Quinoa Primavera

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My husband and I are trying to eat healthier. We don't eat a lot of meat to begin with, but we thought it would be a good idea to have one totally meatless meal a week. I thought quinoa would be a great dish to serve since it's high in protein and a great food.

This was actually my first time cooking (and eating) quinoa, and it definitely will not be my last. This dish is so yummy and very filling. Although we ate it as a main dish, it would also make a great side dish.


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed (I used light cream cheese)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (I used a bag of frozen mixed cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)
Grated  Parmesan cheese

Directions
- Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. (Follow package instructions)
- While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minute, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. If you are using frozen vegetables, you'll just need to cook them until they are warm/hot.
- Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Adapted from Christy's Culinary Collection

Corn and Blueberry Salad

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Call me crazy but I love this fruit and veggie combo.  It keeps pretty well in the fridge too.

Ingredients:

6 fresh sweet ears of corn, husked
1 c. fresh blueberries
1 cucumber, sliced
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 T. lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. honey
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt

Directions:

1.  In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling.  Add corn.  Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender.  When    cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

2.  In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno.  For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin and 1/2 t. salt.  Cover; shake well to combine.  Add to salad; toss.  Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens

Honey Coconut Granola

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We eat granola as much as a snack as we do for breakfast.  This is great in yogurt and is such an easy and yummy recipe!  It is fun to try different things in it after the "base" is made. Recipe works well doubled.

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup oil - we like to use coconut oil instead
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup coconut - if you don't like coconut, leave this out.
1 tsp vanilla

1.  Thoroughly mix together all ingredients
2.  Spread evenly on a cookie sheet
3.  Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally while baking
4.  After cooking, add any or all of the following:

Add-ins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds or chopped pecans
1/2 cup craisins or raisins
1/4  cup sesame seeds

Source:  The Hows and Whys of the Year Supply - By:  Melissa Coombs

Veggie Shooters

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These are so cute and good for you as well. Plus it was a good way for me to use up some homemade Ranch dressing--which made a ton, or a half gallon at least.  Really, it filled a half gallon pitcher.  You can get that recipe HERE.  Tasty.  I could not really tell you a source for the shooters as I have had them in several different venues--our blog launch party (made by Julie), at an ice cream social (yes, we needed the contrast.  Opposition in all things, right?) and most recently at an Arts Council board meeting (made by me).  See how versatile these are?  And I had enough left over (because I forgot where to turn on the way to the host's home and almost everyone had "helped their plate" by the time I got there) to serve to some of the Young Women at church after a yoga class!  Awesome.  Love to get more bang for my buck.  Who doesn't these days?


Ingredients:Celery, cut into 3-4 inch sticksBaby Carrots, cut in half, lengthwiseRanch Dressing
1.  You will need to purchase plastic "shot" glasses.  I got mine locally at Party City . These glasses are so versatile and come in several colors but you will want to use clear.
2.  Squirt about a tablespoon of Ranch dressing into the bottom of each glass.  Next, stand the celery and carrots into the dressing.  I used 5 celery sticks and the two carrot halves, but play with it and see what you like. It's also really good with zucchini, yellow squash, red or green bell peppers, etc.
3. Serve these in a fun way or just on a tray.  I used my chips/salsa basket.  Looks really festive, don't you think?

We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet

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General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is next Saturday and Sunday. View or Listen to it here.

I have listened to conference almost my whole life. Scratch that. I have always "attended"--whether in my parent's Utah home, over the internet with only audio, at a church via satellite, in our own home watching on the Church's website--but truthfully, ashamedly, I have not always listened.

When I walk into conference wishing to learn something, I always do. Whether I have something I am specifically searching for an answer to or I just want to be enlightened, I ALWAYS am. Sometimes answers come for me that I didn't even know I was searching for.

This is a testimony to me that our Heavenly Father knows ME. He knows my concerns, my needs, or in some cases (as in April conference of this year) he knows when I need a little chastisement in order to set myself straight.

Yes, I Thank Thee, O God, For Prophets. I am thankful for the men and women who lead our church are so much more wise than I--that we have a way to be uplifted every six months.


We Thank Then, O God, For A Prophet (Hymns 19)

Saturday's Spotlight

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photo here


This weekend my alma mater celebrates fifty years of existence.  As much as I wanted to be there to sing in the alumni choir before the football game last night, and to run a 5K through my old school stomping grounds today (seriously - the run is through the actual halls of the school!), I think the part I most wanted to be there for was to see a couple of teachers who really made a difference to me.

I could write separate posts for each of the 5 teachers who come to mind as the most influential in my high school years (and maybe I will) but right now I want to tell you about Ms. La Fleur, my Spanish teacher.

Yes, I took five years of honors Spanish.  You would never know it now for my lack of ability, but thanks to Ms. La Fleur I am still totally fluent in reciting the basic conversation we practiced daily, the pledge of allegiance and, my favorite, The Birthday Song.  Not your typical birthday song, but one that is called Las Mañanitas.  Man, did I love that woman.

I was first introduced to Ms. La Fleur as a gawky, shy 8th grader who was bussed over to the high school every morning for Spanish classes.  She immediately started calling everyone in the class Lovies and Dearhearts, but it wasn't strange.  Not to me.  I loved every ounce of exuberance and happiness that just seemed to radiate off of her.

She kept track of every student's birthday in every one of her classes and brought in a white bakery bag, folded over twice, if it was your special day.  Inside was a delicious cake donut with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles complete with a single candle poked into one side.  And with much fanfare, she would parade that bag over to your desk and announce to the class, "Dearhearts! Today is (Birthday Person)'s birthday!  Let us sing The Birthday Song!" as she lit the candle.  At first she sang a glorious solo,  loud and strong, while dancing around the desk with a huge smile on her face, skirt twirling.  As the year progressed and others picked up on the song, she would insist on everyone else joining in as well.

Many people hated their birthdays in Spanish class, or at least pretended to.  Not so with me!  I looked forward to it so much that I took Spanish for 5 years, even though I couldn't grasp the language.  You've got to love a teacher like Ms. La Fleur.  She really and truly cared, and we all knew it.

She understood the power of the phrase, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Though young at heart, I would guess that Ms. La Fleur was probably in her 50's back in my high school days so I can only imagine her age now.  And as much as I would have loved to see her again this weekend, maybe it's best to remember her in a flowing skirt, dancing around my desk, making me feel like the most important Dearheart in the room.

Toothless

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MISSING: Two front teeth.

I've never seen someone so excited about losing a tooth!  Hubba lost the first front tooth a couple of weeks ago and couldn't wait for the second one to come out. 

After plenty of wiggling and pushing and twisting (and blood!), he pulled it out on Friday night.  Hubba spent the rest of the evening saying words that contain 'th' and 's' and laughing about how funny he sounded.  Then he practiced saying those words so they don't come out funny at all.

He's going to make a great Halloween jack-o-lantern.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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One of my favorite flavors of fall is pumpkin.  It's not that I have to wait until the leaves start changing colors to enjoy it, it's more that it just feels right.  Last night was the perfect night for some pumpkin-infused pancakes for dinner.  Throw in some chocolate chips and what do you have?  Awesomeness.

This is what I call a cheater recipe because I could totally have make it from scratch, but I didn't.  Here is pretty much all that you need:



The recipe I came up with (see the end of the post) made this many pancakes:



You can top them with syrup or applesauce or whatever you like, but we like whipped cream. 



I have a confession to make.  I've become something of a whipped cream snob.  I used to love me some Cool Whip straight out of the container - I could eat it like ice cream!  But my friend Dave once pointed out how simple it was to make my own, and how much better it tasted.  Man-oh-man was he ever right!  So for those of you who already know what a beautiful thing home-whipped cream is, go make some.  For you who don't, here's what I do.

Dump the whipping cream into your mixer bowl (or into a regular bowl if you don't have a fancy mixer - it still works, it just takes longer). 


Add a little sugar - granulated or powdered, it doesn't matter (I added about 1/3 cup of sugar to 1 1/2 pints of whipping cream).  Then whip that stuff on high speed until it looks like whipped cream.


(As a little side note, I have discovered that you can also easily make chocolate whipped cream by adding a little cocoa before whipping.  Spread that on brownies instead of frosting for a taste of chocolate heaven.)


All of my very willing taste-testers agreed - this recipe is definitely a keeper!




Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

5 cups 'just add water' whole wheat pancake mix*
3 1/2 cups water (add more if you like a thinner batter)
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup mini chocolate chips**

Add water to pancake mix.  Stir like crazy until there are no gross flour clumps left.  Stir in pumpkin, then chocolate chips.  Pour onto a hot griddle and cook until lightly browned on both sides.  


*If you want to whip up your own pancake batter, go ahead.  Just add some canned pumpkin and mini chocolate chips to your batter.  You can also just use regular pancake mix.  It doesn't have to be whole wheat.  I'm not the boss of you.

**Yes, they have to be mini in my opinion.  The regular sized chips don't work out right and they burn on the griddle.

YOLO?

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I can't remember exactly what I said that prompted ElemenoB to respond to me with a strange word I've never heard before: YOLO.  I asked her what the heck that was supposed to mean, which was followed by she and Thumbelina marveling over the fact that I had never heard of it.

"Seriously, Mom?  You've never heard of YOLO?"

"People have been saying it for, like, ever!"

I thought they were making it up, which would be completely in character for these two.  But no, they would not relent.

"Look it up!  We're totally not kidding!"

So I did.  For those of you who are as ignorant, out of it, and old fashioned as I - YOLO is an acronym for You Only Live Once.  It's basically this generation's excuse to do something stupid.  Sort of like how saying "bless his/her heart" before saying negative things about someone is supposed to cancel out what you say.  YOLO is like saying I'm about to do something stupid but hey, You Only Live Once! and then it's suddenly okay to do the stupid thing.  Because YOLO!!  It's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard.  (Stupid is apparently my go-to word today.)

Once I realized that they were indeed using a (mostly) well-known phrase, I admitted I was out of the loop (not a huge revelation or anything, by the way).

"NBD", ElemenoB responded.

I just smiled knowingly.

But secretly I wondered,  What the heck does NBD mean?!    

It's true.  I'm old.









(For those who are as inept as I, NDB = No Big Deal.  But why wouldn't you just SAY the words?  It takes the same amount of breath, for the love!)

There Is Beauty All Around

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On Monday evening we were dazzled by a beautiful rainbow. 
Tuesday morning brought heavy clouds that enveloped the mountains to the east.
By early Tuesday afternoon the clouds seemed to be lounging comfortably at the base of the mountains to the south. 
Wednesday was a perfect day for a drive up the canyon.

We were completely amazed by the bright splotches of color everywhere.
 
 These pictures really don't do the colors justice - they were so vibrant!
 
 Some of the leaves on this hill were shades of fluorescent red, orange and pink.

The view is always best when some of my favorite little people are a part of it.

We could have spent the whole day in the canyon but by afternoon we headed back toward home to get Curly to kindergarten.

Wednesday evening I noticed the brilliant sunset down by my favorite tree.

I don't know how autumn isn't everyone's favorite time of year.
I love the beauty that surrounds this place we call home.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajitas

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I am obsessed with fajitas. I could eat them once a week. Now that we don't have a grill, I don't make them as often as I used to. I saw this recipe on one of my most favorite blogs, Tide and Thyme. She is a Maryland girl, like me, and I usually want to make nearly every recipe she posts. Everything always looks so amazing. These fajitas were a huge hit at our house. I adapted the recipe to cook the chicken indoors, but I bet it would be even tastier on the grill. Miss F even gobbled up the bell pepper. She cleaned her plate with no issues at all.  I freeze chipotle peppers individually in ice cube trays from the large can they come in, that way I can always have them on hand and don't waste any.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajitas 

1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced
Juice from 2 limes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 bell pepper, sliced
½ onion, sliced
Flour tortillas
Shredded Colby Jack cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

Whisk together the chipotle, juice, oil, water, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and marinate for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over the chicken, re-cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions, sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until peppers and onions are tender.

Slice the chicken into strips, toss with the pepper and onion mixture. Serve on warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

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Shrimp and Peach Skewers

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This is the perfect summer meal. Peaches are still wonderful right now, though I am wary it won't be that way for long. So we are eating as many as we can, enjoying them while they last.  Miss F only wanted peaches "with no brown stuff" on them.  She is a fresh peach fan, but I think she needs to grow a little bit before she can appreciate peaches on the grill.  I also think the spicy grilled peaches would be amazing over vanilla ice cream, I may just try it with some of the leftovers.  We enjoyed this with fresh corn, but cous cous or rice would also work perfectly with it.  This recipe is from Good Housekeeping.

Shrimp and Peach Skewers

8 skewers
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound (16- to 20-count) shelled deveined shrimp
2 peaches, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bunch green onions, dark green parts trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
Lime wedges, for serving

If using bamboo skewers, soak skewers in cold water at least 30 minutes to prevent burning. Prepare your grill for direct grilling on high.

In large bowl, combine brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add shrimp, peaches, and onion; toss until evenly coated. Thread shrimp, peaches, and onion alternately onto skewers.

Grill 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and shrimp just become opaque throughout, turning once. Serve with lime wedges.

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Double Chocolate Doughnuts

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Miss F returned to school last week without her best friend Max. He moved over the summer and we have been preparing her for weeks. Luckily, she still loves school. Miss F is a big breakfast eater and on school mornings I like something that is quick to prepare. The doughnut pan gets used often during the school year because making doughnuts doesn't take long at all. And Miss F gets to use sprinkles. And everyone knows that sprinkles before school make for a very happy kid, even if Max isn't there.  This recipe is based on the ones that come with the Wilton doughnut pan.

Double Chocolate Doughnuts

1 tablespoon butter, melted
¾ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cake flour, sifted
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 425. Spray your doughnut pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, and beaten eggs. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.

Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared doughnut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the tops of the doughnuts spring back when lightly touched.

For the glaze, microwave all the ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power for about 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Add additional water (by the half teaspoon), if needed to thin. Dip one half of each doughnut into the chocolate and allow to dry on a cooling rack.

Recipe Swap: Red's Ultimate M&M Cookie

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The theme of this week's recipe swap is dessert. I was so excited to get a cookie recipe in the swap because Miss F was starting back to school and needed a portable treat for her lunch box. She is obsessed with M&Ms, which made this her dream cookie. I had a ton of M&Ms on hand from a friend's candy buffet at her birthday party. I usually use M&Ms in Monster Cookies, but they are not safe to send to Miss F's school because they have peanut butter in them. These will be made quite often over the school year. Thanks to Tastetastic Voyage for the fantastic recipe and to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting the swap.  I submitted Strawberry Tres Leches for the swap, I am sure C is jealous of whoever got to eat it!

Red’s Ultimate M&M Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce package M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter and sugar mixture. Stir in M&Ms. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

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Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Doughnuts

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My absolute favorite grocery store doughnuts are the cake doughnuts coated with cinnamon powdered sugar. They can sometimes be tough to find, often the package will have plain, powdered and chocolate covered. Since it is technically fall, there always seems to be a half empty can of pumpkin lurking in my fridge. These doughnuts are perfect for using up the remaining pumpkin from your last pumpkin creation. Miss F loved these so much she didn't even miss her usual sprinkles. I think shaking the doughnuts in the Ziploc was nearly as exciting as sprinkling. These doughnuts are loosely based on the vegan version from Oh She Glows, de-veganized of course.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Doughnuts

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons milk
½ cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups flour

½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two mini doughnut pans or two regular sized doughnut pans with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (sift if clumpy), and melted butter. Sift in the dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours). Mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into the greased doughnut pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees or until they gently spring back when touched. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully using a butter knife to remove.

Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a Ziploc bag, seal and toss to coat. Transfer the dipped doughnut into a bag with the cinnamon sugar and shake until coated thoroughly.

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California Chicken Sandwiches

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I am not a big burger fan. When I was a kid, I refused to eat them. I usually got a chicken sandwich instead and I still prefer it. This is my ultimate sandwich. Nordstrom Cafe used to serve a very similar sandwich on foccacia bread years ago. I have tried my best to replicate their sandwich replacing the foccacia with my favorite brioche buns. This sandwich has all my favorites: bacon, cheese and avocado. If you aren't a huge sprout fan, lettuce and tomato work just as well.  One day I will try and figure out how Nordstrom got their foccacia tall enough to slice in half for a sandwich.

California Chicken Sandwiches

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 slices bacon

4 slices provolone cheese
4 brioche buns
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup alfalfa sprouts

Cut each chicken breast in half. In a shallow dish, combine the oil, lime, garlic, Worcestershire, hot sauce and salt. Add the chicken breasts to the dish, turning to coat evenly. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through. Drain the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Remove all but on tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through. During the last minute of cooking, top each chicken piece with 3 half slices of bacon and a slice of cheese. Assemble the sandwiches on the brioche buns each with a piece of chicken, avocado, and sprouts. Serve.

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Recipe Swap: Red's Ultimate M&M Cookie

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The theme of this week's recipe swap is dessert. I was so excited to get a cookie recipe in the swap because Miss F was starting back to school and needed a portable treat for her lunch box. She is obsessed with M&Ms, which made this her dream cookie. I had a ton of M&Ms on hand from a friend's candy buffet at her birthday party. I usually use M&Ms in Monster Cookies, but they are not safe to send to Miss F's school because they have peanut butter in them. These will be made quite often over the school year. Thanks to Tastetastic Voyage for the fantastic recipe and to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting the swap.  I submitted Strawberry Tres Leches for the swap, I am sure C is jealous of whoever got to eat it!

Red’s Ultimate M&M Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce package M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter and sugar mixture. Stir in M&Ms. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

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Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Pasta

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I saw this recipe via Pinterest and I knew right away I wanted to try it. Once I told Miss F that prosciutto was bacon, she wanted to try it as well (that kid could live on bacon!)  The recipe comes from Val So Cal, but I made a ton of changes.  Mainly, I sauteed the asparagus first and removed it from the pan to toss with the pasta at the end.  I find if I leave the asparagus to cook with sauces, they lose the gorgeous bright green color.  Another tip is to get prosciutto from your deli counter and not pre-packaged.  It is usually cheaper and you can get the exact amount you need for your recipe.  This dish is perfection.  I want to try it next with peas in place of the asparagus.

Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Pasta

12 ounces angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
4 ounces of prosciutto, cut into strips
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Prepare the pasta per package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the one teaspoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Saute the asparagus for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms until fragrant and tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and prosciutto, sauté 1 minute more. Add the white wine and chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk together the cream, corn starch and red pepper flakes. Add the cream mixture, return to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and pasta to the pan; toss with the sauce. Serve, topped with additional parmesan.

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Chicken Empanadas with Avocado Sauce

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One of my favorite things I ate in Rio de Janeiro was empanadas. There was a store on nearly every corner with windows full of all sorts of tasty empanadas. These empanadas are a great way to use up leftover shredded chicken from tacos.  I used tomatillo chicken tacos from the freezer, but any shredded chicken taco meat would do.  Miss F liked the chicken the most, she at a bit of the flaky pastry, but not much.  C proclaimed the sauce to be "too lime-y!"  I thought it was delicious, even though the empanadas are great on their own, no sauce is needed.

Chicken Empanadas with Avocado Sauce

2 cups of shredded tomatillo chicken
½ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

1 small avocado
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl, stir together the cooled chicken and cheese. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on a floured surface. Cut 10 six inch circles on each sheet of pastry, you will have 20 circles in total. Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken mixture onto 10 of the circles. Top each with the remaining 10 pastry circles, crimping at the sides to form a seal. Place the empanadas on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Cut the avocado in half, peel and remove the pit. Cut the avocado into eighths and add it to the bowl of a small food processor. Add the lime juice, vinegar, water and salt to the avocado. Puree until smooth. Stream the olive oil through the top of the processor while it is running. Serve avocado sauce with the empanadas.

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Perfect Pizza Crust

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Miss F has a game called "Pizza Mania!" At the start of the game, the chef says "Let's all make some delicious pizza." I love to make delicious pizza, who doesn't, but I often resort to buying pizza dough from our local pizza shop because it is just so easy and always foolproof. Confections of a Foodie Bride is a fellow Houstonian and absolutely amazing cook, so I figured her pizza crust recipe would be fantastic. And I was certainly right! And it was nearly as easy as driving over to my local pizza shop and buying the dough.  As the chef says at the end, "You win!"

Perfect Pizza Crust

1 ½ cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing crust
½ teaspoons salt
3 ½ cups flour, plus more for dusting
Cornmeal, for dusting surface

Place water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes - if your yeast doesn't swell or get frothy, buy new yeast.
Add the olive oil, salt, and flour.

With the mixer on low, mix until the dough comes together and mostly off the sides of the bowl (it will not come all the way off of the bottom). You can add flour by the tablespoon if necessary. Let the mixer run for 5 minutes to knead the dough. It should be smooth and slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into thirds and shape into a ball. This makes the perfect pizza stone sized pizza. Lightly dust a plate with flour and place the balls of dough on top, seam-down. Sprinkle the top with flour, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge. Allow to rise in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Pull the dough out of the fridge and let it sit, covered, on the counter for 60 minutes while your oven is preheating. If the plan is to only make one pizza that day, dust the extra ball of dough with flour, loosely wrap with plastic wrap, place in a gallon zip-top bag and refrigerate to it within 2 days, freeze if you need to store it for longer.

Place your pizza stone in the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 550, letting it hold at temperature for 30 minutes. Prepare your toppings: grate cheese, chop veggies, cook sausage, etc. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of your pizza stone. Dust the parchment paper with cornmeal.

Gently stretch the dough into a round - I hold one edge of the dough ball a couple of inches above my work surface and let gravity do most of the work, while I move my hands around the edge of the dough (like turning a steering wheel). Place the dough onto the parchment paper.

Switch your oven from "bake" mode to "broil." (If you get the option, select the "high" broil setting or 550 degrees. If you don't get the option, don't worry about it.). Top the pizza as desired. Transfer the pizza, parchment included, to the baking stone and broil for 5-7 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven, leaving the stone in place. Slice and serve.

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Crockpot Pork Chops

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I started this new thing last week (after spending hours on Pinterest and gaining inspiration) where I plan and prep a ton of food for multiple dinners, freeze what I can and then have it ready to go when I need it.

I don't really know why I started this, because I'm unemployed and home all the time to actually cook fresh meals but SHUDDUP. It seemed like a good idea and an interesting project!

So far it's working out okay. Just okay because I've still had to buy things for lunches, and we've already had at least four nights of venturing away from all these prepared foods...but definitely on the up side of okay because we've had some delicious meals.

Like the pork chops we ate tonight.

There's totally a fork mark in it because I couldn't wait to eat, it smelled that good in my kitchen.

Just a few quick thangs - if you're making these to freeze and eat later, throw everything in a resealable airtight bag and defrost in advance of making. If you don't want to use a crockpot, I'm sure you can bake them or fry them, but make sure they have at least 4 hours to marinate in the sauce and (FYI) you'll also be missing out on the delicious pulled pork-ness of them.

Now I'm wishing I ate two for dinner instead of giving the Boyfriend the extra one...


 Crockpot Pork Chops

What You Need
4 pork loin chops
1/4 cup g-f soy sauce
1/4 cup g-f chicken broth
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

What You Do
1. Prepare the pork chops by removing any excess fat (if necessary) and giving them a good pat down with salt and pepper
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved
3. Pour over the pork chops and allow them to marinate for at least 4 hours - the longer the better!
4. Place chops in crockpot and cover with sauce. Let cook for 3 hours on LOW setting
5. Flip the chops over to make sure they get an even coating
6. Continue to cook on LOW for another 3-4 hours, until pork flakes easily with fork

Baked Apples

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I went to Body Combat tonight. Not that I could ever be in/win a real fight, but it makes me feel pretty bad ass at the gym. It also leaves me supremely hungry and sore and confident that I am about to croak because why does my body hurt so bad?

Any way, after a weekend of binging and eating junk, I'm having trouble eating like a normal, healthy person again. Plus, my stomach has been hurting since last night due to my poor eating choices all weekend.

So I needed an after combat snack that was light and delicious and healthy but also totally fulfilled my fat girl desires.

Baked apples it is.



These are stupid easy. I used honey and cinnamon on mine, but you can do pretty much anything to them. Butter, brown sugar, white sugar, raisins, nuts, etc.

I'm actually not even going to bother with a jump cut for the "recipe".

BASICALLY

Take an apple, cut it in half and scoop out the core (but leave as intact as possible so you have a hollow to fill with goods). Add the toppings of your choice, pop the apples in an oven safe container and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until tender.

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomato and Parmesan Cheese

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I've been on an egg kick. I think it's probably because we have a lot of them, but also because I've been reading about the importance of protein so there's a reasonable excuse for my consumption of eggs. Lately it's been hard boiled eggs, but today I decided to follow through with another Pinterest find and try some oven baked eggs.



Not. Too. Shabby. Actually, this is probably my new go-to rather than omelets. It's the same idea - eggs plus other junk - but I love that you can have a runny yolk with this!


Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomato and Parmesan Cheese
Inspiration here 

What You Need (single serving)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sauteed spinach
1/2 tomato, diced
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp olive oil

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 375F and use the olive oil to grease a small ramekin or casserole dish (the thinner it is, the faster the eggs will cook)
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and the Italian seasoning
3. Crack both eggs in to the prepared baking dish, and top with the spinach and tomatoes
4. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire dish
5. Bake 10-15 minutes or until eggs have set to desired consistency

Sweet Potato, Sausage & Spinach Hash

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I found a breakfast recipe for a sweet potato, apple and sausage hash but my thought process was "Why would I eat this for breakfast when it would make an awesome dinner?!" and then I stomped around and smashed shit because I am totally boss and have fantastic ideas.

Not really, obviously.

But that's how great I felt planning this for dinner, because I knew it would be delicious.



The Boyfriend doesn't really like onion, sweet potato or spinach - all key factors in this simple dish - but I made it any way because I am (apparently) a huge jerk. And you know what? He was done his first serving before I had managed to plate up. That means success!

This is super similar to the Potato Leek Hash with Pork that I made awhile ago, which is also an excellent recipe for hungry folks.


Sweet Potato, Sausage & Spinach Hash

What You Need
2 g-f Italian pork sausages
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup water (approx)
Cajun seasoning
Cooking spray

What You Do
1. Heat some cooking spray in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat
2. Remove the sausage from the casing, and cook until browned (5-8 minutes or so)
3. Remove the sausage from the pan, drain onto paper towel
4. Using the grease from the sausage and a little bit more cooking spray, saute the onion for a few minutes until soft
5. Add the sweet potatoes and a bit of water. Cover, let steam for 5 minutes. Uncover, season with Cajun spices, add some more water, and then replace the lid and let steam for another 3-5 minutes or until tender
6. Remove lid, add back in the cooked sausage as well as the baby spinach. Also shake on a bit more Cajun seasoning if you want to!
7. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until sausage is heated through and spinach has wilted

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

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It's too hot for stove use in my un-air conditioned apartment, and I wanted something heartier than a salad, so I went for some shredded beef tacos. I got the original recipe from a Pinterest pin, tweaked it a bit, and then ate way too many tacos for any single human being.





Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
Original recipe here 

What You Need
1 lb chuck roast or other big meaty cut o' beef. I think I actually used an oven roast something or other (I am not very good at buying meat)
1 1/2 cups g-f beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
Taco shells or soft tortillas

What You Do
1. Trim as much fat as you can off of the beef cut
2. Mix together the beef broth, water, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and lime juice in your slow cooker
3. Add the beef, turn to coat
4. Slow cook on low for 8-10 hours
5. Remove beef from liquid and use two forks to shred
6. Use about 1/4 cup of the liquid to ensure beef is still moist when serving

Optional Taco Toppings
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Salsa
Guacamole
Avocado
Cilantro
Sour cream
Hot sauce

Jalapeno Jack Popovers

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I adore popovers, they are so easy to whip together for a weeknight meal and you can add all sorts of yummy things to them. I like them plain, but they are even better whenever you add cheese to the mix.  I received a popover pan as a hostess gift and I use it all the time.  One cup flour, one cup milk, two eggs and any sort of cheese you want...and you have popovers!  Miss F likes to split the popovers in half and scoop out all the insides of them, she is such a silly girl.

Jalapeno Jack Popovers

1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ jalapeno, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the milk, eggs, flour and salt in a bowl, until smooth. Stir in the cheese and jalapeno. Spray popover pans with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each of the tins about ¾ full with the batter. Bake until puffed and deep brown, about 35 minutes.

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Pasta with Six Cheeses

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This is another recipe that I discovered on Pinterest. The original recipe only has five cheeses, but whoever developed the recipe must have different Italian cheese blends at their grocer than I do. I omitted the gorgonzola and used the Italian cheese blend stocked here, so Pasta with Five Cheeses transformed into Pasta with Six Cheeses. Or "Pink Pasta" if your name is Miss F.  She adored it and loved it even more when I told her it was Minnie Mouse's recipe since it is from a Disney website.  This pasta can easily be prepped in advance, either frozen or refrigerated and then baked right when you are ready to serve.

Pasta with Six Cheeses

1 pound Rigatoni
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes in heavy puree
2 cups Italian blend cheese, (mozzarella, provolone, romano, parmesan, fontina and asiago), divided
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Prepare the rigatoni per package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the cream, crushed tomatoes, basil, 1 ½ cups of Italian cheese blend, parmesan, salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta to the cream, tomato and cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining ½ cup of Italian cheese blend. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is browned slightly and pasta is bubbling hot. Serve immediately.

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Garlic Potato Wedges

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This was inspired in part by Tide and Thyme as well as a looong visit to Dulles Airport. Tide and Thyme had a recipe for Garlic Parsley Fries that she likened to the ones that you get at Gordon Biersch. Up until a few months back, I had never heard of the place. We ended up eating there during a near 24 hour delay at Dulles on our way to Paris. Let's just say United has ruined my once favorite airline, Continental. The only thing that made up for it was that I got to enjoy a crabcake sandwich (twice) and garlic fries at Gordon Biersch in the airport. I hope I never have to endure a layover that long with a three year old again, but I do hope I get those fries again sometime soon. The oven wedges are almost as good. Almost.

Garlic Potato Wedges

2 potatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into eighths. Cut the garlic clove in half. Rub each side of each potato wedge with the cut garlic. Brush the potato wedges with the olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the wedges after 15 minutes. Serve.

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Recipe Swap: Busy Day Pork Chops

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It's time for my favorite Recipe Swap, Blogger's Choice. I received Melissa's amazing blog, I Was Born to Cook. There were so many amazing recipes to look through, but the name of this recipe, Busy Day Pork Chops, caught my eye. I am always looking for easy pork chop recipes and this one couldn't get any easier. And the best part is that the chops are baked, not fried. They reminded me of my beloved Pork Things. Of course C doused his in ketchup.  Be sure to check out all the swap recipes below.

Busy Day Pork Chops

¼ cup milk
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour the milk in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Dip pork chops in milk first, then bread crumb mixture, then place on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes on each side.

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Secret Recipe Club: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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Even though it is still quite warm here in Houston, it is still time to break out the pumpkin no matter what the thermometer says. I instantly gravitated to this recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars from Loving Life for the Secret Recipe Club this month. The bars were perfect for packing in Miss F's lunch and for snacking on around the house while we pretended that the leaves were turning. At least the fall has brought the return of football, so Go Coogs! Go Texans! and Hail to the Redskins!  Be sure to check out all the great recipes shared in this month's exchange.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat till combined. Add pumpkin puree. Mixture will appear curdled. Reduce speed to low and add in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake until edges pull away from the sides of pan and toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely in pan. When cool, lift bars out with foil. Fold foil down and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 bars.

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Small Batch Peach Jam

Sometimes, it only takes half an hour for magic to happen in the kitchen. It took only half an hour for these gorgeous, but sadly hum-drum tasting peaches to be transformed into the multi-layered, golden deliciousness of peach jam. If I hadn't prepared it myself, I would not have believed that such a transformation was possible, aided only by some lemon juice, sugar and a few drops of vanilla and almond extracts - but indeed, it happened, and I'm here to tell you that I've found the answer to all that sad, tasteless fruit that all of us come across but feel too guilty to throw away.



I have to admit that real jam-making isn't (yet) for me. The thought of buying up large quantities of fruit, simmering it in a large pot (which must feel a bit like a Macbeth witch, I'm imagining) and then *shudder* sterilizing the cans properly just really freaks me out. This, however - this is easy peasy. Let's say that, like me, the peaches you bought aren't all that you thought they would be. Or you found some strawberries in the back of the refrigerator that look like they've seen better days. You just take this neglected fruit, add some lemon juice, sugar and some extracts, simmer a bit on the stove and watch the magic happen. I promise you, it's a darn good show.


Small Batch Peach Jam
Adapted from David Leite

4-5 cups of thinly sliced peaches or other fruit
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, depending on how sweet the fruit is
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

Slice peaches thinly and, in a large bowl, combine with lemon juice, sugar and extracts. Stir to dissolve sugar and leave in the refrigerator to macerate overnight [I left mine in there for an hour].

Drain out all the juices into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add half the fruit, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the juices are just thickened.

Cool it down for 10 minutes, then transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

Transfer back to the pan and add the rest of the fruit. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for another 15-20 minutes. To test if the jam is ready, drop a heaping teaspoonful onto a plate and slightly tilt the plate. The jam should not run off, but cling and slowly glide down. If the jam isn’t ready, put it back on the heat for a while.

Spoon the jam into small jars and refrigerate or spoon into resealable plastic containers and freeze. You need to keep it in the fridge and use it up fairly quickly [but I guarantee that this will not be a problem - it's DELICIOUS].