I love the bite of the goat cheese contrasting with the crunchiness of the walnuts and celery along with the sweetness of honey! Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Celery

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 min

Total Time: 15 min

A very quick and easy appetizer to serve during the holidays or for any casual get together. If preparing the night before, do every step except for adding the honey.

Ingredients:

4 celery stalks, cut into thirds
5.3 oz. package of spreadable goat cheese, I used Chavrie
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
raw honey, to drizzle

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together spreadable goat cheese and walnuts. Stuff celery boats with a butter knife and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately after adding honey.

Cook's notes:
It's very important to use spreadable goat cheese, otherwise you will not be able to stuff the celery easily.

from The Little Kitchen

Goat Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Celery © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Perfectly creamy with some potato chunks is the way I like to make mine. Picking the right potatoes for your perfect mashed potatoes is very important.

White potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes and even red potatoes will work depending on the texture you’re looking for. For Thanksgiving, I use white potatoes.

Very important tool for peeling potatoes, having the right vegetable peeler. I know you what it’s like to work with a dull peeler or a non-efficient one…it takes forever to peel potatoes! With a good peeler, it should only take 10-15 minutes to peel a 5-pound bag of potatoes.

Rinse and then dice your potatoes, trying to get most of them cut in a uniform size. Use a good knife and make sure it’s sharp.

Cover the potatoes with water in a heavy-bottomed pot along with two teaspoons of table salt. Bring to a boil and allow the potatoes to boil for at least 8-10 minutes or until potatoes soft enough to stab a fork through.

This is an important step, drain the potatoes and return to the same burner (turned down to warm), cover the potatoes for at least 15 minutes before mashing. This will remove the liquid, getting rid of watery mashed potatoes.

Now we’re ready to go. This is very simple recipe, just potatoes, salt, (very good) butter, 2% milk and nutmeg (optional).

Mashed potatoes is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving side. I don’t want to play favorites because I love stuffing and vegetables too but if I had to, you know what I mean.

I only add the nutmeg for Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. It adds a really nice, unexpected flavor and makes it that more special. This Thanksgiving, I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. I hope you enjoy yours this holiday season.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 40 min

An easy recipe with some great tips to make the most perfect mashed potatoes. This recipe goes well with either white potatoes, Yukon golds or red potatoes.

Ingredients:

5 lbs of white potatoes (or Yukon Gold or red), peeled and diced
2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 - 1 cup 2% milk
coarse sea salt & freshly ground pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

In a heavy-bottomed pot, add peeled potatoes, enough water to cover the potatoes (about 1 to 2 inches above the potatoes) and salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Allow potatoes to boil for 8-10 minutes or soft enough to stab with a fork.

Drain potatoes and return to the burner, turn heat down to warm, and cover potatoes. Allow to sit on the burner for at least 15-20 minutes, to allow the moisture to dry off.

Add butter and mix with a wooden spoon. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes.
Add milk and mix well, for creamier potatoes, add more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg to taste.

Cook's Notes:
Potatoes can be peeled and added to your pot along with the water the day before. Often, I will boil my potatoes and allow them to sit on the burner with it turned off for a couple of hours. When you're ready, turn the burner back on warm for 15-20 minutes and start mashing.
I use a potato masher because I like mine a combination of creamy and chunky. If you like them completely creamy, use a potato ricer or even a blender.
When adding milk, add a little bit at a time, you can always add more but you can't take away.

From The Little Kitchen

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Cookistry: Bread With Ancient Grains
Celebrity Chefs and Their Gardens: The American Hotel Peconic Clam Chowder
Picky Eater Blog: Butternut Squash Soup With Thyme and Parmesan
Good Food Good Friends: Mushroom Soup

Mains:
Examiner.com: Grilled Quail with a Warm Beet, Frisée, and Pistachio Salad
She Wears Many Hats: Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey

Sides:
Living Mostly Meatless: Vegan-Friendly Corn Casserole
Healthy Green Kitchen: Red Kuri Squash Pie
The Naptime Chef: Crispy Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
Gluten-Free Blondie: Apple and Cranberry Studded Stuffing
Eat Drink Man Woman Dogs Cat: Blue Cheese and Rosemary Celebration Potatoes
Burnt Lumpia: Turkey, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Empanadas
Panfusine: Pan Fried Polenta Seasoned With Cumin, Ginger & Black Pepper
Homemade Cravings: Warm Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Slaw
Bakeaholic Mama: Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Crispy Prosciutto
Show Food Chef: Beer-Braised Brussels Sprouts
T’s Tasty Bits: Sweet Empanadas with Pumpkin and Lupini Beans Filling
The Amused Bouche Blog: Braised Kale
The Little Kitchen: How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Desserts:
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Poet In The Pantry: Amaretto Apple Crisp
Farm Girl Gourmet: Pumpkin Coconut Panna Cotta
That’s Forking Good: Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Blondies
Out of the Box Food: Out of the Box Food Maple Pumpkin Pie
Cake Baker 35: Orange Spiced Pumpkin Pie
Lisa Michele: Pumpkin, Pecan, Cheesecake Pie
Food For My Family: Buttermilk Custard Pear Pie
Simple Bites: Black-Bottom Maple Pumpkin Pie
A Cooks Nook: Swedish Apple Pie
Yakima Herald: Pretzel Jell-O Salad
How Does She: Three of Our Favorite Desserts
Dollhouse Bake Shoppe: Thanksgiving Candy Bar Name Plates
Sweet Fry: Pumpkin Latte
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An Uneducated Palate: Puff Pastry Apple Tart
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Even more:
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Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link.

How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potatoes © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

We have made this recipe twice and it has become our favorite lasagna recipe. This recipe is going into the favorites pile and will probably become a part of our regular rotation. The problem is it makes tons, too much for two people to eat. I have brought it into work and my co-workers love it!

Cook’s Illustrated recommends that we use Barilla’s no boil pasta and it definitely works. Also, for the roasted vegetables, I upped the amount of eggplant from one pound to one and a half pounds and that worked as well. I don’t know about you but it’s hard to get a full dinner from scratch made after a full day of work. Every time I have made this recipe, I roasted the vegetables the night before according to the instructions. Then allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes and then place into a plastic container where I let it cool for another 20-30 minutes before putting it in the refrigerator. The next night, I assemble the lasagna and there is no need to heat up the roasted vegetables.

Assembling the lasagna

Right before it goes into the oven

This picture really does not do it justice. The roasting of the vegetables is what gives this dish its depth of flavor.

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound of zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 1/2 pounds of eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

12 no boil lasagna noodles from an 8-oz or 9-oz box
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese, about 4 cups
3 oz Parmesan cheese, about 1 1/2 cups

Directions:

1. Move oven racks to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the diced zucchini and eggplant with garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbsp of olive oil.
3. On two cookie sheets covered in foil that is greased with olive oil, divide the diced vegetables and spread evenly over the cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to turn the vegetables occasionally and I even switch the cookie sheets' position. (As stated above, the roasting of the vegetables can be done a day ahead of time.)
5. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic to a pot at medium heat. Allow the garlic to cook for 30 seconds, don't burn the garlic.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot with olive oil and garlic. Add a little bit of salt to taste. Cook at medium heat for about 2 minutes. Bring down to simmer and cook until thickened for another 5 minutes. Mix in basil and salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce into a large measuring cup and add enough water to make about 4 cups.
7. In a 9x13 baking dish (I use a glass one), add about 1/2 to 1/3 cup of sauce and spread the sauce out.
8. Lay three noodles over the sauce and make sure they don't touch each other or the sides of the baking dish.
9. Spread evenly 1/3 cup of the roasted vegetables on top of each of the lasagna noodles you just laid down.
10. Take 2/3 cup of sauce and pour evenly over the vegetables.
11. Pour 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
12. Repeat steps 8-11 twice.
13. For the final layer, lay three noodles on the top and spread evenly the remaining (approximately) 1 cup of sauce over the noodles. Be sure to cover the noodles entirely. Then pour 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
14. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and move your oven rack to the middle position.
15. Cover the 9x13 baking dish with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
16. Bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is "spotty" brown.
17. Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Slightly modified from Cook's Illustrated.

I hope you try this dish because it’s completely worth it! Do you have a favorite lasagna recipe? Which one’s your favorite? I would love for you to share with me links. Thanks!

Roasted Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagna © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

This visit to the Manatee Cafe was rather disappointing. We were in a rush to return home and after being seated, we got our drinks but then waited at least 20 minutes before deciding to order a to go order. The thing that was really frustrating was that they didn’t get that we switched to a to go order because we waited too long for them to take our order. I had to get food because I was really hungry, I ate it in the car. It’s too bad the service wasn’t that great because my sandwich was amazing!

After having this tasty sandwich at this cafe, I wanted to try it at home. The other night, my husband suggested we have grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. I remembered this sandwich and decided to try it. So I tried a variation of it and it turned out great. You can make this sandwich vegan by using a cheese substitute. If you do try it that way, please let me know how it goes!

I grew up eating tofu as a kid and I love it. My Mom cooked it all of the time and I will have to share with you soon one of my favorites. If you have never had tofu, I hope you’ll try this sandwich. I will definitely be making this sandwich again soon!

Cheese, Tomato & Tofu Sandwich with Avocados

Ingredients:

4 slices of your favorite sandwich bread
2 slices of sharp cheddar cheese (or sliced cheese substitute)
alfalfa sprouts
4-5 slices of tomato
4-6 slices of a ripe avocado
firm tofu, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices, about 6-7 slices
vegetable oil
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet on high for about 5-6 minutes. Add about 1/2 to 1 tsp of vegetable oil.
3. Pat the tofu dry between paper towels and add to the heated skillet.
4. Heat on high for a few minutes on each side, browned to your liking and heated through.
5. Toast the slices of bread and arrange your sandwich. Drizzle dressing over the avocado and sprouts on your sandwich.

If you like tofu and avocados, you’ll definitely love this sandwich! It’s light and fresh and very tasty!

Cheese, Tomato & Tofu Sandwich with Avocados © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Before we get to the recipe, I wanted to tell you about a giveaway from one of my favorite bloggers, Susan. She is giving away two KitchenAid mixers, one to a winner and one to their friend. So if you want to try to win a KitchenAid mixer, go on over to She’s Becoming DoughMessTic and enter the giveaway and say I sent you! You have to leave a comment and please say I sent you, use my twitter username @juliebakes. You must follow her on facebook or twitter to win. Be sure to read her instructions carefully, if your name is drawn, she will check the entry out. We can win a pair of KitchenAid mixers together! Thanks!

Okay, now the recipe. I love this recipe because it’s tasty and quick! The herbs and tomatoes and the saltiness of the parm cheese make it very rich even though it’s very easy to make. I have made it a bunch of times and I like it to have more of a broth than the original instructions call for. It goes really well with salad and bread for a lighter dinner and comforting enough to have when it’s cold.

Pasta Fazul

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 to 1 cup of water
1 (14.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. macaroni
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute garlic, onion, carrot, parsley, basil and oregano in olive oil until onions are tender.
2. Add the tomatoes plus juices and the salt and pepper to taste. Cover and stir frequently, simmering for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. After simmering for a couple of minutes, I usually add 1/2 to 1/3 cup of water.
3. Add the cannellini beans and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. During any of the above steps, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain and toss with butter and Parmesan cheese. Add to tomato and cannellini beans. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Modified from allrecipes.com.

Pasta Fazul © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

Click here for the original recipe from Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network)

It’s pretty simple. Since there’s only two of us, I usually just halve this recipe but still use two eggs.

This is very good with spaghetti and meatballs, a good way to get another veggie in when you’re having pasta. Yes, I know it’s a fried one but you won’t be able to resist these.

Fried Zucchini © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.

If you did want to add a protein to this dish, you could make the chicken I make for the fettuccine alfredo recipe.

Just a picture to show how I chopped the tomatoes and how they look while they are sauteeing.

It’s a very tasty dish and is usually ready in under 45 minutes.

Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you prefer)
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 1/2-2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
salt to taste
1 lb dried penne pasta
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus additional to top)
2 Tbsp romano cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the penne pasta. Cook al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute to release the garlic's fragrance. Add 1 Tbsp parsley and cook for a few seconds then add tomatoes. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer briskly, stirring often, until the tomatoes break down and form a sauce, about 15 minutes. Add water as necessary to thin the sauce and keep it from sticking. Season with salt. Remove from the heat.
3. Add pasta to pot with sauce and toss. Add cheeses and toss again. Add pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Top with additional cheese if needed and top with remaining parsley.

Modified from Williams-Sonoma Classic Pasta at Home, 1998

Penne Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce © 2009-2011 the little kitchen. All rights reserved.