7(ish?)-Layer Greek Dip

Hubba hubba. This is scrumptious. Why didn't I think of this myself? It's a riff on the more traditional 7-layer Mexican dip. I think I like this one better. (Heresy, I know.)

Ingredients:

8 oz. block cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese

1 tsp. dried dill weed

2 tsp. lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 1/2 c. (12 oz.) hummus (can be store purchased or homemade)

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

3 med. tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives

1/3 c. chopped green onions (about 3 full green onion stalks)

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/8–1/4 c. chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Directions:

With an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese, dill weed, lemon juice, and garlic. Spread this layer in the bottom of a pie dish or a half-sheet pan. Spread the hummus layer next. In order, layer on the cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, green onions, feta, and parsley. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve with pita chips, pita bread, or even tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Chickpea Tagine

Our food co-op brought in an assortment of root veggies this week, and fortuitously found a recipe that incorporated many of them while cruising the Food & Wine recipe search. (Note: It's awesome. You can search by ingredients for recipe or for multiple ingredients.)

Anyway, this chickpea tagine was great. It's a thick veggie stew with Moroccan flavors.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. dried chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) (allow time to soak overnight and drain if using dried) or use 1 can prepared chickpeas (what I did! Much easier)

1/4 tsp. saffron threads (I used the much less expensive Spanish variety available at Caputo's)

1 quart plus 2 Tbsp. water

1 large onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. ground cumin

One 3-inch cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

Once 14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

Salt

2 small zucchini, diced

1 Tbsp. minced preserved lemon rind (I used lemon jelly with preserved lemon rind . . . it worked fine)

Freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves

Yogurt and harissa for serving (I didn't have harissa, so I used piment d'espelette . . . could probably use cayenne in a small amount)

DIRECTIONS:

1) If using dried chickpeas, cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, 45 minutes. Drain. Skip this step if using canned chickpeas.

2) In a bowl, crumble the saffron in the 2 tablespoons of water; steep for 10 minutes.

3) In a large pot (at least 3 1/2 quarts), melt the butter and let brown. Add the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter and oil over moderate heat until golden; 8 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon stick, and crushed red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the saffron water, chickpeas, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, the quart of water (4 cups), and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash and potatoes are tender, 30 minutes.

4) Add the zucchini and the preserved lemon; simmer until the zucchini is tender, 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick. Season the tagine with salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro. Serve in bowls with a dollop of plain yogurt and harissa.

Yum.

Better than the Bakery's Blueberry Muffins

If you like muffins, you absolutely must make these. Incredible is my word of choice.

They are meant to be made in an oversized muffin tin so as to give you really big muffins, like the kind you get at a bakery (or Costco). :) I made mine in my normal muffin tin, filled to the brim, and they are huge and delicious. I doubled/modified slightly the original recipe, and I will just put the measurements I used here for your enjoyment.

Muffins:

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

1/3 c. canola oil

1/3 c. applesauce (or just double the oil if you don't have applesauce)

2 eggs

2/3 c. milk or buttermilk

2 c. blueberries

---

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/4 c. butter, cubed

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups liberally.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add liquid ingredients and mix until just combined. *Be very careful not to over mix.* Fold in berries. Your batter will be verrrry thick. This is normal and probably what makes these muffins so dang good.

Fill your muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle on the crumb topping.

Bake 18-23 minutes-- depending on your oven. Trust your judgment if you know your oven seems to bake faster, etc.

Enjoy.

Onion Soup of Dubious Nationality

It's not technically French because if it were, it would be much more fussy.

1 Large yellow onion
2 TBS of butter
1 TBS olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 C sherry
3 quarts of beef broth
kosher salt to taste

Crusty bread
Snooty cheese of your choosing (Munster is actually amazing on this)

Slice the onion into strips. Sautee over medium heat with butter and olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and thyme and sautee for a minute before adding the broth and sherry. Simmer for 15 minutes until onions are tender. Season with salt and more garlic if necessary.

Unless you have 12 oz. oven proof straight-sided bowls hanging around don't attempt to serve this the French way (with cheese dripping down the side of your bowl, fresh out of the broiler). Cool. It's much easier to serve like so: Cover your bread slices with shredded cheese, throw 'em on a cookie sheet, and broil for 5 minutes until crusty and browned. Plop atop your soup and enjoy.

Smoky Tomato Soup with Maple Candied Bacon

Sometimes, normal tomato basil soup can get a little boring.

And kids, this tomato soup recipe is anything but boring.

The recipe is from Naomi Pomeroy, award-winning chef and proprietor of Beast in Portland, Oregon. She prepared the hands-down best piece of lamb I've ever eaten, with a polenta pudding on the side, in a savory plum and balsamic vinegar sauce. I feel like Homer Simpson when I describe this dish. Cue uncouth drooling here.

The soup has bright citrus notes from freshly-squeezed orange juice, smokiness from the smoked paprika, and a spicy kick from the pimente d'Espelette (available at some speciality grocers . . . if not available, I would substitute cayenne, but less if you are squeamish about spice). I have made the soup both with and without the maple candied bacon if I'm trying to avoid killing myself with saturated fat. We had a bit of trouble with the bacon last time as our oven just doesn't seem to get hot enough for it to cook in any reasonable timeframe.

Just make it and enjoy.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

This is kinda amazing. Tangy and sweet and addictive. If you have ever sat and wondered "Could I eat an entire 24 oz. container of plain yogurt in 2 days?" the answer is an emphatic "YES!"

1 24 oz. container of plain Greek Yogurt (non-fat works fine, but whole is creamier)
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste (or 1 scraped vanilla bean)

Mix all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Make sure batter is chilled before freezing in an ice cream maker.

Serve with blackberries and mango chunks.

So good. I can't even tell you how good.

I love a good soup. Like, a lot. And this one, my friends, is gooooooooooooood.

I got this recipe when reading an article about this Utah woman who did a crock pot recipe every day for a year-- you know, one of the many cooking bloggers-- and ended up making a cookbook and all that jazz.

So yeah, this is a crock pot recipe. And I happen to love crock pot meals. They are so easy to make and your house smells all good and stuff. If you don't have a crock pot or you don't like that style, I'm certain this would work just as well on the stove top if you just simmer it at the end until the vegetables are tender to your liking.

Here we go:

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Combine in crock pot:

2 cans (14 oz ea) diced tomatoes

1 c. diced celery

1 c. diced carrots

1 c. diced onions

4 c. chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 t. dried oregano

1 T. dried basil

Set on low heat, timer for 5-7 hours, depending on how tender you want your veggies to be.

One hour before finish, prepare a roux in a saucepan with 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. flour. Stir with a whisk for a few minutes over low-med heat.

Take 1 c. of soup out of the crock pot and slowly stir it into the (still heating) roux until smooth. Add another 1-2 c. of soup and stir to combine. You should get a fairly thick pasty mixture.

Add this roux mixture into the crock pot, stirring to combine.

Then, add 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, 2 c. half and half, 1 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper. Stir to combine.

Let it cook for the remaining hour.

Enjoy with crusty French bread. DELICIOUS, I tell you! (I'm going to go get another bowl of it right now...)

Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon (freshly ground if you can manage)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cold skim milk
2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 small apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

Directions:
1) Combine dry ingredients. Whisk dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center.
2) Add in wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
3) Fold in chopped apples.
4) Pour 1/3 c. onto griddle well-sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
5) We ate them with apple butter or 100% maple syrup.

Happy eating!

Yumm Bowls

For those familiar with the Oregonian restaurant Café Yumm, you know the mythic wonder that is Yumm Sauce. Not having been able to obtain such delight since visiting Oregon in August, I vowed to make a knock-off.

I found this recipe, and it's a decent approximation. It has a distinct lemony and garlic tang. The recipe makes quite a bit, and it keeps well in the fridge for at least a month.

Yumm Sauce:

Original Yumm Sauce:
1/2 cup oil (I used a olive oil, but I imagine other light oils like safflower or canola would work, too)
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (NOT active yeast! This is available in the bulk foods section usually)
1/3 cup canned garbonzo beans - drained (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup canned soybeans (available at Good Earth here in Utah and likely at Whole Foods and probably Harmons)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt

A few grinds of white pepper
1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp. dried basil

Dump the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Serve over rice. My favorite is short-grain brown rice with this. An ancillary benefit of using brown rice is that brown rice leftovers keep better refrigerated. See best way to cook brown rice here.

Spoon a couple of tablespoons over rice and serve with:

Diced fresh tomatoes

Sliced avocado

Canned black beans

Sliced black olives

Sour cream or creme fraiche

Shredded cheddar cheese

This last time, I sliced up baby zucchini from our food co-up, tossed them in olive oil and salt and pepper and lime juice in a skillet, and sautéed them for about eight minutes and served them warm with the other ingredients. Very tasty with this, too.

By far my best granola

As I indicated the first time I posted a granola recipe, I have been experimenting with granola. But I haven't been posting those experiments. Probably because I'm lazy. The recipe I am posting today is by far my favorite. I've done several variations of it and it just keeps getting better. This last time, I let it bake for a bit longer, so it ended up crunchier and WOW. It's awesome. But I have to say it was good softer, too. I just love homemade granola.

Here is the basic recipe (with parentheticals explaining exactly how I made it this time), but feel free to modify by putting in different nuts or dried fruits.

Preheat oven: 300.

In a really big bowl, combine:

5 c. rolled oats (old fashioned, not quick)

2-3 c. raw nuts (I put in about 1 3/4 c. chopped walnuts)

1 c. raw sunflower nuts

3/4 c. flax seed (some use sesame seeds here)

In a saucepan, over low-medium heat, combine:

3/4 c. applesauce

1/3 c. maple syrup (or brown rice syrup, or barley malt syrup)

1/4 c. honey

2 T. canola oil

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. ginger

1 t. salt

I let this sauce mixture simmer for a little, while stirring continuously.

Pour the sauce over the oat mixture and stir well.

Spread granola mixture over large cookie sheet. If you don't want to have to do two separate batches, you can use two baking sheets and just rotate them when you take them out to stir the granola. I have done it both ways.

I usually set a timer initially for 10-15 minutes before I take out the pan to stir the mixture for the first time. You can do whatever time allotments you want, as long as your total baking time is about 30-40 minutes-- depending on how brown/crunchy you want yours to be.

After it's done, I put in a bag of dried cranberries.

Store in a big airtight container and enjoy it every morning. My guilty pleasure is putting a little half and half in after I fill my bowl with milk. Creamy goodness.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels and Maple Nut Spread

I love pumpkin. I love bagels. And what better combination could you have?

Note: This recipe is also available for those have a bread machine. I do not, and so did it the good old fashioned way. If you do and want me to send you the other version, let me know!

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

2/3 water (110-115 degrees)

1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1 t. salt

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

1/2 t. ground cloves

3 c. bread flour

1 egg white

2 T. water

1 T. cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water.

Add pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, and spices; mix well.

Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. (For me, this was just under 3 c.)

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface.

Shape into 9 balls. Push thumb through centers to form a 1 inch hole.

Stretch and shape dough to form an even ring. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, flatten rings slightly. Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. Drop bagels, two or four at a time, into boiling water. Cook 45 seconds per side.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Whisk egg white and water. Brush over bagels.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and a dusting of cornmeal. Place bagels 2" apart on prepared pan.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Maple Nut Spread

1 carton (8 oz) spreadable cream cheese

3-4 T. maple syrup (I say 3-4 because 3 definitely wasn't enough for my taste)

1/8 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts, perhaps toasted

Beat it all up. Serve with delicious pumpkin spice bagels. Swoon.

Ginger Spice Cookies

There are some recipes that are nearly perfect and you have to make them several times a year because they're that good. This is one of those recipes--it is the perfect fall cookie--tastes like a ginger snap, but it's soft and chewy and buttery. It's really to die for. The original recipe was from Bon Appetit. I modified the recipe to include a little less shorting and a little more butter, and less cloves. Enjoy!

Ingredients
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional, but it's really good)
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• Sugar for rolling

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Apple pear butter

2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 lb. pears " "
3 c. sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

I brought it to a boil and then cooked it over medium heat in a 5 qt. pot until the liquid dropped off a spoon in thick, heavy drops. I then pureed the mixture in the blender.

It's pretty sweet, so I might cut some of the sugar in the future (maybe by 1/2 c.?). I think it would be good on ice cream, too.

Butternut Squash Soup

I love love love love fall food—soups and bread and cider, oh, my!

For the lovely Meg's shower today, I made butternut squash soup. It turned out quite tasty. I've cobbled it together from a few different recipes, and we think it's the bomb shizzle.

Ingredients:

For squash:

1 very large butternut squash (or two smaller ones)

Melted butter, kosher salt

For base:

3 Yukon gold potatoes

3 large carrots

1 large parsnip

6 c. chicken stock (more as needed to get soup to desired consistency)

All the rest and so forth:

3/4 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

Kosher salt and cracked white pepper, to taste (these are the sort of things I don't measure, and add until it "tastes right," an amorphous and unhelpful description, I know)

about 1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp. honey (a good squeeze from the plastic bear is usually good)

1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp. truffle-infused baslamic vinegar (available at Caputo's . . . optional but delicious)

1 tsp. lemon juice or more if you like more acidity

A pinch of pimente d'espelette (or cayenne if you can't find the pimente d'espelette)

Directions:

1) Set oven to 400 degree F. Peel raw butternut squash with a sharp vegetable peeler. Slice off top and bottom to make it easier to stand up. With a very sharp knife, cu in half along the middle (not horizontally; you want two large round cylinders). Cut bottom half (the large, rounded base) in half down the middle. Scoop out the seeds. Cube into one-inch chunks.

NOTE: This is a bit more labor intensive and requires a very sharp knife. You can alternatively just cut the squash in half (so you have two open halves like a sandwich) and roast it that way and scoop out the flesh. I prefer the first method because it means not having to try to handle the fiery hot squash to get the flesh out.

Place the squash on a parchment-lined jellyroll pan (or I use my Silpat—makes cleanup a breeze). Brush with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Roast in the oven for an hour.

2) Meanwhile, back at the ranch, get the rest of the veggies going. Peel and finely chop the potatoes, carrots, and parsnip. Barely cover in chicken broth in a 5 qt. pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until the veggies are soft but not mushy. (By the time I've prepped the veggies, the timing with them finishing cooking is usually around the time the squash is done).

3) When the squash is done (soft, but not blistered), add to the rest of ingredients. Slowly add the cream. Puree using either a stand blender or an immersion blender until very smooth. Add stock as needed to reach your desired consistency. I like it fairly thick, but feel free to mix around with what worked for you.

4) Add the seasonings and feel free to tweak them to suit your tastes. If you like a sweeter soup, add more honey and cream. The white pepper has a slightly sharper taste and looks better than black pepper because it blends in (no little black speckles). Black pepper will work just fine, though. Fresh ginger tastes a lot better in this soup, but it doesn't take very much.

5) Serve warm and swirl in a bit of a finishing-grade olive oil into the individual bowls. Now put on your fuzzy slippers and curl up with some David Sedaris.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Quinoa

1 ½ cup quinoa

1 T olive oil

1 T Butter

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

½ cup white wine

1 lb spinach

4 oz goat cheese

Parmesan, parsley and lemon zest for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine metal sieve until your water turns clear.

2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Sauté spinach until tender. Set aside.

3. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

4. Add quinoa, wine and cayenne pepper. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated, stirring frequently.

5. Add enough broth to cover quinoa. Simmer uncovered over medium low heat. Add broth as the liquid absorbs and stir frequently. Cooking quinoa will take about 15 minutes

6. Stir in spinach in last two minutes of cooking.

7. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and 3 ounces of the goat cheese. Stir.

8. Crumble remaining goat cheese, parsley, lemon zest and parmesan over the quinoa.

For the love of all that is good in this world

make THIS.

Make it. Tonight. And revel in its deliciousness.

I want more and I am stuffed. You know that's a good sign.

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Open-Faced Sandwiches

Make these.

Bread:
I used a boule-shaped Italianish bread from Smith's, sliced to 1/2 in. slices, brushed with olive oil, and toasted at 375 degree for seven minutes (flip once).

Eggplant:
Also sliced to 1/2 in., dunk in egg and then bread crumbs, pan-fry in a drizzle of olive oil for about 3 minutes on each side.

Tomato Mixture:
I dumped a can of petite diced tomatoes into a pan over medium, added in a few whole garlic cloves, a heavy pinch of kosher salt, and a swirl of sherry vinegar and reduced it about 20 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves.

Assembly:
I made these open-faced, piled on the eggplant, then a smear of tomato stuff, a dab of goat cheese, and a fresh basil leaf.

Eat fresh (they don't keep for more than about an hour!) and enjoy.

Greek Salad

I know it's another boring salad recipe, but the vinaigrette in this one makes my taste buds say it's good to be alive. Plus my garden lettuces are going nuts and as discussed, my house is way too hot. This is a salad with more chunks than lettuce, and tastes super fresh because of the cucumber.

A bunch of leafy (not iceberg) lettuce, washed and torn into bits
1/4 to 1/2 of a cucumber, sliced thick then quartered into bite sized pieces
2 Roma tomatoes cut in half slices
1/4 small red onion cut in skinny, skinny slices
olives of your choosing
fresh basil or oregano
1/4 C feta
a couple of glugs of good olive oil
a couple of glugs of red wine vinegar
coarse salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together and taste. Adjust oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, or feta to preference. Serve immediately.

Makeover Mac 'n Cheese

So, I am a subscriber to the Taste of Home brand magazine, Healthy Cooking. I love it. One of the things I love most about it is that readers can submit their favorite recipes that are, shall we say, not exactly "lite," and ToH's cooks will revamp the recipe and make it a million times better for you, but still really, really yummy. It's pretty cool. I have yet to submit a recipe, but I will someday. As you can probably gather from the title of this post, someone submitted a recipe for homemade mac 'n cheese. When I saw it I thought, yeah, no way that is going to be as good as regular homemade mac. But I tried it anyway. SO good. I love it. Beware, it makes a LOT. We STILL have leftovers and I've been eating some every day for a bit. Here you go...

Makeover Macaroni and Cheese

1 pkg. (16 oz) elbow macaroni (or whatever noodle you want)

2 T. flour

2 c. milk

1 pkg. (16 oz) reduced-fat process cheese, (e.g., Velveeta) cubed

1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in process cheese and 1/2 c. cheddar until smooth. Drain macaroni. Stir into cheese sauce.

Remove from heat; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Now, for the best part. Get this:

Nutrition Info for 1 serving of the original Mac n Cheese:

Calories: 593

Fat: 32 g

Saturated fat: 20 g

Cholesterol: 100 mg

Nutrition Info for 1 serving of the makeover Mac n Cheese:

Calories: 403

Fat: 11 g

Saturated fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 36 mg

Carbs: 54 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 23 g

And really, this makeover recipe was yummmmy. Mac n Cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. I am so glad I found a recipe that will let me eat it without killing myself slowly. :)

Swedish Apple Pie, or, Swedish Breakfast Cake

This recipe is actually called Swedish Apple Pie. But, I'm not sure why. To me, it is more of a crumbly apple cake, and even though the recipe specifically says to serve it warm, I found it more enjoyable the next morning for breakfast. So... either I'm weird, or this recipe was a bit off. Either way, it's super easy, very healthy, quite tasty, and a great way to use up some apples.

Swedish Apple Stuff

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. white flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 t. vanilla extract

2 medium tart apples, chopped (I used green)

3/4 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (I used untoasted walnuts)

confectioner's sugar, optional (I used a cinnamon/white sugar mixture)

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk egg and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in apples and walnuts.

Transfer to a 9" pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Or do as I did and sprinkle with cinnamon and regular sugar.) Serve warm. (Or, the next morning for breakfast.) :)

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

I think there is a sad lack of seafood on this blog. I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was pretty good! Very healthy, too. So, if you're looking for a good way to use up some regular canned tuna, this maybe for you. (I actually think this would be delicious with a grilled tuna steak or some other type of fish as well...)

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

2 T. olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. spicy brown mustard

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 cans water packed tuna

lettuce

1/2 c. crumbled feta

In a large bowl, combine the beans, celery, red pepper, and onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, basil, salt, and pepper. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat. Gently stir in tuna. Serve over lettuce, with feta sprinkled on top.

Nutrition facts: 1 1/2 c. tuna salad with 1 c. lettuce equals 282 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 30 mg cholesterol, 682 mg sodium, 23 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 23 g protein. (calculated w/o cheese!)

The garbanzo beans in this salad add 4 g fiber and boost protein by a full 4 g per serving. Pretty awesome.

Note: I wish I had had some pita bread to eat with it on the side. I love me some pita bread. :)

Beef Stew

So, to christen our Le Creuset newly acquired this week, Mr. Lost in Translation whipped up this gorgeous beef stew. It's nearly fool-proof and has such a rich, earthy taste to it. We used homemade stock I made and froze a few weeks ago, and I think it does make a difference but canned will do of course, too. Yukon golds are creamier and seem to make for a nicer texture (I'm not a huge Russets fan, though). Please please please use fresh green beans.

Mmmmmm . . .

Ingredients
2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small onions, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed
Directions
Season the beef cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise the heat to high. At first, the beef will give off some liquid, but once that evaporates, the beef will start to brown. Cook, turning the beef cubes on all sides until the pieces are as evenly browned as possible, about 5 or 6 minutes after the water has boiled off. If the pan starts to get too brown at any point, just turn down the heat a little. Scoop the beef into a bowl and brown the rest of the beef the same way using the remaining butter.

Scoop out the second batch of beef, then add the carrots and onions and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it has been worked into the veggies and you can’t see it any more. Pour in the chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes, and toss in the rosemary. Slide the beef back into the pot and bring the liquid to a boil.

Turn down the heat so the liquid is just breaking a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook 50 minutes. Stir the stew several times while simmering so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom.

Stir the potatoes into the stew, cover the pot completely, and cook until the potatoes and beef are tender, stirring occasionally, about another 45 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes until the green beans turn bright green and are cooked through but still have a nice snap to them.

Watermelon Cooler

Here I am, after a long, long absence. I can't say that this will be a regular occurrence, but I can definitely promise that whatever I put up here, will be well worth trying. I only eat and drink of the most delicious things. Yeah...:)

Watermelon Cooler

4 c. seedless watermelon (cut into big chunks)
1 1/2 c. lemonade

Mix together in blender till smooth. Serve with ice.

This is truly one of the most refreshing summertime drinks of all time. I found the recipe from Real Simple magazine. You can drop fresh mint leaves in it for extra zing if you like. But it is just as amazing without it. Enjoy!

Tomato Feta Basil Pasta Salad

I have long associated pasta salads with the soggy, mayo drenched affairs seen at church barbecues. Furthermore, I never understood the reasoning behind cold pasta. Why have pasta cold when it is so very delicious hot?

This was before I moved to a place with no air conditioning. Yesterday it was 88 degrees in my house, and there was no way in this apt simulation of hell that I was going to turn on the stove, oven, toaster or any heat-emitting device. In the middle of the night, when with all the windows open and fans blasting the house had chilled to a comfortable 75 degrees, I mass produced cooked pasta, meat, and rice so today I could pull them out of the fridge to make oddities such as pasta salad.

Steering clear of mayo, I made this baby with stuff I had laying around. It's fresh and light and totally fulfilling. Give it a try!

3/4 lb cooked whole wheat penne pasta, cooled (DO NOT over cook--if refrigerating overnight, knock a couple minutes off the cook time)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C feta cheese, crumbled (or to taste)
1/2 C sun dried tomatoes in oil (thank you, Costco)
Big bunch of basil, sliced in to ribbons (thank you, garden)
1 TBS good olive oil
1 TBS good balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Toss ingredients together and serve.

Chicken Avocado Sandwich

This was really simple to throw together, but it tasted so good I figured it would be unfair not to share. It involved a lot of easy ingredients from Costco, and we were starving and this was ready in about seven minutes because I used a Costco rotisserie chicken and their demi-baguettes sliced in half lengthwise. YUM.

Ingredients:

Any bread, but the demi-baguettes were perfect individual portions

Butter (or I used Brummel & Brown yogurt spread)

Pepper jack cheese

Avocado, mashed up

I put in a few drops of white truffle-infused balsamic vinegar (available at Caputo's . . . one of those "special" ingredients that can transform food)

Splash of sherry vinegar

Two pinches of kosher salt

One artichoke heart per sandwich, torn into pieces

Shredded chicken breast

Directions:

1) Set oven to broil.

2) Slice bread (lengthwise if a demi-baguette or ciabatini)

3) Butter and lay slices of pepper jack cheese as desired.

4) Broil for 3 minutes.

5) Layer on shredded chicken breast, avocado spread, and artichoke heart. Eat and enjoy!

Vegetarian Lasagna

If anybody has an obscene amount of time and wants delicious and vegetable-laden "lasagna," then I have the recipe for you! It involves a great deal of chopping and some careful knife-work to craft "noodles" out of zucchini by slicing them into long, 1/4 in. thick strips. I think a mandolin slicer would have been invaluable to reduce prep-time. It ended up being more casserole-like since the zucchini cooks down, too, but very yummy.

MARINARA:
[NOTE: I ended up making my own (below) and the recipe I used ended up taking quite awhile to cook down. The flavor was great, but I might not do this step in the future and just use a store-prepared sauce for vegetarian lasagna.]
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
15-20 Kalamata olives, pitted and pureed in a food processor
4 large fresh tomatoes, deseeded and cut into eighths
2 14-oz cans plums tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and chili and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add olives and fresh tomatoes and cook it a couple of minutes more before adding the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes, lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour more under a lid. Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender.

ROASTED VEGETABLES:
5 large zucchini, sliced into long, 1/4 in. thick strips as "noodles"
1 eggplant, peeled chopped into 1/4 in. cubes
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 package button mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch fresh kale, roughly chopped
Sprinkle all with a bit of kosher salt

Directions: I grilled the veggies in a grill pan with a bit of olive oil for about 10 minutes to reduce the water in the veggies and make cooking time reasonable. You want the veggies softened but not goopy as they will continue to cook in pan. I did the zucchini separately and set it aside, and then did all the rest of the veggies together and threw them in a bowl together.

LEMON RICOTTA:
500 g. (roughly 2 c.) ricotta
1 lemon, zested and juice
1 egg
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt

Handful chopped basil

Directions: Zest and juice lemon into the ricotta. Mix in other ingredients.

ASSEMBLY DIRECTIONS:
1) Put a light layer of sauce in the bottom of a greased 9X13 baking pan.
2) Line the pan with zucchini strips. Cover in more sauce.
3) Layer on roasted veggies until the pan is about 1/2-2/3 full (mine only ended up having one layer each of veggies and ricotta)
4) Schmear on ricotta layer
5) Place another layer of zucchini strips. Pour more sauce on top and cover in mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
6) Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Turn on broiler and cook for another 3-4 minutes to get cheese brown and bubbling.
7) Serve warm. It doesn't slice really well, so I just took a big serving spoon and globbed out big servings. Yum!

Fresh Berry Tart

The best thing about Oregon in the summer is the abundance of berries. Oregon berries are sweeter and juicier than berries from the store. But because of this, they're pretty delicate and spoil quickly. We picked 20 quarts of strawberries on Friday and I had to find some uses for them besides just freezing the little guys. I stumbled upon and adapted this recipe from Oregon Live and it was absolutely insanely perfect. It wasn't THAT difficult but looked so impressive for our graduation party. Ma requested that I make it again for Independence Day and add blueberries (red white and blue, heh, yeah).

This was my first time making a real pastry cream and I've decided it will be my go to recipe for cream puffs or Boston cream pies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Vanilla pastry cream

* 3 cups whole milk
* 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 2 teaspoons vanilla (see note)
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 4 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 2 egg yolks

Crust

* 24 butter cookies (7 ounces), such as Le Petit Beurre, or enough to make 2 cups cookie crumbs
* 1/3 cup butter, melted

Fresh Fruit
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled, or other fresh berries

Glaze (optional)
Current jelly or homemade strawberry jelly

Instructions

To make pastry cream: Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds, remove from the heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt until there are no lumps. You may need to sift your mixture to ensure that there are no lumps. This is very important in this recipe! Add the eggs and yolks and whisk until very smooth. Discard the vanilla bean pod from the milk and gently bring milk back to a boil.

Wrap a damp towel around the base of the mixing bowl with the egg mixture to secure it. Temper the eggs by whisking in one-quarter of the hot milk. Then, pour all the contents of the mixing bowl back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it suddenly thickens and boils. Use a heatproof rubber spatula to scrape into the corners of the pan, then whisk for 1 minute more.

Remove from heat. Immediately use the spatula to scrape the pastry cream into a clean bowl, cover immediately with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 5 days.

To make crust: Place the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to pound and roll them into fine crumbs. Pour the cookie crumbs into a mixing bowl and drizzle the melted butter all over. Use a rubber spatula to coat the cookie crumbs with the butter.

Spread the cookie crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use a metal measuring cup to tamp them down into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides. Chill for at least 1 hour uncovered and up to 5 days in plastic wrap.

To assemble, evenly spread the pastry cream on the chilled crumb crust. Cut stems off berries and half them from stem top to pointy bottom. Arrange strawberries in concentric circles, cut side down, working from the outside in. For the best appearance, use the largest strawberries on the outside edge and the smallest on the inner rings. Chill until ready to serve. Glazing with jelly gives it a fresh, shiny appearance. To glaze, use a pastry brush and delicately glaze each berry so that it shines.

To serve, remove the ring from the springform pan and slide onto a serving platter. Some of the crust will crumble off. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 to 10 serving pieces, wiping the blade in between each slice.

Thai-style Black Bean Salad

Friends, friends, friends. Seriously. I made this salad tonight before mutual, let it refrigerate for about 2 hours (okay, 1 hour, because Mark got it out of the fridge at 7 and forgot about it...), then tried some, and I couldn't wait to post it on here for your viewing (& eating) pleasure. So good!! And so healthy. I got the brilliant idea to eat mine with tortilla chips and it was a perfect match. Here goes:

1 c. frozen corn

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery rib, sliced thin

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped

1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine

2 T. sesame oil

1 T. rice vinegar

1 T. lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. minced fresh gingerroot

1/2 t. salt

Modifications: I doubled it, but left out the celery and jalapeno, and only used 1 medium red pepper instead of 2 small ones.

Directions: heat frozen corn according to package directions. Add beans, onion, celery, peppers, and cilantro. In a small bowl whisk together the last 6 ingredients. Pour over bean mixture and mix to coat. Chill for at least one hour to allow the flavors to marry.

Hallelujah for this recipe. It really hit the spot for me tonight! I hope you will try it.

Russian Borscht

Even when you are in post-law school and post-cruise dietary redemption mode, food still should taste GOOD. Borscht (or borshch as my Russian-speaking friend corrects me . . . say that ten times fast) is a great vegetarian soup made with beautiful veggies. The beets make it a gorgeous purpley red color. Borscht can be served warm or cold (I tend to prefer it warm, but it's up to you).

Step 1:

2 regular carrots, peeled and finely chopped

3 celery stalked, finely chopped

1 parsnip, peeled very finely chopped (looks like a long, gnarly, white carrot if you aren't familiar)

1 can diced beets (you can use fresh beets, too, but can be messy), undrained

1 white onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves

Barely cover veggies with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 2:

2 c. chopped cabbage

2 c. beef broth (I've used chicken broth without incident)

1 Tbsp. butter

Add broth, butter, chopped cabbage and simmer another 20 minutes.

Step 3:

Seasonings:

3 Tbsp. dry sherry

1 Tbsp. (or more) red wine vinegar

1 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. dried dill (and more to garnish)

I like a dash of Tabasco, but you can skip it if you want

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to tastes

(Note: these measurements are approximate. Borscht is one of those dishes I throw in ingredients until it "tastes right." Feel free to mess around with proportions.)

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or a dash of creme fraiche, garnish with dried dill, and a little trickle of a beautiful finishing oil (I suggest on from this brand).

Yummy.

Sweets and more sweets.

I haven't been having cravings, friends. No, I have yet to experience that awesomeness. Instead, I am just perusing cooking magazines and blogs and trying to find things that look palatable. Many times the answer includes the word(s) 'cake'. Or 'giant cookie'. Or 'fudge sauce'.

Basically, I have been in the mood to whip up desserts. Which is saying something because, as of late, my mood has not involved the desire to do much of anything except lie on the couch and say "Ughhh..." while I sniff through my congested nose. Sorry for that graphic description. Anyhow.

Here is a recipe for a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie that I tried the other day and which turned out remarkably well. I thought for many months now that my oven is cursed because the many types of cookies I've tried to bake in said oven have all turned out less than yummy. The only type that turned out well were the gingersnaps and oh, heaven help me, they were delicious. So, I thought when I decided to make this recipe that it would probably be another disappointment.

I was wrong.

And here you go:

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar (I used dark)

1/2 c. butter, melted & cooled

1 egg

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. vanilla (my vanilla was kind of mixed with some rum extract and WOW it added a nice flavor)

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. chocolate chips (I know I used more than 1/2 c. ..)

Preheat: 350

Cream sugars and butter. Add egg, mix well. Add dry ingredients, mix. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a large (11x17) baking pan with foil. Press dough into a circle.

The original recipe noted that a 9" dough circle should bake into an 11" cookie, but I just pressed it until I thought it was a good thickness.

Top with anything you want, like m&ms, etc., if you decide not to do chocolate chips.

Bake 13-16 minutes or until light golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan. This will help stabilize it so it can be easily lifted.

This was one darn good cookie.

Greek Salad

After getting back from a cruise and eating basically nothing but red meat and dessert for a week, I'm happily munching down on lots of green things. I improved a delicious Greek salad yesterday and here are the results.

GREEK SALAD

1 bunch each: Romaine lettuce and green leaf lettuce, washed and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 large cucumbers, chopped, peeled, and deseeded (to do this easily, cut each cucumber into halves and run a spoon down the seeded portion)

3 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced

1 medium red onion, very finely diced

8-10 artichoke hearts, chopped

Kalamata olives, chopped, to taste (they are very briny, so I only like 10-15 in a salad this size)

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing (makes 4 servings, approx)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. each: Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, and dijion-style mustard

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Direction:

1) Chop up veggies and toss together

2) Whisk dressing ingredients together briskly and pour over a serving of salad. This recipe makes a lot, so refrigerate the rest and dress as needed.

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp is a remarkable food to me. It takes apples (good of their own right) and makes them transcendent. I've eaten an absurd amount of the stuff this weekend as I had a flat of apples I had to go through before going here on Saturday. Of course I love the stuff right out of the oven, but it's also great cold for "breakfast" (hey! it has lots and lots of apples! And oatmeal! That makes it practically health food!) or other snack.

I adapted this from Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything.

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS:
APPLE MIXTURE:
6 cups semi-tart apples, sliced thinly (I don't see the point in using Granny Smiths because I just end up adding a bunch more sugar anyway; I used pink ladies for this and it turned out great)
Splash lemon juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brandy (optional, but it adds of ton of flavor)
2 tsp. vanilla (don't bother with vanilla extract; get the real Mexican stuff with tequila or make your own with 6 months of stewing split vanilla beans in vodka or other colorless/flavorless alcohol)
CRUMBLE:
2/3 c. brown sugar (add more to taste if using particularly tart apples)
1/2 c. instant oats
1/2 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. fresh ground cinnamon
1/4 fresh-grated nutmeg seed (or about 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg)
Pinch of salt
5 Tbsp. cold butter

DIRECTIONS
NOTE: Because I like a crumble that's on the barely browned side, I cook this for less time than the original recipe indicated. I compensate for this by cutting the apples razor thin (no really, you could see through them) with my Global Chef Knife. I wouldn't attempt this with anything other than a wickedly awesome sharp knife. If you don't want to do this, add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples. It took me about five large Pink Lady apples to mostly fill the 9X9 baking pan. Squeeze 1/2 lemon or splash pre-prepared lemon juice over those puppies. Dump in brandy, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Toss to coat evenly and set aside.
3. If you use a food processor, dump in the crumble ingredients and pulse a couple of times until well-incorporated but not uniform. If you don't have a food processor, it's okay. Just cut in the butter into the dry ingredients and combine with your fingertips or a fork. Be careful not to handle the butter too much or the crumble won't be as flaky.
4. Spray or grease a 9X9 square baking dish. Add in apples and make sure they are evenly distributed (if you let them sit in the brandy for about 20 minutes, the apples will have soaked up much of the liquid). Pour on crumble mixture evenly and pat down gently.
5. Bake for 25 minutes (or longer if you are using thicker apples and/or want a darker crumble). Serve with Cool Whip or vanilla bean ice cream while warm. Let cool completely before refrigerating.

Snickerdoodle Scones

I had a hankering for some biscuits tonight. And just when I was thinking this blog had a biscuit recipe on it, I remembered this AMAZING scone recipe and I immediately shifted gears and made a batch of these delicious little things. They are still in the oven, so I have yet to find out if my cream of tartar substitute works out, (I'm praying it does!) but while I'm waiting I am going to share the recipe. (I know, I know, it's been AGES since I've posted on here. My humblest apologies.)

Snickerdoodle Scones

*from Baking Bites

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into pieces
6-8 tbsp milk or cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar. Add butter to the flour mixture and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour, breaking the butter down into pieces smaller than a pea.

Combine milk and vanilla in a small dish and add about 6 tablespoons to flour mixture. Stir with a fork until dough comes together into a slightly sticky ball. If necessary, add additional tablespoon or two of milk. Dough should not be too wet. *Note: I ended up adding about 7 Tbsp. of milk.

Divide dough into six even balls.

In a small dish, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and ground cinnamon. Roll each ball of scone dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and flatten slightly on to prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until scones are set and edges begin to brown.

Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Makes 6 large scones.

These really are yummy. Snickerdoodles happen to be one of my most favorite cookies, and these are just the right amount of sweet. Yay for scones.

Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls are surprisingly easy. With fresh veggies and herbs--how can you go wrong, really? I use these measurements as a guideline based on my preference, and you should too.

Spring Rolls
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced into matchstick pieces
• 1/2 cup shredded or finely chopped cabbage
• 4-6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchstick pieces
• approx. 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• Optional: 1/2 C chicken or tofu, diced
• 2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for deep-frying
• 1 pkg. small spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)

Stir Fry Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (if vegetarian, substitute vegetarian oyster sauce, or extra soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sake or sherry

Serve with
• Thai sweet chili sauce
• or 2 parts soy sauce to 1 part rice vinegar with sriracha to taste
• or 1/3 cup plum sauce with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce. Add cut fresh chili or cayenne pepper if desired.

Directions

1. Place 1 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and shallots. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add a little water to the pan if it starts to get dry.
2. Add cabbage and mushrooms (and chicken or tofu if you choose). As you stir-fry, add the sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
3. Remove from heat and add bean sprouts, coriander and basil tossing to mix in.
4. Do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp. more fish or soy sauce if not salty enough.
5. Set up for assembly--have a bowl of water for your fingers and a clean, dry working surface for the rolls. To assemble rolls, place a spring roll wrapper on the clean working surface. Place one heaping Tbsp. of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more). Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Also, try not to include too much of the liquid left in the bottom of your wok/pan (a slotted spoon works well for this - drier filling is better.
7. Fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the end, "pasting" it shut.
8. To fry spring rolls, place some oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when you flick water at it with your fingers, and the water dances.
9. Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry a little less than 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain while you finish frying the rest. It might take one or two rolls to get the oil at just the right temperature--you don't want the rolls soaking in the oil, but you don't want them burning, either.
10. Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits: a famous, occasionally daunting quick bread. My association with biscuits is often how long they can take to assemble—especially for a "quick bread" that doesn't need to rise. I like this recipe because it is quick and approachable. In terms of fluffiness and flakiness, these biscuits can't beat meticulously cutting in a pound of butter into flour. However, for taste and convenience (start to coming out of the oven, this recipe took 35 minutes), I highly approve. All hail Alton Brown.

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. shortening

1 c. buttermilk, chilled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Easy Marinara

3-6 oz olive oil (good quality, but need not be extra virgin, save your money. The more oil you add the more flavor it will have. Beyond 6 oz will make it seem oily though.)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (don't use the pre minced crap, it has a bitter taste)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (find a good brand that doesn't have too many seeds, skins, or other unwanted crap)
1-2 fresh leaves of basil
or
5-8 fresh leaves of Italian parsley.
3/4 to 1 lb of pasta

Directions:
1. Start the water for the pasta to boil. For this recipe I use a big pot, and a little bit less than a gallon of water. Salt it with about four teaspoons of salt, don't skimp on the salt, you can always tell when pasta hasn't been salted correctly and there is no remedy after it's cooked.
2. In a 14 inch skillet or a deep sided 10-12 inch saute pan heat the oil to a medium temperature. The size of the pan is important (more on this later). Add the garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Do not let any of the garlic get brown, at that point it's overcooked which makes it bitter.
3. Add the tomatoes and stir together with a wide, flat wooden spoon or spatula. Bump up the heat to medium high until it starts bubbling and then back it off back to medium.
4. At this point the water should be close to boiling, when it is, add the pasta. This recipe will make up to a pound of pasta, but it's best with just a bit less than a pound. Cook it until it's just al dente.
5. While the pasta is cooking you want to take your spoon/spatula and smash the tomatoes up with the flat side. Do this until it becomes somewhat smooth and the chunks are not noticeable. Depending on how much the tomatoes have cooked before you start it shouldn't take but a few minutes to get it to the right consistency, which for me is not chunky, but definitely not a smooth paste.
6. When the sauce is at this consistency it's basically done, cooking it any more will not help it. You can add a lot of different things at this point or you can leave it like it is and just add the basil or the parsley. If you just want the simple tomato sauce then turn off the heat and add the chopped basil. If you like a bit more acid, try a dash of basalmic vinegar (I'd recommend investing in a decent quality one from Caputo's in Salt Lake . . . they have this white truffle-infused number that's delicious). We will do a dash or two of Tabasco at this point, too.

This recipe is quite adaptable to various types of seafood, particularly shellfish. Use parsley instead of basil of using seafood.. When the pasta is done, the dish is done. Drain it and then put it into the saute pan with the sauce still in it. This is key to getting the best flavor from your sauce. A lot of people make the mistake of cooking their sauce in a small pan and then pouring it over the pasta in a separate dish or in the big pot, thus leaving a lot of the flavor that has been built up in the sauce (the oil that stays in the pan holds the flavor). This is one reason why it's important to cook your sauce in a large pan, you want to be able mix the pasta with it while it's still in the pan. The other reason is that it with more surface area it will cook faster, which is a big part of this recipe's convenience.

A word on serving and garnishing

Italians always eat pasta in bowls. A standard place setting includes a dinner plate with a pasta bowl on top. Pasta is always a first course, so when it's done you clear the bowls and you have a clean plate to serve your second course (which for us is usually a simple salad).

Garnishes
The most common garnish for pasta is of course Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. A few other good cheese options include Grana Padano (very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano) or pecorino romano, which is goats cheese and therefore much more pungent. Sometimes when I'm making just a simple tomato sauce I'll add a small pat of butter while I'm mixing it with the sauce. It gives it a nutty flavor that goes well with the cheese.

An Italian would never add cheese to any dish that had any sort of fish in it. It's seen as repulsive and a big no no in Italian cuisine. To garnish the sauce with seafood you can add a few drops of a high quality, robust and fruity extra virgin olive oil to each individual dish and maybe a bit of fresh pepper. I really like Greek olive oils for this (Hygea is a favorite brand) because they are similar to a lot of strong southern Italian oils.

There you have it a great meal in 30-40 minutes depending on how long it takes you to boil water and cook pasta.

Cranberry Ginger Scones

These are dainty, British tea-party scones. NOT fried batter with cinnamon-sugar scones (Which are delicious but NOT scones. Sorry. I don't make the rules). I got turned on to scones when my roommate made them for me and served them with lime curd and Devonshire cream. Now they are an obsession. If you're shy about ginger, leave out the crystallized ginger and stick to the fresh and powdered gingers. But for those of you who love ginger, it's not overpowering. I promise!

Cranberry-Ginger Scones
Serves 12 scones

3 cups flour
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS Sugar (plus more for dusting)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt (or 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
3/4 cup COLD butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/4 cup baker's crystalized ginger, diced fine
1 tsp dried ground ginger
1 TBS fresh grated ginger
1 cup buttermilk OR 1/2 C plain yogurt + 1/3 C milk


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing rack in the lower third of the oven
2. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients then cut in butter by hand with a pastry blender (or forks if you don't have a pastry blender) until its mixed and looks like crumbs.
3. Add lemon zest, cranberries and ginger(s).
4. Make a well in the center of your mixture (think mashed potatoes with a well for the gravy--same idea). Pour the buttermilk or yogurt and milk into the dry ingredients. Mix until JUST BARELY combined with your hands. Seriously. DO NOT OVERMIX THE SCONES! Unless you're into tough little rocks.
5. On a lightly floured counter, knead the lump once or twice. Divide the lump in half and pat into a flat circle 3/4 in. thick. Your circle will have cracks on the edges. Leave 'em. Don't work the dough any more than you have to.
6. Cut into pie-wedges (about 6 per circle)
7. Put scones on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper (I just use my silicone-glass baking sheets). You can freeze the scones at this point and thaw them for a later date.
8. Brush the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle sugar on top before baking.
9. Bake until the scones are golden-brown and cracking (about 20-25 minutes).
10. Serve with lemon or lime curd and Devonshire cream.

Key Lime Bars

Spring is coming. If I post enough fruit, fresh, and barbecue recipes it will make it true! These amazing little bars are addictive and tangy and springy. They are courtesy of everyone's favorite felon, Martha Stewart. I love all her recipes.

Crust:
1 C plus 2 1/2 TBS finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C sugar
5 TBS unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2/3 C lime juice

Garnish:
Whipped cream
Key limes thinly sliced into half moons

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Make crust: Stir graham crackers, sugar, and butter into bowl and press evenly onto bottom of greased 8 in square baking dish, bake for about 10 mins, let cool completely
3. Make filling:
• Mix egg yolks and lime zest mix on high w/ whisk attachments, until thick, about 5 mins.
• Add sweetened condensed milk in a slow steady stream mixing constantly. Raise to high, mix until thick, about 3 mins.
• Reduce speed to low, add juice, mix until just combined

Spread filling evenly on crust. Bake 10 mins, cool completely, cool at room temp until cool to the touch and then in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.


Garnish

My Mom's Dinner Rolls

Yeah, I know. Three recipes in one day. I got laid off from my job and I'm now made of time.

My mom always forgot to make rolls beforehand and very rarely did they get a chance to rise. Somehow, these always turned out great.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. dry yeast

2 c. warm water

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. olive or vegetable oil

1 egg

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. nonfat dry milk

5-6 c. all-purpose white flour

Directions:

1) In a large electric mixer (or use a hand mixer with dough attachments) combine yeast and warm water. Let stand 5 minutes

2) Add sugar, oil, egg, dry milk, and salt, plus 2 cups of flour.

3) Mix on high speed until mixture is smooth.

4) Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough forms a soft ball.

5) Shape into round balls for rolls. Dough should fill one jellyroll pan, or make 30 balls.

6) Bake at 400 degree for 15-20 minutes.

My Favorite Waffles

I often rely on commercially-available, just-add-water pancake mixes. I wouldn't dream of this for waffles, as it's impossible to get the ideally ethereal, whispery light waffle batter from a mix.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 3/4 c. milk (2% is best)

1/2 c. oil (can be halved if watching your figure)

2 eggs, yolks and white separated (set whites aside)

Directions:

1) Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2) In another bowl, beat egg whites only with hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks means when you pull the hand mixer blades up, the egg pulls up from the mixture in little points.

3) In a blender, mix egg yolks, milk, and oil.

4) Pour egg yolk mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until just wet. Do not overmix. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

6) Gently fold in stiffened egg whites. Leave a few egg fluffs visible on top.

7) Pour onto a lightly greased waffle iron. Will make 8-12 waffles depending on the type of waffle iron you use.

Hummus

Motion DeSmith's post about onion dip inspired me to post this easy and delicious homemade hummus recipe. It requires a few ingredients you might not have hanging around the house, but are becoming increasingly available at many food retailers. I could probably die happy eating only Greek/Moroccan food, so I make this stuff pretty frequently.

Ingredients:

1 can 16 oz. chickpeas/Garbanzo beans

2-3 minced garlic cloves

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/3 c. tahini paste (sesame seed paste; typically comes in a jar or a tin)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or more to taste)

1/3 c. chickpea liquid, reserved

Directions:

1) Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid for later.

2) In a small skillet over low heat, cook garlic and cumin in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, until garlic is soft and cumin is fragrant, about 1 minute.

3) Turn out over chickpeas.

4) Add tahini (it's about the viscosity of peanut butter, so be prepared with a spatula to dig it out of the measuring cup), lemon juice, and salt. Mix in a blender or food processor until smooth.

5) Add chickpea canning liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Variations:

1) At step 4, add some bottled roasted red peppers to the mix.

2) Add roasted eggplant for a variation on baba ghanouj.

3) Add a dash of cayenne for a spicy hummus.

Serve with warm pita bread. You can make your own by setting the oven to 425 degrees and placing a jellyroll pan upside-down in the oven. Make a basic bread recipe, roll out 6-in pieces to 1/8 in thickness, and flip onto the pan for 3-5 minutes (watch carefully! You want them golden brown but not crispy). The heat from the pan and the heat from the air cook the dough on both sides, creating an air bubble inside and thus the enviable pita pocket. This process can take practice, so don't be discouraged if your pitas don't puff up. They will still be tasty.