Most Amazing Zucchini Bread Ever

What do you do with zucchinis that are larger than your entire arm? Make the most amazing zucchini bread ever! That's what I did at least when my husband brought home giant zucchinis from a friend's garden. Lemon and rosemary is what makes this zucchini bread so special. The flavors are perfectly subtle so as to make you want more of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup canola or other bland vegetable oil
• 2 packed cups of shredded zucchini with excess water strained off
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In large bowl mix all dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, sugar, and rosemary).
3. In another bowl, add all wet ingredients (egg, oil, zucchini, lemon juice, and lemon zest).
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well, but do not over mix.
5. Grease loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter into it. Cook for 45 minutes or until knife test shows it is completely cooked. 

Beef in a Leaf

This is one of the delicious things my husband makes when he decides to cook. It is made of lean sirloin strips cooked in a spicy and sweet balsamic sauce and tossed with angel hair pasta, and eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves. We pulled it out of a Weight Watcher's cookbook many years ago and we love it because it's light, but satisfying, tastes great, is colorful, and fun to eat.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound lean sirloin steak, cut into strips
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - or more if you like it hot!
• 4 cups cooked capellini (angel-hair pasta)
• lots of lettuce (large leaves)

1. In large saute pan, cook steak in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add in pasta and toss. 
4. Serve about 1/4 cup in each lettuce leaf. 

"Aunt Jackie's" Noodle Bake

When I got married, my mother-in-law gave me a recipe book of my husband's favorite childhood meals. The recipe he asks me to make most often is his Aunt Jackie's Noodle Bake. For him, it brings back memories of big family get-togethers and being at his aunts house after church on Sundays. It's amazing how food can transport you to a different time and place.

This noodle bake is pretty indulgent, but I use lighter ingredients if possible (like light cream cheese) and you can't tell that I made the substitutions.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 12 oz package egg noodles (I use pappardelle)
• 4 oz cream cheese (light okay)
• 1 cup sour cream (light okay)
• 3 stalks of green onion, finely sliced
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In saute pan, cook ground beef and drain off fat.
2. Add garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and tomato sauce, and stir together.
3. In pot, cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Add cream cheese, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and green onion.
4. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer noodle mixture with meat mixture, and top with cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cookies, Perfected

It took me lots of experimenting to finally get this recipe right. You don't have to be a bacon fanatic like me to enjoy these either! Just think childhood breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and maple syrup. Yummm!

There are 3 pieces to this cookie:

1. The chocolate chip cookie. Just follow your favorit recipe or the Nestle Toll House recipe on the back of the chocolate chips bag, but leave out the nuts. I usually like my cookies soft, but you'll want these more on the well-done side. I find using a silicone baking mat works great as you can cook them longer, but they won't get too hard.
2. The bacon. Buy a good quality bacon! And you will need lot of it: about a pound per 2 dozen cookies. Cut the bacon into small piece and cook in skillet over medium heat until it's crispy and almost burning. Remove bacon and place in bowl lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Sprinkle with salt and some brown sugar, and toss to coat evenly.
3. Maple frosting. You don't need as much frosting as you think you will need. These amounts will more than cover 2 dozen cookies. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and stir in 1.5 cup of confectioners sugar. Add 1 tablespoon maple extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt. You will need to add a splash of water in order to mix it into a smooth paste. If it's too liquid, add in more confectioners sugar. If it starts to harden up, you can zap it in the microwave which re-melt the butter.

Now that you have your 3 components, you need to assemble. Spread just enough frosting on each cookie for a thin layer, and then press on some bacon crumbles. Taste the cookie and it's it's too sweet, you can also sprinkle on some more salt. If it's too salty, use a little more frosting. Let frosting set before storing or serving.

Chocolate Cloud Souffle

Taking a bite out of a souffle is like eating a cloud. A delicious cloud.

A souffle consists of 2 parts: the base and the lift (the eggs). The base of the souffle should be about the same consistency as thick cream sauce so the souffle is not weighed down. The base should be fully cooled before adding in the whipped egg whites. Over-mixing the whipped egg whites into the base will cause the air trapped in the egg whites to deflate, so fold the whipped egg whites in gently. Lastly, serve it as soon as it comes out of the oven as a souffle will fall after just a couple minutes of being taken out. Your guests will wait for the souffle, but the souffle will wait for no one.

Ingredients:

• 7 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• garnish: confectioners sugar, fruit, or caramel sauce

1. Brush 6 6 oz ramekins with butter, then coat with sugar. Place them in the freezer.
2. Set oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400 F.
3. Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl and place over double boiler. Stir the chocolate until it's melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside.
4. Combine egg yolks and warm water in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, and continue beating until ribbons form, about 5 minutes.
5. Lightly fold the yolks into the chocolate mixture.
6. Place the egg whites and lemon juice in clean bowl and beat with electric mixer of medium speed until frothy. Then gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar and increase speed to high. Beat until the whites hold a stiff but not dry peak.
7. Working quickly, fold about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate to lighten; then fold in the remaining whites until blended.
8. Gently spoon the souffle mixture into the ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Level the surface with a straight edge, scraping any excess mixture back into the bowl.
9. Immediately bake until the souffle rises about 1 1/2 inches from the ramekins, and the tops are touched with brown, about 18-20 minutes. Remove the oven, garnish, and serve immediately.

"Oh, Baby!" Back Ribs

These ribs will leave you saying "Oh, baby!" They are that amazing. The meat melts in your mouth and the flavors are exciting. It's like party in your mouth. These baby back ribs are easy to make too- it takes some time, but it's not difficult.

I live in a small apartment so I cook these in my oven. It takes a little planning as you need to put a dry rub on the ribs the night before and it takes 3 hours hours to cook. This recipe is made for 2 racks of ribs, but you can easily make less or more. I usually make 1 rack for every 2 people... or more if we want leftovers... which we always do.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole racks of pork baby back ribs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white vingar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1. You will need to apply the dry rub to your ribs the night before and let it sit overnight. Mix together brown sugar, salt, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder. Place a slab of ribs on a peices of heavy duty tin foil, shiny side down, and rub both sides of ribs generously with the seasonings. Fold up edges of foil to create a long tent and roll up the short ends. Repeat with other rack of ribs and place in fridge overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 250.
3. In small saucepan over medium heat, mix together the wine, Worchestershire sauce, vinegar, and garlic, and bring to simmer. Open up the ribs by unfolding one of the small sides and pour in equal amounts of the liquidto each. Fold back up the side and tilt to disperse evenly.
4. Place ribs in oven and cook until meat pulls away from the bone and the bone ha good wiggle, about 2.5 hours.
5. Remove ribs from oven and allow to cool slightly. Drain the braising liquid back into the saucepan by cutting a whole in the bottom of the tinfoil and allowing to drain. Reduce braising liquid into a sauce. The sauce will be ready when it can coat the back of a spoon. 
6. Open the tin foil up completely and brush the ribs with the sauce.
7. Place the ribs under the broiler until carmelization occurs.
8. Brush the ribs again with sauce and serve.

Cheese 'N Mac...'N Bacon

Macaroni and cheese may be America’s ultimate comfort food. For me, it brings back memories of my mom’s recipe (shells with Velveeta) that I ate as a kid, the semester I spent in college studying in Russia and eating Kraft Dinner to remind me of home, a New Year’s Eve party where I attempted to make fried macaroni and cheese, and a wonderful evening I shared with my mom, husband, and a good friend in a fine restaurant in Santa Barbara where I ate the best baked macaroni and cheese that I’ve ever had.

I love a good macaroni and cheese, but hate a bad macaroni and cheese. I can't stand when the cheese separates or it leaves a puddle of grease at the bottom of my plate. A good macaroni and cheese must be baked with a crispy top, but creamy on the inside.

You may be thinking I titled my blog entry incorrectly. The cheese should be the star and that is why I call it "Cheese 'N Mac." The cheese comes first! Unless there is bacon... Then it get complicated. Here is my recipe with note on what you can change to adjust it to your own tastes.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 lb raw bacon, chopped in penny size pieces. If you don't want to use bacon, you will need a couple tablespoons of butter instead.
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups milk (cool milk. If you use hot milk which some recipe say to do, you will get a lumpy sauce.)
• 3 cups shredded cheese- use whatever you like or experiment with different combinations. If I'm using bacon, I love white cheddar and brie. I also like using half white cheddar and pepper jack. Or whatever I have in the fridge and need to use up.
• Want to add sun dried tomatoes? Fresh herbs? Awesome! I love adding some chili powder for zing and extra smokiness.
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb cooked macaroni
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook bacon in medium sized pot until crispy. Leaving 2 tablespoons of grease in the pot, remove the excess bacon grease. If you aren't using bacon, just skip this step and cook the shallot and garlic in butter instead (in next step).
3. Add shallot and garlic, and cook until fragrant.
4. Add in flour and stir for about 3 minutes, until flour is cooked.
5. Pour in milk and bring sauce up to a simmer. Sauce will start to thicken.
6. Stir in cheese and other ingredients if you have them. Remove from heat once the cheese is melted.
7. Season to taste and stir in macaroni.
8. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cook for 20 minutes. If the bread crumbs don't brown, place under the broiler.