Brownies...and if only they'd be more honest about serving sizes

This week, I was either going to make brownies or lemon poppy-seed cake (which I actually wanted more, but they didn't have poppy-seeds at Trader Joe's). So I Googled "best brownie recipe", and came up with this one at all recipes that claims to be just that:

I'm going to be honest...I really didn't look at a lot of recipes before I chose this one, and I don't always know what I'm looking for anyway. But starting with the recipe itself, near the top right corner it tells you how long it takes to make them (1 hour), and how many servings the recipe yields (16).

I kind of knew, going into it, that I would probably not be making the frosting. I'm not into frosted brownies..I just like the chewy goodness. I also knew I wanted to add nuts. Usually walnuts would do the trick, but I opted to use toasted almonds instead. Doesn't that sound kind of good??

I really should have been clued in by the size of the square pan required (8 inches). This recipe absolutely does not, under any circumstances whatsoever, have any business claiming to serve 16 people...unless those people are babies...in which case they probably shouldn't be eating brownies yet, because they aren't likely to have the teeth for it.

They're baking now...I will admit that they've thickened, so that's good...and the house does have that heavenly brownie smell....

But what is the deal with the servings?? I mean, can't we just be honest here? No one who likes brownies, is just going to eat a finger sized piece....that's just crazy. IS it like an FDA recommendation or something? IF so, I know a couple cafe's in Tucson that are in violation of that law(oh Raging Sage...your brownies please me so!). It's just like with cereal...the recommended serving is like 1 cup if you're lucky. I know it's just so they can pretend they have fewer calories, etc, etc....but a serving should be a bit more realistic.

Anyway, Ashley and I will be eating brownies for dessert...I'll let you know later if they were in fact the best brownies ever. And if not, you can bet I'll keep searching.

Casserole for Comfort

Years ago, Ashley told me how to make tater-tot casserole the way she'd had it as a kid. Of course, I made some changes...but something was always not quite right....it was a little too meatloafy...a little too dry I guess. A few months back, her mom made it, and hers was moist and kind of perfect. What was I doing wrong?? I guess I didn't exactly mix the cream of mushroom soup in with the meat, and I put way too many tater tots in. Anyway, I should probably get to the point.

I made this casserole the other night that was delicious. I'm a big scalloped potatoes fan...they remind me of being in my grandma's kitchen listening as my mom and my aunts and grandparents all laughed about things that happened before I was born. So, I wanted to make a casserole that was just a tiny bit healthier than tater tot casserole. Instead of tots, I used real potatoes---I think there were four of them (they were kind of tiny).

I put my turkey burger meat in the pan (vegetarians can totally use your favorite beans, canned or otherwise, in place of meat and it will taste great), mixed it with barbecue sauce and maybe a quarter of a large onion, sliced. Then I took a can of diced green chilis (sliced fresh ones are good too), and scattered them around. Then I poured in a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted GArlic, and I made sure to mix it in with the meat a bit. I tossed some olive oil in with my sliced potatoes, and then spread about half the potatoes on the casserole. I then sprinkled grated cheese (cheddar in my case, but any cheese will do), did another layer with the rest of the potatoes, and another layer of grated cheese. Then I sprinkled pepper over the whole thing before putting it in the oven at 375 and letting it cook for 55 minutes or so. Dude! It was great!

Spaghetti Anyone?

I've got my mp3 player on shuffle (Buena Vista Social Club is playing right now), a glass of red wine, and I'm making pasta. I picked basil and oregano out of my little potted garden and sauteed them with garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and these Sicilian Chicken sausages I got from Trader Joe's. I'm a little lazy...I just threw in a plain can of marinera after the meat had cooked long enough, but that's a good base to start with. By the time I'm done with it, it's like a totally different sauce. Had I grilled veggies recently, I might have just done it without meat, but I was feeling decadent this afternoon. Anyway, it's been a while since I've made spaghetti, so I'm really looking forward to this.

Delayed response and more grilled veggie fun

I haven't done much cooking this past week...mainly because I've had a cold and can't smell or taste anything very well right now. I know, it's sad. But last weekend we had a little barbecue with our band The Spurloafers, spouses, and kids. It was fun and I did the grilled veggie thing again, and had leftovers for the next couple of days.
So...I made these quesedillas with the veggies (peppers, onions, squash, and mushrooms) along with pepper-jack and cheddar cheese. They were so delicious! The only problem was, as my frying pan got hotter, and bits of cheese started to escape into it, the tortillas began to stick. The result? One set of quesedillas was perfect, and the next one was coming apart. But, they still tasted great.

Another thing...I just started doing something cool with potatoes on the grill. Basically, I slice the potato in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into three spears. Then I toss them in olive oil and sprinkle black pepper on them. Throw them on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side. If your grill is like mine, you might need to keep a close eye on them. The left side of my grill has a bigger flame for some reason and always cooks faster...so I have to rotate my stuff. Anyway, they come out kind of like grilled french fries....perfect with sour cream & scallions (or chives, but I'm really into scallions right now) or ketchup.

Here's that Pizza Dough Recipe

Since this one wasn't online and I can't post a link, here's the recipe for the pizza dough from the Sunset Italian Cook Book published by Lane Publishing Co. circa 1978.

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
3 1/2 cups sifted flour

This is meant to make two pizzas, but I'm guessing those would have been very small, flat pizzas. I didn't want two...I just wanted one. Anyway, here goes:

Soften the yeast in water for a few minutes, stir in salt and olive oil. Gradually mix in 3 cups of flour to form a soft dough. Place dough on a large cutting board coated with flour and proceed to "knead until smooth and elastic."

Put the ball of dough into a greased bowl, cover it, and place it in a warm place. I had used my oven the night before, and it was still a big warm inside. That was the perfect spot. If you live in the desert, warm places are not hard to find. It's too expensive to leave the AC on all day, so the inside of a cupboard can heat up quite a bit. Leave it there for an hour or so...however long it takes to double in size.

Take it out and knead it again...You'll notice it's fluffier and easier to work with. Shape it into a smooth ball and begin to roll it out flat on that floured board. If you have a pizza stone, you can probably roll it out in a round shape, but if you're like me and only have cookie sheets, a sort of rectangular oval will work just fine. Incidentally, you should probably start preheating your oven to 425 degrees as soon as you pull the dough out.

Next decorate it however you want to, and finally you're ready to bake it for 8-10 minutes....except for me it worked better to put it in for 12 minutes. Everybody's oven is different though.

P.S. So I mentioned on my facebook yesterday that I'd love to increase my followers from 4 to 8, and lo and behold this morning I have 8! Thanks!

Bar-B-Q Season

I used the word "barbecue" sometime last year to describe the act of cooking meat on a grill, and was met with a blank stare. Maybe it's because I'm from California, I don't know, but around here I guess most people say they're grilling. Barbecue is apparently a term reserved for the sauce. Anyway, that said, I've been trying to say the word barbecue more frequently, because I don't want it to die out.

So the grill is gassed up, and I plan on using it A LOT this summer. Last night we did a little cookout for Mother's Day, and I must have been super hungry when I was at the grocery store. We ended up with roasted veggies, corn on the cob, chicken, beans, salad, and french bread followed by cherry cobbler. Still I managed to eat a bit of everything and not feel disgusting afterward. This means I exercised restraint, right?

I'm curious what people like to do with their veggies when they grill them. I have found success putting my chopped veggies (which included bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and a massive scallion) and mixing them with a clove of minced garlic, a couple tablespoons of olive oil and as much Worchestershire Sauce as I feel like shaking in. I then put the lid on, shake the whole thing frantically, and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours. They always turn out great. When there are leftovers, I've been able to use them the next day in pasta sauce (marinara or bechamel) with awesome results.

I guess that's all I have to say about the BBQ for now, but I can assure you, I will have plenty more to say in the near future. Cheers!

Pizza...ohhhh yeah

I made pizza last night...I didn't attempt to do it with beer this time around, just yeast. Figured I should start with the basics. The dough was easy. I don't know why I thought it would be hard. I wasn't tossing it up in the air or anything, but give me time and I'll be able to do it.

The cool thing is, I used an old cookbook my parents must have given me when I moved out of the house. It's this Sunset Magazine Italian Cook Book. Using an actual cookbook that I own gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Almost like going to the library to do research instead of just looking it up online. Anyway, I decorated it withpineapple, turkey bacon, olives, red bell peppers, mushrooms and artichoke hearts, along with skim mozzarella and some red sauce I bought at the store.

So the pizza was pretty freakin' great. I have no complaints. The crust wasn't overly thick, and although I left it in the oven a little longer than the book suggested (there's nothing worse than pizza that's still doughy when you eat it), it wasn't tough or anything. Oh! The turkey bacon was a very nice touch. It tastes a bit like Canadian bacon, and really gave the pizza a great smokey flavor. Black olives are kind of a must for me when it comes to pizza, but I would like to try using green olives sometime. I did throw a huge clove of garlic in the dough, but next time I'll probably use a little more. I also think adding rosemary to the crust would be a nice touch. One thing I really missed was my fresh basil. Some desert creature must have eaten it, because last week I looked outside, and it was gone. I guess I need to plant some more.

Also, I recently purchased a bottle of Concannon Syrah at Albertson's...It was normally priced at $15.99, but was on sale for $6.99. I do so love a bargain, especially on good red wine! Anyway, it was smooth and delicious, and complimented the pizza perfectly.

Final thoughts? Next time maybe I'll try a spinach/pesto pizza. Yum!

P.S.
When I was putting my ingredients away, I somehow managed to get flour all over my face, and in my eyes and hair...Sorry I didn't get a picture of this. = ) Ashley got a good laugh out of it though.