A Little Slice of Domestic Bliss

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting

2011-12-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it. I'm a total sucker for those grocery store sugar cookies in the plastic container with different colored frosting for every imaginable holiday. Orange and black for Halloween? Yum. Red, white, and blue for Fourth of July? Don't mind if I do. Pink, white, and red for Valentine's Day? Do you even have to ask? Loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients though, I'm sure they're not the greatest food in the world health-wise. And while I'm sure the home-made version isn't toooo much better for you, at least they are slightly more natural? Maybe? At least that's what I'm telling myself.

These cookies totally live up to their name is softness. They have a rich buttery taste, and are completely satisfying. And with the endless combinations of frosting and sprinkle colors, they can truly work for any holiday!

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting
Makes 24 cookies

For the cookies:
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
5 Tablespoons of milk (and more, if needed)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Place dough in non-metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for one hour. (I had some straggler dry ingredients at the bowl when I was done, if you do- don't mix them in with the dough.)

After the dough has chilled, scoop a heaping Tablespoon of dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and flatten the ball slightly with the bottom of a glass. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies 2-3 inches apart. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. You don't want to even let them get to a golden brown- and if so, just slightly. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and beat until smooth. Whisk in additional milk if icing is too thick, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Color frosting with gel food coloring, and frost cookies. Top with sprinkles, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

2011-12-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

I love pumpkin in all of its forms- I love it in sweet desserts, I love it savory dishes, I love it in hearty breakfasts. I haven't exactly kept this love of pumpkin I have a secret. And likewise, I can't keep this sauce a secret. I was totally surprised by this one; I threw it together as a one of those "I have these ingredients on hand- it sounds like they could go together- I hope dinner ends up edible" dishes. Oh man, was it edible. I may or may not have eaten the extra sauce up with a spoon.

I've had sauces like this in restaurants, and hoped I could recreate something similar. It has a rich, slightly sweet flavor, and was so good over a mushroom ravioli. We also had it over gnocchi, sausage ravioli, mushroom fettuccine (yes, we had it that many times- it's a great way to use up leftover pumpkin), but the winner was the mushroom ravioli. I'm sure we'll be trying it many other ways as well!

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

3 heaping Tablespoons of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup of heavy cream (or half and half if you want to keep it lighter)
1 Tablespoon of chopped sage leaves
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

1/4 cup of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions: Heat pumpkin, cream, sage, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, and bring to a slight simmer. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir, as the cheese melts and sauce thickens. Serve over pasta or ravioli, and garnish with a bit of shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!

A Little Domestic Bliss original ;)

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

2011-12-07T18:56:00.001-05:00

I don't think there is anything more comforting than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. We have been having a freak warm streak lately, but it has finally cooled down enough to properly savor a nice warm bowl. I have been trying to find some different versions- a bit of a twist if you will- on the classic recipes. And since I am still buying squash after squash like it's going out of style, this Indian-spiced roasted squash soup recipe I saw in Cooking Light was perfect!

This is not the greatest picture- soups are so difficult to get a good shot of- but it is definitely better than this picture looks! It had just the perfect amount of spiciness, and the sweet yogurt garnish balanced that perfectly. It is definitely a new twist on an old standby.

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces of carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 medium acorn squash, quartered
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
dash of black pepper

32 ounces of vegetable broth
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt
4 Tablespoons of honey

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Place the onion, carrots, garlic cloves, butternut squash, and acorn squash on an olive oil-greased jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Put the vegetable mixture into a large stock pot on the stove. Add the vegetable broth, curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Combine the Greek yogurt and honey, and stir until smooth. Drizzle over soup and serve. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Hot Artichoke Dip

2011-11-26T15:26:00.001-05:00

I think I found my go-to hot dip recipe.

Last week, one of my co-workers held a vinatge/craft open-house at her place. She does truly amazing things with found materials and vintage "junk." There were cake stands and platters made with vintage plates glued to old candlesticks, wine bottle stoppers made from antique doorknobs and faucet hardware, and rings made from vintage earrings and brooches. Everything was gorgeous! I ended up buying this ring, I absolutely love the colors.

But what does this have to do with dip? Nothing, really, except that she served a dip very similar to this one! I loved it, may have eaten too much of it, and immediately put it on the list of appetizers to bring to Thanksgiving at the in-laws'.

It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving- totally comforting and delicious. I almost felt bad accepting the compliments, it was too easy as well!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of black pepper

2 cans of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor, mix the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise mixture together with the chopped artichokes. Stir to combine well.

Spread dip into a 9 x 13 glass pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve hot with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!

(I kept it warm throughout the afternoon in a mini crockpot, but it is just as good at room temperature!)

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Chili and October Snow

2011-10-30T14:52:00.003-04:00

It snowed yesterday. Not much snow, just a dusting really- maybe a whole inch in the places it actually stuck to the ground. But the amount wasn't the crazy part. The crazy part is that it's still October! It just does not snow around here that early. I remember going up to my great-aunt's house (at a higher elevation) for Thanksgiving when I was little and being amazed that they had snow on the ground already- at the end of November! So having snow here a whole month earlier than that is pretty darn crazy!

I wasn't complaining though- a cold snowy day definitely provided the opportunity I was waiting for to make a batch of pumpkin chili I had my eye on. I am so glad I did, it was absolutely perfect for a blustery day :)

It wasn't very different from regular chili- the pumpkin taste isn't extremely strong. If you didn't know it was in there, you probably wouldn't be able to pick it up. But the pumpkin did provide a rich and just slightly sweet flavor that added a great "je ne sais quois" to the chili. And as most crock-pot dinners are, this is completely easy to prepare and smells amazing all day!

Pumpkin Chili

2 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red (or yellow) bell pepper, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs. of ground turkey
1 (28 oz.) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14.5 oz) can (or 2 cups) of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can (or 2 cups) of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of frozen corn
1 (14.5 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 Tablespoons of chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon of cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
fresh cilantro
Cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream

Directions: Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, green bell pepper, red (or yellow) bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 8 minutes. When they're done, transfer them to a slow cooker.

Using the same skillet, still over medium high heat, add the other Tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is heated, add the ground turkey, and stirring often to crumble, brown it for about 10 minutes. When it's done, transfer the turkey into slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and pumpkin, stir to combine. Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and stir to mix spices in. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Adapted from What's Cookin', Chicago? original recipe here.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-10-29T18:04:00.001-04:00

H and I have been eating a lot of acorn squash lately. We've received a lot of them from the CSA, and they have been tempting me in grocery store as well. I usually roast them with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and brown sugar- which are delicious, but are getting a bit boring! So when I saw this recipe for a Moroccan-style stuffed acorn squash, it immediately went on the menu. It definitely sounded like a different and delicious thing to do with acorn squash!

We only used one acorn squash, rather than the two the recipe called for, so it definitely made more stuffing than needed, but it was great leftovers for lunch the next day. It is tasty, filling, healthy and easy to make. What else could you ask for?

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded
2 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can (or about 2 cups) of garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of uncooked couscous

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Rub one Tablespoon of olive oil on insides of squash and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, flesh side up. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until mostly soft.

When there is about 15 minutes left on the squash, heat the other Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans, raisins, cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover, and turn off the heat.

Allow couscous to sit for about 5 minutes to absorb liquid. Remove cover, fluff with a fork, and stuff squash halves with the couscous. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes, to get a slight crisp on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrceipes.com, original recipe here.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

2011-10-27T20:22:00.000-04:00

I came across this recipe when I was looking for something different to do with tortillas. I was hoping for a roasted vegetable enchilada, but was intrigued (and a bit skeptical!) by this one. The only way to find out for sure though, is to try it of course!

The flavor was complex and interesting: it had the sweet from the sweet potato, the savory from the tomatoes, and the spicy from the poblano. They all blended together really well and it was a tasty, filling, and very healthy meal!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

2 large sweet potatoes
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tablespoon of chili powder
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups of salsa
8 large flour tortillas
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and roast for about an hour, or until soft when poked with a fork. Unwrap, cut in half, and set aside.

Turn oven down to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add minced garlic and chopped poblano, stirring frequently until fragrant. Add black beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Scoop out cooked sweet potatoes, add them to the skillet, and simmer mixture 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spread enough salsa on the bottom of a 9x13" pan to cover. Place tortilla on a flat surface, fill with sweet potato mixture, and roll tightly. Place the enchilada in the pan. Continue with each tortilla shell, until all are filled. If there is any filling left over, spoon it on top of the enchiladas, then top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with onion and shredded cheddar.

Bake until casserole is hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Care2/Greenliving, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Fifteen

2011-10-23T11:51:00.001-04:00

Last week in our basket, we received a kohlrabi, two bunches of red kale, a bunch of radishes, a large head of romaine, two green peppers, one red pepper, four red ripe tomatoes, five heirloom tomatoes, a spaghetti squash, a delicata squash, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Classic Meatloaf

2011-10-21T16:23:00.001-04:00

I sometimes feel like meatloaf gets a bad rap. It's something that people tend to make fun of, as if it's something that no one really wants to eat. That it's dry, boring, and bad. I don't think so! It's something I loved as a kid, but didn't actually have my own recipe for. I was excited to try this one, and when you need something to make with your macaroni and cheese (as I did), meatloaf is a classic choice!

H declared this "the best meatloaf ever" so it has to be doing something right! It was moist and flavorful and very easy to throw together. It will definitely be put on the rotation around here!

Classic Meatloaf
(serves 4)

1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons of ketchup, divided in half
1/2 cup of panko
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 egg, beaten

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook for about 6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Combine the onion, 3 Tablespoons of ketchup, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and mix with your hands until just combined.

Coat a 8x8" pan with a bit of olive oil. Shape meat into a loaf, place in the pan, and brush the top with the remaining ketchup. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 160. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Fourteen

2011-10-16T18:12:00.000-04:00

There was a bit of a delay in our CSA baskets. Because it was such a rainy August and September, the fall-ier (is that a word?) crops were behind schedule. So we had a few weeks off, and it started back up again this past week.

We received two bunches of green leaf lettuce, an acorn squash, a butternut squash, a spaghetti squash, two white peppers, a red pepper, three heirloom tomatoes, three red ripe tomatoes, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and a pint of cherry heirloom tomatoes. I am so glad that there were more tomatoes to be had! The ones at the grocery store and even the ones from our tomato plants were starting to get that mealy, wintery taste. I'm loving fall in that pumpkin and apple way, but I'm not ready to give up these tomatoes!

Creamy, Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

2011-10-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

There is nothing more delicious and comforting than my mom's homemade macaroni and cheese. Now I know a lot of people make that very same claim, but I doubt most of them have ever tried my mom's recipe! I'm kidding, kidding, of course...

But while there are a hundred wonderful things that can be said about my mom's macaroni and cheese, "healthy" is just not one of them. So when I saw this recipe for Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese in the September issue of Cooking Light, I was skeptical, to say the least. I may have even scoffed at it a bit- "Really? Butternut squash? Macaroni and cheese is no place for pureed vegetables!"

But nevertheless, it had me intrigued, and I kept going back to it. I finally had to make it just to see if it could measure up. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! It definitely held up to the claim of "creamy," which is something I have found difficult to achieve in macaroni and cheese without using Velveeta (which is something I try to avoid, since non-refrigerated cheese kind of icks me out!). The original recipe called for Gruyere and since I am not a huge fan, I replaced the Gruyere in the original recipe with a smoked Gouda. The flavor was incredible!

It didn't take two weeks for this one to reappear on the meal plan!

Creamy, Lighter Macaroni and Cheese
(serves 8)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 1/4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups of skim milk
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt
6 oz. of Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. of Gouda, shredded
1 teaspoon of dried mustard
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 pound of uncooked pasta (cavatappi, shells, or some other kind that grabs the sauce)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 oz. of Parmesan, shredded
1/2 cup of panko

Directions: Place the cubed butternut squash, broth, milk, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is soft.

After the 25 minutes, preheat the oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Remove the squash mixture from the heat, and add the Greek yogurt. With an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender with the center part of the lid removed to allow steam to escape. Cover with a clean towel to avoid splatter, and pour back into the stock pot.)

Add the cheddar, Gouda, dried mustard, and paprika. Stir until cheese is melted and all is well combined. When pasta is done, combine cheese mixture and drained pasta. Stir to cover the pasta in the sauce.

Grease a 9x13 pan with a bit of olive oil. Pour the pasta and cheese mixture in. Top with the panko and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Thirteen

2011-09-18T08:52:00.002-04:00

This week we received a bunch of collard greens, a spaghetti squash, an eggplant, a bunch of leeks, a bag of small German potatoes, an acorn squash, two red peppers, two purple peppers, a butternut squash, four red ripe tomatoes, and two heirloom tomatoes. I'm excited for all the squash, it means fall is almost here!

Mediterranean Couscous Bake

2011-09-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge proponent of meal planning. I think it saves time and money, and helps keep one organized. It also involves making lists, which is something I'm strangely addicted to. However, I usually meal plan on Saturday for the following week and we go grocery shopping on Sunday. Having our CSA pick-up on Mondays sort of throws me for a loop. Since I don't know what we are going to get ahead of time, I am sometimes stuck trying to come up with a way to use something I totally wasn't expecting. And that is exactly how this dinner came about.

I have to admit that I'm particularly proud of this recipe. I wasn't going off of anything, just combining the vegetables that I needed to use up and keeping my fingers crossed. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The vegetables have great flavor without much added to them, and it is great as leftovers as well. I might have to try this one again!

Mediterranean Couscous Bake
(serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main course)

2 green peppers, sliced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of dry couscous
1 Tablespoon of butter
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of dry oregano
1/2 cup of feta cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with a bit of olive oil.

Cook peppers and eggplant in a large pan with the olive oil and garlic until eggplant is cooked and peppers are soft. Put them in the greased pan, and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cook couscous according to package directions, with the butter and salt in the water. When couscous is done, add it to the pan. Add the oregano and feta, and stir to combine. Sprinkle a bit more feta on top, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for 10 more. Enjoy!

Peach Bars with Crumb Topping

2011-09-10T16:31:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe I had these peaches sitting around the kitchen for almost a week before I could decide what to make with them. I thought about pie, I thought about jam, I thought about peach shortbread cookies, but nothing seemed right. I finally decided on these peach crumb bars, and I am certainly glad I did!

I actually added a couple plums to the peaches in the filling and they gave it a bit of a tangy kick. They are the perfect combination of flavors and texture- a buttery, almost shortbread-y crust, sweet peach filling, and a nice, crumbly top. They went fast!

Peach Crumb Bars

1 1/2 cups of sugar, divided into 1 and 1/2 cup portions
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
zest of one lemon
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4" pieces
1 large egg
5 cups peeled, chopped peaches- about 5 peaches (I used 4 peaches and 2 small plums)
5 teaspoons of cornstarch
juice of one lemon
1/4 teapoon of nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with butter, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and flour. Add the salt and lemon zest, and stir together with a fork. Mix in the butter and egg with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Place about half of the dough mixture in the greased pan and press down to cover the bottom of the pan.

In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and nutmeg. Gently mix in the peaches and stir lightly until combined. Using a slotted spoon, spread the fruit evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough with over the top of the peaches.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Twelve

2011-09-08T21:16:00.000-04:00

We had a break from our CSA pick-ups last week, but it resumed this week. I was slacking though and forgot to snap a picture- it was just one of those days. I was held up at work and barely got to the pick-up in time, H had his first night class this semester so he couldn't go for me, it started pouring just as I pulled into the driveway, and the phone started ringing as soon as I got in the house. Oye! That night definitey called for a glass of wine :)

It was quite a haul despite the lack of picture- two yellow tomatoes, three red ripe tomatoes, one pint of heirloom mini-plum tomatoes, two bunches of collard greens, one pint of small German potatoes, two yellow peppers, three Italian roasting peppers, a spaghetti squash, two bunches of sage, and an eggplant.

Zucchini and Spinach Gratin

2011-09-01T19:23:00.001-04:00

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it as soon as possible. I am one of those people who loves bacon a little too much, and I loved the veggies in it as well. I just had a feeling this one was going to be a winner!

It ended up being a great side for chicken and roasted tomatoes, and it worked great as leftovers too!

Spinach and Zucchini Gratin
(serves 6)

2 large zucchinis
pinch of Kosher salt
drizzle of olive oil
6 cups of fresh spinach

4 slices of thick cut bacon
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 white onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
drizzle of olive oil

Directions: Grate zucchinis in a food processor, and place grated zucchini in a strainer over a bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and allow to sit over the bowl for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, and add spinach. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is mostly wilted. Place in another strainer over a bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and allow to sit for 30 minutes as well.

Meanwhile, heat saucepan to medium high and add bacon. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side and remove. Pulse the bacon and with the parsley in a food processor until it's well chopped and set aside. Add sliced onion to the heated pan with bacon grease and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes. Place cooked onion and garlic in a large bowl, and add the bacon and parsley. Preheat oven to 350.

After zucchini and spinach are drained well, place them in the large bowl with the onion, garlic, bacon, and parsley and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and half of the Parmesan to the bowl and combine. Grease bottom and sides of a gratin dish with olive oil. Press vegetable mixture into bowl, and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapeted from Simply Recipes, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Eleven

2011-08-24T18:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been 11 weeks of farm fresh goodness already! Where did the summer go? I'm really going to miss the fresh produce and lower grocery bill in the winter...

This week's bounty includeda canary melon, red kale, a kohlrabi, two beets with greens, two white peppers, four green peppers, an eggplant, a red ripe tomato, a pint of raspberries, and a watermelon.

Tomato, Sausage, and Basil Marinara Sauce

2011-08-21T11:54:00.002-04:00

Our CSA had plum tomatoes for sale this past week, in addition to the tomatoes we got in the regular basket. Since I had been itching to try my hand at homemade tomato sauce lately, we decided to buy some. And by some, I mean 25 pounds. Go big or go home, right?

Well, it turns out that 25 pounds is a heck of a lot of tomatoes. I didn't even use half in my first big stock pot full of sauce. But the plan was to make a ton and freeze most of it for the winter, so I'm sure it'll be fine. The first batch I made was a Tomato, Sausage, and Basil Marinara. Of course, we had to try a bit for dinner before freezing it. It was really good, and definitely a nice twist on the standard red sauce. I'm glad we'll be enjoying this all winter!

Tomato, Sausage, and Basil Marinara Sauce

(makes roughly 15 cups)

30 plum tomatoes

1 (28 oz.) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 (28 oz.) cans of tomato sauce

1/4 cup of red wine (I used merlot)

3 Tablespoons of dried basil

3 Tablespoons of dried oregano

1 Tablespoon of ground fennel seed

6 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

5 bay leaves

6 links of Italian pork sausage (I used mild, as a preference, but hot would work too)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup of chopped fresh oregano

Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Fill a large bowl half way with iced cubes and cold water, and set aside. Lightly slice an "x" in the skin of each plum tomato. When water is boiling, place the tomatoes in (I did about 6-8 at a time). Let them boil for a couple minutes, until skin starts to peel back from the sliced areas. Using a slotted spoon, place in the iced water to cool for a couple minutes and halt the cooking. When they have cooled somewhat, the skin should peel right off. Peel and dice them, and place them in a large bowl. Repeat until all the tomatoes are done.

Place fresh diced tomatoes, canned sauce, canned diced tomatoes, red wine, dried basil, dried oregano, ground fennel seed, garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaves in a large stock pot. (I couldn't find ground fennel seed, so I used whole fennel seeds that I ran through an empty pepper-mill.) Bring to a light simmer, cover, and allow to simmer for 1.5 hours.

After 1.5 hours, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Squeeze sausages out of the casings into the saucepan. Brown the sausage, breaking up the pieces with a fork. When the sausage is browned, add it to the sauce, give it a good stir, re-cover, and allow to simmer for another 2-3 hours. Sauce should be reduced down a good amount from where it started.

Remove from heat, and stir in the fresh basil and oregano. Allow to cool before freezing. Enjoy!

Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen, original recipe here.

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Cherry Tomatoes

2011-08-20T15:50:00.002-04:00

This has to be one of the easiest dinners I've made in a long time. I did find it in a section of "Weeknight Meals Ready in Under 20 Minutes" so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I still wasn't quite expecting this easy. Not only was it an absolute cinch to put together, it was perfectly timed- the veggies cook in the same amount of time it takes to boil the water and cook the gnocchi. Just throw everything together at the end, and violà- dinner! It had me thinking "is that all I have to do?" which is definitely a good thing :)

It has a great, nutty flavor from the nutmeg and Parmesan, and feels like a great "transitioning into fall" dish. And while it's not exactly time to "transition into fall" quite yet, there's not nothing wrong with being prepared!

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Cherry Tomatoes
(serves 4)

1 lb of fresh or frozen gnocchi (I used whole wheat)
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced (I used a golden zucchini)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley

Directions: Slice the zucchini thin (with a mandoline slicer if you have one), chop the shallots, halve the tomatoes, and chop the parsley. Set each aside separately.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it's boiling, add gnocchi. Cook until they float, for about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, while you're waiting for the water to boil, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high. When it's melted, add the shallots and zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes, until shallots and zucchini start to soften. Add the halved tomatoes, Kosher salt, pepper, and nutmeg, stirring occasionally. When gnocchi is done, drain it and add to the veggies. Stir to combine, and mix in the parsley and Parmesan. Enjoy!

Adapted from eatingwell.com, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Ten

2011-08-15T19:20:00.000-04:00

This week's haul included a red seedless watermelon, five red ripe tomatoes, two heirloom tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes, a bunch of escarole, a golden zucchini, a yellow squash, bok choy, a half pint of raspberries, a cubanelle pepper, a sweet German pepper, and a bunch of basil.

I think I'm actually going to go back later in the week to buy extra tomatoes too, so I can make and freeze a tomato sauce for the months to come.

CSA Basket- Week Nine

2011-08-10T17:39:00.001-04:00

Holy tomatoes! We certainly got a lot of them this week :) This week's basket had nine ears of corn, a watermelon, an eggplant, two beets, two red ripe tomatoes, three heirloom tomatoes, five mini heirloom tomatoes, a pint of cherry heirlooms, a half pint of raspberries, and a zucchini.

White Lemon Cake with Berry Topping

2011-08-07T11:46:00.004-04:00

I tend to be an early riser. Well, I am if you compare me to H, at least. Out of the two of us, he is definitely the one who likes to sleep in. And while I love H dearly, I really savor those couple hours of the weekend morning that I have to myself before he wakes up and our day begins.

During the winter, those mornings are often spent wrapped up in a blanket, reading, listening to jazz, and drinking a home made peppermint mocha. In the fall, the windows are open; I'm loving the brisk wind and crisp, undoubtedly fall smell; and I'm more likely than not baking some sort of pumpkin treat or starting a big batch of chili.

This summer, I've been spending those mornings listening to some Ray LaMontagne or Amos Lee, appreciating the soft breeze of the ceiling fan, and putting coffee iced cubes in my morning cup. And yesterday morning, enjoying this cake. Really, really enjoying this cake.

This cake truly made my morning. It manages to be light, yet rich at the same time. The lemony sweetness of the cake is a perfect complement to the slight tartness of the berries. I just used blueberries in the topping, but I bet raspberries or blackberries would be just as delicious.

White Lemon Cake with Berry Topping

(serves 12)

1/2 pint of berries

1 stick of butter, room temperature

3/4 cup of white sugar

1 egg white

3/4 teaspoon of lemon exract

1 cup of cake flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 cup of buttermilk

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Cut a parchment paper round to fit inside your cake pan. Grease parchment paper with a bit of butter, place it in the bottom of the cake pan, and spread berries out on top of the greased parchment.

Beat butter and sugar together with medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add egg white and lemon extract and beat for another 30 seconds.

Combine all dry ingredients (cake flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder) in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to bowl while beating on low. Alternate with buttermilk, ending with dry ingredients, beating until just combined.

Plop batter on top of the berries in the cake pan, and spread to the edges. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on top and the middle is no longer jiggly. (I used an 8" pan, so I may have needed a bit longer. If you're using a 9" pan, check after about maybe 25 minutes.) Allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes, and then invert on to a plate. Cool completely before cutting, and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Inspired by Smells Like Home, and adapted from The Powdered Plum, original recipe here.

Summer Panzanella

2011-08-06T11:21:00.001-04:00

I really don't know why it took me so long to try this recipe. I had bookmarked it last summer, but it fell through the cracks. Since the tomatoes are starting to get ripe now, I figured it would be a perfect time to finally make this dish. After all, fresh veggies and carbs are two of my favorite things :)

It was very easy and filling, and the flavors were just incredible! The vegetables and the bread really soak the flavor up. It is a great side for a picnic, or as a light week-day meal. Just make sure to keep the croutons separate from the salad until you serve it. Otherwise, they'll get soggy!

Summer Panzanella
(serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as a side)

For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons of capers
4 Tablespoons of olive oil
3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

For the salad:
3 bell peppers of different colors, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced

2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1" chunks
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
20 leaves of basil, sliced

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
10 medium slices of Italian bread

Directions: Combine 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil for the dressing with the capers in a food processor. Pulse until they are a paste-like texture, and scoop into a bowl or dressing bottle. Add the other 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Place the chopped tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the pepper and onion slices. Sauté until they start to get a little soft, and then add them to the bowl with the cucumbers and tomatoes. Top with the torn basil. Pour the dressing on the salad, and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. (Don't refrigerate, keep it at room temperature)

Preheat oven to 300. Grease a baking ban with the olive oil, and place slices of Italian bread on the pan. Bake for 7 minutes, remove, flip slices over, and bake for another 5 minutes. Slice bread into croutons. Set aside.

When ready to serve salad, combine with croutons in individual servings. (If you mix all the croutons with the salad and then happen to have left overs, the croutons will get soggy.) Enjoy!

Adapted from Ina Garten for foodnetwork.com, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Eight

2011-08-02T14:12:00.002-04:00

This week was quite a haul as well! We picked up a canary melon (I've never tried one before!), a cantaloupe, a pint of cherry tomatoes, a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, an eggplant, a zucchini, a purple bell pepper, a bag of green beans, two heirloom tomatoes, three red ripe tomatoes, two ears of corn, two pickling peppers, and two mini heirloom tomatoes. Yum!

Tomato and Cheddar Pie with Herbed Mayonnaise

2011-08-01T19:39:00.005-04:00

As soon as I saw this recipe in the August issue of Bon Appétit, I knew I had to make it. It had everything I love- a carbalicious crust, ripe summer tomatoes, and cheesy-oozy goodness. It turned out delicious, although it is pretty heavy and definitely an indulgent treat. The crust is very thick and rustic, and the herbed mayonnaise was so good I wanted to lick it up! I think there is a lot of potential for changing this recipe up too, with different kinds of cheeses and sauces.

The dough for the crust is very sticky and wet, but it turned out fine. And also be warned, it takes a bit of time to put together, and then needs to sit at least an hour after baking and before serving. So skip this one if you're in a hurry, the waiting was tortuous!

Tomato and Cheddar Pie with Herbed Mayonnaise
(serves 4)

For the crust:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
6 Tablespoons of butter, cut into 1/4" cubes
3/4 cup of buttermilk

For the mayonnaise:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 scallion, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

For the pie:
3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4" slices
6 oz. of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 oz. of Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 Tablespoons of cornmeal
1 Tablespoon of olive oil for greasing and brushing

Directions: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Add butter cubes, and mix by hand until mixture resembles coarse sand and some small lumps remain. Add in buttermilk, mix until just combined and form dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with 2 layers of paper towels. Cover with 2 more layers of paper towels, and lightly press down. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, to draw out the moisture.

Place all the ingredients for the mayonnaise in a small bowl, mix well, and set aside. Mix the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses in a separate bowl, and set aside as well.

Preheat oven to 425. Grease a 9" glass pie pan with half of the olive oil, and place the refrigerated dough in the pan. Press down on the middle of the dough, pushing it towards and up the edges. Sprinkle the cornmeal on the bottom of the crust. Top with about 1/4 of the cheese mixture, then place tomatoes overlapping in a circular pattern (pressing down slightly to push out the crust) on top of the cheese, and then spread 1/3 of the herbed mayonnaise on top of the tomatoes. Continue to layer cheese, tomatoes, and mayonnaise, ending with cheese, until all ingredients are finished.

Brush crust with rest of olive oil, and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

Adapted from Bon Appétit, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Seven

2011-07-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

This week has to be the biggest haul we've seen so far! We have a cantaloupe, a bag of green beans, a bunch of carrots, green leaf lettuce, purslane, four red ripe tomatoes, an eggplant, dill, green onions, a zucchini, a yellow squash, three picking cucumbers, and a pint of golden orange cherry tomatoes.I could barely fit it all in the picture!

Sweet and Spicy Chinese-Style Eggplant

2011-07-24T17:43:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers has a very plentiful garden. Our office is extremely lucky, in that she often brings the bounty in to share with the rest of us. She brings in eggplants, all sorts of peppers, heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and zucchinis. This past week, there was a large basket full of eggplant that I could not pass up. I definitely took a couple home with me.

We've had a number of Italian inspired eggplant recipes lately, so I wanted to do something a little bit different. This recipe definitely jumped out at me, and I was curious to try it. It's actually meant to be made with Chinese eggplant, but it still tasted delicious with just regular eggplant. I loved the sweet and spicy combination of flavors, and was a cinch to throw together!

Sweet and Spicy Chinese-Style Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks (or 2 long Chinese eggplants)
1 teaspoon of salt

3 Tablespoons of soy sauce
2 Tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons of corn starch
dash of red pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon of sesame oil

Directions: Place eggplant cubes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with the salt. Fill bowl with just enough water to cover the eggplant, and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, corn starch, and red pepper flakes.

Drain water from bowl with eggplant, and pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Heat the sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok. Add eggplant, and cook over medium stirring occasionally until eggplant is mostly brown. Add sauce, stir to coat, and cook for another couple minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Six

2011-07-19T08:22:00.000-04:00

This week, we received two heirloom tomatoes, two red tomatoes, four ears of sweet corn, a zucchini, a bag of green beans, a bunch of swiss chard, a head of green leaf lettuce, and a bunch of purslane. I am so excited it's getting to be tomato season. There is some gazpacho and stuffed tomatoes on the menu this week!

Cherry Hand-Pies

2011-07-18T17:55:00.000-04:00

Last week our grocery store had an amazing sale on cherries. Needless to say, we now have ... quite a lot of cherries. While H loves to snack on them and I froze a bit more for later, there was still a lot left over that I wanted to use for some baking. When I saw these little hand-pies, I knew they were exactly what I wanted to make.

I loved the concept- all the tasty goodness of a pie, but ... portable. (As if the lack of mobility is what was missing from your traditional pie.) It's possible though! These are perfect for a cookout or a picnic, where it might be too messy and difficult to bring, slice, and eat a full pie. Just grab one of these babies!

Cherry Hand-Pies

for the dough:
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
8 Tablespoons of cold buttermilk
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of lemon extract (or 2 teaspoons of lemon zest)
2 sticks of cold butter, cut into 1/4" pieces
powdered sugar, for dusting

for the filling:
4 cups of cherries, pitted and halved
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
1/4 cup of sugar

for finishing:
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup of sugar

Directions: Combine buttermilk and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, salt, and lemon extract (or zest) to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give it a quick beating to combine. Add the butter cubes, and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Remove bowl from mixer, add buttermilk/vanilla mixture, and mix by hand until dough just comes together. Move dough to a powdered sugar covered surface, and flatten into a thick disk shape. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, put three cups of cherries in a large mixing bowl. Pulse the remaining one cup of cherries in a food processor with the lemon juice until they are a thick liquid. Add the cornstarch to the cherry liquid, and whisk until combined. Then add the sugar, and stir to combine. Add the liquid back to the bowl of cherries, and stir to coat.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator, and place on a powdered sugar-dusted surface. Divide dough into 12 equal parts, and roll each part into a 6" circle, about 1/8" thick.

Preheat oven to 400. Have beaten egg and sugar, as well as cherry filling ready in bowls. Place a dough round on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Spoon about 3 Tablespoons of cherry mixture into the center of the dough. Brush the edge of one half of the dough round with beaten egg. Fold opposite side of dough over to meet the egg-brushed side, into a half circle-shape Press edges together, containing the cherry filling. Brush tops of pies with egg, and sprinkle with the sugar. Cut three 1" slits in the dough to let steam escape. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool on pans for 10 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipes here and here.

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Roasted Green Beans

2011-07-15T12:10:00.001-04:00

Some summer nights, I really just want a salad for dinner. They're light, cool, refreshing, and (usually) you don't even have to turn the oven on. This recipe doesn't meet ALL of that criteria since you do have to roast the beans, but it is still a wonderful and easy summer recipe. And bonus- the roasted green bean recipe within the salad recipe are my absolutely favorite way to eat green beans as it is, and a great side dish for anytime of year.

I love the sweet and salty combination of the watermelon and feta, and the green beans give it a nice sensory kick.

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Roasted Green Beans
(serves 2)

for the salad:
1/2 pound of raw green beans, washed and trimmed
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

4 cups of baby spinach
1/8th of a seedless watermelon, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

for the dressing:
1 lime, juiced
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoon of chopped, fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Grease a metal baking sheet with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Place beans on the baking sheet, and toss with a spatula to coat with the oil. Sprinkle the Kosher salt and black pepper on the beans, and cover the baking sheet with foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, remove foil, and return to oven for 8-10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the dressing in a bottle, and shake well. Place spinach on plates, and when green beans are done, place them on the spinach. Top with the watermelon and feta, and drizzle on the dressing. Enjoy!

Adapted from Ina Garten, for foodnetwork.com, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Five

2011-07-11T19:14:00.000-04:00

This week in our produce basket, we got three cucumbers, two pints of cherry tomatoes, a large heirloom tomato, a giant eggplant, red and green swiss chard, green onions, and two ears of corn. I have a feeling it's going to be a good week!

Chimichurri Sauce

2011-07-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

We had a beautiful bunch of parsley in our CSA basket this week and some cilantro leftover from the BBQ chicken burgers, so I decided to make a chimichurri sauce (fairly non-authentically, as it turns out). But nevertheless, it was very tasty and easy!

I served it over NY strip steaks, but I bet it would be good on pretty much any cut, or even on chicken or pasta, since it is extremely similar in texture to pesto. It'd be a simple way to add great flavor to a lot of different foods.

Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup of parsley
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
dash of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper to season

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until chopped and well combined. You may want to drizzle an extra bit of olive oil, to get it to a bit more liquid consistency. Enjoy!

Adapted from epicurious.com, original recipe here.

BBQ Chicken Burgers

2011-07-08T10:25:00.003-04:00

I know I describe a lot of food on this blog (either dishes from a restaurant or recipes that turn out well) by saying it is "to die for." And these burgers are no different. I made these for our Fourth of July barbecue, and they were a huge hit! They are SO juicy and flavorful and out of the ordinary.  

Just a head's up though- this recipe calls for pulled pork, so plan ahead! I used this recipe, which is for crock pot Hawaiian Kalua pork. The pork recipe is very basic, as I didn't the pork to be too heavily seasoned and compete with the flavor of the burgers. It was extremely easy, it just required a bit of extra time. You could probably leave the pork out, but I really think it took these burgers to the next level.

BBQ Chicken Burgers
(makes about 10-12 burgers)

for the burgers:
2 lbs of ground chicken
1/2 cup of cornmeal
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/2 medium onion, minced

1 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of dry mustard
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar

1 1/3 cups of pulled pork
4 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce

for serving/cooking:
extra BBQ sauce for basting
2 red onions, sliced into rings
8 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
hamburger buns

Directions: Put all of the ingredients for the burgers in a large bowl. Hand mix until everything is well combined. Form about 12 equal sized patties. (I froze the patties for about 30 minutes to make them a bit more solid, since they were pretty sticky and fragile.)

Grease your grill grate, and place burgers and onions on the grill. Close the lid, and allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip the onions and burgers, and brush BBQ sauce on grilled side of the burgers. Close lid again, and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip the burgers again, top with cheese, and close the lid. Cook for about 1 minute, or until cheese is melted. Assemble burgers on buns with grilled onion, and extra BBQ sauce if desired. Enjoy!

Adapted from Pink Parsley, original recipe here.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-07-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

Some people feel red velvet cupcakes are a perfect Valentine's Day treat. I don't disagree, but I certainly wouldn't limit them to that holiday. I think they're perfect for many other occasions. Like Mondays. Or for the Fourth of July. I mean, they're red! What could be more perfect? With the white cream cheese frosting and some blue sugar sprinkles, they are perfectly patriotic little treats.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
makes 24 (and maybe a bit more) cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
5 Tablespoons of butter, softened
1 3/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs

1/4 cup of red food coloring (the liquid kind)
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups of cake flour
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of buttermilk

1 cup of sour cream
1 Tablespoon of white vinegar

For the frosting:
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
5 Tablespoons of butter, softened
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line standard-size cupcake tins for 24 cupcakes.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar with medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each one. Turn mixer off.

Whisk red food coloring and cocoa powder together in a bowl until combined. Add to mixing bowl, beating until incorporated.

Mix the 4 dry ingredients- cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Combine the vanilla and buttermilk. Turn the mixer back to medium, and add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three batches, alternating with two batches of the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined.

Add vinegar to the sour cream, stir to combine, and add to the mixing bowl. Beat on low until just combined.

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full. (You may end up with slightly over 24. I think mine made 27.) Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for five minutes, and then move to racks to cool completely.

For the frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together in a bowl with medium high speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, while continuing to beat mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. (If you're looking for a stiffer frosting, you may need to add more powdered sugar.) Frost cupcakes, and enjoy!

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Four

2011-07-05T21:09:00.001-04:00

Hope you all had a good weekend and a happy fourth!

This week in our produce basket we got two cucumbers, two zucchini, kohlrabi, parsley, escarole, kale, and a bag of green beans. I'm excited to be getting some new things, especially the kohlrabi. I'm going to have to find some recipes for that!

Green Cabbage with Bacon over Pierogi

2011-06-29T08:36:00.000-04:00

I had wanted to make something a bit lighter and more summery with the cabbage we had, but I was really, really trying to avoid going to the grocery store this week. (I've been successful so far!) And since I had a big bag of pierogi and a package of bacon in the freezer, I decided to turn to my trusted cabbage-over-pierogi recipe.

I've made this many times in the past and it is incredibly easy to throw together. It also makes delicious leftovers! It is probably more appropriate for a cold winter day, but it tastes just as good in the summer!

Green Cabbage with Bacon and Pierogi
(serves 4)

4 slices of bacon

1/2 large white onion, sliced

1/4 cup of water
2 Tablespoons of white sugar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of caraway seed
pinch of salt and black pepper
1 large head of green cabbage, roughly chopped

12 frozen pierogi, such as Mrs T's

1/2 cup of sour cream (fat free is fine)

Directions: In a large saucepan, fry bacon over medium heat until cooked. When done, remove the bacon from pan and place on paper towels. Keep bacon drippings in the pan, and add the onion to the same pan. Cook for about 4 minutes, and then add the water, sugar, garlic, caraway seed, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add cabbage to pan, keep at medium heat, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove lid and stir to combine, especially scraping up any browned onions from the bottom. Re-cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pierogies according to package directions. Pulse bacon in a food processor, until it is chopped to large crumbs. When pierogies are done, place on a plate and ladle the cooked cabbage on top of them. Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh bacon bits. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Romaine and Purslane Salad with Tomatoes

2011-06-28T10:20:00.004-04:00

I was searching for a different way to prepare the purslane that we had in our produce basket this week. I knew I wanted to saute it, to see what kind of flavor that gave it. When I found the recipe for this salad and saw that it also used zucchini, I knew it was going on the list to make!

I loved the flavor in this salad, and the combination of the warm vegetables over the cold lettuce! It was very filling, and would even be perfect for a light, summer meal.

Spinach and Purslane Salad with Tomatoes and Zucchini

1/2 of a medium white onion, diced finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of olive oil, plus extra for greasing pan
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of parsely
pinch of salt and black pepper

1 large zucchini, sliced
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch of purslane, washed and thick stems removed
1 large head of romaine, washed and chopped

Directions: Pour a little bit of the olive oil into a saucepan, and heat to medium. Saute onions until mostly soft, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and saute for about another 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley in a salad dressing bottle. Shake well to combine. Add onions and garlic from pan, and shake again.

Heat a bit more olive oil in the pan, add zucchini, cover, and cook until soft and slightly browned (about 5-7 minutes) and when it's done, place it in a large bowl.

Add purslane and chopped tomatoes to the pan vacated by the zucchini, and saute for about 1-2 minutes, or until purslane is slightly wilted. Then add to the bowl with the zucchini and stir to combine. Spoon tomato/zucchini/purslane mixture on top of romaine, and drizzle with the lemon Dijon dressing. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted from Epicurious.com, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Three

2011-06-28T10:17:00.000-04:00

This week's basket was very similar to last week's basket- lots of greens! We received two zucchinis, rainbow chard, baby bok choy, half of a green cabbage, purslane, and mizuna (a type of Asian green).

Kale and Kidney Bean Enchiladas

2011-06-23T14:06:00.001-04:00

Since we had been getting a lot of kale in our produce baskets recently, I have been on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use it. This recipe definitely had what I was looking for! I loved the flavors in here, and was actually a little surprised at just how perfectly everything went together. It ended up being a hearty and filling meal- the kale flavor was almost subtle and it is definitely a different way to use such a bountiful ingredient this time of year!

Kale and Kidney Bean Enchiladas

1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped (I used dinosaur kale)
1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 3/4 cups of kidney beans (equal to one 15.5 oz. can)
1 Tablespoon of hot sauce
1 teaspoon of cumin
dash of salt
12 oz. of enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat tortillas at room temperature
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the kale in handfuls, and stir occasionally as it wilts. Add kidney beans, hot sauce, and 2 Tablespoons of the enchilada sauce. Mix until everything is coated and remove from heat.

Pour enough enchilada sauce in an oven-safe 9 x 13 dish to just cover the bottom. Add filling to the tortillas and wrap tightly. Place seam down in the pan, and repeat until they're all filled. Top with remaining enchilada sauce cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Branny Boils Over, original recipe here.

Chicken and Mushroom Crepes with Rosemary Cream Sauce

2011-06-21T18:45:00.000-04:00

One of my all-time favorite restaurants is Beau Monde, a creperie in Philadelphia. As much as I usually like to order different things when I visit a restaurant multiple times, I always always always end up getting the coq au vin crepe with Swiss cheese and herbed butter whenever I go there. It is absolutely to die for. So when I had some gouda to use up and some Nutella in the cupboard, my mind immediately went to crepes. Don't worry though, I'm not planning on using those two ingredients together.

Where my mind did NOT go (until I was about to pour the batter, at least) was "Hold up, what are you thinking? You have trouble flipping pancakes sometimes, and here you are attempting crepes? This is totally not going to turn out well. I suppose you could make some pasta to toss with the chicken and mushrooms so your dinner isn't totally ruined." But luckily, all turned out well and we were able to enjoy an amazing meal.

Chicken and Mushroom Crepes with Rosemary Cream Sauce
(The recipe for the batter makes 6 crepes, while the recipe for filling makes enough for 4 crepes. I used the two extra for dessert.)

For the batter:
4 eggs
3 teaspoons of honey
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of non-fat milk

For the filling:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 sprigs of rosemary

2 Tablespoons of butter
12 oz. of button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of half and half
1 Tablespoon of flour
1 Tablespoon of chopped rosemary

extra butter for greasing pan (about 1-2 Tablespoons)

4 oz. of gouda cheese, shredded

4 sprigs of rosemary to garnish

Directions: Whisk together eggs, honey, and salt. Add flour and stir to combine. Slowly add milk, lightly whisking until smooth. Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.

Place chicken breasts in a small pan so they fit snugly, but not overlapping. Cover with water, and add rosemary sprigs to the water. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to just barely a simmer and keep partly covered for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, and allow chicken to sit in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken, shred/cut into pieces, and set aside.

Melt half of the butter in a saucepan over medium high, and add mushrooms. Saute until cooked, remove, and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, melt the remaining half of the butter, and add garlic to the pan. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add half and half and chopped rosemary, stirring frequently as it reduces.

Whisk flour and 1 Tablespoon of water together to form a roux, and add to the cream sauce, stirring to combine. When sauce is thickened, add chicken and mushrooms, and stir enough to coat. Remove from heat, mostly cover, and set aside.

In a new pan, with a large, flat bottom, melt a bit of the extra butter over medium heat. Slowly ladle crepe batter into the pan and spread until it is a large circle and reaches the edges of the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until edges start to look cooked. Gently flip crepe, and then add a spoonful of filling to the center of the face-up side and top with gouda. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, and bring edges up so that they wrap up the filling. (my pan wasn't big enough to get them properly wrapped, so mine looked more like enchiladas than crepes. Totally worked though!) Hold in place with a spatula if needed, and cook for another minute or so. Scoop onto a plate, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a bit more cheese. Repeat for the 3 remaining crepes. Enjoy!

And use up the remaining batter for dessert crepes! I cooked them the same way, spread Nutella on them, covered with sliced bananas, rolled them up, and topped with powdered sugar. Yum!

Different pieces of the recipe were adapted from Poor Girl Eats Well, Healthy Hedonista, and About . com.

CSA Basket- Week Two

2011-06-21T18:35:00.000-04:00

This week in our produce basket we had dinosaur kale, green cabbage, boston lettuce, romaine, zucchini, and purslane. I was especially excited to try the purslane, because it was something I've never had before. We tossed a bit in the salad last night, and it gave it a nice bite- it has a slightly salty and sour flavor. I think I'm going to find a way to cook up the rest of it.

And remember the strawberry plant I mentioned last week? The one where that darn bird was getting to all the strawberries before we could? Well, guess what bird- we win! We got one (one!) strawberry to ourselves (yes, we each took a tiny bite) so far. And boy, was it delicious. Perfectly juicy strawberry goodness.

Kale and Soba Salad with Salmon, Edamame, and Avocado

2011-06-16T18:07:00.000-04:00

Week one of the CSA produce basket included a lot of kale, so this recipe is one of the ones I found to use it all up!

It had a rich, nutty flavor from the tahini and was very filling and delicious.

Kale and Soba Salad with Salmon, Edamame, and Avocado
(serves 4)

12 oz. of salmon fillet
dash of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped

2 Tablespoons of tahini
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons of honey
dash of red pepper flakes

8 oz. of soba noodles
1 1/2 cups of shelled edamame

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

Directions: Preheat broiler. When it's ready, place fish skin side down and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork. Remove from oven and tent with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, mix tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place chopped kale in a large bowl and pour the sauce on top. Mix kale and the sauce with your hands for about 5 minutes, or until kale is wilted down.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add soba and edamame. Let boil for about 5 minutes, and then drain. Add soba noodles and edamame to kale mixture and stir to combine.

Separate into 4 bowls and top with chopped avocado and flaked salmon. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cara's Cravings, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week One

2011-06-14T18:13:00.001-04:00

H and I have what some call a black thumb. Last year's garden didn't fare too well. It didn't get enough sun, and all the work I did to try and critter-proof the area didn't exactly keep them out.

This year we amped up the critter-proofing, and while that seems to be going well, the new, "sunnier" area we chose for this year isn't as sunny as we thought it would be. In our defense, the new spot was extremely sunny when we dug the garden (in March), before any of the trees had leaves! The soil doesn't seem to be as good in the new spot either, and nothing is really growing. We do have a strawberry plant in a separate pot that's doing well, but every time a strawberry starts growing, a bird gets to it before we do. I guess no one ever said gardening is easy!

So in order to get my fill of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the summer and fall (since they certainly weren't going to be coming from our garden), H and I decided to join a CSA. For those who aren't familiar, CSA stands for community supported agriculture. Basically, you invest in a local farm by paying a fee early in the year and then get a share of the crops throughout the harvest season.

We were really excited for it to start, and this week brought our first basket of fresh produce. Our basket included red and green chard, a large bunch of kale, two heads of romaine, bok choy, a bunch of scallions, and two zucchinis. Luckily, the farm's website had the week's produce listed before we picked it up, so I was able to have all my recipes planned out!

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2011-06-09T18:53:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, time to get out of the kitchen and outside grilling! I am always looking for new, lighter sides to bring to a big barbeque or just to make with an easy weeknight meal.

This one tastes great, is very healthy, and so easy to prepare. I can see us having it many times this summer, especially after tomato season is in full swing!

Tomato and Cucumber Salad
(serves 8)

10 italian tomatoes, quartered
2 cucumbers- skins left on, sliced thinly
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of fresh ground pepper

Directions: Mix cut veggies together in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, prepare the dressing (olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper). Drizzle dressing over vegetables, and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving cold. Enjoy!

Adapted from Rachael Ray for foodnetwork.com, original recipe here.

Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce

2011-05-03T18:38:00.003-04:00

I love the mussels at my favorite Belgian tavern in the city, Eulogy. They are to die for; they are so tender and the sauce is amazing to soak up with the hunks of bread they give you. And their beer list is nothing to shake a stick at either! I've always wondered if I could recreate something like them at home, and finally decided to give it a try.

This recipe wasn't inspired by anything in particular that my tavern has, but they were very tasty. I served it over angel hair pasta and spinach to turn it into a meal, but it would be great as an appetizer as well. Either way though, you definitely need a big hunk of bread to mop up all that delicious sauce!

Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce
(Serves 2)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a medium white onion, diced

1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of clam juice
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
black pepper

1 pound of fresh mussels

Directions: Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and cook until fragrant and onions are soft. Add white wine, and allow to reduce slightly. Add clam juice, tomatoes with juice, red pepper, and a dash of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend together.

Rinse mussels, and discard any that have opened. Bring the sauce back to a boil, and add mussels. Cover and allow to boil for 6-7 minutes, occasionally giving the pot a fast rotate/shake to allow the mussels to cook evenly. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon, and ladle the sauce on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream

2011-04-24T14:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter! Hope you are having as lovely of a spring day as we are here!

We had a nice relaxing morning, and then attempted to dye some eggs, which didn't turn out as gorgeous as we hoped. We are headed out to H's parents' house for dinner soon for a nice, small get-together.

MIL said it would be great if I could bring a dessert, and we all know what the answer to that was! I found a number of desserts incorporating Cadbury Creme eggs (swoon), but I doubted they'd be as much of a crowd-pleaser as I would hope (although I may have to try some of them soon!). I love the combination of lemon and raspberry, and decided on something using those light, spring-y flavors: lemon cupcakes filled with raspberry jam and topped with a lemon buttercream.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream
(makes 24)

For the cupcakes:

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of sugar
2 sticks of butter, at room temperature

4 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
zest and juice of 3 lemons
1 cup of buttermilk

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups of seedless raspberry jam

For the frosting:
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon of lemon extract

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325. Line 24 standard cupcake tins.

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on medium until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mixing after each. Mix in the lemon zest (should be about 3 Tablespoons) and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, alternating with 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and the buttermilk, and mix until just combined.

Fill tins about 3/4 full of batter, and place in oven for 12 minutes. Rotate, and place back in oven for another 10-13 minutes, or until they are starting to turn golden brown.

Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling: Fill a pastry bag with the raspberry jam (I found it easier to use half the jam at a time and refill when needed) and attach a medium-sized round tip (I used Wilton #10). Use a small, sharp knife at a very shallow angle to cut a circle out of the top of the cupcake. Then knock a bit of cake off of the bottom of the piece you remove and set it aside. Use a very small spoon (I use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon) to hollow out the cupcake a bit more, careful to not hit the bottom. Fill with the jam, and place the top back on, pressing down and wiping away any extra jam as needed.

Frosting: Cream butter on medium high until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Lower the mixer to medium and add the powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add in the lemon extract after the sugar. Place mixer on high for 10 seconds to aerate the frosting. Frost cupcakes as desired. (I split up the frosting in 4 bowls, added a different gel paste color to each, frosted with a butter knife, and topped with sprinkles). Enjoy!

Cupcakes and frosting adapted from Martha Stewart, original recipes here and here.

Hawaiian Pork Kabobs with Pineapple Rice

2011-04-23T16:37:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite parts of the warmer weather is definitely being able to cook dinner on the grill outside. I love the delicious smell that floats through the air as dinner is grilling away, and that smoky flavor the food has when it's done. It's also a great time to enjoy a cold beer or nice mojito on the porch after a long day!

This one has great, classic flavors and would be easy to throw together throughout the spring and summer.

Hawaiian Pork Kabobs with Pineapple Rice

1 (large) can of pineapple chunks, drained with juice set aside

2 boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1" cubes
Kosher salt
black pepper

2 bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red) chopped into 1" chunks

1/2 cup of brown rice
2 scallions, diced
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Directions: Season cubes of pork with a dash of Kosher salt and black pepper. Place in pineapple juice (with the pineapple chunks already removed), and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Split pineapple chunks into two separate bowls. Alternate pork cubes with peppers and one bowl of the pineapples on skewers. Place skewers over indirect heat on the grill for about 10-15 minutes, or until edges start to char, rotating once.

Meanwhile, place other bowl of pineapple chunks into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to a pulp. Cook the rice according to package directions. When it's done, mix in the scallions, pineapple pulp, and ginger; stir to combine. Serve with the pork kabobs. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Tortellini with Spinach and Prosciutto

2011-04-17T11:08:00.003-04:00

I am really starting to love these recipes I've been getting from Cooking Light lately. The past few I have tried have been so fast and easy to throw together on a busy weeknight, they have good, wholesome ingredients (for the most part), and boy are they tasty. This was definitely another one, and I am excited to make it again!

Tortellini with Spinach and Prosciutto

1 16 oz. package of cheese tortellini

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of dry white wine
1 10 oz. package of baby spinach
6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 oz. of prosciutto, thinly sliced and torn into smaller pieces

black pepper
2 oz. of Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. When water is boiling, add tortellini. When they are all floating, that means they are finished cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add nuts to pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until toasted- about 1 1/2 minutes, and then set aside. (I totally forgot this step and it was still delicious)

After nuts are done, heat olive oil and wine in the non-stick pan, and add minced garlic. Cook a few minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced, and then add spinach. Cook until mostly wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and add prosciutto.

Drain pasta, place in a large bowl, and add spinach prosciutto combination. Stir to combine, and top with pine nuts, a dash of black pepper, and the grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Salmon with Orange Caper Relish

2011-04-15T19:54:00.002-04:00

Yikes! It has certainly been a while, hasn't it? I don't have any excuses, I'm just going to have to jump right back in to this whole blogging world!

We've had some wonderful weather lately, lots of sunny days in the 50's and 60's. I'm really enjoying it. Some years the weather seems to skip spring completely- one day it's in the 30's and the next is in the 70's. So I'm really trying to savor it this year. H and I have already broken out the grill, and have enjoyed dinner outside on the patio a number of evenings so far. (Eating outside with the late sunlight does wonders for the quality of my photos too- certainly can't complain about that!)

I'm also starting to gravitate towards lighter, spring-ier dinners, and this is definitely one of them. This was so easy to throw together, and had great flavor. I served it with roasted asparagus and a side salad.

Salmon with Orange Caper Relish
(serves 4)

1/4 of a large red onion, cut into slivers
splash of olive oil
3/4 cup of orange marmalade
1 Tablespoon of orange juice
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons of capers

2 salmon fillets- 1/2 lb. each
kosher salt
pepper
splash of olive oil

Directions: Saute red onion slices in olive oil until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Place in a bowl, and mix in next 5 ingredients, up through the capers. Place in the refrigerator to chill through the rest of the prep.

Coat a large cast iron skillet lightly with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Season salmon fillets with kosher salt and pepper, and place on the skillet. Cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pan, and top with orange caper relish. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Five Bean Salad

2011-03-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

I've been feeling a bit groggy in the afternoons recently.

My go-to fix is a second (or third) cup of coffee, which I know isn't the greatest choice. It rarely gets me out of my fog and more often than not, it just gives me a bad case of jitters. I did a bit of research (aka Googling), and it finally dawned on me that the high number of carbs in the sandwich and fruit that I usually eat for lunch may be contributing to that sleepiness later. Maybe steering more towards a high-protein lunch could be the solution I need.

So I started looking for lunch ideas of the high-protein variety, and found this one. I love that it's so versatile. You can certainly switch up the varieties of bean you use, or skip any if you don't like them. Definitely tasty, and definitely healthy!

Five Bean Salad

2 cups of black beans
2 cups of pinto beans
2 cups of navy beans
2 cups of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 cups of kidney beans

1 package of frozen white corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

3 Tablespoons of olive oil
3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar (I ended up using a bit more)

salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions: Cook frozen corn, and then mix all of the beans and vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar topping, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Enjoy!

(This is a great base recipe, and I've been adding lots of different things for more flavor- I've tried feta cheese, cilantro, cooked shredded chicken breast, and a can of tuna. All of those mix-ins have turned out well. I also love the extra boost of protein some meat or cheese brings in.)

Adapted from SparkPeople, original recipe here.

A Dining Room Transformation

2011-02-23T19:32:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest differences. And while the thing I'm referring to isn't exactly small, I definitely didn't expect it to pack quite the punch it did.

H and I decided to see what the stores had to offer on Black Friday last year, and there were definitely some good deals. I had wanted to put a mirror above the buffet in the dining room for a long time now, and when we found this gorgeous frame for 60% off, I scooped it up right away. We bought some mirror glass for it, and this past weekend, we FINALLY got around to getting it framed.

And while the guy at the framing department at Michael's kind of laughed at us for not doing it ourselves, I really thought it would best be done by a professional. I didn't want to ruin H's grandmother's antique buffet, or be cleaning up shards of glass for days on end, after the glass would have inevitably fallen out of the frame.

Here is the before (at Christmas):

And here it is now:

But anyway, I love how it turned out! It really anchors the dining room, and it's a great focal point. I think it makes the room look more formal as well, and I love how it reflects the kitchen. I just really love those little things that make such a big difference! We are slowly coming along...

Herb and Mustard Encrusted Rack of Lamb

2011-02-16T19:45:00.001-05:00

Happy belated Valentines' Day! I hope you all had a wonderful day and were able to spend some quality time with those you love. While some may see the holiday as cliché and over-commercialized, I stand by the belief that it's still a wonderful opportunity to show those around us how much we care.

H and I were lucky enough to have a two-part celebration. I planned the first half, which was a quiet dinner at home on Saturday night. I love a chance to cook something a bit fancier than I would normally, and searched long and hard for something that H was sure to enjoy. I finally decided on Herb and Mustard Encrusted Rack of Lamb and Wild Mushroom and Potato Gratin. They looked fancy, but not difficult, it was definitely out of the ordinary for us, and the recipes had very high ratings. Seem like winners to me!

And boy, this turned out beyond my wildest expectations, I was totally impressed. It was really easy, still special, and soooo delicious! And most importantly, H LOVED it! I am so glad I found this recipe!

Herb and Mustard Encrusted Rack of Lamb
Serves 2

1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
1/2 Tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 rack of lamb (8 ribs per rack), trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, mint, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then drizzle with one Tablespoon of olive oil and stir until well combined.

Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat other Tablespoon of oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, then brown lamb, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a roasting rack, fatty side up.

Spread fatty side with Dijon mustard. Pat bread crumb mixture over lamb, pressing slightly so it sticks well.

Roast lamb for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 (without touching bone) registers 130 (for medium-rare). Transfer to a cutting board, let stand 10 minutes, then cut into chops. Enjoy!

Adapted from epicurious.com, original recipe here.

Cheddar Beer Dip

2011-02-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

As any warm blooded American knows, last weekend was the Super Bowl. I am not a huge football fan as it is, and if I have no connection to either team playing my fan-dom dwindles even more. I still watch the game though, I'm a fan of the commercials and I enjoy any excuse to enjoy company and have snacks and beer. H's parents' were hosting a get-together, so we went to their house for the game.

I wanted to bring something that kept well, and stood up to being on the coffee table all evening. Nothing warm, and nothing too heavy as we were having a right old feast of lasagna, meatballs, salad, chicken tenders, and crab-cakes. Of course, some sort of dip was the logical choice, and when I found this recipe, I knew it would be perfect!

I didn't have a chance to get a picture of the dip as we were running out the door, but got one later in the day. I wasn't going to include it, but then I realized this picture perfectly describes how delicious the dip was!

Cheddar Beer Dip

3 cups of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about an 8 oz. block)
1 package (8 oz.) of cream cheese
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of flavorful beer (I used Sam Adams Pale Ale)
2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh parsley

Place cheddar, cream cheese, Dijon, cream, hot sauce, and salt in the base of a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Slowly pour in the beer and continue to pulse in few-second intervals until smooth. Empty food processor into a bowl, and stir in the parsley. Serve with bite-size pretzel logs. Enjoy!

Adapted from Lemons & Love, original recipe here.

Pizza Dough

2011-02-04T14:01:00.002-05:00

Doughs with yeast have always intimidated me. The particular temperature the water needs to be, all that fussy rising, and the horror stories I've heard were all more than enough reason to steer clear.

I was craving pizza for dinner this week, and decided I would bite the yeast dough bullet and try my hand at a pizza crust. I heard that pizza crust was a good starting point, and I hoped it was true. I searched for a recipe and decided on Alton Brown's Pizza Dough. I generally like his recipes, the detailed instructions and bits of chemistry he includes. And bonus- this recipe was for two pizza doughs. I hoped I wouldn't mess up!

Well, it turned out to be not that difficult. I was definitely surprised. The only problem I had was that I didn't roll it out enough before placing it on the pizza stone, which led to a slightly small, and denser pizza. Totally my fault though, and now I know for next time.

We topped it with pizza sauce, sausage, peppers, onions, and shredded mozzarella. And let me say, I am never, NEVER buying pizza crust again. This was spectacular! I wasn't going to include a picture, as we devoured this before I had a chance. Then I figured I would just drop in a picture of the second dough that I stuck in the freezer, the one that we will be using very soon!

Pizza Dough
Makes 2 crusts, 4 servings each

2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/2 Tablespoon of kosher salt
2 cups of bread flour

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup of warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 teaspoon of instant yeast

2 teaspoons of olive oil

Directions: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine salt, sugar, olive oil, and 1 cup of flour. Set aside.

Heat water to between 105 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally, and measuring with a candy thermometer. (It's easier to use more water than you need, and scoop out 3/4 of a cup so you can more accurately take the temperature.) Pour 3/4 cup of water into a measuring cup, and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow yeast to foam for a minute or two, and pour into mixer with flour mixture. Add in remaining cup of flour, and mix to just form a ball.

With a greased (with olive oil) kneading hook, knead dough for 10-15 minutes on medium. Tear off a small piece of dough, and pull apart. If it stretches before breaking, the dough is done. If it just breaks, knead for about 5 more minutes.

Drizzle olive oil on dough, and roll into a ball. Place in a ceramic or glass bowl (not metal) and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours.

Heat oven to 500 and place pizza stone in, allowing it to warm up with the oven. Remove dough from refrigerator and cut into two halves. Wet your hands and roll each half into a ball. Place each half in (separate) a bowl, cover with a tea towel or cloth napkin, and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

After this stage, if you are not using both doughs at the time, place one in a greased ziploc bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 days. You can freeze it as well (I wrapped mine in plastic wrap and secured tightly with a rubber band to freeze).

Now, flour your hands and work space and place pizza dough on it. Roll the dough out thin, rotating and creating a lip around the edges. Remove pizza stone from the oven, and slide dough on to it. Top with desired toppings and brush edge of crust with olive oil. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing, and then enjoy!!

Adapted from Food Network, original recipe here.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

2011-01-22T16:14:00.001-05:00

I've been MIA again recently; I've been extremely busy at work. And since work is... ah, kind of where I usually write my blog posts... that is the main reason. Of course I could have written them at home, like a normal person, but the last thing I wanted to do after spending 9 hours glued to a computer screen is come home and sit in front of a computer screen.

Also, we haven't had anything too exciting in the past week. It mostly consisted of turkey leftovers from a Thanksgiving-themed dinner party we had with a few friends last weekend. But enough excuses. Let's get cooking.

I didn't forget about my healthy eating goals for this year, and this recipe follows along that line. I've had a bag of cranberries in my freezer for a while now, and I've been dying to use them up. I found this recipe, and if definitely adhered to my newly healthy standards. They were really good, I loved that tart bite of cranberry contrasted well to the sweetness of the muffin. If you're not a fan of tart, I bet the dried sweetened cranberries be delicious as well!

Orange Cranberry Muffins

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1 cup of orange juice
1 Tablespoon of honey
1 Tablespoon of canola oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 cup of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Crumb topping:
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of brown sugar
3 Tablespoons of cold butter, diced

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Place 18 liners in a standard cupcake pan (not a jumbo muffin tin).

Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder) in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix all of the wet ingredients (applesauce, orange juice, honey, oil, and vanilla).

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and pour the wet ingredients in. Pour in the cranberries and chopped nuts, and mix until just moistened. Place about 2 Tablespoons of batter in each tin.

For the crumb topping, put the butter, brown sugar, and flour in the base of a food processor and pulse a few times, until the mixture resembles course sand. Sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen, original recipe here.

Cranberry Leek Quinoa

2011-01-12T08:17:00.002-05:00

I recently bought a big bag of quinoa on a whim. It's a fairly new ingredient to me, so I am constantly looking for interesting ways to use it. I am quickly falling in love though, quinoa is so healthy, delicious, and versatile!

With the chicken stock, sage, and cranberries, this recipe kind of has the flavors of stuffing, which I LOVE! This would be great with chicken breast mixed in, as the original recipe directs, or as a side for a chicken main course.

Cranberry Leek Quinoa
Serves 4

1 1/2 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and uncooked
1/3 cup of dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 leek, sliced
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1/4 cup of dry white wine

Directions: Heat chicken stock to a simmer in large saucepan. Add quinoa, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes. When quinoa is done, remove from pan into a large bowl, and mix in dried cranberries.

Pour the olive oil in the saucepan, and add the leek and sage. Cook until the leek is wilted, about 5-8 minutes. Pour in the white wine, and allow to burn for about 30 seconds. Add the quinoa/cranberries back in, and allow to cook uncovered for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted (loosely) from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Pesto Fish Kabobs

2011-01-10T17:59:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my first attempt at healthier eating this new year! Cooking Light is one of my favorite sources for lighter recipes, and that is where I came across this recipe. It was easy as can be and delicious as well. It doesn't get any better than that, as far as I'm concerned!

Pesto Fish Kabobs
Makes 6 skewers (3 servings)

1lb. of firm white fish, such as halibut (I used cod, because halibut was way too expensive)
2 Tablespoons of basil pesto
1 large red bell pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Cut fish into 1" chunks. Pour pesto on top of it, and mix to coat fish. Place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes, to let flavors soak in.

Meanwhile, cut pepper into about 1" chunks as well. Alternate pepper and fish on skewers, and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cook in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Happy New Year! (and Chocolate Raspberry-Filled Cupcakes)

2011-01-05T18:31:00.001-05:00

Happy new year, everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable New Years Eve, and that your 2011 is full of health, wealth, and happiness.

For New Years Eve, H and I, and two of our friends, had dinner at the Smith in NYC, which I would definitely recommend if you're ever in the area! Our friend chose the spot mainly because it wasn't crazy expensive, included a three-course meal, and a table that was ours for the night (funny how things have changed since the days when an open-bar and great DJ so we could dance the night away were top priorities). We were expecting the food to be decent, but it totally blew our expectations out of the water! The food was really, really, good. It was traditional American with a slight modern spin. We were very impressed! And the champagne sangria was delicious :)

The only downfall of the night was that there was no official countdown and the big ball wasn't on a TV there. This led to about 10 different drunken, randomly started countdowns between 11:58 and 12:02. Oh well! But on to the new year...

I'm not too big on resolutions, since I can never keep them, yet I still try. My goal for this year is for healthy eating and exercising to be more of a lifestyle for me, and less of a quick fix. I need to learn some darn moderation! I have the will-power to to diet and lose weight when I force myself to, but I'm too strict with myself, which causes me to burn out. And then I stop exercising completely and don't watch what I eat at all. And that bingeing is exactly what's happened in the past couple months. It's really not pretty when your loose, flowy tops are starting to become too snug. Yikes!

So I'm going to try to steer towards a bit more healthier recipes in the coming months- I'm excited to eat a bit cleaner, greener, and healthier. But I just have to sneak this cupcake recipe in first! It is the last of the recipes I made for the soup kitchen dinner last month, so it doesn't count, right??

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream 

for the cupcakes: 
9 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 1/2 cups flour 
1/2 teaspoon of salt 
1 teaspoon of baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder 
8 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature 
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature 
1/2 cup strong coffee (or water) 
1/2 cup of low-fat milk

for the filling: 
1 cup of seedless raspberry jam

for the frosting:
16 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups of powdered sugar 
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam 
Pink icing color

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 and line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time.

In a measuring cup, combine the coffee and milk. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until just combine. Stir in the coffee-milk mixture. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a small spoon or knife in the top of the cupcake to create a small hole in the center for the filling. Spoon in about 2 teaspoons of raspberry jam in each cupcake. (It may help to heat it up a very tiny bit to make it easier to work with. Be careful not to heat it to the point of being liquid, as it will just absorb into the cupcake.)

Finally, for the frosting, place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until well combined, for about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Tint with the pink icing color as desired. Ice cupcakes, top with chocolate jimmies, and enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Gingersnap Cookies

2010-12-30T16:57:00.001-05:00

I definitely have quite the soft spot for gingersnaps. My mom used to buy them every fall, and I looked forward to that crispy, spiced cookie treat all year. My tastes have evolved a bit since then though, and my favorite way to eat them now is to dip them in my coffee.

Gingersnap Cookies

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 of teaspoon salt
3/4 of cup butter, softened
1 cup of white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water
1/4 cup of unsulphered molasses
2 Tablespoons of white sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the flour mixture ingredients into the molasses mixture. Place dough in freezer for about 20 minutes to harden.

Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields about 30 cookies. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce

2010-12-29T18:40:00.001-05:00

Happy holidays! I hope you all had a peaceful holiday, and got to spend some quality time with family. H and I definitely had a wonderful few days off, and were lucky enough to be able to visit with both of our families, as well as enjoy some quiet time to ourselves.

Santa was extremely kind to me as well! I got a number of kitchen toys- an immersion blender, a couple mini crock-pots, another set of Pyrex containers (you can never have enough of those babies), and a mini egg pan with egg flippers from joie. I am so excited to try them all out!

I also continued the tradition ( can I call it that yet?) of our seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. I used a couple recipes from last year, and changed another up. Here is one that is oh-so-easy, and absolutely delicious! I have to admit, I am torn between keeping it a Christmas tradition, and making it way more often. As usual, I apologize for the none-too-appetizing photo, but I promise it tastes a whole lot better than this picture looks!

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
Serves 6

2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup of tomato paste
2-3 Tablespoons of capers

6-8 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons of white sugar
2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
1 pinch of ground black pepper
1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

2 (6 oz.) cans of minced clams
1 (12 oz.) can of whole baby clams

12 oz. of linguine pasta (3/4 of a box)

Directions: Combine all ingredients, up until the clams, in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 45-60 minutes. Add the clams, and some of the juice (I use about half) and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve over linguine. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2010-12-22T22:27:00.001-05:00

In my early baking days, I loved making Christmas cookies, and my absolute favorite one to bake was Betty Crocker's Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie with chunks of candy cane mixed in. It was truly a heavenly combination. When I found this recipe for a slightly more grown-up version, I knew I had to try it.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

8 oz of semisweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup of packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract
1 package of chocolate chunks
5 peppermint candy canes, roughly crushed

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Gradually add the chopped chocolate, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract on a high speed until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce speed to low and add chocolate/butter mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture, while continuing to beat on low.

Remove bowl from stand, and mix in chocolate chunks and crushed candy canes by hand. Drop onto baking sheet in heaping Tablespoons, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, and transfer to wire racks. Yields about 20 cookies. Enjoy!

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, original recipe here.

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

2010-12-21T19:25:00.000-05:00

I had an amazing baking opportunity last week. One of my co-workers volunteers at his local soup kitchen, and every year they host a large holiday dinner. They prepare all of the food themselves, and last year close to 800 people showed up for it.

A couple weeks ago, he sent an email around asking for volunteers to help contribute some baked goods. I signed up immediately. I knew this would be a great chance to do something I enjoy, and help others at the same time.

I ended up making 3 types of cookies for the dinner- Gingersnaps, Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies. I also made a Raspberry-filled Chocolate Cupcake with a Raspberry Buttercream icing. I was thrilled to get my hands "dirty" with all this baking and then hand it off, bringing some holiday cheer to those in need. We certainly didn't need all those sweets sitting around!

Here is the recipe for the Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies, and the rest of the recipes will be in subsequent posts!

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 peanut butter- or caramel- filled chocolate candies, unwrapped
2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together peanut butter and butter on medium speed. Slowly add brown sugar, and beat until light and smooth. Add in eggs, beating after each, and then add the vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, and beat until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes, until it hardens slightly and is easier to work with.

Scoop out about 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough. Flatten into somewhat of a patty-shape, and place 1 candy in the middle. Top with another heaping Tablespoon of dough in the same shape, and press lightly down on edges to enclose the candy. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, pull out, and gently press dough down with the bottom of a drinking glass. (It may be handy to have a small dish of sugar handy, to dip the glass in between cookies, in case glass begins to stick to the dough.) Continue baking for 3 more minutes, or until they just start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool on sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 12 cookies. Enjoy!

Note: If you use caramel-filled candies, and you have a penchant for eating cookies warm out of the oven, be careful! The caramel will be hotter than the cookie.

Adapted from Bake or Break, original recipe here.

Moroccan Chicken and Vegetables

2010-12-13T18:11:00.001-05:00

I really enjoy Moroccan cuisine, but it is another one of those things that I've only had in restaurants and never tried to make at home. When I came across this recipe and realized I already had most of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try. I didn't have saffron, though, and neither of the two grocery stores near us did either, so I decided to combine it with another recipe I found. The spices were slightly different, and I had them all on hand.

This was so delicious, and totally easy! Do all the chopping and prep work first, and you'll be able to just dump everything in the pot and be good to go. This was great as leftovers too, the flavors really blended together.

Moroccan Chicken and Vegetables

4 chicken thighs
salt / pepper
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 zucchini, sliced
5 carrots, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 can of chickpeas

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
3/4 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup cilantro

Directions: Rinse and pat dry chicken thighs. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and garlic in stock pot, and put chicken thighs in. Brown on both sides, but they don't need to cook completely through at this time.

Add the remaining ingredients up until the pine nuts, including the vegetables, spices, and chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Serve over brown rice or couscous and garnish with the pine nuts and cilantro. Enjoy!

(We had the leftovers in pitas, which were delicious as well!)

Adapted from Apple a Day and allrecipes.com, original recipes here and here.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza

2010-12-09T17:58:00.000-05:00

Spinach and artichoke dip is one of my favorite savory treats. I've never actually made it at home, but there are few things I enjoy more than a bubbly, cheesy, creamy spinach and artichoke dip at a restaurant with nice, thick, pita slices to scoop it up. So when I found this recipe for spinach and artichoke pizza that would let me turn one of my favorite indulgences into something that is considered an acceptable meal, I was sold. How could I not be?

I added sun-dried tomatoes and chopped onions, since I had them on hand and thought they would be an interesting addition. You may feel those additions are blasphemy to the very idea of spinach and artichoke dip, so you can feel free to leave them out.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pizza
(serves 4)

2 Tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 cups of milk (I used skim, and it worked fine)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese (split into two 1/4 cup portions)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
10 oz. of fresh spinach, washed and chopped

1 10-12oz. jar of artichoke hearts, artichokes halved
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pizza dough (thawed if it was frozen)
2 Tablespoons of cornmeal

Directions: Preheat oven to temperature your pizza dough recommends. When oven is hot, insert pizza stone (or baking pan if you don't have one) to heat it up.

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add red pepper flakes and garlic, and saute over medium heat for about 1 minute. Whisk in flour, and stir until combined and smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, continuing to stir. Allow to simmer lightly and thicken for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat after 5 minutes, and stir in first 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the salt.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, and add onions and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add spinach, and cook until just wilted. When done, press as much liquid out of the spinach as possible. Add to the white sauce, and stir to combine.

Remove the pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Roll out dough and place on the pizza stone. Spread spinach mixture all over the top. Place artichoke halves all around, and then cover it all with mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and bake for the time your pizza dough recommends. Enjoy!

(Note: I put that this makes 4 servings, as it did for a main course. If you're using it as more of a side, it can probably serve 6. Servings also depend on your pizza crust as well.)

Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, original recipe here.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

2010-12-07T17:32:00.001-05:00

I have been somewhat MIA lately. It is definitely a busy time of year! But, I have a number of things on my to-make list that I am quite excited about, so hopefully that will change in the near future. But for the first order of business...

One of the things I love about having people over (other than seeing my dear friends and family, of course) is being able to cook/bake dishes that I wouldn't normally make for just the two of us. And an entire cheesecake would certainly fall into the category of one of those dishes that I wouldn't make for just us.

So this past weekend, when H and I, along with MIL, FIL, BIL, and his girlfriend gathered at our place for dinner after picking out our Christmas trees at the farm, I knew I had a chance to make one of those dishes that I had reserved for a larger group of people. I had my favorite beef stew cooking away in the crock-pot, a nice loaf of French bread to soak up the gravy, and for dessert (not to toot my own horn or anything) one of the greatest cheesecakes I've ever had. Seriously. This was just that good.

This recipe was on the cover of my December issue of Cooking Light. I wanted to make it the second I saw it, and I was so happy to finally have the perfect occasion. I probably fattened it up slightly (but not too bad), and I think I made it a bit easier as well. Please note that you will need a large roasting pan for this recipe. The original recipe has you putting a 9" spring-form pan into a 9X13" baking pan, which doesn't exactly work all that well.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups of chocolate graham crackers crumbs (approximately 6-8 whole crackers)
5 Tablespoons of butter, melted

For the swirl:
1 1/2 cups of cranberries
1/2 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons of raspberry jam
3 Tablespoons of water

For the filling:
2 1/2 (8 oz.) packages of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Line the inside and outside of a 9" spring-form pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together in a bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan, to all the edges. (You can do up the sides a bit if you want, but I just did the bottom.) Bake crust for 8 minutes, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325.

Meanwhile, heat cranberries, sugar, water, and jam in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop. Set aside and allow to cool, for about 20 minutes. When cooled, pulse mixture in a food processor until mostly smooth.

Place softened cream cheese into stand mixer bowl, and beat on medium-low with the sugar until smooth. Beat in Greek yogurt, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition.

Pour cheese mixture over chocolate crust. Spoon cranberry topping over the filling, swirling lightly with a butter knife. Place spring-form pan into large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with about 2" of hot water. Place roasting pan in the oven and bake cheesecake for 50 minutes.

After 50 minutes, it will still be a little jiggly in the center- like a Jello consistency- but that is what you want. Turn oven off, and allow cheesecake to sit in inside with the door shut for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and remove cheesecake from water bath. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Cake will then firm up, and allow you to remove it from the pan with ease. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Caramelized Pear Spice Cake

2010-11-29T18:45:00.001-05:00

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful three (yes, you read that right- three) Thanksgiving dinners this weekend. We had one with my extended family Thursday, one with my grandparents Friday, and one with H's family Sunday. I'm excited to be moving on to the Christmas holiday now, as I have to admit, I'm beginning to feel a bit turkey-ed out!

For the main event, which was hosted by my mom on Thanksgiving Day for 25 people, she asked me to bring a dessert. The pumpkin and apple pies, however, were already taken care of. Ooh, perfect- a challenge! I wanted to keep it fall-y, and kind of wanted to stay away from pumpkin and apple all together. I decided I'd love to do something with pears, and turned to my trusted companion Google to find the perfect recipe. I found this one for a caramelized pear upside-down-cake, which sounded easy, and I loved that it could be served at room temperature. I decided to turn up the spice a bit, as I loved the idea of a spiced pear cake, and here is what I came up with.

The topping is absolutely delicious, but I was actually a bit disappointed with the cake part. It tasted kind of dry to me, so when I make this again (which I definitely will), I am going to look for a different spice cake recipe to use instead of this one. It was still a hit though!

Caramelized Pear Spice Cake
Serves 8-10

For the topping:
3 medium Bartlett pears
4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup of brown sugar

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit a 9" round pan, grease it with a bit of butter, and place in the bottom of pan. Peel, core, and slice pears into about 1/4" thick slices. Arrange in the bottom of the pan in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping each other.

Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, and continue to gently stir until smooth and combined. Pour caramel mixture over the pears in the pan, and give the pan a little spin to even it all out.

Mix the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix milk and vanilla extract. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter with medium speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add brown sugar, continuing to beat. Turn speed to low, and add in eggs, mixing until combined. Slowly add the flour and milk mixtures, alternating in 5 stages, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then flip cake onto a plate to allow to cool completely, peeling off parchment paper if necessary. Enjoy!

Adapted from Fine Cooking, original recipe here.

Maple Dijon Chicken

2010-11-24T19:07:00.000-05:00

The MO for dinners this week of Thanksgiving has been easy, fast, and light. One night I had some butternut squash to roast up, and decided to have chicken thighs with it. As far as how I was going to cook them, I couldn't quite decide, but I was drawn to some maple Dijon flavoring. I turned to my good friend Google, searched for "maple Dijon chicken," and came across this recipe. Sounded good to me, so on to the menu it went.

This was so good and so easy! The flavor was amazing, and although it went very well with the butternut squash, it would have been great to have some rice or pasta to soak up all those nice juices. I will definitely be making this one again. I know this picture doesn't make it look all that appetizing, but it's so good, I promise!

Maple Dijon Chicken
Serves 4

4 chicken breast pieces (I used thighs, which worked as well)
2 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 shallots, chopped
2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

1 cup of chicken broth
2 Tablespoons of honey Dijon mustard
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

Directions: Rinse and pat dry chicken. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and place chicken in pan. Cover, and brown for about 6 minutes on each side.

When chicken is browned on both sides, remove from pan and set aside. Add more olive oil as necessary, and place shallots and garlic in pan. Sauté for a few minutes, until nearly soft.

Meanwhile, mix chicken broth, mustard, maple syrup, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. When shallots and garlic have sautéed a few minutes, add liquid, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a simmer, add chicken back in, cover, and allow to simmer for about five minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Kitchen Daily, original recipe here.

Cinnamon, Pumpkin, and Squash Pot Pies

2010-11-16T19:26:00.000-05:00

When I first saw this recipe, I just knew I had to try it! It absolutely spoke to me, but for a reason I could not put my finger on. It did have pumpkin of course, which I am definitely a fan of, but as far as the ingredient list as a whole, I was skeptical, quite honestly. Maybe I was just feeling curious and adventurous, but I finally bit the bullet and made it. I really had no idea what to expect, but I was blown away! This one is a winner!

It was a bit time consuming, but well worth the effort. It can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to bake it, so it would be a great way to wow your guests at a dinner party!

This recipe made enough to fill 8 6-ounce ramekins. I definitely think it would be better in slightly larger ones, maybe 4 10-ounce ones instead. Also, I'll say it served 4 to be safe- I was OK with one of these (in addition to a salad and roasted squash) for dinner, but H needed two to feel full.

Cinnamon, Pumpkin, and Squash Pot Pies
(serves 4)

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 cups of pumpkin puree
1 Tablespoon of chopped, fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of salt
black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 leek, chopped

1/2 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half)
1 Tablespoon of cinnamon

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 of a butternut squash, peeled and diced

1/2 cup of heavy cream (I used half and half)
1/2 cup of golden raisins
1 handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 scallions, chopped
6 basil leaves, chopped

3 oz. of herbed Brie, sliced thin
3 oz. of mozzarella, shredded
3 oz. of Cheddar, shredded

1 pie crust (I used this recipe), cut out into circles just slightly larger than your ramekins
1 egg white

Directions: Heat oven to 425. Wash and wrap sweet potatoes in foil, and cook for about 45-60 minutes, depending on size.

When potatoes have about 20 minutes left, mix pumpkin puree, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl to combine. Spread mixture on an aluminum-covered baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes (still at 425, so you can do this while the potatoes are still in there).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan, and add leek and garlic. Saute until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add in heavy cream and cinnamon, and cook over medium for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin mixture, and stir to combine.

Spray the bottoms of your ramekins, and divide pumpkin mixture evenly between them. Set aside. (When sweet potatoes are done in the oven, probably around this stage, remove, unwrap, peel, chop them, and set aside. Turn oven down to 350.)

Heat olive oil in a saucepan, and add onions and butternut squash. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and raisins, and let cook over medium heat until squash is cooked through- about 10 minutes. Add in scallions, basil, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, and mix lightly to combine.

Remove from heat, and stir in mozzarella, Cheddar, and Brie until fully melted. Divide squash mixture evenly between ramekins, on top of the pumpkin.

Top each ramekin with a pie crust circle. (If you are preparing these ahead of time, now is the time to cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.) Brush each top with an egg wash, and bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350, or until top is golden brown. Enjoy!

Adapted from The Novice Chef, original recipe here, originally from RecipeLink.

Meal Plan... Tuesday

2010-11-16T19:17:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Ours was too short, as usual. Here is what is on the menu for this week.

And if you think my meal plan last week was somewhat lacking, just wait until you see this week's! And a day late to boot. I really need to get back on track next week.

Monday: Mexican Shredded Pork Burritos with Refried Beans (hey wait, wasn't that on the menu last week, you ask?? Yes, it was. And it never got made. I told you I need to step up my game.)

Tuesday: leftover Cinnamon, Pumpkin, and Cheese Pot-pies (blog post on these to come shortly!)

Wednesday: Lasagna with Ground Turkey and Spinach

Thursday: out to dinner

Friday: out to dinner

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-08T12:59:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone. I hope it was a good weekend! This week is a bit lacking in the cooking department, but what can I say, it's a busy week!

Monday: Chicken Marsala over Pasta and Broccoli

Tuesday: Out to dinner

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Shredded Pork Burritos with Refried Beans

Friday: Dinner with family

Saturday: Squash and Pumpkin Pot Pies

Turkey Stuffing Burgers / Cranberry Relish

2010-11-05T17:24:00.006-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of most Thanksgiving food, believe it or not. The turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and even the pumpkin pie are all good, but I could take them or leave them, honestly. The stuffing, however, is a different story. I love stuffing, I could eat boatloads of it. Seriously, I am drooling just thinking about it.

I already had turkey burgers and sweet potato fries on the menu for this week when I came across this recipe for Stuffing Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Relish. The ones I had on the menu were boring, uninspired turkey burgers though. Just your standard lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ketchup on a bun. So it was an absolute no-brainer to nix those plain-Jane-I'll-just-throw these-on-the-menu-because-I-can't-think-of-anything-else in favor of these Stuffing Turkey Burgers. And man, best decision ever.

I was seriously so excited to make these all freaking week! I often switch around the menu around depending on what we're in the mood for that night, or if there's anything that needs to used up first. What kept pushing these back though, was the fact that the recipe calls for day-old corn bread. And what do you know, you have to bake cornbread the day before in order to have that! Apparently planning in advance is not my forte. Finally, I decided eff it, I can't wait any longer. I'll just make the corn bread the same night.

How has this combination of stuffing flavors in a turkey burger (with cranberry relish no less!) never been brought to my attention before? I suppose I'll just have to be "thankful" that I found this recipe at all!

Do I even need to tell you that I enjoyed these? I think H loved them just as much as I did.

Turkey and Stuffing Burgers with Cranberry Relish
Makes 6-8 burgers

for the relish:
1 cup of whole berry cranberry sauce
2 Tablespoons of apple cider
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

for the burgers:
1 Tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tablespoon of dried sage
1/2 Tablespoon of dried thyme

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 1/2 cups of day old cornbread, crumbled
1 egg

1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1 teapsoon of salt
pinch of black pepper

Directions: Mix all of the ingredients for the cranberry relish, and refrigerate while you prepare the burgers. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, and saute celery and onions with sage and thyme until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, mix turkey, egg, bread, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning together in a bowl. When onions and celery are cool, mix in with the turkey and knead to combine all ingredients. (Feel free to add a bit more of the spices, especially thyme and sage, if you really want that stuffing flavor to kick.) Form into 6-8 burgers. Heat a non-stick grill pan to medium-high. Cook burgers about 6 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve with cranberry relish, on toasted buns, and enjoy!

Adapted from Pink Parsley, original recipe here.

The Farm Life

2010-11-05T08:16:00.003-04:00

The other weekend H and I went camping with a couple friends. This trip wasn't your standard pitch a tent in the woods and roast marshmallows on the fire type camping though. We were actually camping on a farm. Our friend found it through Time Out New York magazine, and we all thought it sounded like a great idea.

Basically, you rent a cross between a cabin and a tent and stay on a farm. Our "tent" had wood floors and the frame of a cabin, but the walls were canvas. It also had (cold) running water, a flushing toilet, and a wood-burning stove. Here are a few pictures of our home sweet home for the weekend.

(our cabin during the day)

(and when it was getting dark. I won't even try to post a picture of how it looked at night. They're all dark, blurry messes!)

The farm we stayed on was Stony Creek Farm, in Walton, NY through the Featherdown Farms program. The farm owners were wonderful hosts- they were so friendly and absolutely full of information. We learned so much from them, and had so much fun.

The food there was incredible! The fresh vegetables were amazing. The meat was delicious. And I can't even express how wonderful milk and eggs taste when they are only a few hours old. Seriously. I wish I could eat like this all the time. We did all of our cooking over a wood stove, which definitely took a bit of practice, but is oh so worth it.

(we were able to gather fresh eggs from the chickens in the morning)

One of the things we all got a kick out of was milking the cows. It's a lot harder than it looks, and it's kind of scary to be so close to such a large, powerful animal! And it is not easy to fill up a whole bucket!

(this is one of the dairy cows, Sierra, and the bull Zeus. They were so cute and love-y)

(I never thought I would have a picture of myself milking a cow. But here we are!)

We loved the pigs! We ended up visiting them 4 times throughout the weekend. They were so cute and friendly, they fought for attention and loved being petted. Any time we walked up to their pen, they ran towards us squealing. Adorable.

(with my piggie friends!)

(aw, so cute!!)

And although it was a lot more "winter-y" than it is here, there were still some amazing views. These are a couple that I took out the window of our cabin.

Beef Barley and Vegetable Soup

2010-11-02T23:14:00.001-04:00

I have been on a serious soup kick as of late. I think I've made a large pot of some type of soup every week for the past month. There are so many things I love about soup- how easy it is, how perfect it is for this weather, the sheer number of possibilities, and most of all, the amount of leftovers it makes! Because of that last reason, I tend to choose Mondays to make the weekly large pot of soup so we can enjoy for lunches throughout the week.

This week I was craving a beef barley soup, so when I found this recipe, I knew I had to make it. It was definitely easy, and oh so delicious!

Beef Barley and Vegetable Soup

1 lb. of chuck roast, cut into cubes (you could also use stew beef, which would be super easy)

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 onion, sliced thin
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 package (6-8 oz) mushroom mix

1 cup of pearl barley

8 cups of beef broth
1 cup of red wine

2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of thyme
3 bay leaves

Directions: Brown beef cubes in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil. Place in a large stock pot. Add can of diced tomatoes, onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and barley. Add beef broth, red wine, and spices and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

Adapted from epicurious.com, original recipe here.

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

2010-11-01T16:42:00.004-04:00

This side dish is one that is very healthy and extremely versatile. I often serve it with light, Italian dishes. You can pretty much use any veggies (or herbs!) that you wish, or whatever you have on hand. I've used parsnips, red onion, other types of peppers and squash, even green beans in it, and it's always turned out well. Just make sure to put any harder, takes-longer-to-cook vegetable in with the first batch and others with the second (you'll see what I mean when you read the recipe!). The sweet potatoes seem like a strange addition, but I really like the flavor they give it. There's always something about that sweet/salty combo...

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables
Serves 4

1 Tablespoon of olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 or 3 handfuls of baby carrots
2 red peppers, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
1 large zucchini, sliced
2 portobello mushroom heads, sliced

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of dried basil
black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Grease bottom of 9X13 glass pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Put sweet potatoes and carrots in the pan, and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and put peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, and zucchini in the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Return pan to the oven, and roast for 30 minutes more.

When vegetables are done, remove from oven and use a spatula to mix. Let cool slightly. In a large ziploc bag, mix balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, and pepper. Place vegetables in, and shake to coat. Remove from bag, and place in serving bowl. They can be served warm, or room temperature. Enjoy!

I have been using this recipe for quite a long time, and am not sure where it originally came from. I tried to Google it, to see if I could find the source, but with no avail. Please let me know if it is yours, or you know where it came from!

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Here is what is on the menu for this week:

Monday: Beef Vegetable and Barley Soup

Tuesday: Baked Breaded Chicken Breasts with Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Wednesday: Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday: Poached Eggs over Fall Vegetable Quinoa Hash

Friday: dinner at my parents'

Saturday: leftovers from the week

S'mores Brownie Bars

2010-10-29T19:13:00.003-04:00

Last weekend when we went camping again, I was looking for another s'mores inspired treat to bring with us. I made the cookies, for our last adventure, so of course I wanted to do something different. I decided on a s'mores bar, and after browsing around a bit, I chose to combine two different recipes.

These turned out delicious, and exactly what I was hoping for. But let me just say, these were RICH! I certainly can't say I wasn't forewarned- the recipe I used for the brownies was called "Chewy Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies" after all. I'm not complaining (really!), but had I known exactly how sinful these were, I probably would have cut them a bit smaller!

S'mores Brownie Bars

Graham Crust:
3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 sticks of butter, melted
2 Tablespoons of sugar

Brownie Layer:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of all-purpose flour

Toppings:
1 handful of mini marshmallows
3 graham crackers, crumbled
2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9X13 pan with foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and mix until combined. Press the crust into the pan, and push out to all the corners until the bottom is covered. Bake for about 7 minutes, and set on a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, melt butter for the brownies in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, and stir until combined. Immediately remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl (doesn't need to be a stand mixer bowl, since these are all mixed by hand) combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined. Add chocolate mixture and stir to incorporate. Stir in flour until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan over the graham cracker crust and spread to the edges. (This will be one thick batter!)

Bake for about 18 minutes, and then remove pan to sprinkle toppings on the brownies. Try to "glue" down the graham cracker pieces with marshmallow to make them stick. Return to oven, and bake for about 6-8 minutes more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, and cut into 24-30 pieces. Enjoy!

Brownies adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here, and graham cracker crust from My Baking Addiction, original recipe here.

Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup

2010-10-26T22:09:00.004-04:00

New Jersey has always gotten somewhat of a bad rap. TV shows like Jersey Shore and the Real Housewives of New Jersey certainly didn't help this, yet I can't blame it all on them. However, I love where I live. New Jersey has both beaches and ski resorts, forests, farms, and cities. We experience all four seasons, yet nothing too extreme. We're within a few hours drive from most major cities in the Northeast. And most importantly, New Jersey is the Garden State.

Laugh all you will, but until the other weekend I really had no idea how much produce came out of the Garden State. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of Jersey tomatoes in the summer, and I know there are a large number of blueberry and cranberry fields nearby too. But the farmers market H and I went to made me realize that those few things are far from all the area has to offer.

Now I've been to farmers markets before too, of course, but they've usually been small, mom-and-pop, side-of-the-road ones with just a few things to pick from. This one, however, was huge! Huge. I was surprised to see eggplants, pumpkins, pears, more types of squash, peppers, greens, and apples than I knew existed, all grown on the neighboring farms. And when I saw the you-pick schedule that included grapes, peaches, cherries, raspberries, and plums throughout the summer, I was blown away. Who knew? Clearly, not me.

I was definitely inspired, to say the least. All those fresh, cheap ingredients was like heaven for me. H had to stop me from going a bit crazy.

Two of the vegetables that I bought were kale and butternut squash. I've never cooked with either of these before, so needless to say I was excited. I did want to find a recipe that included both of them, and at times like that, I turn to allrecipes.com's ingredient search. There was only one recipe that included both of those ingredients (which made my decision easier) and it sounded good, so onto the menu it went.

It turned out really well! It was hearty, filling, and healthy, and the butternut squash gave it a great flavor. I got some crusty French bread to serve with it and absorb all that delicious broth.

Butternut Squash Vegetable Soup
(serves 8-10)

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cups of chopped kale
12 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of salt
black pepper

Directions: In a large stockpot, saute onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add carrots, butternut squash, and potatoes, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Add vegetable stock, kale, thyme, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for at least 45 minutes.

Take about 3 cups of the soup, and set aside. When slightly cooled, place into a blender. Puree until it reaches a thick liquid, return it to the stock pot, and stir. Serve with a crusty French bread, and enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-10-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

Here is what is on the menu for this week:

Monday: Leftover Spinach Pesto Lasagna

Tuesday: Almond Crusted Tilapia with green beans and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Filets with Mushroom and Herb Mac and Cheese and Broccoli

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

Friday: Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

French Apple Tart

2010-10-20T23:40:00.004-04:00

One of my farm market finds last weekend was large basket of red delicious apples. They ended up being more than we could eat, so I went on a mission to find something to bake them into. Pies still intimidate me something fierce, so I decided to look for a tart. H loves fruity desserts, and probably would have been (secretly) disappointed had I baked them into muffins or cupcakes. I found a recipe for a French Apple Tart from Ina Garten, and since I've heard nothing but praise for her recipes, I decided it would work. To be honest though, it did still intimidate me, but I decided to bite the bullet.

And yes, I'm glad I did! Of course it didn't turn out as beautiful as the one in the picture, it was still delicious and not as difficult as I expected. And H loooved it, which of course, made me happy as well :)

French Apple Tart
(serves 6-8)

For the dough:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar
12 Tablespoons of cold butter, diced
1/2 cup of ice cold water

For the apples:
4-6 Granny Smith apples (I used red delicious, which worked as well)

1/2 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Directions: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to mix. Add diced butter, and pulse 10-12 times for 4 second intervals, or until butter is no larger than the size of peas. With the motor running, slowly pour ice cold water down the feed tube until dough starts to form. Dump onto a floured work surface, and knead into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough onto a floured work surface and trim to about a 10x14" rectangle. Place on baking sheet, and place in refrigerator while you prep the apples. Wash and peel apples, and slice them vertically into 1/4" slices (removing the cores). Arrange them in overlapping slices over the dough. Sprinkle the whole cup of sugar all over the apples, then cinnamon, and then arrange the diced butter on top of that.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples start to brown slightly. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly. Loosen tart from parchment paper with a metal spatula. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Adapted from Food Network, original recipe here.

Ham and Potato Soup

2010-10-19T22:25:00.002-04:00

It's finally started to get a bit chilly in these parts, and my fall comfort food cravings have officially begun. Finally! Thick, hearty soups are one type of food I've been excited to make.

When I came across this recipe for ham and potato soup, I thought, "this looks delicious, but where's the cheese?" (which I may think more often than I'd actually like to admit). I made a mental note to add a bunch of cheddar cheese to the recipe when I got around to making it.

Well, wouldn't you know, when I was making my grocery list for the week, I totally forgot the fact that I was planning to add cheese and ended up not having any on hand. And the last thing I wanted to do on the cold, rainy, perfect for a thick, filling soup type of night was drive out in the rain to pick up some cheese. Even I have my limits. So no cheese. We'll have to see how this goes.

Well, fear not! This recipe turned out pretty darn good, even without the cheese! The flavors were awesome, and it was stick-to-your-bones comforting.

Ham and Potato Soup
(serves 6)

4-5 large potatoes, chopped
1 small bunch of celery, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cups of cooked ham, finely diced
4 cups of water
1 packet of (sodium-free) instant beef broth
1 teaspoon of salt
black pepper

5 Tablespoons of butter
5 Tablespoons of flour
1 cup of skim milk
1 cup of half and half

Directions: Place potatoes, onion, celery, and ham in a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add salt, pepper, and instant beef broth. Bring water to a boil, and keep at a rolling boil until potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

When potatoes are tender, heat butter in small saucepan and when it's melted, create a roux with the flour, whisking often. When fully mixed, add to boiling potatoes and veggies. Stir to combine, and mash the potatoes with a fork a bit to smooth them out. Add the milk and half and half, stir to combine, and let boil for a few minutes more. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes, original recipe here.

I apologize for the slightly less than appetizing photo, but I swear it was delicious! I've learned that creamy soups are a bit difficult to photograph...

One Year Ago Yesterday...

2010-10-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

I married my best friend. I absolutely cannot believe it's already been a year!

We enjoyed a low-key weekend together at home. No trips or anything fancy, just some quality time together. We slept in, went to the farmers' market, had a picnic, watched baseball, went hiking, had some wine, and enjoyed a candlelit dinner at home- perfect. I look forward to many more years together!

Meal Plan Monday

2010-10-18T17:31:00.004-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Here is what is on the menu for this week:

Monday: leftovers from this weekend

Tuesday: Turkey Meatball Sandwiches and Caesar salads

Wednesday: Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

Thursday: Butternut Squash Vegetable soup with French bread

Friday: TBD from farmers' market finds

Spicy Shredded Pork

2010-10-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

This recipe for spicy shredded pork was on our menu for last week, and boy, did it make a lot. I froze the rest in 2-person size portions, and we've been enjoying it for lunches ever since.

I never posted about it, but I really loved it so much that I can't not share! The flavors are incredible and the meat is as moist and tender as it gets. And of course, being a crockpot meal, it's as easy as pie!

This is absolutely perfect served in a flour tortilla, with a little bit of salsa and sour cream, and some fresh cilantro.

Spicy Shredded Pork

4-7 lb. pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
black pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves
1 onion, quartered
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 cups water

Directions:
Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

Combine the spices, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork shoulder, in the crevices and folds. Place pork shoulder in the crockpot. Add the onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar, and water. Set crockpot to low and let cook for about 10 hours.

When done cooking, remove pork from crockpot, and shred with a fork discarding the bone and fatty pieces. Serves about 8-12, depending on the size of the pork shoulder. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars

2010-10-12T18:34:00.002-04:00

Remember my pumpkin rules?

Well, I don't know what's gotten into me, but I have not been following them too closely as of late. First I go all crazy and make something as daring as pumpkin lasagna, and now I've gone off and baked a batch of pumpkin bars to (gasp) share!

We were tailgating last weekend with friends, and I wanted to bring a fall-y dessert, to off-set all the savory snacks we'd be having. I didn't want anything fussy or frilly- this is a tailgate now, not a tea-party! So when I found these on my "to-bake" list, I decided they would be perfect for the occasion.

They were a big hit! These turned out to be like a combination of cake and a brownie in texture, and the white chocolate and butterscotch chips were a perfect touch!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of white chocolate chips
1 cup of butterscotch chips

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with foil.

Mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl, and set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until well combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Spread batter on foil-covered baking sheet, bringing it to all the edges. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until edges start to pull away and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, and cut into 24 pieces. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Meal Plan Tuesday

2010-10-12T10:15:00.000-04:00

I am not doing very well with my Monday meal plans. I have no excuses for yesterday, I just forgot! But here it is on Tuesday...

Monday: Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches with Grilled Zucchini and Tomatoes

Tuesday: Parmesan Tilapia with Cheesy Brown Rice

Wednesday: Ham and Potato Soup with Roasted Broccoli

Thursday: Feta and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mediterranean Quinoa

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: date night with H

Perfect Strawberry Maple Syrup

2010-10-09T11:24:00.001-04:00

I love flavored syrups on pancakes. It's a great way to spice up otherwise boring, plain pancakes. It's also a great way to create interesting flavor combinations by adding them to pancakes that are already special on their own.

I had been on the search for a perfect strawberry (or any fruit, really) maple syrup recipe for a while though. All of the recipes I found had extras like orange juice, apple cider, corn syrup, vanilla extract, water, flour... the list goes on. But none of them were exactly what I was looking for. I decided to give it a try and make my own. Plain old strawberries and maple syrup. No frills. And wow! I do believe I've found it! We had this over chocolate chip pancakes, and it was amazing!

Perfect Strawberry Maple Syrup

6-8 large strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions: Simmer strawberries and syrup over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, while smashing strawberries with a fork. Pour over your favorite pancakes and enjoy! Makes 2 servings. Enjoy!

(Haven't tried this yet, but I bet this recipe would be good with any type of fruit- blueberries, blackberries, apples...

Also, this makes for a fairly thick syrup, so you may want to top with a bit of extra maple syrup after the fruit.)

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese

2010-10-07T17:18:00.001-04:00

I had a tiny bit of pumpkin puree left from the pumpkin lasagna I made last week, and wasn't sure what I could make with such a small amount without having to open another can. I was really craving some type of pumpkin cheesecake, but didn't want to go through all the effort or ingredients needed. And then I stumbled upon this recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese. It sounded perfect! I figured this could really hit the spot as far as that cheesecake craving, without all the effort (or calories)! And it doesn't really get much easier than this...

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

Directions: Mix all ingredients except cream cheese in a small bowl until well combined. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Enjoy!

Adapted from Pinch My Salt, original recipe here.

Meal Plan... Tuesday

2010-10-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday (and the dreary, chilly, rainy weather we were having certainly didn't help) so I slacked off on Monday's meal plan post. I also slacked off on the actual meal plan, as we cracked open cans of chicken noodle soup last night instead of what I had planned...

But oh well, here is the rest of the week, ready to go!

Tuesday: Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce and Broccoli

Wednesday: Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

Thursday: Pasta and Vegetable Primavera

Friday: Mexican Shredded Pork Tacos with Roasted Red Pepper Corn

Saturday: Dinner party at friends' apartment

Pumpkin Lasagna

2010-10-02T09:37:00.003-04:00

I have a confession to make.

I have somewhat of a hoarding problem. No, I'm not like the people you see on TV, who are buried in mountains upon mountains of stuff, their addiction alienating friends and family. My hoarding problem involves pumpkin puree. Lots and lots of pumpkin puree. Really. The proof is in the cupboard.

Come every fall, I get wind of some type of pumpkin shortage. Whether this shortage is real, simply a rumor, or caused by crazies such as myself (which I imagine must be the case at least sometimes), I buy a few cans to "stock up" every single time I go to the grocery store.

And no matter how many cans of pumpkin I accumulate, I am still extremely particular about the recipes in which I choose to use my precious stock. I actually have a couple rules regarding it. Rule number one: whatever I make, I don't share it. I usually love sharing the fruits of my baking labor with friends, family, and co-workers. It's better for my waist-line, gives me those "warm fuzzies," and let's face it, all the compliments and "mmmmm's" don't exactly hurt my ego. However, that's not the case with any pumpkin goodies. In the rare occasion that we have some left over after a day or two, they go in the freezer to be enjoyed by H and I at a later date. Selfish, selfish, I know.

Rule number two: I'm very unadventurous in my pumpkin recipes. I usually love trying new recipes and ingredients, but pumpkin recipes have to be for something that I'm absolutely certain that I'll enjoy. God forbid I use up a can of pumpkin puree in something that doesn't turn out well.

So there you have it. Call me crazy, blame me for the pumpkin shortage at your local grocery store, or what have you. But all this does have a point... Last week, I was gazing at all the drool-worthy food porn on foodgawker.com, and I stumbled upon this recipe for pumpkin lasagna. It looked... delicious. But I hesitated in saving it, as it didn't follow the rules. I've only had savory pumpkin dishes a handful of times, and only in restaurants. I've never actually attempted one. But something about it... just drew me in. I decided to bite the bullet and add it to this week's menu.

(Edited: With all the waxing poetic about my love of pumpkin, I completely forgot to mention how this turned out! It was good, and I was really glad to be able to step out of my comfort zone a bit! A piece of advice- don't skimp on the salt. I did, because I am trying to cut back on sodium and I don't really like things too salty, but the salt definitely brought out a good flavor.)

Pumpkin Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, either the no-boil kind, or the regular ones prepared according to package directions and left submerged in cold water

16 oz. sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup of half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried sage
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese
1 egg

4 oz. of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Saute mushrooms and onion in olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper. Allow them to simmer until soft, and then drain of excess liquid. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin puree, half and half, sage, and another dash of salt and pepper into a large bowl. Into a third bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg and beat until combined.

Lightly spray cooking spray on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Start with the pumpkin mixture and spread about 1/2 cups worth on the bottom of the pan, enough to lightly cover. Layer pasta next, then ricotta cheese mixture, then a couple scoops of the mushrooms and onions. Top again with pumpkin, and continue to layer until you run out of ingredients. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese all over the top.

Cover with foil, then place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove cover, and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is starting to get golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Prevention RD, original recipe here.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

2010-09-30T17:40:00.004-04:00

One of our favorite vegetarian meals is this grilled vegetable sandwich. It's a fairly standard sandwich, but this particular version was inspired by a dish on the menu at a little Italian restaurant where I used to work. I enjoyed working the lunch shift solely because I got to eat one of these sandwiches. So one day, I decided to try to recreate this dish at home!

These are delicious and filling and oh-so-easy-to prepare. And vegetarian to boot!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

6 hoagie rolls
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 eggplant, chopped or sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped or sliced
1 10 oz. bag of baby spinach
3 portobello mushroom caps, chopped or sliced
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 cup marinara sauce

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Sauté vegetables in skillet until mostly soft. (I usually do them one type at a time, and then set them aside- it's a lot!) Pile veggies into the rolls, and cover each with a slice of provolone cheese. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven until lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Use the marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Note- I have made these both by slicing up the veggies and layering them on the sandwich, and by chopping them up small, and doing it almost sloppy joe style. Both ways are delicious!

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

2010-09-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

I'm toying around with creating a new tag for my blog- budget meals. H and I would like to have a bit of extra spending money in some other areas, and I decided there was enough room in the grocery budget to do a bit of trimming. Who doesn't want to save a few dollars if they can? I'll be doing the cost breakdown at the bottom of the budget meal posts, below the recipe.

I consider budget meals a bit of a creative challenge. Eating healthy, delicious food is important to me, and not something I want to sacrifice. However, I strongly believe that it's not necessary to give up taste or nutrition to cook frugally. There are absolutely healthy, delicious options out there that don't cost and arm and a leg.

One easy way to make dinner on a budget is to pick a recipe that has few ingredients. Obviously, fewer ingredients means a lower cost per serving, but the flavor of those few ingredients is really able to shine through as well. Simple and delicious. And that is what drew me to this recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes from Cooking Light.

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion
1 Tablespoon of honey
2 Tablespoon of olive oil

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to season

2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette

8 oz. orzo pasta

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil, and spread grape tomatoes and sliced onion on it. Drizzle honey and 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil on top, and roast in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove the pan, stir veggies, and place back in oven for 7 minutes, or until tomato skins begin to burst. When finished, set aside in a small bowl.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta, and when ready, cook according to package directions. Then, pound chicken breasts to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Rinse, pat dry, and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat remaining Tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium high. Sauté chicken in saucepan until lightly browned on both sides and juices run clear (about 8 minutes per side).

When chicken is done, serve over orzo pasta, and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Divide roasted tomatoes and onions on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Budget Breakdown:
My definition of a budget meal will be $2.50 or less per serving. Obviously, the total cost of ingredients will be more, but these are things you'll most likely already have in the pantry, and if not, easily use again. I'll do my best to total the meals up with the actual prices we paid, but if it's an item we already had on hand, I'll be using the current price from our local supermarket.

Final rule- I'm not counting salt and pepper (or spices), because I am not even going to attempt the math involved in measuring that out, and it will most likely add up to fractions of a cent.

For 4 servings

(Ingredient @ cost) cost per serving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 pint of grape tomatoes @ $1.99                                      50¢
1 medium yellow onion @ $6.50 for 20                              8¢
1 Tablespoon of honey @ $3.50/12 oz.                             5¢
2 Tablespoon of olive oil @ $22.00/101 fl. oz.                    5¢
4 chicken breasts (5 oz. portions) @ $2.99/lb                    93¢
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette @ $1.24/16 fl.oz     2¢
8 oz. orzo pasta @ $1.05/16 oz.                                       13¢
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   $1.76 per serving

Meal Plan Monday

2010-09-27T13:22:00.001-04:00

Here is what is on the menu for this week...

Monday: Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Butter Parmesan Orzo

Tuesday: Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with Garlic Spinach

Wednesday: Salmon Pesto Pasta

Thursday: Pumpkin Lasagna

Friday: leftovers from the week

Saturday: Out to dinner

Flounder with Tomato Caper Sauce

2010-09-22T19:46:00.001-04:00

Even though I'm doing my best to stick to our weekly meal plan, I do switch around the days once in a while. No harm, no foul, right? On the menu for tonight was pizza. But strangely, I wasn't feeling it. OK, it wasn't so much that I wasn't feeling it, really, just that I was feeling it more for Friday night (with some Oktoberfest beer, perhaps?). So move the pizza to Friday, and move... Flounder with Tomato and Caper Sauce over brown rice to tonight.

This dish was nice and easy and turned out really well! I heavily adapted this original recipe, as to kind of cross it with another dish that we already make frequently. It really took our original dish to the next level.

Flounder with Tomato Caper Sauce

1 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of capers
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

1 white onion, chopped
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into about 1" pieces

4 filets of white fish, such as flounder or tilapia
salt and pepper to season

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons butter, softened well

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Simmer white wine and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium high for a few minutes. Add garlic, capers, and onion, and simmer a few minutes more, until onion is slightly softened. Add asparagus and tomato, simmer a couple minutes more, and then remove from heat. Pour sauce into a 9x13" glass baking dish or large gratin dish.

Season fish with salt and pepper and place over the sauce in the baking dish. Mix butter with bread crumbs in a small bowl, until combined. Spread bread crumb mixture over fish. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until topping is slightly crispy. Serve over brown rice. Enjoy!

Adapted from epicurious, original recipe here.

Granola Bars

2010-09-21T14:32:00.009-04:00

Another baking project on my list to tackle this past weekend was homemade granola bars. We are always looking for healthy snacks that are also tasty and filling, and these definitely sounded like they would fit the bill.

Granola Bars

2 cups oats (old fashioned, not instant)
1 cup unsalted peanuts, crushed
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

4 Tablespoons of butter
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of honey
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt

Mix-ins of your choice, such as: raisins, dried cranberries, dried apples, coconut, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Mix oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and crushed peanuts in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.

Spread the grains and nuts out on a baking sheet with sides, and place them in the oven. Bake until slightly toasted, but remove them about every 2 minutes or so to stir them around so the edges don't burn.

Meanwhile, mix butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan over medium low, stirring frequently. (If you are using any liquid add-ins, such as peanut butter, add them at this point. You'll want to slightly decrease the other liquid ingredients to compensate, though.)

When dry ingredients are done in the oven, remove and pour back into the mixing bowl. Pour brown sugar/butter mixture over them and stir. Now is the time you'll want to add any dry ingredients such as chocolate chips or dried fruit. Stir well to completely coat everything with the "glue."

Cover a 9x13" glass pan with wax paper, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Pour granola out into the pan. Using a second sheet of wax paper, folded over, press down to push granola to sides of pan. Press down all over to get it nice and packed in. Leave wax paper on top to cover.

Let granola cool completely, about 3 hours. When cool, remove from baking pan and plop it onto a cutting board. Remove wax paper, cut into pieces, wrap tightly in saran wrap to keep fresh. Enjoy!

Adapted from Joyful Abode, original recipe here.

I made two kinds- apple peanut butter, and cranberry with white chocolate chips. They are both absolutely delicious, and I think these will last us for quite a while!

Meal Plan Monday

2010-09-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

I decided I'm going to stick with my Meal Plan Monday post, so here is what's on the menu for this week!

Monday: Salmon Florentine with Orzo Pasta

Tuesday: Out to dinner with friends

Wednesday: Pizza with spinach, roasted red peppers, portobello, and goat cheese

Thursday: French Beef Dip Sandwiches with Streamed Broccoli

Friday: Flounder with Tomato and Caper Sauce over Brown Rice

Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Fish

2010-09-20T08:18:00.007-04:00

One of the new recipes that was on the menu last week was Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Fish with Peach Salsa. It turned out really good! The salsa was absolutely amazing, we were lucky to still find some summer peaches that were perfectly sweet. The recipe was actually originally Chipotle Crusted, but I decided to switch that up a bit. I really like Cajun seasoning, and I've never actually cooked with chipotles before, so I decided to stick with what I knew for this one.

Cajun Cornmeal Crusted Fish

Fish:
4 firm fish fillets (5-6 ounces each- I used flounder, it would be good with many white fishes though)

1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cornmeal, or cornbread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces

Salsa:
2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 ripe tomato, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together for the salsa. Season to taste, and set aside in the refrigerator. This works best made a few hours in advance, if possible, to really let the flavors soak together.

Preheat oven to 375. For the fish, mix Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, oil, lime juice, and garlic together in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, spread out the cornmeal. Dip each fillet in the oil mixture, coat well, and dredge in cornmeal, flipping a few times to fully cover them. Place each fillet on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. When all 4 are finished, spread the small pieces of butter out on the fish, and place in oven. Cook time can vary from 10 minutes up to 25, depending on size and thickness of the fillets. Cook until topping is slightly golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!

Adapted from Pink Parsley, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

2010-09-19T11:20:00.002-04:00

Sometimes my husband has amazing ideas. Absolutely amazing. Like on Saturday morning, when I had extra spiced glaze from the pumpkin scones that was quickly hardening and I didn't know what to do with. I asked him if there was anything he wanted to put it on, knowing full well we didn't have anything that it would really work on, and he said, "how about we mix it with maple syrup?" Um, hello genius! That would be amazing! And it would be the perfect topping for the pumpkin spice pancakes I have on my list, which have totally just been bumped up to today. And I'm so glad they were bumped up- these were delicious!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoon of brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and stir to combine. Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, egg and oil or butter in a small bowl add them to the dry ingredients. Whisk together just until combined.

Preheat the oven to 200, and have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat and once the skillet is hot, add about a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let it cook until bubbles begin to form on the top. Carefully flip and cook the other side until golden brown, a couple minutes more. Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all batter has been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

For the spiced maple syrup, halve the recipe for the spiced glaze on the pumpkin scones (here) and add about an equal part maple syrup to the glaze. Stir well.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Scones

2010-09-18T18:30:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year again! What time is that, you may ask? Well, how about we just call it pumpkin baking season! There are so many delicious pumpkin recipes I am just dying to try this fall. Some of the ones on the list are pumpkin maple cream cheese, double chocolate pumpkin cupcakes, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, and a savory pot pie of sorts with pumpkin, squash, and cheeses. Yum! I'm so happy to get started.

The first one I chose to make is Pumpkin Scones. They were just perfect for a sunny, slightly cool fall morning.

Pumpkin Scones

for the scones: 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
8 Tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the glaze: 
1 cup powdered sugar 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves 
2 Tablespoons of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.

Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then add the butter pieces. Fold them in with a pastry knife until they are no larger than the size of peas, and the batter resembles large crumbs. Add the butterscotch chips and stir in.

In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Divide into about 1/3 cup rough balls and place on a parchment-lined baking pan. Place in oven and immediately turn it down to 375. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves in a small bowl. Add milk, and whisk until smooth and combined. Drizzle over scones. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

2010-09-15T17:48:00.012-04:00

So far, I'm following my menu for the week well! I always try to get at least one vegetarian meal on menu and last night was Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables. Now this one certainly wasn't the prettiest dinner I've ever made. I actually debated on whether or not I should even include the picture in this post, but then I figured, what's a food blog without the pictures? So I did. But what it lacked in looks, it more than made up for in taste. It was hearty and filling, even healthy, but not too heavy. Delicious!

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 6-8

2 zucchinis
2 yellow squash
2 red bell peppers
1 onion
1 (8oz) package of sliced mushrooms

5 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of Italian herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)
dash of salt and black pepper

1 (16 oz.) box of penne pasta
3 cups tomato sauce
2 cups ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, grated
2 Tablespoons of butter, cut into small chunks
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.

Chop zucchini, squash, onion, and peppers into chunks. Place the veggies, along with the mushrooms, into a large Ziploc bag. Add the olive oil, garlic, spices, salt and pepper and shake to combine. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 12 minutes. Remove, and flip/stir the veggies and place back in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta to al dente. When finished, mix with tomato sauce and set aside. When veggies are done, use a slotted spoon (to avoid getting extra liquid) to take them off the baking sheet and place into pot with pasta. Mix with ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

Spread pasta and veggies into a 9X13 baking pan. (I was actually able spread them out a bit more and use one 9X13 and one 8X8 pan. You can either pack them into one or spread them out into two). Top with grated mozzarella, Parmesan, and small cubes of butter. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, and then turn oven down to 375. Bake until cheese on top is golden brown, about 18-25 minutes.

Adapted from Ezra Poundcake, original recipe here.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-09-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

Meal-planning in the beginning of the week is something I usually do. It helps me keep a good variety in our dinners, and helps grocery shopping go a lot smoother. It also keeps me organized and saves time and money by eliminating the scavenging through the cupboards and last minute trips to the grocery store when I don't know what to make. In the past couple of hectic weeks though, I fell off the meal-planning wagon. I felt too busy to sit down and actually make a list. Which is ironic, as far as I'm concerned, since they save so much time and effort.

But anyway, I'm back in the habit and I decided to write it out here, to keep even further organized! Here is what's on the menu for this week:

Monday: Philly Cheesesteaks with Oven Fries and Salad

Tuesday: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Wednesday: Chipotle Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia

Thursday: Dinner at my parents' house

Friday: Asian Chicken and Mandarin Orange Salad

Saturday: Leftovers or out to dinner