It's Grilled Cheese Day!

In honor of National Grilled Cheese Day, check out my blog post from last year and enjoy a great sandwich!
Ntional Grilled Cheese Month

Happy Easter!

Beautiful Colored Deviled Eggs make a festive addition to your Easter table!
They are not hard to create, I promise!

View instructions to make these eggs here:

http://midlomomsmusings.blogspot.com/2011/04/happy-easter.html

Shrimp Bruschetta or Just Plain Shrimp Toast?

Hot from the oven, Shrimp Bruschetta or Shrimp Toasts? Either way, they were delish!

When coming up with a new recipe, it is sometimes hard to name it. Many things that I cook, are a fusion of lots of different things we've had over the years, and sometimes depend on what I've got on hand! I keep a well stocked pantry and refrigerator, both necessities when creating good food. I made a new appetizer last night, by twisting up a couple of different recipes, and using what looked good in the grocery store, what I had on hand and what was on sale! Bags of frozen, easy peel shrimp were on sale, so that's where I started. I somehow ended up with lots of Parmesan cheese in my frig, after hitting several different stores over the last few weeks, so that was in too. We love anything on toast, and I wanted something that was easy to eat while playing Bananagrams at the kitchen table, nothing too messy that required forks or dips. Here's what I came up with and my husband says it's a winner! The recipe that inspired this dish called for crab meat, but we all know what that costs, especially in March! Shrimp was a very tasty alternative, and WAY less expensive. You tell me -- Shrimp Bruschetta with Capers and Parmesan or Shrimp Toast? I am leaning toward the Bruschetta! Since we were having friends over to play games and eat dinner, I prepped the appetizer in the afternoon so I only had to assemble and bake it when we were ready to snack and yack. Easy, tasty, inexpensive: all around a winner!

Shrimp Bruschetta with Capers and Parmesan
1/2 lb. shrimp, steamed, peeled and chopped into 1/4" dice
3 heaping Tablespoons light Mayo
1/2 tsp. zested lemon rind
1 T. capers, roughly chopped

Chopped Shrimp

1/2 of a small clove of garlic, grated (use your rasp, like w/the lemon peel)
1/2 of a stick of celery, sliced thinly and then diced up
3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
16 thinly sliced pieces of a baguette
olive oil
First, prepare your toast: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the thinly sliced (about 1/4") bread on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Drizzle the bread with olive oil, or spray it if you have the olive oil in an aerosol can. Bake it in the oven for 15 minutes, take it out, turn it over and bake for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool.
Make the spread for the toast: Chop the shrimp, celery and capers and combine with the lemon peel, mayo and 2 T. of the cheese.

Prepping lemon peel, caper, celery and garlic for bruschetta

Into the bowl, ready for the mayo.

At this point , you can refrigerate the spread and put the toasts aside for later, or even the next day. When you are ready to serve, put the toasts back on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Put about 1 T. of the spread on each toast, pressing it down slightly so that the bread is mostly covered. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the top and bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the toasts are slightly brown around the edges. Drizzle on a little more olive oil and serve with your favorite drinks! 16 pieces is ample for 4 people and if you have other goodies to serve would easily do for 6!

Twice Baked Potatoes

I've made this recipe over and over throughout the years. Making twice baked potatoes is easy, but a little time consuming. If you you like to cook, like I do, you won't mind the effort it takes to hollow out the potatoes and then stuff the goodies back in. If you love to eat but don't love to cook, you can always mash up the potatoes with the good stuff and then plop it into a casserole dish. I must say, however, that the stuffed potatoes are much prettier and it's kind of fun to have your very own twice baked potato on your plate!
To make these potatoes, pick large, smooth baking potatoes and scrub them well, nice and clean. Bake them in your microwave until they are just done, not shriveled and overcooked. Let them cool for a little while on the counter, until you can handle them easily. Slice off the top third of the potato and begin to gently remove the white potato flesh, leaving a quarter inch of shell with the skin. I think a small teaspoon works best for this operation. Take out little bits at a time, being careful to keep the potato shell intact. If you scrape too close to the skin, the potato will collapse, at which point you will have a potato casserole, as mentioned above!
After you have removed all of the potato and put it into a bowl, add in the good stuff:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
For 2 large potatoes, add 1/3 c. light sour cream, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, 1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. minced chives.
Mash everything together, using a hand mixer or an old fashioned potato masher. Be sure to combine everything so that there are no big lumps of potato. You may need to add another T. or so of sour cream, if the mixture seems dry, but you do want it to be thick.
Then, carefully and gently, spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Press it gently into each end first, and then fill 'er up, mounding up over the top of the potato shell. Sprinkle on a little more cheddar cheese, if you wnat to, pressing so that it adheres to the mounded top and sprinkle with paprika, totally optional. My potatoes seemed cheesey enough to me when I made the ones shown below, so I skipped the extra cheddar and just added paprika. Put the potatoes into a baking dish or onto a cookie sheet. I like to use a dish, so that I can be sure that they stand up and won't tip over. Bake them for 30 minutes.

Twice baked potatoes, ready for the oven

If you want to make these for a big group, you can easily make them ahead of time and refirgerate or freeze them. To freeze, put them onto a cookie sheet and place them into the freezer to get hard without adding the final cheese and paprika on top. After they are individually frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and they will keep beautifully for about a month, or even a little longer. When you want to use them, put them on the counter to thaw for about an hour, then top them and bake as directed.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything better than some homemade chicken noodle soup? Especially on a chilly, rainy Sunday, what could be better than smelling stock simmering and standing by the dreary view outside the kitchen window, chopping veggies and herbs? Even if cooking is not your favorite thing, making soup is a truly therapeutic exercise, I promise!  If you can't be down in the Bahamas, soaking up the sun, you may as well make some liquid sunshine.

It's said in my family that I have a "way with a chicken", but in all fairness, I must confess that my Grandmother Rosie had a "way with a chicken" and that she passed it onto her daughter, my dear, sweet Aunt Cissy, who taught it to me. Chicken soup is best made with love, and patience, and that's the secret. Next time you need a little sunshine in your life, try this, your family will love you for it.



Chicken Noodle Soup

 First, make your stock:
1 2-3 lb.+ chicken
water
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 medium peeled onion
2 ribs of washed celery, leafy tops included
1 medium carrot, scrubbed
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
Put your chicken into a large, deep stockpot and cover it completely with water. If your chicken has the neck and giblets inside, put those into the water also, after rinsing well. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot. Bring the pot to a boil and add in the rosemary, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Turn this down to medium low and cover. Boil gently for at least one to one and a half hour, until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken is done when the legs can be wiggled easily and the juices run clear when it is pierced with a long fork at the fullest part of the breast.

Remove the chicken and all the vegetables and set them aside to cool. At this point, you can strain your liquid, which my aunt always did. I don't, it's ok with me if the broth is a little cloudy, but she liked hers nice and clear. It is simply a matter of preference!

Next, make your soup.
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 cups water
2 tsp. kosher salt
a little fresh ground black pepper
1 minced clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced up (you may omit this or substitute fresh thyme)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
2 large yellow squash, quartered and sliced into small pieces (don't cut them too thin)
Into your broth, add all your ingredients and bring this to a boil. Turn it down, and let it cook another hour, until the vegetables are tender. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. The noodles will soak up a lot of salt so I always add at least 1 more tsp. I like the taste of kosher salt in this recipe, it's a little "softer".
While the veggies are cooking, skin the chicken and cut off all of the meat. Chop it up into bite sized pieces. You'll need at least 3 cups of cooked chicken. (If you have more, save it and make some chicken salad the next day -- that's what I am doing!)
To the soups add:
8 oz. wide egg noodles
Bring the soup back to a boil and boil at least another 20 minutes.
(NOTE: If you want that super clear broth, cook your noodles separately, and then add them into the soup fully cooked. This is what my aunt did to ensure that perfectly clear broth. She often made her own egg noodles, which are delicious, but one heck of a lot more work!)
LASTLY, add the cooked chicken back into the soup and cook very gently for about 10 minutes. At  this point, you can remove the soup from the heat and refrigerate it to serve when you want, but the noodles will continue to soak up more broth. If you want to make ahead and serve later, you will need to add another 2 - 3 cups of water before serving.
Serve with some warm bread and have a wonderful dinner. This soup will serve at least 6, and you'll have a big bowl or 2 leftover for lunches or another dinner!
It's a little trouble, but well worth effort!

Liquid Bowl of Sunshiney Love

Perfect Pizza Contest

Vote for my Taco Pizza in the Merzetta Perfect Pizza Contest! I could use a trip to Italy! Thanks for your support!

https://apps.facebook.com/mezzettapizza/entry/240973?=f2giv0

Quick and Easy Tilapia

Just like everyone else, I am trying to eat a little healthier in the new year. While I never make formal New Year's Resolutions -- I think that sets you up to fail! -- I do want to be a little healthier, a little thinner, feel a little better, etc., for 2012. In the spirit of all things quick and healthy, here is, perhaps, one of the simplest dinners on earth, Baked Tilapia With Tomato Topping.

Easy Baked Tilapia with Tomato Topping and Roasted Vegetables

I must confess that most of the fish I purchase comes frozen from a big, box store near my house. While I know that this may not be the BEST fish I do know that it is an inexpensive way to get more fish into my diet. I buy bags of frozen tilapia and try hard to make dinner taste good and different, so no one gets tired of it. Last night, I took some extra help from the aforementioned big, box store and used a jar of "Bruschetta Topping" on my fish. I drained the topping of excess juice before I put it on the uncooked fish, and then I grated some fresh black pepper on that and gave it a spritz of lime (we were out of lemon, so why not?). It was delish! Baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, it met all the weeknight criteria: quick, tasty, healthy, inexpensive and ready in under 30 minutes! Served with some roasted veggies, it was light and I finished my evening feeling very virtuous indeed. Try this next time you are rooting around and eveyone is yelling "What's for dinner, Mom?!?!"