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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title>How to Cook in Parchment Paper</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/03/09/fish-in-parchment/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/03/09/fish-in-parchment/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/03/09/fish-in-parchment/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
		<input id="providerLogoUrl" name="providerLogoUrl" type="hidden" value="" /><input id="providerTitle" name="providerTitle" type="hidden" value="" /><input id="providerLink" name="providerLink" type="hidden" value="" /></form><div class='clear'></div>
	<span><img alt="fish in parchment paper" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2011/03/fish-en-papilotte-1-img5259cc_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait, AOL</span>There are three reasons you should learn how to cook in parchment paper (also called "en papilotte"): One, it's is an easy way to ensure your dinner is going to be perfectly moist and infused with flavor. Two, it's a smart low-fat cooking technique, because a tiny smidge of olive oil or butter goes a long way (steaming does the rest). And three, once dinner is cooked, you just throw the paper packet away, no dirty dishes! Oh, a bonus fourth reason: it <em>looks</em> like a really fancy presentation, so family and friends will be impressed even though it couldn't be easier to do. And you'll find parchment paper in the same section as the plastic wrap and tin foil in your supermarket.<br />
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			Of course you want to learn how to do this<em> tonight</em>, right? <strong>See below for the step-by-step guide.</strong><br />
			<h2>
				Related Articles</h2>
			o. Browse all our <a href="/how-to/">"how to" articles and videos</a>.<br />
			o. Check out some of these great parchment recipes, like <a href="/recipe/wild-salmon-with-watercress-ginger-and-lemon-in-parchment-packets-142819">salmon with ginger and lemon</a>, <a href="/recipe/braised-chicken-legs-with-white-beans-and-collard-greens-142820">chicken legs with white beans</a>, and a <a href="/recipe/winter-roots-pilaf-in-parchment-with-basmati-rice-pine-nuts-and-dried-cranberries-142823">root-vegetable pilaf</a>.<br />
			o. Watch Italian chef Marco Canora make his simple <a href="/2010/10/07/salmon-in-parchment-paper/">salmon in parchment recipe</a>.<br><div id="steps"><div class="stepDiv" id="step1">
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				What you will need: parchment paper, a pair of scissors, and a piece of fish or chicken breast or vegetables.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				Cut a large piece of parchment paper, and fold it in half (it'll be sort of square -- this is not an exact science, so don't worry).</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				Cut rough semi-circle from the parchment -- a half heart shape, really, just without a serious indent at the top -- just like you used to do as a kid when you would make paper hearts. The fold is the center of the "heart" and the rounded part is the outside edges.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				Open up the folded paper, and put your fish (or other meat or vegetables) in the center of the paper near the crease. At this point your recipe may call to add some fat (butter or oil) or additional seasonings and vegetables.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				Fold the top half of the your "heart" back over the bottom again. Next you're going to start crimping the edges to seal the packet -- you'll make a series of small folds (almost pleats, as you can see in photo) starting at the wider end.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				Continue making the small folds around the entire edge of the paper packet.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				The folds will get slightly larger as you near the other end of the packet, since there is much more paper to fold.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				When you reach the point end, make two folds on top of each other to make sure that the paper stays sealed during baking, or you can twist the end paper to get a really tight seal.</div>
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					Elizabeth Hait, AOL</div>
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				And here's your finished parchment-paper packet. Easy, right?</div>
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	</div>]]></description><category>fish</category><category>how-to</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2011-03-09T12:08:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Roasted Cauliflower Farfalle</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/12/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/12/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/12/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="cauliflower farfalle" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2011/01/famchef-cauliflower-farfalle-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><br />
<em>Elizabeth Hait makes a <a href="/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle-142612">Roasted Cauliflower Farfalle recipe</a> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
I know that broccoli is a great source of vitamin C, but my boyfriend is not a huge fan of my favorite veggie. Luckily, it turns out that our compromise veggie, cauliflower, has some awesome nutritional value as well. From this article for <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/20/easy-healthy-recipes-to-start-the-new-year-right/">easy healthy dinners</a>, I found the recipe for dinner last night, <a href="/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle-142612">Roasted Cauliflower Farfalle</a>.<br />
<br />
I knew that Neel would eat it since he likes cauliflower, and pasta as the other main ingredient sealed the deal. I had to sub in my gluten-free corn pasta instead of the farfalle, but that's the only change I made.<br />
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I had cut up my heads of cauliflower the night before, and put them into a large zip bag in the fridge, so all I had to do last night was toss the oil and seasonings in there and then set them to roast. Meanwhile, I boiled the pasta water, measured out my other ingredients, chopped the garlic, and grated the cheese. I was a little short on cheese but didn't stress out about it. Normally I would have omitted the capers too, since I'm not a big fan of them, but I decided to act like a grown-up and just try them again to be sure. They're supposedly very salty, so in theory I really should love them.<br />
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My oven got too hot and the cauliflower set off the kitchen's smoke alarm after only 22 minutes, but they were nicely caramelized (and some burnt) on the bottom and slightly golden on top. They were also plenty tender so I figured they were done and took them out.<br />
<br />
The garlic/capers/raisins mixture cooked until the garlic was golden, I didn't see a change in the capers or raisins except that the raisins had softened slightly. Not cooking often with those ingredients made me nervous, but it was totally fine. I added in the vinegar and cauliflower and kept cooking until the veggies were warmed through again. Then tossed that mixture with the drained pasta back in it's large pot, and stirred in the parsley and cheese as well.<br />
<br />
I ate my portion over a simple salad of torn greens, and Neel had his plain. The cauliflower is nutritious after all, he reminded me -- true story. I was pretty happy with this recipe, it didn't blow me away at all but was completely edible -- especially for lunch the next day. I even liked (and mostly didn't notice) the capers, which was a very nice surprise.<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the <a href="/recipe/roasted-cauliflower-farfalle-142612">roasted cauliflower farfalle recipe</a>.</strong><br />
<h2>
	Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="/pasta-recipes">pasta recipes</a>.<br />
o. See more <a href="/cauliflower-recipes">cauliflower recipes</a>.<br />
o. Watch our <a href="/healthy-chef/">Healthy Chef video series</a> on making healthier versions of your favorite foods.<br />
o. To get more detailed information on diet and nutrition, visit <a href="http://www.aolhealth.com/">AOL Health</a>.<br />
<div id="steps">
</div>]]></description><category>cauliflower</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>healthy</category><category>pasta</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2011-01-12T23:17:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Spinach Salad with Gruyere, Dried Cranberry, and Walnuts</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/05/spinach-salad-with-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnuts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/05/spinach-salad-with-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnuts/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/05/spinach-salad-with-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnuts/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="spinach salad with Gruyere, dried cranberry, and walnuts" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2011/01/famchef-spinach-salad-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a </em><a href="/recipe/spinach-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnut-salad-142660"><em>Spinach Salad recipe</em></a><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
After a few weeks of binging on my favorite comfort foods and Christmas cookies, my stomach needed a serious break. I immediately switched to having lots of plain oatmeal for breakfast, simple lunches of healthy soups and stews, and resisting the temptations to cook some more macaroni and cheese.<br />
<br />
I often find it hard to be inspired by salad. I like to have <em>lots</em> of flavors in my salads, like the kind of chopped salads we sometimes order for lunch at the office, with 5 or 6 ingredients mixed in (like chopped fresh veggies of all kinds, roasted beets, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, etc) that I never have ready at home to make for myself. And I could, but it seems like a lot of effort.<br />
<br />
But salads don't have to be that hard, really. Take this one, a <a href="/recipe/spinach-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnut-salad-142660">spinach salad with <font size="2">Gruyere, dried cranberry, and walnuts</font></a>. There are lots of great flavors there, and not hard at all to put together. After stopping at the store to buy some more spinach and the Gruyere, the rest I could make from my pantry.<br />
<br />
For the base I used about 3-4 cups of spinach per portion since this would be my main dinner, and not a side made with another dish. I couldn't find the dried cranberries in the cupboard, so I replaced them with raisins which I actually like better than cranberries. Then everything just got thrown together: the dressing was whisked in the bottom of the bowl, spinach (also chopped per my preference), the chopped cheese, some diced bell pepper that I found in the fridge, and raisins. I didn't realize that I'd forgotten to add the walnuts until I was about halfway done eating! I did think that the salad was a bit too sweet for my taste, so adding in the walnut pieces would definitely solve that.<br />
<br />
And luckily, I had plenty of these ingredients leftover, so <em>voila</em>! Lunch is ready for tomorrow too!<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/spinach-gruyere-dried-cranberry-and-walnut-salad-142660"><strong>Spinach Salad recipe</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
<h2>Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="/spinach-recipes">spinach recipes</a>.<br />
o. See all <a href="/salad-recipes">salad recipes</a>.<br />
o. Let our expert help you choose the <a href="/2010/08/30/choosing-the-best-salad-spinner/">best salad spinner.</a><br />
o. Watch chef Lauren Braun Costello <a href="/2010/09/21/asian-chicken-salad-with-sesame-ginger-vinaigrette/">make an Asian chicken salad</a> even veggie haters will love.<br />
o. Read about how the <a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/02/12/whats-on-your-salad/">toppings on your salad</a> can work for or against you over on That's Fit.<br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>salad</category><category>spinach</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2011-01-05T22:20:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Baked Macaroni and Cheese</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/29/baked-macaroni-and-cheese/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/29/baked-macaroni-and-cheese/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/29/baked-macaroni-and-cheese/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="baked macaroni and cheese recipe" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/12/famchef-mac-cheese-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><br />
<em>Elizabeth Hait makes a </em><a href="/recipe/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-83022"><em>Macaroni and Cheese recipe</em></a><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
It's always a struggle to put down meals for my family to eat together because I am gluten intolerant, my little sister is a vegetarian, my older sister is picky, and my mother is very patient. So I planned ahead for this particular meal and used a package of some gluten-free brown rice pasta to make for dinner last night.<br />
<br />
This <a href="/recipe/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-83022">recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese</a> looks a lot like my mom's basic mac recipe, so I used this as my base. I had to make a few slight adjustments, the aforementioned gf pasta, I made some breadcrumbs with my favorite store-bought bread (which I also packed and brought with me), and a gf flour blend to make the B&eacute;chamel sauce that becomes the cheese sauce. Not really a big deal, just a few extra steps! The big deal will come later with flavor, as the picky sister will not eat anything made with garlic or dried mustard, ugh.<br />
<br />
I started the water to boil and at the same time started the milk/flour combination in the saucepan. It came together well, just a small amount of brown on the bottom of the pan due to my slight distractedness cooking in the unfamiliar kitchen. The sauce became incredibly cheesey! It was stringy and looked like it would be too much for the amount of pasta I'd cooked -- but really, there can never be such a thing as too much cheese, right?<br />
<br />
The cheese and pasta mixture was topped with the breadcrumbs and popped into the oven. It baked for about 25 minutes and started to smell quite incredible. My mom made a side of steamed cauliflower, continuing on the apparently white-themed dinner.<br />
<br />
Dinner's on! My little sister immediately said that it "looks wonderful" and quickly followed up with a "mmm, so creamy, and these breadcrumbs are much crunchier than the store-bought kind." Later on she added that she "could eat this all night!" I agree.<br />
<br />
My picky sister even agreed with me when I said that this would be good with veggies (like chopped cauliflower) mixed in too. And maybe some more colorful ones like peas and broccoli too, but cauliflower is a good first step. It's also one step in the right direction to eat more healthy.<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-83022"><strong>macaroni and cheese recipe</strong></a><strong>. </strong><br />
<h2>
	Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/search?query=macaroni+and+cheese">macaroni and cheese recipes</a>.<br />
o. Watch chef Shane Kelly make a <a href="/2010/03/08/mac-and-cheese-recipe-dont-tell-mama/">wholesome version of mac and cheese</a>.<br />
o. Curtis Stone also has a version of <a href="/2010/03/09/curtis-mac-and-cheese/">mac and cheese</a> that he swears by.<br />
o. Over on Slashfood, our friends at YumSugar presented us with a round-up of their <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2010/10/14/yumsugars-must-try-mac-and-cheese-recipes/">favorite mac and cheese recipes</a>.<br />
<div id="steps">
</div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>pasta</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-29T20:46:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Vegetable Fried Rice</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/22/fried-rice-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/22/fried-rice-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/22/fried-rice-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="vegetable fried rice" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/12/famchef-fried-rice-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a </em><a href="/recipe/vegetable-fried-rice-143231"><em>Vegetable Fried Rice recipe</em></a><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
What do you do with tons of leftover white rice? Cook homemade fried rice of course.<br />
<br />
We don't usually have oodles of cooked rice just hanging out in the fridge, but for some reason I cooked way too much basmati rice when I was making Indian food for dinner last weekend. So I'm going to visit another favorite Asian cuisine that I just can't get enough of, and make a Chinese <a href="/recipe/vegetable-fried-rice-143231">vegetable fried rice</a> dish for dinner.<br />
<br />
I crave Chinese take-out like none other. And since I can't eat gluten, it sometimes gets pretty tricky, especially since the restaurants that have gluten-free menus that I trust and love do not deliver to me (so unfair!) and are too far out of the way to visit with any frequency. Hence, I often have to search around my grocery stores for my own gluten-free sauces and make it myself, which turns out to be pretty simple, and pretty cheap.<br />
<br />
So last night I looked at that rice and decided to make it into a vegetable. Or, at least a nice hearty vegetarian entree, which counts as the vegetable portion of our diets in my house. My doctor would faint at hearing this. But it's so hard to get enough veggies onto the table and into the bellies around here, so mixing in some rice and eggs and soy sauce is a great way to make that happen.<br />
<br />
Besides the rice, it's a pretty healthy dinner. Eggs for protein, fresh bell peppers, and an assortment of frozen veggies for vitamins and minerals (I grabbed my favorites: peas, carrots, green beans, and edamame). After cooking my eggs I added regular olive oil to the pan since I didn't have any sesame oil on hand, but I did later add in some tahini (thinking that would help get the right flavor). Then the peppers went in, the rinsed frozen veggies, rice and greens, and the liquids. It smelled nutty and salty, and started to make me salivate.<br />
<br />
The outcome was a very satisfying fried rice dinner! I must admit that I added a bit more soy sauce to my serving, as did Neel, since it was slightly short on flavor. It also needed a splash of hot sauce. But I do think that this was a good recipe, especially if you use it as a starting point and cater it to what foods (vegetables) your family likes (tolerates) the most.<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/vegetable-fried-rice-143231"><strong>vegetable fried rice recipe</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
<h2>Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="/rice-recipes">rice recipes</a>.<br />
o. See more <a href="/vegetarian-recipes">vegetarian recipes</a>.<br />
o. Learn how to <a href="/2010/03/16/cooking-rice-kitchen-basics/">cook perfect rice</a>.<br />
o. Is <a href="http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/11/01/black-rice-superfood/">black rice the superior superfood</a>? Find out on AOL Health.<br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>rice</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-22T22:35:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/15/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/15/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/15/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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	<span><img alt="chocolate chip cookies" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/12/famchef-choc-chip-cookies-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><strong><em>Get this recipe: </em><a href="/recipe/chocolate-chip-cookies-142861"><em>Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</em></a></strong><br />
			<br />
			Is your current favorite cookie the same as it was when you were a kid? What about your favorite snack food, or cereal, or Doritos flavor? This is what my boyfriend, Neel asked me last week and I could not remember what my favorite cookie was at all. Is that weird? But I did remember loving Smartfood for my after-school snack, Life cereal and (obviously) Cool Ranch Doritos.<br />
			<br />
			He asked this because he'd been craving <a href="/recipe/chocolate-chip-cookies-142861">chocolate chip cookies</a> and wanted me to make some for him. He was remembering the soft chewy cookies that his mom used to make. They would kind of <i>melt</i> when you bite into them, not like the harder and super-bland kind that he can get from the grocery store's cookie aisle.<br />
			<br />
			I was willing to take this challenge, adding in the fact that I also can't eat gluten and would surely have to make some flour substitutions to whatever recipe I found at the very least. I had read this story about <a href="/2010/01/29/make-your-own-mixes/">how to make your own basic mixes</a> and starters for all sorts of things like Bisquik batter, instant oatmeal, and yes -- chocolate chip cookies. I like this idea of having mixes on hand to speed up your Sunday morning pancake routine, and for a great basic -- and quick -- chocolate chip cookie.<br />
			<br />
			I decided to just make the recipe right away, and if the cookies turned out as good as I'd hoped then I'll go ahead and keep this mix on hand, for Neel's next craving. I used a store-bought blend of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Pantry-All-Purpose-Flour-16-Ounce/dp/B000EVKHNA">gluten-free flour</a> since that's what I have ready in the pantry right now, to that I added about 1 tsp of xanthan gum to help keep the dough together without the gluten.<br />
			<br />
			This recipe calls for melting the butter before you mix the sugars into it, which is different than I've done before. I usually use softened butter and cream it together slowly with the sugars, my mom told me that melting the butter makes cookies too flat, so I have some doubts but continue to follow the directions. Besides, melted butter is much easier to stir!<br />
			<br />
			Somehow I was distracted while the first batch of cookies baked and they went about 1 minute too long and were already pretty set in the middle. They also looked very flat, just like momma said! But still, they could be chewy. I pondered this while I put the next batch in (with a few bonus white chocolate chips too) and kept my eye closer. This time I pulled the cookies out at just the right time. They still looked wet in the middle, but started to brown on the outside.<br />
			<br />
			That first batch was tasty, and chewy while they were still warm. But once they cooled they were far to hard, and reminiscent of the grocery store versions. The second batch was perfect, while slightly warm, as well as when they'd cooled.<br />
			<br />
			Neel was pretty pleased with this experiment. But since I messed up half the cookies, I apparently must make them again just to be sure. Ha, right! I'm going to be way too busy making <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/christmas-cookies/">Christmas cookies</a> next.<br />
			<br />
			<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/chocolate-chip-cookies-142861"><strong>chewy chocolate chip cookies</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
			<h2>
				Related Articles</h2>
			o. Browse all <a href="/cookie-recipes">cookie recipes</a>.<br />
			o. See more <a href="/chocolate-recipes">chocolate recipes</a>.<br />
			o. Watch our expert Shane Kelly make <a href="/2010/04/08/dark-chocolate-cherry-chunk-cookies/">a healthier cookie</a> with dried cherries.<br />
			o. For a ranking of <a href="http://www.walletpop.com/2010/08/16/best-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies-we-rank-the-house-brands?icid=sphere_newsaol_inpage_walletpop">store-bought chocolate chip cookies</a>, go over to WalletPop.<br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>cookie</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-15T15:37:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Gingerbread Houses Made Easy</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/14/gingerbread-house/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/14/gingerbread-house/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/14/gingerbread-house/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="graham cracker houses" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/12/group-graham-cracker-house-014-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span>Despite the best holiday intentions, sometimes you just don't have time to work with the kids on baking, building, and decorating a traditional, old-fashioned gingerbread house. Or maybe you don't have the patience. Or maybe your children are too young for it. Or maybe gingerbread houses just aren't your thing. Or you haven't even started your Christmas shopping yet, nevermind extreme baked goods... <br />
<br />
We've got you covered: These "cheat-sheet" versions made out of graham crackers, canned frosting (I used Betty Crocker vanilla), and store-bought candy are just as much fun, and a fraction of the effort. It's best to use the smallest candies you can find (like Tic Tacs and M&amp;M's) since the scale of these creations is much smaller than a typical gingerbread house. I applied the frosting using a small offset spatula, but you could also put it into a resealable plastic bag and pipe it on (<a href="/2010/06/21/cupcake-decorating/">as demonstrated</a> by the amazing duo from our <a href="/creative-cupcaking/">Creative Cupcaking video series</a>).<br />
<br />
<strong>See below</strong> for instructions on how to build these deliciously simple houses and "rafts."<br />
<h2>More Christmas recipes and tips:</h2>
<ul>
    <li>See all of our <a href="/christmas">Christmas menus, recipes and tips here</a>.</li>
    <li>Check out <a href="/2010/12/09/christmas-desserts-gail-simmons/">Gail Simmons's Christmas dessert </a>ideas.</li>
    <li>Start off with our eight <a href="/2010/11/17/christmas-dinner-recipes/">Christmas dinner recipes</a>.</li>
    <li>Get Christmas <a href="http://news.holidash.com/category/christmas">decorating, entertaining and gift ideas from Holidash</a>.</li>
    <li>Search our recipe database of almost 1,000 <a href="/christmas-recipes">Christmas recipes</a>.</li>
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<div id="stepCreditContainer1" class="stepCredit">Elizabeth Hait</div>
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<h2>To build a graham-cracker raft/sandwich</h2>
<strong>1.</strong> Spread an even layer of frosting on two crackers of equal size, then stack them on top of each other, frosting sides up on both crackers, and press down gently to adhere. <br />
<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Decorate with small candies and sprinkles as desired. Repeat to make as many sandwiches as you want.<br />
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<strong>3.</strong> Let the sandwiches dry or eat right away.</div>
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<div id="stepCreditContainer2" class="stepCredit">Elizabeth Hait</div>
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<h2>To build a graham cracker cottage</h2>
<br />
<strong>1.</strong> Decorate your crackers first: Break 4 crackers in half to make 8 squares. Using dabs of icing as glue, stick on small candies like M&amp;M's to make windows on 3 of the squares (for the side and back walls) and a door onto one square for the front of the house. Smooth an even layer of frosting on two squares for the roof, and add on candies as desired. You will also need two triangle pieces to support the roof (in the front and back). Use a serrated knife to gently saw another square in half, making two triangles of equal size. Decorate as desired.<br />
<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Let all the house pieces dry for about an hour so the frosting hardens slightly.<br />
<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Once the pieces are ready to handle, get your frosting ready. You can apply the frosting to the edges of the crackers using a small spatula or you can pipe the frosting with a bag. Starting with the front-door piece, apply a coat of frosting about 1/4-inch thick to the right side of the square. Do the same on one of the side wall pieces and then stick the frosted side of the door with the unfrosted side of the wall. Continue this procedure for the remaining two walls of the house.<br />
<br />
<strong>4.</strong> Apply a coat of frosting to the bottom (the longest side) of each triangle and press gently onto the front-door square, and press the other triangle onto the back of the house.<br />
<br />
<strong>5. </strong>Let the house dry for about 2 hours (or more) until the frosting has had time to set up and can handle the load of the remaining 2 roof tiles.<br />
<br />
<strong>6.</strong> Next add on the two roof tiles. Apply a thick coat of frosting to the tops of the triangles, as well as the tops of the two empty house walls. Also apply a coat of frosting to one roof square, and lay it in place on either side of the roof. Lay the second roof piece in place making sure to adhere it to the other side of the roof at the top.</div>
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<div id="stepCreditContainer3" class="stepCredit">Elizabeth Hait</div>
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<div class="stepRight" id="stepContentContainer3">
<h2>To build a graham-cracker town house</h2>
<br />
<strong>1.</strong> Break 2 crackers in half to make 4 squares, and set out an additional 4 whole crackers. Using dabs of icing as glue, stick on small candies like M&amp;M's to make windows and decorations on 3 of the whole crackers (for the side and back walls), and a door onto the last whole cracker (for the front). Smooth an even layer of frosting on two squares for the roof, and decorate as desired. You will also need two triangle pieces to support the roof (in the front and back of the house). Use a serrated knife to gently saw a square in half, making two triangles of equal size. Decorate as desired.<br />
<br />
<strong>2.</strong> Let the house dry for about an hour to let the frosting harden slightly.<br />
<br />
<strong>3.</strong> Once the pieces are ready to handle, get your frosting ready. You can apply the frosting to the edges of the crackers using a small spatula or you can pipe the frosting with a bag. Starting with the front door piece, apply a coat of frosting about 1/4-inch thick to the right side of the cracker. Do the same for one of the side wall pieces and then stick together the frosted side of the door with the unfrosted side of the wall. Continue this procedure for the remaining two walls of the house.<br />
<br />
<strong>4.</strong> Apply a coat of frosting to the bottom (the longest side) of each triangle and press gently onto the front door square, and the other triangle onto the back of the house.<br />
<br />
<strong>5.</strong> Let the house dry for about 2 hours (or more) until the frosting has had time to set up and can handle the load of the remaining 2 roof tiles.<br />
<br />
<strong>6.</strong> Next add on the two roof tiles: Apply a thick coat of frosting to the tops of the triangles, as well as the tops of the two empty house walls. Also apply a coat of frosting to one roof square, and lay it in place on either side of the roof. Lay the second roof piece in place making sure to adhere it to the other side of the roof at the top.</div>
</div>
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</div>]]></description><category>Christmas</category><category>dessert</category><category>holidays-and-parties-christmas</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-14T12:43:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Ancho and Chipotle Turkey Chili</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/08/turkey-chili-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/08/turkey-chili-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/08/turkey-chili-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="ancho turkey chili" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/12/famchef-ancho-chili-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><br />
<em>Elizabeth Hait makes an <a href="/recipe/ancho-and-chipotle-turkey-chili-150093">Ancho and Chipotle Turkey Chili recipe</a> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
In my last few grocery shopping trips, I've been slowly gathering and stockpiling my pantry with items for chilly days ahead. A few cans of beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc, each time. After spotting this recipe for <a href="/recipe/ancho-and-chipotle-turkey-chili-150093">Ancho and Chipotle Turkey Chili</a>, I added the special peppers and ground turkey to my final list and waited for the right time. Timing is especially important because making chili takes much longer than I can manage on a weeknight, and the more time you can give it the better in my book. So this past weekend was ideal. I wasn't going to be outside for any longer than required by my dog, and standing next to the warm stove was even more desirable than usual.<br />
<br />
I started prepping by soaking the dried chiles to rehydrate them, and chopping the onions and garlic. I processed the chiles in the same bowl as the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce as well as the tomatoes to cut down on my dish-washing duties. This chili goes together much like other chili recipes I've made, start off with the aromatics, add in meat to brown, add in tomatoes/liquid and simmer for as long as you can stand to wait, at least 1 hour. Then add in the peppers, and lastly the beans since they don't hold up when cooked for that long. I added in a can of chickpeas because they're my favorite, and I think chili can never have too many beans.<br />
<br />
I was expecting this chili to be a very deep earthy/spicy flavor, very southwest inspired from the special peppers, and it was! It was also much spicier than I was expecting, but I had a side of toast to help cool down my mouth between chili bites. Perhaps I should have strained out seeds from the chipotle peppers as well? I ended up really loving this recipe regardless of my burning mouth, and will be making it again. Who knew that just switching in some different pepper/flavors would make such a huge difference??<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/ancho-and-chipotle-turkey-chili-150093"><strong>ancho and chipotle turkey chili recipe</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
<h2>
	Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="/chili-recipes">chili recipes</a>.<br />
o. See all <a href="/turkey-recipes">turkey recipes</a>.<br />
o. Learn more about <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/08/02/ingredient-spotlight-chipotle-peppers/">chipotle chile peppers</a> on Slashfood.<br />
o. Speaking of peppers, see how <a href="http://www.shelterpop.com/2009/07/23/budget-mid-century-peppermills/">pepper mills can be used as decorations</a> on Shelterpop.<br />
<div id="steps">
</div>]]></description><category>chili</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>turkey</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-08T18:29:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Chicken Parm Sub</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/01/chicken-parmesan-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/01/chicken-parmesan-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/12/01/chicken-parmesan-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata"><input type="hidden" value ="" name ="providerLogoUrl" id ="providerLogoUrl" /><input type="hidden" value ="" name ="providerTitle" id ="providerTitle" /><input type="hidden" value ="" name ="providerLink" id ="providerLink" /></form><div class='clear'></div><span><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/11/famchef-chicken-parm-456_240x180.jpg" alt="Chicken Parm Sub" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><div id="articleTextContainer" class="articleTextContainer"><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a <a href="/recipe/chicken-parmesan-sub-74313">Chicken Parmesan Sub recipe</a> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
Tonight is Neel's last meal. Or at least that's what it feels like for him. He's having some major dental work done tomorrow and will be restricted to a soft-foods-only diet for at least a week. And he requested chicken parm for dinner tonight.<br />
<br />
I liked this recipe for a <a href="/recipe/chicken-parmesan-sub-74313">Chicken Parmesan Sub</a> for the meal, because Neel prefers to have his food served between bread whenever possible, so this was an obvious choice. (He's had leftover pasta in a sandwich before, I kid you not.)<br />
<br />
And it was simple to make too! I got out all of the ingredients, which was super quick since the chicken isn't breaded, so no need for eggs or crumbs. I saut&eacute;ed the spinach while I floured the chicken tenders -- I accidentally got tenders instead of breasts, oops -- and then got started cooking the chicken. I put two or three tenders side-by-side on the baking sheet to make portions closer in size to what the breasts would have been. That seemed to work just fine. Then I topped them with the spinach, marinara sauce, and cheeses and popped them under the broiler. I pulled them out after the mozzarella started to bubble and turn brown, and right before the smoke alarm went off. Guess it's time to clean the oven, huh?<br />
<br />
Neel was very impressed with this dinner, and not just because he had specifically requested it. He liked that the chicken was nicely soft and tender. But not in an undercooked kind of way. And he didn't even notice that it wasn't breaded chicken like it usually would be. I liked my portion too, sans sandwich, though I wish I'd heated the sauce before putting it onto the chicken pieces, it wasn't quite hot enough for me.<br />
<br />
Now, does anyone have suggestions for a week's worth of soft meals? Besides <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/shake-it-up/">smoothies</a> and <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/30/how-to-make-mashed-potatoes/">mashed potatoes</a>??<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/chicken-parmesan-sub-74313"><strong>Chicken Parmesan Sub recipe</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
<h2>
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o. Browse all <a href="/chicken-recipes">chicken recipes</a>.<br />
o. Learn how to <a href="/2010/05/28/choosing-chicken/">interpret chicken labels</a>.<br />
o. Watch a video on <a href="/2010/03/15/trussing-a-chicken-kitchen-basics/">trussing a chicken</a>, which makes a for a moister bird.<br />
o. Discover <a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/10/chicken-power/">6 health reasons to choose chicken </a>on That's Fit.<br>]]></description><category>chicken</category><category>feature-eat-with-your-hands</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-12-01T21:29:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Potato Chip Chicken</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/24/potato-chip-chicken/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/24/potato-chip-chicken/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/24/potato-chip-chicken/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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	<span><img alt="chip chicken" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/11/famchef-chip-chick-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em><strong>Get this Recipe: <a href="/recipe/chip-chick-142413">Potato Chip Chicken</a></strong></em><br />
			<br />
			I really thought this recipe would be a huge, <em>huge</em> hit. The author, Ann Hodgman, says that she doesn't "think there's a kid on earth who doesn't like this recipe," and considering that my boyfriend is a big kid who likes both potato chips and chicken, I thought he'd be thrilled to have these <a href="/recipe/chip-chick-142413">'Chip Chick' chicken nuggets</a> for dinner tonight.<br />
			<br />
			When I got home I started to cut up the chicken breasts to soak in the milk-barbecue mixture, which is when Neel walked in.<br />
			<br />
			"Oh Liz, I really can't eat chicken tonight. My stomach needs something very easy...can we just have pasta?"<br />
			<br />
			"What? But I'm making chicken! Chicken is so simple and yummy. I picked this recipe out for you" I pleaded.<br />
			<br />
			He wasn't convinced. And it was too late to change plans, the chicken was thawed and cut and ready to roll in the chips. Sigh. I guess he's allowed to be moody and fussy about food, since I'm that way sometimes too. I proceeded with the recipe which was indeed super simple -- it's the same method for making chicken breaded with bread crumbs. Then I made myself a plate with a side of green beans.<br />
			<br />
			"Are you sure you don't want to try one bite?"<br />
			<br />
			"Hmmm, maybe I do. These look like they're breaded, are they?"<br />
			<br />
			"Not exactly, they're potato chipped."<br />
			<br />
			Even better. He took a bite, and his eyes rolled back immediately. He even ate a few green beans with the second bite too!<br />
			<br />
			I knew I could trust Ann Hodgman with this recipe. This was such a fun and easy spin on a regular weeknight chicken dinner.<br />
			<br />
			<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/chip-chick-142413"><strong>Potato Chip Chicken recipe</strong></a>.<br />
			<h2>
				Related Articles</h2>
			o. Browse all <a href="/chicken-recipes">chicken recipes</a>.<br />
			o. See more <a href="/2010/01/29/an-ode-to-potato-chips/">recipes using potato chips</a>.<br />
			o. Learn how to <a href="/2010/03/16/breading-poultry-kitchen-basics/">bread poultry</a>.<br />
			o. Read about <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2006/10/24/reaping-the-rewards-of-raising-chickens/">one family's experience with raising chickens</a> on ParentDish.<br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>chicken</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-11-24T11:27:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Italian Sausage and Chickpea Stew</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/17/italian-sausage-and-chickpea-stew-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/17/italian-sausage-and-chickpea-stew-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/17/italian-sausage-and-chickpea-stew-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="Sausage and Chickpea Stew" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/11/famchef-sausage-chickpea-stew-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><div><em>Elizabeth Hait makes an <a href="/recipe/italian-sausage-and-chickpea-stew-over-barley-142613">Italian Sausage and Chickpea Stew recipe</a> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
I am home alone for a week while my boyfriend is away visiting family, so this means that I can eat whatever I want for dinner. I'm taking advantage of these solo nights to make foods for myself that he will not eat (trust me, I've tried): beets, lots of kale and chard, and sausage.<br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>sausage</category><category>stew</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-11-17T08:11:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Rosemary Red Onions</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/10/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-onions-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/10/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-onions-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/10/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-onions-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="Roasted Brussels Sprouts" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/11/famchef-brussels-sprouts-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a </em><a href="/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprout-and-rosemary-red-onions-149794"><em>Roasted Brussels Sprout and Rosemary Red Onions</em></a><em> recipe in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
I had always heard rumors about horrible Brussels sprouts as a kid. They were the most evil vegetable, one of the few that my dad hated, and so we never ate them growing up. But then, sometime during college when I was back home for Thanksgiving, my newly vegetarian sister wanted to make a curried Brussels sprout recipe that she liked, and my mom let her. We all tried the dish tentatively, except my dad, and she got two more family members to join her in her love of that tiny cabbage.<br />
<br />
So today, you can only imagine my excitement in finding a huge stalk of sprouts in my CSA. By the way, did you know that these little guys even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BrusselsSproutField200503_CopyrightKaihsuTai.jpg">grew on stalks</a>? I didn't. But it was very satisfying to twist of all the little heads after a long day at the office. <br />
<br />
I settled on this recipe for <a href="/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprout-and-rosemary-red-onions-149794">Roasted Brussels Sprout and Rosemary Red Onions</a>, mostly because of it's simplicity. I don't feel like exerting much more effort than prepping the veggies, and boiling some water for a side of pasta. If I wanted to be even lazier, I could have picked a recipe that called for blanched or boiled sprouts, and thrown them right in with the pasta. But roasting is one of my go-to methods of making brussels sprouts -- it makes them soft and full of flavor, and an almost nuttiness from the browning in the oven.<br />
<br />
This recipe did not disappoint. A few of the brussels sprout leaves got a little bit too brown and crispy, but the majority was a beautiful golden brown. I was worried that the onion pieces might not have had enough time, but I was wrong. Everything was perfect, soft and tasty. <br />
<br />
When Neel finally got home he had some of the veggies mixed with a generous portion of cheesy pasta.<br />
<br />
He reportedly "ate two pieces of brussels and one pasta shell."<br />
<br />
So you liked it?<br />
<br />
"I wouldn't go out there and say that I like brussels sprouts, but I did like whatever that dish was."<br />
<br />
I'm getting the feeling that you're being influenced by the cheesy sauce.<br />
<br />
"I think that's accurate."<br />
<br />
It's a start!<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprout-and-rosemary-red-onions-149794"><strong>Roasted Brussels Sprout and Rosemary Red Onions</strong></a><strong> recipe.</strong><br />
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<h2>Related Articles</h2>
o. Browse all <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/search?query=Brussels+sprouts">Brussels sprouts recipes</a>.<br />
o. Can't resist the Brussels sprouts-bacon combo? Check out <a href="/2010/10/19/brussels-sprout-recipes/">this collection of recipes</a>.<br />
o. Follow these tips on Slashfood for <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/28/how-to-make-better-brussel-sprouts/">making better Brussels sprouts</a>.<br />
o. Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable -- find out <a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/11/13/cruciferous-vegetables/">why they're good for you</a> on That's Fit.<br />
</span><br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>vegetable</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-11-10T15:09:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/03/squash-and-carrot-soup-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/03/squash-and-carrot-soup-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/11/03/squash-and-carrot-soup-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="Squash soup" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/11/famchef-squash-soup-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup recipe </em><em>in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
So last week I was sick of carrots, and this week I'm back on them. But it's the second flavor in this soup, after squash, so let's give it a chance.<br />
<br />
The temperature suddenly dropped this week and it's practically winter now. OK, so it's still only autumn, but it was a brutal jolt for me this week. And it made me really want some soup for dinner tonight, something rich and warm and hearty. I love soup so much, I could eat it for dinner multiple nights a week if I had my way. Neel claims not to like soup -- but I've yet to see him turn it down as dinner, so we'll see how this goes. I went searching for a recipe, thinking about the winter squash that's been waiting for me in the vegetable drawer, and found this Butternut Squash and Carrot soup. <br />
<br />
I had to swap out the type of squash, but besides that this recipe looked like exactly what I wanted. I cut up all of the veggies and started them together in my small stockpot. I also heated up my vegetable broth in the microwave, hoping that this would cut down on the overall cooking time a bit. The veggies were getting incredibly aromatic, and I could tell that this soup would have enough flavor for me. I added the stock and reduced it to a simmer, and my apartment smelled even more crazy-good.<br />
<br />
Another reason that I wanted to make soup tonight, was to use my new immersion blender. I've been wanting one of these for a looooong time and Neel finally came home with one last week. Lucky me! So once the vegetables were cooked I blended the soup to a nearly smooth consistency, and was very happy with the result. This was so much easier than carefully pouring batches into the blender, and more fun too.<br />
<br />
This soup was awesome. I did add in some garlic, salt and pepper as the finishing touch, but the flavor was really rich and flavorful. It was earthy and warm, a perfect autumn meal. And Neel did eat some too -- a small bowl with a side of pasta, of course.<br />
<br />
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		<h2>
			<span>Related Articles</span></h2>
		<span>o. Browse all <a href="/soup-recipes">soup recipes</a>.<br />
		o. Learn how to <a href="/2010/09/24/how-to-peel-seed-and-cut-squash/">peel and cut a butternut squash</a>.<br />
		o. Get more <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/search?query=butternut+squash">squash recipes</a> to use up the fall bumper crop.<br />
		o. Read <a href="http://www.parentdish.com/2010/03/24/health-benefits-of-squash/">3 health reasons to add squash to your family's meals</a> on ParentDish.<br />
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</div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>soup</category><category>squash</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-11-03T20:47:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Curried Chicken Thighs</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/25/chicken-thighs-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/25/chicken-thighs-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/25/chicken-thighs-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="Curried Chicken Thighs" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/10/famchef-curried-chick-neel-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><br />
<br />
What's for dinner tonight? We've been eating our way through 4+ pounds of CSA carrots for the past week including: roasted <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/creamy-carrot-soup-with-scallions-and-poppy-seeds-148888">carrot soup</a>, carrot latkes, and <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/carrot-macaroni-and-cheese-148812">carrot mac and cheese</a>. So I'd like to <em>not</em> eat a carrot-based meal tonight. Instead I've got my eye on some bone-in chicken breasts and rainbow chard.<br />
<br />
I will transform these ingredients into Curried Chicken Thighs. I feel like having something spicy for my mid-week dinner, and the chicken breasts will sub in well for the thighs called for here. Besides, Neel has requested that I make more chicken meals to balance out our mostly vegetarian dinners. I oblige.<br />
<br />
I started out by cutting the onion as well as some carrot (we still have a few stragglers left!) and added in some chard stems. Next I heated up my pan and began searing the breasts. Maybe my pan was too hot, or the smoke alarm too sensitive, but I set it off near the end of my searing time. Bummer. Neel opened up the windows to air out the place and I went on with the rest of the recipe pretty simply. We skipped the mushrooms since we're not big fans, I put in the chard greens later to make up for that missing veggie. After adding in the broth, apple, and chicken I covered it and left it to simmer for about 25 minutes or so, longer due to the thickness of the breasts.<br />
<br />
After removing the chicken, the sauce came together really quickly. I used part milk and part half-and-half (let's not discuss the math there please), and only a scant amount of my gluten-free flour blend. I neglected to make rice ahead of time, so I just served the chicken plain and topped with the sauce, I'll have to make rice for the leftover portions.<br />
<br />
And there will be leftovers! The chicken pieces are huge, even Neel raised his eyebrows at me when I put the plates down. We both really enjoyed this, but it will be even better with rice to help sop up the creamy curry sauce. That was my favorite part of this recipe. The only thing I would change making it again would be to add even more veggies to make it a more well rounded dinner. I guess I could have served another veg or made a salad, but I'm a one-dish kind of cook.<br />
<br />
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</div>]]></description><category>chicken</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-10-25T00:25:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Lemon Green Beans</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/21/lemon-green-beans-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/21/lemon-green-beans-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/21/lemon-green-beans-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="Lemon Green Beans with Almonds" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/10/famchef-lemon-green-beans_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a </em><a href="/recipe/lemon-green-beans-with-almonds-142500"><em>Lemon Green Beans with Almonds recipe</em></a><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
When I was a kid, my mom's go-to vegetable to accompany a pasta-type dinner was green beans. And for good reason, green beans taste great with tomato sauce. Honestly, that was a great tactic on her part, and she applied it to other "new" or "green" foods that she wanted us kids to eat as well.<br />
<br />
But getting back to dinner, I really wanted to try this incredibly easy-looking recipe for <a href="/recipe/lemon-green-beans-with-almonds-142500">Lemon Green Beans with Almonds</a>. I got some fabulous looking green and yellow beans from the CSA, and started a pot with water to boil right away. As the beans were cooking, I toasted my almond slices. I'm usually too impatient to do this, and take them off the stove before they browned enough, but since I had to wait for the beans to be cooked anyways it worked out and the results were golden and smelled richly nutty. <br />
<br />
After draining the beans, I tossed them into the warm skillet with the almonds and mixed everything together. I zested the lemon with my microplane right over the stove, estimating the correct amount, then mixed again.<br />
<br />
These green beans tasted bright and light. We ate them with some leftover pizza for a super-easy dinner last night, linking back to the tomato sauce pairing of my childhood, and they tasted great. I loved the lemon with the green bean flavor, and the nuttiness of the almonds was ideal as well as adding in the crunch-factor. I think I would even eat this dish for lunch on it's own on a weekday, just add some cheese or leftover chicken for some protein. I will for sure make this recipe again.<br />
<br />
<strong>Make the </strong><a href="/recipe/lemon-green-beans-with-almonds-142500"><strong>Lemon Green Beans with Almonds recipe</strong></a><strong>.<br />
<br />
Meet our team of </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/family-chef/"><strong>Family Chef recipe "test drivers."</strong></a><br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>beans-and-legumes</category><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-10-21T09:00:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Toffee Coffee Brownies</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/13/toffee-coffee-brownies-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/13/toffee-coffee-brownies-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/13/toffee-coffee-brownies-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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<span><img alt="Toffee Coffee Brownie" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/10/famchef-coffe-toffee-brownie-456_240x180.jpg" /><br />
Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait makes a Toffee Coffee Brownies</em><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series, in which home cooks make recipes from our database and tell you how it went -- what they changed, what they kept and who was in the kitchen helping.</em><br />
<br />
It was a busy weekend, and busier week so far, and I deserve a reward as do my coworkers - in the form of baked goods. I had some toffee pieces that I've been wanting to use, so was drawn to this recipe for Toffee Coffee recipes. Coffee in chocolate is a crazy-good combination. Not that chocolate itself isn't good, but if coffee or peanut butter is involved? I'm in for sure.<br />
<br />
<em>Of course</em>, I must always be difficult and change the recipe since I don't have either a box of brownie mix or frosting at home, and with the rain coming down outside, there is no way I'm going out to the store for them either. So I made them both from scratch. I'm pretty comfortable doing this as I've been baking for as long as I could reach the kitchen counter, helping my mom pour and measure and mix while standing on a kitchen chair. The brownie recipe was a photocopy from who-knows-where that I make using cocoa (always in my pantry) instead of bakers chocolate (not often on hand). The frosting was just a basic butter/vanilla/confectioners sugar recipe that I make up all the time. It usually comes together successfully.<br />
<br />
As soon as I stirred the coffee and toffee into the batter I knew it would be magic. It smelled sweet and strong, I love that about a brownie. I really dislike when brownies are too soft and fall apart, or have only a <em> light</em> chocolate flavor. That would clearly not be a problem here! They took slightly longer to bake than my regular recipe, possibly because of the extra ingredients in this Toffee recipe. The result was a dense, deeply chocolate, fudgey brownie.<br />
<br />
The frosting wasn't quite as successful. It tasted great, and the liqueur was much appreciated, but the frosting separated a bit so it didn't look very smooth. If I had to do this again I might omit it altogether, it seems like an incredibly sweet dessert. Almost excessive.<br />
<br />
Not that that was a problem! My coworkers really appreciated these brownies, and demanded that I give them the recipe. "I can feel the sugar coursing through my veins, I feel rejuvenated" and "this is insane" were among the comments. I also think this was exactly the right crowd for this brownie, you should make it immediately for your friends and/or coworkers. They will appreciate it!<br />
<br />
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</div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-10-13T09:00:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Mustard Tarragon Chicken Cutlets</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/05/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/05/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/05/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form id="providerdata" name="providerdata">
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	<span><img alt="Mustard Tarragon Chicken" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/10/famchef-tarragon-mustard-chicken-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><strong><em>Get this Recipe:<a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-142423">Mustard Tarragon Chicken Cutlet recipe</a> </em></strong><br />
			<br />
			This is the most wholesome meal I've made on a weeknight in <em>ages</em>. I am usually so lazy and tired after work that I can barely manage to get two or three food groups on the table, and only one of them is ever good for me.<br />
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			In an effort to improve my weeknight eating, I found inspiration in this article about <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/03/29/chicken-breast-recipe-ideas/">chicken breast recipes</a>, since chicken is a nice lean protein and I have been severely lacking in that department recently. I typically cook vegetarian at home, and save the meat and fish for when I eat out, but I have to break the rules sometimes! I love a spicy mustard, so this recipe for <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-142423">mustard tarragon chicken</a> sounded good to me.<br />
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			I was hoping that Neel would be home in time to help out with the beginning of this recipe, as I hate handling raw meat, but he wasn't, so I had to be brave. Luckily it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.<br />
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			The sauce really couldn't have been easier. The wine reduced pretty quickly, and the addition of water and mustard made it a perfect consistency. I forgot to grab fresh herbs at the market so I had to make do with dried. I don't often cook with wine since I don't keep white wine in the house. But I luckily had company recently and had part of a bottle leftover in the fridge, yay!<br />
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			I added the chicken back into the pan to get coated in the sauce, since I wanted them to be very evenly sauced. I served them over salads of baby spinach and shaved carrot, which I thought would taste pretty good with any extra of this mustard tarragon sauce. I was right! Not that there was much extra sauce. Mine was a bit thicker than it looks like in the recipe photo, so maybe I'll have to add in more liquid next time to make the sauce go farther.<br />
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			<strong>Make the </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/mustard-tarragon-chicken-cutlets-142423"><strong>Mustard Tarragon Chicken Cutlets recipe.</strong></a><br />
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			Meet our team of <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/family-chef/">Family Chef recipe "test drivers."</a><br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-10-05T22:20:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Sweet and Sour Lady Apples</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/sweet-and-sour-apples-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/sweet-and-sour-apples-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/28/sweet-and-sour-apples-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="sweet and sour apples" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/09/img2760-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span>I have run out of interesting apple recipes. I've made the pies and tarts, the crumbles and the relish. I've had apple sauce, apple muffins, and even apple jam. <br />
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I wasn't exactly sure what to think about this <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-lady-apples-142816">recipe for sweet and sour apples</a>, but it intrigued me. I like baked apples, I like raisins, the spices and vinegar and honey all sound good. But it's served with sour cream? Not sure about that part, but the recipe was easy-peasy so I decide to try it out.<br />
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I started by measuring the butter and the wet ingredients and started cooking the sauce. While that was getting going on the stove I cut up my apples into wedges. I used about 4 small apples, and probably would have been comfortable using one more too.<br />
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I laid out the apples in my baking dish in a flat pretty layer, then spooned the raisins all over them. The sauce was such a beautiful consistency, and a nice deep caramel color. The one concern I had was the whole cloves. The recipe didn't call to take them out, but I'm not a fan of biting into a whole clove, they are way too strongly flavored.<br />
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They baked for about 40 minutes when I remembered to check on them, and they were done, very soft actually. I let them cool slightly before dishing them up with the sour cream. And, well, it was interesting. That's what I asked for isn't it? But really, I'm not sure I'd have this again as a dessert like that. <br />
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My boyfriend Neel wouldn't even <em>try</em> the apples with the sour cream. He did like them on their own though, which is pretty good considering that he hates vinegar (luckily he wasn't home when I started making this recipe, the sauce smelled strongly of vinegar for awhile). <br />
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The next day I ate some of this apple mixture over plain yogurt for breakfast and it was actually quite good. So it wasn't a total wash!<br />
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<strong>Make the </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/sweet-and-sour-lady-apples-142816"><strong>sweet and sour lady apples recipe</strong></a><strong>.<br />
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<div style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><strong>Meet our team of </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/family-chef/"><strong>Family Chef recipe "test drivers."</strong></a><span><br />
</span><br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-09-28T23:28:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Polenta Pizza</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/22/polenta-pizza-recipe/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/22/polenta-pizza-recipe/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/22/polenta-pizza-recipe/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="polenta pizza" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/09/famchef-polenta-pizza-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span>We've eaten Indian leftovers for the past two nights and I'm ready to mix it up. Neel sees me pulling groceries out of my bags and asks what's for dinner. "I'm so hungry I think I might just have more Indian food right now." I tell him I'm making pizza and he quickly changes his tune.<br />
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Two of my coworkers have asked me if I was able to eat this <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/polenta-pizzas-with-mozzarella-baby-tomatoes-and-arugula-143012">polenta pizza</a>, and I can! There is no gluten in <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta">polenta</a> (it's basically flour made of corn), and the photo on this recipe is more than inspiring, so that's what's on the menu tonight.<br />
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I've never made polenta before, and the box didn't give great instructions on how much water to use to prepare it. I'm used to knowing what ratio works (like for rice) or just draining off extra water after cooking (pasta, lentils). But after a bit of research I figured it out and it turned out ok as far as I could tell, and this was, by far, the only hard part of the recipe.<br />
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The rest went together perfectly except for two mistakes. I spread out the polenta on my baking sheet, and wet my spatula as needed to get it smooth. I added shredded mozzarella instead of sliced, since that's what we had on hand. Then I made the first mistake -- I added the arugula greens to the pizza instead of reserving them for the end, after baking. I thought it was fine to add them now, especially since the peppery sharpness from the greens would be slightly reduced after cooking, and hence would be willingly eaten by my boyfriend. Then I arranged the grape tomatoes over the top of the pizza, again failing to halve them first. So, a few mistakes, but not a deal-breaker for this recipe. Also, I should remember to read the recipe <em>more than once</em> after getting all of my ingredients ready.<br />
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The pizza came out of the oven bubbly and browned after about 22 minutes, and I quickly had a willing volunteer to test this dish out. Neel got out the plates and knife and served up some very generous portions, and we dug in. I finished mine really quickly, the topping was the perfect flavor combination with the arugula and parmesan and tomato, and the polenta on the bottom was soft and smooth but still sturdy enough to hold up as a pizza. Neel gives this a thumbs up too. He was skeptical of the polenta, as he'd never had it before either, and said that it would be ok if I made it again. But it would be better if it had a sauce on it. I can take that note!<br />
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<strong>Make the </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/polenta-pizzas-with-mozzarella-baby-tomatoes-and-arugula-143012"><strong>polenta pizza recipe</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br />
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<strong>Meet our team of </strong><a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/family-chef/"><strong>Family Chef recipe "test drivers."</strong></a><br><div id="steps"></div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><category>gluten-free</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-09-22T21:40:00Z</dc:date></item><item><title>Creamy Coleslaw</title><link>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/15/creamy-coleslaw/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/15/creamy-coleslaw/</guid><comments>http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/09/15/creamy-coleslaw/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<form name="providerdata" id="providerdata">
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</form><div class='clear'></div> <span><img alt="coleslaw ingredients" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.kitchendaily.com/media/2010/09/famchef-cole-slaw-456_240x180.jpg" /><br>Elizabeth Hait</span><em>Elizabeth Hait riffs on </em><a href="/recipe/chili-dogs-with-creamy-coleslaw-79968"><em>Tyler Florence's Creamy Coleslaw recipe</em></a><em> in this installment of KitchenDaily's Family Chef series.</em><br />
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I was feeling lost -- I had a small head of white cabbage from the farm last week and really no idea what to do with it. My sister recommended making a stuffed cabbage recipe, or a peanutty stir fry. Usually the mention of nuts in a recipe will do the trick for me, but I didn't have any other good ingredients for a stir-fry hanging around the kitchen, and making stuffed cabbage leaves seemed like more of a production than I had in mind.<br />
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Browsing around in the KitchenDaily <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/search?query=cabbage&amp;sort=hr">cabbage</a> recipes, I immediately found some inspiration in Tyler Florence's <a href="http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/chili-dogs-with-creamy-coleslaw-79968">coleslaw recipe</a>. I know that I'm way late to the game this season for this typical cookout/barbecue/party food, and I'm not even going to use this as a topping for chili dogs (though I would like to next time!). But it will also taste great served with some leftover chicken breasts, and hopefully make them a little more exciting too.<br />
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I washed the cabbage and shed off the parts of the leaves that were too wilted to eat, then gave it the best shred I could with my chef's knife. I also diced up the red onions. And then, feeling wild and wanting to make use of some more veggies, I also went ahead and added some diced radish and celery to this mix.<br />
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The dressing was pretty simple to make: mayo, lemon juice, evoo, salt and pepper. I gave everything a big mix and then put the whole big bowl in the fridge for a few hours to let the ingredients get to know each other. <br />
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I imitated the chili dog recipe as best I could by shredding the cooked chicken, and cooking it in with some onion, ketchup, and chili powder. I dished this chicken chili over some toast to eat like an open face sandwich, and the creamy coleslaw on the side. <br />
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The chicken-chili was good, but not amazing - probably because the fattier beef is a more flavorful protein than white meat chicken. But the coleslaw was actually good, a nice solid coleslaw recipe. I think in general it could have used a slightly jazzier seasoning -- at least some garlic powder or something. But if I imagine eating it with a nice spicy chili dog it would be perfect. So this goes to show once again, follow the recipe!<br />
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Get Tyler Florence's <a href="/recipe/chili-dogs-with-creamy-coleslaw-79968">Chili Dogs with Creamy Coleslaw recipe</a>.</strong><br><div id="steps"><div class="stepDiv enddiv"> </div>
</div>]]></description><category>feature-family-chef</category><dc:creator>Elizabeth Hait</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-09-15T00:05:00Z</dc:date></item></channel></rss>
