January 20, 2012

Back to real life...it was nice to take a quick break from the normal routine with a ski trip out east! Even though the winter had been "iffy" at best leading up to the trip, we had an amazing time! Snow arrived before we did and continued whole time we were there, and because of the lack of snow there were very few people on the slopes! It was a great time, and well worth skipping the blog for a week because out the trip.

This week I have three recipes to share. Pork quesadillas, soft breadsticks, and peanut butter and Nutella cookies. I wouldn't advise serving them all as part of one meal, but they were all voted keepers.

The pork quesadilla was a nice change of pace for our family. I often have pork tenderloin in the freezer, and typically use it in the same 3 or 4 preparations. But I saw a recipe for pork and onion flautas, and was ready to give it a try. When I went to make them, the recipe didn't offer actual amounts of any of the seasonings, so I had to wing it. Instead of flautas, I decided on quesadillas and they were a big hit with everyone, from Ryan to Liam. Even Hannah, who doesn't like melted cheese, loved them. And Owen, who doesn't care for onions, had seconds. I think the deep caramelization of the onions altered the flavor enough for him so that he could enjoy the dinner.

I had book club this week and wanted to share a dessert. Given the limited time I had between returning from the trip and a few appointments the first full day we got home, I just went to my stack of dessert recipes and made the first cookie recipe I came across. Thankfully they turned out pretty well. You'll likely have all the ingredients on hand to make the peanut butter cookies, and you could stop there and just leave them classic. But, if you like Nutella then go the extra step and swirl some in; you won't be disappointed.

And breadsticks? Well...who doesn't like breadsticks? I will admit that these tasted very much like baking powder biscuits. This shouldn't have come as a surprise since the recipe was basically a baking powder biscuit that you form into breadsticks. But the recipe was very easy, and I love sesame seeds, so it was a nice change of pace from the usual dinner accompaniment.

For this coming week I already have my eye on a few recipes that might take me back to the slopes...well, at least to the waffles on the slopes! And as a bonus, my research shows this this form of waffle (Liege Waffles) uses yeast so the recipe can do double duty! I swear, I am going to get over my fear of yeast this year!!!

Be well and happy cooking!

New Recipes
Pork Tenderloin and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas
Soft Breadsticks
Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies