Butternut squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce

One of the most memorable Italian dishes I've ever had was at my favorite Italian restaurant, Tucci Bennuch in the Mall of America. I had sweet potato gnocchi with a butternut squash sauce. It was amazing. I loved the sweet squash taste with pasta and "Italian flavor." I've contemplated making something similar many times (I actually made a great sweet potato pasta sauce once, yum).

I bought butternut squash ravioli at Trader Joe's and tried to think about what would accompany it best. I decided that it needed to be in the spirit of November, so I combined butter, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and sage into a newly created sauce that was extremely rich is flavor. It was a perfect match and had a nice feel of fall with the natural sweetness of squash.

We decided that this is something that we'll have again and would love to make in the future with friends for a nice dinner.

Sauce (measurements are approximate, I didn't actually measure the ingredients):
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon sage leaves
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and ground pepper to taste

Sunday Soup Day: Pumpkin turkey chili

Happy Halloween! Halloween is an exciting day because we get to eat so many sweet treats, but we rarely speak of Halloween "meals." I believe this day has the potential to be a wonderful family fun day because of the dressing up and trick-or-treating together. So, why not enjoy a great family meal together, too? This is one (of many) of my ideas on how to change the culture for this festive day. From this point forward, we're going to enjoy a great family meal together on Halloween.

I suspect these meals that I'll be making on Halloween each year will have a Halloween theme. They should. I associate pumpkins with Halloween more than anything else, so it's fitting that I would make something with pumpkin. Being that it's also Sunday Soup Day, how about pumpkin turkey chili?

I think chili is very straight forward and fairly easy to make. It's not sophisticated, that's for sure. Meat, tomatoes and beans is all that's required and people add seasoning to make it distinctive. I added onion, green pepper, red pepper, ground turkey (healthy alternative to ground beef) and threw in some white beans alongside the kidney beans. For this particular chili, the pumpkin was the special ingredient.

The taste was spectacular. I'll be honest, though, I didn't taste the pumpkin as much as I was hoping. It's probably better that way since that pumpkin flavor isn't for everyone. It had just a "hint" of pumpkin that gave it a very curious taste. I was very pleased with how it turned out. Try it.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can Cannelinni beans
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 dash salt

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ahh, the power of pumpkin. If you think pumpkins are just for carving, then you're missing out, and there's much more to pumpkin than pie. This year, there is shortage of canned pumpkin, so get it while you can (especially if you're planning on making a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving) and make these simple and sensationally seasonal pumpkins. Pumpkin is loaded with fiber and vitamin A (immunity-booster).

Combine all of the ingredients and below, cook on a griddle and enjoy with pure maple syrup. Everyone will love them.

Ingredients:
2 cups of dry pancake mix (I used Sturdiwheat original pancake mix)
3 Tbsp dark-brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for the griddle
Pure maple syrup

More pumpkin recipes to come in the next few weeks, especially soup!

Citrus sweet potato mash

Liz and I were watching Rachel Ray on Monday and she was making a very fun and unique sweet potato dish that I had to try. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out for us as well as it did for Rachel. If I make some adjustments in the future, I'm sure it will be great.

The idea was as simple as could be. Cook some sweet potatoes, add lemon zest and the juice of one lemon, add some honey and salt and mash it together. In fact, it was so simple, it took less time to make than traditional sweet potato mash with all of the milk and/or cream. However, I only used two sweet potatoes with one lemon and that was way too much citrus for our taste.

Lucky for me, the rack of ribs was done to perfection and melted off the bone and our steamed vegetables still had some crunch (I often over-steam them and they become too soft), so we still had some great food. I need to look at the Rachel Ray website so I have the right potato-to-citrus ratio. I know it will be wonderful if I get the ingredients right because even though the lemon took over this time, there was a hint of greatness with the honey.

Sunday Soup Day: Peanut Chicken Stew

I think I decided that I'm most interested in creating soups with an ethnic flair. Don't get me wrong, the chicken noodle soup that I made last time was out of this world, but I'm most comfortable experimenting with new flavors.

This week I used an idea from allrecipes.com and made my own version of African chicken stew. It included a variety of African spices (cummin, coriander, etc.), chicken, sweet potatoes, beans, veggies and peanut butter. That's right, peanut butter.

Here's how it went: I cooked the chicken (breast and thigh meat) in my Dutch oven first then removed it and sauteed the vegetables with spices. Then I added chicken broth, garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes and more spices before finally putting the chicken back in the pot and adding the peanut butter.

There was so much flavor in this soup I still can't describe it accurately. The spices gave it a non-American taste with a little kick. I'm sure my dad wouldn't like it. The combination of breast and thigh meat made for a hint of a gamey taste, which I like because you can tell it's homemade. The peanut butter reminded me of a Thai dish, but combined with everything it made for a unique dish that I'm almost certain you'd find in a small village in West Africa.

I make enough soup each Sunday for 10+ people because we always have visitors, but this weekend it was just me. I'm not complaining because I've had a few extra bowls already this week and I'm still enjoying the superfluity of flavors.

If you're reading this blog, do yourself a favor and make this soup! I'd love to hear what you think about it.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of chicken, cut into 1" cubes (breast and thigh meat)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 sweet potato
2 stalks celery
5 ounces carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 carton low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans
2 ounces chopped spinach
1 small bunch green onions
3/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter (I used Smucker's)
1 teaspoon ground cummin
1 teaspoon ground corriander
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon African seasoning (I bought it at TJ Maxx...)

Sunday Soup Day: Chicken Noodle

Last weekend I went the easy route - chicken noodle soup. I've had my fair share of chicken noodle soup in my life. I remember my first experience was when I was very young and my mom made condensed off-brand chicken noodle soup with the tiny chicken chunks and thin, rubbery noodles. It was basically a bowl of msg. When I was in college, I graduated to the Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle which had "real" vegetables. Then, after meeting Liz, she told me that the Progresso Chicken Noodle soup was actually better for me. Not only was it better for me, it tasted better, too. My taste for chicken noodle soup has evolved since I was young, so it probably comes as no surprise that I would put some thought and effort into making a chicken noodle soup that went to a whole new level.

Through my obsession with making soup over the past two years, I haven't made chicken noodle all too often. To be honest, I've always thought it was "too simple" for what I have aimed for. Plus, I have difficulty finding noodles that work the way I want them to without becoming soggy and over cooked. I had a couple of ideas that I knew would make it worth my time now, though.

I sauteed onion, carrots, celery, green pepper and garlic in extra virgin olive oil until the onions were translucent. The carrots, celery and pepper still had some crunch to them. I cut the vegetables into large pieces because I wanted it to be very "hearty." After about 10-15 minutes of cooking the veggies, I added a store-bought container of chicken stock and a carton of chicken broth (I buy the Trader Joe's chicken broth because it is msg-free) and let the soup cook on low for a while. I once read that you shouldn't let your soup boil because it loses a lot of the nutrients.

The two most important ingredients were next. The noodles that I chose were Kluski Home Style Noodles (made by an Amish family). I was determined not to overcook them. The idea that I had for the chicken was to purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, take off the skin and put all of the meat in the soup. It was the best idea.

The chicken had it's own salty flavor to it while the soup had a peppery taste (from the fresh ground pepper). The vegetables still had crunch to them and tasted like real vegetables. The noodles were done to perfection and somehow tied all the flavors together. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you that this was the best chicken noodle soup that I ever had. It was so easy to prepare and the end result was outstanding. I'm definitely not above making chicken noodle soup in the future.

Sunday Soup Day: Bunny Chow

Well, it's officially here. It's now football season and that means Sunday Soup Day is back! I've been anticipating a slight drop in temperature that would demand warm soup on lazy weekends. We got it this weekend and I took an adventurous route and created a fantastic soup that is new to our family: Bunny Chow.

Bunny Chow is a traditional curry dish that originated in Durban, South Africa in the 1940's. Legend says that the curry dishes were created for individuals outside of a famous vegetarian restaurant. The owner scooped his curry dish into hollowed-out pieced of bread, covered it with the remaining bread and wrapped it up. Because of the caste system, certain people groups were forbidden to eat with others, but the owner sent the chow to the "outsiders." It became popular and versions of the original Bunny Chow can be found at specialty restaurants all over the world. The word bunny is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit word Banijy (or Bania caste - an occupational title describing business people and traders).

I was watching the Food Network a few weeks ago and saw a version of Bunny Chow that reviewers raved about. It looked really good on screen so I took special note of it and quickly wrote down what I thought I saw inside and set out create my own version.

I knew that I wanted to include the following ingredients: chick peas/garbanzo beans, red peppers, green peppers, onions, ginger, curry, cream, tomatoes, coconut and cashews. I peeked at a few recipes online and realized I needed to add a jalapeno pepper, too. Then I stuck with what I saw on tv and went at it with no plan or recipe.

I sauteed the vegetables in some butter and added the curry and fresh ginger before adding chicken broth and half-and-half. I also added the coconut and cashews after the broth. Then, I added the beans and tomatoes. I used one of each of the vegetables mentioned and two cans of beans. I also threw in more seasoning before letting the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes that included salt, garlic, corriander, fenugreek, black pepper and cumin.

It turned out so well I wish I had a clear recipe so I can make it again and help others make make it, too. It was an original and the Panera bread bowls added to the perfection. I think the spices may have been a little too much for my taste if the sourdough bread wasn't there to offset them. We sat with friends and ate the soup for almost an hour and we couldn't say enough good things about the food.

Cinnamon French Toast

We've had a string of very hot days followed by two days of rain and this morning was the first "brisk" morning of the year. It's the first day of September and this month symbolizes a lot of firsts. The first day of school, the first football game (at all levels) and the first practice at Victory. It was also the first cool, lazy morning that required some quality home cooking. It also became Isaiah's first French Toast experience...and it won't be his last.

I anticipated a French Toast morning last night, so I bought some fresh made cinnamon bread from the bakery. I like an unsliced loaf of bread so I can determine how thick each piece will be.

I thought I would give Isaiah a real French Toast experience by breaking out the cast iron skillet. I coated the pan with butter and evenly spread the bread, soaked in batter, across the cooking surface. The smell of butter frying bread on an iron skillet is quite possibly my favorite aroma on Earth. It had our entire house smelling like a greasy spoon cafe.

The batter was very simple. I used four eggs, milk, a dash of salt and vanilla. We've been privy to using cage free organic eggs lately. It even allowed us to eat our eggs during the recent recall. I don't know if it's all in my head, but these eggs taste so fresh. They're definitely worth the extra dollar.

The French Toast was spectacular and we had a wonderful time eating breakfast as a small family. We even danced a little. Isaiah out-ate his mom, again. He loves breakfast, meaning I will be making a lot of French Toast for many years to come. I'm certainly not complaining.

Spaghetti squash

I was watching the Today Show a few days ago and the health food expert that was demonstrating how to prepare healthy alternative meals talked about spaghetti squash. She said that you can eat it just like regular spaghetti with pasta sauce, butter or anything else over the top that you'd like. After she said it was fun for kids to eat, I knew I had to try it because I'm a kid-at-heart.

Liz was excited because she said she had heard people at work talking about spaghetti squash. She didn't know what it meant and admittedly had never heard of spaghetti squash. We eat butternut and acorn squash regularly, especially in the fall, but neither of us had ever had spaghetti squash. That night, I went to the grocery store and purchased a spaghetti squash. I cooked it tonight and we had it for dinner.

There are two ways to prepare it. You can place it in some water and broil it for about 20 minutes or microwave it for about 10 minutes. I chose to microwave it. It looked like any other squash when I took it out of the microwave until I started scrapping it out with a fork. I couldn't believe it...it looked just like spaghetti! Whoever named it didn't need much creativity.

We tried some of it with pasta sauce and some with buttered rice. It worked great with the rice. I've made squash risotto many times, so I new the combination of rice and butter would be money, but the marinara didn't work very well.

It was definitely fun, but Isaiah wasn't interested in it at all. Left alone, it was very bland and had far less flavor than butternut or acorn squash. It didn't bother me, though. I thought it was a lot of fun and will make it again.

Lack of posts...

I'm making my second consecutive post apologizing for my lack of posts. I don't anticipate that I'm making my "followers" angry because those that do follow this blog understand that my summer months are quite different than those in the fall and winter in my world. Add to that the addition of another little Black a month ago and it goes without saying that experimenting in the kitchen has not been high on my priority list.

With that said, I'm starting to look forward to the change in the season soon. When the school year starts, so does my activity at work (Victory) and the weather begins to change. There is something about a brisk morning that gets me excited for cooking. Hot summer days almost do the opposite. I have created a few new recipes this summer, but we've eaten a lot of fresh vegetables (thanks to the Farmer's Market) and fruit plus done our fair share of grilling. We've also eaten a lot of pizza.

The one recipe that I recall from this summer that will be a mainstay in summers to come is a creative new cucumber salad. I made it once when Liz's parents were here and it was a hit. A few days later I made it for a picnic at my sister's house. It was a hit again. It contains cucumbers, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, minced onions and garlic with red wine vinager and olive oil and an abundance of fresh dill and grated peppercorns. I was "shooting from the hip," so I don't have an exact recipe for you, but throw it all in a bowl and try for yourself. It's a combination of ingredients that can't go wrong.

Oh yeah, another good one that I put together was edamame hummus. Yum.

A lot of traveling

I apologize for my lack of blog posts in the recent months. I've spent a lot of time traveling and, as a result, haven't made blogging a priority. This doesn't suggest that I haven't been cooking and carrying my share at home. I've actually made some extremely good meals and even had two robust cookouts (Easter and Memorial Day). I've also had my share of food on the road. Although I haven't seen a professional, I'm sure I have some form of addiction to Taco Bell.

The best food I've had on the road came last weekend in Kenosha at Tenuta's. It's a small Italian grocery store that specializes in Italian sausage and other Italian favorites. I was thoroughly impressed with the sausage. It was the best I've ever had.

I also ventured into one of Northwest Wisconsin's best sausage shop - Louie's Fine Meats in Cumberland. I bought a cow tongue that I plan on using to make authentic Mexican tacos with later this summer.

With visitors I've had to pull out some of my classics, especially my famous Italian sausage tortellini with homemade pesto. That's on the menu tonight and I'm very excited because I will be using sausage from Tenuta's.

Monster Burger! My Version of the "Jucy Lucy"

OMG!

I made the best...I repeat, BEST...hamburger I have ever had privy to eat! I was fabulous. Colossal. Magnificent.

Last week at the Twins Home Opener (jealous?), I spent $12 on the "Vincent Burger." It's a huge burger stuffed with goodies that make it extra juicy. In fact, it's a recreation of the famous "Jucy Lucy" burger that's a favorite of Minneapolis food connoisuers. Two restaurants rival each other for rights to this burger. Matt's Bar calls it the Jucy Lucy and it's been on the Food Network and Travel Channel. The "other place" calls it the Juicy Loosey. Who knows who gets credit for creating this monster? All that I know is after experimenting at Target Field, I knew that I had to create my own version of this beast.

It goes like this: a couple pounds of hamburger stuffed with barbecued pork and cheese and laced with seasoning. Unbelievable.

I buy my hamburger at Trader Joe's. We eat grass fed beef. It might be placebo because I pay more, but I think the meat is always better quality this way. I brought home one pound of lean 96/4 hamburger and one pound of 85/15. I like mixing them because the 85/15 helps the burgers stick together more. I added an egg and three cloves of garlic, fresh ground pepper and Lawry's Seasoning to the hamburger and mixed it all together. Then I made four 1/2 pound patties.

I flattened one patty on a plate and smashed it down with a spatula to make it almost perfectly round. Then the fun began. I added approximately 1/4 pound of barbecued pulled-pork to the top of the burger and then topped that with Swiss Cheese. I covered it with another patty and sealed the sides to enclose the pork and cheese. It was gigantic! I made another for my beautiful bride.

I slapped the two monstrosities on the grill and cooked them on medium for 15 minutes. As I checked on them periodically, I noticed them "swelling." My best guess is that the cheese and juices inside were festering and bubbling.

I was in seventh heaven when it was finally time to eat these massive marauders. I took the first bite (video below) and the juice nearly exploded from within the burger. Barbecue sauce, cheese and other mysterious juices oozed onto my plate. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and what I was eating.

Not only was the presentation out of this world, the taste exceeded my expectations. I kept telling Liz all night that I had the sweetest after taste. I think the barbecue sauce caused that.

I challenge you to try your own version of the Jucy Lucy. I'm going to get very creative next time and might throw in some green peppers and mushrooms. Look out!

Corned beef and cabbage

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I made a traditional Irish dish (actually, a traditional St. Patty's Day dish). Every year I make something authentically Irish on St. Patty's Day. Last year, it was bangers n' mash. This year, I went with a corned beef brisket with roasted vegetables, including cabbage, of course.

I bought the brisket from the grocery store. You can always find corned beef around St. Patrick's Day. I prepared my own seasonings with the mortar and pestal which included corriander, peppercorns and sea salt as well as fresh garlic. I started the roast in my Dutch oven inside the oven (at 300 degrees) with approximately one cup of water and 1/4 cup orange juice. After two hours, I added the vegetables.

The vegetables included carrots (not baby carrots), baby red potatoes and green cabbage.

With the risk of sounding redundant, I absolutely love my Dutch oven. It's fool proof and makes "can't miss" meals. Everything is done to the perfect tenderness and it keeps all the flavors in whatever is being prepared. This corned beef was so tender. It was chock full of flavor and, like most corned beef, was somewhat salty. It was perfect. This was the first time I put the Dutch oven in the convential oven. I must say, I was pleasently surprised.

Ingredients:
3.84 lbs corned beef brisket
3 cups chopped cabbage
10 carrots (chopped in half)
20 baby red potatoes
a variety of seasoning

Weather: gorgeous, 61 degrees
Music: Ke$ha - Blah, blah, blah

Sauteed scallops

It's been way too long. I haven't blogged about my food creation is what seems like forever. I promise, I have been eating very well and cooking for my family. I just haven't found the time to write about them.

Scallops are very delicate to prepare. They need to be fresh and can't be overcooked. I sauteed the scallops in two tablespoons of olive oil and seasoned them with garlic, pepper and basil. I fried each side for about six minutes, or until each side had a hint of a golden finish. After the first flip (with tongs), I added a handful of Parmesan cheese and, mixing with the oil, it created a little glaze of sorts. After placing them on the serving plate, I topped the scallops with pesto.

The scallops were so tender and "melted" in my mouth. They did. If they're overcooked, they become chewy. These weren't chewy. They were perfect. As a side dish, I broiled asparagus seasoned with garlic and basil. It turned out to be a very good Italian meal. It tasted very expensive.

Weather: 64 degrees!
Music: Milow - One of It

Slow cooker sweet & tangy chicken

Well, it's March and I successfully cooked my way through February without having to spend an arm and a leg on groceries. I must say, I felt pretty resourcefull and my February meals were very rewarding. I didn't have a lot of time to blog about them, but I threw a few in for you.

March will probably be a different all on its own. I'll be doing a lot of weekend traveling and with the change of weather, our mood starts to lean towards fresh produce and, weather permitting, the grill.

My first documented meal came by way of the slow cooker, or Crock Pot. I know what you're thinking, I'm too modern and creative to use such an old-fashioned cooking appliance like the Crock Pot. I mean, come on, I received six of them, in a variety of sizes, as wedding gifts. I seldomly use the slow cooker because they're not very hands-on, but they're easy to use and make wonderful food.

I mixed the barbecue sauce with onion, green pepper and garlic. I put three chicken breasts in the slow cooker, covered it with half of the barbecue sauce, put down two more pieces and poured the rest of the sauce over the top. Then I let it cook on low for 8 hours. That's it. I also made a side of rice.

The chicken had a terrific flavor. I was expecting an Asian taste, but it was a sweet backyard barbecue taste instead. It was very good. The chicken was moist and soft. It went very well with rice, but would probably be better with some broiled vegetables next time.

Ingredients:
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple with juice
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

Weather: 40-degrees and sunny!
Music: Train - Soul Sister

Iron skillet hamburgers

I'm not going to lie, I make really good hamburgers. When we have people over and I grill hamburgers, they're always amazed how flavorful and juicy my burgers are. I put a lot of interest into making them unique. I think they have a very distinct taste.

I always finely chop an onion and garlic and mix it with the ground beef. I also like using Worcestershire sauce and teryaki sauce. Sometimes I put barbecue or other sauces in to assure they're the juiciest burgers around. Tonight, I stayed clear of the barbecue sauce because I was afraid of how that would work with the cast-iron skillet. Instead, I put in some shredded cheese. It worked out very well. I put an egg in, too.

The cast-iron skillet that I have has ridges. It leaves marks that look like whatever you're cooking spent some time on the grill. Each patty was almost 3/4 pound. They were very, very good - juicy and full of flavor.

Three bean turkey chili

This has been a fantastic weekend so far. Liz and I were able to spend our entire Saturday at home with Isaiah. Of course, I followed my wrestlers online, but my heart was with my family. It was very nice and refreshing. We both needed it. I was able to put some time and effort into making a hearty and healthy batch of chili. It all felt so right.

Before yesterday, I had never made chili. I've eaten a lot of it, though - healthy, meaty, spicy, weird, etc., I've tried it all. Since I've had so many varieties, I knew exactly what I wanted and what would feel the most like "our home."

I browned ground turkey seasoned with Lawry's Seasoning, drained the excess liquid and set aside. In my lovely Dutch oven, I warmed 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and added an onion, a shallot, a red pepper, three stalks of celery and Andouille chicken sausage. I also added a bunch of chili powder, a dash of crushed red pepper and salt and pepper. I covered the pot and cooked for about 15 minutes then added five cloves of minced garlic and the ground turkey and mixed everything together.

In no particular order, I added a large can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce (and one can of water), a can of black beans, a can of kidney beans and a can of garbanzo beans. I also added more chili powder and salt and pepper. Finally, I added whole wheat fusilli pasta. It took an additional 10-15 minutes until the pasta was ready.

I put a lot of thought and effort into the ingredients and the best part was, as always, eating it. I made enough to have left overs for a few days...isn't that the best way to make chili? I love going to the fridge for left over chili more than any other left over.

Fried pan-fish

I graciously received two bags of freshly caught perch from the parent of a young Victory athlete. It was imparative to cook the fish while they were still fresh. So, fried fish was on the menu for lunch today.

I mixed flour, salt, pepper and garlic salt in a small bowl and rolled the fillets in the flour mixture. I warmed some extra virgin olive oil in a pan and fried the battered fish for approximately 5-6 minutes before I flipped the fillets. After flipping them, I cooked them for an extra 3-4 minutes.

The fish was wonderful. The more fillets I cooked, the better feel I had for when to flip them. It was best when I coooked them longer than I had anticipated, leaving a little crunch to the batter. Regardless, every fillet was scrum-didily-umptious.

Pancakes

This morning I got up earlier than usual so I could make pancakes for Liz before she left for work. We both love pancakes and it works out well because Isaiah happens to love pancakes, too (I think he likes the syrup most). I had a Sturdiwheat pancake mix, so I decided to take the easy route today.

Sturdiwheat pancakes are amazing. They're extremely easy to make and easier to eat because they taste great. All it takes is equal parts water and pancake mix to create the smooth batter.

We have a nice griddle - one of many wedding gifts that we're still using - and I sprayed it with Pam spray and poured eight dollar size pancakes. For me, the fun part to making pancakes is watching the batter transform into a soft and chewy pancake. When they bubble, they ready to flip. I only flip them one time.

One of the most important ingredients with pancakes is the syrup. We're syrup snobs and it's the only way to go if you're intending on enjoying pancakes or waffles at anytime. 100% pure maple syrup is how we do it. I used to have a wrestler who brought me syrup from his syrup farm, now we buy it. It's expensive and it's worth it.

Ingredients:
1 cup Sturdiwheat pancake mix
1 cup warm water

Music: Brook Fraser - The Thief
Weather: 13 degrees (it's going to be in the 30's)

Sunday Soup Day: Southwestern chicken vegetable

This wonderfully amazing soup didn't exactly follow my challenge. I went to Aldi and purchased a few vegetables so it would be hearty and fresh. In my mind, I decided I could make Southwestern chicken vegetable if I bought a combination of vegetables found in a burrito (at Qdoba or Chipotle) and then add a few spices.

As always, I cooked onion, celery, carrots and a green pepper in my Dutch oven. Meanwhile, I cooked three chicken breasts in a frying pan on the stove with some olive oil. I cut the chicken into small pieces before cooking it.

I added two cans of diced tomatoes with chiles, one can of corn and one can of black beans. I also added the spices - crushed red pepper and mild chili powder. I also used cilantro and parsley along with freshly grated pepper and salt. I stirred everything a few times then added the chicken broth (made from boullion).

It was very good and the spices provided a little "kick." It was actually the perfect soup for today. It hit the spot for both Liz and me. To our surprise, it was incredibily fresh tasting, too. The supplies cost me less than $8.00 from Aldi...my sister was right.

Ingredients:
1 onion
4 stalks celery
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped
1 green pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 can diced tomatoes with chiles
1 can sweet corn
1 can black beans
4 cups water
3 cubes chicken boullion

Music: US National Anthem (the beginning of the Olympics)
Weather: low 20's, afternoon snow

Friendship soup

Day two of my challenge to cook from my cupboards brought me a delicious soup. Soup is difficult to ruin, which is why I love making it so often. It gives me the ability to experiment with flavors so I know what goes well together when I want to make a less-forgiving meal.

For Christmas, my mom gave each of us a jar of soup mix called "Friendship soup." I believe it was made by someone she works with and came in a jar with a recipe tied to the jar with cute ribbons. I didn't follow the recipe at all, though.

I chopped an onion, a leek, a zucchini and lightly sauteed them in olive oil (in my Dutch oven). Meanwhile, I browned a pound of hamburger. I seasoned it with ground pepper and garlic salt. When the vegetables were cooked, I added a carton of Trader Joe's roasted red pepper soup and four cups of water. I also added the entire jar of soup mix and brought the soup to a boil before letting is simmer for 40 minutes.

It came out very thick, so I added another cup of water. It looked almost like chili and gave me the idea to use this mix to, in fact, make chili in the future. I have one more jar, so I'll probably give it a try within the next few weeks.

February plans...

Liz and I are exploring options to pay close attention to our family budget. As a result, we realized that this blog has ended up costing us a lot of money in the grocery category. Needless to say, I need to "take it easy" when it comes to creating meals with only the finest ingredients.

This presented me with an idea that I'm turning into a challenge. I'm going to attempt creating meals using ingredients from my cupboards and refrigerator. Of course, I'll need to update my fruit and vegetable supply, but I'm going to try cooking all of the boxes, mixes and premade meals that we have in stock. It probably won't be very exciting, however, I'm going to attempt to put a little spin on everything I make by throwing caution to the wind and re-writting a few of the directions. Sometimes it may be subtle, but that will be part of the challenge.

Tonight I made Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken with brown fried rice. The chicken comes frozen and needs to be fried in a little olive oil. The orange sauce goes over the top after the chicken is ready. To add a little twist, I added some Asian seasoning. It gave it a little kick. Either way, the orange chicken is very, very good. I highly recommend it. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. The rice only took one minute. Simple and delicious.

My guess is this February won't be extremely exciting in the blogoshpere as far as Kevin Eats in concerned, but these little challenges turn out to be surprising at times. I'm also planning on incorporating some of my readers' recipes and featuring a few guests bloggers.

Music: Idina Mezel & Kristen Chenoweth - Defying Gravity from Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Weather: 19-degrees, snow

Traditional apple pie

Well, it worked. An experimental apple pie with nearly no directions or plan. I don't really know how it happened, but it did and it tastes very good. To be honest, I just threw together a few ingredients anticipating a disaster, but it all worked. Isn't it great when somehow everything works out, even when things seem like they're spinning out of control? Cooking can be a great metaphor for life sometimes...

We've had a pie crust in the freezer for almost a year and it's been on my nerves for the past three months. I've starting making desserts with the hopes of using the crust, but never did. I have no idea why it's been in the freezer this long. Liz and I even had a lengthy discussion about throwing it in the garbage and we both agreed to do so, but we didn't "pulled the trigger." Well, it's no longer there as it became the motivation to throw together this pie.

I used Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced. I tossed them in sugar, brown sugar and lemon juice and placed them in the premade crust. That probably would have been good enough, but I couldn't envision myself enjoying an apple pie without crust on top, too.

So, without further ado, I mixed a combination of ingredients that I thought would make a crust. And it worked. Flour, shortening, butter and salt is all I needed. I had all of those ingredients, so it was fairly easy. I had to add an entire cup of flour after my first attempt (bringing the total flour used to two cups) because it was too sticky and I couldn't flatten it without the dough sticking to everything. Once I felt comfortable with the dough, I blobbed it on top of the apples and spread it across the top and placed it in the oven at 400-degrees.

Once the pie was in the oven, I peeked online at a few recipes for crust and must say I did fairly well. I didn't refrigerate the crust before baking it, though. It still turned out great. A little flaky for my taste, but the filling won me over. My first taste consisted of three whole pieces. I really hope I can use some self-discipline so Liz can have a piece when she gets home, but I'm afraid I'm going to eat it all.

Ingredients:
Filling
6 small Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
a little nutmeg

Crust
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp water


Music: Mika - Lollipop
Weather: 15 with light, fluffy snow

Sunday Soup Day: Chicken noodle

It's been a while since I've written about my fabulous food adventures because I traveled over the weekend. I did return home in time for Sunday Soup Day, though. I made a simple chicken noodle soup. Liz has a terrible cold, so chicken noodle soup was absolutely delightful.

Last week, we read an article on Yahoo! that mentioned the benefits to homemade chicken noodle soup when you're sick. It's important not to boil the chicken broth because some of those goodies that actually help cure sicknesses "cook out" of the soup, so I kept soup warm, but never brought it to a boil.

I cooked the veggies in the Dutch oven with olive oil until they were soft before I added the seasoning and bay leaves. Then I added a box of chicken broth and the noodles while I cooked three chicken breasts in salted water, creating the remaining stock. When the chicken was ready, I skimmed the fat off the top of the stock and added it to the soup. I cut the chicken into small pieces and added it to the soup. Before I served the soup, I let it cook for another 20 minutes until the noodles were fully cooked.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion
6 ounces carrots, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
seasoning
1 carton (28 ounce) chicken broth
1 cup Annelletti pasta rings
2 cups salted water
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste

Music: David Crowder Band - All Around Me
Weather: 21-degrees

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I remember my mom preparing it for us as kids and we were all very excited to eat the Irish classic. Every time I eat at an Irish Pub (not often enough), I take a good look at their Shepherd's pie. Traditionally, Shepherd's pie is made with lamb meat. However, the recipes are never the same. That's one trait I love about this dish. It's different every time.

Part of what makes each dish different is the variety of ingredients and the multiple ways those can be prepared. It's simply potatoes, meat and vegetables, but they can be assembled in very creative ways.

I peeled and boiled russet potatoes (the most Irish-tasting, to me) while I cooked the hamburger in a pan. I added chopped onions and garlic to the hamburger half-way through cooking it. I wanted the onions to soak-up the fatty juices from the hamburger. They did. Yum.

I put the hamburger in the bottom of a baking dish and layered it with green beans, peas, carrots, seasoning and tomato soup. I put the potatoes in a mixing bowl, added some milk, sour cream and basil and garlic and mixed it all with a hand blender. I put the mashed potatoes on top (added a little more tomato soup) and placed it in the oven at 350.

Straight-up fantastic! I'm pretty sure our dinner in The Shire made my Gaelic ancestors smile.

Ingredients:

2 pounds Russet potatoes (plus 3 ounces whole milk and 3 ounces sour cream)

1 pound ground hamburger

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

6 ounces green beans

3 ounces green peas

3 ounces carrots

seasoning (fresh ground pepper, Nature's Seasoning, basil & garlic seasoning, salt)

6 ounces tomato soup

Music: Brandon Heath - Love Never Fails

Weather: 8

Brussels sprouts!

Over the past few months, I've taken a lot of risks in my kitchen. I've cooked new meals with creative recipes, most self-created, and realized how many dishes can be made to my taste. Nearly everything that I've made, I've enjoyed. Tonight was no exception as I tackled Brussels sprouts.

I've been talking about making Brussels sprouts since November. It seemed that many cooking magazines featured Brussels sprouts around Thanksgiving. It started a craving for them even though I had never had them before.

I've always heard bad things about Brussels sprouts. I've heard bad things about other foods that I found delightful, however, those had a few positive comments, too. I can't recall ever hearing someone say something good about Brussels sprouts. I looked at it as a challenge and I went for it. I was confident that I could make Brussels sprouts taste good.

I envisioned shiny, buttery sprouts accompanied with sweet vegetables and mushrooms. I didn't know what they were going to taste like, so I figured a broad range of flavors would be good. Plus, simply adding garlic and onion (and basil) to any vegetable will make it more than tasteful. So, that's what I did. Garlic, onion, shallots, basil and mushrooms. I used the Dutch oven because I had great success with baby red potatoes a few months ago. My vision paralleled those potatoes.

They were very easy to prepare, but somewhat difficult to eat. The sprouts a little crunchy while the other vegetables were soft in texture. It was a nice juxtaposition, but I'm not in love with Brussels sprouts. I'm definitely "in like" with them, though. They were good, indeed, but they're nothing to write home about (even though that's what I'm doing right now, assuming Liz will read this). Speaking of home, the sprouts didn't work with her. She said that she thinks she has an "aversion" to one of the herbs.

**It wasn't until I used the trustworthy spellcheck that I realized it's "Brussels" sprouts and not "brussel" sprouts. I'm pleased to still be learning daily.

Ingredients:
1 bag Brussels sprouts (16 ounces), trimmed and halved
1 onion
1 shallot
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp fresh basil
5 ounces mushrooms

Music: Loverboy - Lovin' Every Minute of It
Weather: 20's and snow

Sunday Soup Day: Gumbo

Football on the Bayou inspired this chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo. The New Orleans Saints with host #4 who's a Southern Bayou boy at heart. I had to keep the football spirit alive in our house even though "my" team has been done for two weeks. Just in case you were wondering, I will be joining the Who Dat Nation and cheering for the Saints.

Before I explain how I made the soup, I have to say this is my best yet. Liz went as far to say that this might be the best meal I've ever made. That's a pretty big statement. We promise if you take the time to make this gumbo, you'll be very satisfied. I would encourage you to make it when you need some Creole/Cajun flair in your life (maybe even Mardi Gras).

I started with butter in the Dutch oven and sauteed an onion and garlic before adding the peppers and olive oil. Then, I added the ingredients in order (listed below) one at a time, starting with the sausage. I love cooking with the Dutch oven because all of the "drippings" remain in the pot and add flavor to the finished product. When I finally got to the point to add the chicken broth, all of the ingredients were simmering and emitting the most wonderful Bayou scent. We felt like we were on Bourbon St. Throughout the process, I added crushed red pepper, chili powder, paprika and fresh ground pepper.

I can't even explain why we liked the gumbo so much. There was so much flavor. It was simply amazing. Make your own and let me know how it turns out for you.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
sausage
16 oz. bag of cut okra
1 skinless boneless chicken breast
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 pound cooked large shrimp
1 cup cooked rice

2 cups chicken broth

Weather: 31-degrees

Sunday Soup Day: Hearty beef and barley with vegetables

An easy and hearty soup was on the menu during a relaxing and slow yesterday. I lacked the motivation to create a robust soup full of creativity and flavor, so "settled" for a simple beef and barley with vegetable soup that looked first like beef stew, but found it's identity just before it was ready to serve.

I sauteed the vegetables in butter and added the beef. They smelled so good and looked great that I was tempted to stop before adding the broth or barley and eat the vegetables and meat. However, after adding the broth and barley, we very pleased to have another great soup.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 green pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots
6 small baby red potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parsley
seasoning to taste
2 pounds beef (pre cut for stew)
1 carton (36-ounces) beef broth
1/2 cup barley

Music: Kutless - What Faith Can Do
Weather: 24-degrees

Chicken enchiladas

This week I became very familiar with my oven. I've always stayed clear of recipes that required baking, but I prepared a casserole, hot dish, baked dessert (apple crisp) and now enchiladas. Each one of them were "experimental," meaning I didn't use a recipe at all, and I freely chose the oven I for every one of them. I must admit, I did very well.

One of the most memorable meals that I ever prepared was for my female athletes. In fact, one of the ladies frequently tells me how much she liked the chicken enchiladas from that night. Tonight I blew the old enchiladas "out of the water." These chicken enchiladas were the best I've ever had.

In one tablespoon of olive oil, I cooked the chicken breasts. I added garlic pepper seasoning. While the chicken was cooking on the stove, I sauteed an onion and four cloves of garlic (in olive oil). When the onions were translucent, I added a small can of diced chiles.

I put the vegetables in a large mixing bowl, chopped the chicken and added it to the bowl. For the enchilada stuffing, I mixed the vegetables and chicken with sour cream and cheese. I also added a little Mexican rice. I rolled the stuffing inside large flour tortillas.

I sprayed a baking dish with Pam, set the enchiladas side-by-side and poured a bottle of Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce over the top and sprinkled with cheese. I baked them for 15 minutes at 350-degrees. The stuffing was already cooked, so when the cheese was melted and the tortillas were slightly crisp, I took them out of the oven. I served them with Mexican rice.

I wish our ladies would have been here for this meal because they would've been speechless (which is nearly impossible for these girls). Actually, the more I think about it, speechless is an adjective that doesn't go well with this food. I'm sure they would have showered me with praise and talked about these enchiladas for years. That's how good they were.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced chiles
6 flour tortilla shells
1 bottle Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce
6 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
2 ounces light sour cream

Music: Haricharan & Harris Jeyaraj - Oyaayiye Yaayiye
Weather: 35-degrees

Tator tot hot dish

Yesterday, as I was making my stir fry, I whipped up a quick hot dish that I planned on baking today. Liz had the day off from work, so we planned a family day that included, among other activities, sledding. It was Isaiah's first outdoor winter activity and it was fun.

I went with the hot dish because I anticipated coming in from the cold we'd like nothing more than a warm meal straight out of the oven. In theory, it was a fabulous idea, but the timing was slightly off, so we had to wait until later in the evening. It was alright, though, because when we finally ate the tator tot hot dish, it satisfied every square-inch.

I cooked ground hamburger in a pan with a generous amount of salt and pepper. When it was almost entirely cooked, I added 1/2 cup of water to the hamburger so it was moist when I put it in the baking dish.

I lined the bottom of the dish with hamburger and smashed it down with a spatula. I added a layer of frozen green beans and a layer of frozen corn. Then, I carefully placed tator tots over the top. Finally, I mixed a can of cream of mushroom soup with 1/2 cup of water and poured it over the top. I covered the dish and placed in the refrigerator overnight.

After baking it, we enjoyed a terrific hot dish reminiscent of my days on the farm. We seemed to have eaten many varieties of hot dish growing up. I guess it's a Northern-thing. There are few meals that warm my heart like hot dish. I know my family would agree. Tonight, tator tot hot dish did the trick.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground hamburger
8 ounces green beans
8 ounces corn
8 ounces tator tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Music: Skillet - Hero
Weather: 34-degrees

Vegetable-noodle stir fry

Tonight I put a little twist on take-out and made my own version of vegetable lo mein. Well, it was closer to stir fry, but it was healthy, tasty and quit fun.

I boiled the noodles while I chopped the vegetables. I used whole wheat linguine noodles to add texture, fiber and protein. Before I sauteed the vegetables, however, I scrambled two large eggs with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the wok. I set the eggs aside and used them later.

After chopping the vegetables, I added them to the wok and cooked them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The vegetables cooked for 15 minutes. The wok cooks well because the heat is evenly distributed throughout the entire pan. I mixed the sauces with lime and sugar to flavor the stir fry. Finally, I added the noodles to the vegetables and tossed everything together, topping it with shiitake mushrooms and the scrambled eggs.

It turned out very well, but there were too many noodles. The vegetables were amazing and the sauce was a little sweet and a little spicy. It was a great combination. Next time, I'll use less noodles, though.

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat linguine
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large eggs
1 baby bok choy, chopped
1 bok choy, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded carrots
handful of snow peas
ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons garlic black bean sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon sugar

Music: Kristian Standfill - Jesus Paid It All
Weather: 20-degrees

Baked shells casserole

A fond memory of mine from childhood is my (great) Aunt Catherine's homemade tomato sauce. All of us loved visiting Uncle Jim and Aunt Catherine because it was like a trip into the "good ol' days." She used to make the BEST sauce. To the Zappas, it's legendary. God bless her. The generations that followed in her steps have tried to replicate her sauce to no avail. My mom's brother, Eugene, is close. With that said, I have great news...I finally made a signature sauce of my own! It's nothing like Aunt Catherine's, but she'd be proud.

I made my tomato sauce to accompany a rendition of stuffed shells that I saw on the Rachel Ray Show today. Basically, it's the taste of stuffed shells without the hassle. I used medium shells and mixed the ricotta and spinach and baked it with the terrific homemade tomato sauce. Did I mention the tomato sauce? Wow! Not only was the flavor unbelievable, it's had a lasting aroma that's resonated throughout the house all night.

The new legendary sauce: I finely chopped an onion and five cloves of garlic and sauteed them in three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. After a few minutes, I added the grated carrot, thyme, marjoram, oregano and red pepper flakes. I gently sauteed these ingredients for another ten minutes before stirring in the parsley and red wine. I reduced the heat and added a cup of chicken stock, the tomatoes and let simmer for 30 minutes. I pureed it all before using.

In the meantime, I cooked the spinach in a pan with olive oil. I mixed the ricotta cheese with the finished noodles then added the spinach. While the sauce was simmering, I preheated the oven to 375-degrees.

I coated the bottom of a large baking dish with the sauce, added the noodles (with cheese and spinach) and covered with more sauce. I made sure that I had sauce left over to use another day. Of course, I topped the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese before I slid it in the oven, baked for 20 minutes and enjoyed! Seriously...enjoyed.

Aunt Catherine would definitely be proud of this sauce and I'm very proud of this casserole.

Ingredients:
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 1/2 tsp marjoram and oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2-cans (14 oz) Italian stewed tomatoes
2-cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 pound medium shells
1 bag frozen spinach
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Music: Dean Martin - Ain't That A Kick In Head
Weather: 25-degrees in River Falls, 51-degrees in Colorado Springs

Sunday Soup Day: Beans & Greens

I apologize for the repetitive nature of Soup Day lately. I had to go with something green once again to support the Packers. I hope this lasts through January. Cross those fingers, please.

Today's soup, entitled beans & greens, is a very straight forward soup with cannellini beans and hearty greens - Swiss chard and spinach. Adding to the flavor is a combination of herbs and spices as well as carrots, celery, garlic, leeks and onions.

Generally speaking, I make all of my soups using my Dutch oven. It's great because I can saute the vegetables and keep them in while I build the soup. This was a quick recipe that I was able to assemble during half time.

I cooked the vegetables, added the water, bringing it to a boil, then added the greens. That's it. Quick and to the point. We needed some green power to bring the Packers back from the dead. As of now...it's helping. The final outcome will be determined shortly. Go Pack Go!

Ingredients:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
6 ounces carrots
1 leek (the white part)
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
6 ounces Swiss chard (chopped)
3 ounces spinach (chopped)

Music: No music at all - only football
Weather: 5 degrees

Quick skillet mac & cheese

It's not very often that I write a blog entry about lunch. Today, however, I made homemade mac & cheese in an iron skillet. I spent more time than usual preparing this compared to a typical lunch. It was worth my time.

I used whole wheat rotelle (I'd use regular "white" pasta next time) and boiled to al dente. I drained the water and set the noodles aside.

Meanwhile, I melted 3 tablespoons of butter in an iron skillet, whisked in 3 tablespoons of flour and added two cups of milk. I stirred the ingredients constantly until it began to thicken. Then I added the cheese. I used approximately four ounces of shredded mozzarella and four ounces of shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack. The cheese melted quickly. I continued stirring while adding thyme and Worcestershire sauce. When the mixture was a smooth, creamy texture, I added the pasta and covered completely with the sauce.

I topped the mac & cheese with Parmesan, put it in the oven and broiled it on high for five minutes. I took it out and the top was slightly crunchy and underneath the surface was the creamiest mac & cheese you've ever seen.

I wish I could say the taste equalled the presentation, but it didn't. Don't get me wrong, it was very good and better than most lunches that I eat, but it fell short of my expectations. I'm beginning to realize that it's difficult to make flavorful dishes with whole wheat pasta. It doesn't pull out the taste like regular pasta. It's healthier, though, so there's a trade off. I'd use regular pasta in the future, though. Once again, it was very good.

Ingredients:
12 ounces whole wheat rotelle pasta
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Music: Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor
Weather: 12 degrees, in the middle of a blizzard

Dr. Pepper Ribs

I'm a Pepper. You're a Pepper. Dr. Pepper Ribs. That's right, I said Dr. Pepper. You know, 23 flavors? Yep. Dr. Pepper. Typically, I enjoy a cold can of Dr. Pepper on a warm summer day, but today I used it as a marinade and an ingredient in barbecue sauce.

I found this recipe in Men's Health and knew that I would have a blast making these ribs and even more fun eating them. It started last night as I poured Dr. Pepper in a baking dish and let the ribs soak in the refrigerator overnight.

This step was like a science experiment. I had no idea that the soda would react with the meat the way it did. It constantly bubbled. I didn't know if it was going to explode (it didn't). Then, I added 1/4 cup salt to the soda and ribs and reacted even more. It was so cool. The salt caused the Dr. Pepper to foam.

Today I took the ribs out of the refrigerator, dried them with a paper towel and rubbed with chili powder. I emptied the baking dish and put the ribs back into the dish, adding one cup of water. I covered it tightly with aluminum foil and cooked at 350-degrees for two hours.

For the sauce, I heated canola oil in a medium saucepan and sauteed the onion and garlic until they were soft and fragrant. Then, I added ketchup (yes Mom, it's true, real ketchup, yuck), Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup of Dr. Pepper. I cooked it on low for 20 minutes until the sauced thickened.

I took the ribs out of the oven and they looked very tender. I brushed barbecue sauce on the ribs and broiled on high for an additional 10 minutes. I love the appearance of broiled barbecue sauce.

When we finally ate these amazing ribs, the meat was falling from the bone and there was an unexplainable zest to the sauce. It must have been the Dr. Pepper. To top off the Southern feel, I added collard greens as a side dish.

I have had my fair share of ribs across the United States and these were, without a doubt, the absolute best ribs that I've ever had.

Ingredients:
2 racks baby back ribs
1 large (2 liter) bottle of Dr. Pepper
1/4 cup of salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (or cayenne pepper)

Music: Michael Buble - Crazy Love
Weather: 14 degrees, getting ready for snow

Pulled pork sandwiches

A few weeks ago my sister made sandwiches from a turkey loin for our family and I loved the idea, so I copied her recipe. Instead of turkey, I used pork. I've been an extremely frugal shopper when it comes to pork tenderloins. Every now and then, Dick's in River Falls has a sale on Parmesan encrusted pork tenderloins -- three for $9.99. It's an amazing deal considering the non-sale price is almost $9 each.

I started by thawing one tenderloin in the refrigerator overnight. Early in the morning, I set the crock pot on low heat, added a cup of cream of mushroom soup and a cup of water. I also set the pork in the pot and let it slow cook for eight hours. I'm a huge garlic and basil fan, so I also added some garlic and basil seasoning.

After eight hours, the pork literally pulled apart with ease. I left the "pulled pork" in the water and soup to absorb the moisture. It was so juicy. Isaiah even loved it. He's usually afraid of meat because of the dry texture, but he loved this. As a result, I'll likely make pulled pork every few weeks.

Ingredients:
Pork tenderloin
1 can cream of mushroom
1 cup water
basil and garlic seasoning

Music: Nikki & Rich - Next Best Thing (free on iTunes)
Weather: 0

Sunday Soup Day: Cream of broccoli

Sunday was the final regular season game of the Packers season. We had another house full of Packers fans ready to enjoy good football and Sunday Soup Day. In honor of the Packers playoff season, I thought about creating a soup that closely resembled the Green Pay Packers in my mind. Immediately I thought of beer cheese soup, but I'm not a fan of it. Chili or anything with sausage also came to mind, but I decided on broccoli cheese soup because it had the green and gold in the Packers uniforms. However, in the finals moments, I switched to a cream of broccoli recipe that I created in my mind after church. It turned out pretty well, too. The best part about this soup was the bread bowl, though. I purchased four sourdough bread bowls at Panera Bread and it was the best imaginable way to eat this creamy soup.

As usual, I prepared the vegetables in the Dutch oven with olive oil. This is always my favorite step while making soup. I have to dig deep to find the strength to not stop at this point. The aroma of the sauteed vegetables is so enticing that I'm tempted to eat the flavorful vegetables. Once again, I fought off the urge to stop and I added the chicken broth.

I brought the soup to a boil and added the broccoli florets and mushrooms. I also added freshly ground pepper and salt and let it cook for 10 more minutes. Finally, I added one pint of half & half. In the end, it turned out very well. The bread bowls were "key," though.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 shallot
4 baby red potatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 cartons of chicken broth
1/2 carton of vegetable broth
2 pounds broccoli florets
8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms
4 ounces Shiitake mushrooms
one pint half & half

Music: Dropkick Murphy's - I'm Shipping Up to Boston
Weather: a balmy 5 below zero

Steak fajitas with guacamole

When I was a child growing up, every New Year's Eve we had crab legs. I wasn't fond of seafood at a young age, so I'd get my own dish of something simple, usually mac & cheese. Sometimes, we even tried Red Lobster, but the seafood smell made me sick, so my whole family sacrificed that tradition on my behalf (I have since acquired a taste for seafood, by the way).

Now that I have a family, I've been very interested in developing our own family traditions and I'm pretty sure I stumbled across a new tradition as this New Year's Day meal was outstanding. I'm banking on these steak fajitas with homemade guacamole bringing my family luck in 2010. If 2010 is, in fact, a great year, you can be sure to see steak fajitas on the menu January 1, 2011.

I used the always trusty Carne Asada from Trader Joe's. I have yet to cook premarinaded meat from TJ's that wasn't mind blowing. The Carne Asada is always very tender and has the perfect amount of kick. I usually toss the steaks on the grill, but today I pan-fried them (less than best, but still great).

Like traditional fajitas, I sauteed a green pepper and red onion in olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper. Eventually, I combined the steak and vegetables so they were "sizzling" as we served them.

To top the fajitas, I quickly put together some delicious guacamole. I made a lot so we could enjoy it throughout the evening with tortilla chips. I used my brother's secret weapon - an orange. It did the trick. It was good enough to eat with a spoon (which happened more than once). I combined 4 avocados, 3 tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic and 1/2 red onion plus the juice from one lemon and an orange. I like putting the avocado in the bowl quartered. When mixing together the ingredients, it softens and continues to break down. We like our guac chunky, so this is why I do it this way.

Like I said, the fajitas turned out so well that we're making this a Black family tradition. In years to come as we add members to our quaint family, we might get more robust with the menu, but in all honesty, I like the simplicity. Just fajitas. I love it.