Two Crowded Kitchens

Tuscan bean and sausage soup

2012-02-15T17:54:00.004-05:00

From 02/15/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

I love tomatoes, my husband, and generally my children, do not. The girls are both sick and didn't try any, but Jack (and Mike) gave it the thumbs up. He is a particularly easy child to feed, so it was no surprise. At any rate, I thought this was a great, savory simple meal on a cold day (served with some crusty bread-- this photo was taken before the cheese was added).

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage links, removed from casing and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Italian tomatoes, undrained
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups spinach, shredded
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
3 Tbls. romano cheese, grated

Preparation

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, brown sausage and fully cook. Drain grease. Add onion and garlic and cook till translucent. Add squash and saute about 1 min.

Add remaining ingredients except cheese, and simmer till heated through, about 10 min. Serve with cheese on top.

recipe adapted from Saving Dinner

taboule salad

2012-01-28T14:19:00.004-05:00

From 01/05/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

I found a similar recipe on the back of a box of whole wheat couscous and changed it to my likings- and to what we had on hand. Of course, I was the only one who ate it, but it was very good.

Mix 1/2 cup boiling water with 1 1/4 cup dry couscous. Add 6 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Stir well. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add 1 diced tomato 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 diced green pepper, 1/2 chopped onion, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss lightly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Serves 5.

vegetable chili

2012-01-27T09:11:00.002-05:00

I got the resounding, "Thanks for making this, Mom!" from the kids (and Mike), which automatically makes it post-worthy. (I didn't grab a photo, but you can imagine what this chili, chock full of veggies and legumes, looks like.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
(optional) 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
(optional) 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, crushed
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chili powder (I added about half of this, since the kids don't like it too hot)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. Cook ground beef separately, drain any grease. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the ground beef. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

sweet potato cranberry bake

2012-01-13T18:25:00.006-05:00

From 01/13/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

When we were in Wisconsin after Christmas, we finally got Jack to try some of the Apple Mallow Yambake that Grandma made (not before pulling some teeth). Afterward, he told me I needed to make it every day. While I haven't had a chance to make that yet, I tried a recipe tonight that reminded us of that one- but instead of apples, I used some cranberries I've been wanting to use, and instead of a marshmellow topping, there was a walnut, (minimal) brown-sugar and cinnamon topping. And Jack said tonight's dinner was the best he's ever had. For the record, the accompanying foods were baked tilapia, mixed veggies (corn, edamame and red peppers) and homemade wheat rolls. I'll be sure to duplicate this one again... we had not a leftover. It's gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free, as well.

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 cup fresh cranberries
(less than) 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup orange juice
TOPPING:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
(less than) 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Directions

Place sweet potatoes in large pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place half in a medium baking dish. Top with the cranberries, brown sugar and butter. Pour orange juice over the top.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown.

chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

2012-01-11T19:45:00.003-05:00

From 01/11/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

I love oatmeal cookies. And chocolate. I had told the kids we'd make cookies if they took good naps today... they did! So we made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies... a double reward pour moi! Mmmmm... so good!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

chicken pot pie

2012-01-10T18:39:00.003-05:00

From 01/10/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

This was the real deal... milk and flour... real ingredients. And a meal that at least one of my kids and my husband consistently love (the others eat it and don't complain too much... around here, that passes.).

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

salmon chowder

2012-01-05T20:15:00.003-05:00

From 01/05/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

This is a good chowder. A really good, chunky chowder- I think the dill is what makes it- yum!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups diced potatoes
2 carrots, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 (16 ounce) cans salmon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, and dill. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn, and cheese. Cook until heated through.

homemade pan rolls

2012-01-05T18:24:00.003-05:00

From 01/05/2012 (by Eye-Fi)

We had these yummy rolls with our salmon chowder tonight for dinner- a bit easier to make than the last ones I made.

Here is the recipe.

orange cranberry walnut bread

2012-01-03T10:55:00.003-05:00

From 12/20/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

A delicious wintry bread, perfect for a snow day (and for using up leftover cranberries)... the kids and I have been snacking on it all morning.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar (or a bit less)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
Grated peel of 1 orange
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg. Add orange juice, peel, butter and hot water. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Gently fold in cranberries and walnuts. Spoon into greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

cinnamon swirl bread

2011-12-24T14:48:00.004-05:00

Have you heard? Our collective kitchens just got a little more crowded, and just in time for Christmas!

I think my favorite day of the year might just be Christmas Eve. I have a lot of fond memories of the day growing up- all centered around being with family. I remember the wonderful smells of the kitchen vividly, probably because we've got the same scent conjured up in here now- from the cinnamon swirl loaves that recently came out of the oven. They smell amazing. They smell like Christmas. And the recipe I used (from allrecipes.com) couldn't be simpler (especially if you have a bread machine to do most of the work for you, as we do).

From 12/24/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Ingredients

1 cup warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F)
1/4 cup water (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
FILLING:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed).
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Brush with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place seam side down in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove form pans to wire racks to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients; spoon over loaves.

Mexican orzo salad

2011-12-24T14:11:00.002-05:00

From 12/23/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

I didn't have any chickpeas on hand- or any peppers other than orange (red would have made it even more festive), but it was still deelish- and a good combination of textures.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package orzo pasta
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt to taste
pepper to taste
5 limes, juiced
6 tablespoons canola oil

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Place the drained orzo in a large salad bowl, and fold in the red pepper, yellow pepper, green onions, red onion, chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, corn, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the lime juice and oil over the salad, toss to coat, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to chill before serving.

homemade pizza dough

2011-12-19T19:07:00.002-05:00

From 12/19/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

We've made this recipe (Jay's Signature Pizza Crust) the past couple of times we've made homemade pizza, and the dough has been loved by all.

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

From 11/09/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Christmas sugar cookies

2011-12-16T14:44:00.003-05:00

From 12/16/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

We made these sugar cookies with the kids. I prefer them without icing, so we kept most of them plain or with a few sprinkles, Then today I set the kids loose with this icing (I used a bit of Agave nectar instead of corn syrup). If you can tell, I did quite a few myself, as our kids aren't known for doing anything in a reasonable amount of time. The cookies, however, are going fast.

tuna salad (with curry powder and Parmesan)

2011-12-10T21:05:00.002-05:00

A easy on-the-go dinner (especially for a Friday)- we packed these tuna salad sandwiches to eat at the Children's Museum before their Member's Holiday Event yesterday. And I'd have to say it was some of the best tuna salad I've had. I doubled the recipe and added some celery to, too. And less mayo than called for, which, to me always seems like a good plan.

Ingredients

1 (7 ounce) can white tuna, drained and flaked
6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/8 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the tuna, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and onion flakes. Season with curry powder, parsley, dill and garlic powder. Mix well and serve with crackers or on a sandwich.

Here is the original recipe/source.

easy cranberry and apple cake

2011-11-19T22:15:00.004-05:00

I tried out another version of this tonight (with orange juice instead of apple cider- and it's NOT vegan or gluten free) for our monthly Teams meeting, and this one turned out even better, so I thought it worth posting. It got compliments all around. And it's easy, as well as a great seasonal dessert. Here's the recipe I used.

cranberry-apple cake (gluten-free, vegan)

2011-11-18T11:03:00.008-05:00

I love baking with cranberries, and this was so, so good! (And the smells were remarkable). It would only have been improved with some walnuts or pecans, in my opinion. And I think it would have benefited from a bit of the flour mixture being incorporated with the carn-apple mixture beforehand (the recipe doesn't say to) because the fruity mixture stayed very moist at the bottom-- it was still tasty as could be with a spoonful of both the cakey and the fruity- a great combination of tastes.

From 11/09/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Here is the recipe for the gluten-free, vegan recipe. I made mine the non-gluten and vegan variety (and with about half of the cane sugar than the recipe called for).

country pumpkin muffins (with walnuts and raisins)

2011-11-09T13:09:00.004-05:00

These are my new favorite muffins. And they will put you in a neighborly sort of mood.

From 11/09/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

We packed up the autumn delights along with some Anjou pears and headed next door-- where an old woman and her epileptic son, who's my mom's age, live-- around lunchtime today to shoot the breeze on the ills of today's world. He calls me Betty Crocker for my homey ability to make baked goods without a box mix (though that's not always how we roll). And she commented that when she was mothering her brood of seven, she would have never have let her child go out looking the likes of Abigail, hair unkempt, no socks... She meant it in a complimentary way, though, emphasizing how much unnecessary work she put on herself (and driving herself crazy in the process), making sure her children all looked perfectly presentable, bathing them until they were ten years old herself. We like to make a big deal about the important things and leave the other things to the wind. They were taken aback at Jack and Abigail's good manners.

I substituted some wheat flour and some cane sugar here and there, and the muffins turned out fabulous. Plus, they were made with loving hands, which occasionally slopped and stirred some out of the bowl, inviting us to taste test (the batter's great!). And the recipe makes a bunch.

From 11/09/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Ingredients

* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 3 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
* 1/2 cup water
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups raisins
* 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture; blend well. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

orzo with Parmesan and basil

2011-11-02T18:10:00.002-04:00

In trying to use up some ingredients we've had in the pantry for a while, I seeked out an orzo recipe, and found this.
I used a bit less Parmesan than the recipe called for and used 1/2 olive oil instead of butter (which I substituted for earth balance). Jack asked if we could have it every day. I told him we'd make it again, but the likelihood of every day is slim. It was very good-- and tonight was a lazy night, so while it would normally have been a side, it became our main course complemented with some edamame and apples.

apple chicken

2011-10-31T11:44:00.004-04:00

1 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I just left bigger pieces of chicken)
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add apple slices, saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 the wine and chicken broth, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix remaining wine and broth together with remaining ingredients; add to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens.

A great fall dish-- we served it with mashed potatoes, peas, and these homemade rolls (substituting some of the ingredients to make them a little healthier-- Abigail and I are happily back on the wheat with little to no effects).

Apple Pie Brownies

2011-10-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

I know it's been awhile since I've posted at all, but I finally got around to trying my hand at one of Jonathan's favorite childhood memories. He claims it was as good as he remembers.

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 – 1 1/2 cups chopped apple (I used 2 apples)
1/2 cup walnuts, optional
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbs. cinnamon

Grease a 9″ square baking pan. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in the apples and nuts. Mix in the dry ingredients and pour into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Now to find the energy to update the pictures on this blog...

gluten-free apple crisp

2011-09-23T16:13:00.002-04:00

From 09/23/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

http://www.elanaspantry.com/apple-crisp/

Technically, mine isn't gluten-free, since I added a bit of spelt flour to thicken up the "crisp," as the recipe said to "crumble" the topping over the apples, and mine was too wet to crumble. It left a bit to be desired, but with some ice cream on top, it tasted pretty good. I like that it's sweetened with agave nectar. And, we picked the apples ourselves this morning.

healthy spelt banana muffins

2011-09-02T08:16:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across this tasty recipe for wheat-free banana muffins here when we had two ripe bananas that no one wanted to eat. I'm finding that spelt flour (not gluten-free) is a nice substitute for all-purpose or wheat flour in baking.

From 09/02/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups Whole Spelt Four
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 pinch Salt
1/2 cup Coconut Oil (melted)
1/2 cup Raw Agave
2/3 cup No Sugar So Delicious Coconut Milk
2 cups Mashed Banana
1tbsp Vanilla
2 dashes Cinnamon

~Preheat Oven to 325 degrees and spray muffin tin with baking spray (I found a coconut oil one and it's great!)

~Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Enjoy!

vegan gluten-free zucchini bread

2011-07-25T16:04:00.003-04:00

From 07/25/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

This was my first attempt with baking gluten and dairy-free (I did try a boxed brownie mix that proved to be chewy and delicious), but it turned out super and made my house smell HEAVENLY (And I'm pretty sure I'd feel the same way even if I weren't on this restricted diet right now). It's a great moist consistency and just the right sweetness. I was even inspired to share with my family. Gail gobbled up her thick slice like it was a bowl of marshmallows. Child got the sweet-tooth. Jack, though at first dissuaded by "zucchini" in the name, eventually tried and asked for more. And I didn't tell Mike it was made for me. Did he notice? Nope.

I wanted to use up some of the zucchini that is taking over our garden. I'm thinking raisins would also have made a good addition (I definitely added the walnuts). And I modified the recipe a bit to eliminate the refined sugar-- I substituted raw cane sugar and some honey (just a few good squirts). I went crazy with the cinnamon 'cause I'ma cinnamon-loving gal. Here's the recipe.

pineapple-cashew quinoa stir-fry

2011-07-03T19:29:00.003-04:00

From 07/01/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Do yourself a favor-- this was really good, and I didn't follow the directions exactly as they said-- I simplified, and it still turned out fantastic- full of juicy flavors and textures that were just right.

Recipe from Veganomicon-- see full recipe here.

greek-style tomato-zucchini fritters with fresh herbs

2011-06-29T20:36:00.003-04:00

From 06/29/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

I heart these. They were downright delicious. Iris didn't appreciate the texture, I don't think, so out they came, but the others did well with it. Even Mike admitted they were pretty good, for tofu. It was the first time I've used the food processor for tofu, so that was exciting. I got to use our first garden yield- zucchini, too.

Ingredients:

1 lb firm tofu, squeezed to remove extra water (place a heavy dinner plate on top for 10 minutes or so), then crumbled
1/4 cup ground walnuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tomato juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs, plus 1/3 cup for coating
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1/2 lb zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove excess water
1 lb seeded, finely chopped tomatoes, drained to remove extra liquid
Olive oil

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Blend the tofu, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you wish. Scrape into a large bowl and mix in the bread crumbs, dill, and mint — it should have the consistency of a thick cookie dough. (Add more breadcrumbs by the tablespoon if it’s not quite there). Fold in the zucchini and tomatoes.
Create golf-ball sized balls of the mixture, and drop into the bread crumbs and roll to coat. Flatten to about 1 inch thick.
Rub a large cookie sheet with olive oil, and as you complete each fritter, arrange so they do not touch. Spray with olive oil, then place in the oven and cook for 35 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

From Veganomicon.

chickpea-quinoa pilaf

2011-06-27T13:29:00.005-04:00

Of course, when the youngins' saw this, they began to whine, "I don't like this!" Even Iris studied it curiously between her fingers before letting it drop to the floor. So I protested, "But you haven't even tried it." And after I made them try it, guess what? They liked it. All three of them. Jack even managed to down the the "onluns."

From 06/27/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

ingredients:

2 Tbsps olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
several pinches freshly ground black pepper
1.2 tsp salf
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups cooked or 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I substituted northern beans, as I didn't have any chickpeas on hand)
2 cups vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon

directions:

1 In small stockpot over med heat, saute the onions in olive oil for ~ min. Add garlic and saute for 2 min.
2 Add tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another min.
3 Add the quinoa and saute for 2 mins.
4. Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower heat to very low and cook for ~18 min, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stir occasionally.
5. Fluff with a fork

From Veganomicon

banana butterfly birthday cupcakes

2011-06-07T14:32:00.002-04:00

I made these dear cupcakes for Abigail's birthday, and they went over very well. They were fairly healthy, moist and all around yummy.

From 06/07/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Going fast...

INGREDIENTS

cupcakes--

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup caster sugar (I used raw cane sugar, ground up some in the food processor)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 med. bananas)
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup milk (I used soy milk)

icing--

100 g. reduced fat cream cheese (I used half a block of Neufchatel)
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1-2 tsp, fresh orange juice
sprinkles for decorating
strawberries for decorating

1. preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pan or line with muffin paper

2. Beat (with electric mixer) butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add banana. Beat until combined.

3. Sift flour and baking soda over banana mixture. Add milk. Using a large metal spoon, gently stir until combined. Distribute evenly into muffin pans. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make cream cheese icing, combine cream cheese, sugar and oj with electric mixer until smooth. If too thick, add more oj. Spread frosting onto cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles and strawberries as butterfly wings and serve.

marinated salmon with mango-kiwi relish

2011-05-19T20:14:00.004-04:00

I doubt anyone is as tired as I am of seeing Chicken Thigh Supper pop up on here week after week after week. It was good but not THAT good.

image via www.cookinglight.com

I plan on making this tomorrow for our fish Friday (recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine circa March 2004)-- maybe with some sweet potato fries and some arugula salad (my new favorite). I love when it's time to cook for a new season! And I LOVE salmon.

Ingredients

Salmon:

1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Relish:

1/2 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup cubed peeled kiwifruit
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh orange juice

Preparation

To prepare salmon, combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Marinate 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
While fish marinates, heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from bag, discarding marinade. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
While fish cooks, prepare the relish. Combine mango and the remaining ingredients. Serve over fish.

chicken thigh supper

2011-03-31T13:50:00.002-04:00

I discovered a great new cookbook that I checked out from the library last week- Good Mood Food by Donal Skehan-- he looks like an Irish teen sensation, but he does know how to cook. Skimming through it, I kept thinking how good the food on every page looked. I have about ten bookmarked, as that's about how many slips of paper I pre-cut, and I thought that would at least keep me busy for a while. Last night, I made this dish, which was very savory. I pan-seared some spinach in the same pan, which was a nice touch, served with bread.

image via Good Mood Food Blog

From blog--

"This is a super dish for a big group of people, served with a tasty salad; it’s perfect for weekday entertaining. If you can’t get a hold of chicken thighs, you can use any other cuts as long as they’re on the bone. This gives the meat a really great flavour.

Serves 4
6–8 chicken thighs
200g pancetta, diced, or bacon bits
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
75ml/3fl oz red wine
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 red onion, chopped in half moons
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
2 teaspoons of English mustard powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil

In a large deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and brown the chicken and pancetta, until you get a nice colour on the thighs. Set aside on plate covered with kitchen paper.
In the same pan, add the rest of the oil and fry the garlic, onion, rosemary and thyme for 2 minutes. Sprinkle over the mustard powder and stir through.
Add the tinned tomatoes and red wine, and bring to the boil. Add the chicken and pancetta pieces back to the pan, turning the chicken pieces to coat.
Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat or until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to extend the cooking time depending on the size of the chicken thighs. I don’t add salt to this recipe as the pancetta can be quite salty, but make sure to taste it and add seasoning if needed.
Serve with a tasty salad and some hearty wholemeal bread."

banana sour cream pancakes

2011-03-08T14:59:00.005-05:00

For the eve of Lent ("Fat Tuesday"), we indulged in Banana Sour Cream pancakes (found here) topped with Strawberries and whipped cream, and eggs. Those were some yummy pancakes- definitely a treat!

From 03/08/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

banana sour cream pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

toad in the hole

2011-03-01T19:48:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma magazine-- about the only thing I'll ever get out of one of those. But it looked divine, and it held up. When I told the kids the name, it got some eyes, but once we explained that what was in it was just things that they really like (i.e. kielbasa (which we used instead of sausage, since that's what we had on hand), eggs, orange peppers, spinach, etc.), they downed it fairly quickly. We had it with homemade oatmeal bread with strawberry jam, cantaloupe and OJ.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg white
2 tsp. whole-grain mustard
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
3 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. mild pork breakfast sausage links
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 oz. spinach
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the milk, eggs, egg white and mustard. Using an immersion blender, blend until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the flour and the 1 tsp. salt and blend for 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425ºF.

In a 10-inch fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 tsp. of the oil. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to medium heat and warm 1 tsp. of the oil. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the sausage. In the same pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the oil. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate.

Pour the remaining 2 Tbs. oil into a 12-inch fry pan and place in the oven until the oil is hot and just smoking, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and stir in the cheese. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Add the sausages, bell pepper and spinach to the pan, then pour in the batter. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the batter is puffy and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes; do not open the oven door early as this will cause the toad in the hole to deflate. Garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

photo via Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

chicken tortilla soup

2011-01-31T21:15:00.003-05:00

From 01/31/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

The other day when I happened to be in Giant Eagle, samples of this were being given out. It was very good-- I took one of the recipe sheets. It would have been too spicy for the kids, so I just did away with the hot peppers and only added half of the chili powder, and it wasn't spicy at all. I probably could have added a little more, but the kids liked it. And Iris discovered avocados, which I served with the soup, along with tortilla chips and salsa.

From 01/31/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Chicken tortilla soup

3 Thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C chopped green onions
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (we skipped this and replaced it with 1/2 a red bell pepper)
1 pablano pepper, diced (we skipped this too)
2 TBSP canola oil
1 stick of butter (we used a cup of Smart Balance)
1/2 C flour
1/2 C shredded Mexican 4 cheese blend
1/2 C fat free Greek yogurt
4 C chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (7 oz) can fire roasted diced green chiles (we skipped this)
1 C frozen corn
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder (I used only 1 tsp)
salt, to taste

Directions--

Heat oil in large pan and saute chicken, onions and peppers, seasoning with 1/2 the cumin and chili powder.
While chicken is cooking, melt butter in large stock pot over med. heat. whisk in flour, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk 1/4 C at a time, then the cheese, yogurt, and chicken broth, ensuring each ingredient is well incorporated before adding the next.
Stir in remaining ingredients including the cooked chicken, bring to simmer and serve.

potato kielbasa skillet

2011-01-18T19:50:00.002-05:00

Even the kids, who usually reject all potatoes proclaimed that they liked this. I boiled the potatoes first because Mike likes his potatoes extra-soft.

potato kielbasa skillet

5 large potatoes, cut in bite sized chunks
1 lb kielbasa, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I skipped this)

In dutch oven, brown potatoes, kielbasa, onion and peppers in oil.
Add seasonings and broth.
Bring to a boil.
Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and put cheese on top.
Simmer until cheese is melted.

baked turkey taquitos

2011-01-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

(image: Bree via the creative mama)

We had these tonight, and they were definitely worth a mention here- healthy, easy to prepare, easy for the kids to pick up and eat, tasty. Plus, we got to have "apple-cados"- one of Gail's favorites.

company muffins

2011-01-17T11:50:00.006-05:00

These are always so good. simple. And they're filled with fruits and veggies-- not that we have a problem getting our kids to eat them-- they'd much prefer some cucumber or bell pepper slices to a slice of greasy pizza. We know, they're not normal. Iris had about half of one mashed up this morning (with the nuts and raisins removed). She kept opening wide her little beak. The other kids really love them too.

From 01/17/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

Company Muffins
Recipe from Simply in Season

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran or rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine and stir well.

2 large apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
1 1/2 cups carrots (finely shredded)
1 cup walnuts (chopped) or flax seed meal
1/2 cup raisins

Add and stir to coat. Make well in center

2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

In a separate bowl mix together. Pour into flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 18-20 minutes.

From 01/17/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

homemade soft pretzels

2011-01-12T14:01:00.002-05:00

From 01/12/2011 (by Eye-Fi)

See more of the process here.

Ingredients

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

classic pumpkin pie

2010-12-22T20:48:00.004-05:00

Made this for Thanksgiving and again tonight-- it was delicious both times.

Ingredients

1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust Pie.

2. For filling, in a medium bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs. Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir until combined.

3. Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling into pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

cranberry-pear-walnut cake

2010-11-19T09:27:00.003-05:00

My mom and I made this yummy cake while the kids were napping yesterday. We subtituted pecans for walnuts, cut back a bit on the sugar and skipped the caramal sauce alltogether. It was a great combination of textures and flavors- tart and not too sweet- all rolled into one. You can find the recipe here.

butternut squash soup with thai gremolata

2010-10-26T20:10:00.003-04:00

I love soups this time of year, and this recipe sounded tasty, so I gave it a whirl-- so good, and so easy. We had ours with bread topped with pecan pumpkin butter.

butternut squash soup with thai gremolata

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tsp. Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper) (I skipped this)
2 Tbsp. lime juice

1. In a 4 qt. slow cooker stir together squash, broth, coconut milk, onion, brown sugar, fish sauce, and Asian chili sauce.
2. Cover; cook on low for 4 to 5 hours (or on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours).
3. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend soup until completely smooth. Stir in lime juice. Ladle into bowls and top with Thai Gremolata. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Thai Gremolata:
In a bowl stir together 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, and 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lime peel. (i didn't have peanuts or limes, so i did without those, though peanuts would have been an excellent addition).

pumpkin sausage pasta

2010-10-24T16:58:00.004-04:00

We first had this at the Wards' almost two years ago, I believe. It's from Simply in Season. And it fit the bill for a healthy and delicious fall produce meal. Pumpkin is one of my favorite cabinet staples this time of year. You can switch it out for winter squash too. We had salad with cranberries and almonds along with it.

From 10/24/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

1 lb chunky pasta-- cook, drain and set aside
1 lb sweet italian sausage- brown on med. high in a deep frying pan. remove meat and set aside. drain fat from fry pan and return to stove

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
add both to pan and cook until tender, about 3-5 min.

1 bay leaf
2 TBSP fresh sage (cut into very thin strips)
1 cup dry white wine or vegetable (or chicken) broth
add and cook until half of liquid evaporates (~2 minutes)

1 cup veg. or chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin or winter squash (cooked and pureed)
mix in. continue stirring until sauce starts to bubble. add sausage and reduce heat.

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
coarse salt and pepper to taste
stir in milk. add seasonings and simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken. remove bay leaf. pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss over low heat for 1 min.
garnish w/ freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese and fresh sage leaves (opt)

Applesauce Bread (for the Wilsons)

2010-09-14T15:32:00.002-04:00

We hosted our friends, Matt & Erica Wilson a few weeks ago and served this as one of our go-to company breakfasts. I love this recipe because it works well with or without raisins or nuts and is basically made with all pantry staples. It's perfect if you're not sure guests' taste preferences. And there's nothing like the smell of cloves and cinnamonin the oven.

Next time we'll make an extra loaf for their newborn son Johnny to enjoy!

1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves (I usually at least double that amount)
1/2 tsp all spice
1 cup. raisins and/or walnuts

In large bowl, beat oil, sugar, egg, and applesauce. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Slowly add to applesauce mixture. Add raisins and stir just until combined. Pour into greased bread ban. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

nutty pumpkin bread

2010-09-14T11:36:00.001-04:00

From 09/14/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

Nutty Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps ground cinnamon (opt)
1/2 tsp each ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves (opt)

Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl and make a well.

2 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin or winter squash
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup pecans or other nuts (chopped)
1 cup raisins or dates (chopped; opt)

Add into the well and mix just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean, 50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges and turn the loaf out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.

Muffin variation: Pour batter in greased mini-muffin tins; bake about 10 minutes.

From Simply in Season.

Glazed Pork Loin with Blueberry Salsa

2010-09-03T20:44:00.002-04:00

My August meal for meal exchange. Our meal group was so excited for another way to use Michigan blueberries and the combination of flavors sounded interesting. I would say the result was good, but not great. The pork very easily dried out and my husband claims I should at least double the amount of salsa. Maybe we'll just stick to the blueberry salsa with chips for next time.

18 oz. fresh blueberries
1 medium diced red pepper
1/3 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 TBSP lime juice
3 TBSP plus 1/4 cup blueberry jam
2 1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 center-cut boneless pork loin (3 1/2- 4lbs)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP each cumin and coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Coarsely chop 1 pkg. berries. Stir in whole berries, pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, 3 TBSP jam, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp chili powder.
3. Place pork in roasting pan and rub with oil. Combine cumin, coriander, remaining salt, remaining chili powder, and cinnamon. Rub over pork.
4. Roast 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add water to pan. Lossely cover. Roast 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Combine 2 TBSP pan juices with remaining 1/4 cup jam. Brush over pork, return to oven. Rosat 5 min. LEt sit 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with salsa.

zucchini bread

2010-08-04T16:35:00.003-04:00

I've made a lot of these loaves lately-- four are in the oven as I type. We had it a lot growing up. It's yummy and easy, and the kids love it.

Zucchini Bread

Preheat oven to 325

Beat 3 eggs until foamy
Add 2 cups sugar
a little more than 1/2 up oil
2 tsps vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

In separate bowl:
3 cups flour (opt-- 1 c. whole wheat, 1 c. soy, 1 c. reg.)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins

Add two bowls together. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour.

Sassy Hawaiian Pork Burgers

2010-08-01T18:47:00.001-04:00

My meal exhange meal for August...a nice change from typical burgers

1 1/4- 11/2 lbs lean ground pork (the butcher at D&W offered to grind it for me)
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
1 bunch scallions, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 TBSP seasoned breadcrumbs
4 TBSP teriyaki sauce
1 8oz can pineapple rings, drained

Combine the pork, water chesnuts, egg, scallions, ginger, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and 2 TBSP of the teriyaki sauce: mix well.

Wet your hands and form the meat mixture into 8 patties.

Cook the patties in a large skillet over medium-high heat for aobut 10 minutes per side, basting occasionally with the remaining 2 TBSP of the sauce.

Top with pineapple rings and serve on rolls.

peach cherry pie

2010-07-17T13:28:00.003-04:00

From 07/17/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

We've had some very fragrant peaches lately, which reminded me that I wanted some peach pie. Required it. So peach pie I made. And we've been getting a ton of cheapo cherries lately, so in they went. So delectable. The smell around here is heavenly.

preheat oven to 425

crust--

2 cups flour (hold out a little)
a dash of salt

in separate bowl:
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup ice water
whisk together until well blended

add to flour mixture and blend
divide into two equal balls and roll out for crust

filling--

5-6 peaches, sliced
1-2 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 flour
1/4 cup sugar
some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg)

heat all ingredients together in a medium saucepan over med. and fill bottom half of crust.

bake at 425 for 30 min. lower to 350 and bake additional 15 min.

lime chicken with cilantro cream sauce and roasted zucchini

2010-05-28T18:40:00.003-04:00

Lime chicken with cilantro cream sauce and roasted zucchini

I greatly simplified this recipe as it looked a bit too complex for my time, but it was still delicious. I also did without the chicken, since it's Friday.

lemon basil pasta salad

2010-05-05T17:47:00.003-04:00

A very simple, clean taste-- just what I was wanting after cereal for breakfast and lunch (and a few apple slices and peanuts and raisins throughout the day). Recipe from www.seriouseats.com

From 05/05/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

1 pound farfalle pasta
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch dice
20 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Boil pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool down.

2. Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Theological Question of the Day

2010-05-04T15:36:00.001-04:00

Over lunch, Mali asks: Who can eat this avacado pit?

I respond, "No one eats the pits of avacados."

She thinks it over and then questions, "Can God eat the pit of an avacado?"

bbq yogurt marinated chicken

2010-05-03T08:57:00.001-04:00

I saw this recipe on the back of our Brown Cow plain, cream top yogurt and thought I would give it a whirl- and it was a cinch-- and pretty tasty.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP rosemary
1 TBSP thyme
1 TBSP salt (seriously? i used 1 tsp)
1 TBSP pepper
4 chicken breasts (i made a couple extra for leftovers- there was plenty of marinade)

Mix all ingredients together and add chicken. Let marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours. Grill chicken on med. high. Serve with backyard bbq favorites (so suggests the Brown Cow container). We had ours with corn and baked beans and strawberries.

(vegan) corn chowder

2010-04-25T18:33:00.003-04:00

I have my sister to thank for recommending The Conscious Cook cookbook. Mike got it for me for my birthday. We had this delicious corn chowder tonight.

From 04/25/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

If you want the recipe, I'd be happy to pass it along-- I'll just say that it uses cashew cream for the cream- yummm.

po'boy sandwiches

2010-04-23T19:10:00.003-04:00

From 04/23/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

I was going to make these last Friday, but we had no power from 3:50-9 pm or so, so cooking the fish was out (and I ended up having to throw out the fish fillets I had thawed). We tried it this week instead- served with canned peaches.

Fish Fillets

1/4 cup cornmeal
3 TBSP Old Bay Seasoning/other seafood seasoning
4 boneless firm fish fillets (~6 oz each)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Topping

1/2 cup Tartar Sauce (I made my own with light mayo, relish and lemon juice)
1 TBSP minced red onions
3-4 romaine lettuce leaves, cut into rough shred

4 kaiser or sub rolls
1 tomato

Place cornmeal and Old Bay on plate and mix well. Press fish into it to coat it. Heat the oil in skillet on med. high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add fish and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place fish on paper towel to soak up excess oil.

While frying fish, in a bowl, stir together the Tartar Sauce and onions, add the lettuce and toss until evenly coated. Toast rolls and slice tomato.

To make sandwiches, place a fish fillet on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon on some topping, add tomato slices, and cap with top half of roll.

Recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.

grilled kielbasa with hawaiian salsa and sweet potatoes

2010-04-15T21:00:00.005-04:00

I based this dinner roughly on the recipe found here for ham with Hawaiian salsa and sweet potatoes, but I mostly just threw in ingredients I thought would be tasty from what we had on hand. And it turned out very tasty indeed (all partakers agreed). I didn't have the recipe on hand at the time, but we had these oven fries at my parents' last weekend, and I was attempting a similar approach when making the sweet potato fries.

From 04/15/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

sweet and sour tofu

2010-04-13T14:08:00.003-04:00

From 04/12/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

The recipe looks kind of lengthy, but it was actually fairly simple. And it tasted like something off a restaurant menu- a lot of flavor. Recipe adapted from Laurel's Kitchen.

1/2 cup walnut pieces
2 blocks tofu
4 TBSP shoyu (soy sauce)
2 sherry or saki (I used some dark sesame oil- not really the same, but I was going from another recipe from Moosewood too)

1 large onion
1 large green pepper (I used orange)
1 stalk celery (I used 2)
1 large or two small carrots
2 tablespoons oil
1 heaped cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 1/2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP vinegar
1 1/4 cups veg. stock or water
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch

Toast walnuts. Cut tofu into 1" cubes and marinate in 2 TBSP shoyu and sherry. Cut onion and pepper into wedges and celery and carrots into thin diagonal slices. Stir-fry in oil until crisy-tender, adding pineapple after first 2-3 minutes.
Combine honey, vinegar and 1 cup of veg. stock, and add vegetables, along with tofu. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes to thoroughly heat tofu.
Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup veg. stock and the remaining soy sauce. Stir into vegetabeles. Heat, stirring while sauce thickens and clarifies somewhat.
Top with walnuts. Serve with brown rice.

weekly meal plan 4/12-4/18

2010-04-12T14:05:00.001-04:00

As mentioned in my other blog, I am going to start up with bi-monthly/monthly meal planning again. I have already planned out about three weeks+ worth of meals, but I'll just post them weekly. I prefer not to plan breakfast and lunches- unless we're all home, though we've been having a lot of leftovers for lunch, as Michael isn't taking them to work anymore (his work provides lunch every day).

weekly menu
April 4-April 10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday 4/12-- sweet and sour tofu with pineapple, onion, bell peppers, celery, carrots and walnuts, short-grain brown rice

Tuesday 4/13-- pasta with artichoke hearts, steamed carrots

Wednesday 4/14-- homemade wholewheat pizza with veggies, salad with cucs and peppers, fresh pineapple and strawberries

Thursday 4/15-- grilled kielbasa with hawaiian salsa and sweet potatoes

Friday 4/16-- po'boy sandwiches, peach brown betty

Saturday 4/17-- we'll be at our monthly teams meeting (Mike and I are bringing dessert- still haven't decided what to make)

Sunday 4/18-- roasted ratatouille with crepes, baby greens with pecans and pears

If you'd like any of the recipes, let me know, though I may post some of our favorites here throughout the week anyway.

Chocolate sour cream cake with fudgy frosting

2010-04-04T21:05:00.004-04:00

Made this (non-low-fat) cake for Easter (and Mike for his birthday, since I didn't make him a cake on Good Friday) today, with Jack's help.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 8-oz. carton dairy sour cream
1 cup milk
1 recipe Fudgy Frosting

Directions

1. Let eggs stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

2. In small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl beat shortening and sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and milk; beat on low after each addition just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pans.

3. Bake 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool.

4. Prepare Fudgy Frosting. Place one layer flat side down on plate. Spread top with 1 cup frosting. Stack second layer flat side down. Spread with remaining frosting. Makes 16 servings.

Fudgy Frosting: In large pan over low heat melt and stir one 12-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in 8-oz. carton sour cream. Stir in 4-1/2 cups (1 lb.) sifted powdered sugar; stir until smooth. Makes 4 cups.

*recipe from www.bhg.com

low-fat cinnamon rolls

2010-04-04T12:00:00.003-04:00

We wanted to try out making cinnamon rolls, but not with all of the fat. This recipe uses applesauce and honey as a substitute, but you can't even taste the apple. They were super-easy to make, and they turned out delicious and doughy. We made the icing, but I personally thought they were better without.

From 04/04/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

Low Fat Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from allrecipes

Dough:

1 cup warm fat free milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup light spread, melted – I used Smart Balance Light
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons honey

Icing:

1/2 package fat free cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place dough ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order listed. Select dough cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
In another bowl, mix together honey and applesauce
Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with applesauce mixture and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 16 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together icing ingredients. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

*makes 16 rolls, approx. 195 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per roll

Hot Cross Buns

2010-04-01T20:48:00.005-04:00

We will be traveling on Good Friday (the traditional day to make these) so my girls and I had our first adventure with yeast rolls today.

There were quite a few steps to this recipe, so we started early enough to still be in pajamas.

There was measuring.
And kneading.
Lots of kneading.
Voila! Hot Cross Buns.

Thanks to Family Fun for this idea!

Apple Puff Pancake

2010-03-29T14:22:00.002-04:00

I posted on facebook the other day that I needed some new breakfast ideas. Lots of yummy suggestions came in, and here's one recipe that my old friend/coworker Jamie came up with. She was always good with supplying the break room with treats, so I'm excited to try this one.

From the Gooseberry Patch Farmhouse Christmas cookbook~

6 eggs 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk 1 stick butter, melted (can definitely use less!)
1 C flour 3 Granny smith apples (golden delicious are great too), peeled and sliced
3 Tbl sugar 2-3 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla powdered sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In blender, mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until blended; set aside. Pour butter into a 9X13 pan and add apple slices evenly into the dish. Return to the oven until butter sizzles. Do not let the apples brown. Pour the batter over apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake on the middle oven rack at 425 for 20 minutes or until puffed and brown. Dust with powdered sugar to taste. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

Gigi's pound cake

2010-03-28T23:34:00.002-04:00

I've made this several times, but it turned out best this time (no chunks came out when I removed it from the pan). And I didn't even capture it on camera. But here's Gigi's delicious pound cake recipe:

3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter softened
4 eggs
3 cups four
1/3 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used the powdered kind- Saco brand- a white and yellow container with a red top-- more practical if you hardly use buttermilk)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon juice

Beat all ingredients together as you add them until well blended. Grease and flour pan well. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (I baked it more like 75 minutes because our oven takes longer).

I used this glaze recipe to drizzle over the top.

Angela's Awesome enchiladas

2010-03-28T14:46:00.002-04:00

I first had these at my parents' and knew I wanted the recipe. Looks like a lot of ingredients, but they were pretty easy-- Angela's Awesome Enchiladas.

They're great with salsa on them too. Served with rice, fruit, chips and salsa and corn. Yum.

creamy corn-potato-ham chowder

2010-03-14T22:05:00.004-04:00

Seems like we've been having a lot of chowders lately, but they're good when it's cold- and extremely easy when you can just throw a bunch of ingredients into the crock pot in the morning and dish it up at dinnertime. I tried this one last weekend since we needed to use up some ham that had been taken out of the freezer that we didn't eat all of a few nights prior. It turned out alright, but I think they could have cooked for a couple more hours. The carrots and potatoes were a little too firm still. Mike added some cream of mushroom soup later in the week and said that improved it some- that the veggies had softened a bit.
Nevertheless, I'm ready for some lighter foods. After being sick and sluggish for almost a week, my stomach has shrunk, and most foods seem too heavy or something. Maybe it's the warmer weather too. I'm excited about starting to cook with spring produce.

Kielbasa skillet

2010-03-07T21:52:00.002-05:00

This was very good, very flavorful. Served with rice and mixed greens salad.

From 03/02/2010 (by Eye-Fi)

Greek Layer Dip

2010-02-16T15:27:00.001-05:00

You know that typical taco dip that roughly half of the United States consumed last month? I think we've found one to top it. In this month's issue of the local magazine "Food for Thought" this dip was featured. My handy husband whipped up a version of it for our Superbowl Party. The kids and I finished it off at lunch the day after and Brinnly said that her imaginary friends would like it for their birthday party instead of cake. It's that good.

Here are the details:

2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped cucumber
3 TBSP snipped flat leaf parsley
4 tsp fresh mint
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup hummus
2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups olive tapenade (Trader Joe's does this well--but that's true for everything)
1 cup. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cups green onions
1/4 cups olives
Fresh mint for garnish.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt, & pepper. Set aside.

Spread hummus on a 12-inch serving platter. Arrange spinach atop spread, leaving a 1-inch border of hummus showing. Spoon tapenade over spinach, leaving a 1-inch border of spinach showing.

Drain and discard liquid from tomato mixture. Spoon mixture over tapendae layer, leaving a 1 inch border of tapenade showing. Sprinkle feta over tomato mixture, and top with additional ingredients.

15 healthy muffin recipes

2010-02-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

While we're snowed in here, I feel like baking- muffins, in particular. I found this site for healthy muffin recipes, of which we'll probably try a couple of in the next days. I really like the sounds of the yamberry muffins, but we don't have cranberries right now. They all sound yummy, though.

snickerdoodles

2010-01-31T11:05:00.003-05:00

I made a ton of these last night-- for a wedding Mike and I are going to today- and a bunch for ourselves. I've always liked them.

The recipe for just one batch--

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsps cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp gran. sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, vanilla. Blend flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape dough into balls. Mix 2 tbsp sug. and cinn. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 min. or until set, but not too hard. Remove immediately from sheets to cool.

crock pot chicken jumbalaya

2010-01-29T17:46:00.002-05:00

6 boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 lb kielbasa
1 can tomatoes, undrained (I added two)
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cajun seasoning- I made my own with cayenne pepper, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery (I used 3)

Put everything in crock pot and turn on low for 7 hours.

We served this tasty dish with short grain brown rice, bread and spinach salad. I was afraid the jumbalaya might be too spicy for the kids, but they all liked it (we had some friends over).

corn & kielbasa chowder

2010-01-19T17:44:00.002-05:00

Yum!

corn and kielbasa chowder

8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
(I also added about three stalks of celery, chopped)
1 tablespoon butter
1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup half-and-half
1 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish

Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through. Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the dill.

chocolate chip oatmeal muffins

2010-01-18T12:30:00.006-05:00

I found the recipe at allrecipes.com. They reminded me of the vegan chocolate chip cookies my sister and I used to make. Really good. But there was nothing vegan about these muffins.

chocolate chip oatmeal muffins

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup applesauce
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients; add alternately with applesauce to the creamed mixture. Stir in oats and chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

salmon chowder

2010-01-08T17:53:00.002-05:00

I love cooking hot soups on frigid snow days. It's been snowing for days straight now, with short let-ups here and there, but I'm tired of being home bound. I refuse to go out in this mess with the kids. Anyway, tonight, we had delicious salmon chowder, served with bread, salad and french beans. Here's the recipe. I haven't decided what to make for dessert yet, but I've decided we need something yummy to celebrate Mike finishing his very last day at Intel today. Congratulations, love!

Christmas Present Granola

2010-01-07T14:54:00.002-05:00

A few years ago around Christmas we were visiting my parents' neighbors and their house had a wonderful baking smell. When I asked what it was, she gave me a small bag of her homemade granola. I snacked on it all afternoon and ended up calling her a few hours later asking for the recipe. I brought it back this season and used it as as easy-to-ship Christmas present as well as a stocking stuffer and had a few requests for the recipe. At the risk of giving away my secrets, here goes...

7 c. rolled oats
1 c. wheat germ
1 heaping cup brown sugar
6 cups nuts (I usually use a variation of walnuts, pecans, and sometimes almonds)
2 cups sunflower seeds (optional)
1/2 cup flax seeds
Mix together in a very large bowl.

In a glass measuring cup, mix 3/4 cup oil with 1 1/3 cup water and heat (covered!) in microwave for 3-5 minutes on high. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and pour over dry ingredients. (This may sound obvious, but the oil/water is hot! Be careful, especially if you have little "helpers") Spread mixture into 2 well-greased jelly roll pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Leave in oven until dry, possibly bake for 1/2 hour more if necessary. If desired add coconut, dried cranberries, or other fun mix-ins after baking.

chili with vegetables

2010-01-05T12:29:00.003-05:00

We had this chili last night, and it was tasty. I kind of went from a recipe, but I mostly made it up as I went along. It's all approximate- as it always is around here.

2 med carrots
2 celery stalks
1 large onion
a few garlic cloves
1 zucchini
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2-3 jars diced tomatoes
1/3 jar of steak sauce
6-8 slices bacon
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
*(I just eyed all of these and tasted, added more accordingly)
*chili powder
*salt
*cumin
*red pepper (cayenne)
quite a few kidney beans- I added almost half of a 3-lb can.
*fresh parsley

Add first eight ingredients to large pot and let simmer for a while until all of the veggies are tender. While they are simmering, cook bacon in a large skillet. Add bacon to veggie mixture. Cook the ground beef in the bacon drippings (I had to drain quite a bit of grease first). Add to veg. mixture along with seasonings and let cook for a while so all of the flavors can blend together. Add beans and parsley and serve. We put cheddar on ours and served with a little bread. Really good for a super-cold day.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

2009-12-23T22:16:00.004-05:00

Just because it's been more than a month since we've posted on here, and I've been meaning to make this for more than a month now-- I love fresh cranberries in baked goods...

Cranberry walnut bread (I doubled this recipe to make two loaves)

2 to 2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. whole raw cranberries
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Hot water
1 tbsp. grated fresh orange peel
1/2 c. orange juice
1 lg. egg, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.

Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda in large bowl. Combine walnuts with cranberries in a small bowl; take 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and toss is with cranberries and walnuts. Put oil in a measuring cup; fill with hot water to measure 3/4 cup. Mix oil, water with orange peel and juice. Stir into flour mixture with egg. Mix just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. If batter seems too thin, your flour may have been stored under humid conditions; use the larger flour measurement.

Gently stir in the cranberry-walnut mixture. Put in pan. Bake 1 hour or until done.

Black Bean Cakes

2009-11-18T15:31:00.004-05:00

As our kitchens become more crowded our postings are become fewer and fewer! But, here my latest freezer-friendly recipe that I adapted for my meal exchange group:

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained.
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cxup shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 TBSP chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tspt ground cumin
2 TBSP olive oil

In a small bowl, mash beans. Add the egg, carrots, bread crumbs, cheese, chili powder, salt, baking powder, and cumin. Mix well. Shape into six patties; brush both sides with oil. Place on a baking sheet.

Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with fresh salsa. Yum!

toasted pumpkin seeds

2009-10-31T13:25:00.003-04:00

I usually toast the pumpkin seeds from our carved Jack-o-lanterns, but this year, I tried this recipe, which calls for boiling the seeds in salt before toasting. Added a nice lightly-salted flavor. I love the smell of the whole process- so fall.

pumpkin cheesecake

2009-10-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

Made this pumpkin cheesecake last night (I got the link from Simply Serina- thanks!). I cheated and made up my own directions for part of it mostly because I don't yet own a springform pan, and started making it too late in the evening to acquire one. But it still turned out delicious. And since the pan I used was considerably smaller than a 9-inch springform, we have a bunch of the filling left over in the fridge-- enough to make a second small one in the next couple of days.
I didn't used to care for cheesecake, but now it's one of my favorite desserts- as well as anything with pumpkin. And it's much easier to make than I anticipated, so I'll be buying a springform pan or two to make them the proper way in the future.
This stevia sweetened pumpkin pudding is next on my bake list.

eating for fall

2009-10-13T19:11:00.002-04:00

Autumn is probably my favorite for in-season recipes. We've been out-of town for a while and have just been negligent of both blogs lately, but I have a slew of fall-foods on our calendar. Last night, we enjoyed our first pumpkin soup of the season- one of my favorites- served with Parmesan cous-cous and broccoli with cheese sauce- and apple crisp for dessert. Tonight, we had gingered kale and tofu over brown rice and green salad with pears (both recipes from Simply in Season). That was one delicious meal.
I'm glad we don't live closer to Whole Foods. The kids and I went there today after the Toy Lending Library- also in shadyside, and that place is hard to get out of. We ended up going through the line twice. My list was only a quarter crossed off though, because they're so pricey on most things. I'm looking forward to a bigger garden next year.

Greek Kale Salad

2009-09-29T20:52:00.002-04:00

From my CSA listserve... Many thanks to Tana Comer of Eaton's Creek Organics in Joelton, TN forsending us the following recipe. We love kale, but had never tried itlike this, and had a hard time imagining how it would taste. It'sgood! This would be a good recipe for people who haven't yet fallen inlove with kale. The strong flavors of the feta and olives, combinedwith the acid of the lemon juice, set the kale's flavor to thebackground. We recommend dressing this salad immediately before serving, as wefound the flavors to dull considerably after a few hours. *

2 bunches of kale, large stems discarded*
2 whole-wheat pita breads*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut lengthwise into silvers
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (2/3 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot of boiling water, cook kale leaves until just tender; 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under coldwater to cool. Transfer the kale to a clean kitchen towel and squeezedry. Fluff up the leaves, coarsely chop them and transfer to a largebowl. 2. Brush both sides of the pita breads with olive oil and bake forabout 8 minutes, or until crisp. Cut the pita into wedges. 3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil with the lemonjuice and crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the grape tomatoes, olives and crumbled feta to the kale and toss. Add thedressing and toss to coat. Serve the kale salad with the toasted pitawedges.

(Disclaimer--I haven't tried this yet myself, but I'm always looking for new ways to use kale. And I'm a sucker for anything involving olives!)

Curried tofu with pineapples

2009-09-16T15:00:00.003-04:00

Jack ate all of his, with minor protest, and Abigail kept asking for "Mo'"- of everything. Not bad.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and sprinkle with salt. Cook 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add coconut milk and curry powder to pan, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add crushed red pepper, pineapple, and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tofu. Sprinkle with basil.

Exchanging Meals

2009-09-15T20:48:00.002-04:00

Two things I have found common in Grand Rapids kitchens: "freezer meals" and "meal exchange meals". It seems very popular here to cook in larger batches and freeze the meals for later. Saves on the prep and clean up time as well as fewer groceries to buy at one time and potentially cheaper if you buy in bulk. I had no idea there were so many cookbooks on the subjet! (FYI, uncooked potatoes do not freeze well but almost everything else does!). I also recently joined a meal exchange group (mainly made-up of moms from my MOPS group) that incorporates freezer meals. Here's how it works:

On the first Tuesday of every month, the seven of us meet to review recipies, decide on next month's menus and swap frozen meals. We take notes on how our families received the most recent meals and whether or not we should bring back certain recipies. Each person then brings two or three recipe suggestions and we choose one for that person to make 7 batches of for the next meeting. We all bring our coolers to both hand out our meals from the last month and receive everyone else's.

Sometime that month, each of us independetly cooks 7 batches of our chosen recipie (one for each member), planning for approximately 4 servings in each batch. If meat is involved, we plan about 1 lb. per batch. We also include labels, thawing and serving instructions on each package. We freeze each batch in freezer bags before the meeting.

We then have seven good-sized meals to choose from during the month, and especially with toddler-appetites we usually have leftovers. This greatly reduces the time needed during the busy (and chaotic) before-dinner hour.

Potential drawbacks: not everyone likes the same food, obviously. The nature of the group does expect that people will be open to trying new things. But we do have some general guidelines including no seafood, beans, or certain vegetables. Thankfully, no one involved has allergies. Also, I think we tend to eat healthier than many of the families involved--but that's where the recipe choice discussion at the meeting comes in. I'm learning to politely steer others away from choosing recipies with processed foods, but I'm one of the newest members so I'm also still learning the groove of the group. So we're still trying things out to see if this will be a long-term option for our family. Now does anyone have any good freezer meal suggestions?

Breads from the past

2009-09-08T15:54:00.003-04:00

I'm cleaning out my other blog-- here was a recipe post I found, and I thought it belonged here instead of there, for when I'm searching them out in the future.

We've been in a bread-making craze lately. Here are three really yummy recipes we made in the bread machine in the past two days (all for 1 1/2 lb loaves on basic white cycle).

Ginger Pumpkin Bread

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 TBSP margerine or butter, cut up
3 cups bread flour
1 TBSP brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp active dry yeast
2 TBSP fnely chopped crystallized ginger

Oatmeal Applesauce Bread

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice (we used cider)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 TBSP margerine or butter
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup regular or quick cooking rolled oats
1 TBSP brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp apple pie spice (we just used some cinnamon and nutmeg)
1 tsp active dry yeast

Poppy Seed Tea Bread (I realized at 10pm, while I was adding ingredients that we were out of poppy seeds, but it was still very good without)

2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup dairy sour cream
1 egg
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP poppy seed
1 TBSP finely shredded lemon peel
3/4 tsp salt1 tsp active dry yeast

(Yellow) Bruschetta

2009-08-24T15:27:00.000-04:00

We now have handfuls of tomatoes turning ripe every day, and seeing as I am the only one in this house who can appreciate the savory fruit, I've been making lots of bruschetta. I LOVE it. This year's gardening (my first attempt) was very half-hearted, disorganized and in a lot of cases last-minute, but I don't like reading how-tos on gardening. I've learned a lot just by seeing a doing (or not doing), and next year's garden will be bigger and more well-thought out.
Back to this year's: I was surprised to find that ALL of my tomatoes are yellow. I remember planting some yellow ones (for any real gardeners out there, I have not a clue what the name of them is-- they looked good), but I also remember planting some cherries and some other red varieties. Some of the tomato plants withered, due to a number of reasons, before I could transplant them outside, and I had moved them around so many times with such a disorganized (non-existant?) method of labeling, that I really had no clue what would show up. Surprise! They all appear to be the same variety of yellow, and they're all extrememly delicious. So, yes. My bruschetta is yellow.

I never measure, but here's an approximation:

4 ripe medium sized yellow tomatoes, diced
1+ tablespoons minced garlic
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf Italian bread or french baguette

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Slice the bread in 1/4" thick slices, and place on a baking sheet. Toast the bread on each side until golden brown. Top with the tomato mixture. Or serve family style with the tomatoes in one bowl and the bread in another and everyone can just help themselves (I'll be the only one helping myself in this family).

Spaghetti Pie

2009-08-20T19:44:00.004-04:00

While I was stalking Suzy Homemaker, I also found a recipe for Spaghetti Pie that looked promising, with this group of "fagetti" lovers. I gave it a whirl tonight, and the reviews were good. This was an easy dish to sneak in some extra veggies too.

INGREDIENTS -
1 pkg. (12 oz.) vermicelli
3 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. Parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
-------------
1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
1 c. mozzarella cheese (split in half)
--------------
1 1/2 lb. ground meat
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. bell pepper, chopped
1 can (12 oz.) stewed tomato
1 (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt

DIRECTIONS -
**Cook vermicelli according to directions. Stir butter and Parmesan into hot vermicelli. Add eggs and stir well. Spoon into casserole dish which has been sprayed.

**Brown beef with onion and bell pepper. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings.

**Spread sour cream evenly over pie shell. Sprinkle with half of the Mozzarella cheese.

**Spread on Beef mixture. Top with any veggies you may want such as mushrooms, olives.

**Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella Cheese.

**Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Serves 8 or more.

Classic banana cake

2009-08-20T15:02:00.005-04:00

I sniped this recipe directly from My Suzy Homemaker. I skipped the caramel topping with nuts- it's sweet enough (though adding nuts to the cake itself would have been a good idea, had I thought of it at the time). Super moist and yummy!

Classic Banana Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Ellen Einstein in "Baking From My Home to Yours"
INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cup sugar (I used half brown sugar)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg, at room temperature
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS
**Preheat oven to 350 degrees

**Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

**Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.

**Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then the egg, beating for about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas.

** Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don't be disturbed if the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture.

** Using a spatula scrap into a generously buttered 9- to 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan, and bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes, checking it at the 30-minute mark and covering it loosely with a foil tent if it's browning too quickly. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Love in a 9 x 13 inch pan

2009-08-11T16:07:00.003-04:00

At least I have a valid excuse for not posting to this blog in a while...I'm now officially responsible for feeding a family of five! Carrigan Grace joined us in the world outside of the womb on July 21, and I've been basically nursing and changing diapers ever since then. Thankfully, we have been overwhelmingly blessed by generous family and friends providing us meals during this time. We have sampled sweet-potato burritos, spicy black bean burgers, grilled chicken, Mexican lasagna, and ham-cheese quiche, just to name a few. One notable difference than other arrivals--since we are not in Pittsburgh anymore, no one has brought us ham barbecue. That's deli-style shaved ham cooked in barbeque sauce and served on buns for anyone who has not yet been exposed.

We have all been struck by how helpful these meals have been and are so very appreciative. We're vowing to remember that in the future and grace others with a casserole, quick bread, and/or pie to celebrate or grieve with them. Food usually seems to do those things just perfectly.

And when I have another few minutes with two free hands I'll post about my experiences with my new meal exchange group.

Makin pie? YES, Blueberry pie!

2009-08-10T22:29:00.005-04:00

Two of my very generous neighbors were up with Mike and I half the night helping to fix various issues on both of our cars. That's not completely true, but they may as well have. Mike and I went out to jumper the van, since I left the lights on (those tunnels get me EVERY time (not really)), and once that took the better part of an hour (while the neighbors insisted on keeping us company, holding flash lights and jumper cables and such) and it finally caught, Mike drove her around for a half-hour or so. And during that time, those same lovely neighbors helped me changed the tire that blew- with a loud and mighty sound- as I was pulling the Hyundai out of the spot where we jumpered the van right after Mike had left.

After all of that, I told the two men they should open their own car shop and decided I wanted to make them each apple pies. Not my very first pie though. That came tonight-- a test run, if you will. Well, I'm kind of wishing I had given one of them that pie because it turned out maybe as good as my mom's best pies (minus the eyesore crust). And my mom's pies are the best, if I'm any kind of judge. Tomorrow, I'll make another-- just hope it turns out as well as this one. That pie was so good. I ate the whole thing.
The rest of it is in the microwave.

bean and spinach enchiladas

2009-08-10T21:01:00.002-04:00

For the past couple of nights, we've had the most delicious green beans from our garden-- cooked in olive oil and a little salt-- I could eat lots of those things.

That aside, I'm finally back and cooking after almost three weeks of vacation.
The enchiladas I made tonight were so simple (as I think most enchiladas are) and they were a big hit by everyone.

I just added things I thought would be tasty--

In large pan, saute (1 med.) onion and (1/2) yellow pepper til tender. Add (1/2 cup?) frozen spinach, (1 can) northern beans, (~1 cup) salsa. Mix it all up and heat through. Add some grated mozzarella cheese and some light sour cream. Dip flour tortillas in mixture, then fill with about a 1/2 cup or so and roll up, seams down. Cover with remaining sauce mixture and cheese.

Orange Pine Nut Chicken

2009-07-16T10:23:00.004-04:00

Orange Pine Nut Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup oj
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 T olive oil
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. dreid thyme
1 T honey
1/3 cup pine nut

Mix all ingredients except chicken, honey and pine nuts together in bowl. Place chicken in freezer bag and pour marinade over chicken. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove chicken from freezer bag, reserving marinade. Grill chicken over med. heat, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. While chicken is grilling, toast pine nuts on a cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. In small saucepan, combine reserved marinade and honey. Bring to full boil and continue boiling for two minutes. Place grilled chicken on a serving platter and pour sauce over chicken breasts. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve.

Baptism Cookies

2009-07-15T13:44:00.002-04:00

Our family friend, Deb, is quite possibly the best baker I know. Her sour-cream coffee cake is to-die-for and her cut-out cookies always turn out perfectly. We use that recipe and cut them out to cross shapes for our kids' baptism parties. We're hoping to have another one of those within a few weeks here so I thought I would post that recipe. Although these can't quite be considered healthy, at least they have all "real ingredients" rather than margarine or shortening. I have had luck using whole-wheat flour in these as well.

2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together the sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and milk. Mix together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Divide dough into thirds working with 1/3 at a time. Dough will be sticky--use lots of flour on rolling pin and surface and cut with a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with your favorite frosting.

Alaska Burgers!

2009-07-13T19:03:00.005-04:00

Tonight, Mike told me this may make it to one of his favorite dinners EVER, but what do you expect when it's hamburgers and french fries? We had these tasty Alaska Burgers (In honor of Heather and Rob, who've been living in Alaska for the past few weeks) with homestyle fries, grilled squash and cantaloupe. Here's how you can too--

(recipe from Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals)

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 Spanish onion, minced or processed (I just finely chopped it)
4 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp allspice (1 good pinch)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (2 good pinches)
cracked black pepper
1/3 lb (minimum) brick of smoked cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2" slices.

4 fresh, crusty onion rolls (we stuck with our $0.89 buns)
thick sliced tomato and lettuce to top

Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl. Take 1/4 of mixture and form around a slice of cheese (patty should not be more than 3/4" thick. repeat with remaining mixture for four patties.

Heat nonstick pan or griddle to med. high. Cook burgers 5-6 min. on each side until cooked through and cheese melted. Top with tomato and lettuce.

For the squash, I just cut in half, scored, topped with pepper, garlic salt and some garlic, and broiled in the toaster oven for 20 minutes.

Monteray jack stuffed chicken

2009-07-07T20:55:00.004-04:00

I tried a new recipe from More Dinner's in the Freezer tonight (I've made several things out of here so far, and all of them have been fabulous)-- Monteray jack stuffed chicken, which we had with roma tomatoes, avocado slices, sour cream, mango salsa, chips and bing cherries (99 cents a lb until tomorrow at Giant Eagle!)

Monteray Jack Stuffed Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T butter
10 oz (I used less than half that amount) Monteray Jack cheese with jalapenos (not shredded)
4 eggs, beaten (I think 2 would have been plenty)
1/4 cup bottled salsa (not chunky) or taco sauce (mild or med.)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used a little more than half that)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
sliced avacodo, cherry or roma tomatoes, sour cream and salsa

Cut cheese into 6 equal pieces. Slice horizontal slit or pocket in each chicken breast-- don't cut all the way through! Place one piece of cheese in each pocket. Use 2-3 wooden toothpicks if needed.
Place butter in 9x13 baking dish and put in oven while it preheats to 375. As soon as the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven.
In shallow pan or pie plate, mix together eggs, salsa and salt. In separate pan, combine breadcrumbs, chili powder cumin, garlic salt and oregano. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture to coat, then dip the breast in the panko crumb mixture.
Place chicken in dish with the butter (I drizzed some of the remaining egg mixture over the chicken and then sprinkled the remaining bread crumbs on that). Bake uncovered about 35-40 minutes, or just until done. Serve immediately with a side of sour cream, salsa, avocado slices, and tomatoes.

Michigan Strawberries!

2009-07-06T15:56:00.002-04:00

No, we didn't actually pick them ourselves and haven't even tried any recipies with them yet. But we are loving our flat of fresh berries from the farmer's market and are excited that our freezer is beginning to be stocked with summer produce.

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-03T14:00:00.006-04:00

I saw a picture in a magazine of a similar Fourth dessert, but it called for "meringue nests," whatever that is, and some sugary goop for the white, but I decided to improvise and make up my own- based on ingredients from the dessert we made for Jack's first birthday.
Very simple.

Make the Jello as instructed on packet and divide desired amount between dessert bowls. After about a half hour of refrigeration, add cut-up strawberries. In a bowl, mix together one regular-sized container of lite Cool-whip, a container of light lemon yogurt and a little bit of sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Divide on tops of Jello. Top with bluebs. Festive and fun to make with kids. Though my strawberries and blueberries kept disappearing.

Super Stuffed Tortillas

2009-06-29T19:58:00.002-04:00

Mike made a delicious dinner last night of apricot glazed tilapia, baked potatoes and edamame. I think Jack had more fish than both of us combined.

After a week of eating a lot more fast food than can be good for anyone, as sometimes happens when traveling, I at least have been craving a lot more wholesome foods in my diet- a lot more vegetables. I did myself a favor and made these Super Stuffed Tortillas from Simply in Season, and they hit the spot. They were stuffed with lots of onion, green peppers, corn, zucchini, black beans and some tomatoes, cheddar cheese, among other goodies. Mike loved it, and Jack, once we coaxed him to take one bite claimed, "It's not so bad, after all," and proceeded to clean his plate. Gail spat it out after downing three or four bites. You can't please everyone.

I'm making Marinated Tofu and Vegetables out of the same cookbook for tomorrow's dinner. Yum!

CSA 2009

2009-06-23T15:45:00.003-04:00

We are on our third week of our new Community-Supported Agriculture share from Fat Blossom Farm in Allegan, MI. It works in the same way our Pittsburgh one did in that we paid ahead for a weekly "share" of produce and then we pick up that share at an appointed time and place during the week. Our cost was about $15/week for 10 weeks and the pick-up stop is convenient to our house. Some farms offer discounts if you work a set number of hours at the farm, but there was no way that was an option for us this year. So far, we've sampled salad mixes, snap peas (the girls LOVED them!) mint, radishes, cooking greens, and Chinese cabbage. The weekly newsletter gave us a heads up that summer squash and new potatoes are in store for this week. This is by far the easiest way I've found to enjoy and support local produce--even less effort than taking two kids to a local farmer's market. And we can't say enough good about the quality of fruits and veggies both from Fat Blossom and Penn's Corner in Pittsburgh. For more information, check out Local Harvest.

What does Daddy do on the days that I sleep in?

2009-06-08T14:44:00.004-04:00

Amalia was helping me prepare breakfast the other morning. She peered into the refrigerator and asked, "Mommy, would you like a beer?" As it was 7:00 on a Sunday morning, and I am 7 1/2 months pregnant, I opted for orange juice instead.

Ginger glazed tilapia and south of the border chicken enchiladas

2009-06-07T07:05:00.005-04:00

Ginger glazed tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
3 T brown sugar
2 T honey
3 T soy sauce
3 T balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp freshly grated ginger root (or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T olive oil

In a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients except for fish and 1 T olive oil. Place fish in marinade and refrigerate for at least an hour. Fry fish in olive oil over med high heat for 3-4 minutes before adding the rest of the marinade. Bring to boil and allow to reduce to glaze consistency. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Spoon glaze over fish and rice.

We had ours with mixed veggies and peaches-- very flavorful.

***

Our friends, the Mehaffeys, joined us for dinner last night, and we had these enchiladas.

South of the border chicken enchiladas

4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 T butter
1/2 cup onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1-16 oz. can of tomatoes, undrained
1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1-4 oz can diced green chiles, drained (we skipped this step because of the kids)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
10-12 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups lite sour cream
4 cups montery jack cheese

grease 9x13 baking dish. preheat oven to 350.

Enchilada sauce: melt butter in med. saucepan, then saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles, sugar, cumin, salt, oregano and basil. Simmer on stovetop for ~20 min., until heated through and seasonings are well-blended.

To assemble enchiladas, soften tortillas in warm skillet, then dip each side in tortilla sauce. Fill enchiladas with 1/3 cup chicken and sprinkle with 2 T cheese, then roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Blend sour cream into remaining sauce. Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 35-45 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

We served with refried beans, strawberries, cantaloupe, corn on the cob, ships and salsa (and lime jello with pineapple)

All-seasons sesame chicken

2009-05-28T14:37:00.003-04:00

All-seasons Sesame Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into strips or bit-sized pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T ginger, grated
1 T dry mustard
1 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 T sesame seeds

Mix all ingredients besides chicken in a large bowl. Add the chicken and let marinade in fridge for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Add everything to a large pan and cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Drizzle juices over rice.

We had it with snow peas and watermelon. Everyone (even the almost-one-year-old) was a fan.

bread machine bread

2009-05-28T14:28:00.003-04:00

I've been making lots of bread in the bread machine. So easy. I'd love to make it completely by hand, but why? And when am I going to do this? I'll leave you with some bread machine recipes that we've been making the past couple of weeks (all for 1 1/2 lb. loaves).

simple Whole Wheat Bread

1 cup milk
3 T water
4 tsps honey
1 T margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsps salt
1 tsp active dry yeast

oatmeal bread

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 T margarine or butter
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3 T packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast

Banana Walnut Bread

1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 egg
2 T margarine or butter
3 cups bread flour
3 T sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (opt.)
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Greens in Peanut Sauce

2009-05-21T15:33:00.001-04:00

If you are at all interested in healthful, seasonal eating the one cookbook you need is "Simply in Season: A World Community Cookbook", by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. My thanks go out to my friend Becky every time I use it, which is at least weekly. It is such a resource as well as a great read.

This week we tried Greens in Peanut Sauce which we served, as suggested, over baked polenta. Possibly my favorite attempt at veganism so far.

1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
In a large soup pot saute in 1 TBSP oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Add, cook, and stir 2 minutes.

1 lb. kale or collard greens (I used turnip greens--about 8 cups.
1/2 cup water
Add and steam until greens are soft but not mushy. Avoid overcooking. Stir occasionally to coat greens with the spices.

2-3 TBSP chunky peanut butter
1-2 tsp hot waterCombine and add to greens at cooking time.

***I also added a can of red kidney beans at the end just to up the protein factor.