Comments (1)

By Emily, January 11, 2010 5:25 am

So…work is still kicking my butt.  I started a new (full time, rest of the year!) teaching job last  Monday and I had this fantasy that I was going to have more time for me (aka this blog, the gym, cooking cool recipes, hanging out with Brian, etc) than I did with my last position.  Keyword being fantasy.  I’m still getting my bearings and getting settled in the new job, so, posting schedule still sucks :)

Nevertheless, I’m chipping away at my New Years Resolutions.  Here I am, posting (again!).  Tuesday and Saturday we went to the gym (must be the beginning of January–that place was busy!)  And last Sunday I made soup –and biscuits, which fall under the category of “learning to make things I normally buy”.

The soup was really satisfying.  It’s really thick and using fresh produce made it even better.  Minestrone is one of those soups that’s easy to alter and update based on what you’ve got in the fridge…this is what I had or remembered to buy and it turned out great.  You know you need another soup recipe :)

Sticking with the above and previously mentioned goal of learning to make things instead of buying pre-made processed foods, I made biscuits to go with the soup.  In short: easy, fast, and really, really delicious.  We may never eat sliced bread with soup again.

Dill, Red onion and Cheese Drop Biscuits
from Everybody Likes Sandwiches
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red onions, finely diced
1 Tablespoon dried dill
a hearty grind of black pepper
a large handful of old cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk or milk with 1 Tablespoon vinegar or yogurt with a bit of milk mixed in

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, red onions, dill, black pepper and cheese.
3. Stir in the milk and oil and mix lightly until combined.
4. Using a tablespoon, drop blobs of dough on a parchment covered or silpat lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until lightly golden. Makes about 6 – 9 (really delicious) biscuits.
5. Enjoy!

Comments (1)

By Emily, November 14, 2009 11:35 am

Brian and I have been eating homemade pizza every couple weeks or so, but I wanted to mix it up a little.  I decided to try making a calzone.  Granted, that isn’t really much of a feat, but I get a little scared whenever I’m not working with a recipe.  Well, miracles do happen, because the calzone turned out great (better, Brian says, than the calzones at one of my favorite restaurants…but that’s another story).  Anyway, one of the great things about pizza and calzones is that they’re so easy to make healthy (or healthier, depending on how you want to look at it.  I could never give up cheese and choose to ignore it’s flaws) and/or vegetarian.

So, without further ado…

Broccoli and Mushroom Calzone

You’ll need:

For the dough:

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 and 1/8 cups warm water (105 to 115°)
2 and 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
cornmeal

For the filling (all measurements are estimates…it’s your calzone, do what will taste good to you!):

1 medium head of broccoli
2 button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup ricotta cheese

1.  Prep the dough:

• Combine the yeast, honey and water in a 2 cup measuring cup.  Let stand for 5 minutes while the yeast does its thing.
• When the 5 minutes are over, combine the yeast mixture, flours, salt and oil in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer).  Beat at low speed until the dough forms a ball.
• Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place (our apartment is cold, so I turn the oven on “warm” and set the bowl of dough on top of it).  Let rise for 1 and a 1/2 hours, or until the ball of dough has about doubled in size.

2.  Prep the filling:

• When the dough has about a half hour left to rise, begin prepping fillings.  Cut the florets off the broccoli and slice the mushrooms.  Mince or press the garlic cloves.
• Also, this is a good time to preheat the pizza stone, with a sprinkling of corn meal on top, in the oven at 450°.
• In a large skillet, combine the vegetables and garlic, along with a drizzle of olive oil.  Cook until the vegetables are soft.

• Combine the cheeses and vegetable fillings in a bowl.  Mix to combine evenly.

3.  Finish the dough:

• Use your hands and a rolling pin to make the dough as round and thin as possible.  When you’re satisfied (it’s dinner–it just has to taste good, not look perfect!), pierce the dough with a fork.   Otherwise, the dough gets big bubbles in it when it cooks.  Trust me.

• Move the dough to the preheated pizza stone.  Neat trick: fold the dough into quarters for easier transportation–also works for pie crusts (thanks mom!)

4.  Make the calzone:

• Cover half the dough with the cheese and vegetable filling.
• Fold over the rest of the dough and pinch closed.  Brush the top with olive oil so it will brown nicely.

• Return the pizza stone and calzone to the oven and Bake at 450° for about 15 minutes.

5.  Enjoy!

Notes:

*If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can cook your calzone on a baking sheet. You don’t even have to preheat it!

*The dough recipe is what Brian and I always use for pizza.  Try it, it’s yummy!

Comments (5)

By Emily, November 11, 2009 7:54 pm

So…theoretically, this is a blog about eating well, cooking things instead of buying them, avoiding preservatives and packaged foods and the like.  I appreciate all of those ideas and adhere to them whenever possible.

However, anyone who knows me knows that, in addition to good nutrition, I’m a stickler for making my sister happy.  Birthday presents, visits, random gifts.  If I can do it and my sister wants it, chances are she’s gonna get it from me.  Perhaps I spoil her.  But she’s my baby sister…my only baby sister.

So when I asked “the baby” what she wanted for her 22nd birthday, she requested her “favorite” cake.  Who am I to say no?  I made cupcakes instead of the recipe-suggested Bundt cake, because everyone knows cupcakes are more fun (and easier for my sister to eat and share at college).  However, Brian also needed something to bring to an event, so I made a cake for that too.  This was the beautiful result:

Tell me that doesn’t look good.

So, why is this cake my sister’s favorite?  Because it tastes amazing.  Several college students say so.  And even though it breaks a lot of my “rules” about what I should be eating, its nice to have the occasional treat (and I only had a couple cupcakes)  Why is it now my go-to chocolate cake recipe?  Because it’s amazingly easy to make, despite using packaged cake and pudding mix, plus 4 eggs and alcohol.

Need I say more?

Triple Chocolate Cake

1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
½ cup brewed coffee
½ cup dark rum
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat all ingredients except chocolate chips together 2 minutes.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased and floured 12 cup Bundt pan.  (I told you it was easy!!!!)

Bake at 350° for 55-60 mins for bundt cake.
18-22 minutes for cupcakes.

Cool 10 mins. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Comments (0)

By Emily, October 31, 2009 10:45 am

Happy Halloween! It’s become pretty clear to me between talking to friends and family and reading blogs that I’m not the only one with a pumpkin obsession.   Folks have been sending me pumpkin recipes and it’s been really fun (and tasty!) trying them out.

Recap: Recipes tested thus far:

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Pumpkin Soup with Mexican Cinnamon Creme Fraiche

Curried Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Unfortunately, I’m just not able to make all of the pumpkin recipes that have come my way lately (plus my cooking was pretty bad this week since I was sick for the better part of it).  For those of you who are still trying to satisfy your pumpkin cravings, here are some intriguing recipes which I haven’t tried out:

Beverages:

DIY Jamba Juice Pumpkin Smash (Serious Eats)

Soups:

Spiced Pumpkin Bisque with Pumpernickel Soldiers (Serious Eats)

Pumpkin Stuffed with Vegetable Stew (Gourmet)

Sides and Snacks:

Brown Sugar Spiced Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds) (Portland Press Herald via my mother)

Pumpkin Risotto with Roasted Seeds (Beekman 1802 via Planet Green)

Cheesy Pumpkin Biscuits (Slashfood)

Pumpkin Dip (Cooking Light, via my mother-in-law)

Main Dishes:

Pumpkin-Spice Oatmeal (The Atlantic)

Robert Irvine’s Pumpkin Lasagna (Food Network Magazine, November Issue)

Pumpkin Tortellini with Sage (Slashfood)

Desserts:

Pumpkin Five Spice Sweet Rolls (Coconut and Lime, via Slashfood)

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Pumpkin Pudding (The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, via $5 Dinners)

Pumpkin Carrot Cake (Portland Press Herald via my mother)

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake (Portland Press Herald)

Maple Mushroom Pumpkin Creme Brulee (Portland Press Herald)

Pumpkin Praline Trifle (Portland Press Herald)

Heirloom Pumpkin Apple Pie (Yummy Local via Serious Eats)

Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake (Everybody Loves Sandwiches)

Pumpkin Seed Brittle (Gourmet)

Dairy Free Pumpkin Pecan Bars ($5 Dinners)

From my husband’s sister-in-law (my sister-in-law, in-law?): “Low Brow, Low Fat” Pumpkin Mousse: one can pumpkin, one container fat free, sugar free cool whip (I’m sure real whipped cream would also work), 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, one box instant, sugar free vanilla pudding. Mix. Chill. Eat. Especially good with ginger snaps

In addition to my list, $5 Dinners just pointed me in the direction of a really amazing list of Pumpkin Recipes from Amy’s Finer Things.  And Kevin from Closet Cooking posted a list of his top 10 Pumpkin Dishes.  A Year of Slow Cooking is featuring a collection of Slow Cooker Fall Favorites, including several with pumpkin.

Again, I haven’t had the chance to sample the dishes above.  I’m just sharing them with my pumpkin-obsessed audience! Enjoy–and please let me know if you try any of them out!

Comments (1)

By Emily, September 28, 2009 7:53 am

Somehow my husband made it through the first 24 years of his life without going apple picking.  At least, that’s what he tells me.  I can’t imagine a fall without apple picking, so last weekend we had our first (but definitely not last!) apple picking date.  Now I’m in the midst of brainstorming all the apple recipes I can because we picked way more apples than we need!

This recipe is one of my favorites.  What is with me and baking lately?  Anyway, if you also picked way more apples than you need, remember: you can freeze this bread after you’ve baked it and defrost it later when you’re craving apples again!

Apple Bread

You’ll need:

For bread:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 3/4 cups apples
1/2 cup nuts (I prefer walnuts)
For topping:
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter

1.  Preheat oven to 350°

2.  Cream butter and sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer

3.  Add the eggs to the mixture and beat well.

4.  Peel, pare and chop apples until you have 1 3/4 cups (I used 1 large Golden Delicious, but use as many of any kind of apple as it takes)

5. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

6. Mix vinegar and milk in another bowl.  The mixture will curdle a bit!  Don’t worry, it’s supposed to.  If you have buttermilk on hand, you can use that instead.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar alternately with the milk mixture.  Start and end with the dry ingredients.  (In other words, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  Mix.  Add 1/2 the milk mixture. Mix.  Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients.  Mix.  Add the rest of the milk mixture.  Mix.  Add the last of the dry ingredients.  Mix until fully combined.)

8.  Stir in apples and nuts and combine with a spoon or spatula, not your mixer.

9.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.

10.  Create the topping by combining the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter (melted)

11.  Spread the topping over the batter (it doesn’t have to be perfect!

12.  Bake at 350° for about 1 hour, or until cooked through.

13.  Enjoy!

Comments (2)

By Emily, September 14, 2009 9:28 am

My mother-in-law is a really good cook.  I’m not just saying that because I know she’s reading this, it’s true.  She’s also extremely willing to pass along recipes, which is great for my Rachael Ray filled recipe binder.  Plus, it always works in my favor to cook something from Brian’s days at home once in a while, especially since we know it’s been well tested.  One of the recipes she’s given me that I’ve made several times is a soup of tortellini, tomato and spinach.

Fortunately, to make this  soup, you don’t really have to be a good cook.  You also don’t have to have a lot of time, or a lot of ingredients.  It’s that easy.  Who could ask for more?

Tortellini, Tomato and Spinach Soup

adapted from my mother-in-law, serves about 4.

You’ll need:
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3.5 cups vegetable broth
8 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained and cut up
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 2 cloves crushed (or poorly chopped, in my case) garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth and tortellini.

Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach and tomatoes.

Simmer for 5 more minutes.

4. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Could it be any easier than that?
One of the best things about this recipe is that all the ingredients can be kept on hand to use for those times when you don’t know what to make for dinner.
Enjoy!