The holidays are coming and I appreciated all the ideas for party snacks in December Everyday Food. Fried chickpeas are a hot item currently and Martha has a recipe for making them in the oven. This was quite easy. Preheat the oven to 450. Pour 1/4 cup of veg oil on a baking sheet and heat up in the oven. Drain, rinse and dry two cans of chickpeas then dump onto the hot baking sheet and bake 10-12 min.

As you can see, some of mine got too brown. Some did not cook enough. And some were just right. They need to become dark and crunchy to be any good and it was really hard to know when that was. But it’s definitely easier than pan frying them. You’re supposed to sprinkle them with cayenne. I just salted them. The ones that were cooked perfectly were absolutely delicious.

The holidays are coming and I appreciated all the ideas for party snacks in December Everyday Food. Fried chickpeas are a hot item currently and Martha has a recipe for making them in the oven. This was quite easy. Preheat the oven to 450. Pour 1/4 cup of veg oil on a baking sheet and … Read more →

Do people still make pot roast? Probably not as often as they did back in the 70s when I was a kid. We had pot roast pretty regularly. I learned to make it by the time I was in junior high. I would get home from school around 4 and my mom would have left me a note asking me to put it together and put it in the oven. I pulled out my recipe notebook to consult my mom’s recipe and realized I don’t even have it written down, because I made it so many times that it was just something I knew how to make. Dollars to donuts, my mom has nothing written down anywhere either.

I haven’t made pot roast in a really long time. There’s something so homey and comforting about it and it smells so good when it’s cooking. I don’t have an actual recipe to share, but this is how I make it.

Start with a medium enameled roasting pan (the kind that are speckled) with a lid. Put a chuck roast in it. Then chop up half an onion and a few garlic cloves. Add baby carrots, 3-4 potatoes cut into 4ths, a teaspoonful of tomato paste, and some whole mushrooms (maybe half a package). Dump in some salt (you need more than you think) and pepper. Dump in some herbs (I have a “beef roast” seasoning from Penzey’s I use, if I didn’t have that I would use thyme, oregano and a little celery salt). Add about 2 cups of red wine. Then add enough beef broth to cover the meat (I used  a whole carton). When you’re done, you should have that medium roasting pan filled to the top. This does not work well in a roasting pan that is larger because the meat is not completely covered.

Roast at 350 for at least 2 hours. I had mine in for 3 hours, but the meat was still mostly frozen when I put it in.

When it comes out, put the vegetables in a bowl and the meat on a platter. Add Wondra to the juices and cook until thickened the way you like it (I like my gravies thick!).

It’s not gourmet and it’s not pretty to look at, but boy is it good!

Do people still make pot roast? Probably not as often as they did back in the 70s when I was a kid. We had pot roast pretty regularly. I learned to make it by the time I was in junior high. I would get home from school around 4 and my mom would have left … Read more →

I’ve seen a few recipes for donut muffins, but have never actually made any. I saw this one in Nov Everyday Food and the pumpkin part drew me in, so I decided to make them. This was super easy. Just mix it all up in a bowl, bake in muffin tins and then roll in melted butter and cinnamon/sugar. They were really tasty and smelled great while they were baking. The family gave this a thumbs up all the way. You need to eat them with a fork though, because they’re kind of crumbly.

10 tbsp butter

3 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 pumpkin puree

3/4 cup brown sugar

for sugar coating:

3/4 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c butter

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a muffin tin. Whisk dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk buttermilk and pumpkin in another.  In yet another bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add flour in 3 additions, alternating with the pumpkin mix.

Put 1/3 c batter in each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 min.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. and melt butter. Let muffins cool 10 min then roll in butter then cinnamon sugar.

Now, you know me, I did this all in one bowl. I have no patience for Martha’s methods. I also used a little less nutmeg and allspice and added some cinnamon into the batter itself.

I ended up with more than 12  – I think I had about 18 of these. I would definitely make this again. All the yumminess of a donut with the ease of a muffin.

I’ve seen a few recipes for donut muffins, but have never actually made any. I saw this one in Nov Everyday Food and the pumpkin part drew me in, so I decided to make them. This was super easy. Just mix it all up in a bowl, bake in muffin tins and then roll in … Read more →

“It looks like dessert!” my daughter said when she saw this. It definitely does, but it tastes like a wonderfully moist turkey meatloaf.

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 grated baby carrots
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp sweet and sour sauce, plus 1/4 cup for topping
1 piece of cooked turkey bacon

Place muffin tin liners in 10 muffin cups. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the liners. Divide evenly among the 10 cups (about one scoop per cup). Flatten the tops with a fork. Using a spoon, spread the remaining 1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

The sweet and sour sauce gives this a nice sweetness and tang. The turkey bacon adds an interesting smoky flavor. These are terrific the next day for lunch, cold!

“It looks like dessert!” my daughter said when she saw this. It definitely does, but it tastes like a wonderfully moist turkey meatloaf. 1 lb ground turkey 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 5 grated baby carrots 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup skim milk 2 tbsp sweet and sour sauce, plus 1/4 … Read more →

Did everyone hear that Perez Hilton is reporting that Martha is going to be a grandma? Alexis has tried for years to get pregnant and now is using a surrogate who is expecting – or so Perez says.

Did everyone hear that Perez Hilton is reporting that Martha is going to be a grandma? Alexis has tried for years to get pregnant and now is using a surrogate who is expecting – or so Perez says.

We went to Alaska this past summer. It was an amazing trip. Mr. NoPot and son caught salmon we’ve been eating. They didn’t catch any halibut, but we did have the opportunity to have fresh halibut while we were there and it was wonderful. I’m back to frozen halibut now from the grocery store, but I have a great little cookbook I picked up in Alaska called Fishes and Dishes, which inspired this recipe.

4 4 oz halibut filets
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp dried dill
4 ounces frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
salt and pepper to taste

Place one filet on each piece of parchment (and remember, you can find folding instructions and other tips on the “Technique” page of this blog). In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients. Spoon 1/4 of the sauce on top of each filet. Fold the packet and bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes. Serve with some wedges of lemon to squeeze.

I love the light creaminess of this sauce and I am also a big fan of spinach. The flavors go so well with the light flaky halibut. I loved this quick, no mess, delicious dish!

We went to Alaska this past summer. It was an amazing trip. Mr. NoPot and son caught salmon we’ve been eating. They didn’t catch any halibut, but we did have the opportunity to have fresh halibut while we were there and it was wonderful. I’m back to frozen halibut now from the grocery store, but … Read more →

I have a special place in my heart for blondies. I shared my favorite recipe for them previously on this blog. Lately I’ve been obsessed with The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. I love the idea of this cookbook – that the editors tried every conceivable way of making recipes until they hit upon the very best method. The book has a blondie recipe and I had to check it out to see if it is better than my recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

12 tbsp melted butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup pecans

1 /2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk brown sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Fold dry ingredients in. Fold in nuts and chips. Place in 13×9 pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mine took longer to cook. These were delicious. I used only chocolate chips and did not add nuts or white chocolate, which I think would make it even better. This had that rich, buttery taste that blondies have and it was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It’s definitely in close contention with my recipe!

I have a special place in my heart for blondies. I shared my favorite recipe for them previously on this blog. Lately I’ve been obsessed with The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. I love the idea of this cookbook – that the editors tried every conceivable way of making recipes until they hit … Read more →

Are you excited? Another giveaway of Martha swag for my blog readers. Sad that you didn’t win last week’s treat boxes? Well cheer up. This week MSLO is giving away 10 sets of Martha Stewart Holiday Compartment Treat Boxes. These are smaller than last week’s, but just as cute. It’s the same snowflake pattern. Each set comes with 6 boxes, 24 compartments, 24 sheets of tissue paper, 6 pieces of ribbon, and 6 labels. I used these last year as well. They’re really great for small cookies and for candy. Brownies and bar cookies fit well in each compartment also. They are super cute. Last year I used these to give an uncle a “tower of treats” like you see in those food gift catalogs. I stacked all 6 boxes (each filled with different things I’d made) and tied it all with a big ribbon. He was thrilled. Good luck!

Here’s how to win. Leave a comment on this post, then visit No Pot Cooking and leave a comment on any post. You MUST comment in both places to be eligible. Please use the same name so I can match you up! You must enter by midnight on Friday December 3, 2010. I’ll randomly and blindly select ten winners by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer limited to U.S. addresses only and entrants age 18 and up only. One entry per person. Winners notified by email given when entering, not responsible for email transmission problems. You are responsible for notifying me of your correct  address if you are selected as a winner. Contest closes at midnight Eastern time on 12/3/10. Prize is nontransferable and may not be redeemed for cash. MarthaAndMe reserves the right to announce the name of the winners on the blog. Prizes will be sent by MSLO to winners and MarthaAndMe is not liable for any failure of MSLO to deliver.

Are you excited? Another giveaway of Martha swag for my blog readers. Sad that you didn’t win last week’s treat boxes? Well cheer up. This week MSLO is giving away 10 sets of Martha Stewart Holiday Compartment Treat Boxes. These are smaller than last week’s, but just as cute. It’s the same snowflake pattern. Each … Read more →

If you’ve been following my blog, you know it’s all about no mess, no pot cooking. So how on earth could I make noodles? Oh, I’m excited to share this one! I was so thrilled with this method!

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 single serving container (4 oz) of mandarin oranges

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 medium garlic clove, chopped

1/4 of a broccoli head, cut into tiny florets

6 oz rice noodles

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

Clean out your sink and place the rice noodles in it. Cover with cold water and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the noodles and place in the center of a piece of parchment (I made this family style). Make a nest in the middle and place the shrimp. Top with scallions, garlic and broccoli. Pour the oranges on top, juice and all. Then drizzle the teriyaki and soy sauces, being sure you get it on the shrimp and as much of the noodles as possible.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Wow! I surprised even myself with this one! No pots, no mess and a delicious Asian shrimp dish with noodles. It has a nice citrus taste and the green of the vegetables give it color and flavor. I’ll be making this one again!

*Reader favorite: Appears in The Parchment Paper Cookbook

If you’ve been following my blog, you know it’s all about no mess, no pot cooking. So how on earth could I make noodles? Oh, I’m excited to share this one! I was so thrilled with this method! 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 single serving container (4 oz) of mandarin oranges 1 … Read more →

Thanks to Sara at Sassy Suppers for picking this week’s project – Thanksgiving leftover recipes. I picked the turkey wrap (we could choose any project from the gallery of leftover ideas). I have to say I was pretty surprised that I liked it as much as I did. It was pretty simple – just mayo, vinegar and mustard mixed with turkey and rolled up with shredded carrot and lettuce in a tortilla. I would definitely make this again. It doesn’t quite top my favorite leftover sandwich which is just turkey with Miracle Whip and lettuce on potato bread.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! We had a 16 lb turkey (local, organic, pasture raised) and ALL of the turkey meat vanished yesterday. I made the turkey with Martha’s method (rubbing it with butter and covering it with cheesecloth soaked in butter). It was gorgeous and delicious. We had regular stuffing, cornbread stuffing,mashed potatoes, roasted carrot/parsnip/rutabaga and roasted Brussels sprouts, and of course, pumpkin pie. Needless to say I am nibbling carrot sticks this week to try to make up for it all.

Next week’s assignment can be found here. Don’t miss out – it’s cookies!

Thanks to Sara at Sassy Suppers for picking this week’s project – Thanksgiving leftover recipes. I picked the turkey wrap (we could choose any project from the gallery of leftover ideas). I have to say I was pretty surprised that I liked it as much as I did. It was pretty simple – just mayo, … Read more →