Entree | V - Part 3

Entries Tagged as 'Entree'

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Sauce

4.04.2012

These remind me of “pub grub”; I really don’t like sports…or chains so when I do end up at Chilis or TGI Friday’s (I guess those are bad examples of “Sports” bars but you know what I am talking about), it’s always out of desperation and I am normally so hungry I could eat anything on the menu (and then it usually turns out I cant eat anything on the menu- even the salads are drenched in meat!). Anyways, I always see these as appetizers and skip right over them knowing they are going to be filled with beef. I guess these were a product of my frustration about having to skip over clever (well…relatively clever) food ideas because of my diet restrictions.

They turned out really yummy. Crunchy on the outside with gooey, hot, cheesy insides. I kind of wished I had stuck avocado inside or made some guacamole to go along with them but that’s probably just because I am avocado obsessed. You should feel free to add (like avocado or more jalapeno, if you like it hot) or take out (replace the crumbles with more beans if you don’t have any on hand) whatever you’d like.

Oh! Also, these only make between 6 to 10 (depending on how much you stuff them) so if you’re thinking about making them as an appetizer for lots of guests, I may suggest doubling the recipe. Mmmkay, that is all! Happy Eating!

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Sauce

About 10 wonton wrappers
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups meatless crumbles (like this or these)
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup of black beans, rinsed very well
1 1/2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
1 heaping tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne
dash of salt
3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

For the dip:

1 cup sour cream
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
dash of salt

To make the sauce: stick all the ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and mix for about 2 or 3 minutes or until everything is well combined. Stick in the fridge while preparing the eggrolls to help solidify the flavors.

For the egg rolls: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. First, warm up a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the frozen crumbles and saute for about 3 minutes. Next, add the corn, jalapeno, black beans,onions, red pepper, and seasoning. Saute for another 3 to 5 minutes or until everything starts to soften. Remove from heat and fold in the cheese.

Take a look at the picture below to help guide you with wrapping! Basically, you are going to take about 2 Tablespoons full of mixture and put it in a long line diagonally across the wonton. Next, fold the corners directly on the left and right and then roll up the wonton from the bottom. I know it sounds complicated in writing but hopefully the picture will help!

Coat the tops with a tiny bit of olive oil. Cook for ten minutes. Enjoy with the chilled sauce and a beergarita!

Oatmeal Honey Buttermilk Bread

4.01.2012

I realize a lot of you already know this but I live in a house of five girls but what you don’t know is that really translates to 6 girls, 2 boys, and a dog if you count all the baggage that comes along with college ladies (boyfriends, siblings, animals, etc). Anyways, my point is there is always SOMEONE around which is fantastic because I love the company but baking is one of my stress reliever and every once in a while I just want to bake in peace. Luckily, Saturday was one of those days where I took the kitchen all to myself. I woke up extra early because I knew that would give me time with two of my roommates being late sleepers, one being in Chicago, another in New York checking out Cornell for the fall, and my boyfriend at work. It was wonderful to just be able to put a vinyl on and go to work.

I love my breadmaker because it gives me the ability to just throw everything in the machine and come back at lunch to fresh bread for sandwiches but making it by hand is so simple and satisfying when you have the time. I realize it seems daunting thinking you have to plan for 3 hours to make this bread but really there is about 20 to 30 minutes of hands on time so when you are busy around the house anyways, letting it rise for an hour by itself is not a big deal. Anyhow, this bread is delicious and anyone who appreciates fresh bread with their sandwiches, I highly suggest making this recipe!

The recipe makes two 8×9 loaves of bread but since I only had one pan I made one loaf and 4 big sandwich rolls (yum!). The bread turned out super moist (still just as moist today – the day after!) and very hearty with the ever-so slightly hint of sweet from the honey.

Oatmeal Honey Buttermilk Bread

adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

1 3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup warm water
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt

Combine 1 cup of oats and hot water in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes or until the oats absorbs the water up.

In the bowl of your mixer, add in 1 tbsp of honey with 1/4 cup warm water and sprinkle the yeast on top; let sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can react to the water.

Next, add in the soaked oats, buttermilk, oil, 2 tbsp honey, oil, whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, and salt. Turn the mixer (with the bread hook) on low until everything is combined and then turn up to medium for 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap for one hour or until it doubles in size.

Wait, go play with your puppy, do some dancing to David Bowie, wait.

Tuco helping me bake

Place the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes to get the air bubbles out of it. Divide the dough in half and place in two oiled pans (or form into circles if you’re making rolls). Mix the remaining tsp of honey with 1 tsp of very hot water and brush on top of the loaves. Sprinkle the remaining oats on top.

Let sit for about 30 minutes to let it rise a bit more.

Preheat oven to 375. Cook the loaves for 20 to 25 minutes and the buns for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy hot with butter or make sandwiches like I did below!

wishing I had some avocado

Bakery Style Berry Muffins

3.28.2012

And so continues my desire for summer food! This recipe is great though because it’s like a fake summer recipe…you use frozen berries so that they hold their shape and color while you fold them into the batter. It’s great because you can go into this recipe knowing that it will turn out fantastic regardless of what season it is.

I had to race out of bed this morning in order to get a picture of these fluffy muffins before my roommates gobbled all of them up. These muffins are “bakery style” so they puff up way past the top of the tin and stay super moist and flavorful because of the yogurt in them (and smell up the whole kitchen with berry baking goodness!)

This recipe is adapted from Isa’s Vegan Brunch; it’s one of the first recipes I discovered when diving into vegan baking and it really hooked me. I believe strongly in the idea that vegan baked goods stay moist longer and manage to pack more flavor with their slightly dense texture. I suggest this recipe (and Isa!) for anyone who does not have much vegan baking experience but is ready to learn!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy greek yogurt (I used blueberry flavored and it turned out great!)
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups frozen mixed berries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the yogurt, milk, and oil. Use a spatula to mix everything together until a smooth batter forms. Fold in the berries.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tins (just the 12- it should fill most of each tin so that they will rise to be big, bakery style muffins). Bake for 23 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Serve with butter or eat them by themselves for the rest of the weeks breakfast!

Corn Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Feta Sauce

3.27.2012

This weather is confusing my body! It thinks its summer and all it wants are smoothies, fruit, and corn on the cob! This is most disappointing since none of these things are in season yet (well smoothies are always in season) so I am doing my best to improvise.

I made this recipe a couple of summers back when I was staying with my parents. They have this great pool that demands constant pool parties and this was a hit from those summer parties. I know this recipe is impressive because I go through such mass volumes of recipes that I can hardly remember what I made last week let alone years ago! The fact that this recipe still pops in my mind is a sure sign that it’s worth making again!

It turned out just as I remembered; the patties were inviting with their fluffy texture and an intense kick from the cilantro. The sauce is salty from the feta with a great vibrant kick from the red pepper [it also makes loads so I've been using the leftover sauce on veggie sandwiches]. The two really work perfect together so I insist on making them together!

Corn Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Feta Sauce

Sauce:

1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp water
1 tsp lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 roasted red pepper, chopped
`salt/pepper

Fritters:

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup water
2 cups of corn (canned or frozen)
4 scallion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
canola or vegetable oil, for frying

First let’s make the sauce. In a blender, add the feta, sour cream, water, lime juice, and garlic. Puree until smoother. While blender is running, slowly add in the olive oil. Add the basil, oregano, and bell pepper. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Stick in the fridge until the fritters are ready.

For the fritters: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, coriander, and cumin. Next, add in the egg, lime juice, and water. Use a spatula to mix until smooth. Finally, fold in the corn, scallions, and cilantro.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon to determine the size of the patties and cook them for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned (how fast they cook will completely be determined by how hot the oil is so keep an eye on them!).

Serve warm with the yummy yummy sauce!

We enjoyed them on the porch as a perfect evening snack!

Spring Leeks and Zucchini Galette

3.25.2012

I actually made this last weekend but have been putting it off for two reasons: 1. I was a little frustrated because pictures could not convey how beautiful this piece of food was and 2. I don’t even know where to begin with being able to describe just how delicious this thing was.

Honestly, this is a bit more complicated than most of the recipes I blog about but it’s well well well worth the extra effort. The crust is flaky like a crescent roll with the slightest hint of sweet from the sour cream that you would never expect. And then the veggies are roasted until they practically melting in your mouth and to top it all of there is a layer of cheese on both the top and bottom. Looking to impress some guests? Please please please make this Galette!

I suggest making the pastry crust earlier that day so save time when it comes to cooking it. Also, I got the crust recipe from Smitten Kitchen so head over there and prep the crust!

Spring Leeks and Zucchini Galette

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Leeks, sliced
2 zucchinis, sliced
2 small red potatoes, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup smoked mozzarella, shredded
3 teaspoons dried thyme
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
Drizzle of honey
1 crust from Smitten Kitchen
Salt/Pepper, to taste
1 egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the Olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the garlic, potatoes, zucchini, and leeks and saute for about 3 minutes. Then add in the thyme and salt/pepper and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread the cup of smoked mozzerela evenly across the bottom of the crust. Line the vegetables however you’d like within the crust (we did in inward spiral with the zuccini and potatoes and then put the leeks in the middle but feel free to get creative)! Top with chunks of goat cheese and fold the extra crust over (see pictures below!). Brush the egg white mixture along the crust and pop in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the vegtables has softened and the crust is browned.

Drizzle a tiny bit of honey over the goat cheese sections and serve right away! Be careful though because there was three of us and this was gone in about 2 minutes with us wishing we had made 2…or 3 galettes!

Wild Rice Chowder and Open Faced Grilled Cheese

3.14.2012

It’s hard to believe with this 80 degree weather that I was craving soup just two days ago. But, putting myself in those shoes, it was a beautiful 60 degree day last Saturday and we enjoyed sandwiches and big coffee mug fulls of wild rice soup during a lovely picnic on the porch.

The chowder was delicious. I honestly have never hard wild rice soup before. This whole thing came about because I was at the store awhile back and saw the wild rice gleaming at me from the bulk section. It’s so colorful and vibrant and I’ve never tackled a recipe with it so I decided purchasing some would be a good challenge. Unfortunately, it sat on my shelf for the next three months before I decided that this avoidance had to come to an end. I looked up recipes with wild rice in them and came across dozens of patties, salads, thanksgiving sides, and soups.

I was sold on the idea of soups but most of them used meats and the “vegetarian” ones were just blander versions of the original. I decided to take one of the meat recipes and completely revamp it for all your vegetarian needs!

I was nervous that I’d end up with a flavorless soup myself but this was not the case. It was so delicious! And thank goodness at that because it made enough leftovers for me to eat it three times a day for the next two weeks (AKA I may suggest cutting this recipe in half if you aren’t looking for a large amount of yummy leftovers).

Wild Rice Chowder

1 cup wild rice, rinsed
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
4 cups vegetable broth
2 potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, sliced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups half and half
2 cups meatless crumbles
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring the two cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the rice and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside (do not drain so the rice can absorb up the excess water!)

In a large cooking pot, heat the olive oil up over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for about five minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Next, add in the flour and stir constantly for a minute. Then add the broth and whisk until a milk mixture is created. Add in the potatoes, carrots, thyme, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Next, add in the corn and meatless crumbles and simmer for another 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are tender). Then add the half and half and cooked rice and stir until everything is warmed up and creamy.

Serve warm in cute animal mugs with yummy sandwiches!

We also made these simple and delicious sandwiches to go with the soup! Enjoy!

Open Faced Grilled Cheese

Half a baguette, sliced in half length-wise
1 fresh tomato, sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 slices of Swiss cheese (or however many to your liking)
salt and pepper, to taste

Turn your broiler on low (if you have two options). Combine the olive oil, basil, oregano, and salt/pepper in a small bowl. Lather the bread pieces evenly with the mixture.

Top with the tomatoes, swiss, and then garnish with a few a bit more dried basil.

Broil for only a few minutes (I don’t want to give exact times because everyone’s broiler is so touchy and different). I would just turn the light on and watch it until the top gets brown. No more than 2 or 3 minutes.

Enjoy with yummy soup and your favorite porch spot!

Nom Nom.

Tuko being so cute and good while we enjoy our picnic on the porch!

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

3.13.2012

It’s amazing how productive and relaxed you feel when you don’t have hours of homework nagging at your schedule. I woke up this morning with the intentions of doing nothing but whatever I wanted to and it was marvelous.

I whip these up in about 20 minutes while sipping on coffee and listening to an old ‘Bob Dylan’ record. It was such a simple pleasure and it was wonderful to have the house to myself for once (I have four roommates..). These little muffins are SOOO easy that they can even be prepared while still half asleep and without any stress.

I seriously thought they were fantastic by themselves but feel free to dip them in maple syrup if you’re feeling extra indulgent. Also, they are absolutely fabulous when still warm and the chocolate melts in your mouth but feel free to stick them in an air tight container and munch down over a few days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Once well incorporated, make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in all of your wet ingredients (minus the chocolate chips). Use a whisk to whisk together the wet ingredients (it’s okay if a little of the dry mixture gets incorporated) then use a spatula to fold the dry into the wet until a thick batter forms.

Fold in the chocolate chips. Grease two miniature cupcake pans and fill each about half full (these little guys rise a lot!). You should end up with about 24.

Cook for 9 to 10 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean (they won’t brown on the top).

Enjoy with syrup and a big mug of french press coffee. And perhaps your favorite lazy morning cartoons (Scooby Doo!) or a Dylan vinyl.

Guiness Chocolate Cake

3.07.2012

Update 10/29/2012: Don’t forget to stop by and check out VV’s newest giveaway which ends 11/02/2012!

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I’ve been in a bit of a weird funk lately. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with my school career coming to a closing and me having to enter into the “real world”. My usual solution to ridding any irrational overreaction is to bake. And what better to make than something that combines my other two problem solvers: chocolate and beer!

I made this cake for Wyatt’s birthday a few months back and still have craving for it ’til this day. The Guinness brings a whole new tint to the chocolate flavor that is just irresistable. And the moist cake pairs perfect with all your favorite ice cream treats or some refreshing green beer.

This would also be a perfect treat for St. Patrick’s day which is approaching at massive rates! Perhaps this cake is even an excuse for you to host a St. Patty’s Day Potluck (it is on a Saturday!) to share this treat with all your favorite people!

;

PS next week is my last spring break ever (well…sorta a break for me. I have to work at the record label Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) so that means I have soooo many recipes planned to conquer on my time off. Expect great things coming ASAP!

;

Guinness Chocolate Cake

1 cup Guinness (guess you’re gonna have to dye the leftover beer green)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 and fill a round baking tin with parchment paper (or grease it if you don’t have paper handy).

In a small saucepan, heat the beer and butter over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and they are combined together. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder.

In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Slow mix into the beer mixture. Mix until smooth.

Cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

Let cool completely and lather with your favorite chocolate icing and loads of sprinkles.

Enjoy with a big glass of green Guinness!

Baked Mac n’ Cheese

3.03.2012

I’m going to take a break from posting about our Seattle/Portland trip and post a recipe. This recipe was inspired by our Seattle trip since we picked up some yummy homemade pasta at Pike’s Place last weekend.The large stand we bought it from was totally overwhelming with dozens of flavors of homemade pasta laying out for you to choose from. They had everything ranging from chocolate pasta to southwestern pasta (aka some pieces tasted like corn, some like peppers, etc)- check out all the flavors here. We ended up purchasing the ‘Chive Garlic Sea Shells’ because Wyatt was sold on it the minute the guy said it worked great with homemade macaroni and cheese.

And to be completely honest, the guy was totally right. This bake was beyond perfect on a chilling Friday night. The mounds of gooey cheese paired perfectly with the garlic and chive flavor of the pasta. Not to mention, the crusty top made for a perfect crunch in every bite. It’s so funny because I always forget to make simple things like homemade mac n cheese since I’m always looking to try something new but it’s these comfort foods that always turn out the best. I realize that you can buy Kraft at the grocery store for 1.50 but this recipe is so spectacular that I feel a little guilty even giving it the same name as the boxed version.

Baked Mac N’ Cheese

Adapted from Simply Scratch

8 ounces of noodles (traditionally it would be elbow but we used shells)
1/4 cup onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons cream cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup colby jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, to sprinkle on top

First, prepare the pasta according to it’s packaged directions. Preheat oven to 400.

Next, in a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onions and saute until translucent (about five minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add in the flour and stir for one more minute. Turn heat up to medium-high and add in the cream and milk. Let the mixture come to a simmer and then turn it back down to medium. Add in the cream cheese, cheddar, colby, dried mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted and then remove from heat.

Add in the noodles and stir until everything is well combined. Pour into the remekins (I only had 2 little remekins so I also used a little baking dish for the extra) and cook for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Let cool because this baby is hoooooot. And then munch down along with a small salad or french bread.

Pierogies with Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes

2.23.2012

I should start off by apologizing for the lack of recipe posts this week but lots of other exciting things have been going on around here (don’t worry! I have not lost sight of what this blog is really about- I promise)! I am currently working on a button for some blogs that will be sponsoring VV for March and the new addition of the magazine ‘Remedy Quarterly’ will be featuring an article about VV (more details about these things later this month). But as of right now, Wyatt and I are leaving for Seattle/Portland tomorrow morning and I have been crazily prepping for that all week (plus the new puppy takes up 99% of my free time these days). Anyways, a much needed vacation is in order and I hope to get lots of pictures to be posting throughout the weekend (I am most excited to visit Julie Hasson- the author of ‘Vegan Diner’s food truck Native Bowl and to visit the diner from Twin Peaks for some pie///coffee!!) So, if any of you have suggestion for places to stop in Seattle/Portland let me know ASAP!

Anyways, back to food. And more importantly, this recipe. Making homemade pierogies is a tradition my Ma and I have had for years and one of the best parts making them is being able to freeze half the batch to enjoy months later. We whipped up a batch back in December (Look: Here) and I found some hiding in the back of my freezer the other day. There is something about these cheesy dumplings that mixes perfectly with any veggies. I chose roasted tomatoes here because they become so soft that they almost turn into a sauce and burst with flavors all over your pasta. So delicious and very easy to prepare!

For the Roasted Tomatoes

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
whole garlic cloves (as many or as little as you’d prefer), peeled
Dash of balsamic
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Salt/Pepper

For everything else:

15 pierogies (or ravioli)
1 small container of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
Salt/Pepper
Parmesan

Start by roasting the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the cherry tomatoes and garlic in a small bowl. Mix them with the brown sugar, balsamic, sage, olive oil,and salt/pepper. Then place on the baking sheet and roast at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes. Check periodically and stir around.

While that is cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook the ravoli/pierogies according the the package directions. Drain the dumplings.

The last part is to saute everything together so this time could vary depending on how well cooked you like them. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Next, add the pierogies, roasted tomatoes/garlic mixturee, and artichoke hearts. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until the pierogies have browned on both sides. Season with Salt and Pepper and sprinkle with parmesan.

Munch down and share with your puppy/kitty/boy.

And since it’s a delicious dinner, you’ll probably eat a little too much of it and feel really full after…so dance off that slumber with some tunes like this one:

Creole Jambalaya

2.09.2012

I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve never had jambalaya before…which basically means two things:

I have no way of telling you whether this is authentic and amazing compared to something you’ve had at a restaurant and
This is the best jambalaya I’ve ever had.

I came across the original recipe for this because I’ve been exploring Seattle/Portland adventures (since my boyfriend and I are going there at the end of the month) and came across this vegan food truck (I. love. food. trucks.- and vegan food!) which lead to me learning about it’s owner which lead to me googling her which lead to me finding her book ‘Vegan Diner’. Phew. That’s the background story.

Okay, so why make this recipe if I don’t know what to expect? (I mean- what the heck is creole, anyways??). Well I was immediately drawn to this recipe because of its long list of veggies (yes. I crave veggies. I’m one of THOSE) and combining them with pretty much every amazing spice under the sun. Plus, it’s got the rice for the added filling affect and the veggie broth to soak in all the flavors. I knew it had to be good…regardless of my ignorance towards this type of meal.

And needless to say, it was fantastic. It made loads so I’ve been munching on leftovers since I made it Monday night and they are just as good as when it was fresh! Also, I used the spicy veggie sausage from Field Roast because it’s my favorite veggie sausage brand (have you ever taken these guys on a camping trip and cooked them over an open fire? Then you have not lived) but feel free to use whatever you prefer or have handy.

Creole Jambalaya

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
5 sticks celery, diced
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 vegetarian sausages
1 1 /4 cup of rice
1-29 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

To make the creole seasoning (you’ll have alittle extra to add to your sandwiches throughout the week):

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons of paprika
2 teaspoons salt

First, make the seasoning by combining all the ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, peppers, celery, sausage, and carrots. Saute until lightly brown and the veggies has all softened. Next, add the rice and saute for another minute. Then add the tomatoes, broth, and creole seasoning.

Bring the mixture to a bowl and then reduce down to simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice has softened and absorbed most of the broth. Remove from heat and let sit for about ten minutes. Season with more salt (if necessary).

Serve to all your friends with warm bread. And then let your puppy lip the bowl clean.

PS Oh, and make sure you make sure you dance to this song while preparing this meal:

http://youtu.be/3KOiITxwWIM

Shapilicious Eggs

2.08.2012

Some days you just have to not take yourself seriously. You have to stay in bed. And do what inspires you. And play with your food. And refuse to shower. Come on, you can do it!

Today was one of those days for me. I woke up to my alarm at 8, got up to make coffee and find my puppy slippers, and crawled back into bed. Instead of spending my Tuesday morning working out and going to classes, I’ve spent the whole morning watching photo tutorial videos on lynda.com and playing with my food. It’s a great feeling to take some time for myself and do things at my leisure.

While ‘taking time for myself’, I found these owl recipe cards as I was perusing my usual blog site favorites this morning (find them right here to be exact: My Owl Barn) and thought they were too cute not to play with. Plus, I’m a huge sucker for anything vintage and owl related. I just cannot help myself. And by ‘I can’t help myself’ I mean that this then created an artistic snowball effect where I wanted to make something cute and simple so I could fit the recipe on this cards. And then my morning took off from there.

If you wanted to, you could do a themed breakfast with a heart cut out (for Valentine’s day…which is coming up. hint hint nudge nudge at my boyfriend) or a birthday cake cutout or Christmas themed or whatever you’ve got to work with (cook cutter wise). It’s cute and simple so why not be a little creative in the kitchen next time you have a few minutes to whip up some eggs and toast? Enjoy!

Sandwich a la WWMD: Guest lovin’ by Ella Hartley

2.07.2012

Today’s guest post is by a very dear friend of mine. She was the first person that I collaborated with on cooking (back in the days when we were fresh out of dorm life and experiencing having our own place to cook for the first time). I would even go so far as to say she’s the one that inspired me to get out of my cooking “comfort zone”; I mean it’s not really her fault…when I think of childhood memories I envision pigs-in-a-blanket and vanilla ice cream while she dreams of Belgium chocolate and french dishes I can’t pronounce.

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Wednesday night dinners are often a challenge when I’m not in the mood for box mac and cheese or another quesadilla. At this point in the week, the leftovers from weekend culinary adventures are gone and, aside from various staple ingredients, I’m left with ends and scraps of some very odd ingredients. This is when I ask myself WWMD? What Would Mom Do? My mother can’t follow a recipe to save her life but hand her four seemlying random ingredients, half a tuperware container of leftover whatever, and a glass or two of red wine and it’s magic! So, with a glass of wine (or in this case a beer: Dirty Helen Brown Ale from the Barley Island Brewing Company), I did my best to channel my mother and this is what I came up with:

Magic! Actually, just a really yummy, veggie-full sandwich. But to a hungry girl that can sometimes seem like magic. Especially when you get a big bite of sweet sautéed onions and mushrooms combined with the savory, sharp kick of blue cheese, and a nip of wine and black pepper. Yum!

Sandwich a la WWMD

4 T. olive oil
1 small onion
4 or 5 baby bella mushrooms (or whatever the heck you’ve got. These were the last of one of my stranger impulse-buys.)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (Why are fresh herbs sold in the most frustrating quantities!)
½ cup of frozen spinach
a sploosh of dry white wine (I know. This isn’t a real unit of measure. Just say to yourself “Sploosh!” while you’re pouring the wine and that’ll be enough)
3 T. crumbled blue cheese
1 pita pocket, halved
salt and black pepper to taste

Throw the olive oil and the roughly diced onions and mushrooms into a saucepan and sauté at medium hear for about 5 minutes. Then add the fresh rosemary. Keep cooking at medium heat, stirring occasionally, until things start to get brown and soft. Add the frozen spinach; no need to thaw it or microwave it, just toss it in! When the spinach has defrosted, add the salt and pepper to the degrees that you enjoy and sploosh the white wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed or evaporated. (Say no to soggy sandwiches!) While this is happening toast the pita pocket. Once the veggies are ready and the pita pockets have popped, (ha! Alliteration is awesome.) you’re good to go. Throw those veggies into the pocket with the crumbled blue cheese and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

2.05.2012

As usual, my Saturday consisted of loads of thrift shopping because it’s an addictive hobby and I love it. I didn’t find much (although my boyfriend found plenty. He bought an 8 tape VHS box set for the first season of Twin Peaks. Arg, he’s completely useless). Anyhow, I did find these adorable soup bowls (can you see where I’m going with this?):

I love them. I got a set of 4 and can’t wait until next year to display them somewhere in my vintage style kitchen next to my 1960′s Betty Crocker cookbook collection. So, as you’d assume…I immediately needed to make soup and try out my new cups.

When its freezing out, there is nothing better in the world than savory soup that is topped with a huge hunk of bread and stacked with cheese. Seriously, there isn’t. Plus, the bread being baked into it is allows you to skip the sides all together. I like this recipe because it’s light and simple so you usually have everything on hand and don’t feel guilty about eating it on a week night.

French Onion Soup

2 Tablespoon butter
4 small onions, sliced
2 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
dash of sugar
fresh baguette, cut into big slices
slices of swiss cheese to put over the soup bowls (the amount of cheese will vary depending on how big your ramekins are)
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and just starting to brown (about five minutes). Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute (or until fragrant. you know that yummy smell I’m talking about!) Next, add the broth, wine, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper

Turn your broiler on. Remove bay leaf and pour into four small ramekins and top each with a slice of the baguette. Put a slice (or two!) of Swiss on top of each baguette. Stick under the broiler until the top has browned and the soup is bubbly (a minute or two).

Glazed Caribbean Tofu with Sweet Rice

2.03.2012

There is some sort of longing for summer (hence the pictures next to this text) that has been evoked because of these past few 60 degree and sunny days in February. My thoughts have started to drift off to roasting marshmallows and picnics on beaches. But since…it is still February (no matter how much I daydream), I am going to have to settle for whipping up summer type dishes in my home (instead of on my grill).

I was super excited about this dish (because I love making bland tofu flavorful!) but after I began cooking it…I realized I have had no experience with Caribbean food what-so-ever (Hey, Bloomington, it’s about time someone opened a Caribbean restaurant! Although…why would someone from the Caribbean ever have the desire to move to the Midwest to open up a specialty dinner spot?). I can tell you right off the bat that I probably did not use ‘traditional’ peas that they would use in the islands but it was delicious regardless. If all Caribbean dishes are like this, count me in!

It was light with a tropical/sweet flavor in the rice (this was most likely due to the coconut milk) and then the tofu had the slightest kick of spice that counteracted the sweet rice perfectly. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined and my favorite part about tofu is it’s even better as leftovers (because the flavors have time to sink in even more). So whip this up for your lover and don’t scarf it all down at once!

PS WHY IS TOFU SO YUMMY BUT SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH? Makes my skills look shameful. Sorry guys!

(more…)

Homemade Pasta with Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

2.01.2012

Okay, this recipe was sooo out of my comfort zone that I’ve been dreading trying to translate it for you guys. The recipe I followed for homemade pasta was by a french enthusiast (who also makes beautiful cooks books- Yvette Van Boven) and insisted on using cooking terms that have never come up in my sheltered, American, vegetarian kitchen life. How did I end up making this? I got talked into it by my “cultured, been-to-every-Continent-but-Antarctica” roommate who insisted it would be a piece of cake (please note- she is the one in all the pictures doing most of the intensive labor parts because I was too busy googling what farina is and how you turn dough into “nests”). What kind of person have I become that cooking with xantham gum and agave nectar are normal occurrences but I don’t even know the french term for ‘cream of wheat’? This girl needs to get cultured outside of her hipster lifestyle.

Needless to say, this was my first experience with true fresh pasta and I can understand what all the fuss is about. It may be a bit labor intensive at times (which would easily be avoided if you have a pasta maker! Hoping to get one of these when I become a “real adult” one day) but it doesn’t even taste like the same food as packaged pasta. It’s soft and doughy with an almost…melt in your mouth texture.

I’m going to also post the recipe that we made with the fresh pasta but feel free to do whatever you’d like with the pasta after you make it. I mean…drenching it in french cream and fresh vegetables is only my suggestion…but you should know it’s a damn good one!

Homemade Pasta with Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

For the pasta:

2 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs
salt and pepper
cream of wheat

For the sauce:

1 cup creme fraiche
3 garlic cloves, peeled and slit but still whole
2 carrots, peeled
2 zucchinis
salt and pepper, to taste

First…it’s time to prep the pasta dough: Make a pile of the flour (add a bit of salt and pepper to it) on a CLEAN kitchen counter and create a well in the center of it. Crack the eggs into the center and fold the flour into the eggs until you make a firm, dough balls. This will probably take about ten minutes or so sooo be patient (oh or you could probably stick this stuff in a food processor and make it that way…if you have a food processor. Some of us still live in the stone ages…or are just poor college kids. Either way will work though!). Next, your gonna have to leave the dough to rest for about an hour (I know, I know…waiting is no fun).

If you’d like, you can prep your veggies at this time. You’re just going to peel the carrots and then julienne them and the zucchini. Then set aside for later use!

Wait for the dough to be ready…write a song…dance to some vinyls…wait more…drool over how good this recipe is going to be…wait more…READY!

Now, this is the easy part for you folks that have a pasta machine. Basically, you are just going to roll out chunks of the dough and put them through the pasta maker until you reach the desired size you’d like. HOWEVER, we did it without a pasta maker and this is how: we floured that clean kitchen counter again and rolled out the dough as thin as we could possibly get it (I realize this sounds easy…but it’s not. the dough will be tough and want to pull back in on itself but don’t let that discourage you! You’ll get it!). Once it’s as thin as you’d like it, generously sprinkle the dough with cream of wheat (this is important because it’s going to keep the pasta strands from sticking to itself). Using a knife, cut thin strips of dough and make “nests” (see picture below) on a cutting board with the strips. Continue to sprinkle with cream of wheat to prevent sticking.

Once done with that, bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. While waiting for them to boil, in another small saucepan put the cream fraiche. Stick the whole garlic cloves in the cream and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and add salt/pepper.

When the two pots are boiling, add the vegetables to one of them to blanched the veggies (the time this will take will vary because of how large or small you cut your veggies so just keep an eye on it and test the veggies every few minutes until they reach a slightly soft texture). Throw your pasta in another pan and let cook until it rises to the surface (this will be only about five minutes- it is a very fast process!). Once they are floating, strain and rinse with cold water. Return the pasta to the pot and strain the veggies.

Remove the garlic cloves from the cream and combine everything together in one of the large pots. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy warm!

Make sure to share and show off your European culinary skills to your mother and kittens!

Artichoke and Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

1.28.2012

I’ve had half a bag of red lentils sitting around my kitchen for months now and in an attempt to be resourceful (aka too lazy to go to the store) came across this idea of using them to whip up a quick pasta sauce. I was weary at first because of the texture I thought the sauce might create but it ended up being very creamy and flavorful. The lentils are an excellent source of protein so don’t feel bad about skipping meat for this meal (not that I ever feel bad about skipping meat)!

This recipe takes a half an hour (at the most) so don’t hesitate to whip it up any night of the week. I served this with bread and a small salad but feel free to make some soup or cutlet or whatever floats your boat. It made lots of pasta though so expect yummy leftovers!

Artichoke and Red Lentil Pasta Sauce

2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup dried red lentils
1 small onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 pound of [whole wheat] pasta (I used angel hair but feel free to use whatever you’ve got on hand)
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

In a saucepan (with a lid!), add the mustard seeds over medium heat and let them cook until they begin to pop (make sure there is a lid on it so that they don’t pop all over your kitchen!). Next, add the vegetable broth, lentils, garlic, and onions. Turn the heat down to medium low and let cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Make sure to check and stir it around every couple minutes.

While that is cooking, prepare the pasta according to it’s package directions. Once the pasta has been cooked and drained, mix in the artichoke hearts with it.

Remove the lentil sauce from heat after twenty minutes and use a wooden spool to break the lentils down into a sauce (add more broth if it’s too thick).

Top pasta/artichokes with lentil sauce and season with salt and pepper. Munch down.

Oh and listen to this cute song while making it! (Arg, my girl singer weakness is shining through with this recommendation):

Breadmaker Jalpepeno Cheddar Bread

1.23.2012

As a follow up to my Sandwich Sass post, here is the bread I used to for the veggie stackers and the bohemian BLT. I’m sure if you don’t own a bread maker than my constant bread posts are getting irritating but there is just nothing better than a warm loaf of bread to dip into sauces, wedge veggies between, and enjoy with your favorite jam lathered all over it. I swear, you need to jump on this bandwagon!

Anyways, I am done defending myself and it’s time to get back to the point of this post. So this weekend we had an ice storm that basically had us locked in our house for the past two days. A positive to this is that I live with four friends so what do I need to even leave the house for? The negative to this was that we had a party last weekend and were lacking in alcohol (we made due with brass monkeys). the end, I spent alot of the weekend cooking, playing America trivia drinking games, and watching samurai movies. Overall, great way to escape from the ice and cold (if I do say so myself).

And to end the weekend I made this wonderful bread (AGAIN!) so that I can make some part 2 lunch sandwiches during the week. This is also an attempt to destress myself since I start my new position at the record label tomorrow (get my own desk and all!). Anyways, I’ve never had a “9-5″ job before (hey, I am only 22 and still in college) so this will hopefully make some lunch breaks less stressful by having the sandwiches already prepped.

Okay, too much talking and blabbing about my life in this post. Apologies. Please try this bread if you have a breadmaker. It’s super soft and the hint of spice from the jalapeno gives your sandwiches the perfect extra kick. And it has cheddar in it. Everyone knows that anything with cheese baked into it is going to be amazing. Come on, you know I am right.

Jalepeno Cheddar Bread

1/4 cup jalapenos, chopped and from a jar (reserve the brine)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup of reserved brine juice
1 cup cheddar, shredded
3 cups bread flour
1 packet of yeast (or 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Add into bread machine in the order listed. Press ‘Regular’ or ‘White’ mode and start.

Go off and play with your kitty, watch some Anthony Bourdain, or tend to your cactus collection for a few hours. When returning to your kitchen, there should be soft and warm homemade bread waiting for you to gobble up!

Oh and if you are looking for ideas to use the bread with, I suggest loading it up with every possible veggie you can find in your kitchen and topping it with some tangy honey mustard!

Sandwich Sass

1.20.2012

I’ve been on a sandwich kick this week. It sparked last weekend when we ate lunch at our favorite sandwich spot in Bloomington and had a long talk about how amazing sandwiches are because of their versatility and fresh flavors. This conversation caused an immediate chain reaction to run out to the local co-op for sandwich goodies on the way home (sandwich goodies= fresh veggies, supplies for homemade bread, vegan fakin’ bakin, and sandwich sauce). We then proceeded to make some homemade jalapeno bread (recipe coming soon!) and created sandwich masterpieces for the rest of the week!

Here were my four favorites:

Veggie Stacker (top left): Lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, avocado, swiss, salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed garlic, roasted red pepper aoili on homemade jalapeno bread

Rich Girl’s PB&J (top right): Organic honey roasted almond butter, All Natural Strawberry Rhubarb jam on sprout bread

The Elegant Egg (Bottom left): Scrambled egg, pesto, swiss, salt, pepper on a homemade biscuit

Bohemian BLT (Bottom right): Lettuce, tomato, veganaise, Tempeh Bacon on homemade jalapeno bread

Glad to share my sandwich lust with you and hope to have some real recipes back up this weekend!

Simple Butter Sage Sauce

1.19.2012

Sorry for my site being down all day but I hope it gave you a chance to check out what this new “policy” could mean for the internet and how it could affect us bloggers personally. If you missed it, here is a link to learn more about the SOPA Strike.

On a happier note, there are lots of changes going on around the site these days! New layout, color schemes, and picture links. I’ve only started to scratch the surface with what I’d like to accomplish so here are some future goals for the site:

updated header
~~new background~~
picture category links
a ‘links’ page
and many many more aesthetically pleasing tweaks!

I must say, I started this…renovation (if you will) at a bad time for school is back in session (last semester ever, wooohooo!) and I just got promoted at label (also WOOOHOO) so I am becoming busy busy busy again but I am hoping this will be a great creative outlet to come home to in the evenings.

As for food, I have something very very simple for you today! It’s just a quick three ingredient sauce that can be lathered on anything (and everything). I have the sauce pictures (below) with some butternut squash ravioli but feel free to pair this guy with vegetables or any pasta or whatever you can get your hands on. The earthy flavor of the sage really complements sweet well so I’d recommend pairing it with some sort of winter squash or sweet potatoes (although what does my word mean? Go experiment!)

Simple Buttered Sage Sauce

4 Tablespoons butter
6 sage leaves, chopped
half of a lemon, squeezed

Add butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until all the butter has melted and has turned slightly brown. Once browned, remove from heat and immediatel add the sage leaves. Wait for the temperature to cool (or else the acidity of the lemon will make the butter sizzle and you could burn yourself! My boyfriend discovered this first hand…no good, you dufus!). Then add the lemon juice and turn the mixture until everything is well combined.

Pour over everything. Then eat everything you’ve lathered it with.

Perfect. Amazing, Beautiful. Am I right?

Homemade Beer Bread

1.16.2012

Let me start off by warning you that I am currently enrolled in a photoshop class so I have been obsessed with photo editing lately and trying out new tricks. Also, I love everything vintage so this whole concept of making my food pictures vintage is blowing my mind and will probably be run into the ground. I guess what I am trying to say is be patient with me if you find all these “side note” photos obviously. Oh, and I am also saying that you should get excited because I am planning and am in the process of a major blog make over so stay tuned for lots of fun add ons! Oooooooh yeahh!

So, as I’ve mentioned loads of times before, we are obsessed with making homemade bread. I understand that women are suppose to crave chocolate but nah, give me a loaf of fresh and steaming bread instead! Hah, yeah. Anyways, so sometimes we crave bread but don’t feel like playing the 2 hour waiting game for it to rise and what not so that’s when we turn to our beer bread recipe. It’s seriously the simplest bread recipe to ever exist and no need for yeast or “resting time” or any of that jazz. Just let the beer do it’s natural yeast-fermenting-thing and pop it straight into the oven!

We like to use our beer bread for a nutritious and exotic dinner consisting of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Our favorite version beer bread + mustard + grilled onions + cheddar +swiss. Oh damn. But of course, you can sandwich this bread with loads of healthy toppings too like sprouts, lettuce, carrots, veganaise, cucumber, hummus, etc etc etc…I think you get the point.

Oh and one last point. You should use cheap beer. The flavor of the beer honestly does not affect the final project so use that crappy beer you’ve been avoiding in your fridge for months now.

Homemade Beer Bread

3 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 oz bottle of beer
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Grease a bread pan and preheat oven for 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Then make a well in the center of the bowl and pour the beer in the middle. Fold the dry ingredients into the beer until well incorporated.

Put the batter in the greased bread tin and top with melted butter.

Cook for 40 minutes (or until a tooth pick comes out clear).

Let cool for 10 minutes and then make whatever you’ve like out of it! Or just top with butter and serve warm. Mmmmmmm

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Samosa Patties

1.14.2012

Here in Bloomington, we have an entire street dedicated to ethnic restaurants. It’s really an amazing experience…it’s like walking into another country and it’s just down the street. They’ve got Thai, Indian, Turkish, Mediterranean, and so much more. I had never even had good Indian food before I moved to this town four years ago but this street has certainly allowed me to make up for lost time. My boyfriend use to work at one of the Indian places so he can make a mean curry and I myself have become pretty addicted to this cuisine.

We’ve gone through phases of making curries every weekend and homemade naan and homemade hummus. However, we’ve never managed to master samosas which is suuuuch a shame because they are so dayuuum good. It’s just such a tedious process that it’s fun for a special occasion but not something you’d wanna whip up every weekend. Anyways, so I came across this recipe in my Vegan Brunch cookbook and this solved all of our samosa problems.

These patties literally taste like the inside of a samosa and are half the hassle of making real ones. These are great to serve as a side with some curry or eat as a main with some sweet sauce. They are chocked full of veggies and spices that will fill you’re palette with amazing Indian aromas.

Samosa Patties

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/8 cup canola oil + 2 Tablespoons
dash of turmeric
dash of salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cumin
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/8 cup flour
extra oil for pan frying

First, add the potatoes to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until you can stick a fork through the cubes and they are soft. Drain and return to pot. Mash well and add the 1/8 cup canola oil, turmeric, and dash of salt.

Preheat a large skillet (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of canola oil and the mustard seeds. Cover with the lid and let the seeds pop for about a minute. Once the popping has settled, add the carrots and onions. Saute for about ten minutes and then add the garlic, ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another few minutes and add water if it’s dry.

Back to the potatoes, add the onions, peas, and veggie mixture. Lastly, add in the flour and season with salt.

Now for the disappointing part (the waiting game- one of the worst games ever). You’ve gotta let the mixture cool completely or else it will fall apart. So I reccommend sticking it in the freezer for 20 minutes but feel free to pop it in the fridge for hours (if you prepare it in advance).

Once cooled, take chunks of the batter, roll them into golf ball size balls, and then flatten slightly. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and saute the patties on each side for three minutes or until they have browned. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve warm and with other yummy Indian dishes.

Oh and these are my roommates trying to tell me what they have in their hands is much more interesting than taking photos of my pancakes.

Squash Casserole with Blue Cheese, Sage, and Tomatoes

1.13.2012

Sadly, this week was my first week back to school which means lots of less cooking and less time to devote to fun things like my blog. Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually, right? and it’s my last semester EVER of school so I need to enjoy it (which I think I will with my Rock and Roll history and Photoshop classes). Anyways, I good thing about this is that some of my friends that went home or to visit family over the holidays are finally back (AKA Kelsey) so back to having girl friends and not having to glop onto Wyatt’s guy friends.

Kelsey and I decided to have a cooking night earlier this week and this delicious casserole was the outcome of it. I’ve recently read a lot of recipes where vegans (and health nuts) will substitute cheese for pureed butternut squash to make a mac n cheese like pasta dish. Going into this recipe, that was kind of what I had in mind but once we started making this I realized it wasn’t trying to be like that at all. It’s just a casserole with a bunch of really yummy ingredients incorporated into it. The butternut squash made the “sauce” part pretty thick but not in a discouraging way, just in the “don’t have to eat much” filling sort of way. We served this with garlic toast but feel free to make a salad as a side if you’ve got fresh veggies on hand!

Squash Casserole with Blue Cheese, Sage, and Tomatoes

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
salt
pepper
3 cups dried pasta
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled

First, we must prep the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cubes on a oiled baking dish and took for 20 minutes or until they are soft and can be pierced with a fork. Then remove them from oven and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth (If using a blender you may have to add alittle milk to get the blending process to begin).

Next, bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil. Cook dried pasta according to directions on package. Drain, put pasta back in the large sauce, and set aside until ready to use.

Bring oven temperature down to 375 degrees and oil a casserole dish.

In another large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions and saute until they turn translucent and soft. Next, add the garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes and cook (WHILE STIRRING) for another few minutes (AKA let the garlic smell up your kitchen with it’s yummy aroma!)

Stir in the flour and let cook for another three minutes. Slowly stir in the milk 1/4 cup at a time. FInally, whisk in the squash puree and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Add the squash mixture to the pasta. Then fold in the tomatoes and cheese until everything is incorporated. Transfer to a casserole dish and cook for ten minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy with friends (its a big casserole! Why not?)

Black Bean Chili

1.08.2012

Whoever said that chili without meat isn’t chili lied to you. The black beans in this recipe make it so filling and the spices make it so flavorful that you might be able to convert a carnivore with this recipe. Well…maybe. Probably not but it’s worth a try, right?

This has been my “go to” chili recipe for years. My former friend (now current roommate) and I originally tackled this guy (guy=recipe) when we were sophomores in college and just getting use to finding our way around the kitchen. This means that it’s a recipe for even the newer cooks. We have made this recipe dozens of times and have been tweaking it to our liking since, so for the experienced cookers, feel free to add/remove and tweak whatever you’d like for this recipe!

Black Bean Chili

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder (use red pepper flakes if you like a kick- I’m a wuss)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3- 15 oz. cans black beans, drained (but liquid reserved)
1/2 cup liquid reserve from black beans
8 oz. jar salsa1 can corn

Garnish options:

sour cream
cheddar cheese
cilantro
avocado

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.

Saute onions, peppers, and garlic for first ten minutes. Next, mix in chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, beans, reserved liquid, tomato sauce, salsa, and corn

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Top with loads of cheese, avocados, cilantro, and anything else scrumptious. Also, serve with cornbread (which I made but we’ll have to save that for a future post!) Soooo simple right? Piece. of. cake. Well…chili cake? Yeah, I’m done.

Homemade Pierogies

1.06.2012

My family is German…both sets of my Grandparents are German and their parent’s are German and so on. But for some reason, my mother and I make this Polish tradition every year. I’m not sure how it started but homemade, fresh pierogies are so amazing that we make sure to take time to whip these up during the holidays. I’m a student who has two jobs so I can’t say that I get home very much but when I go, I do make sure to make time for these guys.

We’ve tackled this recipe for so many years that we are able to whip several dozen of these out in less than two hours but you should plan on spending a few hours on this recipe (or do half the recipe and only make a few dozen which should just take over an hour). We always make the 4 dozen and freeze most of them for a later date.

Every August, a nearby town hosts ‘Pierogi Fest’ which is exactly what it sounds: a weekend long food festival dedicated to these tasty dumplings. They have dumplings filled with cheese, sauerkraut, veggies, blueberries, raspberries, and so on. Basically, it’s amazing. And is probably what originally inspired us so many years ago to start making these things.

I suggest you saute them in some olive oil with some onions and peppers. Or in butter with Swiss cheese and shallots. So the next time you have a relaxing, rainy (or snowy) Saturday, take the afternoon to make these with a friend or your Ma or your boyfriend. Whip up some mimosas, turn that vinyl player on, and enjoy the cooking process.

Homemade Pierogies

Dough:

6 cups flour
2 Tablespoons salt
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs

Filling:

8 medium russet potatoes
1 cup sharp cheddar
3 garlic cloves, minced

Start by preparing the filling. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Boil the potatoes until they are soft and a fork can easily pierce them. Drain and then mash the potatoes with a masher or hand mixer until smooth. Then fold in the cheddar and garlic until they are well incorporated. Set aside to cool while you prepare the dough.

Now it’s time to prep the dough! Doing it in two batches, add all dough ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined.

If the dough is super sticky, add a bit more flour and if it’s too crumbly, add more milk.

Next, you are going to roll the dough on a floured surface. We take chunks of the dough (just like my Ma is doing in the picture below) and roll it in parts but feel free to do whatever works best for you. Also, you can definetely use a rolling pin to roll out the dough but we’ve discovered the amazing cooking secrets of the pasta maker. If you do use a pasta maker, I recommend keeping it on the 7 setting and just running it through two times to achieve a smooth texture.

Resist the cute begging dog (with the ridiculous joker collar. Poor guy- what are my parent’s thinking?)

Next, place the dough on a pierogi mold which looks like this:

Fill the pierogies with a tablespoon each of the filling and then place another thin layer of dough on top of the filling and roll a rolling pin over to seal the dumplings.

Repeat with the rest of the filling/dough. Should make around 4 dozen pierogies. Bring a large pot to a boil with salted water. Drop the dumpling in the water for about 3 minutes or until they are floating in the water.

Enjoyed boiled or saute them in butter with onions and bell peppers. Feel free to freeze a couple dozen of them for later use. And don’t forget to share with that begging puppy.