Guest Post: Halushki

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Hi all. It’s Amy’s mom again. Since I am half Italian and half Czechoslavakian (Austrian Hungarian, Polish or whatever was the "good" country at the time according to my mom), I love to make both Italian and Slavic recipes. Besides pastas, sauces, pizzas and meats, we also had halushki (cabbage & noodles), halupki (stuffed cabbage), kielbasa, nut roll, poppyseed roll, and pierogies. We all had a very diverse palate.

This recipe for halushki is so easy because there are no real measurements- it’s all according to taste and eye. If you like more cabbage, get a bigger head. If you like more onions, add another. The secret is LOTS of fresh ground black pepper. Enjoy!

Note from Amy: The pictures don't have any pepper on them, but like my mom said...add lots!!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small head green cabbage, cut into thin strips
• 2 large onions, the sweeter the better, sliced into strips
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 16 oz. wide egg noodles
• Lots of fresh black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat oil in a large pan. Add cabbage & onions. Keep turning until caramelized. That’s the trick. If they’re not caramelized enough, it doesn’t taste the same. Add more oil if necessary so that it’s not too dry. Add pepper as you go along.

In the meantime boil water and cook noodles.

When cabbage mixture is ready, add noodles (or vice versa, whichever pan is larger). Add more pepper and serve. Some of my kids add Parmesan cheese- the best of both worlds.

*Don’t tell anybody but it’s good even cold right out of the fridge! Yummy!!!!

Source: SK's Mom

Guest Post: Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos

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Hey guys. It’s Chris again guest blogging about these delicious Mahi Mahi tacos I made. Amy usually cooks every day and she’s such a good cook that I usually just sit back and enjoy the meals. The other day I realized that I hadn’t cooked anything in a while and I decided to go with something that I’ve cooked before, which are fish tacos.

We’ve had good and bad experiences with making fish tacos and we’ve found that the best experiences are when we use Mahi Mahi. I found a great dry rub recipe online for the fish and also used the leftover spices from the dry rub to make a spicy sour cream. Try this recipe and you’ll be hooked!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Fish seasoning:

• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1-pound mahi-mahi fillet
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Limes, for serving

Crema:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp. leftover fish seasoning

Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Combine all dried spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle over fish, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Brush grill grate with oil. Grill fish until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Using a fork, coarsely shred fish.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream and reserved seasoning. Set aside.

Fill tortillas with fish. Drizzle with crema. Squeeze fresh lime wedges over tacos and sprinkle with grated cheese.

 

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

Guest Post: Better Than Apple Pie

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Here's a special Thanksgiving post from my lovely mother. Have a wonderful holiday!

Hi, I'm Andrea, Amy's Mom. I am so proud of her blog and happy that she inherited my love of cooking. I must admit, though, she is more adventuous than I am. After apple picking, I found myself with lots of apples and only one pie crust. I remembered I had this recipe somewhere, and after some searching, found it in my "recipe file." This is a great rustic pie and although it's not the best looking dessert, the smell and taste are amazing!

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. sugar 
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Prepare crust as directed on package. Place on foil lined baking sheet, pressing out any folds or creases.

Mix 3/4 cup sugar, corn starch and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add apples and toss to coat well.  Spoon into center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edges. Dot with butter. Bring crust over applesto form a border of about 2 inches, pleating or folding crust as needed.

Brush edge of crust with egg white; sprinkle with 1 tsp. sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Source: My Mom

Guest Post: Chris' Pasta Salad

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Hi everybody. This is Chris and I’ll be guest blogging today about my pasta salad. As Amy has mentioned time and time again on her blog, I love to eat. Just as important, though, is how much I love the feeling of grilling for a bunch of people. Since Amy and I love to host parties and have people over, I’ve found myself manning the grill on many occasions.

While I’m on the grill, Amy is usually in charge of making all the side dishes. All the sides, except one. My pasta salad is extremely easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. Recently Amy also suggested we add double the amount of Provolone cheese and Genoa salami and that has put it over the top. Now it’s being requested as a staple at our get-togethers. I hope you enjoy it!

Cut the salami and cheese so they are about the same size as the sliced olives.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz.) box tri-colored spiral pasta
• 2 (1/4-inch thick) slices Provolone cheese, chopped
• 2 (1/4-inch thick) slices Genoa salami, chopped
• 1 (2.25 oz.) jar sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup fat-free Italian dressing, plus more to taste
• Parmesan cheese, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water. 

In a large bowl, add the pasta, Provolone cheese, Genoa salami and olives. Top with 1/2 cup Italian dressing. Stir well. Add more Italian dressing as needed.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Source: Chris Original

Puppy Chow

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Hey guys! I'm doing a guest post over at Kim's Concoctions today while she's adjusting to the new precious member of her family, so go check out my Puppy Chow recipe! It's a quick and easy treat for new mom's who are balancing a newborn and other young children. Enjoy!