Food Lush

Food Lush Is On Vacation!

Thank you for your support as we launched Food Lush this year. We are lucky to write for you, that's for sure, but it's the time of year to focus on a few more important things: eating all that food we love so much and, mainly, spending time with all the people we love so much, too.

We'll be back on January 3rd, with new content for a new year.

We hope you'll be here then!

Happy holidays from Food Lush to you.

Gadget Lush: Adjustable Measuring Spoons

by Jen L.

When my husband and I got married, we already owned practically every cool kitchen gadget made. When we were given gift cards, we decided to clear out some of our older things in favor of newer, shinier versions of our beloved gadgets. My favorite find was this:

 

That, my friends, is the KitchenArt adjustable measuring spoon! Gone are the days of 8 separate measuring spoons in the junk drawer! The sliding, gripped gauge lets you choose the amount you need, from 1/8 of a teaspoon all the way up to a full teaspoon. (It comes in a tablespoon version, too!)  Aside from their ease of use,  fantastic accuracy and incredibly sleek, storage-friendly shape and size, these  babies retail for under $10 at Target! Any cook would love these spoons and they make an excellent stocking stuffer!

Photo credit: Target.com

Get your kiddies in the kitchen!

By Nora

Lately, I have been dreaming about the day when my now-7-month-old daughter will finally be old enough to help me cook. I know that day is still pretty far away, and trust me, I'm in no hurry for her to grow up, but I love the idea of teaching her how to be my sous chef and encouraging her to be a little foodie-in-training. And of course, the first thing she'll need in order to be a little chef is an apron. I thought that it would be SO cute, and not at all Mommy Dearest-esque, to get us matching aprons! I wasn't even sure that there was a wide variety of kid-sized aprons out there, but boy was I wrong.  Here are a few of the more adorable ones I found (and i'm totally buying the matching personalized ones from the Etsy shop, by the way).

{Left to right: Pottery Barn Kids Truck Apron and Pot Holder Set; Cutestitch Boutique Personalized Matching Mommy and Me Aprons on Etsy; Williams Sonoma Personalized Kids' Christmas Icon Apron}

Then you'll need kid-friendly accessories. There are actually smaller versions of real cooking and baking tools, and I found so many adorable measuring cups and spoons, too. I happen to own the IKEA baking pans shown below, and I think it's such a cute idea to make a mommy (or daddy!) horse cake with a baby horse for your little one. 

{Left to right: IKEA DRÖMMAR baking pans; Crate and Barrel Kids' Rolling Pin with Red Handle; Kuhn Rikon Kinderkitchen Mouse Measuring Cups}

If you want to go whole hog and get your kid everything they might need in order to initiate their foray into kitchen adventures, you can buy already-assembled sets, thus saving you time and energy trying to find a child-sized whisk.

{Left to right: Curious Chef Measure and Prep Set; Pottery Barn Kids Playful Chef Cooking Set; Paula Deen Kids' Baking Set}

Seriously though, involving your kids when you cook or bake teaches them all sorts of invaluable skills like math (measuring ingredients), following direction (reading recipes), and artistic creativity. Yes, food can be art, too! So take the opportunity to bond with your children in the kitchen at any opportunity. And, if you don't want them in your kitchen quite yet, you can always buy this red retro play kitchen collection to tide them over, although only if you've just won the lottery.

Happy cooking, kids!

Christmas Eve Traditions

By Natalie

Ever since I ran remember our Christmas Eve traditions include a candle light service, chicken enchiladas, and opening presents from our extended family. The last part makes it my favorite part of the year. Eating the chicken enchiladas certainly makes me a happy camper too! You'll certainly enjoy this recipe, it is so delicious.

I've heard of many different Christmas Eve traditions such as grilled cheese sandwiches and tamales. What's your Christmas Eve tradition?

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

 

• 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (Granny uses frozen ones and throws them in the pot)
• 2 stalks of celery (roughly chopped)
• 1 onion (roughly chopped)
• salt and pepper
• 8 oz of cream cheese (1 package)
• flour or corn tortillas
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
• 8 oz of sour cream
• couple handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese

1. Boil 4 chicken breasts in water with chopped up celery, onion and salt. Once chicken is done strain and shred the chicken. Discard onion and celery. Reserve some of the chicken stock water to dip the tortillas in.
2. Melt cream cheese in a skillet and add chopped onion (if desired, I do not desire since I abhor onions), chicken, and salt/pepper.
3. Once chicken mixture is heated through spoon into flour or corn tortillas in a 9x 13 greased pan. Spoon chicken mixture into a tortilla roll up and add to 9x13 pan
4. In a blender mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup, an 8 oz container of sour cream and 1 can of rotel. Once blended pour over enchiladas.
5. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top. You be the judge of how much you want to add!
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

*tip: We dip the tortillas is in the chicken stock water before we fill the tortilla and roll it. This keeps the tortillas from breaking apart when you roll it up.

 

Photo Credit: Foodnetwork.com

Homemade Holiday Food Gifts

by Elissa

This site is chock-full of ideas for homemade food gifts:  Jennie's baking plans, Nicole's cookie roundup, Erica's ideas, Elisabeth's chocolate peanut butter popcorn, and Maura's cookies would all make fabulous holiday gifts.

 I'm planning to give a sampler of homemade goodies to my son's day care teachers and to several of our neighbors. Baking all of this stuff does make the run-up to the holidays a bit hectic, but there's something about giving a a homemade gift that makes me feel all warm and full of the holiday spirit. So I'm bracing myself for a weekend of baking craziness, and quite a bit of take out, as who has the energy to cook after baking all day?

I've already made a triple batch of the fleur de sel caramels I wrote about a couple of weeks ago (recipe here), and I'm planning to make a bunch of mini loaves of chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Next, I'm going to make a couple of my favorites from Smitten Kitchen: a double batch of Deb's cheesecake brownies and a batch or two of coffee toffee.

{photo credit: smittenkitchen.com}

And finally, to make sure that the all-important peanut butter category is filled, I'll be making these peanut butter cup cookies.

{photo credit: food.com}

Not in the mood for baking or dealing with cookie dough? I am also thinking about giving glass jars of this homemade hot chocolate mix or this awesome olive oil granola (insanely delicious, and you can substitute your preferred nuts and/or dried fruit).

Recipe Round-up: Delicious dinners

By Nicole

Putting together a composed dinner is one of my biggest struggles. I tend to be a person who, when hungry, will eat what looks good even if it doesn't go together. What I'm saying is: I often have dinners that combine both hummus and cereal. But these meals below? They're awesome. They're delicious and most are quite simple. They're perfect dinners for just you, or if you can stand sharing, for your friends and family too. 

Pork Tenderloin with Tomatillo Salsa and White Beans - I love pork tenderloin for its ease and versatility. Giving it a little kick while still maintaining heartiness? Excellent.

Savory Leek Bread Pudding - Not only does this sound ridiculously awesome, the author healthified the original recipe. She probably didn't intend for the entire pan to be consumed in one sitting but... it's savory leek bread pudding. No one would blame you.

Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo - Hearty. Cheesy. Spicy. Easy. I love it.

Chicken with a Fig and Shallot Pan Sauce - I think I might make this on an upcoming Sunday night. What an excellent way to start the week off. 

Roast Pumpkin with Cheese Fondue - Whoa. Just whoa. And also, yes.

Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash -  I'll be honest, the ingredients for this dish are sitting in my kitchen ready to be prepared. Sadly they're being pushed to the wayside for an evening conference call and some Kashi GoLean tonight. But tomorrow? It's so on.

[Image via Dad Cooks Dinner]

Reader Help: Grilled Cheese

By Jessica

One of our very own Food Lushers, Natalie, wrote in to ask us to assist her friend:

My friend Stephanie has a question for the food lush writers. She is hosting her future in-laws and fiancee for Christmas Eve dinner. Their holiday family tradition is to eat grilled cheese. Stephanie wanted to know what the best type of bread to cook grilled cheese on. Or does anyone have any special secrets about grilled cheese? 

First, I have to say, I love this idea! I may have to steal it. That said, for something as seemingly simple as a grilled cheese sandwich, a lot of people seem to have opinions as to the "right" way to make them. I've watched Paula Deen and The Grilled Cheese Truck sing the praises of mayo or a mayo butter combo, on the Food Network, but having tried it, I prefer a softened butter approach as does Maura.

For bread, I really like Pepperidge Farm Italian Breads because they are already sliced, in what I think is the perfect thickness, at my regular grocery store. Maura recommends big sourdough slices from a boule.

Sometimes I like a plain grilled cheese but most days, I like something a bit extra. Often times my go-to is a sundried tomato jam like this one from Giada De Launrentiis. I typically pair that with a havarti or muenster cheese. If I am in the mood for something a little sweeter, I might go for apple slices paired with brie. I might also go for Nutella and havarti but when I tell people that they look at me like I'm crazy. Maura suggested having a selection of different things like apples, proscuitto, roasted red peppers, pesto for people to put into their sandwiches and I'd even have different cheeses like havarti, muenster, chedder, mozzarella and brie too.

My biggest special secret to perfect grilled cheese is my George Foreman Grill. I use that thing religiously for grilled cheese and they are perfectly crisp and brown on the outside and the cheese is always gooey and melty on the inside. In addition, I can cook two at once and both the top and bottom get cooked at the same time, so I spend less time hovering. Plus they always come out with grill marks on the outside which allows me to pretend that I am eating a fancy panini.

 

{Photo credit: Closet cooking-grilled cheese with mango chutney}

All I want for Christmas resides in the kitchen

By Elisabeth

Just this past evening, my husband told me I was hard to buy for. I, at first, wanted to be offended, but in the end, he did have a good point.

A) I am prego. So no clothes for me this year. (I'd rather wait till next year!)

B) The jewelry that I do want comes with three diamonds and all depends if this third child is actually born in April just like his brothers. Otherwise, I'll have to settle for two diamonds and an AQUA MARINE? Just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? (Of course this 3-stoned necklace is my WANT WANT item. It may never happen, but it's worth putting it out there, say... 3 months early?)

C) I have every matching scarf and gloves set from years previous. NO MORE, I say!

Ok, so I am not THAT hard to buy for, but coming up with unique ideas can be challenging for the opposite sex. (Am I RIGHT?)

So, to make things easier on poor hubs, I gave him a wish list. It's nothing fancy. More practical than not, but as long as I don't have to buy any of the items myself, it's a win-win.

Besides a huge portion soley based on suggestions from this year's Style Lush Gift Guide, I have the following wishes for this year.

Oxo Good Grips Cookie Scoop- Small

Nordic Ware Bakers Half Sheet

DeMarle Silpat Silicone Baking Mat

When in doubt, bake, right?

{photo credits: Amazon.com}

Crockpot Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

by Maura

Two things I love a lot are my crock-pot and BBQ. The opportunity to use one to eat the other is a lovely aligning of the stars. This recipe calls for making your own BBQ sauce and, honestly, it's worth the effort. I love K.C. Masterpiece, but this is some finger-lickin'-good sauce.

 

The original recipe is from Cooking Light, but I made a few modifications (like doubling the sauce! I like my BBQ sloppy.).  

Ingredients

Chicken:

2  tablespoons  dark brown sugar

1  teaspoon  paprika

1  teaspoon  chili powder

3/4  teaspoon  ground cumin

1/2  teaspoon  curry powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/4  teaspoon  ground ginger

1.5  pound  skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Sauce:

• 4  teaspoons  canola oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 4  tablespoons  dark brown sugar
• 2  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1  teaspoon  dry mustard
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 2  cup  ketchup
• 2  tablespoons and 1 teaspoon  cider vinegar
• 2  tablespoon  molasses

Remaining ingredients:

• 6  (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
• hamburger dill chips

Preparation:

 

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken in a crock pot on high for 4 hours with sauce.  Shred with 2 forks. Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with pickle chips and top roll half.

This recipe is perfect for a crowd, but make sure you load up on napkins!

Candy Corner: Candy Canes

by Erik

Well reader(s), this is the last post until after the new year, and so I want to leave you with visions of... candy canes.  Yeah, that's right.  Those pepperminty sugar sticks that we all know and love.

I think candy canes get the shaft during Christmas time.  During the holidays we're often told that simple candies aren't as good -- or, more accurately, we're led to believe that the holidays are a time to 'celebrate' and 'indulge' by gorging ourselves on elaborate and over-priced chocolates (ahem... Williams Sonoma peppermint bark...).  Candy canes are kind of like the neglected family pet of Christmas candies, and yet there's so many reasons to love them.  They come in a lot of different sizes and shapes, they look cool, and they taste great. 

So, let's reconsider the merits of the candy cane:

1.  They're cheap.  Like, a dollar for 12.  They're even more cheap if you hit up the remainder sales at Target the week after New Years (a strategy I highly recommend), when you can sometimes get 48 candy canes for a dollar.  I'm not talking the puny 'mini-canes' -- I mean the real deal, full sizers. 48 canes will get you all the way to St. Patrick's Day if you space 'em out right.

2. Everyone likes a candy cane.

3. You can crush them up and  put them in things, and the things you put them in end up tasting even better.  I like to put them in vodka.  On a day when your four year old wakes you up at 4:45 am by yelling in a jaunty voice "Oh Daaaad... Daaaadddy, I have to pooooop..."  followed by a bus ride home after work that runs through the 'less nice' part of town during which you share a seat with a gentleman who is carrying two full-sized car tires and asks you to make room for one of them... well, you practically want to inject your vodka/candy cane mixture directly into your veins. 

4.  You can get really big ones, and if you eat them slowly you can sharpen the tip into a razor sharp spear that you can carry around the house for the rest of the day while terrorizing your younger siblings by chopping the spear/cane at them as you make the Jason Voorhes noise from Friday the 13th.  Later, you will trip and accidentally stab yourself in the arm with your cane/spear, and be too embarassed to tell anyone how you got the giant scrape on your arm and will make up some lie about how it happened while you were stoking the wood furnace that your family used as its sole source of heat for the house during the 6-month long winters of the upper Midwest. 

The above example is 12 inches long, and is called Bob's "Big Jim" Peppermint Stick (available for 1.79 on Amazon.com). 

This giant peppermint stick weighs three pounds and is available for 9.79 at greatbigstuff.com, or, more than likely, at your local adult-themed superstore. 

As you can see, there are a lot of great reasons to love candy canes.  As a final note, however, I want to warn you against the evils of 'fruit flavored' candy canes.  And cinnamon candy canes.  Nothing is worse than biting into a cane and realizing that it's some weird off-brand flavor like fruit-fetti.  Luckily these off-brands are easily avoided, especially the fruit flavored ones, as they tend to be rainbow colored. 

In any case, happy holidays, and a jolly new year to everyone! And make sure you enjoy some sweet, sweet candy this holiday season!

{Photo credits: amazon.com and candyyumyum.blogspot.com}