Tag Archives: recipes

blueberry dutch baby pancakes

Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancakes

I have nothing original to contribute here. I copied this recipe exactly. Actually, that’s not true. I didn’t have a real lemon, so I used lemon juice. Classy, I know.

Dutch Baby Pancake

But, good god these things were amazing. And they photographed so well.

Make this breakfast to impress people. The effort was minimal and the result astounding.

And my roommates and I were all happy and full. Best brunch ever. The End.

P.S. NY sucks. I spent $7 (!) on a pint of fresh blueberries. I couldn’t bring myself to buy frozen.

cheesy squash quinoa bites

For dinner tonight, I initially set out to make oh-my-god-so-good quinoa patties, but I thought, maybe, just maybe, I could sneak in that squash that is going bad in my fridge. You still have to trick me into eating my vegetables. So, I stuck the squash in my food processor until it was about the size of a grain of quinoa. Sauteed it with the rest of my seasonings, and made this dinner in my muffin tins. Yes, instead of  frying the quinoa patties (the preferred choice), I tried to bake them in my muffin tins. For health reasons. And because I feel sorry for them. It’s been months since I last made a cupcake or muffin.

cheesy squash quinoa bite

cheesy squash quinoa bites
 

Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Yields: 12

Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 6-8 large basil leaves
  • 1 medium yellow squash
  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions
  1. Cook your quinoa. Bring 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil, then turn the heat on low for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350.
  3. In your food processor, process your basil leaves, shallots, and squash. Or, you could chop all of this by hand.
  4. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sautee the garlic until light brown. Then add everything in the food processor and sautee until the squash looks soft.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa and contents of the skillet with the green onion, eggs, and parmesan cheese.
  6. Scoop the mixture into a muffin tin. I sprayed mine with Pam, which was a good idea, because they tend to stick. You can fill the tin to the top with the mixture, it won’t rise.
  7. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.

cheesy squash quinoa bite

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. And by that I mean ranch. Because I’m from the south ya’ll.

the weekender {Easter Egg Edition}

Me & Twisty

I bet you guys thought I died after my 10k, right? I’m alive and finished the race with a personal record. The day after the race, I was finally able to cash in my horseback riding Groupon. This horse’s name is Twister. He was not that excited to see me since our lesson was scheduled during nap time.

I’m gearing up to host our Adult Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch this weekend. I’m not sure what makes it adult, except perhaps booze and the potential for trespassing and climbing trees. Also there are tons of raccoons in my neighborhood that would love to get their grimy hands on brightly colored hard-boiled eggs. So there’s the potential for a face-off with a raccoon.

I was also considering doing an egg in spoon relay race. And the main event will be a lego-filled-egg hunt. Participants must find enough lego-filled eggs to build something spectacular with legos. It’s timed and will be harshly judged.

In honor of the copious amounts of boiled eggs you’ll be eating this weekend, I present to you Easter Egg Edition Weekender.

Boozy Treats to get you started: Easter Egg Jello Shots with peeps!

For the decorating: Naturally Dyed Eggs and Super Mario Bros. Eggs.

For the egg aftermath: Southwestern Deviled Eggs, Wasabi Deviled Eggs (the best!), Baked Deviled Egg Casserole and a Golden Polenta & Egg with Mustard Sauce.

Sweet treats: Easter Egg Cake with White Chocolate Spotted Eggs.

And these perfect wooden eggs.

Happy Easter!

 

 

 

managing your recipes using Gmail labels

Have you ever stumbled across a delicious recipe on the internet? Do you write it down? Say to yourself you’ll remember it for later? Bookmark it? I don’t have many brilliant moments, but managing my recipes using gmail is one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.  Here’s how.

Create the label

Create a label in Gmail. If you’re using the new Gmail theme, go to Settings, then Labels to create a new label. I named my label “yum.” You can take this a step further and create addition labels for “savory,” “sweet,” “breakfast,” etc.

Whenever you come across a recipe you want to keep, email it to yourself and apply this label.

Search by ingredient or recipe

Once you’ve applied this label, it makes it really easy to search your recipes. If you have an ingredient you can search it and see what you can make with it. Make sure you search within the label by selecting the label. Your search box should look like mine.

It pulls up everything that uses corn. Here’s how I email myself the recipes, to ensure the best search results.

Tips on emailing it to yourself

If I’m not using a reader, I just copy and paste the text into the body of my email. I also include the source link so I can go back to the page and read the comments.

Using Google reader

Using Google Reader has really expedited the process. I subscribed to a bunch of tasty blogs. The reader client gives you the option to email the entire article to someone (or yourself). This is what the email looks like when sent from a reader.

It usually includes all images and has the link back to the source.

I know there are a lot of sites you can join with recipe boxes, but if you’re all over the internet looking at food blogs, this is a good way to keep all of your recipes in one place.

pumpkin yummies roundup

I know everyone is inhaling pumpkin at every opportunity, because, let’s face it, it’s only an acceptable practice for two and a half months out of the year.

So here are some tasty looking pumpkin treats from around the web.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Posh Pilar

pumpkin soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup from The Kitchen Wench

Caramel Pumpkin Pot de Creme from Baker’s Royale

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins from Fake Ginger

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from The Nourishing Gourmet

Happy nomming.

knitting projects and delicious links

When Fall comes around, everyone in Florida comes out of their Summertime hiding. My calendar has been packed with invitations from friends. It’s been nice, especially after a lonely August where four of my close friends moved away.

I’ve been doing a bit of sewing and crafting here and there, but haven’t finished any projects. Does anyone else suffer from “I can’t finish this project” syndrome? I can’t resist a good fall craft, so expect some soon.

In the meantime, here are a few delicious things I’ve made this week:

Key Lime Pie for the boyfriend
Banana Bread for friends
Banana and Sour Cream Pancakes for romantic breakfasts

I also started my first knitting project of the season. I learned how to knit years ago, but wanted a refresher, so I signed up for a “learn to knit” course.

Here’s what I got.

knitting project

It will eventually be fingerless mittens.

fingerless mittensExtreme close up.

extreme close up

I took those pictures at 6 a.m. this morning, so everything looks a bit more yellow.

apologies to those who are helpless against chocolate and peanut butter combos

It looked a little something like this and I thought about it all weekend.

chocolate pb bars

I really tried to avoid it, the cravings started Friday. Sunday night rolled around and I was utterly helpless. The good news is these bars are so intense, that just one resulted in complete chocolate/peanut butter/heavenly satisfaction.

Chocolate Graham Peanut Butter Bars
{adapted from here}

Yields: 9 big bars
Total Time: 45 minutes (plus an additional hour to chill)
Benefits: No oven(!) and had all ingredients in my pantry

Chocolate Graham Bottom:
1/2 cup salted butter
1/4 cup of sugar
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs
(the original recipe had 1/4 cups nuts, which I didn’t add)

Freaking Amazing Peanut Butter Filling
1/3 cup salted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Top Layer
8 oz. semi-sweet baker’s chocolate
2 Tbsp of sugar
1/2 cup of peanut butter

Creating the Chocolate Graham Layer:
Create graham cracker crumbs by placing approximately 10 crackers in food processor.

graham crackersYou can also do the old ziploc bag and hammer trick.

ingredinetsMelt the butter, chocolate, and sugar in a double boiler. Or you can do what I did (at your own risk) and melt the ingredients on the stove top over extremely low heat. Don’t forget the sugar like I did.

melt ingredientsAdd the egg and cook for about five minutes.  The ingredients will get smooth and creamy and thick.

meltedRemove from heat and add graham cracker crumbs.

GRAHAM CRACKERS

Once combined, pour the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish lined with parchment paper.

crustSpread the crust evenly across the dish.

Creating the Freaking Amazing Peanut Butter Filling

Combine butter, sugar, and peanut butter in mixing bowl.
pb ingredients

Using an electric mixer, start on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until combined and you get a nice whipped look.

peanut butter fillingTry not to eat it out of the bowl, but it is ok to lick the mixer attachments.

Spread the peanut butter layer over the chocolate graham crust.

pb layer

Creating the Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping

Next melt the 8 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate and sugar over low heat. Once it’s almost completely melted, add in 1/2 cup of peanut butter. It will blend quickly then remove from heat and spread the yummy topping over the other two layers.

adding th top layer

Place in the fridge for at least an hour then enjoy.

chocolate pb bars

p.s. linked up here, here, here, and here.

samoas bars and the weekend

This weekend sloth truly overtook me. I spent most of my time watching this,

reading this,

kindle

snuggling him,

watson

and cuddling her.

riley

Somehow, I managed to bake something, but forgot to snap a photo (update, photo added). You’re going to like this one. Are you ready for it?

samoas bar

Samoas Bars

Yes, everyone’s favorite girl scout cookie turned into a bar treat. Recipe adapted from here (she took pictures).

Yields 20, total time 60 min.

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup sugar
-3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
-3 cups shredded coconut
- One 16 oz. jar of  Caramel Sauce (I used Hershey’s, or make your own)
- 6 0z. chocolate chips (plus a bit of olive oil)

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

The Crust First:
1. In a mixer, blend together sugar and butter until well-combined and fluffy.
2. Add egg and vanilla, blend on medium
3. Switch your mixer to low and slowly add in flour, a bit at a time, until it is all combined. The mixture will be really thick, kind of like a dry cookie dough.
4. Pour the dough into greased baking dish. Since it’s thick, it’s hard to spread. You’ll have to use a spatula to get it to cover the entire dish.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.

Toast the Coconut:
Once your crust is done, let it cool and start toasting coconut.  Here’s how I did it.
1. Start by bringing the oven temperature down to 300 degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
3. Pour three cups of coconut flakes onto the sheet.
4. Place in oven for fifteen minutes. Remove from oven every five minutes to stir around the coconut.

You want the coconut to be nice and golden, not too brown. Once you take it out of the oven, give it a good stir. It will still toast a bit on the sheet. Depending on your oven or the placement of the baking sheet, these will brown quicker or slower than the 15 minutes it took me. Just keep an eye on it.

Melt the chocolate:
1. You can melt the chocolate any way you please: chocolate melter, double boiler, or microwave. I melted mine directly on the stove top at low heat. Add a tiny bit of olive oil, less than a teaspoon, to help it melt and mix well.
2. Once melted, transfer the chocolate into a pastry bag or a ziplock bag to help with the drizzling.

Put it together:
1. The first thing you’re going to want to do is mix the coconut with the jar of caramel sauce in a large bowl.
2. Pour the caramel coconut mixture on top of the crust.
3. Cut the tip of the chocolate pastry bag and drizzle.

This was a hit. I hope you enjoy.

perfect sunday brunch

This Sunday, my good friend came over for an impromptu brunch. Where I made this:

breakfast

An over-easy egg with polenta grits and sauteed shallots. Holy hell, these were good. I can’t wait until next weekend so I can make them again. Recipe from Big Girls, Small Kitchen.

We also ate these dipped in chicory coffee,

banana cookies

with some of this,

fruit

while we watched a couple of episodes of this.

daria

I’ve decided brunch might possibly be the best thing.

I also put out an herbal sun tea on Sunday.

sun tea

I added a whole bunch of mint, two lemon rinds and some blueberries to a gallon of water.

sun tea

Place it in the sun and eight hours later I had a refreshing drink. Sadly, the blueberries didn’t add as much flavor as I’d hoped, but it’s still great tasting water.

cheesy zucchini and squash pizza

There’s no denying it. Pizza is my favorite thing to eat and to make. It’s easy and, best of all, forgiving. So when I set out to make Smitten Kitchen’s Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza, and the boyfriend sort of freaked out (“There’s no sauce?” “You’re using goat cheese? What about Mozzarella?”), I was able to adapt it, and the pizza gods gave me their blessing.

Cheesy Zucchini and Squash Pizza
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza)

(sorry for the awful pictures, we ate 1/2 the pizza before I thought to snap a few photos)

Stuff you’ll need:

-Pizza Dough. I used Smitten Kitchen’s, which is fantastic, or you can buy some at the store.
-4 oz. goat cheese
- 2 Tbs pesto. I bought some at the store
-1 lg. zucchini
-1 lg. yellow squash
-1 Tbs. olive oil
-Salt & Pepper
-6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Do it:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Roll out the pizza dough. If you’re using the SK recipe above, I’d double it. The crust was small (appx. 10 inches), so keep that in mind if you’re feeding a lot of people.
- Place dough on pizza stone, or in our case an aluminum lined baking sheet. (square pizza!) Instead of putting flour underneath the crust, I used cornmeal, which worked excellent.
-Combine goat cheese and pesto to create a flavorful base, spread on crust.
-Slice the squash and zucchini into very thin pieces (appx. 1/8th an inch) and layer on the pizza.
-Drizzle it with olive oil. I didn’t measure this, but it was probably about a tablespoon.
-Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
-Cover with fresh grated mozzarella cheese.
-Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until cheese is bubbly and crust is slightly browned.

Notes:

The goat cheese/pesto combination makes a great “sauce.”

Make your own crust, it’s perfect. I tried to spread a tiny bit of pesto on the crust to give it some flavor, but it really didn’t need any tweaking.

And next time, I’d like to forget the mozzarella and add a stinky cheese. Are there rules to mixing cheeses? Mixing sharp and stinky cheeses? Is that like stripes and plaids? I have no class.

Either way, this thing was delicious.

Happy cooking!

p.s. I’ve linked this up here, here, here, and here.