Week 41, 42, 43, 44

Can you tell 2011 has been busy for the Baird’s? I haven’t posted anything since January, and still have my Cooking Challenge 2010 to complete. Better late than never right?!

Here’s Week 41 Chili Verde – The only thing I changed was the meat. I’m not a fan of pork so I made it with chicken. No joke, this soup was so good I made it twice in one week. I would have made it again, but I bought all of the anaheim peppers and tomatillos left in Naperville.

Week 42 – Mexican Lasagna – The perfect cheat day cheesy meal. My picture doesn’t look as good as Rachel Ray’s, but it sure did taste good!

Week 43 – Alissa’s Mexican Breakfast Pie – Yes, I made up my own recipe this week and to my surprise it tasted pretty good. I combined eggs, cheese, black beans, a jalapeno, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. I popped it into the oven for about thirty minutes. Then, topped with tomatoes and scallions. So quick and easy!

Week 44 – Seared Mahi Mahi with Zesty Basil Butter This recipe is totally staying in my recipe book. I’m not a huge fan of fish, but I could eat this every week.

Week 40

This week was super crazy! It was so hectic that I made this recipe and didn’t even get to taste this it before running out the door to teach. Dan had to finish cooking, and take the pictures!

This week I made Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce, and roasted veggies on the side. From what I could tell, it looked and smelled good. I did try the BBQ sauce and thought it turned out alright. Although, Dan didn’t think it was all that amazing, so I’m glad I didn’t miss something spectacular.

Week 39

Okay, I’ve missed my deadline, but I’m going to keep cooking until I reach 52 weeks! Early last year I made an African Coconut Curry Soup so when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try it. This week I made Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken. This soup wasn’t my favorite, but it sure did fill me up. I don’t think I’ll make this version again, however, I will try making a similar one. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Week 38

Yummy and healthy! This week I made Tomato Vegetable Casserole and it was delicious. This recipe was super quick and easy to make; great for those crazy work days. I have to admit, it was the first time I cooked with sweet potato… hard to believe it took me this long. I can guarantee I’ll be making this recipe again. Hope you try it!

Week 37

What’s more suiting on Christmas Eve than a Christmas Shepherd’s Pie. This week I tried another down home recipe by Paula Deen. I was so pleased when I opened the oven to find this perfect pie, I couldn’t wait to taste it! I did make one modification to the recipe, but it wasn’t anything too different. Instead of beef I used ground turkey. This recipe will be staying in my holiday recipe pile. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Week 36

I hate breakfast, but Dan loves eggs so I decided to make a special Christmas Eve breakfast. I found this recipe on some random site and thought I’d give it a go. It was better than I expected. This recipe will be staying in my repertory. Here’s the recipe!

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The Carriage House Breakfast Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon — diced

1/4 green bell peppers — diced

1/4 red bell peppers — diced

1 small onion — chopped

8 large California Fresh Eggs

1 pound russet potatoes — peeled and grated

2 3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt — to taste

(I added a few cloves of garlic)

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a large quiche dish or 6 to 8 individual ramekins. Sauté bacon, peppers and onion until soft. Drain on paper towels.

Whisk eggs with potatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix in bacon and vegetable mixture. Pour into prepared pan spreading mixture evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, until center is set or knife inserted in center comes out clean. Bake 20-30 minutes for individual ramekins.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Enjoy!

Week 35

Recently I visited my brother and nephew in Nashville. While there, I was so taken with the “down home” feel, I just couldn’t resist trying to mimic the southern accent. That trip put me in the mood to try some of Paula Deen’s recipes. This week I tried Baked Spaghetti. As you can imagine southern style cooking does not skimp on the salt, butter, and everything we’re conditioned as “bad” ingredients. But, this recipe really wasn’t that bad! I did, however, make some modification on the type and amount of cheese. Even with my changes, this recipe had a very home like feeling. Dan even said it reminded him of something his Dad use to make. If your looking for some comfort during these cold winter months, this might be the perfect recipe to try. Enjoy!

 

Week 34

Yes it’s true, another soup! I saw the name of this soup and just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make it. It’s called Everything but the Kitchen Sink! Frankly, I’ve cooked soups with more ingredients, but the name is still fun. If you decide to make this soup I have a suggestion. Let it sit! The second day the flavors really started to blend and I though t it tasted a heck of a lot better than the first night. Enjoy!

Week 33

I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine and decided to made it as an appetizer for my company holiday party. Let me tell you, it was a hit! I received so many complements, and recipe requests. This recipe is totally a keeper!

Greek Layered Dip With Pita Chips

Ingredients:

114-ounce package pita bread

(or packaged pita chips)

Olive oil cooking spray

4teaspoons Greek seasoning

(I used a Mediterranean rub)

1Pound ground lamb

1teaspoon garlic salt

116-ounce container prepared hummus

(I used roasted red pepper hummus)

1 1/2Cups tzatziki (gyro sauce)

1Cup shredded iceberg lettuce

2Medium roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 diced red onion

1/2 Cup kalamata olives, chopped

14-ounce container crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Line 1-2 baking sheets with foil. Cut the pita rounds into eights. Split each piece in two and place on the baking sheet., with the inside of the bread facing up. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the Greek seasoning. Bake 7-10 minutes, or until golden.
2. In a large skillet, brown the ground lamb with the garlic salt and remaining 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning. Drain and set aside. In a shallow 1 1/2-quart dish, spread the hummus on the bottom. Top with a layer of ground lamb, then tzatziki. Layer with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, olives, and feta. Serve the dip at room temperature with pita chips!

December 2010 Food Network Magazine

Week 32

Broccoli anyone? Most kids hated broccoli, but I actually liked it as a kid. It was the staple vegetable in many of the meals my Mom made. A few weeks ago, I was roaming around the store trying to get inspired to cook something new. I stumbled on broccoli and couldn’t remember when I had it last. So I made Parmesan Broccoli. If your looking to change up your side dished, this is a great recipe to try, however, I’m still just a fan of steamed broccoli with seasoning salt.