Author Archives: MGG

Squash Casserole with Cornbread

Posted in Casseroles & Savory Pies, Vegetables by

It took me a long time to find a squash casserole recipe that was actually a casserole and not just another way to cook squash. I was through with baking the squash in sour cream or under melted cheese; even with breadcrumbs, they just came out in a limp spoonful on the plate.

I found plenty of recipes that promised me what I wanted — a big, hearty. main-dish sized casserole — but they all seemed to be loaded with bad stuff. Condensed cream of mushroom soup and whole sticks of butter are delicious, but I was looking for something healthier. And I didn’t want to drown out the flavor of the wonderful yellow squash.

Bingo. After trying several recipes and tossing aside a dozen more, I found what seems to be the copy-cat recipe for a squash casserole at a U.S. restaurant chain. I don’t know if it’s the real thing, but it was the winner for me. The big difference with the others is that it calls for cornbread, which adds a nice amount of sweetness and enough volume to ensure a big, hearty (and not so unhealthy) casserole.

A note on the cornbread: The recipe calls for Jiffy corn muffin mix, which may not be available where you live, but you could easily use another cornbread mix or even your own recipe. Here’s one from Paula Deen I found in a quick search just now that could probably work.

Serves 8
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
6 regular-size yellow squash, diced
1/3 cup butter
1 regular-size yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 chicken boullion cubes
2 cups canned corn kernels
8 oz. mild cheddar cheese, grated

Prepare cornbread mix as directed for an 8×8-inch pan and let cool.

For the casserole, preheat oven to 350F/175C degrees. Grease a large casserole dish and set aside.

Place diced squash in a large saucepan, cover with water, then bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, just until tender. Remove from heat. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Place the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat, then saute the onions until translucent. Add salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and bouillon cubes and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat.

Add drained squash, corn, and cheese, and stir to combine. Crumble cornbread and add to the mixture, then pour in the reserved water and mix well.

Pour mixture into prepared dish and cover. Bake for 50 minutes, then remove cover and continue baking for another 10-20 minutes, until lightly browned or you just get too hungry to wait any longer.

NOTE: I halved this recipe and baked it in a 7-inch round cake form with good results. Also, the recipe can be made ahead — prepare and pour into the casserole dish, then refrigerate or even freeze until ready to bake (though if you freeze it, make sure to thaw it before you put it in the oven).

Avocado-Basil Pasta Salad

Posted in Cooking Tips, Pasta & Rice Dishes, Salads & Dressings by

A great salad for the summer because it uses fresh ingredients. You could also serve this as a hot pasta dish, but I prefer it cold as a pasta salad. It’s a great idea for a summer lunch. Thanks to my friend Ashley for the recipe!

Serves 4-5

8 oz.dried bow tie pasta
2 medium avocados, halved, pitted, peel removed, and coarsely chopped*
6 slices bacon, cooked until crispy, then placed on a paper towl to drain
1/2 red tomato, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta according to package directions, turning off the heat 1 minute before it’s done.
While the pasta is cooking, combine everything else but the cheese in a bowl. Add the pasta and mix. Top each serving with cheese.
If you’re serving this cold as a pasta salad, place it in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.
* For the avocados, choose those that are black and not green, because black ones are ripe. Slice them in half all the way around, then turn the two halves in different directions to loosen them from the pit. Remove the pit. To remove the peel, either gently pop the avocado half out of the peel (don’t force it), or use a sharp knife to make small cuts at the edge of the peel and carefully lift the peel away in sections.

Hot Chocolate

Posted in Drinks by

Made from scratch and ready in no time. This is my favorite recipe for homemade hot chocolate.

Combine in a mug 2 heaping teaspoons sugar, 1 heaping teaspoon cocoa powder, and a dash of salt. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk and stir until smooth.

Add 1 cup of milk and stir to combine. Microwave 90 seconds. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract if desired.

Cookie Monster Cake and Cupcakes

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Dessert Etcetera, Desserts/Baking by


I made this cake for our son’s birthday as part of a Sesame Street-themed party. It was actually his “smush cake” — his own cake for grabbing and devouring and making a mess. The blue frosting got all over his hands and mouth and cheeks, which we all found fun and messy!

For the cake, I used this white cake in a 6-inch round pan. I also used one batch of buttercream frosting, tinted with numerous drops of blue food coloring (I lost count of how many drops I used, but it was around 20).

What I did first was make Cookie Monster’s eyes. I used a Wilton Sugar Sheet in black. It’s edible decorating paper and comes in all sorts of colors. You can punch out designs or make your own, then simply peel them off and stick it onto frosting.

I punched out two large dots of the sugar sheet using the wide circular end of a decorating tip for a frosting bag. I placed each dot on the bottom of a paper baking cup, peeled side up, right at the edge. Then I poured melted white chocolate on top, just enough to reach the edges of the cup, and let it cool. I used about 2 oz. of the chocolate, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stirred by hand until it was fully melted.

After frosting the cake blue, I made Cookie Monster’s mouth with the black sugar sheet. I drew the mouth shape first on paper, then cut out the shape and put it over the cake to test what it looked like. I made several different cutouts until I got the shape and size I wanted. I put the paper on the sugar sheet and used the tip of a paring knife to cut around the paper. Then I carefully peeled the mouth shape off of the backing and laid it on top of the frosting. (Tip: Make a very large mouth. If it looks too large once it’s on the cake, you can always make it smaller by covering the edges with frosting.)

I then covered the cake in blue-tinted coconut flakes, sprinkling them over and lightly pressing them into the frosting. I left clear some space at the top for the eyes, so they could adhere to the frosting. I attached the now-hardened white chocolate eyes at the top edge, leaving part of them sticking out over the edge of the cake. I turned the black parts of the eyes in different directions to achieve Cookie Monster’s googly-eyed look.

Lastly, I put a “bitten” chocolate chip cookie on top of the black mouth. I used a knife to cut out a “bite” from the cookie, then laid the bitten cookie at the edge of the mouth and the bite of cookie inside the black to look like Cookie Monster was in the process of eating it. I had baked the cookies with Toll House pre-made cookie dough to save time. Whatever cookie you use, make sure the diameter of the cookie roughly matches the diameter of the eyes, or is even a tiny bit bigger, for the best dimensions.

To make the colored coconut flakes, put 1/2 cup of flakes in a zippered plastic bag. Dissolve a couple of drops of food coloring in 1/2 tsp. water, then add that to the bag, seal, and mash it around with your fingers until the coconut is evenly colored.

COOKIE MONSTER CUPCAKES Continue reading →

Buttercream Frosting

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Dessert Etcetera, Desserts/Baking by

This fluffy frosting is great for decorating cakes and cupcakes. Easily add color with food coloring.

It comes from the Hummingbird Bakery in London, where tray after tray of colorful cupcakes begin tempting you as soon as you walk through the door. It’s a wonderful but dangerous place for any sweet tooth.

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (double the recipe to frost an 8-inch cake)

250g/8 oz. icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar), sifted
80g/3 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
25ml/just under 2 Tbsp. milk
a couple of drops of vanilla extract

Beat the sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

Turn the mixer to slow speed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

If adding food coloring, add just a couple of drops at a time and mix well until you achieve the desired color.

White Cake

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Desserts/Baking by

This is the perfect recipe for a cake you want to cover with frosting and decorate. It’s easy and delicious, but the flavor of the cake stays enough in the background so you can highlight the sweet frosting on top. (See this recipe for a good buttercream frosting here.)

I used this as the base for the Cookie Monster Cake. This recipe is for a double-layer 8- or 9-inch round cake. Halve the recipe for a single-layer cake of the same diameter, though I used half in a 6-inch round cake pan and it turned out well.

I clipped this recipe years ago from the newspaper. It said it won an award at the 1997 Boulder county fair for a woman named Jan Bentley. I feel I ought to give her credit for such a delicious creation!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 egg whites
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C degrees. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, mix egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Add liquids slowly to the flour mixture and mix by hand, scraping the sides of bowl, until blended. Beat with the mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes until tops are golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Don’t worry if the top is turning dark and you’re still waiting for the toothpick to come out clean, because you’ll slice off the top later.)

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place on wire racks until cool completely, about 2 hours.

Roasted Cauliflower with Relish

Posted in Leftover Ideas, Main Courses, Vegetables by

Roasting broccoli is one of my favorite ways to have it — it’s a nice change from boiling or steaming it and dressing it with butter (although that’s pretty delicious too). We decided to try roasting cauliflower this time because we had a bunch of florets left over from crudites at a party. We both thought it was tasty, though I liked the relish and my husband did not.

The recipe, from Bon Appetit, gives instructions for using a whole cauliflower and cutting it into thick slices. I just used the florets and it worked fine. This recipe, by the way, is a great way to use leftover cauliflower — just scale the ingredients accordingly. I also used regular tomatoes (which were leftovers, too) instead of the plum tomatoes.

Implements you will need:
Cutting board
Large knife
Small bowl
Large oven-proof skillet
Large rimmed baking sheet
Blender

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 cup pitted oil-packed black olives, finely chopped
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped or thinly sliced
3 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided, plus more
2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered

Trim the stem end of the cauliflower all the way to the base, leaving the core intact. Place cauliflower core side down on a work surface. Using a large knife, slice cauliflower into four thick “steaks,” starting from the center of the cauliflower and moving outward.

Some florets will break off during slicing. Finely chop them to measure about 1/2 cup. Transfer them to a small bowl and mix with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. oil, parsley, and lemon juice. Season relish with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 400F degrees (205C degrees). Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, adding 1 Tbsp. olive oil to pan between batches. Transfer steaks to a large rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven.

Reserve the skillet. Roast cauliflower until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium-high heat and add minced garlic and tomatoes, one cut side down. Cook until tomatoes are browned, them turn the tomatoes over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast garlic and tomatoes until tender, about 12 minutes, keeping the cauliflower in the oven.

Transfer the garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 Tbsp. oil to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Divide tomato sauce among plates. Place 1 cauliflower steak on each plate and spoon the relish on top.

Thumbprint Cookies

Posted in Cookies & Brownies & Bars, Desserts/Baking by

These are classic cookies distinguished by big jam-filled circles in the middle. They are cute for children, and you can use different types of jam for a variety of colors, but they’re also nice “grown-up” cookies that go really well with tea or coffee. The cookies themselves are dry and crumbly, which sets off the jam very well.

I think these taste best a day or two after baking. A note about the filling: Avoid jelly, as it doesn’t melt enough to fill the center. And orange marmalade is especially delicious — the slight bitterness is wonderful with the sweetness of the cookie.

Makes about 40

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2/3 cup jam (try to use seedless varieties)

Heat the oven to 350F/175C degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixture, using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then add the flour and mix until just combined.

Put flour on your hands and pinch off pieces of dough, then roll them around with your fingers to make 1-inch balls. Space them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. With a floured thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball, then fill it with 1/2 tsp. of jam. Be careful not to get jam anywhere except in the center of the cookie.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the bottoms. Remove them from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.

Cheesy Parmesan Bites

Posted in Appetizers & Snacks by


I made these for an open house we hosted over the weekend. As the only hot appetizer on the table, they went pretty quickly!

They are very easy to make, and very easy to prepare ahead and bake when needed. Try as I might, I could not prevent the cheese from melting out the sides to keep these snacks looking pretty and perfect, but it seemed not to matter to the cheese lovers at the party and probably made them more appealing.

The recipe calls for Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls, which I don’t think are available overseas. A quick search online just now turned up this copycat recipe. It seems you can follow steps 1-3 to make the dough, then follow my instructions below to make the rest.

Makes 32

1 8-oz. package Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cans refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls (one recipe of the copycat version)
1 cup very finely diced red bell pepper
Dried parsley

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C degrees. Mix cream cheese and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese until well blended.

Open the cans of crescent rolls and carefully unroll onto a clean surface. Separate each roll into 4 rectangles, sealing the perforations. (If using the copycat recipe, try to roll out 2 rectangles, each about 14 inches long and 8 inches wide. Cut each rectangle into four smaller rectangles.)

Spread 3 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture lengthwise on each rectangle, making sure to go all the way to the edges.

Generously top with red pepper and parsley.

Fold one long end up over the filling to the center, then fold it up again to close the roll.

Cut each log into four pieces, then place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

*Note: If making ahead, stop after making the logs. When ready to bake, cut the logs into pieces, then bake. There is no need to bring them to room temperature before baking.

What to do with leftover tomato paste

Posted in Cooking Tips, Leftover Ideas by

I rarely buy cans of tomato paste because usually all I want is a little bit and I don’t know what to do with the rest. In London, I was able regularly to find tubes of tomato paste, which were convenient because I could squeeze out just a little at a time — however much I needed for a particular recipe. If they make that here in the States, I haven’t found it.

But I just read a clever tip that solves the issue of the cans. In “The Big Book of Casseroles,” author Maryana Vollstedt recommends freezing tablespoonfuls of tomato paste separately on a piece of foil in the freezer, and when they’re frozen, putting them in a bag for use later. I love it. Now I can get those cans and make full use of them.