S'mores Pie

Here is a fun twist on a childhood favorite- no campfire required!
S'mores Pie was published in Parents Magazine back in August 2003.  I tore the recipe out, tucked it away and forgot about it until recently.  I tried it a week ago as a "birthday cake" for my friend Heather. I wanted to blog about it then in case you were looking for a quick Thanksgiving dessert, but for the sake of full disclosure there was some wine consumed before finishing part 2 of the recipe (it was Heather's birthday after all) and I think I rushed to finish :-).  I didn't heat the fudge long enough and instead of a "drizzle" on the pie it was more of a "glob".  My friend Mary McCool (yes, that's really her last name) said the finished product wasn't good enough to photograph for this blog and she was right.  I made it again a few days later for Thanksgiving. This time I took some extra time heating the fudge in the microwave and used a fork to drizzle it. I also did the ice cream part the night before, and it set better than doing it 3 hours prior as the recipe suggests.  Again, it was a hit.  This is super easy and fast.  It's Tried and True and for sure a keeper!

S'more Pie
2 pints of good Chocolate-chip ice cream, softened
1 graham-cracker piecrust
1 cup of marshmallow spread (I used Smucker's it pours easier than Fluff)
1/2 cup of hot-fudge sauce warmed (I put the glass jar into the microwave to warm- keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn though)
Mini Marshmallows

1. In a large bowl, stir ice cream with a spoon until smooth.
Spoon into crust, pressing to compact and mounding slightly in center.  Wrap in plastic, and freeze for at least 3 hours (I found over night is better).

2. When ready to serve, remove plastic wrap and smooth marshmallow spread over ice cream.  Drizzle with fudge sauce, top with mini marshmallows and serve.

The Next Day Turkey Soup

Just in time for THANKSGIVING!  Maybe this is my favorite holiday because I was born on Thanksgiving Eve?  I think the story back in 1969 went like this.  My parents who are from Ireland were planning a big holiday dinner with friends celebrating this American holiday on Story Avenue in the Bronx. While getting the meal ready my mom went into labor (my timing has always been impeccable). They left for Misericordia Hospital leaving the Turkey and directions behind for the others to complete.  For years after I told people that we celebrated this great holiday because "God gave thanks and I was born" :-).  I'm a little more realistic now, and know it's a time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for and it also allows me to spend the rare day with my parents, kids and the rest of my family on Long Island, NY.
So back to this recipe. I don't eat chicken so turkey is often on my dinner menu. Recently I cooked a turkey breast and of course had leftovers. I went searching online for a new turkey soup recipe and discovered this one on FoodNetwork.com. I used Turkey broth instead of Chicken broth and found brussel sprouts, corn and mashed potatoes in my fridge for my leftovers.  I was little skeptical, but it WORKED the soup was unreal.  The potatoes helped to thicken the soup and honestly if you smelled it- it was thanksgiving! I promise this will become a family favorite for sure. It will challenge my tomato soup as the BEST soup I have ever tasted!!    It's Michael Chiarello's recipe and it's tried and true!  Fight for the carcass and 3 cups of leftovers tomorrow and make this soup this weekend.  I promise you won't be disappointed.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/next-day-turkey-soup-recipe/index.htm
Next Day Turkey Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 turkey carcass, all meat removed
• 1 onion, halved, plus 1 onion, minced
• 1 carrot, halved lengthwise, plus 1 carrot, minced
• 1 whole stalk celery, plus 1 more stalk, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups dark turkey meat
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 3 cups leftover cooked Thanksgiving side vegetables (Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions

Put chicken broth, turkey, onion halves, carrot halves, 1 celery stalk, and 1 bay leaf in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Finely dice the remaining onion, carrot and celery and reserve.

Dice the turkey meat. Make sure meat pieces are no larger than the size of a soup spoon. (If preparing soup the next day, be sure to store leftover turkey meat in an airtight container before placing it in the refrigerator, top with 1 or 2 ladles full of broth to keep meat moist.)

Before straining broth, remove large bones and carcass with tongs. Strain the broth through a sieve, covered with wet cheese cloth. Discard the solids. Transfer broth to a bowl set in a bath of ice water, which will cool the broth quickly and help keep it fresher longer. This can be done the night before and stored in the refrigerator until the next day.

In a large soup pot, heat garlic cloves in the olive oil. Allow to brown slightly and add minced carrots, celery, and onion. Sweat over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes.

Dice the leftover vegetables (here Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and green beans). Add the chopped sage to the soup pot along with the turkey broth and the remaining bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. When simmering, add Brussels sprouts, green beans and diced turkey meat to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Finally, add the sweet potatoes to the center, and gently push them down. Turn the heat off and cover. Allow to sit and steam for 5 to 7 minutes.

Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

I saw this recipe in the January 2011 Cooking Light magazine and had to save it.  My son and I love lobster and who doesn't love risotto?  A local food store Stew Leonard's had a sale on Lobster tails so I figured why not try it out.  I decided to take on this recipe last Sunday during the Giant's game. After boiling the lobster tails in vegetable broth (I don't eat chicken so I usually use vegetable stock in recipes as an alternative) for 4 minutes I removed the meat and chopped up the shells.  I had to take my two kids to CCD and figured I could let the shells simmer in the broth while I was gone.  Mistake! My broth reduced down too quickly and the shells were burnt.  I put the meat in the fridge and decided to try again the next day.  Instead of getting more lobster tails I bought a small lobster and steamed it and then let the chopped shells to simmer in the broth and followed the recipe to the end.  It was delish!  I brought the risotto to my book club meeting this past Wednesday.  We were discussing the novel "Maine" by J. Courtney Sullivan (great read by the way) and figured the lobster risotto would be a nice tribute to the great state of Maine ;-).  It was easy to reheat with some white wine and pasta water from a pot of pasta that my friend Sara was cooking to go with her yummy chili.  The starchy water brought the consistency back to the risotto. When I cook this again I plan to use full lobsters (didn't care for the meat that came from the frozen tails) and plan to top it with parmigiana cheese.  Hope you enjoy!

Simple Lobster Risotto

Simmering the shells infuses the broth with lobster flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3 (5-ounce) American lobster tails
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided 
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed 

Preparation

• Bring broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lobster; cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove lobster from pan; cool for 5 minutes. Remove meat from cooked lobster tails, reserving shells. Chop meat. Place shells in a large zip-top plastic bag. Coarsely crush shells using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Return crushed shells to the broth mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Strain shell mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving broth; discard solids. Return broth mixture to saucepan; keep warm over low heat. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture, and cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 2 tablespoons broth mixture. Add the remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed before adding the next (about 22 minutes total). Remove from heat, and stir in lobster, the reserved 2 tablespoons broth mixture, 2 tablespoons butter, and green peas.
• Sustainable Choice: The American lobster population is well managed in Canada and the U.S.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/simple-lobster-risotto-50400000109640/

My First Post- Beef Daube Provencal

So the idea of this blog came from my friend Heather who suggested I start a blog after sharing one of my "tried and true recipe" emails with her.  The email was my review on a recipe that I recently tried from Cooking Light magazine and has fast become a family favorite.  It's a classic french stew that is a very tasty dish and really isn't hard to make.  A little time consuming, but well worth it. I serve it over lightly buttered egg noodles. The cast iron pot looks like it would be impossible to clean- but it cleans very quickly.  You will have no left overs with this one :)
It is from the November 2004 Cooking Light Magazine.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-daube-provenal-10000000780341/

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 
• 1 cup red wine 
• 2 cups chopped carrot 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 
• 1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes 
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.
• Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.
• Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours