Panzanella

First, I need to tell you that I updated this page.

Next, I need to tell you about Panzanella, the salad that I'm craving AGAIN as I write this post.  It's so good.  One of my favorite salads of all time.

I learned about Panzanella a few years ago.

My life was incomplete before the discovery of Panzanella.

I wonder what else my life is missing that I am unaware of?

So I made this salad to go with this cannelloni.  It's perfect because panzanella takes care of a bread need and a salad need.  It's like a two-fer.

Anyway, chop up your day-old bread (day-old is actually important, because if it's a little stale, it will crisp up in the oven better and then soak up the vinaigrette in the salad better.  Definitely want day-old)

now toss it with some olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan.

It is an Italian salad, after all.  So we needed some Parmesan.

Now bake the croutons until they're browned and crunchy.

We want them really crunchy so they will soak up the yummy garlicky vinaigrette we're going to pour over them.

Okay, while the bread is in the oven becoming croutons, it's a good time to chop up the veggies and put them in a bowl.

A big bowl.

Because this is a lot of veggies.  I like tomatoes, cucumbers (sometimes I seed them, sometimes I don't), and red onion.

Okay, now work on the vinaigrette.  Just whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, dijon and seasonings.

And remember to add the capers!

Capers are so weird.  And salty.  And good.

I could drink this stuff with a straw.  Is that gross?

If raw garlic bothers you, just toss it with the bread in the oven.  Just don't - by any means - leave it out.


Now!  We're finally ready to toss everything together.  Do it while the bread is warm, and it soaks up that garlic vinaigrette like a sponge.  It's like croutons on steroids.

It's real Italian.

At least I think it is.

Whatever it is, it's awesome.


Panzanella
Inspired by Barefoot Contessa

2 English cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
2 pints grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 red onion, sliced in half and then sliced into thin half-moons
1/4 cup (about 10-15 leaves) chopped basil leaves

Croutons:
1 lb. day-old bread, cut into cubes
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Garlic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 T capers

Toss the veggies in a large bowl.  For the croutons, toss the bread with the olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-25 minutes, tossing once, until the croutons are browned evenly and crunchy.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.  About 20-30 minutes before serving, toss together the croutons (preferably still warm) and the veggies and then top with the dressing.  The warm bread will absorb the vinaigrette and will taste delicious.  Serve at room temperature.

Very Strawberry Cupcakes

My baby turned two years old this week!

So I made her these cupcakes because she's my cupcake.  She loved them.  Girl doesn't get sugar very often, and you don't want to get in between her and sugar when she does get the opportunity.

Plus, she's used to being the little...and she's getting ready to be the middle.

Oh my.  Bless her heart.



So about these cupcakes.  If you like very moist, very strawberry-y, very yummy cupcakes topped with very creamy, very pink and very cream-cheesy icing, you should make these ASAP.

Here's how I did it.  I adapted it from Paula Deen's strawberry cake...very similar, but I changed a few things, like making them into cupcakes!  I know, how did I ever come up with such a great idea.

There's a couple of steps, but they're easy.  And the results are more than worth it.

Put the cake mix, gelatin, water, vegetable oil and eggs in the bowl of a mixer.

And then put the (thawed) strawberries in the food processor.

Puree them with the juice of a lemon!

And then reserve 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree, because we'll need it for the icing in a minute.

Just like that.

Now add the rest of the strawberry puree to the mixer and beat the cupcake ingredients together.

When the cake is ready, prep your cupcake tins with liners, and fill the tins about 2/3 full.

Bake them until they are perfectly moist.

Let them cool while you work on the icing.  Beat together the remaining 1/4 cup strawberry puree, cream cheese and butter.

When that is creamy, add the powdered sugar and blend again.

Now we're ready to ice!

Everyone's got at least one Spring birthday in their family.  Make someone the best birthday cupcakes ever!

Very Strawberry Cupcakes
Adapted from Paula Deen
makes about 20-24 cupcakes, depending on size

Strawberry Cupcakes:
18.5 oz. white cake mix
3 oz. box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
16 oz. container frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and divided
Juice of a lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. block cream cheese, at room temperature
4 T (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup strawberry puree from the 16 oz. container you used for the cupcakes
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the strawberries with the lemon juice.  Reserve 1/4 cup of strawberry puree for the icing.

Combine the cake mix, gelatin, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and the remaining pureed strawberry mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Stop and scrape the bowl, especially the bottom, well.  Beat on medium-high for two minutes.

Scoop batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.  You want to fill the cups about 2/3 full.  Bake on 350 for 12-14 minutes, until just done.  Cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the icing, blend the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and strawberries together until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and blend again until smooth.  Frost cupcakes generously.  I like to use a medium-sized scoop to put a scoop of icing on top of each cupcake, then spread it on top of the cupcake just a little bit.  It's the perfect amount of frosting.

Frittata Florentine

I love quiche, frittata and eggs in general.

I eat eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I made this for dinner.

Full of protein.

Oh, and it has spinach, too.  So that's always a good thing.

I never understand people who don't like eggs.

They're one of my favorite foods.

I could eat them every day.

Especially with cheese.

Frittata Florentine
Adapted from Paula Deen

4 eggs
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 shallot, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or feta cheese is delicious too)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, shallot, salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and stir to combine.  Add the cheese and combine.  Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 45-55 minutes, until set.  Serve hot.

Blackberry Crumb Cake

You know you love crumb cake.

At least I know I love crumb cake.

It's the perfect way to eat cake for breakfast.  Not that I've had a problem with that in the past.

But some people might.

I'm just not one of them.

So!  Let's make some blackberry crumb cake.

Make a yummy cake and stir in some blackberries

And spread it in a round cake pan.

Now it's time to make the yummy crumbly part.

Mix it together, and sprinkle it over the top...

and then bake it...

then slice it...

and eat it.

Blackberry Crumb Cake


3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 oz. blackberries (fresh are best but frozen would work)

For the crumb topping:
3 T sugar
3 T packed brown sugar
4 T butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour

Stir together the sugar, egg, oil, milk, vanilla and lemon zest.  Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until combined.  Fold in the blackberries.  Spread in a greased 9" round cake pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the crumb topping.  Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

Hey y'all.  I made this the other day.  I don't have any pictures of a slice of this quiche because it was gone as soon as I sliced it.

So you'll have to use your imagination: crust, broccoli, cheese, custard.  Yum.

My mom told me that she made this recipe up it sounded awesome.  I couldn't wait to try it.

I'm telling you, it's more awesome than I can tell you.

Huh?

My brain is a little fried.

I'm trying to act like a normal person but it's hard.  I'm sure I'll get there eventually.

Hang with me.  And in the meantime, go whip up this quiche.  It's ridiculous.

Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche

1 Pillsbury pie crust, at room temperature
7 oz. broccoli florets, steamed until tender
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups half-and-half
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Press the pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges.  Lay the broccoli florets on the crust.  Cover with the cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs and salt and pepper.  Pour carefully over the cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean or with some cheese clinging to it.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Oh, I just love adding to my collection of what to do with a cake mix...

And I just love cooking cakes in a bundt pan.

I think bundt cakes may be a Southern thing.  I'm not for sure about that, though.

Do you have one of these?

You should.

So you can make this with it.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake


18 oz. box yellow cake mix
3 oz. instant vanilla pudding
3 oz. instant chocolate pudding
3/4 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Add the cake mix, both puddings, oil, vanilla, milk, eggs and sour cream in the bowl of a mixer.  Beat it on low speed for 30 seconds.  Turn it up to medium-high and beat for another two minutes.  Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into a greased bundt pan.  Bake on 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out just clean.

Hashbrown Casserole

Hi there.  There's probably no one left out there because I posted a whopping two recipes last month.  Sad. Pathetic.  I know.  I've breached my duty as a food blogger.

I'll try to purge the words duty and breach from my vocabulary.

After nine weeks of preparation, I finally took the bar exam last week.  (Sigh of relief.)

I know you're almost as relieved as I am that the bar exam is over.  Now I'll stop talking about it, right?  Right.

So I actually did take a couple hours off of studying one day and actually left my house.  Wearing real clothes and everything.  And I went to MOPS.  And I took this hashbrown casserole.

And it was warm and creamy and cheesy and yummy.

And then I came back home, put back on my yoga pants and my husband's Kentucky t-shirt, and hit the books again.

Thank goodness my life is back.

Creamy Hashbrown Casserole


2 lb. bag frozen hashbrowns
10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick butter
1 onion, diced

Melt the butter in a skillet and saute the onion for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until it begins to soften.  In a large bowl, stir the remaining ingredients together and stir in the butter and sauteed onion.  Spread in a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake on 350 for about an hour, until golden brown on top and bubbly on the sides.

You can make this (unbaked) up to two days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.  When you are ready, let it sit on the counter for about an hour (until it comes to room temperature), then bake as directed.