Egg Drop Soup

Tonight we made Egg Drop Soup
. It was really quite tasty, and warmed us up on a cold night. We must've been eager to start eating, because we forgot to turn the stove off before we sat down, and once brought to a boil...leaving scrambled egg soup! It still tasted good, but looked weird. Lesson learned!




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Green Chile Mac & Cheese

Green Chile Mac & Cheese





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Some things we've been cooking lately...

Baked Falafel

Individual Chicken Enchilada Stacks

(you can use any enchilada recipe, and just stack the tortillas and ingredients rather than rolling them up)

Ricotta Spaetzle

Salad with Roasted Portabellos and Goat Cheese

Sweet Potato and Bean Tacos

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Week 94: Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pitas

Do you know what happens when you roast veggies?  They become sweetly delicious?  And when you pair it with some goat cheese?  SWEET + SALTY = Match made in heaven.

I originally wanted to make my own pitas, but alas, I didn't have enough time for all that dough-rising business, so I bought some at the grocery store.

This was an easy and delicious meal, that was just was good leftover!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 small zucchini, sliced

2 small yellow squashes, sliced
1 large portobella mushroom, stem removed and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thick
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
fresh crumbled goat cheese
whole wheat pitas

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.


Scatter veggies over baking sheet and then drizzle olive oil and vinegar over all and toss well. Sprinkle with salt.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat pitas then slice and stuff each with 1/4 cup goat cheese. When veggies are done, stuff into pitas and eat warm.

Recipe courtesy of Eat, Live, Run

Week 93: Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna

I love that this vegetarian lasagna uses polenta instead of noodles.  While it was a welcome change, the texture was a little mushy for my liking.  I did love, however, that this recipe allowed me to use all of the veggies that I happened to have in my fridge.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 cups low-sodium, fat free chicken broth

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

About 3 cups assorted roasted vegetables, your choice, roughly chopped (I used whatever I randomly had in my fridge.)

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

3-4 cloves minced garlic
pinch of oregano and crushed red pepper

1 cup shredded cheese, an Italian blend is good

DIRECTIONS
Bring the chicken broth to a boil and slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Line a 13x18 rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper, and spread the polenta in an even layer in the pan. Chill overnight.


Saute garlic in a bit of nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

When ready to assemble, cut the polenta into squares. In a deep 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce, then create a layer of polenta squares. Top with half of the vegetables and some of the sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of polenta squares, the remaining vegetables, and some sauce, and another 1/3 of the cheese. Finish with a third layer of polenta, and the remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubble. Cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 4 servings.

 
 

Recipe courtesy of Cara's Cravings

Week 92: BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadilla

I love cooking things on the grill.  It just gives everything better flavor, right?  Pioneer woman got it right when she paired barbequed chicken with sweet grilled pineapple.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
■8 whole Flour Tortillas
■Butter Or Margarine
■2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
■3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
■1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
■Cilantro
■3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

DIRECTIONS
(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)


(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You'll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)
Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Recipe courtesy of Pioneer Woman

Week 91: Sourdough and Tomato Soup

Today's assignment: make a delicious tomato soup, only make it BETTER by adding delicious carbs.  Dream come true?  Pretty much.

My only complaint with this soup was that the tomato part tasted a little like pasta sauce.  I'm not sure what was needed to make it taste less saucy, and more soupy.  I just imagined that I was using yummy bread to sop up the extra sauce from my pasta, and all was good.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sourdough bread, without crusts, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated ricotta salata
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Core and quarter plum tomatoes. Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse to chop, but not too fine.


2. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juices. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a slow simmer and cook 45 minutes, covered, stirring from time to time.

3. When the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, stir the bread cubes into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Check the seasoning.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, with grated ricotta salata and minced basil strewn on each serving.

Recipe courtesy of The Wednesday Chef

Week 90: Green and Red Chile Nacho Burgers

One thing that you really need to admire Ms. Rachael Ray for is her ability to concoct SO many different kinds of burgers. I've frequently said that I think I could probably be a vegetarian if it wasn't for hamburgers. This one is definitely one that would cause me to cheat. I love Mexican flavors, and crumbling tortilla chips just sends this burger over the edge.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
For the Burger:
•1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Red Chili Paste:
•2 red Fresno chilies, sliced
•2 large cloves garlic
•1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
•2 fresh bay leaves
•Generous handful fresh cilantro leaves

For the Green Chili Sauce:
•2 large poblanos
•Vegetable oil, for drizzling
•5-6 tomatillos, papery skins removed, coarsely chopped
•1 small onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
•Small handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
•1 teaspoon cumin, (1/3 palmful)
•2 teaspoons honey or agave
•1 lime, juiced
•Kosher salt

For Topping:

•Good quality tortilla chips
•Mild Mexican melting cheeses, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese, shredded
•Pickled, sliced jalapenos, drained
•8 hamburger slider rolls or brioche rolls, split

DIRECTIONS
To make the red chili paste, place the Fresno chilies, garlic, red onion, bay leaves, and cilantro leaves into a food processor and process into a fine paste. Scrape into a mixing bowl and reserve. Return the food processor bowl to its base. Do not rinse.

To make the green chili sauce, char and blacken the poblanos over the burner of gas stovetop or under the broiler with the oven door ajar to allow steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl to cool, covered with plastic wrap, then peel and seed.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a good drizzle of vegetable oil. Cook the tomatillos, onion, and garlic until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Place the onions and tomatillos in the food processor with the charred poblanos, cilantro, cumin, honey, lime juice, and salt. Puree sauce and adjust seasoning.

Combine the ground beef and ground pork with the red chili paste and season with salt and pepper. Form 8 (3-inch) patties that are thinner at the center and thicker at the edges. Heat a griddle pan or large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan and cook the burgers, about 3 minutes on each side. Leave in the skillet.

In a small skillet over medium heat, reheat the spicy refried beans with a splash of water to thin them out a bit.

Top the burgers with green chili sauce and a few chips. Top the chips with refried beans, shredded cheese, and pickled jalapenos. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese, 1 minute. Serve nacho sliders on slider or brioche rolls.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

•1 can spicy vegetarian refried beans

Week 89: Mediterranean Farro Salad

I'm always looking for new ways to use the yummy bulk grains that I keep in my pantry, so as soon as I found this farro salad I knew that it would be made soon.

The most notable thing that I learned from this recipe: I think that chives taste (and smell) like dog poo. I would be pretty okay with never adding those to anything I plan on eating ever again.

Otherwise, this salad was lovely. Good texture. Good flavor. The only thing I might add would be some feta.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)
3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch chives, snipped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss to combine and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis

Week 88: Beet Soup

It seems I am in a bit of a predicament. As you might have noticed, I haven't been keeping up with blogging quite as I should have been. Abby and I have still been cooking weekly. I have still been taking pictures of what we have made. I have even used my fancy-schmancy iPhone to start drafts of each recipe as we have made them. I just haven't gone so far as to stick the recipes in there, and publish. Because of that, the recipes I put in here might not be EXACTLY what we made since we get our recipes from ALL over the place, but I'll get as close as I can...

This soup was really interesting. I have been under the impression for years that I simply do NOT like beets. This soup made a pretty good case for beets, but I still prefered the spoonfuls that had a good amount of goat cheese in them. Goat cheese just makes everything better.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable Stock
Fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese or 1/4 cup of sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean beets and trim the greens from the bulbs. Slice the beets in half and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Clean the shallot similarly, slicing off the two ends of the onion and removing any papery skin. Slice the onion into fourths and place alongside beets. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the beets are soft and tender when poked with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool slightly before scooping the soft flesh from the skin and placing into a blender. Add the roasted onion, vegetable stock, and fresh thyme. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a small pot, heat until steaming. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese or sour cream. Enjoy.

Week 87: Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Recipe courtesy of: Fat Girl in a Skinny Body

I know what you're thinking. I can hear you know:

"But, Jennifer, you guys have already made lettuce wraps. Isn't the point to make something NEW???"

This is true. Only these lettuce wraps are different because they're vegetarian. Instead of chicken, they use tofu.

Another important difference was the Peanut Satay Sauce. No lettuce wraps needed...just grab a spoon. I won't judge.

Sidenote: Does anyone else find it horribly difficult to get whole lettuce leaves off of the head that are actually good for holding all the filling? I find this to be SO hard.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
Lettuce Wraps:
14 ounces firm tofu, drained
2 cups diced mushrooms (shitake are best, but any will do)
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup stir fry sauce (I used one from Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp brown sugar

1 head iceburg lettuce

Peanut Satay Sauce:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine stir fry sauce, sherry, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes then add crumbled tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sauce.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces to a consistency you like.

To make the satay sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Put out at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. If the sauce if too thick for you, just whisk in some water.

To serve, place desired amount of tofu mixture in lettuce leaf, spoon on peanut satay and wrap to enclose.

Week 86: Fresh Pea Ravioli with Crispy Prosciutto

This week I discovered a fun new ingredient: wonton wrappers. How amazing are these little guys? I can't wait to experiment with filling them with anything and everything!

As convenient as the wonton wrappers were, there WAS a slight problem with them falling apart a bit while they were cooking. Perhaps cooking fewer at a time would help fix this issue.

If you know (the foodie side of) me at all, you would be surprised to hear me say this, but the prosciutto is what turned this dish from "fun and yummy" to "WOW and DELICIOUS". The salt and crisp was exactly what was needed to balance out the sweetness of the peas.

This recipe came from Claire Robinson (host of 5 Ingredient Fix). I should really try more of her recipes, because I love that they don't overwhelm you with a huge list of ingredients.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
-2 tablespoons lemon infused olive oil, plus more for drizzling (we just whisked together some olive oil and lemon juice)
-4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
-12 ounces fresh whole milk ricotta
-1 1/2 cups fresh shelled English peas, plus more for garnish (we used frozen...shh...)
-Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
24 to 36 square wonton wrappers

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Lightly oil a serving plate with some of the prosciutto crisping oil and put it in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Drain the ricotta of excess moisture in a fine mesh sieve for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the peas and blanch them until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the peas to an ice water bath, to shock and stop the cooking and preserve the color. Keep the pot of hot water on the stove to cook the ravioli.

Transfer the peas to a food processor and puree with the drained ricotta and salt and pepper, to taste. Put a teaspoon (or more depending on wonton size) of the pea mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper; avoid overfilling. Dampen the inside outer edges of wonton with water and fold, pinching around the borders to ensure that the ravioli is well sealed. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

Bring the pot of hot water to a boil over medium heat.

Drop the ravioli, in batches, into the boiling water and cook until tender and the wrapper becomes slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the cooked ravioli to the lightly oiled serving plate. Drizzle with lemon infused olive oil and top with crispy prosciutto and a few peas. Serve immediately.

Week 85: Spicy Chickpea Salad

This recipe immediately caught my eye when browsing the blogs I follow because I'm usually a sucker for just about anything spicy, and I always am in the market for new, interesting salads to mix things up a little bit.

My initial impression was that the salad had good flavor, but wasn't anything extraordinary. The good news is, that the leftovers for lunch the next day were noticeably more delicious. Maybe the flavors just needed time to hang out a while longer and become better friends.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno, deseeded and finely diced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds
1 ripe avocado, diced into chunks
small handful flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
heaping 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon agave
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste
2 cups clean baby spinach leaves, coursely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Start by making the dressing. In a medium bowl, with a fork, mash together garlic and salt until it forms a paste. Blend in the mustard, agave, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixture is thick and emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, onion, jalapeno, lemon zest and juice, nuts avocado and parsley. Toss the dressing into the chickpea mixture and blend well. Add the cleaned spinach leaves just before serving. Serve immediately or store in a container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Week 84: Buffalo Chicken Risotto

You know what one of the classiest foods you can make is? Risotto. It just SOUNDS fancy, doesn’t it? Especially if you kind of trill the “r” at the beginning. I also think it’s fancy because it takes so much work (in the form of constant stirring for about 45 minutes) to make. It’s a food that’s only for those who have the luxury of standing at the stove for ridiculous amounts of time. That being said, it wasn’t difficult work, just time-consuming.

The beauty of this dish lies in its irony. Risotto is fancy, and buffalo chicken is the quintessential “bar” food. Combine the two, and you have a elegantly hip, delicious lunch.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 ½ STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup minced celery
½ cup minced onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dry Arborio rice
½ cup lager beer, hot
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (we used a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)
Chopped celery for garnish
Blue cheese crumbles for garnish (I used feta because I’m not a big blue cheese fan)

DIRECTIONS
For the brodo, simmer broth, hot sauce, honey, and Worcestershire in a saucepan over medium heat.

For the risotto, sweat minced celery and onion in butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in rice and sauté until each grain is coated in butter.

Deglaze the pan with beer and stir until completely absorbed, 1-2 minutes. Add brodo to the pan in ½ cup increments; simmer and stir frequently until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next, about 45 minutes total. Stir in chicken and heat through.

Garnish each serving of risotto with chopped celery and blue cheese crumbles.

Week 83: Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

My dear Meester sent me this recipe. Said that they looked like my style. Nobody knows you like your sisters!

These were both healthy and flavorful. I concluded that they wouldn't suffice if I were having a serious BURGER craving, but for those times when I don't absolutely NEED red meat, these would do the job. We ate them on sandwich-thin buns with red onion, fresh spinach, and dijon mustard. We doubled the recipe so we could have plenty leftover for lunches this week, and we even froze a few each for later.

I really liked how these were pretty easy to make, as there were few ingredients, and you simply mix them all together. The most difficult part would be going back and forth between making the patties and cooking them since your hands get really gunky. I was glad to have Abby there so she could do all the patty-flipping.

Would you judge me if I told you that the brown crispies on the bottom of the cooking pan and on the spatula were one of the best parts of this meal? Yes? Then I totally didn't scavenge every single last one before I did the dishes. Nope...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS


INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
5 oz frozen spinach (about half of a box), defrosted
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet at medium to medium-high. Mix together all ingredients with your hands and form four medium sized patties. Cook patties in a skillet for about 6 minutes per side, or until meat is completely cooked. Serve on toasted buns with extra feta, hot sauce, sliced onion, lettuce, and mustard.

Week 82: Power Frittata

I don't know if I'm the way my pants have been fitting me lately is just very motivating, or if it's the warmer weather we've been getting glimpses of that has put me in the mood, but I have been wanting to eat all of the veggies that I can lately. I was excited when Abby told me she had chosen for us to make this week, because a frittata is a GREAT and YUMMY way to get more veggies into a meal. We adapted the recipe we found on a blog by adding/nixing/replacing some of the add-in ingredients to fit our likes and dislikes. The original recipe calls for asparagus. Abs says she doesn't like asparagus, but it is now on my to-do list to prepare some asparagus on the GRILL for her and see if she can still resist it...

I was also excited to have a great use for my iron skillet, as we could use it on the stovetop, and then put it directly into the oven to finish cooking the frittata.

I expected this to taste good, but honestly I was surprised at just how flavorful it was since we didn't add ANY seasonings, spices, or additional salt. We ate our frittatas topped with a healthy dollop of light sour cream. Leftovers were just as delicious!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS




INGREDIENTS
5 whole eggs, beaten
2 oz feta cheese
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
5 large kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced and rinsed well

DIRECTIONS
Saute chopped broccoli and onion in olive oil in an iron skillet until slightly soft. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover with a plate, and cook on medium-low for about 8 minutes. Remove from the stove, and broil on low for 2-3 minutes until the top of the frittata looks set and slightly golden-brown. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Week 81: Spinach-Feta Hummus and Naan Bread

Both of these are recipes that I found at separate times on different cooking blogs. I just thought that hot, carb-y naan bread would be delicious dipped in cool, salty hummus.

Were those adjectives enticing enough? How about I tell you that you just need to make both of these things. Trust me. You won't be sorry.

The hummus was hands-down the best that I've ever made. I don't doubt that the feta had everything to do with it, but I convinced myself that it was healthy because of the spinach. I could eat this stuff with a spoon.

The naan bread was one of those recipes that I will definitely make again, but will be exploring how to make it better. I really liked the minced garlic in the bread, but in the future might incorporate some in to the dough rather than just putting it on top before I cook it. Also, the recipe tells you to cook the other side of the bread over an open flame (like a gas stove), which I didn't have, so I cooked both sides in the pan. Abby and I talked about how this might be yummy cooked on the grill. This easy dough would also be good for making individual pizzas.

Year of Yum Rating: 5 STARS (for the hummus) and 3 1/2 STARS (for the naan bread)

HUMMUS INGREDIENTS
•30 ounces, weight garbanzo beans drained
•1-½ cup fresh spinach
•8 ounces, weight feta cheese
•⅓ cups olive oil
•5 tablespoons lemon juice
•4 tablespoons tahini
•2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (We thought that SURELY this must be a mistake because it seemed like so much. We ended up only adding about ONE tablespoon. In retrospect, two tablespoons might not have been too much because our finished product wasn't spicy at all.)
•2 cloves garlic, peeled
•2 teaspoons salt

HUMMUS DIRECTIONS
Combine the garbanzo beans, spinach, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini in a large food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the feta, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt. Pulse until combined. Taste and add salt or more red pepper flakes if desired.

---

NAAN INGREDIENTS
•2 cups all-purpose flour or wheat flour
•¾ teaspoons baking powder
•½ teaspoons baking soda
•½ teaspoons sugar
•¼ teaspoons salt
•½ cups warm milk
•½ cups Yogurt
•½ tablespoons oil, as needed
•Additional optional herbs and seasonings to flavor the naan (see note below)

NAAN DIRECTIONS
Note: The ingredient list includes the ingredients for the dough. You can flavor your naan with all kinds of herbs. I made cumin naan, garlic naan, butter naan, and some topped with cilantro.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and make a well of flour.

Mix milk and yogurt together and pour half of it into the well and slowly combine it together.

I don’t think there’s an exact amount of liquid that should be added to the exact amount of flour to make a perfect dough. So what I do is continue adding liquid slowly and combining it all together slowly until a soft dough is made. The dough should be soft enough for you to be able to dig your finger into it without applying any pressure. If dough sticks to your hand too much, then use little bit of oil on your hands and then punch into the dough.

Cover with a damp cloth and let it sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

After a few hours, dust your working board, take out the dough and knead it for about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into smaller balls (in this case you should get about 8 balls to make naans).

Dust the board again and flatten the balls to make bread that is a little thick and elongated.

Now sprinkle one side of the bread with your desired flavor. I made cumin, minced garlic, chopped cilantro and some simple butter naans.

Brush the other side with water.

Heat a thick-bottomed skillet or a wok or any heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. Once it is nicely hot, place the naan wet side down (it will stick) and cover it with a lid.

Let it cook for about 30 seconds or until you see bubbles on it. Now cook the other side of the naan over a direct flame on the burner with the help of tongs. When you see some charred brown spots then you know that the naan is done.

Week 80: Pesto Gnocchi Salad

When Abby showed up at my house this afternoon claiming that she was hungry, so we were making something easy and fast, I was on board. Because, really, when do I not want to eat RIGHTTHISMINUTE? Never. Or always. However you look at it.

Anyway, this was a yummy spin on a pasta salad. I always love the chewiness of gnocchi, and the way the pesto/ricotta mixture coated everything was delicious. Abby had printed off a recipe, but we pretty much just did things our own way.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi from the refrigerated section of the grocery store (we used some yummy whole-wheat sweet potato variety)
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh baby spinach
1 cup pesto
Part-skim ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. You could, of course, make your own gnocchi from scratch. But then you would probably be showing off. And this is not a task you should attempt when you are already hungry before you even start cooking. Let the gnocchi drain and cool while you work on the rest of the salad.

Quarter the cherry tomatoes.

Cut the spinach into pieces that will fit into a nice bite. I cut ours roughly in half.

In a bowl, mix the pesto with a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta. Toss the gnocchi, tomatoes, and spinach in the pesto mixture. Salt and pepper to taste, and top with a dollop of ricotta.

Week 79: Red Lentil Soup and Oat Soda Bread

I made this soup because:

-The blog I found it on made it sound like it was one of the greatest soups to ever be slurped.
-It's stinkin' cold outside. Can you say Blizzard 2011?
-Red lentils intrigue me. (Even though they were hard to find. Thanks, Whole Foods.)
-It was an excuse to use my immersion blender. What a fun tool that is.

I made the bread because:

-I love carbs.
-Sorry if you thought I had more reasons than that.

The soup was delicious. I ended up pureeing more than the recipe said to simply because I wasn't in the mood for a very chunky soup. I loved how pureeing the beans and veggies gave the soup a creamy, thick texture, but was still so healthy. It inspired me to try playing around my immersion blender with other combinations of beans and veggies. I'll let you know if I find anything great.

The bread was good for what it was. I loved that it was easy since it was a soda bread, and didn't require any yeast. Yeast intimidates me. The seeds on top of the bread were a good addition, and my favorite was the flavor of the caraway seeds. The bread was pretty dense, but was yummy warm with melted butter, or with honey. I may also be a little bitter because of the fact that I sawed into my finger when trying to slice the bread, so I may or may not be holding on to that grudge as I write this review...

SOUP Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

SOUP INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder, more to taste
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

SOUP DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add broth, lentils and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice.

BREAD Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

BREAD INGREDIENTS

2 cups (minus about 2 tablespoons) oat flour
~2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk, plus more if needed, and 2T. for brushing
mixed seeds - sesame, caraway, poppy

BREAD DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until everything comes together into a dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 30 seconds or so, just long enough for the dough to come together into a cohesive, slightly flattened ball without many cracks or fissures. If your dough is on the dry side, add more buttermilk a small splash at a time. Now ease the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Brush all over the top and sides with buttermilk and sprinkle generously with mixed seeds or flour, 2 tablespoons or so. Slice a few deep slashes across the top of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes, then quickly (without letting all the hot air out of the oven), move the rack and the bread up a level, so the top of the bread gets nice and toasted. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a hard crust forms and the bread is baked through. It will feel very solid and sound hollow when you knock on it.

Carefully lift it out of the pan, in a timely fashion, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a good slathering of salted butter.

Week 78: Chicken Fried Quinoa

This week Abby read my mind. Just days before we got together to cook, I had expressed my desire to try to make chicken fried rice. When Abby showed up at my house telling me that we were making that, ONLY BETTER because we would be using quinoa instead of rice, I was so excited. I do love my quinoa.

This recipe was easy, and was yummy both right away and for lunch for the next couple of days. Especially drenched in soy sauce. Mmmm...salt...

I think next time I'd like to add more vegetables. Maybe some broccoli and sugar snap peas would be good.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked quinoa
½ lb chicken cut into cubes
1/3 cup pre-cooked fresh corn cut from the cob
1/3 cup pre-cooked fresh peas
1/3 cup cut diced carrots
2 eggs
2-3 tbsp green onions diced (use as much as you prefer)
1 tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste after cooking)
1 can sliced water chestnuts (we used about 3/4 of the can)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Cook the quinoa first and let it stand and cool down. It’s important to let the quinoa sit in its water for at least ½ an hour before you start cooking it so you get no bitter taste.

• In a saucepan big enough to hold all the Quinoa Fried Rice, heat some oil and then stir fry the chicken until it’s mostly cooked. Add salt & pepper to taste.

• Add in the carrots, and sautee about a minute with the chicken to start softening the carrots up a bit.

• Add in the peas and corn and sautee with the chicken and carrots for about a minute.

• Scramble the eggs in a cup and then pour in with the chicken, carrots, peas, and corn. It is important to cook the scramble eggs before adding in the quinoa. If you pour the raw egg onto the quinoa, the quinoa will get soggy.

• When the eggs are scrambled, pour in the quinoa, water chestnuts, and the green onions along with the soy sauce. Mix all ingredients together well. Let cook in pan, stirring continually for about 1-2 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Recipe: Lone Star Sirloin Chili

I recently checked out from the library a ridiculous number of cookbooks with soup and slow-cooker recipes. With all of the snowy, cold weather, I have been craving these things like nobody's business. This Tex-Mex spin on chili was only made better by the fact that it contained a bottle of beer. I loved the fact that I could taste the flavor of the beer after it was cooked. I was also worried about the steak, and whether it would turn out to be tender enough. It absolutely was, my friends.

Even though this recipe required more preparation on the front end than I am used to with slow cooker recipes, the smell I woke up to the following morning after it cooking all night made it worth it.

I WILL be making this again. Maybe tomorrow since we have another snow day...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (This was the most time-consuming part of the process. I think I will ask the meat counter next time if they have a machine that might make this easier. Also, the dude behind the counter asked if I wanted the top (read: good) sirloin, or if I wanted the less expensive one. We decinded on the cheaper one since it would have 8-10 hours to get tender in the slow-cooker.)
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, coursely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno (I used the whole thing...seeds and all. Don't be scared!)
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 cups beef broth
one 12-ounce bottle Lone Star beer (I didn't have this, so I used Dos Equis Amber. Totally worked.)
one 15-ounce can tomato puree
two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle the beef evenly with te salt and cayenne. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides.

Transfer the meat to the insert of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker.

Lower the heat to medium-low and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno, chile powder, cumin, and oregano and saute until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes, being careful to stir the mixture so the chile powder doesn't burn. Add the cornmeal and stir until blended with the other ingredients, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, whisking, and bring to a boil.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Add the beer, tomato puree, and beans. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thickened.

Skim off any fat from the top of the chili. Serve the chili with yummy toppings like tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and chopped pickled jalapenos.

Week 77: Tamale Pie with Pumpkin Cornbread

I am sorry to have to say that this recipe started out with some disappointment, but don't worry, it has a happier ending.

I was really excited to make this tamale pie because it was supposed to be a "one skillet" meal. The plan was to saute the vegetables in a cast-iron skillet, which I am always looking to get more use of, then it was to go straight into the oven after covering the pie filling with cornbread batter. Once I put the peppers and onions in the skillet to saute, it was quite obvious that it was not big enough for the rest of the ingredients. Instead I moved everything to a large, glass, rectangular casserole dish. wWhile there were now more dishes to wash, and the whole "pie" was probably thinner than it was supposed to be, it turned out to be something I enjoyed eating anyway.

The filling was a little liquidy, so I wonder how that would have changed if it were cooked in a cast-iron skillet. I also would like to try to use some kind of meat to this in the future.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 package Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. skim milk
1/2 c. solid pack pumpkin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 ears of corn kernels or 1 c. frozen corn kernels
1 yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with jalapeños
2 c. cooked pinto beans
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350*

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO, peppers, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 10 minutes, until vegetables have softened. While veggies cook, in a mixing bowl whisk together egg, milk, and pumpkin.

Add cornbread mix, sprinkle of cayenne, and stir until mixture just comes together.

Drain tomatoes and add to vegetables along with the corn.

Add beans and spices to vegetables, stir well and taste, adjust seasonings.

Pour the cornbread topping over the vegetable mixture and spread to the edges of the skillet. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and set.

Spoon into a dish and serve with garnishes. We used sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

I enjoy a Saturday morning where I can wake up naturally, without an alarm, lay in bed, leisurely drink my cup of coffee, watching the news. It quickly occurred to me this morning, however, that I didn't have much else planned for my day. While I consider myself to be especially talented at wasting time, I'm not very good at being intentionally lazy. It's even hard for me to sit and watch TV without doing something else at the same time. Maybe that just speaks to my attention span...

Anyway, in order to give myself a task and some focus for the day, I asked Lisa if I could make dinner for her, Lucas, and Joel. I so enjoy cooking, but it's infinitely more fun if you have PEOPLE to cook for.

I don't have any pictures from tonight's meal (that's what happens when you leave your camera's memory card in your computer...), but here's what was on the menu:

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

These have been on my list of recipes to try for a little while now. I am always drawn to food with buffalo sauce. They were pretty delicious, but I did wish the ground chicken would break up into smaller pieces. Also the sauce seemed a little thin. I ended up simmering it longer than the recipe says to in an effort to cook it down a little, and that helped.

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic

Wow. Let me tell you. This is THE way to eat vegetables. Roasting veggies turns them into something I WANT to eat, rather than just something I feel obligated to put on my plate. And the addition of thinly sliced garlic and lemons = GENIUS.

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

I absolutely loved how easy this dessert was to prepare. The hardest part was cleaning the food processor after it was done. (Do you like how I said that as though it wasn't still sitting dirty in my kitchen sink...?) The flavor of the mousse was good, but the texture was a little dry. This might have been because I used part-skim rather than full-fat ricotta. Also, the ricotta was cold when I put it in the food processor, and I think I would bring it to room temperature if I tried it again. The melted chocolate seemed to harden some when it met with the cool cheese.
I topped the mousse with fresh raspberries and mini semisweet chocolate chips...which was a pretty good choice.

Week 76: Turkey and Wild Mushroom Mini Meatloaves with Savory Mushroom Gravy

If you make it a habit to follow along as Abby and I cook, you may have noticed that a lot of our ventures don't include meat. There are a few different reasons for this, but I just love that Abby is similar to me in the fact that we don't NEED meat to have a yummy, satisfying meal. I also love that she brings recipes like this to the table that show me that I AM capable of cooking with meat, and I DO occasionally think it's delicious!

Thinks I loved about this meatloaf:

-it's healthy AND comforting
-mushrooms!
-individual loaves...they were so little and cute
-it was pretty easy to make
-gravy, gravy, gravy
-LEFTOVERS.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
olive oil
1 large portebello mushroom, chopped
6 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey, the average weight of 1 package
2 tablespoons A-1 Steak Sauce
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
3 large button mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add chopped mushrooms and onions. Saute for 5 or 6 minutes until dark and tender. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Stir in thyme and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set pan aside.

Add turkey to the mushroom mixture. Add A-1 sauce, breadcrumbs, and egg. Mix ingredients together. Divide meat loaf mixture into 6 equal parts and form 6 equal oval meatloaves. Heat the saute pan or a grill pan and coat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange meatloaves in the pan. Sear each side of the meatloaves for about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and finish baking in oven for about 13 - 15 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return pan to heat and add butter and mushrooms. Saute for about 3 - 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in stock and milk and season gravy with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer gravy until it reaches desired thickness, and pour over patties, reserving a little to pass at the table.

Week 75: Butternut Feta Muffins

Ever since I saw the recipe for these savory muffins on one of the blogs that I follow, I have had it in the back of my mind as something I would like to try. Butternut squashes have been accumulating on my counter from my organic produce box that I get delivered to my house every other week, so I thought it was about time.

Something that caught my eye with these muffins was that they had the slight sweetness from the butternut squash, which I thought would go nicely with the saltiness from the feta. One of my favorite flavor combinations recently has been sweet potato and feta, and this seemed like it would be similar. I also liked that it would have the savory elements of the sunflower seeds, parmesan, and mustard.

Now, when I first bit into these muffins, I was a little confused. My first thought was that it tasted a bit like scrambled eggs. Strange. As I worked my way through my muffin, I decided that it was enjoyable, but I was a little disappointed that I couldn't taste all the individual ingredients that were in it. Overall a winner, but just didn't quite live up to my huge expectations.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2-3 cups diced butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful baby spinach leaves, chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup feta cheese, in small cubes
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups unbleached flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 405 degrees. Toss squash in oil, salt and pepper, then place in roasting pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and slightly mushy.
2. Transfer cooked squash to large bowl, add spinach, parsley, sunflower seeds, parmesan, feta and mustard. Mix.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs and milk together and add to squash mixture. Sift flour and baking powder into mixture, add salt and pepper and fold together, being careful not to over mix.
4. Spoon mixture into a greased 12 hole muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.