Christmas cookies

Well, I haven't gotten much cooking done in the months since getting my puppy, but I obviously had to make time for Christmas cookies. I found it works pretty well to schedule a party and set baking goals in order to actually get it done. Making five batches of cookies over the course of a week doesn't sound too difficult...but it was with the dog around and with general holiday stress! I tried a few new recipes, and used a few of my old favorites.

Chocolate Crackles

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Brown Sugar Cookies (I think I used this recipe...but sugar cookies are pretty basic anyway. Had to go with the brown sugar when I ran out of white sugar!)

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (these got the best reviews - even though I just used the recipe off of the cinnamon chip bag...)

Macaroons
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
14 oz package shredded coconut
¼ tsp salt
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, coconut and salt, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until well blended. Place roughly golf ball size drops onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Fried Kale, Tomatoes, Feta, and Pesto Vinaigrette

At the end of the summer I made a few great pasta salads - after I got the puppy and didn't have much time to cook. I had never actually cooked with kale before, and figured I should probably try it. I definitely don't LOVE kale like some people do, but don't hate it either. I mostly chose this recipe because I love pesto. Anything + pesto = deliciousness. This recipe makes a lot - good for a week of lunches!

8 oz. whole wheat pasta
6-8 oz. kale leaves, coarsely chopped
1 T olive oil (for stir-frying the kale)
1 cup cherry tomato halves
1/4 cup crumbled Feta (or more - as desired)

1 T lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
2-3 T pesto
2 T olive oil

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain pasta into a colander placed in the sink and let it drain well.

While the pasta cooks, chop up the kale leaves (cutting away the inner ribs if they're large), and wash in a salad spinner if needed. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the kale all at once, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the kale has wilted and is starting to get tender. (It should still be a little chewy but not raw tasting.) Turn off pan and let the kale cool.

Mix together the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and pesto, then whisk in the olive oil to make the dressing. (Start with 2 T pesto and then taste to see if you'd like to add the other tablespoon for more pesto flavor.)

When the pasta has drained well but is still warm, transfer it to a bowl and stir in about half the dressing. Let the pasta sit while you cut cherry tomatoes and crumble the feta.

Stir the cooled kale into the pasta in the bowl. Add the tomatoes and gently combine; then add more dressing as desired (depending on how moist you like your salads.) If you don't use all the dressing save it for drizzling over tomatoes or to perk up any leftover salad. Gently stir in the crumbled Feta, season salad to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve.

Original recipe here

Peanut Butter Bars

This is embarrassingly old (from July), but an easy and delicious dessert recipe to try. I was being a major complainer at work and told my friends I would make them whatever they wanted, and this was their choice. Pretty good deal for me - was really easy and doesn't require the oven, which was great for the summertime! I think these kind of taste like Nutter Butters, but better, and VERY rich!


1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Original recipe here

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal Pudding

Terrible photo, awesome recipe. Quick steel cut oats with coconut milk and blueberries. Mm mm mmm. Worth it even when blueberries are expensive (or you could use frozen). I skipped the rose water included in the original recipe, but if you can find it, might be worth a try! This actually makes quite a bit, so be ready to eat this for breakfast for a week or have for a snack/dessert frequently!


1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can unsweetened low-fat coconut milk
2 to 4 tablespoons mild honey or agave nectar (to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats
(1/2 teaspoon rose water - if you want it/can find it)
1 cup blueberries

1. Combine the water, salt, coconut milk, honey or agave nectar and vanilla in a large (3-quart) saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the oatmeal and bring back to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in half the blueberries, cover, and cook another 5 minutes, until the oats are cooked and the mixture is creamy.

2. Stir in the rose water and the remaining blueberries. Turn off the heat, return the lid and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve right away, or spoon into serving dishes and allow to cool in the refrigerator.


Original recipe (nytimes)

Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

I love sweet potatoes. And black beans. And cumin. This was one of my first "fall-ish" recipes - and there will be many more to come. 

5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, to make 8 cups
3 tablespoons melted olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about half a medium onion), or more to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups grape tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder [original recipe says this is pertinent, but I used regular chili powder and it was still tasty]

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Stir to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet with an edge. Bake for 45-60 minutes, checking after 30 minutes as some ovens heat differently (no need to stir). Bake until the edges start to brown. (The goal is to slow roast them to caramelized perfection.) Cool.

Transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the black beans, red onion, tomatoes, feta and cilantro.

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice and chipotle pepper powder. Pour over the salad. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Can be eaten right away, but it tastes best if it's had at least one hour to chill.

Original recipe here

More excuses.

Well, this clearly hasn't been updated in a while. Oops. Not a good track record this summer. I've got lots of excuses..the most recent of which is that, I have a puppy! And of course that takes up quite a lot of my time. I can make it up to my [tiny] audience by posting a really cute photo?

I do have a backlog of recipes to post, but, I'm hoping to get back on the ball since it is now my favorite cooking season. It's time for soups, breads, pies....and, holiday cooking will come up before we know it.

I'd like to give this thing a makeover...and get a nice camera so my photos will look ten times better (currently most of mine come from my iPhone). I should also replace two lightbulbs that are out so I can actually get some good lighting...oops...

Anyway, I'm back, I hope. Fall resolution?

Making chocolate!

Ever thought about making chocolate? Well, if you're in the Boston area, look no further!!

I saw a LivingSocial deal for this class at ChocoLee Chocolates and thought hey, could be fun! I got a friend to buy it with me last July, and she called in January to schedule a date in but they didn't have any openings until June!! So, we had this on our calendars for 6 months, and after almost a year we finally had the class, and it was a lot of fun! It's a 3 hour class on a Wednesday night or Saturday afternoon, and in our class we did chocolate almond bark, truffles, and filled chocolates. We mostly worked with dark chocolate - my favorite - so I really liked that part. You don't actually just work on your own chocolates - everyone works together and you can switch between different tasks as you want. So, if you don't want to chop a huge (HUGE) bar of chocolate, you don't have to. And you still come home with a LOT of really delicious creations!

I actually saw at least one other Groupon or LivingSocial for this class recently, so if you're interested, keep your eyes open for a good deal :)

Birthday dinner #2: Oaxacan Tlayuda with Guacamole

Birthday dinner with Dave this time! He doesn't like serious cooking (aka with recipes) very much but went all out for my birthday :). According to my Moosewood cookbook, tlayudas are tortillas baked or grilled with all sorts of toppings, like Mexican pizzas. There are a bunch of steps involved but, very tasty!

1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup diced onions
3/4 cup diced bell peppers
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 15-oz can pinto beans (1/4 cup of liquid reserved)
2 whole grain tortillas (or 4 small ones)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded green cabbage or slaw mix
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, bell peppers, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pinto beans, reserving about 1/4 cup of the liquid. In a food processor or blender, puree the beans, cooked onions and peppers, and just enough of the reserved bean liquid to make a thick, creamy spread. Add more salt and cayenne to taste.

Place the tortillas on an unoiled baking sheet. Spread each with half of the pureed beans (or 1/4 if you use 4 small tortillas) and top with cheese. In a preheated 450 degree oven, bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup (or 1/4 cup for 4 tortillas) of the cabbage or slaw mix on each tortilla and bake for another 5 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with the cilantro and sprinkle on top of the cabbage. Bake for a couple of minutes, just until the tomatoes are hot.


Optional (but highly recommended!): Simple Guacamole

2 large ripe Haas avocados
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp minced red onions (optional)
pinch of cayenne or dash of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce (optional)

Slice lengthwise around each avocado down to the pit. Twist the halves apart, and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and mash it in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, adding more to taste. Stir in the red onions and cayenne, if using. Serve immediately.




Both recipes from "Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health"

Lemon blueberry buckle

YUM. This makes me drool just looking at it. This was Dave's birthday "cake" for me - I picked it out instead of a cake because I thought it would be more interesting. And that it was. I normally don't like lemon-flavored desserts all that much but I loved this. I had also never made or even heard of a buckle before, but I'll definitely look for more recipes after this one! When we were making this, we were thinking that the lemon glaze for the top was unnecessary - but it IS necessary. Once it sits for a bit it gets crunchy and just awesome on the top. Just do it.


Crumb topping
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cubed, at room temperature

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter, using a fork or your fingers to cut in the butter until it is reduced to the size of peas. Loosely cover the bowl, and place it in the freezer while you mix the cake batter.

Cake and assembly
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used dried nutmeg - it's a 1:1 ratio fresh to dried)
3/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or sour milk, milk + vinegar or lemon juice)
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, divided
Crumb topping, chilled
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tablespoons)

Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, three-fourths cup sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Stir the flour mixture into the bowl, a third at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, until both the flour mixture and buttermilk are evenly incorporated into the batter. Gently fold 1 cup of the blueberries into the batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and distribute the remaining blueberries evenly over the top of the batter. Remove the crumb topping from the freezer and sprinkle it over the berries.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees until it is lightly golden and firm on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through for even baking.

While the cake is baking, make a lemon syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the remaining one-third cup sugar with the lemon juice and whisk until blended. Heat the pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens to a syrupy consistency, 6 to 8 minutes. (The glaze will bubble while cooking and may need to be removed from the heat to check that it is the proper consistency.) Remove from heat and set aside in a warm place.

Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the warm glaze over. Cool to room temperature. The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, covered in plastic wrap (or in the fridge for a week or so).



Original recipe here

Birthday Dinner - Basho

Parent-sponsored birthday dinner at Basho = amazing sushi! One of the rolls in the photo was a summer roll that had a bunch fruit in it - was a little nervous about it but it was awesome. Great meal after an afternoon Red Sox game!

Raw Peppermint Patties

Well, it's been about a month and a half since my last post, and I'd like to say I have a good excuse but alas, I do not. Work has gotten busy, boyfriend is on "summer vacation" until medical school, etc, etc...and I'm just plain lazy?

Anyway, I actually made these suckers on Mother's (...Mother's or Mothers'??) Day and am finally getting the post up. I saw this recipe on Tastespotting, I believe, and my mom LOVES York peppermint patties so I thought I'd give them a try. I was surprised to see how much coconut is involved (oil and shredded) - since you definitely don't taste any coconut in a peppermint patty! I had also never seen coconut oil before - so that was an interesting sight. Picked it up at Whole Foods with my sister, and both of our reactions were basically "EW."

Anyway, these weren't actually very hard in the end, and definitely an interesting endeavor. Highly recommend these!

1/2 batch of raw chocolate
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp peppermint oil (OR peppermint extract)

In a food processor, grind cashews and shredded coconut together into a fine powder. Add coconut oil, peppermint oil, and honey, and pulse until combined - be careful not to over process! Place in refrigerator to set while you make the chocolate sauce, which will need to be warmed slightly inside a bowl of hot water to ensure a liquid consistency.

Once the cream has hardened, separate nine equal portions, which can then be shaped into patties with your hands (roll the cream into a ball and press it flat). Place patties in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.

When the patties are fairly cold, dip them one at a time into the chocolate sauce, which should harden immediately. I was able to dip each patty about three times before I ran out of chocolate.
 
(**NOTE: I stored mine in the freezer and they still melted on my fingertips when I took them out. This may have been because I couldn't find raw cacao powder for the raw chocolate and had to use regular cacao powder instead, but who knows. They taste pretty good cold anyway!)

Original recipe here

Roasted Vegetable and Spinach Lasagna

I've only tried one other lasagna recipe and I don't remember it taking NEARLY as long to prepare.
This is delicious, but be warned: it takes almost 2 hours to prepare and another hour in the oven. It's definitely a good option to provide lunches/dinner for over a week (for one), but make sure you have your head in the game before you get started. I made this on a really lovely Sunday afternoon, and the whole time I was wishing I was outside.

Notes:
I just used mozzarella cheese instead of a mix, but only because I couldn't find the one called for - the mix sounds delicious though.
I don't really see any need to use frozen spinach, it was more annoying than anything - feel free to chop your own.
I did my layers: sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, veggies, sauce. I got confused. I only ended up using half of my noodles. Didn't matter in the end - do the layers however you want!

2 zucchinis, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red peppers, seeded and cut into thick slices (4-6 slices each pepper)
1 (375g, 13oz) package of uncooked oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups of parmesan, mozzarella, and provolone cheese mix
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
16 oz mushrooms
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 (156 mL, 5.5 fl oz) can of tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 (739mL) jar of roasted red pepper and garlic tomato sauce
475g ricotta cheese
2 300g packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed with water rung out
2 eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper


In a small bowl, mix the zucchini with a small amount of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the zucchini and red pepper slices on a baking tray and bake at 450F for 25 minutes. Half way through, turn the zucchini and red peppers so that they are evenly cooked on both sides. Let cool, and roughly chop the zucchini and red peppers.

In a pan, saute the onions and garlic with some olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, basil, oregano, and thyme and continue to saute until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, paprika, zucchini, and red peppers and saute for another 10 minutes. Add some water if the mixture is too thick.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, spinach, and a large handful of the cheese mixture. Layer the lasagna: coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with the sauce mixture, place the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce until the dish is covered, spread a thin layer of the spinach mixture over top of the noodles, sprinkle the cheese mixture over top, and cover with a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add a layer of the tomato sauce mixture, sprinkle the cheese mixture over top, and cover with a layer of the lasagna noodles. Repeat until the baking dish is full and your ingredients used up. The last layer should be the tomato sauce with some cheese sprinkled over top.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 50 minutes at 350F. Remove foil about 10 minutes before done cooking. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes before serving.


Original recipe here 

Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

My sister sent me a link to this recipe and a few others as part of a weekly dinner planning menu for 2 people/vegetarians. It has a bunch of good recipes, so I'd encourage you to check out the link below.

I am not one to cook every day after getting back from work (I probably cook only one weekday per week) so I just chose two of these to try. I also made the Risotto Primavera, which was interesting but didn't have much flavor. I had never made risotto before, and I'm glad I tried it, so now I know that it's a lot of effort! (Not difficult, but a lot of time standing over the stove.)

Anyway, this recipe was really easy and has a lot of my favorite foods. So, win-win!


2 flour tortillas
3 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup black beans
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ avocado, chopped

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an oven safe, glass bowl, place bowl upside down on a baking sheet. Use hands to mold flour tortilla to bowl and bake for 10 minutes or until tortilla is golden brown. Repeat with second tortilla (or use two bowls).

While tortillas are baking, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to form cilantro lime vinaigrette. Once tortillas are baked, fill shell with beans, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, cheese, avocado, and top with vinaigrette.


Original recipe here

Sugar Snap Pea & Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad

Unfortunately I didn't get a very good photo of this - I had to take this at work, on my desk! Sad face. Had to post this though, because it's totally delicious. I'll try to get a better photo next time. This is another pick from the Eating Well in Season cookbook.


1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk (or sour milk - add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup milk)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2.5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or however much you like!)
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 oz whole-wheat bowtie pasta
8 oz fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (I used orange), halved
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (I left these out)

I did all of these steps at about the same time, so start wherever!

Puree cottage cheese until smooth in a blender or mini food processor. Add buttermilk and oil; process until smooth. Stir in dill, parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Add peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Toss pasta and peas with tomatoes and scallions, and toss with dressing just before serving.

Spinach Soup

This recipe is written to include making rosemary croutons...but, who has the time to do THAT?! It's from the cookbook "Eating Well in Season," and of course this is a Spring recipe. You might think spinach soup would be really brothy/watery, but the potatoes give this good thickness. I made this at Dave's place, without thinking, and did my first pureed soup in a regular blender. It's always scared me to do that; that's why I have an immersion blender and no regular blender! Good news: it's not nearly as scary as it sounds.


1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups diced peeled red potatoes
4 cups reduced-sodium broth or water
6 cups fresh spinach, tough stems removed

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Pour in broth (or water). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue to simmer until tender, about 10 minutes more. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender, leaving it a little chunky if desired.

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

This recipe received this comment from my number one top taster (Dave):
"This is the best thing you've ever made."

Yes, I was shocked too. From the man who loves meat - the best thing I've ever made is a VEGGIE BURGER?! You heard it here first.

I swear I'm going to have to try every recipe in the Moosewood cookbook, because every single one I have made so far has been so amazingly delicious (and healthy!).

If you want to try making your first veggie burger - start here. But use a food processor for the chips. An immersion blender doesn't work well for solids (unless you really enjoy having pieces of tortilla chips in every corner of your kitchen. That's when I decided I needed to ask for a food processor for my birthday. Oops.).


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1 cup grated carrots
1 fresh chile, minced; or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup ground tortilla chips*
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large egg, lightly beaten

*Whirl tortilla chips in a food processor until they reach the consistency of coarse meal.


Warm the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook until the onions soften, a couple of minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrots, chiles, and orange juice, lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, combine the ground tortilla chips, beans, and egg in a large bowl and mash well with a potato masher, or pulse in a food processor and then transfer to a bowl. When the vegetables are tender, drain, and stir into the bean mixture.

Form the burger mixture into six patties and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, until firm and lightly crusted.



From "Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health"

NPR Poll: Are Your Friends Bombarding You With 'Food Porn'?

I sent a photo of my carrot cake to a friend on Saturday and received this text message back:
"ugh cake porn! that looks soooo good!!!"

I was unfamiliar with the term "cake porn," and was relatively unfamiliar with the word "food porn," until I found this article on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/04/23/151230939/poll-are-your-friends-bombarding-you-with-food-porn

I don't spend a lot of time taking photos of my recipes; I do try to make them look a little bit pretty, but ultimately I think it's easier to make a recipe when you can see what it's supposed to look like. I wish I had the ability/time to take really artsy photos of my recipes, but that seems to be a waste of time to me when you can spend that time EATING!!

Miso Glazed Salmon

I had a recipe similar to this on my cruise last year, and it was a Canyon Ranch recipe, but I couldn't find it anywhere. So I found a recipe that called for using a broiler, but I don't have a broiler, so I just baked the fish. Still came out pretty well. I'm not great at determining when salmon is done, so I definitely have to work on that, but at least now I have a starting point! This was one of the only times I've ever cooked fish on my own...


1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons miso (soybean paste)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450.
Combine ingredients for sauce with a whisk and pour over salmon in a baking dish.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.


(The recipe I used called for four 6oz salmon fillets, but I used a large frozen piece from Trader Joe's that was probably about 10oz. Just as long as you have enough sauce to cover the fish, you're good!)



Original recipe here

Cooking for one: hard boiled eggs

This post is a bit late (obviously) but hey, I've been busy(?)

I've always wanted to make hard boiled eggs, but was under the impression that they were difficult to make. So finally, on Easter, my sister and I made hard boiled eggs ourselves (mostly my effort) so we could dye them. It does take a bit of time to make them (about 20 minutes) but they are great to have on hand especially since I don't really like to cook much for dinner when I get home from work. I made a large batch last Sunday, and had about two eggs each night with dinner, and it made getting protein with dinner pretty easy (you can only eat so many veggie burgers...). Definitely worthwhile for anyone who cooks for one.

I saw a few different variations on recipes, but this is what I did:

Add eggs to a large pot, and add enough water to cover the eggs.
Slowly bring water to a boil.
Allow water to boil for one minute, then remove heat.
Leave eggs in hot water for 12 minutes.
Submerge eggs in cold water to cool immediately.

Carrot Cake

I never really cared much for carrot cake until recently - I think I usually just passed it up for other things when it came to dessert. But over the past year or so I've come to enjoy it a lot more, so of course I had to try making my own. I just ate a piece of this cake, and the spices are really delicious and the frosting is extremely rich. I think I'd prefer something a bit more carrot-y, but this is definitely a tasty recipe to try. I almost totally screwed up the frosting using a substitute for sour cream...my second recipe mixup in one week. I'm losing it!


For the cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb carrots, grated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans or one 13×9 inch pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs in food until thoroughly combined. Add oil in steady steam and process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified. Remove bowl from mixture and mix in carrots and flour mixture by hand.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top with rubber spatula, and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake cake at 350 until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, and when cool, turn cake right side up onto serving platter.


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz cream cheese, softened
6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
4 tsp sour milk (mix milk with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Using a stand mixer, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and salt until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

If making a layer cake with two 8″ rounds, level cakes, ice one layer, add second layer and spread frosting evenly over cake and serve. For 13×9″, spread icing evenly and serve.



Original recipe here

Root Vegetable Hash

I swore off cooking beets for a while...but I had to try this recipe. And I discovered that if you peel the beets before cooking them, they create much less of a mess. All of the other times I've cooked them, I followed Mark Bittman's advice that the best way to cook them is to bake them unpeeled and wrapped in tin foil - but they are a disaster to peel afterwards.

I made this a few weeks ago and have been pretty lazy about blogging lately. Oops! This recipe did last me a good week though - and it's very delicious! Maybe not a good summer recipe, but it was appropriate a few weeks ago when it DIDN'T feel like summer...remember that? (I don't really.) This was another great find from the Moosewood cookbook - and it even says you can eat this for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!



Seasoning Mixture:
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Hash:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2.5 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 cups carrots cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups beets peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups turnips and/or rutabaga peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tablespoons water


Stir together all of the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a 10-inch or larger skillet on medium-high heat, warm the oil. Cook the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add all of the vegetables and stir well. Sprinkle with the seasoning mixture and water and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.


From "Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health"

Maple-Miso Glazed Tofu with Winter Squash and Broccoli

This one you need some lead time with (1-4 hours to marinate), but a very easy and TASTY recipe! I'd say this only makes about 2 meal-sized servings, so I made some quinoa with it and that went with the sauce nicely. I think probably most any grain would work here.

1/4 cup white miso
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 block of tofu, pressed and cut into dice
1 small winter squash, diced
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 cup quinoa, uncooked

Combine the miso, maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add in the tofu chunks, mixing so that they are all coated. Let marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours.

Heat oven to 450. Roast winter squash for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

Combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all liquid is gone. 

Spray a large pan with cooking spray and heat on medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, add the tofu to the pan, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes per side and then flip over. Repeat until all sides are browned and crisp. Add broccoli chunks to the pan. Mix to combine and then cover the pan, steaming for 2-4 minutes or until broccoli is cooked but not mushy.

Combine the tofu/broccoli mix, quinoa, and squash in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add in the reserved marinade and mix until evenly distributed.


Original recipe here 

Happy Blog-birthday

I can't believe I forgot to wish the blog a happy birthday - my first post was on March 18, 2011. So, happy blog-birthday!

Red Lentil Coconut Soup

I made this recipe at least two months ago and am finally posting it...fail. I had never cooked with coconut milk, but I found it easily at Trader Joe's and it was very tasty. Unfortunately I had to get a big carton of it, and throw a lot away, but hey, what can you do. This could be a good recipe to go back to when New England actually goes back to almost-normal March weather next week...


2 cups red split lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper diced
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup tomato paste
7 cups water
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving


Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant. Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes adding the lime juice at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust with more salt or more lime juice if desired. Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.



Original recipe here

Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes

I unfortunately only got a blurry picture of this one, but it still looks pretty all the same. I used a quinoa mix I got at Trader Joe's - that's why there's some multi-colored grains going on in there. I didn't have currants or scallions, so I left those out, but they would probably be a nice for additional flavor (without them, I felt like I was lacking a spice or something). Definitely an easy recipe and good for lunches! I'm beginning to think I need to cook through the Moosewood cookbook, since every recipe I've made from it has been awesome....


Basic recipe:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups diced, peeled sweet potatoes
1 2/3 cups water

Moosewood's favorite elaboration:
2 cups lightly packed finely chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup currants
1 tbsp minced scallions
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper


Rinse and drain the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer to remove any residue of the grains' bitter coating.

Warm the oil in a covered saucepan. Add the onions and salt and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, until the onions are transparent, about 8 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, water, and drained quinoa, cover, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare Moosewood's favorite elaboration, just before removing from the heat, stir in the spinach, pine nuts, currants, scallions, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chickpea Vegetable Soup With Parmesan and Rosemary

It's almost the end of soup season! I bought ingredients for this soup and then the weather went up to 70 degrees....madness. This soup is really delicious though - even when it's cold, so it's not a bad choice even with the wonky weather. I made a few changes to the original recipe based on what I had/found at the grocery store - this might have actually been better with dried chickpeas, but Market Basket failed me!

1 whole clove
1/2 onion, sliced root to stem so it stays intact, peeled
1 28 ounce can chickpeas
1 teaspoon (approximately) rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 dried bay leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 small Parmesan rind
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Insert the clove into the onion. Put the onion in a large pot with the chickpeas, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt and cheese rind. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour.

Add the tomatoes, carrots, and pepper, cover loosely, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes longer.

Original recipe here

Happiness.

Everyone has their own vision of happiness. This is mine. Friends, food, and wine can't be beat.

Just six days after moving into my new apartment I hosted my first ever dinner party. I've had other dinner parties/get-togethers but this was my first solo mission. In my own place.

The menu included french bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches with tomato sauce, green beans, and an assortment of tasty desserts that a friend brought.

Though the recipe turned out well in the end, I won't ever use a new recipe for a dinner party again. I thought it seemed pretty simple and since my sister had done it before I'd be fine - but it took a lot longer than I expected and I didn't want to leave people hungry!! That said, this recipe is absolutely delicious - just try it on a day you're not trying to impress.


Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups fresh or canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
1- 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used plain Panko)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggplants, peeled and cut to make sixteen 1/2-inch-thick slices in all
4 eggs, beaten to mix
Cooking oil, for frying
1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, cut into 8 rounds

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Dip each slice of eggplant in the eggs and then in the bread-crumb mixture, coating well. In a large frying pan, heat about half an inch of cooking oil over moderate heat until very hot. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil, in batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a slice of goat cheese on top of each and then top with the remaining eggplant slices. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce on plates and top with the eggplant.


Notes: I used plain Panko, but the only ones I could find at the store were "Japanese style." Not really sure what that meant, except that they were crispier than regular breadcrumbs. I'd stick with the regular Panko. Also, though the recipe says to use moderate heat for the oil, I had to turn the heat up to high to get my oil hot enough to fry the eggplants. I had six people eating, so I bought three eggplants and multiplied the rest of the ingredients by 1.5; I didn't do this for the sauce, though, and it was enough.


Original recipe here

Cooking hiatus

This month I haven't cooked much at all - mostly out of laziness. However, I experienced a nightmare situation over the past week with an apartment in Cambridge; long story short, the first place I wanted to move into fell through (after dragging on for a week), and I picked a new place just yesterday. It's a one bedroom apartment in Somerville, and I'm moving next weekend!! I can't wait to have my own kitchen - I'll definitely be trying a lot more recipes then :)

Well, this is likely my only post for February 2012. I'll be trying to make up for it in March 2012 and beyond!!

Superfood Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This may be the prettiest salad I have ever seen. And perhaps the most delicious. It took a bit of time to make (longer than expected), but it was more than 100% worth it. I was put off by the amount of oil in the dressing - 6 tablespoons - but it is really quite tasty. I had never fully seeded a pomegranate before, but I used the water method (breaking it open under water and letting the seeds fall to the bottom) and it worked really well. Does take some time though. Anyway, JUST MAKE THIS! It will be well worth your time.
(Note: this recipe says that it serves 5, but I would say about 3 meal-sized servings. For me anyway.)

Salad:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 orange, peeled and segments chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth)
1 cup corn (thawed if frozen, can also use canned)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper

Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice)
2 garlic cloves, microplaned or finely minced
dash of sweetener (agave nectar, stevia or white sugar)
salt & pepper
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

2. For the Lemon Vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and shake to combine. Or, add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.

3. Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.


Original recipe here 

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

This might be my favorite soup recipe ever. It's easy and very healthy. If you buy the butternut squash pre-peeled/diced, this doesn't even take long at all!
I highly recommend an immersion blender for pureed soups. Pouring hot soup into a blender is never a good idea.


1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium-size Yukon gold or russet potato, peeled and diced
6 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and stir together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, white potato, and water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or you can put it through the fine blade of a food mill or use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing). Return to the pot and stir with a whisk to even out the texture. Heat through, adjust salt and add pepper to taste.

Original recipe here 

Zesty Wheatberry Black Bean Chili

This recipe is really easy and delicious, but beware of the spices. I bought diced tomatoes from Trader Joe's, and when I was there they were out of the regular tomatoes and only had some that were spiced with green chiles. I decided to leave out the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce because of that - and I'm very glad I did, because the dish was certainly spicy enough! I suggest having a bit of milk on hand for this one. I'm definitely going to try making this again, and make sure I have the correct ingredients.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups cooked wheatberries
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Original recipe here 

Chocolate Crackles (or Krinkles, whichever you prefer)

I love these cookies. My family uses a different recipe that calls for espresso - but I prefer the chocolate on its own. Only downside is that you need to chill the dough, which I always forget! I think it's easiest to leave the dough in the fridge overnight, instead of sitting around for 4 hours waiting....but, whatever works.

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a separate medium bowl, stir together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla, stirring to combine. Add in flour mixture and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 4 hours, or up to overnight.
(Or you can do what I did, and just mix all of the ingredients together at once! I don't buy the mixing the ingredients separately.)

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Put confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or rounded tablespoons, roll dough into balls with your hands, then roll in confectioners’ sugar to coat. Place on prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Original recipe here

HP

A little surprise gift at the office never hurt anyone :)

Haven't had a chance to try any of these yet, but I certainly will soon!!