Yummy Yummy Yummy I Got Love In My Tummy

So, whenever I make food for other people, it usually never turns out, which is no bueno. Just my luck I guess. But here are some delish recipes we made recently for us, and they were flip'm good.

Homemade Tortillas

So back in the days of living in Japan, it was very, very hard to find Mexican food, including tortillas. So my friend Claire gave us this recipe for making homemade tortillas that we used quite often then, and still do to this day.

*6 cups flour (in this case I used half white flour and half whole wheat)
*1 Tbsp. sugar
*1 Tbsp. baking powder
*1 Tbsp. salt
*1/2 cup oil
*2 cups HOT water

Mix ingredients in order! Before mixing in the water mix the first 5 ingredients. The oil will make little "pockets" in the tortillas. After adding water, knead with flour. Divide into 30 balls. Let sit in balls for 5 minutes. Flour your table and roll out balls as thin as possible. Put in ungreased frying skillet on low heat. Flip when it bubbles.

Fajitas

Veggie Pizza

I've gotta admit I'm a fan of Papa Murphy's and I'm always trying to duplicate their pizzas. This is as close to their "Gourmet Vegetarian" pizza as I could get. Although, if anyone knows a rip off recipe for their dough, could you pass it along? Thanks.

For this I just made a simple pizza dough using part white and part whole wheat flour.
Topped with creamy garlic sauce (out of a bottle...don't judge me,) zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, roma tomatoes, onions, and cheese. The only thing missing was the spinach.



Fresh Corn Risotto with Basil, Tomato, and Lime

So, we like risotto. And plain risotto is mighty tasty. But we thought we'd switch it up a bit and make a different recipe. I got this out of the "Joy of Cooking" (a.k.a. our cooking Bible) so hopefully I don't get in trouble for breaking copyright laws or something.

Combine:
*1 cup diced seeded peeled ripe tomatoes (I got mine out of a can. How authentic, right?)
*2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (Again, got this out of a spice jar. In that case you need to lessen the amount)
*1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (ha ha ha, lime juice out of a bottle didn't kill this recipe for me)
*1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Bring to simmer:
*5 cups chicken stock

Cut:
*2 cups corn kernels from 4 or 5 large ears (Okay, really people, I just got frozen corn. I suck, I know.)

Puree 1 cup of the corn kernels in a food processor. heat in a large saucepan over med. heat until foam subsides:
*2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Add and cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes:
*1/2 cup finely chipped scallions (white part only)

Add:
1 1/2 cups Italian rice

Stir to coat with butter. Add:
*1/2 cup dry white wine

Cook, stirring, until absorbed. Add 1 cup of the simmering stock and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the stock is absorbed. Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until the liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding more. Continue adding the remaining stock, in 1/2 cup additions, stirring and cooking over med-low heat, until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved pureed corn and another 1/2 cup stock. Continue to cook, stirring and adding stock as needed, until rice is tender but with a slight firmness to the center of the grain, 5-10 minutes more, or longer depending on the rice. Stir in corn kernels and the fresh tomato mixture. Season with:
*Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Spoon into warmed bowls (or plates in our case) and sprinkle with:
*Grated Parmesan cheese


Lemon Pancakes

Here's another gem I found in the Bible, "The Joy of Cooking."

Preheat griddle. Whisk together in a large bowl:
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1/3 cup sugar
*1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
*1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
*3/4 cup sour cream
*1/3 cup milk
*1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
*3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
*1 large egg
*1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and gently whisk together, mixing just until combined. Fold in:
*Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

The batter will be thick and bubbly, similar to cake batter. Cook batter in 1/4 cup rounds. Serve with honey or sweetened sour cream or creme fraiche (don't ask me) or even vanilla yogurt.

More Grub to Please your Palate

We don't eat out a lot at restaurants these days, but we still crave restaurant food! So we created a few rip-off recipes for some of our favorite dine-out dishes, including Wingers sticky fingers with Amazing Sauce, Chile's Quesadilla Explosion Salad, Chinese cream cheese wontons and sweet and sour chicken, plus two of my favorites shown below.

Flathead Pizza from MacKenzie River Pizza Company

Ingredients
For the dough, I just got the recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook, but you can use any of your favorite dough recipes. I like this recipe because you don't have to let the dough rise. Just knead and roll out!

1 package active dry yeast or approx. 1 Tblsp.
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tblsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients and knead for about 5-8 minutes. Divide dough into halves. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface to about 11 inch rounds. Place on pizza pan or baking stone.

Add toppings. Alfredo sauce or Parmesan cream sauce, cheese (mozerella & feta, or any combo you like,) grilled chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, spinach (we didn't put on the one pictured above) and fresh garlic. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.


Spicy Romano Chicken Pasta from Johnny Carino's

For this recipe, using authentic Romano cheese is the best. You can find it from specialty shops or in a the gourmet cheese section of your grocery store (depending on the store.) The best Romano cheese is made from sheep's milk. Make sure the Parmesan cheese is of high quality and shredded, not finely grated. It seems to turn out better that way. Although, I have made this using all Romano cheese and leaving out the Parmesan and it tasted fine.

Ingredients for sauce:
1 pint heavy cream
4 Tblsp. butter
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (or more depending on how hot you like it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
(The salt and pepper can be more or less if desired. I like freshly grated sea salt and fresh ground pepper.)

Other ingredients:
1 pound (16 oz. box) bowtie pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1 1/2 Tblsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I like more mushrooms in mine)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Precooked grilled chicken, sliced (I don't know the ounces, but I usually cut up 2 chicken breasts for this.)
1 oz. heavy cream

Directions:

1. To prepare sauce, melt butter in sauce pan. Add cream, salt and pepper and heat to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in cheese and Cayenne pepper. Set aside.

2. For other ingredients, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and green onions. Stir for 1 minute. Add artichokes and already grilled chicken. Stir. Add 1 oz. heavy cream and 1/2 of sauce to pan. Stir. Add pasta and rest of sauce. Coat pasta completely and serve. I like to serve it with a light salad and garlic bread. It is delicious! You can adjust most of the ingredients to suit your tastes. I like more vegetables and less salt in mine. The cheese is pretty salty anyway. This recipe is just what I made up to give y'all an idea.

Trust me, it tastes better than it looks!

Homemade Grub

Okay, I know that most of you make all your food at home and from scratch everyday, so why should I be so pleased with myself? Well, I am proud of myself because cooking is so hard for me and something I don't necessarily enjoy. Ever since our move we have been committed to eating at home and only out at restaurants on occassion. This is a true accomplishment for us considering we used to eat out about 4-5 times a week when we lived in SLC. Granted we were both busy with school and work and a child, so somehow we justified it. But now I've got so much more time on my hands and I cook dinner every night unless it's a special occassion or the weekend. Oh, and Mike helps out a lot too, so I can't take all the credit. Anyway, this week we were craving some Greek and Indian food so we whipped up our own version of gyros and made a side of hummus for the extra pitas.

Mike seasoned the chicken and cooked it on the outside grill then cut it up into small peices.

Real gyros are typically made with lamb or beef, but chicken can work too. Add onions, tomatos and tzatziki sauce and you're done! That poo looking substance to the left is the hummus.

The pitas only take a few minutes to bake. It might be hard to tell from my picture, but they puff up like a balloon when they're done.

The great thing about them ballooning up like they do is that they make a little pocket perfect for stuffing food in!

Pita Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour*
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 1/4 cups room-temperature water

*You can substitute any amount of whole wheat flour for white flour, although the dough may require additional water to be soft and malleable.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large mixing bowl or heavy duty mixer. Add butter and water and mix by hand on low speed with mixer for about 1 minute. Knead or use dough hook on mixer (med. speed) for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic (this is why I love my KitchenAid.) Add flour or water as needed. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Transfer dough to a glass bowl brushed with olive oil. Turn the dough over once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume (1 to 1 1/2 hours.) Punch dough down and divide it into 8 equal balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out each ball to a thin 8 inch round. You can bake these on a pizza stone or an upside-down baking sheet. Spray the stone or baking sheet with a mist of water, wait 30 seconds, then place as many rounds on the hearth as possible. Bake until dough puffs up like a balloon, which is about 3 minutes. Remove each bread to cool on a rack. Note: If you leave the breads in the oven too long, they will not deflate to flat disks.

Tzatziki-- (cucumber sauce for gyros)

Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
2 teaspoons pureed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, grated (use large holes on grater)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt

For best results drain yogurt for 1 hour in a cheesecloth lined strainer. (We didn't do it because we were short on time) In a bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, pepper and salt. Sprinkle a little salt on grated cucumbers, drain for 10-15 minutes. Add drained cucumbers to the yogurt mixture then mix in olive oil and you're done!

Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cups canned chickpeas rinsed (or 3/4 cup dried chickpeas)*
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons tahini
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Sprinkling of hot or sweet paprika
Salt to taste

* If you use dry chickpeas, it takes a lot longer. You must pick over, rinse and soak. Then boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Too much work for me, but if you're into that sort of thing, don't let me stop ya.

Place chickpeas in a food processor and add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and salt. Puree until smooth adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm water as needed to obtain a creamy consistency. Remove to a shallow serving bowl and garnish with olive oil, parsley and paprika.

When you're in the mood for something sweet and something sour...

Pineapple Orange Chicken Over Rice


This here is my own little concoction. I took bits and pieces of other recipes and added my own twist and this is what I made.

Cut up a large chicken breast into small bite-size pieces and coat them in batter (flour, seasonings, water) or use store bought tempura batter or Bisquick. Place peices in a pot or wok of frying vegetable oil and cook until golden. (nothing more healthy, I promise ya!) Lay on paper towels to strain off excess oil.

Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
Juice from one can of pineapple chunks
Orange zest (take the small side of a cheese grater and run an orange peel over it a few times)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and add whatever vegetables you'd like. (I used a bag of frozen mixed vegetables but fresh carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, beans, peas, etc. work wonderfully.) Bring to a boil. When it starts to thicken, add pineapple chunks and a few orange slices for flavor. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Add fried chicken pieces. Serve over rice.


Sweet and Sour Meatballs


Okay this recipe is so old school. It comes from my mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook (copyright 1978.) But don't be fooled, this is a great recipe and very easy to make.

Meatballs:
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg

Mix ingredients; shape into twenty 1 1/2 inch balls. (I use disposable rubber gloves and mix with my hands.) Cook over medium head, turning occasionally, until brown, about 20 minutes. Or cook in ungreased oblong pan, 13X9X2 inches, in 400 degree oven until light brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 can (13 oz) pineapple chunks
1/3 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 small green pepper, coarsely chopped

Cook meatballs in skillet; remove. Drain fat from skillet. Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Sir in pineapple (with syrup), vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Add meatballs. Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in green pepper. Cover; simmer until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Can be served over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Curry

Mike and I love Indian food, so we end up eating it quite often, whether from a restaurant or at home. Mike knows how to make several kinds of Indian dishes, including naan, but his specialty is probably curry. He has made dozens of kinds of curry, ranging from Japanese style to Thai, and Indian. He's made vegetable curry, beef curry, chicken curry, pork curry, and seafood curry. Just about anything you can think of. Most of the curry he makes isn't even from a recipe, but just from his head, and usually just depends on what we have in the house. But it always turns out wonderfully! Here is the most recent curry he made. Sorry the picture is pretty blurry. :(


1 lb. chicken breast
1 cup coconut milk plus 2 Tablespoons
1 Tablespoon oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon of Madras curry powder

1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and cook in a large skillet or wok. Once cooked take the chicken out of the skillet and set aside.
2. Using the same skillet add the onion and oil and cook until golden. Add the 2 Tablespoons of coconut milk and curry powder and stir until it makes a paste. Cook for a 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, red pepper, and the 1 cup of coconut milk. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until thickened.
4. Serve over lemon and dill rice.

Soup and Salad

We made this months ago but I forgot to post it! It was so good. We really like soup and this one turned out pretty tasty. We got this recipe from the February edition of Body + Soul.

Mixed Mushroom Soup


According to the recipe, mushrooms receive high marks when it comes to healing foods. Oyster and shiitake may lower cholesterol, stimulate the immune system, and prevent cancer, while cremini offer selenium and a host of B vitamins.

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms, such as white button, cremini, oyster, and shiitake (stemmed), rinsed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup marsala wine (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth

1. Soak porcini in 1 cup warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Lift porcini from liquid and coarsely chop; strain liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and reserve.
2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add leeks; season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Add garlic, porcini, and chopped mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 7 minuted or until mushrooms just begin to brown. Add fennel seeds, bay leaves, tomato paste, and tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add marsala (if using), porcini liquid, and broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves before sering.

Per serving: 187 calories, 8g fat, 23 carb, 4g fiber.

This is what the magazine's picture looked like:

I think we added more leeks, other mushrooms, and we didn't use the wine. But this picture is prettier. :)


Steak and Arugula Salad
from the P90X meal plan recipe book


6 ounces top sirloin
2 cups arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing (bought or homemade)

1. Grill or broil steak until done, approximately 7-10 minutes on each side. Cool and cut into 1-inch slices. (note: it is important to let meat cool a bit before cutting into it to retain moisture)
2. Toss together the arugula, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts and arrange on plates. Top with the steak and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

*You don't have to follow these recipes verbatim. You can add or subtract any ingredients you like! That's what we do with most recipes. For instance we added more greens & vegetables to the salad and different mushrooms to the soup. Fit it to suit your own tastes!

P90X Coleslaw

I'm a big fan of coleslaw so I was excited and curious to taste this recipe since it is uniquely different than a traditional coleslaw recipe. We modified it a little bit which is shown in parentheses. I actually liked the way this slaw turned out. The only problem for me is that it seemed too onion-y, so I would use less red onion, but that's just me.


Ingredients:

3 cups green cabbage, shredded

1 cup red cabbage, shredded

1 cup jicama, julienned (Jicama can be found in most grocery stores near the potatoes and onions. That's exactly what it tastes like to me too: a mix of potato, onion, and apple. It gives this salad more crunch.)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 Red Delicious apples, finely diced (We used Cameo apples, which Mike and I agree are superior to all the other apples.)

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise (We used regular mayo here. I don't much like the after-taste of fat-free foods. And you know, if they take out the fat they've got to replace it with something else anyway. So, if I'm going to eat something like mayo, or ice cream, or a cookie, I'd rather eat the real deal in a smaller portion than a lot of the fake stuff. But again, that's just me. This recipe is designed for people trying to lose weight, so you make the call.)

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fructose (We just used regular sugar.)

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch white pepper


1. Combine the vegetables and apples in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to make dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss until evenly coated. Cover tightly and chill before serving.

Serves 12

Stirfry Shrimp and Butternut Squash Soup

Another P90X recipe from last week. :)

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth, low sodium (or vegetable broth if you prefer)

1. Combine the shallot and garlic in a nonstick saucepan and cook over low heat until traslucent, adding a slittle water if necessary to prevent scorching.
2. Add the squash and chicken broth and simmer utnil the squash is soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree.
3. return the soup to the pan and place over medium heat until heated through. Serve.

Serves 3

*This soup just wasn't "soupy" enough for me because it was a bit thick. But the taste wasn't so bad. Really healthy!

Shrimp Stirfry

Ingredients:
8 ounces shrimp, peeled (and deveined if you're like me)
1/4 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 cup red onion, sliced in wedges
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 1/4 cups snow peas, trimmed
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, halved
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cubed
1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, drained
*or you could just do what I did and add a bag of those frozen vegetable mixes*


1. Rinse shrimp and drain well.
2. Heat the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until tender.
3. Add all the vegetables to the pan and continue to saute, stirring and adding more broth as necessary. Add shrimp when the vegetables are halfway cooked and saute until the vegetables are tender and the shrimp opaque.

*The flavor of this was okay, but a few days later I made another shrimp stir-fry that tasted much better to me. I sauted the shrimp in 2 tablespoons of honey butter and added fresh lemon juice to them as well as the vegetables.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship with Food

"It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it."--- Julia Child

You know what kind of food I'm talking about. Those gourmet meals delightfully assembled with what seems like only aesthetics in mind. I love food like that. But I haven't yet mastered the art of taking good photos of food, let alone non-food objects. I don't have pretty dinnerware, or pretty backgrounds. I envy those who do. There are several food blogs out there with wonderful pictures. Even my sister-in-law has some terrific photos on her food blog. Mine aren't so great...at least not enough to be hailed as "artsy fartsy." So with that disclaimer in mind, here are the pictures:

Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce, Wild Rice and Red Pepper Soup




This recipe came from the P90X meal plan cookbook with a few adjustments for our personal tastes. The meal also called for steamed asparagus but we forgot to pick it up at the market among other things. It would have looked nice on the plate, eh? Everything turned out really well despite that.

Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients
2 cups white wine (I used white grape juice instead)
1 onion, finely chopped
5 roasted red peppers (click on link to learn how to roast red peppers)
2 cups celery, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 plum tomatoes, chopped (I used Roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups fat free chicken broth, low sodium
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon each: ground white pepper and ground cumin
dash salt

1. Heat wine (or wine substitute) in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, red peppers, and celery. Cook and stir.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato past, and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Puree soup in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, add seasonings, and heat through.
Serves 12 (I cut the recipe in half and gave what we didn't eat to our friends)


Lemon-Dill Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 cups white wine (or white wine substitute)
2 tablespoons arrowroot
2 cups fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemongrass, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1. Coat a large saute pan with cooking spray and saute shallots until soft (not brown), moistening with wine if necessary.
2. Dissolve the arrowroot in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Set aside.
3. Add remaining wine to shallots and reduce by half. Add remaining chicken broth and reduce by half again.
5. Return the sauce to the pan. Add lemon juice and lemongrass and simmer over low heat fora bout 30 minutes, until thick. Strain out the lemongrass and stir in the dill.
6. Drizzle over grilled salmon.

Tempura and Cream Cheese Wontons

Okay, there was a month there that I craved Asian food like everyday. Sushi, hot and sour soup, miso, wontons, even fortune cookies. One of my favorite Japanese foods to make is vegetable tempura and this night Mike wanted to try making cream cheese wontons like the kind you get at Chinese restaurants. So delicious, I could eat 100 of them.

We usually buy our tempura batter from the oriental market on 7th east and about 7th south. We also buy our tempura dipping sauce from there. You can make it homemade, but I find it easier to just buy it.


Our favorite vegetables to use: mushrooms (#1 favorite!) squash, potatoes or sweet potatoes, carrots, green peppers and onions.


Make sure your tempura batter isn't stirred too much and that it remains cold. I put ice cubes in mine and just let them sit there. I haven't figured out the best tasting oil to use yet, but vegetable or canola works just fine. Make sure your oil is hot enough by dropping a few small beads of batter in the oil. It should start to bubble nicely.


Cut up all the vegetables into small pieces and dip into batter before frying. Serve tempura with rice, miso soup, and dipping sauce.


Mike whipped up some great cream cheese filling recipe that involved garlic, green onion, soy sauce, ginger and some other great spices. But he doesn't remember what he put in there anymore, otherwise I'd share it with you. And you'd love it, because it was so delicious. You can google a cream cheese filling recipe if you want. I know a lot of them call for crab meat, but we didn't use it. Put a drop of the filling in wonton skins (homemade or store bought. you guessed it...ours were from the oriental market as well) and fry them up in between batches of vegetable tempura.

Homemade Chocolate Pie

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Claire, so if you like it, thank her, not me. The pie basically looks like the picture here, except with a chocolate crust.


Ingredients:

For filling:
1/2 cup milk
20 large marshmallows
8 oz. of Hershey bar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Cool Whip
Snickers bar, Skor bar, or candy bar of choice

For crust:
2-3 TBSP melted butter
Oreo cookies

For crust, crush as many Oreo cookies needed to fill the bottom of a pie pan. Mix with the melted butter and press into pie pan.

For filling, mix the milk, marshmallows and Hershey bar pieces in a saucepan over low heat. Heat and stir until thoroughly melted. Cool completely. Whip the cream and fold it into cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into chocolate crust and refrigerate. Garnish the pie with Cool Whip and your choice of candy bar pieces and or chocolate syrup. Enjoy :)

Mediterrenean Pizza

This is Mike's and my favorite pizza. It is better with a thin crust, but I haven't mastered the perfect thinness yet. Practice, practice. :)

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBSP dry yeast
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP malted milk (optional)

Mix and let yeast rise. Add 4 cups flour. Knead for 8-9 minutes. Place ball of dough in an oiled glass or metal bowl. Make sure top of dough is brushed lightly with oil (I use olive oil.) Cover with saran wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. After doubled in size, punch dough down and separate into 2 balls. Roll into thin circles and place on pizza pan or baking stone. Using a fork, make little holes all over the bottom of the crust. Brush with olive oil. Then add:

As much mozzerella and feta cheese (fresh parmesan works well too) as you want
Fresh spinach (preferably organic)
Sundried tomatoes
Fresh mushrooms
Grilled chicken (although our last pizza didn't have chicken on it and we actually liked it more that way)

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

*I have been experimenting with making a better crust by adding herbs to the dough for extra flavor. If anyone has some good ideas for making a great tasting thin crust, let me know!

Stuffed Steak with Cheesy Brocolli and Potatoes

So, I found a new recipe. If you think it looks good, you should try it. Just follow these easy steps

Step 1: Get in your car.
Step 2: Drive to Harmon's grocery store approx. 3300 S. 1300 E.
Step 3: Head straight back to the meat department. Ask for the pre-made steak stuffed with feta cheese, spinach, and black olives.
Step 4: Proceed to the frozen food section. Put a bag of Green Giant roasted potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce in your cart.
Step 5: Pay for the food and go to your car.
Step 6: Upon arriving home, heat oven 350 degrees and place meat in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. While that's cooking, heat vegetables in microwave for 12-15 minutes.
Step 7: Eat! (and bask in the fact that you did little to no work to make this fine meal)

Baked Butternut Squash Stuffed with Sausage and Apples

I know this probably sounds weird, and maybe a little gross, but it actually turned out really well. While visiting Mardene, she went down in her basement (where she keeps most of the harvest from her garden) and brought up a butternut squash for me to take home. I think squash is good as-is, but I wanted to try a using it in a recipe, so I found this in the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the squash. Halve lengthwise and remove the seeds and strings from:
2 butternut squash (about 1 pound each.)
Arrange the squash cut side up in the baking dish and brush lightly with:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil.
Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until almost tender, 30-40 minutes. keep the oven on. Meanwhile, crumble into a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink:
1 cup well-seasoned fresh bulk sausage (about 8 ounces.)
Without draining off the fat, add:
1 large tart green apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Cook, stirring, for several minutes, just until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. When the squash is cooked, let it cool slightly, then scoop out most of the flesh, leaving /8-inch-thick shells. Lightly mix the squash pulp into the sausage mixture, breaking up the squash as little as possible. Mix in:
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Pile the stuffing into the squash halves. Dot with:
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces.
1 Tablespoon packed dark brown sugar.
Bake, uncovered, until piping hot and brown and crusty on top, 20-25 minutes. Let cool for several minutes before serving.

And you're done! Since I only had one squash, I just cut the recipe in half. I served this with seasoned rice. I'd also like to apologize for the picture. I don't think it gives an accurate representation of the finished product. I wish I could take better pictures of my food. I guess if I was using a camera I couldn't afford and buying food I couldn't afford, it might look different.

Holiday Treats

Dried Oranges

I made a bunch of dried oranges in my food dehydrator this year. Wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with a pretty bow, they make a wonderful and cheap gift to give a friend. Dried oranges look beautiful on a tree, but can be used in potpouri, as decorations in holiday cider, or can be simmered in a pot with orange oil, cinnamon and cloves for a great room freshener.

Caramel Corn

Caramel corn is one of my favorite snacks and this recipe is so good. So, it will probably kill ya, but we're all gonna die anyway, right? :) I got this recipe from Claire Allred.

Makes approximately 4 big bowls

2 Cups brown sugar
1 Cup Karo syrup
1 Can Sweetened condensed milk (1 cup)
1 Cube butter

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring often. Cook to firm ball stage. (Use a candy thermometer or use the cold water test.) Pour mixture over popcorn & cover evenly by mixing with spoons or rubber spatulas.

*Note---do not use microwave popcorn for this. You must air pop it yourself or pop it in a pan. To do this just add enough oil to cover the bottom of a pot. Pour corn kernels (I used Jolly Time) in the bottom (just enough to cover the surface of the bottom of the pot) and stir to coat the kernels. Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to med-high. Take off heat when popping stops.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels


1/2 pound almond bark, (or other melting chocolate)
1 pound small pretzels or pretzel sticks
1/4 pound candy-coated chocolate pieces (optional)

1. Pour candy-coated chocolate pieces into a small bowl.
2. Melt almond bark in the top of a double boiler.
3. Dip pretzels into the melted chocolate and then lay on waxed paper. Or if you'd like, roll chocolate-covered pretzels in bowl of candy-covered chocolate pieces; a few pieces will stick to each pretzel.
4. Lay resulting clusters on wax paper to cool. Serve when chocolate is no longer sticky to the touch; refrigerate.

Makes 16 pieces.

Whipped Shortbread
This has to be the simplest recipe of all time. I got it from Kathy Harker.

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Cup butter (not margerine)
1 1/2 Cups flour
pinch of salt

Cream butter. Add remaining ingredients. Beat 8-10 minutes. Drop by spoon on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes. If you like, you can make an indention with your finger or a spoon before baking and then after baking, fill the indention with raspberry or another fruit preserve.


Orange Chex Mix
This is my all time favorite Chex Mix and I could eat it all day.

4 Cups Corn Chex
4 Cups Rice Chex
4 Cups Wheat Chex
Pretzels
One bag of Craisins

Melt: 1/4 cup butter (or margerine if you prefer)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/2 can orange juice concentrate

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl (except Craisins.) Pour melted ingredients over dry mix. Spread on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 10 minutes. (I like to cover my cookie sheet with aluminum foil for less mess.) Stir on cookie sheet, then bake for another 10 minutes. Watch it closely because it can easily burn. Immediately put on waxed paper or into a bowl. Add one bag of Craisins.

*Note---I have adapted this recipe to my liking by using less Wheat Chex and more of the other kinds. I have also added slivered almonds, yogurt covered dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips in the past. I like to use butter, but margerine works if you don't have butter. I also like to make mine more orangy by using orange flavored Craisins. YUM-O!


Truffles
8 oz. (2 bars) Ghiradelli chocolate (dark not milk)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Unsweetened cocoa for coating

Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add butter and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and pour chocolate into a shallow bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate until firm at least 2 hours. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in coating. Keep in a cool place to avoid melting.

Thanksgiving Treats!

Cranberry Relish with Ginger

My husband is wonderful. He's always willing to cook, and I think it's awesome that he loves to try new recipes. So for thanksgiving he decided to make cranberry relish instead of that horrid cranberry sauce out of a can. :) It turned out very good. There are several alterations to this recipe, but this is the one we used.

Cranberry Relish with Ginger

The lively, clean flavor of fresh ginger is compatible with most fruits. In the market, look for ginger that is hard and heavy, with an unbroken peel that is thin, light colored, smooth and shiny. To prepare ginger, peel it with a vegetable peeler or paring knife before using as directed in a recipe.

1 orange, unpeeled and preferably
organic, scrubbed
2 bags (12 oz. each) fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger



Cut the orange (with its peel on) into 16 chunks and discard any seeds. Working in batches, combine the orange chunks, cranberries, sugar and ginger in a food processor. Pulse to chop finely and evenly, stopping once or twice with each batch to scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Transfer to a storage container, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. Bring to room temperature and stir well before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

Make-Ahead Tip: This relish improves when made in advance, since the flavors have more time to marry. Prepare it up to 3 days before serving.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,Thanksgiving,by Michael McLaughlin (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

Dill Carrots

Dill Carrots

I got this idea from the Jeppsons when they had us over for dinner last week. They served dill carrots but they tasted different than any carrots I've had. Melissa told me the secret (Alma's grandma used) is to boil the carrots in Sprite. After boiling until done, strain and add butter and dill, then stir. Yum-O!

Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cheesecake
Richer than rich; for chocolate lovers only.

I was so impressed with Mike this Thanksgiving. He decided he was going to make a chocolate cheesecake to take to his parents house. He and Gavin went shopping for the ingredients together and came back to our apartment to make the delectable treat. I didn't have to worry about a thing. The boys were mixing and melting and stirring and baking....and Mike even cleaned the kitchen when he was done! Gavin was happy to take a cheesecake home to his wife Tracy, and Tracy didn't complain. Neither did I. It turned out delicious.

Taken from the Joy of Cooking

Prepare and bake a chocolate crust or buy one (we used a store bought Oreo crumb crust.) If you make one, bake it in a springform pan.

Have all ingredients at room temperature, 68 to 70 degrees F. Place a loaf pan or cake pan filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven to moisten the air. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place in small bowl:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (We used Ghiradelli baking chocolate bars.)
Add:
1/3 cup boiling water
Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. In a large bowl, beat just until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds:
1 pound cream cheese
Scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters well. Gradually add and beat until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes:
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat in 1 at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition:
3 large eggs
Beat in:
2 cups sour cream
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

Add the warm chocolate mixture and beat on low speed just until well blended. Scrape the batter into the crust and smooth the top. Place on baking sheet. Bake until the edges of the cake have puffed but the center sill looks moist and jiggles when the pan is tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the oven off, prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon, an let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan before unmolding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours before serving. The flavors are even more intense after 48 hours.

Ghoul's punch

I know Halloween has passed, but maybe you could use these ideas for next year!

For our Halloween party we concocted our own punch and put it in a punch bowl with these "bloody" frozen hands. It was quite spooky, let me tell ya.

Frozen Hands: Carefully pour cranberry juice cocktail (or juice of choice) into 2 or 3 clear plastic gloves.* Fill the gloves so that the fingers can move easily. Tightly seal the gloves with rubber bands. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Freeze until firm. Use scissors to cut the gloves off the frozen hands. If any fingers break off, add them separately to punch. Blood oranges add to the appeal of the punch as well, as indicated by the picture I got from the Better Homes and Gardens website. :)

*Note: Be sure to use gloves without powder. Or, rinse powdered gloves thoroughly before using.

Scaredy Cat Ice Cream Cake

I made this cake for Vessel's birthday party and it turned out really cute!

Ingredients

• 1 15- to 21-1/2-ounce package brownie mix
• 1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream, softened
• 1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (I used chocolate graham crackers, but I think Oreos would've worked better.)
  
• 2 blue corn tortilla chips
• Tropical-flavored rolled fruit leather
• 2 large white gum balls (I couldn't find gumballs so for the eyes and nose I just used fondant dyed with food coloring)
• 1 large orange gum ball
• 3 pieces green apple-flavored twist candy, halved lengthwise (I couldn't find the licorice like it shows on this recipe so I found some sour, gummy candy strings that worked just as well.)
  
• Purchased fondant*
• Yellow paste food coloring
• Orange paste food coloring

Directions

1. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, allowing foil to extend over edges of pan; set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions using the prepared baking pan. Cool brownie in pan completely. Use foil to lift brownie from pan onto a cutting board. Remove foil. Using the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan as a guide, cut a circle from brownie. Place the brownie circle in a 9-inch springform pan (eat remaining brownie scraps or save for another use). I used the remaining brownie pieces to dip in the chocolate fountain later that night. Mmmmmmmm!

2. Spoon softened ice cream over brownie in pan, spreading evenly. Cover and freeze for 2 hours. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs over top of ice cream.

3. For ears, press in blue tortilla chips. For cat eyes, press a small cutout piece of fruit leather onto each white gum ball; press into cake. Add an orange gum ball for the nose. For whiskers, add green twists, trimming as necessary. For mouth, color about 1/3 cup fondant yellow and another 1/3 cup fondant orange. Alternate 2x1/2-inch pieces of the colored fondant on a piece of waxed paper, placing the pieces close together. Roll out fondant to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out a "smile" shape; place on cake. Cover and freeze cake until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

4. To serve, remove sides and bottom of pan and place on a platter. Makes one cake (12 servings)