Busy Means No Cooking

Yikes! I have been so busy writing papers for school I have not been able to blog at all. I hope to remedy that situation next week. So I will be looking for some new recipes to try. I hope to find some good ones and post them here. Stay tuned............

Going to School Pays Off

I found this great resource for recipes because of class I am taking at FDU. The class is "New Jersey History" and this weeks assignment is regarding New Jersey Agriculture. The professor gave us a link to the NJ Dept. of Agriculture website. I found a section with great recipes which use New Jersey produce and seafood. http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/ - Click on the "Jersey Fresh" and "Jersey Seafood" logos on the bottom right, then click on "recipes".

Valentine's Day Stew?

I know what you are thinking, why aren't you going out for dinner on Valentine's Day? Well we had a huge snow and ice storm in New Jersey and I am not going anywhere. So, I thought I would make some comfort food for dinner... Beef Stew. The stew I made tonight is a very simple recipe. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a recipe because I didn't use one!

I took some beef round cubes seasoned and lightly floured it. Then I browned it in a Dutch oven in a little canola oil. Added onions, garlic and let the flavors mingle. Then poured in some red wine to de-glaze the Dutch oven. Added some carrots and potatoes; then some water to make the broth. After it cooked for about 20 minutes, I added some leftover chives I had from another recipe and a little Italian parsley for color. Let it cook for about 10 minutes more. Then serve.

Serve with some crusty bread for a nice meal on a cold night.

I need to make an entree and an appetizer for a church dinner. I had a request for an appetizer I made once before. It is a great easy recipe that you can throw together with minimum ingredients and effort.

MINI STUFFED POTATOES
Whether you're watching the Super Bowl or just having friends over for a party, these potatoes are a great hors d'oeuvre. Feel free to double the recipe if you're expecting a big crowd.
12 to 15 baby red-skinned potatoes, washed, skins on 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups sour cream 5 tablespoons finely sliced scallion or chives 2 to 3 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled or finely chopped freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut potatoes in half crosswise. Mix with oil in bowl. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake potatoes until just tender, about 25 minutes, and cool completely.
In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, 4 tablespoons scallion or chives, and bacon. Add pepper to taste. Cut a thin slice off rounded end of each potato so that it will sit upright. Turn the potatoes over and, using melon baller or small spoon, scoop out some of the center of each potato (reserve for later use in potato pancakes or gnocchi). Fill with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream mixture, and garnish with the remaining scallion or chives. Serve immediately or cover and chill until needed.

Love to Cook

Ever since I was old enough to reach the kitchen counter, I have loved to cook. To me cooking is a way to relax. It fills a need in me to be creative, and also provides me with dinner! I plan to add recipes, advice and links to some excellent food related sites. Hope you enjoy it.