Rachael Ray Roundup

This time last week, I was so excited to report that I would be going on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Well, that darn piggy flu thwarted my plans - our babysitter got uber sick on Saturday night. We rescheduled so hopefully I'll have a great report to give on it in a couple weeks.

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me (everythingrachaelray at gmail dot com) so I can be sure to include it.

• Jessica of Johnstone's Vin Blanc is back with a review of Rachael's recipe for Tastes-Like-Spaghetti Mini Meatball Risotto.
• Mylinda of Sweet Tea in Texas is back with reviews of Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Bay & Onion Creamy Tomato Gravy and Creamed Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings.
• Apparently, Rachael Ray is a fan of Hall and Oates.
• Uh-oh. A roach visited the launch of Rachael Ray's partnership with the NYC school sytem.

Rachael Ray to Offer School Lunch Recipes

I've heard Rachael mention before that she was inspired by Jamie Oliver's quest to get healthy food into school lunch programs, so I was excited to see this article in the New York Post. Rachael is working through her Yum-o! Organization to team up with the New York City Department of Education. The Yum-o! website has a ton more information about the program here.

Rachael's recipes will be served in more than 1,600 New York City public schools to over 600,000 public school children. The kids will be trying NYC Sizzling Soft Taco with Southwest Roasted Chicken and Corn Relish, Yum-o! Ranch Sauce, Vegetarian "Veg-Head" Beans, and steamed broccoli.

Here's what Rach had to say about it:

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Department of Education’s Office of SchoolFood to help get kids excited about the food they eat while embracing a healthier lifestyle," said Ray. "Growing up, my family had a very positive relationship with food and cooking and that relationship helped shape my lifestyle and businesses. I hope that through this partnership I can pass on my experiences with food and that they inspire these students to make better choices about the food they eat."

Rachael Ray's Talk Show Renewed Through 2012

According to Broadcasting & Cable, Rachael Ray's talk show has been renewed "through the 2011-2012 season in 90% of the country and in 28 of the top 30 markets." All the ABC stations are lined up, so now other stations will start signing up. What does this mean for us? More Rachael and more recipes!!

It's a Keeper: Harvest Moon Macaroni

Now that I've been to a pumpkin patch, it is officially time to make recipes like Harvest Moon Macaroni. I've mentioned lately that I'm trying to make more meat free meals (for budget and variety reasons) and this one is a great addition to that plan.

This recipe was part of Rachael Ray's Halloween menu in 2008 on 30 Minute Meals, called Fright Night. She served it with Baba Ganoush and Pita Crisps and Spicy Sundaes, but I just served it with a simple green salad.

I think I'll stick with my favorite Curried Carrot Soup (complete with sour cream spider web) recipe this Halloween, but this one is worth a try if you are looking for something spooky to make. (Okay, it's not really spooky, but writing that was fun for me.)

Here's the recipe with my comments in brackets:

Harvest Moon Macaroni
Yield: 6 servings

1 pound macaroni such as cassarecci, strozzopretti or ziti with lines [I usually use whole wheat pasta, but went with the traditional elbow this time]
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose four
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole milk [It might be better with whole milk, but I used 2 percent and thought it still tasted great.]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg, grated to taste
1 (10-ounce) box frozen butternut squash, defrosted [Such a time saver and they say frozen veggies often have more nutritional value that fresh because they are picked at their peak and don't sit around. Also a great way to sneak some veggies in for little ones, but don't tell Darcy I said that.]
A few dashes hot sauce
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup extra-sharp yellow Cheddar
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Bring water to a boil, season with salt and cook macaroni to al dente.

Preheat broiler and place rack in middle of the oven.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a sauce pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until soft, 6 to 7 minutes and stir in the thyme.

Scoot onions off to side of pan and melt butter, whisk flour into butter and combine whisk 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and cook until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in butternut squash and a few dashes hot sauce. Reduce heat. When sauce comes to a bubble, stir in Parmigiano. Combine the sauce and macaroni, transfer to a casserole dish and top with shredded yellow Cheddar, chopped parsley and paprika. Brown the macaroni under broiler, 4 to 5 minutes until brown and bubbly. [Don't skip the browning time - it is worth it!]

Menu Plan Monday

Here are the recipes I've chosen to try this week. "Frozen meal" usually means a meal I have prepared in bulk, then frozen to cook later. Lately it means something in a bag from the store. Oops. Maybe the shame I feel from admitting it publicly will catch up to me and I will get my act together to make more premade meals!

Saturday: Halloween Party

Sunday: Anticipate we will still be full from the Wine Train

Monday: Pan-Roasted Chicken Carbonara With Sautéed Escarole (I picked up some Swiss Chard as a local Farmer's Market and plan on using that instead of the escarole). A recipe from Rachael's husband!

Tuesday: Freezer meal

Wednesday: Asian Chicken Cutlets and Green Beans with Peanut Ginger Dressing

Thursday: Freezer meal

Friday: Take out!

Check out more Menu Plan Monday posts here.

Rachael Ray Roundup

Am I ever in for a real foodie treat this weekend. In addition to attending a fun Halloween party, I will be celebrating my 5 year wedding anniversary with a ride on the Napa Wine Train. A three course meal, wine tasting, and beatiful scenery. It's one of those things we have always wanted to do, but have never found the time. With Napa only about an hour away from Sacramento, there's no excuse not to go!

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me (everythingrachaelray at gmail dot com) so I can be sure to include it.

• Cate at Sweetnicks made Macaroni and Cheese Dog Casserole. Probably not a recipe that would have jumped out at me, but after reading Cate's review, I'm going to have to try it.
• Holly of Splash of Gourmet made a bunch of Rachael Ray recipes this week: Steakhouse Chili, Chili Cheese Potato Armadillos, Tex Mex Chicken Clubs, and Bloody Ears. Yes, Bloody Ears.
• Jessica of Johnstone's Vin Blanc made Chicken-Pot Pancakes. This is one of those recipes I probably wouldn't try because it's a little bit out there for me.
• Deborah of Taste and Tell tried Summer Shrimp Rolls from the June/July 2009 issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray.
• Travel, Eat, Love features a review of Rachael's Ravioli Lasagna. A classic, if you ask me.

October 2009 Issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray

Doesn't that picture of Rach make you want to go run through some leaves? Okay, maybe it's just me. Time for some highlights from the October 2009 issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray.

The real highlight for me is always the 30 minute meals section. This time, there is a cool insert that has an index card with a picture of the finished dish on the front and a shopping list for the recipe on the back. No more carrying the whole magazine to the store (yeah, we all saw you do that last month). Here are this month's recipes: Zucchini Spaghetti with Saffron Sauce, Steakhouse Chili, Succotash Frittata, Cherry Tomato-and-Ravioli Soup, Chicken-and-Orzo Soup with Arugula and Basil, Minestra with Sweet Sausage, Salmon Fillets with Dill Couscous and Spicy Kale, Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs, Double Mushroom and Marsala Cream Fettuccine, and Whole Wheat Penne and Cauliflower.

I'll be doing the Steakhouse Chili, the Chicken and Orzo Soup with Arugula and Basil, the Minestra with Sweet Sausage, and the Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs.

My new favorite recipes are found in the $10 Spot section. People must always write in and give them smack about how you can't buy $0.04 worth of ground cinnamon, but I see where they're going with this feature and I love it. This issue includes recipes for Chicken Liver with Bacon, Pomegranate Chicken with Walnuts, Quesadilla Casserole, Barley-and-Kielbasa Pilaf, and Beef Empanadas with Raisins and Pickled Peppers.

The Burger of the Month this time looks like a comfort food feast: Buttered-Toast Swiss Patty Burger. Sign me up.

It's a Keeper: Florentine Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

I have had a bit of Rachael Ray recipe tunnel vision lately - I have only been making recipes from her magazine. Why, you may ask? Well, they are kind enough to send all those emails with links to recipes that sound so darn good, so they end up in the list in the left sidebar. Next thing you know, that list is 90 percent from Rach's magazine. Oops. So, I decided to get out of that habit by trying something from 30 Minute Meals: Florentine Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken and Spinach Fettuccine with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce.

I'm glad I branched out (if trying another recipe from Rachael Ray, but just from a different RR source counts as "branching out") to try these two. There's just something lovely about a chicken breast stuffed with cheese and spinach. How can you go wrong? I always freak out a little bit about making sure the chicken is cooked, but I made it through somehow. This recipe has the added bonus of requiring about 20 minutes in the oven, making it easy to make the pasta side dish and clean up a bit. The whole thing took me about 40 minutes.

Here's the chicken recipe with my comment in brackets (click the link above for the pasta recipe).

Yield: 6 servings

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted
3 tablespoons pine nuts [They sell these cheap in the bulk bins at my grocery store.]
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few grates nutmeg
6 chicken breasts
6 slices prosciutto di Parma, 1/3 pound [This stuff "ain't cheap," so if you want to switch it for bacon, or if your store doesn't carry prociutto, it would be just fine.]
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wring out defrosted spinach in clean kitchen towel.

Toast nuts and combine with spinach in a bowl, mix in cheeses, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Cut into and across but not all the way through the chicken breasts, opening them up like a book with a sharp knife. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill each with a small mound of stuffing. Flap chicken breasts back over stuffing and wrap each breast with prosciutto to seal them, carefully covering the whole breast. Brush chicken all over with some extra-virgin olive oil and roast 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday is back again. I'm still in line with my regular schedule, although I haven't had a chance to do my usual once a month cooking to fill up the freezer with a few meals. So, I threw in one extra Rachael Ray meal this week and bought a quicky frozen meal at the store to tide me over another week. People, I need to get my act together!!

Here's this week's menu:

Saturday: Breaded Pork and Mozzarella Stacks with Garlic Broccoli

Sunday: Dinner at Grandma's

Monday: Tomato Tortilla Soup and Quesadillas

Tuesday: Sausage and Pepper Frittata with Salad

Wednesday: Quesadilla Casserole

Thursday: Frozen meal

Friday: Take out!

Rachael Ray Roundup

Fall is in full swing around here. We went to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm last weekend - if you have something similar in your 'hood, you have to go. It'll get you in the Fall/Halloween spirit faster than you can say jack-o-lantern. I had my fill of pumpkin apple muffins and bought a few pumpkins for around the house. Darcy was more excited by the train ride and the hay ride....

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me (everythingrachaelray at gmail dot com) so I can be sure to include it.

• Faith of Thought 4 Food was inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe to create Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin-Sage Sauce, Spinach, and Chicken.
• NBC's Grub Street has a photo gallery from the Burger Bash, which Rachael Ray recently hosted. Be careful - it is going to make you crave a burger.
• Martha and Rachael together!
• Mara of What's for Dinner might not like it, but she is turning into a fan of Rachael Ray! Okay, maybe just a fan of her recipes....
• Michelle at Michelle Cooks Everyday made a recipe I have been eyeing - Quesadilla Casserole.
• Kristin of Our 2 Kitchens made Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce.
• Mandy Rae is cooking her way through Rachael's 365:No Repeats. I've seen this done before and it was a challenge I wouldn't be willing to take on!

Newsday Interview with Rachael Ray

I was cleaning out the ERR archives and ran across this Newsday story that I never shared. Rachael was on a book tour promoting was is quickly becoming on of my favorite cookbooks: Yum-o! The Family Cookbook. As you may recall, the proceeds from the sale of that book went to Ray's Yum-o! nonprofit organization.

Here are a few highlights from the interview:

How is this book different from your other books?

The recipes are designed so that kids 10 and up can prepare them by themselves. Younger kids can help with some of the steps, too. And a lot of the recipes were submitted to the Yum-o! Web site by kids.

How do you make healthy food appealing to kids?

You have to ask yourself, "What do kids like to eat?" and then make that food cool and fun to eat, but with healthier choices. One of my most downloaded recipes is Buffalo chicken chili, which has all the flavors you would get with greasy Buffalo wings, but it's made with lean ground chicken instead of deep-fried wings.

Or, with mac and cheese, you swap in whole-wheat pasta for regular, and instead of milk and cream use milk and chicken stock. Instead of processed cheese, you use a sharper-flavored cheese and use less of it.

What about no-fat cheese?

I'm not somebody who tries to use reduced-fat cheese or low-fat cream or nonfat products. They are usually made with fillers, so you end up swapping one not-so-great thing for another.

How do you encourage kids to eat vegetables?

I believe that all things are fair in getting kids to eat vegetables. If they won't eat it, I say, hide it - hide it under cheese, put it in a tortilla wrap.

But the greatest trick is to get kids into the kitchen to cook. Once they become invested in the meal and see that it is going to please the whole family, there is a real sense of pride and they will want to eat what they cooked.

Who are the children in the books' photographs?

They are the kids of my friends and co-workers. Everybody in the book is part of the extended family.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

What I write is always based on what people are asking me to write. I consider myself a waitress. I grew up in the service industry, and I am just bringing the customers what they want. I look at what they are downloading from the Web site or what they tell me when they see me in the grocery store.

When they see you in the grocery store?

People don't treat me with any celebrity. When they see me in the grocery store, they ask me what aisle to look in to find something, they tell me what their kids are eating.

To read the full article, go here.

It's a Keeper: Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto

In an effort to save a little dough and mix things up a bit, I've started trying to do at least one vegetarian meal a week in the Miller Household. As part of that effort, we recently tried Rachael Ray's Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto.

Let me begin by saying that the pesto was just outstanding. I don't know what made it so darn yummy, but it just works. The whole wheat pasta made it filling enough for a dinner, so you don't even miss the meat. I didn't serve any side dish, but a nice glass of white wine would go well with this meal....

Here's the recipe with my comments in brackets:

1 pound penne or whole-wheat penne rigate pasta
Salt
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
1 small zucchini
2 handfuls, 1/4 pound, haricots verts (thin green beans) trimmed of stem ends [I just used regular old green beans and they were just fine.]
1/4 cup pine nuts [These aren't cheap, but they are worth the money. Rach says to store them in the freezer.]
1 cup basil, 20 leaves
1/2 cup chopped tarragon leaves (10 to 12 stems) [I'm not usually a fan of tarragon, but I'm glad I included it.]
Handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus more to pass at table
Coarse black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2 inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2 -nch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes. [See, you save having to clean a separate pot! But don't forget to save some of the pasta water for later in the recipe.]

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.

Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at table.

Rachael's New Cookbook: Book of Ten

Rachael Ray's newest cookbook,
Rachael Ray's Book of 10: More Than 300 Recipes to Cook Every Day, will be hitting bookstores on November 3, 2009. It is her sixteenth!

Now, I'll get to what this book is about, but can I just say that I find it hard to believe that this is the actual cover? I think my bona fides as a Rachael Ray fan are pretty well established (!), so you know I'm not being mean-spirited when I say that the cover, well, sucks. Not the best picture of Rachael and I think I could have created it using the pared down version of Photoshop that I own.

But back to the book....how about a few highlights from the publisher's description? The book is being billed as "Rachael's top 10 lists of 30-minute meals." It looks like these recipes aren't new, since the book includes "her most-requested recipes from fans like you and her family faves." There are 30 lists of 10 recipes each including: Figure-Friendly Faves, John's Faves, Gut-Busters, Date Night/Fake Outs, Seafood for a Steal, Potluck Picks, Family Faves, Great Rollovers, Kids' Picks, and Surf 'n' Turf.

A few recipes that are included: Spinach-Stuffed Steaks with Sautéed Cremini Mushrooms, Grilled Eggplant Roll-Ups, Mushroom Veggie Sloppy Sandwiches, Baby Lamb Chops with Artichoke and Tarragon Dip, and Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette–Dressed Arugula and Pears.

Even though there aren't new recipes, there is no doubt that I will be picking it up, since I love a good list!

Rachael Ray Roundup

So what's coming up around here next week? I plan on getting back into the swing of things by participating in Menu Plan Monday again, since you guys seemed to like it! I'm also looking at posting about the October issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray, and sharing some news about Rachael's newest cookbook, Rachael Ray's Book of 10: More Than 300 Recipes to Cook Every Day. Only a few more weeks until it is released!

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me (everythingrachaelray at gmail dot com) so I can be sure to include it.

• The Food Network, including Rachael Ray, are heading overseas.
• Kathy of Kathy's Kitchen made Tequila Lime Chicken and Grilled Romaine Hearts with Caesar-cado Dressing.
• Krista of Krista Kooks is back this week with Meatball and Spinach No-Sagna and Saucy Buttered, Smothered Steaks with Spinach Gratin.
• Debby at Feast for the Eyes made Fall Pasta with Pumpkin, Sausage and Sage.
• A recipe from Rachael Ray was among the contenders to tempt a picky 5-year old.
• Jessica at Johnstone's Vin Blanc made Rachael's Brown Butter Ravioli with Pumpkin.
• Jen at My Kitchen Addiction created a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie that is loosely based on Rach's recipe for Buffalo Chicken Chili.
• Elizabeth of I Can't Believe It's Not Dead made Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
• Jolene of Jolene Eats Here made Rachael Ray's Cauliflower with Red, Green and Black Confetti. She also made Rachael Ray's Maple-Mustard Pork with Grilled Apples.
• Holly of Splash of Gourmet made Banana Ice Cream Fakeout. She also made Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup, Green Gobble Ems Garlic Bread, and Brown Butter Ravioli with Pumpkin. She's almost as bad as I am!
• Eileen of Eileen Likes to Eat made Rachael Ray’s Tex-Mex Corn Chip Chili recipe.

It's a Keeper: Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup

Yippee! It's time for soup! Things are finally feeling like Fall around here, so I took the opportunity to make Zucchini, Potato and Ham Soup from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

This was a filling meal that was easy to make on a weeknight. It's seriously got some flavor - more than I actually expected. Just make sure you have some crusty bread for dipping. For me, the soup is pretty much an excuse to eat half a loaf of sourdough bread. Here's the recipe with my comments in brackets:

By: Teri Tsang Barrett

4 Servings
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions, chopped
2 large yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon gold (about 1 pound total), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 zucchini (about 1 pound total), sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
Two 1/4-inch-thick slices cooked ham (about 8 ounces), finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Pinch nutmeg
Pumpernickel bread, for serving [Pumpernickel? I think not. I went with sourdough.]

Directions:

1.In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and season with salt. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil; cover, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

2.Using a blender, partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks [I think this was key - it made it feel definitely homemade]. Stir in the ham, dill and nutmeg and serve with the bread.

Rachael Ray Roundup

I took a mini vacay from blogging last week, so this is a double edition of the Roundup. I swear this is still my favorite part of this blog because you people really make some good stuff. Half of my list of recipes to try (see left hand sidebar) is from you guys and the other half is from Rachael's magazine, with a few talk show ones sprinkled in (many of those aren't as quick). I think I have enough recipes there to last me for a very long time!

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me (everythingrachaelray at gmail dot com) so I can be sure to include it.

• Krista of Krista Kooks made Cheddar Soup with Tortilla Crunchies and reminded me that I really need to start cooking out of my cookbooks again instead of just from Rachael's magazine and talk show! She also made Elsa's Beef and Burgundy.
• Check out this video where Rachael Ray gives her support to Chicago's bid for the Olympics.
• Popeater has an interview with Rachael Ray where she talks about the new season of her talk show and her long days.
• Deborah of Taste and Tell made Zucchini Spaghetti with Saffron Sauce and reworked Rachael's recipe for Spicy Thai Chicken.
• Angie of Food Musings made Panzanella Salad with Salami from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
• Ashley of Make it and Love it ushered in Fall by making Rachael's Pumpkin and Sausage Pasta.
• Shelley of Shelley Bakes made Grilled Ratatouille.
• Gina of The Candid RD made Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
• Get in the Kitch features a review of Rachael's recipe for Spinach Artichoke Whole Wheat Penne.
• Sherri of Yum made Beef Fajita Burgers.
• Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies adapted Rachael's recipe for Meatball Subs and used homemade Kaiser rolls.
• Quinn of Everything in Moderation made Grilled Summer Corn-and-Chipotle Chowdah from Every Day with Rachael Ray.
• Sweet Cheeks freatures a review of Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.