Let's Eat!

Salmon and Feta Quiche

2012-02-10T09:55:00.000Z

I love quiche and this did not disappoint. The flavors are strong, so you wouldn't want to serve it to just anybody. But I thought it was yummy and could be enjoyed for any meal.

adapted from this recipe

1 pie crust

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium purple onion, thinly sliced

6 ounces cooked salmon (I used a pouch of boneless, skinless meat that will probably be found where the tuna is located)

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1/2 tsp dried dill (I would use more next time)

1 tsp lemon zest

salt and pepper, to your liking

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a small skillet. Add onions and cook a couple minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk, cream, dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Start filling the pie crust with the onions covering the bottom. Next put down half the salmon and feta. Pour half of the egg mixture over the salmon and cheese. Lay down the remaining salmon and cheese and pour the remaining egg mixture over that. Transfer to oven. Bake until just set in the center, 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes to let settle before serving.

Slow-Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

2012-02-06T08:37:00.002Z

My parents were visiting this weekend and as much as I knew my Dad would want me to make this, I tried out another crock pot sandwich that he said he liked even better! The meat was tender and delicious with strong italian flavoring and a nice kick from the cayenne.

3 to 4 pound beef rump roast

1 onion, sliced in rings

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon anise (I don't like anise, so I didn't use this)

1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes (undrained)

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer

8 hoagie rolls

8 slices of mozzarella cheese

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your cooker (frozen is okay). Top with sliced onion, and all the dried herbs and spices. It will seem like there are way too many herbs—try not to worry. Add the entire can of tomatoes and bottle of beer. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily with two large forks. Shred the meat completely, and stir well.

Serve on toasted rolls with melted mozzarella cheese.

Mushroom Barley Soup

2012-02-04T13:06:00.000Z

I really like barley and I've been on a bit of a mushroom kick lately, so I loved this soup! I made a few changes from the original recipe to work with what I had on hand. It was a delicious hearty soup for a cold day that was just as good for lunch the next day.

1 cup barley
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 package white button mushrooms, sliced
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp fresh minced thyme or 1 tsp dried
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water to boil. Stir in the barley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the barley is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about five minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften, another 5 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley and simmer for at least 15 minutes, or until ready to serve.

Remove the bay leaves before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mocha Chiffon Cake

2012-02-01T08:58:00.000Z

This cake had great potential. I mean, anything that uses 7 eggs has to be good, right?! I snagged the recipe from a magazine several years ago and made it to take to dinner with friends. I always enjoy a good excuse to bake a real cake, but this one ended up being pretty dry. I should have started checking after just 50 minutes. The glaze was delicious and a dollop of ice cream made up for some of the dryness.

3/4 cup boiling water

3 Tbsp instant coffee

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

7 large eggs, yolks and whites separated (you'll need 5 yolks and 7 whites)

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising . . . look up how to add cornstarch to make your own)

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp light corn syrup or sugar

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips)

1 Tbsp coffee liqueur or coffee

Heat oven to 325. You'll need a 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom and tube. I used a bundt pan. In large bowl, whisk water and espresso powder until dissolved; whisk in cocoa powder until blended and smooth. Whisk in 5 egg yolks, oil, vanilla, baking powder and salt until smooth. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, and then the flour; whisk 1 minute until batter is smooth.

In large bowl of stand mixer, beat the 7 egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff yet billowy peaks form when beaters are lifted. This took me a long time, just so you know. Stir about 2 cups of the whites into the cocoa mixture to loosen. Gently fold in the remaining whites until batter is evenly mocha-colored. Pour batter into pan.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes (that was too long for my cake), or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Turn pan upside down onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Using a long, thin knife, release edges of cake and around the middle tube. Lift cake from sides of pan. Release cake away from bottom of pan. Invert onto wire rack. I didn't do any of this since I used a bundt pan.

Glaze: Heat cream, butter and corn syrup in a medium saucepan until simmering; remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in liqueur. Pour glaze into a glass measure. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes or until cool and slightly thickened. Slowly pour and spread over top of cake, easing glaze over edges and letting it drip down sides and center hole of cake. Refrigerate to set. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Giesler Family Lasagna

2012-01-30T08:02:00.000Z

I'd never made lasagna before. It was just one of those things I didn't care to put forth the effort for. But my neighbor brought her family's recipe to a recipe exchange party and as I read it, I asked about "oven-ready noodles". Apparently I've been living in a cave and everyone else knew about these noodles that make it super easy to put a lasagna together. So I gave it a try and it was SO good! And relatively easy.

Meat Sauce:

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground pork sausage (sage flavored) (I used 1 pound ground beef and threw in a few shakes of dried sage)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp sugar

Brown meat with onions and garlic. Add the other ingredients and simmer for 1 or more hours.

Cheese Mixture:

16 oz. Ricotta
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
2 eggs

Mix everything together and set aside.

Other ingredients needed:

1 (8 oz.) package oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Put a light layer of sauce in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

Next put down one layer of uncooked noodles (depending on how many noodles are in your box, you will have enough for at least three layers of three noodles in each layer, but you might be able to do four noodles on the bottom two layers. Count them out first and plan accordingly. You want the layers with more noodles to be on the bottom if they're not all going to be even). After noodles, layer one third of cheese mixture and then one third of remaining meat sauce. Repeat the layers two more times.

Sprinkle one cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until edges are bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Honey Beans and Spinach

2012-01-27T07:53:00.000Z

Hold on. Before you read the list of ingredients and click away, hear me out. This was good. For real. Very different, but really good. My husband took one bite and said with a surprised tone, "This is really good!" I took a few bites and said, "I would make this again". He took another bite and said, "Totally". And there you have it - an established "keeper" from the Payne kitchen. The honey, lemon, and cream cheese make for a nice tangy sauce. I'm not going to lie and say that the kids gobbled theirs up, but I'll give them the fact that it looks anything but appetizing.

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 onion, diced finely

2 medium (or 4 tiny) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground corriander

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 lemon, juiced (I ended up with about 1/4 cup juice)

1/4 cup honey

1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach, washed and drained

2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)

Drain and rinse both cans of beans, and dump them into your crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Add dry spices, and stir in honey and lemon juice-- you want the beans and veggies in the pot to be coated with them. Rinse off your spinach, and add it to the pot. You'll need to squish it all in, but I promise it'll fit. Plop a dollop of cream cheese on top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3. Stir gently before serving over a bed of white or brown basmati rice. Half-way through, I pulled the spinach away from the side of the crockpot so it wouldn't crust and crunch too badly, and I smeared the cream cheese around since it had melted by that point.

Greek Burgers

2012-01-23T07:47:00.000Z

This is my 400th post! Have I seriously tried that many new recipes?! Thanks for checking out my little corner of the world wide web. It's been a fun hobby for me and I like that there are a few others who seem to enjoy the blog too . . .

Since I was ordering lamb from our butcher for Greek Nachos, I decided to go ahead and get more for these Greek Burgers since so many of the other ingredients are also the same. I honestly can't remember the last time I made burgers, but have already planned on when we'll be having these again! The sauce combined with the flavors in the meat was delicious. I also sauteed some mushrooms and onions to go on top. Yummy!

For the sauce: (We ended up with a ton of sauce. Way more than we needed. So unless you plan on making double the amount of burgers, I'd halve the sauce recipe)

2 jarred roasted red peppers

1/3 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the burgers:

2 pounds ground lamb (I only used about 1 1/2 pounds and still had enough for four good-sized patties)

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika (didn't use this)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 pinches ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper

buns

Using a food processor, puree the roasted peppers, cucumber, feta, yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, onion, chili powder, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Form into four 4-inch patties. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, for 8 minutes for medium.

Slather the sauce on the buns. Garnish patties with cucumber, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, lettuce, red pepper . . . whatever sounds good to you!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

2012-01-20T07:48:00.000Z

I had a few slices of bacon that needed to be used up, so I decided to try something different with brussels sprouts instead of roasting them, which is what I usually do. The result was flavorful and awesome - we loved it!

3-5 slices bacon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-5 cups brussels sprouts

salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the ends off the brussels sprouts and wash well, removing any crusty outer layers. Drain well, then thinly slice and set aside.

In a large frying pan or wok on medium high heat, cook bacon until almost crispy. You want it a few minutes away from being done. At that point (don't drain the fat!), add garlic and cook for thirty seconds to a minute. Finally, dump in brussels sprouts and cook 3-5 more minutes until they turn bright green and just begin to wilt. If you cook them too long, they'll get soggy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili

2012-01-18T08:16:00.000Z

I thought this was delicious. Granted, I love barley anyway, but I've never used it in a chili and thought the flavor mixed with the textures made for a great hearty dinner. And if you decide to make this, but don't know what to do with the rest of your barley - try this. We love it, too!

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, tortilla chips

In a large pot (about 6-quarts), combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano and cayenne (if using). Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the chicken. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes. Serve the chili with optional garnishes, if desired.

The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling. Add chicken broth or water as needed to achieve a desirable consistency (especially if reheating the leftovers).

Race Track Cake

2012-01-14T10:53:00.011Z

My oldest gingersnap turned four last week! I get excited about making fun birthday cakes for my kids. In keeping with tradition (second birthday and third birthday), my son requested a transportation-themed cake that was pretty simple to put together and could be adapted for any age. We found several race track cake pictures online, but this is the one he wanted . . .

I started with a 9x13 pan of cake, thanks to the help of Betty Crocker. I made a "four" stencil using an empty cereal box and cut out the shape while it was still in the pan. After transferring the four onto a large jelly roll pan covered with wax paper, I went at it with the icing, using small ziplocs with a tiny hole cut in the corner for the yellow and black outlines. The icing mess was an easy clean-up by cutting away the wax paper. The "race flag" is sharpie on white paper. Finally, I found a highly skilled and experienced car owner to select and place four race cars on the track.

He told me it looked exactly like what he wanted, which is all I was going for. We had fun eating it, too!

Greek Nachos

2012-01-11T08:49:00.000Z

Another yummy recipe from Jessie. I'll take nachos any way I can get them, and these were a tasty twist on the originals!

pita chips (I've included how I make them below)

4 ounces feta cheese

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (I couldn't find fresh mint for the life of me, but our sauce still tasted good)

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 pound ground lamb

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 or 3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted and halved (optional).

To make pita chips:Preheat oven to 375.
Pull pitas apart and cut into fourths or eighths, depending on what size you want your chips to be. Lay in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with whatever seasonings sounds good. Garlic salt with a little pepper is my favorite.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned in color. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, combine feta, yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, mint and zest and juice of lemon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blend or process until smooth.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cumin and season with salt and pepper; continue cooking until meat is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes more. Put chips on a serving plate and top with lamb, sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives.

Salsa Verde Chicken Bake

2012-01-09T08:58:00.003Z

photo credit here

This was so easy and very tasty. I only used seven tenders and one cup (small can) of salsa verde. The chicken stayed moist and the cheesy sauce was yummy served with chips.

1 1/4 to 1 1/3 pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 cups tomatillo salsa verde
4 ounces grated Monteray Jack and/or Pepper Jack cheese (I used the Pepper Jack for ours and the Mont. Jack for the kids to help cut back on it being too spicy)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove tenders from the chicken breasts and cut the larger pieces in half. You should have 4 4-ounce chicken portions plus the tenders. line a 8x8 casserole baking dish with the chicken pieces. Try to cover the bottom as completely as you can with chicken.

Cover the chicken pieces with the salsa verde. Cover completely, there should be no exposed chicken or it will dry out. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, use it. The chicken should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 150°F.

Sprinkle cheese over the chicken, increase the oven heat to 400°F and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, enough time for the cheese to melt and the sauce to get bubbly.

Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Spoon over cooked rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips for crunch if you would like.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2012-01-06T13:40:00.002Z

I hosted another soup swap this year. You've got to try it! Not only do you get new soups to freeze for later, your friends will think you're genius for planning the party (because they also get great soups to take home!) and you get to try out fun party foods that should only be made when they can be shared. Like this one that Jessie posted. Oh my. This stuff is out of this world. If I wasn't afraid of offending my guests, I would have taken a picture of how many ladies were huddled around the bowl, taking turns dipping and talking and laughing and saying how they should stop eating . . . but didn't.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned jalapeno peppers, drained and diced

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookies

2012-01-04T09:04:00.000Z

Who says we're passed pumpkin season? Not me! As you can tell, these aren't the prettiest cookies (all cookies I've made with pumpkin puree tend to be soft and more cake-like in texture), but they were delicious.

2-¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cups brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 whole egg
1 tsp vanilla
1-½ cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or not).

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet.

A Look Back

2012-01-02T14:41:00.000Z

Happy New Year! As we step into 2012, I thought it would be fun to take a look back and see what some of my favorite recipes were from 2011. I won't say these are necessarily my all-time faves, just my top picks from the past year. So in no particular order, here are ten recipes that I used last year that I think you should try if you haven't already . . .

Scones

Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas and Cauliflower

Baked Berry and Banana Oatmeal

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

Broccoli Cheese Cornbread

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

Mushroom Egg Salad

Cinnamon Snaps

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

BBQ Cabbage & Sausage Stuffed Rolls

2011-12-30T08:50:00.000Z

photo credit here

Jessie posted this recipe and we really enjoyed it. They also made great leftovers for lunches.

1 pound sausage, either raw or smoked
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small white onion, diced (optional)
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced (I used mozzarella)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound bread dough or 8 to 16 premade dough rolls, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Crumble the sausage into a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until browned and completely cooked through. Drain the fat. Add the cabbage, garlic, and onion (if using) and cook over medium heat until wilted and soft. Add BBQ sauce and stir frequently until warm. Add the cheese to the pan and stir continuously so it doesn't stick or burn. When the cheese has just melted, remove pan from heat and set aside. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Preheat oven to 450°. Taking a small amount of dough (slightly larger than a clementine and smaller than a baseball) press it flat with your hands and pull gently on the sides — like you were making a mini pizza crust. Place dough in the palm of your hand or on a flat surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the dough. Working quickly pinch together the ends, folding them over gently to ensure they stay closed. Flip the ball over and rub gently on the counter in a small circular motion to regain its shape.

Lay each ball on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper that's been lightly floured (I just lightly sprayed my pan and they didn't stick at all). When tray is full, brush the tops with butter, sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool completely if freezing or refrigerating (otherwise the bread will get soggy) or enjoy while still warm!

Cocoa-Banana Pancakes

2011-12-28T08:44:00.002Z

My youngest gingersnap turned TWO last week! We started her morning off with some yummy "Minnie Mouse" pancakes. The bitterness from the cocoa and yogurt was offset by the sweet banana (and syrup!) and they were moistly delicious!

1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
1 banana, the riper the better
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk or whole milk
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons coconut (optional)

Combine yogurt, banana, milk and vanilla in a large bowl and pulverize with a hand blender until smooth. Crack in the eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix together thoroughly.

In another bowl, sift together flours, cocoa, and baking soda. With a wooden spoon, stir in wheat germ and coconut, if desired. Add entire dry mixture into the wet mixture and fold gently together. Pour in melted butter and mix just to combine.

Heat a cast iron pan (or nonstick) over medium heat and then grease with vegetable oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter onto the pan to make several small, round pancakes. Cook on even medium-low heat until bubbles start to form.

Flip pancakes and continue cooking.   Remove from pan and serve warm with maple syrup or Nutella and fresh banana slices, if desired.

Batter may be refrigerated and kept up to two days. Beat well with a fork before using.

Bruschetta

2011-12-23T20:45:00.002Z

Merry Christmas! Here's a tasty and festive-looking appetizer for your Christmas weekend. I searched through several recipes for how to make the topping and then just went with it. Yummy!

1 (12 to 16-inch) baguette
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus more for topping
2 cups diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut the baguette in medium slices, place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until lightly brown. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on each slice. Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature.

Remove baguette slices from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and enjoy!

Coffee Pudding

2011-12-21T08:54:00.001Z

This was decadent, delicious, and extremely rich. It was the perfect treat for a date with my man, who loves all things coffee.

Makes 4 good-sized servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup espresso, or strong brewed coffee (de-caf would work)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

In a medium sauce pan combine the cream and coffee and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Watch closely as cream boils over quickly.

In a small bowl combine the cornstarch, salt and sugar. Whisk to remove any and all lumps.

Once cream and coffee are simmering, add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Boil gently for 1 minute. Pour hot pudding through a fine strainer to remove any little cornstarchy clumps. I don't have a fine strainer, but our pudding was still pretty much lump-free.

Pour into serving dishes then cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Sweet Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and whisk until medium peaks form. Chill until ready to serve.

French Onion Soup

2011-12-19T08:38:00.000Z

My husband and I enjoyed an in-house date night last week. I always have fun planning our date menus! French onion soup has never been one of my favorites, but my husband has mentioned it a few times recently, so I figured if the Pioneer Woman had a recipe, I could probably like it! I almost stopped cooking when the onions came out of the oven. I wanted to dig in with a fork! The final product was deliciously rich and perfect to sip on over undistracted conversation with my man.

1 stick Butter
4 whole Large (or 6 Medium) Yellow Onions, Halved Root To Tip, And Sliced Thin
1 cup (generous) Dry White Wine
4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups Beef Broth
2 cloves Minced Garlic
Worcestershire Sauce
Several Thick Slices Of French Bread Or Baguette
5 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Gruyere Cheese, Grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Place soup pot into the oven with the lid slightly ajar to ensure the onions will brown. Allow onions to cook in the oven for 1 hour, stirring at least once during the cooking process so onions won’t stick and burn.

Remove pot from oven and place back on stovetop over medium heat. Stir, scraping off all the brown, flavorful bits. Turn off heat and pour in wine. Turn heat back to medium. Cook wine for five minutes, allowing it to reduce. Add broths, a splash of Worcestershire Sauce and minced garlic and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat, allowing bread to brown and become crispy.
When soup is ready, ladle into bowl or ramekin. Place crispy bread on top, and then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Apple Pie Swirl Bread

2011-12-16T10:38:00.000Z

I made this one evening and we enjoyed it for breakfast the next day. I was shy with the "fillings", eyeballing the spices and butter. One third cup of sugar seemed like a lot to me. The loaf turned out fine, but was missing some of the "apple pie" flavor I think would have shown up more if I had used the suggested amount of sugar and cinnamon.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (I used canola)
1 1/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, softened slightly
3/4 cup chopped apple (equals about 1 medium apple)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used Penzeys' Apple Pie Spice)

Mix together flours, yeast, and salt in a large bowl, stand mixer, or food processor. Stir in the honey, oil, and milk, mixing until the dough comes together and forms a ball. If the dough is too sticky add a small amount of all-purpose flour; if too dry, add a small amount of milk.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough is smooth. Let rise in a covered bowl until doubled in bulk, about two hours. It took my dough over three hours to double in size.

Punch down dough and put onto floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle with its short side approximately 9 inches (to fit a loaf pan). If the dough resists rolling out, let it rest 10 minutes and continue. Spread butter on dough. Scatter apple pieces across, similar to topping a pizza. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the entire surface.

Roll up dough and pinch ends closed. Place in a greased loaf pan, and press down dough to fit into the pan, making sure to reach the corners. This will help ensure an even second rise and properly shaped loaf. Cover and let rise approximately 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. After the first day, store in the fridge.

Kitchen Gadgets

2011-12-14T07:03:00.006Z

Since we live on the other side of the world from most of our loved ones, I am happy to report that my Christmas shopping is finished! However, I'm reading enough blogs and receiving catalogues to remind me that plenty of you don't have the overseas shipping factor built in to your shopping timeline. For some gift ideas, I thought I'd open my humble kitchen and share some of my favorite kitchen gadget things . . . the stuff besides the very basics that I use a lot.

Apple-peeler-corer-slicer - even if you don't make applesauce (which you should definitely try some time!), I still think this gadget is worth your cabinet space. I'm surprised by how much I use it. It makes dicing apples for muffins or bread much faster, kids think the curly-q shape is super fun to eat, it works well to do a pot of mashed potatoes, and did I mention homemade apple sauce couldn't be more fool-proof?

Salt Bowl - I stopped using a salt shaker a while ago when a friend gave me a little wooden salt bowl. Mine looks more like these, but I do wish it had a lid, like this one. Dipping my measuring spoon into the bowl or, more often than not, taking one or two pinches is so much easier than pouring from a container. I know we're talking seconds here, but it adds up, right? Plus, you can have whatever kind of salt you like without needing bigger holes in your shaker.

Kitchen Sheers - opening packages, "dicing" bacon, trimming green onions, splitting chicken . . . you name it, I've probably used my sheers for it.

Large Jelly Roll Pan - I just bought my second pan because I was constantly using one, wishing I had another at the same time. I roast vegetables for dinner a LOT. These pans are also perfect for making a double batch of granola (time and money saver). I don't own any other cookie sheets or flat baking pans.

Pampered Chef wooden spoons - my Nana gave me a set of these before I got married. Nine years later, you will still always find one in my dishwasher or on my drying rack. The same set. No splitting, staining, splintering . . . as much as I've used them, I'm convinced these spoons are indestructible.

Locking Tongs - I actually use chopsticks more than I use my tongs. Living in China has left its mark. But I would probably have burnt my hand less using these longer tongs to turn chicken or bacon in hot oil. Tossing pasta or salad is super simple with these. They are a regular go-to from my utensil drawer.

What's one of your favorite kitchen gadgets?

Shredded Asian Beef Tacos

2011-12-11T07:46:00.005Z

photo credit

These were SO good! We had our neighbors over for dinner and the four of us all enjoyed them. The meat was a cinch. I made my own version of Asian slaw. Throw everything in a warm corn tortilla and you have a great dinner!

2-3 pounds beef roast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)

1/2 onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 whole jalapeno, diced

There's no way to make this complicated. Throw everything into your slow cooker. If you just can't handle the freedom, add the ingredients in alphabetical order. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred meat and serve with slaw on warm tortillas or brown rice.

Asian Slaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots
1 small red onion, finely chopped
pinch of salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 - 1 tsp sriracha
1/2 tsp sugar

Toss cabbage, carrots, and onion. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, sesame oil, sriracha, and sugar until smooth. Taste; add more salt if needed. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix to combine.

Want to be a Cooker?

2011-12-07T07:40:00.013Z

My oldest gingersnap told me the other day that he wants to be a "cooker" when he gets bigger. Specifically, he wants to be a "breakfast cooker and not cook lunch or dinner". It makes perfect sense: his mom loves to cook and the boy eats three times as much breakfast as anyone else in our house. So a breakfast cooker he shall be!

With recent talks of "being a cooker", we've also been talking about being hungry. My two gingersnaps are constantly "hungry". At least they think they are. More likely they're bored, or just want to eat something that tastes good (which I can totally relate to!). We've been working on learning what being hungry really is and our World Vision Gift Catalog arrived at the perfect time to help with that lesson.

World Vision is one of many non-profit organizations that seek to help those suffering from the causes of poverty and injustice. While we dine on holiday delicacies, I am working to help my children learn (and remind myself) that there are those who won't know anything but hunger as a Christmas dinner this year. Instead of sharing a recipe today, I thought I'd share a few ways that you can feed someone this season who knows what it means to truly be hungry. I bet they would appreciate you being their cooker.

a little boy I was blessed to spend time with at an orphanage in China

World Vision's Gift Catalog

feeding a family for one day only costs $16

Feed My Starving Children

ships food packs to nearly 70 countries around the world

World Food Program USA

Share Our Strength - No Kid Hungry

Vegetarian Pinto Beans in the Crock Pot

2011-12-05T07:29:00.000Z

This is what I served the first time I made broccoli cheese cornbread. While the bread outshone the beans, I thought this concoction was worth sharing, too. I threw some things together and this is what we enjoyed.

1 1/5 pounds dried pinto beans
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 cups water
1 cup white wine
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 bay leaves

Put beans in large pot and cover by a few inches with water. Soak overnight. Drain in the morning and dump in your crockpot. Add everything else to the crockpot. Stir gently. Cook on low 8-10 hours or until beans are fully cooked. Enjoy.

Chicken Edamame Stir-Fry

2011-12-02T07:32:00.001Z

I love stir-fries. If I ever use a recipe, it's more for the ingredient combination to make the sauce. This time, I started with this recipe and made several changes to fit what we had on hand and what I wanted to include. It was a delicious.

Coarse salt and ground pepper

8 ounces soba noodles

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), cut crosswise into thin strips

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 napa cabbage (about 1 pound), thinly shredded

2 cups frozen shelled edamame

1 cup snap peas

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Add tablespoon oil to skillet on medium high; add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add cabbage, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add edamame, snap peas, vinegar, soy sauce, chicken, and noodles; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until noodles and veggies are warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Granola

2011-11-30T08:47:00.000Z

I didn't bother to take a picture of this one because I didn't think it was that great. But I'm a bit picky about my granola, so you might like it. It's on the softer more chunky side. The flavor was fine, I just like my granola to be crunchy and not too clumpy (like my standard recipe is!).

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the oats, dried cranberries, raisins, almonds, coconut, and pumpkin seeds, stirring until granola is evenly coated. It will be moist.

Spread out evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and stir the granola around. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Granola will crisp up once it has cooled down.

Serve with milk, yogurt, or eat it plain and by the handful.

Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-11-28T08:55:00.000Z

Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate? Seriously?! Those kind of people exist?! Well, I'm a big fan of the combination and these amazing brownies did not disappoint. You can use whatever brownie recipe (or box) you chose, but it's really the frosting that makes this dessert absolutely rich and to die for. Don't leave out the salt - it really does make a difference.

6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) softened butter

¾ cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (like Maldon), for sprinkling on top

Cream the butter and the peanut butter until combined. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar and pinch of salt until completely incorporated. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle the sea salt all over top.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

2011-11-23T09:42:00.003Z

photo credit here

This has nothing to do with thanksgiving dinner, but I was certainly grateful to get to eat this soup! As much as I enjoy Olive Garden's soup and salad combo, I'd never tried this one from their menu. So I can't say how close the recipe is to the original version, but it was delicious nonetheless. I ended up adding more chicken broth to thin the soup a bit, leaving it still plenty rich, creamy, and a comforting fall soup.

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half (I used 1 cup half and half and the rest whole milk)
1 14 ounces can of chicken broth (I added at least one more cup)
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
1 pound potato gnocchi

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.

Naan

2011-11-21T08:19:00.000Z

These got better with each one I made. The first two weren't really worth eating - too thin and cooked too long. But by the end I had the hang of how thick and how long to cook and we ended up with enough tasty naan to scoop up our curry. Why use a spoon when you could have naan? It's not a substitute for what you get in the restaurants, but for the price, it's a good homemade alternative.

2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
1/2 tsp sale
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 plain green yogurt
1 large egg

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour a half cup at a time until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).

At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. I ended up using about 3 cups of flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky.

Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!

For the most bubbles, don't roll out the ball of dough until just before it is ready to be placed in the skillet. I experimented with different skillet temperatures and found that a medium heat produces the most bubbles in the dough and does not burn the surface.

Broccoli-Basil Mac and Cheese

2011-11-18T08:10:00.001Z

photo credit here

My finished product looked nothing like this, but it still tasted excellent. Don't be bummed if your basil bread topping clumps up, too. It won't look very pretty, but it will still be good. We were fans.

1 small butternut, acorn, or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into tiny chunks

olive oil

1 bunch of basil, stems removed

2 slices bread, stale or dried out in the oven

1/2 a small head of broccoli, roughly chopped

4 Tbsp sour cream

3 cups combination of grated cheeses, white cheddar and gruyere were the original suggestions - I used sharp cheddar and monteray jack

large handful of cherry tomatoes

3 cups dried macaroni elbows

Preheat your oven to 400F with a rack in the middle. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Place the squash on a large baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

In the meantime, pulse half the basil, all the bread, the broccoli and lug of olive oil in a food processor until you've got a fine crumb. It'll be a bit damp - that's ok. Transfer to a small bowl and give the processor a rinse.

In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and grated cheeses.

Place tomatoes in food processor with remaining basil. Pulse a couple times to break things up, then add to the sour cream mixture and stir well.

Boil pasta in well-salted water for a bit less time than the package suggests. Drain, reserving a big cup of the hot pasta water for later use. Return the hot pasta to the pan and add cheese mixture. Add squash and give it a good stir. Add pasta water to thin the sauce to the consistency of cream. It can be a bit runny as the pasta will soak it up in the oven.

Transfer everything to a large baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle the green breadcrumbs evenly across the top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the topping is crunchy. Remove from the oven, and wait 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

2011-11-16T08:08:00.002Z

This is my oldest gingersnap enjoying his pumpkin gingerbread. He and his sister helped me polish off this deliciously moist loaf.

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 Tbsp finely minced candied or fresh ginger (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

3 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter to keep the pumpkin gingerbread from sticking to pan.

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, molasses, fresh or candied ginger, eggs, and water.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir only until incorporated.

Place batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edge of the loaf and invert the loaf to remove it from the pan. Let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes or longer.

The loaf's flavor will improve with time. If you cut into it while it's still a bit warm, it may be crumbly.

Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup

2011-11-14T09:29:00.000Z

This soup was full of flavor, creamy, not too rich, and perfect for fall. My oldest gingersnap asked last night if I would make it again for dinner soon (identified as the orange soup with bacon!).

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash, fresh or frozen
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup apple cider (I used juice)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces (I used bacon)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened. Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Puree in a blender in batches until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the prosciutto, more cheese and chives, if using. Serve with bread, if desired.

Cinnamon Snaps

2011-11-11T08:33:00.001Z

In August, we went to Belgium and I tasted, among other wonderful things, the wonders of a cookie called Speculoos:

I'm typically a chewy cookie kind of girl, but these cinnamony wonders were crispy and had me with one bite. I've since learned that there is a Speculoos spread! It's as if Nutella is introducing me to its long-lost cousin!! But back to the cookie . . . I wasn't wasn't thinking of Speculoos when I made these cinnamon snaps, but they ended up being pretty darn close! So, of course, I loved them. They are light, just spicy enough, snappy and addictive. The perfect holiday cookie. I baked one roll and kept the other in the freezer for a last-minute sweet treat with unexpected company.

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
extra sugar and ground cinnamon for coating

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the honey, egg, and vanilla extract and beat for another minute on medium until well incorporated. Be sure to pause halfway through to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients and mix until they are incorporated into the dough and the dough is smooth.

Lightly flour a work surface and divide the dough into two equal parts. Lightly roll them out into logs about 2-inches in diameter. Place them on pieces of plastic wrap and wrap them up and carefully smooth the logs out. Place in the freezer and chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside a small bowl and add some cinnamon and sugar in whatever proportions you enjoy best (I find 1/4 cup of sugar to a teaspoon of cinnamon is perfect for me, but taste and go with what works for you).

Slice the dough into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife. Take each round and press one side into the cinnamon sugar you mixed earlier. Place the dough round sugar-side up. Give the cookies plenty of space as they will spread when they bake.

Bake for 10-13 minutes or until a dark golden-brown. Be sure to watch them very carefully after 10 minutes as they can burn very quickly. The cookies will puff up a bit and remain soft once out of the oven. Don't worry as they will become crisp as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Paella

2011-11-09T08:48:00.000Z

Jessie and I "challenged" each other to make one of our fall favorite meals. This was the recipe she sent to me and it was de-li-cious! We all loved it. It made a ton, which we enjoyed as leftovers and shared with neighbors. Jessie's recipe is here, but I ended up halving the amount of meat and thought there was still plenty.

5 (4 ounce) links hot Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 chicken tenders or strips
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large stalk celery, with leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes, juice reserved
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Fry hot and mild Italian sausage pieces in the wok until brown on all sides. Remove sausage, and fry the chicken strips in the sausage drippings until browned. Remove chicken and saute onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes, or until tender.

Stir in the uncooked rice, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, oregano and turmeric. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then mix in 1/2 cup of reserved tomato juice and chicken broth. Add chicken pieces, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add sausage to the mixture, and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in the shrimp; cover and cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through.

Indian-Spiced Chicken Wraps

2011-11-07T08:50:00.000Z

The original recipe called this Chicken Schwarma. We thought the flavor was delicious, but not really like any schwarma we've ever tasted. I think I would have preferred the chicken on a flat bread or naan instead of pita. But the yogurt sauce was fantastic and went very well with the flavor of indian-inspired flavor of the meat.

Chicken and Marinade:
1 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Yogurt sauce:
7 oz. cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add chicken, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.

Prepare the yogurt sauce for the sandwiches. Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

After marinating the chicken, grill until cooked through. Serve with yogurt sauce and desired vegetables on pita or flat bread.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

2011-11-04T08:55:00.000Z

This dish was my absolute favorite from a recipe exchange party. The flavor is amazing, the chicken stayed moist and the croutons absorb the delicious lemony juices. Add some lightly charred, flavorful onions on top and it's one of the best things I tasted last month. When I finally put the dish on the table, the chicken had cooled off more than I wanted it to, so I'll have to figure out how to remedy that next time.

1 roasting chicken, at least 3 pounds
1 large onion, sliced
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup chicken broth
6 cups bread cubes (1 baguette cut up)
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash chicken inside and out (remove giblets if they're still inside). Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place lemons inside chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melter butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast chicken for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Check onions after 45min.-1 hour. When they are getting crispy and really browned, add chicken broth. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 Tbsp of olive oil or until very hot. Lower the heat to medium and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garlic salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Remove croutons from heat.

Slice chicken (or just kinda piece it off the bone) and place it on a serving platter. Put croutons on top of chicken, then pour juices and onions on top. Serve immediately.

Energy Balls

2011-11-02T07:41:00.000Z

My kids and I made a batch of these this week. I actually posted this recipe a couple years ago, but after tasting one today, I decided you needed to be reminded of the goodness. These are the perfect "pick-me-up" bite. They're packed with good fats and protein and have an addictive salty-sweet thing going on with a little crunch. So here they are, making another appearance and hoping that you like them as much as I do!

In a large saucepan, melt together:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

Stir in:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup rice crispies cereal
(I also added a few spoonfuls of wheat germ at this point)

Mix in:
basically anything you want - the possibilities are endless!
1/2 nuts (I used chopped almonds and pecans)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I would suggest decreasing the amount of honey if you use chocolate chips. They were a little too sweet for my taste)

When the mixture is cool enough for you to handle, form into balls and roll in shredded coconut (optional). Store in a cool place.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

2011-10-31T09:01:00.000Z

Yes, you can actually serve Ramen noodles to your guests! My mom made this a lot growing up. It was always a hit. I couldn't remember the last time I bought a package of Ramen noodles, but this salad is a good excuse to always have some on hand!

For the salad:
1 medium head cabbage, thinly sliced (you can mix red and green for a more colorful bowl)
3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced
1 package ramen noodles, crumbled (chicken flavor)
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted (5-8 minutes at 350 works for me)
4 Tbsp sunflower seeds

For the dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
3 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
seasoning packet from Ramen noodles (chicken flavor)

Mix all ingredients for the dressing in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Refrigerate for 2 hours. (You can serve it right away if you need to, it just loses a bit of the flavor) Combine cabbage, green onions, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Add noodles and almonds just before you are ready to add dressing (so they don't get soggy). Pour chilled dressing on top. Toss well and serve immediately.

Sweet Smothered Pork Enchiladas

2011-10-29T13:47:00.001+01:00

photo credit - someday I'll figure out how to take a picture of enchiladas that looks appetizing

I went to a recipe exchange party recently and scored some great new things to try out! This was one of my two favorite dishes from that night. Thanks to my neighbor, Rachel, for introducing them! The sweetness from the brown sugar is unexpected in an enchilada, but delicious. My husband and I both agreed that we wanted more spice. Next time I'll either use chilie sauce that isn't mild, or add a little crushed red pepper to the meat mixture while it's cooking.

2 1/2 pounds pork, any cut
salt and pepper
garlic powder
flour tortillas (8-10 large or 15-20 small)
2 10 0z. cans mild green chilie enchilada sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can black beans, rinsed and well drained
chopped cilantro
1 cup monteray jack cheese, grated

Cut pork into large cubes and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place cubes in slow cooker and add 1/3 cup water. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Remove from cooker, letting juices drain off. Place meat in large bowl and shred. Mix in 1/2 cup chilie sauce, brown sugar and black beans. Stir until well combined. This is your enchilada filling.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Pour 1/2 cup chilie sauce in bottom of dish. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon meat mixture and chopped cilantro (to taste) in center and roll up. Place seam side down in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the rest of chilie sauce over enchiladas and top with grated cheese.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes to add a little texture if you want.

Pumpkin Cornbread

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

Thank you, Kendra, for sharing this recipe! What could be bad about pumpkin cornbread?! I served it with savory pinto beans and thought it was a good twist on the regular stuff I make. But to be fair, my husband said he would have preferred a cornbread that wasn't as sweet to go with the beans. Maybe it would compliment a sweet sausage soup better. Either way, we all still liked the bread.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or just use 1 cup of all-purpose)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cornmeal

2 whole eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp molasses

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, spices, brown sugar, and cornmeal.

In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, then stir in pumpkin, oil and molasses.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until combined. Pour batter into pan, smoothing out the top. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Tacos

2011-10-24T07:19:00.001+01:00

I have a great neighbor who generously shared her bounty of harvest from a day's work at a local farm. The bag of freshly picked veggies included a full bunch of brightly colored rainbow kale. I did a bit of searching and decided to make these tacos. They were delicious! Even using less red pepper, they were still too spicy for the gingersnaps, so beans and cheese went in their tortillas while my husband and I ate all of the chard and onion filling on our own.

12 oz. bunch of Swiss chard, thick lower stems removed, rinsed well and sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 large onions, tinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
salt
warm corn tortillas
Queso Fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese
salsa (the original recipe suggested this one, but we thought they were good without any salsa)

To warm tortillas in oven (as opposed to microwave), preheat oven to 350. Wrap stack of tortillas in tin foil. Place on center rack for 15-20. Meanwhile, make the filling:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion then cook until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. To the onions, add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Stir for about 20 seconds until youa re hit with the aroma of the garlic, then immediately add the brother, 1/2 tsp salt and the greens. Adjust the heat to medium and cook until the greens are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-high and cook until juices have reduced significantly. Taste and add salt if you think it needs it. Serve with the corn tortillas, crumbled fresh cheese and salsa.

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-21T07:15:00.004+01:00

My first new pumpkin recipe of the season! How did I wait this long? I don't know. But since I do love all things pumpkin, I've added a "pumpkin" tab on the right that I'll leave up for the season . . . .

But wait. Don't even check the other options yet because this is by far my favorite pumpkin recipe to date (this one being my favorite savory). I had it on the menu for my husband's birthday week, but it's fairly time consuming and I never got around to it. I almost just ditched the recipe all together. But how can you ditch something that sounds so wonderful? So I went for it. I made it just because. No one to share it with or serve it to. Nothing extra special to celebrate. Just a yummy treat for my family to enjoy. And enjoy it, we did. The whole thing, in fact. In just two days. Good thing I'm eating for two! Let's just say that a pumpkin pie and a cinnamon roll hooked up. They've got a good thing going on!

The original recipe can be found here. I made a few changes:

Bread:
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Glaze:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (you could also use 1/4 tsp rum)

Make the pull-apart bread dough:
Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the 2 tablespoons of butter: let it bubble and foam and when you see it start to brown, stir it so that it browns evenly. When it’s the color of dark honey, remove it from the heat and pour it into a large heat-safe mixer bowl to cool. Be careful. It can burn quickly if you're not watching.
In the same saucepan, over medium-low heat, warm the milk until it bubbles. Remove it from the heat and pour it into the bowl with the butter. Stir gently, then let these cool until they’re about 100-110 degrees F (warm, but not hot). Set the saucepan aside for another use later; why do more dishes?

Stir the sugar and yeast into the milk/butter mixture and let it sit for a few minutes until things start getting foamy (it took mine about 5 minutes). Stir in pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup flour. If you haven’t already, fit your mixer with a dough hook (or just be prepared to knead with your hands). Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between each addition. When the dough is combined, knead on low speed with a dough hook until smooth and elastic (about 4 minutes with a mixer - a little longer with hands). If still sticky, add flour 1 Tbsp at a time. I had to add about 1/4 cup more.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until it doubles in size. It took mine two hours to double. (After it rises, you can put it in the fridge overnight to use it in the morning, but let it sit out for half an hour before rolling if you do.)

Make the filling: While the dough is rising, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter for the filling in the saucepan over medium-high heat and brown it as directed above. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together and mix well. Set aside to use later.

Shape and bake pull-apart bread: Once dough has double, punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a sprinkling of flour (about 1 tablespoon) into the dough. Let it sit to relax for 5 minutes. Roll it out to a 20 inch long and 12 inch wide rectangle, lifting corners periodically to make sure it’s not sticking. If it seems to be snapping back (which mine did constantly), cover it with your damp towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing (I didn't actually do this, but probably should have because it took me forever to get the dough rolled and worked out).

Spread the browned butter filling mixture over the surface of the dough, patting it down to ensure it mostly sticks. Pile it on!

Cut the into 6 strips - the long way. You want long, thin strips - not short, fat strips (do this by cutting the rectangle in half, then cutting each half into equal thirds. I used a pizza cutter). Stack the strips on top of one another and cut the resulting stack into 8 even portioned piles. Place these piles one at a time into your greased loaf pan, pressing them up against each other to fit them all in (see picture for a visual on how they should be placed in pan). Cover the pan with your damp cloth and place it in a warm place for 30-45 minutes to rise.

While dough rises, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if you have a glass loaf dish instead of a metal pan). When it’s risen, place the loaf in the center of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until dark golden brown on top (if you take it out at light golden brown, it’s liable to be raw in the middle, so let it get good and dark). Cool for 20-30 minutes on a cooling rack in the loaf pan while you make the glaze.

Make the glaze: About five minutes before the loaf is done cooling, bring the butter, milk, and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat in your saucepan. Remove it from heat, add the powdered sugar and vanilla (or rum), and whisk it to a smooth consistency.

Assemble and serve: Use a butter knife to loosen all sides of the bread from the loaf pan and gently turn it out onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip it to turn it right side up. Drizzle glaze over top. Serve each piece slightly warm with a drizzle of glaze.

Veggies and Cheese Pasta Bake

2011-10-17T09:30:00.008+01:00

I was feeling inspired by this dish and this bread one night (both are definitely worth making if you haven't tried them already). The result was fantastic! You should give this a try with veggies that sound good to you.

4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pound pasta (I used a tiny version of bowtie I found called farfalline - random - but I'm sure any kind would work)
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup Monteray Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
Veggies - I just used what I had on hand:
2 cups broccoli, cut into small chunks (I used the rest of the frozen bag from this recipe)
1/2 yellow squash, sliced into thin bite bits
I think mushrooms, and/or zucchini would work well also.

Fill bottom of 9x13 pyrex dish with pasta. Evenly scatter chicken bites, vegetables, and cheese cubes on top. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

In a medium sized saucepan, bring chicken broth, water, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and carefully pour into prepared pyrex.

Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven at 400 for 40 minutes, or until most of liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through.

Sweet Potato Oranges

2011-10-14T08:44:00.001+01:00

photo credit

With fall in full swing and Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I'd share this recipe from my mother-in-law that she made for our meal of thanks last year. She remembered her mother making something similar growing up, so I helped her track down a few recipes to work from and this was the result. They were delicious and I'd say it will be hard not to make them again myself this year!

6 oranges
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 eggs, lightly beatenve
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
mini marshmallows, optional for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Prepare oranges by cutting each orange in half. Spoon out the flesh, leaving a shell.
In a large bowl combine sweet potatoes, sugar, orange juice, eggs, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup butter and grated orange peel. Spoon mixture into orange shells. Place in a deep casserole dish.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Cook until sugar dissolves in melted butter. Spoon over oranges. Fill casserole dish with water about 1/4 inch deep.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. If you want to add the marshmallows on top, sprinkle a few on each orange at the very end and broil quickly. They will cook fast and burn quickly if you're not careful, so keep an eye on them.

Chocolate Apple Squares

2011-10-12T08:45:00.000+01:00

These were good, but not my favorite. I think the raisin and chocolate combination weirded me out. They do that a lot over here in England. I'm still not quite used to it. But it was still a yummy snack to have on hand for the week and the kids loved them. I adapted the recipe from one my Nana gave me a long time ago.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 small apple, peeled, cored finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3 oz. oats
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.

Combine both flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, alternating with applesauce, until blended. Stir in rest of the ingredients.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool. Cut into squares.

No-Knead Focaccia Bread

2011-10-10T08:46:00.000+01:00

This was so simple, and perfectly yummy for sandwiches! We enjoyed roasted veggies with fresh basil and provolone. I think the bread would also work great for a basic cheese pizza. I noticed a big difference in how fresh the bread tasted at the end of the second day, but a little time in the toaster helped out. I will definitely make this again!

1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or whatever you want, I used Penzeys pizza seasoning)
2 Tbsp corn meal

The night before, combine the flour, salt and yeast in a large pot or bowl. Stir until everything is evenly combined and then stir in the water. The result should be one cohesive, sticky, shaggy lump of dough. If there is still dry flour in the pot or everything isn't sticking together, add a little water at a time until it forms one ball. Loosely cover and let sit at room temperature until the next day (about 14 hours).

The next day the dough will be wet, fluffy and may even be bubbling from the fermentation. Using a spatula, scrape the dough from the sides of the pot or bowl and turn it in on itself a few times until it forms a ball in the center of the pot.

Prepare a baking sheet with foil, non-stick spray and a generous sprinkle of corn meal. Dust your hands with flour and sprinkle a little on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to your hands. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet. Stretch and pat the dough out into a large rectangle. You may need to dust your hands with flour throughout this process to keep the dough from sticking. It will be very wet and sticky.

Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the dough and use a soft brush to spread it evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning (or any type of herbs) over top. Let the dough rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using your fingers, press dimples into the risen dough (see photos). Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the surface is golden brown. After removing from the oven, transfer the focaccia to a wire rack to cool.

Curry Chicken in Basil Coconut Sauce

2011-10-07T09:22:00.001+01:00

When I saw this recipe, I completely forgot that I had made something almost exactly the same a couple years ago! Oops! I decided to switch the order of words in the title and post it anyway, because the dish was super yummy and there are a few slight differences between the two. =) But since I obviously didn't remember it the first time around, I can't tell you which one I like better!

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I only used one so it wouldn't be too much for the kids, but my husband and I would have enjoyed using both)
1 tablespoon olive oil1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I used several shakes of ground ginger)
1 tablespoon dried basil

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

In a large nonstick frying pan, stir onion, basil, garlic and peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch and whisk well to combine. Carefully add to skillet, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in ginger. Cook and stir for another minute. Serve over hot rice.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

2011-10-05T08:44:00.000+01:00

photo

I saw Jessie's post for this recipe and got excited to try it out (yet another way to utilize our sage bush). Anything wrapped in bacon has to be good, right?! It had surprisingly more flavor than I expected. The sage was just enough to keep it fresh, but not overpowering in an "herby" kind of way.

8 fresh sage leaves
8 chicken tenders (about 1 1/4 pounds)
8 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Place a sage leaf on each chicken tender, then wrap each with a bacon slice. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add tenders, sage side down, and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook until tenders are cooked through, 6 minutes. With tongs, transfer to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet to drain.

I ended up cooking about 20 chicken tenders. On the bigger pieces of chicken, I used two leaves. On the smaller pieces, I only used half a strip of bacon. These don't make great leftovers (the bacon and sage get a bit soggy), so I'd say shoot for making what you think you'll eat in one sitting.

Broccoli Cheese Cornbread

2011-10-03T08:22:00.000+01:00

If anyone you are serving likes this as much as my husband and I did, I would recommend making a double batch in a 9x13 dish! I got the recipe from my Nana years ago and served it as a side with beans and ham. Yummy!

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
4 oz. frozen chopped broccoli, slightly thawed (I chopped mine even more, making the pieces fairly small)
4 oz. small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
6 Tbsp. butter, softened so it's just beginning to melt
1/4 tsp. onion salt

Mix everything together well in a large bowl. Pour into a lightly greased square dish. Cook at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce

2011-09-30T08:09:00.000+01:00

While my husband was away, two of my dear friends from Seattle sent me an awesome care package filled to the brim with goods from Trader Joes!! Knowing that I love this dish, they included a package of gnocchi. I decided it was time to test out another use for the tasty little balls of dough. This was fantastic and my family finished off every last bite.

2 (12 ounce) packaged potato gnocchi (I only used one, but made enough butter sauce as if I were using two packages. There was a lot of sauce, but I like butter!)
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage (I used 5 fresh leaves finely chopped)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi pasta, and cook until the float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sage and salt for a few seconds, then add the cooked gnocchi. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and the pepper. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese to serve.

Tiramisu Bundt Cake

2011-09-28T20:04:00.002+01:00

I'm glad I shared this with other people before posting the recipe. After my first bites, I thought it was moist and delicious, but not much more flavorful than a regular white cake with white frosting. I think my pregnancy taste buds were messing with me because everyone else raved about the cake and said they could definitely taste the coffee flavors. My husband loved it. So I'll let you decide for yourself. It certainly doesn't get much easier than this (although I will say that frosting a bundt cake was not my favorite thing to do).

1 box white cake mix
1 pint coffee ice cream, melted
3 eggs
1 container, 12 oz., whipped vanilla frosting (next time I would use a 14oz. container and make the teaspoon of coffee granules a heaping teaspoon. I could have used more frosting)
1 tsp. instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water
cinnamon sugar for dusting, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs and ice cream on low speed for 1 minute. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cook on wire rack in pan for 20 minutes. Invert cake on to wire rack to cool completely.

In large bowl, beat frosting and instant coffee mixture until thoroughly blended.

Place cake on stand and spread with frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with cinnamon sugar if desired.

Make ahead tip: Bake cake up to 2 weeks in advance. Cool completely on wire rack, then wrap unfrosted and freeze. Remove from freezer the day of serving and thaw for 3 hours before frosting.

My Favorite Gingersnaps

2011-09-27T13:49:00.000+01:00

We interrupt your regularly scheduled recipe post to bring you this more personal note . . .

The British call a person with red hair a "ginger". Since I have not one, but two gingers, we get a lot of comments about the kids' hair. On top of that, neither my husband nor I have red hair. Or even slightly red hair. I love it. And I loved my friend's suggestion that I refer to my kids as "gingersnaps" on this blog. Perfect! So while I do really enjoy these cookies, the two cuties pictured above are my favorite gingersnaps! =)

And . . . on the topic of my children . . . coming this March, we'll be adding a third little, uh, "snap" to our mix! Someone do the math and tell me what the odds are that #3 will be a ginger. I'd say the odds go up after having two in a row, right?!

So that's my main reason/excuse for the infrequent, less-than-exciting recipes posted over the summer. I was happy to eat. I just didn't want to be anywhere near the preparation part. And my pregnancy tastebuds/cravings went bazerk. I mean, we're talking Ramen and Kraft Mac-n-Cheese bazerk! Help me! Plus my husband was gone. For most of my first trimester. So that's the other reason why there weren't a lot of posts here. Without the hubby to encourage me and share in the goodness, cooking wasn't as much fun. PBJs were just too easy. And after I made myself try this recipe, and then threw the entire thing out because it was a total FAIL (still not sure why), I took a break.

But we're back together now, I'm feeling great, and I don't mind cooking again. And there are plenty of yummy things I've been wanting to make. Plus, I found what will be my first pumpkin recipe of the season. I'm making myself wait until October!

Spinach Salad with Warm Salami

2011-09-26T09:03:00.000+01:00

We really enjoyed this salad that Jessie posted. My husband and I put our gingersnaps to bed and enjoyed a nice quiet dinner by ourselves. Next time, I'll omit the salt from the dressing as the meat was salty enough on its own.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 pound hard salami (such as Genoa), cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (I'll leave this out next time)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red onion, sliced into rings

6 cups (about 9 ounces) spinach, cleaned and stemmed

4 eggs, hard-boiled

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the salami and cook until sizzling and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside the salami, leaving the rendered fat.

Add the mustard, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and whisk together to form a thin emulsion. Add the onion and salami and return to medium heat. Cook just until the onion wilts, about 1 minute. Divide the spinach among serving plates. Pour the hot salami dressing over the greens. Serve with the eggs, chopped, if desired.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2011-09-22T08:17:00.000+01:00

I would never have thought to put these ingredients together, but it worked. And the results were super
yummy!

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used medium)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how “saucy” you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don’t boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Honey Garlic Chicken

2011-09-20T13:20:00.000+01:00

My crock pot has been working overtime the past couple of days. After a batch of yogurt, and a pot of white chicken chili for a work potluck, I tried out this recipe for dinner. It was good. It didn't blow me away, but definitely an easy and flavorful way to serve chicken.

1.5 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic colves, smashed and chopped
1 tsp dried basil (didn't use this because I didn't have any. Who doesn't have dried basil?? Apparently me)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey

Use a 4-quart slow cooker (it will cook faster if using a 6-quart). Put the chicken into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, then pour evenly over the top. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred or carefully remove thighs from crock pot and serve over rice.

Quick Vegetable and Navy-Bean Stew

2011-09-17T15:21:00.000+01:00

I've made this stew for so long, I can't believe I haven't posted it until now. The simple recipe is a photocopy from somewhere! It makes for a great lunch on a chilly day and keeps well for leftovers.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt to taste
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups water
10 ounces spinach
1 can nay beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar, optional
pepper

In a large nonstick skillet or heavy pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and potatoes; cook until onion is lightly crowned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, and salt; cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, and 2 cups water; cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add half the spinach; cover, and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Add remaining spinach and beans; cook (covered) until heated through. Stir in 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar if desired. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Molasses Bran Muffins

2011-09-15T11:32:00.000+01:00

photo found here

I love molasses and had some bran flakes that were too stale to enjoy. This was the perfect way to use them up. Although they started to seriously dry out after the second day.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups bran flakes cereal
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, mix skim milk, molasses, egg, and vegetable oil. Mix in the bran cereal. Thoroughly stir in the flour mixture. Transfer to the prepared muffin pan.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Easy Quiche

2011-09-06T10:03:00.000+01:00

This is my go-to quiche. Simple. Easy. Consistently good.

8 slices bacon
4 ounces cheese, grated (monteray jack or colby jack are my favs)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk

Cook bacon until crispy. Crumble and set aside, leaving grease in pan. Cook onions 2-3 minutes in grease from bacon. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Line bottom of plate with cheese and crumbled bacon.

Combine eggs, butter, onion, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth. Pour into pie plate.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until set. Serve hot or cold.

Korean-style Beef and Broccoli

2011-09-02T12:56:00.004+01:00

I adapted this from a recipe I saw in a magazine a while back. It was delicious! The result reminded me of something I've made before, but I couldn't place it. We enjoyed it over brown rice.

1 pound beef top sirloin or rib-eye, thinly sliced (I put my meat in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours before slicing. It's easier to get thinner slices when the meat is squishing all over the place)
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp grated onion
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
pinch freshly ground black pepper
one good squirt of Sriracha (red pepper flakes would work too)
4 cups broccoli florets, halved lengthwise
one red pepper, thinly sliced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the beef, garlic, onion, soy sauce, sugar, honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper, and sriracha. Seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Stem or boil the broccoli until cooked but still firm. Set aside to cool. Place sliced pepper on top of broccoli as it cools so the pepper begins to soften.

Heat a wok or saute pan over mediu-high heat. Add the beef, shaking off any marinade, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until done.

Add the broccoli and pepper during the last two minutes of cooking, to heat and coat with the cooking juices. If the pan gets too dry, add a little water. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and serve.

Baked Apple Crisp

2011-08-30T10:32:00.000+01:00

While Tricia was visiting, we also made this yummy dessert. And by "we", I mean "she". We had more apples from my neighbor that were just begging to be baked and smothered in ice cream. This betty crocker recipe was great.

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
cream of ice cream

Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan.

Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with ice cream.

Salsa Verde Chicken and Dumplings

2011-08-25T08:33:00.000+01:00

photo from Savory Sweet Life

My friend, Tricia, was visiting recently. We are alike in many ways and one of the things we do best together is eat yummy food! We did a lot of eating the week she was here (especially desserts!), and really enjoyed this dish that I saw on Jessie's blog. Tricia actually made it for us while I wrangled my little gingersnaps to bed and mowed the lawn. What a friend! We both decided that, while it was delicious as is, the chicken and sauce were the best part and would make awesome enchiladas.

Chicken:

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 jar (15 ounces) salsa verde (2 cups)
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 large rotisserie chicken, meat deboned and left in large chunks (about 6 cups)

Dumplings:

1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Chicken: Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large (11 – 12 inch), deep ovenproof skillet or 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Whisk in flour to make a paste. Mix broth, salsa verde, and evaporated milk and whisk in all at once. Whisk, vigorously at first, until mixture simmers and thickens to sauce consistency. Stir in chicken, heat through, and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Dumplings: Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until steamy. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, scallions, and cilantro in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in milk mixture to form a smooth, firm dough. Pinch off Ping-Pong-ball-size peices of dough with your fingers and drop onto chicken mixture. Return chicken to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer pan to oven and bake until dumplings are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

Sausage and Egg Biscuits

2011-08-22T07:32:00.000+01:00

These are super simple and were the perfect freezer-go-to when I hadn't planned ahead for the kids' lunch. They weren't my personal favorite, but I'll make them again to have on hand.

Start with 1 lb sausage (maple flavored) - or use ground meat and make your own (to make your own maple flavored, replace the thyme an oregano with 2 Tbsp maple syrup from the following recipe):

make your own sausage with 2 pounds ground meat:
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp pepper

Okay, back to the biscuit things . . .

Brown the sausage.

In a bowl, mix:
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cups spinach
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Grease muffin pan. Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with sausage. Then add egg mixture to fill another 1/3 full, so each cup is 2/3 full.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

Either cool and freeze or serve on biscuits with slices of cheese.

Baked Berry and Banana Oatmeal

2011-08-20T07:31:00.002+01:00

A while ago I shared the recipe for my first go at baked oatmeal. It was delicious. And still is. But the family has decided that we like this one, from Heidi Swanson, even better.

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups milk
1 large egg
2 tsp pur vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2" slices
1 1/2 cups berries
maple syrup, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and 8-inch square baking dish.

COmbine the oats, half the nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg, half the butter, and vanilla.

Arrange bananas in a single layer on the bottom of the coated baking dish. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the berries, then cover with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle milk mixture over the oats. Gently tap dish on a work surface to distribute liquid. Scatter remaining berries and nuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Let cool slightly. drizzle with remaining melted butter and maple syrup.

Bran Muffins

2011-08-18T08:04:00.000+01:00

My family was needing a little . . . ahem . . . help this week. So we tried these from allrecipes (photo, too!). They're not my favorite bran muffins, but they were still tasty and did the trick.

1/2 cup raisins
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups bran cereal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 apple, cored and shredded or finely chopped
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup honey
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper cupcake liners.
Cover raisins with water in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 1 minute to plump. Drain the raisins, and set aside.
Beat the egg with milk in a bowl, and mix in the bran cereal. Let the mixture stand until the cereal absorbs the liquid, about 5 minutes. Gently mix in the plumped raisins, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, melted butter, shredded apple, mashed banana, and honey, and stir a few times to mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Easy Little Bread

2011-08-17T13:34:00.001+01:00

I know it's been a while, but I'm still here! And I have a few new things to share later thanks to time spent with a dear friend. This simple bread was dense and delicious. I bet you have everything you need already. The trick is to start the bread, then make applesauce while it's cooking and have a softened chunk of butter waiting nearby when both are done baking/cooking. YUM!

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
1 Tbsp honey
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit; 5-10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the pan, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise. (this is when you can start the applesauce!)

Preheat the oven to 350, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up be leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm.

Makes one loaf.

Applesauce

2011-08-04T20:51:00.000+01:00

One of our neighbors has a full apple tree in her backyard and offered to let us have our fill. The kids and I picked as many as we could carry home and have been making applesauce like crazy! My 3-year-old loves the peeler-corer-slicer, and we all love the finished product! There's really no way to mess this up (mushed apples with a little sweetener, right?!), but this is how we do it in the Payne kitchen.

8-10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick (or a little less than 1 tsp. ground cinnamon)

Place everything in a large saucepan. Stir to mix well. Cover pot with lid and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, or until apples are soft. Remove lid, mash apples and try to be patient enough to eat without burning your mouth.

Banana Pineapple Cake

2011-08-02T09:52:00.000+01:00

This was one of the most moist cakes I've ever made. It was delicious, too!

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp soda

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups oil

2 cups thinly sliced bananas

one 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (including juice)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pecans or walnuts (toasting optional)

Mix all the above ingredients by hand. After mixing, gently fold in bananas, pineapple (including juice), vanilla and nuts.

Pour batter into greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Crockpot Corn (sorta) Chowder

2011-07-29T08:42:00.001+01:00

This was interesting, and surprisingly very good. I wouldn't necessarily call it chowder, but it had a creaminess to it from the cream cheese. I think adding some potatoes would give more of a chowder texture and feel. But the taste was fine. My daughter and I both had second helpings!

1 16-ounce bag frozen corn

1 15.5 ounce can corn (and juice)

1 quart chicken broth

1 small onion, diced

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 ounces cream cheese

salt to taste (I didn't add any)

Empty both corns into your crockpot. Add chicken broth, onion, and pepper. Drop in cream cheese. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or until onion is translucent and the soup is fully heated.

Stir well.

Use either an immersion blender or ladle the soup into a Vitamix and pulse to "chowderify". I didn't blend mine very long and the texture was a bit funky. More blending for a smoother texture.

Hazelnut Chip Scones

2011-07-27T12:33:00.000+01:00

If you've been following at all, you know that I love scones and love trying new scone recipes! Ranee passed this one on for me to sample. So yummy! And a bonus that I had leftover hazelnut cream in my fridge for a coffee treat. Call me crazy, but I think I would actually like them better without the chocolate chips.

4 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cups cold butter
1 egg (separated)
1 1/2 cups hazelnut creamer (or substitute your favorite cream flavor - or just us plain)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in 3/4 cups butter using two knives or a pastry cutter.

Whisk together 1 egg yolk, and 1 1/2 cups creamer. Add this to the dry mixture, stirring just until moistened. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Turn dough onto a light floured surface and knead 10 times or so until it forms a ball. Pat dough into two 7-inch circles and cut each into 8 wedges. Separate and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Beat egg white and brush over unbaked scones. Sprinkle with a little additional sugar.

Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

If you're really in the mood for a special treat, whip up some spiced butter while they're baking! Next time I'll leave out the chocolate chips and go for the butter:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Beat all ingredients until smooth and serve with warm scones.

Honey Lentils

2011-07-25T13:33:00.002+01:00

We had these for dinner last week on a night when my husband wasn't home. He's not a fan of lentils. But I am! And the flavor was very different from any lentils I've made before. We liked them with brown rice.

1 1/2 cups lentils
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 red onion, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 dried bay leaves

Rinse the lentils and then place in the crockpot. Add the broth, water, onions, carrots and chickpeas. Stir in the mustard and salt. Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir gently to combine. Float the bay leaves on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours on high or 3-5 hours on high.

recipe adapted from here