Are You Gonna Eat That?

Italian Lentil Soup

2012-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

I have intended to make this soup for over a week, now. Various life things (including lack of motivation) have hindered my progress.

I am committing to making it today, before my ingredients rot! I will add pics after I make it.

I got this recipe from my Mom, who got it from a family friend.

Italian Lentil Soup
Serves 5-10

Olive oil to coat bottom of pan (can be minimal or up to ½ cup)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
½ to 1 green pepper, diced
1-3 carrots, diced (be sure they’re not strong or bitter)

Sauté til onions are soft, stirring occasionally.
Add:

2 15-oz. cans tomatoes
5 cans water
2 cups raw lentils (washed)
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Cook approximately 1 ½ hours. Add:

1 ½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
½ tsp. thyme
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook 15 minutes; then blend about 1/3 of the soup.
Add :

Chopped parsley (I use about ¼ cup)

Reheat.

Top each bowl with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Things I want to try...

2012-01-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Pinterest? It's another fabulous time-suck, like Facebook (and blogging?)... but I rationalize my time spent there with the excuse that there are LOTS of great recipes and money-saving DIY projects.

There are many recipes that just look good, but many that I want to actually try in the near future, and a few NOT on Pinterest that I've been wanting to make for the last week and haven't gotten around to!

Cheesy Garlic Bread - from Pinterest, I'm not sure what the mayo does for it, but the picture sure looks tasty!

Cauliflower Steaks (the person that shared this recipe with me substituted capers for the olives, because her significant other detests olives... as does Scott)

Italian Lentil Soup - I've been meaning to make this for a long time.

Black Bean, Veggie & Brown Rice Salad w/ Spicy Lime Vinaigrette - sounds tasty (minus the bacon, for me)!

Quinoa Black Bean Salad w/ Lime Vinaigrette - probably similar flavors, but I've had some quinoa I need to make for several months.

Recipes for Lasagna Cups and Lasagna Soup both sound interesting...

Jalapeno & Cream Cheese Pinwheels - I've already made these, SEVERAL times, and they are easy and tasty. Not too healthy, but good. The first time out I used Splenda instead of sugar and halved the amount. The next two times I didn't sweeten it at all but we spread a little bit of jalapeno jelly on them before eating and THAT was fabulous.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad sounds tasty, a twist on a Caprese kind of thing.

Martha has made some mistakes in her life, but her Stuffed Poblanos look DELICIOUS and pretty simple, too.

I'm going to make a version of this Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich for lunch before I get started making the soup...

AND... this recipe I chose based SOLELY on the picture. I love bread. I love cream cheese. How can you lose?

Stuffed Baguette

Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing

2011-12-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

I've been getting in to making salad dressings at home lately.

I like the taste of Caesar dressings, but do not like the flavor of anchovies. I googled "Vegetarian Caesar Dressing" and got this recipe.

I am not vegan, so I decided to use real Parmesan cheese. I also think it would be better with a little more garlic, and I would do things in a different order to ensure they blend well.

Here's my interpretation.

Reese's Vegetarian Caesar Dressing

2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water (or a little less if you like it creamy)
2 tbs olive oil
6 tbs lemon juice (a little over 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste (I like it a little saltier)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the garlic cloves in a food-processor or mini food-processor and pulse until diced fine.

Add water, oil and lemon juice, and pulse again until emulsified. Add cashews, cheese, salt and pepper, pulse or blend until well combined and creamy.

Vegetarian Meatballs #2

2011-12-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is another recipe from my Great-Aunt Heather's cookbook, "Vital Vittles".

My VERY carnivorous husband LOVES these pretty much any way I prepare them, baked with brown gravy, mushroom gravy, or marinara.

I did not have whole wheat bread crumbs or regular soy sauce, so I substituted Panko bread crumbs and Tamari low-sodium soy sauce in their place.

Heather Leno's No-Meatballs

Combine in a blender:

1 pkg Nasoya Extra-Firm water-pack tofu (Heather's recipe calls for Mori-Nu brand)
1 1/2 cup onion (I chopped it in big chunks and then diced it in my mini food-processor
2 tbs Tamari Low-Sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Whiz until smooth, transfer to medium mixing bowl.

Add the following ingredients to bowl:

1 cup ground walnuts (I ground them in my mini food-processor)
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tbs ground flaxseed
2 tbs parsley flakes
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil

Mix well, scoop onto prepared cookie sheet (I use a large cookie sheet with parchment paper lined - SO EASY for cleanup!) with a small scoop.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes until brown and firming to the touch.

At this point you can either freeze them for later use or bake them in a baking dish covered with a gravy of your choice, sweet & sour sauce, or spaghetti sauce.

I baked 16 of them in a 9x9 baking dish with mushroom gravy at 350F for about 35-40 minutes and the rest in Scott's home-made marinara sauce for the same amount of time in a separate dish.

*Cooking note: I baked mine longer than the original recipe instructed, as the first time making them gave me meatballs that started to fall apart. I increased the baking time of the meatballs themselves and also increased the baking time with sauce.

Mushroom Gravy #2

2011-12-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made some vegetarian meatballs, and I decided to bake them with a nice mushroom gravy. Since I am out of wine, I couldn't make Walt's Mushroom & Wine Gravy.

I decided to wing a mushroom gravy and base it on the mushroom & wine recipe, but doing things in a little bit different order.

Reese's Mushroom Gravy

1 to 2 tbs olive oil (amount depends on how stick or non-stick your pan is)
2 to 3 cups sliced mushrooms

Saute mushrooms in oil until limp, keep covered to retain the juices until almost done, then it is ok to remove the lid and let a little evaporate.

While mushrooms are sauteing, heat the following in a small/medium saucepan on medium/low:

2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter or margarine (I use Smart Balance Buttery Sticks with Olive Oil)

When oil and butter is melted, add:

1/2 cup flour

Stir to create a pasty dough, keep stirring and watch heat so it doesn't burn, but let it brown a little bit.

In a microwavable cup, heat

1 cup water
1 cube "Not Beef" Bouillon Cube

Stir to dissolve, then add to flour mixture and stir to combine, breaking up any lumps with a whisk or wooden spoon.

Add sauteed mushrooms and their liquid to flour/butter/bouillon mixture, add

3 tbs Marmite (or Vegex or Sovex)

Stir to dissolve. If you want a thicker gravy you can bring to a low simmer to reduce a bit.

This recipe made about 3 cups of gravy. I like my gravy pretty salty, if it seems too salty to you, lessen the amount of Marmite.

Broccoli Soup

2011-12-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed by now that one of the cooks in this house is a Vegetarian, and other one is most definitely NOT.

Many people in my extended family are not only Vegetarian, but Vegan. This gives me many resources for ideas when I am trying to come up with something new to eat.

The impressive thing about many of these recipes is that the Non-Vegetarian in the house often enjoys them VERY much. (From time to time he will prepare some meat if he feels he needs more protein, but many times he is happy with the meal as served.)

Dinner tonight was a soup from a recipe book written by my great-aunt, Heather Leno.

I didn't have any marjoram or fresh celery, so I substituted dried oregano and about 2 teaspoons of celery salt. I also added some freshly ground black pepper towards the end.

Following is the version I made tonight.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

In a saucepan on medium heat, add the following ingredients.

1 cup water
1 tsp celery salt
2 stalks fresh broccoli, cut into chunks (approximately 4 1/2 cups)
1/2 a medium onion, cut into chunks

Cook covered while preparing the next set of ingredients. (You are basically steaming the vegetables. Do not overcook.)

Combine the following ingredients in a blender:

1 cup water
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp dried dill
1/8 tsp dried oregano

Whiz until smooth and creamy. Add the cooked vegetables and blend until smooth. (Vegetables are hot, you may need to vent the lid a little to ensure that it does not pop off in older style blenders.) I added the veggies in two parts so the blender would not be too full to blend.

Add another 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water, a few grinds of pepper, and another tsp of celery salt. Blend again to combine, and serve. (Return to pot to re-heat if it has cooled to much in the blending process)

Browned Butter Frosting

2011-12-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am enjoying some home-made gingerbread cookies with a browned-butter frosting that is DELICIOUS.

Borrowed from http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/2011/02/gooseberry-patch-cookbook-giveaway-with_21.html

Browned Butter Frosting
1/4 c. butter
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. Milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden. Watch carefully as this will happen quickly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreading consistency.

Thanksgiving 2011 - The Eating

2011-11-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

We both managed to burn ourselves right before dinner, I grabbed the stainless steel lid to a pot that had apparently been in the oven, then dropped it on the floor as soon as the message went from my hand to my brain. Scott then picked up the same lid from the floor and burned HIS hand.

Fortunately the burn didn't affect the delicious flavor of the food.

We are all in various states of recuperation. I admit that I am not helping put things away, I wouldn't be able to do much one-handed anyway.

Our dinner table, made by my brother-in-law and set by my sister-in-law.

The Williams Sonoma Pear Cranberry Chutney

Traditional Green Bean Casserole

Quadruple Bypass Mashed Potatoes

Grandma Virginia's Sweet Potatoes

Stuffing

Turkey

Mixed Greens Salad with Candied Walnuts, Pear and Herbed Goat Cheese

There is still Apple Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake to come...

Thanksgiving 2011 - Prep

2011-11-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying this holiday week at Scott's sister and brother-in-law's home in Virginia.

The traditional meal has been a co-op between Scott, his Mom, his Sister and myself.

The Menu:

Turkey
Williams Sonoma Pear & Cranberry Chutney
Quadruple-Bypass Mashed Potatoes
Walt's Mushroom & Wine Gravy
Jeremiah's Turkey/Vegetable Gravy
Stuffing
Mixed greens salad
Grandma Virginia's Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Turkey - Scott and his sister are team-cooking this, the turkey sat in a brine made of low-sodium soy sauce, salt, brown sugar and red wine for two days. They are putting 1/2 lemon, onion, sage, rosemary and butter in the cavity, and a few sprigs of rosemary here and there under the skin. They are rubbing a sage-butter on the outside.

Jeremiah's Vegetable Gravy - Turkey drippings with a little flour to create a roux, then the veggies (carrots, celery & onion) that were roasted in the pan alongside the turkey get "mashed in."

Stuffing - two loaves of white bread, cubed and left in a bowl to dry out a bit the day before. Vegetable broth, onion, celery, sage, butter and a few other things.

Grandma Virginia's Sweet Potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks, baked at 350F with orange zest, brown sugar and a few other secret items.

Pumpkin Cheesecake - I still couldn't find my recipe, and apparently the one I used last year I never wrote down my modifications, so I adapted another existing recipe.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-11-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

At one time I faithfully used a friend's Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe. I haven't been able to find that version for several years now, and generally end up adapting something I find online, instead.

This year when I discovered that I still couldn't find the old one, I thought "no problem, I'm sure I made notes from last year." WRONG.

I've learned my lesson (only took me 3 years) and am writing down what I'm making this year so I can repeat it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 premade crusts (I used graham-cracker today, but it would be tasty with chocolate or ginger-snap, too!)

FILLING:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/16 tsp ground ginger

Assembly:

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth.

Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

Whisk in pumpkin, cornstarch, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice just until blended.

Pour into crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

Quadruple Bypass Mashed Potatoes

2011-11-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

I've never posted this recipe in it's own entry, only in context with other Thanksgiving posts. I figured it was time to give it the honor it deserves!

These potatoes are not particularly healthy. You'll notice that shortly. You can, however, use lower-fat versions of the fattening ingredients to not feel quite so guilty about things.

These are amazing on their own, AND with a delicious gravy (like Walt's Mushroom & Wine Gravy)

Quadruple-Bypass Mashed Potatoes
(so named because there are four heart-stopping additions to the potatoes - butter, goat cheese, cream cheese and sour cream)

I based my quantities on enough for 8 people - calculated at one and a half potatoes per person.

Ingredients:
12 Idaho baking potatoes
11oz log of goat cheese
6oz sour cream
8oz butter
1 pkg cream cheese (I used neufchatel)
Salt to taste

Assembly:
Set butter, cream cheese and goat cheese out to soften.
Rinse and peel potatoes, dice into 1.5 inch cubes and place in large cook-pot.
Add just enough water to cover and boil on med-high until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.
Drain potatoes in a strainer and transfer to VERY large mixing bowl.
Add softened butter, goat cheese and neufchatel or cream cheese.
Mix with hand mixer just until blended.
Add sour cream and mix again just until combined.
Salt to taste.

Reese's Sweet Potato, Green Chile & Black Bean Enchiladas

2011-11-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

While I was in Phoenix almost a month ago, I had the pleasure of dining at a fabulous restaurant with my cousin Mandi (and not just because she picked up the tab!).

One of the things we enjoyed was a sweet potato enchilada with a tomatillo sauce. It really was amazing.

I decided to see what I could come up with that would be similar, yet different.

They are REALLY good.

Reese's Sweet Potato, Green Chile and Black Bean Enchiladas

Sauce

1 29oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup Homeward Bound Hot Sauce SparkPlug
1/2 cup Homeward Bound Hot Sauce PattyCake
1 tbs cumin

Filling (see Assembly instructions before continuing)
3 sm/md sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into approximately 1" cubes.
14oz (2 7oz cans) diced green chiles
1 - 15oz can black beans, drained
3 cups shredded cheese (I used a "Mexican 4-Cheese" blend)
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
24 corn tortillas (the Mission brand are a great consistency)

Assembly
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add sweet potatoes.
Cook on a high boil for about 12-13 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.
While potatoes are cooking, Combine sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl
Remove potatoes from heat, drain and rinse with cold water, let cool for about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl, add sweet potatoes and cut potatoes into approximately 1/4 inch chunks as you combine them with the rest of the filling ingredients.
In a microwavable container with a lid, microwave about 10 tortillas at a time with a few drops of water for 45 seconds. They will be HOT - do not burn your fingers!
Pour about 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish (9x12).
Spoon a heaping soup spoon of filling into warmed tortilla, wrap and place in baking dish with folded side down to help keep it wrapped up.
Fill baking dish with enchiladas, pour another 1/2 cup to cup of sauce over the top and sprinkle about 1 cup shredded cheese over the whole dish.

Bake at 350F until cheese is bubbly (about 30 minutes)

This made two 9x12 dish and two small dishes of enchiladas.

Reese's Sour Cream & Green Chile Enchiladas

2011-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

This is a very old recipe. Okay, I guess the term "old" is pretty relative... I came up with it when I first started cooking for myself. I think I was probably 19... so this recipe is legally old enough to get it's driver's license.

I was looking for the actual recipe today and can't seem to find it, so this will be mostly from memory (oooh scary!).

The "secret ingredient" is Taco Bell mild sauce - not from the grocery store, but actual sauce packets from the fast food restaurant. Now that we are sauce makers ourselves, I will probably try to replicate the flavor with other items, but this is an attempt at the original version of my recipe.

You will notice pretty quick that these are not particularly healthy. But boy are they tasty! :) I particularly enjoy them with some guacamole on top, but that's true of most things.

Reese's Sour Cream & Green Chile Enchiladas

Sauce

1 15oz can tomato sauce
30-40 packets of Taco Bell Mild Sauce
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 small can tomato paste
8oz (1 bottle) Ortega green taco sauce
1-2 cups water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder

Filling

2 7oz cans diced green chilis
1 16oz container sour cream (as high or low-fat as you like)
Approx 1lb shredded cheese (I usually use a blend of cheddar and jack, or a "Mexican" blend)
Remaining 1/2 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 onion, diced (optional)
1 can sliced black olives (optional)
24 Corn tortillas (try to pick a brand that is pliable)

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350F
Combine sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl
Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl
In a microwavable container with a lid, microwave about 10 tortillas at a time with a few drops of water for 45 seconds. They will be HOT - do not burn your fingers!
Pour about 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish (9x12).
Spoon a heaping soup spoon of filling into warmed tortilla, wrap and place in baking dish with folded side down to help keep it wrapped up.
Fill baking dish with enchiladas, pour another 1/2 cup to cup of sauce over the top and sprinkle about 1 cup of filling over the whole dish.
Bake at 350F until cheese is bubbly (about 30 minutes)

This recipe was usually eyeballed, and would usually NOT come out even in terms of sauce to filling to tortillas. But it would freeze nicely and I would use the filling for something else sometime (makes a lovely quesadilla).

Leftover Roasted Veggie Soup

2011-11-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

I make the Cumin Roasted Carrots and Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic recipes somewhat frequently, periodically we end up with leftovers.

I currently have leftovers of both (just a little bit) and decided to experiment with a soup. There is no salt added to this recipe because both of the roasted veggie recipes have salt.

This made two large mugs worth of soup. Also very good with a little Homeward Bound Hot Sauce added! (any flavor would be good - specifically PunJab or SparkPlug)

Leftover Roasted Veggie Soup

1 tbs olive oil
1/2 white onion, minced
1 stick celery, minced

2 cups water
1 pkg George Washington Broth

1 cup (approx) Cumin Roasted Carrots
1/2 cup (approx) Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic

In a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, saute onion and celery salt in olive oil.
In a small microwave-safe cup or bowl, heat 2 cups of water.
Add broth package contents to heated water and stir to dissolve.
Once onion starts to soften, add broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Put leftover roasted veggies into a blender or food processor and add broth and onion mixture.
Blend until creamy, add Homeward Bound Hot Sauce of your choice
Serve.

Easy Granola

2011-11-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

We've been eating a lot of granola around here this summer. The main thing I've discovered besides that it is very filling, is that it is very EXPENSIVE to purchase already made.

I remember my Grandma making granola in her kitchen when I was a little kid, and the smell that filled the house always made me hungry.

Since I've been tackling other things lately, I decided that if Grandma could do it, I surely can, too! I did a google search for low-sugar granola recipes, and while I'm not convinced that the original recipe I based my version on is very low in sugar at all, I've made some adjustments that should cut down significantly on the sugar but not sacrifice any flavor.

I intend to use UN-sweetened coconut next time, but sweetened is what I had on hand.

Reese's Nutty Granola

2 cups Bob's Red Mill rolled oats
3/4 cup whole unsalted almonds, roughly chopped (approximately into half)
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
1 tbs ground flax seed
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Smart Balance Buttery Stick
2 tbs honey
1 tbs vanilla

1 1/2 cup dates, pitted and cut into approximately 1/4 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 300F
Combine oats, nuts, coconut, flax seed and spices in a medium mixing bowl.
In a small microwavable bowl or cup, melt butter and honey together (about 25 seconds at a time, stirring well in between)
Add vanilla to butter/honey mixture
Pour butter/honey/vanilla mixture over oat/nut mixture and toss well to combine.
Spread mixture on baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes, stirring about every five minutes.
Add dates, stir and break up large clumps
Bake an additional 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes.
Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Reese's Butternut Squash Soup

2011-11-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

We have had a butternut squash hanging out in the kitchen for awhile. I was worried it would go bad soon, and we're low on groceries, so it's time to make amazing things out of what's left!

I also discovered a neat trick for getting the squash out of it's shell in the process.

To give credit where it is due, I started with this recipe, and following is my version, adapted since I am a vegetarian, and I didn't have any ginger.

Reese's Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash
olive oil (I use an olive oil sprayer)
1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
4 tbs Smart Balance Buttery Sticks w/ EVOO
3 cups water
1 1/2 cubes Not Chik'n boullion
2 cups water
1 tbs Homeward Bound Hot Sauce SparkPlug
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Light Sour Cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 450F
Cut squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
Spray bottom of large baking dish with olive oil, lay squash cut side down
Roast for 10 minutes at 450, reduce heat to 350 and continue to roast for another 30 minutes.
While squash is roasting, melt butter in a medium saucepan and add onion, saute over low/medium heat until slightly soft.
Add 3 cups water and Not Chik'n boullion cubes. Stir to dissolve cubes, raise heat to medium and simmer, covered for about 10 minutes and reduce heat to low.

When squash is done baking, remove baking dish from oven and cool for a few minutes, until you can touch the skin of the squash without it burning you. You SHOULD be able to pinch the skin and pull it away from the squash in one piece. Cut pulp into chunks to cool faster.
Allow squash chunks to cool about 10 minutes (should be around the time the broth & onion is simmering).
Add slightly cooled squash pulp to onion & broth mixture, stirring to break down squash further.
Transfer mixture to blender or food processor, and puree until smooth (I was able to get all of it into our Ninja blender).
Add remaining 2 cups water, SparkPlug, about 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper (you may need to add more and blend again depending on taste preference)
Blend to combine and pour into bowls to serve.
Add a dollop of sour cream.

Goat Mac - No Goat, No Mac

2011-11-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

I bought some goat cheese the other day, and wanted to make something interesting and new (to me) with it. I've also been craving baked macaroni and cheese.

As is usually the case, I don't have all the ingredients for something, so I get out what we DO have and go from there.

Here's what I came up with - a macaroni and cheese kind of thing, without any macaroni.

Goat Mac
24oz Penne pasta (I used 1 & 1/2 16oz boxes)
4 tbs butter (we use Smart Balance with olive oil)
4 tbs flour
1/2 a head of garlic, peeled and minced fine
2 cups milk (I used skim)
11oz log of goat cheese (with or without herbs - mine was without this time)
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely diced
1 tbs butter, melted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add noodles and cook as directed (about 11-12 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water and transfer to large mixing bowl.
Preheat oven to 350F
In a medium/large saucepan on low/med heat, melt the 4tbs of butter/margarine.
Slowly whisk in the flour, one tbs at a time.
Add minced garlic and continue to stir regularly.
Add milk and raise to medium heat, stirring constantly.
Gradually add goat cheese in 1/4 inch chunks, stirring and whisking to melt.
Gradually add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese (reserve 1/2 cup for topping).
Gradually stir in freshly ground black pepper.
Pour cheese mixture over noodles and stir/toss gently to coat.
Pour noodle and cheese mixture into large baking dish (9"x11").
In a small mixing bowl, combine Panko, basil, and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Stir in 1 tbs melted butter.
Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over noodles.
Bake approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

We served it tonight with the Cumin-roasted carrots.

Scott (of course) anointed his with some hot sauce. I recommend Homeward Bound's SparkPlug.

Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots

2011-11-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

This recipe was given to us by Reese's Mom, who got it from a Culinary workshop, and they claim to have gotten it from Bon Apetit magazine.

Here's what we use, and it's a GREAT way to get in some vitamin C and fiber! We eat them with the Tahini-Yogurt dip.

Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots

Yield: 6 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

12 medium carrots, peeled, cut on diagonal into ½-inch thick pieces

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a full-sized baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Combine carrots and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast carrots until tender and lightly caramelized, turning carrots over once, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cheater Ratatouille with Rice

2011-09-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight I wanted to make something reasonably quick and healthy.

I enjoy Ratatouille very much and didn't have the time or all of the ingredients, so this is an approximation that came out VERY well.

Cheater Ratatouille and Brown Basmati Rice

1 cup brown Basmati rice (we get ours at Trader Joes)
2 cups water

1 tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg fresh button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 medium zucchini, sliced
4 small yellow squash, sliced
12 oz (half a jar) of Newman's Own "Sockarooni" style marinara sauce
1 tsp kosher salt or smoked sea salt, freshly ground
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs dried basil (I would have used fresh if I had it)
1/2 tbs dried oregano (same with the fresh)
a few twists of fresh black pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice, cover and simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes. Rice should be fluffy when fully cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep frying/sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium/low heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add mushrooms and balsamic vinegar. Once mushrooms are mostly cooked, add zucchini and squash, salt, pepper and spices. Saute until veggies are starting to be pretty limp. Add marinara sauce, stir and heat through.

Serve veggies/sauce over rice.

This made enough sauce/veggies for four people and enough rice for probably three.

Apple Cranberry Tart

2011-08-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

I got the original recipe that inspired this experiment from my friend PJT, but I didn't have enough of everything it called for, so I winged it.

I used a recipe I found online for the dough, this recipe makes twice as much as you will need, I wrapped half in saran wrap and put it in the freezer.

I cooked the crust on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes on 400F.

While it was cooking, I prepared the apples:

3 Fuji Apples (according to the bag anyway, but I'm convinced they were pink ladies), cored and sliced thin.
1/3 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
4 tbs Smart Balance Butter Blend
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe container, add spices and sugar. Spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 over the crust and then toss the apples in the remainder.

Lay apple slices over crust, sprinkle dried cranberries on top. Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes, until crust is browned and apples are slightly tender.

Let cool before serving.

Vegan Egg-Salad that Doesn't Suck

2011-08-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from my Mom, who I believe got it from my Grandma.

Mom and I both don't like egg-salad, but we both enjoy this in a sandwich - having some in the fridge is an easy way to have a quick snack while you're planning something else for dinner.

This IS a vegan recipe, but I'm not a vegan (at least not yet)... I just prefer some vegan things over the non-vegan versions. This recipe calls for Vegenaise, which is a vegan mayonnaise. It is MUCH better for you in terms of fat and cholesterol, and I actually prefer the taste!

(Ok, ok, this pic is of REAL egg-salad, but you get the idea)

Vegan Egg-Salad

1 package extra-firm tofu (I use Nasoya brand)
2 tbs Bill's Best Chik'Nish seasoning (I didn't have quite enough, so I added about 1/2 tbs of McKay's Chicken Seasoning)
1/2 to 1 cup Vegenaise

Optional Additions:
chopped onion, celery, pickles
(I used about 1/4 cup of dill pickle relish and a few twists of black pepper)

Press the excess water out of the tofu. The easiest way for me to do this is to place the brick of tofu (out of the package) between two salad plates and squeeze over the sink.

In a medium sized bowl, mash the pressed tofu with a fork until crumbled up into small pieces. Add chicken-style seasoning and mix well.

Add Vegenaise and stir, add enough to make the spread the consistency you want. Add any extras (onion, celery, pickle, pepper, etc.). Cover and refrigerate.

For a quick snack you can spread some Vegan Egg-Salad in a 1/2 of a pita. Mom likes to add a few grape tomatoes in the pita, too.

This recipe is also the start of my Grandma's Potato Salad, which I LOVE.

Greek Non-Meatballs

2011-07-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today I found myself in a lack-of-groceries situation. I had planned to make a trip to the store, but circumstances found us at the vet this morning, and I gladly sacrificed my grocery money for our aging dog. (the dog is fine)

When it came time to make dinner I trolled through the fridge and pantry and decided to make some sort of vegetarian meatball.

I had all of these ingredients on hand and researched a few recipes online.

Greek-ish Non-Meatballs
makes 4 servings: 3 meatballs per serving
Olive oil
1 cup diced Portabella mushroom
½ white onion, diced
2 large cloves (or 2 tbs) minced garlic
1-2 tbs minced fresh basil & oregano (I just grabbed some sprigs)

1 cup whole oats
1/8 cup ground flax seed
½ cup raw cashews

1/8 cup brewers yeast
½ cup crumbled feta
¼-1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp kosher salt
a few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan and add onion, garlic & mushrooms. Sauté on medium heat until onions are clear and mushrooms are cooked through. Put pan back on heat and add a thin layer of olive oil.

Meanwhile combine oats, flax and cashews in a blender or food processor, pour into large mixing bowl.

At the end of sautéing, add basil & oregano, blend/process mushroom-onion-garlic mixture and add to mixing bowl.

Heat oven to 350 and spray a 9x9 baking dish with whatever you like to use (canola or olive-oil spray).

Add yeast, feta and Parmesan to bowl, mix well and form 2" balls with your hands. (This recipe made 12-13 meatballs).

Place balls into frying pan and fry for 2-3 minutes to a side, turning until most of outside is starting to brown. Place meatballs into baking dish and bake for 15-25 minutes, turn meatballs partway through for even cooking.

Nutrition Stuff: (Per Serving) 460 calories, 386 from fat. Daily Values: 66% fat, 7% cholesterol, 37% sodium, 4% carbohydrates, 10% fiber, 9.6g protein, 2% Vitamin A, 5% Vitamin C, 20% Calcium, 11% Iron.

We served them over Barilla Plus thin spaghetti and Scott's secret marinara sauce, with a fresh spinach salad. I dressed the salad with a drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a shake of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb.

Lentil Curry and Carrot Feta Salad

2011-07-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

I was at a loss for what to make for dinner tonight... we're trying so hard to eat more fiber in the form of fruits and veggies, and we've been making so much progress that I just couldn't bear to make a package of noodles.

I wanted to make the Garbanzo Curry that mom made for us, but we didn't have any garbanzo beans. We DID have a bag of Bob's Red Mill Veggie Soup mix which is mostly lentils, so I decided to adapt the recipe and use the soup mix in place of the garbanzos.

Here's how it came out:

Lentil Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons Homeward Bound Hot Sauce: PunJab
3/8 teaspoons ground cloves
3/8 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups water
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Veggie Soup Mix

Stir spices, hot sauce and garlic into oil, and allow them to heat through. Add water and bring to a simmer, add soup mix, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Stir in:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
Kosher salt to taste.

Heat through.

I made equal parts brown and Basmati rice today to serve with the curry.

We're eating a lot of carrots these days, and I decided to try and change it up a bit from the usual.

I used this recipe as inspiration and went with what I had. I think it turned out deliciously!

Carrot & Feta Salad

5 large carrots, washed, peeled & shredded
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 finely minced cloves of garlic
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon Homeward Bound Hot Sauce: SparkPlug
1/2 teaspoon Splenda

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
Crumbled feta cheese for serving

In a small sauté pan, cook the garlic, cumin, paprika, SparkPlug and Splenda in the oil until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Pour over the carrots and mix. Add the mint and mix. Leave to infuse for an hour and add the feta before eating.

Garbanzo Curry, Grilled Polenta & Sweet Potatoes with Tahini-Yogurt Dip

2011-07-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Mom has been here visiting us for just over a week, it has been wonderful to visit with her, but also wonderful to have her cook and share recipes with us!

Tonight we had a pepper-cleaning session and while the boys were outside working Mom was whipping up an amazing meal. I suggested that we grill some polenta that was hanging out in the fridge and she suggested we also grill a sweet potato.

Mom also transferred a thumb-drive full of recipes onto our computer, so we can share them with you (and more importantly make them again ourselves!)

Here is the Garbanzo Curry recipe. The original called for curry paste but Mom wanted to use PunJab instead.

African Chick-Pea (Garbanzo) Curry
From Elvera Blake

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2-3 tablespoons Homeward Bound Hot Sauce: PunJab
3/8 teaspoons cloves
3/8 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced

Stir spices, hot sauce and garlic into oil, and allow them to heat through.

Stir in:
3 15-oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (unless they are Trader Joe's brand, no need to rinse)

Mash some with a fork or potato masher—enough so that a sauce can form. Add enough water to cover - ½ cup to 2 cups.

Cook to reduce liquid and form sauce: about 10-20 minutes.

Stir in:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
¾ cup golden raisins
Kosher salt to taste.

Heat through.

We served this over rice, half brown and half basmati. (Mom says that Trader Joe's basmati brown rice is "AMAZING".)

Grilled Polenta and Sweet Potatoes

1 17oz log Marjon Polenta, Basil & Garlic flavor
1 large Sweet Potato
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Peel the sweet potato and cut into 1/3 inch rounds. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of water in the bottom, cover tightly with plastic wrap to create steam. Microwave for two or three minutes at a time ONLY until fork-tender (total time will vary according to your microwave power).

While the sweet potatoes being microwaved, cut polenta into 1/3 to 1/2 inch rounds. Place onto a cookie sheet in a single layer and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Once sweet potatoes are fork-tender, place onto cookie sheet in a single layer and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

Place polenta and sweet potato rounds onto a hot grill that has been brushed with additional olive oil (more high heat than medium). You can check the done-ness of the potatoes, but do not move the polenta until at LEAST three minutes, or they will stick to the grill and fall apart.

Once rounds have a nice char and grill marks, flip them over and brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue to cook until slightly charred and crispy on the edges.

We dipped both in the Tahini-Yogurt Dip.

Yogurt Tahini Sauce
Yield: 1 ½ cups

1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

Pound the garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and tahini together in a mortar to make a mushy paste. Gradually stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon zest. (WE DIDN'T HAVE A MORTAR AND PESTLE, so she just minced the garlic very very finely and smashed it with the side of the knife)

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Deborah Madison
Copyright © 1997 Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

This meal was AMAZING, and all three boys were totally satisfied and happy with it (Mom and I were, too... but we knew we would be).

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

2011-05-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

We've been having dinner with our neighbors at least once a week, and I decided that since Scott usually cooks when they come here, Saturday evening was my turn.

Coming back from New York on Friday I had a grilled vegetable sandwich from a vendor in the LaGuardia airport that was delicious, and gave me grilled vegetable cravings for the next 24 hours.

We had some tomato-basil tortilla wraps already, so I bought a bunch of veggies and we fired up the grill.

I made a fresh pesto from the basil plants in the backyard, steamed some asparagus, and grilled the rest of the veggies.

We put together the wraps by spreading pesto on the tortilla, then layering in asparagus, grilled squash, zucchini, portabello mushrooms and red pepper, sprinkled with feta.

You can find the various prep methods for the components below.

Pesto
fresh basil leaves
several cloves fresh garlic
olive oil
kosher salt
pine nuts
parmesan cheese (shredded)

Start with the basil leaves, I used probably 8 cups and still have a TON of pesto leftover, but I really eye-balled the whole thing. Blend basil leaves with about 1 tbsp of olive oil to start with in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, a clove at a time and taste in between (I like it strong). Add equal parts pine nuts and parmesan cheese (about 1/3 of the amount of the basil) and pulse until pretty well broken down. You may need to use a spatula to scoop the paste from the sides back into the middle. Add olive oil if mixture seems too dry. Add kosher salt (and fresh pepper if you like) to taste.

Pesto will be strong and a little bit goes a long way!

Steamed Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
about 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
kosher salt

Break the stalk-end off of the asparagus - they should break naturally when bent toward the end. Place in a small baking dish with balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Toss to coat, cover with tin foil and let rest until you are ready to start the grill.

Once the grill is starting to heat, place the covered baking dish on the upper level of the grill. Check periodically and remove from heat once asparagus is tender. Stir periodically for even cooking.

Grilled Yellow Squash and Zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
olive oil
kosher salt

Slice the very ends off of the squash and zucchini and discard. Slice on a diagonal to create long, ovular shaped slices. Layer into a deep baking dish and top each layer with a little drizzle of olive oil and a little sprinkle of salt. Cover with plastic wrap that will seal and turn upside-down a few times to coat well. Let rest until ready to grill.

We transferred the slices into a grill-basket with tongs to keep the veggies from falling in between the slats of the grill. Grill until tender.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
3 Portobello mushroom caps
olive oil
kosher salt

Take stem out of center of mushroom caps, rinse and pat try. Drizzle olive oil on a plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set mushroom caps down and slide around a bit to coat. After about 5 minutes, flip caps and repeat. Place on grill and cook until tender and easy to cut with a sharp knife.

We also had corn - I placed each cleaned cob on a sheet of tin foil, spread lightly with Smart Balance, sprinkled with Red Robin seasoning salt and drizzled with lime juice. Roll up the cob in the tin foil and twist the ends. Place on upper grill until cooked, turning periodically.

Dip Dip Dip

2011-05-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have become the go-to Guacamole maker in our household. It's a pretty easy recipe I've developed, but it comes out awesome pretty much every time.

Reese's Guacamole
4 Haas avocados
1 tbsp Homeward Bound PattyCake Hot Sauce
1 tbsp lime juice (fresh squeezed or "Real Lime" brand)
a sprinkle of Red Robin seasoning salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped (if you like cilantro)
1/2 fresh jalapeno, very finely diced (if you want to add a little heat)

Spoon avocado into a small mixing bowl. Add PattyCake and lime juice, mash until mixed well. Add cilantro and jalapeno if using, mix again and then add seasoning salt to taste.

We like to serve it with Tostitos Multi-Grain chips.

Reese's Jalapeno Dip (based on a recipe by Katie M.)
2 pkg Cream Cheese or Neufchatel cheese
4 or 5 fresh jalapenos, cleaned of seeds and membranes, finely diced

Place cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave for about a minute. Stir and microwave for another minute if cheese is not soft enough to stir easily.

Add diced jalapeno and stir until combined. Refrigerate for at least a half hour before serving.

This dip is great with Tostitos Hint of Lime chips.

Vegetarian Meatloaf - #2

2011-05-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

We had the neighbors over for dinner last night (no fava beans or chianti, thankyouverymuch) and Scott decided to make a fake meatloaf for me and a real meatloaf for them.

He based it on this recipe, but made a few changes (of course!).

2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Veggie Soup Mix
1 small onion, diced
1 cup quick-cooking oat
3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar/jack mix)
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 ounces Classico Carmelized Onion & Roasted Garlic spaghetti sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
"A few sprigs" each of fresh basil, oregano and parsley
1/2 teaspoon Red Robin seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbs Homeward Bound SparkPlug Hot Sauce

Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan. Add soup mix and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until beans are soft and most of water is evaporated. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl.

Allow to cool slightly, stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed. Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, herbs, seasoning salt and pepper. Mix well.

Spoon into loaf pan that has been greased lightly with a Smart Balance stick. Smooth top with back of spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30- 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes.

This made a FANTASTIC meatloaf sandwich the next day.

Vegtetarian Stroganoff, FASTER

2011-05-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

Pretty much the same recipe as before, but I have sped up the preparation considerably and can now usually whip it up in about 15-20 minutes.

1 large package button mushrooms, sliced
1 package Morningstar Farms burger crumbles
dill (I use fresh when I can get it)
1/2 white onion, diced

1 pkg neufchatel cheese
1 8oz container lowfat sour cream
1 can mushroom soup
1 soup can skim milk

salt
pepper
mrs. dash herb & garlic

In LARGE saucepan start sauteing the onions. When they start to turn clear, add the mushrooms.

Cut the top off the burger crumble bag and microwave for 1-2 minutes until mostly thawed.

Add burger crumbles to mushroom & onion, add half the dill (finely diced). As soon as mushrooms are mostly cooked, make an empty spot in the middle of the pan and add the cream cheese, sour cream, soup and milk. Stir it all up, add salt, pepper and the rest of the dill. As soon as it is heated through and the cream cheese is all melted, it's done!

Makes 4-6 servings.

We eat it the first time around over egg noodles and then as leftovers on toast.

Deviled Eggs... AGAIN!

2011-04-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the eggs from Easter Sunday so much that I used up the last of our eggs today to make another batch. I varied the recipe a tiny bit, because I only had 11 eggs and because I just like to mess with things!

Here's today's version:
12 large eggs (11 since I was 1 short)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons SparkPlug (Homeward Bound Hot Sauce)
2 leaves fresh basil
4 or 5 leaves fresh oregano
very small sprig of fresh rosemary
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Paprika, for garnish

I followed the regular instructions for preparing the eggs, but then I left the yolks in a separate bowl and put the shallot, vinegar and fresh herbs into our mini-food-processor. Then added the mustard and mayo, mixed again and then added the yolks.

I added the hot sauce and salt & pepper last and then spatula'd it into a ziploc bag with a tip cut off to pipe into the egg white halves.

I probably used a little more hot sauce than it says above, just because I wanted to spice them up a bit more.

They are VERY good.

The Devils Eggs on Easter...

2011-04-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

We were invited to our neighbors' house for Easter lunch today and decided to take some deviled eggs as our contribution.

We base our recipe on one by Martha Stewart with our own variations.

Here is basically how we do it:

12 large eggs
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons Homeward Bound Hot Sauce (today we divided the eggs into two batches and used SparkPlug in one and PunJab in the other)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Paprika, for garnish

Place eggs in a medium saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Drain, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, shallot, and hot sauce.

Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise; remove yolks, leaving whites intact. Transfer yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth.

Spoon yolk mixture into piping bags and fill egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

These were a big hit (I'm still craving them and may have to make more)!

Asparagus Pesto

2011-03-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

I followed this recipe somewhat loosely, mostly because I was under a little bit of a time crunch. I will definitely make this again, and will likely follow the recipe a little closer, but this is what I did tonight:

1 bunch baby asparagus spears (about 2.5 inches in diameter), ends broken off
1 & 1/3 oz (2 2/3oz packages) fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 4.25oz package pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8oz Barilla Plus angel hair pasta

In a food processor, add basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, pulse until blended but not too much.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes.

You could drain it, but I chose to take the asparagus out of the water with tongs and rinse them with cold water in a colander, immediately adding the pasta to the water so you don't have to wait for more water to boil.

While pasta is cooking (approx 6 minutes), cut heads off asparagus and save for garnish. Add asparagus to basil mixture and pulse until big pieces are blended.

Drain and rinse pasta with cold water, toss with pesto, garnish with asparagus heads and serve.

The original recipe called for lemon juice and I think I would add that next time.

Tortilla Soup

2011-03-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

This is my adaptation of a recipe I found when I googled "tortilla soup".

6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup garlic-infused grapeseed oil (we bought a bottle from Chateu St. Jean in Napa last summer)
1/2 large white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large poblano chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped
2 4oz cand Ortega Fire Roasted diced green chiles
2 14.5oz cans Swanson vegetable broth
1 cube Not-Chick'n broth seasoning
1 14.5oz can Hunts Fire Roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Garnishes:
Sour Cream (light)
Shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, whatever you like)
Avocado
Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them.

Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels.

Add onion to oil, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes, broth cube and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. .

Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Add a dollop of sour cream and/or avocado.

How to Fake a Meat Loaf

2011-02-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I came up with a few years ago and posted on my blog... since we have a food blog now, I decided to share it here.

I am a vegetarian. By choice and because I was raised as one.

Meatloaf has always sounded good to me so tonight I googled "Morning Star crumbles vegetarian meatloaf" and came up with a few recipes. I printed them out, read them, and then did my own thing.

Keep in mind that measurements are all approximate, I didn't actually measure anything.

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 large white onion, diced
celery salt
garlic powder
1 & 1/2 packages of Morning Star Farms burger crumbles
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil flakes
1 cup bread crumbs (I didn't have quite a cup so I added about 1/4 cup of crushed cheese crackers)
2 eggs
1 cup fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup

Set oven to 350 Bake.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine olive oil and onion. Sprinkle with celery salt. Saute for about a minute and add fresh mushrooms.

In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, basil flakes and parsley flakes.

As mushrooms begin to soften, add burger crumbles and keep stirring to thaw crumbles. Once crumbles are thaw and mixture is fully mixed, remove from heat and add bread crumb mixture. Add eggs one at a time and stir in. Add ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder (about a 1/2 teaspoon).

Spray a 9x9 baking pan and press mixture into it. Bake for about an hour.

MORE Soup! Now with PICTURES!

2011-01-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

I have a potato obsession. Okay, perhaps it's a carbohydrate obsession, seeing as I love potatoes and bread equally... but my love for potatoes is strong and passionate.

About 10 years ago I was in the habit of hosting a weekly "Dinner Night" at my apartment and would try to make things that were relatively simple, easy to adapt for large groups, and TASTY. This recipe has always been a hit with everyone I've ever served it to.

What could be better than potatoes and cheese? I did some googling of potato-cheese soup and came across this interesting recipe for Ecuadorian Potato Cheese Soup with Avocado. Not all of my friends love avocado as much as I do, so I usually just serve it as a garnish instead of including it in the bowl to begin with.

Ecuadorian Potato-Cheese Soup (with or without avocado...)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
4 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds) or other boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 cups light cream
2 cups corn kernels
1 cup crumbled queso blanco, crumbled farmer's cheese or grated Muenster cheese (about 1/4 pound)
2 medium-size ripe avocados
Snipped fresh chives or fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add the onion, paprika and turmeric and sauté until onion is softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Break up potatoes into smaller pieces with a fork or wooden spoon. Stir in the cream and corn and cook until heated through and corn is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and heat until melted, about 1 minute.

Halve, peel and pit the avocados. Slice crosswise. Place avocado pieces in soup bowls, ladle soup over the avocado slices, garnish with snipped fresh chives or cilantro leaves, and serve.

*I often find that the soup needs more salt, but add to your own taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Variation: For a meat version, stir in 1 pound of shredded, cooked chicken

When I made this tonight I sliced a whole avocado into my bowl of soup - FANTASTIC.

Souuup!

2011-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Oregon is Old Wives' Tales. I'm sure that part of my love for the place has to do with the wide variety of vegetarian options, but everything I've ever had there has always been delicious.

My VERY favorite thing on the menu is Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Growing up I was not much of a soup-eater, but this was the one exception and I've loved it ever since.

I don't know the origins of this particular recipe, and don't know how accurate it is in comparison to that made at Old Wives' Tales, but it works for me!

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
3/4 lbs fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dill weed (I use fresh when I can)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons tamari (I used light soy sauce tonight)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons white flour
1 cup milk
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 cup sour cream

In medium pot or large sauce-pan, saute mushrooms and onion in 2 tbs butter until onions start to turn clear and mushrooms are starting to soften.

Add water (or stock), dill, paprika & tamari. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Microwave milk in separate container for about a minute.

In a small pot, melt remaining butter and stir in flour. Cook over medium heat to slightly browned, whisk in milk, then add mixture to mushroom mixture.

Stir in sour cream just before serving.

I ate most of the pot by myself.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2010-12-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 10-ounce bag baby spinach
1 cup packed fresh basil
3/4 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, squeezed dry and finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 tbs SparkPlug
2 or 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
Baked chips, for serving

Notes before we start: I used more Parmesan cheese than it called for, and I added a thicker layer of Pepper jack and mozzarella on top. I also substituted hot sauce for the cayenne pepper. Also... I saved a lot of time and trouble by just using frozen spinach. I served with "pita chips"... which I think would translate better than regular tortilla chips. Enjoy this recipe... its unbelievable.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Stir the spinach and basil into the boiling water and cook until bright green, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge in the ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, then roughly chop.

Puree the beans, cream cheese, garlic and chicken broth in a food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the spinach and basil, artichokes, parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add the cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste.

Mist a deep 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the dip mixture in the dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. Bake until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with baked chips.

Per serving (1/4 cup): Calories 100; Fat 5 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 19 mg; Sodium 338 mg; Carbohydrate 7 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 6 g

Thanksgiving 2010 - Dinner #1

2010-11-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

My Mom and Step-Dad-Equivalent came to visit for Thanksgiving, but airline prices being what they are, flew out ON Thanksgiving instead of Friday since it was more than $100 cheaper to do so. They live a vegan lifestyle most of the time so our menu was catered to them to a small extent.

Menu:
Quadruple Bypass Mashed Potatoes
Mushroom Wine Gravy
Tofu Croquettes
Sweet Potatoes with Onions and Peppers
Fresh Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
Mixed Greek Olives
Jellied Cranberry Sauce & Whole Cranberry Sauce (Ocean Spray)
Green Bean Casserole
California Seedless Grapes

There is also a home-made pumpkin cheesecake, and key lime pie from the Boll Weevil restaurant, in addition to left over "Perfect Chocolate Cake" from Boll Weevil as well.

I modified a Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe I found online as I couldn't find the one I usually use, I used pre-made crusts and didn't make the topping. We'll be serving it with Whipped cream instead. (Although I may make the topping later if I make another one on Friday).

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-02-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

We started with a recipe from Martha Stewart and changed it up a bit...

Olive oil, for baking sheet

2 slices white sandwich bread

1 slice wheat sandwich bread

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 a shallot, coarsely chopped

6oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup Sparkplug

Coarse salt

A large package large white button mushrooms (15-20), stems removed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.

In a food processor, pulse bread, garlic and shallots until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside.

To food processor, add goat cheese, parsley, and Sparkplug. Season with salt, and pulse filling until combined.

Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs.

Place on prepared baking sheet; bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Very quick and easy recipe and SO tasty!

Eggs of the Devil?!

2010-02-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

I'm planning what I hope will be a yearly Tea Party. My menu includes a recipe for Deviled Eggs that I found on Martha Stewart's website.

Since today is the day after The Big Snow, I don't have several ingredients so I made some substitutions and it turned out pretty well.

6 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved lengthwise.
1/4 cup light mayonaise
1 shallow tbsp McMenamins Terminator Stout Stone-Ground Mustard
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced white onion
1 twist of ground black pepper
1 shake of paprika
1 tbsp Homeward Bound Sparkplug Hot Sauce
a sprinkling of kosher salt

Combine yolks with remainder of ingredients and spoon or pipe into the egg-white.

Nom.

Pineapple-Cheese Casserole

2009-11-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

A very southern thing...

Layer in order:

Large can chunk pineapple, drained (save the juice)
3/4 cup sugar and 5 Tbsp. flour--mix well and sprinkle over pineapple
dash about 5 Tbsp. juice over sugar/flour mixture
add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tube crushed Ritz crackers
melt about 1/2 stick of butter and pour over crackers

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

This year's menu:
Turkey
Turkey gravy
Quadruple-Bypass Mashed Potatoes
Walt's Mushroom-Wine Gravy
Jalapeno-Cheese Cornbread
Dressing
Corn Casserole
Pineapple-Cheese Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Buttermilk Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Katie's Jalapeno Dip

Scott and I made the turkey, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, cornbread, jalapeno dip and cheesecake - the other offerings were made by friends that attended our dinner celebration.

Our turkey was 16 lbs. and Scott baked it with rosemary under the skin.

The Mushroom-Wine Gravy is a repeat from last year, an adaptation of my Uncle Walt's recipe. I didn't quite do things in the right order this year, but it was still quite tasty and we have lots of leftovers!

Quadruple-Bypass Mashed Potatoes
(so named because there are four heart-stopping additions to the potatoes - butter, goat cheese, cream cheese and sour cream)

I based my quantities on enough for 8 people - calculated at one and a half potatoes per person.

12 Idaho baking potatoes
11oz log of goat cheese
6oz sour cream
8oz butter
1 pkg cream cheese (I used neufchatel)
Salt to taste

Set butter, cream cheese and goat cheese out to soften.

Rinse and peel potatoes, dice into 1.5 inch cubes and place in large cook-pot. Add just enough water to cover and boil on med-high until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.

Drain potatoes in a strainer and transfer to VERY large mixing bowl. Add softened butter, goat cheese and neufchatel or cream cheese. Mix with hand mixer just until blended. Add sour cream and mix again just until combined. Salt to taste.

This made a HUGE bowl of mashed potatoes, but they were GONE by the end of the day.

Death Valley Couscous and Chicken

2009-09-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

These are the foods we invent when obvious recipes with traditional ingredients evade us. This is SUPER easy to make, and will provide you with tasty leftovers for days. Now, you can make this dish as spicy as you'd like... and you KNOW I did. Here's what you'll need:

2 cups of Couscous (uncooked)
1 onion (thinly diced)
1 can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (diced 1/2 inch cubes)
1/4 cup dry parsley flakes (use fresh if you can)
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin, Onion Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Table Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup of SparkPlug

Easiest step first... make the Couscous by boiling 2 cups of water in a large saucepan. Once at a boil, pour couscous in water and stir, stir, stir. Cover and remove from heat. You're done with this part until the end.

Next, saute one diced onion in a tablespoon of olive oil. After about 5 minutes throw the chicken in with the onions. Stir fry for a while. Don't worry if the chicken sweats a bunch and the sauteed mix seems to be drowning. That extra moisture will be necessary later. Feel free to add all our spices in with the saute.

While you're sauteing, make sure to stir often to get the chicken evenly cooked. You can also open that can of diced tomatoes and chilies, drain and dump into the couscous. Don't worry if a little water from the can gets in there. The couscous is pretty dry and will need a little moisture.

Lastly, throw the saute mixture in with the couscous and tomatoes. Stir it up well. The extra moisture from the saute helps loosen up the couscous and maxes everything mix much more evenly. Now, add your hot sauce and, again, stir thoroughly. I call for a lot of hot sauce. I enjoy the heat as well as the added moisture. Feel free to use less if you like.

I liked this dish because it satisfied my "pasta" craving without committing me to making a strainer full of spaghetti. Also, tons of poultry-based proteins. Don't forget there's about 4 servings of vegetables in there. Works well as a side or an entree! Feel free to let me know how your version turned out!

A Little Bit Healthy Pizza

2009-09-03T17:48:00.001-07:00

1 "Mama Mary's" Whole Wheat thin pizza crust (pkg comes with two)
1 tbsp rosemary infused olive oil
2 tbsp grated parmesan & romano cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded cheese (whatever you like, fat-full or fat-free)
15-20 leaves of basil, chiffonade
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
5 or 6 marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Roma tomato, sliced
salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450F

Spread olive oil on crust evenly, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle garlic evenly over crust, then add basil strips.

Sprinkle on half of the parmesan/romano cheese. Sprinkle on salt (I use about 1/4 tsp of kosher salt, but I like things salty) and a couple of twists of pepper.

Add mushrooms, artichoke hearts and shredded cheese, then the other half of the parmesan/romano.

Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Slice tomato over top and NOM. :)

Not Quite Chicken Piccatta

2009-08-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

I was raised Seventh-Day Adventist and therefore, vegetarian. In high school I made a few dalliances into the meat stall of the cuisine arena, but ultimately decided that I don't really enjoy eating meat, so I don't.

Another result of being raised SDA is that instead of meat we ate vege-meat. Some of my favorites were stripples, big franks and fri-chik. The main brands when I was growing up were Loma Linda and Worthington. Interestingly, Worthington was purchased by Morningstar Farms, then purchased by Kellogg, who also now owns Boca. Seems the vege-meat world is smaller and smaller all the time.

I've enjoyed the sauce on a few chicken piccatta recipies and decided tonight to make use of what we have in the cabinet: Cous-cous, Fri-Chik, and a few mushrooms in the fridge.

Here's what I came up with.

Fri-Chik Piccatta

1 cups water
1 tsp butter equivalent (I use Smart Balance)
Sprinkle of salt
Bring to a boil
Add 1 cup cous-cous, stir, remove from heat
Let sit 4-5 min, fluff with a fork

In a medium sauté pan, melt 1 tsp butter equivalent
Add 8 oz sliced white mushrooms
Sauté 2 to 3 minutes
Add 4-6 fri chik, sliced
Once mushrooms are soft and fri-chik is heated through, remove fri-chik pieces from pan and set aside.

For Sauce:

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small sprig rosemary, finely chopped
8-10 leaves basil, chiffonade
½ tsp chopped fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 ½ cups fri-chik juice
½ cup water
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
Salt & Pepper to taste

In mushroom pan add garlic & herbs, fri-chik juice, water & 2 tbs lemon juice, set to med-hi and reduce by 1/3. Add remainder of lemon juice, add cornstarch/water, salt & pepper to taste.

Plate ½ cup cous cous, add 2-3 slices of fri-chik, spoon sauce over.

Easy Cornbread

2009-07-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

This recipe was adapted from a Pancetta Corn-Muffin recipe in a book called "Muffins-40 Tantalizing Recipes for Tasty Muffins" that I got as a 3 for $10 deal at a Walgreens in Key West.

Since I'm not so much into Pancetta and needed a basic cornbread recipe but lost the one I had developed, I decided to try the recipe without pancetta and baked in a pan.

I have to say, it's easy and tasty. I've also added green chilies and shredded cheddar to the recipe in the past to great laudation from my husband.

Makes an 8x8 pan of cornbread.

Preheat oven to 400F.

1 cup self-rising flour
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup fine cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3.5oz/100g butter, melted (I used our kitchen scale and substituted Smart Balance Light for the butter)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, stir in cornmeal and sugar. In a separate bowl, melt the butter, let cool a little and stir in the milk. Add beaten eggs slowly so they don't scramble.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until blended.

Spray 8x8 baking pan (I use an olive oil cooking spray) and pour in batter.

Bake for 30 minutes on center rack. Cornbread is done when knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Get Your Nuts Buttered With This Buttnernut Squash Sauce Recipe!

2009-04-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Firstly, let me apologize for the lact of illustrative imagery. I will, shortly, have pictures for this and you can gasp at the sheer beauty of this incredibly easy and impressive recipe! Anyone that knows me... knows that I love to blog, but rarely find the motivation. So, please let this entry serve as a worthwile post based on its on merit. Basically, this was good enough to pull me away from video games... so its a good read-- a long read, but a good read! I threw in a lot of editorial comments. This is for us "novices" who want to know WHY we're doing something. After all... learning isn't about reading directions... its about ABSORBING THE CONCEPTS.

Let me first say, that this recipe is dedicated to the people who want to impress, but are too intimidated by gourmet cooking to try much of anything. Moreover, this recipe is dedicated to the guys who really wanna show their passion and effort to impress say, a lady. If you have given up on efforts that appeal only to those that seem to be born with the inherent ability to cook.--RELAX. YOU CAN DO THIS ONE. You'll ace this recipe every time and look like a total stud doing it. I learned this basic sauce from Giada DeLaurentiis... and any cook knows that she's EASY. She's a three ingredient--salt-and-pepper-for-seasoning kinda girl.

Here are some of the basic tools you will need. If you dont have them... try alternatives. Let's face it... as grown ups, our kitchens should start expanding. A good mechanic always has the right tool for the right job. Same for crafting a meal. A good meal will get the girls, gentlemen. Invest if you don't have it.

Here's the big stuff:

-- A food processor (Invaluable-- fifty bucks. Will last 10 years.) If you don't have one today, a blender might work here... but it'll be a huge pain in the ass.

-- A "zester" grater (Cheap and a must for fresh parmasean / hard cheeses)

-- A chef's knife (a six to ten-inch blade. Non-serrated. Sharp. My buddy Pete bought me a bitchin' German knife that I use every day, every time I cook. Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef says you only need one knife, really. Mine is a Solingen--but Bourdain warns about overspending. I say, INVEST.

-- At least a 12-inch saucepan. I suggest non-stick. We went for "Calphelon." Search Ross or other bargain stores for cookwear. Thats where we get 100-dollar sauce pans for 39 bucks.

-- Cutting board. Anything will work, genius. Opt for bigger and not smaller.

OK... now for ingredients.

-- One butternut squash

-- One clove of garlic (Not a "bulb" of garlic, guys. Just the little "piece" of garlic that comes off).

-- Brick of parmesan cheese. Do NOT use that powdered shit. You might as well make macaroni and cheese and settle for a night of "Girls Gone Wild" commercials if you cant manage fresh grated parmesean.

-- Herbs. Surprise yourself. You can't go wrong with "whatever." I suggest fresh herbs. Oregano, parsley, basil, chives. Any or all. Think "Italian." Dried herbs are fine too... but not as pimp. Fresh, always.

-- Milk (a few cups, at least)

-- Olive oil

OK... now to prep and cook!

Ok. This is the hardest part. You have to cut up the butternut squash. Its like, part zucchini, part pumpkin. Its thick and its got a hollow center in it's lower or more "bulbous" (hehehehe) region. This step will probably take about 10-20 minutes. Take care here. The density of the squash will make cutting a challenge. I know... you know what youre doing. Just don't expect to get any from your date in the emergency room after youve passed out from blood-loss. I'm just sayin'.

Take your big-ass knife and cut it into about 1-inch cubes. You WILL have to have a spoon on hand to "scrape" the guts and seeds out of the center of the squash. You're going to have to cut the "rind" offa the squash. Cut into 1-inch cubes... and then carefully slice the lighter-colored "rind " off. The squash is tough. Don't cut yourself, fool!. Cut AWAY from yourself. Keep your fingers clear of the swath of the knife... lest you have the visit the "Marisa Lysinger" wing of your local emergency room. I'm just sayin.

Next, whilst you're getting your "samurai" on... dice up that clove of garlic. If you don't know how... first lay the clove down on the cutting board. Take the knife and with lay it down with the flat side on top of the garlic. One of your hands should be on the knife handle. The other hand should take one good strike on the flat of the knife blade. Pretend its that asshole "Bobby"at work that no one can stand. One good pop. Yeah, the garlic will be smushed but it doesn't matter. Dice it up small as you can get it. While you're at it... dice up your herbs. You really can't have too much. Start modest... and then add. Sauces are easy like that. Taste along the way. Stop when its perfect.

Now, we're going to start throwing things in our big, ol' saucepan. Turn on your stove-top to "medium" heat and throw a large drizzle of olive oil, your freshly chopped garlic and herbs in there. Stir for a little bit. Watch it, though... that garlic will turn brown quickly. Overly-sauteed garlic can become hateful little slivers in your meal. Two-four minutes is good, if you need a time frame.

Next, throw your cubes of squash in there. You want them to LIGHTLY carmelize (get that little brown crust). Add more olive oil if it all looks dry. Keep that pan lubed, brother! After five minutes, or so, of sauteeing it all, turn the temp on the stove down... to about "four-five." A more subtle heat will help "soften and mature" the tastes in the squash. Cook it for a while longer. Just watch it. If the edges get smushy... thats perfect. Don't char it. Carmelize and soften it.

Time for your food processor, or blender. This is where you're going to turn your sauteed ingredients into a "pudding" type of texture. Spoon your contents in there. Add some milk... say, a cup. You can't go wrong here. Process it and add as much milk as needed to turn it into that "pudding" consistancy. Try and get the lumps out. Once you're happy with the consistancy, pour and spoon the sauce back into your sautee or sauce pan.

Crack a beer, or mix a vodka / cran. You're home free now.

Keep that pan at a low temperature... a simmer. Taste it every once and a while and add what you like. As you cook it, the sace will thicken, and you'll have to add more milk.

Take that "zester" grater and start grating that parmesan cheese into the sauce. You can use as much as you like. Add a little more milk as you go.

Try some salt and pepper. The richness of the sauce will "goad" you into wanting to add too much salt. DON'T over-salt. Once you over-salt you can't go back. Try a VERY SMALL dash of curry. Curry is a mellow and rich spice that you can add to "mature" the flavor of your sauce, but will over-power it very quickly.

You're set, homie! The only way you can ruin it, at this point, is to add too much SALT, too much GARLIC--or to burn the crap out if it.

Serve with pasta. It's rich enough that you don't need to cook anything else crazy with it. I put it on top of homemade ravioli (a daunting task). Grate more parmesan over the top when serving. Maybe even throw a sprig of basil.. on there. Something green to contrast the "orange" color of the sauce. That would be super-pimp.

Sorry for the long read. This ended up more a "lesson" than a "recipe." Though, this is how I learn... I want to know why... I want to know the concepts. After that, the rest is cake.

Cheers! Let me know how it turned out!

Scott

Veggie Stroganoff

2009-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

I quite often develop recipes based on what we have in the house at the time that I'm hungry and inspired to cook.

I've made a stroganoff from scratch before two or three times, and it's always been different. I've experimented with using red wine in the sauteing of the mushrooms, to mixed results.

Scott always prefers to be what he considers to be "authentic" and have the sauce over egg noodles.

Tonight I started off with what I had in the fridge and cupboard, and ended up making a store run for a tub of sour cream and some fresh mushrooms.

1 block neufchatel cheese
1 16 oz light sour cream
1 8oz can lo-fat mushroom soup
1 can (from the soup) lowfat milk

1 large white onion/yellow onion, diced
1/2 bag MSF burger crumbles
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
kosher salt

12 oz egg noodles

dill
mrs dash garlic & herb

container button mushrooms, sliced
container shitake mushrooms, sliced

In a very large saucepan/saute pan on low, combine mushroom soup and milk, put package of neufchatel cheese in to melt. (I left for the store at this point, so I left it all on low for about a half hour and the cheese was nicely creamy by the time I got back. You can microwave it before adding it to the pan if you don't want to wait.)

Add the sour cream and turn heat up to 2 or 3 just until the mixture is easily combined and creamy. Add about a tablespoon of dried (or fresh if you have it) minced dill, turn heat back down to low.

In another saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and diced onions. Once the onions start to sizzle a little, add the half bag of burger crumbles, drizzle a little balsamic over the top and stir. As soon as the crumbles are thawed and beginning to warm, add mushrooms, another drizzle of balsamic and a healthy sprinkle of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning. Saute until the onions are soft and clear and the mushrooms are starting to juice.

Add mushroom mixture to the dairy mixture and bring back to heat at about 2 or 3. Salt to taste.

Boil your egg noodles according to the package directions, strain and EAT.

I am the happiest with this result of any of my stroganoff attempts. Then again, it's hard for me not to love anything with mushrooms and sour cream in it.

Cinnamon Roll Experiment: Part II

2009-01-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

After the disappointing results of my previous attempts at cinnamon rolls, I decided I wanted more immediate gratification and bought a tube of Pillsbury's cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.

I'm a pretty big sucker for any cream cheese food item, but ESPECIALLY cream cheese frosting.

I've never actually tried a Pillsbury tubed product before, and had quite a time trying to get the darn thing OPEN. I tried all of our can and bottle openers and finally took one of our very sharp Calphalon knives and sawed off the end, upon which the cream cheese frosting compartment shot across the counter.

The rolls are pre-sliced and cinnamoned. Lay them on a greased cookie sheet and pop in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

They came out puffy and after spreading the frosting on and letting it melt, I tasted the results.

Overall Score (out of 10): 6 - better than the previous attempt, the consistency is actually a little soft for me, I think they need to be a little chewier. The frosting is pretty good.

Cinnamon Roll Experiment: Part I

2009-01-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we were watching Food Network (pretty common around our house) and saw an episode of Unwrapped that included how they make a particular brand of cinnamon rolls. Scott and I were both drooling over the idea of such tasty baked goods, so I started doing some internet searches for cinnamon roll recipes.

I came across this one which even without the chocolate chips sounds tasty and reasonably easy.

The original can be found here.

I got started in the process and then discovered I don't have any eggs or even any eggbeaters left, so I threw in a tiny bit more water, milk and a big soup spoon full of sour cream instead.

Here's the recipe as I interpreted it...

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine, divided
1/3 cup warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt. Cut in 2 tablespoons of the butter until crumbly. Add the milk, sour cream and yeast mixture; stir well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours.

(Do dishes, take a shower, pay bills, watch an episode of House and a few other episodes from our DVR to pass the time)

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 10-in. x 6-in. rectangle. Melt remaining butter; brush butter to within 1/2 in. of edges.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1-in. slices; place cut side down in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

I don't have a rolling pin, so I used an empty oil bottle. I rolled the dough out to about 6" x 12" and did the butter and sugar thing, then rolled from the long side. I think when it said "from the short side" in meant to end up with more layers.

As is, I have about 18 small rolls in the pan. I'm waiting for them to "double".

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. In a bowl, combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency; drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm.

GLAZE:

1/3 cup sugar (I don't have any powdered)
1 1/2 tbs butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup hot milk

The rolls are baking now, and I dissolved the sugar in the hot butter and milk, added the vanilla and stirred. Since I needed something to thicken it, I added another couple of spoonfulls of sour cream and whipped it with my mixer.

When in doubt, add sour cream.

The rolls baked for about 20 minutes and I think the glaze needs to chill for about another half hour.

Overall score (out of 10): 3 - edible but not worth sharing with others.

Grandpa's Mac N Cheese

2009-01-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

I remember my mom making baked macaroni and cheese for me when I was little. Of course, at the time I preferred the chemical orange boxed version.

Fortunately my taste buds have matured (even if I haven't) and I now LOVE my Grandpa Lysinger's recipe for baked macaroni and cheese.

A few years ago I managed to get my Aunt Dixie to find the recipe so I could have a copy and it has since become a favorite of everyone I've ever cooked for (which is a pretty big list, actually).

As we get older and our ability to keep our waistline the size we wish diminishes, I have been trying to make some of the good ol' comfort food a bit healthier.

The recipe as I received it is:

Preheat oven to 350.

7oz elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cook macaroni according to package directions. While it is cooking, combine the following ingredients:

2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 slightly beaten egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
8oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Add macaroni, stir & pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for about 45 minutes.

I made a few changes, substituting whole wheat macaroni, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat sour cream and reduced fat cheddar.

I also like to sprinkle a little chili powder in addition to the paprika.

I made the first batch with just cottage cheese since I was out of sour cream, and it was still pretty darn good. After my grocery store trip today I added a little sour cream to the remainder and it's quite tasty.

Taco Soup aka Easy Chili

2009-01-15T17:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, we've cooked since New Year's Eve, but not much and not anything that I bothered to take pictures of.

This recipe is thanks to one of my very best friends, Monica.

The idea is to make the soup/chili and serve it in a bowl with corn chips on the bottom. I personally don't like to put chips IN my stuff (soup, haystacks, whatever) because I get stabbed in the mouth by the corners on the chips. Consequently I just serve the chips on the side and people can put them in the bowl under the soup OR use them to dip with.

I've altered the original recipe a little with the addition of spices, and I often leave out the onions because a good friend in Key West is highly allergic to them. I've also been known to add chopped or sliced black olives and a small can of diced green chilis to the pot.

Also, if beans and/or vege burger tend to make you gassy, add some Beano.

1 12oz bag Morning Star Farms Burger Crumbles
1/2 large White onion (or one small white onion), diced
1 1lb, 13oz can Small Red Beans
1 15.5oz can Black Beans
1 15.5oz can Red Kidney Beans
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with jalapeños and/or green chiles
1/2 cup Scott's Homeward Bound Hot Sauce
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
2 tbs Dried Cilantro or 1/2 cup chopped fresh Cilantro (unless you don't like cilantro, then skip it or do 1/2 the amount in Oregano instead.)
1 tsp Garlic Powder (or 3 cloves diced fresh sauted in with the burger and onion)
Kosher salt to taste
(I also like to add anywhere from a 1/2 cup to a full cup of GunSmoke BBQ sauce on occasion)

Optional toppings:
Avocado
Shredded cheese
Sour Cream
Fresh chopped chives
Fresh chopped cilantro

In a large pot, place all canned items, cover and turn burner to low.

In a separate large frying pan, place burger crumbles and water on med-low and cover. As the burger crumbles are about half thawed, add hot sauce, stir, raise heat to medium and uncover. Once the burger crumbles are hot, add the diced onion and cook until onions are starting to soften. Add a little water if the burger and onion mixture gets too dry.

Raise heat under pot to med-low.

Add burger and onions to pot and raise heat to medium. Stir in frozen corn. Add cumin, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and cilantro.

Once soup is hot, serve and top with whatever you like.

I prefer sliced fresh avocado, a little dollop of low-fat sour cream and a bit of shredded sharp cheddar.

First Meal

2008-12-31T21:27:00.001-08:00

First official meal of 2009: avocado and Marmite on toast, with a glass of pomegranate juice.

Tasty.

Cookies!

2008-12-19T10:54:00.001-08:00

I decided to make some holiday noms.

Chocolate chip cookies are always good, but I decided to make them even better by throwing in some Heath toffee bits.

I used the recipe off the back of the Ghirardelli chocolate chips bag and adjusted the amount of chips to 1 1/2 cups, then added a cup of the toffee bits. I also substituted eggbeaters for one of the eggs.

I also just realized this morning that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter. For some reason I thought it said 1 lb. instead of 1 cup. Ooops! No wonder they are so crumbly!

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
(arr. M.E.L.C.)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg & 1 tbs eggbeaters
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375.

Stir flour, baking soda & salt together, set aside.

Beat butter & sugars until creamy.

Add vanilla and eggs, a little bit at a time until incorporated.

Gradually blend dry mixture into wet mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.

Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet, bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Cookies will continue to cook once you take them out of the oven, so if you want chewy cookies, take them out while the centers still look a little bit un-done.

EAT.

Sadly, when I first was testing my creation, the glass of milk I poured was sour. I ended up having a cookies-and-water test run, but they were still excellent.

This morning they are breakfast.

Coming Soon...

2008-12-12T09:13:00.001-08:00

...A website just for Scott's hot sauce!

the domain name has been purchased and the design has been started.

Those remotely interested will find descriptions of the different flavors of hot sauce, and possibly an appearance by Reese's Salsa (Not To Be Confused with the brand Resers...).

Stay tuned for further excitement!

Now will someone please make me breakfast?

Artistic Proof...

2008-12-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Mushroom & Wine Gravy

2008-12-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

This recipe is based on a gravy that my Uncle Walt makes. I've only had it once that I recall, and that was at Thanksgiving at their house in Yuba City in 2005. My cousin Carrie doesn't like mushrooms, so Walt makes a little pan for her without them. When I asked my Aunt Dixie for the recipe she sent me one that didn't include the mushrooms, so I figured it was Carrie's version and just assumed how to include them.

This is the recipe I received:
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 packets George Washington Broth
1 spoon full Sovex
2 1/2 cups water Wondra or sifted flour

Melt butter in large pan. Add Wine and simmer to reduce. Add water, George Washington Broth and Sovex. Thicken sauce with Wondra or sifted flour.

When we went to the grocery store to find the George Washington broth packets and Sovex, I couldn't find either, so I bought a jar of Marmite and a container of Swanson Vegetable broth.

I sauteed about three cups of sliced button mushrooms in the four tablespoons of butter and then added 1 1/2 cups of pinot grigio (it was that or chardonnay, and chardonnay is a little fruity for gravy).

I "simmered to reduce" and then added a full spoon of Marmite and 2 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth. I added about a 1/3 cup of sifted flour to thicken the gravy and whisked it to keep the flour from clumping.

In all it made about 4 cups of very tasty mushroom gravy that went very nicely on the mashed potatoes and both of our stuffings. Scott said it also brought out the flavors in his turkey.

Adventures In Hot Sauce

2008-11-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's spoken to me in the last year has probably had their ear jawed-off by stories of my "adventures in hot sauce." This is one of those compulsions, curried by my one-track mind, that I drive until I just can't stand to think about it anymore. I have had other such compulsions that have included hummus, martinis and dog food. Stories of those exploits will be detailed in later postings. NOW... on to more important things...

My affinity for hot sauce started in the military--having to eat shelf stable rations that tasted... well, not fresh. It carried through in subtlety, until I moved do Key West and began an interest in gardening. First, I started with herbs and then to moved to tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. Cooking with fresh ingredients opened a whole new world of culinary possibilities. So many applications! I could make fresh salsa and have fresh mint for mojitos (a tropical drink made with rum, lime, mint leaves and sugar).

I could only get one kind of pepper to really grow, though. My cayenne peppers just wouldn't flower. How frustrating! In the meantime, I was developing a penchant for routinely buying new bottles of specialty hot sauce. Every week--every few days I would buy a different bottle. They would be finished as soon as I could open them. So, I figured that if I am going to spend so much time getting into hot sauce, that I could try my hand at making my own.

I didn't have a recipe on hand. Most people don't. I looked on the Internet and found a few websites to get an idea of what I was getting myself into. I didn't use any recipes to try and copy. That just leaves open the possibility of failure... and it's difficult sometimes to find obscure ingredients and spices that some recipes call for. I had a good start growing outside on my very own porch! I was growing basil, oregano, parsley, chives, jalapenos, cayenne peppers!

I gathered that I should probably be careful in preparing peppers. They contain "capsaicin", which is the active ingredient in riot control stray. The "heat" of a pepper is measured on what is known as the "Scoville" scale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scoville_scale).

Also, I realized there is process called "blanching." After that, I just throw all the ingredients like a stew. The base of the stew would be white distilled vinegar. So, "vinegar stew." Hmmmm. Well, if I screw this up, then I'm only out a few bucks. Why don't I add some other vegetables... like carrots, onions? So I did. It DID boil into a stew! Some final season, mashing and straining and I was done. Throw it in an airtight bottle and forget about it in the back of the fridge.

The first batch yielded about 10 ounces. Surprisingly, it was like no other hot sauce I've ever had before. All the flavor and none of the panicky "owwie owwie owwie ah cun few mih tum!" All the batches had to be named something different. I looked online and found a wholesale website that sells hot sauce bottles. I'll take 100!

Well, I'm out of bottles now. The grocery store ships in entire crates of habanero and serrano peppers. I have a label drawn up and I think I have found a name. What if this ends up being my proverbial "Velcro" or "post-it note?" The new batch was huge and is used daily by my co-workers.

I won't give away any exact recipes. It's not that I am worried about someone ripping off a recipe or that someone could make it better than I could. It's just that when you're learning to cook, like anything, restrictions draw too many expectations. You end up making a bastardized attempt of some else's idea instead of a perfectly awesome, unique and personal creation

So, if you have an idea of what a good hot sauce name would be... or have a good concept for a label--I'm all ears. If you have any questions about the process, lemme know. Until next time...

Cheers!

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

2008-11-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

My first shot at this was the "Thanksgiving Dinner" we had at Katie & Kevin's house a few weeks ago. Carla and Scott and I threw together a full dinner in a couple of hours, totally on the fly.

I did a couple of things differently this time, here's the approximation of today's version... which was AWESOME.

5 baking potatoes (I used Russets)
1 stick (8 tbs) butter or whatever equivalent you want to use
1/2 of a 10.5oz brick of goat cheese
1 16oz tub of sour cream (I used light) whatever fatness you want
kosher salt
fresh chives

Take the goat cheese and butter out of the refrigerator to start to soften.

Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into 1-inch cubes and place in a bowl with cold water - just enough to cover the potatoes while you finish cutting them or do any other cooking you need to do.

Place potatoes in a large pot of water (new water) and bring to a boil.

While potatoes are cooking place goat cheese and half the butter in a large bowl to soften.

Once potatoes are cooked to where they are soft, drain them. Spoon about a third of the cooked potatoes into the bowl with the goat cheese and butter. Mash together until mostly combined. Sprinkle with kosher salt, add another third of cooked potatoes, the sour cream, and continue to mash. Add another sprinkle of kosher salt, the other half of the butter and the last of the potatoes, combine.

Serve hot with fresh chives snipped on top.

Welcome to our Kitchen!

2008-11-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

(This post was written by Scott - even though it claims to be written by me...)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would love to wish you a Happy Holidays and welcome you our kitchen! We thought it would be fun to share the intricacies and eccentricities behind the dynamic of what we cook, how we cook it, and how we live with our guilty bellies. The Iron Chef it's not... but then again, Bobby Flay isn't a meat-devouring combat veteran who bleeds beer and hot sauce. And I bet his wife isn't a vegetarian.

So how does a passionate and macho carnivore chow down on soy meat and stirfry? Easy--she's such a dang good chef! We love to put new spins on old, traditional meals. We also love to learn how to cook things that most melancholy domestic-types don't even attempt trying. There is a lot of excitement around our kitchen right now. The grocery store even makes special orders for us. Not many culinary swashbucklers can boast that!

So-- stay tuned for for comedy, tragedy and most likely... "Thumb-tip Salad..."

Are You Gonna Eat That?

Italian Lentil Soup

Things I want to try...

Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing

Vegetarian Meatballs #2

Mushroom Gravy #2

Broccoli Soup

Browned Butter Frosting

Thanksgiving 2011 - The Eating

Thanksgiving 2011 - Prep

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Quadruple Bypass Mashed Potatoes

Reese's Sweet Potato, Green Chile & Black Bean Enchiladas

Reese's Sour Cream & Green Chile Enchiladas

Leftover Roasted Veggie Soup

Easy Granola

Reese's Butternut Squash Soup

Goat Mac - No Goat, No Mac

Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots

Cheater Ratatouille with Rice

Apple Cranberry Tart

Vegan Egg-Salad that Doesn't Suck

Greek Non-Meatballs

Lentil Curry and Carrot Feta Salad

Garbanzo Curry, Grilled Polenta & Sweet Potatoes with Tahini-Yogurt Dip

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

Dip Dip Dip

Vegetarian Meatloaf - #2

Vegtetarian Stroganoff, FASTER

Deviled Eggs... AGAIN!

The Devils Eggs on Easter...

Asparagus Pesto

Tortilla Soup

How to Fake a Meat Loaf

MORE Soup! *Now with PICTURES!*

Souuup!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

Directions

Thanksgiving 2010 - Dinner #1

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Eggs of the Devil?!

Pineapple-Cheese Casserole

Thanksgiving 2009

Death Valley Couscous and Chicken

A Little Bit Healthy Pizza

Not Quite Chicken Piccatta

Easy Cornbread

Get Your Nuts Buttered With This Buttnernut Squash Sauce Recipe!

Veggie Stroganoff

Cinnamon Roll Experiment: Part II

Cinnamon Roll Experiment: Part I

Grandpa's Mac N Cheese

Taco Soup aka Easy Chili

First Meal

Cookies!

Coming Soon...

Artistic Proof...

Mushroom & Wine Gravy

Adventures In Hot Sauce

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Welcome to our Kitchen!

MORE Soup! Now with PICTURES!