I've written another waffle recipe before that involved whipping egg whites until they're stiff then folding them into the batter.  The results made a crispy waffle but it sure was A LOT of arm work.  I tried another waffle recipe this week that called for less whipping using whole eggs.  Yeah!  This recipe produced a much crispier  waffle that had snap.  It was just as creamy in the center and they held up well to reheating in the toaster.  SOLD!!!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Makes 12 4-inch waffles.

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup neutral tasting oil
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat waffle iron.  Beat eggs with hand beater until fluffy.  In a separate bowl, beat remaining ingredients together until smooth.  Stir in fluffy eggs.  Pour up to 1/4 cup batter over each 4-inch grid.  Bake until waffle iron indicates the waffles are cooked.  Remove waffles carefully and place on cooling rack to keep them dry and crisp.

Top with your favorite syrup or fruit spread.

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This recipe is about the marinade I soaked the chicken boobs in.  That colorful vegetable medley on the side is Sweet & Zesty Fiesta Salad.  It works as an addictive dip or a beautiful side to the chicken.  I've also eaten it all by itself for a light lunch.  It's very versatile.

As for the marinade, the perky lime juice mingles with the fresh onion and spicy garlic.  The parsley and rosemary add color and a fresh taste of bright green to the chicken.  All together, they make an incredibly flavorful chicken that only needs a hot grill to finish it off.  You could easily roast the chicken after marinating it, but I like firing up the grill any chance I get.

BRAZILIAN GARLIC-LIME MARINADE
Makes 1 cup; enough to marinate 2 to 3 pounds of meat.

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, enough to make 1/3 cup
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

Place garlic, onion and salt in a 1-cup food processor until finely chopped.  Scrape into dish or bag you will use to marinate meat.  Add the lime juice, vinegar, parsley and rosemary.  The marinade taste best used within a few hours of making.

Use this marinade for pork, chicken or lamb.  Marinate thin cuts of meat (steaks, chops, and chicken boobs), covered in the frig for 1 to 2 hours; larger cuts of meat, such as pork loins or shoulders, for 6 to 8 hours or even overnight.

IF YOU'RE GRILLING THE CHICKEN

Make SURE to coat the chicken with cooking oil before placing on the grill, to prevent sticking.  Grill chicken as you normally prefer.

IF YOU'RE ROASTING THE CHICKEN

Make sure to coat the chicken with cooking oil.  Heat oven to 350ºF degrees. On a baking sheet covered with heavy duty foil, drizzle and coat breasts with light cooking oil. Bake covered for 35 to 40 minutes for bone-in breasts. For boneless breasts, roast for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

My beautiful friend, Cheryl, brought this incredibly addictive salad slash dip to our party the other night.  She carried it in a BIG ol'bowl.  I thought she might have gone overboard and made too much.  It turned out, she knew exactly how much to make.   We couldn't get enough of this tangy sweet collage of goodness.  We walked past it dipping our chips all night long.  And when it was time to eat our grilled fajitas, we went back to the bowl to make it a condiment. I was lucky there was just enough leftover that I could photograph it in good light the next day.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 (14 oz.) can shoe peg corn with liquid
• 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 oz.) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small jar diced pimentos with liquid
• 2 bell peppers, red, green, yellow or mix, cored, seeded, medium diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 cup celery, finely diced (optional)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely diced

Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl.

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In small saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining ingredients to a boil.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat evenly.  Marinade in the fridge 4 hours or overnight.

Serve with tortilla chips as a dip.  Most scrumptious as a condiment with fajitas or as a side salad

Makes 10 cups.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

I lurv asparagus right up there with spinach.  Don't you?  I have eaten it snapped off fresh, coming out of the ground.  Of course, I prefer it sauteed in good extra virgin oil with a few cloves of garlic and seasoned with fresh ground pepper.  *mouth watering*

HERES ALL IT TAKES

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & fresh pepper to taste

Prep asparagus by snapping off the thick ends.  Just bend the bottom stalk and it will naturally snap off, discard thick ends.  Wash thoroughly.  Peel and slice garlic cloves.

Heat oil in a medium fry pan on medium heat until oil is shimmering but not smoking.  Add asparagus and garlic and cook until garlic has soften and lightly tan, 4 to 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Oh the joy of discovering excellent recipes!  My heart is full with happiness and my stomach cannot wait to taste this nurturing soup again.  I wish I could claim full credit, but I cannot.  This is the fine work of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup.

It serves 6 to 8, easy.  I enjoyed it twice in one day last weekend, it's so smooth and satisfying. It's called creamless AND creamy because the recipe does not call for heavy cream or half-n-half.  The creamy texture comes from using 3 slices of sandwich bread.  I kid you not, it's the secret ingredient to its success.  My family didn't have a clue; they didn't even ask.  They just slurped it down as they groaned over their bowls.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step.

The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup, published September 1, 2008, from Cook's Illustrated.com.

MY COOKING NOTES:

• I wanted to use my very favorite canned tomatoes, San Marzano whole plum tomatoes.  They're sweet with the right level of acidity for soups and sauces.  They cost more than the average can of whole tomatoes, but they're worth it when I need a tomato sauce to stand alone.  I use the other brand tomatoes for chilis and salsas.  Taste them for yourself and you'll know where I'm coming from.
• I saved the pinch of red pepper flakes as the last seasoning before serving the grown ups.  I was afraid the heat would be noticeable to the kiddos.  I wanted them to love this soup and didn't need reasons for them not to like it.
• I skipped the brandy.  No one in my family has ever tasted it.  I don't keep it on hand.  So, I figured no one would know it was missing. Right?
• I didn't have onion chives, but I did have garlic chives from the herb garden.  They were perfect.
• I used my immersion blender to puree the tomato-bread mixture.  Then I passed it through a mesh strainer before adding the broth.  This removed the seeds and stray bits of tomato skins, along with taking the soup to the next smoothest texture.  It makes all the big difference in making the soup feel creamy in the mouth.  It's worth it when I take the extra 3 minutes to strain the soup.
• Next time, I'm doubling the recipe so I can freeze servings for make-ahead-lunches.  Since there's no dairy involved, this recipe is sure to hold up for future meals.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This cheesy broccoli and rice recipe was a BIG HIT with the family.  It made a perfect side to a batch of crispy, chicken.  It, also, made a filling vegetarian lunch the next day.  I thought it was even better the next day.
Broccoli rice recipes I've tried in the past left me with overcooked broccoli and dried out rice.  I like my broccoli to have a bite and I want the rice to blend with the creamy cheese sauce that holds it all together.

Well, I was so impressed with the creaminess of the Smoked Gouda and Cheddar Mac with Spinach recipe, I thought I'd follow it again to make my own creamy, cheesy broccoli rice recipe. The results yielded a dish full of broccoli goodness and soul satisfying creaminess.

Precooking the long grain rice gave me control to have a moist, fluffy and flavorful rice.  Blanching the broccoli ensured I would have the right bite to my vegetable.  Then baking it off in the oven for 20 minutes brought all the ingredients together under a topping of sharp cheddar cheese.  Mmmmm...

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

First, fill a large saucepan with water, set to boil over medium-high heat for blanching the broccoli.
Then, get the rice started.

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2 cups hot water

In a medium saucepan, lightly brown rice and sliced garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes on medium heat; constantly stirring.  Add hot water, stir; cover with lid.  Reduce heat to low and cook 12 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

PREHEAT OVEN 400ºF. Grease 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan.

While you're waiting for the rice to absorb the water,
blanch the broccoli.

• 3 small to medium crowns of broccoli, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces

Blanch 4 minutes in boiling water.  Use a slotted spoon to lift out broccoli to a strainer set over a bowl to drain.  Allow broccoli to cool enough to handle.  Roughly chop into small pieces about 3/4 to 1-inch in size. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Bring it all together.

• 2 1/2 cups cooked rice from above
• 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated
• 1 (12 ounce) can CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 2 tablespoons  yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Measure out the rice. (You'll have leftover rice.)

In the mixing bowl with the broccoli, add measured rice, 1 cup cheddar, all the jack cheese, evaporated milk, onion, salt and pepper.  Transfer to 8-inch pan.  Top with remaining cheddar.
Bake 20 minutes.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This recipe has been sponsored by the cool folks over at One2One Network in partnership with Nestle Carnation The Cooking Milk. This is my own twist on the Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac recipe from the free CARNATION - Holiday Guide.pdf I received from Carnation Cooking Milk.

I'm a big, BIG fan of spinach.  Anytime I can get away with mixing it into a dish, I do it!  This particular dish had my interest because it I knew it would work for both my cheesy-noodle-lovin-kids, my not-so-crazy-about-spinach-husband and me. ;D  It had the thick, creamy texture we want from a baked macaroni dish.  And the iron rich spinach made it guilt-free when I went back for seconds.  This recipe goes into the monthly rotation under the comfort food category for sure!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
• 1 can (12 oz.) CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil.  Blanch spinach in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain spinach in a strainer set inside a bowl.  Set aside.  When cool enough to touch, roughly chop the spinach.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the same boiling water with heat set to medium, pour in dry macaroni and cook until tender to the tooth, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well.  Return to saucepan.

Toss in the chopped, blanched spinach. Add the cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese, evaporated milk, salt and pepper.  Stir until combined.  Pour into prepared casserole dish.  Cover tightly with foil.

BAKE for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Download your own free copy of the CARNATION-Holiday Guide
for more savory dishes like this one.
Click here: CARNATION - Holiday Guide.pdf

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This recipe has been sponsored by the cool crowd over at One2One Network in partnership with Nestle Carnation The Cooking Milk.

Can I just tell you this is the CREAMIEST potato recipe I have ever made? When Cassie from One2One Network asked me to make two recipes using Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk in place of regular milk, I didn't think it would make much of a difference.  I was wrong.  It made a WORLD of difference to the texture of the recipes.  All my years growing up, watching my Memaw add Carnation cooking milk to her recipes, I never put the two together.  It was the secret ingredient that wasn't really a secret at all.  Memaw knew; she kept several cans of cooking milk in her pantry year round.

We, generally, think of using cooking milk in holiday recipes, more specifically, dessert recipes.  Pumpkin Pie is the first recipe that comes to mind for me.  But after thumbing through the Nestle Carnation Holiday Recipe Booklet, I was up to trying this recipe, Loaded Potato Potluck Favorite.  I knew my family would dig it.  Who doesn't love mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and bacon bits? What I didn't expect was the incredibly creamy texture.  It was what I've always wanted my mashed potatoes to taste like, but never did.  I knew right away it was because I used the cooking milk instead of regular milk.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 8 medium potatoes (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb. total), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled, divided
• Sliced green onions (optional)

Place potatoes in large saucepan.  Cover with water; bring to a boil.  Cook over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease 3-quart casserole dish.

Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Beat with hand held mixer or mash by hand until smooth.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese and half of bacon.  Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining bacon and green onions.  Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Makes 16 servings.

COOK'S TIP
This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated.  Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated.  Uncover; top with cheese, bacon and green onions; bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

EXTRA BONUS!
Download your own free copy of the CARNATION-Holiday Guide
for more savory dishes like this one.
Click here: CARNATION - Holiday Guide.pdf

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Simple and quick recipes are always my first choice when throwing together a hot lunch.  My family would eat nachos everyday, if I'd let them. They're similar to salads really, minus the greens.  We can throw just about any vegetable, legume, meat, fruit, salsa, and of course, wonderful cheese on top of a bed a chips.  Slide'em into the oven for less than 10-minutes and then we're ready to chow down.  Any combination of our favorite toppings always seems to work out into a fun & filling lunch.

Better still, making nachos is a great way to clean out the frig of all those half-cut bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.  Leftover grilled meats, cuts of cheese that are too small for a recipe, fresh herbs on their last day can be used to make fabulous nachos.

HERE'S A GOOD COMBINATION

• green bell pepper. diced small
• red bell pepper, diced small
• yellow onion, sliced thin
• tomato, seeded, diced small
• black beans, drained and rinsed
• fresh cilantro
• Monterey cheese, grated
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Habanero Cheese, grated
• tortilla chips
• sour cream for dipping
• your favorite salsa for dipping

Heat oven to 375ºF. Use a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup, or not.  Make a layer of chips on the sheet.   Arrange the toppings as you like them.  Cover lightly with grated cheeses.  Bake 7 to 10 minutes.

mmm...hot, veggie nachos

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

JUST LOOK at these golden sweet Texas peach slices.  They don't grow them like this in the grocery store.  You'll only find these sugary juicy wonders around the farmers' markets of East Texas from late-June to mid-August.  I couldn't help but make a Texas size pie when I brought them home from my own local farmers' market.  And instead of a pie plate, I pulled out the 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish and went to town.

I made the pie crust from scratch and it wasn't hard at all.  I don't know why 'they' make it sound so mysterious like it can only be made by the masters of baking.  Whatever.  I've watched the Barefoot Contessa and America's Test Kitchen make it enough, I just went for it.  It turned out just like a pie crust should.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Pie Crust

• 1 cup or 2 sticks COLD butter, cut into tablespoon slices
• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, (if you use salted butter, then do not add this extra salt)
• 7 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

In a food processor, pulse and cut butter into flour and salt until mixture makes small pea size crumbs.  With the processor on, add ice cold water through the top until all the flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.

Gather pastry into a ball; shape into flattened round. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  When you're ready to assemble the pie, then divide dough in half.  Roll out each half onto a lightly floured surface to the size of your baking dish.  Lay the pressed dough over the rolling pin to help pick up and move the dough to the buttered dish.

Texas Peach filling

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 to 8 cups fresh sliced peaches (about 7 to 10 peaches)
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter

HEAT OVEN 425ºF.

After slicing all those peaches, make sure there will be enough to fill the casserole dish before prepping the dish for baking.  You may need extra peaches or you may have too many, it's good to check before going further.

Mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla.  Stir in the measured peaches and lemon juice.

Prepare bottom layer of pastry and lay into bottom of the buttered 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish. Don't worry about it being pretty, no one will notice the bottom.

Pour peach mixture into pastry-lined dish. Dot with 3 tablespoons of butter.  Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal and decorate to your fancy.

Seen here sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and hearts smeared with softened butter.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Allow to cool so the peach filling has time to solidify, otherwise it will run out and fall apart as you try to move it to your plate.  Trust me on this one.

Fresh and hot out of the dish.

After the pie has had time to cool completely.

.

I made this big casserole size pie thinking it would be the dessert for the weekend.  Well, after sharing about two-thirds of it with dear friends and neighbors, my own family DEVOURED the remaining portion in one day.  So much for the weekend.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.