I Got You, Browniebabe

Well, again, sorry it's been awhile. Josh is feeling much better, but then I was sick last week. But now I'm feeling better myself, and I've got a Browniebabe entry to share! Lately Browniebabe, hosted by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart, is the only blog event I have been participating in regularly. Hopefully that will change soon, but I haven't wanted to miss out on the chance to win one of Myriam's fabulous aprons. If I don't win one soon, I might just have to resort to actually buying one. Okay, honestly I'll have to buy one, cause there's no way I'm gonna beat out all the fabulous baking bloggers out there. But it's still fun to try!

This time around I made blondies, which I had never attempted before. I perused the world wide web and settled on a recipe from Sherry Yard, which I found via Chubby Hubby. This recipe had everything I was looking for- it seemed easily adaptable to whatever little tweaks I wanted to make, and it used vanilla. I'm always looking for an excuse to use my Mexican vanilla. I'll regret being so eager when I'm down to that last teaspoon, but for now I'm more than happy to pour a little bit of that sunshine into a mixing bowl.

Cherry Almond Blondies
Recipe adapted from Sherry Yard
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup slivered almonds

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in center of oven. Grease a 9"x13" baking pan and line the base with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
• Triple sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until soft and creamy (about 1 minute). slowly add the sugars and beat on high speed until fully incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy (about 10 minutes). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure each egg is completely incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and almond extract.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Add dried cherries and almonds and combine with rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

My notes: I reserved about a teaspoon of the flour and tossed the cherries and almonds in it, which is supposed to help keep your mix-ins from sinking to the bottom. I didn't really notice much of a difference though. I slightly over-baked mine, as my timer didn't ring, but I caught them fairly quickly. I took these over to the in-law's for my husband's grandmother's birthday this weekend and they were a hit. I'll definitely make them again.

Green With Envy

Oh my goodness, almost a week since my last post! All I can say is that I haven't had anything interesting to post, so I probably spared you more by not trying to come up with something to fill the space. It would no doubt be boring, as yesterday I was entertaining the thought of just typing the contents of the grocery receipts for this week!

Josh is feeling much better, thanks to the Nexium he's been taking for over a week now. But we aren't going back to his wild food ways. At least not yet. Now he is eating anything I make for dinner as leftovers the next day, as he gets home too late to eat before bed half of the time. And I'm still trying to be cautious about what I prepare for him. Tonight's meal was something that I had seen in the pages of my June 2006 Everyday Food, but despite the appetizing photograph I hadn't bothered trying it. However, Jordan over at Oh Happy Day recently mentioned enjoying it for a second time, and it made me take a second look.

Asparagus, Snap Pea, and Avocado Pasta
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 6
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
1 pound bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus more for serving, if desired

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus until bright green, about 2 minutes. Add snap peas; cook 30 seconds. With a slotted spoon or a small sieve, scoop out vegetables; transfer to a bowl.
• Return water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water; set pasta aside in colander.
• In pasta pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add asparagus, snap peas, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cooked pasta, avocado, herbs, cheese, and reserved pasta water. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with additional cheese, if desired.

My notes:
I decided at the last minute to leave out the avocado in this recipe. The main reason being that I didn't want to fuss with keeping the avocado seperate for Josh's meal tomorrow, or giving him a meal that would be filled with brown avocado chunks. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything while I chowed down, but I'm sure it's great with the avocado. Also, Italian parsley was my herb of choice and I found it delicious. I'm sure it would also be great with basil or mint, although I am personally not crazy about that latter. And, as it serves 6 I cut the recipe in half, which resulted in a two hearty portions for Josh and I, and a smaller portion leftover for my lunch tomorrow.

Cool Kitchen

Well, after trying to put together a menu that would work for Josh we pretty much scrapped everything. I just let Josh eat what he feels like eating, which is mostly crackers. And I've been noshing on a Middle Eastern Platter, so the kitchen has been pretty quiet this week. I did make dinner Monday, along with some cupcakes for my mom's birthday on Tuesday. But those were from a box mix that I had in the cupboard, so not anything to brag about. And we'll be going on a little trip this weekend to Galveston to visit my sister Nicci & her husband Bryan, and our friends Destiny & Will. So, the kitchen will be very still this weekend too.

And when I get back, the attempt to cook for Josh's new stomach will continue. No onions(!), no tomatoes(!), no citrus, no caffeine, no chocolate(!), no spicy foods(!)- I am in big trouble people. That covers about half, if not two-thirds, of my repertoire. I mean, when you try to eat half vegetarian meals onions and tomatoes suddenly become important, not to mention spiciness. Hopefully he'll be mended and can eat these things again, but in moderation. I can deal with moderation, I can handle moderation.

I'll try to post a recipe that I've been hanging onto before we hit the road early tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see my sis and friends!

Healthy Treat

Josh went back to the doctor today and got a prescription for Nexium (which incidentally is expensive without insurance), so hopefully he'll be on the road to recovery tomorrow morning. For tonight's dinner I made scrambled eggs, and some turkey bacon that I picked up on the way home. Josh has lost 7 pounds over the past week, so I figured he could use the protein. And to try and cheer him up I put together a little sundae for dessert.

Yogurt Banana Split
Recipe by moi
1 baby banana, peeled and split
low-fat vanilla yogurt
granola
maraschino cherry

• Pretty self explanatory- top the split banana with yogurt, then granola, and top with a cherry.

My notes: The cherry is key, in my opinion. The combination of the banana and cherry flavors really gives you that banana split taste. And it's really pretty good for you, especially since I used the low-fat granola I made a couple weeks ago.

Scarcity

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days. I made a macaroni & cheese Thursday night that just didn't come out at all. The night before I was supposed to make Mexican Lasagna, but that had to be shelved because Josh can't eat anything spicy. He's had a really severe case of acid reflux since late Sunday night. He went to the clinic on Wednesday and they gave him a GI shake and told him to start on Prilosec in the morning. He had already tried Tums and Pepcid AC to no avail. And he's still not feeling much better. He'll be going back to the doc on Monday. I'm a bit concerned, but trying to just concentrate on helping him feel better. It's especially hard feeding him because anything he eats hurts. I've been looking up acceptable foods for an acid reflux or GERD diet, and only come up with a handful of ideas really. But, here's what next week's menu is looking like.

Scrambled Eggs (2 whites to 1 yolk) & Yogurt Banana Splits
Baked Potatoes topped with Broccoli & Feta
Trout with Brown Rice & Mixed Veggies
Rotisserie Chicken with Brown Rice and Green Beans

Anyone who stops by here have acid reflux issues? I do, but mine are usually due to medications instead of a sudden attack, so I'm not sure how to cook for him right now. Most of the stuff above seemed to be okay according to all the different websites I looked at. Any suggestions?

If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

Ooh, a little Shakespeare for ya there. Fancy, huh? Jane over at This Week For Dinner recently revived her Song of the Week feature and it made me realize that there is no better time than the present to share with you what I like to fill the kitchen air with, aside from delicious aromas.


















My all-time, number one favorite is Louis Prima & Keely Smith, particularly this album and especially disc two. I got this great compilation set for Christmas a few years ago and it has turned out to be on of my most valuable gifts. I mean, a two disc set with over 40 songs? Huzzah! There are some great standards on this album, and some great songs that have now become favorites after repeated listening. Sometimes it's hard to control the urge to drop everything I'm doing and just dance. And there are even two food related songs on disc two, making it especially appropriate for kitchen time listening. Check out the samples of Angelina and Banana Split For My Baby to see, I mean hear, what I'm talking about. Keep a look out for more posts about my favorite cooking tunage!

Feeling Fresh

Last night's dinner was one of the first recipes I made when I started my cooking journey. At first bite I wasn't hooked. But just a few weeks later I found myself craving it. And Josh told me it had been on his mind too, so we had it again. It is a great meal for summertime, with a really fresh flavor. I can't wait to have my leftovers for lunch! The pic below is from Martha Stewart, cause as delicious as this is, it just doesn't photograph that well. Or, I don't photograph it well, whatever.

Pasta with Chicken, Tomato, and Feta
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 oz. ditalini, or other short tubular pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1 lb. plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" chunks (3 cups)
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded cooked rotisserie chicken (skin removed)
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain; rinse well under cold water.
• Transfer to a large bowl; toss with oil, lemon juice, feta, tomatoes, chicken, and basil; season generously with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

My notes: My store's selection of pasta was woefully sparse, so I ended up with rigatoni and used less to account for the bigger size. 1 pound came out to about 5 tomatoes for me. I seeded 3 of them, and let the seeds be in the other 2. Just thought it might make the dish a little prettier, which it did.

Blog begets blog

I am really having a blast lately cooking and baking up some great things I've found on other blogs. This is the third or fourth recipe I've found on Crystal's blog poco-cocoa. And they have almost all been awesome. There was one lone recipe that didn't turn out for me, but that hasn't soured me on pillaging her recipe index for ideas and inspiration! As soon as my eye fell upon the title of this recipe I was hooked, and knew I just had to make it.

Baked Black Bean Flautas with Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce
Recipe from poco-cocoa; Makes 8
1 15 oz. can black beans
8 corn tortillas
cooking spray
3/4 cup grated Colby Jack cheese
1 7 oz. can La Costena Green Mexican Salsa
1 avocado, seeded and scooped out of shell

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small bowl, mash black beans and their juice with a potato masher or a fork.
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (line it with foil first for easier clean-up). Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave for about 1 minute, wrapping them in a moist towel, until they are soft and pliable. Spray both sides of one tortilla with cooking spray. Spoon a few tablespoons of the beans down the center of the tortilla, and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up the tortilla tightly, and lay, seam side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until tortillas are crispy and slightly browned.
• Meanwhile, puree the salsa with the avocado in a food processor until smooth. Serve the flautas topped with the Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce.

My notes: I used pepper jack cheese instead of Colby jack, cause I like it spicy! And the green sauce is spicy! Not overwhelmingly so, but if you don't like much heat you could probably tone it down by adding another avocado. I served the flautas with Mahatma Spanish Rice. It is our favorite and it's usually only 75 cents or less. I usually mix in frozen southwestern veggies too, but I haven't been able to find any lately. Weird! The recipe makes 8, so we each had 3 for dinner and that left 2 for Josh to take for lunch the next day.

The Way I Ate

Tuesday night Josh was going to be leaving from drum lessons and going straight to sub in for a friend's drummer at a show, meaning I would be dining alone. And that was fine with me, because as much as I would miss him I was pretty excited about vegging out in front of the TV and noshing on my planned dinner for the evening. This idea come from Everyday Food, and they title it the Middle Eastern Platter. I just call it heaven. The only real preparation is the salad. I buy red pepper hummus and marinated olives from the bulk bar at Central Market. The recipe calls for a block of feta sliced, but I just buy the crumbled kind, I find it just as easy and then I have feta that I can use for salad, pasta, or pizza too. I ate this for dinner Tuesday night, while watching The Way We Were. Luckily I finished eating before I started crying, as the olives and feta are salty enough without my tears, ha. And then I had the same darn thing for lunch yesterday and today. Divine!

Middle Eastern Platter
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4














3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 small red onion, diced
coarse salt and ground pepper
8 oz. store-bough hummus
1/2 teaspoon paprika
8 oz. feta cheese
1 cup black olives, such as kalamata
4 pita breads

• In a small container, combine lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a medium container, combine tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley.
• Add onion and dressing to vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve with hummus (sprinkled with paprika and remaining olive oil), feta (thickly sliced), olives, and pita. Serve.

My notes: As you may have noticed those aren't kalamata olives on my plate. I usually choose different olives each time I make this, cause I love olives. this time I chose some that were marinated with garlic and they were delish! This is a great thing to serve when you're having friends over. I'm imagining it as a nice nosh during a board game. If you want to prep it ahead of time keep the dressing, onions, and vegetables separate, tossing just before serving. Also, since I get red peppered hummus I don't bother with the oil & paprika on that. And I use whole wheat pitas cut into wedges to devour all the goodies!

Strawberry Shortstack

We had a pretty lazy day for July 4th. We slept in late, and lounged around a little bit before we made a quick trip to the store for cat food. While there I grabbed some pretty strawberries that were on sale, along with some heavy cream and a pint of vanilla ice cream. I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to do with them, I figured some kind of dessert. But then when we got home and I spied the 4 leftover pancakes from Monday night's dinner sitting in the fridge. And that's when I decided to create the Strawberry Shortstack. I made some whipped cream- 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon Mexican vanilla. I popped that in the fridge and tossed my pancakes into a 350 degree oven to warm, only takes a few minutes. I cleaned and sliced my strawberries, and the blueberries I had leftover from the blueberry muffins while I was at it. Once all my ingredients were prepped I spread whipped cream on one pancakes, layered it with strawberries and then repeated with the second pancake. And of course I had to give it a little Independence Day flair! And to go with our Strawberry Shortstack I blended up some blueberry smoothies- 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 banana, and 1 cup blueberries. Mmmmm!

Happy Fourth of July!

I'll post all about our holiday grub tomorrow. Hope everyone enjoys the holiday!

Get Your Grains

Sunday evening I baked up a batch of low-fat granola to enjoy with my vanilla yogurt this week. This granola is great because it is so darn easy to make, and as opposed to most store bought granolas it isn't laden with fat and sugar. I like it with yogurt, but I also like to use it to top a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter & banana too. This would be great to use in parfaits and to delude yourself into thinking that bowl of ice cream is healthy, once you sprinkle this on top of course! This picture is courtesy of Martha Stewart, just as the recipe is.

Low-Fat Granola
Recipe from Martha Stewart; Makes 8 cups
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup canola oil

• Heat oven to 300 degrees.with rack in center. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, flax seed, cinnamon, ginger, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine molasses, oil, and 1/3 cup water, and pour over the oat mixture; stir until well coated. Spread evenly in two baking pans.
• Bake, stirring every 20 minutes or so for even cooking, until dry and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Let granola cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

My notes: I usually make a half-batch, cause it really would take the two of us a while to eat our way through 8 cups. I have to be very careful to not over-bake this, because without sugar it is a fine line between sweetly toasted and crisply burned.

Berry, Berry Good

Saturday morning I got up bright and early to tidy up the kitchen and get to work on some breakfast. I found a nice new blog this week, Checkered Napkins, and discovered a nice new muffin recipe through it. I was pretty excited to try this muffin recipe out because it made good use of the white whole wheat flour I have had since my unsuccessful attempt at baking bread. I've also never done anything with fresh blueberries, but they are one of Josh's favorite things. It was really nice to be able to tell him when he got up that there were blueberry muffins in the oven.

100% Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Recipe from Checkered Napkins; Makes 1 dozen
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen will work too)

• Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Mix together dry ingredients and lemon zest. In another small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Make a well in the dry and add the wet. Stir until just combined. The batter should be thick but still wet. Add a little more milk if it seems too dry. Stir in blueberries, and divide among muffin cups.
• Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.

My notes: These muffins aren't overly sweet, allowing you to taste more of the lemon and blueberry. White whole wheat is a fabulous flour because you are getting all the nutritional value, without the often overpowering flavor of whole grains. I think I'll be making some more of these very soon.

Sunday morning I wanted to have a nice smoothie. I hadn't made smoothies before, but had been thinking about them for quite awhile, ever since I saw them showing different smoothie ideas on Real Simple. I went with the basic smoothie recipe, adjusting for what I had on hand. And I enjoyed it with the muffins I made the morning before.

Raspberry Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup orange juice
1 banana
1 cup frozen raspberries

Put all ingredients in blender, juice first. Blend for 1 minute and serve. Makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie.