Skillet Lasagna

I’ve made this a couple times before but this week Jeff said “This is might be the best pasta you’ve ever made.” High praise considering how often I cook pasta and how much he likes everything I make! This recipe is more about the method- you could add other veggies in with the onion, switch the meat for ground turkey or sausage, use different cheese or no cheese, etc. I, for example, always use mozzarella instead of ricotta.

Enjoy!

BLT Dip and 15-Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge

I was on snack duty for class this week and made both these treats to satisfy both the sweet and salty cravings.

I’ve already mentioned that I have a wonderful team at work. They are all excellent cooks and someone frequently brings a snack for us to munch on during our weekly meetings. One of my colleagues makes this dip on occasion. All six of us go a little crazy when she brings it. I forgot to take a picture of it, so I’ll send you here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/BLT-Dip-2 to check it out.

BLT Dip
Makes 3 cups

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 tbsp. chopped green onion, optional
assorted crackers

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, tomatoes, and bacon. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with green onion if desired. Serve with crackers.
From Taste of Home
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This fudge doesn’t have the same texture as classic fudge but makes up for it in how quickly it comes together. I usually make the Rocky Road variation with walnuts instead of peanuts. Cook’s Illustrated strongly recommends using good quality chocolate, and I second their opinion. If you like learning new things about cooking and haven’t tried Cook’s Illustrated I strongly recommend it! They only publish a few recipes per issue but they write extensively about the testing that went into creating the recipe and the science of how it works.

15-Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge
Makes about 2 1/2 lbs.

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. table salt

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cut 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold edges back to form 7 1/2 inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Toss chocolates, baking soda, and salt in medium heatproof bowl until baking soda is evenly distributed. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Set bowl over 4-quart saucepan containing 2 cups simmering water. Stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is almost fully melted and a few small pieces remain, 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Transfer fudge to prepared pan and spread in even layer with spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove fudge from pan using foil and cut into squares.

Variations:

Peanut Butter Fudge – Follow recipe substituting 18 oz. peanut butter chips for chocolates in step 2 and omitting walnuts.

Rocky Road Fudge – Follow recipe substituting 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts, and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips for walnuts in step 3.

From Cook’s Illustrated

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

My wonderful team gave me an ice-cream maker at my recent bridal shower. This is my new 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker! After making a few not-so-successful ice creams, I made this one from a book (thanks, Amanda!) called The Perfect Scoop. It tastes almost exactly like chocolate peanut butter from Haagen-Dazs except that the chocolate is blended throughout instead of swirled in.

Jasmine-Rice Stuffed Peppers and Cherry Salad

Last week at the Durham Farmer’s Market we picked up some ground beef from Brinkley Farms. I used it in these stuffed peppers. Partially cooking the rice keeps the filling nice and moist. We used all beef for the filling this time. I’ve also made them before using only ground turkey. Pretty easy and foolproof!

 

Farfalle with Chicken, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

I love pasta but am not a huge fan of chunks of chicken mixed with pasta. Jeff, on the other hand, could eat it day and night so I’m always looking for recipes that combine chicken and pasta with ingredients that appeal to me. This recipe fit the bill and tasted great.

I made it as is with the exception of the marjoram. Hope you give it a try!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Recipe Fairy! Let me explain…

I am a recipe-hound. I collect recipes like my second graders collect pencils (among other more questionable items) in their cubbies. For some time I’ve been sharing recipes I enjoy with friends and family through e-mails from “the recipe fairy.” It’s getting harder to keep track of what I’ve sent and to find the time to e-mail a week’s worth at once, so I figured I’d try posting to a blog. That way you can visit it whenever you are looking for some recipe inspiration.