Family & Food

"It might matter so much because feeding the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them. When you nourish and sustain someone, essentially, you're saying that you want them to thrive, to be happy and healthy and able to live well." Shauna Niequist

Cooking for family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. I don't do it for the praise or the compliments. I do it because I love you and I enjoy spending time with you. Food always seems to start great conversations and always gets the stories rolling. I live in an area where most of my close friends live an hour or more away or even across state lines. My family is spread out from Atlanta, to North Carolina, to Seattle. Needless to say when we get together we surround ourselves with good food and the wonderful company of each other. I love the times I am surrounded by my friends and we are telling story after story over a great meal. Those are my favorite memories and I always look for ways to make new ones.

This past Friday we had Colin's (my husband) family over for dinner. I always start planning a dinner party by browsing through some of my favorite cookbooks or magazines. I always like to pick meals that are fun and sometimes get everyone involved in the process. This Friday I picked a meal that would be easy to serve and quick to cook. Rachel Ray is usually a good pick for a meal that takes 30 minutes or less but doesn't skimp on taste and flavors. A few cook books later I picked Chicken Parm Meatball Subs. The recipe was easy and quick and since we doubled the recipe you can easily freeze the meatballs for future pasta or sandwich dishes!

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

From Rachel Ray "2,4,6,8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds"

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (such as McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• A handful of chopped parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for liberal drizzling
• 2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (a healthy couple of pinches)
• 1can crushed tomatoes, (28 ounces), such as San Marzano brand
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
• 4 crusty 6-8-inch sub rolls
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese

PREPARATION

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, and a serious drizzle of EVOO to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. The flattened balls will stay put on your sub, no roll-aways!

Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.

While the meatballs bake, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons EVOO, about three turns of the pan, and garlic and cook 5 minutes then remove the cloves. Add crushed red pepper flakes then tomatoes and stir in the chicken stock. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.

Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.

Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Combine the provolone and remaining Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.

We served a nice Italian Style salad as a side so that the subs could take center stage!

Enjoy!

Fruit of the Summer

As summer is nearing the end, the days are getting shorter and the chill in the air is starting to come through the hot summer sun. At this point we are trying to get in as much of the summer joys as we can. One thing this summer I am obsessed with is homemade fruit Popsicles! I was given an instant Popsicle maker as a Christmas Gift last year and forgot about it till about May and have gone nuts with it since!

Zoku is the name of the brand and I know you can purchase it at William Sonoma. There are quite a few parts you have to buy to get the most out of it but it is worth all the fun you can have with it!

If you have ever used the Kitchen Aid mixer ice cream maker attachment (a mouthful!) then using the Zoku is going to be easy. The night before you are going to use it stick it in the freezer for at least 12 to 24 hours. Pick your recipe and have fun! I was also given the William Sonoma Ice Pops cookbook which has opened my mind to all kinds of flavor ideas.

The best part about this Zoku is that it takes around 6-10 minutes to freeze and get the pops ready to be eaten! My favorite recipe so far has been the Fresh Peach which I was lucky enough to get some amazing Georgia Peaches! Others we have made were the Watermelon Lime, Cantaloupe, Strawberry and Yogurt, Peaches and Yogurt, and of course Classic Fudge!

Now remember you do not have to own a Zoku to make these yummy treats. You can use an ice cube tray, a nonstick muffin pan, or individual silicone cupcake cups. Just keep in mind those methods are not instant and will take up to 2 to 4 hours depending on the recipe.

If you love mixing up the summer fruits and having them in a variety of settings then invest in this wonderful appliance! It will become a summer staple during those hot days. To get you started I have posted the Fresh Peach recipe below!

ENJOY :-)

3 ripe peaches about 1lb (peeled if desired)

1/4 cup superfine sugar

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

a pinch of salt

Makes 6-8 pops

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits, then chop the flesh. Place in a blender or food processor. Add the sugar, lemon juice, salt, and 1/4 cup water and process until the mixture is completely smooth.

If using conventional ice pop molds, divide the mixture among the molds, cover and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. If using sticks, insert them into the molds when the pops are partially frozen, after about 1 hour, then continue to freeze until sold, at least three more hours.

If using an instant ice pop maker, follow the manufacturer's instructions to fill the molds and freeze the pops.

Peeling...How much skin have you lost?

Peeling vegetables or fruits can be so time consuming and annoying. I personally want the quickest and most efficient way.


I have always gone back and forth between the vegetable peeler and a simple kitchen knife. They both always felt so ackward to me. I usually drop whatever I am peeling or the utensil goes flying into the sink. Or I miss the vegetable all together and peel off a layer of my skin. NOT FUN! Plus when using the peeler to your left the skin always gets stuck in the hole and you have to stop and clean it out. Grrr....bad peeler!


I did find a solution to some of my problems. I was shopping at Le Gourmet Chef and I found a cute little peeler for only $5.95. It is called the Chef'n Palm peeler. Your middle finger goes in the little hole and you can easily hold the vegetable in a firm grasp and not worry about either going flying or hurting your skin! The sad part is it does jam with the skin from the vegetable. Also Colin (my husband) has big hands and his fingers do not fit in the hole. So he prefers the old peeler. For me peeling goes by quicker and with no injuries to me or the vegetable. You can find this wonderful gadget at most specialty food stores.

If you have any fun gadgets that work for you! Let me know!

Happy cooking :-)

Recipe of the Week!

Have a spring/summer party that requires you to bring an appetizer?!? I have the PERFECT recipe that will be a HUGE hit. I have taken these to countless parties and they are gone before the first 6 pack!

Opened-Faced Cucumber Sandwiches

1 3 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon of dill weed
1 teaspoon of chopped chives
1 cucumber
8 slices of bread

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix well. (I use my food processor. Quick and mixes so well!) Cover and chill for at least an hour. Peel and cut your cucumber into slices.

Now there so many ways to put these sandwiches together. I use Pepperidge Farm VERY THIN sliced bread. It comes in white or whole wheat. I cut the slices diagonal and spread the cream cheese mixture on one side and top with a cucumber. That way no bread is wasted by using a cookie cutter to get a round shape. If you prefer the uniform look then go the cookie cutter route. Either way these are SURE to be a hit at your summer bashes. Depending on the size of your party but I always quadruple the recipe.

If you do use this recipe please let me know how it went! :-)
Enjoy!

Introduction

Hello Friends, Family, and Guests :-)

As most of you know I LOVE to be in the kitchen. I am all about trying recipes or making up my own. I come from a family of chefs. My Grandmother was always in the kitchen using old recipes or trying out new ones. I have a sister who is currently attending Culinary school and who is VERY creative in the kitchen. I have started keeping track of recipes that I like and ideas that come into my head and how they have worked out. I am very interested in specialty needs. I have friends that are allergic to gulten and dairy and I am all about getting them to eat every day items such as pizza and pasta and having them taste just as good as the real stuff.

I LOVE sharing what works and what doesn't and I thought why NOT have a BLOG. They are the "it" thing on the internet these days right?

My blog will be dedicated not just to recipes but to all things KITCHEN. The lastest in gadgets and appliances. Maybe even ways to save some money but still get the best quality of items.

So stop by anytime you want and please give me feedback. I am trying to find exactly what my passion is and advice and critism are the best ways to learn!

Thank you and Happy Cooking :-)
Kimberly