By the Cookbooks

I eat a lot of fish. If you ask my coworkers, at least twice a month I have prepared fish to bring to work for my lunches, and this recipe was a new coating that I have never tried before, so I was super pumped take this recipe for a whirl. Plus it calls for wine, and I love cooking with wine. Ingredients      1 1/2 lb of fish      Dry white wine      Vegetable oil      2 tbs of butter, melted      3 tbs of lemon juice      1 tbs of Dijon mustard      1/2 cup of breadcrumbs      1/2 tbs of paprika      1/2 tbs of dill      1/2 tps of salt      1/4 tsp of black pepper Directions      Combine together butter, lemon juice and dijon mustard in a shallow bowl, and in a second shallow bowl combine breadcrumbs, paprika, dill, salt and pepper.        Brush butter...

     I am all about a steak salad. I grew up with beef straight from the farmer, and am very thankful I can eat more straight from the farmer steaks! When I try to come up with steak recipes on the healthier level, this "might" count as that.     I will say the combination of the items together create one amazing bite. Ingredients      1 ounce of shaved Parmesan cheese      3 tbs of shredded Parmesan cheese      2 cloves of garlic      1 tbs of Dijon mustard      2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce      1 1/2 tsp of anchovy paste      1 1/4 kosher salt, divided      3/4 ground pepper, divided      1/3 cup of olive oil      12 ounce sirloin or flank steak      1 small head of romaine      1 head of radicchio      4 cups of  arugula      Smal...

    I grew up in a small town known for a huge craft festival. At the festival, one of local churches made buckeyes! Lovely little balls of peanut butter, covered in chocolate. When I saw this recipe, I knew this would be very similar to those wonderful buckeyes. Ingredients      2 cups of powdered sugar      1/2 cup of margarine      1 cup of peanut butter      1 12 ounce package of semisweet chocolate chip      2 tbs of vegetable oil Directions      Mix the sugar, margarine and peanut butter.      Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and refrigerate overnight.      Next day, in a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and oil, stirring regularly.      Roll peanut butter in chocolate chip.      Let it set for at least 10 minutes Changes I Made!     I was an idiot and used olive oil over vegetable a...

    Nothing makes me happier than some good fried rice. It's really my comfort food, which may sound weird coming from a Midwest girl. The pork probably sold me on it.      After coming across this dish, I make it regularly, and my dog loves when I make this dish, because she gets the leftover carrots. Ingredients      1 boneless pork loin chop, cut into 1/2 inch pieces      1/4 cup chopped carrot      1/4 cup of fresh broccoli      1/4 cup of frozen peas      1 green onion      1 tbs of butter      1 egg lightly beaten      1 cup of cold cooked long grain rice      4 1/2 tsp of reduced sodium soy sauce      1/8 tsp of garlic powder      1/8 tsp of ground ginger. Directions      In a large skillet, saute the pork, carrot, broccoli, peas and onion in butter.   ...

     One of the first things I remember avidly watching my grandma making is a berry crisp. She picked berries out of her back yard and made the item quickly.      I also remember freaking out while picking said berries because a praying mantis crawled up my leg, but that's a story for a different time.     Blueberries are probably my favorite berry for cobblers, and this recipe matched what I remember about that crisp very closely. Ingredients     Topping            1/2 cup of all purpose flour            1/3 cup of sugar            1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon            4 1/2 tbs of margarine or unsalted butter       Berries            2 1/2 cups of blueberries, frozen or fresh            2 tsp of lemon juice       ...

     My grandma said she always had to make an onion sandwich for some of the men in her family growing up, and I use to think it was one of the most disgusting things I ever heard of. Such a plain sandwich!      But when I think about it, many times pre World War II, simple sandwiches like that were the thing many people ate. Look at the B-L-T, super simple sandwich!      So this sandwich would probably be a step up above the super simple, since it has to be heated together.   Ingredients      Sourdough bread     olive oil     2 cucumbers     3 tomatoes, sliced thin     lemon pepper     sliced Swiss cheese Directions     Brush oil on bread slices.     Layer cucumber, tomato on sourdough.     Sprinkle with lemon pepper and place slice of cheese on top.     Place open sandwich on broiler pan, lined with aluminum foil....

    I love The Little Women. It is one of the first books I remember trying to tackle this book on my own. Did I have any idea what a bevy was before this? No! Do I still have any idea what a bevy is? No, but it is delicious. Ingredients     1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed     2 eggs, lightly beaten     1 cup of heavy cream     1 tbs of brown sugar     1/4 tsp of nutmeg     1/2 tsp of salt     3/4 of crushed saltine crackers     2 tbs of melted butter Directions      Cover the squash in water in a large pot.      Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low and cover.      Let simmer for 25 minutes.      Beat the eggs, cream, sugar, nutmeg and salt together.      Combine crackers and melted butter.      Drain squash and place in a buttered large casserole dish.      Add cr...

    This may be a surprise, but as a small town Midwest girl, I did not grow up eating curry. I don't think I ever even tried curry, until I moved to Iowa and worked a woman who lived in New York City for decades.     I was just learning how to cook, and I wanted other dishes to try and make. I asked her what I should learn how to make and without hesitating, she said curry.    So I went online to try and find a recipe, and did not care for it.    After looking at the recipe I realized it was because it had the cursed ingredient of peas in it, so I've been on a mission to find a pea less curry I like, and I found 2 recipes I wanted to try, and this is the first one I gave a shot. Ingredients     1 chicken breast     1 cup of flour     2 tbs of olive oil     1 cup of chicken broth     1 tps of mild curry     1 tps of strong curry     1 carrot, peeled and diced ...

    This is a dish I always heard about, but have never actually had, until I made it myself for this blog.     I love mushrooms, but if there's one thing this recipe introduced to me is a love for white bean puree.    Overall, very good and hearty vegetarian dish. Ingredients     1 15 ounce can of drained white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained     2 tbs of olive oil, divided     1 tbs of water     1 tsp dried rosemary     1 garlic clove, crushed     1/4 tsp of salt     1/4 tsp pepper     4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed     1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped     1 medium red onion, finely chopped     1 medium zucchini, finely chopped.     1/2 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese Directions     In a food processor, combine beans, one tbs of oil, water, rosemary, garlic, salt and...

    I am all for a really simple pasta.     This dish is a good side dish to a flavorful steak dinner or to eat on its own if you have an upset stomach and want some carbs. Ingredients     8 ounces medium egg noodles     1/4 cup of butter or margarine     1/4 tsp garlic powder     2 tbs of parsley Directions     Cook noodles according to package.     When noodles are done, drain and set aside.     In a different pan, melt butter.     Once melted, mix in garlic powder.     Pour butter mixture over noodles.     Add cheese and parsley and toss. Changes I made!     I normally free hand my parsley and cheese until it looks right. This isn't a dish where you have to be precise. This recipe from the I Don't Know How to Cook Book

    I grew up with your traditional beef taco on my dinner plate. My mom would cook up the ground beef, add some spices and then set aside some fixings so my brothers and I could make our tacos how we like them.     I'm all for tacos, and I really wanted to try this chicken taco recipe. Ingredients     1 egg, lightly beaten     1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs     1/4 tsp salt     1/8 tsp pepper     4 chicken tenderloins     1 tbs canola oil     4 corn tortillas     whatever toppings you want Directions     Place egg in one shallow bowl and bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a second one.     Drag chicken through egg and then crumb mix.     In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for 5-7 minutes     Serve on tortillas and whatever ingredients you want. Changes I made!        I went with a flou...

   If you haven't been able to tell yet, I love pasta, with all my heart.    It's honestly a problem, and when I meal plan, there are many times when I think to myself "you just had pasta last week, lets do meat and veggies instead."    But this handy recipe combines meat, veggies and pasta, so I don't feel so bad about the ridiculous amount of pasta I eat in my life. Ingredients     8 ounces of penne    12 ounces of asparagus, cut into 1 inch chunks     8 thin slices pancetta     2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch slices     1/2 cup creme fraiche     1/3 cup milk     1/4 cup of basil pesto     1/4 cup of pecorino cheese Directions    In a large pot, cook penne.    When there is about 3 minutes left to cook the penne, add asparagus.    In a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat. Once golden, remov...

     Being from the Midwest, I am all about a good casserole that I can make on the stove during the hot summer months, and this one hit the spot.      This also calls for wine, and if you're like me that means a glass for the skillet, a glass for the cook. Ingredients     4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs     1 1/2 tsp kosher salt     1/2 tsp  black pepper     1 tbs of olive oil     2 cloves of garlic minced     1 1/4 cup of chicken broth     1/3 cup of chardonnay     1 carrot, diced     1 leek, white and green parts only     12 white mushrooms, halved     1 cup of white and wild rice blend     2 tbs of thyme Directions     Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.     In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium-high heat.     Add the chicken, skin side down and cook for 3 to 4 minut...

   Let me say first and for most, I never had even heard of vichyssoise before I came across this recipe. Now, that I know what it is, I'm not a fan, but someone out there has to be since it has made its way into cookbooks.    I have loved everything from the Audrey Hepburn book, have even repeated some of the recipes I made already, so if you love vichyssoise, you should give this a shot. Ingredients     1 onion, finely sliced     2 leek hearts     3 1/2 tbs of unsalted butter     1 quart of chicken broth     2 potatoes, diced     1 tbs of chopped chives     Nutmeg     Worcestershire sauce     1/2 cup of cream Directions     Cook onions and leeks in butter on low heat for 15 minutes.     Add the broth, potatoes, chives, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 30 minutes.     Pour in cream and blend together.     C...

    My mom is a beef farmer's daughter, so I grew up with beef all the time. Eating chicken happened mainly when we went out and actually bought the chicken meat.     I never knew or ventured to learn how my mom served chicken, because it was such a rarity, so I wanted to find a good one. Ingredients      2 bone-in chicken breasts      3/4 tsp garlic      3/4 tsp lemon pepper seasoning      1/2 tsp of dried oregano      1 tbs of olive oil Directions     Preheat oven to 400 degrees     Rub chicken with garlic and sprinkle with lemon pepper and oregano.     In a large skillet, over medium heat brown chicken, skin side down in oil for 5 minutes.     Transfer chicken to shallow baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Changes I made!    I lined the pan with foil, but outside that everything was the same and delicious. Recipe c...

      I love, love, love shrimp. Growing up, shrimp was one of those things I could only get when I went out to eat. My mom was a farm girl, so seafood was rare.        I Don't Know How to Cookbook lives up to its name with this simple recipe. Ingredients       1/2 lb shrimp       8 ounces pasta       2 tbs oil       basil pesto       grated Parmesan Directions        Rinse and remove vine, peel shells off the shrimps.        Cook pasta according to packaging.        Heat olive oil over medium high heat in pan.        Cook shrimp until pink and starts to curl.        Drain pasta, combine with shrimp, pesto.        Top with Parmesan. Changes I've Made!      I love, love, love cooking my shrimp in butter, so I swapped the oil...

     I love a good soup. They're usually super easy to make, and they make a lot.      This recipe from Taste of Home threw me for a curve ball though since you make it in a skillet, but overall it was injured and amazing. Ingredients       1 lb beef       1/2 cup of onions       1 15 ounce can tomato sauce       1 1/2 cup of frozen mixed veggies thawed       1 1/4 cup of frozen corn thawed       1 1/4 cup of beef broth       1 tbs of soy sauce       1 tbs molasses Directions      In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat, until no more pink.      Drain      Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.      Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Changes I made!       My only big complaint with this is that I wasn't...

      I'm not going to lie, when I think of what made me watch Food Network non-stop, Barefoot Contessa was a big reason why.      I love her.      While I do not have access to handmade and home grown foods the way she does, I found this recipe to be delicious, which just proves that store bought is in fact just fine. Ingredients      2 1/2 lbs of gold potatoes      Kosher Salt and black pepper      3 ounces of pancetta, diced      2 tbs of good olive oil      1/2 cup of parsley, for garnish Directions      Preheat oven to 425 degrees.      Cut potatoes into one inch chunks and place them in a large saucepan, preferable with two handles.      Cover potatoes in water and add 1 tbs of salt.      Cover pan and bring the water to a bowl.      Uncover pan, and lower the heat, le...

    I feel like this is a dish you see at most if not all Italian restaurants. Lightly crusted chicken with a great sauce.    But let me note this, I know I botched my version of this, and I still loved it! The spices and flavors are there, and even covered up some of my botched mistakes. This is differently dish I want to master and need to master, because I know once I do, I'll have one bomb dish to show off. Ingredients     1 can tomato sauce     2 tsp Italian seasoning     1/2 tsp garlic powder     1 egg     1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs     3 tbs of grated Parmesan cheese     2 boneless skinless chicken breasts     2 tbs olive oil     2 slices of mozzarella Directions     Sauce:     In a small pan, combine the sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a saucepan.     Bring to a boil, reduce heat and then let it simmer ...

     For me, trying out new things is a must for this challenge, and new sauces is differently something I have found joy in.      Now the last sauce, also bought to you by Audrey at Home, but this one is so much more simpler and doesn't call for a hand mill. Ingredients     1/2 onion     pinch crushed red pepper flakes     5 1/2 tbs of unsalted butter     1 cup tomato puree     1/2 cup of good quality Russian vodka     1/2 cup of heavy cream     Sea Salt     1 lb of penne     1 ounce of parmigiano-reggiano Directions       In a large skillet saute onion and pepper flakes in butter, over medium heat.       Add tomato puree, reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes.       Stir in vodka and cook down for 15 minutes.       Add cream.       Meanwhile, cook pasta. ...

     It seems like every good cook knows how to make a sauce, and that's why I chose this recipe. Every good Italian mama has their signature sauce, and I am neither Italian or a mama, so I gave this recipe a whirl. Audrey Hepburn was at least a mama after all.      The sauce does take awhile so give yourself a few hours to make it. Ingredients      3 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely diced      1 onion, peeled and left whole      1 stalk of celery, cleaned      1 carrot, cleaned left whole      6 basil leaves, chopped      extra virgin olive oil      pinch of sugar      salt      pepper      1 lb of spaghetti      Parmigiano- Reggiano Directions       In a large pot, with a lid over it, cook tomatos, onion, celery, and carrot for 10 minutes.   ...

    I love reading, so when I was given The Book Lovers Cook Book it was a dream come true.     I have a deep love for The Lost Generation, so this recipe sneaked in between a quote from Gertrude Stein, and a passage from Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" was a perfect start for me.     Ingredients     2 cups of uncooked macaroni     1/4 cup of butter     2 tbs of flour     2 cups of milk     8 oz of cream cheese, softened     2 tsp of Dijon mustard     1/2 tsp of salt     1/2 tsp of  pepper     8 oz of mild cheddar, grated     Chives Directions     Cook macaroni until tender, drain and set aside.     Melt butter in a sauce pan until it sizzles.     Stir in flour, and cook for at least 1 minute.     Continue cooking over medium heat and add milk, cream cheese, mustard, salt and peppe...

     For this recipe, I brought friends over because I was very unsure about it, but I knew if I could woo my friends with it, it'd stick.     The base of this is great, but know what herbs you like, because that can get you in some trouble when you show off a new dish, and they don't like one of the 5 herbs you are using.     I did get to learn the fun skill of removing a bone from a chicken breast from this recipe. Ingredients       1 ruby grapefruit      2 tbs golden balsamic vinegar      1 1/2 tsp salt, divided      1/2 tsp black pepper, divided      1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, divided      1 large head of butter lettuce      1/2 cup of chives, divided      1/2 cup of cilantro, divided      1/2 cup of parsley leaves, divided      1/2 cup of fresh mint, divided     ...