I'VE GOT SOMETHING "COOKIN" UP MY SLEEVE!

It's been in the works for a while and it is going to start this weekend, and it involves "cookin"/bakin"....

The photo is a hint, stay tuned..anyone care to guess what it is?

TURKEY CACCIATORE BURGERS ON PORTOBELLO BUNS

This is not your average boring turkey burger...it's moist, flavorful,full of veggies, less fat and less guilt!

1-1/3 pound ground turkey meat
6 crimini mushrooms (stems removed and finely chopped)
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
3 T. tomato paste
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Handful flat-leafed parsley, chopped
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and Pepper
Red pepper flakes
2 cups arugula leaves (optional)
1/2 pound mozzarella (sliced thin)
Sliced red onions and tomatoes


Combine meat with salt, pepper, chopped criminis, bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire, crushed red pepper flakes. cheese and parsley. Form meat into 4 large patties and drizzle with olive oil. Grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side in hot skillet.

Heat oven to 450 degrees -
Place portobello caps on baking sheet, gill side up and drizzle with olive oil Roast caps for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper.

Top each cap with 1/2 cup arugula and burger. Cap burgers with sliced mozzarella, and melt in still warm oven. Finish with sliced onions and tomatoes.

No need for Catsup and mustard on these babies...

Courtesy of Rachael Ray!

QUINOA & CORN SALAD WITH TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

As much as I love Italian food, I am really trying to eat healthier in 2010...Can't you tell by the pizzas, pot pies and cakes I have been making lately? Never mind the 1/4 pan of Nutella Brownies I ate on Sunday!

After seeing the movie "FOOD INC" which really enlightens us on how food is REALLY produced in this country, my thoughts have turned to eating chicken that gets to run around a farm, instead of being locked in the dark with thousands of other chickens with nowhere to go, and eating whole grains with more vegetables and LESS cheese!

Quinoa (Keen-Wah) is a gluten free seed that is derived from the goosefoot plant. It originates in the high Andes of South America, and has been a staple of the people for thousands of years. It is considered a complete protein and is easy to cook.

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's Whole Living website, and decided this was a healthy alternative to baked ziti!

Sorry, my copy and paste is not working, and I am too tired to type the recipe!

Has anyone ever tried a quinoa recipe before?

AND THE WINNER IS....

Back in college my husband won two pizza eating championships at San Diego State. To say the least, he knows pizza and of course, whenever I make one, he is right there gobbling it up. We have talked about building an outdoor fireplace/pizza oven in our backyard....Don't have the money for it, but always watching HGTV for inspiration.

Last night I used a new dough recipe and added the following toppings:

1/2 cup tomato sauce

6 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced

small jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1 small orange bell pepper, chopped

3-4 T. pesto

4 slices of mozzarella

2-3 oz. goat cheese

bunch of baby asparagus, steamed first

grated parmesan cheese

I don't know if it was the rainbow of veggies, the combination of the cheese, but he said that is the best pizza you have ever made...it was good, but if we ate like that every night we are going to be the next contestants on The Biggest Loser!

WHAT SPEAKS TO YOU?

I was just reviewing my entire blog looking for inspiration, looking for something....and I thought about all of the things, places, and experiences that speak to me...

If you are interested, here are a few...

*** Ceramic bowls, in any shape, size or color

*** Glossy design magazines

*** Gleaming wood floors

**** Ocean photos

**** Soft, old quilts

*** A field of lavender

*** Italy, and all that it encompasses

*** An antique store, explored for the first time

*** Traveling

*** Olive oil soap (italian of course)

*** A favorite book that someone has passed on to you

*** Anthropologie-I tingle when I walk in!

*** Nutella, limoncello, gelato...

Making a great recipe for the first time ....pictured above is last night's Chicken Pot Pie, courtesy of Janie at Panini Girl....it was outstanding!

So there are just a few of my favorite things! What are YOURS??

ORANGE YOU GLAD I DIDN'T SAY LEMON...

We are blessed in San Diego with abundant citrus fruit - even during the winter. My daughter Courtney's friend has a small grove of fruit trees on her property and brought a large bag of oranges, grapefruits and lemons over last week....great, but how many Greyhound's can you possibly drink before you don't want to see another grapefruit! Just kiddin...

Ina Garten has a recipe for a lemon yogurt cake, which she claims is much lighter than her usual desserts......here is a version with oranges.

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. kosher salt

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt (I used fat free)

1-1/3 c. sugar, divided

3 extra large eggs

2 t. grated lemon zest (I used orange)

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease an standard loaf pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup orange juice and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the mixture over the cake and allow to soak in. Cool.

We are heading to my sister's house in LA today..... I will be stopping at a local grocery store for a 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream to serve with it....did I say this was a healthy dessert???

NINE.......THE PERFECT 10!!

I love going to movies on rainy days...although there haven't been too many in San Diego lately. The movie "Nine" is wonderful and it sucks you right into the fantasy of the Italian movie director Guido, played most convincingly by Daniel Day Lewis...with over the top musical stage numbers, beautiful actresses, exquisite costumes and lovely scenery from Italy - it took me away from my problems, if only for a few hours....really enjoyed Penelope Cruz as his mistress, and Marion Cotillard as his wife.

And who else but the legend, Sophia Loren should play Guido's Mama!

Ciao!