Brookies

Hey Friends!

I've decided that since it's been so long since we've blogged, I'm just going to share some links of some recipes with you that I have tried recently and loved and then hopefully as I cook over the holidays, I'll take pics and upload some fun stuff :) 

I made these 'brookies' (cross between a brownie and a cookie) for some friends who just had a baby, then made the rest of the batter for my classmates and I loved them and so did the classmates (I think!?).  I recommend baking one for 8 minutes first, then seeing if it is gooey enough, and if not, adjust the time accordingly for the rest of the batter.  The reason they are a cross between a cookie and a brownie (and make for QUITE the addictive treat) is because while they are completely cooked, they still maintain a gooey center (that's the goal, anyway- hence the need to adjust your baking time if that's not the outcome).  It's the perfect cookie. You don't have to under-bake these and risk having raw cookie dough in the center to maintain that perfect, soft, gooey texture in the middle.  They are best served warm (sorry friends in class) so plan accordingly! Although, these are the kind of cookies that are still great the next day and then some (I find this to be quite the opposite with other types of cookies!) You can find the link to these little treats here.

Enjoy!  These would be great for a cookie swap or any other holiday get together! 

M

caramelized brussel sprouts with lemon zest

I had this dish with some dear friends at P.F. Chang's as an appetizer and LOVED it.  They shaved the brussel sprouts really thin, caramelized them, and added a squeeze of lemon for bright flavor.  They were YUM.  I warn you: you've gotta like brussel sprouts.  Although, I think with the brightness of the lemon in this dish, along with the caramelization of the brussel sprouts, if you didn't like brussel sprouts before, you will more than likely enjoy them after this dish.  It was so simple, SO delicious, HEALTHY, and only had 4 ingredients.

Ingredients:

-canola oil (1-2 tablespoons)
-brussel sprouts (2 good handfuls fed me- that would equate to about 1 package if that's how they come at your grocery store)
-1 lemon
-salt

Directions:

-shave/thinly slice your brussel sprouts (make sure to take that little end off)
-pour oil into stainless steal pan (not a non-stick pan) and turn on to medium-high heat
-allow your oil to get hot, then add your brussel sprouts to your pan and listen to that glorious sizzle...
-sprinkle with a little salt and stir the brussel sprouts around, allowing all of them to caramelize
-peel 3 strips of lemon peel. 
-chop up the lemon peel and add to the pan
-once the brussel sprouts have developed beautiful brown sides, add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan and stir the brussel sprouts in that juice (just a half a lemon will do)
-transfer to a plate and ENJOY!!

These are great as an appetizer or as a side.  They've got that great bitter flavor that brussel sprouts have, plus the brightness and acidity of the lemon zest and juice, plus a balance of flavor from the salt...just a real winner all around.  I highly encourage everyone to try this!  I was VERY pleased!  

Roasted Vegetable Salad

For those of you who haven't given up on this blog yet, 1) wow, 2) we're sorry to be so neglectful (4 months is embarassing) and 3) new post! YAY MEREDITH!

I have SO many more recipes I want to share with you all but this one is being posted by popular demand.  I originally obtained this recipe from one of my Columbus besties, Kristi.  She made this for us when she and her hubs were living with us a while back.  Now that I write that, I'm getting deja vu as if I've already blogged this. Oh well, I'm doing it again if I already have simply for the sake of blogging SOMETHING on this poor, neglected blog.  I have made this salad SEVERAL times for SEVERAL different people and it always gets RAVE reviews.  The dressing is the secret, I think.  So here's the recipe:

Feta Dressing

2 T white wine vinegar (can use regular white vinegar)

1 tsp honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tsp minced fresh thyme

Other Ingredients:

Mixed greens

Avocado

Scallions/basil (scallions are cheaper)

Your choice of vegetables (I typically use a purple onion, a zucchini or squash, a bell pepper [anything but green], and asparagus [which roasts for a lesser time than the other vegetables])

Whisk first 6 ingredients.  Slowly whisk in olive oil.  Stir in feta and thyme (often times I only stir in the thyme and put the feta directly on the salad and drizzle the dressing over when time to serve).  

Grab your favorite vegetables. Pre-heat oven to 425. Cut the veg into thick pieces (everything minus the asparagus because they don't need any extra slimming)  and lay them all out flat on a cutting board.  Sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for about 10 minutes (this is really only necessary with squash and zucchini).  Blot the water off of them (getting rid of some of that water in the veg helps them brown better)

Lay out your veggies on a sheet pan- don’t let any of them be all over each other otherwise they won’t evenly roast.  Drizzle them with olive oil (I’d start with 1 tablespoon then if you miss some veg, add a bit more- but don’t drench them) and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt.  (I know it sounds like simple seasoning but the roasting develops flavors for you so you don’t have to worry about other seasonings)

Get a good bed of greens, an avocado, and some scallions (or strips of basil would be divine).   Let the vegetables roast for about 20 minutes (or more- depending on where they are at in the browning stage) turning once at the halfway point.  They may take around 25 minutes, just keep an eye on them.  They should be soft, but caramelized looking in some parts (ie; not all completely brown- but you’ll know it when you see it). 

Cut up your avocado, scallions, and put your beautiful roasted vegetables on top of those greens (I like a spring mix- more nutrients than romaine) and top with the avocado and scallions.  Drizzle over your dressing and you are good to go!  The vegetables can be served warm- if you serve them piping hot, they will wilt the greens.  But hey, there's nothing wrong with a wilted salad from time to time.  ENJOY!

 

Potato and Corn Chowder

(picture compliments of Weight Watchers)

Guys.  I made this soup tonight and it was DELISH.  Find yourself some fresh summer corn and make this dish!  It's got great texture, sweetness from the corn, a hint of heat, and it's hearty- but still a perfect soup for summer.  Serve with some sweet cornbread and a dollop of sour cream and chives. You won't be sorry.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• Turkey bacon (4-5 slices, chopped)
• 1 russet potato, chopped
• 4 ears summer corn (I used both white and yellow)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery heart, chopped
• Milk (1/2 C to 1 C)
• Chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 C white wine (optional)
• Sriracha (or any other hot sauce you have)

Directions:

• Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees and throw your shucked corn on a baking sheet to roast.  While the corn roasts, chop your veg
• In a stock pot and with a touch of olive oil, sautee your bacon over medium heat until crispy (as crispy as turkey bacon gets, I guess)
• Add your veg and add a dash of salt, allowing them to sweat
• Cover the lid of the pot to allow the vegetables to become tender
• Once tender, deglaze the pan with the white wine (or stock, instead)
• Add your stock and allow soup to come to a strong simmer
• Check your corn- there should be some brown spots
• Carefully, cut the kernels off the cob (you could also just throw a bag of frozen corn kernels and roast them I suppose)
• Add the corn to the pot and simmer for a few minutes (It will probably need a bit more salt- turkey bacon doesn't have near the amount of salt that regular bacon does, so you'll need to add some)
• Add your milk until desired creaminess and continue to simmer for a couple minutes
• Stir in a couple swigs of sriracha and let the flavors merry for 15 minutes before you serve.
• If you want your soup the be thick, use an immersion blender to blend half of it (or stick half of it in a blender)

Deliciously satisfying- the sweet corn not only provides sweetness (obviously) but also a wonderful texture.  There's a lot of flavor in this simple soup and it's SUPER easy to make!  

Enjoy!

Uncle Bob's French Onion Soup

A few months ago I spent a weekend with Uncle Bob and Aunt Kay up in Dallas. Uncle Bob is a "food scientist"...and while I am still unsure of exactly what that means or what he does... I do know that he has a food expertise that shines when he makes this incredible french onion soup. It was a cold February weekend when he made it for me, and it warmed me down to my bones. We should feel pretty special that he agreed to share the recipe with us; Aunt Kay was convinced that he would never reveal the secret. Thank you, Uncle Bob!!!

"Here's my mods on a standard French Onion Soup recipe. It's hard to go wrong on any of the recipes I've tried, but I do like to spend a long time on the onion saute step, and don't mind a few crunchy bits    on the pan bottom.  Stop when you like the color, then deglaze with the white wine, while enjoying a glass.

I like sliced sourdough toasted to dryness in the oven for the top layer, then use grated Swiss to crown it.  Most people don't notice the red pepper kick, so I probably got a little heavy handed on the batch you sampled. 

This soup is great for leftovers, not just in the dead of winter. It is much better day 2 and 3. The flavors meld and complement each other.But it's hard to not eat it day 1!"

penne with zucchini pistou

Wow has it been a while! 

This dish is from a while ago, and GOSH was it delicious. (Forgive the phone snap shot of this pic, I accidentally deleted it on my photos).  It's vegetarian, but so filling and packed with flavor that you won't miss meat!  A 'pistou' is the French's version of a pesto, essentially.  This pistou has caramelized zucchini in addition to the already fabulous flavors of a regular 'pesto.'

Ingredients:

• 2 large or 3 small/medium zucchini
• 3-4 large cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup parmesan
• a good handful of fresh basil
• any type of nut (optional), about a palm full
• 1 box penne pasta
• 1/2-1 C reserved pasta water
• Olive Oil

Directions:

• Chop your zucchini into medallions
• Heat some olive oil in a medium sized pan over medium/medium high heat
• Add your zucchini and allow the zucchini to caramelize (like the picture)
• Once the zucchini are tender and are golden brown, remove from heat
• Boil your pasta water (add salt!) and add your box of penne
• In a food processor, add 1/3 of your cooked zucchini along with your basil, parmesan, garlic, salt, and nuts (if using)
• While blending the ingredients, stream olive oil into the food processor to make the pistou
• Taste for flavor
• Once the pasta is done, add it (using a slotted spoon) to the zucchini that still hangin' out in the pan, and then dump your pistou mixture on top.  
• Add a little bit of pasta water to the mix as you stir everything together
• Grate some fresh parmesan over the pasta to incorporate, as well

This will easily be one of my favorite go-to dishes during the week because it's simple to make, it's PACKED with flavor, doesn't cost a lot, and saves well for leftovers!

chocolate cakelette with basil-infused buttercream

These little morsels of heaven were discovered through this  blog via Pinterest, naturally.  They were SO yum, but I must tell you- they were A LOT of work.  Hers looked significantly better and much of that is due to her having green food coloring (which obviously I didn't have). Here are my quick suggestions:

-For a quicker version, just use the cupcake recipe and icing- skip the meringue.  It's really not that necessary.
-If you are going to make these all out, I'd save it for a REAL special occasion like a baby shower or mother's day
-Don't wait until 10:00 at night to make these like me....although they did make a wonderful midnight snack.

Overall, they're FABULOUS and delightfully flavorful with that interesting layer of basil in that buttercream.  YUM.

Enjoy!

A Modern Woman

Last week I called my mom to brag to her about how I am now officially a "modern woman". I've been at my new job for about two months and finally feel as though I have this whole working-girl thing figured out.

I've been traveling the past six weekends, working until 5 or later every night, making beautiful home-cooked meals for Anthony, volunteering with the church, attending nightly social events, and keeping up a regular exercise routine... all with freshly washed hair and dressed in my cutest spring outfits, of course.

We got back into town Sunday morning and I decided to take a little nap before I resumed my Sunday regimen of a 5 mile walk, trip to the grocery store, and cooking for the rest of the day. When I woke up it hit my like a ton of bricks: I was sick.

Not just a little sick: so so sick. Like, drop down, drag out, sick-as-a-dog sick. I could barely get out of bed.

I'm a firm believer that your body tells you what it needs. My body was begging me to stop moving and please please let it rest. I slept the entire day, waking only to have Anthony make me drink Thera-flu and kiss my forehead.

He also brought me Wolfgang Puck Tomato Basil Bisque. I try not to eat soup out of a can; it has so much sodium and there's always the fear of injesting BPA and getting cancer. I pride myself on making my own soups.... but, honey, when your this sick, you could not care less. It tasted so good.

So I'm home from work today and trying to give my body what it's asking for. Putting on the brakes is so hard. I guess I haven't figured out what being a "modern woman" really means yet. I have a feeling it may take a little less commitment and a lot more Wolfgang Puck.

Green Juice

My mom just bought a juicer and is literally OBSESSED with juicing things now. I called her at 8:30am this morning and she was already at the grocery store buying ingredients for this bizarre green concotion you see above. I told her to send me a narrative and I would post it for y'all. Here's what she said:

"This is kale/carrot/pear/apple/ginger/lemon refreshing cleansing drink! I'm obsesed with my new juicer! All those lovely vitamins are neslted happily in my tummy. Like yoga is for the mind and body so this juice is for my intestines. Kate, make all this sound good for the blog and send me the link aaaaagain."

I have sent her the link to this blog 20 times. My mom is funny.

Nam Sod

This, my dear friends, is Nam Sod.  Nam Sod is sort of like the Thai version of the popular Lettuce Wrap.  We've been ordering this dish at Thai restaurants for YEARS.  It serves as a great appetizer (with coconut soup to follow) or a great entree for 2.  It's this delicious tangy, totally savory dish that works so well against the crispy-ness of the cabbage.  With peanuts for an added crunch and mint for a little freshness?  Yes please.  These flavors, in my opinion, are one in a million.  The best part is, IT'S A CINCH TO MAKE!  This recipe was adapted from Cooking Light:

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil
• 1 pound ground turkey breast 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (I omitted because I didn't have them)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I added more)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (like  'Thai Kitchen')
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic ('sambal oelek' is the name for this stuff.  Found in the international section of your grocery store or commissary)
• 1 package of mint leaves (my own addition- you definitely want either Mint or Cilantro to garnish)
• Dry Roasted peanuts (again, a must)

Directions:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of canola oil. Add turkey to pan; cook 5 minutes or until done, breaking up with a wooden sppon to crumble. Remove turkey from pan; set aside to cool.
•  Combine onion slices and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir turkey into onion mixture.
•  Serve turkey mixture in cabbage leaves and top with peanuts, mint/cilantro, and more limes!

Enjoy!  This dish is a total keeper and seriously- it's so easy and quick to make on a busy weeknight!

 A closer look at the goodness that is Nam Sod

Morning Glory Muffins

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.

Ok sometimes when I blog I think I'm all of a sudden a lot funnier than I really am.  Hence the above stupidity.  Here's where I was going with that thought: "friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" to say: WE ARE SORRY FOR NOT BLOGGING FOR OVER TWO WEEKS!  Kate has always been fairly busy, but as of recent, homegirl is EXTREMELY busy, and I am nearing the end of my semester, so I maintain a busy schedule, as well.  BUT- the summertime is upon us- and more blogging should be coming from this computer after the semester is over!  Not that ya'll are waiting on pins and needles (whoever 'ya'll' may be), but for the followers we DO have, we wanted to say we are sorry!

So if you've been with us for a while you know that I have a thing for healthy muffins.  In the archives are a delicious recipe for some fairly healthy banana nut muffins from Cooking Light, but now I'd like to share with you a recipe I tried and it might just be the.best. healthy muffin recipe I have yet to taste (mind you this has been a three year long quest and I've made some DOOZIES).  Even my sweet husband- who has not particularly enjoyed this process of finding great, healthy muffins, said that this recipe was the best he'd had, and not like, "as far as healthy muffins go, it's good" but like, ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE MUFFIN!  So, thanks to Pinterest leading me to this blog, here is a fab recipe.  I'll share with you the changes I made:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins
 (I re-hydrate them by soaking them in VERY hot water for about 5 minutes)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar (I used part honey and part REAL sugar- like, unrefined, organic sugar.  Brown sugar is NOT better for you than white sugar- it's just white sugar with molasses added)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, peeled and grated

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and grated (I left this out because I didn't have an apple)

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
 (I omitted this, too)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup wheat germ
3 large eggs

2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
 (I'm fairly certain you could use yogurt instead)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice
demerara sugar, for topping (that's basically 'sugar in the raw')

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. 

In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and wheat germ, if using. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the raisins and stir them in. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan, filling almost to top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.



Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until 'domed' and a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling.


*compliments of www.honeyandjam.com 

Potato Soup

Hey Friends.

I personally never thought I'd be one to make potato soup; it just seems too heavy and too caloric (forgive how ridiculous that sounds).  However, it's the end of the month and there was ZERO DINERO left in the grocery budget.  Since I'm working on self-control (ie; not dipping into next month's grocery budget), and I like the challenge of making dinner with what I have, this potato soup just sort of fell into my lap.  I had everything it called for, and the base- red potatoes- are CHEAP! I get them for $2.89 a bag and they last for aH long time.  Before making this potato soup, I made a potato frittata for dinner one night (had eggs, had the potatoes, hence the frittata).  All that to say, red potatoes (in my opinion) are  great way to stretch a buck and keep you full when you don't have a lot of ingredients in your house (like me). Oh, and this recipe is from Cooking Light, so I REALLY didn't feel guilty.  (Remember that this blog is about sharing recipes we have tried and loved, as well as our originals!)

Here goes-

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup chopped onion (I just used a medium yellow onion)
2 /12 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
3 cups of chopped red potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cup 1%  low fat milk
enough vegetable broth to cover the potatoes (maybe 1 1/2 cups or so)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar and some parmesan)
salt, pepper
green onions (garnish)
sour cream/yogurt (garnish/stir in)

Directions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan (medium heat).  Add onion, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add a pinch of salt to your onions.  Sprinkle your onions with flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (this process cooks the raw flour taste out of the flour).  Add potatoes (at this point I stirred it all together and de-glazed the pan with a little white wine because I had some and why not cook with wine...but you don't have to).  After you've added the potatoes, add your broth and milk.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover the soup, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  After ten minutes, check to see if the potatoes are tender.  If so, add your cheese and cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese melts.    I added parmesan, as well, because it adds a nice salty flavor and prevented me from having to over-do the salt.  Let the soup sit for 15 minutes off of the heat.  This allows the flavors to merry.  Top with green onions and sour cream/yogurt.

Cooking Light recommends serving this soup with Ham Sandwiches.  I say serve it with a salad and get your greens :)

There you have it!  Delicious, healthy (as far as potato soups go), and quick!  And  fairly inexpensive if you already have most of these ingredients!

Buen Provecho

Mystery Fruit Salsa

There is a beautiful tree in my front yard with big, glossy, flat leaves and a slender, gray trunk. I like looking at it. Two years ago this tree produced hundreds of cute orange fruit. I spent all spring watching the birds and squirells scurry to my yard to feast on the bounty. One day there were some construction workers around working on something, and I saw one of them walk over to my tree, pick a fruit, and pop it in his mouth. He seemed to enjoy and, since then, I have been very curious about this edible fruit growing in my front yard. I conducted many google searches and concluded that these little fruits were called kumquats.

The fruit didn't appear last year, but they're back this spring. Upon closer examination and many more google searches, I decided that this is NOT a kumquat. I don't even think it's citrus. It has a soft, edible skin and a flesh similar to that of nectarine. There are some big brown seeds in the middle. People of the world, what is this??? Someone has to know... I see these trees all over Houston. Help a sister out and identify this fruit for me.

I'm kind of on this "urban foraging" kick. Not so much a kick as a..... an intrigue let's call it. I decided it was absolutely necessary for me to harvest these little beauties and not let the squirrels and birds have all the fun this year. So, what does one do with a tart mystery fruit? Why, make salsa of course! I surprised even myself with this recipe. It was absolutely lovely and I will make it over and over again. If you don't have mystery fruit that you can use, apricots would be a nice subsitute.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 mystery fruits
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
• 1/2 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 orange, chopped
• cilantro
• chili powder
• brown sugar
• hot sauce
• salt
• canola oil

Directions:

1. Saute garlic and ginger in a little bit of oil unil it starts to turn brown.

2. Add the mystery fruit and saute until it begins to soften.

3. Add the tomato. Add salt, chili powder, brown sugar, and hot sauce to taste. Cook it for a few minutes until it all starts to break down and develop some liquid.

4. Taste it to see if it's cooked enough!

5. Turn off the heat. Add the orange and cilantro and mix it all together.

We ate it with fish tacos. Urban foraging! Yay!

"Bulk Spices" or "Money in My Pocket"

Last night I made an Ethiopian chicken and lentil stew. It was good, but not blog worthy. I only share the truely exceptional recipes with y'all :)

This blog post is not about the stew. This blog post is about the stew RECIPE which called for "berbere"... and Ethiopian spice blend.

"OK..... I need to find berbere. I'm in Houston. Fourth largest city in the country. A metropolitan mesh of cultures. Surely I can find berbere here. It will probably cost me upwards of $16... but I will find it."

Whelp. Nope. Not at the PPK*. My ritzy little grocery store with it's extensive international section let me down.

"Ok. Fine." I say to myself. "If I can't buy berbere, I will MAKE berbere."

Here's how you make berbere: a couple of tablespoons of garam masala, hot paprika, salt, and fenugreek seeds.

"Oh Lord. Fenugreek seeds?"

Nope. The PPK doesn't have those, either.

I am frustrated, but not deterred. Off to Whole Foods I go, placing all my faith and hope in this over-priced hippie epicenter. If anyone has berbere or fenugreek seeds, it's got to be Whole Foods.

Upon my arrival, there is no berbere to be found.

"Really?! Uhhhhgggggg...."

However, after a close inspection of the sunset-colored spices in the bulk aisle, I came across a happy little pod of fenugreek seeds.

"Victory is mine."

I measure out the fenugreek in a bag, record the PLU number, and trip up to the express check-out counter where I proudly present my bounty to the clerk.

"$1.00" he says.

"................................... Wh-.... Ah-..... Are you kidding me? ..... For fenugreek seeds? Do you know how much mental and emotional energy I spent on finding these? Surely they are worth more than $1.00. They are obscure. And this is Whole Foods."

"$1.00" he repeats.

Hallelujah. The heavens shine down as if the Lord has returned. No longer will I spend my days explaining to Anthony why it was absolutely necessary for me to spend our life savings on spices with names I can't pronounce. No longer will huge containers of these exotic spices waste their potential by simply serving as ornamental frill on my spice shelf. No longer will I need to spend $16 on a huge jar of spices of which I only need a couple of teaspoons. Thank you, Jesus, for the bulk aisle at Whole Foods where poor girls like me can buy fenugreek seeds and be happy.


*PPK =  Pretty People Kroger. Named such because hot soccer moms, rico suave rich guys, and ballerinas frequent the premises.

Pear Cobbler with Cranberry Streusel

Hey Friends. 

I made this many months ago, and I received great reviews on it and realized that I had not yet shared it with you fine people.  So, here it is!  Yes, it is a bit "fall-y" and given we are rolling straight into spring, you may not have the desire to make this again until next fall.  However, I wanted to at least get this up on the blog so you have it for the next cold season! This recipe is from one of the many magazine pages that I have stolen over the years and is courtesy of Tyler Florence when he was doing some recipes for Ocean Spray.

Ingredients for Pear Cobbler:

• 4 Bartlett Pears
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ingredients for Cranberry Streusel:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  serves 4-5, 45 minutes to prepare and cook.

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Butter and sugar and 8x8 baking dish
• Peel the pears and cut them in half through the stem end.  Use a melon baller scooper (or a teaspoon) to scoop out the cores
• Put the pear halves in a large bowl, sprinkle the vanilla over, and toss to combine

•  Now, sprinkle over the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss to coat:

•  Line the pears in the prepared baking dish, round sides up.

•  In a bowl, mash together the butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt (with your hands or a pastry cutter) for the streusel topping

• It should look like this:

•  Toss in the cranberries

 

• Crumble the cranberry streusel mixture over the pears

•  Bake until the topping is crunchy and browned, 35-40 minutes

•  Enjoy with whipped cream or ice cream (or both!)

 YUM!

Chile Rellenos

Once upon a midnight dreary...

While I pondered weak and weary...

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotton lore...

I made a healthy and delicious version of chile rellenos. I think Edgar Allen Poe would approve.

Because I am the biggest blog slacker this world has ever seen, the most I can muster up tonight is to give you the link to this incredible recipe. Click here and be delighted by the fact that fried chiles are not off-limits to those seeking to eat well. There is no guilt in a little egg white and canola oil. I stuffed mine with chicken, cheese, and tomatoes. Get creative and stuff yours with whatever ya like. Top 'em with ancho chile salsa and whip up a little corn and black bean salad to go on the side. Yum.

Just in case you're curious as to what I've been doing lately... because I clearly have NOT been blogging.... I'll let you in:

I got a new awesome social work job with a new awesome adoption and foster care agency. Yay!

I have been bringing orange slices and organic juice boxes to my husband's soccer games.

Also, I traded in my 8-year-old Chacos for a new pair of yellow Keens. This was a sad, hard, painful, decision. My chacos survived many summers at Sky Ranch, a treck to the pueblas of rural Mexico, and a couple of visits to the mountains in Africa. It was like saying goodbye to some very old, dear friends.

But let's be real, these shoes are awesome.

Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Friends,

 Greetings from Kate's bed, where we are both currently sitting working on this poor, forgotten blog! 

I'll cut straight to the chase, because who has the time and desire to sit and read all the other fluffy stuff?  You're here for the rood, am I right?  

Ok, but real quick: YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS CHILI.  It's probably one of the best chilis I've ever had in my life- and that pork- don't even get me started on the tenderness of that pork.  Just promise me you'll make it.  It's healthy, AND it has meat, if your husband is a meat-loving man, like mine is. 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 medium chopped carrot
• 2 celery stalks
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 3/4 pound boneless, center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cups veg/chicken stock
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes 
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 15 ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed (Kate and I have decided to use black beans instead)
• chopped fresh cilantro, for cooking and serving
• chopped purple onion, soaked in ice water for 10 mins (takes the bite out), for serving
• greek yogurt/sour cream, for serving
• avocado, for serving
• limes, for serving

Directions

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.
• Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and sweet potato; cook 8-10 minutes, until tender
• Season the pork with salt and pepper; add meat to the pot and cook until browned; stirring frequently, about 5 minutes
• Mix in the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, and cinnamon.  Cook 2 more minutes
• Add stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce
• Stir, then bring to a boil
• Reduce the heat to low and cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour
• Stir in the beans and cilantro (save some to top with!) and cook until heated through

I topped my chili with avocado, purple onion, greek yogurt, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime and I literally was the happiest woman on the planet.  The boys who I cooked it for would not stop raving about it- and for those two, that's a pretty big deal.  Here's a pic:

Right next to the bowl of soup/chili is Kristi's beer bread, which is FABULOUS!  

For our novice chefs, don't be intimidated by this recipe.  If you don't have all the ingredients, wait to make it at your mom's house, who probably has all the ingredients (eh hem, Robin and Mal). 

Go forth and MAKE THIS CHILI!! Before it gets too hot outside!

This recipe is not an original.  It was taken from a health magazine I found at the gym- maybe Women's Health?  Either way, NOT an original- I wish I had come up with this, though!

Baked Oatmeal

In keeping with easy recipes, I wanted to share this incredibly easy and healthy recipe for baked oatmeal. It's compliments of my dear friend Kristi.  It's a great breakfast or snack.

Here's the recipe:

BAKED OATMEAL
     1/2 cup applesauce                                2 eggs beaten
     1 cup honey/sugar                                  3 cups quick oatmeal
     2 teaspoons baking powder                    1 teaspoon salt
     1 cup milk

     Combine applesauce,eggs and sugar.  Add oatmeal, baking powder, salt and milk. Add anything you want, from berries to nuts to raisins to flax seed or wheat germ.  Anything goes!  Bake  at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

my before pic of the batter:

 and after:

and on my fork (with a little cilantro leaf in the background, no less):

yummy, healthy, easy and cheap (I had all the ingredients on hand!)

Pear and Goat Cheese Tart

People, I haven't made anything this good in a long time. Do you have two hours to spare? How about $20? That's what I spent on this tart. So perhaps it's not exactly economical.... but sometimes you want to make something expensive and fabulous. This tart is both.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cups of whole almonds
• Honey
• Olive Oil
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 12 sheets of frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• 5 ounces of goat cheese
• 2 green Anjou pears, thinly sliced
• Fresh spinach leaves
• Salt. (Duh.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the almonds and a touch of honey in the food processor. Whirl away until they are finely ground.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, the egg, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Process until well-combined.
4. Remove the mixture to a bowl and mix in the goat cheese. Set aside.
5. Arrange one phyllo sheet on a cutting board, (making sure to cover the rest of the phyllo with a dish towel to keept hem from drying out). Carefully brush the sheet with olive oil. Top it with another phyllo sheet. Gently brush the second sheet with olive oil, too. Fold the sheets in half like a book. Loosely fold the edges of the phyllo up towards the center to create a little boat of sorts. You want it to be about 4 inches in diameter... but the world is your oyster. Make it however big you want. Set your little boat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this process until you have six tart shells.
6.  Place a large dollop of the goat cheese and almond mixture in the center of your tart shell. Spread it out. Top it with some pear slices. Drizzle just a tiny bit of honey over the pears.
7. Bake the tarts for 20-23 minutes until golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, saute your spinach in a pan until wilted.
9. Take your tarts out of the oven, top them with the spinach, and EAT.

***NOTE: I think it would save soooo much time if you just sprayed the phyllo with cooking spray rather than spending all that time carefully brushing it with olive oil. Try it and let me know how it goes.

This makes six tarts. I ate two for dinner. Serve as a main dish or as a side.

(This savory tart was very much inspired by this sweet recipe from Cooking Light. I changed a few key ingredients, omitted some things, and added some others. But still, they should get the credit.)

Cooking Therapy

This has been a really tough week at work. I'm usually pretty good about leaving my emotions at the office after a really long day, but sometimes being a social worker just isn't that easy! It certainly wasn't easy this week.

There are a few important concepts that you learn about in social work grad school: "Compassion Fatigue" describes a state of emotional exhaustion related to your work caring for others. "Self Care" is an important practice that you implement in order to prevent compassion fatigue. This week I was feeling some serious compassion fatigue and in dire need of self care.

I had this amazing professor in grad school who taught me about the importance of taking care of myself, about how I am actually a better social worker/wife/daughter/sister/friend when I am not neglecting my needs. In her book "The Gifts of Imperfection" she talks about the importance of cultivating creativity as a way to feed our souls.

"Creativity, which is the expression of our originality, helps us stay mindful that what we bring to the world is completely original and cannot be compared" (Brene Brown, pg. 97).

Talking to Meredith on the phone as I drove home from work, I told her that I was going to give myself a little "cooking therapy" in order to help work through the craziness of the week. Cooking is one way I express my creativity, and thus feed my soul. It's a therapeutic process: when I'm cooking, I go into a zone and block the rest of the world out. I'm so consumed with the combination of flavors, textures, and colors, with the creation of something new, beautiful, and good, that the cares of the day melt away and I feel restored.

Tonight I spent close to 2.5 hours making a pear and goat cheese tart. It was good and my heart is happy.

Creativity can take many forms: art, music, crafts, photography, blogging.... we all have different gifts and passions. Find yours and discover the gift of creating.

(I highly encourage anyone who is interested to look up Brene Brown and further investigate her work by clicking on the above links.)

A Seasonal Tirade Inspired by Pears

Ever since I became interested in cooking, I have heard food people ranting and raving about using seasonal produce. What does that mean? Well, eating seasonal produce means only eating fruits and vegetables that are harvested at their peak. Not all food is at its best at all times of the year. Asparagus in the spring. Peaches and watermelon in the summer. Squash in the fall. Citrus in the winter.

Without fully understanding why, I went along with it. Eat what's in season. I figured it was because I didn't want to eat fruit and vegetables shipped from way across the ocean. Seems like a good idea, right? Shipping from way across the ocean means a lot of fuel was used to get it to the U.S., which means lots of bad stuff was emitted into the atmosphere during the journey, which means that Mother Earth is sad :(

Well, that is certainly one good reason to eat seasonally.

Another is that produce out of season is EXPENSIVE.

Yet another is that produce out of season is YUCKY.

Seriously, go to your grocery store and look at the asparagus right now. It is seriously wimpy. And seriously too expensive for one puny little bunch of asparagus. No no no.

Go to your grocery store and look at the PEARS right now. Oh my heavens. My PPK is literally overflowing with gorgeous, ripe, winter Anjou pears. They have so many that they are practically giving them away.

Last night I sliced up two winter Anjou pears, two small granny smith apples, put them in a bowl, and drizzled a tiny bit of tangerine oil over them. My husband raved and raved about this amazing salad that I made.

It wasn't me. I did nothing. I sliced and drizzled. The juicy perfection of the seasonal produce needed no help to shine.

Lesson learned. Use seasonal produce, people will think I'm an awesome cook.

Sweet Potato Bisque

In the name of contributing some simpler recipes to this blog, I must share with you this incredible soup I made last week. Sweet potato bisque.

It's creamy, delicious, and beautiful due to its lovely silky orange color.

Did you know that sweet potatoes are a super food? That means that they are packed full of lots of incredible vitamins that do your body lots of incredible good.

I adapted it from this recipe, courtesy of Pat and Gina Neely, who hail from my college town of Memphis, Tennessee. Whoop whoop!

I followed their recipe exactly, except for these three changes:

1. I sauteed my garlic, onions, and ginger in olive oil, not butter.
2. At the end, I stirred in 3/4 cup of plain yogurt, not heavy cream.
3. I topped it with crispy, crunchy, breadcrumbs. You can buy some. Or you can make your own. Here's my recipe.

In my humble opinion, there is just absolutely no reason that you need to use butter and heavy cream when you can use olive oil and yogurt. It's just as delicious and much much better for you. Use the healthy stuff when you make dinner. Save the butter and heavy cream for when they are truly necessary, like in desserts.

Cause if you're going to eat dessert, there should be no holding back. In my humble opinion.

Go make this soup. It's yummy. It's healthy. And it's cheap. Check check check.

Easier Recipes for the Novice Chefs

Julia, Mallory (kinda), Robin, Melissa, C-Anne: we're talking to you.


Everyone else: Hi!  Here's the situation.  Kate and I spend a significant amount of time on the phone with our sisters advising them on easy things to make (because we all have a starting point in the kitchen- our sisters are at their starting points right now).  Also, we get questions from our friends who are fairly new in the kitchen so this blog is dedicated to you guys.  Kate and I were on the phone yesterday and Kate made an excellent observation: we don't really make easy stuff.  And the stuff we make sometimes sounds funky to people who are new to cooking.  None of this is to say we are just the most experienced, knowledgeable, exotic cooks, but let's face it: none of us have a direct line to the Barefoot Contessa to ask our food questions so our friends and family have to settle with us- ha!  So, this blog is simply to reference a few easy recipes that we HAVE cooked that are delicious and simple.  We are also going to make a concerted effort to make more simple recipes- but never fear- our love of exotic foods remain and we hope we continue to inspire you to make dishes like Mughlai Chicken and Mango Dal!

Here's a list of some easy, go-to dinners that are DELICIOUS and novice-friendly:

-the infamous Sweet Potato-Black Bean Chili.  I feel the need to say something here: we realize that this chili can either sound 1) boring or 2) weird.  Well put those thoughts right outside of your head.  Everyone- and I mean EVERYONE- who has tried this chili has raved about it and have gone on to make it.  (Kate's sister, Robin, has literally made it once a week since she discovered the recipe).  Here is the recipe.

-Brocolli and Peanut Stir Fry. The recipe is here.  This is one of my sister's favs (that's you, Mal).  Easy to make and super healthy.  Note to Robin: You can make this with something OTHER THAN brocolli!

-Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup.  Here is the recipe.  My girl, Melissa, loved this recipe.  She is fairly new in the kitchen and didn't have trouble making this soup- in fact, she's made it more than once!

Ok, we hope these have provided a good start for those of you new to the kitchen.  We'll send more your way! (In fact, I'm working on a post about a YUMMY and fairly simple Pear and Cranberry Cobbler with a delicious streusel topping.)

Paulie's Fig and Ricotta Gelato

Every week Anthony's uncle takes us out to dinner. We frequent Paulie's, a little bistro right around the corner where I get the most wonderful arugula and prosciutto pizza.

They also make their own gelato. Need I say more?

When we walked in last week, my jaw hit the ground as I read the new gelato special: "Fig and Ricotta".

Oh my heavens. Are you kidding? Fig and ricotta? Fig and ricotta ice cream?! I was so intrigued.

Anthony's sweet uncle took note of my reaction, and insisted that I have some after the meal.  It was one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received.

Creamy, sweet, salty, and sophisticated. This is ice cream for grown ups. It made me so happy.

I just found out that one of my good friends has an ice cream machine (cough cough, HK). You better believe that I'm going to track down a recipe and coerce her into making this with me :) Maybe we can do that after yoga in the park?