Oh, yes.

So, one of my favorite things to get at Outback or Chili's is the Blooming Onion/Awesome Blossom. So good. Well, what do you know, I found a recipe for a way to make it by baking it instead of frying! Suh-weet. Here it is:

1 large sweet onion (the biggest one you can find)

1 T. butter, melted

2 t. Dijon mustard (I used spicy brown mustard)

3 T. dry bread crumbs

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Dipping sauce:

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. mayo

1.5 t. dried minced onion

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. dill

With a sharp knife, slice 1/2" off the top of the onion. Peel the onion. Cut the onion like a pie, into 16 wedges, but stopping about 1/2" from the root end so that you don't cut all the way through.

Place the onion on a double thickness of foil. Fold foil up around the onions and seal tightly. Place this in a baking dish and bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the butter and mustard. When the onion is done, open the foil and fold the foil down around the onion. The onion should fall open a little, you can spread the pieces out a bit more with forks. Brush the butter mixture over the onions. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over. Bake again for 18-25 minutes or until crispy and tender. The tips of the onion pieces should turn dark.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients and enjoy when it's done!

Yum. Of course it's not quite as good as the real thing, but hello, so much better for you. It'll do.

A Fabulous Sounding Soup

This one's for you, Lost in Translation!

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

2 cans (15 oz ea) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

2 med onions, finely chopped

1 t. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. cumin

3 c. vegetable broth

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin

2 T. cider vinegar

1/2 t. pepper

2 T. bourbon, optional

Optional Garnishes:

sour cream

sliced green onions

roasted salted pumpkin seeds

shredded cheese

Place beans and tomatoes in a food processor/blender and blend to desired consistency. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven/soup pot, saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic and cumin; saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, vinegar, pepper, and bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in bourbon if desired. Garnish each serving with whatever you think sounds tasty.

Notes: I did not use bourbon. I never do. And it was delectable.

Oh, and there are a lot of recipes online for a black bean pumpkin soup, but the main one in circulation for some reason has ham in it. And beef broth. Ick. That just does not sound appetizing to me AT ALL. This recipe is from my Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking magazine, is meatless, and is also ridiculously good. The ingredients are ones I think I pretty much always have on hand, too. I highly recommend garnishing it with at least the green onions and cheese, and if you have some, the sour cream. I ate the last of it for lunch today by scooping it up in tortilla chips. Mmm!

Vanilla Pudding

It seems like all my favorite food blogs have posted their favorite pudding recipes within a week of one another. This seems odd as pudding is really low on the hierarchy of dessert foods. But something about it...the way it sounds exactly like it tastes...its unassuming nature. For the first time in my life, I actually craved vanilla pudding. In the end I chose Martha's recipe, and it was pudding perfection.

Note: Instead of a vanilla bean I used vanilla paste as a short cut. I added a little cream for extra richness.

Martha Stewart's Vanilla Pudding Recipe

• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ounce milk chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl until smooth; whisk in cornstarch mixture.
2. Combine milk, remaining sugar, and vanilla-bean scrapings in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly pour milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
3. Return mixture to saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and transfer mixture to a medium heat-proof bowl.
4. Whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Set bowl in ice bath, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Serve pudding with chocolate shavings on top, if desired.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Vanilla Pudding - Martha Stewart Recipes

Rolo Cookies

Think rich chocolate cookie with a chewy carmel center. That's the ROLO cookie. And it's one of the few cookie recipes on the planet that has survived my kitchen without receiving a Maret ingredient makeover. It's a solid, reliable, decadent recipe. I think the only thing that could improve it is a higher quality carmel candy. You just have to find one that's not liquidy. That's the trick. If you know of any, let me know.

Tips for this recipe: Freezing the Rolos is necessary. Freezing the candies prior to baking allows them to stay within the cookie's envelope (without falling out the bottom). The dough is incredibly thick. I recommend mixing by hand when you add the last bit of flour mixture. ENJOY!



ROLO Chocolate Cookies (from Nestle)

4 pkg (52 g each) ROLO chocolates
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar (optional, for rolling)

Steps:
Place ROLOS in freezer for at least 6 hours. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and baking powder until combined and no lumps remain. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in brown sugar and vanilla, then egg, until smooth. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined. Let dough stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180oC). With hands, roll 1 tbsp (15 ml) of dough for each cookie into balls and place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. If using, place granulated sugar in a shallow dish. Bake no more than 15 cookies at a time and remove 1 package of ROLOS at a time from the freezer. Press each ball of dough into about a 2-inch (5 cm) circle. Place a ROLO in centre; wrap dough around ROLO so it is evenly covered. Seal well so there are no cracks. Roll into a ball. Roll in sugar, if desired. Place about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in centre of oven for about 8 minutes or until dry to the touch. Cool on sheet on rack.
Makes about 40 cookies.
Nutrients per cookie:
About 95 Calories, 1 g Protein, 4 g Fat, 14 g Carbohydrates.