Past 30: A Molecular Gastronomy Experience

Oh my! If you could hear my stomach gurgling now. I just had the most interesting Cooking School experience. Talk about learning something new. I just returned from a cooking class taught by the leader of the molecular gastronomy movement, Paco Rancero ... hunky Spanish culinary superstar. Yes, I know that sounds all smart and gourmet and everything. I really had no idea what it meant or what to expect when I first signed up. I went because my client, Central Market, had talked in lengths about his greatness, Paco. He was the "headliner" of the two-week, in-store event, Passport to Spain. It was really enjoyable, but totally unexpected. This would be what my husband would call fru-fru food to the max.

We started by learning to cook with liquid nitrogen ... you know a Texas household staple. Don't you have some stored up in your freezer? He was throwing in fruit, mixing cocktails -- he froze it, we ate it. We moved into a olive oil series by watching him make rice, yes rice, with olive oil and gelatin. He squeezed the emulsion out of a syringe while cutting off the liquid in tiny bites into hot water. I know, it's so complicated to explain in a blog without video. Plus, I don't think any of us would attempt this at home. We enjoyed jamon, pate and other delicacies throughout the night.

While I didn't leave with any of Paco's recipes, and don't plan to attempt any in the future, tonight reminded me how fun food can be. It also made me miss the old blog. I was telling my friend, Julie, who had never read my blog about it. Wow, I thought, it's been a while since I even logged on to the blog. It's sort of like I met my challenge and moved on. What was exciting was to go back and read my little commentaries in January. It was almost like reading a diary or journal. Tiny details about those days that I have since forgotten. I was also amazed to click on a new feature on Blogspot that showed me the number of times a day my blog is viewed. Amazing. Really? Without me even entering anything for two months, people are still logging on to check it out? Makes me feel like I need to blog again. So I will. In the upcoming summer months, when schedules aren't as freak out as they are during the school year, I will continue to blog and add some of my favorite summer recipes. I can guarantee you that soup will not be on the menu. Check back when you get a sec!

Day 25: Bon Voyage Dinner: Scallopine in Lemon-Caper Sauce with Steamed Caesar Artichokes

(Actual date: Feb. 15th)

Tomorrow Ryan leaves for Asia for 10 days. Gulp. Trying to not think about it. I'll make him a special dinner tonight before he hits the land of Dim Sum. One of our all time favorite restaurants is Felidia in NYC. It's owned by Lidia Bastianich, cookbook author and host of her own TV series, Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian American Kitchen. We've met her several times at the restaurant, and I even worked with her when she made an appearance here in Fort Worth back in 2001. In fact, she's coming to Central Market-Fort Worth again on March 12th for a book signing. Her cookbook, Lidia's Italian American Kitchen, is one of my favorites. Every meal that we've ever had at her restaurant has been wonderful and every meal that I've ever made out of her cookbook has been wonderful as well. That's where I pulled the Scallopine recipe. The artichoke recipe is one of my mother-in-law's. I love these artichokes. It makes my mouth water just thinking about them as I type this.

Scallopine in Lemon-Caper Sauce

Grocery List:

• 2 lemons
• 4 servings of veal scallopine (be sure it's scallopine)
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 10 large green olives
• 1 cup small capers in brine, drained
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Artichokes

• 4 fresh whole artichokes
• Caesar salad dressing
• 1 cup of Croutons

Items already in pantry/fridge:

• Salt
• Pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Olive Oil

Scallopine in Lemon-Caper Sauce

Squeeze the juice from one and a half of the lemons and reserve. Lay the remaining half-lemon flat side down and cut into very thin slices with a paring knife. Remove pits and set the lemon slices aside.

Season the scallopine with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour to coat both sides lightly and tap off excess flour. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter is foaming. Add as many of the scallopine as will fit without touching and cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining scallopine.

Remove all scallopine from the pan. Pour off the fat and carefully wipe out the skillet with a wad of paper towels. Pour in the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and add the remaining 4 tbsp butter, the garlic and lemon slices. Cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set aside. Scatter the olives and capers into the skillet and cook, stirring gently, until they begin to sizzle, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine, bring to a vigorous boil, and cook until wine is reduced in volume by half. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly syrupy, about 4 minutes. Return the scallopine to the skillet, turning the cutlets in the sauce until they are warmed through and coated with sauce. Swirl in the parsley and divide the scallopine among warm plates. Spoon the sauce over them, including some of the capers and olives in each spoonful. Decorate the tops of the scallopine with the reserved lemon slices.

Caesar Artichokes

• Wash and trim the artichokes.
• Steam for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove artichokes from water and drain.
• Set each artichoke up right in a baking dish.
• Drizzle with Caesar dressing and one pat of butter.
• Crumble croutons over each artichoke.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove and serve.

Day 24: Valentine's Day Dinner

I am way behind with my blogging. Notice it's March 5th, and I'm blogging about Valentine's Day. This seems like a million years ago. Since Valentine's Day was on a Monday this year, we actually celebrated Valentine's Day the Saturday before and went to Grace for dinner. Of course, you can't let the actual day pass without a little something special for your sweetheart. This Valentine's Day I made scallops. It varied slightly from this recipe because the only scallops CM had left in the store when I got there were bacon wrapped. No problemo. We love bacon!

Scallops Bonne Femme and Spinach with Crispy Prosciutto

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

20 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 12 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup cream
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 or 2 dashes hot sauce
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves chopped
• 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 baguette, split and halved
• 20 large sea scallops, trimmed of any connective tissue and patted dry
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• Handful parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, cracked from skin
• 1 pound triple washed spinach, stems removed

Directions

Place oven rack at center of oven and preheat broiler.

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a small pot over medium heat and add the shallots and mushrooms, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and flour to softened shallots and mushrooms and cook 1 minute then whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds, add stock and bring to a bubble. Stir incream and heat through. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and a couple dashes hot sauce, then reduce heat to low.

While the sauce is working, cover cookie sheet with foil and place prosciutto on the sheet and crisp up 2 minutes on each side under the broiler. It will continue to crisp as it cools.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, garlic, thyme and basil. Spread overbaguette and place under broiler until toasty. Switch oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a skillet or cast iron pan over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and dress with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sear the scallops to caramelize 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side then cover them with sauce, bread crumbs and parsley and finish in oven about 6 to 7 minutes until brown and bubbly.

While scallops cook, heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat with crushedgarlic, cook 1 minute and remove. Add spinach and wilt into skillet. Season greens with salt and pepper.

Serve scallops with wilted spinach alongside and top with broken pieces of crispy prosciutto and toasted bread.

Day 23: Chicken Parmesan and Antipasto Salad

This is probably one of the first dinners I ever made after we got married. One of the wedding showers I had was a kitchen shower. Everyone brought kitchen items and their favorite recipes. One of the gifts was a cookbook, "The Family Circle Cookbook, New Tastes for New Times." It sounds like something straight out of the 1950s, but actually it has some of the most "real" recipes and ideas. I've used it a ton over the past 14 years. This recipe is actually listed as Turkey and Eggplant Parmesan, but I've simplified it to just plain Chicken Parmesan. The salad is one of my favorites from Fireside Pies. They call theirs the "Salumi Salad," but since this is my own version, I renamed it. The salad to my recipe repertoire, but I've already made it several times. I love it!

Grocery List:

For Chicken Parmesan:

• 1 1/4 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups prepared or homemade tomato sauce (Try Central Market's Organic Garlic Lover's Pasta Sauce)
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I like to use fresh mozzarella)

For the Salad:

• 1 bag of arugla
• 1 cucumber
• 1 carton grape tomatoes
• 1 salumi or salami
• Pitted mixed Greek olives
• Peperoncinis
• 1 jar of artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Probably already have in your pantry:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetable oil
• Red wine vinegar

Chicken Parmesan:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine bread crumbs, parsley and parmesan in a shallow dish.
• Beat together 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 pepper in another dish.
• (I like to use a meat mallet to flatten my chicken breasts before dredging in egg and bread crumbs).
• Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet.
• Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture to coat.
• Add chicken breasts to skillet; saute for 7 to 10 minutes, turning halfway during cooking time after first side is golden.
• Spray 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add chicken breasts to dish. Top with tomato sauce.
• Add a slice of fresh mozzarella to the top of each chicken breast.
• Sprinkle with parsley.
• Bake in preheated hot oven (400 degrees) for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

Antipasto Salad:

• Wash and slice cucumber and tomatoes.
• Slice salumi and peel rind.
• Grate mozzarella cheese.
• Cut up artichoke hearts, olives and peperoncini peppers.
• Toss all ingredients together, drizzle with dressing and serve.

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Whisk together and drizzle desired amount over salad

Day 22: Caprese Salad

Technically, I have achieved my 30 days!!!! But that includes a lot of leftovers, sandwiches, snack dinners, etc. To be fair, I'm going to blog 8 more original dinners. There are still so many yummy recipes I want to share. I got a little thrown off with the sickness and all the snow days --waaaayyy too much soup. Not everything I cook is served in a bowl. I promise.

Amidst all the Super Bowl leftovers this week, I did manage to make a fresh salad. No need for a recipe really. Every knows how to make this, but here are a couple of things I love for this salad.

Caprese Salad

• 1 container Gourmet Medley Heirloom Tomato mix (They sell this at Central Market and I've seen them at Super Target from time to time. A nice colorful mix of tomatoes sold almost year-round without having to pick out a bunch of different types of tomatoes. It's done for you).
• 1 package of fresh mozzarella (Paula Lambert's fresh mozzarella is what I usually use and it's local too. Central Market also makes its own fresh mozzarella in-house).
• 1 bunch of fresh basil (Grow in a pot in your backyard in the summer. You'll be amazed a how much you use it. One of my girls even loves to munch on it. Strange, I know. But at least it's something green).
• Good balsamic vinegar
• Good extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Slice tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Mix together. Drizzle with BV and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Ugly photo, I know. But, at least it gives a visual.

Day 21: Super Bowl Sunday

I made the Memphis Slow Cooker Pork tonight to serve as sliders at the Super Bowl get-together. Unfortunately (or fortunately) so did my friend, so we've had 4 lbs of pork to eat this week. While yummy at first, it will be a while before I make those again. A little burned out on pork. Here are some of my other favorite Super Bowl dishes. My belief is there's an unwritten forgiveness policy on eating high caloric food on Super Bowl Sunday. If that's not something you normally do, today's the day. Tomorrow is Monday so you can get back on the health kick if that's your thing.

Ms. Anne's Sausage Balls

1 lb. hot pork sausage

2 cups Bisquick

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown sausage and drain fat. In a mixing bowl, combine cooked sausage, Bisquick and cheese until combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Chow Chow's Grove Sausage Queso

2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese

2 packages of pork sausage

2 cans of Rotel

Brown sausage and drain fat. In a slow cooker, combine cooked sausage, cream cheese and Rotel. Turn to high heat. Continue to stir until mixed and melted. Reduce heat and keep warm. Serve with Frito's.

Mom's Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese

1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Ranch dressing

Tyson's chicken strips, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm chicken strips in a skillet with 1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce. Stirring often until warmed and coated with hot sauce. Spread cream cheese in an 8 x 8-inch dish. Pour 1/4 cup of hot sauce over it. Layer chicken on top of cream cheese. Drizzle with Ranch dressing. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with crackers or chips. (Guys love this!)

Day 20: Spaghetti Dinner

Guess what? It's another snow day. Thank goodness for friends. The girls have stayed occupied with play dates. Tonight, we're having two friends spend the night. The consensus is that everyone likes spaghetti, so spaghetti it is. Yeah, I know this picture is not beautiful -- not that any of them are, I'm still working on my photography skills -- but I almost forgot to snap a picture until we were sitting down for dinner.

Pure laziness has set in tonight. It's spaghetti sauce from a jar. If anyone has a favorite spaghetti sauce recipe, please share. There is nothing better than homemade spaghetti sauce.

No recipe to share, but one tip for those out there who don't cook often. Always season the pasta water with at least 1 tsp of salt.

Day 18: Groundhog Day

How appropriate. Especially if you've seen the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. It's our second snow day and somehow not much has changed. Here we all sit in our same pajamas, eating the same breakfast, same lunch and same dinner (thank goodness that Taco Soup makes a lot). I felt like I was living the same day all over again. The high today does not get above 20 degrees. It's too cold to even go outside to get fresh air. But hey, I'm sticking to the challenge. Plus, I don't even think Papa John's would deliver in this weather.

Please melt a little so I can get to the store tomorrow.

Day 19: Chicken and Wild Mushroom Soup with Greens

We are on day three of the kids being out of school this week due to snow and ice -- crazy -- in Texas especially. Who would have thought? And we're definitely on a soup roll around here with all this bone-chilling weather. Tonight I made another one of my favorite soup recipes. (And yes, I did have to break out and go to the store this afternoon. Unless we wanted to eat Dora SpaghettiOs for dinner, shopping was a must. I was too nervous to cross I-3O so I just headed down the street. Ahh, the fresh air of SuperTarget, the bare shelves, the long lines. Pure bliss. Cabin Fever has truly set in.)

This is one I made up so season to taste. My measurements may not be exact.

Chicken and Wild Mushroom Soup with Greens

Grocery List:

• 1 lb. or 1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 container of pre-sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 container of pre-sliced Baby Bella mushrooms (Some store sell containers of a wild mushroom mix. Any mushroom mix is fine as long as you have approximately 4 cups)
• 1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach greens
• 1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 32 oz. box of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth (2 boxes if using slow cooker)
• 1 32 oz. box of vegetable broth
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 fresh lemon

Probably already have in pantry/fridge:

• Olive Oil
• Sherry wine vinegar
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Butter
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

4 hours in advance: If you're using chicken breasts, cook in slow cooker. Turn heat to high. Rinse chicken breasts and sprinkle generously with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. (I found a "French simmer sauce" that I used this time), but instead you could make your own simmer sauce using 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/2 cup Sherry wine vinegar and 1 tsp. of minced garlic. Pour sauce over chicken breasts and cook in slow cooker for 4 hours or until chicken is tender and shreddable.

If you're using a Rotisserie chicken, pull chicken off bones and shred.

• Next saute all mushrooms on medium heat using 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 pats of butter, 1 tsp. minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until mushrooms reduce and are soft.
• In a stock pot, add one box of chicken broth and one box of vegetable broth to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to medium.
• Add 1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
• Add 1 bag of baby spinach greens.
• Add cooked chicken and sauteed mushrooms.
• Lower heat and simmer for 30-minutes.
• 5 minutes before serving, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the soup to brighten the flavors.
• Taste before serving and season to liking.

Serve with a side of crusty French bread.

I'm so upset that I accidentally deleted the photo of this soup. I was trying to clear my card to make room for snow pictures since the kids finally got out in it.

Day 17: Taco Soup and Cornbread

It's getting down to 10 degrees tonight, so nothing sounded better than hot soup. If you don't already have a Taco Soup recipe in your arsenal, you should add it. This is one of those dishes you can have on hand for any night of the week. All of the ingredients can be kept in the freezer or pantry for a last-minute hearty and warm dinner.

Grocery List:

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kernel corn, drained
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can of Rotel with diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 (7 oz.) can of chopped green chiles
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 packet of ranch salad dressing seasoning

Garnishes:

• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese
• Tortilla chips

(Additional optional ingredients: 1 chopped onion, 1 can of pinto beans, 1 can of black olives, pickled jalapenos, etc.)

Directions:

• Brown ground beef in a large skillet, drain off fat.
• Add ground beef to a large stock pot.
• Add drained and rinsed black beans and drained corn.
• Add can of Rotel, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, green chiles and seasoning packets.
• Heat to medium-high stirring often.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
• Garnish as desired.

The Weekend and Beyond

People I talk to who have just learned about my goal and blog are saying, "You're cooking for 30 days straight?!?" Well, not exactly. Here's my goal: If we are at the house for dinner, I am cooking or preparing. The 30 days has already stretched into the month of February. At this rate, it might be Spring Break before I complete this challenge.

In order to stay sane, every one needs a break. Friday night we headed to Eddie V's for a date night. Dinner was wonderful as usual. The laugh of the night came when my husband ordered the special: a dry-aged, 22 oz., bone-in, "tomahawk" rib-eye. When the waiter brought it to the table, we felt like the Flintstones. It looked like a caveman dinner. Yes, the name tomahawk comes from the shape. Imagine an 18 inch or so bone with a huge rib-eye on one end. It was quite tasty though.

Saturday night was a treat. Our friend hosted a beautiful dinner party. Absolutely gorgeous! How we all wish we could do the same, but then reality hits and we realize just how difficult it is to host a dinner for 12. In order for everything to come together seamlessly for a dinner party when you have kids, you must deport them for at least 24 hours prior to the guests arriving. She served a rosemary crusted beef tenderloin, wasabi mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, a fresh tossed salad and 9-grain bread from Black Rooster Bakery.

Sunday night was every man for himself. Sometimes you just have to do that.

Monday night we headed out for Mexican food and to the Stock Show and Rodeo.

We were awakened at 4 a.m. this morning to "thunder sleet." Today, Tuesday, is an official snow/ice day. Unfortunately, I didn't think this would really happen. Instead of going to the grocery store yesterday while my kids were in school, I caught up on work projects and projects around the house. It's slim pickens around here. I'll have to get creative for dinner tonight.

Day 16: Orange Roughy in Dijon Cream Sauce with Roasted Asparagus

I'm a little behind on blogging. Last Thursday night as promised, I was back to cooking again. Since I had not made a fish dish yet this month, I decided I would try something new. This recipe is from Cooking Light magazine (June 2005). It was extremely easy but everything cooked so fast, you really have to man the stove. Also, each serving is less than 200 calories, but you would never know it by the taste and rich flavor.

Grocery List:

• 1 to 2 lbs. of light white fish (orange roughy, tilapia, red snapper, etc.) - plan on 6 oz. of fish per person
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 container sliced baby Bella mushrooms
• 2 tbsp whipping cream
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 bundle of asparagus

Probably already have in your pantry/fridge:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Orange Roughy in Dijon Cream Sauce

• Sprinkle fish with 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme, fresh ground pepper and Kosher salt.
• Coat large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
• Add fish. Cook 1 minute on each side.
• Add 3/4 cup chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms; cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until mushrooms are tender.
• Remove fish from pan; place on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Add 2 tsp of cream, and 2 tsp of Dijon mustard to pan.
• Stir with a whisk until well combined.
• Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
• Serve sauce over fish.

HS note: If you buy the pre-sliced mushrooms, you'll need to slice them again -- maybe once, maybe twice. This recipe is best if mushrooms are very thin and delicate. You can also substitute chicken in this recipe instead of fish.

I served this with roasted asparagus and out-of-the-box mushroom risotto.

Roasted Asparagus

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash asparagus.
• Snap or cut woody ends off asparagus and place in baking dish.
• Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• Sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

A Hit With Kids: Mini Personalized Pizzas

One of my first "cooking experiences" was at our next-door neighbors house in Atlanta. As part of a sleepover birthday party for my friend, Mere, we all made our own mini pizzas. I still remember that -- and I loved it. Mrs. Judy had refrigerated biscuits for the mini pizza dough, jars of pizza sauce and tons of toppings: Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepperonis, ground beef, sausage, and maybe a few healthy veggies too (although I wasn't into veggies at that age). We all got to personalize our pizzas to our liking.

The other night when I wasn't feeling like eating much, I let the kids cook for themselves. I thought of the mini pizzas and how fun they were to make as a child. I pulled out a can of refrigerated biscuits, tomato sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella (because that's all my kids will eat on their pizza right now).

They loved it too. In less than 15 minutes, we had personalized pizzas ready to serve.

Ironically, Mrs. Judy commented on my blog the very next morning after I made the pizzas (before I had posted this). She wrote about how she remembers my mom always cooking and even making fresh blueberry pancakes for us on school days. Little does she know that 30 years later, I still remember her special personalized pizzas. It was so much fun to share that tradition with my kids. I have another favorite kid-friendly Gaskill recipe that I plan to share later in my 30-day challenge. Stay tuned ...

Mini Personalized Pizzas

Grocery List:

• Refrigerated pizza dough or refrigerated can of biscuits
• Jar of favorite pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 bag of Shredded mozzarella cheese (approx. 2 cups)

Additional topping options:

• Pepperoni
• Ground beef
• Italian sausage
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Olives
• Bell peppers
• Chicken
• Etc.

Directions:

• Preheat oven according to instructions on dough package.
• If using refrigerated pizza dough, divide dough equally among children. If using biscuits, divide biscuits among children.
• Knead dough into thin circles on a parchment covered baking sheet.
• Top with tomato sauce.
• Add Parmesan cheese and mozzarella.
• Add additional toppings.
• Bake pizzas according to dough instructions, checking often.
• Enjoy!

Sick Days

Arghh! This is when you need takeout the most, but I have resisted the temptation. Over the past few days, none of us have felt great. You know the kind of sick where even your taste buds feel groggy? By dinner time, I definitely haven't had the energy to cook. The Chicken & Dumpling leftovers were a great option Monday night. They tasted just as good the second day. Tuesday night and tonight, we've been scraping the bottom of the barrel (or freezer as it is in our case). Tomorrow night the range will fire up again ... or at least I hope. Stay tuned ...

Day 15: Chicken and Dumplings

Half way there! It's day 15, and I had big plans to make this awesome fish dish tonight. Unfortunately, we're all a little under the weather fighting off a cold. Instead of Halibut, I opted for a classic comfort food dish, Chicken and Dumplings. I used to love when my mom made Chicken and Dumplings. It was one of my favorites. Of course, she made her dumplings from scratch. I could eat a whole bowl of just dumplings. I loved them so much, and still do. About nine years ago, I discovered this quick and easy chicken and dumplings dish. It smells and tastes so good. Prep and cook time is less than 30 minutes.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Grocery List:

• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 can of refrigerated biscuits (not the flaky-layer kind, just plain buttermilk biscuits)
• 1 can of reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
• 1 32 oz. box of reduced-sodium organic chicken broth
• Herbs de Provence
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pick all chicken (dark and white pieces) off bones.
• Shred chicken into bite sized pieces.
• Cut individual biscuits into eighths (they will be small triangle size pieces).
• In a stock pot, combine both soups, 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper, and 1 tsp Herbs de Provence over high heat.
• Stir often until soups have combined and bring to a boil.
• Add shredded chicken to soup.
• While soup is boiling, drop in cut biscuits.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir often to keep biscuits from sticking.
• Biscuits will expand and float to the top. Biscuits are done when they sink from the surface.

Enjoy!

Serve with a fresh garden salad.

Day 14: Filet Mignon with Barolo Sauce

Saturday night we created our own steak house dinner. My husband makes the best steaks. He learned from the best because his dad cooks great steaks too. They always know exactly when to pull them from the grill but both will inevitably come in saying, "these are overdone." When we cut into them, they are always perfect. We jokingly call them both the "Sauce Men." Whether it's the natural au jus from the beef or a sauce they've put together on the side, they both like to spoon a little on top of the filet before serving. Tonight, we made a Barolo sauce. Here's the recipe:

Barolo Sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 cup Barolo wine or a full-bodied red wine
• 1 carton of sliced mushrooms

In a saucepan, add olive oil and Worcestershire Sauce and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until mushrooms have absorbed liquid and start to reduce in size. Add beef stock and red wine and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat. Add butter and cream, stirring constantly for a minute or so while bringing sauce back to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer while steaks are on the grill. Sauce will thicken and should be a deep burgundy color.

Let beef filets rest for 5 to 10 minutes after bringing them in from the grill. Spoon Barolo sauce with mushrooms over beef filets. Serve and enjoy!

We served the filets with baked sweet potatoes, sauteed broccolini and a classic blue cheese wedge salad.

Day 13: Chicken Soft Tacos and Guacamole Salad

The Crock Pot is coming back out today. This weekend, I was catching up with my friend, Laura, she happened to mention a dinner idea to me, so I took it and ran with it. Chicken tacos made in the Crock Pot. Whenever I make Tex-Mex food, I usually pair it with Ina Garten's Guacamole Salad. It's the perfect complement.

Grocery List:

• 3 to 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless.
• 1 jar of your favorite salsa (or I found a Mexican simmer sauce with tomatillos)
• Tortillas
• Your favorite taco toppings (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, etc.)
• 2 avocados
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 2 limes
• 1 red onion
• 1 can of black beans

Probably already in your fridge/pantry:

• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Salt and pepper

Chicken Soft Tacos

Directions:

• Add chicken breasts and 1 jar of salsa or simmering sauce to Crock Pot.
• Turn on high and cook 3 hours.
• Shred cooked chicken with a fork.
• Add to tortillas and assemble tacos to your liking.

Guacamole Salad

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup small diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Directions

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Day 12: Mushroom and Spinach Omelet

Some days just get away from you. This was one of those days. Hmmm, what's in the fridge?When the cupboards are bare, I usually make an omelet. I had the eggs. I had the shredded cheese. What else could I dig up? In my produce drawer was less than half a bag of spinach and some sliced mushrooms. Perfect!

Mushroom and Spinach Omelet

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Butter
• Shredded Cheddar cheese
• Spinach
• Sliced mushrooms
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Saute mushrooms in a skillet with 1 pat of butter and approximately 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce.
• In a mixing bowl, mix eggs (2 per person -- 4 max per omelet). Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat skillet to medium high. Add two pats of butter.
• Once butter has melted, pour egg mixture into skillet.
• Let eggs cook to form a firm base.
• Gently lift sides of the omelet with a spatula, letting uncooked egg run under the cooked part.
• When omelet is 75 percent cooked, add shredded Cheddar cheese, sauteed mushrooms and spinach leaves.
• With a large spatula, fold one half of the omelet over the other half. Carefully slide omelet from skillet to plate.

Enjoy ... any time of the day!

Day 11: Thai Chicken and Edamame

One of my Christmas sussies was the new Brentwood United Methodist Women cookbook, "Recipes from the Heart." The first BUMC cookbook, "The Second Most Valuable Book You'll Ever Need" has been in my cookbook collection for 15 years. It's one of my favorites, and I refer to it often. I have skimmed through the new one and tagged a few recipes that initially caught my eye. This is one of them.

Thai Chicken

1 cup salsa (I used a hot, more pureed salsa, not chunky)

1/3 cup peanut butter

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. molasses

2 tsp. water

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 tsp. oil

3 cups cooked rice

1 tsp sesame seeds

Bring to boil salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses and water, stirring often. Combine spices in a Ziploc bag. Slice chicken into strips. Toss chicken in spices. Put oil in skillet or wok. Brown chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked. Pour sauce over chicken. Stir. Serve over rice.

HS note: If I made this again I would top the chicken and rice with fresh chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts and a fresh squeezed lime. Also, I forgot to toss the chicken in the sauce before serving. Oops. Instead I topped the chicken with sauce once it was plated.

I served the dish with Edamame. My kids go through two bags of this a week. They love it! Lately, I've been buying the Archer Farms brand at Super Target. You'll find it in the freezer section by the frozen vegetables. It steams in the bag in the microwave for 5 minutes and then we sprinkle it with kosher salt and toss.

The Weekend

Great Saturday and Sunday nights out, and no cooking. We had an extraordinary night out on Saturday. A wonderful dinner at La Piazza followed by Vito, the owner, and his daughter singing Italian opera to us by candlelight in the bar. Unbelievable. It was like having a private opera performance. Not your ordinary night out in Fort Worth! Following the TCU Rose Bowl celebration, all the family headed to Joe T Garcia's for Tex-Mex. Monday night dinner already planned.

Day 10: Citrus Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I'm a little behind on blogging, but no need to worry ... I have been cooking. Friday night's dinner was what I call a throw-together dinner. The guy at the meat counter talked me into buying pork chops Thursday because they were such a good deal. So I bought them. It sort of caught me of guard, so I wandered through Central Market with no recipe wondering how I would prepare them and what I would serve with them. Friday afternoon, I was still perplexed. I googled a few pork chop recipes and finally made up my own based on items already in my refrigerator. As far as the sides went, I decided to wing it. Here's the recipe that I threw-together. It was remarkably good although I decided pork chops are not my favorite. This would have been so much more delicious had it been a pork tenderloin. I'll definitely try the marinade on a pork tenderloin soon.

Citrus Pork Chops

Grocery List

• 2 butterflied pork chops
• 1 jar orange marmalade
• 1 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 blood orange
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 bundle of broccolini

Items you probably already have in your pantry/fridge (if not, include them on your list):

• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used a Carolina-style barbecue sauce)
• Lemon juice or fresh lemon
• Minced garlic
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Marinade:

• At least two hours before (or as early as a day before), prepare marinade and marinade pork chops.
• In mixing bowl, add one small jar of orange marmalade, 1 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce, 1/4 barbecue sauce, 1/2 cup of water. Mix together.
• Add pork chops to a large Ziploc bag, pour in marinade, seal and then refrigerate.

Citrus Pork Chops:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place marinated pork chops on a jelly roll pan (use non-stick aluminum foil to make clean up easier). (A pan with sides keeps juices in pan).
• Bake for 20 minutes (depending on thickness of pork chops).

Finishing the Pork Chops:

• Add marinade to sauce pan. Turn burner to high.
• Bring marinade to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
• Reduce heat to medium low.
• Slice orange and add orange slices to marinade.
• Continue cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add cooked pork chops to plate. Spoon sauce over pork chops.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and peel sweet potatoes.
• Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes (approximately).
• Spray 9 x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Add sweet potatoes.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until edges brown.

Sauteed Broccolini:

• Wash and cut ends off of broccolini.
• Heat sauce pan to medium high heat.
• Add 1/4 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp of olive oil and 1 pat of butter to sauce pan.
• Heat until garlic is lightly browned.
• Add broccolini, turning every couple of minutes.
• Saute a total of 7 to 10 minutes.
• Squeeze half a lemon over broccolini.
• Remove from heat and serve.

Day 9: Aunt Carol's Yummy Chicken Casserole & Honeyed Citrus Nut Salad

Food + Family = Comfort. This casserole has stuck in my mind ever since I ate it almost two years ago. Traveling to my cousins wedding in Hilton Head that May was like a flash back in time. I flew into Atlanta by myself where my parents picked me up at the airport. We drove that familiar drive from Atlanta to Macon, GA, where my aunt, uncle and cousins live. Growing up, we'd make that trip several times a year. I used to have that road memorized.

Walking through the front door, memories rushed back of summers spent with cousins, family Christmases and the infamous Boy Scout Jamborees. And then there was the smell. Yummy casserole in the oven. For that night I wasn't the wife or mom, I was back to being the daughter and niece. We all gathered around the table in the dining room just like we did as kids, and Aunt Carol served us dinner.

Aunt Carol's Yummy Casserole

Grocery List:

• 1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4 breasts)
• 1 can French green beans, drained
• 1 pkg. wild rice cooked (I used Uncle Ben's microwave-in-a-bag wild rice)
• 1 can reduced fat cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Paprika

Optional:

• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. pimientos, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Place on baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes (Make sure chicken is baked through. No pink in the middle). Chop chicken into small cubes.
• Combine all ingredients except paprika.
• Place in 3-quart buttered casserole dish (can use non-stick spray too).
• Sprinkle with paprika on top.
• Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour until the top is slightly browned.

Honeyed Citrus-Nut Salad

Grocery List:

• 1 bunch of red leaf lettuce (or any mixed greens)
• 1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained, or substitute with fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 2 to 4 tbs. honey
• 1 (4 oz.) pkg. slivered almonds or chopped pecans
• 4 slices of bacon, fried and broken into pieces (optional)

Directions:

• Gently toss lettuce, fruit and parsley. Heat honey in skillet; add nuts and toss until browned. Cool and sprinkle over salad. Toss with Poppy Seed Dressing and sprinkle bacon pieces on top if desired.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup vinegar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 to 4 tbsp. poppy seeds

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients, except oil and poppy seeds, in blender. Add oil and poppy seeds. Mix 2 minutes. Chill. Will keep for several months in the refrigerator.