A Cooking Baker

I tossed this together with things I had on hand to bring to a pizza party at a friend's house the other night.  It was super easy, and was a nice alternative to Caesar salad or just a plain dinner salad.  I didn't really measure, so I'm guessing below, but like I always say, do what looks right to you! Italian Tossed Salad 2 hearts of Romaine, chopped, washed, dried  about 1/3 c. chopped hard salami about 1/3 c. chopped Picante Provolone cheese 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced very thin banana pepper rings (a few forkfuls from the jar) 2 tbsp. Italian dressing (I poured a little in, and then tossed to coat, and adjusted as needed) 2 tbsp. of grated Parmesan freshly ground black pepper Note: If you're bringing the dish somewhere, add the dressing when you get there so it doesn't get soggy. Add lettuce to a large bowl.  Sprinkle in salami, cheeses, onion, banana peppers, a few good grinds of black pepper, and toss to combine.  Add dressi...

I tried a recipe from the "try it eventually" folder last night for some Asian chicken sliders, and they were decent, but unremarkable.  It was still a fruitful effort, however, because I found a super simple, tasty side to serve in the future (although the kids were not fans). I guestimated on the measurements, since I just chopped and added - do what looks right to you.  I made about 1/2 of this recipe, since it was just for 2 of us, but you could easily multiply it for a larger crowd, too. Asian-Inspired Slaw 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. EVOO 1/2 c. cilantro, minced pinch of kosher salt a few turns of freshly ground black pepper 2 c. red cabbage, shredded 1/2 c. carrot, julienned or grated on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 c. red onion, finely diced (could do thin slices if you prefer) 1/2 c. red bell pepper, julienned or diced You could get crazy here, and add some sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, minced jalapeno, garlic, etc.  I'll be e...

I was looking through my Pins for a recipe I wanted to make tonight, and found this one .  I decided to try it, and oh. my. word.  They are so good.  I did have to tweak it a little, though. For me, following the suggested baking time resulted in the 2nd photo - burned to a crisp (ha ha, get it?). So I baked mine for HALF that time, for 4 minutes at 375 degrees.  I also added a TEENY sprinkle of cayenne pepper on some to try it, and I liked the kick - might be a good variation next time, with cumin, garlic powder, oregano, etc.  I will be experimenting a lot with these babies, for sure. This combo was some freshly ground black pepper, grated Parmesan, and some dried parsley, since I didn't have fresh.  I also sprinkled a little garlic powder on some. On my wonton wrappers, it says 1 serving is 8 wrappers, and if you slice them in 1/2 (like top photo), you'd get 16 crackers.  If you went with the lil' triangles like the 2nd photo, you'd get doub...

I LOVE French Onion Soup. I made a big pot this weekend. I froze half of it, and served the rest for a Sunday lunch. The kids don't mind it, but they tend to supplement a smaller portion with a grilled cheese or salad. 
The key to the amazing flavor is the caramelizing of the onions, so take your time and do it right. You can do the onions a day or two in advance if you like and then finish off the soup, as long as you're cool with onion-ing up your house for 2 days (my kids are always horrified with the oniony aroma when they come home on a day I've been reducing a big pot of onions), or do it all at once, and then either serve the soup right away or stick it in the fridge for a day or two (or freeze it!). Making the soup a day or two before you're going to serve it improves the flavor, in my opinion. The recipe below looks a little involved, but it's really not bad at all. You can walk away from the onions while they're in the oven, as long as you se...