These muffins are a delicious variation of this recipe. They're light, healthy, tart yet sweet, and the cornmeal gives them a wonderful crunch. I was skeptical about them, unsure whether or not I'd like the cranberry..but it's the perfect flavor with the nutty cornmeal. Though, they'd also be delicious with blueberries instead of cranberries..Next time!
Ingredients
1/2c all-purpose flour
1 1/2c wheat flour
1c cornmeal
1/2c sugar
1 1/2tsp salt
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/2c apple sauce
1 1/4c milk
1/2c honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2c cranberries
1/3c fresh squeezed orange juice
Zest from 1 orange peel
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tray with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a medium bowl, combine thoroughly the eggs, honey, apple sauce, milk, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and combine thoroughly. Fold in the cranberries and divide batter among the muffin cups. Bake for about 18 minutes, checking often after 14 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Lemon Bars
(Another amazing recipe I'll write more about later..I just had to get it online, for the time being.)
Dino’s Yummy Lemon Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
1-cup soft butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2-cups unbleached flour
Cream butter with sugar and add flour ½ cup at a time until all 2 cups are added…. You may need to add a little more or less… what you want is crumbly dough… not like pea size… but more like walnut sized.
Press firmly into a lightly buttered 13x9 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly toasty brown…
Filling:
4 extra large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
the zest from 2 Meyer lemons
¾ cup lemon juice (from the Meyer Lemons, if they don’t produce enough juice, use more to make up the difference… you can also use concentrated lemon juice… )
¼ cup milk (not skim, whole milk or ½ and ½)
dash salt
Directions:
Beat the eggs till fluffy… add sugar and beat till nice and creamy… add flour and lemon zest… beat for a minute… then add the milk… and slowly add the lemon juice so it’s a nice almost custard like consistency…
Remove the hot crust from the oven and pour the filing immediately on the hot crust… turn down the oven to 300 degrees (leave the door open while you are pouring the filling to slightly cool off the oven) and return to the oven for 20 minutes or so… the bars are done when the filling is set… feeling firm to the touch, but not giggly…
Cool on a rack for at least one hour, then cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Cut into interesting bars and dust with powdered sugar.
Dino’s Yummy Lemon Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
1-cup soft butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2-cups unbleached flour
Cream butter with sugar and add flour ½ cup at a time until all 2 cups are added…. You may need to add a little more or less… what you want is crumbly dough… not like pea size… but more like walnut sized.
Press firmly into a lightly buttered 13x9 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly toasty brown…
Filling:
4 extra large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
the zest from 2 Meyer lemons
¾ cup lemon juice (from the Meyer Lemons, if they don’t produce enough juice, use more to make up the difference… you can also use concentrated lemon juice… )
¼ cup milk (not skim, whole milk or ½ and ½)
dash salt
Directions:
Beat the eggs till fluffy… add sugar and beat till nice and creamy… add flour and lemon zest… beat for a minute… then add the milk… and slowly add the lemon juice so it’s a nice almost custard like consistency…
Remove the hot crust from the oven and pour the filing immediately on the hot crust… turn down the oven to 300 degrees (leave the door open while you are pouring the filling to slightly cool off the oven) and return to the oven for 20 minutes or so… the bars are done when the filling is set… feeling firm to the touch, but not giggly…
Cool on a rack for at least one hour, then cool in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Cut into interesting bars and dust with powdered sugar.
Ginger Lemon Muffins
(This is a recipe my mother sent me. I'll write all about these amazing muffins soon!)
Lemon Ginger Muffins
Ingredients:
Peel of 1 whole lemon (shaved off with vegetable peeler - yellow part only)
2/3 cup peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. poppy seeds
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (optional)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1cup milk + 1 T. vinegar)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Either use muffin liners or butter muffin tins very well. Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor or blender until it turns to a paste. Whisk together dry ingredients (sugar through ginger) in large bowl. Whisk last 4 ingredients together in medium bowl, then add ginger paste. Stir into flour mixture just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups.
(Optional - sprinkle tops with demerara sugar before baking.) Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Lemon Ginger Muffins
Ingredients:
Peel of 1 whole lemon (shaved off with vegetable peeler - yellow part only)
2/3 cup peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. poppy seeds
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (optional)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1cup milk + 1 T. vinegar)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Either use muffin liners or butter muffin tins very well. Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor or blender until it turns to a paste. Whisk together dry ingredients (sugar through ginger) in large bowl. Whisk last 4 ingredients together in medium bowl, then add ginger paste. Stir into flour mixture just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups.
(Optional - sprinkle tops with demerara sugar before baking.) Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Pumpkin Bread
The other night I was chatting on the phone with a good friend. Unable to sit still while talking, I decided to whip up a batch of this bread while talking. I suppose it speaks to the ease of this recipe that I was able to bake while having a phone conversation! And it was super easy--not very messy, didn't create very many dishes, and the ingredients list was relatively short. I also appreciated that the recipe called for a full can of pumpkin--most pumpkin recipes call for 1 cup of puree, so inevitably I find my fridge full of half-full, neglected cans of pumpkin!
The bread itself was just what pumpkin bread should be: moist, sweet and pumpkiny! I omitted the nuts, but that's just because I don't like nuts in my pumpkin bread. I also messed with the sugar amounts. I only had 1 cup of brown sugar, so I added that and used 1 1/3 cups of white sugar.
Fresh out of the oven, this bread was irresistible. Between Travis, the roommate and myself, one of the loaves was gone within a day. And did I mention that while this bread is in the oven, the whole house smelled amazing? Because it did. And so will yours.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
2c all-purpose flour
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1c brown sugar
1 1/2c granulated sugar
2tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon (the recipe calls for 1 tsp..but I really like cinnamon)
1tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1c vegetable or canola oil
1/3c maple syrup
1/3c water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease two bread pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, pumpkin, water and syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and combine thoroughly--make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, to catch any hiding flour! Pour the batter into the two pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn halfway through. Bread is done when a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Let bread cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks. Freeze well-wrapped in plastic, or store in an airtight container (though I wouldn't recommend storing it this way..it starts to lose flavor after a few days).
Enjoy!
The bread itself was just what pumpkin bread should be: moist, sweet and pumpkiny! I omitted the nuts, but that's just because I don't like nuts in my pumpkin bread. I also messed with the sugar amounts. I only had 1 cup of brown sugar, so I added that and used 1 1/3 cups of white sugar.
Fresh out of the oven, this bread was irresistible. Between Travis, the roommate and myself, one of the loaves was gone within a day. And did I mention that while this bread is in the oven, the whole house smelled amazing? Because it did. And so will yours.
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
2c all-purpose flour
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1c brown sugar
1 1/2c granulated sugar
2tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp cinnamon (the recipe calls for 1 tsp..but I really like cinnamon)
1tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1c vegetable or canola oil
1/3c maple syrup
1/3c water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease two bread pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, pumpkin, water and syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and combine thoroughly--make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, to catch any hiding flour! Pour the batter into the two pans and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn halfway through. Bread is done when a skewer inserted in comes out clean. Let bread cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks. Freeze well-wrapped in plastic, or store in an airtight container (though I wouldn't recommend storing it this way..it starts to lose flavor after a few days).
Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
I actually did not make these cookies..Travis did! We were both craving dessert, but had just polished off the ice cream the other night...(see what I mean about needing to eat a bit healthier??) I was busy studying for a test, so he offered/I coerced him into baking. He mentioned how he'd love a chocolate chip cookie, and I mentioned, with a convincing tone and sly smile, how I'd just seen a recipe for a delicious, whole wheat chocolate chip cookie...the next thing I knew, he was pulling ingredients out of the cupboard!
I was curious about this recipe as it was, so last night's dessert-shortage worked out well. The raves on Orangette's blog had me intigued..could a simple chocolate chip cookie really be as good as her post made it seem? Was it really the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever? And how could one chocolate chip cookie be so much better than all the other perfectly delicious chocolate chip cookies out there? As it is, I am not someone who gets incredibly excited about chocolate chip cookies. Don't get me wrong--they are scrumptious, and I will never turn one down. But if I'm the one baking, I'll almost always prefer to make Pumpkin Cookies or ginger cookies or even double chocolate chip cookies. But rarely do I get the urge to bake plain old chocolate chippers. But Travis was the baker last night, so chocolate chip it was! And I will say--they were exactly what a good chocolate chip cookie should be: thick, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. The nuttiness of the whole wheat flour was great--it offset the sweetness just right. My only complaint with this recipe was its greasiness(and here it becomes apparent: maybe there is no perfect chocolate chip cookie..with such high standards and so many delicious variations, will there ever be a totally pefect, everything-I've-ever-wanted-in-a-chocolate-chip-cookie, chocolate chip cookie??). I think this might have to do with the fact that Travis melted the butter in the microwave to soften it..But we'll overlook that! Why? Because I am convinced that the sooner he becomes fed up with mixing butter and sugar with his hands, as I have to do every time I bake, the sooner we will get a stand mixer.
All that being said, this is a great cookie. The only amount I cannot vouche for is the chocolate chips--we just added them by the handful. I'm sure the recipe's amount is fine, as our cookies were a little light in the chip department.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (8oz.) unsalted butter (The recipe calls for cold and cubed butter, but we went for mostly liquified...Go with cold and cubed.)
1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (Oops again: we used light brown sugar. I doubt the difference is significant, but go with the dark just in case!)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8oz chocolate chips (the recipe calls for chunks of bittersweet chocolate..all we had was chocolate chips!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchement paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, knead together the butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, combnining between. Add the vanilla and combine again. Pour the flour mixture over the wet mixture, and mix until the flour is just combined. Dont' overmix! Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Roll dough into balls equalling about 3tbsp and place evenly on the baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches between each cookie (we got 8 per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate completely (that is, bring the sheets on the bottom rack to the top and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Bake for another 8 minutes*. Allow the cookies to cool for five minutes on the sheets, then transfer them to wire cooling racks, or just dive right in!
Enjoy!
*EDIT: I just ate one of these cookies since tasting one fresh out of the oven last night...it's definitely very crunchy now. I'd recommend baking them for only 6 minutes after rotating the sheets.
I was curious about this recipe as it was, so last night's dessert-shortage worked out well. The raves on Orangette's blog had me intigued..could a simple chocolate chip cookie really be as good as her post made it seem? Was it really the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever? And how could one chocolate chip cookie be so much better than all the other perfectly delicious chocolate chip cookies out there? As it is, I am not someone who gets incredibly excited about chocolate chip cookies. Don't get me wrong--they are scrumptious, and I will never turn one down. But if I'm the one baking, I'll almost always prefer to make Pumpkin Cookies or ginger cookies or even double chocolate chip cookies. But rarely do I get the urge to bake plain old chocolate chippers. But Travis was the baker last night, so chocolate chip it was! And I will say--they were exactly what a good chocolate chip cookie should be: thick, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. The nuttiness of the whole wheat flour was great--it offset the sweetness just right. My only complaint with this recipe was its greasiness(and here it becomes apparent: maybe there is no perfect chocolate chip cookie..with such high standards and so many delicious variations, will there ever be a totally pefect, everything-I've-ever-wanted-in-a-chocolate-chip-cookie, chocolate chip cookie??). I think this might have to do with the fact that Travis melted the butter in the microwave to soften it..But we'll overlook that! Why? Because I am convinced that the sooner he becomes fed up with mixing butter and sugar with his hands, as I have to do every time I bake, the sooner we will get a stand mixer.
All that being said, this is a great cookie. The only amount I cannot vouche for is the chocolate chips--we just added them by the handful. I'm sure the recipe's amount is fine, as our cookies were a little light in the chip department.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (8oz.) unsalted butter (The recipe calls for cold and cubed butter, but we went for mostly liquified...Go with cold and cubed.)
1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (Oops again: we used light brown sugar. I doubt the difference is significant, but go with the dark just in case!)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8oz chocolate chips (the recipe calls for chunks of bittersweet chocolate..all we had was chocolate chips!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchement paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, knead together the butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, combnining between. Add the vanilla and combine again. Pour the flour mixture over the wet mixture, and mix until the flour is just combined. Dont' overmix! Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Roll dough into balls equalling about 3tbsp and place evenly on the baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches between each cookie (we got 8 per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate completely (that is, bring the sheets on the bottom rack to the top and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Bake for another 8 minutes*. Allow the cookies to cool for five minutes on the sheets, then transfer them to wire cooling racks, or just dive right in!
Enjoy!
*EDIT: I just ate one of these cookies since tasting one fresh out of the oven last night...it's definitely very crunchy now. I'd recommend baking them for only 6 minutes after rotating the sheets.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Udon Noodles and Veggies with Peanut Sauce
The off-season must be coming to a close...I am baking less and less, and cooking more and more. Indeed, today was the start of my first 1 month training block! It's all base, and all fairly easy, but it's still exciting to be "training" again!
One of my main projects lately has been incorporating more produce into meals. While I'm sure Travis, and frankly me as well, would be content eating burritos all winter, it certainly wouldn't be healthy, nor would it support our training very well! I know with how much we put our bodies through we need to refuel with nutrient-dense, healthful foods instead of what's necessarily the "quickest acceptable dinner".
I have also been eyeing this recipe for awhile now. Who could resist chewy udon noodles, a creamy peanut sauce and a bed of soft, colorful veggies? Not me! And I figured with all the veggies it calls for, and the blast of protein in the sauce, this would be a great meal with which to kick off our 2011 season! I modified the recipe a bit because I was out of things, and also because I doubled the recipe.
Udon Noodles and Veggies with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
2 packages whole wheat udon noodles
3 carrots, grated with the peeler
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 large zuccini or yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
soy sauce for cooking
sriracha or another hot sauce for cooking
olive oil for cooking
minced garlic, for cooking
For The Sauce:
6oz 0% plain greek yogurt
6 tbsp creamy peanut butter
10 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp ground ginger
1tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 heaping spoonful minced garlic
Directions:
In a wok or large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the zuccini, and toss with a splash of soy sauce, a spoonful of minced garlic, and just a drop or two of hot sauce. When the zuccini is just barely tender, add the cabbage and carrot and heat for another minute or two, or until the zuccini is cooked and the cabbage and carrot are just soft. Set aside. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Once the water is boiling, add the udon noodles and cook until chewy. Scoop a bed of the vegetables onto a plate, pour a small amount of sauce over them, then top with noodles and more sauce. Tear cilantro over the whole thing, and if you have any, sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top.
Enjoy!
One of my main projects lately has been incorporating more produce into meals. While I'm sure Travis, and frankly me as well, would be content eating burritos all winter, it certainly wouldn't be healthy, nor would it support our training very well! I know with how much we put our bodies through we need to refuel with nutrient-dense, healthful foods instead of what's necessarily the "quickest acceptable dinner".
I have also been eyeing this recipe for awhile now. Who could resist chewy udon noodles, a creamy peanut sauce and a bed of soft, colorful veggies? Not me! And I figured with all the veggies it calls for, and the blast of protein in the sauce, this would be a great meal with which to kick off our 2011 season! I modified the recipe a bit because I was out of things, and also because I doubled the recipe.
Udon Noodles and Veggies with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
2 packages whole wheat udon noodles
3 carrots, grated with the peeler
1/2 cabbage, chopped
1 large zuccini or yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
soy sauce for cooking
sriracha or another hot sauce for cooking
olive oil for cooking
minced garlic, for cooking
For The Sauce:
6oz 0% plain greek yogurt
6 tbsp creamy peanut butter
10 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp ground ginger
1tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 heaping spoonful minced garlic
Directions:
In a wok or large skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the zuccini, and toss with a splash of soy sauce, a spoonful of minced garlic, and just a drop or two of hot sauce. When the zuccini is just barely tender, add the cabbage and carrot and heat for another minute or two, or until the zuccini is cooked and the cabbage and carrot are just soft. Set aside. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Once the water is boiling, add the udon noodles and cook until chewy. Scoop a bed of the vegetables onto a plate, pour a small amount of sauce over them, then top with noodles and more sauce. Tear cilantro over the whole thing, and if you have any, sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top.
Enjoy!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Seitan
I haven't been baking or cooking very much lately! In fact, the wet burritos I made last night are about as adventurous as I've been in the kitchen for over a week! But I did want to write about a recipe I attempted awhile ago: Seitan!
The seitan recipe I found over at (neverhome)maker. I'd wanted to try it for awhile, so one day I just dove right in! Here's my recipe, as I made a few slight modifications.
Seitan
Ingredients:
1 1/2c wheat gluten flour
1/4c nutritional yeast
1tsp salt
2tsp paprika
2 tsp pepper
2 heaping spoonfuls minced garlic
3/4c cold water (PLUS about 3 tbsp)
4tsp tomato paste
1tsp olive oil
1tsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable broth
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients (including garlic) in a large bowl. Whisk together until well-combined. In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients--EXCEPT the 3 tbsp water--whisking in the tomato paste last. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and combine well with your hands. If your seitan seems too dry, as mine did, add water from your 3 tbsp reserve until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. The seitan becomes very gummy very quickly, and adding the extra water allowed me to keep mixing the seitan.
Roll the seitan into a log shape. Wrap in two layers of foil, twisting the ends to seal the roll, and bake on a baking sheet for 1.5 hours.
Enjoy!
The seitan recipe I found over at (neverhome)maker. I'd wanted to try it for awhile, so one day I just dove right in! Here's my recipe, as I made a few slight modifications.
Seitan
Ingredients:
1 1/2c wheat gluten flour
1/4c nutritional yeast
1tsp salt
2tsp paprika
2 tsp pepper
2 heaping spoonfuls minced garlic
3/4c cold water (PLUS about 3 tbsp)
4tsp tomato paste
1tsp olive oil
1tsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable broth
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients (including garlic) in a large bowl. Whisk together until well-combined. In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients--EXCEPT the 3 tbsp water--whisking in the tomato paste last. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and combine well with your hands. If your seitan seems too dry, as mine did, add water from your 3 tbsp reserve until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. The seitan becomes very gummy very quickly, and adding the extra water allowed me to keep mixing the seitan.
Roll the seitan into a log shape. Wrap in two layers of foil, twisting the ends to seal the roll, and bake on a baking sheet for 1.5 hours.
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Mac N' Cheese
The wind has been wild here the last few days, and between midterm stress and being grumpy about the weather, I found myself craving a huge bowl of creamy mac n' cheese. Really, what better way to spend a chilly night inside than with hot, homemade, gooey mac n' cheese? And lucky me, we had company over for dinner last night. The danger with mac n' cheese is if no one is around to help me eat it, I will eat the whole thing. So I was thrilled to cook for five instead of one (ok, maybe two, if I decided to let Travis have any!).
I have four or five recipes bookmarked, and I want to try all of them, but I decided to stick with a true classic, and went with this recipe. No frilly fanciness, no 'adult' ingredients, just lots and lots of cheese. Perfect! I changed a few things, including doubling the recipe, which I would highly recommend! Between the five of us, plus a bowlful I set aside for our absent roommate, there weren't any leftovers! Guess next time I'll have to triple it, so I can have some more the next day! Mmm.
This recipe is very dish-intensive, but is totally worth it! I was fortunate enough to have a few kitchen helpers, which made a huge difference! With all the time-consuming steps to making this dish, having someone to whisk the milk mixture and/or cook the pasta is extremely helpful. If you're cooking solo, however, don't stress! This is a very manageable one-person dish; it'll just take a little longer. But again--it's totally worth it!
Mac N' Cheese
Ingredients:
1lb smooth rigatoni noodles
16oz grated sharp cheddar
8oz grated monterey jack cheese
1/2c shredded parmesan
1/4c blue cheese crumbles
5 cups milk
6 tbsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 a large white onion, diced
2tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp dijon mustard
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x12 casserole dish and set it aside.
Combine all the cheeses except the parmesan in a large bowl. Measure out a cup of the cheese blend and set it aside with the parmesan. You'll use this to top the mac n' cheese later.
In a small saucepan, melt the 1 tbsp of butter over medium-low until melted. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Remove the onion mixture from the saucepan, setting it aside in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan warm the milk. In another, larger saucepan melt the 6 tbsps of butter over medium-low heat. Immediately add the flour and whisk vigorously for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil to thicken the sauce. Whisk the entire time. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the onion mixture, spices, mustard and onion mixture. Then, stirring slowly, add the large bowl of your cheese blend. Stir until all the cheese is just melted.
Fill a large saucepan about 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Drain, and add the pasta to the cheese mixture. Stir gently to combine thoroughly. Pour the mac n' cheese into the casserole dish, making sure it's evenly distributed. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over the mac n' cheese. Then sprinkle the parmesan over the shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the inside is still creamy.
Enjoy!
I have four or five recipes bookmarked, and I want to try all of them, but I decided to stick with a true classic, and went with this recipe. No frilly fanciness, no 'adult' ingredients, just lots and lots of cheese. Perfect! I changed a few things, including doubling the recipe, which I would highly recommend! Between the five of us, plus a bowlful I set aside for our absent roommate, there weren't any leftovers! Guess next time I'll have to triple it, so I can have some more the next day! Mmm.
This recipe is very dish-intensive, but is totally worth it! I was fortunate enough to have a few kitchen helpers, which made a huge difference! With all the time-consuming steps to making this dish, having someone to whisk the milk mixture and/or cook the pasta is extremely helpful. If you're cooking solo, however, don't stress! This is a very manageable one-person dish; it'll just take a little longer. But again--it's totally worth it!
Mac N' Cheese
Ingredients:
1lb smooth rigatoni noodles
16oz grated sharp cheddar
8oz grated monterey jack cheese
1/2c shredded parmesan
1/4c blue cheese crumbles
5 cups milk
6 tbsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 a large white onion, diced
2tbsp minced garlic
1tbsp dijon mustard
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x12 casserole dish and set it aside.
Combine all the cheeses except the parmesan in a large bowl. Measure out a cup of the cheese blend and set it aside with the parmesan. You'll use this to top the mac n' cheese later.
In a small saucepan, melt the 1 tbsp of butter over medium-low until melted. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Remove the onion mixture from the saucepan, setting it aside in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan warm the milk. In another, larger saucepan melt the 6 tbsps of butter over medium-low heat. Immediately add the flour and whisk vigorously for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil to thicken the sauce. Whisk the entire time. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and add the onion mixture, spices, mustard and onion mixture. Then, stirring slowly, add the large bowl of your cheese blend. Stir until all the cheese is just melted.
Fill a large saucepan about 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Drain, and add the pasta to the cheese mixture. Stir gently to combine thoroughly. Pour the mac n' cheese into the casserole dish, making sure it's evenly distributed. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over the mac n' cheese. Then sprinkle the parmesan over the shredded cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the inside is still creamy.
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Pumpkin Muffins
I'm sensing a common theme in this blog so far..
..squash.
But can you blame me? It's the season for squash! And with the rain falling and the wind blowing, all I've been craving lately is squash. It's sweet, it's hearty, it's healthy, it's incredibly cheap right now.
Did I mention it's delicious?
Last night I got hit with another 'I have got to stop studying, for twenty minutes. I just want to bake!' urge. So I did! Again, Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! Her recipes are truly amazing. I did make quite a few changes to the recipe, of course, because I am on a constant mission to make things just a tad bit healthier. Unless it's that espresso chiffon cake I made last week... I'll post about that one someday soon! Maybe when I get a camera--what a perfect excuse to make that cake again!
Ok. Back to muffins. I substituted whole wheat flour, and played around with the sugar amounts, and overall they turned out pretty good! They have a great texture--light and moist inside, with a nice crisp top. They're pretty hearty from the whole wheat flour, and are definitely not as sweet as I was expecting, but I think they make a great breakfast muffin. I am bummed that the pumpkin flavor didn't come through more, but I'm not sure how to remedy that..
Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1/3c canola oil (it's all i had--I'm sure vegetable oil would work just as well)
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2c + 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2c raw sugar
1/8c pure maple syrup
1c pumpkin puree
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Yield: 12 muffins, plus I made a little muffin patty with the extra batter..could probably yield 14 muffins total, depending on the size of your muffin pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with muffin liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, pumpkin, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sugar (minus the 2-3 tbsp extra raw sugar). Whisk in the flour until just combined. Spoon batter into cups, filling each almost to the top. Using the leftover raw sugar, sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through. They're finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let them cool in the muffin pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. These are delicious when they're still slightly warm!
Enjoy!
..squash.
But can you blame me? It's the season for squash! And with the rain falling and the wind blowing, all I've been craving lately is squash. It's sweet, it's hearty, it's healthy, it's incredibly cheap right now.
Did I mention it's delicious?
Last night I got hit with another 'I have got to stop studying, for twenty minutes. I just want to bake!' urge. So I did! Again, Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! Her recipes are truly amazing. I did make quite a few changes to the recipe, of course, because I am on a constant mission to make things just a tad bit healthier. Unless it's that espresso chiffon cake I made last week... I'll post about that one someday soon! Maybe when I get a camera--what a perfect excuse to make that cake again!
Ok. Back to muffins. I substituted whole wheat flour, and played around with the sugar amounts, and overall they turned out pretty good! They have a great texture--light and moist inside, with a nice crisp top. They're pretty hearty from the whole wheat flour, and are definitely not as sweet as I was expecting, but I think they make a great breakfast muffin. I am bummed that the pumpkin flavor didn't come through more, but I'm not sure how to remedy that..
Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
1/3c canola oil (it's all i had--I'm sure vegetable oil would work just as well)
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2c + 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2c raw sugar
1/8c pure maple syrup
1c pumpkin puree
1tbsp cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Yield: 12 muffins, plus I made a little muffin patty with the extra batter..could probably yield 14 muffins total, depending on the size of your muffin pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with muffin liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, pumpkin, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and sugar (minus the 2-3 tbsp extra raw sugar). Whisk in the flour until just combined. Spoon batter into cups, filling each almost to the top. Using the leftover raw sugar, sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through. They're finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let them cool in the muffin pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. These are delicious when they're still slightly warm!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Butternut Squash Soup
Oh. My. Gosh. This soup is amazing!
How amazing? Lick the bowl amazing. Lick your spoon amazing. Lick your boyfriend's bowl amazing.
..don't judge me.
It really is that good. And so far, everyone who's tasted this soup has tried a spoonful, paused, looked at me with wide eyes and said something along the lines of 'Wow' or 'That's incredible!' or 'There's no meat in that?' Yeah, I didn't really understand that last comment...BUT this soup does have amazing flavor, is filling without being heavy, is incredibly healthy, and is somehow almost better cold than it is hot! Though, as both versions are so delicious, it's hard to compare.
Am I getting the point across? About how good this soup is? About how you should make it right now? I hope so.
If not, consider this: at a dinner party last week I broke our blender! Why? Because I was unwilling to not make this soup. The bad part? No more soup until we get a new blender!
This recipe is adapted from one I found at Smitten Kitchen. The first time I made this soup I also made my own version of the croutons, but since I want this post to focus on the soup, just trust me: the croutons are really really good!
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1/4c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I imagine canola oil would work well instead of butter)
10c 1/2in cubes of fresh butternut squash (about 1 large squash).
2 cans low sodium vegetable stock
1 large white onion, finely diced.
3 cloves minced garlic (or: 2 heaping spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic)*
3 sage leaves, minced*
1tbsp dried thyme
1/2tsp ground ginger*
1tsp salt*
1tsp pepper*
1/8c whipping cream (or half and half)
*I eyeball the spices in this recipe based on flavors I'm craving in the moment. If you like more sage, add another leaf or two! If you like lots of salt and pepper, add more! This recipe is great for adjusting to your personal flavor preferences!
Directions:
In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the stock, squash, and spices. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat back to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the squash is cooked all the way through (a fork should easily spear the squash) turn the heat off. In batches appropriate for your blender, puree the soup (Note: make sure each batch going into the blender has some broth in it--otherwise the squash won't blend easily). Pour blended soup into a large serving bowl. Once all the soup has been blended, stir in the whipping cream.
Enjoy!
How amazing? Lick the bowl amazing. Lick your spoon amazing. Lick your boyfriend's bowl amazing.
..don't judge me.
It really is that good. And so far, everyone who's tasted this soup has tried a spoonful, paused, looked at me with wide eyes and said something along the lines of 'Wow' or 'That's incredible!' or 'There's no meat in that?' Yeah, I didn't really understand that last comment...BUT this soup does have amazing flavor, is filling without being heavy, is incredibly healthy, and is somehow almost better cold than it is hot! Though, as both versions are so delicious, it's hard to compare.
Am I getting the point across? About how good this soup is? About how you should make it right now? I hope so.
If not, consider this: at a dinner party last week I broke our blender! Why? Because I was unwilling to not make this soup. The bad part? No more soup until we get a new blender!
This recipe is adapted from one I found at Smitten Kitchen. The first time I made this soup I also made my own version of the croutons, but since I want this post to focus on the soup, just trust me: the croutons are really really good!
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1/4c (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I imagine canola oil would work well instead of butter)
10c 1/2in cubes of fresh butternut squash (about 1 large squash).
2 cans low sodium vegetable stock
1 large white onion, finely diced.
3 cloves minced garlic (or: 2 heaping spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic)*
3 sage leaves, minced*
1tbsp dried thyme
1/2tsp ground ginger*
1tsp salt*
1tsp pepper*
1/8c whipping cream (or half and half)
*I eyeball the spices in this recipe based on flavors I'm craving in the moment. If you like more sage, add another leaf or two! If you like lots of salt and pepper, add more! This recipe is great for adjusting to your personal flavor preferences!
Directions:
In a large soup pot melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the stock, squash, and spices. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat back to medium and cover, stirring occasionally. Once the squash is cooked all the way through (a fork should easily spear the squash) turn the heat off. In batches appropriate for your blender, puree the soup (Note: make sure each batch going into the blender has some broth in it--otherwise the squash won't blend easily). Pour blended soup into a large serving bowl. Once all the soup has been blended, stir in the whipping cream.
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze
Last night I decided I needed to take a study break. I also decided I needed to use those cans of pumpkin I'd just bought..I also decided I needed cookies.
Enter: Travis' Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze. I found the original recipe at Joy The Baker's, beautiful site, but made several modifications to 'healthify' these amazing cookies. I wanted to at least include whole wheat flour, and reduce the amount of white sugar. Also, I'm not a big fan of butterscotch chips, so I left them out.
These cookies are amazing! I loved the slight heartiness the whole wheat flour gave them, and the slight crunch of the raw sugar. My roommate said he couldn't even tell they were 'healthier'! The maple glaze was the perfect addition. You just can't go wrong with maple and pumpkin! With how easy these cookies were to make, and how incredibly delicious they are, I have a feeling I'll be making these all winter long.
Here's my modified recipe:
Travis' Pumpkin Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
1c all-purpose flour
1c whole wheat flour
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2c white sugar
1/2c raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2c canola oil
1c canned pumpkin
1tsp vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients: (Modified from a recipe at Ice Cream Before Dinner)
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp half and half (or milk, or cream..)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2c confectioner's sugar
1/4c light brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In another, smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars together until creamy and light (about 1 minute). Whisk in the oil, as you stir (this would be way easier with a stand mixer, I assume, but it worked fine slowly whisking with one hand and pouring oil with the other! Those of us without kitchen gadgets have to improvise!). Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture over the flour mixture, and combine with a rubber spatula. The dough will be quite runny. If you have an ice cream scoop that equals 1/4c, use this to scoop dough onto baking sheets. Or, if you don't have a scoop (I don't!) a spoon works just fine! Simply eyeball the amount. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. I got 8 cookies on each sheet.
You can bake each sheet separately, as Joy recommends, or together, as I did because I simply didn't have the patience! If you bake them separately, bake each for about 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies feel just slightly firm, and the bottoms are just slightly golden brown. If you bake them together, rotate completely after ten minutes (that is, bring the sheets on the lower rack to the top rack, and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes--they will stick to the parchment paper initially, but cooling them thoroughly will alleviate this. Once cooled, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and half and half on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the syrup, and then the confectioner's sugar. And that's it! Once the cookies are completely cooled, dip them upside-down in the glaze, and return to the cooling racks until the glaze has set (of course, you'll have to try just one cookie immediately..and that's okay. I tried three.)
TIP: Place the parchment paper you baked the cookies on underneath the cooling racks, to catch any glaze drips!
Enjoy!
Enter: Travis' Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze. I found the original recipe at Joy The Baker's, beautiful site, but made several modifications to 'healthify' these amazing cookies. I wanted to at least include whole wheat flour, and reduce the amount of white sugar. Also, I'm not a big fan of butterscotch chips, so I left them out.
These cookies are amazing! I loved the slight heartiness the whole wheat flour gave them, and the slight crunch of the raw sugar. My roommate said he couldn't even tell they were 'healthier'! The maple glaze was the perfect addition. You just can't go wrong with maple and pumpkin! With how easy these cookies were to make, and how incredibly delicious they are, I have a feeling I'll be making these all winter long.
Here's my modified recipe:
Travis' Pumpkin Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
1c all-purpose flour
1c whole wheat flour
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/2c white sugar
1/2c raw sugar
2 eggs
1/2c canola oil
1c canned pumpkin
1tsp vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients: (Modified from a recipe at Ice Cream Before Dinner)
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp half and half (or milk, or cream..)
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1/2c confectioner's sugar
1/4c light brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 and line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In another, smaller bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars together until creamy and light (about 1 minute). Whisk in the oil, as you stir (this would be way easier with a stand mixer, I assume, but it worked fine slowly whisking with one hand and pouring oil with the other! Those of us without kitchen gadgets have to improvise!). Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture over the flour mixture, and combine with a rubber spatula. The dough will be quite runny. If you have an ice cream scoop that equals 1/4c, use this to scoop dough onto baking sheets. Or, if you don't have a scoop (I don't!) a spoon works just fine! Simply eyeball the amount. Space cookies about 2 inches apart. I got 8 cookies on each sheet.
You can bake each sheet separately, as Joy recommends, or together, as I did because I simply didn't have the patience! If you bake them separately, bake each for about 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies feel just slightly firm, and the bottoms are just slightly golden brown. If you bake them together, rotate completely after ten minutes (that is, bring the sheets on the lower rack to the top rack, and visa versa, and spin each sheet). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes--they will stick to the parchment paper initially, but cooling them thoroughly will alleviate this. Once cooled, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, in a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and half and half on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the syrup, and then the confectioner's sugar. And that's it! Once the cookies are completely cooled, dip them upside-down in the glaze, and return to the cooling racks until the glaze has set (of course, you'll have to try just one cookie immediately..and that's okay. I tried three.)
TIP: Place the parchment paper you baked the cookies on underneath the cooling racks, to catch any glaze drips!
Enjoy!
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