrics we belted into the neighborhood, as we swung merrily on our backyard swingset. Three young girls, ages 5-9, singing at the top of lungs, Let’s do it for our country… I’m certain that our parents were sufficiently mortified.

Yesterday, I had a flashback of these memories of my sisters, as I sat watching my two boys play. They’d cleared out half of their toy box and situated themselves comfortably inside. Listening to their conversation, I learned that the toy box was now a pirate ship and they were about to play Jake and the Never Land Pirates, a current favorite Disney show.

And then the predictable negotiation began, led in older sibling style, by my four year old. He explained that he would be playing the part of Jake and his two year old brother would be a character known as Cubby.

But my two year old has never been one to roll over and accept his fate. He responded with an assertive, “NO, I’m Jake!” Even at the young age of two, he has a clear understanding of starring roles and he was not about to play sidekick.

The negotiations quickly dissolved into a chanting match of “I’m Jake” after that. And then they played Legos instead.

Celebrating Easter this past weekend, there were other flashbacks of my youth; hunting for eggs, early-morning candy treats, and discovering the animal crackers, which the Easter bunny always hid at the bottom of our baskets. And best of all…our traditional Easter dessert; bunny cake!

The bunny cake of my youth was always made from a box of yellow cake mix, frosted with a tub of white frosting, coated with coconut, and decorated with a bunny face. In my mom’s version, it was a single layer cake, with ears cut from the second cake round, frosted pink in the center. Two black jelly beans formed the eyes, a pink one for the nose, and shoestring licorice for the mouth and whiskers. An adorable Easter treat.

I took a few liberties with my version of a bunny cake. I skipped the ears in order to make a two layer cake, filled with a luscious coconut custard. I coated my cake in a simple cream cheese frosting and the traditional shredded coconut. Our bunny’s face was constructed of the same jelly beans and shoestring licorice I loved in my youth.

He may have lacked ears, but the kids didn’t mind. In fact, with this cake, I have finally managed to impress my discerning two-year-old, who has been unusually generous with his praise of my culinary skills, exclaiming “You make good things, Mommy! You make good things.” Thank you, dear. I try. 

This cake works perfectly for a coconut-coated bunny cake around Easter time or a decadent coconut layer cake any time of year!

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two round cake pans. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and milk, alternating about a third at a time, until well blended. Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Coconut Custard Filling

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/6 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions

Bring the milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and one tablespoon of cornstarch to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently so that the sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Then, reduce the heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining tablespoon of cornstarch. Gradually whisk about 1/2 of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, starting with a slow drizzle. (Gradually incorporating the hot milk into the egg yolks tempers the eggs, allowing them to slowly rise in temperature without scrambling.) Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk in the pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 3 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Stir in the shredded coconut. Allow to cool at room temperature until only slightly warm before spreading onto the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cream cheese (1 1/2 bars ), softened
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Beat together all ingredients until smooth.

To assemble the cake: Carefully slice off the rounded tops of both cakes. Line the edges of a plate/platter with foil or wax paper to keep the plate clean while you frost the cake. Place one cake round, cut side up in the center of the plate. Spread the slightly cooled custard across the cake. Place the second cake round, cut side down, on top of the custard. Spread the cream cheese frosting all around the cake. Press about 2 cups of shredded coconut around the top and sides of the cake. Carefully remove the foil or wax paper from the edges of the platter. If desired, use jelly beans and shoestring licorice to create a bunny face on the top. Refrigerate to keep fresh.

**If desired, you can double or triple the custard recipe. Then, slice each cake round in half and spread custard between each layer for a taller, multi-layered coconut cake.

Alternately, you can skip the custard layer and cut the second cake round into bunny ear shapes. Frost the ears onto the other cake round for a full, single layered bunny-faced cake.

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Mac & Chitos, Anyone??

Posted on April 21, 2011 by amydeline

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I love macaroni and cheese; any type of cheese, baked or creamy, imaginative or traditional, fresh or frozen. It barely matters. I love them all. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a macaroni and cheese I haven’t enjoyed for one reason or another. But, I do have my favorites; some for the combination of cheese, some for the addition of interesting ingredients, and some for purely sentimental reasons.

One of my favorite macaroni and cheeses in the whole world is easily my Grandma’s. It is the macaroni and cheese I grew to know and love as a child. I’d know it blindfolded by its smell, taste, and texture. It’s a spoonful of perfect comfort. My grandma, (or Bunger, as she’s lovingly known within the family) uses a familiar combination of Cheez Whiz, cheddar, and American cheese. Crunchy corn flakes complete the comforting dish.

The secret might be in the Cheez Whiz, but I suspect otherwise. Though she didn’t mention it when I called for the recipe, I’m pretty sure the secret ingredient is a hefty dose of love! So, don’t forget to throw some in!

It should be noted that when I called my grandma for the recipe, she couldn’t give me any exact measurements. Like many familiar family favorites, she cooks the dish by instinct; a little of this, a little of that, and a little more of this until it’s right. And you just know it’s right when it is. The recipe which follows is my attempt at putting precise measurements to my grandma’s recipe. It may not be exactly like hers, but it’s pretty close!

Bunger’s Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 15-ounce jar Cheez Whiz or other cheese dip/sauce
  • 1 8-ounce package shredded mild cheddar or 2 cups shredded Velveeta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pepper
  • 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), divided
  • 2 cups cornflakes, crushed
  • 12 slices American cheese or Velveeta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain, toss with two tablespoons of butter, and set aside.

In a separate pot, bring the milk and one tablespoon of the butter to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Slightly warm the Cheez Whiz for a few seconds in the microwave. Add the Cheese Whiz and shredded cheese to the simmering milk. Stir until melted and well combined. Crack the two eggs into the Cheez Whiz jar. Close the jar and shake vigorously to whip the eggs. (I’m pretty sure there’s a little magic in this step!) Slowly pour the whipped eggs into the milk and cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Add the garlic powder and pepper. Cook for a few minutes over low/medium-low heat.

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni and toss to combine. Divide the cheesy macaroni between two large (13×9 inch) baking dishes. Cover the top of the macaroni with the American cheese slices and the crushed corn flakes. Melt the remaining five tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top of the cornflakes.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly around the edges.

Makes 2 Large Baking Dishes…one for dinner, one for the freezer!*

*Freeze the extra dish prior to baking. Defrost and bake before serving.

After making this dish, you’ll probably find yourself with a bit of leftovers. And I’ve got the best way to use them! Recently, an old friend of mine from college posted a picture of her newest culinary creation; a macaroni and cheese burrito! I’ve always thought that Sara was one of the funniest people I know. I’m now convinced that she is also one of the smartest! A burrito filled with macaroni and cheese and crispy fried onions for crunch; a Mac & Chito, if you will! Pure genius!

To prepare yourself a gourmet Mac & Chito, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a slice of American cheese in the center of a burrito-sized flour tortilla. Place a scoop of warmed macaroni and cheese on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with a generous quantity of fried onion pieces, such as French’s French Fried Onions. Wrap the tortilla burrito style (fold the top and bottom over the macaroni, then roll). Partially wrap the burrito in foil and bake for about 10 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

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Happy Pi Day!

Posted on March 14, 2011 by amydeline

Any fellow math geeks out there?

Happy Pi Day! That’s right…it’s March 14, a day to recognize that special number, 3.14! And what better way could there be to honor this significant number than with a nice slice of homemade pie??

So, pull out those circular pie pans, take your pick from one of the links below, and let’s celebrate Pi!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Pie

Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Grasshopper Pie

Not only is today Pi Day; it’s also Kids Cook Monday! Now, my little guys are not quite ready to tackle the mathematical concepts of radius, pi, circumference, and area. But, we can take a few baby steps in that direction by identifying circles in the kitchen and doing a bit of hands on measuring with our circular pies.

Looking to get older kids involved in the kitchen? Take this opportunity for a bit of tasty math practice. Measure the diameter of those pies, determine the radius, and then put that pi to work while calculating the circumference and area of your pie! Then, as a reward for all of that challenging math work, treat yourselves to a well-deserved slice of pie!

Wishing you all a very tasty Pi Day!

P.S. The Gourmand Mom is now on Facebook! Check it out!

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St. Patty’s Day Grasshopper Pie

Posted on March 13, 2011 by amydeline

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and boy are we excited!

I couldn’t be more proud of my Irish heritage. As a child, I remember interrogating my young classmates about their Kiss Me, I’m Irish pins, demanding to know if they were really Irish and then triumphantly proclaiming that I, in fact, was really Irish. Top that, second grader!

The existence of a holiday devoted to celebrating all things Irish has surely contributed to my bloated sense of Irish pride. I may be somewhat delusional, but I have a sneaking suspicion that all people wish they were at least a little Irish. My husband, who can not count Ireland amongst his countries of origin, tries to argue that he must be Irish, since he has Irish children. His persistence about inheriting an Irish background from our children, is further proof of my theory that all people wish they were Irish…at least on St. Patty’s Day!

We’ve got a few yummy things lined up for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. There will be corned beef and cabbage, of course, with boiled potatoes and carrots. The kids and I will also be baking fresh Irish soda bread with raisins, which we’ll lather with Irish butter. And for dessert, we’re having perfectly minty Grasshopper Pie! We’ll start with a chocolate cookie crust, which we’ll fill with a rich layer of dark chocolate peppermint pudding. Bright green whipped cream and crushed Grasshopper cookies will add the finishing touches.

Grasshopper Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 chocolate cookie pie crust
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 cups whipped cream or Cool Whip
  • Green food coloring
  • 5-6 Grasshopper or Thin Mint cookies, crushed

Directions

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of milk, stirring until combined. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of cream. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, continue cooking for another minute or two. Be careful to whisk into the corners and along the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Whisk in the chocolate chips and peppermint extract, stirring until fully melted. Pour the pudding into the pie shell. Refrigerate until cooled completely. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the whipped cream. Spread the whipped cream over the cooled pudding. Garnish with crushed cookies.

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Just What the Doctor Ordered – Chicken with Matzoh Ball Soup

Posted on February 25, 2011 by amydeline

This has been a rough winter for my family in the general health department. I blame it on my three year old starting nursery school. Up until this year, my family has been in our own personal germ bubble. The kids stay at home with me and my husband works in an office by himself. Our biggest exposure to germs occurred sitting at the doctor’s office for well-visits. But now, with my little guy in school, we’re exposed to the full spectrum of winter viruses. We’ve become regulars at the pediatrician and it seems like one of us is always on antibiotics for some condition or another. Even our labrosaurus rex has endured a winter full of vet visits and internist appointments! Add that to the ever-accelerating schedule of my normal third trimester prenatal appointments and I’m pretty sure my family is solely supporting the medical community of the Central New York area. You’re welcome doctors, nurses, and midwives.

This week, we’re in the midst of dealing with another virus, which has knocked each of down in succession like a family of dominoes; first one kid, then the next, then myself, and then my husband. Three out of the four of us are still wrapped in blankets and using tissues like they’re going out of style. The contractor, who’s currently remodeling our bathroom, hasn’t removed his face mask in days and it’s got nothing to do with drywall dust!

When all the medicine in the medicine cabinet fails to heal what ails you, there’s only one thing left to try; homemade chicken soup! A few months ago, I shared my step by step guide for preparing a delicious, flavorful chicken soup from a leftover chicken carcass. The process is the same, even if you’re starting with a whole, raw chicken.

  • Throw the chicken in the pot with a bunch of rough chopped vegetables. Use whatever you’ve got on hand; celery, carrots, garlic, onion, shallots, parsley, etc.
  • Cover the chicken and veggies with water.
  • Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours.
  • Strain the broth into a pot and set the chicken aside to cool. Discard the veggies.
  • Simmer the broth uncovered, if desired, to reduce the liquid and produce a stronger flavored broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart all of the meat and throw it in the broth.
  • Add the veggies of your choice to the broth. (I used sliced carrots and leeks.) Simmer, just until the veggies are tender.
  • Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Voila! Chicken Soup!

**Click here to see the full step-by-step guide to making chicken soup.


Typically, I serve my chicken soup over cooked orzo pasta. Other noodles, pasta, or rice work well too. I recommend keeping your pasta or rice separate from the soup. Otherwise, it will absorb the broth, leaving you with undesirable, mushy pasta or rice.

Another alternative to accompany your chicken soup are matzoh balls. To be honest, I have very minimal experience with matzoh balls. It is not something which my family ate often, if ever at all. I’ve ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup from a deli at one point or another, but I honestly can’t recall the exact taste or texture of the balls. That being said, I’m clearly no expert in matzoh ball making, but I’m always up for a culinary adventure.

From what I gather, there are two schools of thought regarding the preferred matzoh ball texture; sinkers and floaters. Sinkers are more dense and require the edge of a fork to cut apart, whereas the floaters are lighter and more likely to fall apart on their own in your soup. As a matzoh ball novice, I have no strong personal preference. I pulled a few of the best sounding ideas from a variety of matzoh ball sources to develop my very own matzoh ball recipe. The result is a flavorful and tender ball, probably more in line with the sinker variety. Works for me!

Matzoh Balls for Chicken Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzoh meal
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Combine the matzoh meal with the salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the vegetable oil until smooth. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then, fold the egg mixture into the matzoh meal, just until combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour, until the mixture is firm. Form the mixture into 1 – 1 1/2″ balls. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop each ball into the water. Once the balls have risen to the surface, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid as it simmers.* Once cooked, remove the matzoh balls from the liquid with a slotted spoon. You can add the balls immediately to your soup or store separately and reheat with the soup, as desired.

*I’m not completely clear on why you’re not supposed to open the lid, but it seems to be common matzoh making advice, so I think we best obey!

Enjoy and stay well, my friends!

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The Kids Cook Monday – White Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Posted on February 21, 2011 by amydeline
Don’t get me wrong…I love a traditional slice of saucy, cheesy pizza as much as the next person (preferably dipped in a bit of bleu cheese dressing). But there’s something about a slice of white garlic pizza which makes my taste buds do a little happy dance. And last week, my happy-dancing taste buds decided that a homemade white garlic pizza, with a generous topping of tiny shrimp, was exactly what we needed.
Truth be told, I made this pizza twice last week. I had initially planned to post the recipe on Friday, but my first take on the pizza was less than ideal. It was garlicky and delicious, but the proportions of sauce and cheese to the dough were off kilter. On top of being too heavily sauced, the ricotta layer cooked up into a bit of a mess. I figured that all it needed was a little reduction on the toppings and a touch of egg white to bind the ricotta. I was about to post the recipe with my theorized improvements, but made a last minute decision to run another test. There were no complaints in our household about having this pizza twice in the same week! The second run-through was a definite winner!
As part of our Kids Cook Monday series, I invited my little helpers into the kitchen. Pizza making is ripe with opportunities for young children to get involved. Stretching dough, spreading sauces, arranging toppings, and scattering cheese are ideal tasks for little hands. Kids benefit in a number of ways while cooking. They develop math skills while measuring, fine motor skills while spreading and arranging pizza toppings, health and safety skills while washing up before cooking, and language skills while following directions. But, in my opinion, there’s no bigger reward than the proud smiles on their little faces as our family sits down to enjoy the meal they had a hand in creating.
White Garlic Shrimp Pizza
Ingredients
  • 1 large pizza shell or pizza dough, prepared or homemade*
  • 2 cups salad shrimp, cooked
  • 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the Ricotta Layer

  • 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Garlic Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Ground black pepper

*Click here to see my post on making homemade pizza dough.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza dough, stretch the dough into a large round and arrange on a pizza stone or large baking sheet, lightly greased with olive oil.

Prepare the ricotta by combining the ricotta, egg white, garlic, parsley, and salt.

Prepare the garlic sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the butter. Cook for about two minutes. Add the flour to the mixture and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, until the milk begins to thicken. Turn down the heat. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble the pizza, spread a thin, even layer of the ricotta mixture over the pizza dough. Then, spread a thin, even layer of the garlic sauce over the ricotta. Scatter the salad shrimp over the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

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Chocolate Banana Monkey Bars

Posted on February 16, 2011 by amydeline

Children are filled with genius ideas if you listen closely. A few weeks ago, my son was staring longingly into our snow-filled, icicle-rimmed backyard, dreaming of warmer days. And then he exclaimed, Mommy, we should make some monkey bars! In retrospect, he was probably referring to building his own personal playground in our backyard. But, in the moment, as I moved about our kitchen preparing dinner, my mind interpreted his request into a recipe idea. Monkey Bars. Genius!

We paused for a moment to consider the foods which monkeys enjoy. Clearly, bananas were on the top of the list. Chocolate and peanuts decided to tag along for the ride. Our plan came together easily after that. We’d start with a peanut butter cookie crust, topped with our favorite, simple fudgey brownie, mixed with chunks of fresh banana and garnished with crunchy peanuts.

Your monkeys will go bananas for these tasty little treats! Mine sure did!

Chocolate Banana Monkey Bars

Ingredients

  • 15 peanut butter sandwich cookies, crushed
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup bananas, chopped
  • 1/4 cup shelled peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, until well blended. Press the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate chips and butter until smooth, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt until dissolved. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs and stir until well blended. Stir in the chopped bananas. Spread the mixture over the peanut butter cookie crust. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until the brownies appear set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool before cutting into small squares.

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Kids Cook Monday – Brought to you by the letter P!

Posted on February 7, 2011 by amydeline

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the letter P. This meal started out with a general plan for Pasta in a Parmesan cream sauce with Prosciutto. Inspired by the natural alliteration in this simple dinner idea, I figured we may as well make it Penne Pasta and throw in a few Portabella mushrooms and Peas for good measure. Dinner by the letter P.

This easy weeknight meal comes together in a Pinch! But, it’s not without opportunities for getting kids involved. Young children may not be ready to participate with the stovetop cooking involved in making this dish, but they make fantastic prep chefs, measuring level cups of cheese and peas, pouring the cream, and taste-testing the mushrooms and prosciutto.

And while the sauce simmered on the stove, the kids set to work artfully decorating large cutouts of the letter P, while giggling their ways through chanting Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers… Even when the meal preparation is simple, there are easy ways to get everyone involved and build authentic, memorable learning experiences into the process!

Penne Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce with Prosciutto, Portabellas, and Peas

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Penne Pasta, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 1/2 cups Light Cream
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 1 1/2 cups Baby Portabella Mushrooms (Cremini mushrooms), sliced
  • 1/2 cup Prosciutto, chopped
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas, defrosted
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine cream and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cream has thickened and the mushrooms are tender. Add the remaining cheese, prosciutto, and peas. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and serve immediately.

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Game Day Menu Ideas

Posted on February 3, 2011 by amydeline

Growing up, my family never watched football. We were more of a hockey and baseball kind of clan. But every year we had a big ole Super Bowl Sunday party. I was infinitely envious of my younger sister, whose birthday happens to fall right around the Super Bowl, for she had a guaranteed birthday party each year, long after the rest of us had been weaned off of annual birthday celebrations.

In college, I briefly and half-heartedly tried to get into the whole football thing. I watched games on TV with my new college friends and looked to them to explain the ins and outs of the activity I was so hopelessly clueless about. But, my interest in football was short-lived. Not long after that, I met my husband, who’s more of a guitar and drum kind of guy than a sports fan. So, football remains largely absent from my life.

But in true, inherited non-football-fan fashion, my husband and I are throwing a Super Bowl party this year. Our game day menu is still under construction, but will almost certainly include some adaptation of these Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins and a decadent German Chocolate Cake in honor of my sister’s birthday. (Those recipes to follow after the Superbowl!)

In the meantime, if you’re in search of a few new ideas for your game day celebrations, check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Spicy Beef Chili

White Chicken Chili

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Jalapeno Poppers

Spinach Dip and Fried Wonton Chips

Chicken Wing Dip

Homemade Pizza Dough

Blue Cows in a Blanket

Creole Deviled Eggs

Fresh Tomato or Corn and Chipotle Salsa

Steak Bordelaise Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza


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The Kids Cook Monday – Chicken and Green Beans with a Twist

Posted on January 17, 2011 by amydeline

Tired of coating your chicken in plain old bread crumbs?? Did you know that you can bread your chicken with just about anything that crumbles? So, leave your bread crumbs in the pantry and pull out a box of Cheez-Its instead.

I have to admit, I’ve been on a major Cheez-It binge lately. I don’t recommend this diet to any health-minded individual. Nor am I proud of the quantity of Cheez-Its I’ve consumed in the past few weeks. They’re irresistible to me. If only my local grocery store would ban me from buying them. (But thank goodness they don’t!)

But, back to the chicken. If you can crumble it, you can coat your chicken with it. Cheez-Its, crackers, potato chips, croutons, cereal…the possibilities are infinite. Like Doritos? Smash them up and coat your chicken with ’em. More of a corn chip fan? Go crazy with crushed corn chips. Another fun option? It turns out that those crunchy French-fried onion pieces, which you’ve probably seen on green bean casseroles, make a delicious chicken breading too. Have fun and liven up your chicken. It’s a great way to get the family excited about a simple baked chicken dinner. Follow the same procedure you would to coat your chicken in bread crumbs; season with salt and pepper, dip in an egg wash, coat with the crumbs, and bake.

On the side, we’re serving another dish with a twist. Bird’s Eye makes a fantastic frozen vegetable dish, called Beans with a Twist. It’s a super tasty combination of green beans, wax beans, baby carrots, and dried cranberries, in an herbed butter sauce. To Bird’s Eye’s credit, it is absolutely delicious and free from the unnecessary preservatives or sweeteners which are so commonplace in many other prepared foods. I’ve bought this dish for myself on several occasions and always enjoy it.

Recently, while rummaging through the freezer, the kids found one of my packages of these tasty veggies and requested to have it with their dinner. The possessive side of me wanted to save them for myself, but what mom is going to deny their child’s passionate request for veggies?? The kids loved the simple veggie dish. So, along with our chicken, I decided to serve our own homemade version of Beans with a Twist.

This entire recipe is full of opportunities to get kids involved in the kitchen. Children of all ages are expert food crushers. In fact, my experience has been that toddlers come preprogrammed with impressive destruction abilities. The best way to go about crushing your Cheez-Its (or other desired breading) is to place the quantity in a ziploc and let the kids go to town. Running a rolling pin over the bag or smashing with a child-safe mallet or fists are all effective methods.

Cutting the soft, steamed green beans is another excellent, kid-friendly task for tonight’s recipe. I wasn’t the only one to receive new cutlery for Christmas. The boys received a set of child-friendly, but effectively sharp, plastic knives. Made by Curious Chef (available on Amazon.com), these knives are not toys, but rather real, functional kitchen tools for little chefs. Before using, we reviewed a few basic knife safety rules, such as watching out for fingers and I modeled how to safely hold the green bean with one hand, while cutting with the other. Then, under close supervision, the boys took care of chopping the beans. My boys will be cutting julienne and brunoise vegetables in no time! A regular plastic dinnerware knife would also make an appropriate cutting tool for most young chefs.

So, join in on the Kids Cook Monday fun and get cooking as a family. And if you don’t have any pint-sized helpers of your own, borrow someone else’s kids or simply awaken your inner child. Just be careful with those plastic knives!

Breaded and Baked Chicken with a Twist

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups Cheez-Its, crushed (substitute crushed potato chips, French-fried onions, chips, or other crackers, if desired)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken breasts in the beaten egg mixture. Then, press the chicken into the crushed cracker crumbs to coat. Place the coated chicken in a baking dish and bake until fully cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. My large chicken breasts took about 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Chicken is fully cooked when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Green Beans and Carrots with a Twist

Inspired by Bird’s Eyes’ Beans with a Twist

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Green Beans and Wax Beans, steamed until tender, but crisp
  • 1 1/2 cups Baby Carrots, steamed
  • 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 cloves Roasted Garlic, smashed into a paste*
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper

*Click here to see my photo guide on How to Roast Garlic.

Directions

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the roasted garlic paste and stir until well combined. Add the beans, carrots, dried cranberries, and chives. Toss to coat with the roasted garlic butter. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

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