In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha has a recipe for Composed Salad of Roasted Broccoli, Romaine, Chickpeas and Walnuts.

Sound complicated? It was. This salad had 6 components, all of which required separate work (2 baking sheets, one saute pan, three spatulas, a collander, a cutting board, a knife,  a Cuisinart, measuring spoons, and a jar for mixing up the dressing, not to mention 3 bowls for serving and a platter).

First I roasted the broccoli with oil. Next I cooked a shallot and the chickpeas. Then I candied the pecans (my substitution for walnuts). Then I made the goat cheese puree and the vinaigrette. Whew.  It was a lot of work. Next I washed the lettuce and tried to put it all together like Martha’s photo. By this time I felt like I had cooked an entire meal and all I had was a salad.

Now, the real question is how did it taste? The family’s reaction to this one was a lot of head scratching. We each took a big lettuce leaf and piled the other ingredients on, then cut it up and tried to mix it or toss it on our plates. Once you get that done, it does taste pretty good, but it wasn’t out of this world fantastic by any means. And it was messy because things fall of your plate as you’re trying to mix it. My teen’s assessment? “Dumb.”

In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha has a recipe for Composed Salad of Roasted Broccoli, Romaine, Chickpeas and Walnuts. Sound complicated? It was. This salad had 6 components, all of which required separate work (2 baking sheets, one saute pan, three spatulas, a collander, a cutting board, a knife,  a Cuisinart, measuring … Read more →

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time as opposed to a 3 hour cook time, and fewer ingredients.

I always make my own barbecue sauce, but I always start with ketchup and usually add mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic salt and Worchestershire. Simple and easy and my kids like it.

Martha’s recipe starts with canned tomato sauce and includes onion, garlic, ground mustard, molasses, Worchestershire, vinegar and salt and pepper. It was easy to make and had to simmer for 2 hours. I tasted it after it had cooked and was not happy. There is no sugar in this recipe at all and it really needed some. So I dumped in brown sugar and that helped a bit. It still tasted very spicy to me – I guess from the ground mustard.  I hoped it would mellow a bit as it sat for a few days until the 4th.

On the 4th my dad did the grilling. My parents had their own barbecue sauce and we had Martha’s on organic chicken breasts. The verdict? Thumbs down. The kids did not like it at all and said it tasted too tomato-y. I thought it was just not good in general and I agree it tasted very tomato-y yet somehow a bit bland at the same time. I’ve got a big container of this left and am not sure if I will freeze it or just dump it. It was a disappointment for sure.

I typed this post then went downstairs to get the camera so I could get the photo. I made breakfast while I was there. I opened the fridge to get the eggs, and the big container of Martha’s barbecue sauce fell out and exploded all over the kitchen. What a mess! So I guess that is payback for dissing the sauce!

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time … Read more →

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time as opposed to a 3 hour cook time, and fewer ingredients.

I always make my own barbecue sauce, but I always start with ketchup and usually add mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic salt and Worchestershire. Simple and easy and my kids like it.

Martha’s recipe starts with canned tomato sauce and includes onion, garlic, ground mustard, molasses, Worchestershire, vinegar and salt and pepper. It was easy to make and had to simmer for 2 hours. I tasted it after it had cooked and was not happy. There is no sugar in this recipe at all and it really needed some. So I dumped in brown sugar and that helped a bit. It still tasted very spicy to me – I guess from the ground mustard.  I hoped it would mellow a bit as it sat for a few days until the 4th.

On the 4th my dad did the grilling. My parents had their own barbecue sauce and we had Martha’s on organic chicken breasts. The verdict? Thumbs down. The kids did not like it at all and said it tasted too tomato-y. I thought it was just not good in general and I agree it tasted very tomato-y yet somehow a bit bland at the same time. I’ve got a big container of this left and am not sure if I will freeze it or just dump it. It was a disappointment for sure.

I typed this post then went downstairs to get the camera so I could get the photo. I made breakfast while I was there. I opened the fridge to get the eggs, and the big container of Martha’s barbecue sauce fell out and exploded all over the kitchen. What a mess! So I guess that is payback for dissing the sauce!

We spent the 4th with my parents and did chicken on the grill. I made Martha’s classic barbecue sauce, from July/Aug Everyday Food. What’s funny is Martha had another classic BBQ sauce recipe in June Living but I never got around to it. This one was slightly simpler – requiring a 2 hour cook time … Read more →

I’ve been cooking from the July/August issue of Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul Magazine. Next up – Chicken Salad with Grapes, Avocado, and Almonds Over Spinach. This salad has several of my favorite things – avocado, almonds, spinach and chicken. Obviously, I had to make it!

This was very simple. I cooked the chicken, cut up grapes, toasted some sliced almonds, cut some corn off the cob and washed my spinach.  I did not make my dressing in the bottom of the bowl (I like to control how much I use) and as always, Martha’s dressing needed sweetening, so I added some honey to it.

This was a truly fab salad. I loved it! We had it for dinner with yesterday’s Strawberry Muffin recipe. It was perfect for dinner – very filling and you didn’t feel like you were just grazing on a pile of greens. It had substance and flavor and I loved it.  I did not think I was going to like grapes in a salad, but they fit in quite nicely with the other ingredients. The recipe says this feeds 4, but 2 of us ate this and we had tons and tons left.  Mr. MarthaandMe, who is not a big fan of spinach, ate this without complaint. There was so much in it, I don’t even know if he noticed it was a spinach base.

I’ve been cooking from the July/August issue of Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul Magazine. Next up – Chicken Salad with Grapes, Avocado, and Almonds Over Spinach. This salad has several of my favorite things – avocado, almonds, spinach and chicken. Obviously, I had to make it! This was very simple. I cooked the chicken, cut … Read more →

I haven’t cooked anything from Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul magazine to date, so it was time. The July/August issue has a recipe for strawberry muffins (no link on Martha’s site).

I often make blueberry muffins in the summer, usually with a streusel topping. I have tried to make strawberry muffins by substituting strawberries for blueberries, but somehow the muffins always turned out soggy and not so good. I was ready to see if Martha had a solution.

The recipe was a basic muffin recipe, but it uses some whole wheat flour, which got points from me. The key to this recipe is to cut up the strawberries, sprinkle the sugar on them and then mash them, before adding them to the batter. I never would have thought to do that. You don’t get big hunks of pulpy berry this way and it fills the muffin with the fruit flavor.

As always, mine took longer to bake than they should have, but I was really pleased with the results.  The muffins were very moist and not dry at all. They were sweet but not too sweet. We ate them with salad for dinner and they didn’t need any butter. Overall, they were very good. I’m definitely going to make these again and remember the technique of mashing the berries.

I haven’t cooked anything from Martha Stewart’s Body and Soul magazine to date, so it was time. The July/August issue has a recipe for strawberry muffins (no link on Martha’s site). I often make blueberry muffins in the summer, usually with a streusel topping. I have tried to make strawberry muffins by substituting strawberries for … Read more →

Local strawberries are in and I’m looking for lots of ways to use them. I decided to make Martha’s Vacherin with Whipped Cream and Mixed Berries . (July Martha Stewart Living) I had never heard of vacherin, but the recipe is basically for meringue with whipped cream and berries. It sounded light and tasty and the photo in the magazine was pretty and appealing.

The first step is to whip the egg whites.  Let me be honest here – I have no idea if I whipped them long enough. Martha says to whip until they are very stiff and glossy. Mine were glossy but I have no idea how stiff they should be. I guessed.

You draw a circle on parchment paper and heap the egg whites inside it, on two separate pans. Then you bake it at 200 for 2 hours and then turn the oven off and leave them inside for an hour and a half. I did all this precisely, however when I went to assemble this, neither of the meringues were cooked all the way through and stuck to the parchment paper. I was totally crushed. I’m really getting tired of following Martha’s instructions to the letter only to have it not work! The good thing about this recipe is that the mess was easily covered by whipped cream.

I assembled the dessert with the whipped cream and berries and it did look very pretty. It actually cut pretty well, but didn’t look so great on the individual plates. It looked mushy.

As for taste, the part of the meringue that was cooked was delicious- crunchy and sweet and light. I loved it with the berries. I thought there was a bit much whipped cream for my taste.

The biggest problem with this dessert is that it is a use or lose it proposition. You can’t save it since the meringue gets mushy. So you really need to be prepared to serve and eat the entire thing or waste it.

If the meringue had been cooked, this would have been a winner.

Local strawberries are in and I’m looking for lots of ways to use them. I decided to make Martha’s Vacherin with Whipped Cream and Mixed Berries . (July Martha Stewart Living) I had never heard of vacherin, but the recipe is basically for meringue with whipped cream and berries. It sounded light and tasty and … Read more →

The in-laws were coming for dinner on a Friday night. When I invited them, I said I would make something simple, so Martha’s Corn and Shrimp Chowder with Bacon (July Martha Stewart Everyday Food) fit the bill. I’m a sucker for chowder and the surprising thing about clam or shrimp chowder is that it doesn’t have to cook long at all, unlike other soups.

To start, I cut the corn off the cobs. I am highly skilled at this, if I do say so myself. I used to freeze dozens and dozens of ears of corn every summer and developed a system. I used to use an old tube pan. I would put the ear of corn on the hole in the middle and it would hold it in place while I cut the corn off, then scraped the cobs with the back of the knife to get all the juice.

This soup was simple – cook some bacon, then cook your green onion whites in the grease. Add the potatoes and cook in a mix of milk and water. The recipe calls for thyme and seafood seasoning and it was the perfect mix. I did add more flour than this calls for because I like my chowder thick. And I added some heavy cream. You add your shrimp in at the end because it cooks quickly. I happened to have some lobster tail that was brought home by Teen Martha from a dinner she was at, so I threw that in too.

The soup was delicious. Very simple to make and very flavorful. Instead of water, I would use some seafood stock (I didn’t have any on hand).  The recipe says this makes 4 servings. I fed 6 people with this and had lots left over. This was the main part of our meal too – I served it with bread and salad.

The in-laws were coming for dinner on a Friday night. When I invited them, I said I would make something simple, so Martha’s Corn and Shrimp Chowder with Bacon (July Martha Stewart Everyday Food) fit the bill. I’m a sucker for chowder and the surprising thing about clam or shrimp chowder is that it doesn’t … Read more →

I love potato salad. My grandmother was the queen of potato salad makers and I learned how to make an awesome one from her. I’m very, very fond of the family recipe and generally will not eat potato salad in restaurants or delis because it does not measure up. Martha had big shoes to fill with her French Potato Salad (July Martha Stewart Everyday Food – not up on the site).

This potato salad was not difficult and it didn’t require any peeling, which gave it bonus points as far as I’m concerned. You use new or fingerling potatoes. Boil them then chop up some red onion. Mix up the dressing – oil, Dijon mustard, vinegar, shallot and herbs. Toss it and you’re done. I let mine sit in the fridge for a few hours which helped the flavors meld.

I liked this, but it’s not as good as my grandmother’s. It is, however, totally different. It’s a nice change and is a great thing to serve on a summer evening. It tastes light and feels very refreshing.

I love potato salad. My grandmother was the queen of potato salad makers and I learned how to make an awesome one from her. I’m very, very fond of the family recipe and generally will not eat potato salad in restaurants or delis because it does not measure up. Martha had big shoes to fill … Read more →

When some people think of steak sandwiches, they think of Philly steaks. When I think of steak sandwiches, I think of dinner with my dad. When I was little, my mom used to teach on Tuesday nights and Dad made dinner for the two us – steak sandwiches. We would eat them in front of the tv and watch the Muppet Show. He used those thin frozen steaks that are meant for steak sandwiches. I don’t even know what they are called or if they sell them anymore. In retrospect, they were pretty gross, but at the time I thought they were good. The memories aren’t all happy ones however. One night I choked on it and I don’t think my dad knew the Heimlich. I remember him turning me upside down and shaking me to get it out. Obviously it worked since I’m still here.

So with that trauma in mind, I made Martha’s (Martha Stewart Living, July) Beef Tenderloin Sandwich with Herb Mayonnaise. The first step is to  roast some garlic. Oh, I love roasted garlic. The rest of the sandwich is a breeze. You mix the garlic with mayo and herbs. You grill the tenderloin and then assemble it on a piece of bread with some greens and the mayo. It was simple to make.  It was a little hard to eat. The meat kept sliding off and we ended up with mayo all over our hands. But it was good.  Not my favorite way to eat beef tenderloin by any stretch of the imagination, but it was something different at least. This won’t go in my favorites file. No one choked though, so that at least was a victory.

When some people think of steak sandwiches, they think of Philly steaks. When I think of steak sandwiches, I think of dinner with my dad. When I was little, my mom used to teach on Tuesday nights and Dad made dinner for the two us – steak sandwiches. We would eat them in front of … Read more →

When some people think of steak sandwiches, they think of Philly steaks. When I think of steak sandwiches, I think of dinner with my dad. When I was little, my mom used to teach on Tuesday nights and Dad made dinner for the two us – steak sandwiches. We would eat them in front of the tv and watch the Muppet Show. He used those thin frozen steaks that are meant for steak sandwiches. I don’t even know what they are called or if they sell them anymore. In retrospect, they were pretty gross, but at the time I thought they were good. The memories aren’t all happy ones however. One night I choked on it and I don’t think my dad knew the Heimlich. I remember him turning me upside down and shaking me to get it out. Obviously it worked since I’m still here.

So with that trauma in mind, I made Martha’s (Martha Stewart Living, July) Beef Tenderloin Sandwich with Herb Mayonnaise. The first step is to  roast some garlic. Oh, I love roasted garlic. The rest of the sandwich is a breeze. You mix the garlic with mayo and herbs. You grill the tenderloin and then assemble it on a piece of bread with some greens and the mayo. It was simple to make.  It was a little hard to eat. The meat kept sliding off and we ended up with mayo all over our hands. But it was good.  Not my favorite way to eat beef tenderloin by any stretch of the imagination, but it was something different at least. This won’t go in my favorites file. No one choked though, so that at least was a victory.

When some people think of steak sandwiches, they think of Philly steaks. When I think of steak sandwiches, I think of dinner with my dad. When I was little, my mom used to teach on Tuesday nights and Dad made dinner for the two us – steak sandwiches. We would eat them in front of … Read more →