I'm Coocoo for Couscous!

Couscous is something I have been wanting to try out forever. It is a coarse wheat product that is used all over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Traditionally it is used as a vehicle for stew or meat. However, more modern takes include cooking it as a side dish, much like any rice, and stirring in dried fruits, nuts, and herbs. With some slightly picky-eaters on my hands I had to be careful what I put into my dish. Despite my limitations it had lots of flavor. Instead of water, I cooked it in chicken broth, with dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Then after it had soaked up the spicy broth, I finished it with a squeeze of lemon juice and some chopped parsley. I paired it with a simply marinated chicken breast and a salad. Turns out healthy CAN be flavorful.

I'm Going Banannas!

For years the overripe bananas have been piling up inside the freezer. Every now and then Mom will get around to making banana bread. Well, I decided to help her out and get rid of a few of the brown freezer rejects. I found a mix-and-match recipe in one of my latest Food Net. Magazines. First you picked your fruit, then your"mix-ins", and next you made the batter. I chose banana with chocolate chips and pecans. Then you mix your wet and dry separately, then stir together until just combined. Next pour into a buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 for an hour. The loaf came out nice and moist. I wasn't a fan of banana bread before, but I sure am now. Chocolate can make anything tasty!

Keesh Komponents!

Quiche is a French word, that now refers to a savory egg pie. However, the dish got its roots in Germany, and was known there as a kuche, or cake. A kuche is one of those dishes that you can add just about anything you like. So this is my version. I first made my pie crust. Then I sauteed a zucchini, that Mom and I bought at an organic farmer's market. While it cooked, I sliced a couple of potatoes and some of my home-grown cherry tomatoes. Then I chopped some of my garden's herbs and grated the Parmesan cheese we bought in Florence. The finale was some chopped garlic. I layered it all in my crust and then drowned it in an egg-cream mixture, with some salt and pepper. It got a topping of cheese and then into the oven she went. Not bad for my first attempt!

Trash to Treasure!

One of my biggest pet peeves in throwing away food, so when I bought a batch of apples that were no good for raw consumption I had to think up a way to cook them so that they didn't go to waste. My first thought was apple butter. I had already made it once before and it was very simple. Chop up the apples and let them simmer in a brown sugar-spice-cider bath for several hours. Then I just pureed the mixture in a blender until smooth. Another great thing about apple butter is that if jarred and stored properly it can keep for a long time. I look forward to another opportunity to turn trash into treasure!

Cheesy Feast!

Breakfast can't always be such a production, but when I get the chance to eat something other than peanut butter toast I take it. I am now officially out of school for the summer, and out of high school until next week. I still have graduation practice, but I thought I'd celebrate my short-lived freedom with a divine breakfast. These cheddar biscuits are fairly easy and fun to make if you like to get a little messy with the flour. They are a delight to eat with a honey in the morning. Or you can slice them in half and make mini tomato-basil sandwiches. Either way they're irresistible. Wishing all a delicious morning!

It's A Cake Walk

The hard work is over and its time to party! With my mom graduating, we wanted to celebrate with a surprise party at home and what better way to celebrate than with cake. I even managed to bake it in our house without her finding out. I made Ina Garten's chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. Considering that it was my first solo cake baking experience it was easy as pie...or cake. I found some decorating tips in a magazine. I made candied lemon slices by blanching them, then a dunk in an ice bath, and into a simmering pot of simple syrup. Then I made the flowers from gumdrops. All you do is roll them out with a rolling pin to a little bigger than a silver dollar. Next, cut them in half. You'll need six halves to make one flower. I took the first half and rolled it into a cylinder and then wrapped the next five halves around each other. I thought they looked very elegant with so little effort. All in all, round one was a success. I hope my next cake is this pretty and tasty.

La Dolce Vita

Dear Italy, You are my inspiration for everything. I decided to undertake another project: Manicotti. For those unfamiliar, Manicotti (AKA: Cannelloni) is a traditional Italian dish composed of stuffed crepes smothered in tomato and bechamel sauces. Manecotti means "sleeves". My sleeves were stuffed with ricotta, ground turkey, spinach, onions, and Parmesan. I topped it with my homemade marinara and bechamel sauces and a downpour of Parmesan cheese. Bellissimo!