7 Babes & 7 Appetites

L-R: Meili. Emily. Brittany. Nikki. Brooke. Vanessa.

Ashley joined us later.

This month, we gathered at my (Meili's) house for a lovely dinner a la Babes. As the host, I declared the theme of the meal to be inspired by The Pioneer Woman and Tasty Kitchen. After all, Ree Drummond and I are BFFs, as evidenced in this photograph taken at her cookbook signing at The King's English Book Shop in SLC in November. Yes, we had a sparkling moment of intimate conversation wherein I told her how I accidentally borrowed her pet name for her kids ("punks") for my own little man, and she commented on the uniqueness of my name.

Anywhoo, the main dish was a scrumptious little ditty I found on Tasty Kitchen. The recipe is called Scallops 'N Pasta, but I used shrimp instead. It was my first time cooking shrimp. EVER! And I must say, it turned out quite tasty.

See that lovely pink beverage? Brooke contributed this tart/sweet grapefruit concoction.

Brittany made these sweet, gooey, cinnamony, yummy apple fritters.

Nikki brought delicious zucchini cakes, which we paired with ranch dressing.

Ashley walked in the door with this tray of salty, peppery, crisp-tender asparagus. It did not last long. I ate about half of these babies myself.

And for dessert, Emily (Ashley's guest and our new friend) presented this yummy strawberry pie with graham cracker crust and hidden chocolate chips!

As we discussed our experiences making these luscious dishes, we discovered that the theme of the night was patting the food dry. I had to pat the shrimp dry in order for it to sear properly. Ashley patted the asparagus dry before grilling it. Nikki squeezed the zucchini juices through a towel. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman, we all learned how to properly pat and squeeze and otherwise remove moisture.

Then, after that thrilling discussion, the real conversation began. I won't go into details because what happens at the Babes' table stays there. And really. You don't want to know.

Pasta and Shrimp

• 4 ounces pasta [Meili's note: I used bowtie pasta]
• Jumbo Shrimp
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 clove Garlic, Finely Diced
• 1 whole Tomato, Chopped
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock
• 1 sprig Parsley, Finely Minced
• Just A Bit Of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Salt And Pepper

Cook the pasta in salted water per the instructions on the box. [Meili's note: do not overcook the pasta like I did.] Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, prep all the ingredients and have them at the ready nearby. For the shrimp, use a couple of layers of paper towels and pat very dry. Move the shrimp to a clean sheet of paper towel and pat dry once more. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat a large frying pan or saute pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in the olive oil. Add the shrimp to the pan, not touching. Give each shrimp ample room so that they can sear properly. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes without touching then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Turn the heat to low. Add the butter and the garlic. Saute for just 10 seconds and then add the tomatoes.

Turn the heat to high and add in the vegetable stock. Let it bubble a bit for 30 seconds and use your spatula to scrape up the bits in the pan. Season with salt and pepper (go light on the salt … remember your pasta is lightly salted now), throw in the parsley and then add in your cooked pasta. Stir well to let the sauce coat the pasta. Serve with the shrimp.

[Meili's note: I quadrupled this recipe to serve 8, but only used 2 C veggie stock instead of 4, which was plenty.]

Pink Ladies

24 oz. Cranberry Juice
24 oz. Grapefruit Juice
16 oz. Peach Nectar
Maraschino Cherries (garnish)

Apple Fritters

• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 whole large eggs
• 3/4 C whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs melted butter
• 2 whole granny smith apples, peeled and diced
• powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
• glaze (optional)
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 C milk

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.

Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not overmix.) Fold in apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!

Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium to medium-low heat. When it gets hot, drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.

Drop teaspoons of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they’ll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don’t get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter’s cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.

Remove and drain on a paper towel. Dust very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in a light doughnut glaze (mix all glaze ingredients together, then dunk warm fritters).

Serve warm!

May be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Zucchini Cakes

• 1 whole large zucchini
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/2-3/4 C breadcrumbs
• 1/2 C 4 cheese Italian blend
• 2 whole eggs
• kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• olive oil

Wash and cut the end off of one large zucchini. Shred it using the large holes of a cheese grater. Squeeze the shredded zucchini inside of a clean towel until you've removed as much liquid as possible.

Place shredded zucchini into a medium bowl. Add minced garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese (shredded), eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Heat olive oil (about 1/4 inch deep in bottom of skillet) to a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough, drop a glob of zucchini batter into the skillet and flatten it a bit. After about two minutes, turn the cakes over (they should be golden-brown) and cook on the other side until done (about 2-3 minutes).

Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice and enjoy.

Recipes for the asparagus and the pie coming soon...

Aging and Chocolate Cake

My grandparents are up from Cedar City for the weekend, and not just for a visit. Both in their early nineties, they have to this point aged very well. They have lived in the house they built together as newlyweds for over sixty years. Grandpa has maintained a beautiful yard and garden, and my grandma has kept her house impeccably neat and tidy. They've traveled, and participated in the community. They have seen weddings and missions and birthdays and holidays of grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. And I am so fortunate to have them still in my life, to have them know my daughters, and to see that beautiful link between generations.

But things don't always stay the same. That's the beauty and the heartache of life. Grandpa had a knee replaced last spring, and just came out of a hip replacement a few weeks ago. And now it's Grandma's turn. She's the one who needs a new hip. So they've come up here to Salt Lake where there is family to support and take care of them. I'm so glad they're here, for so many reasons.

Last night I was out picking up groceries for my family when my lil' bro called and asked me to pick up a walker for Grandma to use, as she was having a hard time getting around the house. No big deal, I thought. I just ran to the nearby Walmart, chose my favorite model of walker and picked it up to carry it to the checkstand. And then I started to cry. The reality of my grandparents' age and mortality hit me like a ton of bricks. Because I tend to be a worrier, my mind started racing ahead to the days of Grandma's upcoming surgery, her recovery, and my eventual life without my grandmother, and my grandfather. I will miss them so much. And though I know I'm fortunate to have had them as part of my life for so long, it does not make it any easier to digest the fact that someday they will not be with me anymore.

My parents are currently out of town, so my siblings and I are taking care of the gparents. And I am doing what I do best: cooking and baking. Tonight we will have a family dinner together. We will have curried chicken with rice, garlic cornbread muffins, and chocolate cake (cake recipe courtesy of Meili's grandma Venna). We will eat together tonight, and laugh, and make messes and memories. And chow down and enjoy our time together.

Life will march on whether you are ready for it or not. People come and go from your life whether you are ready for them to go or not. So make the most of your time with them because it is limited. The key is not to focus on the future without them, but to savor the present with them. So take a few minutes and eat some chocolate cake with the people you love.



Bon Appetit.

Grandma Venna's Chocolate Cake
1 C Water
1/4 C cocoa
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t soda
2 cubes margarine
2 C flour
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla

In sauce pan, heat the water, margarine, cocoa together. Stir, mix well. Combine flour, sugar, salt, soda in a separate bowl. In another, whip eggs with fork, add buttermilk and vanilla. Combine all. Pour in a 9x13 dish and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Simple. Perfect. Enchiladas.

It's no wonder Brittany is one of my best friends. We both made enchiladas on the same night! Hers were chicken, and mine were beef, and they were completely different recipes. But that's the beauty of this blog. You can pick and choose what dishes you like.

The following recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers, The Pioneer Woman aka Ree Drummond. You can find the step-by-step instructions on her website HERE. I have also pasted them below. I used my (signed!) cookbook, which I highly recommend you acquire immediately. So many great recipes!

When I was growing up, enchiladas meant sticking frozen bean and cheese burritos in the oven, topped with red enchilada sauce. That's about it. Sorry Mom, but these tasty things put the frozen stuff to shame. Shame, I tell you!

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
• _____
• FOR THE MEAT:
• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• _____
• FOR THE TORTILLAS:
• 10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
• ½ cups Canola Oil
• _____
• TO ASSEMBLE:
• 3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ½ cups Chopped Black Olives
• 1 cup Chopped Green Onions
• ½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat

Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Enchilada Trick

Hey there readers!

I just wanted to pass along an easy, and super-yummy, trick for enchiladas.

In a crock pot, place some chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, one pkg taco seasoning, etc. You can add whatever else you want (like green or red peppers, green onions, etc). I like to load my enchiladas with veggies; it's a "mom challenge" I give myself.

Cook until the chicken is cooked, and then shred the chicken before filling your enchiladas and placing them in the pan.

Now here comes the trick: open a can of green enchilada sauce and pour it into the crock pot. Stir it around to mix it with the juices from the filling that has just cooked. Now pour that over the top of your enchiladas before baking them.

Seriously, you will never taste better home-made enchiladas.

(not my photo...)

I've Been Baking

A couple weeks ago, I made these delicious oreo truffles, courtesy of Bakerella. Can you guess the occasion? Yes, they were a hit at the Super Bowl party I attended with friends. (See recipe here.)

Then I made this. It's a chocolate cake from a box (which I usually oppose), and frosting made from shortening (yuck), but I made it for a cake decorating class I'm taking with my friend Shanel. When I first showed up with my unfrosted cake, my fellow students remarked what a cute guitar I had.

After completing the decoration, I think it's a recognizable, although not symmetrical, violin.

Yesterday, my fabulous mother in law made Julia Child's boeuf borguignon for our family Valentine's Day dinner. Wow! I'm still dreaming about it; it was so tasty. This difficult dish filled the house with the aroma of wine and sauteed mushrooms. We ate it over mashed potatoes, paired with a sweet salad with candied pecans and feta, and rolls with homemade raspberry jam. And then... this.

She made this four layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache, which she let me drizzle over the top and sides. I may or may not have eaten a couple spoonfuls when no one was looking.

Peace, Love & Chocolate

Breakfast + Lunch= Best Dinner Idea

Who doesn't love brunch?



At least, that's what was on the mind of our hostess, Brooke, last month as she enlisted our help in creating a yummy brunch-for-dinner menu; and I couldn't agree more. I'm a sucker for all kinds of breakfast foods. I (Brit) am posting about our latest get-together because just one week ago Brooke gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. So we're going to give our most recent hostess a break from blogging to let her enjoy these precious days with her new arrival.

Last month's brunch was full of delicious treats.

Meili brought some food pairings that I never would have thought to try together. Brie and pears teamed up nicely, and the prosciutto and cantaloupe were surprisingly complementary.

I loved the Apleskivers that Tess brought (mostly I loved the pan that she cooked them in).


The piece de resistance, for me at least, was Brooke's quiche. Full of bacon AND ham, it delighted every carnivore there. (I love bacon. I mean, love it. It's kind of an obsession...)


We washed everything down with some of Nikki's Orange Julius.


And ended the evening with my brownies in a crock pot; it's true! It really worked. (ok, the edges were burnt, but the scoops of the chocolatey goodness from the middle of the crock were amazing!)

It was a weird night, though, because Meili left early with the flu (thankfully not passing it on to any of us!) and Smash couldn't make it (hey, the girl's planning a wedding in 17 days!). We missed them! True we had a good time and had plenty of conversation, laughs and good food (well, more of it for those of us there, now that I think about it) but what I found that night is that nothing can replace a good friend's presence. Yes Meili sent her awesome food, but eating it without her just made us miss her more! We wanted to hear about where she'd come up with these ideas, and whether or not she liked the food pairings. And of course Smash's priority was to get things put together for the wedding, but no evening with Babes a la Mode is complete without her wry, blunt sense of humor.

Just as a great dish has many ingredients that may or may not have anything in common, but still come together to complement each other to make it delicious, so it is with friendships. The individual ingredients may be tasty on their own, but it's when they spend time together, blending those things which make them unique with the others around them, that the most delicious of dishes can be created. I'm looking forward to our next casserole.

Bon Appetit

Easiest Soup Ever

...or at least close to it.

Brown 1 lb Italian sausage with some chopped up onion. Stir in 2 cans chicken broth, 1 cup water, one can spaghetti sauce (I like the Zesty and Spicy variety by Hunt's) and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and toss in some diced carrots & zucchini, and a cup and half of any pasta noodles (no more than that or they soak up the broth and balloon up to three or four times their size, eventually taking over your kitchen and pushing you out on to the street, leaving you homeless).


Simmer.
Buon appetito