When a nasty cold hits, nothing soothes and comforts like soup. Most times, we simply open a can of Campbell’s and heat it on the stove top, but a recent epiphany (not to mention the frozen whole chicken taking up way too much room in the freezer) led me to make my own chicken noodle soup. All you need is a chicken, some veggies, herbs and water. The recipe is so easy, I might even make it the next time I’m sick. Or have someone else make it. Or maybe I’ll just freeze some to heat up when a nasty cold strikes. Add additional veggies, such as corn, peas, or potato, toward the end of the cooking time.

You’ll need:

bunch of carrots or parsnips, cut into one-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 whole chicken or cut up chicken
Egg noodles (optional)

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I used to grow rhubarb, but when we moved, decided it was too much of a hassle to uproot and move with us. Fortunately, our neighbors grow rhubarb by the bushel and are generous with it — we exchange rhubarb for asparagus, and everyone’s happy!

Last week they brought over 5 lbs. of the ruby red stalks. Anxious to make use of it, I decided to mix up some strawberry rhubarb jam, reminiscent of my mother in law’s recipe that I lost temporarily misplaced. It turned out so delicious, I might just keep this new recipe instead! Continue reading →

Espresso Rub

It’s no secret that I love espresso. But espresso combined with red meat seemed a little, well, weird. Until I tried it. At a fancy little steakhouse, the hubs and I decided to try an espresso rub steak, figuring that since we like espresso and like steak, why not try both? And it was absolutely delicious - savory, yet slightly sweet and a perfect complement to steak.

Here’s my version of a savory-sweet espresso rub — perfect for steak or pork.

1 tsp. ground espresso (instant espresso is also OK)
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients and rub generously on meat before cooking.

We love using marinades as an easy way to add flavor and zip to grilled or baked meats - they are so easy to whip up, and can even tenderize a tougher cut of beef. Just mix the ingredients in a zip top bag, put the meat in, and refrigerate for a few hours to overnight. Turn the bag a few times for even distribution. Before cooking, remove the meat or poultry and shake or brush off any excess liquid. Discard any leftover marinade.

My favorite for spring grilling is this lemon rosemary marinade — the perfect combo of sweet and tart, and a delicious marinade or sauce for grilled chicken.

Lemon Rosemary Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
6 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Nothing says spring to me more than asparagus. The first vegetable to pop up out of my garden, those tender green stalks of goodness are a welcome change to the winter vegetables we’ve been enjoying. Always looking for a new way to enjoy the potently delicious veggie, I decided to whip up a light vinaigrette to drizzle onto steamed and chilled asparagus. This dish makes a delicious side or could be a simple lunch recipe (add some crumbled bacon and a wedge of fresh bread).
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With spring comes outdoor grilling — and what better to grill than burgers? Looking for something different to use to top our burgers, we whipped up a batch of simple guacamole to dress up the burgers with a new flavor.

Use a microplane or garlic press to get the garlic minced small enough that no large chunks are present in the guacamole.

1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet yellow onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mash until mostly smooth. Serve immediately.

Pot Roast

As the new owner of a shiny new Dutch oven, I immediately went through my stash of recipes to try out and found this one for an easy pot roast. The meat is browned in the Dutch oven, then the other ingredients are added and the entire thing is cooked for a few hours, leaving the vegetables tender and the meat beautifully cooked. Continue reading →

Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta

Weeknights are all about quick and simple meals in my house. Not only is my time at a premium, but recipes with few, simple ingredients mean I don’t have to make a run to the grocery store.

This recipe from Real Simple magazine fits the bill, and is a bright, colorful dish. I use about 3 pints of cherry and grape tomatoes, and spaghetti or fusili instead of fettuccine. Continue reading →

Oatmeal Cookies

These are not your typical oatmeal cookies.

As some of you may know, there is a new man in my life. Our son was born a few weeks ago (hence the somewhat sporadic posting as of late), and consequently things have been quite hectic here at chez Icebox. Not as much cooking or baking is being done, except for the occasional casserole or other easy-to-throw-together-while-baby-sleeps meal.

However, there is one recipe I was anxious to try. These oatmeal cookies aren’t just delicious and full of fibery goodness - they also have a secret. Continue reading →

Elmo Birthday Cake, Close Up

What kids’ birthday would be complete without a delicious birthday cake? I baked up this Elmo creation in honor of my daughter’s recent birthday. I wish I could tell you that the frosting was made with all natural ingredients and with colorings found in nature, but, unfortunately, that was not the case. Red is an especially difficult color to make, and this cake would have been a sad, washed-out pink had it not been for the 1 1/2 jars of Wilton coloring gel that I used to get the Elmo red necessary. (Yes, at one point I even held up a dab of red frosting to one of the stuffed Elmo’s in my daughter’s toy box to make sure the color matched.)

Elmo Birthday Cake

Had he needed to be pink, a handful of red raspberries crushed and strained into the frosting would have generated the necessary color. Perhaps next year she will be getting a pink cake…