Bork. Bork! Bork?

Black bean soup

2008-04-27T15:16:00.003-04:00

I really love the Vegetarian Black Bean Soup at Panera Bread, so when I came across a recipe for BBS on a can of beans, I had to try it. I'm not as concerned with the "vegetarian" part as others might be, but I'm thinking you could substitute a veggie broth for the chicken broth if you wanted to.

2 cans Black Beans (I used Bush's seasoned recipe, which is where this recipe came from. Do not drain the beans)
1 can low/reduced sodium chicken broth (or veg broth if you'd rather)
1/2 cup salsa (any kind you want, I used safeway brand mild, and put in 1cup total)
1/2 tsp chili powder (I didn't have any, so left it out. I am not that into the spicy stuff, so it worked well for me)

Mash contents of one can of beans with food processor or potato masher. Pour into saucepan with other can of beans and can of broth, and heat on stovetop. Add salsa and chili powder, and simmer until heated through. Serve as is, or add what we call "soup stuff" - sour cream, cheddar, onions, etc.

It was very tasty, IMO, and I'm looking forward to trying a bowl of leftovers cold as well.

Cake batter ice cream

2008-04-06T16:54:00.003-04:00

I like cake batter. I like ice cream. I don't eat it much, but. Yum. Decided I was going to try my own homemade version and see how it turned out. Worked pretty well. I have an ice cream maker. I know there are other ways to freeze ice cream even if you don't have an ice cream maker so if you don't have one you could tweak this recipe. I don't like making ice cream with full fat milk or heavy cream so I usually use 1 or 2% milk and half and half. That sometimes leads to a less-creamy ice cream but this one came out surprisingly soft and creamy.

1 C of 2% or 1% milk
2 C of half and half (or heavy cream if you desire)
3/4 cup sugar
about 1 1/4 t of vanilla...to taste
1 package of powdered cake mix. I used Duncan Hines "butter recipe golden". You could use whatever you want I suppose!

Whisk the sugar and milk together until the sugar has dissolved in the milk. Then add the half and half and the vanilla, whisk in. Add the cake mix and whisk until lumps are gone. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze per manufacturers directions.

I will say that this recipe never got really "frozen" in my ice cream maker. It thickened to slightly softer than the consistency of soft ice cream (and SOOOOOOOO creamy). We put it in containers in the freezer and it's a very pleasant consistency.

It's pretty sweet though I don't mind it but if you find you don't like it you might want to try lessening the amount of cake mix, maybe?

Being someone who loves cake batter (ahhh!)...this is a legal way to have it...heh. No raw eggs.

My Kids' Favorite Chili

2008-02-17T17:47:00.003-05:00

My boys (9 and 5) aren't big on anything spicier that super-mild salsa, so getting them to eat chili can be a challenge. After a lot of testing, this is the recipe we all like the best. It makes a LOT, but there's 6 of us in the house, so it works, and we have great leftovers too. Could definitely be easily cut in half though, for smaller batch.

Ingredients:
2 -2.5lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 -1 onion (Vidalia or white), chopped
1 can white corn, drained and rinsed
2 cans kidney beans (we like 1 light, 1 dark for variety), drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1C water
2 packets chili seasoning (generic Safeway brand is just perfect for my picky kids)

Directions:
Brown ground beef till cooked through, adding onions to cook. Drain, then add all other ingredients to large pot (I think ours is a 5qt?). Mix thoroughly, and simmer up to 1 hour. Serve hot, with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla and/or corn chips, etc.

It tastes even better the next day, too!

Apple chicken crockpot stew

2007-10-09T17:47:00.001-04:00

I found this recipe online awhile ago and saved it. I decided to try it yesterday because my mother gave me about 2,385 gallons of homemade apple cider. It is very good.

Ingredients:
5-7 red potatoes, cubed (I used I think four large yellow potatoes...they were wicked big)
2-3 medium parsnips or carrots, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced (I used a yellow onion. Sue me!)
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1½ tsp salt
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 TBS olive oil
2 tart apples, peeled and cubed
1¼ cups apple cider
1 TBS cider vinegar
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker, layer potatoes, parsnips/carrots, onion, and celery.
2. Combine salt, thyme, pepper, and caraway; sprinkle half over vegetables.
3. In a skillet, sauté chicken in oil until browned; transfer to slow cooker.
4. Top with apple.
5. Combine apple cider and vinegar; pour over chicken and apples.
6. Sprinkle with remaining spice mixture; add bay leaf.
7. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear; discard bay leaf and stir before serving.

This turned out to be wicked good. I generally cook things in my crockpot on low so I don't know if you might be able to cube the chicken then cook all on low without cooking it beforehand...the chicken was just marginally dry when the stew was reheated for lunch the next day...but otherwise wicked good.

Chicken Porta Potti (OK, really? It's Chicken Pot Pie)

2007-09-19T17:57:00.000-04:00

This is my mother's chicken pot pie recipe. Carlos loves it and calls it "chicken porta potti" (don't ask me). It's a good way to use leftover chicken from a whole chicken that you have cooked.

I use my "smaller" pyrex dish for this...I think it's the 9x13 one? My mom's recipe says 6x10 but I don't think my dish is THAT small? Whatever.

OK so I'm transcribing this just how my mom sent it to me. Gotta love my mother.

Cover bottom of dish w/chicken. Add whatever veggies you like (Mommy generally added some frozen mixed ones, like peas/carrots/corn/beans and the like. I do that too but I also chop onion and garlic and put on top. Whatever floats your boat.)

Sauce: (Mommy indicates to make DOUBLE THIS RECIPE, for that pyrex dish that she and I use, and she reiterates this later on...) Melt 2 T margarine in a sauce pan. Add 2 T flour; mix. Slowly add 1 cup milk, whisking as you add it. Bring to a boil over med-med high heat. Be careful w/that med-high, kids, or else your milk will scald and your flour will adhere itself to your saucepan. Badbadbad! Add 1 buoillon cube (you can smash it before adding). I buy the powdered chicken buiollon, msg-free and all, these days. Screw smashing those cubes. If you have the powdered stuff, add 1 teaspoon. Let buillon cube dissolve. Pour white sauce over meat mixture and combine.

Recap I kid you not, this is what my mother wrote, and this is where you need to pay attention, because the following instructions are what you REALLY need to follow....for this size dish, you'd use 4 T marg, 4 T flour, 2 buillion cubes and 2 c milk. (Why didn't you just say that before, Ma???) For a larger dish, make source accordingly. (I'll get right on that) You don't have to use a buillion cube fore EVERY cup of milk, i.e, if making 4 cups of sauce, use 3 cubes. (Awesome! Less smashing!) NOTE FROM AMY: I add some curry powder to this white sauce to kick it up a notch. If you don't want to, it's still fine.

*You can use milk, lactaid, or try using water. (Love the helpful hints from Momma. I use lactaid.)

Crust: I (That would be Susan Elizabeth, my mother) "eyeball" the top crust. Mix a smallish amt of bisquick with water or milk to make biscuits. (Less is more, people. Less is more.) Roll our dough onto flour covered board and plot atop meat (dude, are we doing math problems here? Truth be told, I never roll and plot. I smush between my hands and then, I guess, plot?) mixture. It may break, that's OK. For a large pan, I make the crust in small pieces so I'm not handling too much at one time. (Amy then sprinkles caraway seeds on top of her crust. Feel free to ignore this part.)

Bake at 400 for about 20 mins. I ofen place the pot pie on a cookie sheet 'cause if it runs over, the oven won't be ruined! (I myself just wield a can of EZ-off fume free afterwards if need be.)

Mediterranean Polenta

2007-09-03T19:05:00.000-04:00

My midwife fed me this amazing polenta one day when she checked my blood glucose at a prenatal appointment and saw that it was 51. Well, she fed me after she yelled at me.

1 c cornmeal
1 c water
3 c stock (veg or chicken)
2 tsp dried basil
3 tomatoes, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
2 tbs olive oil
dash salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, combine cornmeal and water.
2. Combine the stock, herbs, salt and pepper in a nonstick pan. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and stir in cornmeal mixture slowly. Cooking, stirring constantly, for five minutes until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes more until thicker and smooth.
4. Add the diced veggies and oil and cook until veggies are soft. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand five minutes.

Jibne Wa Labneh

2007-09-02T18:11:00.001-04:00

Feta cheese on sale at Meijer, three for five dollars yo!

1/2 lb feta
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 c olive oil

Crush the feta with a fork and blend the olive oil and yogurt. Serve with pitas or pita chips or whatever strikes your fancy.

Salatat Bathinjan

2007-09-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

Because Amy needs more eggplant in her life, obviously. Hahaha.

1 lg. eggplant, peeled and sliced thick
8 tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1-2 chopped jalepeno or other hot pepper
3 tbs lemon juice

1. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, allow to drain on paper towels for half hour.
2. Heat olive oil in frying pan. Fry both sides of slices until golden brown. Remove, dice, set aside.
3. Mash garlic cloves with a pinch of salt. Add to eggplant with peppers and lemon juice. Serve slightly chilled.

Branston Pickle

2007-09-02T15:56:00.000-04:00

Oh, my parents eat this stuff on everything. Sandwiches and hot dogs or sausage. It's a Branston Pickle copycat recipe. My dad makes and jars it about twice a year.

9 oz carrots
1 medium rutabega
4 cloves garlic
4.5 oz dates
1 medium head cauliflower
2 onions
2 apples
2 zucchini (unpeeled)
15 sweet gherkins
1/2 lb dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 oz lemon juice
12 oz malt vinegar
1 tbs worcestershire
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cayenne pepper

I think my dad usually adds turmeric and also the recipe calls for Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce, but forget it.

Cube and/or chop all ingredients. Combine all in pot and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours (until the rutabega is cooked but firm). If you have the browning sauce, add that until it turns dark brown. Seal it in clean jars. Leave set for 3 weeks to let the flavor age.

Eat it on whatever. Ploughman's lunch includes cheese, bread, salad, apple, tomato, beets, pickled onion, etc.

The Solution To Too Many Tomatoes Pasta Sauce

2007-09-01T13:23:00.000-04:00

Oh my god! I have tomatoes coming out my ears! They are taking over my house! I have been eating tomato sandwiches for days! What do I dooooooo? Why, you make spaghetti sauce!!! I just kind of invented this one but it's gooood.

About six or so medium-large tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 T sugar
1 t salt
some pepper
fresh basil snipped from your garden, to taste
pinch cloves
some oregano (remember, I don't measure things: do to taste.)
some rosemary

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium and saute the garlic and onion. Then add your diced tomatoes (don't forget to save the seeds from the heirloom tomatoes when you chop them up. They could be worth MONEY someday! At the very least, you can try to regrow them next year), the tomato paste, the sugar, salt, pepper, basil, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Taste from time to time (but don't burn your lip) and adjust any spices accordingly. I have no idea how long to simmer for. I'd say 45 minutes at the least but the longer you simmer it, the better it tastes. Sit down, relax, read your Surfer magazine or some Faulkner. When the house smells good, it's good. Serve over pasta of your choice or use in recipes like lasagna, etc. You can also put this in those freezer ziplocs and freeze for later use.

Mummy's zucchini bread

2007-08-15T07:09:00.000-04:00

My mom's been making this zucchini bread almost all my life. The original recipe came from a cookbook which was compiled by my paternal grandfather's side of the family and given out at a family reunion back in 1982. I think the original recipe came from my great aunt. My mom tweaked it a tad and this is how she (and I) make it.

4 C coarsely shredded zucchini (do not shred in blender)*
3 C all purpose flour
1 C vegetable oil
1 T plus 1 t vanilla
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
2 C sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 C chopped nuts (optional; my mom always made it without).

*I always shred my zucchini with a grater. My mom does hers in a food processor, when we were little she would say "time for flying zucchini!" (Yeah, we're odd). I'm thinking I might be able to use the Magic Bullet as well, but I've never tried.

Heat oven to 325. Grease/Pam bottoms only of two 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Blend all ingredients on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed one minute. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50-60 mins. Cool 10 mins in pans, then remove from pans and cool completely.

Artichoke Fettucine with Basil-Mint Pesto

2007-08-11T19:51:00.000-04:00

My GOD, I am fancy.

8 oz fettucine, cooked and drained
1 large clove garlic
1 c fresh basil
1/2 fresh mint
1/3 c toasted pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp epper
1/2 c olive oil
14 oz artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 c roasted red peppers*
3/4 c grated romano

* I roast my own and it is super easy, but Rachel buys them in jars and really they are quite okay, too.

1. In a food processor (or Amy's magic bullet) combine garlic, basil, mint, pine nuts, salt, and pepper and chop finely. Add oil slowly until blended. Bam, that's pesto.
2. Add pesto to cooked pasta and toss with artichokes and peppers and cheese.

One of the recipes Rachel passed me: simple and crazy-delicious.

Fruit Salad, Fancified

2007-08-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

1 diced Mediterranean papaya
2 peaches, diced
1 bartlet pear, diced
1 pint raspberries
honey
4 tbs lime juice
1 lemon, juiced

(I would have added banana and mango if Rachel had any, alas she did NOT even though mangoes were 5 for 5 at Meijer.)

Dice and toss fruit. Drizzle honey over top - you know I think measurement is a betrayal of my skill, but if I had to guess I would say 1/4 c - and add lemon and lime juice. Mix well. Chill.

Spaghetti Salad

2007-08-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

Nate's cousin makes spaghetti salad for all family events. And it is delicious. I think she uses Italian dressing or something, it's basically just like what you'd get at the deli. So this evening when Rachel wanted a side dish, I suggested spaghetti salad - but she had no Italian dressing. I pondered for a moment... and then started rummaging through the cupboards. This is what I came up with, and Steven - if you ever make it to this blog - this is what we had at lunch. Mmm. I did eyeball it, though - in fact, I didn't even really EYEBALL it, I just added stuff until it SMELLED right... heh... so use your best judgement.

Spaghetti, cooked and drained and rinsed under cold water*
Balsamic vinegar
Italian seasoning (maybe 2 tsp?)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Mayonaise (approx. 1/3 c)
Olive oil (a few tbs)
One lemon, juiced
2 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced small
1 cucumber, cut into small chunks
1/2 jar marinated Antipasto olives, sliced
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 c chopped pepperocinis
Fresh grated romano cheese

* We used waaay too many noodles which diluted the flavor of the dressing, so mind that.

Basically, I just diced the veggies, mixed them in a bowl with the mayonaise, seasoning, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, etc, and mixed it all together. I added them to the pasta and tossed it, and grated romano cheese over top. Mixed the romano in and then grated some more to dress the salad.

It was freakin' delicious.

Stuffed Pork Chops

2007-08-07T22:02:00.000-04:00

I made dinner for Rachel tonight since she didn't want to cook. If I can remember how I did this... heh.... they actually looked really good except you know how I feel about trichanosis.

4 thick cut boneless pork chops
1/2 c onion and chive cream cheese
4 chopped green onions
2 tbs pepperocinis, diced
1/2 c kalamata olives, diced
red wine vinegar
salt

Preheat oven to 375 (I think).

1. Use a filet knife to make a pouch in the center of each pork chop, being careful not to halve them entirely.
2. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepperocinis, olives, and green onions. Divide into fourths and stuff the pouch with cream cheese mixture, pin shut with toothpicks.
3. Brush red wine vinegar over each pork chop and then lightly salt.
4. Bake for... uhm. Actually, I'll have to ask Rachel because I didn't stick around until they got done, but I guess pork is done when the internal temp reacheds 160 or something?

I'll edit this post after checking back in with Rachel. Hee.

Not so spicy

2007-08-07T18:07:00.000-04:00

My own rendition of homemade salsa. I don't actually measure anything, but it's always turned out well for me.

8-10 ripe tomatoes
1 medium onion (yellow or white, whatever you prefer. I want to try sweet onion in this sometime)
1 can white corn (drained and rinsed very well)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed very well)
lime juice
salt & pepper

Chop or dice tomatoes and onions. Drain and rinse canned corn and beans and add to tomato mixture. Mix in approx 1T lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste (I usually do "once around the bowl" with both of them, a la Rachael Ray).

My sister told me the other day that she adds garlic as well, which I've never tried in my homemade salsa, but enjoy in storebought salsa, so I may have to give that a try sometime.

I like to keep it in Mason jars, I use the wide-mouth quarts, which work well. This recipe fills 3-4 of them. Store in fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mix, and then enjoy. :)

You can also add cilantro and any kind of peppers you like, but I don't care for those things, so I leave them out.

Chicken creation

2007-08-06T13:56:00.000-04:00

This is what I made for dinner last night. Owing to the tomatoes and the olives in it I guess it's rather puttanesca-esque, but...I don't know. I just went with what I had.

3 or so chicken breasts, diced/cubed
maybe 6 mushrooms, sliced thin
about 1/2 cup of onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med-large tomato, diced
Fresh snipped basil (I don't know how much, probably almost 1/4 cup? I had about ten leaves), chopped
1 cup of chicken broth
1 can olives, whatever size you like (I had small ones), chopped up
That Wildtree Herbs scampi mix I keep talking about...if you don't have that, you could use some garlic powder and some parsley, or some lemon pepper seasoning perhaps.
Pasta of your choice to serve over (whole wheat=yum!)

Put some olive oil in a saute pan, heat to medium. Saute garlic, onion, mushrooms, tomato, and basil until veggies are tender. Throw in the chicken and saute until it is no longer pink. Sprinkle some of the seasoning over the chicken while it is cooking. When chicken is no longer pink, add the broth as well as the chopped olives. Meanwhile start your pasta water. Bring the chicken mixture to a boil and then simmer on low until pasta is done. After pasta is drained add a bit of olive oil/butter/margarine and mix in a little seasoning. Serve chicken mixture over pasta.

Moskva Borshch

2007-08-05T19:29:00.000-04:00

Or Moscow Borsch if you please. Or "borscht" if you want me to stab you in the eye. Was just going through my recipe folder. Mmmm borshch.

2 tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1.5 lbs beets, peeled and cut into strips*
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tsp salt
1.5 qts stock (beef if you're being authentic, veggie if you live in my house)
1/2 lb cabbage
3 tbs snipped parsley
1 bay leaf

* I suppose you could use canned beets and tomatoes but... why? Also, you can add 1 lb ground beef - cooked and drained - and some cubed ham to this if you fancy. I think that's how my Russian boys' mom and baba made it.

1. Saute the onions in butter. Add remaining ingredients except the bay leaf. Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about oooohhh let's say 45 minutes. It takes a while. Add the bay leaf, simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
2. Ladle into bowls and serve with smyetana (sour cream) and fresh dill on top.

Mmm, eto horoshee!

Pizza dough, not in the bread machine

2007-08-04T11:59:00.000-04:00

This is one of the recipes I used to use to make pizza dough before I got the bread machine. I got the recipe from some free magazine at a health food store. The recipe claims to make two 12" pizza crusts, but I generally got one. However I think my pizza pan is like 18" or something. Also, the recipe does call for half wheat and half white flour but I've made it with all wheat and it comes out fine.

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz.)
1 1/2 C warm water
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C plus 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 T freshly chopped herbs, optional
1 T olive oil
1 T honey or maple syrup

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes.
Mix flours, salt, and herbs (if using). Add yeast mixture, oil, and honey or maple syrup and mix well.
Place dough on a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add enough all-purpose flour, 1 T at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place the dough in a bowl coated with oil or cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, or until double in size.
Punch dough down and let rest for 5 mins. Divide into two balls (if you want to make the 12" pizzas) or just spread the whole crust onto a larger pizza pan.

Pioneer bread

2007-08-04T11:51:00.001-04:00

Woo hoo! A bread recipe that doesn't use the bread machine!

My mom made this a lot when I was a kid. I don't know where she got the recipe from, but she passed it on to me.

1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 C warm water (105-115 degrees)
3 T sugar
2 t salt
1 egg
3 T shortening
1/3 C yellow cornmeal
2 -2 1/2 C all purpose or unbleached flour
butter or margarine, softened
cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add sugar, salt, egg, shortening, 1/3 C cornmeal, and 1 C of the flour. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 mins. Place in greased/Pam'd bowl, turn greased side of dough up. Cover, let rise in warm place until doubled...about 1-1 1/2 hrs. (Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.) Punch dough down. Platten dough with hands or rolling pin into an 18"x9" rectangle. Fold crosswise into thirds, overlapping the 2 sides. Roll dough tightly toward you, beginning at one of the open ends. Press w/thumbs to seal after each turn. Pinch edge firmly to seal. With side of hand, press each end to seal; fold ends under.

Place loaf seam-side down in greased/Pam'd loaf pan. Brush lightly w/butter/margarine, sprinkle with cornmeal. Let rise until double, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 400. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35-30 mins. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2007-07-31T22:44:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-31T22:32:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-31T22:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-31T18:07:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-30T22:37:00.000-04:00

(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

2007-07-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-07-25T18:50:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-21T18:58:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-19T16:58:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-18T15:09:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-17T11:49:00.001-04:00

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!

2007-07-15T21:52:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-15T17:55:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-15T17:52:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2007-07-15T17:47:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-15T13:33:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-14T20:37:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-14T18:05:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-14T17:52:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-14T17:50:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-14T17:44:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-10T15:57:00.000-04:00

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.

2007-07-09T19:22:00.000-04:00

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.:

2007-07-07T18:15:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-07T17:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-03T18:03:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

**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

2007-07-03T11:49:00.000-04:00

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.

Improvised Chicken in Spinach Cream Sauce

2007-06-29T17:41:00.000-04:00

What does a vegetarian do when unexpected carnivorous company drops in for dinner? This.

1.5 chicken, bought in a frantic rush while wearing pajama bottoms and then cubed.
2 green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped spinach
1 tbs snipped parsley
1.5 c milk
3 tbs butter
salt, pepper
cornstarch

1. Melt 2 tbs butter in skillet/pot and add chicken, salt & pepper, parsley and green onions. Brown chicken well on all sides. Add garlic and spiniach, sautee until soft, taking care not to burn the garlic.
2. Add milk and remaining tbs of butter. Simmer on med-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn heat up. Add corn starch (approx 1.5 tbs, but I didn't measure) and whip vigorously to thicken sauce.
4. Turn heat on high, bring to a rapid boil, and boil uncovered for 3-5 minutes to reduce liquid.

I didn't taste the chicken (obviously) but I did have some of the sauce, over potatoes, and it was quite yummy. My mom went back for seconds and my mom never eats two servings of anything. Not bad for a fly by the seat of your pants experiment, I guess.

Holy Crap Bars

2007-06-23T19:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, they are actually called chocolate chip toffee bars, but HOLY CRAP they are good! We made these tonight, the recipe is from my Hershey cookbook but I've seen it posted all over the web so I think I am not violating any copyrights.

2 1/3 c flour
2/3 c packed brown sugar
3/4 c butter or margarine
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups Heath toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" baking pan.

1. Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg, mix well. Stir in 1 1/2 c of the chocolate chips and the chopped nuts. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture.
2. Press remaining mixture on the bottom of the greased baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Pour condensed milk over hot crust. Set aside 1/4 cup of the toffee bits, sprinkle the remainder over the condensed milk. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture and the reserved chocolate chips over top of the toffee.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the reserved toffee chips over top. Let cool and cut into bars.

Marinara sauce

2007-06-23T18:38:00.001-04:00

(Or, as we call it in RI, gravy!)

2 28-0z cans San Marzano Itialian whole peeled tomatoes*
1/4 C 100% olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled, sliced
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 T sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil

*I've used other brands and it came out fine! This recipe is from a restaurant around here and I assume that is what brand they consistently use.

In heavy saucepan, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until lightly browned. Crush tomatoes with your hand and add to browned garlic-onion mixture. Add salt and pepper to your taste and then add sugar. Cook for 15-20 mins on med-hi heat, covered and stirring occasionally. Then reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until you achieve the consistency of your liking. Sauce should cook for no more than 30 mins. Top your favorite cooked pasta with this sauce. Add a bit of fresh basil for flavor and presentation. Serves 4.

I've tried making gravy from whole fresh peeled tomatoes before and never succeeded very well. This recipe is really easy and I love the sauce. It also freezes well in ziploc freezer bags for later use.

Pizza dough, the bread machine version

2007-06-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

1 C warm water
3/4 t salt
2 T olive or vegetable oil
3 C whole wheat flour *
2 t bread machine yeast
cornmeal (if desired)

*This recipe actually calls for white or bread flour. However, being the rebel I am, I tried 100% KA whole wheat and it worked out fine. I've tried various combos of whole wheat/white flour (sometimes 50/50, etc) and it always came out fine. Carlos prefers white so I make it that way these days but whatever you want to use is good. All I recommend if you use whole wheat is that you use King Arthur or something similar; it's much finer than Hodgson Mills brand which is very hard to rise.

Use 1-lb recipe if your brad machine holds 10 C or less of water. Add ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer (I add them...in the order they are on the recipe!!!)

Put bread machine on dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove douth to lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in additional flour to make dough easy to handle.

Lightly oil the pizza pan(s), springkle with cornmeal. NOTE: This recipe makes enough for 1 regular-sized pizza pan. I sometimes double the recipe if Carlos wants his own pizza. Roll or press to fit into prepared pizza pan(s). Add toppings, bbake at 400 20-30 mins until done.

I have another dough recipe that is not for the bread machine. I just need to find it!

Creamy Dijon-Dill Sauce

2007-06-23T15:40:00.001-04:00

I usually serve this with the garlic lemon-pepper asparagus, when I have time to make it and I'm feeling lackadaisical about calorie counting.

2 green onions, chopped
2 tbs butter
1 tbs corn starch
1 c milk
1/2 c mayonaise
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp each, dried thyme and dill

Melt butter on stovetop, add green onions and cook until soft. Add cornstarch and stir until a thin paste forms. Pour in milk and whip until mixture thickens. Add mayonaise and dijon mustard*. Stir in salt, pepper, and herbs.

* I am not sure how much Dijon mustard I normally use... maybe 3 tbs? I just add a bit at a time until it tastes right.

Braised Beef Pot Roast

2007-06-23T15:31:00.001-04:00

I made this for my mom's Mother's Day dinner. I can't personally vouch for it, but everyone else was raving and pretending to swoon. The next day I fielded no less than eighteen calls asking for the recipe. Here's one for you meat-eaters.

4 lb beef pot roast
4 large carrots, cut into 2" pieces
4 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
1 large onion, cut into eighths
1 cup red wine OR 1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp salt and pepper

1. Trim fat from beef roast and tie with string. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in large pot or dutch oven, brown beef on all four sides. Remove from pot.
2. Sautee onions, carrots, celery in same pot over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Remove veggies, set aside.
3. Return beef to pot. Add broth, red wine, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Simmer beef in liquid for two hours, turning meat every 30 minutes to cook evenly on all sides.
4. Return vegetables to pot. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Let meat rest for ten minutes for cutting, as my daughter reminded me: "That's what Rachel Ray always says to do!"

I served it with the dijon-dill sauce which I usually use on my asparagus. My dad also made pan gravy, but everyone ate the dijon sauce instead.

Garlic Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

2007-06-22T19:16:00.001-04:00

My kids never liked asparagus until I started doing it this way. Now we go through about 2 lbs of asaparagus a week.

Fresh asparagus
2 tbsp butter
garlic powder and lemon pepper seasoning to taste

1. Melt butter in skillet on stovetop.
2. Add asparagus and seasonings
3. Sautee over medium heat until al dente, or for about 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2007-06-22T19:10:00.000-04:00

My mom used to buy sweet potato casserole from the deli for Thanksgiving (she is not much of a cook). I spent some time trying to figure out the recipe and I think I have finally got it right. It tastes just like sweet potato pie.

For casserole:
1 large can of yams
1/2 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 egg

For topping:
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/2 c pecans
1/3 c melted butter

1. Mash the canned yams. Add butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and egg and mix well. Pour in greased 8x8" or 9x9" glass dish.
2. Combine ingredients for topping and spoon over casserole.
3. Back for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Insanely Easy Spinach Lasagne

2007-06-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

This is a really simple meal to make. My kids love it and I can sneak extra veggies into Rayna the picky-eater. I even suffer through my dairy allergy to eat it once in a while.

lasagne noodles*
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 large carrot, shredded
1 cup mushrooms, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 eggs
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 package shredded mozzarella**
Grated parmesan cheese
1 large jar of your choice of pasta sauce.

* The ones you don't have to pre-cook are easiest.
** Fresh mozzarella is so much better, if you feel like spending the money.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix ricotta, eggs, spinach, mushrooms, carrot, zucchini, and mushrooms in a bowl.
2. Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Arrange lasagne noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Spoon ricotta mixture over the noodles.
3. Alternate layers of sauce, noodles, ricotta. End with a layer of sauce over noodles.
3. Sprinkle mozzarrella over top layer of sauce and top with grated parmesan.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Gazpacho

2007-06-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

I absolutely adore gazpacho. I got the following recipe about four years ago from the Stonyfield Farms website. It comes quite close to what I like my gazpacho to taste like. As a note, you can leave out the yogurt if you wish. I don't always like my gazpacho creamy and it does fine with or without the yogurt.

Ingredients:
1 14oz can tomatoes, skinned & diced
2 cups sliced cucumbers, seeded
1 roasted red pepper, whole, seeded
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup parsley, chopped, garnish
1 cup small diced cucumber, for garnish

Directions:Place all ingredients (except for cucumber and parsley for garnish) in a blender, puree on high until contents are well blended. Serve soup well chilled, and garnish with chopped parsley, diced cucumber and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Kabobs & Etc. Summer Marinade

2007-06-20T21:18:00.000-04:00

I use this really basic marinade for my tofu-vegetable kabobs, as well as for beef, lamb, or chicken kabobs when we have company over for barbeques. I think it would probably be great with any sort of meat that you're going to marinate for grilling. Everyone loves it.

1 c soy sauce
1/2 c worcestershire sauce
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs white vinegar
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped

Combine ingredients and marinate meat, tofu and/or vegetables for several hours or overnight to prepare for grilling. (The longer the better.) While grilling, periodically brush excess marinade over meat/kabobs.

For my tofu veggie kabobs, I alternate cubes of extra firm tofu, zucchini, summer squash, green and red bell peppers, onion, and cherry tomatoes on bamboo skewers.

Poori

2007-06-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Poori is a puffy Indian bread. It is incredibly easy to make - much quicker than naan or roti - and goes well with any Indian or Pakistani dish. It was a childhood favorite, introduced by an Indian neighbor, and my kids love it today.

1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour*
salt to taste
ground cardamom to taste
warm water
cooking oil for deep frying

* You can also use only whole wheat flour.

1. Mix both kinds of flour, salt, and cardamom in bowl. Combine thoroughly.
2. Add warm water, not hot, in small amounts and stir with fork to combine into a medium-consistancy dough.
3. Knead lightly on oiled surface until dough becomes pliant. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes in towel-covered bowl.
4. Break off small pieces of the dough, about the size of small limes, and roll into balls. Use rolling pin to roll balls flat, rolling evenly in all directions to make thin rounds.
5. Heat oil in frying pan until very hot. Fry poori in oil until each side is golden brown, holding the first side under the oil so that it puffs up. Drain oil and serve hot.

Eggplant Bharta

2007-06-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

This is my all time favorite dinner. When I was single, I made it at least once a week - unfortunately, the man of the house isn't fond of eggplant so I don't fix it as often anymore. It's a Pakistani dish which I originally found on a vegetarian website several years ago. Spices are approximations since I never measure anything (sorry!).

1 medium to large eggplant
1 onion, sliced
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 jalepeno, diced
1 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cooking oil
cooked basmati

1. Poke holes in the eggplant with a fork and place on foil-lined pan. Cook at 350 about 40 minutes or until the skin is brown and the inside of the eggplant is soft and pulpy. Set aside and allow to cool enough handle, then scrape out the pulp, mash, and set aside.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet and add the cumin seeds. Cook the seeds in hot oil until the sizzle.
3. Add all other ingredients and stir to mix. Heat until cooked through. Serve over hot basmati rice.

Tofu Mutter

2007-06-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

Since I'm allergic to dairy, I generally use deep-fried tofu when I make mutter. You can use cubed paneer cheese to make it more authentic, if you prefer.

1 package extra firm tofu, cubed and deep fried OR 1 package paneer cheese, cubed
1 package frozen peas
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 jalepenos, chopped
2 entire green onions, chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
1 piece crystalized ginger, chopped small
1-2 tbsp canola oil
to taste: turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, garam masala, whole cumin seeds.

1. If using tofu, cut into cubes and deep fry in about 1/2" vegetable oil until golden brown and slightly crisped on the outside. Set aside. If you have a problem with the tofu breaking apart when frying, freeze it overnight. If using paneer cheese, you only need to cube it.
2. Sautee onions and cumin in canola oil. Add the ginger and pressed garlic when the onions begin to turn brown and soft. Sautee while being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add the tomatoes, green onions, and jalepenos along with the other spices. Cook until the tomatoes and peppers are soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the tofu and peas and cook about 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice. I also serve mine with homemade poori.

Jen's mom's chocolate chip cookies

2007-06-20T18:31:00.000-04:00

This recipe comes from my childhood best friend's mother. We made them all the time. I've kept the recipe since I was little. My mom uses it and I do too. I have the recipe memorized. Carlos loves these cookies and if I ever try a different chocolate chip cookie recipe he calls me on it! I hardly ever share this recipe.

1 C shortening (do NOT use butter or margarine)
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 C white sugar
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 C white flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 C chopped walnuts, if desired

Preaheat oven to 375. Cream shortening, eggs, sugar and vanilla in mixer until nearly white. (VERY IMPORTANT!!!) Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on very low speed until blended then mix 1 minute on medium. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired. Drop in rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake ~ 10 mins or until cookies are golden brown.

Homemade soft tortillas

2007-06-20T18:15:00.000-04:00

4 C white flour
1 t salt
1/2 C shortening
~ 1 1/4 C warm water

Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with knives or pastry cutter. Add warm water (I start with a little over a cup and then mix until it's dough-y but not too sticky). Mix with wooden spoon until dough forms ball. Knead dough for approx. 1 min on floured surface. Divide dough into 12 balls, put back in bowl and let "rest" for 10 mins.

Put saute pan (preferably Teflon), DRY, non-oiled, on stove on medium heat. Roll out dough ball flat, and put in pan. When ball starts to bubble, use spatula to flip over. Repeat process with each doughball.

Makes 12 tortillas.

If you wish, you can mess around with this recipe and try swapping some of the flour for cornmeal, or use wheat flour for some of it. I generally use King Arthur flour for all my stuff.

Wicked easy Mexican dinner

2007-06-20T18:04:00.000-04:00

Brown rice, prepared to package directions*
1 package ground turkey (approx. 1-1 1/4 lbs)**
1 can black or red beans
1 can of diced tomatoes w/chiles (I believe this is called Rotel in some places)
olive oil

*I generally buy brown rice in a 1.5 lb bag. For each meal put 1 C of brown rice in casserole dish, add 2 1/4 C water, 1 t of olive oil, and for this recipe season rice to taste with dash of cumin and/or coriander if you wish. Micro the rice on full power 5 mins then 27-32 mins on 50% power depending on your microwave, or prepare on stovetop.

**You can substitute ground beef for this if you like, or ground pork. If you wish to have veggie-only meal throw in another can of beans.

Start the rice in the micro. Swirl olive oil 2x around large saute pan on medium. Drain can of bean(s). When pan is warmed throw in bean(s). After 5-ish mins you can add turkey. Season if you wish with whichever spices you like (cumin, cilantro, curry, chili powder, basil, oregano...use your imagination!) Cook until turkey has browned. At that point add tomatoes/Rotel. Simmer on low heat until rice is done, stirring occasionally. Serve mixture over rice.

This is also wicked good if you put it in tortillas with toppings.

Garbanzo Bean Stew

2007-06-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

A Moroccan recipe I found online with some minor tweaks and adjustments.

1 small acorn squash, peeled and cubed
4 small red skin potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large carrots, cut into 1/4" coins
1/2 a large vidalia onion, sliced
1 package garbanzo beans, pre-soaked overnight
28 oz canned stewed tomatoes
1 cup golden raisins
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley*
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

* Original recipe called for fresh cilantro. I substituted parsley since my kids don't like cilantro.

1. Sautee the squash, onion, and carrot in a pan with olive oil until the vegetables soften. It takes about 10-15 minutes - I threw a tbsp of butter in the bottom of the pan as well.
2. Add beans, potatoes, stewed tomatoes, raisins, and spices to the pan along with vegetable broth and bring to a full boil. Allow to boil for 15-20 minutes and then reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender and the garbanzo beans are done.
3. Stir in chopped parsley or cilantro and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve over couscous.