Challenge #1 with a little Basmati Risotto

Everything looks better on a full stomach.

Why am I saying that? Well, I'm a little nervous, you see. I've entered a challenge on Foodbuzz.com called Project Food Blog.

There are 10 challenges to pass. Last I checked there were over 1,800 contestants and only 400 will advance to the 2nd Challenge. Grand prize is $10,000.00. (holy moly)

Nothing calms the nerves like good food. So lets start there, since that's what I'm all about.

During my resent visit to Alabama, we stayed a couple nights at my sister Jenifer's. This chick is on the go, non-stop. She has a husband, 2 young kids, a full-time job. Of course the kids have all there activities and school and church stuff....and you know, I can't figure out where she finds the time to breath, let alone make dinner. But she does. And she did while we were there.

Bless her heart. And man was it GOOD!! One of the dishes she served is called Basmati Rice Risotto. And you know what? This is perfect for her kind of household. When you think Risotto...you think, standing still and calming stirring for endless minutes....HA!!! As if thats going to happen and Jenifer's house! Nope....you mix it all together and plop it in the oven, turn on your timer and move on to the next thing.

That's how quickly things happen at her house. You blink an eye and you've missed a lot.

Did I mention there's also a dog? Ya...he's the baby of the family. His name is Bowden (yes, that name is football related.) and he's the cutest little...shoot....shit tzu? I can't remember. But I know that Jenifer saved this little guy's life. That's how much of a member he is to the family. Poor little Bowden had drown....who knows how long he'd been "gone", it had been several minutes.....but Jen, being the hero that she is, performed CPR on her children's beloved pet and rushed him to the vet. He survived and apparently is no worse for the wear. Well, there are some little things that make you wonder....is that normal? But then you remember who's house you're in and you realize.....there ain't nothin' normal goin' on, why should the dawg be any different?

Anyways...my point is, this risotto dish is fantastic. And it was introduced to me from a fantastic lady...my precious sister...."Flerd" (don't ask).

Basmati Rice Risotto (as printed on the back of Cache River Rice)
Printable Version

1 can Beef Consomme
1 dan French Onion Soup
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms
1 1/3 cup Basmati Rice
1/2 cup melted butter
2 Tablespoons (or more) grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat your oven to 350'F and grease a 2 1/2 qt casserole dish.
Mix all of the ingredients together, except for the cheese (although Jen mixed in a little extra cheese with these ingredients. I didn't) in a greased 2 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese

Serve and enjoy all those fantastic flavors!! If you're lucky enough to have leftovers....enjoy it again. 

Ok..now that our tummies are full of some good food....let me tell you about this first challenge.

Ready, Set....BLOG!!!

This is where I tell you about myself and why I'd be a good candidate as the "Next Food Blog Star".

Do you know how hard it is to "sell yourself?" But that's what I'm here to do.

Food has been an important part of my family life since I can remember. Even back in the days when my food focus was what was advertised on the cereal box. I couldn't understand why the cereal I picked out didn't really include the strawberries that were shown. And did I really have to eat all of the cereal? Even though I picked all of the marshmallow shapes out of the box while watching Saturday morning cartoons?

Fast forward a few years...and there I am with my friends in the kitchen trying to "invent" a new candy. Mixing chocolate and peanut butter and whatever else was in the cupboard....sugar, syrup, honey.....anything sweet.

A couple more years later, and I remember being 14 yrs old and mom working part time a few days a week. I'd call her when I got home from school and she'd walk me through a recipe so that we'd  have dinner ready by the time she got home. Do you remember creamed tuna and peas served on toast? What about sweet and sour meatballs? Yep...that was the beginning of it all.

And of course there were the summers spent in Alabama with my grandparents where I learned the pride in making what one grew in the garden and seeing it prepared on the dinner table. Green beans, okra, creamed corn.

Food has always been the center of my family get togethers. Holidays and birthdays consisted of home cooked food, prepared by all and enjoyed. Picking and tasting as it cooked...being shooed out of the kitchen....a playful slap on the hand as it came out of pan with a tasty morsel.

There was no formal training for me. Just the hands-on, trial and error, determined to do as well as my mom and grandmothers did kind of learning.

I remember before I had children, when my dogs were my "kids".....they weren't allowed in the kitchen when I cooked so they'd sit there, at the kitchen entry (drooling and quivering) and watch me cook. I gave them lessons. What else could I do? I drank my little glasses of sherry while I made meatballs and sweet and sour sauce and explained to my eager doggy students each and every step....in my best Julia Child's voice. (gotta love that sherry for loosening the tongue and the inhibitions).

Not long ago I read the book, The Julie and Julia Project....thus being inspired to start my own food blog. You can't imagine how thrilled I was when the book was made into a movie and I won tickets to the premier in Hollywood!

My blog started off being a therapy of sorts. And it still is....but it's grown into something more meaningful to me. I try to make it enjoyable to read and to reflect a little bit of me...in a silly way. I've been described (in the food section of a little newspaper in Maine) as having an acerbic sense of humor. But it's more than just a place to share my thoughts, my recipes and focus on something other than what's going on in the "real world". My blog has become something I hope to be useful to others. Now and in the future.

Not only do I cook and bake some very basic, tasty dishes....but I'm willing to try all things new.... challenging recipes that I use to be afraid of. I like to show others who are just starting out in the cooking world that it can be done. If you can read and follow directions, you can do it. My bread may not be the prettiest....but I did it. And it's good. I can't ice a cake for the life of me....but that doesn't stop me from trying. If you have the desire, and the time....I know you can do it too.

And I'm not just talking to who ever happens to stumble upon my kitchen creations....I'm talking to my daughters, who will one day be on there own and will be relied upon to provide good meals for their own families. And here they have all the recipes they grew up with....which include step-by-step instructions and most often, photos to assist them.

I think of my blog as the modern day, modern way of handing down the family experiences in the kitchen. Everything at their fingertips. Of course I expect a phone call or two (or way more)...but it's always here when they need it.

So...this blog isn't just about me. It's about sharing, teaching and connecting. It's about food, family, friends and most of all....good times.

So here's to now....and to the future!

CHEERS!!

Apple Streusel Focaccia made with Maple Oatmeal Bread

Yum. Delish....great for breakfast or dessert. Might be considered on the healthy side even. (if that's your thing. I'm trying to get there....)

This started as a wonderfully smelling incredible dough from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day called Maple Oatmeal Bread. The other part of our Sept. 15th assignment from Michelle at BigBlackDogs.net, the fearless, incredibly knowledgeable, and wonderfully sweet leader of HBin5 Bread Braid.

Soo....this dough smelled like a bowl of fresh oatmeal. I just wanted to stand there and sniff it while it rose. It of course contained rolled oats and maple but it also had cinnamon and buttermilk (everything baked with buttermilk seems to be better). I added 1/2 tsp barley malt syrup per cup of flour. (I am totally in love with that stuff!). I could've made a simple loaf and enjoyed it...and I do plan on making a few bagels this weekend but I wanted to make something different. Something to highlight the maple and oatmeal flavor. Btw....you can find the dough recipe on pgs 145-146 of the HBin5 cookbook by Jeff Hertzberg and Joe Francois. If you would love to make homemade bread but are afraid of yeast...I highly....HIGHLY recommend their books. Face your fear. Confront the yeast!

Of course you can use any dough you'd like just start off with a grapefruit sized ball (about a pound) of dough (after it's initial rise) and do what I did....

Apple Streusel Focaccia (Inspired by Quaker Caramel Apple Flatbread)
Printable Version

1 lb Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Dough (or your choice of dough)
1 medium sized apple, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon or so of cinnamon sugar (or to taste)
3/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup greek plain yoghurt
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Divide the dough in half and roll out into equally sized rectangles. Place a rectangle on a greased cookie sheet and spread the apples up to 1" from the edges. Sprinkle with your favorite cinnamon sugar mixture.

(ok, so my rectangles aren't equal in size....but it worked anyway..a little nudge here and a tuck there.)

Gently take the "empty" rectangle and place it on top of the apple covered rectangle and pinch the edges together to seal in all that yumminess

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes or so.

Preheat your oven to 400'F.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and yoghurt. Mix well. Once the dough has finished resting and hopefully rose a bit, spread the yoghurt mixture on top. You might not need all of it....that's ok. Don't force it. It will depend on how big your focaccia ends up being (yours might end up being bigger than mine and I didn't use all of the topping). Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the topping.
Bake for about 20 - 30 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

It's kinda like a fancy apple turnover. Or....apple oatmeal on bread. What ever it is....it's good! And it's making me a promise that fall is just around the corner.

HBin5 Greek Bruschetta on Quinoa Bread

I just realized it's been a while since I made a new bread recipe for the HBin5 bread baking group

If by chance this is the first time you've heard of HBin5 (or you have a memory like me and have forgotten)...it's a fabulous online bread baking group with a ton of very awesome members ranging in bread baking experience from novice to expert and everywhere in between. We are baking our way though Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. Awesome book!!! Incredible recipes....and the this whole group is lead by Michelle over at BigBlackDogs.net. If you'd like to check out what some of the other members did with their assignments  (and I highly recommend that you do) you can go to this assignments post 19th HBin5 Bread Braid

And one more shoutout....BakeSpace.com. We have cooking challenges once a month or so. For the month of September our challenge happened to be quinoa. Any form, any recipe. Just make something with it. When I realized that both assignments coincided, boy was I excited! If you wanna see what everyone on BakeSpace did with quinoa click ----->HERE<------

Ooook, lets get on with business. Now...because we're (HBin5) are baking our way through the actual book, we are not allowed to give out the recipe because when all's said and done, we will have basically re-published the whole cookbook. Which isn't really cool to the authors, ya know? But I can tell you that the main recipe for the Quinoa Bread is found on page 132. I did make a few alterations. Instead of using the full amount of white whole wheat flour, I cut it in half, increasing the all purpose for what was lacking in the white whole wheat. It's easier on the taste buds for me.

The other alteration I made was something new to me. I'd heard about it. I'd read about it and finally I decided to play with it.

Barley Malt Syrup.

For every cup of flour that is used in a recipe, I added 1/2 tsp of Barley Malt Syrup. This was the first time I used it...and I loved it!!!! It adds a fantastic flavor...although mild....it alters the color of the bread to a light caramel color and it enhances the yeast growth.

I am sold on this stuff....hook, line and sinker! This particular bottle was purchased at a health food store. Although I believe many of the main stream grocery stores carry it.

This was my very first experience with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) ever.

I'd never seen nor tasted this grain. It's high in protein and is great for those with a sensitivity to gluten. It's been around since early times (like...back in the days of the Incas) and has recently experienced a come-back.

And is great in bread!!!

I mixed together all the dry ingredients (including the quinoa) and then combined the wet ingredients, with the Barley Malt Syrup so that the syrup would dissolve before adding it to the flour combo.

After the first rise (of 2 hours on the counter) and an over-nighter in the fridge, I formed the dough into baguettes.

My initial rise (90 minutes) was great!!! I don't think I got any over spring. But that's ok. I mean, look at this crumb....

This baguette had the pleasure of being used for a bruschetta. Greek style

Greek Bruschetta
Printable Version

1/4 cup finely chopped olives (whatever is your favorite)
1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped artichoke hearts
1 garlic clove, minced
handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 baguette, sliced diagonally and brushed with a butter / olive oil combo...(maybe even infused with garlic) and toasted (400'F oven for about 10 minutes on each side until golden brown)

Combine all ingredients except for the feta cheese (and baguette). Although that doesn't really matter since the cheese wont really melt when placed on top. So go ahead and add that too and spoon onto the sliced baguettes.

Place in a 400' F oven for about 10 minutes, or until nice and warm and almost melty cheese.

When I first added the quinoa to the dough mixture, it sorta felt like I'd just dumped a bunch of bird seed in there. (Ya...I have weird thoughts...sometimes often)

This bread was fantastic!!! The quinoa that remained on the bread surface reminded me of sesame seeds. those that were engulfed in the dough just became part of the dough and was fabulously wonderful. The greek version of these baguettes were incredibly tasty and most popular in my household. When I went to bed that night, I put several of them in the fridge. The girls weren't home for dinner...therefore I was very much looking forward to leftovers the next night. Only to come home to none. Apparently the girls had enjoyed them for leftovers for lunch.

Hazelnut Brownies

A brownie....a member of the Girl Scouts. (nooo not that brownie)

A tiny, fanciful, good-natured brown elf who secretly helps at night with household chores. (not that kind either but we can come back to this one later)

A small, chewy, cake-like cookie, usually made with chocolate. YES...thats what I needed to hear.

Why?

Because this recipe calls for a cake mix. And it calls itself a Brownie. And I wanted to make sure it really is a brownie before I spread the word. Cuz these are sooo yummy. And waaaay easy.

I once met a gal in BakeSpace named Mary, and we continued our friendship into Facebook. She's a funny gal, witty and outrageous and for some reason keeps proclaiming that she can't cook. Or something to that affect. I dunno...she's nuts.

My point is, she shared a recipe called Peanut Butter Brownies. And of course that got my attention. I have this weakness love for peanut butter and chocolate. (and it really bums me out that reeses pieces gives me a tummy ache if I eat more than like.....5 of them. Does that happen to anyone else?). Now you might be wondering why these are Hazelnut Brownies if my love is in the peanut butter and chocolate arena. Just hang....it'll make sense in a minute.

I needed an excuse, a reason, a justification. Well crap....I just needed to feel better about making them cuz my girls, even though they'd chow down on them in minutes, would give me crap about making stuff "that's not healthy" (eye roll). And I only wanted to taste them. I didn't want to..... taunt myself with them and end up eating bunches of them. I didn't really need to make them. But I really wanted to.

Thus comes the sought after reason.

A gal at work (ya...we'll blame the working gal). She was leaving the company and moving on to other pastures.

So sad. :(

But here it is....my REASON! I'll make her some "Going Away Brownies".

::::::::::Happy Dance::::::::::

Then for some odd, out of the blue, unknown reason, I asked her. "Do you like peanut butter?" Her reply, "No."

oooooh.

But by now, my head is in full gear....I am mentally committed to this recipe. There's no stopping me now. But I have to go to plan B.

Of course, I have to think of a plan B before I go there.

Well, the original recipe calls for peanut butter and Nutella, or some peanut butter chocolate thing. Ok. We can keep the Nutella for sure. Maybe I can find some sort of chocolate spread thing that can replace the peanut butter. Chocolate syrup....eeeehhhh, not so sure.

With that floating around in my head, I set off to do my weekend shopping. My firsts stop was the "international" market. I usually stick to the meat counter, the produce section and the spice isle. This day I went down all the isles. I saw the Nutella and plopped it into my cart, when something creamy and interesting lured my eyes over to the left just a little.....Armella. A creamy hazelnut spread.

Whoooaaa!!! Does anyone else know about this stuff?! (and you haven't told me? whats the matter with you!) It's Nutella without the chocolate.  It's amazing. It's exactly what I need for these non-peanut butter brownies

And now we can discuss the recipe for Hazelnut Brownies. (rest assured, I will one day soon, make the coveted Peanut Butter Brownies)

Hazelnut Brownies

Printable Version

1 box of yellow or white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup of oil

2/3 cup Nutella

1/4 cup Armella

Preheat the oven to 350' F

Combine the cake mix, eggs and oil until thoroughly mixed. 

Lemme just show you again how creamy this Armella is before we add it to the recipe

Don't you just want to stick your finger in there and taste it's creaminess? (and who said food isn't sexy?)

Add the Nutella and Armella to the cake mixture. 

Mix until incorporated. But I didn't mix it thoroughly (because Mary said she didn't either)....giving it a "marbled" effect. 

Scoop it into a greased or parchment paper lined 9 x13 dish...and smoosh and spread (I use the term "spread" lightly cuz you'll have to smoosh and push more than spread) the very thick batter to the edges

Bake in a 350' F oven for about 20 minutes. 

Allow to cool before removing from the pan

Cut into squares, eat a few, especially the "messy" looking ones along the edges and send the rest to a co-worker who is leaving, whom you will miss cuz she's so sweet and has a wonderful smile and you always want to keep those kinds of people in your life.

Oh ya...and as for the elfin type brownie.... anyone know how to go about getting one? I'm sure I could keep him busy for years to come.

Grandmothers Baked Beans

I'm writing this post in honor of a great woman. A true "southern woman", in every sense of the phrase.

My grandmother.

I never spent as much time with her as I wanted; her being in Alabama and me, California. But she is responsible for everything that feels "southern" inside of me. I never lived anywhere but California but I feel a deep connection to all things southern. I may be a city girl, but my soul is country.

Grandmother taught me so much. Simple things. Things that are treasured and clung to throughout life.

Things you want your children to learn and appreciate as well.

I learned how to needlepoint at the young age of 8. When I was 11, grandmother taught me how to crochet. I shucked my first ears of corn sitting in her living room along with my aunt and was told..."try not to leave any strings in there....granddaddy won't like it". I popped peas in that same living room. I ate my first ever raw peanut, fresh from the garden on her back porch. Nothing says "home" like hand churned peach ice cream on a hot, humid day....where everyone takes turns cranking it until its done. And what about those yellow watermelons? Fireflies at dusk. Frogs croaking and jumping in the branch that runs behind the house. Strawberry jam, fried okra, creamed corn. Have you ever had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich where you mix the pb&j together before spreading it on the bread? My cousin and I use to gather those little gold safety pins out of the sewing room to tie on a thread at the end of stick and try to catch those tiny little fish in the branch. (Btw...little girls use peas as bate instead of worms.)

These are just a few of the memories I have from my many trips to Alabama, growing up. All having a huge impact on who I am today.

Last month I visited my family in Alabama. Besides the fact that it had been way too long since I had last been back there....the main reason I went was to see my grandmother. I needed to say good-bye. A week after I returned home, she left this world to be where her heart longed for.

Even though it was expected....the finality of it doesn't fail to hit hard.

On the day of her funeral, (since I had just been there, I didn't fly back for the funeral) I went online to see if a local paper had written anything about her. What I found instead was one of her recipes!!

How ironic is that?

The article is titled: Some hand-me downs are quite delicious

My cousin had given one of grandmother's recipes to her mother in-law, who in turn had sent it to her local newspaper a while back. It happened to publish on the day of the funeral.

In grandmother's honor, I made her baked beans for Labor Day, and it was raved over. I was told that "this is the way baked beans are suppose to taste", by a fellow 'city girl with a country soul' friend of mine. People who don't normally eat baked beans enjoyed them. I hope you will too.

Miss Elva's Baked Beans
Printable Version

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a yellow bell pepper since I don't really like green ones)

Oil to saute

1 lb ground chuck (if you use a fattier ground beef, you'll need to drain it)
1 - 28 oz can of baked beans (the recipe called for 2-15oz cans of pork and beans)
1/2 cup Golden Eagle Syrup (we don't have that in So Cal so I used 2 parts corn syrup to 1 part molasses as suggested somewhere)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup

Preheat the oven to 350' F.

In a good sized skillet, heat about a tablespoon of oil. Saute the onions and bell pepper until tender. Add the ground beef and brown, stirring occasionally.

In a 13x9 casserole dish, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir in the meat mixture.

Gently stir until combined

Bake at 350' F for about an hour.

If you want to make a small batch, it's easily halved and baked in an 8x8 dish, baked for maybe 30 - 45 minutes?

Anyways....for all you grandmother's out there....just do what you do and be who you are. Your grandchildren will pick up what they need and cherish what they learn from you, even if they don't know it yet. Life lessons are best taught just by living and sharing your life with those you love.

Btw....have I ever mentioned that ever since I was a child, I've always looked forward to being a grandmother? I may have mentioned it to y' all a time or two....but now you know why.

I love you grandmother! You are missed but a part of you will always live through your family.

Combo Plate.....

Dinner was the result of several things all coming together.

1. I received some samples of these incredible eco friendly disposable Palm Leaf Plates from MarxFoods.com
2. I finely got the chance to use my Emerilware Cast Iron 20" Reversible Grill/Griddle that I used part of the CSNStores.com $100 Gift Certificate on when I won the GiveAway over at BigBlackDogs.net (Thank you Michelle!!!!)
3. Thin cut flank steak was on sale at Vallarta (our local mexican market)
4. Tortillas are so easy and fun to make

The combination of all those things made for a delicious dinner that was extra fun to make. You know what its like when you get to use new stuff, right?

Lets start from the beginning....

Flank steak. (or skirt steak can be used. They are very similar and come from the same area of the cow. I believe I've used both when making fajitas). You gotta love a a sale. So I picked up about 3 lbs of meat and instantly put that baby in a baggy with some incredible seasoning that I have (also from the mexican market).

When making fajitas, this is the best seasoning out there (that this gringo knows of). The only bummer is that it's loaded with MSG so I don't use it often. But I put 2 teaspoons per pound of meat along with the juice of 1/2 an orange per pound.....some sliced onion, and a handful of cilantro in a zip lock baggy and let it slosh around and get all soaked and happy for several hours (or even a couple of days).

I mixed up a small batch of corn tortillas and got to cook them on my new grill/griddle. Check this monster out

I love how big it is. I love how sturdy it is. (it is heavy but what cast iron "anything", isn't?). And do you see the space between the "grills"? Makes for easy cleaning...let me tell you! Helps to be able to fit your finger and sponge in between....you know?

And I could grill 2 tortillas at once...so it only took a few minutes to make 8 tortillas

Once those were done, I sauteed some onions and bell peppers, (keeping the tortillas warm in a cotton towel), crumbled my queso fresco ranchero cheese and chopped up the cilantro

I flipped over my handy dandy griddle and used the grill side for my fajita meat

I've got grill marks baby!!!!

I love this meat. I could (and have been known to) stand in the kitchen just tearing off pieces of carne asada, and eating. All by itself. Nothing else for dinner...just these tasty bits of yumminess.

Now....a while back, I received a set of 5 disposable bowls and plates made from palm leaves by MarxFoods.com.

I had seen them advertised and thought they were pretty darn cool in a funky way, yet at the same time....classy.

Because they're made with palm leaves, each plate is different.  They're so..."island" like. Makes you want to have a Luau. And thats exactly what I wanted to do to show them off....only it didn't happen (life stuff sometimes messes with foodie plans). They're sturdy and durable. When I first got them I had used the bowls for a salad...and drowned my salad in dressing just to "test" the bowl. It passed with flying colors (see my HBin5 Gluten Free Cheddar Sesame Bread and Palm Plates post). No leaks, no bending or folding....no mess.

Marx Foods has a huge variety of Palm Plates (and cutlery) to choose from...various sizes, shapes, etc. Only they're a bit pricey for my pocketbook. But that's the only thing keeping me from placing an order. They appeal to me on so many different levels. Not just the aesthetic appeal, but the eco friendly benefits. Palm leaves. Ones that have fallen naturally from the palm trees. Not paper from chopped down trees. Or plastic...(we won't even go there with that mess). And....these are biodegradable. Mine are now in my compost bin. That makes me feel really good!

Oh, but I have to say one thing.....I don't think they really like going in the microwave. My bowl grew a bubble...a big huge bubble. Then it disappear real quick.....as soon as I opened the microwave door. Almost like it had been caught and was trying hide what it was doing. (the little stinker). In the bowls defense....it had been sitting in the fridge over night with veggies on it...so maybe it was a reaction to being "moist"?
Anyways....tortillas are made, carne asada has been grilled, fun fancy schmancy disposable plates are out....

And dinner is served.....

Chow down. Feel good about what you're eating and what you're eating it on.

Soul Casserole

I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. (don't you just hate when that happens?) It was around 3:00 am and I tossed and turned. Couldn't get comfortable. Couldn't shut my mind off. Not to mention that Sir Sportsalot was happily snoring away.

After over an hour of this nonsense, I decided to revert to my childhood. It seemed that whenever I said my prayers, I'd fall asleep in the middle of them. So there I lay...saying my prayers in my head at 4 something. When all of a sudden the word CASSEROLE yelled in my head.

What??!! I don't even LIKE casserole. What's that suppose to mean? Casserole? Well, some casseroles are good. But they aren't my favorite. So why did my mind yell casserole to me in the middle of my "help me fall asleep prayer"?

So of course....instead of falling asleep, I was then thinking about casseroles.

Now here's where I let you have a sneak peak into a part of who I am. I like analogies. It's the way my brain works. Helps me to have a deeper understanding of things. Helps me to connect. So I started wondering what casseroles had to do with prayers.

The dissection process started....casseroles are a one-dish meal. Everything combined together into one. Prayers are soul related. A belief (should you so believe). Souls are windows into who you are.

Ok...so how are casseroles and souls related.....

I posed the question to some friends to see what connection they'd make. I'll share their views before I share mine.

Here's the question....(feel free to leave your version of an answer, if you'd like)

Food for thought.....how are souls like casseroles?

"they rhyme" (giggling)
"....because a good soul, like a good casserole, brings comfort in times of difficulty" (nice)
"thank God I haven't burned any lately" (hahaha)
"I guess that makes me a cheesy turkey" (LMAO)

You gotta love how people think!

I think the connection lies in the "ingredients". Every ingredient in a casserole affects the whole thing. For the good or the bad. Just like every action, choice, life experience affects our soul...who we are.

After I solved that little analogy, I happily drifted off to a dreamless sleep. But woke up still thinking about casseroles. So I figured I'd better make one for dinner.

This is a simple recipe I came up with during my afternoon break at work. I love alfredo sauce. I wanted the sauce to shine, so there aren't any other strong flavors in this recipe. I chose chicken (cuz well...how often do I not choose chicken?). Zucchini is mild and replaced my initial thought to use broccoli. Then followed the tomatoes. For the fresh, delicately sweet flavor they'd add.

I LOVE this casserole. I love the cheesy alfredo sauce. I love the mildly sweet flavor of the tomatoes. I love that it wasn't loaded down with a gazillion spices. I also love that this was a small casserole, that can be easily doubled to make a "regular" sized casserole.

Soul Casserole

Printable Version

1 heaping cup of pre-cooked chicken (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)

1 heaping cup of egg noodles

1 heaping cup of sliced zucchini, quartered (about 1 smallish zucchini)

1 heaping cup of bite sized tomato cups (about 1 medium tomato)

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup butter, divided

1/4 cup or so, pasta water

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350' F

Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray (more of a precautionary thing than a necessity)

Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain, saving the pasta water. Do not rinse the pasta (you want the starch. It helps to thicken the sauce)

While the pasta is cooking, cook your zucchini. Any way want. You can boil 'em, steam 'em, saute em. I boiled mine. I thought about sauteing but I didn't want to dirty up another pan, so I actually boiled the zucchini with the pasta....only I had to scoop them out after a few minutes so they didn't get mushy cuz it doesn't take as long to cook zucchini as it does for pasta to boil.

In a medium bowl, while the pasta is still hot, combine the pasta, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of butter. Stir until butter is melted. Stir in the pasta water along with the garlic powder, salt and pepper until you have a "runny" sauce. The pasta will probably soak up some of the sauce and it will thicken as the dish cools after cooking.

Toss in the chicken, cooked zucchini, and the tomatoes and toss

The picture shows garlic powder added at this time but I think if you add it while making the sauce, you're guaranteed that the sauce will be evenly garliced. (ya I know...it's not a word, but it works.)

Pour into your prepared 8x8 dish. Melt the other 1/4 cup of butter and combine with the bread crumbs. Crumble them evenly over the pasta. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese on top. 

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly, melty and you know....yummy. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Go ahead...take a bite! Taste the cheese..the chicken...the buttery bread crumbs and then the burst of freshness from the tomatoes. 

And know that this casserole is probably better than my soul. (giggles)