a friend of a friend is giving away aprons - you have 1.5 hours left to enter (contest closes at 8 p.m. MST)...

here's the link: http://suissescenarios.blogspot.com/2009/11/giveaway.html

good luck!

pork loin recipe later this week...potato pancake recipe below...

last week when i was at sam's club, pork loin was on sale for $1.48 a pound. i don't know if you're a savvy shopper, but believe me when i tell you that's a screaming deal. i selected a nice 5.5 pound loin and brought it home.

as i was preparing the loin for roasting, i was trying to decide what would go well with it. i remembered my mom used to make potato pancakes when i was a kid...and i knew they'd go really well with the pork loin. they're kind of like hashbrowns, but have a little bit more substance due to the addition of egg and flour.

the most important part of this recipe? draining the potatoes well. they will darken a little bit if you just let them drain, so the best way to avoid this is to put them into a clean dishtowel and wring them out.

potato pancakes

*4-5 medium size russet potatoes (2 lbs-ish...), peeled and grated
*1/2 onion, chopped fine or grated
*1 T dried parsley
*1/4 cup flour
*2 eggs, beaten
*1-2 T milk
*salt and pepper to taste
*vegetable oil for frying

peel the potatoes and shred in the food processor. you can also grate them by hand. i like to use the food processor and toss in the onion, too. it's easy.

drain the potatoes well, either by placing in a colander in the sink or by wringing them out in a clean dishtowel. put the potatoes in a bowl and mix in all the other ingredients. mix until just combined.

if the mixture becomes too runny, just drain off the excess water.

heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat. drop spoonfuls of potato pancake batter into hot oil, and spread out with the back of the spoon so the pancake isn't too thick. let cook until golden brown, flip over and cook on the other side. serve hot with pork loin (i'll post a recipe for that later this week or next! i have a kick A bbq sauce recipe!).

makes 4-5 pancakes. serves 4 (assuming there are no hollow legs in your family!)

i'm posting this recipe now, because you might really enjoy it and i don't really want to wait. however...it needed a little something. more flavor, more spice, more something. i personally think it would be excellent with cilantro, but i live with haters people who don't like cilantro.

oh the humanity. how can you NOT like cilantro?? it could be worse. they could hate onions, peppers and tomatoes. then my life would REALLY suck.

my kids liked this and it was easy. there is only a small piece left in the pan...so either everyone was really hungry or it really was good.

here's what's so dang cool about this recipe: it can be prepared the night before... AND it can be cooked in the microwave (if the pan you prepare it in will fit in the microwave - and is not metal. that's a DUH, right? don't put metal in the microwave!!)

mexican chicken lasagna

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
12-18 corn tortillas (depends on the size you use)
1 6 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 pkg enchilada seasoning
1 cup salsa, divided
1 cup corn, divided (or whatever is in the can you use)
2 cups shredded cheese, your choice (i used fiesta blend. it's a party cheese!!)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
oregano (yeah, i have no idea how much. just some, ok?)

i also wanted to use 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, divided, but i wasn't in the mood to listen to my kids bitch, so i didn't use them. however, next time, i just might use them anyway.

prepare the enchilada sauce by mixing the water, tomato sauce and enchilada seasoning packaet according to package directions (or you can use 1 28 oz can enchilada sauce).

soften cream cheese in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. it goes without saying that you should remove it from the package and put it into a bowl, right?? mix 1 cup shredded cheese into the cream cheese, toss in some oregano. maybe like 1 tsp? ish? mix well.

we'll assemble this in a 9X13 pan (or a pan that will fit in your microwave). i sprayed the bottom with cooking spray first. dip 1/3 of the tortillas in enchilada sauce and layer them in the bottom of the pan. you may have to tear the tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan.

on top of the first layer, sprinkle half of the corn, half of the chicken, half the black beans (yanno, the ones i didn't get to use??), and half of the cream cheese mixture. i dropped the cream cheese on top using my pampered chef cookie scoop. i love finding new ways to use that overpriced little gadget. oh yeah, i almost forgot. distribute about 1/2 cup salsa on this layer, too.

dip another 1/3 of the tortillas in the enchilada sauce and arrange on top of the chicken, cheese, salsa, corn and black beans. repeat with another layer of chicken, cheese mixture, black beans, corn and salsa. top with the last layer of tortillas, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the lasagna. cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until bubbling. remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and return to oven for about 3 minutes, or until cheese melts.

i probably would have served this with a bit of source cream if i would have had any, but i didn't... if you make this, let me know what you think.

are you intrigued by the title? i called it that because really you can use whatever you want in this recipe. recently, i made this using leftover grilled chicken, onions, garlic, green peppers and crookneck squash. it's all about using what you have in the fridge and what is in season. i did NOT have to buy anything special for this recipe.

i used the following items from my pantry:

garlic
dried minced onion
chicken broth
cornstarch
butter
parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
spaghetti

i used the following items in the pasta that i just had on hand:

fresh basil ( loooove growing it in the summer)
leftover grilled chicken
crookneck squash, halved, seeds removed and cut into slices
green bell pepper, sliced

heat water for the pasta you are using. cook according to package directions.

in a large skillet, heat some olive oil and stir fry the veggies you are going to use. i sliced up the leftover chicken and added it to the pan for heating. push all the veggies to the sides of the skillet and melt 2 T butter in the skillet. with a whisk, blend in 1 T cornstarch. add chicken stock to make a nice sauce. make it as thin or as thick as you'd like. when the pasta is done, drain and add it to the skillet with the chicken and vegetables. stir gently to combine. garnish with fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese.

i have to give real credit for this recipe to erin, as she pointed me in this direction last thanksgiving when i was looking for recipes.

disclaimer: of COURSE i prefer fresh green beans to canned. however, my fabulous mother-in-law has a giant garden and i have quarts and quarts of canned green beans to use. i really enjoy cooking meals from my pantry and my freezer, because it makes life simple. i need simple, but as a foodie, i need delicious.

i'm not gonna lie...my kids don't really dig the almonds in this recipe, but i do, so they're stuck with them. and they do eat them. they would just prefer that i leave them out.

as usual, i'm a cook, not a baker, and measurements here aren't precise. i throw stuff in a pan and we eat it. sometimes i have an epic fail, but most of the time we love what i made. (i'll post a pasta recipe later that is a great example of using what i had on hand to make dinner.)

this recipe makes a large batch - but i have four hungry kids to feed. :)

green beans with browned butter and almonds

*2 quarts green beans, drained
*1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
*1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds
*salt and pepper to taste

in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. when the butter is melted, add the almonds. continue to watch the butter closely, as you want it to brown. it will start to foam. stir the almonds well at this point and reduce the heat. you could burn the butter if you don't pay attention... and then you'd have to start over. after the butter foams, add the green beans and stir to coat. reduce the heat to low, cover and heat through.

ready in 10 minutes or less and super tasty. :)

ladies and gentlemen, meet my new pal:



i bought the larger of the two knives - it's got a 7 inch blade. i am straight pimpin' with this knife. if you love to cook, you NEED a really great knife... i thought i had really good knives until i tried this one.

instant love.

i did buy the pearl handled knife, as i thought it looked elegant and classy. plus all my other knives have a boring old black handle.

you should have seen me cut pineapple with this baby - i sliced through three of them in no time at all. and if you've ever cut up a pineapple, you know it's not easy.

wha??? who makes cinnamon rolls with a cake mix? i thought it sounded ridiculous, but dude.. they were really good! my kids really liked them and so did my husband.

cinnamon rolls

*1 pkg cake mix (yellow, white or spice. i used spice, cuz that's what i had)
*4-6 cups white flour (i snuck in 1 cup whole wheat)
*2 pkgs (or 4 1/2 tsp.) yeast
*2 1/2 cups warm water

put the dough hook on your kitchen aid and mix this all together. start with 4 cups of flour and gradually add UP to 2 cups more until the dough is smooth. it should stick to the dough hook and not to the bowl. continue to let the hook knead the dough for about 5 minutes.

remove the bowl from the mixer and oil the sides and bottom of the bowl and the top of the dough. i spray it with pam. cover and let rise until double. this could take up to 60-90 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is.

filling:
*1/4 cup melted butter
*1/3 cup white sugar
*1/3 cup brown sugar
*1 tsp. cinnamon

mix sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a 14' by 10" rectangle. (yes, i really measured. you might want to, too. i had no idea how big (or small) that really is.)

brush the dough with butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. roll the dough, starting from the long side, like a jelly roll. cut into 12 pieces and place into a buttered 9x13 pan. to get even pieces, cut the dough roll in half, in half again, and then cut each piece into thirds. :) handy little tip there...

repeat this process for the other piece of dough. let both pans of dough rise until double (about 20-30 mins). i usually speed the process by placing the pans into a 170 degree oven for 20 minutes.

preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes. remove from oven and make frosting. let cool for 20 minutes before frosting.

frosting:
*6 T butter, softened
*3 cups powdered sugar
*1 1/2 t. vanilla
*2-3 T milk

beat butter, sugar and vanilla together. add milk gradually until you get the desired consistency.

spread frosting on the cinnamon rolls and serve. these didn't last long at my house.