Kitchen Concoctions

Week of: Valentine's Day

2012-02-12T22:52:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day is Tuesday and do you know how you are celebrating with your loved ones? A romantic night in with the honey? Or braving the restaurant madness? A cute and cheezy heart shaped dinner with the kids?

As for me, since Eric has to work late that night we will be having 'date night' this week on Wednesday with dinner at home (or maybe out? Always nice to have a break from cooking) and a movie out (any you recommend?).

Anyways if you are still looking for a few last minute Valentine's Day ideas check out all the posts this past week as part of Valentine's week:

Chocolate Truffles

How To: Valentine's Day Candy Cards

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Love Shack: Valentine's Gingerbread House

How Tow: Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Romantic Dinner at Home

Chocolate and Valentine's Day go Hand n' Hand

2012-02-11T23:45:00.000-06:00

We can’t have a Valentine’s week without chocolate! Chocolate truffles are so easy to make, although (and don’t say I didn’t warn you) a bit messy. Not only are they fun, you can easily customize the flavors you want based on your desired coatings and flavor extracts.

These truffles also make a great activity to do with kids, since they literally require hands on work! Remember, it IS ok for kids to get a little messy every once in a while (wink. wink), and they will treasure any moment they are allowed to!

So skip the expensive, overpriced (and honestly sometimes unpleasant) boxed chocolates and make up a batch of homemade chocolate truffles for your loved one this year!

One Year Ago: Light Strawberry Trifle for Two
Two Years Ago: Lentil Bean Soup

Chocolate Truffles
Printable Version
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Wait Time: 3-4 hours Makes: 20-25 truffles

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Desired coatings (sprinkles, chopped nuts, cocoa, powdered sugar, coconut, etc.)

In a small saucepan, heat cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and
vanilla. Let sit for 5 minutes and then stir chocolate mixture until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill until firm, approximately 3-4 hours.

Using a small spoon, scoop out heaping spoonfuls of the firm chocolate mixture. Working quickly, to keep from chocolate from melting, roll it between the palms of your hands to form balls.

Place desired coatings in separate bowls. Roll truffle in coating of your choice and refrigerate until ready to serve.

adapted from Cook, Learn, Grow

How To: Valentine's Day Candy Cards

2012-02-10T17:46:00.000-06:00

It never fails, whenever I have plans to to a theme week something comes up and I can't blog on one of the days of the week. The blog post I am sharing today I had planned to share yesterday but due to technical difficulties it didn't go up. Since I am such a busy gal I usually type up my blog posts on my phone when I am waiting for appointments, etc., which I did yesterday. But I recently got a new phone and easily typed up my post but couldn't figure out how to upload it or copy and paste it or even email it to myself. After my loooong day yesterday I was way too tired to continue to deal with it. So the whole point to my story is that I am a day behind in sharing my Valentine's recipes so be sure and check in tomorrow for the last love fest recipe!

One of my favorite blog post that I have done in the past is my post about a candy card Valentine heart that, if you remember, I shared for last Valentine's Day. I shared with you my candy card heart poster and also shared how this candy heart has become quite the tradition. Every year that Eric and I have been together I have made him a candy heart poster for his Valentine's Day gift, not fancy and expensive but a fun tradition that we both look forward to every year (me because it gets my creative juices going and him because he gets to eat all that candy! Wining!) But I have come to find out not only is this our favorite tradition it is a top favorite blog post (and post that gets the most views according to Google) of you, the Kitchen Concoctions readers!

So I thought for this special Valentine's themed week, I would take that tradition and change it up a bit. Instead of making one big heart shaped poster with candy sayings I created individual candy Valentine cards (perfect for classmates, neighbors, co-workers, etc). I used some of my favorite sayings from the past but also created a few new ones. I even created some printable versions to make it easy for you!

You can either print the cards on cardstock and cut around the heart and then use double sided tape to adhere it directly to the chosen candy.

Or cut out the hearts, with or without the red border and using the double sided tape or use a glue stick and adhere the cards to heart shaped doilies (you can find a pack of 25-30 dollies for about a buck at craft stores and even the dollar store). Then depending on the size of your dollies adhere the candy to the front or back of the dollie card.

And you can even cut out the heart cards and adhere them to colorful cardstock, scrapbook paper, or construction paper and cut them out allowing some of the colored paper to show.

Here is the link to the printable versions. I even created one for all the Valentine haters out there and have a candy card that says "Valentine's Day Sucks!" to use with a lollipop or sucker as the candy of choice.

Here are the candy sayings I have included in the printables (and for more sayings check out last years candy card post):

You "Rock" my world! (Rock Candy, Pop Rocks)
Best Buds "Now and Later"! (Now and Later)
We were "Mint" to be together! (Peppermints, Gum with "Mint" in the name, Mintos, Junior Mints, Breath Mints, Peppermint Patties)
Valentine's Day "Sucks"! (Lollipops or Suckers)
You're "Extra" special! (Extra Gum)
You're one "Hot Tamale"! (Hot Tamales)
You stole a "Piece" of my heart! (Reese's Pieces)
Thanks for being such a "Sweet Heart"! (Sweet Tarts, Conversation Hearts, Heart Shaped Chocolates)

Website Wednesday: Red Velvet Hot Chocolate with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

2012-02-08T23:23:00.000-06:00

Nothing screams Valentine’s Day like red velvet, so I couldn’t have a week of Valentine’s fun without at least one red velvet recipe!

Last year I had visions of sugar plum fairies and all sorts of red velvet goodness slathered with tangy cream cheese madness. I thought red velvet was the perfect food mascot for Valentine’s Day and had dreamt of doing a theme week of all red velvet recipes to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But Deborah beat me to it and I decided that despite my obsession with red velvet if I did a whole week of red velvet recipes I might actually turn a slight shade of red!

But of all the red velvet treats I have bookmarked, pinned, and hastily written down on a scrap piece of paper, I decided on this hot chocolate recipe to share this week. One, because of all the red velvet recipes I have seen around the web the past few weeks I have yet to see a hot chocolate recipe and B, after making a White Hot Chocolate in December, I wanted to try another fun spin of this cozy winter treat!

And boy this red velvet hot chocolate is rich and comforting, just like red velvet should be! Making it perfect for a cold romantic day!

One Year Ago: Light Strawberry Trifle for Two

Two Years Ago: Stir-Fried Chicken with Aromatic Jasmine Rice

Red Velvet Hot Chocolate with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
Printable Version
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves 2

2 cups milk
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4-5 drops red food coloring
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoon cream cheese

In a medium mixing bowl or a stand-up mixer, pour in heavy whipping cream, sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Whip on medium with the whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes. Just before it peaks, add the cream cheese and whisk for another 2 minutes being careful not to over-whip. Taste the whipped cream and add more cream cheese to taste.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips, constantly stirring gently. When almost melted, add the red food coloring to desired deep red color and stir some more. When the chocolate chips are all melted, pour the hot chocolate in two mugs and top with the whipped cream.

adapted from A Cozy Kitchen as seen on Tasty Kitchen

Love Shack

2012-02-07T23:48:00.003-06:00

It's Valentine's week here on the KC and like I said yesterday some of the things I will be sharing this week won't necessarily be recipes but some fun and cute love themed ideas. Today is one of those no recipe days but a fun and uber cute Valentine's craft that actually involves food! => A Love Shack, or Valentine's gingerbread house.

Eric and I started a tradition of doing gingerbread houses together at Christmas the first year we were together. We have used preassembled kits, kits with the house walls made but we have to assemble, and we have even made our own gingerbread houses from scratch (those were hilarious!). But the last two years in a row we have been so darn busy during the holidays we could barley breathe let alone see straight enough to make a gingerbread house.

And since I am a girl who thrives on traditions this was quite upsetting to me! Then last year I saw Peabody post a gingerbread house decorated for Valentine's Day and I knew that my poor little lost Christmas gingerbread house tradition could be saved!

A 'Love Shack' was the answer! So AFTER Christmas I snatched up a clearance gingerbread house kit for about a buck and carefully saved it for Valentine's Day.

Last week Eric and I peacefully sat down and decorated our Love Shack with lots of red, pink, and white candy. And we had fun. And our house turned out pretty darn cheezy and cute. I LOVE IT!
This activity was pretty cheap because the gingerbread house kit was on clearance and came with a few bags of candy in green, red, and white colors, so we used the red and white pieces. We then used specific Valentine's candy like conversation hearts and pink M&Ms. Besides specific Valentine's candy there are a few other candies that already come in Valentine's colors. Here are a few of my candy/decoration suggestions for a Gingerbread Love Shack:

Roof:

Vanilla Wafers
Frosted Mini Wheats
Pink and White Frosted Animal Crackers
Square Cereal (ie: Life, Chex, etc.)
White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Other Valentine's Decorations:

Conversation Hearts
Valentine's M&Ms
Pink and Purple Nerds
Strawberry/Cherry Twizzlers or Twizzler Pieces
Big Red Gum
Red Gum Drops
Good and Plenty
Hot Tamales
Cherry/Strawberry Jolly Ranchers
Valentine's Candy Corn
Heart Shaped Gummy Candies
Red Hots (cinnamon candies)
Peppermints/Peppermint sticks
Cherry Lifesavers

Have I forgotten anything? What are your favorite red or pink colored candies?

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Romantic Dinner at Home

2012-02-06T23:23:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day is next Tuesday and because I love the cheesiness factor of this holiday and all the fun and cuteness, I thought it would be to have a Valentine's themed week this week. So all week long keep checking back for some festive Valentine's treats, ideas, and tips (I'm forewarning you that there will be quite a few non-recipe posts this week but hopefully you will enjoy the festivities)!

First up is an article I wrote for meal planning/recipe site Food on the Table with tips on how to have a romantic dinner at home for two on Valentine's Day or any other day of the year you need some special time just for the two of you.

(photo credit)

Planning a romantic Valentine’s dinner for two? Well, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you may find it hard to get a reservation at that fancy and expensive steak house. Instead, plan for a special night at home, full of good food and good company.

Having a steak house dinner at home is easy, more personal, and a lot less expensive. Here are four tips to help ensure you have a successful night with your loved one, no matter the occasion.

Plan ahead: Dinner at home should be relaxed and stress free. Coordinate your schedule with your loved one so that you both will be home at the same time with no interruptions. Plan a dinner menu and select foods that the both of you like. Shop for your dinner ingredients in advance and prepare as much as you can beforehand.

Eliminate distractions: Take this time to focus on each other and enjoy good company. Arrange for babysitting at a family member’s house for the kids or plan to enjoy your dinner after they have gone to bed. Turn off the television, computer and cell phones. Clean your home and keep your kitchen clean as you work and prepare your dinner.

Set the mood: Dim the lights and light candles throughout your entire home. Set the dining room table with a clean, crisp tablecloth, your finest dishes, and a vase of vibrant, fresh flowers. Play sentimental songs softly in the background and get dressed for the occasion.

The food: Keep dinner simple but plan to serve an appetizer, main course, and dessert to make your special night together last for hours. Consider foods that require interaction and connection with each other, such as fondue; or serve up a menu full of “love” foods. Aphrodisiacs are foods that have been enjoyed for centuries for their love inducing powers. Recent scientific studies have proven that these foods really do have the ability to lower inhibitions and heighten moods. Honey, oysters, chocolate, strawberries, vanilla, and asparagus are just a few of these love foods that you might want to include in your romantic dinner.

With these tips, a little planning, and some creative resourcefulness, a special evening at home can be a night to remember! Serve up this classic steak house dinner at home with the recipes below!

Appetizer: Parmesan-Crusted Goat Cheese with Basil Oil (Annie's Eats)
Salad Starter: Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (Kitchen Concoctions)
Soup Starter: Crockpot French Onion Soup (How Sweet It Is)
Side Dish: Asparagus with Garlic Vinaigrette (Kitchen Concoctions)
Side Dish: Salt-Crusted Potatoes (The Hungry Housewife)
Main Dish: Garlic and Herb London Broil (Real Mom Kitchen)
Dessert: No-Bake Cheesecake (Kitchen Concoctions)

Week of: Pizza

2012-02-05T22:36:00.000-06:00

So how was the Super Bowl for you? I ate WAY to much and am feelin' the pain! But the team (New York Giants) I was rootin' for won. Which was nice after a slightly disappointing half time performance by Madonna. As for the commercials, the "I'm sexy and I know it" M&M was my absolute fav!

To help you and me both prepare and get pumped for the Super Bowl, this past week was pizza week here on Kitchen Concoctions (by the way Super Bowl Sunday is the top sales day for pizza every year). Here is a recap of all those pizza theme recipes and tips:

Article: Tips for hosting a pizza party

30 Minute Pizza Dough

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Chicken Parmesan Pizza

And with February here and Valentine's Day fast approaching, this next week will be a special Valentine's edition of 'theme week'.

Chicken n' Pizza

2012-02-03T20:10:00.008-06:00

This is probably my favorite pizza recipe to date! We love chicken parmesan and we love pizza, and one night I thought to combine them (an idea I thought was totally my own until I just did a quick Google search 2.5 seconds ago to only sadly see, yet another one of my ‘original’ ideas is so not original).

But this. This is my version. My dream. Made into a drool worthy reality!

Every bite of this pizza had a juicy, tender, flavorful piece of breaded chicken, and a sweet, caramelized tomato and a complex sauce, all topped with tangy mozzarella and salty parmesan cheese.

The recipe list and directions may seem lengthy and daunting, and yes there are quite a few ingredients and multiple steps to this recipe but everything from start to finish including dishes can be done in less than an hour because while one thing is cooking you are busy with another step. Multi-tasking is the name of the game baby! And really something this darn tasty couldn’t be possible without a smidgeon of work, right?

One Year Ago: Texas Style Chili and Tips for Hosting a Super Bowl Party
Two Years Ago: Better Than Mama's Chili Mac

Chicken Parmesan Pizza
By Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Printable Version
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Makes 1 pizza (8 slices)

I large tomato, sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
2 garlic cloves, mined
1 large chicken breast
2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 batch pizza dough
½ cup pizza sauce
1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Fresh basil, optional for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tomato slices on parchment paper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and top with garlic, salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until slightly caramelized, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Once tomatoes are done, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite sized pieces. In a bowl combine bread crumbs, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and ½ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning. In another bowl spoon mayonnaise. Dip chicken pieces in mayonnaise and then dip in bread crumb mixture, making sure chicken is coated evenly. Set breaded chicken pieces aside and repeat with remaining chicken.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken pieces and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-4 minutes.

Roll out pizza dough and spread the pizza sauce over pizza dough. Top sauce with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Top cheese with tomatoes and cooked chicken pieces. Top tomatoes and chicken with remaining mozzarella.

Combine melted butter, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese and ½ tablespoon dried Italian seasoning. Brush butter mixture over formed crust.

Bake pizza in 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Once cooked, serve pizza topped with fresh basil.

Hold The Wings Please

2012-02-02T23:41:00.005-06:00

First before today’s pizza recipe a little business. The winner of the General Mills Cereal Giveaway (chosen by random.org) is comment number 25, Shawn. Congrats Shawn and thank you to all who entered. Shawn please email me with your contact information so that I can get your prize pack shipped out. Ok, now onto today’s recipe…

I have never been a big fan of buffalo chicken wings. I have just never cared for the flavor. If I eat wings it is BBQ flavored, lemon pepper flavored, or any other of the 52 flavors most wing places offer, BUT not buffalo flavored.

However, give me anything buffalo chicken inspired, that involves all the flavors of a buffalo wing experience (the carrots, the celery, the blue cheese, the chicken) I am all over it. I am weird, I know!

Buffalo Chicken Nachos (yes please), Buffalo Chicken Soup (uh huh), and Buffalo Chicken Lasagna (hell yeah), or any other 50 plus ways you can digest Buffalo wings.

So it was only natural to try my hand at concocting a Buffalo Chicken Pizza. This has all those classic buffalo chicken flavors I love but in pizza form. Since I didn’t think celery or carrots would make a good pizza topping I threw in some green bell peppers for crunch. Eric said he absolutely loved this pizza (the first time I made it and every time since) but said he could do without the bell peppers. But I personally liked them for the added texture and flavor, so take them or leave them as you prefer. But either way, if you are big pizza eaters like us, change things up a bit a make this version on your next pizza night!
One Year Ago: Texas Style Chili and Super Bowl Party Tips
Two Years Ago: Better Than Mama's Chili Mac

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
By Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Printable Version
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Makes 1 pizza (8 slices)

1 batch of pizza dough
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing hot sauce
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 green onion, chopped, optional for garnish
Ranch or blue cheese salad dressing, as needed, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix pizza sauce with 1/4 cup of wing sauce in a bowl. Roll out pizza dough and spread the buffalo sauce mixture over pizza dough.

In another bowl, toss cooked chicken with remaining ¼ cup buffalo wing hot sauce. Top each pizza with half of the cheese and top cheese with the prepared chicken and bell pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over chicken and bell peppers.

Bake pizza at 350 for 20 minutes or until crust is begins to brown and cheese is melted.

If desired, top cooked pizza with chopped green onions and serve with ranch or blue cheese salad dressing for dipping.

Website Wednesday: Homemade Pizza Sauce

2012-02-01T23:59:00.001-06:00

It’s the first of the month. For some it is pay day. Others it is when bills are due. And most will accidently still write January on one thing or another.

Today is February 1st, it is 75 degrees out, it is my cousin’s birthday (Happy B-day Cuz!), it is Wednesday, and time for a new Website of the Month feature. This month I will be highlighting recipes from Tasty Kitchen, a popular recipe sharing site started by the Queen of blog, The Pioneer Woman.

I actually discovered this recipe through the Tasty Kitchen Blog (which highlights TK member recipes). I knew that it was a *must make* since it had outrageous reviews. I made a mental bookmark of this recipe when I saw it and thought I would make it *one day*. Well since I am striving to make this a more ‘homemade-but-not-too-1950’s/Martha-Stewart/extreme-all-natural-hippie-kind-of-year’ I thought this was THE perfect time to make an amazing homemade pizza sauce.

So, on my quest to eat more homemade, I made this sauce. And I ate it. By licking the spoon. By licking it off my finger. And by eating it on pizza, of course.

This sauce lived up to all the hype (which I am very happy about). It really had exceptional flavor, sweet but acidic, tomatoie but not chunky. This will be my go to pizza sauce recipe from here on out. I actually doubled the recipe (because I had some tomato paste I needed to use up) which will make enough for about 4 pizzas, which means you can make 4 pizzas at one time, make 1 pizza a night for 4 days, or freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays for later.

One Year Ago: Texas Style Chili and Super Bowl Party Tips
Two Years Ago: Better Than Mama's Chili Mac

Homemade Pizza Sauce
Printable Version
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Makes about 16-18 ounces (enough for 4 pizzas)

¾ cup tomato paste
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup red wine (tomato juice, chicken broth or water maybe substituted)
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together until well combined. Place over low heat and cook until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

adapted from Cooking for Seven as seen on Tasty Kitchen

Pizza Is All About Ingredients

2012-01-31T23:30:00.000-06:00

One thing that I have learned over the years is that every competent to a good pizza is critical. From the crust to the sauce to the toppings, for a good great pizza you need a good go to recipe for each ingredient of the pizza.

Today I have a good recipe for homemade pizza dough. Tomorrow an extraordinary recipe for pizza sauce and then Thursday and Friday I have two nontraditional, yet taste bud pleasing pizza recipes!

I am a huge fan of the pizza dough recipe that I am sharing today because it whips up in minutes and only requires 30 minutes to rise. If you remember, I hate working with yeast solely because I am an impatient person and hate having to wait for the dough to rise. I know. I know. It sounds silly but especially when it comes to making dinner I usually don’t have the time to start making dinner hours before we actually are going to sit down and eat.

That is why this dough recipe comes in handy because I can make it and go on to make other things for dinner while it rises and a SHORT 30 minutes later the dough and pizza toppings are ready. This dough makes a chewy, yet airy, and slightly thick pizza crust. The only thing that I am disappointed about with this dough is that it does not freeze well. The original recipe made enough dough to make four pizzas, which is way too much for us, so I would freeze the other two pieces of dough for later use. I have done this in the past with other dough recipes and have great success, but this recipe does not work well after being frozen. So I have adjusted the recipe below to be enough for just two pizzas, and I guess I will just have to keep looking for a dough recipe that I can freeze.

30 Minute Pizza Dough
Printable Version
Prep Time: 10 minutes Wait Time: 30 minutes Makes enough dough for 2 pizzas

1 ¾ cup hot water
1 tablespoon yeast
½ tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4-5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in hot water. Mix salt, brown sugar and 3 cups of flour together. Stir in yeast and water mixture and then gradually stir in remaining 1-2 cups of flour. Keep adding flour until dough is not sticky. Knead for 3-4 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes.

After dough has risen roll divide into two equal portions and roll into pizza sized shape. Add your desired toppings and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

adapted from My Favorite Recipes

Let's Throw a Pizza Party!

2012-01-30T08:00:00.004-06:00

I am not a huge sports fan per say but usually I keep up with my teams and with general sports happenings. Like I know enough to pick decent teams in March Madness, and what teams are headed to the world series and usually who are the hot shots playing in the Super Bowl. In fact, last year I was in Dallas for all the Super Bowl excitement (Pakers- 31 vs Steelers- 25). But this year, this year, I have been so outta the loop. It almost completely slipped my mind that this coming Sunday is Super Bowl XLVI. I actually had to do a Google search and find out WHO was playing in this year's big game (btw it is the New England Patriots and the New York Giants) and who was the honorary host city (Indianapolis).
So I decided I should take it upon myself to help you prepare for the big ~~snacking~~ game day! This week on Kitchen Concoctions will be pizza week! I can't think of what goes better with football watching than pizza?!?

First up, I am sharing an article that I wrote for meal planning/recipe site Food on the Table, with tips and tricks on how to host a perfect pizza party!

(photo credit)

Have a birthday party, sporting event, or family game night in the near feature? Well why not throw a pizza party? Pizza is a food that is loved by kids and adults alike and sure to be a party pleaser!

For a quick, easy, inexpensive menu, there's nothing like having a homemade pizza bar to please every taste. Here are some great ideas for throwing the perfect pizza party.

Be organized: Prepare and chop ingredients before the party. Place toppings in assembly-line order and in easy to serve containers with appropriate utensils.

The dough: Thin crust or thick? Pick one style or serve an assortment to please the crowd. Purchase frozen, refrigerated, or prebaked crusts from your local grocery store and prepare according to the package directions. Or try your hand at making a delicious homemade crust. Be sure and have plenty of crusts ready with enough pizza pans or the grill fired up and ready to go.

The sauce: Store bought pesto, classic marinara, or homemade alfredo are all tasty options.

The toppings: Choose good-quality readily available fresh ingredients. Great pizza toppings include pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, pineapple, green apples, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions. But really the possibilities are endless depending on your tastes and desires.

The cheese: Of course the traditional cheese toping for pizza is mozzarella but try cheddar, provolone, bleu cheese, or parmesan.

Make a toast: This is a party after all, but choosing age appropriate beverages is important. Beer and pizza go hand in hand, but for a girl’s night ‘in’ wine maybe more enjoyable. Also, if entertaining kids soda and fruit punch are a perfect pairing with pizza.

Dessert: To keep with the pizza theme, make a dessert pizza! Simply use refrigerated sugar cookie dough as the ‘crust’ and bake as directed. When cool, smear on some cream cheese frosting for the ‘sauce’ and top with candy, fruit or even nuts!

Pizza parties are fantastic way to have loads of fun without a whole lot of stress. The pizza recipes below will certainly be hits at your next pizza night!

Purple Potato Pizza (The Novice Chef)
Taco Pizza (Kitchen Concoctions)
Artichoke Spinach Pizza with White Beans (Good Life Eats)
Artichoke 'n Bacon Pizza Squares (Kitchen Concoctions)
Deep Dish Fruit Pizza (The Pioneer Woman)
Grilled Pizza- How To (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Website Review: Food on the Table

2012-01-27T17:44:00.002-06:00

I am excited about this new (but kinda old) monthly feature here on Kitchen Concoctions. Since I started this blog, each month I have had reviews for various cookbooks, cooking magazines, and now food websites. I usually choose 4-5 recipes make them, share my opinion and give an overall review. For 2012 it will be cooking/food websites (not blogs), which I think will be pretty useful considering the techy world we live in now and I know I am not the only person who does most of their recipe browsing via the Internet.

Since the month is quickly coming to an end it is time for a review of January’s site; Food on the Table. I am sorta partial to this website since I do freelance work for it. With that being said, I created a rating scale (similar to the one I used for the magazines of the month), so that I could give fair and honest opinions of each website. And while I will answer the below questions to the best of my ability for every site I review, the review below is pretty extensive because I do freelance work for this site (I'm actually not being paid for this review, just giving my honest opinion and review0 I am most familiar with it.

Pictures: Some

Some of the recipes have pictures but not all. Most of the pictures are clear but because the pictures are small (probably ½ square inch) it is kind of hard to get a clear picture of the food. And yes, if you have been reading my blog long you will recognize some of the pictures on the Food on the Table site from Kitchen Concoctions because I took them!

Prep Time, Cooking Time, and Number of Servings listed: Yes

Almost every single recipe has this information included as well as a spiciness indicator, wait time and total time required.

Nutritional Information provided: Yes

Some of the recipes have this but not all. Also I must add that some of the recipes seem to be off on the nutritional provided, so if you are on a strict diet or have major health issues I would double check the nutritional information provided with a more repeatable source.

Clear, easy to follow directions and ease of preparation: Yes

This site is full of fast, easy, family friendly recipes. Most of the recipes can be made in 45 minutes or less of total time and call for only 7-8 ingredients.

Easily available ingredients and budget friendly: Yes

The premise of this site is to help you prepare a weekly meal plan based on current sales at your grocery store. The site gears you towards recipes that include these sale items, actually helping you save money. I’d say that has budget friendly ALL over it!

Variety of recipes: Dinner only

Since this is a meal planning site it focuses solely on main dish dinners and side dishes. There are some recipes that could be used for breakfast, lunch, appetizer, etc. but currently this site is focused just on dinner time. Hopefully in the future they can offer more variety of recipes

Meal Planning Feature: Yes

This site is more focused on meal planning based on weekly sale items at your local store, and providing recipes is an added bonus.

Source of recipes: Chef approved as well as user uploaded

This site has recipes developed, reviewed and edited by a team of chefs and cooks (including some of my personal tried and true) as well as recipes uploaded by the users themselves. Right now it is hard to distinguish between these two groups of recipes, although the recipes with photos are chef approved as users cannot upload their own photos at this time.

Cost: It is free to plan 3 meals a week but costs $9.95 per month to plan unlimited meals and have access to hundreds of more recipes.

Special feature: This website is focused on meal planning and saving you money by planning meals around the sales at your store. The site offers the ability to rate the recipes and leave comments on them. Also there is a discussion board where users can post questions and comments, which is monitored by the site staff (stop by sometime and say hi to me!) with timely responses and help. Also the site has the ability to add your own personal recipes and save them to your profile as well as search hundreds of others submitted by other members and the chefs.

Overall, the recipes I tried all month for this review and in the past have been a tasty huge success (but I’m not saying I have become a roasted grape fan)!

In case you missed it, here are the recipes I featured:

Italian Sausage With Red Grapes

Herbed Oat Pan Bread

Carrot Fries

Fast and Delicious Black Bean Soup

Disclosure: Again I am not being paid to do these reviews, I just frequent these sites a lot and wanted to feature some recipes I get from these sites and sort of compare the different features these websites have to offer.

Website Wednesday: Italian Sausage With Red Grapes

2012-01-25T12:09:00.001-06:00

I have loved all the recipes I have shared so far from January’s cooking website of the month. But today’s recipe is one that I wasn’t such a fan of. This recipe is easy, uses pantry staples, and had good flavor (you may be thinking what the heck the problem is). And even though this dish is an Italian classic, I just couldn’t get over the texture of the cooked grapes.

Yeah I know, roasted grapes are all the rage right now, popping up all over the inter webs, but I sometimes struggle and have slight *issues* with textures of food (this may explain why in all my 20 something years of life I just recently started eating mushrooms and tomatoes). This recipe did produce a simple, yet satisfying sausage that was wonderful on its own or added to a pasta dish (recipe to come in the somewhat near future), but the grapes are something I could do without, at least for now (give me another 20 years and we’ll talk then)!

One Year Ago: Healthy Oatmeal and Banana Shake
Two Years Ago: Cumin-Scented Oven Fries

Italian Sausage With Red Grapes
Printable Version
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 4-5

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 cups seedless red grapes, stemmed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper

Heat olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook sausages, turning over once, until well browned, about 8 minutes total.

Add grapes, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Cover, cook, stirring occasionally, until sausages are fully cooked through and grapes are softened, 5 to 8 minutes.

adapted from Food on the Table

Giveaway: General Mills Cereal

2012-01-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

This giveaway is now closed! The winner of the General Mills Cereal Giveaway (chosen by random.org) is comment number 25, Shawn. Congrats Shawn and thank you to all who entered. Shawn please email me with your contact information so that I can get your prize pack shipped out. Ok, now onto today’s recipe…

Hip Hip Hooray. Today is giveaway day! Today's giveaway is for General Mills new and improved whole grain cereals. All of these cereals are the classics we love just with whole grain ingredients. I am all for that and was excited to be able to host this giveaway since I am a big cereal eater. I mean really who eats cereal just for breakfast anymore! I enjoy it for snacks and dinner too!

For more information about the giveaway keep reading:

Ringing in the New Year often means new eating habits. We know whole grain is important to you, and the Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Now every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient with the same great taste. You will see "whole grain" as a part of the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.

According to Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of "The Doctors," identifying whole grain products can be challenging. Shoppers can look for nutritional cues on the front of the box, but they need to read the ingredient list to know if they are getting enough whole grain. Ingredient lists detail ingredients in order of prevalence, and if the words "whole grain" are followed by a grain like wheat or oats, it means the food contains more whole grain than any other single ingredient. Here´s how to determine if your cereals have whole grain as a first ingredient:

With all the health messages facing grocery store shoppers, it can be confusing to translate what appears on food labels into nutritional needs, and hard to determine which foods have a meaningful amount of whole grain. Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet. They include:
•Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day´s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.

•Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.

•Don´t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don´t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

To help with choosing products with whole grain, General Mills developed "Fast Lane for Whole Grain," an online educational game. Consumers can navigate virtual grocery store aisles and identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient, with the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the 50 cereals with the white check. Make a commitment to add more whole grain to your diet by simply pouring a bowl of cereal with the white check including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios® and Total®. For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the "Fast Lane for Whole Grain" sweepstakes, visit www.WholeGrainNation.com.

General Mills Giveaway Prize Pack Includes:
•5 boxes of General Mills cereal with the white check

HOW TO ENTER GIVEAWAY:

You have SIX separate ways to enter the General Mills Cereal Giveaway! (NOTE: Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each response below):

1. Leave a comment on this post answering the following question: Which of your favorite General Mills cereals with the white check (listed above) are most interested in trying?

2. Become a follower of Kitchen Concoctions through Google Friend Connect.

3. Tell someone about this giveaway, whether it be on a blog, Facebook or Twitter and leave a new comment letting me know and sharing the link.

4. For a fourth entry to this giveaway, head over to Kitchen Concoction’s Facebook page and click ”Like”. Then come back here and leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

5. For a fifth entry follow Kitchen Concoctions on Twitter.
6. And last but not least I finally broke down and joined the Pinterest craze! For a sixth entry head over and follow me on Pinterest and leave a comment letting me know!
This give-away closes Tuesday, January 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST. Winner will be chosen at random (by random.org) and will be announced sometime shortly after the give-away ends. Winner must contact Kitchen Concoctions within 72 hours at kitchen_concoctions at hotmail dot com to claim prize. If winner has not claimed prize within 72 hours then a new winner will be notified. Giveaway for US residents only.

NOTE: Please check back shortly after giveaway closing to see if you are a winner. As much as I would like to run all over the Internet world looking for you, I do not have the time. So you as the winner MUST contact me with your information.
"Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Asian Cooking

2012-01-23T12:03:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Today, January 23, is the Chinese New Year and year of the Dragon! Will you be doing anything fun or educational today? Well you can do both! Below is an article I wrote from meal planning/recipe site Food on the Table a few weeks ago about celebrating the Chinese New Year and learning a little about popular ingredients found in Chinese cooking. Hopefully I can help educate you some today and help clarify a few things regarding to Chinese food. Also be sure and check below for some recipes to make Chinese food at home, making a great alternative to pricey take-out!

(photo credit)

Chinese New Year is just weeks away and is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays. It is known as the ‘Spring Festival’ and marks the end of the winter season. Celebrating other cultures’ traditions is a great way to learn more about their beliefs, history, and of course food!
To learn more about some common ingredients found in Asian cooking, continue reading!

A Wok is commonly used to prepare Chinese foods. Due to its large size, high sloping sides, and ability to handle high temperatures, a wok is a great tool used to stir-fry, deep-fry, braise, roast, steam, and simmer. The kind of oil used to cook in a wok is crucial. Oil that may be heated to a high temperature without smoking is essential; peanut oil and corn oil both work well. Due to the intensity of the heat used for wok cooking, a gas range with instant heat control is most efficient.
Hoisin sauce is a popular condiment in Chinese cooking and is sometimes referred to as Chinese barbecue sauce. Hoisin sauce is a reddish-brown sauce that is salty, sweet, and spicy. Hoisin can easily be found in most grocery stores, but if unavailable, a mixture of equal parts molasses and ketchup can be substituted.
Sesame seeds are common in all Asian cuisines and typically used as a garnish. White sesame seeds have a strong nutty flavor, which is enhanced when toasted. Black sesame seeds are less flavorful and are used mainly for color.
Chinese Rice vinegar is typically milder and less acidic than regular vinegar. Three common types of rice vinegar include black, red and white. White rice vinegar is most common and is similar in flavor to regular vinegar. Red vinegar is sweet and tart in taste. While black rice vinegar is similar to balsamic vinegar. These vinegars are used in dipping sauces, soups and noodle dishes. If rice vinegar is unavailable dry sherry or white wine vinegar may be substituted.

The recipes below are a great way to celebrate the year of the dragon and use several of the ingredients described above.

Stir-Fried Chicken (Kitchen Concoctions)
General Tso's Chicken (Taste and Tell Blog)
Kung Pao Style Ramen Noodles (Kitchen Concoctions)
Homemade Fortune Cookies (Our Best Bites)
Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Kitchen Concoctions)
Sesame-Crusted Salmon (Annie's Eats)

Week Of: Oatmeal

2012-01-22T23:30:00.001-06:00

I loved all the recipes that I featured during last years oatmeal week of series and this year is the same. In case you were MIA all last week here is a recap of all those oatmeal recipes in honor of National Oatmeal Month!

Bananas Foster Oatmeal- Probably not the "healthiest" oatmeal of the week, with butter and brown sugar transformed into a beautiful caramel sauce topping, but this is a damn tasty one!

Banana Nut Bread Baked Oatmeal- Transforming the classic flavors of banana bread into baked oatmeal form made this one comforting breakfast. I choose to make this healthy and topped it with yogurt and honey but by all means go for ice cream if you please!

Herbed Oat Pan Bread- This bread was airy, slightly chewy, and had a nice savory flavor; making it the perfect side for anything from pasta to steak!

Lunchbox Granola Cupcakes- Oatmeal is a key ingredient in most granola recipes, but have you ever thought to transform that traditional oatmeal into some fun cupcakes?

Heavenly Honey Oatmeal Mask- I have never tried a homemade face mask before but this was a fun experiment that really did make my skin feel smooth and rejuvenated.

Don't think just because oatmeal week is coming to an end that this will be the last of the oatmeal recipes! Like I said I am on a mission to make that blah breakfast porridge into a tasty and exciting morning treat. So stay tuned to see more oatmeal concoctions on Kitchen Concoctions over the next few months!

Food on my face

2012-01-20T18:57:00.015-06:00

Ok I again promise this is not going to become one of those super weird all natural tree hugging sites. Not that tree huggin’ is bad… I do it on a regular bases but I am only human and sometimes forget my reusable grocery bags at home, buy premade foods, and forget to recycle.

But I did resolve this year to eat fresher and to try making more things from scratch. I honestly did not think that making a homemade face mask would fall into that category of homemade concoctions I would try!

I mean oatmeal is meant to be eaten not slapped on my face and saved for later. LOL! But all kidding, stereotypes, and crazy looks aside, studies have shown that all the natural ingredients in the recipe for the recipe below DO have wonderful health and skin benefits.

Did you know:

Chamomile tea has been found to be great for naturally lightening your skin tone. It has also been shown to help relieve puffy eyes and dark circles.

Oatmeal has cleansing and exfoliating properties which aide in soothing dry skin. It will absorb dirt, cleanse pores and gently exfoliate.

Honey has been used for thousands of years to moisturize, protect, heal and rejuvenate skin.

I’ll admit I was skeptical about slapping what looked like my breakfast on my face. But after the 15 minutes and washing, my face felt smooth, clean, refreshed, and even smelt like lingering breakfast! Ha! I kid. I kid.

This was fun and interesting and I was actually surprised at how my skin felt afterwards, the same as when I use the pricey drug/department store masks, but at the fraction of the price! I have several sugar scrubs and avocado masks bookmarked so maybe this won’t be my last edible face mask experiment!

One Year Ago: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Tips to make the perfect pot of soup
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chex Mix and Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

Heavenly Honey Oatmeal Mask
Printable Version
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Wait Time: 15 minutes Makes: 1-2 masks

For the rinse:
2 cups water
2 chamomile tea bags
For the mask:
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

To make the chamomile rinse, bring the quart of water to a boil. Arrange the chamomile tea bags in a bowl pour the boiling water over the bags and let the tea steep and cool down to lukewarm.

While the rinse is cooling down make the mask. Put oatmeal in a blender and grind until it is a fine powder. Transfer the oatmeal powder to a small bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Using your fingertips apply the mixture to your face, avoiding your eyelids and the tender skin under your eyes. Keep the mask on for 15 minutes, just relax and read or let yourself stare at the wall, you need the break. After the 15 minutes, double check that the chamomile tea rinse is not too hot, be careful you're going to put this on your face, you want it to be lukewarm. Rinse face with the chamomile tea.
adapted from Rachael Ray via The Food Network

Lessons From My Job

2012-01-19T22:32:00.001-06:00

I love my job as a freelance food writer and consultant. It has given me various different opportunities and pushed me to learn more and excel in my passion of cooking and food. All of these opportunities have also allowed me to not only grow in my career but grow as a person too.

One thing that I am heavily involved with in the city I live is an after school cooking class for kids. I help teach, develop the lesson plans and recipes. I love being involved with these classes because my first career choice and path in college was teaching. I decided not to go into teaching because after spending several hours in the classroom I realized that most of the teachers and students were burnt out by all the standardized testing requirements. I did not want to be in this position so I left to pursue my other passion, cooking.
These cooking classes are fun for both me and the kids, not stiff and boring as their regular schooling is. These kids learn a lot from me and I learn a lot from them. Like learning to think fast!

The recipe below was originally supposed to be granola ‘bars’ (as written in the lesson plan). But since kids do better when they can do things hands on, we let the kids press these granola bars into muffin tins. This created the perfect size portion in cute and fun cupcake form (which also resulted in happy kids)!

Lunchbox Granola Cupcakes
Printable Version
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Wait Time: 30 minutes Makes 12 “cupcakes”

1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄2 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon canola Oil
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown rice or fiber cereal (ex: Fiber One and/or Whole Wheat Chex)
1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the first 8 ingredients and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Add peanut butter mixture to oat mixture and fold to combine.

Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Press granola mixture into muffin tin and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

adapted from Cook Learn Grow

Website Wednesday: Herbed Oat Pan Bread

2012-01-18T21:25:00.000-06:00

Some people are terrified of baking with yeast. I am not one of those people. I conquered that fear a long time ago.

But I am lazy. And not patience. And I don’t like to bake with yeast because I don’t want to wait for the dough to rise. And even if the actual measuring and mixing of the dough only takes minutes the waiting game is where I struggle.

And this is why I don’t make yeast breads.

And this is why I came *THIS* close to not making this bread. I was lazy and impatient, (or whatever you want to call it) and wasn’t in the mood to start “cooking” dinner several hours before it was actually time to start “cooking” dinner.

But I did. Just for you. And I have no regrets.

This bread is actually easy to make, nice and airy, flavorful, AND worth the wait. I have always felt like there was something missing in my life and I guess yeast breads were that thang.

Hello bread….

Note: Speaking of lazy. I made this in a pie pan (instead of a square 8x8 inch pan) because I didn’t feel like washing the dirty 8x8 inch pan sitting in my kitchen sink. Even though I had 60 minutes of “free” time on my hands….

One Year Ago: Magazine Review: Food and Wine
Two Years Ago: Southwestern Sloppy Joes

Herbed Oat Pan Bread
Printable Version
Prep Time: 20 minutes Wait Time: 60 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 6-8

1 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

TOPPING:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 tablespoons oats

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil; stir in oats. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; cool to 120 degrees F (130 degrees F). In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt; set aside. Beat in oat mixture until moistened. Add egg. Beat with electric hand mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form stiff dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Punch dough down.

Press dough into a greased 8x8 inch baking pan or 8 inch round pie plate. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Brush with 2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter.

Combine all topping ingredients expect oats. Pour mixture over bread. Sprinkle butter topped bread with reserved oats. Bake bread in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

recipe adapted from Food on the Table

Let's Mix Two Breakfasts To Make One

2012-01-17T23:59:00.003-06:00

I absolutely love Banana Bread, and no one makes it as good as my Momma. Recently when I was home visiting her, she made up a big batch of her famous Banana Bread ~~just for me~~ for my siblings and I who were all visiting. And of course it was as delicious as ever!

I think I was day dreaming of that Banana Bread when I came up with this Banana Nut Bread Baked Oatmeal not too long ago. This defiantly is not the same as Mom’s traditional Banana Bread but all of the same flavor profiles are there, all in yummy baked oatmeal form.

If you have never tired Baked Oatmeal before I encourage you to. It is basically a giant oatmeal cookie! I wanted to keep this version healthy and I choose to top my finished oatmeal with some low-fat yogurt, honey and some extra chopped walnuts. This was seriously good!

One Year Ago: Magazine Review: Food and Wine
Two Years Ago: Southwestern Sloppy Joes

Banana Nut Bread Baked Oatmeal
by Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concocitons.com
Printable Version
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 8

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups quick oats
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cups applesauce
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and walnuts. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, applesauce, milk, butter, vanilla, and egg. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with yogurt, honey, and additional chopped nuts.

Oatmeal: it's what's for breakfast!

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

Did you know January is National Oatmeal Month? Well it is! And it seems fitting since in my eyes oatmeal is a great breakfast treat or snack during the cooler days of the year.

Oatmeal is one thing that I use not just to tame my morning tummy grumbles, but is great to use in lieu of breadcrumbs in meatballs, or as breading for chicken, and of course in cookies! But because it is a pantry staple, healthy, and inexpensive (way cheaper than boxed cereal) oatmeal is a breakfast option I choose often.

To celebrate oatmeal month, I thought I would have an oatmeal themed week here on Kitchen Concoctions. (You know how much I love theme weeks!) This is not the first oatmeal theme week I have done, since last year’s was so fun and because I am on the life long quest to add as much flavor to bland oatmeal as possible, I thought I would do an oatmeal theme week repeat.

Today’s recipe combines oatmeal with a delightful and classic dessert. This Bananas Foster Oatmeal is a dessert that’s ok to eat for breakfast! The only thing that I think it is missing is a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! That is certainly a breakfast I can get on board with!

Bananas Foster Oatmeal
by Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Printable Version
Prep Time: 8-10 minutes Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

3/4 cup old fashioned oats
Dash Salt
1 cup skim milk
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ tablespoon butter
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon rum extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Combine oats, milk, water, and vanilla and salt in a nonstick pot on the stove.

Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very thick and creamy.
Meanwhile, heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add sliced bananas to melted butter and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum extract. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes longer, until bananas are slightly soft and caramel sauce has formed.

Pour bananas and sauce over prepared oatmeal. Serve topped with a dash of cinnamon, if desired.

Friday Flashback: Sausage and Pepper Arrabbiata

2012-01-13T17:39:00.000-06:00

One of my goals for the blog (from last year) was to go back and re-feature some of my favorite recipes that I shared on the early days of this blog. You know the ones that are tried and true and that I keep remaking over and over again.

I thought that this would be a fun 'Friday Flashback' feature. Of course I would include *new* and *improved* photos as part of this feature because we all know how my photography was slightly offensive in the early days!

Today's recipe is one of those recipes! It is one I turn to when I need a fast and easy dinner that won't cost a fortune either. We have eat this Sausage and Pepper Arrabbiata (formerly called 'Angry' Sausage and Pepper Pasta in my original post since arrabbiata means angry in Italian) on a regular basis and it is always a hit!

PS: I know what you are thinking, I said last week that I wanted to eat fresher, less processed foods as my goal/resolution for the new year. And yes that is true, and while this pasta dish uses jarred pasta sauce, there are quiet a few varieties of jarred sauce that I have found that use fresh ingredients, are low in sodium, and are free from all those icky preservatives, just read your labels and you can find a sauce that is right for you! Also this dish is packed full of so many other fresh ingredients that I am totally ok with using a jarred sauce to save some time and money!
One Year Ago: Roasted Broccoli with Chili Butter
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sausage and Pepper Arrabbiata
by Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Printable Version

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves 5

1 pound penne pasta
1 pound Italian sausage
1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1 small onion
½ tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (24 ounce) jar Arrabbiata Sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 ounces feta cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Slice peppers and onions into long thin pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage links on all sides. Continue to cook until sausage is thoroughly cooked all the way through.

Once fully cooked, remove sausage from pan, cool slightly and slice. In the same pan the sausage was cooked, add the olive oil, peppers and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more.

While veggies are cooking bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.

After veggies have cooked, add the sliced sausage back to the pan along with the sauce, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook until sauce is heated through.

Pour sauce mixture over prepared, drained pasta. Serve topped with feta cheese.

Website Wednesday: Carrot Fries

2012-01-11T10:16:00.000-06:00

We eat a lot of burgers in our house. Sandwiches for dinner in general but mostly burgers. I talkin' a burger about every other week to once a week. I love them because they are so easy to whip up and can be transformed so easily. Guacamole burger (yup that's a fav), need a good vegetarian burger(?), I've got one that tastes like the real deal, and if you are on a budget I've got a recipe that mixes black beans with the ground beef stretch your dollar.

And even though I am an old pro at making burgers I get stuck in a side rut (as with most meals). Sometimes I serve potato salad and sometimes I serve baked beans. Other times it is chips and salsa or veggies and dip. But mostly I serve fries: the frozen store bought variety, or homemade ones, and even sweet potato ones.

So I was giddy and slightly intrigued when I saw these carrot fries. Now these may sound strange (it took some coaxing to get Eric to try them) but let me tell you they were outstanding! Not only are these carrot fries super easy to make and extremely cheap, they were crispy, yet slightly soft (think sweet potato fries) with a wonderful flavor. The dried dill weed does amazing things and made these fries absolutely perfect. In fact I can't wait till burger night next week because these are going right back on the menu!

One Year Ago: Black Bean and Hominy Stew
Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Carrot Fries
Printable Version
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30-35 minutes Serves: 4

1/2 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup butter
5-6 large carrots

Slice the carrots into french fry-sized pieces and place on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Melt butter and pour over carrots.

Season carrots with the dried dill weed, salt and black pepper.

Bake 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, adjusting cooking time if you want the carrots softer or "crispier".

adapted from Food on the Table

Healthy Cooking For Picky Eaters

2012-01-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

Who is on the "I'm going to eat healthier and exercise more in the New Year" diet? (my hand is high in the air.) And who already failed miserably at this even though it is only the second week of January (my second hand is now in the air). Her...ll....ooooo? Anybody there? Tell me I'm not the only one?

Even though I shared some healthy eating tips last week, I thought we (the collective "we" that really means just me!) could use another reminder! So if you are like me a need some healthy cooking tips (or not like me and are rockin' the gym and eating like a rabbit) then check out the article below that I wrote for meal planning/recipe site Food on the Table, for some healthy cooking tips.

Many will begin ‘new’ diets as part of the New Year; however, healthy eating and cooking should be considered a daily habit or part of your normal routine. Some small steps and easy substitutions make that New Year’s resolution of eating healthy a reality that can last through out the year.

Here are a few healthy cooking tips that I try to incorporate into my daily cooking.

Swap out those cans with fresh or frozen. Canned vegetables often have very high sodium content. Look for “low-sodium” canned veggies or try the frozen or fresh varieties.
Veggies only. Many ‘hearty meat’ entrees are easy to make vegetarian. Substituting meat with extra vegetables or beans will not only save you money, but will add extra flavor and vitamins and nutrients without the added calories of meat.
Turkey all the way. If a meal of only beans and veggies is not your thing try cooking with ground turkey. From hamburgers, to chili, to spaghetti sauce; I almost always use ground turkey instead of beef. If seasoned properly ground turkey has great flavor and similar texture as ground beef but without all the fat.
Go half and half. Whole grain pastas and flours are an excellent source of nutrients and fiber, however, for many it does take time to get use to the flavor and texture of the whole grain variety. Substitute half the amount of pasta called for in recipes with whole grain pasta. Most baked goods can also easily be made with half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.
Steam them up. Steam your veggies instead of boiling them. The extended heat and liquid of boiling can destroy nutrients as well as make them less flavorful.

Cooking fast, fresh healthy meals does not have to mean spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Try this flavorful recipes below, that even the pickiest eaters will love!

Tomato Bruschetta Chicken (Kitchen Concoctions)
Pork Chops with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa (The Sisters Cafe)
Southwestern Cobb Salad (Kitchen Concoctions)
Crock-pot Turkey and Wild Rice Soup (A Year of Slow Cooking)
Pineapple Crush Smoothie (Kitchen Concoctions)

One Year Ago: Crispy Fish Tacos
Two Years Ago: Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe Tortilla Soup