Part Time Hippy, Full Time Foodie

1950's Rich Waffles

2012-01-30T21:05:00.000-08:00

When I say Rich Waffles around my husband, he starts drooling and then he starts asking what he can do to help me make them. Since I am dedicating the next several recipes to my sweetheart, this one is for him. These are by far his favorite waffles.

I found this recipe in my 1950's Better Crocker cookbook and although it suggests using bacon fat for an even richer taste, I usually follow the regular richer instructions which call for an extra egg and extra Crisco, just cause we like to eat healthy at our house :)

These waffles should be served at a fancy restaurant. I would serve them to the President if he came to my house for breakfast. They really are rich. I've never had a waffle that compares. Not even the special malt waffles I used to eat at the 4-star ranch I used to work at compares to these.

Don't think about it, just make them for breakfast, or for a late night snack and I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 1/2 C Buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 C sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C melted shortening. That's right, pull out the tub-o-Crisco. (The cookbooks says "Fresh bacon fat is good in waffles.")

Instructions:
1. Beat eggs well.
2. Beat in the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour batter into heated waffle iron. Makes 8 waffles. Now go impress your family with your waffle skills.

Printable Version

Dan's Chicken Roll Ups

2012-01-26T07:15:00.001-08:00

One time I was trying to bridge the gap between my husband's favorite foods and my own favorite foods. He is a self-proclaimed vegetable hater and I am a lover of vegetables. He hates spicy, I love my nose to run when I eat curry. I hate boxed dinners, he loves Velveeta shells and cheese. What's a girl to do? I called my mom.

I called my mom and my grandma and wrote down every recipe that involved bread, white creaminess, cheese, and one or two vegetables. I am crazy about my husband and have found out he actually likes more foods than either of us originally thought!

This recipe series is devoted to him. He makes me laugh from the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep. If these chicken roll ups make him happy (I admit I can eat more of these than him because they are SO delicious) then I will fore-go my veggie medley surprise just for him. Love you babe!

This recipe is a combo of my mom's and my favorite food blogger's, The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp dried chives
1 1/2 Tbsp minced onion
2 stalks chopped celery (for veggie lovers)
2/3 C chopped or canned mushrooms (for veggie lovers)
3 C diced cooked chicken breasts

Roll Ups:
2 (8 ounce) cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/4 C melted butter
2 C Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Gravy:
1 can (14.25 ounce) cream of chicken soup
1 package chicken gravy mix
3/4-1 C water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add salt, pepper, dried chives, minced onion, celery, mushrooms, and diced chicken and stir until all smooth and creamy.

2. To assemble your roll ups, roll out the crescent roll triangles until they are as wide and long as possible. Fill each roll with 1/4 C of the filling and then tuck the sides around the filling and roll up towards the skinny end of the triangle, tucking as you go.

3. After rolling, dip the tops and bottoms in melted butter and then roll them around in a bowl of bread crumbs to get that yummy crunchy coating. Shake off any excess crumbs. Line them up on a greased cookie sheet as you go.

4. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

5. Prepare the gravy in a small pot on the stove. Combine the cream of chicken soup, the chicken gravy, and 3/4-1 C water. Bring to a simmer and then keep warm until you are ready to serve warm on top of the chicken roll ups.

Printable Version

Paleo Banana Walnut Muffins

2012-01-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

So I'm totally diggin this Paleo thing. I'm not a pro, but I'm learning as I go and it's been a really good thing for me. In one of the books I have about Paleo eating, the author says that with today's technology, one can take nuts or other foods like coconut and grind them into a "flour" and then be combined with other ingredients to create baked goods and that these kinds of foods are very easy to abuse. I think he was suggesting to avoid trying to recreate things like cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and such with nut flours because they really don't fall in line with the philosophy of a Paleo lifestyle.

I agree. They are easy to abuse and tonight I abused these muffins. There are 8 remaining, but there were 12 earlier today. All I can say is Halle-freekin-luia I found these! I've made 2 other muffin recipes and they were so gross that even my fellow hippy-food-lovin friend couldn't finish it.

These tasted like butter to me. They seriously tasted like a delicious buttery muffin. I am so pleased with them that I will make them again. They are so convenient for me because I eat most meals in my car. (lame, but true)

These are adapted from 3 different Paleo Muffin recipes, so I give credit to the the wonderful world wide web.

Ingredients:

2 Brownish Bananas
3 Eggs
1/4 C Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 C Coconut Flour
1/2 C Walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a mixer, combine the two bananas, eggs, honey, and olive oil.

2. Next, Combine the salt, soda, and coconut flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Scoop about 2 Tbsp of batter into a muffin pan that has been heavily coated in cooking spray or lined with cupcake liners.

4. To prevent burning, place the muffin pan on top of a cookie sheet and then put them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Every oven is different so keep an eye on these! Cool on a wire rack.

Printable Version

Paleo Friendly Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2012-01-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

January 1 is notorious for people starting their diets and since I hate following a crowd, I started mine on December 30.

I realize I have already lost a few readers by including the word Paleo in the title, but since I'm trying to follow the Paleo lifestyle for the next 90 days (at least) I figured this would be a great place to keep track of recipes that have worked for me.

I love that I got to cook with my doTerra essential oils! The first and only time I tried to chop my own lemon grass was 6 years ago and haven't touched the stuff since. I have lemongrass oil and decided to use my oil in this recipe to replace the lemongrass.

This soup is so rich and filling that I couldn't even finish my bowl. It could easily be made with what you have on hand. I just used the veggies I had on hand instead of what the original recipe called for. This is definitely going in my "make again" category.

Adapted from this recipe on the Paleo Periodical.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1-2 C frozen stir fry veggies, I like the bag from Costco
2 cups baby chopped baby spinach or other greens like swiss chard
1 drop doTerra lemongrass essential oil or 2 Tbsp. lemongrass
2 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 can coconut milk
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
3 Tbsp lime juice or the all the juice from a fresh squeezed lime
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, boil uncooked chicken breasts in the 3 C of chicken broth until cooked all the way. Remove them from the pan and shred them. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and add the can of coconut milk, turning heat to medium.

2. Stir in frozen veggies, chopped spinach, ginger, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and lemongrass oil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Add chopped green onions, basil, and cilantro and lime juice just before serving. Serve in large bowls.

Printable Version

Sugar Sludge Salad

2011-12-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have to give my awesome sister-in-law FULL credit for this recipe. I think it rivals the Cafe Rio salad in terms of wanting it over. And over. And over. And over again.

I have had similar salads at parties, but there is something about the combination of ingredients of this salad that make it the best. It has tart green apples, salty cashews, crisp romaine, and a poppy seed dressing that is to die for.

If you have a party coming up, this one will definitely be a hit! It is my new favorite party salad. Don't worry, it's not on your diet, but eat it anyway because it's that good.

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2-4 C spinach leaves ( As much as you'd like, no science here)
1 pound Muenster cheese, cubed (Muenster is the BEST, but I have been known to sub Mozz.)
1/2 C cashews
1-2 tart apples, cubed

Dressing (This makes a ton of dressing for later!)
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 T. chopped onion
Blend above then slowly add 1 C. vegetable oil
Add 1 1/2 T. poppy seeds before serving

Instructions:
1. Combine lettuce, spinach, cheese, cashews, and apples in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle dressing over salad until lightly coated. You will probably have enough dressing for 1.5-2 salads so don't be alarmed if you don't use it all. Toss well to coat evenly and enjoy!

Printable Version

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2011-12-01T13:19:00.001-08:00

This blog is under construction, Please be patient as I figure out what went wrong to mess everything up!

Tilapia with Capers & Grilled Asparagus with Caper Vinaigrette

2011-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

I stopped buying fish from grocery stores for awhile because it didn't taste like real fish to me. THEN. My good friend Beth who is one of the healthiest and creative people I know made me some of the most delicious Tilapia I had ever had. She brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with sea salt and a little no-salt Mrs. Dash (Garlic and herbs blend) and then wrapped it in tin foil and cooked it on the BBQ grill. I think the secret to this success was high quality Tilapia, and hers had come from Costco.

The next Day I went to Costco and bought a bag and have been SO happy with the quality of the Tilapia. The filets are really meaty and flaky.

Nothing goes better with fish than ASPARAGUS in my opinion and nothing compliments fish better than CAPERS so put on your happy pants because these two recipes combine all the forces of delcioso-ness!

Ingredients For Tilapia:

4 Tilapia filets
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp dried Oregano
1/8 Tsp Paprika
2 Tbsp capers, drained

Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 425.
2. Place Tilapia filets in a shallow baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Brush the filets with this mixture so that the garlic powder can adhere to the filets.
4. Next, pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the fish, sprinkle with remaining seasonings and top with capers. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is tender and flaky.

Ingredients for Asparagus:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp red win vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black peper
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp capers
1/4 small basil leaves

Instructions:

1.Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the asparagus over the cookie sheet.
2. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except basil. Brush the asparagus with vinaigrette until evenly coated. Top with basil leaves.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 425 degree oven, uncovered.

Drizzle everything with fresh lemon juice before serving.
Printable Version

WOWZER Wheat Pitas

2011-11-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

Normal people probably just go to he store and buy pita bread but oh no, not me. I've had this recipe from Cooking Light in my "I'm gonna make this one day" section of recipes for a few years and I'm so glad I finally made it! To my surprise the dough was incredibly easy to work with and very forgiving. These pitas were easily turned into pita chips to go along with this basil parmesan dip and our dinner guests loved them.

These are not too time consuming and the final product is a tender, chewy pita that you could easily fill with some chicken souvlaki and Tzatziki sauce for a yummy lunch.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
10 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/4 C)
4.75 white whole-wheat flour (about 1 C, divided)
2 Tbsp 2% Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray

Instructions:

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes until frothy. Add bread flour, and about 3/4 C whole-wheat flour, yogurt, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add enough of the remaining whole-wheat flour, 1 Tbsp at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands. *do not add too much flour or your dough will get tough.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Divide dough into 8 portions. Working with one portion at a time, gently GENTLY GENTLY!!! roll each portion into a 5 1/2 inch circle. (Consider using a Tupperware or Cool Whip lid as a guide) Place 4 dough circles on each of 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

5. Bake 1 sheet at a time at 500 degrees for 8 minutes or until puffed and browned. Cool on a wire rack. Brush each pita with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a touch of cracked pepper.

Makes 8 pitas.

Printable Version

Basil Parmesan Dip with Pita Chips

2011-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

It's hard to mess anything up that has basil as the star ingredient. This dip needs no introduction but here's one anyway. We had friends over for dinner and they loved it. So you will love it too. The basil and parmesan go perfect together and the creaminess of the dip is perfect for dipping or even as a sandwich spread. This comes from the fabulous Cooking Light magazine, my favorite source for healthy food that doesn't taste "diet".

Ingredients:

4 (6-inch) pitas
Cooking spray
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1 C lightly packed basil leaves
3/4 C finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
3/4 C reduced-fat sour cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375
Split pitas; cut each half into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until crisp.
Combine remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, basil, and next 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Scrape into a serving bowl using a rubber spatula and serve with pita chips.

Make 8 servings.

Printable Version

Unbelievable New York Cheesecake

2011-11-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, that time I ate Cheesecake at the Carnegie Deli in New York City. That was the time when I quit my terrible door-to-door sales job in Virginia and literally begged a co-worker to take me home since he too quit his terrible door-to-door sales job the same day. We didn't just drive straight home though. We ended up taking about 3 weeks to get home while we travelled anywhere and everywhere we wanted to go. This cheesecake in New York was unforgettable.

Since cheesecake is usually off limits for me because of the insane fat content, I never make it. I heart cheesecake so much though so when I found this recipe for New York Cheesecake in my Cooking Light magazine, I saved it and vowed to make it one day...so a year later I did. This recipe is from their September 2010 issue and WOW this recipe will fool you!

I slimmed it up even more by omitting 3/4 C of the sugar, 3 eggs, and 1 package of cream cheese and it still turned out AMAZING. Below is the original recipe but you can make the changes I did for a cheesecake that will impress all your guests.

Ingredients:

CRUST
1 C Graham cracker crumbs (about 7 cookie sheets)
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Large egg white
Cooking Spray
FILLING
1 ounce all-purpose flour (about 1/4 C)
3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare crust, combine crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 egg white in a bowl; toss with a fork until well blended. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
To prepare the filling, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine cottage cheese and 8 ounces fat-free cream cheese in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add remaining 16 ounces of fat-free cream cheese, 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); process until smooth. Add 3 eggs and 3 egg whites; process until blended. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325 for 65 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm but will set as it chills). Turn oven off; cool cheesecake in closed oven 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. (For a denser, creamier texture, cool the cake in the oven one hour with the oven door ajar instead of closed. Make a day ahead since the cooled cake needs to chill overnight.)

This makes 16 servings.

Printable Version

Apple Cheesecake Oatmeal

2011-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a good bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? I could name a lot of people including my husband and my sweet mother who would rather eat real ants on a log than oatmeal. BUT. I LOVE oatmeal and at one point in my life ate it for breakfast every morning for about 2 years.

Over the years I have perfected the art of cooking oatmeal and when I'm in a hurry, I use the microwave. This recipe was inspired by the Granny Smith apples in my fridge and leftover cream cheese glaze from a spice cake I made for some friends.

The secret ingredient is the egg. I don't add an egg every time but if I'm turning my oatmeal into a dessert, I always add the egg. It adds protein of course but it also turns the oatmeal into a custard like texture. I can thank my wonderful MIL for this little trick!

Ingredients for 1 serving

1/2 C slow cook oats
1/2 C finely chopped Granny Smith Apple
1 Egg
1 1/4 C Water
1 tsp Cinnamon
Dash of Salt
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese Glaze (*Full recipe Below)

Directions

1. Start by finely chopping your apple using your Vidalia Chop Wizard that you have purchased by now after realizing how much it will change your life.

2. In a deep bowl, combine the water, salt, oats, cinnamon, apple, and egg. Mix thoroughly until the egg is incorporated into the mixture. (Don't be scared of the egg, I promise it's good!)

3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds if needed to reach desired consistency. Let stand for 3-4 minutes.

4. Once your oatmeal has reached its desired consistency, drizzle cream cheese glaze on top and enjoy!

* The recipe for a FULL batch of cream cheese glaze is:

1/2 block of lowfat cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
3 C powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp milk

Cream butter and cream cheese.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until it reaches a glaze consistency similar to honey.

This makes enough glaze for a cake so if you are making some just for oatmeal, I would say use equal amounts of butter and cream cheese measured in tablespoons and then enough powdered sugar and milk to make a small amount of glaze.

Printable Version

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Berry Topping

2011-10-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've been cooking from my Volumetrics cookbook lately and was surprised at how delicious and fluffy these pancakes are. I love a good pancake but then you have to put syrup and butter on them and then it just feels like you dessert for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, dessert for breakfast is AWESOME but I needed something a little more healthy while still getting my pancake fix. The berry sauce is incredible and replaces any need for syrup.

Ingredients:

Pancakes

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C lowfat buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Berry Sauce

1 1/2 C unsweetened frozen berries, thawed (original recipe calls for raspberries, I used mixed)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

For the pancakes,

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until just combined, the batter will be lumpy.
Drop by 1/4 C onto a hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the edges, flip. A serving is 2 pancakes.
Pile high on your plate and dig in.

For the berry sauce,

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. A serving is 2 Tbsp of berry sauce.
Top pancakes with 2 Tbsp berry sauce and 1/2 C

Printable Version

1950's Peach Pie

2011-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

I found a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook at my favorite consignment shop called Mona Lisa's and thought I'd see how they cooked back in 1953. If you can look past all the pictures of women in heels and aprons, this cookbook has some killer recipes!! This pie was to die for. Enough said.

This recipe makes one 9" pie with a top crust.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 C sifted flour
tsp salt
2/3 C shortening + 2 Tbsp
4 Tbsp. Water

Filling:
7/8 C sugar (If your peaches are ripe like mine were, I'd say cut a little sugar if you're into that)
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 C fresh, peeled, sliced peaches
1 1/3 Tbsp butter (Who has a 1/3 Tbsp measuring spoon these days? No worries, it's the same as 1 tsp)

1. Measure the flour into the mixing bowl and mix the salt through it.

2. With pastry blender, cut in half the shortening finely until mixture looks like meal. (This makes for tenderness)

3. Cut in the remaining shortening coarsely until particles are the size of giant peas. (This makes for flakiness)

4. Sprinkle with the water, a tbsp at a time mixing lightly with fork until all the flour is moistened.

5. Gather dough together with the fingers so it cleans the bowl.

6. Press into a ball. Then roll out, or keep in waxed paper in refrigerator until needed.

7. Divide dough about in half. Round up larger part on lightly floured surface. flatten with hand, then roll out not quite 1/8" thick. Work quickly and roll lightly, being careful not to add extra flour as that makes pastry tough.

8. Keep pastry circular and roll it about 1" larger around than the pie pan to line pan and allow for depth. Fold pastry in half and quickly transfer to pan. Unfold, and pat and fit pastry down into pan, avoiding stretching the dough. Trim the overhanging edges with scissors.

9. Repeat with second crust except trimming of course!

10. For the filling, mix together all ingredients except the butter. Transfer fruit mixture into pastry-lined pie pan and then dot with the butter.

11. Cover with top crust and make several slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Trim any extra edges.

12. Fold hte extra edge of top pastry under edge of lower pastry. Seal thoroughly by pressing together on edge of pan. Build up a fluted edge by crimping the edge with thumb and forefingers.

13. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

If your pie turned out like mine, there will be nothing left of it and you will realize that you never took a picture of the finished product. Oops :)

Printable Version

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2011-10-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Green peppers are really cheap at the farmer's market and of course my sense of reality gets fuzzy when I go to the farmer's market which basically equates to me thinking I can consume 16 peppers in one week. What better way to devour a green pepper than when it's stuffed with other veggies from the farmer's market??? No "wasted produce" guilt here. This recipe originally calls for couscous but I swapped it for quinoa. They were delicious, filling, and very healthy.

Adapted from ChangeOne for Diabetes

Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 C cooked couscous (OR use cooked quinoa!)
1 can (15 ounced) chick-peas, drained and rinsed
1 ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese (I used shredded parmesan bc that's what I had)

1. Slice the tops off the peppers to make lids. Scoop out the membranes and seeds and discard. Simmer the peppers and lids, covered, in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 and heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

(This is a plug for my favorite kitchen gadget, the Vidalia Chop Wizard! See how finely chopped the zucchini is?)

Add the zucchini and garlic and saute' for 2 minutes Stir in the lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Stir in the couscous, chickpeas, tomato, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheese.

3. Fill each pepper with the couscous mixture and place upright in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the pepper tops and bake just until the filling is heated through, about 20 minutes.

Printable Version

Mystery Squash Rainbow Surprise and Warm Quinoa

2011-10-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Fall is an exquisite season. It is my favorite time of year and my favorite time to zip up my fleece jacket and head to the farmer's market on Saturday. I love seeing the old pickup trucks overflowing with pumpkins, gourds, and 3 foot long mystery squash. I picked up some mystery squash a couple weeks ago and they have been staring at me for days. I started chopping and sauteing my farmer's market veggies in some olive oil and what happened next really surprised me. I stopped eating it so I could take a picture because this dish suddenly became blog-worthy. I thought my invention would be one of those times where you eat something because it is SO good for you, not because it tasted good. This was delicious and I ate every last morsel. This is a serving for one, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized mystery squash. I believe mine was of the zucchini family.

1/2 C chopped red cabbage

1/4 C finely chopped onion

1 Leek

1/2 C grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tsp minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 C water

1/2 C cooked quinoa

1. Wash and scrub all vegetables. Starting with the zucchini, cut lengthwise and remove large seeds. Cut each length into thin slices. Next chop the leek into thin slices, making sure to only use the white bulb and stem until you reach the long sprouting leaves.

2. Heat olive oil on medium heat and add the garlic and onion until fragrant, about a minute. Add zucchini, red cabbage, and leek and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the water a little at a time while sauteing to make sure it doesn't burn.

3. Add the cherry/grape tomatoes and the juice of the lemon and simmer covered for about 2 minutes. Allow excess liquids to reduce before serving.

6. Serve atop 1/2 C warm Quinoa

*Quinoa cooks like rice. In a small saucepan, cover 1 C quinoa with 2 C water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Don't peek at it or you'll let the steam fairies escape. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Warm Quinoa salad with tofu and asparagus

2011-06-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Asparagus is by FAR my favorite vegetable. When Sunflower Market had it on sale for only $1.27 a pound this week, I bought 8 bunches because I know I will probably have to wait until next Spring before it goes on sale again. I would also classify quinoa as one of my favorite grains so a salad with both my favorites foods and a few other star foods like sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and tofu is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I used my Whole Foods cookbook as a guide but since I deviated from the original so far, I had to rename the recipe! This recipe is for a single serving so adjust accordingly.

Printable Version

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 C frozen peas
5-8 spears of asparagus, woody ends discarded, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 C cooked quinoa (May be cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor)
1-2 tsp minced garlic, the fresher the better!
1-4 tsp lemon zest, you decide
1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 block of extra firm tofu, diced. 1/4 block should equal 1 serving according to the package
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. To cook your quinoa, rinse your quinoa thoroughly to get rid of the bitter coating. After rinsing, place in a pot and cover with double amounts of water. It cooks similar to rice so if you have 1 C of quinoa, cover with 2 C water. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low and cover for 20 minutes and don't peek or you'll let the precious steam out! This recipe works well with savory quinoa, so cooking in chicken broth instead of water would work too.

2. In medium skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil on medium-high until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, cook 1-2 minutes.

3. Add chopped tofu and cook until almost browned, about 4 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-ish and add the chopped asparagus and frozen peas. Cover and let cook until the asparagus is tender but not wilted.

5. Add cooked quinoa and stir until all combined. Continue cooking for about 1 minute. Salt and Pepper to taste and serve immediately.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

2011-06-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

One time in my past life I worked at a bakery called Mrs. Powell's Cinnamon Rolls. It was pretty much amazing to pull fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven in the morning and load them with frosting. Believe it or not I never got sick of any of the food there, even after 2 years of working there. To balance the sweets, we made a few savory items and one of them was called a BBQ sandwich. It was really a calzone but we called them sandwiches. These were my favorite!!! The combo of tender chopped chicken with a perfectly sweet BBQ all cooked inside fresh flaky bread dough...um yeah. Pretty good.

I've tried to recreate these with a few different dough recipes and we actually prefer the pretzel dough variation! We used our standard pretzel dough recipe for these but you could also use our pizza dough recipe. We have even made them with store bought pizza dough and they work great.

Printable Version

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c warm water
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast (make sure it isn't too old or it won't work as well!)
4 1/2 C flour
2 ounces melted butter
10 c water
1/4 c baking soda

Or use this pizza dough recipe.

Filling:

2 standard chicken breasts

BBQ sauce of your choice, we like Sweet Baby Ray's

1-2 C FRESHLY GRATED mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded will disappoint you...it will be gummy when it melts.

Directions:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough raises, start a pot of boiling water and boil the chicken breasts until tender. Remove from the boiling water and shred with a fork. Return to pan and add a few big squirts of BBQ sauce and combine. It should look something like this.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. (skip this step if using pizza dough)

Next, weigh your dough all together and then divide by 8. You want your calzones to be uniform and each ball of dough should roughly be 2-2.5 ounces, or whatever the weight of your dough divided by 8 is.

Take each ball of dough and roll it into a large circle, then top with a little chicken and cheese.

Gently fold over to seal the edges, then take a fork and pinch the ends together by pressing down around the edges with a fork or one of those fancy pastry wheel things.

Now, you may skip the boiling process if you are using pizza dough. BUT. If you are following the pretzel dough method, you will want to boil your calzones. We tried just brushing them with a baking soda solution and this is what happened.

They were pretty gross actually...way too much baking soda taste and it was hard to get it all even.

Carefully put each calzone in the pot of boiling water and let it cook on each side for about 30 seconds. This boiling process will give it that golden brown pretzel look and taste. The baking soda does something scientific so don't leave out the baking soda!

Transfer each calzone to the half sheet pan and once you have boiled them all, bake for 12-14 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter or take a stick of butter and just rub the hot calzones with the butter.

Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-06-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have seen these rainbow cupcakes all over the blog world and finally tried them. They were so much easier than I thought they would be and most importantly, were the most delicious creation I have ever made from a cake mix. I used the recipe over at The Girl Who Ate Everything because she is my favorite food blogger even if we are strangers. The secret ingredient to these is sour cream. I've seen sour cream in cakes before but I was unaware of the power of sour cream until now. Don't ever make a boxed cake without sour cream again, alright?

Printable Version

Ingredients:

1 WHITE cake mix, (I used vanilla)

2 Eggs

1 cup sour cream, I used light sour cream in my version

1/2 C milk

1/3 C vegetable oil OR my version uses 1/3 C unsweetened apple and I promise it won't compromise the taste or texture!

1. Combine all ingredients until all incorporated and then mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

2. Separate the batter into five bowls, and then add the food coloring of your choice to each bowl. Mix well or else your batter will come out with uneven color swirls. I have heard the Wilton gel colors are the brightest and bestest but I used the liquid drop kind and it was OK, not great, but OK.

3. Line about 15-17 cupcake tins with cupcake paper. To figure out how much batter goes in each cup, add water by the tablespoonful until it's filled and then use that as a guide so your colors are all even.

4. Using a tablespoon or mini ice cream scoop, scoop batter into cupcake tin, using one color at a time. After each plop of the batter, dip your finger in water and then spread the batter out flat before adding the next color, this gives it a nice stripe.

5. Repeat with remaining colors and bake according to the boxed directions. Use the ol' toothpick trick to make sure they are cooked all the way through. If the toothpick comes out clean, they're done!

6. Let the cupcakes cool and then frost! I used a butter almond frosting which is made with:

1 stick of softened butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-4 tablespoons of milk
3-5 cups of powdered sugar.
Beat all these ingredients, adding powdered sugar a little at a time and then save the milk for the very last so it gets to the perfect consistency. These are approximate measurements and each time I make it, I use a little more or less of the milk and powdered sugar.

Black-Bean Flourless Decadent Brownies

2011-06-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Black Beans in BROWNIES? Yes, it's true. I've heard of avocado in raw chocolate pies, which BTW I am going to try one of these days, but black beans in brownies was a new concept to me.

I found this recipe on my Whole Foods app and must say I was very impressed. They are very moist and very delicious. I didn't make any changes to this recipe in terms of main ingredients, but I did leave out the walnuts. If I was going to make over this recipe, I would try cutting out some of the sugar....but that's a tough one because sugar adds body and volume to the recipe so it may take a few experiments to get the texture right. Any ideas on a sugar replacement that doesn't mess up the texture?

Here you have it!

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, (no salt added preferably) rinsed and drained
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 C chopped walnuts (if you prefer)

1. Preheat Oven to 350. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except nuts and chocolate chips. Process until smooth. Remove blade and scrape sides and blade.

2. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir with a spoon until combined

3. Add mixture to a buttered, cooking sprayed, however you want to do it 8-inch baking pan

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set. Cool before cutting or serving.

Printable Version

Serves:16

Calories: (W/O Walnuts) 122, W/Walnuts- 160
Fat: 7g 9g
Carbs: 14g 17g
Sugar: 10g 12g
Fiber: 2g 2g
Protein: 4g 4g

Homemade Pizza with New York Style Sauce

2011-06-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Cooking Light has published several pizza recipes and they are all awesome. I have tried every single one and this one is our favorite. The crust is perfectly chewy and the perfect thickness to hold all the sauce and toppings. Sorry there's no picture yet for this one...I'm kind of on a pizza strike for awhile until I get a little more weight off. Don't worry, I'll get there soon and then I'll make this and take a picture. I've made this a zillion times and can confidently tell you it's the bomb for pizza. The sauce is divine. You won't ever want to use a bottled pizza sauce ever again. If you want a real picture, visit the Cooking Light Site.

Ingredients:

Pizza Crust
1 package active dry yeast ( 2 1/4 tsp. If your yeast is too old, it won't work as well. I keep mine in the freezer for this purpose)
1 C warm water
1 1/4 C cold water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
26.1 ounces (5 1/2 C) unbleached bread flour, divided. (I've used all-purpose and it still works)
Cooking Spray
*I have made this with whole wheat flour and if you choose to do so, use about 4 C white flour and 1 1/2 C white flour for some volume to the crust

New York-Style Pizza Sauce

7 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (fresh makes all the difference in the world, but use what you have)
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano (be sure to crush the dried spices in your hands to release the flavor)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Just combine all these ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, makes 2 2/3 C.

1. Preheat Oven to 500. Dissolve yeast in 1 C warm water in a small bowl by sprinkling the yeast on top of the water and then leaving it alone; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 C cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and stir with a whisk.

2. Weight or lightly spoon 5 1/4 C (24.9 ounce) flour and combine with yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low for 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Let rest 2 minutes. mix on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining 1.19 ounces (about 1/4 C) flour, 1 Tbsp at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

3. Divide the dough in half. If using both balls of dough, roll out on a flat surface to a 12 inch circle. Place on a pizza dough on prepared pizza stone and brush with olive oil. Top with sauce, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Repeat with remaining dough or place remaining dough in a heavy duty zip top bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

4. Top pizza with toppings and then bake for 12 minutes. Let the pizza rest for 5-6 minutes before serving.

Cowboy Caviar

2011-06-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on one of my absolute FAVORITE food blogs, called The Girl Who Ate Everything, and it's called Cowboy Caviar. I had been wanting an excuse to make this for a long time and finally had a party where I need a side dish. The flavors are incredible and it's perfect for a snack, a BBQ, or a party. I modified it a bit because I didn't have shoepeg corn or black eyed peas. I used white beans in place of the black eyed peas and used Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing for a little less calories. It was a HIT! If you have my favorite kitchen gadget, the Vidalia Onion Chop Wizard, you can have this ready in no time.

Cowboy Caviar

from Sheri Denney

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed

4-5 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced

2-3 diced avocados, ripe but still firm

4 green onions, sliced thin (I used 1/2 purple onion diced finely because that's all I had)

around 1/2 to 3/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely

1-2 limes

ground pepper and salt to taste

Drain and rinse the black eyed peas, black beans, and corn. Add to a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes, making sure the seeds and insides are removed. You want to do this to make sure that there isn't too much liquid in the dip. Add the diced tomatoes and cilantro to the bowl. Slice the green onions finely (or purple onion) and add to the bowl. Dice the avocado and squeeze a little of the lime juice over the avocados so they don't brown as quickly. Squeeze the rest of the lime juice into the bowl. Add the Italian dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill in the refrigerator until cold and flavors have marinated together. This is best served the same day as prepared. Serve with tortilla chips

Beef Stroganoff that your husband could make

2011-06-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

One time I asked my awesome husband to make dinner while I was driving home from a long day of teaching. I had everything prepared, and all he had to do was listen to the sound of my voice (using a bluetooth hands-free device of course) while I talked him through it during my drive home. Let's just say he was a little freaked out when I told him he would be making beef stroganoff.

He was a champ! It turned out great and if he can make it, anyone can make it! I've adapted this from Cooking Light because I actually prefer ground beef in my stroganoff and the original recipe calls for sirloin steak. It also calls for fresh mushrooms but I use canned when I'm in a pinch. I will say that this isn't your cream of condensed soup version and will require more than 4 ingredients, but it is well worth it. This recipe is full of flavor without all the calories and fat of regular stroganoff.

Ingredients:

1 pound leanest beef you can afford. If you are rich, use 1 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed.
Cooking spray
3 cups sliced mushrooms, about 8 oz (I've used a couple cans of mushrooms)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 C fat free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 C reduced fat sour cream
4 C hot cooked egg noodles (8 oz uncooked)
3 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Brown ground beef for 2-3 minutes OR if you are rich, cut the beef diagonally across the grain into 1/4 inch wide strips, and then cut the strips into 2 inch pieces and then brown in a nonstick pan for 2-3 minutes.

2. Remove beef from pan and place in a medium bowl, and keep warm. Add mushrooms and onion to pan and saute 4 minutes. Add mushroom and onion mixture to beef.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

4. Add beef mixture, salt, and pepper to pan and bring to a boil. reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. remove from heat and let stand 30 seconds. Stir in sour cream. combine cooked noodles and minced parsley, and serve beef mixture over noodles. Serves 6.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo, can be GF

2011-06-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

I could eat these sandwiches everyday. They are so good! They have a nice crunch since they are coated in tortilla chip crumbs. They are the perfect alternative to a big fried chicken cutlet sandwich. These can easily be made GF if you use the right tortilla chips and use your own GF bun!

Mayo
1/4 C reduced fat mayo
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Chicken
1/4 C egg substitute (or 1 egg beaten)
3 Tbsp hot sauce such as Tabasco or Chalula (cut this ingredient if you don't like heat)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
6 C tortilla chips
2 Tbsp olive oil

Garnish
4 kaiser rolls or bun of your choice
12 red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves

1. To prepare the mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients. (I know, rocket science eh?)

2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor and process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken and chips.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. add chicken to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet and top with top halves of rolls. Serves 4.

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken with Coleslaw

2011-06-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Another hit from Cooking Light, this recipe uses cracker meal for the breading which is genius. This is a hit with bone-in chicken but you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts if that's all you have on hand. This is a delicious "fried" chicken you can feel pretty awesome about serving considering the serving size WITH coleslaw only costs you 342 calories and 8.8g of fat. Bonus!

Coleslaw Ingredients:
4 C packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
3 Tbsp fat-free mayo (or whatever may you have kickin around in your fridge)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2tsp celery seeds
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/8 tsp salt

Chicken Ingredients:
1 cup lowfat buttermilk (Make your own with 1 C milk, and 1 tbsp vinegar OR lemon juice, let stand 10 min)
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed, about 8 ounces each
1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C cracker meal made by food processoring (or ziploc bag and roller pinning them) about 10 saltine crackers until finely ground
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter

1. Combine all the coleslaw ingredients, toss until coated, and chill.

2. Preheat oven to 425

3. To prepare chicken, combine buttermilk and chicken in a shallow dish, turning to coat.

4. Combine flour and cracker meal in a shallow dish. Transfer chicken from buttermilk to a work surface. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Working with one chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess; set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and flour mixture.

5. Melt butter in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, meat side down; cook 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn chicken over, and bake at 425 for 32 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165. If you don't have an oven proof skillet, just transfer the chicken to a baking dish for the oven cooking step. Serves 4.

Grilled Spice Rubbed Roast Chicken

2011-06-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a total Cooking Light Junkie. Every time I know a new issue is about to pop up in my mailbox, I watch for the mailman and as soon as he drives up I storm his little mailman box car and start demanding my magazine. Ok, not really, but you'll find many recipes from there on this blog. This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light.

Chicken is way better when you buy it bone-in. Yeah, those boneless skinless cooking breasts are everyone's quick dinner best friend, but chicken with bones = moist, tender, flavorful deliciousness. This Grilled Spice Rubbed roast chicken is amazing and if you're into gravy, you can make a little gravy out of the drippings and serve with some mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 (4-pound) whole chicken
Cooking spray.

If you have a BBQ grill, the following recipe involves putting some grill marks on the chicken for about 15 minutes. If you don't have a BBQ grill, just roast in the oven or even put in the crockpot as described below. Back to the BBQ- go heat it up now!

1. Combine first 7 ingredients and set aside.

2. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken (my FAVORITE part!). Trim excess fat. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting surface. cut chicken in half lengthwise along backbone, cutting to, not not through, other side. turn chicken over. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub spice mixture under skin. Gently press skin to secure.

3. Place chicken, breast side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray over direct heat; cover and cook 7 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 7 minutes. If you are fancy and have a big grill, move chicken to an area with indirect heat, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. If you are me, bring back in the house, and throw it in the oven at 350 degrees until a thermometer inserted registers 165 degrees. (About 40 minutes). If you are REALLY short on time, throw that bad boy chicken in the crockpot while you're out and about, making sure to add a couple cups of water or chicken broth to the crock pot to help it steam.

4. Once the chicken reaches 165 degress via any cooking method, it's dinner time!

Lemon Lime Bars

2011-06-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

These lemon lime bars will knock your socks off. The crust is rich and buttery and the lemon and lime zest add an extra kick and chewiness. They are tart and sweet and a perfect twist on a classic. Be careful, you might just eat the whole pan. These are from the wonderful Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 C all-purpose flour, sifted, plus 1/4 C
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
4 eggs, beaten
2 C granulated sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp baking powder
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift the 2 cups of flour and powdered sugar together. Cut the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Press into a 13X9X2-inch pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and lemon and lime juices and zests for 1 to 2 minutes, until frothy. (mmmm frothy) Sift the remaining 1/4 cup flour and baking powder togehter and stir it into the egg mixture. Pour over the baked crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool. sift the additional powdered sugar over the top, and cut the lemon-lime dessert into squares. Makes 18 bars.

Great Grandma Dee's Banana Cake

2011-06-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

My Great Grandma Dee's banana cake tastes like a delicious moist banana bread cupcake with buttery banana-y frosting that may send you into a wonderful glucose coma. It is so moist and so perfectly sweet, it's definitely a must-try.

Ingredients:

CAKE
3/4 C canola oil OR Butter (I use 1/2 cup unsweetened applsauce and 1/4 oil, but the ORIGINAL calls for 3/4 c butter. Just FYI I think oil makes any homemade cake way more moist than butter, it's your call. The combo of applesauce is divine and doesn't compromise texture or flavor)
1 1/2 C sugar
1 3/4 C flour
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp buttermilk or sour milk made by adding a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to your 4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 C water
1 C walnuts
1 C banana pulp (about 3-4 very ripe mashed bananas)

ICING
1 Tbsp shortening
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 C powdered sugar
1 ripe mashed banana

Combine fat of your choice (oil, butter, applesauce combo) with sugar. Add beaten eggs and flour, and mix until well combined.

Add the remaining ingredients and save the banana pulp addition for very last. Mix well.

Bake in an angle food or bunt pan for 1 hour in 350 degree oven. Be sure to coat your pan well with nonstick cooking spray.

After cake has been baked, remove from pan and let cool. If you frost it too soon, yours will turn out like my lovely cake in this picture. So delicious but not so pretty for presentation. I guess I just got excited.

Fancy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

I love anything with "chocolate chip cookie" in the title, but these aren't your ordinary chocolate chip cookies! These have coconut, nuts, and oatmeal which give them some extra chewiness and texture. They are the perfect cookie for dunking in milk.

Ingredients:

2 c shortening
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp soda
2 cups each of nuts, coconut, chocolate chips
2 c brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 c sugar
3 c flour
4 c oatmeal (quick oats work best)

Directions:

Cream shortening and sugars together. Add vanilla, then eggs (2 at a time) and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

*This recipe comes from my old home ward cookbook

Curry Coconut Peanut Sauce & Creamy Peanut Sauce

2011-05-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've tried a ba-jillion peanut sauces and these two are by far my favorites. If Sawadee in SLC would give me the recipe to their peanut sauce, that would be my new favorite, but since they say it's secret or something like that, I guess I'm out of luck. You can use these as dipping sauces, as a base for a peanut sauce and rice noodle dish, as a salad dressing, marinade, chicken satay, tofu and vegetables. It's amazing. The coconut curry one just has a little more zip with the curry. The creamy sauce is just a good standard peanut sauce, plain and simple. You can thank Whole Foods for this recipe!

Curry Coconut Peanut Sauce (Can be GF if you use GF ketchup and soy sauce)

Ingredients:

1 tsp canola oil
1 small red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 tsp)
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
4 tsp minced fresh, yes FRESH ginger (You can usually find this already prepared near the tofu in a little jar)
4 tsp curry powder
4 tsp cumin
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (You can use lite coconut milk if you are watching calories)
5 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 c minced fresh cilantro
5 tsp tamari (or lite soy sauce)
4 tsp honey
1/8 c lime juice
1/8 c ketchup
3/4 c water

Directions:

Heat the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, serrano pepper, and ginger until the onion is translucent. Add the curry powder and cumin; saute over low heat for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter, cilantro, tamari honey, lime juice, ketchup, and water. Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking often. Reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes. (makes 4 1/2 cups, serving size 1/8 cup)

Creamy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 c canola oil
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
1 c finely chopped yellow onions
1/8 c finely minced garlic (12 cloves)
1 2-inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped (fresh ginger, the kind you have to peel)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 c water
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c tamari
2 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Directions:

Heat the canola and sesame oils in a large saute pan over medium heat; add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, ketchup, peanut butter, cilantro, tamari, lime juice, and hot pepper sauce; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Cool the sauce mixture. In a blender or bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree the mixture until smooth. (Makes 3 cups, 1 serving = 1/4 cup)

Asian Spring Rolls with Soy-ginger Dipping Sauce

2011-05-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Although this was the first food my husband ever spit out after one bite (he's not a veggie kind of guy) his parents loved them. I love them! They are easy to make and are very delicious. I love the fresh herbs and the way the sauce gives them the perfect kick. A very nice twist on a fried egg roll!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 ounce uncooked rice sticks (you can get these at any Asian market, get the skinniest ones you can find)
1 cup peeled, shredded carrots
1/4 cup packed FRESH cilantro leaves (to get just the leaves, grab your bunch of cilantro, turn it upside down on a cutting board, then take a fork and start "shredding" the leaves off. Voila, all leaves, no stem)
3 Tbsp shredded FRESH basil (sorry gotta use fresh on this!)
1 cup shredded green-leaf lettuce
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
1 cup seeded, chopped, red bell peppers (I prefer chopping them into matchstick size)
16 cooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, about 2/3 pound unshelled (I tried ground chicken cooked in a little bit of hot chili sauce and it was to DIE for!)
8 8-inch round rice-paper sheets (they looks like white transparent tortillas)

Directions:

Place the lime juice, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger in a screw-top jar. Shake viegorously until blended. Set the soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce aside.

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the rice sticks, cook for 3 minutes. Drain, run under cold water, drain again.

Combine the rice sticks, carrots, cilantro, basil, lettuce, garlic, scallions, red-pepper flakes, and bell peppers in a large bowl.

Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise.

Place one rice-paper sheet in a shallow bowl or pan. Cover with 1 inch hot water and let stand for 30 seconds, or until soft. Place the sheet on a flat work surface.

Place 1/2 cup rice-stick filling in the center of the sheet. Arrange 4 shrimp pieces on the filling.

Fold in both sides and then the bottom of the sheet over the filling, then roll it up from the bottom to close. Gently press the seam to seal. Place the roll on a plate and cover with a damp towel.

Repeat with the remaining rice-paper sheets, filling, and sheep. Serve with the dipping sauce in small bowls.

Rocky Road Brownies

2011-05-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

These are a family favorite. My grandma still has a pan of these sitting around almost every time I visit. As a child, I remember drooling over these and even getting in trouble for standing in front of the TV during an intense football game and screaming "I WANT A BROWNIE!" Um...yeah. Probably contributed to my tight pants syndrome.

Ingredients:

1 c margarine or butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c cocoa
1 1/2 c flour
1 c chopped nuts (optional!)
2 c sugar
pinch of salt
Miniature marshmallows (1-2 cups)

Icing:

1/4 c melted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 c cocoa
1 tsp vanilla,
dash of salt
dash of milk to thin to correct consistency

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and sugar until melted and well combined. In a mixing bowl, add the melted chocolate mixture and then beat in 1 egg at a time. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the marshmallows and mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25 minutes. These can also be made in a large cookie sheet for sheet style brownies that are a little thinner.

Remove from oven and cover evenly with the miniature marshmallows. Put back in the oven and bake 5 more minutes. Cool and then ice! Try to avoid eating the whole pan in one sitting.

Snickerdoodles

2011-05-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

A cookie that has a perfectly chewy texture and the perfect amount of cream of tartar for a little kick. I would dare say this is the best snickerdoodle recipe I've ever tried. They are my husband's FAVORITE cookie.

Ingredients:

1 C butter (you can do 1/2 shortening, 1/2 butter)
1 1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar + 3 tsp cinnamon (Do not add to dough)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffly. Add eggs, mix well. Mix the dry ingredients first and then add to the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.

This dough works better if you chill it for about 30 minutes. I use a cookie scoop for these which holds about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough into a ball and then roll the ball of dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Makes 24 cookies.

Whole Wheat Bread

2011-05-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

This bread is fail-proof. It is soft, sweet, and keeps for a very long time without getting crusty. Follow the directions exactly, and you can't go wrong. Plus, it makes your house smell awesome.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/3 c warm water
2 2/3 Hot tap water
1 1/3 tsp salt
1/3 c oil
1/3 c honey or sugar
1/6 molasses
8 cups flour (whole wheat)

Directions:

Add 1 tbsp of sugar to 1/3 cup warm water. Sprinkle yeast into the water and sugar mixture. Allow the yeast to do its thing- don't stir it up too much. Combine hot tap water and about 5 cups flour in mixer, using the beater bar. Mix until well blended. Add salt, oil, sugar or honey, molasses and 1 cup flour. Add prepared yeast. Blend thoroughly. Switch to dough hook, Add 2-4 cups flour, knead for about 10 minutes or until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Let rest for a few minutes before putting into greased bowl. Oil top of bread. Cover with a soft towel. Let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 30 minutes) Punch down, let rest for a few minutes- shape into loaves and put in well greased bread pans (2 small loaves) let rise again until it looks like it's just peeking over the top of the bread pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 or until done.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

2011-05-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a soft pretzel? These can be made at home in a snap. There is a fabulous restaurant in Jackson Hole called Sidewinders and they fill a homemade pretzel with cheese, pepperoni, and give you sauces for dipping. It is shaped in a giant "S" and so Dan and I decided to try to make some at home because they are the best carbohydrate invention. Ever. You can leave these pretzels plain, or fill them honeymustard and chicken, ham and cheese, chocolate chips, cinnamon and sugar, and anything else you can imagine. These are from Alton Brown.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c warm water
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast (make sure it isn't too old or it won't work as well!)
4 1/2 c flour
2 ounces melted butter
10 c water
2/3 c baking soda

Directions:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving

Spicy Chickpea Patties with Cilantro, Lime, and Chilies

2011-05-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

These delicious vegetarian patties are insane! This recipe comes from the Whole Foods cookbook and can be served as a side dish or as the main dish.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup canola or olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 jalepeno pepper, minced (optional if you don't like heat)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 (15 3/4-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chickpea flour (if you don't have chickpea flour, try grinding some oats in a blender or coffee grinder for a quick substitute)
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 scallions, minced
Juice of 2 limes
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick pan, heat the canola or olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, jalapeno, curry powder, and cumin for 3 minutes, until the onion is softened. Transfer the spice mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard 5 blade, and process for 20 seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the chickpeas, chickpea flour, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions, lime juice, and salt.

Continue to process for 20 seconds more, until the mixture is coarsely chopped, well combined, and has fomed a thick paste. The paste should be firm enough to be scooped and shaped into small patties. After making the patties, lightly dust them with chickpea flour.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and spray it with the vegetable oil. Saute the patties for 4 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. For an even crispier patty, place one on a sheet pan for 10 minutes in the center of a 375 degree oven. Serve with a simple cucumber raita (recipe below)

2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and minced
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and minced
1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1/8 cup minced fresh mint
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Javanese Roasted Tofu with Pepper Rainbow

2011-05-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

This delicious dish from the Whole Foods Cookbook is to die for.

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup tamari or shoyu (tamari can be found by the soy sauce, or just use lite soy sauce)
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

1/8 cup canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced green pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the tofu into 1-inch thick slices across the short side of the tofu block. You will have 6 slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet, and bake them in the oven for 25 minutes. The tofu should not be crispy-you want it to simply dry out and firm up.

While the tofu is baking, in a medium bowl blend the peanut butter, tamari, honey, water, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt.

Pour the penut butter sauce over the cooked tofu, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and continue to bake at 350 for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. remove the tofu from the oven, and place on a serving dish.

Just before the tofu is done, heat the canola oil in a large sate pan, and saute the red, green, and yellow peppers for 2 minutes, until softened. Top the tofu with the peppers.