Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen

I find it incredibly revealing to look at the statistics on the blog from time to time. Especially what people search for and what recipes they are looking for. Consistently, over the year, two different categories rate the highest. The Mac & Cheese recipes and Lemon Meringue Pie . Now, personally I do understand the desire to create a great Lemon Meringue Pie but Mac & Cheese is just so... well so easy, right? I am not really sure how to interpret this. We are talking literally way over 10,000 (ten thousand) hits during the year on Mac & Cheese recipes! I would tend to think that simply put many people are looking for the simple, easy, and good recipes with which they can eat and feed their families without too much bother and fuss. And many of these people are simply not chefs and cooks, and want an easy way to make good food. Which is something I suspected for a very long time. But I may be reading the statistics in a way I want to see them, however, nevertheless the fa...

Catherine Manna sent this recipe in, and was careful to make sure all the ingredients are kosher, which is greatly appreciated. Hang in there because there is a great deal to make and I will try to go step by step, adding a bit to Catherine's original instructions. We are actually going to learn how to make: Pizza Dough Cook Spinach Leaves Roast Red Peppers (or any peppers) Make Home Made Pizza Yummy Pizza "Kosher style" Ingredients: Pizza Dough (Using a bread machine) Tomato sauce and Ranch Dressing mixed together Grated cheeses Cheddar, mozzarella, feta, parmigiana Yves Veggie Ground Round ( - This product is certified kosher) Canned artichoke hearts Cooked chopped spinach Diced olives black or green (depends on your taste buds) Sliced hot peppers Roasted red peppers sliced Diced purple onions (Optional) Salt pepper and olive oil Ingredients For Pizza Dough: 1 1/8 cups water 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Sugar 1 tsp Salt 1 cup Whole wheat or regular flour (depends on your o...

White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle For this, make a pound cake (Recipes for Pound Cake or Flavored Pound Cake ). You can use a store bought cake if you choose Ingredients: Pound Cake ( or any vanilla cake) 1 Package Sugar Free White Chocolate Pudding ( I used instant) 1 Package Non Fat – Dry Milk (powder) 1 Cup Water 2 Pint Raspberries 1 Quart Heavy Cream 1/4 Cup of Sugar 1 Bar White Chocolate You will need: Mixer Truffle Bowl or Pretty Glass dish 2 Medium Bowls Variations: Use Non Dairy Whipped Topping Use any flavor of pudding Use any berries Directions: Prepare the pudding using the dry powdered milk and 1 Cup of water. Mix on high until blended and chill for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, whip heavy cream on high, gradually adding sugar Best results come from chilling the beaters and the mixing bowl for twenty minutes prior to whipping cream. Starting with slices of pound cake, layer the cake, pudding, whipped cream and raspberries in the truffle bowl. Be sure and reserve a few raspb...

This is simply plain yummy and a weakness of mine actually. So when Paula sent this in with some great pictures as well - I had to post immediately. She wrote: Bread Machines are one of the better inventions I ever invested in. It saves time and a lot of hand work. My father loves his sweets and this is one of his favorite desserts. It appears as a lot of work, but the machine does all of the work. Cinnamon Rolls (Using bread machine) (Final Stage - Baked & Glazed) Ingredients: 1 Cup of Warm Water 1 Egg 3 Cups Bread Flour 1/4 Cup Sugar 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt 5 Tablespoons Butter (Softened) 1 Teaspoon Instant Yeast Ingredients For Filling: 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Cinnamon 1/2 Cup Raisins (optional) 4 Tablespoons Butter (softened) Ingredients For Glaze: 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar 4 oz Cream Cheese Softened 3 Tablespoons Butter (softened) 1 Teaspoon Vanilla You will need : Bread Machine Rolling Pin Baking Sheet 2 Bowls *Keep in mind, all bread machines will have their own ins...

Paula has been real busy in the kitchen lately. This is an easy recipe and don’t be surprised if the sides stick to the pan. I run a hot knife around the sides several times before attempting to transfer it to a cake dish. Also note for some reason this cake tends to sink in the middle which you can hide with frosting. Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients: 4 Eggs (I use Jumbo) 1 1/2 Cups Canola Oil 2 Cups Flour 1 1/2 Cups Sugar 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon 3 Cups Grated Carrots 1 Cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans (Optional) You will need: 1 Large Bowl 1 Electric Mixer 1 9 x 13 Baking (Cake) Pan Variations: Add 1 Cup of Raisins Use Zucchini in addition or in place of Carrots Directions: Combine Eggs and Oil and mix until blended Add Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Cinnamon Mix until well Blended Add Carrots and Nuts and mix with a spoon until well blended Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 – ...

As in our previous post, Vegetable Lasagna , I saved this one for right before Yom Kippur as it is a great and easy one on the stomach. Also real easy to prepare. Paula sent this one in. Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Ingredients: 4 Large Tomatoes (sliced thin or diced) 1 Medium Red Onion (diced) 1/2 Pound Buffalo Mozzarella 1/4 Fresh Parsley (chopped) 2 Teaspoons Fresh Basil (chopped) 1 Clove Garlic (minced) Black pepper 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar You will need: Serving dish with sides Directions: Place tomato slices or diced cubes in dish Add the onions Add Mozzarella Sprinkle basil, parsley, garlic and pepper over it Drizzle with olive oil Drizzle with vinegar. If the dish is small, continue layers. Refrigerate until chilled and serve Just simple and easy and good. If you serve this before the fast go easy on the pepper. Otherwise a great side dish for anytime of the year. Tags: Cooking , Baking , Recipe , Cooking Related Appliances , Humorous ...

Yom Kippur, the long fast day is almost upon us. As it is a commandment to fast on Yom Kippur (the fast goes from sunset till the end of the following day when night arrives), so to, it is considered a commandment to eat the day before Yom Kippur. In Israel, from 2 PM on the eve of Yom Kippur, all radio and TV stops, there is no public transportation, Ben Gurion airport shuts down - and the country begins preparations for the holiest day of the year. Before Yom Kippur, we sit down for what is known in Hebrew, as a "Seudah Maphseket". This literally means the "meal which stops" or "the meal which divides". As readers of Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen , in kosher homes, we divide meat from milk. Thus some families will have meat based meals before the fast and others will have dairy or vegetarian based meals. It all depends on the stomachs of those preparing for the fast. I have long ago adopted the lighter milk based meal in my home, though many people ...

Paula sent this recipe in, and since I love its originality, I am jumping this up the head of the queue. This recipe shows us how much we can do with a Portobello Mushroom, given the right amount of patience and imagination. Portobello Mushrooms Paula writes: It’s like having a pizza only healthier. Facial expressions are priceless when someone tries something for the first time and gets an unexpected flavor. Evil as I am, sometimes I just can’t help but pass things off without giving my poor victims any clue. Most of the children in my family would never eat a mushroom on purpose. One night each week, my parents, sisters and their children come for dinner. When I let the children pick what we will have, I let them help prepare the meal. The little ones are just too cute getting their hands all messy and looking so proud of themselves for helping. I place all the ingredients on the table. They look at the mushrooms then at me and ask “What are these?” I tell them they are special...

A few days ago I posted a real quick Macaroni & Cheese recipe, Quick Baked Macaroni And Cheese . Today we are going to use this same approach for Lasagna. Now I know for the Lasagna purists out there, this is almost something to cause you to ban Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen from ever being mentioned again. After all, a good Lasagna, made correctly is often a work of art. But remember, no one has to know how quickly you put this together, nor do they have to know that you did not sweat your guts out in a hot kitchen. And for all you singles out there, it makes a GREAT impression on your date you are cooking for. (Just put away the beeper and cell phone and pay attention to the date at the dinner table!) O.k. this one we will call the Quick Baked Lasagna, and believe it or not it takes less time then the Quick Baked Macaroni And Cheese! Quick Baked Lasagna The first thing you must remember is not to be daunted by the word, lasagna. Whenever that name comes up, coming from New ...

This Flavored Pound Cake recipe from Paula is great. Remember, it is all in the glaze! She writes: This is a great recipe because you can make different flavors to suit your tastes. Of course you can always make it plain and it is still delicious. Flavored Pound Cake 3 Ingredients: 2 Cups Sugar 1/3 Cup Butter or Margarine, softened 1/2 Cup Low Fat Cream Cheese, softened 3 Large Eggs 1 Large Egg White 2 Teaspoons Vanilla 3 Cups Flour 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1 (8oz) container Low Fat Lemon Yogurt Ingredients For Glaze: 1/2 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar 4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice Variations: Add 2 Cups of Blueberries Use 1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract and reduce Vanilla to 1 teaspoon Add 1 Teaspoon Coconut Flavoring and reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon Add 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest (remember lemon zest is the peel of the lemon - you use a special tool to grind/scrape it off called of course, a lemon zester) Lemon Zester - you can use this special tool: or you can use the good ol...

Some food combinations always seem to spurn a million different recipes. Macaroni & Cheese is certainly one of them. At Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen , we have quite a few Mac & Cheese recipes ( click here to view them .) So once again I am going to return to this recipe, quick and easy, no messing around, no fudging around, and something that can feed a few people in about 90 minutes. And also certainly something that will last in your fridge for a few days. Quick Baked Macaroni & Cheese Ingredients: One box or bag of Pasta noodles, in a any shape you like them and can be spinach pasta as well. 2.5-3 cups of grated cheese - any type you like (or you can mix some different ones.) 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil or butter Utensils You Need: Pot to boil the noodles Colander - (a metal or plastic container with a perforated bottom, for draining and straining foods.) Oven ready dish to bake the Macaroni and Cheese Directions: Boil the macaroni in water until soft. (Usually 10 min...