It’s that time of year, when turning on the oven seems like a bad, bad idea and cooking on the grill sounds great. There are still no pots involved, so here’s what I made for dinner last night:

Grilled Cod and Green Beans with Cilantro Sauce

1 piece of cod (about 1/2 lb)

2 cups green beans

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1/8 of a sweet onion

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 tsp honey

2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt

Season the cod and beans with salt and pepper then grill them (use a grill tray for the beans to keep them from falling through the grates. The beans take about 12 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill (you want them to look slightly soft and browned). The cod will cook in about 10 minutes, if it is about an inch thick. Look for it to become opaque. Add all other ingredients to a mini food processor and chop. Remove food from grill and use the sauce on top.

It’s that time of year, when turning on the oven seems like a bad, bad idea and cooking on the grill sounds great. There are still no pots involved, so here’s what I made for dinner last night: Grilled Cod and Green Beans with Cilantro Sauce 1 piece of cod (about 1/2 lb) 2 cups … Read more →

Steak and Potato Kinda Gurl has chosen Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Scallions for next week. Can’t wait to try it!

Steak and Potato Kinda Gurl has chosen Sauteed Corn, Bacon, and Scallions for next week. Can’t wait to try it!

I chose this week’s project, Poppy Seed Danishes with Cherry Cream Cheese Filling. This recipe is from May Martha Stewart Living. I used strawberry jam instead of cherry. I had some trouble with the folding. I probably should have stuck my dough in the fridge, but scraping it off the counter and doing that was just too much work. I thought these were really good, but they were a bit big and doughy, so if I made it again, I would roll it out thinner to make more. That’s my only criticism, otherwise they were a hit here. I thought they were pretty and had a very nice flavor. I liked the cream cheese with the poppy seeds and the strawberry jam was just great. I had to bake mine longer than the recipe said, but I almost always have to do that! My oven must not be calibrated correctly.  I’ve never made a danish before, so this was a new one for me! How did this turn out for everyone else?

I chose this week’s project, Poppy Seed Danishes with Cherry Cream Cheese Filling. This recipe is from May Martha Stewart Living. I used strawberry jam instead of cherry. I had some trouble with the folding. I probably should have stuck my dough in the fridge, but scraping it off the counter and doing that was … Read more →

I had the windfall of having a can of crab and decided to make this recipe which I’ve adapted from Johnnie Gabriel’s Cooking in the South.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups skim milk

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tbsp salt

2 cups lump crabmeat

1 shallot, peeled with ends cut off

1/4 tsp mace

2 tbsp cooking sherry

Melt the butter then whisk in the flour and cook until it is light brown. Whisk in milk, cream, pepper, zest, salt, crab, sherry, and mace. Add the shallot. Bring to a light boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 min. Remove shallot. Serve.

I loved this soup so, so much. It was creamy and crabby and fabulous. But no one else in my house would eat it!!! DudeMartha was not home, Teen Martha announced she hates soup and would only eat a crab soup if it was very, very thick. Mr. MarthaAndMe lost big points by eating some and saying it was good but he just didn’t want any more. Which left me with a big container of leftovers which I ate for lunch for days afterwards. Their loss I guess.

I had the windfall of having a can of crab and decided to make this recipe which I’ve adapted from Johnnie Gabriel’s Cooking in the South. 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 2 cups skim milk 2 1/2 cups heavy cream pepper zest of 1 lemon 1/2 tbsp salt 2 cups lump crabmeat 1 shallot, … Read more →

It’s my turn to pick for next week’s Martha Mondays, so I’m going to go with Poppy-Seed Danishes with Cherry-Cream Cheese Filling. I’ll tell you now, I’m pretty sure I’m going to use strawberry instead of cherry!

Here’s the schedule going forward. Let me know if your date does not work for you. And, as always, anyone is welcome to join, just leave a comment or send an email and I’ll add you to the list.

5/23 Steak and Potato Kinda Gurl

5/30 Megan’s Cookin

6/6 Sassy Suppers

6/13 Perfecting Pru

6/20 Tiny Skillet

6/27 Sweet Almond Tree

7/4 off (holiday weekend)

7/11 Bizzy Bakes

7/18 MarthaAndMe

It’s my turn to pick for next week’s Martha Mondays, so I’m going to go with Poppy-Seed Danishes with Cherry-Cream Cheese Filling. I’ll tell you now, I’m pretty sure I’m going to use strawberry instead of cherry! Here’s the schedule going forward. Let me know if your date does not work for you. And, as … Read more →

Bizzy Bakes chose today’s project, grilled mozzarella sandwiches. What did you think? It was easy enough to make. My family said the bread tasted like French toast. My mozzarella did not melt completely, so I didn’t like that aspect. It was something different, but didn’t quite do it for me.

Bizzy Bakes chose today’s project, grilled mozzarella sandwiches. What did you think? It was easy enough to make. My family said the bread tasted like French toast. My mozzarella did not melt completely, so I didn’t like that aspect. It was something different, but didn’t quite do it for me.

I have been coveting this $150 starfish necklace for more than a year. But I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that. We were in Florida recently and spent a day on Sanibel Island, where I did some shopping. Several of the stores were selling these little do it yourself lockets. They came in different shapes. I bought a round one for $18 (including chain – still can’t believe it). In the display, they sell little charms you can put in the locket for $3 each (really!). So I bought the necklace and two charms (starfish and sand dollar). Mr. MarthaAndMe put some sand in it that I collected on the beach. When I got home, I went to Michael’s and bought some crystals for $3. Mr. Martha and Me glued them back to back (they had metal backers and kept flipping over so you saw the back) and we put three in the locket. I love it so much and for about $27 I got the same effect as the $150 one I had been looking at!

I have been coveting this $150 starfish necklace for more than a year. But I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that. We were in Florida recently and spent a day on Sanibel Island, where I did some shopping. Several of the stores were selling these little do it yourself lockets. They came in different … Read more →

Here in my hometown of Buffalo, in addition to being known for chicken wings, we have a local sandwich that is important, called beef on weck. It’s thin sliced roast beef that is cooked in au jus and then put on a special hard roll called a kimmelweck (the roll has caraway seeds and rock salt on top of it). The sandwich is usually topped with ketchup and horseradish. I like the flavors of the sandwich, but I find the roll almost unmanageable. It’s too big and bulky to bite into and there’s just too much of it for my tastes. So, I came up with a parchment paper solution that has all the flavors of beef on weck with none of the things I don’t like.

1 tortilla

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp horseradish

3 slices deli roast beef

1/4 tsp caraway seeds plus a pinch

1/4 tsp sea salt, plus a pinch

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread ketchup and horseradish on the tortilla, to about an inch of the edge. Place the roast beef on the tortilla and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt and caraway seeds. Roll up and place seam side down on the parchment. Spray the top with cooking spray and sprinkle the remaining pinches of salt and caraway on top. Fold the parchment and bake for 12 minutes. You can also add cheese to this if you like.

Here in my hometown of Buffalo, in addition to being known for chicken wings, we have a local sandwich that is important, called beef on weck. It’s thin sliced roast beef that is cooked in au jus and then put on a special hard roll called a kimmelweck (the roll has caraway seeds and rock … Read more →

I came up with this casserole when I had some Israeli couscous to use up. I was really happy with the result and will be making this again. You could use rice instead of couscous and could also sub out the cheeses (I want to try it with Swiss, but I was out). You could also use deli ham instead of the prosciutto.

2 chicken breasts, cut into 4 cutlets (cut with knife parallel to cutting board to make cutlets that are the same size as the breast, just thinner)

4 slices prosciutto

2 tbsp butter

1/2 small onion

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup shredded cheddar

1 tbsp stone ground mustard

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

2 cups cooked Israeli couscous

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 tsp bouquet garni or another herb mix

3 tbsp grated fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 4×8 inch pan (an 8″ square would work too)

Start by cooking the prosciutto in a pan until it is browned. Spread the couscous on the bottom of the baking pan. Top with peas. Add the prosciutto. Top with chicken. Season with salt and pepper. In a pan, melt the butter pver medium high and add the onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir until combined then cook about 30 seconds. Stir in the cream, broth and milk and cook until thickened. Add the mustard, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over the chicken. Top with the fontina cheese. Bake for about 45 minutes, until bubbly.

I came up with this casserole when I had some Israeli couscous to use up. I was really happy with the result and will be making this again. You could use rice instead of couscous and could also sub out the cheeses (I want to try it with Swiss, but I was out). You could … Read more →

Thanks to Bizzy Bakes for next week’s project: Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches.

Thanks to Bizzy Bakes for next week’s project: Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches.