Eat Something Good

Dump It On Me

2008-10-22T11:24:00.003-06:00

So, I married a guy who doesn't like pie. Can you believe it? How can you not like pie? My bestest friend Traci doesn't like pie either. Strange people. My husband does however redeem himself for liking cake and cookies. (Traci redeems herself in that she's a fabulous friend) He likes them a lot, in fact. So, much to my disappointment I shared my pie making tools to people who would truly enjoy them, and have embraced the cookie and cake world. My husband would tell you I don't make enough cake. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever actually made a real cake. My mom never really made cakes either, but she was known for her dump cakes. What's a dump cake? Well, quite simply it's exactly what it says it is. You dump the stuff in a baking dish and call it a cake. So simple it's embarrassing to need a recipe. This is my favorite dump cake EVER! After all, since my dear sweet husband has made pumpkin pie in this house extinct I had to find a suitable substitute. This dump cake has a nice sweet pumpkin pie texture, and the cake mix/pecan sprinkle over the top is just, well, the icing on the cake. We learned that this dump cake is better after it's totally cooled off. If you eat it straight out of the oven (after it cools enough to touch the pan, of course) it will be a little runny, but that didn't stop me so why should it stop you too?

Pumpkin Dump Cake

1 29 ounce can pure pumpkin
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup melted margarine (I used Smart Balance)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients until well blended, and pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top, and then cover with pecans. Pour melted margarine over top. Bake 30 minutes.

Delicious with whipped cream on top.

A Well Stocked Pantry is Good

2008-09-18T09:50:00.002-06:00

Last week we all had sinus issues. Not one of us could hear or even think clearly, because we were so clogged up. My favorite way of loosening up the passages is with hot stuff, temperature wise. I also think garlic does a body good during these times as well. So, I was desperately thinking of something to make when I came across this soup. One of our new friends had been tempting me with all kinds of Indian recipes, and that's what I had on the brain during my search. I grabbed a cookbook that's been collecting dust on our shelf and found this. We slurped it up in no time, and my husband even scrounged around and made it again a few days later! Check out my substitutions/additions after the recipe.

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
5 cups vegetable stock
12 ounces potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light tahini (sesame seed past)
7 ounces spinach, shredded
cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic and onion for 5 minutes, or until they are softened and golden brown.
2. Sir in the cumin and coriander and cook for another minute.
3. Pour in the stock and add the chopped potatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes more, or until the potatoes and chickpeas are just tender.
4. Blend together the cornstarch, cream, tahini and plenty of seasoning. Stir into the soup with the spinach. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cayenne pepper.

Here's what I did a little differently. Instead of spinach I used frozen broccoli cuts. I think I'll always do that since spinach tends to break down after sitting in a soup. The broccoli also added a nice texture. We had red potatoes on hand. They added a little more creaminess to the soup. Also, instead of heavy cream I used about 1/2 cup of skim milk and a few tablespoons of Earth Balance butter/margarine. OH! And the biggie.....how could I forget? I thought it needed about a teaspoon of curry.

I heart Mediterranean Food

2008-09-08T10:03:00.002-06:00

I do! I really love it! Those surveys that ask all kinds of silly questions so you can get to know me, my answer for favorite food is always Mediterranean. I love the tang of a black olive, the sharpness of feta cheese, warm pita bread fresh out of the oven, and the freshness of mint. There's a restaurant in the Chicago suburbs of LaGrange called The Grapevine, and I have dreams of eating every meal there for a week. When we lived in Pensacola, FL there was a Mediterranean deli that had the BEST sandwiches. I'm not really into all the meats, but they had a great meatless sandwich that I wish I'd eaten more frequently. We may have to make a trip to Pensacola just for the deli experience. And, I have to say that Pita's here in my hometown of Peoria, IL is pretty darn good! Their hummus is YUM-O, and they have the best pita bread. (of course, thus the name)
This recipe reminds me of what I think was the very beginning of my love affair with Mediterranean food. Whole Foods deli has something like it, so when I saw this in Cooking Light's dinner tonight section I HAD to make it. Dinner Tonight gives you a menu for one fabulous dinner. It also gives you a game plan, so that you can time everything to come out together and perfectly. Someday, I'm going to have the fresh pita bread from Pita's with my meal.

Here's their menu suggestion:
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Pita Wedges
Mint Iced Tea

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

1 Cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta, about 8 ounces)
2 Cups bagged prewashed baby spinach, chopped
1/2 Cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves (if I could get the jar open, I would use the roasted red peppers I have instead)
3 Tablespoons chopped red onion
3 Tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (6-ounce)jar marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
3/4 Cup (3 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled and divided

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; rinse with cold water. Combine orzo, spinach, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.
2. Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Coarsely chop artichokes, and add artichokes, reserved marinade, and 1/2 cup feta cheese to orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle each serving with remaining feta cheese. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups salad and about 1 Tablespoon cheese.)

It's Good to Be Gracious

2008-07-11T07:05:00.004-06:00

I feel bad. Originally, my plan was to post something I had made for my family at least once a week for you. And, well, that just doesn't happen as much as I'd like. For somone who really enjoys cooking for her family, I never in a million years thought I'd go weeks without cooking a meal. Yes, of course we eat. I just rarely cook for my family. Sad, isn't it? My mom busted her hump most nights and made many memorable meals. I'd really like that for my family too.

So, to fill in the gaps, I've decided to give gratitude for good things I eat. I'll still post fabulous recipes when I come across them, but I feel the need to tell you all about other good stuff too.

Today, OK actually it was last night, I was very thankful for watermelon. Sweet, delicious, full of that healthy lycopene that's in red fruits and veggies...watermelon. So good for a mama who is certain that hydration is they key for a healthy preganancy!

Mmmmm, Baby that's Good!

2008-05-29T12:09:00.003-06:00

I'm right in the middle of my "favorite" part of pregnancy. For me, I'm starving AND nauseous all at the same. It's OK if you don't understand, my husband has been scratching his head about this too. For the last few days I've been craving a dinner I'd made a few weeks ago. Certain the craving would pass, since it involved a vegetable, I dismissed it for a tenderloin the size of my abdomen. Twice. With french fries.....many times. ~sigh~ I'm sorry second child, apparently mama is not quite as devoted to your health as I was with your older brother.

So, anywho, this is another recipe from Cooking Light. I've loved that magazine for years, and I really wish they'd do more vegetarian friendly "Dinner Tonight" menus. This section is great, because they give recipes and suggestions for a whole meal. Nice, for a mama in her 12th week of pregnancy.

Gnocchi with Broccoli Rabe, Caramelized Garlic, and Parmesan

3/4 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed (whatever that is...I grabbed this stuff that's called baby broccoli, and is a combination broccoli/asparagus- YUM!)
1 (16-ounce) box vacuum-packed gnocchi
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 4 minutes. Remove broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon, and place in a colander; drain. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain gnocchi in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add broccoli rabe, gnocchi, and reserved cooking liquid to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Place 1 1/4 cups gnocchi mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Yield: 4 servings (yeah, right)

I also made the orange salad they recommend with it. I must say Cooking Light does a great job coming up with interesting sides, because I had NO clue what to make with this. We just happened to have the oranges and vidalia onions, so I went with it.

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Combine 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (no, I didn't have that on hand), 2 teaspoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Peel and slice 4 large navel oranges. Peel and thinly slice 1 small red onion. Arrange orange slices evenly on 4 salad plates; top evenly with onion. Drizzle with white wine vinegar mixture.

In case you're wondering, Angel food cake with raspberries was the suggested dessert. How divine!

Be Good To Your Parents

2008-05-16T21:16:00.002-06:00

My parents have done so much for us that I often ask God why I'm so blessed. I mean, why me? Why did I get the parents that I have? How did he choose the family for me that everyone actually likes each other, and, when we're not around each other we truly truly miss them. It's sometimes overwhelming. Jakob and my dad are like peanut butter and jelly. Jakob adores my dad, and my dad thinks Jakob is the best thing since sliced bread. (no offense to my niece Madeline, who my dad obviously has a soft spot for) Jakob will drop everything when "Opa" is around. Want Jakob to do a chore? Ask Opa, and Jakob will do it for him. "Oma" is my mom. She's best for a snuggle on the couch and yet another round of Toy Story. Talk about patience. Oma will softly brush his cheek until he falls asleep. This could take days, and my mom never gives up. So, what does this have to do with a food blog, you ask? Well, the way to my families heart is thru their stomach. So, today I made them dinner. OK, OK so I will admit my good deed may have been a little self serving. I am 10 weeks pregnant, and baby (yeah, right) needs some omega-3 laden salmon. Grilled, thank you very much. I see an opportunity when it's presented to me. Opa wants to play, and, I'm hungry. They have a grill. They like meat. My husband is a vegetarian. He worked tonight. See where I'm going with this?

Be good to your parents.

Gingery Grilled Salmon (found on FoodNetwork.com)

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fnely chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick), cut into 4 pieces, skin on, pin bones removed

Whisk together yogurt, ginger, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, honey, oil, salt, and pepper in a a small bowl. Place salmon in a shallow glass dish and pour the marinade over it, turning the salmon to coat on all sides. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice.

Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. (Do not use a grill pan-salmon will stick.)

Oil the grill rack (see tip). Place the salmon, skin-side up, on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes. Using 2 metal spatulas, carefully turn the salmon pieces over and cook just until opaque in the center, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Remove the salmon from the grill. Slip off the skin.

Warm Goodness

2008-03-15T08:16:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to get this recipe up for months. I'm so sorry that you've missed a whole season to make this. Good thing today was gray, with lots of rain and thunder looming. What a perfect day to make soup! I think this was our favorite soup EVER! You could also add chicken to this, but why add the extra expense and trouble when this soup has all the components of a tasty meal already?

White Bean Chilli

1 lb white beans (like Great Northerns)
2 large onions, diced
2 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 4 ounce cans diced green chilies
1 8 ounce can salsa verde (optional)
7 cups "chicken like" or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound tomattllos, cleaned and quartered
1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped green onions (for garnish)
Sour cream (optional)

Soak beans overnight or use quick soak method (bring beans and water to cover by 1" to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cover. Let sit 1 hour, then proceed) ***I cheated, and bought 3 cans of white beans. Save yourself the trouble and do the same!***
Pour off soaking water and cover beans with fresh water and bring to full boil. Lower heat and simmer. While beans simmer,***if you bought the canned beans START HERE*** in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute onions any way that gets the job done, when translucent, add cumin, chili powder, poultry seasoning, green chilies and salsa verde. Saute for 5 minutes, adding a little stock if it begins to stick. Then add the rest of the stock, bay leaves, and tomatillos and 3/4 cup cilantro. If you're using canned beans, this is another part to skip- yeah! Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered while beans continue to cook. When beans are just tender (1-2 hours) add them to the soup pot and simmer everything together for another 1/2 hour. Add the beans to the other mixture, season with salt and peper to taste. Just before serving, add the rest of the cilantro and the lime juice (lime juice is a nice touch, and SO worth it), stir to blend. Ladle into big bowls and top with green onions and an optional dollop of fat free sour cream.

Lentil Loaf Goodness

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

OK, before you tell me that there is NO WAY you'd EVER eat something called Lentil Loaf just trust me on this. You have to, because it's good. Better than good. Just look at the unique-ish combination of flavors going on here- ginger, ketchup (what the heck?! stay with me here), onions, cilantro, the garlic I'm recommending you add. Oh my! Seriously, just make it. Since we have a vegetarian kitchen, I miss my moms meatloaf. She does this ketchup/barbecue sauce thing on the top, and the flavors in this recipe reminded me of that. It was good all by itself, but true to its inspiration, the leftover ideas are even better. Husband enjoyed it rolled into a flour tortilla. My mouth watered at a sandwich. I think it was divine intervention that the day I was at Great Harvest they had Garlic/Cheddar Cheese Bread. I didn't toast the bread, but OH I SO will next time and then slather on my sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

P.S. Could someone please tell me what the heck I do with all these cooked lentils? I cooked the whole bag, and I have WAY too many! Of course, I could make another lentil loaf. ;)

Carrot-Lentil Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups sliced carrot (I used matchstick and kinda sauted them for a bit)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onion (see my previous post about carmelizing)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (Ginger is KEY!)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups cooked lentils
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup garlic-and-herb breadcrumbs (I had homemade croutons and whirled them)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Steam carrot, covered, 15 minutes or until tender.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and ginger (and garlic); sauté 7 minutes or until golden.

Combine the carrot, onion mixture, lentils, and the next 4 ingredients (lentils through egg) in a food processor (I skipped the food processor part), and process until smooth. Combine carrot mixture, oats, breadcrumbs, walnuts, and salt in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Yield
6 servings

Oui Oui French Onion Dip

2008-01-25T19:35:00.000-06:00

As I write, there is a teenage boy in my house. Do you know how much this boy can consume in one sitting? Fortunately, everything in our house is just way too healthy for this boy, so he's never really eaten much on my watch. I'm trying to be nice today, since he's oh-so-very grounded and lucky to be babysitting for us tonight. Yeah, his grades were that bad! He's a good kid, really. He just doesn't find school all that interesting. I don't blame the kid, so I hope he sees how much I sympathize by making homemade French onion dip.

Oh, it is SO worth the extra effort. And by effort, I mean chopping one onion is really the only effort there is. We would never buy French Onion Dip, because of all the garbage that's in it, but you might catch me drooling over it at the grocery store secretly wishing there were samples to be had. I think this recipe was from a segment of a Food Network show that dissected the art of caramelizing onions. It takes about 10-20 minutes to get them just golden enough, but it's the do-something-else-and-stir as you walk by kinda deal.

French Onion Dip

olive oil (for the pan)
1 onion (diced)
1 individual size (8 or 6oz?)carton of plain yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I used the lesser amount, to keep it less fattening)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

There is an exact recipe out there, but I just eye-balled it this time. Over medium-heat cover the saute pan in olive oil (probably a tablespoon or two) and add in the onions. When the onions start to get clear, I toss in some sugar (1 tablespoon?), to help the carmelization. For the onions to be completely carmelized, they will look very golden and almost ummmmmm burnt, but not quite. This can take about 20 minutes. I find something else to do, and just stir every once in a while. After they look good to you, set them aside to cool.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Add the onions after they've cool, and stir. Stir again before serving.
We really enjoy this dip with Baked Ruffles!

It's Good to be Cheap

2008-01-07T18:35:00.000-06:00

My husband and I made a New Year's resolution to begin Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We're tired of the debt. As any smart person would do, I made lunch for Jason and I for work. I got this recipe out of Vegetarian Times' January/February 2007 issue, and I felt healthier at the thought of making it. Quinoa (pronounced "Keen-Wa") is a whole grain that's high in protein. While making this recipe, it made me want to have pack a picnic or have a ladies luncheon. I dunno, something about apricots makes me thing of ladies who lunch. I thought this was very tastey, and I'm so excited that all things I had to buy for this recipe left with enough to make it again - soon! Very soon!

Quinoa Salad With Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette
(recipe says "serves 4," but it was a healthy serving for 2 at our house)

1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (um didn't see the rinsed and drained part when I made it - oops!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup apricots, diced into small pieces
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 shallot, finely chopped (I'm cheap, and used 2 tablespoons of red onion instead)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 oranges, peels sliced off and sections cut out. (I used only one)

1. Toast almonds 4 to 5 minutes in dry skillet or toaster oven, or until pale brown and fragrant, stirring often.
2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add quinoa and salt, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, or until tender and almost all water is absorbed. Drain, then transfer to large bowl. (I just let the quinoa simmer until the water was absorbed. Stir often!) Toss with apricots and raisins. Allow quinoa to cool before adding the vinaigrette.
3. Whisk together orange juice, shallot (red onion), parsley, cilantro, mint, orange zest, cumin, and corainder. Whisk in oil. Pour dressing over quinoa, and toss to coat. Garnish with orange slices and toasted almonds.

How Magic is Good....Very Good!

2007-12-18T22:03:00.000-06:00

I actually give my mom credit for this one. She used to make it, and when I got my crockpot it was the first thing I put in it. A few weeks ago, our babysitter's son had en emergency appendectomy so I took the beginning stage of this recipe. All she had to do was bake it. Around 9 in the evening she called me, confessed she was on her third bowl, and planned to hide the leftovers in the back of the fridge so her teenager wouldn't find it. Ha! I know I've mentioned that my kitchen is now vegetarian, but if my husband wanted to be a meat eater for a day THIS is what he'd get. If I really want to make an impression, I pop a loaf of frozen bread dough in a pan and let it rise. The house smells soooo wonderful with the fresh bread baking and the stew well, stewing. Enjoy!

Magic Stew

2 pounds stew meat
2 onions, sliced
2 stalks celery, cut
6 carrots, cut (or baby carrots)
4 large potatoes, quartered
2 Tablespoons salt
1/4 Tablespoon pepper
2 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 ounces V-8
6 ounces Tomato Juice
Place meat in crockpot, then put the veggies on top. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, tapioca, and sugar. Sprinkle over veggies. Pour V-8 and tomato juice over veggies. Cook on low for 12 hours, or high for 6 hours Stir before serving.

You can also bake this for 4 hours at 350 degrees.

Snacks Are Good.....Very Good!

2007-12-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

OK, so I have a ton of new recipes to share with you, but I don't have them. However, there is one "recipe" that's so stinkin' easy that I memorized it. You should be SO proud of me! It's popcorn. Yeah, I know who needs a freakin' recipe when you have microwave popcorn? Well, I say there's so much fun in popcorn when you can make it yourself. Are you ready? Gather these things:

brown lunch bags
popcorn (the old fashioned kind..like the 1 pound bag for a BUCK!)
olive oil (I'm researching whether or not canola would be OK)
stapler

What I do is mix 1/4 cup of popcorn and 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Then, I dump that into a lunch bag. Fold the bag down just enough to get it closed, and staple it shut twice. You'll need ample space for your popcorn to grow. Assure your husband dozens of times you WILL NOT catch the microwave on fire. Set the microwave for 2 minutes, and watch in utter amazement. It's cheaper, it's not nearly as oily, and by golly.....YOU DID IT!!!!

This is my dream snack, so I'll share this too. It's the hot cocoa recipe on the side of the Hershey's canister.

Heat up 2 cups of milk in a Pyrex measuring cup (this is the easiest)
In a mug put in 2 tablespoons of Hershey's cocoa
2 tablespoons of sugar
a dash of salt (this is the secret, I think)
a dash of vanilla

I heat up the milk for about 3 minutes, and whir up the hot cocoa up with my latte frother gadget. I'm so glad to finally find a real use for it. In my opininion, this hot chocolate kicks Swiss Miss booty! You'll never want that stuff again.

The Other Spaghetti

2007-11-02T16:52:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe in a cookbook that I'd paid little attention to before. We bought some spaghetti squash at the pumpkin farm (er, apple farm....whatever!)and I had no idea what to do with it. This was the first recipe I found, and it was SO wonderfully easy that I'd rather deal with spaghetti squash from now on than cook pasta. I don't have the actual recipe, but this is a pretty forgiving recipe so just go with me on this one.

Spasta

Here's what you need:
Spaghetti Squash
Pesto (make your own or buy it, we actually used an artichoke pesto from the deli)
Vegetables (whatever you want, we used zucchini, yellow squash, and onions)
Marinara Sauce (make your own or buy it)
Pine Nuts (totally not necessary, but it's a nice touch)

Begin by cleaning off the spaghetti squash really well. I had no idea a squash could be so dirty, but all those marks came off so that's why I'm telling you to do this. sheesh! Put the spaghetti squash on a pan and roast it whole (I stabbed it with a fork a few times to take out some frustrations, but this may not be necessary) in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Our squash could probably have roasted for another 10 minutes, but we ate it anyway. It will be soft to the touch when it's done, and the skin may turn golden brown.

While the squash is roasting, toast the pine nuts in a small pan until they are golden brown. Set aside for garnish later. Saute the veggies to your liking, and then toss them with the pesto. I used about 1/2 of our container. Warm up your marinara sauce. (I'm so classy, we used jarred, but dear husband insists I make my own next time. Um, help!)

Here's the fun part! After the spaghetti squash has cooled a bit, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then, using a fork, pull the squash out of the skin. It will seriously look like spaghetti! Then, put a layer of marinara sauce on the plate, then the spaghetti squash, the veggies with pesto, and add pine nuts. It looks so pretty and sophisticated on the plate.

The recipe says it feeds 4, but this was all we had, so I'd say it would feed 3 hungry people. If you must have a meat with it, some spicey Italian sausage or meatballs would work well. I also thought about adding some white beans (the soft ones, not garbanzo...totally blanking on what they are called...Great Northern maybe?) for the vegetarians in the family. We had garlic bread on the side, and we were totally satisfied.

Italian Night

2007-08-06T08:24:00.000-06:00

You would think ravioli should be a fairly simple meal to make. It's just pasta with some stuff smooshed in it, and then some sauce drizzled over the top. Easy, right? Ummmm, not so much if you're the person actually making all those components. There's the pasta to be made and rolled out, the smooshed stuffed to be diced into tiny pieces and then sauteed, and the sauce to be painstakingly stirred. Vegetarian Times had a recipe in their September 2007 issue that made a few of those steps a little more bearable. Using won ton wrappers, which I found in the organic section with the tofu, shortened the actual pasta routine. The stuffing is a delicious mixture of wild mushrooms, onions, and garlic. The sauce is a unique green pee puree, a much healthier version of pesto, although not quite as luscious.

Mushroom Ravioli with Green Pea Puree
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped (1/2cup)
1 clove garic, minced (1 tsp)
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used rosemary)
8 oz. wild mushroom mix or assorted mushrooms, chopped (3 cups)
2 Tbs. sherry
24 won ton wrappers

Green Pea Puree
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (forgot to buy, used water instead)
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired (Yeah! an exuces to use my microplane)

1. To make Mushroom: Ravioli: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent and starting to brown. Stir in garlic and thyme, and cook 1 minut more. Add mushrooms, and increase heat to high. Saute mushrooms 7 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated. Add sherry to pan and cook 1 minute, or until sherry has evaporated. Transfer to bowl, and cool 20 minutes.

2. Place 1 won ton wrapper on work surface. Brush edges with water. Spoon 1 tsp. mushroom mixture in center of wrapper and fold into triangle (I made rectangles, which were much easier), pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and mushroom mixture.

3. To make green pea puree, Blend peas, broth, and cheese in blender until smooth. Transfer to saucepan, and warm over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

4. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain. Spoon Pea Puree onto plates, and top with ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Zucchini Magic

2007-07-18T19:49:00.000-06:00

Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins

Ack! Has it really been since April that I've posted about something good?! Must not be anything all that good out there, huh? Well, I've been trying to find something delicious that had green stuff in it that Jakob just wouldn't be able to refuse. He's a really good breakfast eater, and that's really my only chance to have any influence on what he eats. All his other meals are with the babysitter or my parents. So, I've done the green smoothie (spinach or herbs with fruit and water), sneaked spinach into scrambled eggs, and now I've found muffins. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, which is one of my moms favorite places to find something good. This recipe was shared by another mother who also lamented over her toddler not eating vegetables.

Here are my substitutions: Instead of plain yogurt, I used vanilla, and totally omitted the white sugar. I wasn't about to go looking for oat flour, so I whirled 1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal in the mini processor, which came out to around 3/4 Cup.

I started Jakob off with 2 straight out of the oven muffins, and he shoved fistfuls of them into his mouth. He pounded his chubby fists together for "more" in sign language, mumbled the actual "more" words, and then rubbed his belly for "please." So, I'm thinking he loved them!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 24 muffin cups.
In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the zucchini, carrots, pecans, and raisins. Scoop into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

2007-04-30T08:36:00.000-06:00

It had to be in the 80's yesterday. Easily. First thing in the morning my son and I went to the park and played on the slides and swang on the swings. It was great! When it's that hot outside, the last thing on my mind is what to fire up in the stove. So, I looked for something that would be refreshing and keep the condo somewhat cool. That's when I came across this easy pasta dish. It's such a great first taste of Summer. The recipe, from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, suggests adding extra tomatoes, but I would also recommend adding extra green beans. I LOVED the flavor of all the vegetables! You could even save a few calories by omitting the feta. Usually, I'm all about the feta, but to me this recipe was more about the tomato mixture along with the green beans. Oh, and the weather person just came on, and said the expected high today is 86! Thank goodness for leftovers.

pasta with easy summer sauce

2 cups quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/2 cup minced red onions
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 pound farfalle or other short chunky pasta
2 cups cut gren beans (2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or more to taste

Bring a large covered pot of salted water to boil.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, parsley, basil, red onions, garlc, olives, oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar, if using, in a large bowl.

When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. When the water returns to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the beans are tender. Drain well.

Add the pasta and green beans to the bowl with the seasoned tomatoes. Stir in the feta cheese and gently toss everything together. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Beans! Beans! The Magical Fruit.....

2007-04-22T15:48:00.000-06:00

Occasionally, I lurk on the veggie board over at Mothering.com. Those mamas sure know how to whip up some interesting vegetarian meals for their families. They have a thread that's titled "What's For Dinner?", and like you guessed, people post their menus for the evening. It seems like every night someone is having barbecued beans and cornbread. It sounded so good that I had to see if one of my Moosewood cookbooks had the recipe. Low and behold the recipe is in the Low-Fat Favorites book! If you're in a hurry, "you can use a good brand of well-rinsed canned beans and saute the garlic and onions in a small amount of oil before combining and simmering all of ingredients." Also, if you're cooking for a vegetarian, check the ingredients in the barbecue sauce. Some bottled barbecue sauces contain worcestshire sauce, which contains anchovies, which are fish, which are not vegetarian friendly.

Barbecued Beans

2 Cups dried navy beans, soaked at least 8 hours in water to cover by 2 inches
2 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Cup chopped onions
1/2 Cup prepared nonfat barbecue sauce (I used Annie's Organic)
1/4 Cup prepared mustard
1/4 Cup molasses OR pure maple syrup (I used molasses)
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Drain the soaked beans and combine with the garlic and onions in a large soup pot. Cover with water by at least an inch and bring to a rapid boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until tender. Add water to the pot as necessary to maintain the water level throughout cooking.
When the beans are ready, drain them and stir in the barbecue sauce, mustard, molasses OR maple syrup, and vinegar. Add Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. To cook the beans on the stove top, gently simmer on low heat with a heat diffuser for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring them. To bake them, transfer the beans to a baking dish and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking.

I'm also baking a basic cornbread out of a cookbook from my families hometown. On the side, we'll have spinach salad with some sort of creamy dressing. I think ranch sounds good......

Eat Something Cuban

2007-03-27T14:19:00.000-06:00

I'm here! I'm here! Did you think that I'd forgotten about my good blog? Honestly I just had not eaten anything that inspired me to tell you about it. That was until I read a few articles about Cuba. I'm completely intrigued by that little Communist island, and the fact that it's forbidden territory. The sandwich recipe is from another Cooking Light article. They say it was inspired by a late night craving. Oh, and I'm going to give you an idea for a mojito vinaigrette that you could put on some broccoli slaw.

Here's what you need for the sandwiches:
Cooking Spray
Hawaiian bread (another excellent excuse to eat this stuff!)
Dijon mustard
Mayonnaise
Black Pepper
Sandwich cut dill pickles
Roma Tomatoes
Sliced Swiss Cheese

Heat up a griddle or pan and spray with cooking spray. Mix together the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and pepper in a small bowl. Or, just slather the stuff on both sides of the bread. Then, put the pickles, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese on bread slices and make yourself a sandwich. Trust me, this is strangely good! Place the sandwich on the griddle or whatever you would use to make grilled cheese. The magazine recipe says to place something heavy on the sandwich, but I just smooshed it down with my hand. Yeah, I'm sanitary like that. Grill on both sides until the cheese is melted.

Mojito Vinaigrette (Mo Hee Toe)
Here's What You Need:
1/4 Cup Fresh Mint, finely chopped (or use cilantro, but then it's not a mojito)
1/2 Lime, squeezed (for juice)
1-2 Tablespoons Honey (or superfine sugar if you have it)
1/4 Cup Orange Juice (but I used 2T. apple vinegar, and it still tasted good)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
Splash Rum (we don't have any, but if you do- Go for it!)

Whisk all of those ingredients together, and eat something good!

YUM Salad

2007-02-07T19:43:00.000-06:00

Oh yum! I just made the easiest salad, but it's so good I have to share it with you.
What should I call it? How about....

YUM Salad (clever, huh?)
Spinach
goat cheese (mine has cranberries in it)
dried cherries
almonds

Dressing:
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
garlic
salt
pepper

I didn't measure, because I just kinda threw it together in a container large enough for a side salad. However, the vinegar/oil should be 50/50. So, if you just want to make a salad for yourself 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar should be enough. The rest of the dressing is to taste. I used one clove of garlic, but that was WAY too much. No kisses for me tonight! lol The goat cheese will kinda soak up the salad and then gets creamy. I love the different textures in this salad. What inspired me was a recipe from Vegetarian Times, and they had orange sections in theirs. I would have thrown in the orange too, or a clementine, but I didn't have time to peel it. I've never put goat cheese in a salad before, and who knew I have been missing so much. This is a GREAT winter time salad!

Aunt Pearl's No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

2007-02-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

Yikes! The babysitter called today, because her son had the nasty flu bug. I took her up on the offer to have her oldest watch KornKob at our house, but he was coming straight from school. "Oh No!" I thought, because he'll probably be starving, and our house is totally not teenage boy friendly when it comes to food. So, I "baked" him some cookies. I remember making these with my dad. We'd make so many it covered our entire kitchen table, and I'd eat the tiny bits that were dropped while we waited for the big cookies to set up. My Aunt Carole caught wind once that we liked these cookies, and she'd send us home with an entire oatmeal container full of them. We had to take a sabbatical from them, but now that I've introduced them to KornKob (BIG mistake)I don't think he'll allow that. He sat and ate his cookie, then licked his hands clean, AND ate every single oat that had fallen. He LOVED this cookie! Although, there hasn't been a cookie so far that KornKob will turn down.

Oh, and Aunt Pearl was my Great Grandad Krost's sister. She made these for my dad when he was young too. It's a Krost tradition!

Aunt Pearl's No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Cocoa
1/2 Cup Margarine (I used butter, but see my note)
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
3 Cups Oatmeal

Bring sugar, cocoa, and margarine to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. Let cool for a few minutes, and then transfer in drops onto waxed paper. Let the cookies set up until the look kinda dried out. Store the cookies in a cool, dry place.

*I used butter and a natural peanut butter, which is why I think they were ooey gooey and stuck together. If you use margarine and something more like Jif peanut butter the cookies will hold up better.

Roasted Vegetables

2007-01-23T17:32:00.000-06:00

We eat plenty of junk food in our house. I know no one will believe us, unless they've seen us around some freshly baked cookies or our very own birthday cake. (yeah, he's a lucky kid) Lately, we've had this "thing" for roasted vegetables. Vegetables?! Ugh! I can hear your eyes rolling. These things are so good, they should be junk food. Vegetables just can't possibly be this good! Jason and I both can't stop ourselves from picking at the perfectly toasted onions, the sweet turnips, or the slightly crunchy potatoes. Who knew a turnip could be so good? I mean, the only thing I've ever heard about a turnip is how some people fall off the turnip truck. I guess if you eat too many, maybe it's a possibilty. I don't know, I haven't tried. The secret to roasting vegetables is apple cider vinegar. I guess the apple cider coaxes out the goodness in them, and it's the perfect compliment to Fall's best vegetables. I've used several different veggies, just depending on what I feel like chopping up at the time. The two "must have" veggies are an onion and some turnips. This last batch I used an acorn squash, 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, and two turnips. Just cut the veggies into about 1 inch pieces and put them on a baking sheet with edges. (I used a jelly roll pan) Oh, and if I have any fresh garlic, I peel some cloves and throw those in also. They give another interesting burst of flavor. Put the veggies over brown rice, and you'll make Jason one happy camper!

Here's the Flavoring Concoction:

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (could use canola oil too)
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
salt (the cyclist in our house doesn't like a lot but it helps bring out the flavor)
pepper (to taste)

Bake at 450 degrees for 60 minutes, rotating the veggies every 20 minutes. You'll notice after 30 minutes the onions will start to have dark brown edges. This is a good thing!

Egg Taters

2007-01-15T18:07:00.000-06:00

Although I don't get to make my family dinner most nights, I try to make a decent breakfast for Jakob and myself. Usually, it's oatmeal with fruit, cinnamon, and honey thrown in it. Sometimes, I break up a pancake and mix in some yogurt and fruit. Last night however, a craving set in. My cousin's husband, Tim, makes what he calls "egg taters." I don't know if this is something experienced by most and I just happened to miss this part of life, but the first time I had egg taters a hole had been filled. Egg taters are a good way to start the day. They may be a little bit country, but even city folk can really appreciate egg taters. The best thing about them is that you can clean out your refrigerator and make them tons of different ways. The most important thing is that you have, duh! eggs and (surprise!) 'taters.

Here's how I made them today. Keep in mind that anything beyond eggs and potatoes is fancy. ;-)

Egg Taters

Begin by shredding (ever grated your own cheese? use that same gadget)a fist-sized potato for each person that will be eating. I used a yukon gold, but that's just what I had available. Put some oil or butter or whatever you like to keep things from sticking in a warm skillet. You're about to make hash browns! I like giving the potatoes a bit of a head start, so they come out nice and crispy. Then, scramble an egg (one for each person again)and add a bit of milk. Pour that onto the potatoes. After that, you can add whatever you want on it. I chopped up some green onions, spinach, and of course cheese. This will really make you wonder why you don't make your own hash browns. It's so worth it!

Moros y Cristianos

2007-01-10T17:20:00.000-06:00

Sunday is my night to cook, since I work second shift and Jason has a crazy retail schedule. I've been wanting to make a bean's 'n rice thing for the longest time, but nothing really struck me. My mom gave me her issue of September 2006 Cooking Light, which had an article about Cuban cooking. Ahhhhh, how I love learning about forbidden places! Moros y Cristianos (Cuban-Style Black Beans and Rice) was so good. I had to do a little subsitution on the spices, because I forgot which ones I needed, but it turned out delicious. It smelled so good too! Here's the recipe:

Moros y Cristianos (Cuban-Style Black Beans and Rice)

2 cups uncooked long-grain rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper object
1/4 cup water
3 (15-ounce) cans 50%-less-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
6 dashes hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomato to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Add vinegar and the next 6 ingredients (through red pepper) to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, beans, and pepper sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup beans and 1/2 cup rice)

Actually, after looking at the recipe, I did quite a bit of substitutions. I used grape tomatoes and cut them in half. Instead of sherry vinegar, I used 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. (I have no idea what sherry vinegar tastes like) And, as far as the spices go I know I used oregano as per the recipe. However, I made my own concotion after that. I think I used a tablespoon or so of curry powder. It had a lot of the spices called for in the recipe, so I thought what the heck! I didn't use coriander or fennel seeds, because I don't have those. And, since I didn't have ground red pepper I used chili powder. We loved it! I would have loved to make some cornbread as a side, but I just didn't have the time. It was a nice meal to put in a bowl and sit in front of the TV with. (sigh) So much for that family meal we were going for.

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

2007-01-03T16:45:00.000-06:00

I cleaned out the fridge today, and found something good to eat. Go figure! 'Isn't that supposed to happen?' you say. Well, most of the stuff I found contributed to the science expirament theme I started with this year. However, I found CHOCOLATE. Oh, but not just any chocolate. It's my favorite - hot fudge. It's not just any old hot fudge though. I made it. And, you should too. How can I best describe this wonderful chocolateness? Let's just say it completes me. To be fair to my husband and Kornkob, it completes me in a way that a warm shower envelops me after a run on a cold day. Do you know that feeling? You really should try this stuff! It is so good for this womanly mommy soul of mine!

Chocolate Fudge Sauce (from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library "Chocolate")
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2-3 tablespoons rum (I use vanilla extract)

Place the cream in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Watch carefully as it can easily boil over the sides. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. This will take 15-20 minutes. (read a book while you're stirring.)
Stir in the brown sugar and heat, stirring, until dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and the butter, stirring until they melt and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the rum (or vanilla), if desired.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

I've Been Tagged

2007-01-02T21:24:00.000-06:00

So here's "THE RULES""According to the rules...Each player of this game starts with the "6 Weird Things about You." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"

Here are my six weird things:
1. While in High School, I was run over by an East German Berliner bicyclist. I TOTALLED his bike, completely mangled it. Totally wish I had a picture of his bike, because it was amazing how screwed up it was. And, the guy was SO mad, until my friends and I started emptying our shoes and other sneaky hiding places of all our useless-to us German Marks. He left smiling, so I guess we made good that day.
2. I eat A LOT of chocolate. I mean, A LOT.
3. DH and I met on match.com. Although, I hear that's not so weird anymore.
4. I'm a hussy, and darn tootin' proud of it!
5. In order to start my day, I must have a drink of water. Most people have coffee, I need water.
6. I once had a cyst on the back of my neck that made me look like I swallowed an egg. Now, I have a nifty scar where the "egg" once was. I like to say that's where the aliens implanted their microchip. They'll be back for me soon. ;-)

And, six people to tag: Jason, Aaron S., um, and that's all I'm willing to tag. Sorry!

Lesson Learned About Veganism

2007-01-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

I've been reading a vegan lunch box blog by another smart mom. The first day I read it she had made her little schmoo Lunch Box Fondue. All the comments seemed positive and, for being vegan, it didn't seem too "out there." Well, except for the nutritional yeast flakes, which I'd heard was supposed to supply a nice sharp parmesan cheese flavor to whatever you put it on. Well, we all know that vegans and vegetarians easily forget how the real thing is supposed to taste. My vegetarian husband warned me about these yeast flakes, but my curiousity got the best of me. So, I ordered the yeast flakes from Amazon and I made Lunch Box Fondue for my parents New Year's Eve shin-dig. There would be just the right amountof curious participants, and innocent hungry folk to perform my expirament. I think my creation lost its integrity when my Grandmother, who was in the living room, could see the crinkling of my nose all the way into the kitchen after each sample I took. "How is it going in there?" She'd ask while sitting juuuuuust far enough away in the living room that everyone could hear her asking. I was trying to be a little more discreet about the fact that my fondue did not live up to my HUGE expectations. You see, I had made other things from this website that were so yummy. Turns out, we won't be going vegan at our house anytime soon.

What's Cooking?

2006-12-28T18:50:00.001-06:00

Well, since this is my first-ever attempt at a blog, and it's food related I guess I should tell you what's cooking today. Honestly, I have not cooked a darn thing. My dream as a little girl was to be the perfect wife and mother, whipping out homemade breakfast, lunch, and dinners every. single. night. AND, do it all with a smile! Talent, huh? As all the Grandmothers out there are just shaking their heads and saying to themselves, "yeah, right." Now, as a mother and wife (at least that part of the dream came true) I realize the fact that I don't have to make dinner every night is a blessing. But let me get one thing straight....If I didn't work second shift, I'd make a real effort at putting something delicious and healthy on the table at least once a day. And that's what this blog will be about- a delicious, well-rounded meal.