Dinner? Who are you kidding?

It's Halloween and you can bet that dinner will fall by the wayside in most homes. Well, at least a home-cooked dinner. I think pizza delivery and pickup does a brisk business tonight. I remember a couple of years ago waiting more than 90 minutes for a large pepperoni. Bad planning. Should have just purchased frozen. And that's not a bad idea for tonight. Pick up a couple on your way home and you can have them ready before the kids hit the streets.

If you're looking for something fun to make for tonight or a party over the weekend, check out these two recipes. The Candy Corn Popcorn is especially yummy. And easy.

Candy Corn Popcorn Balls
1 (3-ounce) bag popped light butter microwave popcorn
1 cup candy corn
1/2 cup peanuts (optional)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (10-ounce) bag mini-marshmallows
Cooking spray

Combine popcorn, candy corn and peanuts in a large bowl.
Melt  butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; stir in salt and marshmallows. Reduce heat to low; cook for 7 minutes or until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently.
Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat well. Let cool slightly. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray; shape popcorn mixture into 20 (2-inch) balls.

Source: Adapted from www.myrecipes.com.

White Chocolate Candy Corn Bark
16 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), chopped
1 1/2 cups small pretzels, broken
1/3 cup raisins (see note)
2 (6-ounce) boxes white baking chocolate, broken into squares
2 cups candy corn (regular or caramel flavored)
Orange and brown sprinkles

Spread the cookies, pretzels and raisins evenly onto a lightly greased small baking sheet. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from the heat while there are still a few chunks, and stir until smooth. White chocolate burns easily.
With a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the goodies in the pan, spreading the top flat to coat evenly. Top with candy corn and sprinkles. Let cool until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Note: You may substitute craisins, peanuts or a mix.
Serves 20.
Source: www.allrecipes.com

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Photo by Scott Keeler, St. Petersburg Times

Make this tonight!

No joke, this Chicken Stew is one of the single best recipes I've made in a long time. Resist the urge to use rotisserie chicken by adding it at the end. Resist the urge to use boneless, skinless breasts, too. The recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on breasts. Both impart a lot of flavor to the broth. The skin and bones are discarded and the meat is shredded and returned to the pot.

No lie; this is one great recipe. It's from the lovely and talented and big-headed Giada on the Food Network but I tinkered with it some, guided by the 350-plus reviews on foodnetwork.com. Nearly everyone gives it four or five stars, though there is an occasional review that pans the recipe. I figure that person must have tinkered too much.

(In other Food Network news, have you gone to the Web site lately? Click here and tell me what you think. I find it frustratingly sloooowwwww.)

Chicken Stew
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
2 large carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes (flavored with garlic and onions)
2 (14-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 chicken breasts with ribs (about 3 pounds total)
2 (15-ounce) can Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut in ribbons (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the Northern beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts and shred the meat. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add ribbons of basil if using.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 6 to 8.
Source: Adapted from the Food Network

Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

Tonight, eat the bird as the grocery store intended. And to go with, make this Broccoli Gratin with Mustard-Cheese Streusel. Yeah, it may be more work than you're used to for a weeknight but think of it as a trial run for a side dish for Thanksgiving. It's easily toted and feeds 8 to 10 people . . . probably more for the holiday, when there are a lot dishes to choose from.

There are 41 reviews of the recipe at Epicurious.com. Most give it three to four forks except the woman who says it's gross. My guess is she didn't make it correctly. It's not a cheesy casserole but rather broccoli with a crumb topping. I think it sounds perfect for Turkey Day. A good yin the goopy dish yang.

Broccoli Gratin With Mustard-Cheese Streusel

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup minced onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided use
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs or panko
Salt and pepper
1 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces), divided use
12 to 13 cups broccoli florets (from about 3 pounds broccoli crowns)
1/2 cup whipping cream (or half and half)

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Mix in dry mustard, then 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, blending well. Add breadcrumbs; saute until crumbs are crisp and golden, stirring and pressing with back of fork to separate, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; cool completely. Mix in 3/4 cup cheese.

In a large pot of boiling water that has been generously salted, cook broccoli florets  until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer to paper towels; cool. (Streusel and broccoli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish. Place broccoli in large bowl. Add whipping cream, remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and remaining 1/4 cup cheese; toss to coat evenly. Arrange broccoli in prepared dish. Sprinkle streusel over. Bake until broccoli is heated through and streusel is browned, about 30 minutes.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit, November 2002

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Shrimply divine fried rice

So many shrimp fried rice recipes call for cooked rice, which I almost never have. I end up having to cook the rice and then the whole process takes too long. This recipe, from my colleague Linda Gassenheimer who writes a column for the Miami Herald, calls for uncooked rice. There's about 20 minutes of cooking on the stove and in that time the rice is ready. If you don't want to spring for fresh ginger, use 1 teaspoon of ground.

Bon appetit!

Skillet Shrimp Fried Rice
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided use
½ cup long-grain white rice
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 14.5-ounce can fat-free, low-salt chicken broth (scant 2 cups)
1 tablespoon low-salt soy sauce
¾ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add rice and saute until rice is evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute 1 minute. Meanwhile, mix broth and soy sauce and heat mixture until it starts to boil. This can be done in a microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add to skillet and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp and peas. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through and water evaporated. Add parsley and second teaspoon oil. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Linda Gassenheimer, Miami Herald

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Five nights, five dinner ideas

Put away your thinking cap. Here's a week's worth of delicious dinners to amaze your family and friends. Wouldn't they just be amazed that you might make dinner five nights this week?

Monday: Burger bash
Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers is a dandy way to cap a busy Monday. Tuck a good-size cheese slice (no singles!) in the middle of the patty before cooking. Dress them old-school: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and mustard and ketchup. Seeded buns, please. Corn on the cob and fruit salad.

Tuesday: Show your chops
Fire up the grill for Barbecued Pork Chops. Buy whatever kind your wallet allows, but watch how long they cook. The lean mean dries out fast. In the last few minutes of cooking, brush them on each side with barbecue sauce. Serve with grilled veggies and a pasta salad.

Wednesday: Rotisserie Chicken
Cream of Chicken & Rice Soup (recipe below) will transform your entire house into a palace of delicious aromas. Use both white and dark meat from the chicken. Serve with rolls.

Thursday: Takeout Thai
You’d be surprised how far a couple orders of pad Thai from your favorite restaurant will go. Pile them on a big platter and four or five people will be satisfied. Bake some frozen eggrolls to serve alongside. You'll get more for your money baking them, rather than getting enough to feed your crowd via takeout.

Friday: Pizza Night
Tonight, refrigerated pizza dough (a dough or blob in a bag) is your friend and Chicken and Artichoke Pizza will become your BFF. Press the dough into a pizza pan. Spread it with 1/4 cup of creamy Caesar dressing that has been mixed with a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan. Top with cooked chicken cubes, marinated artichoke hearts (drained and coarsely chopped), chopped Roma tomatoes and about 1 1/2 cups of shredded Fontina or Jack cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped shallots (or sweet onion such as Vidalia)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking rice
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chicken, sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
Makes 4 servings; about 1 3/4 cups each.
Nutritional information per serving: 354 calories, 9g  fat (3g  saturated), 27g  carbohydrates, 36g  protein, 3g  fiber, 378mg sodium.
Source: Eating Well magazine

Photo by Starportfoods.com

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Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

Marsha Dean Phelts has written a really cool cookbook with recipes she gathered from people who live and vacation at American Beach, a historically African-American enclave on Amelia Island. She's speaking at the Times Festival of Reading on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 12:15 p.m. in the Florida Center for Teachers, Room 118. If you want to know more, go to www.festivalofreading.com.

This recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini fits the bill for Stir Crazies on Rostisserie Chicken Wednesday.

Chicken Tetrazzini
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups diced cooked chicken (get 2 birds)
1 8-ounce box spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces and cooked according to package directions
2 cups heavy cream sauce (you could use Alfredo)
1 cup chicken broth
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
4 ounces pimentos, minced
8 ounces cheddar, cubed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup buttered fresh or dried bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large saucepan melt the butter or margarine. Pour off 1 tablespoon into a 9- by 13-inch glass casserole dish to coat bottom and sides. reserve 2 tablespoons for later use. Add the chicken, cooked spaghetti, cream sauce, chicken broth, mushroom pimentos and cheddar cheese to the saucepan and blend well. Pour into the greased casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese and buttered bread crumbs. Bake 40 minutes, or until hot and bread crumbs are browned.

Serves 8.

Source: The American Beach Cookbook by Marsha Dean Phelts (University Press of Florida).

Skirt steak in high heels

Skirt steak has a lot of flavor and, as beef goes, can be had at a pretty good price. This recipe for Chili Lime Skirt Steak requires 12 to 24 hours marination so I suggest putting it together tonight and grilling it tomorrow for the friends and family you're gathering to watch the Rays wipe the floor with the Phillies. That's trash talk, Stir Crazy-style. Tonight, have grilled cheese sandwiches. (Make mine Cheddar with thin slices of Granny Smith apples.)

Anyhoo, this recipe is from a book called "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea" by Martha Hall Foose. Read a Q&A with her by St. Petersburg Times food critic Laura Reiley here. Foose will be in St. Petersburg Saturday for the Festival of Reading. Go to www.festivalofreading.com for a schedule of author appearances.

I like the recipe for its simplicity of preparation and big flavor profile. Use ancho chili powder if you've got it. If not, use what you have. I like chipotle powder. (If you don't have the ground coriander that's called for in the recipe, don't sweat it. Add a bit more cumin and a bit more chili powder.)

Chili Lime Skirt Steak
1 (1 1/2 pound) beef skirt steak or flank steak
Grated zest and juice of 3 limes
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the meat in a resealable food-storage bag. Add the lime zest and juice, scallions, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, coriander, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper. Turn several times to coat the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, turning every so often to coat the meat.

Set a grill 6 to 8 inches above the coals or other heat source and heat to medium.

Remove the steak from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the meat on the hot grill rack. Grill briefly, 3 to 4 minutes per side, for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. For maximum tenderness, slice the steak very thinly and at a slight angle against the grain.

Serves 4.

Source: "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea" by Martha Hall Foose (Potter, 2008)

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Come and meet me!

I'll be giving a presentation this Saturday (Oct. 25) at the Times Reading Festival at USF in downtown St. Petersburg about my Christmas cookie recipe book, "O Christmas Treats!" The show begins at 1:45 p.m. in Davis 105. You can also buy the book at the festival book market. Please stop by and say "hi!" I haven't decided yet if I will bring some cookies. Should I? If I do, it'll be the Peppermint Wands pictured here. I love these cookies. (Recipe below).

The festival is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there are other food writers among the 60 authors coming. Most well-known is Italian cooking doyenne Marcella Hazan who will speak at 11:15 a.m. in the Campus Activity Center. She has a new memoir called "Amarcord: Marcella Remembers." It's really delightful.

The other cookbook authors are: Marsha Dean Phelts, "The American Beach Cookbook," 12:15 p.m. in Room 118, Florida Center for Teachers, and Martha Hall Foose, "Screened Doors and Sweet Tea," at 2:45 p.m. in Room 118, Florida Center for Teachers.

For a list of authors and a schedule, go to www.festivalofreading.com.

Peppermint Wands

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
For coating:
4 ounces German sweet chocolate, melted
10 red, green and white peppermints, crushed, or finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. (We used parchment paper.)

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture until combined. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a log, about 21/2 inches long. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies 11/2 inches apart.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until pale golden at edges. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

For coating: When cookies are cool, dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate. Return to wire rack. Sprinkle each dipped end with 1/4 teaspoon crushed peppermints or finely chopped nuts. Cool on racks in refrigerator for 20 minutes to set. Store in airtight containers at room temperature. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Times testing notes: This is a tender dough and works better when the cookies are small. Don't make logs larger than suggested. We used candy canes for decoration. They are easier to crush than candies.

Source: Marion Haupt, Zephyrhills; 2004, St. Petersburg Times photo

This week's dinner line-up

The Rays are in the series and all is right with the world. Now all you have to do is make dinner this week. Here's the batting order:

Monday: Fall into spring
Okay, it’s not spring but that doesn’t mean you can’t make Tortellini Primavera. While tortellini are cooking, saute sliced squash (zucchini and yellow), onions, garlic and green (or red) peppers in olive oil and butter for about 10 minutes, stirring a lot. Drain pasta pillows, place in serving bowl and top with vegetables. Grate Parmesan cheese over all. Green salad on the side.

Tuesday: Faux gumbo
Gumbo in a Jiffy is a crazy-fast recipe from the "Taste of Home Cookbook." It’s also pretty cheap for six servings. Squeeze the sausage from three large, fresh links. Saute until no longer pink; drain. Return to a sauce pan and add 1 can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, 2 cans chicken broth, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup uncooked rice and 1 can corn. Simmer until rice is done, about 15 minutes. Serve with corn muffins.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
Shred that bird and make quesadillas with roasted red peppers from a jar, crumbled Boursin cheese and sliced scallions. Make a green salad topped with diced pears and red onion, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Thursday: Bread’s second life
Grill anything you’d like and serve it with Panzanella Salad. That’s where you cube stale French bread and mix it with chopped, ripe tomatoes, one or two minced garlic cloves, sliced red onion, fresh basil (or a sprinkle of dried), red wine vinegar and olive oil. Let it meld for a while so that the liquids can rejuvenate the bread.

Friday: Crabby patties
It'll only be TGIF if you don't have to cook . . . from scratch. Prepare crab cakes (frozen or from the fish market) and serve with corn on the cob and a creamy macaroni salad. When you're ready to splurge, order the best crab cakes on the planet from G&M Restaurant outside of Baltimore at www.gandmrestaurant.com. If you don't believe me, take a look at this drool-worthy photo.

Photo by Scott Keeler, St. Petersburg Times

Roast those pumpkin seeds

I figure in the next week some of you might be carving a pumpkin. In Florida, we need to wait until very close to Halloween or the poor squash molds and implodes on itself. That gross mess is almost scarier than the pumpkin face!

Anyway, I've often thrown away the seeds but in these tough economic times it's a good idea to save them, roast them and eat them. All you need to do is dry the seeds on a cooking sheet in a 250-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Roast them by sprinkling with salt, kicking up the temp to 350 and let them rip for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully and stir a couple times for even roasting.

This recipe for Pasta Seed Pasta is a nod to fall. Wherever it is. If you don't want to carve a pumpkin, buy roasted seeds at a whole foods store or larger markets.

On another note: My colleague Jim Webster has won Mario Batali's Ultimate Grilling Challenge! He gets to go to Fort Worth soon to cook his Pig-Stuffed, Pig-Wrapped Pig with Batali and Rachael Ray. Pretty cool. If you're anywhere near a TV in the next 30 minutes (and you live in the Tampa Bay area) turn on the EVOO queen's show. They'll announce it there. To read more and get the recipe, go to the Mouth of Tampa Bay. Congrats Jim!

Pumpkin Seed Pasta
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (see note)
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds roma (plum) tomatoes, halved
2 bunches green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package goat cheese (or spreadale cheese such as Boursin or Alouette)
1 (16 ounce) package gemelli (or fusilli or rotelli ) pasta

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the seeds with cayenne pepper.

Roast in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch them carefully so that they do not burn. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Scatter the green onion and garlic over the tomatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil to coat.

Roast in the preheated oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly; remove the skins from the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Stir the goat cheese into the hot pasta until melted. Then, stir in the roasted peeled tomatoes. Place the pumpkin seeds on top of pasta to serve.

Note: If you are using seeds from a pumpkin, dry them for 20 minutes in a 250-degree oven before roasting them. Seeds bought at the store are already dried.

Serves 5.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.