Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I love dark chocolate. Love. With hearts and stars and rainbows and little fluffy koala bears. Ones that don't have chlamydia, even.

3/4 c cocoa powder
2 2/3 c powdered sugar
6 tbs butter
several tablespoons of milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine cocoa and powdered sugar. Combine half of the dry mixture to the butter, and cream. Alternate remaining dry mixture with one tbs at a time of milk as needed, until mixture reaches the desired consistancy. Beat in vanilla.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Be careful, this stuff is super sweet. This recipe makes enough to frost a 9x13" cake or two 8" rounds.

1/3 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4.5 c sifted powdered sugar

Beat the peanut butter in a bowl until it's fluffy. And 2 c powdered sugar, mixing until well blended. Add the vanilla and milk. Beat in the remaining sugar.

At Steven's Request

Because you are DAMN FINE (heh). Anyway... Buttermilk Chocolate Cake That Never Dries Out, Ever. Recipe as follows.

1 c buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c cocoa powder*
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 c boiling water
2 c flour (recipe says all-purpose, but...)

* I usually use Hershey's Special Dark because... that is just how I roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Grease and flour bottom of 9x13" pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine: buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside in a warm place. I usually cover it and put it on the stovetop, which works fine since I cook with gas and the stove is always warm.
3. In a seperate bowl, mix together: sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, oil, and vanilla and stir until well blended. Or if you're Amy and you're fancy, you can use your KitchenAid mixer. Stir in the boiling water and gradually add the flour. Add the buttermilk mixture last.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for ... actually, the recipe says 30 minutes, my cakes have NOT set in that amount of time. It might just be my stove. But cakes are finished when the edges pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool and frost.

I used peanut butter frosting (recipe to follow) and dark chocolate buttercream (ditto) and they were good both ways. Though the pb frosting is really quite insanely sweet, even my kids were like, "Whoa... I think I need a glass of water and a nap."

I am thinking maybe I will make one of these and bring it in for Shane's birthday, what says you?

Fish cakes

These are actually very good. Carlos loves them. I got the recipe from some Kraft magazine thingamabob and tweaked it a bit.\

2 cans (6 oz each) tuna, drained and flaked
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice (real juice works best but you can use the stuff in a jar)
1 C shredded cheese, flavor of your choice
1/2 C chopped green onions or chives (if you don't have these you can use 1/2 C diced regular onion)
1 package of instant stuffing mix...you can use turkey or chicken flavor, I like to use the whole wheat kind.
3/4 C water
1/3 C mayo (I use the light kind)

Mix all ingredients in a large-ish bowl, refrigerate for 10 mins. Spray a nonstick skillet with our friend Pam, heat over medium. Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of the mixture up, shape into patties, and add to skillet in batches. Cook about 3 mins on each side, or until golden brown.

Good served over greens, or with a lemon wedge, with some rice maybe, or whatever floats your boat.

General Tao's Tofu

(Totally ganked from some random veg website at some point in the last decade.)

1 box firm tofu
1 egg
3/4 c corn starch
3 chopped green onions
1 c steamed broccoli
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 tbs minced ginger
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2/3 c veg stock
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs white vinegar
toasted sesame seeds
oil for frying

1. Cube your tofu. If you have a problem with cubed tofu falling apart when it's stir-fried (shout-out to Tristin), try freezing it overnight first. Beat egg, and dip tofu cubes first into the egg and then into cornstarch, taking care to avoid clumps.
2. Heat oil in wok or skillet and fry tofu until golden. This takes a few minutes.
3. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook for two or three minutes, taking care as usual not to burn the garlic. Add remaining ingredients. Mix 2 tbs water with 1 tbs cornstarch and pour into the mixture in the pan, stirring well to combine. Cook until broccoli is soft. Serve over rice.

Tofu Chili

Mm, "meaty." Complete with quotation marks. I made this for Mason's biodad once, back when I cared whether or not he starved to death. Haley is a fan of it as well. Hey, even my DAUGHTER will eat this! And you know how Rayna is about... you know, eating stuff.

1 package extra firm tofu, in small cubes
1 large can (26 oz?) crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
8 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 finely chopped jalepeno peppers
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
The following spices, to taste:
chili powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper

1. In a bowl, combine the tofu with the seasonings. Do remember that tofu will take on the flavor of whatever it's cooked in - so add the spices DIRECTLY to the tofu before you start cooking.
2. Transfer tofu mixture to a (lightly greased) pot and add garlic and onion. Cook over medium heat until the tofu and onions are softened and browned, taking care not to burn the garlic.
3. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, heat through.
4. Add veggies and beans and simmer until cooked through. 20 minutes? Whatever.

I usually serve it with shredded cheddar (soy if you're a better person than I) and a dollop of plain yogurt on top.

Like Lasagna!

I made this one up today. It's good! Yes, I realize I'm on an eggplant kick. What can I say?

1 bag grown up (not baby) spinach (find in salad section of market), chopped
1 large purple eggplant (at least a lb), peeled (try not to lose any fingers)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce, tomato and basil or whatever the heck you fancy
1 16-oz container part skim ricotta (Supreme brand if you come to RI! Woo hoo!)
1 cup of shredded mozz/Italian blend cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
Some parm
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
Spices like garlic powder, pepper, basil snipped from the garden, etc.

Preaheat oven to 375 at some point. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with our good friend Pam. Saute chopped spinach in a pan for a short amount of time, you can add a bit of fresh basil or some pepper if the mood strikes you. Mix beaten egg, container of ricotta, 1 C of the shredded cheese, some parm (whatever looks good), some snipped basil, garlic powder, pepper...you know. Mix up and set aside. Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of glass dish. Cut the eggplant in very, very thin slices lengthwise, not unlike lasagna noodles. Arrange some slices on bottom of dish on top of sauce. Spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture over the eggplant slices, then distribute 1/2 of the spinach on top of that. Drizzle some sauce over this, spread gently with spoon. Repeat this process, using other half of ricotta mixture and spinach. Place one more layer of eggplant slices on top of this. Top with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle some shredded cheese and parm on top. Bake in oven for about 40-50 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and bubbly.

Easy eggplant mini-pizzas

Yesterday I was thinking, "what to do with the leftover chicken? I really want to make chicken pizzas, but...I don't feel like dealing with the dough." Then I remembered I had an eggplant! And so I decided to try this recipe. It worked out pretty well and is yummy.

1 large purple eggplant
pizza toppings and cheese of your choice
cheese(s) of your choice
pizza sauce
olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Cut the eggplant into 1/2" thick round slices. Brush each side lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you would like. Grill eggplant slices on the grill, turning once, until they are slightly soft (if you usually cook eggplant you know what I'm sayin'.) I'm thinking you could also saute the slices in a pan as well if you don't have a grill or don't wish to grill them. Take slices off grill, bring indoors. Heat oven to 350. Arrange eggplant slices on a plate, pyrex dish, or cookie sheet/pizza pan. Top each slice with sauce and desired toppings. Place dish in oven and bake until cheese melts.

I was going to do the oven part on the grill as well, but I was really afraid that the eggplant slices would burn on the bottoms, so that's why I put them in the oven.

Really quite good, and vegetarian if you aren't putting the chicken on top like I did :). I'm thinking kids might like these...the individual "pizzas" are cute sized, they reminded me of the English Muffin pizzas I would make as a kid.

Raspberry Wheat Germ Buttermilk Pancakes

Healthy! And yummy. I divide the batter in half and do raspberry in one bowl and blueberry in another because my kids are engaged in a Berry War.

2 beaten eggs
1/4 c oil
2 c buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 c whole wheat flour
however many raspberries look like the right amount (sorry)

1. Mix eggs, oil, buttermilk.
2. Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, salt, and flour. Mix until smooth. Add berries.
3. On a lightly oiled griddle or skillet (we use the griddle, Rachel uses a skillet..pff) heated to med-high, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into ...circley type deals. Brown until bubble appear on top, flip and brown the other side. Like you do with pancakes.

Honey Rubbed Dijon Charred Salmon

There is a long story about exactly why I was called from my home to grill salmon for my mother, but I can't repeat it without my head exploding.

Salmon steaks
dijon mustard
honey
garlic powder

Preheat grill

1. Rub garlic powder onto top side of salmon (both sides, if salmon is already scaled). Spread dijon mustard over salmon and honey over the dijon mustard and rub the salmon down.
2. Place salmon on hot grill, skin side down. After a few minutes, turn it - the skin will peel off easily. Feed it to your mother's cat.
3. Use a brush to repeat the garlic-mustard-honey process on the now skinless side of the salmon.
4. Grill, turning occasionally, until the inside is pale and flaky, and the outside is slightly charred. This happens quickly, so don't walk away from the grill! Ten minutes on each side should probably do it. (I turned it on high when it was cooked through and scorched it for two or three minutes to char it.)

This doesn't take long. My father has historically hated salmon (part of the reason, in fact, that I had to go cook it myself), but while he was standing guard over his brats, he said, "Wow, that smells... really good!" He broke off a piece, popped it in his mouth, and said, "Wow that... tastes... really good!" He said it didn't taste as strongly of fish as salmon usually does, I expect because the honey mellowed the flavor and made it seem milder.

I call this victory. And it did smell good. And Hemingway enjoyed her treat, too. And no, I don't know why the female cat is called Hemingway.

Stuffed eggplant

I have no clue if this is really how you make stuffed eggplant; I made this one up, too. but it's good.

1 med-large eggplant (about 1 lb)
rice, brown or whatever you like
1 can of Italian-style diced tomatoes
Mushrooms, sliced (about six?)
1/2 large onion, diced
A couple garlic cloves, minced
basil, pepper, and oregano to taste (add other spices if you feel like it)
Shredded cheese, if desired
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. In a glass baking dish, spread a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the meat, leaving a very thin layer (about 1/8") of meat inside the eggplant. Save scooped meat. Place eggplant halves in baking dish and put in oven. Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions, either on stovetop or in microwave. In a saute pan on medium heat add 1 1/2 T of olive oil. Saute reserved eggplant meat, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and spices until all are soft. Add vegetables to rice, and stir in can of diced tomatoes. Remove eggplant halves from oven. Spoon rice mixture into halves. Top with shredded cheese, if desired (if you go without the cheese, it's vegan!) Return eggplant to oven and bake for approximately 25-30 mins. The key here is to make sure the actual eggplant halves themselves are soft and not tough so you can eat them too. Generally if the skin gets all wrinkly, that's how you know, but it can take some trial and error. You will probably have some rice mixture left over too, yummy for the next day!

Eggplant Parmigiana

One day I decided to get over the dislike of eggplant I had as a child. And I wanted eggplant parm. I'm not sure if this is really how you make it...but it's good, and it works for me! Remember, I don't really measure things unless it's a "real recipe" so these things are all. Um. Approximate.

1 purple eggplant, about 3/4 lb-1 lb (if you have other types of eggplant from the garden or whatever, you can use those too. If they're small you just might need more.)
2 eggs
milk
Some white flour
Some wheat flour
Bread crumbs
Wheat germ
Oregano, basil, and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
About 1 1/2 jars of marinara or tomato & basil pasta sauce
Shredded mozz
Feta

Preheat oven to 350. Slice the eggplant into thin slices about 1/8 " thick. Spray some Pam (poor lady! Here she is again!) on the bottom and sides of a 9x13 Pyrex dish. Pour a light layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish and spread with a spoon. In one bowl, use a fork to beat the eggs and milk together. In another bowl, make a mixture of the flours, bread crumbs, wheat germ, parm, and spices. I couldn't tell you amounts at all but believe me you'll know when it LOOKS right. It should be...tan. A little heavier on the parm, germ, and crumbs than the flours. Heat about 1 1/2 T of olive oil in a saute pan over medium. Dip each eggplant piece in the egg mixture, then coat each side in the flour mixture. Fry eggplant pieces in oil, flipping once, until each side is golden brown. Arrange eggplant pieces in bottom of pyrex dish. Pour a thin layer of sauce over pieces, spread with spoon. Lightly sprinkle feta and parmesan cheese over sauce; you may add a very thin amount of mozz as well. Again saute more pieces of eggplant, arrange over first layer. Spread more sauce over the pieces. Sprinkle more feta, a larger amount of mozz, and some parm over the sauce. Place in oven and cook approximately 45 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

I'm thinking this would be pretty good if you incorporated some garden-fresh herbs like basil and oregano.

Easy breakfast egg sandwich

1 egg
milk or water
bagel, english muffin, or 2 slices of bread, toasted
spices to taste
toppings, if desired: cheese, salsa, bacon, canadian bacon, sausage patty, etc.

Put bagel/English muffin/bread in toaster and toast. Crack egg into ceramic (microwave-safe) coffee mug. Add a splash of milk or water, and any spices (pepper, basil, oregano, etc), beat with fork. Microwave egg in mug on high for 35-38 seconds, Remove mug (egg will still be very soft), beat egg again. Return to microwave for another 35-38 seconds.* By this time your toast will be done. Simply tip the mug upside down onto your toasted item and add toppings if you wish. This is vegetarian if you don't put any bacon/sausage/etc on it.

*The cooking time takes a bit to perfect, based on the differences between microwaves. It might take a few tries to get it right so your egg is not too soft. Also, when you first make this recipe, be sure to keep an eye on the egg during the second cooking cycle. If you see it rising and bubbling near the top of the mug, it's done! Press stop and remove that egg before it explodes all over the inside of the micro!!!

Fettucine Alfredo

One of the few things everyone, including Rayna, will eat in this godforsaken house. In fact, it is what I made for lunch. I am fairly sure that the sun dried tomatoes are not a part of authentic fettucine alfredo, but they make a lovely tangy addition.

Fettucine noodles*

3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 c half-and-half
1/3 c grated parmesan
2 tbs parsley, snipped
1 tbs fresh basil, chopped
1 c sliced white mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into pieces
1 pkg sun-dried tomatoes

*Uh, we have a huge family, full of boys, so we tend to eat a whole BOX at a time. Adjust accordingly.

1. Melt butter in large skillet. Add garlic and green onion and sautee until softened.
2. Stir in flour, cheese, and half-and-half, heat stirring until bubbly and smooth.
3. Add herbs, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and cooked.
4. Serve over pasta. Top with additional grated parm if desired.

Crumpets!

Oh my goodness.... you can't even.... oh, how to describe a crumpet to someone who'd never had tea with a British grandmother. They're... crispy and chewy and soft and... sigh. No, there's nothing like a nice toasted crumpet. People always think of them as English muffin type deals, but not really. In fact, English muffins were invented by Americans. Did you know that? It's true.

2 1/2 tbs active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/3 c warm water

2.5 c bread flour

1 3/4 c milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Mix sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand for five minutes. It's supposed to bubble, I'm sure you know that.

2. Stir in the flour, milk, salt, and baking soda. Cover in plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Heat a griddle to medium. Arrange round cookie cutters on the greased griddle and pour batter (3 tbs, but who measures? Newbies.) into each ring. Cook until the tops are bubbly and porous, flip and cook until set on the other side. About ten minutes per crumpet.

4. Toast in the toaster, eat with butter and jam.

Devonshire Cream

Devonshire cream is a dip/topping. For fruit, primarily. And it's from, surprise, Devonshire. (I guess. I don't know. I assume it's from Devonshire, but knowing the British it could well be an old Brummy recipe or something. Hell, my folks are Cornish, what do I know?) Probably not good for the lactose intolerant and, sadly, another of those things we can't have when Liam's near.

8 oz cream cheese
12 oz sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

One step: Mix until sugar is completely dissolved, and have at it.

Chicken mole w/tomatoes

I just realized that nearly all my recipes are Mexican/Latin American. Hey, I love cilantro and cumin!!! This one was cut out from some flyer I got at the health food store next door to my work. It's yummalicious.

1 T olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 1/2 C diced onion
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t chili powder
2 t cocoa powder
2 t ground cinnamon
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 t sea salt (I never have sea salt, I use regular...it's ok!)
1 1/2 t brown sugar
3 C cooked basmati/brown/whatever you want rice
2 limes, quartered, for garnish if you like
3 T chopped fresh cilantro for garnish, also if you like

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat. Saute chicken and onion, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink. Add cumin, chili powder, cocoa, and cinnamon. Stir to coat chicken. Add tomatoes w/liquid, sea salt, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 mins. Serve over rice of your choice, add lime and cilantro to garnish if you please.

Baja turkey burgers

This is written on a sticky. No idea where I got it from!

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/4 C salsa
1 T minced jalapeño, seeded
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/2 t dried oregano
1/8 t salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Break up raw turkey in a bowl. Mix in salsa, jalapeño, garlic, onion, & pepper. Combine well but don't overmix. Portion into four burgers. Then cook in a pan w/nonstick spray, or grill on your grill.

Wild and crazy south of the border bread!!!

I got this recipe from the Sunbeam website (they made my bread machine. Mia, get a bread machine). I am going to make turkey burgers tonight (recipe following!) and serve it on this bread since the bread WORKED.

Makes a 2-lb loaf.

1 C room temp water (70-80 degrees F)
1 C whole kernel corn, thawed
2 T butter/margarine, softened
2 T canned chopped green chilies
4 cups bread or white flour
1/2 C cornmeal
2 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
2 t bread machine yeast

Pour water into bread machine pan. Add butter/margarine, corn and chilies. Add flour, cornmeal, and sugar all at once. On one side of the pan add salt to top of flour. On the other side add the yeast. Put pan in bread machine and choose basic setting (or equivalent) for 2-lb loaf, choose your crust color if necessary. Then let your bread bake while you do exciting things like weed the garden!!!!

Absolutely Foolproof Ten Minute Fudge

And when I say "fool" I mean, "me." I have had some fudge disasters, but even I can handle this one without the stove exploding or the cat spontaneously combusting. And? It's gooood. Very bittersweet and dark.

2/3 c sweetened condensed milk
8 oz semisweet baker's chocolate
3/4 tsp vanilla
chopped nuts

Preperation: greased foil lined loaf pan

1. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk and chocolate. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. If chunks of chocolate persist, microwave for an additional 10-20 seconds.
2. Stir in nuts (I used macadamias) and vanilla. Transfer to prepared pan.
3. Refridgerate for one hour or until firm. Cut into squares.

Bubble and Squeak

Katie informs me that (normal) Americans don't eat bubble and squeak. I cannot believe it! What do you do with your leftover greens? Pff. I know, people always make fun of English cooking and yes, it is true that my parents tend to eat bland, overcooked vegetables; but I really. Really. Love. Bubble and squeak.

2 cups cooked, shredded Cabbage
1 Onion sliced or chopped
1 lb Potatoes
3 tbs Butter
salt and pepper to taste
oil

1. Peel, boil, and mash potatoes with butter. (Do not add milk.) Season with salt and pepper.
2. Usually we use leftover cabbage for this, but if you aren't: cook in water and 1 tbs butter until tender. Mix together with potato.
3. In a skillet, heat some oil and add the onion, cooking until soft. Add the potato and cabbage mixture and press down atop cooked onions to form a flat cake.
4. Cook over medium heat until browned on the bottom, for about 15 minutes. Transfer upside down onto a plate and heat another 2 tbs (approximately) of oil. Replace cake in the skillet and brown on the other side.

Transfer to plate again, cut into wedges, and serve.

Rarebit

Welsh rarebit is probably one of my all time favorite British foods (aside from beans on toast, of course) and here is how we make it. It's good any time, all the time, every time.

3 tbs butter
6 oz cheddar cheese
1 tbs beer
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcetershire
1 egg, beaten
Baguette sliced and toasted
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in salt & pepper, mustard, and worcetershire. Cook until bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat. Add beerand cheese, stir until melted.
2. Spoon over toast.

That's it! You can also substitute the beer for either whiskey or milk. Sometimes this is called "Welsh Rabbit" but I don't know why, since it's quite vegetarian.

Ben & Jerry's cake

This cake is so easy to make, and it's fun! You can use any combination of cake mix flavor and ice cream flavor...get creative! It's very moist and yummy.

1 package cake mix, flavor of your choice
1 pint of Ben & Jerry's or similar premium ice cream, your choice of flavor, MELTED.
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Mist a 12-in Bundt pan w/Pam or the like and flour pan. Blend all ingredients in a mixer on low speed for 1 minuted then medium for 2 minutes more. The batter should look thick and well-blended. Pour batter into pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 38-42 mins, until the top springs back when touched and the sides just begin to pull away from the pan. Cool on wire rack for 20 mins, then remove from pan.

You can dust powdered sugar over the top of this cake, or drizzle with the frosting of your choice.

Chicken and green onion curry in the crockpot

I think I found this one online too. I tend to scribble recipes on sticky notes, ha!

1 med onion, thinly sliced
3 med garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 T fresh ginger root, grated (you can substitute 1 t of jarred ginger spice if you don't have fresh)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 t ground turmeric
a dash of ground cloves
1/4 t ground cardamom
3 1/2 lbs chicken pieces with skin removed (I usually use chicken thighs as they are pretty inexpensive)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 T cornstarch, blended w/2 T of cold water
salt
1/2 c of green onions or chives, sliced

Combined sliced onion and all spices except salt in a 4-5 qt crockpot. Rinse chicken and pat dry, arrange the pieces over the onion mixture. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on the low crockpot setting about 6-7 hrs, until meat is very tender and juices run clear when pierced. Geltly lift chicken to warm serving dish and keep warm. Skim and discard the fat from the cooking liquid if necessary. Mix cornstarch with cold water, blend into cooking liquid. Increase crockpot setting to high, cover and cook stirring 2 or 3 times until sauce thickens. Add salt to taste, pour broth over chicken. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green onions.

This is good served over the rice of your choice.

Roasted Garlic and Spinach Dip

Very good with pita chips. Or if you just dive head first into the bowl. Either way.

1 whole head of garlic
olive oil
1 bag frozen spinach
1 can chopped artichoke hearts
8 oz of cream cheese, cubed OR 1 pkg soft tofu, cubed
dash lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
dash tobasco sauce
1 tsp paprika

1. To roast the garlic for the spinach dip, take the outer skin off the head but leave the individual cloves intact. Cut off each end of garlic head. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil, and cook in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool.
2. Cook spinach according to package directions and drain well.
3. Combine, in food processor or blender (or Amy's magic bullet) all ingredients. Remove garlic from pulp by squeezing one end - it will literally fall out of its skin. Blend until smooth.
4. If desired, transfer to saucepan and heat through until bubbly.

This dip is freakin' amazing. It's really just as good with tofu - I make it that way when the kids are around, since Liam is allergic to.. you know.. the world. Plus, it is vegan this way!

Tex Mex lentil casserole

This is a pretty fast and easy dish to make. I think I found the recipe online at some point.

1 C red lentils (I've used brown ones too and it works fine)
1 can vegetable stock (if I was out of veggie stock I've used chicken which also worked well although obv. wouldn't be vegetarian if you went that route)
1 C chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use the ones w/the chilies but plain is fine)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C grated fat-free cheese
2 T chopped cilantro if desired

Combine all the ingredients except cheese and cilantro in 1 1/2 qt covered microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 18-20 mins. (Depending on the strength of your micro, you may need to do it a little longer than that...keep an eye on the container near the end of the cooking time, and adjust accordingly.) Carefully remove cover and stir, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 20 mins. Garnish with cilantro.

3-Cheese Vegetarian Pizza

This isn't really much of a recipe, per se, it's just something the kids and I usually eat on the weekends because I'm a big pushover. Also, I really am not a huge fan of making my own pizza dough, so when I feel espescially lazy I use the premade Barilla shells. They aren't as good, but they are much faster.

Crust:
Any basic recipe for pizza dough works, BUT:
I add 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil to the dough.
You can even use the boxed crust mix and just add herbs to it.

Toppings:
Pesto sauce OR pizza sauce (jarred is fine)
artichoke hearts
chopped spinach
sliced tomatoes
mushrooms
cooked broccoli florets
mozzarella cheese (fresh, sliced)
crumbled feta
grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Make your dough according to whichever recipe you normally use plus the herbs. Press it out onto a greased pizza pan.
2. Spread pesto or pizza sauce, as you like, over the crust. Lay slices of mozzarella to cover sauce.
3. Layer vegetables atop cheese. Sprinkle feta over veggies and grated parm over feta.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until crust is crisp and brown and veggies are soft.

If you don't already use fresh mozzarella when you make pizza, shame on you!! Processed shredded cheese does not compare. Also, chopped basil leaves on top of the sauce give it a really good flavor, if you are as big a fan of basil as I am (especially if you are using the preprepared crust). I also sometimes brush the crust with oil before cooking and then sprinkle sesame seed on it, so they toast while in the oven. Yum!

Stuffed shells

Growing up I loved stuffed shells when Mama made them. I got my own recipe from the back of a Barilla pasta box but made a few modifications.

1 box (12 oz.) large shells
1 jar of pasta sauce of your choice; I find tomato/basil or marinara is the best.
2 eggs
2 15-oz containers of Ricotta cheese (If you live in RI or New England and can get Supremo brand cheese, yay! If not, others will work.)
4 C shredded mozzarella, divided
1 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese, divided
special seasoning*

*When I started making my own stuffed shells, I added some "scampi mix" spice from Wildtree Herbs (you buy them at a party, not unlike a tupperware party) to the ricotta mixture. Everyone LOVED my shells. I've since run out of the stuff, but info about it can be found here. I've recently emailed the company about getting more scampi mix, but if you are unable to get it, you could add in probably some lemon pepper blend as well as some garlic powder and some parsley. Nothing can ever replicate the scampi mix but it comes close.

Preheat oven to 350. Cook shells according to package directions. Spray the bottom of a 15 X 10 X 2 glass baking dish with Pam or the like. Spread 2 C of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in ricotta, 2 C of the mozz, 1 C of the parm and the special seasoning. (My seasoning was added to taste...probably about 1 or 1 1/2 T.) Fill each cooked shell w/ricotta mixture. Put the shells in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, mozz, and parm. Bake covered with foil until bubbly, about an hour. Uncover and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 mins. Let stand 5 mins before serving.

Whole wheat bread in the bread machine

This recipe comes directly from the recipe book that came with my bread machine, I use the recipe often. My bread machine is a Sunbeam brand and you may have to tweak the recipe a bit based on the settings/size of yours but not too much. (Mia! Get! A bread machine!)

Something to note on this recipe is that it's very touchy, as whole wheat recipes tend to be. If conditions aren't right the bread may not rise as well as it should. It'll be edible, just more...uh...like a brick? Ha. It's best to make it on a dry day rather than a humid day and sometimes it's a good idea to add a touch more water than the recipe calls for. As far as yeast make sure you keep your yeast in the fridge sealed REALLY well in the jar. That's key especially for wheat/heavy flour breads.

1 C + 2 T water (75-85 degrees)
1 T + 1 1/2 t butter/margarine, softened
1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 C whole wheat flour *
2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in the pain in this order: water, butter, sugar, salt, and flour. Make an indentation w/your finger on one side of the flour. Add the yeast to the dent, making sure it doesn't come into contact w/liquid ingredients. Insert pan into breadmaker and close lid. Choose the "whole wheat" setting on your bread machine, choose 1.5 lb loaf size (if yours has this setting) and also choose crust color (also if yours has this setting). Press the start button and VOILAAAAAAA you will have real whole wheat bread in about 3 1/2 hours!

*As I've stated before I always, always use King Arthur flours, especially for whole wheat (they also have white wheat which is whole wheat but they...do something to it?) KA flour is really fine and MUCH easier to rise than some of the other whole wheat flours.

Really. REALLY good banana bread.

My aunt (my mom's sister) sent me this recipe by email several years ago. SHE got it from my Aunt Anne, her brother's wife. My Uncle is the editor of the Seattle P-I and I'm not sure if he got it from his work, or something else...but it comes from a b&b in KY (as noted at the end of the recipe). This banana bread recipe is sooooooo. Good. I actually thought of entering it in the county fair; when I eat this stuff, I swoon. I found that using the little bananas (the ones that say they are from Colombia) make the best bread but I think any ones would work fine.

BEST BANANA BREAD
MAKES 2 LARGE LOAVES

• 2 cups mashed banana
• 1 cup strong, black coffee
• 1 1/2 cups melted butter
• 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Grated rind from one orange
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Moosh together in a mixing bowl the mashed bananas and coffee. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and sugar. Then add the eggs one at a time mixing in vanilla and almond extract between additions. Stir in the salt and baking soda.

In the third bowl (we didn't say this was easy did we?), mix together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange rind. Combine the ingredients into 1 bowl, mix gently then stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Grease 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes. We usually eat one loaf immediately and wrap and freeze the other.

The following recipe is from the Helton House Bed-and-Breakfast in Owensboro, Ky.:

Vegetable Nut Loaf

This one came from an actual cookbook. Heh. It's really good, I have been meaning to post it for a bit. (I do not know why blogger will not let me actually give this post a title. If someone can edit it, that'd be cool.)

2 large onions, quartered
3 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 lb carrots, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c unsalted cashew pieces
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tsp ketchup
1 tbs Worcetershire
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/8 tsp each, salt and pepper
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbs white bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine celery, carrots, onion, and rosemary in a food processor and chop fine.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil and sautee the vegetables until soft.
3. Finely chop the nuts in the food processor and add to the vegetables with the parsley. Remove from heat.
4. Combine egg, egg white, ketchup, worcetershire, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
5. Stir the wheat crumb into the vegetable mixture and add the egg mixture and fold together.
6. Pack into foil lined loaf pan and sprinkle white bread crumbs on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Squid and Mushroom Linguine

Okay, the grocery store had squid on sale for 2.99 a pound, and I thought it would be really fun to figure out how to make something fantastic from it, so I bought three pounds. Then I sat both my moms at a table and made them into my own personal food science lab rats. They are both foodies, plus they like eating for free, so it was the perfect scenario.

Experiment #1:

1 pound cleaned squid, cut crosswise into rings
3 large portabella mushrooms, chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 large vidalia onion, sliced
1 tsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh parsley
3 cloves minced garlic
dash lemon juice
fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
linguine, cooked
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Heat olive oil in skillet, add onions and cook until soft.
2. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, garlic, basil, lemon juice. Sautee until all veggies are cooked soft.
3. In a seperate skillet, heat 1 tbs olive oil and the squid rings. Cook squid in oil for 3-5 minutes or until soft. The squid should be white and tender when fully cooked.
4. Layer in a glass baking pan: the cooked linguine, squid, tomato/mushroom mixture. Spread sliced fresh mozzarella on top. Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese is bubbly. Remove, garnish with parsley.

At this point the curiosity became too much for me to bear and I became a raging maniacal carnivore and tasted it, meat and all, and I have to tell you. It was pretty freaking good.

Experiment #2: Stuffed Squid will be coming soon. I have to cook an actual meatless dish for my kids dinner and Amy, we're making your rice balls!

Magic Bullet gazpacho

Here's another variation on gazpacho. I sort of invented this recipe yesterday for lunchtime, using stuff I had around the house. I used that handy Magic Bullet we have...it's the perfect size for making a single serving, but of course this could be made in a regular blender as well.

1 vine-ripened tomato
watermelon
approx. 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tsp diced onion
basil, approx 1.5 tsp dried, or fresh (you may adjust this to taste)
pepper, approx 3/4 tsp (adjust to taste).

Chop tomato into cubes and put in bullet/blender. Use melon baller to put balls of watermelon in bullet container until watermelon nearly reaches top. (If you are using a blender, obviously the container's a lot bigger, but I would say the ratio of watermelon to tomato is about 1.5:1.) Add lime or lemon juice, onion, and spices. Blend until mixture is smooth puree. Pour into bowl and enjoy. The watermelon gives it a little sweetness and I think kids would really go for this.

Easy Tofu Marinara

This is adapted from the various baked tofu recipes in a great vegetarian cookbook called Enemy of the Steak.

1 pound extra firm tofu, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-1.5 cups marinara sauce (when I don't have time to make my own, my favorite is Newman's)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
optional: minced garlic, to taste
optional: other herbs or spices, to taste (I added fresh basil from the garden)
optional: grated romano or parmigiano cheese (if you leave this out, the recipe is vegan)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix sauce, vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices.
3. Spread about half of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking pan (9x13 or so).
4. Place the tofu in a single layer in the pan.
5. Top with the rest of the sauce mixture. Spread out the sauce so it covers the surface of the tofu - I find it's easiest to do this with a spatula.
6. Optional: Top with grated cheese.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Serve with salad and the grain of your choice (suggestions: pasta, couscous, risotto), or use as a sandwich filling.

Spicy rice balls over pasta

2 cups cooked rice (I use brown but you can use white)
1/2 C quick cooking oats (don't use instant oatmeal)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 C dry bread crumbs
1/4 C milk
1 T chopped fresh or 1 t dry basil
2 t chopped fresh or 1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t ground red/cayenne pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 C wheat germ
1 T veg. oil
2 C spaghetti sauce

Mix rice, oats, onion, bread crumbs, milk, basil, oregano, red pepper and egg. Shape mixture into 12 balls, roll in wheat germ. Heat oil in 10-in skillet on medium. Cook balls in oil about 10 mins, turning occasionally, until golden brown.

Heat spaghetti sauce, serve over pasta of your choice. Sprinkle parm. cheese over if desired.

Carlos loves these and doesn't believe there's no meat in them, ha!

Bean burgers

This recipe comes from my Betty Crocker cookbook, it's called "Italian Bean cakes" there. I make a few modifications though mostly to the spices.

2 cans (15-16 oz) beans of your choice, rinsed and drained (I find the red kidney beans and/or black beans work the best but you could use anything)
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t chili powder
a dash of curry to your taste
2 T olive/veg oil

Mash beans in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except oil. (Note: you may have to add a bit more bread crumbs to get the mix to a workable consistency, depending on what type of beans you use.) Shape mixture into 6 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in 12-in nonstick skillet over med. heat. Cook patties 8-10 mins, turning once, until golden brown.

These are so good on toasted whole wheat buns with avocado/tomato/onion/burger toppings of your choice!

Experimental Broccoli Soup

**UPDATED** Celery salt was the key ingredient! I figured it out and oh man does this soup ever kick serious butt.

2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped *

1.5 c chopped white mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1.5 c milk

1 c vegetable stock

dash lemon juice

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp celery salt

2 tbs fresh snipped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbs butter

cornstarch

* florets and stems

1. Sautee onion and garlic in butter until soft.

2. Add vegetable stock, milk, and all vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies and potatoes are soft.

3. Add parsley and seasoning and turn heat to med-high.

4. Add cornstarch (between 1.5 and 2 tsp, I'm guessing) and stir vigorously to thicken.

5. Add lemon juice. Bring to a rapid boil and boil stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid.

To make this broccoli cheese soup, you just have to add cup or so of shredded cheese after you turn off the heat and stir it in until it melts. Swiss would be good.

Gnocchi n' cheese

I kind of just invented this recipe so there are no amounts of anything. I am not a big measurer either...I just do everything to taste

1 package of gnocchi, cooked to directions*
grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Crumbled cheese of your choice i.e. feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, etc.
A touch of shredded cheese, if desired
Milk and butter/margarine if necessary
Basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Fresh herbs are the best but dried is fine too!

*Or you could make them yourself! I've found several gnocchi recipes online. They seem to be quite easy to make, easier even than the other pastas I've done.

Cook gnocchi to package directions (basically, when they float, they're done!) Drain gnocchi and return to pan. Immediately mix in desired amount of crumbled cheese; the heat will cause the cheese to melt. If you desire a creamier consistency to your gnocchi n' cheese you may add some shredded cheese i.e. mozzarella, or put in a bit of butter/margarine or milk. Just keep going until it is the consistency you like. Then stir in garlic, tomato, and spices. This is SO good when it is all warm and gooey.

I will also sometimes add chicken to this dish, it's a good use for a leftover whole chicken.