bcmom's kitchen

Pasta Salad (w/ Feta)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:57:00 +0000

I needed something to take to a potluck - some kind of side dish. I'd seen a recipe on GMA for a pasta salad, and the only ingredient I remembered was feta -besides the pasta, of course. I found that recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients or it wasn't what I was wanting, so I went looking for a pasta salad with feta. I found a whole list of them, but I decided to go with this one, kinda.

Pasta Salad w/ Feta and Olives

Ingredients:

16 ozs bow tie pasta (farfalle)
2 cups broccoli florets
15 ozs kidney beans (drained)
4 ozs black olives (sliced, drained)
1 bell pepper (seeded and diced)
1/2 can diced tomatoes
4 ozs feta cheese (crumbled)
1 cup Italian salad dressing

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli florets to the boiling water during the last 2 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to cool.
In a large serving bowl, stir together the kidney beans, black olives, bell pepper, tomatoes, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir in the pasta and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Chill and serve.

This would be great with fresh broccoli and tomatoes, but I didn't have any so I used frozen broccoli and canned tomatoes. I used an orange pepper, because that's what I had, and I think it added a nice color to the salad. I also forgot to run cold water over the pasta and broccoli, so I mixed it in hot, but I'm thinking that might help blend the flavors better - or at least that's what I'm telling myself. I'll probably use the cold water next time, if I remember.

The salad is chilling now, so I haven't tasted it - except to sample a couple pieces of pasta, and those were great. It smells amazing, and it will make a nice cool side-dish this weekend.

Cream Cheese Pesto Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:21:00 +0000

This dip is really easy to make, and so good!

Cream Cheese Pesto Dip

Ingredients:

Cream cheese
Minced garlic
Pesto
Feta
Diced tomatoes

Directions:

Layer all ingredients - no measurements, just whatever looks/sounds good to you.
Warm 10-15 minutes at 350°
Serve with bagel chips.

Yum!

Seriously, it is hard to stop eating this stuff. I use a block and a half of cream cheese - because that's what fits in the dish I want to use. Then I layer lots of garlic, pesto and feta on top, and cover it with diced tomatoes (from a can - not the whole can, though, just enough to cover). I used pesto I made last summer and froze in a 1/2 cup Rubbermaid container. I just thawed it out and spread the whole thing on top of the garlic. (Time to plant some more basil!)

You can serve this cold, but it's so much better when warmed up. You're not really cooking it but just warming it up so that the cream cheese gets all soft and all the flavors blend. Also, it's good with other crackers or chips like Pita chips, but it is best with the New York Style Sea Salt Bagel Crisps - trust me on this! They just go together perfectly -and those bagel crisps can hold a lot of dip.

Happy Hummus Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:29:00 +0000

Vitamix posted this recipe on Facebook today - in honor of National Hummus Day. Did you know it was National Hummus Day? Me either, but I love some good hummus, so I thought I'd grab the recipe. I know there are plenty of hummus recipes available online, but so many of them call for tahini, and I haven't been able to find it. Should it be in my local grocery store? This recipe doesn't call for it, so I'm gonna give it a try.

Hummus

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans chick peas (garbanzos), one drained, one with liquid
1/4 cup (35 g) raw sesame seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt

Directions

Place all ingredients, except salt, into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
Select Variable 1.
Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
Blend for 1 minute, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
Season to taste with salt.

Of course, I'll have to use my Ninja, since I don't have a Vitamix, so no Variables, but....

Do you have a favorite go-to hummus recipe? Please share! Know where to buy tahini? Share that too. Maybe I should have though to buy Tahini on Amazon! because there's plenty available. Now to figure out which one...

Angel Hair with Broccoli and Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:27:00 +0000

I adapted this recipe from one I saw on The Chew for Michael Symon's Angel Hair Pasta with Pancetta and Broccoli. I used turkey bacon and walnuts instead of the pancetta and pine nuts he used. I had some bacon and broccoli that needed used, so...

Angel Hair with Broccoli and Bacon

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Angel Hair Pasta
1/4 cup walnuts
1 bunch Broccoli, cut up
1/2 package Turkey Bacon
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove (sliced)
1 teaspoon Chile Flakes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Drop pasta into boiling salted water
Cut up bacon slices and add to saute pan with 2 T olive oil over medium heat
Add broccoli to pan
Add walnuts to pan and move contents in the pan to one side and add another tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced garlic. You want the garlic to toast but not burn.
Ladle in 2-3 spoonfuls of the pasta water to the pan and mix to incorporate. Reserve some of the pasta water before you drain it in case you need more.
Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan and season with chili flakes. Add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan and toss to coat. Top with Parmesan and serve.

Overall, it was pretty tasty and easy. I added 3 spoonfuls of the pasta water to the bacon and broccoli mixture and then added more once everything was mixed together, just to give it a bit of moisture.

I think I would like to try this with a different pasta next time - something a bit closer to the size of the broccoli pieces. I think Michael used angel hair because he was trying to pull the whole dish together in 5 minutes, and angel hair cooks very fast, but I think another pasta would go better. Maybe bow tie?

Sourdough Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:27:00 +0000

I'm getting my Sourdough Starter going again, and since part of the process is pouring some out so there's room to add more, I've been looking for things to do with the part I need to pour out. I decided to try some biscuits, and this recipe was the first on the search list. So, I tried it. Well, not exactly - I did not mix it up on the counter; it was just too messy for that. But I mixed them up, rolled them out - skipped the bacon fat part, let them sit/rise in a warm oven, and baked them. They kind of spread out - I had to use a cookie sheet because there were too many to fit in the 9" pan the recipe called for. They tasted OK, but they were kind of tough and chewy and nothing special. Not bad warmed up a bit with some butter and honey, so I've been eating them for breakfast, and as snacks.

But I didn't really plan to make them again - and then I read through all the comments and the last one pointed out something that should have been obvious, considering I've been baking with sourdough starter for several years now, but I was thinking biscuits which usually means quick, instead of thinking sourdough, which means it takes time - "This recipe, and several others like it on the internet, leave out a critical step – what to do with the milk. I finally found one that had that step. First critical step is: The night before mix starter, milk, and 1 cup of flour. Cover and let stand at room temp." So, of course I had to try them again!

I mixed the starter and milk with a cup of flour and let it sit on the counter overnight. This morning it was nice and bubbly and ready to use. I continued with the recipe, mixing the remaining ingredients in the bowl and then kneading lightly before rolling out on the counter. I rolled them just a bit thicker this time and didn't even try using my biscuit cutter - I just cut them into squares. This time I rolled them in melted butter - instead of the bacon grease, and I didn't roll them in anything last time, just brushed the tops with butter when they came out of the oven. So there were some slight differences, but the main one was letting the starter, milk and flour work overnight. It changed the whole feel and texture of the dough, and this time it worked!

Sourdough Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
melted butter for dipping (or bacon fat, if you want)

Directions:

Mix starter, milk and 1 cup flour; cover and let sit overnight.
The next day, when dough is nice and bubbly, mix sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into 1 cup flour and stir it in. Mix in as much of remaining 1/2 cup flour as you can; turn out onto floured surface and knead lightly. Knead just till the dough is mixed. Do not over knead.
Roll out the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits.
Dip the cut biscuits into the melted butter on both sides and place into a baking dish - 13"x9" would probably work best. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1/2 an hour.
Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 -35 minutes.

What a difference that one little step makes!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:04:00 +0000

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it looked so good and so easy that I just had to try it. Plus I had a couple red peppers and a green pepper that needed used... I added some garlic and used fresh lime juice, but otherwise followed the recipe. Here's mine with those slight changes:

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, sliced
3 sweet peppers, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1lb. boneless chicken breast or thighs
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Combine sliced onion, peppers and garlic in the bottom of a crockpot. Lay chicken on top of veggies. Pour chicken broth over top. Sprinkle everything with cumin, salt, and chili powder. Squirt the lime juice over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
When meat is done, shred with two forks and stir back into juices. Serve on tortillas with your choice of fixings.

Fixings:

shredded cheese
salsa
sour cream
cilantro
sliced green onions
other (whatever you like on your fajitas or tacos)

Seasonings on top

Let me just say that these are amazing! A-MAZING! They are so easy, and they taste so good. I'm not completely sure I'd call them fajitas, but they do have the sliced onions and peppers that are traditionally in fajitas, so we'll just go with it - and that's what the original recipe was called. I served them with some Cilantro Lime Rice - stir chopped cilantro, lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil into cooked rice - and they were perfect!

After the chicken has been shredded

Then I stirred the leftover chicken mixture into the leftover rice, and we had that a couple days later - again wrapped up in tortillas with all the fixings. Oh, and I stirred some black beans in - perfection!!

I will definitely be making these again. YUM!!

Caramel Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:34:00 +0000

I was looking through some old pictures today - searching for something completely different - when I came across some pictures and a link to this recipe. I can't believe I never posted it here! Of course, it is really pretty on tabblo, see for yourself - Caramel Rolls. I wish I could embed it full-size here, but I'll just copy and paste the recipe, and if you want to see the completely illustrated version, just click the link.

Caramel Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans
1 loaf frozen sweet bread dough (cut into pieces)
1 pkg. butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

Grease large Bundt pan. Mix together pudding, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside. Put pecans in bottom of the pan, then the pieces of dough. Sprinkle pudding mixture over the top and drizzle with the melted butter.
Leave it on the counter overnight (uncovered)
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350° and bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert onto large platter. Serve at once.

I've never bought the frozen sweet bread dough, though that's certainly an option. I just make the sweet roll dough I use for my Cinnamon Rolls and freeze it in zipper bags. When I want to make these rolls, I pull it out and let it sit for a few minutes, to soften it enough to cut into pieces then follow the rest of the recipe.

These are easy and yummy! Try them for yourself and let me know what you think.

Potato Pancakes w/ Spinach & Cottage Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:27:00 +0000

I made these for lunch the other day. They were so good, I'm thinking of mashing some potatoes just so I'll have leftovers!

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

Leftover mashed potatoes (1-1/2 to 2 cups)
1 egg
Chopped onion
Chopped spinach
Cottage cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Flour

Directions:

Mix mashed potatoes, egg, onion, spinach, and cottage cheese well - no measurements, just whatever sounds, looks, feels good to you. Season with salt & pepper.
Add enough flour so that you can handle the mixture and form into patties. It will be very messy, and you will want to coat your hands with flour so it doesn't stick too much.
Heat a little oil in frying pan; add patties and fry on first side until browned, flip and cook the other side until browned and heated through. Serve on a bed of fresh spinach.

Enjoy!

I made a couple for me and let my daughter taste them so she wanted some too. I added a little extra flour before making the rest into patties, and while it handled better, the flavor wasn't as good. You want to use as little flour as possible for the best taste.

Find the Freshest Fruits and Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:46:00 +0000

This looks like a really handy resource. Use the Seasonal Ingredient Map at Epicurious to find out what's in season where you are. Simply choose the month and click on your state. Being in Wisconsin, I'm not able to find anything right now, but if you live in one of the southern states you're in luck! In Louisiana, arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, fennel, lettuce, radishes, spinach, and turnips are all in season.

Me, I'll just have to wait - for both the garden and the farmer's market.

Epicurious also gives ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips to help you get the most of your fresh ingredients.

Fix Those Cooking Blunders

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:20:00 +0000

A few weeks ago one of my friends made a big pot of chili. When her husband tasted it, he said it was too salty - which got us to trying to figure out how to fix it. Then the rest of us tasted it and thought it was just fine, no, better than fine, it was really good! Which was a good thing because we never did figure out how to fix it if it was too salty. I knew I had read it somewhere, I just couldn't remember where...

So, when I found this list - Fast Fixes for Blunders - in an old Family Circle magazine, I clipped it out. Now we'll always know how to fix super salty soup as well as fix other cooking blunders or problems.

To remove grease from stew, soup or gravy, drop a few ice cubes in the pot. Spoon the cubes out once the grease sticks to the ice.
Neutralize super-salty soup, stew or tomato sauce with brown sugar.
To eliminate cabbage odors, place a small tin cup half filled with vinegar on the stove near the cabbage.
If brown sugar gets lumpy, put an apple wedge in it and microwave on high for about 20 seconds.
To absorb excess salt, drop in a peeled potato while cooking.
Puree overcooked vegetables, add broth or milk along with seasonings, and you'll have delicious soup.

2 tips for taking care of too much salt! I love the idea of ice cubes to remove grease, too. Cabbage odors aren't something I usually have a problem with, but I have found that vinegar is great for taking care of all kinds of odors. I don't know why or how, but it works.

I usually just put a slice of bread in my brown sugar canister when it starts getting hard and lumpy. The bread dries out, and the sugar gets nice and soft again. (Make that half a slice of bread - while the bread is nice and soft and can easily be folded a bit to fit into the canister, once it dries out, it's not so easy - and you don't really want to break it and get bread crumbs all in your nice, soft brown sugar. Of course, this all depends on the style of your canisters. If the top/neck/opening of your canister is smaller than a slice of bread, you'll want to use half. Believe me, I know!) The bread is not a quick fix, so if you're ready to bake, and your brown sugar is hard, that apple wedge and microwave tip sounds good. Then put the bread into the canister so you'll be ready next time.

Do you have any good tips for fixing cooking blunders?

Cranberry Apple Pie Oatmeal (a la Mode)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:38:00 +0000

I love oatmeal in the morning. I usually cook my oatmeal with dried apples, dried cranberries, and cinnamon - and that's pretty much the perfect oatmeal, but I saw this recipe for Apple Pie Oatmeal on Pinterest, and it looked so good, I just had to try it. Reading the recipe now, I see that I did not actually follow the recipe. How could I miss the part about cooking the apple with nuts, butter, brown sugar and spices? I will have to try it again, I guess.

Here's how I made my oatmeal, and it turned out quite good, too. Maybe it doesn't actually qualify as an Apple Pie Oatmeal, but I'll call it what I want!

Cranberry Apple Pie Oatmeal (a la Mode)

Bring to boiling 1 cup water with a dash of salt
While water boils, cut half an apple into small pieces
Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
Add some cinnamon, the chopped apples, some dried cranberries and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally

Turn burner off or remove from heat; cover and let sit for a few minutes

To serve: top with a little brown sugar and vanilla yogurt (I used Yoplait Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt - that's the a la Mode part!)

Next time I'm going to try cooking the apples, cranberries, and probably some walnuts with butter, brown sugar, and spices and then cooking the oatmeal with that - like the other recipe - and see if that makes a difference. If there's a huge difference, I'll be sure to update this recipe.

I'll also go back to using plain yogurt, because the vanilla was a bit too sweet to me. I love plain yogurt on my oatmeal.

Antioxidants - Follow-up

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 03:59:00 +0000

I posted a list of antioxidant-rich foods a few weeks ago. I saw this image on Pinterest tonight, and I thought the pictures and additional information here would be a nice follow-up. The list isn't exactly the same, but there's some good information about each of the foods listed here and why they're good for us. I like that coffee is on this list! I love my morning coffee...

Cranberries are really high on my list, too... and broccoli, and strawberries, and peaches, and... The more healthy choices we have, the more likely we'll all find something we like that is also good for us!

Did anybody notice anything unusual about any of the pictures? (Click the graphic to view full-size)

No More Freezer Burn

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:59:00 +0000

When I go shopping, I always check the meat case to see if there are any markdowns. When an item is getting close to it's Sell By date, the store will usually mark it down to encourage customers to buy it. Walmart makes them really easy to spot with bright yellow stickers.

Buying this marked-down meat is a good way to save money. The key is to use it or freeze it by the date on the package. I usually buy several packages when I can get a good deal - whether it's chicken breasts, steaks, hamburger, or anything else I normally use. Then the next day I break the large packages down and freeze them in single-use packages, usually in zipper bags, like in this post - Freezing Hamburger.

It wasn't until recently that I found a great way to avoid freezer burn - which happens when you freeze a lot of stuff and don't use it in a timely manner. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself! I was thinking maybe I needed one of those Vacuum-Sealing Systems - and one of these would be nice. But, I was talking to the man who works in the meat department, and he suggested wrapping individual pieces of meat in plastic wrap and then putting them into the zipper bags.

Individually wrapped steaks in my freezer

Wrapping serves two purposes - the plastic wrap protects the steaks from freezer burn, should I not use them right away, and it's so easy to pull out just the number of steaks I need - even though they're all in the same zipper bag. You know those individually frozen chicken breasts you can buy in the store? Yes, I buy those too, but if I find a great deal on chicken breasts in the meat department, I can individually freeze my own now!

Also, a note: the best plastic wrap I have ever tried is the Great Value Premium Wrap - Professional Strength you can buy at Walmart. I never even liked plastic wrap before I tried this stuff. Seriously, it's great!

Lentil Barley Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:49:00 +0000

I found this soup recipe in my Sunday (or Wednesday) paper - at the same time I found the Sweet Potato Chickpea soup that we loved.

Lentil Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups lentils (about 16 ounces)
3/4 cup barley
8 cups broth (vegetable, chicken, beef, whatever you have or like)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large saucepan (6 qt.) over medium heat; add onion, garlic and celery and cook until onion begins to soften and become translucent. Add carrots and continue cooking 1-2 minutes; add seasonings (except salt) and stir to coat vegetables; allow to cook for a few minutes, until fragrant.
Add lentils, barley, and broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally until lentils and barley are tender. Add additional stock or water to reach desired consistency, if needed. Add salt to taste.

Alternate (original) Directions:
Place all ingredients, except salt (and olive oil - there was no olive oil in original recipe), in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 45 to 55 minutes, stirring occasionally until lentils and barley are tender. Add additional stock or water to reach desired consistency, if needed. Add salt to taste.

To prepare ahead: You can prepare the soup up to two days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to serve.

Yes, I know the original directions sound simpler, and I'm sure the soup will turn out just fine following them. I just think it adds some extra flavor to cook the vegetables in olive oil first, and to cook the seasonings with them for a couple minutes. If you're in a hurry or just don't feel like messing with it - don't. Just toss everything in and cook!

With most soups it is best to prepare ahead, cool, cover and refrigerate, and reheat before serving, but this is one you can serve right away! It turned out really thick, so I'm thinking I might need to add additional water when I reheat it, but it was perfect tonight. The flavors were just so good! Part of the flavors come from whatever broth you use (I used half broth from a deer roast I had cooked and half turkey broth) - so if your broth is good, your soup will be good - but the seasonings in this are really good themselves. I loved the texture - barley is one of my new favorite things!

I wasn't sure what to serve this with. Soup usually calls for crackers, bread, biscuits, cornbread, something - but I wasn't sure what this particular soup needed. I went with toasted whole grain sourdough, which was good, but I'm not sure this soup really needs anything. It was good all on its own.

I definitely plan to make this one again!

Update: This soup really thickened up after being refrigerated, so I needed to add a cup of water when I reheated. It also needed a bit of additional salt once the water was added. I still think it's really good. My husband said it was 'OK' so I don't think he's a huge fan - but he did eat it.

Italian Style Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:37:00 +0000

I found this recipe in the Food section of my newspaper. It's a keeper!

Italian Style Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 large thinly sliced onion
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 T quick-cooking tapioca
2 cans (15 oz.) rinsed cannellini beans
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup fresh basil torn into small pieces

Directions:

Place chicken in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Scatter onion over chicken.
Stir together tomatoes, broth and tapioca; pour over onions.
Cover and cook on high 4-1/2 hours or on low 6-1/2 hours.
Stir in beans and spinach; cook 30 minutes more on low. Stir in basil and serve.

The flavors in this were so good together! It turned out soupier than I was expecting, but I think that was because I used pearl tapioca instead of instant - it's what I had - and I think I messed it up by soaking it in hot water instead of cold. Looking back on it, I could have just mixed the tapioca with the cold broth and tomatoes and let it soak in that overnight - since I mixed this up the day before and then cooked it in the morning. Either way, I'll try it again, whether with instant tapioca or the same kind - to see if there's a difference. It didn't really matter, because it tasted great. I just cooked up some fettuccine and served it with that and some sliced sourdough bread.

The original recipe called for bone-in chicken thighs, but I read it wrong and got the boneless thighs out of the freezer. I don't really like boned chicken in crockpot recipes because it ends up falling apart, and you always have to be on the lookout for bones. So, I stuck with the boneless. It was great, because it did fall apart, and there were pieces of chicken all through. I cooked it on high most of the time, and probably got closer to the 6-1/2 hours than the 4-1/2.

I used Great Northern beans, which I cooked in my crockpot, instead of the cannellini beans - because that's what I had. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup sliced black olives instead of the spinach, but at least one of the people who would be eating this doesn't like olives, so I left them out. And the spinach? The original recipe didn't call for it, but it just seemed like it should have spinach - so I added it. I didn't actually measure, but a 10-oz. package ought to be about right. You can add olives instead of the spinach or along with the spinach.

I Need Better Food Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:44:00 +0000

In some cases, I just plain need pictures - good or not. I've been using Pinterest for a while now, and I started thinking that it would be a great way to handle the 'table of contents' on this blog. Currently I have the tabs at the top linking to all the different categories - using Blogger labels. And that works OK. You click the tab for soups, and you get a page with all the posts I've labelled 'soup' - simply scroll down through the posts to find a recipe that looks good.

I thought it would be nicer to create a Board on Pinterest for each of my categories. Clicking the tab would give you a page - like this one I created for Soups - with all the recipes in that category. The only problem is that it's not quite that easy. Why? Because I don't have pictures on all my recipes, and that means either I can't add those recipes to the Pinterest board, or I have to use my header, which doesn't quite convey the idea. It's that yummy picture of the recipe that is going to make people look in the first place. I know I love the pictures in a cookbook - whether I'm cooking or not, I can still get a lot of enjoyment out of looking at the pictures. Of course, my favorite cookbook - The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals - has no pictures at all, but...

Anyway, I have been trying harder to take pictures of everything I make, but I don't always remember - sometimes not until it's half gone, and sometimes not at all. And, my husband has been known to laugh at me for taking pictures of food. My problem is that I don't really know what makes a good food pic. I know one when I see one, but I don't really understand why it's good, and how do I go about taking some of my own? So it's time for some research into food photography and getting better food pics. I found a couple posts to start with:

and most of all, I just need to remember to take some shots of everything I make - good or not. Practice makes perfect, right?

In the meantime, what to do about those Pinterest Boards? Do you think it's a good idea for the 'table of contents' part of this blog? What do you use to organize your recipe posts to make them easy to browse?

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:26:00 +0000

I found this recipe in the paper a couple weeks ago and made it for dinner last night. It was amazing! Really. So, so good!

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. (about 2 large) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 T paprika
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. dried basil
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
4 cups turkey broth (or chicken or vegetable stock)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can (15-oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green pepper, diced
Salt to taste

Directions:

In large soup pot (5-qt.), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, and sweet potato and saute until onion becomes translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
Add paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir to combine. Add stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans and green pepper. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes (or longer) or until potatoes are tender and soup is heated through. Season with salt to taste.
Serve with crusty whole grain bread, and brown rice if desired.

I will definitely be making this again. It's really easy, and the flavors blend so well. Also, I can't remember why I thought I didn't really like Garbanzo beans - until I tried roasting them - but they are absolutely perfect in this soup. I might have to try them in other things...(see related articles) The recipe said, once the potatoes are cooked and the soup is hot, to add additional stock or water if needed to reach the desired consistency, but I thought it was perfect just the way it was. I guess it depends on how you like your soups.

The recipe didn't say what to serve this with - crackers, biscuits, bread? - so I had mine with a bit of brown rice, which was wonderful, and we had some nice whole grain sourdough bread. Oh! the broth soaked into the bread! Amazing!! (so I added my own suggestion to the recipe - because I can't imagine anything going better with this soup)

Bean and Pumpkin Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:04:00 +0000

I cooked a pumpkin last week and used part of it in this chili.

Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. dried parsley flakes
2 t. chili powder
1-1/2 t. dried oregano
1-1/2 t. ground cumin
1 can (15-oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15-oz.) red beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked pumpkin
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

In 6-quart pan, brown hamburger with onion, pepper, and garlic; drain fat if necessary. Add spices.
Stir in remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer until heated through and flavors have blended. (1 to 1-1/2 hours on low heat)

Serve hot.

The original recipe was supposed to be meatless, using soy crumbles, but I didn't have anything like that, so I used hamburger. Ground turkey would probably be good in this too. I made some cornbread muffins to go with it. My husband just put crackers in his.

I've never used pumpkin in chili before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It adds a richness and a thickness to the chili, but you really don't taste pumpkin. So why put pumpkin in chili? Any ideas? I'm thinking it's a good way to get some extra nutrition into your soup. Pumpkin - it's not just for pies!

Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:39:00 +0000

When I saw this recipe on Modern Mom, I just had to try it. I've never been a huge fan of chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans) but I love anything with buffalo hot sauce, so I thought they'd be worth a try. And the picture just plain looked awesome! So I made them, and they are oh, so good! I will definitely be making these again!

Buffalo Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 T butter
1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's RedHot Original)
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Directions:

Drain and rinse garbanzo beans; pat dry with towel. Spread onto baking sheet. (not too big. a 13x9" pan would work just fine)
In small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter; add hot sauce and stir to combine.
Pour hot sauce mixture over beans; toss to coat evenly.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 450°, stirring/shaking the pan occasionally - until browned.
Cool - if you can wait that long - and enjoy!

original recipe

These make a great snack. It's really hard to stop munching on them! That's not all bad, because, according to Dr. Oz - you can eat triple the amount of these roasted chickpeas as nuts - for the same number of calories!

It also made me wonder how many other ways I can roast chickpeas, so I went looking for recipes and found these:

w/ cayenne and cumin (and a very funny story, too)
w/ olive oil, garlic, and cayenne
w/ vinegar and mustard
w/ Moroccan spices
and more

They're all pretty much the same - drain your beans, toss with oil and spices of your choice, and roast at a high temperature until browned and crunchy. Pretty much like this page said - salt, seasoning blend of your choice, garbanzo beans, olive oil - and there are a bunch more recipes linked and listed there. Easy, easy, easy! and you end up with a healthy, high fiber snack.

These Foods Contain the Most Antioxidants

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

I was reading through a magazine today and found this list of the top 20 antioxidant foods, so I thought I'd share. Scientists believe that foods rich in antioxidants prevent damage from molecules called free radicals. "If you increase the consumption of foods high in antioxidants, research indicates that you'll protect your body from the damage from these free radicals," says Dr. Ronald L. Prior, research chemist for the USDA, who conducted that study that produced this list.

In order, from highest to lowest:

Small red beans (dried)
Wild blueberries
Red kidney beans
Pinto beans
Blueberries (cultivated)
Cranberries
Artichokes (cooked)
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious apples
Granny Smith apples
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Black plums
Russet potatoes (cooked)
Black beans (dried)
Plums
Gala apples

The article suggested printing the list out and taking it to the grocery store with you, to help you choose the best foods. If you don't have a list, just think color - foods in the brightest, most vivid colors are usually the ones that are high in antioxidants. (Except Russet potatoes made the list but not sweet potatoes which are much brighter and more vivid in color.)

I must admit, I was surprised by the Red Delicious apples on this list. They're always the last apples I'd pick for anything. Guess I was wrong there... Still, I'll probably keep buying the Granny Smiths and the Galas, just because they taste better. It doesn't matter how high a food is in antioxidants, if you don't eat it, it can't help you!

Not-Stuffed Cabbage - a Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:36:00 +0000

I've never had stuffed cabbage. I haven't the faintest clue how one would even go about stuffing cabbage, but it does sound like more work than I want to do. However, when I saw this layered version on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it. Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly...

Not-Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp hot Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
water - enough to rinse cans
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 to 2 tsp. olive oil
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Parmesan

Directions:

In skillet, cook ground beef, adding onion, garlic, and green pepper as you get them chopped. Cook until beef is browned and vegetables are tender; add spices.
Reduce heat to low and add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot and slightly thickened.
While it simmers, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Chop cabbage, adding it to skillet as you go. Cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, stirring frequently. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened, stir in the 2 cups cooked rice.
Grease a 13x9" baking dish and layer half the cabbage in the bottom of the dish. Follow with half the meat mixture, the other half of the cabbage, and the remaining meat mixture.
Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 350°.
Remove foil, spread mozzarella cheese over the top and sprinkle with some Parmesan. Return to over and bake, uncovered, an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown. Remove from oven, and let sit 5 minutes or so. Serve hot.

This turned out really good. The flavors go really well together. It started smelling amazing as soon as I added the spices to the hamburger! And the cheese on top? So good!

The original recipe did not call for green pepper, but I had half of one that needed used, so that's why I threw it in. I also only used 8 oz. of tomato sauce - instead of the 16 oz. called for - because I messed up and only got one can out! Since I only used 1/2 lb. hamburger instead of the full pound, maybe that was best... It's a casserole - you can adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes or to use what you have.

The cabbage could have used a bit more salt, but that's my fault - when it says salt and pepper to taste, it really means to taste it! I just usually sprinkle it on until it looks good. Also, next time I want to cut the cabbage into smaller pieces - perhaps more like coarsely shredded. The original recipe said to chop it into pieces about 1 inch in size, so I left my cabbage fairly large this time. It was OK, but I think it will be better smaller.

Also, I see no real reason for the layers. Once you bake this, you really can't tell it's layered. I'm thinking just mix the meat, tomato sauce, rice mixture together with the cabbage, pour it all into the baking dish, and bake as directed.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

My friend Peggy posted this recipe for Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip on my facebook wall a few weeks ago. She knows me well - anything cranberry, and I'm all over it! I finally got a chance to make this last weekend, and it is amazing! All the flavors just combine to make your mouth happy...

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 12-oz package fresh cranberries (3 cups)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 t cumin
2 T lemon juice (or lime)
dash salt
2 8-oz packages cream cheese

Directions:

Coarsely chop cranberries in Ninja or food processor and place in medium bowl
Chop onions, cilantro, and jalapeno and add to cranberries
Mix in sugar, cumin, lime juice, and salt
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight
When you're ready to serve: soften cream cheese and spread it on a plate, serving platter, or the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish; spread cranberry mixture evenly over the top.
Serve with Ritz (type) crackers, Wheat Thins, or tortilla chips

I cut the sugar down significantly from the original recipe - from 1-1/4 cups to just 2/3 cup. I think it could be cut down a tiny bit more, but then I like the tartness of the cranberries, so it's probably a good balance. I used lime juice, because I had a lime I needed to use and no lemons. It all worked together really well.

We tried it with Wheat Thins, tortilla chips, and the Ritz type crackers, and it tastes good with all of them - but the Ritz type are the best. Everyone who tasted this thought it was great - my husband who does not like cilantro, my friend Peggy who sent me the recipe and doesn't even like cranberries, my son who - well, I expected him to like it! I never would have thought to mix these particular ingredients together, but the combination really is magic. I will be making this again!! I don't expect it will last long...

Honey Garlic Lemon Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:16:00 +0000

My brother made this yummy-sounding chicken and posted this video - so I thought I'd share.

I am going to have to try this! All those flavors sound like they will be really amazing together. I'm just wondering if I can bake it and perhaps brown the chicken a bit. I don't think it needs it for flavor, but it will look prettier.

Cranberry Nut Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:21:00 +0000

I love cranberries. I like to just pop them in my mouth and eat them. And any recipe with 'Cranberry' in the title gets my attention immediately. This is one of the simplest recipes and oh, so yummy!

I made some Friday afternoon so we could have it this weekend. Cranberry and orange go so well together.

Cranberry Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1 egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3/4 cup orange juice (or mixture of fresh orange juice from 2 oranges and milk to make 3/4 cup)
2 T oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Beat egg in medium bowl; add orange zest, juice/milk mixture, oil and sugars; mix well.
Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and and add to liquid mixture. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts.
Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, and spread batter evenly in pan.
Bake at 350ºF for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight.

Makes 1 loaf

I especially like using a mixing bowl w/ a handle for almost everything I bake. It's easy for mixing, and easy to pour the batter into the pan.

Cranberries are a bit tricky to chop if you're trying to use a knife and cutting board - which I have done. This time I threw the cranberries into my Ninja and chopped them up easily! I did the same thing with the pecans - super easy!

The original recipe calls for all white flour and white sugar, but I like adding brown sugar and whole wheat flour to my recipes because I think it gives a better flavor. Half and half works quite well, or you can use all brown sugar and whole wheat flour, whatever your preference is. You could even use the all white if you want. I won't judge - well, not too much.

The best way to eat this? Toasted! With a little butter melted on top... Try it - you'll see what I mean!

Beans: Canned or Dry?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:23:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Adding beans is an inexpensive and easy way to add protein and fiber to your diet. Diets rich in beans can lower cholesterol levels, improve diabetics' blood glucose control,reduce risk of many cancers, lower blood pressure, regulate functions of the colon, prevent and cure constipation, as well as reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your bone and prostate health.

If you're not eating beans, you really should be! I know - I'm one to talk. My mom cooked beans often when I was growing up, and I really didn't appreciate them or even like them - except in chili. I did like the cornbread she served with them, though! It wasn't until I found and tried the recipe for Five Bean Soup that I discovered I really like beans - a lot.

Canned beans make it really easy to add beans to your diet. I try to always have a few cans of kidney beans and black beans on hand, and you can buy many other varieties of canned beans. They're really handy to grab and add to any dish where you want to add a little extra protein or fiber - casseroles, soups, pasta, salads, or anything else you can think of. There are also many tasty recipes you can find that feature or include beans - my Five Bean Soup for one, and the Turkey Barley Chili I just posted.

Image via Wikipedia

While canned beans are fairly inexpensive, you can save even more by buying dried beans and cooking your own, and you don't get the added salt or sugar that most canned beans have. I usually cook mine in the crockpot - I wash and sort them sometime during the day, place them in the crockpot with enough water to cover, and let them sit all day. Then, before going to bed at night, I turn the crockpot on low and let them cook overnight. The next morning I have cooked beans! This works especially well with black beans, because they always seemed to get mushy when I cooked them on the stove. Yes, probably my fault for not paying close enough attention, but still....

For use in recipes, I've found that 1-1/2 cups beans is approximately equal to one can of beans. A 1-lb. package of dried beans makes a little more than the equivalent of 3 cans of beans - and usually costs the same or less than one can. Cover with 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid if you're going to freeze them, and they're almost as handy as those cans of beans in your pantry. Since the liquid doesn't usually go into your recipe, you can thaw them fairly quickly by putting the frozen beans into a colander and running warm water over them.

So, which is better - canned or dry? I say both. How's that for making a decision? Both canned and dried beans have their place. Canned beans are ready and waiting whenever you need or want them. Dried beans require that you plan ahead, but once cooked you can store them in the refrigerator for several days or freeze them in individual containers. Dried beans are less expensive and don't give you the added salt or sugar you get with the canned beans - why do they put sugar in kidney beans, anyway? Always be sure to drain and rinse your canned beans before using them to remove most of that added salt. If you're not already using beans, start by buying some canned beans. If you've been using canned beans for a while, try buying some dried beans and cooking your own. I especially like cooking my own beans when I'm making something like chili that requires several cans of beans - why open a bunch of cans when I can cook one package and have all the beans I need? And save money, too.

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