I watched with a grumbling stomach as the owner of the Clinton St Baking Company made his pancakes for Martha on a recent episode. I have to say I am pretty committed to my own pancake recipe (which was also my mom’s) and to my oatmeal pancake recipe, which I love. However, these pancakes looked great. And apparently people line up in the street to get them, so I had to try them! The main difference is that you whip the egg whites for this recipe, which is supposed to make them fluffy and light.

Honestly, I didn’t really think these were much fluffier than the kind I usually make. I think the trick to truly fluffy pancakes is a professional griddle, which I don’t have. However, the pancakes were good. Everyone enjoyed them, Dude Martha especially, since there is vanilla in them and he likes that flavor a lot. I’m glad I tried them, but will probably stick with my own recipes for pancakes.

For a really fun, and EASY breakfast recipe, check out my crescent roll and egg muffin tin recipe on No Pot Cooking.

I watched with a grumbling stomach as the owner of the Clinton St Baking Company made his pancakes for Martha on a recent episode. I have to say I am pretty committed to my own pancake recipe (which was also my mom’s) and to my oatmeal pancake recipe, which I love. However, these pancakes looked … Read more →

I love the flavor of apple with chicken. There’s something warm and homey about it. So I created this recipe so I could enjoy the tastes with no mess!

4 boneless breasts of chicken
2 apples, grated (peeled or unpeeled, whatever you prefer)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp olive oil
8 tbsp cider or apple juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Place the breasts on individual pieces of parchment. Salt and pepper them. Divide the apple among the packets. Sprinkle 1/8 tsp of onion powder and 1/8 tsp of cinnamon on each packet. Drizzle each with 1 tsp olive oil, 2 tbsp cider and 1/2 tsp vinegar. Seal the packets and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

The apple roasts to softness and all of the flavors meld with the chicken to create a lovely fall dish.

I love the flavor of apple with chicken. There’s something warm and homey about it. So I created this recipe so I could enjoy the tastes with no mess! 4 boneless breasts of chicken 2 apples, grated (peeled or unpeeled, whatever you prefer) salt and pepper 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 4 tsp … Read more →

We eat a lot of salmon in this house. And since our trip to Alaska this past summer, we’re eating even more. Mr. NoPot and our son went on a salmon fishing trip and the fish they caught was flash frozen and shipped back home. I’ve got a freezer full of salmon, so we’re eating it about once a week. In the summer I usually grill it, but once the weather changes, I have to find other alternatives. Parchment paper packets is a fantastic way to cook fish. It keeps all the moisture in, cooks it evenly, and creates no mess! You’re going to love the simplicity of this and be amazed by the flavor.

Salmon with Mustard Sauce
4 individual salmon filets (5-6 oz) or one family size (1 lb to 1 1/4 lbs)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper

Mix the lemon juice, mustard, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Place the salmon in the center of the parchment paper. Spoon sauce over salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Seal the packet(s). Bake at 400 degrees. If you’re making one family size filet, bake for 30 minutes. If you’re making 4 individual pieces, bake for 15 minutes.

We eat a lot of salmon in this house. And since our trip to Alaska this past summer, we’re eating even more. Mr. NoPot and our son went on a salmon fishing trip and the fish they caught was flash frozen and shipped back home. I’ve got a freezer full of salmon, so we’re eating … Read more →

I use parchment paper cooking not only for main dishes, but for my veggies and sides too. The paper seals in the steam, and vegetables cook while retaining all of their flavors and nutrients. A fabulous, fabulous dish I cannot get enough of is this one:
Honey Dill Carrots
10 oz shredded or matchstick carrots
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

You can shred carrots yourself (in a food processor) or buy a bag of matchsticks/shredded carrots. Place the carrots in the center of your parchment paper. Drizzle with the honey. Sprinkle the dill over them. Dot with the butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Fold up your packet and bake at 400 for 40 minutes. You could also make this as individual packets of 4 and it would cook in 20 minutes.

The carrots have an amazing sweetness and retain enough crunch to make them interesting. Kids in particular LOVE this dish because it doesn’t look like carrots, it looks like confetti!

I use parchment paper cooking not only for main dishes, but for my veggies and sides too. The paper seals in the steam, and vegetables cook while retaining all of their flavors and nutrients. A fabulous, fabulous dish I cannot get enough of is this one: Honey Dill Carrots 10 oz shredded or matchstick carrots … Read more →

Yes, really, Thanksgiving with no mess! I love Thanksgiving, but if you’re cooking for one or two or three, well, who wants to have a giant roaster to scrub? For those of you looking for all the flavors of traditional turkey, stuffing, and gravy, but who don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, I’m happy to share this recipe with you. Mr. NoPot suggested we skip making a whole turkey and just do this, he loved it so much.

2 celery stalks
1 small onion
2 tbsp butter
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 tsp chicken broth
sage, rosemary, and salt and pepper
4 turkey cutlets
8 tbsp of turkey gravy, plus more for serving

You’re going to be bowled over by this method. Start with a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. If you don’t have that, then just get a microwave safe bowl. I love the Pyrex because it has a handle, which makes it easy to get in and out of the microwave. Chop your celery and onions (you can use a mini food processor if you like, or do it by hand). Place them in the Pyrex. Add the butter. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stopping every minute or so to stir. By the end, you will have vegetables that are soft and starting to brown.

Create 4 individual packets. In each one place a slice of whole wheat bread. Sandwich bread works perfectly, or you could use a loaf of whatever you have hanging around. Spread 1/4 of the vegetable mix on each slice of bread. Spoon 1 tsp of chicken broth on top of each. Place a pinch of sage and a pinch of rosemary on each and lightly salt and pepper them. Lay a turkey cutlet on top of each. Spoon 2 tbsp of gravy over each one (you can use gravy from a jar or a can, or if you’re like my mom, you have homemade gravy in the freezer, ready for any gravy emergency!). Place a pinch of sage, a pinch of rosemary and light amounts of salt and pepper on top.

Fold the packets up and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (or until a thermometer poked through the parchment into the meat reads 165 degrees). Take them out of the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with extra gravy on the side (warmed in the microwave – use that Pyrex again, no need to wash it first) and some cranberry sauce. Then be thankful you don’t have much to wash to clean up!

P.S. I know the turkey looks absolutely pink in this photo. It wasn’t until I tried to adjust it, then I couldn’t get rid of it. Anyway, please know it did not appear this color when we ate it and it was completely done!

Yes, really, Thanksgiving with no mess! I love Thanksgiving, but if you’re cooking for one or two or three, well, who wants to have a giant roaster to scrub? For those of you looking for all the flavors of traditional turkey, stuffing, and gravy, but who don’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, … Read more →

I’ve been looking at the cookbook: The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, 2nd edition. I got it from the library. I totally love the idea of this cookbook – they’ve tested many recipes to find the very best recipe for everything they include. I’m going to be making several things from this, but so far the best thing I’ve made was Baked Ziti. I know this is considered a staple for many Italians, but it’s not really something I’ve had very often, except at big banquets, where it is inevitably bad (mushy pasta and bland sauce) The recipes in this book start out with a description of the problems they see with regular preparations of the dishes and the various things they tried to remedy them. This explanation mentioned the mushy pasta and bland sauce complaints, so I was drawn in. And I HATE ricotta cheese, but this used cottage cheese. It sounded really good though, so I gave it a try.

Amazing. Out of this world, insanely good. I thought it was going to be very tomato-y but somehow the sauce gets absorbed or mixed in with the creamy/cheesy sauce. We nearly came to blows over the leftovers. Don’t tell anyone, but when I made this I separated it into two pans and froze one, so we’ll be having it again (no one in the family knows there is another pan of it in the freezer or they would demand I heat it up NOW).

This recipe gets HUGE points from me and I can see why it made it into the book. The only changes I made were that I used whole wheat penne instead of ziti and I ended up adding more sugar than the recipe says since I like my tomato sauce to be sweet. And I used dried basil.

1 lb whole milk or 1% cottage cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

salt

1 lb ziti

2 tbsp olive oil

5 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 28-oz can tomato sauce

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp sugar

pepper

3/4 tsp cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

8 oz while milk mozzarella, cubed

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup of Parmesan in a bowl. Cook the pasta with salt, about 5-7 minutes until it begins to soften.

Heat oil and garlic in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer until thickened about 10 min. Then stir in 1/2 cup of basil and sugar, season with salt and pepper.

Mix cornstarch and heavy cream and cook over medium heat until thick, 3-4 min. Remove from heat and add cottage cheese mix to it with 1 cup of tomato sauce and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella. Add the pasta and stir.

Pour the pasta into a 13 x 9 dish and spread the rest of the tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Remove foil and bake another 30 min. Cool for 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp basil.

I loved this and so did everyone in this house. Truly a fantastic recipe.

I’ve been looking at the cookbook: The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, 2nd edition. I got it from the library. I totally love the idea of this cookbook – they’ve tested many recipes to find the very best recipe for everything they include. I’m going to be making several things from this, but … Read more →

This recipe is from Oct Everyday Food. Popcorn, caramel and pretzels sounded like an excellent combo. I wasn’t sure about the chewy part though.

You start with 12 cups popped corn and 4 cups coarsely chopped pretzels, mixed in a big, big bowl. Spray a 9×13 baking dish.

In a pan, mix 2 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 cup water to a boil then boil undisturbed for 8-12 minutes. The recipe says the longer you go, the darker it gets. I went a good 12 minutes because I like it dark, but as you can see it really wasn’t all that dark.  Remove from heat and mix in 2/3 cup heavy cream and 2 cups mini marshmallows. Pour over popcorn and pretzels and press into pan. Sprinkle with salt on top.

This was a gooey mess to make. It actually tasted great, but it was a bit too gooey for me. You couldn’t really get a piece from it – there were long strings of caramel all over the place when you tried to cut a piece. You ended up with kind of a pile of glop – not a square. I would have like the caramel to be a bit harder. I think this also really needed nuts to give it some additional flavor. It tasted great, but was just a mess.

This recipe is from Oct Everyday Food. Popcorn, caramel and pretzels sounded like an excellent combo. I wasn’t sure about the chewy part though. You start with 12 cups popped corn and 4 cups coarsely chopped pretzels, mixed in a big, big bowl. Spray a 9×13 baking dish. In a pan, mix 2 cups sugar, … Read more →

This is one of my favorite fall dishes. I make it every year. It’s hearty, warm, smoky, rich, and cheesy. It freezes well also. The kids don’t like this very much and Mr. MarthaAndMe is lukewarm about it, but I could eat this every night and be a happy camper.

Peel and cut one butternut squash into even 1 inch pieces. Roast on a baking sheet with a few tbsp of olive oil at 425 for about half an hour, until it is soft and beginning to brown.

Start with 4 ounces of chopped pancetta (you can use bacon if you prefer). Cook it in a large pot. Remove the pancetta when lightly browned, leaving grease. Add 1 chopped white onion, adding a little olive oil if necessary. Cook until translucent.

Add 1 cup risotto and stir to coat it with the oil and onion. Cook for about 2 minutes. Begin adding chicken stock, following instructions on your risotto package for how much water and/or stock to use (I use mostly stock with some water). Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 tbsp thyme. Cook until risotto is done. Add the squash and pancetta. Stir until heated through. Add 8 ounces of cubed fontina cheese. Stir and serve.

To die for. A bowl of this on a fall evening and I feel comfy and cozy and well fed!

This is one of my favorite fall dishes. I make it every year. It’s hearty, warm, smoky, rich, and cheesy. It freezes well also. The kids don’t like this very much and Mr. MarthaAndMe is lukewarm about it, but I could eat this every night and be a happy camper. Peel and cut one butternut … Read more →

We have lots of salmon Dude Martha and Mr. MarthaAndMe caught in Alaska, which is filling my freezer. This was our first try with the coho salmon Mr. MarthaAndMe caught. It was delicious – milder in flavor than the king, which I kind of liked.

I stumbled upon a great recipe for arctic char in Cooking Light and adapted it for the salmon. It it incredibly easy. Cook your salmon on the grill or in the oven, however you like it. About half an hour before dinner, mix one small container of plain yogurt, one peeled and diced small cucumber (gherkin size), 2 cups chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice, and salt and pepper. That’s it! Serve the yogurt over the salmon. It’s cool and creamy and light and refreshing. The cilantro, cucumber and lime give it a very fresh taste that allows the salmon to shine. Fantastic. A sauce that doesn’t have to be cooked – you can’t beat that! Even Mr. MarthaAndMe, who believes that he does not like yogurt really liked this one.

We have lots of salmon Dude Martha and Mr. MarthaAndMe caught in Alaska, which is filling my freezer. This was our first try with the coho salmon Mr. MarthaAndMe caught. It was delicious – milder in flavor than the king, which I kind of liked. I stumbled upon a great recipe for arctic char in … Read more →

I adore brisket. And I’d never had until about ten years ago when I tried Emeril’s recipe for it. Luckily, I happened upon this incredible recipe. Once a year or so I will make a big batch of this and freeze it. I get many meals from one brisket (the leftovers are fantastic on buns or if you buy refrigerated crescent roll dough and line muffin tins with them and fill them with shredded brisket).

You have to plan ahead for this recipe and make it the day before, because it needs to sit overnight. Then you just reheat it the next day. It is sublime. I’ve had so many compliments on this. My in-laws, traditional meat and potato folk, love it. A business associate of my husband’s from India came to dinner and was crazy about it, never before having heard of brisket. The sauce is sweet and a little spicy. It has layers of flavor because you start with studding the brisket with garlic, then browning the brisket, then you braise it in broth, then you add carmelized onions, chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and spices. The meat turns out moist and incredibly tender.  It’s a hit every time.

I adore brisket. And I’d never had until about ten years ago when I tried Emeril’s recipe for it. Luckily, I happened upon this incredible recipe. Once a year or so I will make a big batch of this and freeze it. I get many meals from one brisket (the leftovers are fantastic on buns … Read more →