Cookbook Forthcoming

I cook, I like to cook, I like to be organized about my cookbooks. And so I'm combining all the recipes I use on a regular basis into one huge PDF file and will eventually have it available to download. This may take a few weeks because I want to make sure I put everything I can possible think of into it. So yes, be on the look out. Soon you'll be cooking like Kristina, who cooks like the foodnetwork.

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Link to cooking blog

Recipe Review: Moroccan Chicken

Yum. I think I added too much lemon juice, but that's alright because I didn't actually measure anything. It was great. Quick, easy, yummy. It doesn't get better than that.

Food Review: Southern Chicken with Corn Fritters

I made this a few weeks ago for my family, I enjoyed it. My daughter devoured the corn fritters.

4 chicken portions
Flour for coating
Matzo meal for coating
2 eggs beaten
6TBSP margarine
3 TBSP corn oil
2/3 c soy milk
1 c flour, sifted
8 oz canned corn kernels, drained

Coat the chicken with flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, then into the matzo meal pressing firmly. Chill for 10 minutes to allow the coating to set.

Heat half the margarine and half the oil in a large skillet. Fry chicken until brown, remove with slotted spoon and place in an oven proof dish. Cover and bake @ 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the remaining egg to soy milk and mix. Stir in flour, then season to taste. Stir in corn.

Heat the remaining margarine and oil in skillet and drop table spoons of batter in and fry until brown. Remove with slotted spoon and keep hot.

Kristina Cooks Chicken in Picante Sauce!

Last night I made Chicken in Picante Sauce for some friends. I think it turned out fabulously. We were running a little behind schedule so the sauce didn't get to cook for as long as it calls for, but for the twenty minutes it did get I think it was great. Very easy to make (I think the most difficult thing for me was peeling the tomatoes. I'd never done that before), quite yummy. My friend made garlic mashed potatoes for the side. Have I told you garlic makes me happy? ;)

The Best Ice Cream...EVER.

Today I took the kids out for a day of shopping and eating with a friend of mine. Once we finished getting jeans for my son we headed to Denny's and had lunch. Worst waiter ever, good burger. At any rate they certainly weren't going to get our business for dessert so my friend suggested we go to Cold Stone Creamery. I'd never been there. She pointed out what she was getting, told me I could get a sample of any of the ice cream and if I didn't want one of the combinations they had I could make my own from an assortment of ice cream and about 20 different kinds of candy. Needless to say my sweet tooth took over. William had plain chocolate and I got Chocolate Devotion. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, and brownie. It was a chocolate over load. I was in heaven (hmm if heaven is half as good as that ice cream I'm going to be so happy.) Best ice cream I've had. Go get some.

More Food! Chocolate Ravioli

Can anyone say yummy? I made these tonight for dessert. Just watch your time and how high your heat is b/c they burn easy. I skipped the mint because I don't like it.

Food Review: Chicken Saltimbocca with Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto

Last night I made Chicken Saltimbocca with Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto for the second time. The first time I made it I had partnered up with a friend of mine and we made it for her grandparents who are in their 70s, this time I made it for a family that is near and dear to my heart with two children as well as my own children.

Here's the run down:

It is pretty easy to do all you really need is to allow yourself enough time to make it, if you rush you can get easily overwhelmed. Smell factor? Fantastic, I love the way this meal smells. Of course I use more garlic than it calls for, and we all know how I feel about garlic. The kids seemed to enjoy it, despite the appearance of spinach in the chicken, even my boy ate it and he eats almost nothing new.

My alterations

Last night I didn't use cannellini beans because the store didn't have them when I went shopping. I don't remember what I used, but either way it turned out fine. Also, rather than getting some greans and laying the beans out on that I just took some of the spinach from the chicken and mixed it in with the beans. It tasted pretty good to me, and I don't normally like spinach or beans.

So, wrapping up I think the meal was a success, I enjoyed making it, and unless I hear from my friend nobody got food poisoning as a result of eating it. So, this meal is an easy five stars.

Have I mentioned I Love to Cook?

I've got a few more recipes to add to my list in the sidebar, will do over the weekend. But really, I've discovered cooking the past couple of years. This year especially I've seen my skills in the kitchen blossom. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It's been an adventure because I've never had 99% of the things I've been making, and amazingly they've turned out well. I think cooking is quickly becoming one of my favorite past times, even if the people I cook for tend to be unadventurous.

Right now I've got some chicken I threw together with diced tomatoes, olive oil, and tons of garlic cooking and it smells fabulous. I love the smell of garlic especially. I'm a garlic nut, everything I make lately is loaded up with it. YUMMY. So yes, I like to cook and I really love garlic. The end.

Oh foodnetwork, how I love thee

Especially Rachel Ray. This is what I am making for dinner tomorrow. I was watching 30 minute meals tonight, saw that and just had to go to the store right then so I could make it tomorrow. Do I shop when I'm hungry? Yes, but then dinner the next day is always really great. So, shopping when hungry is not bad, unless all you eat are potato chips.

Poached Halibut with Tomato and Basil with Mediterranean Succotash

Yummy looking foods

I love Rachel Ray from the food network. She's funny, and has a great show. Everything she makes is able to be done in under 30 minutes, including side dishes and quite often desserts as well, and it's generally pretty healthy and insanely good tasting. So, I'm trying a new recipe tonight. It looked so good when I saw her make it I just couldn't resist. Anyone in the mood for Chicken Satay Salad Sammies? ;) I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.

Oh, if you need some new recipes to try out, you really should check out food network, they have some great ideas. I think I have about a million things bookmarked, have made about 10 things off their website and they all turned out great...granted most of them were off of 30 minute meals, but come on, who really wants to spend forever in the kitchen anyway?

Baked Pigeons with Bacon & some food for thought

Servings: 3-4
6 Pigeons, cleaned
6 Bacon slices
Water
Salt & pepper to taste

Wrap a bacon slice around each de-boned dove breast. Place in shallow baking dish and add s&p. Add 1 C water. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Thanks to Dave again. I've got two more of these babies. Whoever reads this could start a restraunt...and save money on the pest control for that restraunt. And if you start cooking up bugs you'd save all kinds of money. Dip those spiders in chocolate. You know I've always wanted to try chocolate covered crickets, everyone thinks I'm nuts. They do it all over the world. Heck, in Asia they eat LIVE squid as a test for bravery.

I remember way back in the day when I used to watch MTV (I think it was about 6-7 years ago when I stopped) I remember seeing Road Rules, only God knows what season it was, and they had a cook off between girls and boys & the girls made something really normal and good, and the boys made chocolate & cricket cookies. And they didn't tell the girls till after they had all eaten a cookie and one girl went and threw up. And I just remember thinking that I'd like to try those cookies b/c those girls were wusses.

Tired of pigeon poop?

Well grab your BB Gun and get shooting...and then make dinner. Here is a recipe for cooking pigeon! There will be more posted at a later time and date.

Pan-Roasted Rock Doves
Servings: 3

4 Tbsp All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Black pepper
6 Rock Doves, cleaned
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Bacon drippings
1 C Dry white wine
1 1/2 C Veal or chicken broth
1 Tbsp Red currant jelly

Combine 2 Tbsp flour, salt & 1 tsp black pepper; dredge doves in mixture. Brown doves on both sides in butter and bacon drippings in a large skillet. Gradually add 1/2 C wine, 3/4 C broth & jelly. Cover and cook over low heat 40 minutes. Remove doves and keep warm.

Combine 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 C wine & 3/4 C broth, stirring until flour dissolves. Gradually add flour mixture to the pan drippings. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Serve the gravy with doves.

Thanks to David L. Shangle, BCE (Dalsh Consulting, Burr Ridge, IL) for the recipe!