When The Cat's Away...

My husband loves food, but for all the joy and pleasure he gets out of drinking a creamy beer, eating a tasty hunk of sharp cheddar, and chowing down on a juicy steak, he has an equally strong repulsion to seafood, coffee, and nearly everything grown in the dirt. I still eat vegetables with dinner and grind fresh beans each morning, but I try to avoid any "extreme" vegetable meals when he's in town.

And when he's not in town, the herbivore in me usually comes out to play. I'd been wanting to make this salad for a few weeks, but with no fridge at work it wasn't very school-lunch-friendly. I was happy to see broccoli on sale last week when I went grocery shopping, and with Marc in Anaheim it was a perfect time for me to get my salad fix.

Thanks to Mom for her recipe, and thanks to Lani of Pleasure Cooker for jogging my memory with this stuff.







Broccoli Salad

1 bunch of broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup grated cheddar (I use sharp and I'm fairly certain I put in more than a cup!)
1 chopped red onion (I will chop the onion finer next time, I had some pretty strong bites in this batch)
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Mix together. Then make the dressing...
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (I'm sure other vinegars work, but I like this best)

Fold the dressing into the salad and enjoy!

Brownie Pudding

My big dessert weakness is usually ice cream, and 9 times out of 10 I race to Publix to buy some chocolate-based treat like Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk or Edy's Rocky Road. But every once in a while I need something a little more substantial, something baked or saucy or sweet to the point where I can feel my teeth starting to crumble a little bit.

Such was the case last week. I wanted cake but I didn't want the added aggravation of going to the grocery store--you see, I had no eggs. Kinda limits your cake options.

And then I remembered this golden nugget from my cousin Mary. I hadn't made it in a couple of years and now I scratch my head and wonder why?! It's easy, the ingredients are all staples that you have in your kitchen anyway, and the end result is a warm, comforting, and delicious treat. Crispy edges like a homemade brownie with a rich fudgy sauce, better than any pudding I've ever tasted.

Now go buy some good quality vanilla ice cream and get to work.

Brownie Pudding

Batter:
1 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup nearly boiling water

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, 2 tbsp baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan.

Mix the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Pour the hot water over the entire batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Maltese Chicken

I can't get enough of this stuff. I've made it 4 times now, and it's been great every time. Also great? Anything tasty that takes less than hour and isn't completely full of fat.

So here you go. I have done this with both chicken parts (skin on) and regular boneless skinless breasts. Both come out juicy and with plenty of flavor, so if you're opting for the healthier version don't be afraid to try the lean chicken.

Cut Chicken (parts)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry red wine (marsala, shiraz, zinfandel)
2 tbsp honey
fresh chopped parsley

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden (about 15 min. per side). Skin side up, cook uncovered till done. Place on platter and set aside.
Spoon fat out of pan. Add wine and honey to skillet. Simmer till reduced to about 1/3 cup, stirring often. Add Salt and Pepper. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
* Because of the extra sauce, this is good with rice or mashed potatoes.