Monday, December 8, 2014

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Walnuts and Gorgonzola

I adore Brussels Sprouts.  No, really, I do!  When I was younger, my mom would boil them and the only way I'd eat them was with tons of butter.  Kinda sorta defeats the purpose, I suppose.  But now I make them all the time, most often roasted.  I made these Brussels sprouts last year for Thanksgiving and they were so good that I made them again for Christmas.  Then....I forgot about them.  Until this week.  These are soooo good.  The kind of thing you don't want to end.  Ever.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Walnuts and Gorgonzola
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp evoo
1/3 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
Kosher salt

Directions:
1.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the walnuts and toast until they become fragrant and start to brown.  Do not step away!  They will go from toasty to burnt in seconds.  Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

2.  Put the pan back on the heat and add the evoo.  Once the oil is hot, add in the Brussels sprouts.  Sauté until they're beginning to brown and starting to get tender; about 8-10 minutes.  Add in cranberries and continue to sauté.

3.  Once cranberries begin to pop and Brussels have reached desired tenderness, add in reserved walnuts and sprinkle with Kosher salt and mix well.
 
4.  Add in the maple syrup and vinegar.  Mix well, sprinkle with Gorgonzola and serve.  Enjoy!!
 

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Garlic Breadsticks

Phew, what a summer!  We've been super busy - we bought a new house!  It's definitely put a damper on my blogging, but hoping that will change as we continue to get settled in our new home.  The good great news!?  I have a much bigger kitchen to cook/bake/experiment in now.  Woo-hoo!!!

Now that fall is right around the corner here in Michigan, the urge to bake and make comfort food is creeping up on me.  Today was rainy, dark and dreary...perfect soup weather.  And, I don't know about y'all, but soup in our house just isn't complete without bread.

I already had everything for my Ravioli Soup so I figured I'd make that.  As for the bread, I wanted something different...garlic breadsticks to be exact!  I love my bread maker because of how simple it is to make a loaf of bread, but sometimes I don't mind using a little elbow grease.  The bread maker still does all the hard work ;)

These were great and the recipe can easily be doubled if need be.  I will definitely be making these again!

Garlic Breadsticks
Makes 10 breadsticks

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp dried basil
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp yeast
2 tsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Place the water through yeast into your bread maker per its' instructions.  Select the dough cycle and let it do the hard work!

2.  Once the dough has finished, place it on a floured surface.  Divide the dough into ten equal portions and then roll each out into about 6 inch long sticks.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes.




3.  Once they have finished rising, brush the breadsticks with the melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until just beginning to brown.  Enjoy!





 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Strawberries n' Cream Popsicles

Nothing beats fresh picked strawberries (or any other fruit/veggie for that matter).  I always forget just how perfect they are until I get my first taste in the early summer.  Makes me wonder why I even settle for the store-bought ones the rest of the year.


So red, juicy, sweet and perfect!


I thought a great idea for these strawberries was some popsicles for the kids.  Only two ingredients (three if you want them super sweet) and voila!  A yummy, healthy, sweet treat for a hot summer evening.  The kids loved them!
 
Strawberries n' Cream Popsicles
Makes 4 popsicles
 
Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/3-1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used vanilla)
Honey, maple syrup, sugar, etc. (optional)
 
Directions:
1.  Puree strawberries (if you are having trouble, add in a little water) until smooth.  Add in any sweetener, if desired.  Layer the strawberry puree and yogurt into popsicle molds.  Freeze until set and enjoy!
 
 

 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Mushroom Tetrazzini

There are a few dishes that I really miss since becoming a vegetarian.  Turkey Tetrazzini is one of them.  So, I decided to make a vegetarian version with just mushrooms.  Just as creamy and delicious as I remember.  Even without the turkey!

Mushroom Tetrazzini
6 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp (2-3 cloves) garlic, minced
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
8 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add in flour, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk until no lumps remain.  Pour in broth and milk and let cook until it begins to bubble and thicken, whisking occasionally.
 
2.  Once sauce has thickened, add in mushrooms and pasta.  Mix well ensuring everything is coated in the sauce.
 
 
3.  Pour tetrazzini into a 2 quart baking dish and top with Parmesan.  Bake until bubbly, 20-30 minutes.  Place dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top.  Let cool for 10 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Turkey Tetrazzini

Turkey Tetrazzini was always my favorite thing my mom made with leftovers after Thanksgiving.  It's got a great, creamy sauce, but isn't too heavy.  And, who doesn't love a crispy Parmesan crust on top!?  When I became a veggie, it was one of the dishes that I really missed, so now when I make this for Jason, I make one for me with just mushrooms.

Turkey Tetrazzini
6 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp (2-3 cloves) garlic, minced
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
3 oz (4 medium) mushrooms, diced
8 oz whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add in flour, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk until no lumps remain.  Pour in broth and milk and let cook until it begins to bubble and thicken, whisking occasionally.

2.  Once sauce has thickened, add in mushrooms, turkey and pasta.  Mix well ensuring everything is coated in the sauce.

3.  Pour tetrazzini into a 2 quart baking dish and top with Parmesan.  Bake until bubbly, 20-30 minutes.  Place dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top.  Let cool for 10 minutes, serve and enjoy!


Monday, March 24, 2014

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

In our small town, we really don't have any good pizza places.  They're all chains and, well, nothing too special.  So, what's a family that loves pizza to do?  Homemade pizza of course!  This dough makes a delicious pizza and is so easy to make (thanks to my bread maker :)  The best part?  We each get our own pizza to top how we want!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Makes 8 servings
 

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in the pan according to your bread maker's instructions.  Choose the 'dough' program and push start.

2.  Once the dough is finished, place it on a well floured surface and divide the dough into desired number of portions.  Roll each portion into a ball and cover with a damp cloth.  Allow to rest and rise for 30 minutes.  While dough is rising, turn the oven to 450 and place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

3.  Once dough has risen, shape dough either with a rolling pin or your hands.  Carefully place on hot pizza stone and top as desired.  Bake for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your pizza), remove from oven, slice and enjoy!

P.S.  For a fun alternative, make calzones!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Irish Soda Bread

I decided this St. Patrick's Day we needed an Irish-inspired dinner.  I made a Guinness Beef Stew and this Irish Soda Bread was perfect to go with it.  I admit though, I'm so spoiled with my breaker - I don't even know the last time I had to knead dough by hand.  It was tough work!!

I was torn between which recipe to use.  Whole milk or buttermilk?  Caraway seeds and/or raisins?  Sugar or no sugar?  I decided to take ideas from a couple different recipes and see what would happen.  It was dense, heavy and absolutely delicious!  I'm glad I skipped the raisins and sugar, but I might add caraway seeds next time.  

Irish Soda Bread
8 servings
 
 

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Put all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  Stir in the buttermilk until dough just comes together.  

2.  Put dough on a well floured surface and knead until a large dough ball forms. Place dough on a baking sheet and, with a sharp knife, make a large 'x' in the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Enjoy!



See, I wasn't the only one who thought it was great!
 

Guinness Beef Stew

This is the first year in a long time (probably since I've become a veggie) that I've felt the need to have an Irish-ish dinner for St. Patrick's Day.  Jason isn't a huge fan of corned beef, so I wanted something different.  I came across this recipe and thought Jason would enjoy it.  And he did!  The Irish Soda Bread I made was perfect for sopping up the stew.

Guinness Beef Stew
8 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs stew meat
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
3 medium onions, chopped
12 oz Guinness 
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp caraway seeds
32 oz low sodium beef broth
2 cups carrots, chopped 
2 cups parsnips, chopped
2 cups turnips, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
1.  Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large Dutch oven until shimmering.  While oil is heating, put 2 tbsp of flour in a large bowl and toss to coat half of the beef.  Once coated in flour, cook in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, until brown.  Remove and repeat with 1 more tbsp of oil and remaining beef.  Remove second batch of beef and set aside.

2.  Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the pot and add the onions.  Sauté for about 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften.  Add in the Guinness, broth, salt, pepper and caraway seeds.  Stir well, scraping all of the bits off of the bottom of the pot. Add in beef.  Bring stew to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

3.  Remove lid and simmer uncovered for another hour.

4.  Add in the carrots, parsnips and turnips.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.  

5.  Remove lid and allow to simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.  Stir in parsley just before serving.  Enjoy!

This is the original recipe.  I only made a few small changes.  I did add in the raisins, but will leave them out next time - Jason said they didn't do much.


Thursday, February 13, 2014

Doggy Birthday Cake

Even pets need special treats on their birthdays!  Today we celebrated Oliver's sixth birthday so my sous chef and I baked him a cake. Oliver loved it!!

Doggy Birthday Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:

Cake:
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 oz cream cheese
2-4 tbsp water (I had opened chicken stock in the fridge so I used that)

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 6-9 inch cake pan.  In a large bowl, mix together egg, oil, honey, peanut butter and vanilla until well blended.

 
2.  Add in the carrots, flour and baking soda and stir until combined.  The batter will be very dense and heavy.  Spread batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
3.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Move to a wire rack to continue cooling to room temperature.  While the cake is cooling, whip the peanut butter and cream cheese adding in liquid as needed.  Frost, serve and enjoy!


 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Creamy Orzotto

My take on the absolutely delicious, though time consuming risotto.  This is a popular side dish in our house, Redmond even loves it!  It has a texture similar to risotto, but not nearly as labor intensive. 

Creamy Orzotto
Serves 4
 
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat orzo
1 1/2-2 cups low sodium broth or water
2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Black pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat olive oil in a small saucepan until it begins to shimmer.  Add in orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until orzo is toasted, about 5 minutes.  Pour in 1 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  *you want the orzo to absorb most of the broth

2.  Once orzo is cooked, stir in the spinach.  Once the spinach is wilted, remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted.  Season with black pepper and serve.  Enjoy!

Red Wine Beef Roast

I've finally made notes and created a recipe for a beef roast.  I've always just created a random marinade for roasts and sometimes they'd turn out good and sometimes they wouldn't.  Jason could not stop raving about this roast so I think I'll stick to this recipe from now on!

Red Wine Beef Roast
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2-2.5lb boneless roast
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp dried Marjoram
1 tbsp dried Thyme
1 Bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & Pepper
3-4 large carrots
4-5 medium potatoes, cleaned and unpeeled
4-5 celery stalks
1 medium onion

Directions:
1.  Pierce the roast with the tip of a sharp knife all over.  Place the roast in a large ziplock bag.  Add in the wine, marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper.  Seal the bag, releasing any excess air, and rotate the bag making sure the roast is covered in the marinade.  Place the roast in a bowl (just in case the bag leaks) and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2.  The next morning, place the roast in the bottom of a large crock pot, reserving the marinade.  Chop the carrots, potatoes, celery and onions into large pieces.  Place veggies around roast.  Pour the reserved marinade over the veggies and cook on low 6-8 hours.  Enjoy!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

A great bread maker recipe and the perfect accompaniment to some delicious hummus!  These are so simple to make and so yummy!!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Makes 10-12 pitas
 


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast

Directions:
1.  Add all ingredients into a bread maker and choose the "Dough" cycle.  Once the dough has finished, divide into 10-12 equally-sized dough balls and place them on a flour dusted surface.  Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest and rise for 20 minutes.


 
2.  While the dough is resting preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven to heat.  Once the dough has rested, roll each dough ball into a circle and place on a preheated baking sheet. 



3.  Bake for 5-6 minutes until pitas have begun to puff up.  Allow to cool before serving.  Enjoy!