Adventures in Cooking

This blog is a GREAT cooking resource! Not only are there delicious recipes and very useful tips and tricks, but the photography is outstanding. Makes me want to reach right through the screen to eat the pictures. 

Adventures in Cooking

I will definitely be trying some of her recipes soon! One that I MUST make soon is this one:

Malted Hazelnut Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Image Courtesy of Hungry Hannah

My neighbor Jessica made this, and it was so good I asked for the recipe. It's a bit time consuming, but worth it. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced 
• 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced 
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced 
• 1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/3 cup good olive oil 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 pound orzo 

For the dressing: 

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 
• 1/3 cup good olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

To assemble: 

• 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts) 
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 
• 3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled) 
• 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula. 

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. 

Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl. 

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature. 

Original Recipe:  Barefoot Contessa

Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak

Here is another great flank steak recipe. This one is also super easy and delicious. The recipe serves four, so this is a great weekend meal with friends. We often pair it with the grilled corn feta salad recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. flank steak
• ¼ c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper

Combine balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic in a large ziplock bag. 

Add steak, turn to coat; marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (or 4 hours in the refrigerator, if making ahead of time). 

Grill until desired doneness. We do ours about 4-6 minutes per side depending on how hot our grill is.

Remove from grill and let stand, covered loosely with foil for 10 minutes.

Cut meat in thin strips against the grain.

Original Recipe: Point-less Meals

Beef with Snow Peas

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe that I tried when I first started to learn how to cook. I loved her website because she showed how the food was supposed to look at each stage of the process (something very valuable for a newbie cook like myself!). 

This recipe is very quick...the longest process is cooking the rice. The sauce is delicious, and you can substitute the snow peas for any vegetable (peppers, broccoli, onions). When I first made the dish, I had a Teflon pan, and burnt the Teflon off because the recipe said to make the skillet HOT. Oops. I still don't have a cast iron skillet, just stainless steel pans, so I don't get it super hot, just hot enough. :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Flank Steak
• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 6 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
• 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
•  Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
• 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
• 1 cup Jasmine Rice

Cook rice according to package directions.

Trim as much of the fat off the steak as you can. Then slice it very thin against the grain in long strips.

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Pour half the liquid over the sliced meat in a bowl and toss with hands. Reserve the other half of the liquid. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. 

Original Recipe: The Pioneer Woman

Bacon, Mushroom, and Spinach Risotto

This recipe is heavenly. So creamy and flavorful, Trip and I ate the entire amount in one sitting. I made some slight adjustments to the original recipe: I used 8oz. of cremini mushrooms, not 12 oz of three different kinds. I also used store bought low sodium chicken stock, not homemade. I also took out some of the bacon grease, since it seemed like too much (I used another brand of bacon the second time around and there wasn't as much grease, so I guess it depends which brand you have). Finally, I didn't have asiago cheese, so I used parmesan. You'll definitely get an arm workout stirring this for 30 minutes straight, but it's so worth it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 6 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups baby spinach (a couple large handfuls)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, flipping occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon. If there is too much grease (should just cover the bottom of the pan), remove. Cut up bacon into bite size pieces.

Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in mushrooms; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Stir in sherry; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. 

Stir in 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. 

Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). 

Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute. 

Remove from heat; stir in bacon, cheese, salt, and pepper. Devour.

Original Recipe:  My Recipes

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Trip LOVES when I make this, and it's so easy! The original recipe calls for Hidden Valley dry ranch mix, but I make my own, since the Hidden Valley mix uses MSG. Double the recipe if you're feeding more than 3.

• 1 lb chicken breasts (3 big breasts)
• 4 oz.Italian dressing (I like Annie's Tuscan Italian Dressing)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon dried chives
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on LOW for about 4-6 hours or until chicken is done. Shred with fork and serve with warm tortillas and all your favorite fixings (lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, cheese, etc.). 

Original Recipe: Chef in Training

Baked Tacos

This is a favorite in our house. Baking the tacos makes the cheese all melty and makes the shells a bit soft so they don't break apart so easily when you bite them. I cut the original recipe in half, since it's just the two of us, and switched up the cheese. These are still good leftover the next day. 

INGREDIENTS (makes 12 tacos):

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• dash cayenne pepper
• 4 oz. tomato sauce
• 8 oz. can refried beans (I use Trader Joe's vegetarian refried beans, made with no lard)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 hard taco shells (I use Trader Joe's shells, made with no lard)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.

In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning. Mix well.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. 

Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.

Original Recipe: Blog Chef

Brie, Bacon, and Basil Pasta

I found this on Pinterest, and have made it a handful of times. The last time I made it I BAKED my bacon first (who knew?? thanks mom for the recommendation!), instead of frying it in the pan. The overall dish was just as tasty, and not quite as greasy. I added more bacon than the original calls for, because more bacon makes everything better.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 oz pasta
• 1/2 cup pasta water - reserved
• 6 pieces thick sliced bacon
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb brie, cut into cubes
• 10 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Put aluminum foil on a 1" thick baking sheet. Place bacon strips on there, and cook in oven at 400 degrees for anywhere from 17-22 minutes (depending on how you want it and how hot your oven is). Take out of oven, let cool, and break into bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining, then drain the pasta and set it aside.

Heat large skillet with some olive oil (and a little of the bacon grease if you want) and add onion and saute over medium high heat until the onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add the cubed brie along with the reserved pasta water. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and then add the cooked pasta to the mixture and toss to combine.

Add the basil and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately. This is also wonderful leftover.

Original Recipe: What's Gaby Cooking

Penne Bake

This is a great meatless Monday recipe. Trip keeps wanting me to add sausage to this...I keep putting him off. I've never used smoked paprika before, and it really does make this dish. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 (26 oz) can diced tomatoes (or crushed, whatever you prefer)
• 1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high. Once the butter starts bubbling, add the onions. Saute until they start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and paprika. Saute another minute. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Add in the cooked pasta and spinach. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Pour mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Original Recipe: Bev Cooks

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

I found this recipe online, and while it isn't the healthiest dish, it's super tasty! I cut the recipe in half and use three breasts, and there is still plenty to cover the chicken. It takes longer to preheat the oven than it does to prepare the topping, so it's a great weeknight meal. I pair it with orzo rice from Trader Joe's and whatever vegetable we have. I tried to make it healthier once by substituting the mayo for greek yogurt. It's still tasty, but it's a totally different taste, and it doesn't brown at all, so there isn't much crunch. Trip will eat one breast, I'll eat half, and I use the other breast and a half for chicken salad sandwiches for lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or greek yogurt, if you're feeling healthy)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• panko bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Combine mayo, cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper in bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place chicken breasts in 13 x 9 baking dish (pat dry).

Using spoon, scoop mixture out and cover the breast tops and sides, til all visible parts are covered with the mixture.

Sprinkle some bread crumbs on top for a nice crunch.

Bake in oven for about 40-45 minutes (depending on how thick the breasts are).

Original Recipe: Food.com

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Image courtesy of Food Marriage 

My mother-in-law Pam gave me the original recipe, after I scarfed down about a pound of this at a New Years party we went to. I now make this for all my book club gatherings, as this is a special request from my fellow Bookaholics member Celeste. The original recipe calls for 8 oz of cream cheese, but I think 4 oz. is plenty. The original also calls for cooking 2 large chicken breasts and shredding them, but I always seem to make this at the last minute, so I use canned chicken. There isn't anything remotely healthy in this, sorry.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz. chicken breast (either cook and shred two chicken breasts, or be lazy and use canned white meat chicken, low or no sodium)
• 6 tablespoons Franks Hot Sauce
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Put chicken and hot sauce in medium skillet, heat til warm.

Add cream cheese and dressing and heat until blended.

Add 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and stir.

Place in crockpot and put it on the Keep Warm setting.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Apple Cobbler

If you love crumb topping, this is the cobbler for you. I only made a slight variation from the original, where I coat the apples in the mix, instead of just sprinkling on top. I also cut the sugar a bit.

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 to 8 large (9 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4-inch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CRUMB TOPPING:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Stir together 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl. Place sliced apples in bowl and toss until the apples are coated with the cinnamon sugar mix. 

Place sliced apples in ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. 

Combine crumb topping ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Pour melted butter over topping. Bake 45-55 minutes or until lightly browned and apples are tender.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. YUM. 

Original recipe: Land O' Lakes

Chicken Pesto Stuffed Shells

I found this on Pinterest a while back, and it's a favorite. It's creamy but not greasy, and I love anything with pesto. This is great dish to pre-make ahead of time, then just pop in the oven later. You can also adjust the parm cheese/pesto/cream cheese ratio to however you like. I add in one more tablespoon of pesto than the original calls for. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Box of large pasta shells
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup for topping 
• 4 tablespoons pesto 
• 2 small chicken breasts, or 1 large chicken breast 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Cook chicken and shred. I like to cook mine in the crockpot ahead of time. I just put the chicken in there, and sprinkle some salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper and pour in a bit of low sodium chicken broth (or just water if I don't have broth), and cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

Prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells. 

Bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts. 

Original Recipe: What's Cookin' Chicago

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Image courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe

This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, no need for any alterations.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (my oven needs all 12 minutes, sometimes 13). Don't overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. 

If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).

Original Recipe: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Grilled Corn Feta Salad

This has become our staple side dish whenever we grill out. IT'S SO DELICIOUS. 

The first time I made this I had some feta leftover from another recipe, and it sounded like it could be good in this dish. So I added it in, and it really does make it that much tastier. I also took out the tomato. We've done it both ways, but as I'm not a huge raw tomato fan, I prefer it without, and others don't seem to miss it. So here is my version (this is for 4 people, if it's just Trip and me, I just cut everything in half).

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears corn, husked
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" squares
• 1 large red onion, sliced in 1" thick slices (cut it perpendicular to the root, not through the root)
• 10 large leaves of fresh basil, shredded
• 6 oz. crumbled feta (approximate, more or less to taste)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for dressing)
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Put the pepper and onion on a skewer. The onion should be placed on there so it resembles a lollipop, two to a skewer (you should have 4 big slices). This is kind of a pain in the a**, so be careful. 

Brush the corn, pepper, and onion with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Grill the corn for 10-12 minutes, directly on the grill, turning occassionally. Grill the pepper and onions about 8-10 minutes, turning occassionally. The veggies should be slightly charred. 

Beforehand or while the veggies are cooking, put the basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, feta, sea salt, and pepper in a large bowl. 

Once the veggies are done grilling, cut the corn off the cob and dump in the dressing bowl. Take the peppers off the skewers and dump in the bowl. Take the onions off the skewers and chop them up and dump in the bowl. Mix well and serve. 

Original recipe: Comfy Cook

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

We have made this about five or six times and everyone raves about it. It's so easy, and so delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• approx. 25 large shrimp (I use Trader Joes frozen shrimp, they come 21-25 in a bag. Thaw for about 18-24 hours in the fridge beforehand)
• 3/4 cup olive oil (I just guestimate, just enough to cover all the shrimp)
• juice of 2 lemons
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (less if you're a wimp, more if you're crazy)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Put the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, and salt in a large ziploc bag along with the thawed shrimp and marinate for a few hours in the fridge. 

Soak long wooden skewers in water for about 5-10 minutes so they won't burn on the grill. I pour water in a cookie sheet and put them in there.

After it's marinated, put the shrimp on the skewer, 5 to a skewer (just touching, but not squished).

Place on the grill for 2-3 minutes per side. DON'T OVERCOOK. Shrimp need to be pink and cooked through, but it doesn't take long. We have a charcoal grill, so you may need to vary the time if you have a gas grill. 

That's it! This is a great recipe for guests, as each get their own skewer. 

The original recipe (thanks Oprah!): Oprah

Peanut Ginger Quinoa

I have been making my version for lunch a couple times a week. So easy, and it really doesn't need exact measurements (which is always the sign of great recipe for me!). You can add/remove whatever veggies you like. I made a couple substitutions/omissions to the original (I detest cilantro, so this always gets removed from my recipes), so here is my version:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• handful shredded cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like 
• ½ red onion, diced (if I have it on hand, if not, it's not necessary) 
• handful shredded carrots (again, if I have it) 
• ¼ cup diced green onions (again, if I have it) 
• handful of peanuts (I use reduced-sodium roasted peanuts) 
• handful of edamame (I keep the Trader's Joes cooked ones in the freezer, then just thaw in the microwave) 
• Fresh lime, for a bit of tang 

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter (I just scoop out a spoonful) 
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (I'm lazy, so I just put in a few dashes of the jarred ginger) 
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon honey (I just squirt a small amount in) 
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I like the tang, so I use more than the original) 
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Cook quinoa according to package directions (tip: ALWAYS rinse first). 

In a large bowl, just dump the veggies and dressing ingredients together while the quinoa is cooking. 

Once quinoa is done, pour it into the large bowl and stir everything til combined. I usually eat about half, and save the rest in the fridge for the next day. 

Original Recipe: Ambitious Kitchen

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! This will be the place for baby Ivey updates, recipes, and the occasional design post.  

I (Jamie) first wanted to start this blog as a way to catalog all my favorite recipes in one place. Pinterest is a great way to find new recipes, but not great for making notes (adjustments, substitutions, would I do anything different, is this man-approved, etc.). So I figured this will be a nice digital recipe box that I can refer back to. Plus, this is a great way to share recipes with family and friends.

Our baby boy is due in August, so I've added a page to show the hundreds of photos and videos I'm sure we'll be taking when he arrives. 

Enjoy...