Comestibilis::Eating Together

Cheesy Chicken + Wild Rice Casserole

2011-12-13T20:23:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

3 TB olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 TB fresh minced garlic

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast

2 cups steamed white rice

2 cups prepared wild rice

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cheese Sauce

4 TB butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in medium dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, rices, salt, pepper, and other spices. Reduce heat to low.

2. To prepare cheese sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper; then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture, and then transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through. Serve.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Notes: I omitted the celery, suggest adding broccoli (already cooked), and also thyme, savory, parsley, celery salt, and a dash of rosemary. It turned out great though, and all who ate it, enjoyed it.

From: Picky Palate

Chocolate Crackled Cookies

2011-12-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

I made these yesterday, and they turned out great. They're definitely best straight from the oven - crisp outside, with a gooey, chocolatey inside. Just make sure you plan the three hours they need to be in the fridge into your prep time!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 stick Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening (I used unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups PAll Purpose Flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Beat brown sugar, shortening and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.
Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to shortening mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill 3 hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen

From All Recipes.com

Chicken + Artichoke Casserole

2011-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

This is one of my childhood favorites...

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Serves 4-6

3 lb chicken parts (I use tenderloins)

1 1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas paprika

1/2 teas pepper

6 TB butter - you can lessen this a little, but don't do so too much as it will mess up the sauce

1/2 lb mushrooms

2 cans artichoke hearts

2 TB flour

2/3 cup chicken broth

3 TB sherry

Season chicken with spices. Brown in 4 TB butter and place in prepared casserole dish (9" x 9" or 9" x 13" works great!). Saute mushrooms in remaining butter for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms; stir in broth and sherry. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Drain artichoke hearts and arrange them between chicken pieces in dish. Pour mushroom sauce over all. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Serve over rice or another grain. Enjoy!

Sausage + Lentil Stew (Slow Cooker)

2011-11-09T19:20:00.001-05:00

serves 4-6

1 cup lentils

2 cups beef broth

1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced--your choice of flavor.

1 cup chopped carrots

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

9 ounces (or so) fresh spinach (to add at the very end)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Rinse your lentils under cold water, and place them into an empty slow cooker. Add beef broth, and sliced sausage. Add the entire can of tomatoes and a cup of chopped carrots. The broth and the seasoning from the sausage is enough to flavor this dish-- there is no need for additional spices.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, then stir in fresh spinach. It'll look like a lot at first, but the spinach will wilt and I promise it will all fit. Cover again and let the spinach soften for about 15 minutes. Serve in a shallow bowl with cornbread.

From A year of Slow Cooking

Honey Gingersnaps

2011-10-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, and cloves in medium bowl.

Beat shortening and butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar until blended; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in honey, egg, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture until blended.

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl; roll balls in sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes 3.5 dozen cookies

Butternut Cauliflower Puree

2011-10-06T20:38:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge fan of squash, but I am all for eating in season, so I have been experimenting with squashes and mixing with other veggies. I found one I like tonight!

1 butternut squash
1 TB butter
1 head cauliflower
1 - 1.5 cups milk
Dash black pepper
Nutmeg to taste
1 ts vanilla
Dash cinnamon

Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Place in oven safe dish, "meat" side up. Put butter in each hole made from seed removal. Roast squash in 375 degree oven for 45 min - 1 hour, until tender when poked with a fork.
Let squash cool.

Steam cauliflower for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Puree squash + cauliflower in batches with milk and vanilla. Only use 1/4 cup of milk or so each batch. Put pureed mixture into large saucepan and whisk in spices and any remaining milk. Add water or milk if thicker than you want.

Heat mixture over low heat, and serve.

Apple Butter

2011-09-22T12:37:00.000-04:00

4.5 pouds tart cooking apples, cored and quartered (about 14 medium)
3 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 cups sugar
2 TB fresh lemon juice, strained
1/2 teas. ground cinnamon

Notes: I used Gala apples, water, bottle lemon juice, 1.5 c. sugar, and added dashes of ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger

1.) In an 8- to 10- quart heavy kettle or pot combine apples and cider. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once apples have softened, remove from heat, and press through a food mill or sieve until you have 7.5 cups of pulp. Return pulp to kettle/pot.

2.) Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over very low heat for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until very thick and mixture mounds on a spoon, stirring often.

*I found that several ways online to tell if it's done. One was to put a spoonful on a plate, and if water/juice seeps out at all, it's not done.

Apple butter keeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or it can be canned using the boiling process.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

2011-09-20T18:08:00.000-04:00

Joy the Baker's version of a Martha Stewart recipe

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

makes 14-18 small pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

Whisk together flours, salt, spices, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin and vegetable oil or melted butter.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don’t worry if you have a few lumps. You don’t want to over beat the batter, it’ll produce tough pancakes.

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while you heat the skillet. Over low-medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil . Once skillet is hot, spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the skillet. When pancake starts to bubble slightly, carefully flip over.

Once browned and cooked through place pancakes on a oven proof plate and place in the oven set at 200 degrees F to keep warm while the rest of the pancakes are cooked.

Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar.. or maple syrup. Delicious!

Plum oatmeal muffins

2011-09-15T13:12:00.000-04:00

I got this off of cooks.com, and it is so good!

In a blender puree enough plums to make 1 cup; set aside.

Cream 1/4 pound (1 stick) butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Add 1 egg and pureed plums.

Stir in:

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add:

1 1/2 c. old fashion oatmeal
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Stir carefully only until moistened. Spray an unlined muffin pan with Pam in bottom of the pan put a pecan half centered between 2 slices of fresh plum. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full of batter and bake at 350 degrees for 20-5 minutes.

Remove from oven and invert while still hot. Replace any fruit and nut pieces that stay into pan in your muffins. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Serve warm or cold. Can be frozen for later use.

Super Easy Green Curry

2011-09-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

1 can coconut milk (I use the 'lite' kind)
1 cup chicken/veggie broth
1/2 - 2 TB green curry paste - depending on how spicy you like it
1-2 TB brown sugar
1-2 TB fish oil
1-2 TB lime juice

1-2 cups veggies - I've used fresh, frozen, and canned... you pretty much can do whatever. If you use frozen, let thaw in cold water first, and then drain out any liquid

Meat/Tofu/Seafood/more veggies! - whatever amount you want

Mix all ingredients together in a large pan or saucepan. Start small with the amounts - you can add more as you go to make it the flavour you want. Bring mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Add meat + veggies and poach for 10 - 20 minutes. Depending on type of meat used depends on cooking time. Do not let sauce come to a boil!

Serve over rice.

Chicken + Barley Soup

2011-09-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

::This recipe could easily be made Vegetarian::

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 lb chicken breast, cut into small chunks

Salt + Pepper
1/2 teas. white pepper
1 teas. thyme
1 teas. parsley
1 teas. rosemary
dash of cayenne pepper/red pepper flakes
bay leaf
6 cups vegetable broth

2 bell peppers, chopped
1.5 cups barley (not quick cook)
1.5 cups frozen spinach

Heat oil in 6 qt. (or bigger) stockpot/saucepan. Saute onion 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute or so. Add chicken and quickly brown all sides. Add rest of ingredients except spinach. Bring soup to a boil. Then, lower temperature and let soup simmer 45-50 minutes. In last five minutes, add spinach. Remove bay leaf.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes!

2011-08-16T19:40:00.001-04:00

Yield: 20 standard cupcakes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dutch processed cocoa, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, buttermilk, zucchini, and chocolate chips.

3. In a separate large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans, filling them about 3/4 the way full. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack, while you make the frosting.

To make the frosting:

1. Melt the butter. Whisk in the cocoa powder, whisking until smooth. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Frost the cupcakes with the chocolate frosting. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store cupcakes at room temperature in an air tight container.

* Note-the frosting makes about 2 cups, you might have a little extra.

Peach Bread

2011-07-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

Adapted from I Am Mommy

Peach Bread adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup room temperature butter

1 cup AP flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups peaches sliced + "mooshed" (about 5 peaches)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together butter and both sugars. Add beaten eggs, peaches, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, flour, and baking soda. Stir until combined.

Pour into prepared dish.

I used muffin pans for 20-25 minutes and mini loaf pans and baked them for about 40 minutes.

Potato Salad - My favorite way

2011-07-19T20:56:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big fan of mayo or eggs in my potato salad, so this recipe is much more akin to a German potato salad.

Ingredients
3 cups diced, peeled potatoes (red or white, and I left my peels on)
4 slices bacon (optional)
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TB water
3 TB white sugar
1 teas. salt
1/8 teas. ground black pepper
1 T chopped fresh parsley

I also added 1 cup or so chopped zucchini and 2 cloves garlic.

Directions

Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion to bacon grease (or use pan with olive oil/butter), and cook over medium heat until browned.
*I added garlic and zucchini here and sauteed until soft.
Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

Roasted Rhubarb Clafouti

2011-06-21T13:14:00.000-04:00

Roasted Rhubarb Clafouti
Serves 4-6

For the Rhubarb:
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces, about 3 long stalks) diced rhubarb
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Clafouti
1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the rhubarb with the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes to dissolve the sugars and begin extracting the rhubarb juices.

Spread the rhubarb in the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish or 9" pie pan. Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft and the juices are bubbling. Allow to cool until the rhubarb is just warm to the touch.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in the milk. Whisk in the flour, lemon zest, and salt. (To avoid clumps, sift the flour into the bowl through a strainer.) This batter can be prepared up to 30 minutes ahead of time.

Pour the batter over the roasted rhubarb and bake for 35-40 minutes (still at 350°F). When it's done, the clafouti should be puffed around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. It's ok if the middle still jiggles slightly, and the edges will collapse once the clafouti starts to cool.

The longer it cools, the most set the clafouti becomes. For a loose pudding-like dessert, serve while still warm from the oven. For a firmer custard, allow to cool to room temperature or serve chilled. If you're feeling fancy, sift a little confectioner's sugar over the top just before serving.

Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to a week.

A Different Kind of Chicken Soup

2011-05-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been quite awhile since anything has been posted in here, so here's a recipe to break the "fast" from posting.

I added the changes I made at the bottom of the recipe.

Ingredients

Olive Oil

2 chicken breast filets (I used frozen ready-made, because I’m lazy)

2 small onions

2 tbsp curry

5 handful fresh spinach or the equal amount frozen

½ tsp powdered nutmeg

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 liter/34 oz. water

Salt & Pepper

Egg noodles

Directions:

1. Heat a pan over medium heat. Pour olive oil in the pan, just enough to cover the surface. Add the chicken filets and brown the fillets about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the fillets from pan.

2. Cut the 2 onions in slices and heat up a separate pan on medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil and the fresh, washed spinach. Add the nutmeg and stir untill the spinach has wilted. Put aside. (If you use frozen spinach, just thaw in a casserole with some water over low heat)

3. In a medium sized pot, pour in olive oil to cover the surface and warm at medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir from time to time. After 3 minutes add the curry powder and mix well with the onions. Turn down heat to low and let sit about 5-10 minutes untill the onions are soft. Stir now and then.

4. In a casserole add water and put in the chicken bouillon. Turn on heat to medium. The cubes will dissolve in about 10 minutes

5. While the chicken bouillon cubes are dissolving, pull the chicken apart in small chunks

6. Add chicken and spinach to onions and stir well.

7. Add the chicken bouillon water and bring soup to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes.

8. Add the noodles and let cook as said on the package directions. Add salt and pepper if needed.

*Step 3: I also added a medium potato cut up into chunks. In between steps #6 and #7 I added half an apple cut into chunks. I added at least 3-4 cups of chicken broth, too!

Lastly, right before serving the soup, I stirred one spoonful of Greek yoghurt into each bowl.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

2011-02-25T19:48:00.000-05:00

This was fabulous! It's called a "tart" in my cookbook, but I use the term quiche- if anyone knows the technical difference between the two, please do let me know! :) So here is my vegetarian tweaked recipe! Original recipe is from:: Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free recipes

.: quiche ingredients :.

1 tsp olive oil

1 c. finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained

1 c. milk

3 eggs

1/4 c. grated parmesan

1 TB minced fresh basil OR 2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

.: topping ingredients :.

2 TB grated parmesan

.: directions :.

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate.

(2) Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic. Stir in spinach. Spread mixture evenly into pie plate.

(3) Combine the remaining quiche ingredients in a medium bowl and gently stir until combined. Pour mixture evenly into pie plate. Bake 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the 2 TB parmesan topping.

.: notes :.

- I used Goya's extra virgin olive oil {that's essentially what we use in everything unless otherwise indicated!}

- I used 2% milk, as that's what we have in the house. I imagine any would type would work just fine though!

- As you can see in the photo, the spices all float to the top. Don't worry! That is how mine looked, and it tasted fabulous- not over spiced or anything :)

- I placed a cookie sheet on the rack below the rack that the quiche was on, just in case there's any overflow. The mixture pretty much fills a 9-inch pie plate to the brim, but I didn't end up having any overflow in the oven.

tomato salad

2011-02-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

This is one of my newest favorite meals/appetizers/salads... it's super simple, super quick, and easy to scale for any size dinner or party!! This recipe came about as a combination of a caprese salad and cucumber salad. You'll see those two listed as "variations" below!

MAKES:: side dish for 2

.: ingredients :.

3 roma tomatoes

1/3 c. sweet onion

2-3 TB balsamic vinegar

1-2 TB extra virgin olive oil

Adobo {optional}

.: directions :.

1) Slice tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.

2) Dice onions.

3) Toss together onions and tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add additional olive oil and balsamic to fit your taste buds :)

4) I like to sprinkle on a thin layer of Adobo {a garlic powder-based Latin spice}.

5) Chill or serve as is!

.: variations :.

- sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, or other spices

- add about 3/4 cup of mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces. Garnish with fresh basil or sprinkle dried basil.

- substitute the tomatoes with 1 cucumber, and switch out the balsamic vinegar with white vinegar. Let marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge to enhance the flavors.

hint o' cocoa bundt cake

2011-02-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

So my first go at making a bundt cake went pretty well! This recipe is super moist and was a big hit with the family!

{dry ingredients}

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

{wet ingredients}

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

{creaming ingredients}

8 oz unsalted butter

2.5 cups + 2 TB superfine granulated sugar

6 eggs

{glaze ingredients}

1/2 cup milk or water

2 cups confectioners' sugar

{instructions}

1. Preheat oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit, placing rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick oil-and-startch spray {aka. grease and flour pan}.

2. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Set aside.

3. Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer with paddle attachment {or a large bowl and hand mixer} and mix on low for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Alternately add the dry then wet mixtures about a quarter at a time, without pausing between additions. Scrap the sides of the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.

6. Scoop bater into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the deepest part of the pan comes out clean.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a rack and let cool completely.

8. Combine glazing ingredients and whisk. Drizzle mixture over cake. If it will not pour well, add more liquid as needed.

{notes}

- I used about 2/3 spelt flour and 1/3 gluten-free flour and it tasted fabulous!

- I will use less liquid in my glaze next time, or let it sit for a bit before pouring because it was really runny.

- I also added 1oz of cocoa to the dry ingredients to give it a hint of chocolate taste. Recipe also suggests adding 1oz melted unsweetened and 3oz melted bittersweet chocolate to the wet ingredients for more chocolate taste <-- will be trying that next time!

- As you can see, I also sifted some extra powdered sugar on top to make it look pretty ;)

{please excuse the stand mixer in the photos!}

original recipe is from: United Cakes of America

Chicken Parmigiana

2011-01-05T19:02:00.000-05:00

Chicken Parmigiana
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay w/ commentary from: misadventuresofmub

I found that I needed to leave my chicken in the oven for about 25-30 minutes for the cheese to get truly brown and bubbly and the chicken to be cooked all the way through.
Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper (You do NOT need two cups of flour to dredge chicken breasts in... I used a half a cup for two breasts and probably still could've done two more)
4 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and seasoned with salt and pepper(Four eggs?! Serious overkill. One large egg should be enough)
2 cups panko bread crumbs (1 cup is plenty)
1 cup vegetable oil or pure olive oil (You aren't deep frying the chicken, so I have no idea why this calls for so much oil. A couple tablespoons in the bottom of the pan is more than enough)
Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (This is actually just about right, fresh mozzarella is heavy!!)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil or parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off excess, then dip in the egg and let excess drip off, then dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs.

Divide the oil between 2 large saute pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking (Honestly, I think dirtying up two pans for this step is silly, if your meat doesn't all fit just do it in two batches). Add 2 chicken breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side (I pounded the chicken REALLY thin, and my oil was hot, so 2 minutes per side would've resulted in very burned breaded chicken- 30-45 seconds per side was better). Transfer to a baking sheet.

Top each breast with some tomato sauce, a few slices of the mozzarella, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 7 minutes (7 minutes was just right for mine). Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.

Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped (The all knowing interwebs inform me that a "Spanish" onion is a regular old yellow onion)
4 cloves garlic, smashed with some kosher salt to make a paste
2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, pureed in a blender
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch Italian parsley (I have no idea how much a "small bunch" is, so I used a handful which isn't really any more of an accurate measurement than "small bunch" is, sorry!)
1 Cubano chile pepper, chopped (This doesn't exist... I figured out that they probably meant a "Cuban pepper" which eventually led me to a cubanelle pepper. I couldn't seem to find one of those either, so I substituted a yellow bell pepper which is supposedly somewhat similar.)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pureed tomatoes with their juices, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water (I wouldn't add this next time), bay leaf, parsley, Cubano pepper, and bring to a boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes (I let mine simmer for an hour or so because I like a thicker sauce).

Filet au Poivre

2011-01-05T16:16:00.000-05:00

Ingredients

2 whole Beef Fillets Or Other Good Steaks
2 Tablespoons Butter
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
¼ cups Brandy
2 Tablespoons (additional) Brandy
½ cups Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Good Peppercorns, Crushed

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, brown steaks on both sides, about 45 seconds per side. Place skillet into the hot oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove steaks to a separate plate.

Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add Dijon and brandy, then whisk together. Add heavy cream and crushed peppercorns, whisking to combine. Allow to bubble for about 45 seconds, then remove from heat.

Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

From: thepioneerwoman.com

Baked Hasselback Potatoes

2011-01-05T16:14:00.000-05:00

Part of our holiday meal this year - super easy, fancy, and tasty!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed (leave skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pinch of smoked paprika
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220ºC).

Slice each potato crosswise at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.

Be careful not to slice all the way through. The potato will fan out a bit as it bakes.

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, smoked paprika and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet. Carefully insert pinches of this mixture in between the slits of the potatoes. Rub the outsides of the potatoes with residual oil.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes. The inside should be cooked through and the outside of the potato should be a bit crispy.

Garnish with additional parmesan and chives!

From: http://chichoskitchen.blogspot.com/

Barley Lentil Soup

2010-12-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

This recipe is super, super easy, and I've found it to be a great last minute recipe - you'd have to keep lentils and barley on hand, of course...

Makes 8 servings.

Olive oil
1 Cup sliced onion
1 teas. minced garlic
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth (I usually do half chicken broth)
2 cups frozen soup vegetable, thawed
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup lentils, red or brown
2/3 cup pearled barley
1 teas dried oregano
1 teas dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 teas. dried thyme
1/8 teas. black pepper

Coat large saucepan or Dutch oven with olive oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir together. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove bay leaf, and serve immediately.

Tuscan Style Potato and Leek Soup

2010-12-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

Super tasty - we had this for dinner. I did one leek and one onion and used 3/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup half & half since I had no sour cream. I also omitted the kale due to not having any. And for sake of time, I didn't puree at all. It still came out fantastic.

5 medium russet potatoes
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium leeks (white and green parts), or 1 large onion, sliced and rinsed well
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1/2 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (save bacon grease for sauteing, if desired)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4-5 kale leaves, chopped, more or less as desired
Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and pierce several times with a fork. Set them directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hours. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Combine butter or reserved bacon grease, leeks/onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the chicken stock/broth to the leek /onion mixture.
Cut the cooled potatoes in small 1/2 inch cubes. Remove peel on one or two of that potatoes. Set aside one cup of diced potatoes. Throw the remaining potatoes into the pot with the leeks/onions.
Puree the contents of the pot in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium low.
Whisk together the milk and sour cream and then whisk this into the soup, along with the reserved 1 cup potatoes, and cheese. Add chopped kale and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so. Season more with salt and pepper as desired.
Serve garnished with cheese, bacon bits, or green onions, as desired.

Yield: 6-8 servings

From Passionate Homemaking

Chocolate Raspberry Streusel Squares

2010-12-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile, but here's a great (and easy) Christmas cookie recipe.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oats, uncooked
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. salt (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1/2 - 1 cup raspberry preserves or jam
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate or white chocolate, melted (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In bowl, mix flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup oat mixture for streusel; set aside. Press remaining oat mixture onto bottom of *ungreased 9 inch square baking pan. Bake 10 minutes. Spread preserves over crust (I tried not to get it too close to edges as it will burn). Sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Mix reserved oat mixture with almonds and sprinkle on top. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.

Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Let chocolate set before cutting.

*I did grease it with a little canola oil spray - it seemed to help it get out of the pan easier. If you're using a glass pan, I'm guessing that won't be an issue as you can cut it in the pan, but if you use a metal pan, I'd suggest spraying it.

waffles

2010-08-30T15:24:00.000-04:00

This is the recipe that came with our GE waffle maker- I must admit, I'm rather a fan :)

MAKES:: 10 medium-sized waffles (may vary by waffle maker)

.:Ingredients:.

2 c. flour

2 TB sugar

1 TB baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 c milk

1/3 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

.:Directions:.

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Gradually add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just blended- do NOT over stir. Pour batter into waffle maker.

.:Notes:.

- Follow your waffle maker's instructions as to how much batter to add at once.

- We use spelt flour for a low-gluten option.

- For a blueberry option, after pouring batter into waffle maker, sprinkle fresh blueberries on top! Note, this may cause the waffles to stick to the waffle maker, so putting a little olive oil on the maker before you start may be advised (check your waffle maker's instruction guide first though- not all models may advise using olive oil on the maker).

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2010-08-26T20:16:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt or sour cream)

2 cups shredded zucchini

Frosting:

1 cup shredded coconut

6 TBS. butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl, beat butter, oil, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves; add to batter alternately with buttermilk. Fold in zucchini. Pour into greased 13"X9"X2" pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine frosting ingredients. Spread over warm cake. Broil 4-6 inces from heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown (be careful...can burn very quickly!) Cool completely before serving. serves 12-15.

I made it without the frosting, and I used a little vanilla ice cream and fresh berries instead.
From a friend, Debbie Terry

Perfected Peach Cobbler

2010-08-26T20:12:00.000-04:00

From onehungrymama.com
I would use less sugar overall if I made this again. It was still super tasty though!

6 c peach slices, 1-1 1/2″ wedges (about 8 peaches, peeled** & pitted)
1/4 c packed brown sugar, plus another 1/8 c
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 c white sugar
8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold butter, cut into bits, plus more for greasing pan
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375. Toss peaches with 1/4 c brown sugar, cinnamon & cornstarch. Spread in a lightly buttered 9″ inch pan.

2. Pulse remaining 1/8 c brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and white sugar in a food processor once or twice. Add butter and process until dough comes together. Put dough in a bowl and mix in the egg and vanilla in by hand.

3. Drop spoonfuls of dough across the fruit. Do not spread it around. Bake until all the dough turns golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Note: The easiest way to peel peaches without waste to is submerge them whole in boiling water for a minute or two. Plunge them in cold water immediately after taking them out of the boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds or so, after which the skin should just peel right off.

White Chicken Chili {Crockpot}

2010-08-26T20:10:00.000-04:00

1 lb. chicken (breasts or tenderloins)
2 cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, chopped
2 apples, cut in chunks
1 small can green chiles
3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth

shredded cheese, sour cream. and fresh cilantro

1.) Cut chicken in small chunks, and brown in a little olive oil. Drain oil.
2.) Place butter in crock pot first.
3.) Then put in browned chicken, apple, onion, garlic, beans, and chiles.
4.) Add spices and broth. Stir together.
5.) Cover and cook on low for eight hours or high for four to five.
6.) Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Cranberry Nut Bread

2010-08-26T20:04:00.001-04:00

I made this today with raspberries in place of cranberries and lowered the sugar a tad, and it came out great!

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teas salt
1 1/2 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
2 T all natural applesauce
3/4 cup Orange juice
1 T orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan.
Combine flour, sugar, salt, powder, and soda.
Add the cranberries and walnuts, and stir to coat with flour.
In separate bowl, mix together egg, applesauce, orange juice, and zest.
Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture, and stir until JUST blended.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Bread

2010-08-11T15:09:00.000-04:00

Just made this today, and it came out super tasty! I substituted apple sauce for the oil, and a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour in place of part of the white flour.

Zucchini Bread:

1/2cup (50 grams) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1cup shredded raw zucchini (1-2 zucchini)

1/2 cup peeled and grated raw apple, (about 1 large apple)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour

1teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup (120 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Cream Cheese Frosting: (optional)

1/4 cup(56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces(1/2 cup) (110 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

3 tablespoonsconfectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish:

Toasted coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Zucchini Bread:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan.
Toastthe pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Grate the zucchini, using a medium grater, and then peel and grate the apple.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat theoil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Beat in the grated zucchini and apple.Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the nuts and coconut.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired. Well wrapped, this bread will keep for several days at room temperature (if unfrosted) or for several days in the refrigerator (if frosted). This bread can be frozen.
Makes one - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the cooled zucchini bread. Garnish with toasted coconut, if desired.

(Note: To toast coconut - Place on a bakingsheet and bake in a 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for a few minutes until lightly browned. Watch carefully.)

From joyofbaking.com

summer pasta

2010-08-10T09:29:00.000-04:00

This is a favorite in our household! It's perfect for summer when you're looking for a light meal on those hot days, and when the tomatoes are in season. Take this recipe and make it your own- if you want more basil, add more! If you want more tomatoes, add more! This can be served hot as a main meal or cold as a side salad.

Recipe::

1 serving of pasta

~6-10 cherry or grape tomatoes

~6-10 small mozzarella balls

3-4 medium-sized fresh basil leaves

2-4 TB extra virgin olive oil

a few dashes of Adobo (optional)

Instructions::

Boil the pasta as indicated on packaging. I like to add some Adobo to the water to add a little extra flavor. While the pasta is boiling, cut the tomatoes and mozzarella into halves and mince the basil leaves. Drain the pasta and combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. I usually put everything back in the pot that the pasta cooked in- it softens the mozzarella really nicely. Serve and enjoy!

Notes::

- the pasta shown above is gluten-free trumpets from our local farmer's market, but feel free to pick any shape you wish!

- this is for a single serving- double, triple, quadruple, etc as needed!

- you can substitute 1 medium tomato (diced) for the cherry tomatoes

- you can also substitute 3/4 cup mozzarella (cubed) if you prefer buying the larger mozzarella balls, which I usually do as it's more economical

- although I prefer fresh basil leaves, you could substitute dried crushed basil- start at 1/8 tsp increase the amount to your taste preferences

Zucchini Boat

2010-08-09T18:52:00.000-04:00

*Can easily be made a Vegetarian meal by removing meat.

One large or two medium zucchini cut in half the long way
ground beef, chicken or sausage
assorted veggie (if you want) - I used purple bell peppers, carrots, onions, and garlic
bread crumbs (1 cup at least)
grated mozzarella cheese
Tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce is good)

cut the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out all the stuff. If the seeds are big, you probably want to push it through a big-hold collander but I never bother. If the zucchini are small, you might want two - this stuff keeps for a week. Put them into a pre-greased lasagna dish or similar with the open part up, skin part down. If the skin is thick, you might want to stripe it.

At the same time, put either sausage meat, chicken or ground beef in a pan and brown it thoroughly. Stir in the zucchini meat, and add whatever else sounds good.

When everything is brown, drain out some of the liquid, if you need to, and add about a cup of bread crumbs. Stir until those are mixed in and you don't see them anymore. At the last minute, you add tomato sauce - I like lots. Jar sauce is fine. Add seasoning if your sauce doesn't have it. Pour from the pan into the hollow zucchinis.

Bake on 350 and after about half an hour, add grated mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is bubbly. If you need to stretch this out, you can lower the heat and bake for longer before you add the cheese, OR you can put in the fridge with no cheese on and re-heat to serve much later.

Recipe from a friend of mine. It's a great way to use all that extra zucchini that comes around in the summer time.

Super Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2010-08-07T17:36:00.000-04:00

The Ingredients
--6-9 chicken thighs, or equivalent body parts
--1 can rinsed black beans
--1 cup chunky salsa
--1 cup frozen white corn
--1 small can green chilies
--salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, sazon, and any other spice you feel fits in
The Directions

Put your chicken in the crockpot; add spices. Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

If you decide to use breasts, increase your salsa by 1/2 cup. Breasts are drier than thighs.

Serve with rice, quinoa, or another grain.

Original recipe found here, with additions/changes made by me.

peach sorbet

2010-08-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

My husband and I have been on an ice cream kick lately, but we wanted to have a healthier alternative for our post-dinner snack. This is what we came up with!

MAKES:: ~4 servings

Ingredients::

2 peaches (pitted and sliced)

1-1 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt

2-3 TB agave syrup (optional)

2-4 TB fruit juice (optional)

Directions::

Put all ingredients in blender. Mix on "pureé" setting until smooth (30 seconds - 1 min). Pour into freezer-safe containers. Let sit in the freezer for 4-6 hours. Enjoy!

{***notes***}

- we used peaches, but you can certainly substitute any fruit you want!

- agave syrup is an alternative to sugar. it has a low glycemic index and is naturally sweeter, so you use less than if you were to use sugar. if you don't have agave syrup on hand (or don't want to buy some just for this recipe), substitute with sugar. You'll likely have to add a bit more than the recipe calls for- just increase the amount of sugar in small increments until it reaches your preferred level of sweetness :)

- the mixture will seem pretty thin and should pour well into your freezer-safe container. that's ok!

- - experiment with texture... if it's too thin or too thick it still taste great but can sometimes be really hard to scoop!

- my husband used blueberry-cranberry juice (I did not). I used agave syrup (my husband did not). You can use both or neither, it's completely up to your taste buds!!

Basil and Ripe Tomato Bruschetta

2010-07-15T13:04:00.000-04:00

Makes 4 servings

1 lb. ripe tomatoes
4 oz. (about 1 cup) diced reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
2 TB chopped fresh basil plus 2 TB
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 teas. dried hot red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
8 slices Braided Semolina Bread or seeded Italian Bread
8 basil leaves

1. Submerge the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds to loosen the skins. Remove the tomatoes from the water and use your fingers and a small knife to slip off the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze to remove the seeds. Dice the tomatoes and place them in a mixing bowl. Stir in the cheese, 2 TB chopped basil, oil vinegar, and pepper flakes. Cut one of the garlic cloves in half and reserve one half. Mince the remaining 1 1/2 cloves and add to the tomatoes. Let the mixture stand at room temp for 10 to 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the boiler. Broil the bread, turning to toast both sides lightly. Rub one side of the toasts with the reserved garlic clove half. Place the toasts, rubbed side up, on plate. Stir the remaining 2 TB of chopped basil into the tomatoes and spoon the mixture over toasts. Garnish with the whole basil leaves.

Other Bruschetta Variations (I didn't try these, but they were included below the recipe in the book):
After toasting/broiling bread and rubbing with garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and then...

- add mashed, warmed cannellini beans seasoned with a little chopped red onion and sprinkled with torn arugula leaves
- spread with low-fate ricotta cheese mixed with a little grated parmesan cheese and top with cooked broccoli rabe
- layer with grilled eggplant and other veggies and sprinkle with paper-thin shavings of Romano or parmesan cheese
- spread with low-fat ricotta cheese and top with thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh fig quarters, and a sprinkling of thyme
- rub the bread with a thick slice of tomato and top with grilled shrimp and a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

From the 'Family Health Cookbook'

Roast Beef Lavash Rolls

2010-07-15T12:53:00.000-04:00

6 TB plain nonfat yoghurt
2 TB mayonnaise
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB prepared horseradish
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 soft lavash (flatbread- 6-7 oz each)
3/4 lb. thinly sliced cooked roast beef
1/2 teas. freshly ground pepper
3 cups shredded romaine or other deep green lettuce

Other veggies that can be sliced fairly thin: tomatoes, radishes, sweet peppers
We put crispy strips of bacon on ours, too

1. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, mustard, horseradish, and dill. Spread one side of each lavash with the flavored yoghurt mixture, leaving a 1/2" margin around each edge. Layer each lavash with the roast beef slices, then sprinkle with the pepper and top with other veggies and lettuce.

2. Roll up each lavash into a cylinder and use a sharp knife to cut each roll crosswise into two sandwiches.

Serves 4

Shrimp, Feta, and Minted Orzo Pilaf

2010-07-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

1 1/2 TB olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp (12-14 shrimp)
1/2 cup bottled clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine or additional clam juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus 2 TB
1/4 cup sliced black olives, preferably Greek olives
1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 lb.) orzo
1 cup frozen baby peas
1 cup (about 1/4 lb.) feta cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat broiler or prepare a barbecue fire.
2. In a large, preferably nonstick skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion over medium-low heat, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat, add shrimp, and toss them in oil mixture to lightly coat. Thread the shrimp onto four metal skewers and set aside. Add the clam juice and wine to the skillet and simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mint and olives.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until nearly tender, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and cook until the pasta is al dente and the peas are cooked, about 2 minutes longer. Drain well and add to the sauce in the skillet.
4. Broil or grill the shrimp about 4 inches from the heat source, turning once until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. To serve, add the feta to the orzo and toss lightly to mix. Remove the shrimp from the skewers and arrange on top of the orzo pilaf.

Omit shrimp to use as a side dish

From 'Family Health Cookbook' by the American Medical Association

*I didn't have white wine in the house, so I used all clam juice- it tasted fine, but I'd definitely suggest going for the wine if you have it on hand. I also used dried mint leaves (maybe 1.5 - 2 teas.) in place of the fresh, and that worked as well.

Also tastes great cold!!!

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

2010-06-28T12:33:00.001-04:00

Makes a 9-inch round cake.

For the Rhubarb bottom:

3 1/2 cups rhubarb, washed, dried and chopped in 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons orange rind (or lime)
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a round 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and butter pan thoroughly. Mix together first four ingredients and pour into pan. Dot with butter and place in a preheated oven. Cook only as long as it takes you to put the cake batter below together.

For the Cake: In the bowl of a mixer combine all together:

1 cup cake flour, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

With the paddle attachment, beat ingredients for two minutes, scraping down sides as necessary. Then add:

1 egg

Beat for another minute.
Pour batter over rhubarb and return everything to oven. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Place a plate or cake platter on top of the pan and re-invert cake onto the platter. Remove tin and peel off parchment. Serve warm.

Serves 6-8 generously.

Super yummy! I think next time I might lessen the sugar by a bit in the rhubarb topping and the cake part as well. Recipe from simplebites.net

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

2010-06-19T08:13:00.000-04:00

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (29 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable or chicken broth
3 T Cayenne pepper sauce
2 T chopped cilantro (or 2 t dried cilantro)
2 t ground cumin
2 T rum or sherry (optional)

Heat oil in 3 quart saucepan. Cook and stir onion and garlic 3 minutes or just until tender. Stir in 1.5 cups of water and remaining ingredients except rum. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally.

Ladle about half of soup into blender or food processor. Cover securely. Process on low speed until mixture is smooth. Return to saucepot. Stir in rum. Cook over medium-low heat 3 minutes or until heated through and flavors are blended. Garnish with lime slices, sour cream, minced onion, or cilantro, if desired,

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

We think this dish tastes just as good cold!

Raspberry Tart

2010-06-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

So, so good! We had this for dessert this evening, and it is definitely getting added to the "To Make Again" list.

Pate Brisee (Short Crust Pastry):

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 - 60 ml) ice water
Filling:
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Pate Brisee:In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube until the pastry just holds together when pinched. Add remaining water, if necessary. Do not process more than about 30 seconds.

Turn the pastry out onto your work surface, gather it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour to chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax.

Once the pastry has chilled, remove from refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into an 11 inch (28 cm) round. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness).

Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle the pastry with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Leaving about a 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) border all around, cover the pastry with the raspberries, stem ends down. I like to start at the outside edge and work toward the center of the pastry in concentric circles, making sure the raspberries are placed close together. (If possible, use raspberries that are of uniform size.) Gently fold the edges of the pastry up and over the filling, pleating as necessary, being careful not to squash the raspberries. Brush the edges of the pastry with melted butter, and then sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar over the raspberries and crust.

Bake the tart in a preheated 450 degree F (205 degree C) oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the raspberries have given off just a little of their juice. (You want the raspberries to hold their shape and not be mushy.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Makes one free form tart.

Baked Falafel

2010-05-29T10:17:00.000-04:00

Baked Falafel
Makes about 10-12 balls

1- 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2″ in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).

Serve with pitas, hummus, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, and/or cucumber.

pear-cranberry crisp

2010-05-18T13:06:00.001-04:00

.: Ingredients :.
4 ripe pears, sliced
1/4 c brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground allspice
3/4 c rolled oats
1 TB cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 c dried cranberries (Craisins)
2 TB chopped walnuts

.: Directions :.
(1) preheat the oven to 350F. Coat an 8"x8" baking dish with cooking spray (or lightly butter it).
(2) Spread the pear slices over the bottom of the dish. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture over the pears.
(3) In a small bowl, cut the butter into very fine pieces with a fork and combine with the oats. Add the cranberries and walnuts. Toss to mix. Sprinkle evenly over the pears.
(4) Bake about 40 minutes or until bubbling.

*NOTES*
A few things I did or will do differently...
- I used 2 pears and 2 apples, so you can certainly change up the fruit if you want!
- I used raw sugar instead of brown sugar
- I will probably use 2 TB of butter next time to get a more even coverage, there were some dry oatmeal areas on mine, still tasted perfectly fine though, so completely your call!
- I might use more walnuts, maybe 4 TB because I really like them :)
- I used Quick Oats... the recipe didn't specify quick or old-fashioned, I imagine either would do

Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

2010-04-28T11:47:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour*
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

(Other seasonings can be added as well- try dried basil or oregano)

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

Bread Maker Version

Put all ingredients into Bread Machine using the Dough Setting. Put in order from liquid and sugar to flours (and salt) and yeast last of all.

When Bread Machine is done, place in well oiled bowl with clean towel on top and allow to rise for 1 hour or so. Continue from step 4 above.

*A MORE Whole Wheat Version...

Use 3 1/4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour and No White flour

black bean burgers

2010-03-29T19:50:00.000-04:00

vegetarian low-fat burgers from recipezaar- super scrumptious! I substituted Adobo for onion powder and celery salt for seasoning salt and it was fabulous, so feel free to add your own spices! I also used spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour- I used one TB though will probably up it to the 2 or 3 next time. I cooked them for about 3-5 minutes per side on medium-medium high heat in my cast iron skillet.

MAKES 3 burgers {or 6 smaller ones}

Ingredients
1 1/2-2 tablespoons pureed onions (I prefer green onions)
1 cup black beans, well drained
1-3 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 slice whole wheat bread, very well crumbled
1-1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)
* can substitute seasoning and bread with pre-made seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1) In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth (or puree with the onions).
2) Add onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is at your desired consistency.
3) Form bean mixture into flat patties and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm.

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-24T15:06:00.000-04:00

My tried and true recipe, passed down from my mom! I actually substitute half gluten-free flour and half spelt flour. Also, I cook my loaf on a pizza stone instead of a baking dish.

Ingredients:
4 c. flour
3 TB sugar
1 TB double acting baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
6 TB butter
1 1/2 c. dark raisins
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 2 quart round baking dish. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients, then cut in the butter. Stir in raisins. Beat eggs slightly in a separate bowl. AFter reserving 1 TB of egg, stir in buttermilk. Pour egg mixture into the dry mix. On a well-floured surface, kneed the dough 10 times- do not over-kneed. Shape dough into ball and place in baking dish. Cut a cross in the top of the loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Brush loaf with egg reserve and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Momma's Veggie Soup

2010-03-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

So this recipe is from my mother-in-law and is a huge hit anytime it's served! You could easily leave out the blending and just chop the veggies, whichever you prefer! I added a dash of salt and Italian blend spices, in addition to a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

2 carrots

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion

2 celery stalks

3-4 potatoes

4 c. water

2 bullion cubes

a few TBs olive oil

pepper to taste

-optional-

1 zucchini

1 can beans, drained

noodles

handful of rice

other spices

Directions:

Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Put the other vegetables through the blender. Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large soup pan for a few minutes, then add the water and bullion cubes. Bring pot to a boil. Add pepper and any other spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add beans, rice, and/or noodles shortly after bringing to a simmer.

Blueberry-Banana Bread

2010-03-24T12:42:00.001-04:00

This is from All-Time Favorite Healing Recipes from The Green Pharmacy. My oven is not very reliable {I really need to pick up an oven thermometer} so the bottom of this bread took forever to finish baking- I ended up leaving it in for close to an hour. This is an extremely moist bread, so my bamboo skewer never pulled out clean. If you're like me and tend to leave your pizza stone in the oven at all times, I would recommend removing it in order to give your bread the best chance of cooking thoroughly from all sides. I also made a few modifications to the recipe:

- used 1/4 c. agave syrup instead of brown sugar

- used 3/4 c. frozen blueberries

- used 3/4 c. fresh blueberries

- substituted 1 c. of the flour with spelt flour

- went a little crazy and used 2 TB raw sugar

Time: 50 mins + cooling time

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. mashed ripe bananas {about 3 bananas}

1/2 c. reduced fat- plain yogurt

1.3 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. regular or light buttermilk

1 lg. egg

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 c. frozen wild blueberries

1/2 c. dried wild blueberries

1 TB raw sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the bananas, yogurt, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg, butter, and lemon zest. Whisk to blend. Add the dry ingredients, and mix until they are just blended. Stir in all of the blueberries. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Sprinkle on the raw sugar.

3. Bake 40-45 mins, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, 5 mins. Removed from pan and cool the loaf completely on the rack. Cut it into 3/4 inch slices and serve.

Shrimp, Mushroom, and Omelette Soup

2010-03-21T07:49:00.000-04:00

Makes 6 servings

10-12 dried Shiitake mushrooms (about 1 ounce)

3 eggs

1 T chopped fresh chives or minced green onion tops

2 t vegetable oil

28-30 oz chicken broth

2 T oyster sauce

12 oz medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves, stemmed

1 T lime juice

Red pepper flakes

Cilantro sprigs and lime peel

1. Place mushrooms in small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 30 minutes or until caps are softened.

2. Meanwhile, beat eggs and chives in small bowl with wire whisk until blended. (I added a few tablespoons of milk and some salt and pepper here). Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat surface. Pour egg mixture into pan. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until set. Slide spatula under omelette; lift omelette and tilt pan to allow uncooked egg to flow under. Repeat at several places around omelette.

3. Slide omelette onto flat plate. Hold another plate over omelette and turn omelette over. Slide omelette back into pan to cook other side- about 20 seconds. Slide back onto plate. When cool enough to handle, roll up omelette. Slice into 1/4" wide strips.

4. Drain mushrooms; squeeze out excess water. Remove and discard stems. Slice caps into thin strips.

5. Combine mushrooms, chicken broth, and oyster sauce in large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add shrimp and cook 2 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and opaque. Add omelette strips and spinach. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach wilts slightly. Stir in lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with red pepper, cilantro, and lime peel.

Pasta Bake Thing Yeah!

2010-03-21T00:33:00.000-04:00

So! This is kind of a modification to a DELICIOUS dip recipe I acquired from my friend Mandy... I just decided to make it into more of an entré type thing....

2 packages [8 0z. each] cream cheese
1 package frozen [or equivalent amount] chopped spinach
1 can diced tomatoes
one onion, chopped
~2/3 package of egg noodles
chicken [optional] (1-2 large breasts)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded [1 cup or so...?]

Preheat the oven, to 375[?]. Cook up the chicken however you normally cook chicken... I did it in a pan, seasoned with Garlic and Chili powder. After all is cooked and lovely, cut/tear the chicken up into small pieces.

Cook egg noodles as per package directions, drain, set aside.
Chop Onion. Combine in bowl with spinach and tomatoes.
Cut cream cheese into cubes, microwave slightly if too firm to cut.

Layer ingredients in a 9x13 casserole dish/pan/whatever you have on hand, starting with noodles on the bottom, then spinach/tomato/onion mixture, chicken(optional), cream cheese cubes on top, and sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top. Bake for about 25-40 minutes, until cheese bubbles up.

VARIATIONS:
The original dip recipe involved Olives and Green Chili Peppers... feel free to add these in as a twist or a kick... [I had bought all the ingredients for the dip, then the Olives and Peppers ended up on a Pizza instead...]

Phyllo Cigars

2010-03-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

Makes about 24 phyllo cigars

Lamb Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 pound ground lamb

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Phyllo Cigars

9 to 11 sheets phyllo dough, thawed according to manufacturer’s directions

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To make the lamb filling:

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the lamb and cook until browned, about 8 minutes, breaking the meat as it cooks. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool. Put the mixture in a food processor and pulse until you get an evenly fine texture, being careful not to grind it to a paste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

To make the phyllo cigars:

Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with the long side toward you. Brush lightly with the melted butter. Lay another sheet of phyllo on top. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel. Brush the second layer with butter. Lay the last sheet of phyllo on top, brush the third layer with butter. Cut the phyllo in half lengthwise so that you have 2 half-sheets, one above the other. Cut each half into fourths so you have 8 equal-size wrappers. With the short side facing you lay 1 scant tablespoon of filling at the bottom of the wrapper. Roll up the filling in the phyllo dough partway. Fold in the sides and continue to roll into a cigar shape. Place, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filling and sheets of dough.

Brush the cigars with butter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Other ideas for fillings I saw on another site:

• We used spicy chorizo with flat-leaf parsley, instead of lamb.
• We also used olive oil between the sheets of phyllo dough, which worked just fine.
• It's nice to serve a dip with these. You could mix a little oil and herbs with thick yogurt and serve it alongside, or have a jar of fresh salsa open.

Ratatouille

2010-03-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Serves 4 - 6
Total prep and cooking time: about 2 hours

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1" cubes
3 medium zucchini or other summer squash, cut into 1" cubes
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 sweet bell peppers, roughly chopped*
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 - 3 large tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped, juices reserved*
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450-degrees Fahrenheit.

Salt the eggplant cubes and set them in a colander to release their liquid for at least 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt and press the cubes against the counter top between two clean kitchen towels to get out as much moisture as possible.

Combine the eggplant with the zucchini and toss with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet (use two sheets if necessary), and roast them in the oven. Roast for a total of 30 - 40 minutes, stirring the cubes every 10 minutes, until the eggplant has completely softened. Remove trays and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or deep sauce pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and saute until the onion is completely translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers and a pinch of salt, and saute until no longer crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the tomatoes with all their juices into the pot and stir to combine. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes have started to break down.

Add the roasted eggplant and zucchini to the pot along with another teaspoon of salt, and simmer until the tomatoes and eggplant have almost completely broken down into a pulpy sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can serve immediately or allow to simmer until the vegetables have completely broken down.

Remove the pot from heat and stir in the basil. Serve hot or room temperature with a drizzle of good olive oil and an extra sprinkling of fresh basil.

From thekitchn.com

Car Bomb Cupcakes!

2010-03-12T19:37:00.000-05:00

Tis the season... well... as far as March goes, St. Patrick's day seems to get some attention, and who can deny some Guiness and Bailey's?

This is a bit of a mashup of a few recipes I've found around with some modifications...
so first off -- the chocolate stout cupcake!
This is a halfsies version of this recipe. My adaptation makes about 2 dozen good sized cupcakes, so unless you are going for feeding a small army, this size seems just right!

Ingredients- Cake

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour 
2 cups sugar
 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs 
2/3 cups sour cream

Preparation
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake/muffin tin. Butter/grease/PAM these.
Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among cupcake papers. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Take cupcakes out, onto rack and cool completely.

BAILEY'S FROSTING:
[this is from HERE.]

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

In a medium bowl, blend together cream cheese, butter, and Bailey's. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well until it’s all incorporated. Use immediately. The frosting will harden in the fridge, so plan on bring it back to room temperature if you must refrigerate it before frosting the cupcakes.

........so this is my first time trying this frosting. Anyone have a variation or other ideas of what might go well on here? I love the flavor of these cupcakes, as they're a more "grown up" flavor, and very rich, yet not over-sugary.

Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts

2010-03-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

serves two as a main course

1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
juice from one Meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound spaghetti
5 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Bring a pot of water to boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water (more if necessary) to keep the sauce fluid but not too watery. Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties

2010-03-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Made these last night for dinner... we thought they were pretty tasty.

Makes 2 large or 4 small pasties

Dough
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 tablespoons ice water

Filling
8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 medium red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper (or black)
1 egg, beaten

To make dough

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide.

To make pasties

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.

Spoon mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper.

Moisten the edges of the dough with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. (Use any crimping technique you like, just make sure it is well sealed. For the traditional Cornish method, see this YouTube video.) Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg.

Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel

2010-03-10T10:41:00.001-05:00

Adapted from Gourmet, March 2008 via smitten kitchen

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115°F)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use a bit more)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I like it coarsely grated for this)

Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Put 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl, then make a well in center of flour and add yeast mixture to well. Stir together egg, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with a fork. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or your fingertips, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead, working in additional flour (up to 1/4 cup) as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While dough rises, heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté fennel seeds until a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Stir in onions, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover onions directly with a round of parchment paper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

[Do ahead: I made the dough several hours in advance and let it rise in the fridge, and the onions too, which I let sit covered at room temperture until I was ready to assemble and bake the tart.]

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Knead dough gently on a floured surface with floured hands to deflate. Pat out dough on a large heavy baking sheet (preferably blue steel) into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle, turning up or crimping edge, then brush mustard evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Spread onions evenly over mustard, then sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Bake tart until crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares or diamonds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato and Kale Puree

2010-03-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
2 lb kale, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves chopped
1 1/2 lb large boiling potatoes
2 cups heavy cream

Cook kale in a pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 Tbsp salt for
4 qt water), uncovered, until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain kale,
then immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. When
kale is cool, drain but do not squeeze.
While kale cooks, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Simmer in cream with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a heavy
medium saucepan, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender,
15 to 20 minutes.
Purée potato mixture with kale in 2 batches in a food processor
until just smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).
Transfer to a 4- to 5-qt heavy saucepan and cook over low heat,
stirring frequently, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

*Notes:

- Instead of pureeing the mixture, I stuck it in my Kitchen Aid
mixer, which resulted in a chunkier end product.

- I added crushed red pepper flakes, seasoning salt, and 2 minced
garlic cloves to the potatoes about halfway through the simmering.

Healthier Chocolate Cake

2010-03-09T13:39:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour, (I used 1/2 cup cake flour [white flour sifted 3 times] plus 1/4 cup + 2T wheat flour, sifted together twice)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 T lemon juice)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot strong black coffee
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a circle of wax paper.
Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan, peel off the wax paper and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar before slicing.

12 servings Active Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Per serving: 139 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 212 mg sodium; 60 mg potassium.

*I averaged mine out at 105 calories a serving, by having it sliced into 16 pieces instead of 12.

Scones

2010-03-09T13:38:00.000-05:00

::Scones::

(Original Recipe, with changes I made in Notes below)

2 cups flour

1 T baking powder

2 T sugar

1/2 t salt

6 T butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

lightly beaten egg

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, use regular milk. Mix until dough clings together and is a bit sticky- do not overmix. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a 6-8 inch round about 1 1/2 inches thick. Quickly cut into pie wedges or use a large round biscuit cutter to cut circles. The secret of tender scones is a minimum of handling. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, being sure the sides of the scones don't touch each other. Brush with egg for a shiny, beautiful brown scone. Bake at 435 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, or until light brown.

Notes:

- To make buttermilk, take 1 cup of regular milk and stir in 1 T lemon juice- I use 1% milk

- Dried fruit and nuts can be added to the mixture before adding the buttermilk. I used toasted hazelnuts and dried cranberries in mine.

- Instead of the white flour, I used 7/8 cup of wheat flour per 1 cup of white flour. Since wheat flour makes for a denser product, I sifted the flour twice after measuring it out, and I added a bit of baking powder (probably about 1/4-1/3 teaspoon). I have heard that you can also purchase whole wheat pastry flour, which is lighter as far as density.

- I am still trying to think of a substitute for at least part of the butter, but because it needs to be solid, I haven't thought of something yet.

chocolate-dipped shortbread

2010-03-04T20:28:00.001-05:00

These are some shortbreads that I shipped to my hubby overseas {he's deployed with the US Army}... hehe, and I may have eaten a few before they got packaged! To send them, I wrapped each individually in wax paper, then vacuum sealed them all in a gallon-sized bag.

.: Directions :.
Beat 2 sticks butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Whisk 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir into the butter mixture. Press into a buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round tart pan. Score into strips with a fork, then chill 30 minutes. Bake about 1 hour at 300 degrees. Cool, then slice along the scored lines. Dip in melted bittersweet chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

original recipe from Food Network Magazine

stand mixer cupcakes

2010-03-02T19:35:00.000-05:00

These were made using my go-to yellow cake recipe and buttercream frosting! It's a KitchenAid recipe, from the book "Great Baking and More." In the past I have substituted 1 cup of the flour with spelt flour, and also I've used butter instead of shortening.

.:Quick Yellow Cake:.
.:ingredients:.
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. low-fat milk
2 eggs

.:directions:.
Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Add eggs. Continuing on Speed 2, mix about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed 6 and beat about 1 minute.

Pour batter into two greased and floured 8 or 9-inch round baking pans, . Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

.: Buttercream Frosting :.
.:ingredients:.
1 1/2 sticks butter, softenend
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
low-fat milk {optional}

.:directions:.
Place butter in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to Speed 6 and beat 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl.

Sift powdered sugar into bol. Add vanilla. Turn to Speed 2 and beat 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed 6 and beat 2 minutes, or until fluffly.

Harvest Stew

2010-03-01T18:26:00.000-05:00

::Crockpot Recipe::

Ingredients:
--1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken (I used chicken)
--1 yellow onion, chopped
--3 chopped garlic cloves
--1 can kidney beans, rinsed
--1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
--3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
--1 whole can tomatoes and chilies (rotel)
--4 cups chicken broth
--1/4 tsp cloves
--1/4 tsp all spice
--salt and pepper to taste

The Directions.

Use a big crockpot for this stew. (I used a 6.5 quart)

I didn't brown the meat. If you are using extra lean ground turkey or chicken, there really isn't a need--the only worry about using beef or pork is the fat content. If you prefer those types of meat, or already have it on hand, brown on the stove top and drain before adding to the stew.

Peel and chop all of the vegetables, and add it to the crockpot. Break up the ground meat with your fingers and add it in. Dump in the kidney beans and the can of tomatoes and chilies. Add the broth and the seasonings. Stir well. It will look like there isn't enough liquid, but more will be made from the vegetables and meat.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. I cooked ours on low for exactly 8. It was perfect.

Homemade Chorizo

2010-02-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well since I just put up a batch of Chorizo I wanted to share this. I have been tweaking this recipe for a couple of years and this works very well. You can cut everything in half if you don't want to make 5 plus pounds, but who would ever think "wow I have too much chorizo"?

5lb ground pork (fatty like a picnic or shoulder, not lean like a loin)

6 -8 Tbs chili powder (ground anchos & pasillas is my favorite)

4 cloves garlic

3 Tbs Smoked Paprika

2 Tbs Oregano

2 Tbs Cumin

2/3 cup Sherry Vinegar

2 Tbs salt

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Work into the meat well. Crush the garlic into the vinegar and pour over the meat, work it together well. Put the mixture in a ziptop bag and lt it sit in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days. Then it can be put into casing to dry (Kitchenaid has a great attachment), or divided up into smaller bags. It does freeze well, or just have lots of friends over and have a chorizo party with 5 lbs of meat ;-)

I like to make chili powered, but a good store bought chili will work. The Sherry vinegar is must, and should not be substituted.

The Kitchenaid meat grinder attachment is one of the best things I ever bought for the kitchen, If you don't have a meat grinder, you could buy ground pork, or buy a boneless boston butt roast, and ask the butcher to grind it for you. Most good stores will do this for you at no extra charge.

maple-oatmeal scones

2010-02-19T21:14:00.000-05:00

so this recipe is from Barefoot Contessa on FoodNetwork. I made these on a whim and found out a few things:

1) you don't have to use the oats if you don't care for them {I accidently forgot them, and the recipe turned out quite well hehe}

2) I substituted 1c of all-purpose with buckwheat flour. It gives it a very different taste, but if you like buckwheat, it's great!

3) in the glaze, you can substitute with agave syrup if you're out of maple. I ran out after about 1/8c maple syrup, topped off the 1/2 cup with agave syrup {it's a sugar substitute}, and added 1 tsp maple extract. you still get a great maple taste!

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash

Directions

Glaze:

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. I like to sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be. {I would recommend leaving the scones on the parchment until the glaze has dried some as it does run quite a bit!}

Cook like a Cuban

2010-02-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

I really love the food I grew up with - Cuban/Puerto Rican. (Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine are very similar to each other, but very different than Mexican). Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine is mostly traditional Spanish with a Caribbean influence.

To create the flavor profile of many Cuban dishes you need four things: Achiote Oil, Sofrito, Adobo, and Sazon Completa.

Achiote oil gives Spanish food the deep yellow color and smokey flavor. The easiest way to make Achiote oil is to put 1/2 cup of good olive oil in a custard dish with one tablespoon of achiote (aka annatto seeds). Microwave on high for 60 to 90 seconds - done!

Sofrito is to Cuban food what mirepoix is to French food — aromatic vegetables and herbs for braising and simmering to create the base layer of flavor. Course chop one large onion, two cubanelle peppers (aka Italian frying peppers) or poblano peppers, one large red pepper, one or two serrano peppers (remove the seeds and veins if you don't like the heat), 15 to 20 cloves of garlic, about one cup of cilantro, half cup of culantro - if you can find it, usually only found in a bodega. If you can't find culantro use extra cilantro. Put it all in a food processor and work it to a course paste. If you don't have a food pro, be ambitious with a knife and cutting board.

I put about 3/4 cup of the sofrito in a zip top bag and freeze for easy use.

Adobo is available everywhere now, it is a blend of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and coriander. I think the Goya version contains msg, so if you are sensitive to msg, you can mix your own adobo, see the google for a multitude of recipes.

Sazon Completa is a blend of savory herbs. I think it is sage, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley. You can buy it on amazon here.

A box of sazon will round out your Cuban kitchen starter kit.

Next post will be basic Arroz con Pollo.

easy whoopie pies

2010-02-12T12:18:00.000-05:00

{my husband's platoon describes these as "oreo cookies on steroids"}

Ingredients

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

1 stick butter

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder*

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

6 oz melted semisweet chocolate

1 jar marshmallow fluff**

* Dutch-processed is hard to find sometimes, you can use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, which is a blend of Dutch-processed, but you can't straight substitute with regular cocoa powder

** you could also substitute with a cream recipe instead of the fluff, this would give it a more traditional whoopie pie taste!

Directions

Beat granulated sugar and butter until fluffy, then beat in eggs, semisweet chocolate, and vanilla. Whisk flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, salt and baking powder; stir into the butter mixture.

Chill 30 minutes.

Roll into balls and bake 6 to 8 minutes at 375 degrees; cool slightly.

Flip over half the cookies, top each with a marshmallow and return to the oven to soften, 2 minutes.

Top with the remaining cookies. {I would test first with one sandwich and wait a minute or two, if the marshmallow is too soft, the top cookie just slides off!}

from Food Network Magazine

Caribbean Jerk Tempeh Wrap

2010-02-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

Ingredients
Serves 4
2 Tempeh Burgers
EVOO spray
4 whole grain wraps
Marinade:
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp Worcestershire
2 Tbsp agave
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp jerk seasoning
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 slices of orange
Sauce:
3 Tbsp light mayo or vegenaise
1 Tbsp reserved marinade
Jerk seasoning, to taste
1 tsp agave
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Slaw Mix:
1 cup slaw mixture (I used a broccoli, carrot, red cabbage mix)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly
1/8 c red onion
Sprouts (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix the marinade in a blender, set aside one tablespoon to reserve for sauce. In a small zip top bag place the two tempeh burgers and the rest of the marinade. Marinate for 24 hours.

2. While tempeh is marinating, in a small dish whisk together the sauce ingredients and in a larger bowl combine the slaw mix.

3. Oil and preheat your grill over medium heat or George Foreman. For the GF cook the tempeh for 4 minutes total, for the grill cook tempeh for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside to cool a bit then slice.

4. Mix the slaw and sauce together. Lay out the tortillas and evenly top each with half a grilled sliced tempeh burger and 1/4 of the sauce/slaw mixture.

*NOTE: I actually made mine with hamburger and regular mayo, and omitted the agave, red onion, and raisins, and it was still pretty amazing.

Found at http://floridacoastalcooking.blogspot.com

Pumpkin Bread

2010-02-05T13:45:00.000-05:00

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 cup sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree (not the spiced kind)
1/2 cup olive oil (I use non-sweetened apple sauce)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. allspice

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour, salt, sugar, and soda.
Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring lightly until just mixed.
Pour into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.
Bake 50-60 minutes.

I've also made muffins from this recipe- they take 25-35 minutes to cook usually.

Rice Pilaf

2010-02-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

This is probably my favorite rice pilaf recipe ever. Extremely simple, makes for great leftovers, and practically anything can be added to it.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 T butter
1/2-3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 cup long grain white rice
1 can (14 1/2 oz) regular strength chicken/beef broth (I use 1 2/3 cup hot water with 2 bouillon cubes)

Salt and Pepper
1 T chopped parsley (optional)

- any other chopped vegetables that you like. Try: green/red pepper, mushrooms, corn, zucchini

In a 2 quart pan over medium heat, cook onion and carrot in butter until soft. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is golden (about 5 minutes).
Add broth and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed (20-25 minutes). Fluff rice with a fork and toss gently with parsley.

If adding other veggies, add in to the butter and onion before rice gets added.

how to make buttermilk

2010-02-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

{from about.com- I've used this- works like a charm! don't think I'll ever buy buttermilk again!}

Making a recipe that calls for buttermilk? Use this simple substitute, and you won't need to buy any:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Milk (just under one cup)
1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

buttermilk pancakes

2010-02-04T16:12:00.001-05:00

{from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham}

MAKES: 14 three-inch pancakes

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg, room temp

3 TB butter, melted

3/4c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Put buttermilk, egg, and butter in mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and blended.

Stir flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl until well blended. Add to buttermilk mixture only until the dry ingredients are moistened- leave the lumps.

Ladle about 3 TB of batter per pancake onto pan or griddle. Cook over medium heat until the bubbles break on top. Turn pancake over and cook briefly.

** this batter keeps well for several days in the fridge

** wrap extra pancakes in foil and pop in the freezer for later

** for Whole Wheat pancakes, replace up to 1/2 the flour with whole wheat flour

** I substitute half the flour with spelt flour

** cooking these on an iron skillet with a little olive oil = best pancakes ever!

Baked Potato Soup (Crock Pot)

2010-02-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

The Ingredients.

--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish; also shredded cheddar cheese or steamed broccoli (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. You can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you want.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times with a whisk during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, cheddar cheese, or steamed broccoli.

Recipe Originally from 'A Year of Slow Cooking' blog

Chai Snickerdoodles!

2010-01-27T00:58:00.000-05:00

After trying this recipe out on a whim a year or 2 back, these cookies have become my default-fallback cookie, but by no means are plain or standard. A slight twist on the traditional snickerdoodle, these seem to go over well with everyone! Also, not too hard to make a vegan variation of these, though I much prefer the real eggs & real butter one. This recipe makes a significant quantity of cookies, which is another good thing, when planning on bringing them to a potluck or party.

Recipe from the lovely Baking Bites. Original page can be found here.

Chai Snickerdoodles
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup butter, soft
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine sugar and spices; remove 1/2 cup of this mixture and place in a medium-sized, shallow dish or bowl (like a soup plate). Add butter to bowl and cream with sugar mixture until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Add to sugar mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in reserved sugar-spice mixture. Place on baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between balls to allow for spreading.
Bake for about 12 minutes, until edges are firm to the touch, but not quite browned. Cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen.