Quirks and Smirks

Vanillekipferln

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Quirks again, still making some cookies here at the cabin for Christmas!

These are traditional German cookies called vanillekipferln, meaning Vanilla Crescent.

I have these every time I go to Germany for Christmas so it was just fitting that we made them this year at the cabin.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine 2 sticks of softened butter, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Cream together with mixer.

Mix in 1 cup of chopped almonds, two cups of flour, a dash of salt and one teaspoon of almond extract.

Just a side note, we did not have almonds at the time so we used chopped walnuts. Still came out really good.

Shape the dough into cresent shapes and place on an ungreased baking sheet

My mother did this part, I am way too much of a perfectionist, it would have taken me ages.

Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned on the bottom like below.

Yummy right?!

Immedienetly when they come out of the oven, while they are still nice and hot, sift some powdered sugar over the top of them.

Best served with coffee. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Christmas Eve is here and what am I doing? Staying in a cabin out in the middle of the freezing cold woods of New Hampshire and baking cookies, cakes, and bread with my mom!

These cookies are a family tradition. I know what you're thinking. Peanut butter hershey kiss cookies aren't anything new.

But that is because we invented them. I mean look at that recipe, it's ages old (don't tell my mom I said that).
Okay, we didn't invent them. But this recipe is different than the average peanut butter hershey kiss cookie. Trust me. Have I ever lead you wrong? Exactly.

Preheat your oven to 350 degees.

In a large bowl put in a whole 18 oz jar of creamy peanut butter, 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar, and two eggs. My mother says to use a mixer and since she is always right I would do so.

I never use a mixer...just saying ;)

The dough will not look anything like cookie dough. It will seem like very sugary peanut butter. Very yummy sugary peanut butter I might add.

Roll into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. The size depends on preference.

The one on the left is mine...the right is my moms. I like my cookies big as we all know...my mother thinks I am crazy. However she is right, if you make them smaller they come out a bit crispier.

Place in the over for 12 minutes. As soon as they come out place a hershey kiss on each, pressing down slighlty. I made two baking sheets full of them with one recipe, so about 3 dozen.

I like to let them cool a bit before eating so the hershey kiss doesn't melt right away when you bite into it. And my way is always right...unless if my mom's way is different...then her way is right.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Salt and vinegar bites

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +0000

I love salt and vinegar chips.

But chips don't really fill you up, nor make you feel good about what you just ate.

These potato bites however, do.

Begin by soaking 6 medium yellow potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes.

Pat dry with a paper towel then cut into one inch cubes.

Put in a single later on a baking sheet.

Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil

Very generous.

Give em a good olive oil bath.

Stick em in the oven at 475 degrees for 45 minutes. Stir about halfway through.

Combine 1 cup of malt vinegar, and 3 Tbs of sugar in a skillet over medium heat.

Let sit for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When you take them out they should be crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with the salt and vinegar sauce.

And there you have it.

All the yumminess of salt and vinegar chips,

in a nice hearty potato bite.

Enjoy,

Quirks.

Official list of ingredients

6 yellow potatoes

1 cup malt vinegar

3 Tbs sugar

Olive oil

Salt

Chocolate chip cheesecake cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:09:00 +0000

When looking for recipes, I always end up stuck between two things.

For instance, do I want to make cookies...or cheesecake?

What a hard decision right.

Well, why not make two in one?

Yup. Chocolate chip cheesecake cookies.

The firm buttery cookie dough on the outside, and the creamy cheesecake on the inside.

Start by putting one cup and two tablespoons of butter in a mixing bowl.

Add one cup of sugar

One egg

And three oz of cream cheese

Mix well

Slowly add in two cups of flour, 1/2 tsp. of baking powder, and 1/8 tsp of baking soda

Very slowly.

Or you'll end up with flour all over your black cardigan.

Not that I would know.

Add in 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Mix them in with the best utensil ever, your hands.

Roll spoonfuls into balls and place on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart.

Place in a 375 degree oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms are browned.

They will feel firm to touch. The inside will seem under cooked, but it's not, trust me.

It is the best of both worlds.

Enjoy

Official list of ingredients

One cup plus two tbsp of butter

One cup of sugar

One egg

Three ounces of cream cheese

Two cups of flour

1/2 tsp. of baking powder

1/8 tsp of baking soda

12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Immune System/Energy Veggie Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:56:00 +0000

My little man is sick. He has a mean cold and a couple ear infections, and he's just a little miserable lately.

See those dark red eyes? Rosy cheeks? Overall pitiful look? I haven't been able to get him to eat dinner in quite a few days. He just wants milk, milk, and milk (coconut milk! :)).

So tonight I wanted to make him something packed with veggies and good stuff, something he will like and eat, and also will be good for him.

I decided on veggie burgers, as I have a ton of cans of chick peas in the house.

Start with 2 cans of garbanzo beans (chick peas). Open up, drain, and rinse off in the sink.

Next, chop up one large onion. You don't have to chop it up too fine, as it's just going to go in the food processor anyway.

And then loosely chop 2 carrots

We're also going to need some garlic.

Did you know that garlic has HUGE healing properties? It is great for the immune system, and is great for you if you are sick. Ever wonder why your mom or grandma made chicken noodle soup with extra garlic every time you were sick? There's a reason for that! It is SO good for the body!

Because Caleb is sick, I added quite a few cloves (like 5....) but you don't need near that much if you prefer a more subtle taste. 2 or 3 should be good.

Add about half a can of diced tomatoes, drained. I didn't grab a picture of this one.. last minute decision. You can skip this step if you don't like tomatoes. We just like the flavor over here.

Mix it all together in a bowl and add in portions into the food processor.

You're not going to want it completely pureed, but blended very well. Once you have it all blended up real good, put it in a mixing bowl.

Add about 1/4 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt. This step can be skipped if you're going vegan, but we liked the extra flavor and nutrients.

After that is all nice and mixed in, add about 1 1/2- 2 cups flour.

This holds all the ingredients together so that you can roll it up in a ball and cook it without it falling apart.

You're going to want the texture to be like this:

It's going to be similar to the texture of gooey dough but thick and dry enough to roll into balls (will still stick to your hands, you can spoon it onto the pan also if you wish).

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add add the dough as so:

Doesn't look like anything special yet, but after a few minutes when you notice the bottoms browning and you turn it over you will get..

This.

Pretty, right? Nice and crunchy outsides.. warm and soft insides. Full of yummy healthy goodness.

Once both sides are nice and browned, remove and place on some paper towels to let the oil drain a bit.

We like these best served on a hamburger bun or bread, topped with lettuce and tomato, and a bit of ketchup.

Best part?

Kid approved. The sickest, pickiest 2 year old I have ever met, that hasn't eaten in days... is now eating greek yogurt, chick peas, carrots, tomatoes, and most importantly, garlic.

He'll be feeling better in no time :)

Official List of Ingredients

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1/4 cup Vanilla greek yogurt
2 carrots
1 1/2- 2 cups flour
2-3 cloves garlic
Half a can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 large onion, chopped
Oil, for frying

One chicken, 2 meals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:38:00 +0000

Chicken Pot Pie

As a mom, I have to say my favorite kind of recipe is one that is quick, easy, cheap AND tastes good.

Of course, a perfect recipe like that would come from no where else but from my mom.

I loved eating this as a kid, and now I love making it for my own two year old son...and still love eating it.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

First, you need a pie pan.

No need to grease or spray it, just lay the first half of a pre-made pie crust into the bottom of the pan.

As for the chicken, I usually use this dinner as a 2-part meal plan.

The first night, I bake a whole chicken for dinner. Use the leftovers (about half the chicken) to shed and save for the chicken pot pie the next night.

Take those leftovers, and place them at the bottom of the dish, on top of the pie crust.

Next, add one can Cream Of Celery. You can use mushroom or chicken if you prefer, but my mom used celery, and you don't mess with mom's recipes.

Next, add some frozen, mixed vegetables.

Then smother those veggies in another can of celery.

After that is all spoon'ed on top, add on the other crust, and crimp the sides.

Next, take one egg

Beat it and brush the egg wash over the crust.

This gives the pot pie that beautiful brown tan.

And who doesn't love a nice tan?

Bake it in the oven for about 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is all nice and tan and crunchy, like above.

Mmmmm. Creamy, yummy vegetable and chicken goodness.

Official recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie

Shredded chicken

2 cans cream of celery

About 2 cups mixed vegetables

1 pckg of 2 refrigerated pie crusts (next to the butter and Pillsbury biscuits usually)

1 egg

Bake 35-45 minutes until golden brown at 350 degrees and enjoy!

Annddddd we're back! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:16:00 +0000

So! After a long hiatus from posting, we are back! :) My photo lights broke, my son decided to turn into monster overnight, and things have been go go go ! But starting tomorrow things will be back to normal, so be sure to check back! Coming up I have some recipes for hummus, chicken pot pie, EASY lasagna and more. I am going to be focusing more on quick, easy, and cheap recipes to make at home because as all the moms out there know, we don't have time to cook 5 course meals with 5 million ingredients- easy recipes with little ingredients that are actually GOOD are the best kind there is! So keep checking back because there is more to come :D

-Smirks :)

Slow Cooked Herb Rubbed Ribs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:31:00 +0000

There are two types of ribs.

The first kind, is the kind you don't want. You know what I'm talking about.

The kind that's dry, stiff, flavorless.

Then you have the other kind.

The moist, delicious, flavorful, fall of the bone type ribs.

The kind that makes you purposely over-stuff yourself because you just don't want it to end.

These ribs are those kinds of ribs.

First you need a rack of ribs.

A casserole dish or anything that holds all of it works fine.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (or 275 if you have some extra time...and extra patience).

Add some Olive Oil to the top of the ribs. You want to cover that baby up real good ;)

Next add some onion powder

And some garlic pepper

Just sprinkle it all over the top of the ribs.

Next, I added some fresh herbs I picked the other day. I have some Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, and Oregano. If you don't have all these, don't sweat it- your ribs will still be nice and juicy ;)

If you have them, sprinkle your herbs on top of the ribs.

Mm. Doesn't it just look delicious?

Ohh yeah.

Pop it in the oven and wait a few hours. Mine cooked for 3 hours. The slower you cook it, the juicier it will be. If you have another hour or so to spare, turn the oven down lower and cook longer. You won't regret it.

The end result will look something like this:

YUM.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:28:00 +0000

I have this sort of obsession with Iron Chef.

But it's a healthy obsession, I swear.

Besides completely ignoring everyone and everything around to when it's on, its completely healthy.

So, I decided to have an Iron Chef inspired meal and dessert.

The secret ingredient? Lemons!

Something so simple, so fresh. Perfect for this time of the year.

So, let's start with dessert. Because we can.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

When it comes to dessert, I am a chocolate lover. Chocolate on top of chocolate dipped in chocolate.

Not a lemon lover. Lemons remind me of pine sol and my mothers sparkling water.

But these cookies bring a whole new light to lemon.

Trust me.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Whip in vanilla, then be so proud of yourself for capturing yourself pouring the vanilla in the bowl with one hand on a camera on manual focus.

Or just pour it in like a normal person.

Add the zest of one lemon and the juice of half a lemon, and an egg.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add all the dry ingredients (except the powdered sugar) slowly until combined.

When it looks as amazing as this, you are done.

Take a quick taste of the batter when no one is looking, then move on to the next step.

This is the fun part. You could always let your kids do this, or if you are big kid like me kick them out and do it yourself.

Pour a small amount of powdered sugar on a plate (trust me...small amount. Or you will end up with a room full of powdered sugar) and roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll it in the powdered sugar. Place on greased baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes till they look something like this.

The middles will still look under cooked, but trust me they are done.

Cool for 3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Enjoy.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies Official List of Ingredients

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 whole egg

Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half a lemon

1-1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:49:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you love mushrooms as much as I do.

Now, put your hand down.

Because NO ONE loves muchrooms as much as I do.

You may think you do...

But, you are wrong.

Sorry

Forgive Sarah, she just got a macro lens...and can not be trusted with it.

But, you must admit, the pictures are pretty amazing.

Even though she sent me 500 that look just like this one.

I made this recipe before Sarah, and tweaked it around a bit and then she made it, and tweaked it around a bit more. And now I think we have it down perfect.

Perfect I tell you!

The flavor and texture of the cream cheese with the garlic and mushroom stems work so well with the paprika and Parmesan cheese. For a bit of crunch I switched out half an onion for the onion powder in the recipe and Sarah ended up adding breadcrumbs to the top. Also, the Recipe called for cayenne pepper but we used paprika and coriander, a match made in heaven

You'll need a lot of mushrooms.

Just when you think you have washed, de-stemmed, and taken pictures of enough...make more.

and then more.

and more.

Okay, not that much,

But alot.

Precisely, about 24. Or maybe 30 if youre like me and end up eating a whole bowl of these and decide that sharing is NOT acceptable.

Chop half of the stems extremely fine...(yes, extremely or you will end up with a lumpy filling. Good in theory, but not so good in reality), discard of the rest.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn the garlic (If you do burn the garlic, feel free to comment here and tell me, it will make me feel better about burning my garlic.

Set aside to cool.

When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot (or, if you are impatient like me, still pretty hot, just no longer piping hot), stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, Onion, paprika, and coriander. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing...by generous I mean fill till it is overflowing....

...then add even more on top of that.

Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet, top with breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350, or until the tops are browned.

Attempt to wait till they are no longer hot, then pop one into your mouth and enjoy...

...then spend the rest of the day with a tingly tongue, wishing you had waited till they were no longer hot to eat.

Enjoy.

Official Ingredients List and Directions

24 whole fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 onion,diced

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp coriander

breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.

When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in rest of ingredients. Mixture should be very thick.

Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Fried German Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Not everybody likes German dumplings, I usually hear it's the texture that throws them off. But for the ones of us that do like them, we looove them. We grew up on german dumplings, being as our mother is german. Every year when we visit Germany we make sure to bring back 10+ boxes of the dumpling mix. Which is why I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this recipe up to begin with, why put up a recipe with an ingredient most people might not be able to find? But Sarah said that she did see the mix in a store here in the states so I decided to put it up. If you can't find it in your local store, look for a European store near you, they will most likely have it.

It was sarah's idea to make these stuffed and fried. We have made fried dumpling before, but usually it the next day you take leftover dumplings and you slice them up and fry them for breakfast. But this time we added chives and cheese (a good combo in any meal) and then fried them, and they were so delicous!

Fried German Dumplings

1 Box Knodel (Pre-made German dumpling mix)

3 cups water

2-3 tbsp chives
1 tbsp garlic pepper
Parmesan cheese
Oil, for frying

In a large bowl, stir together dry Knodel mix, chives, and garlic pepper. Next, stir in 3 cups of water. Wait for dough to thicken- about 5-10 minutes. Roll into 3 inch balls. Cook according to directions (usually, boil about 20 minutes).

Strain water from dumplings, and push parm. cheese through to the center of each dumpling (easier with wet hands).

Roll dumplings with bread crumbs.

Fry in a medium frying pan, until golden brown. Let cool, and eat!

The Everything-Wonderful Fudgy Brownie.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:40:00 +0000

First of all, let me just tell you that these are the best freakin' brownies I have ever had.

With that said, if you like a more traditional, fluffy brownie, you might want to try recipe we got this from: http://www.scharffenberger.com.

But if you're like me, and like the gooey, warm, fudgy stuff, you have GOT to try this.

We weren't trying to divert from the original recipe (and we really didn't that much.), but halfway through when we realized we had no baking powder, we knew we weren't going to get quite the same result.

The Everything-Wonderful Fudgy Brownie

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (we used 2 ounces cocoa powder, and 2 ounces bakers chocolate, plus 2 tbsp oil)

2/3 cup butter (about 10 1/2 tbsp)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour (but we used 1 2/3 b/c of high altitude)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat.

Remove from heat and mix in sugar with wooden spoon. Crack eggs into pot, add vanilla, and mix (dirtying a whisk is optional).

Gently lay the flour and salt on top of the gooey chocolate mixture. Gently mix in the flour and salt with a fork without digging into the chocolate (this is important!).
Grab your wooden spoon and stir everything together (still gently) just until all flour is incorporated. Do not over beat.

Pour into greased 9" x 12" (or 8" x 12") pan. Bake for 25 minutes (check at 20). Brownies are done when toothpick comes out pretty clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then cut into squares.

Just wanted to say

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:57:00 +0000

Thank you for the comments, we appreciate it!

-Smirks :).

Franks Red Hot Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:24:00 +0000

I make this stir-fry alot at home. No, not because it is simple. No, not because it is cheap. No, not because all the ingredients work so well together that it leaves you amazed and wanting more.

But because of the Franks Red Hot Hot Sauce.

Buy me a gallon of Franks and I will love you forever.

In fact, my mother did just that.

Hence why I love her so much.

Of course, even though the hot sauce is best part of the whole recipe, there are plenty of other reasons why this recipe is so good. So it was still good, even when I had to make a batch minus the hot sauce for Sarah.

She is my sister. I love her. Even though she does not like hot sauce.

Whew. That was hard.

But, I've moved on. Once you have too, chop up 1 onion, three bell peppers (colors of your liking), and 1 tomato (seeded and diced).

Heat oil in pan over medium heat and add onions, peppers, and butter (2 Tbsp) . Let simmer till onions are translucent.

While this is cooking up and your kitchen is filling with the amazing scent of cooking peppers and onions, pull yourself out of the trance, and cook rice according to package instructions (about 1/2 cup per person.)

So yummy.

This is what it will look like pre-hot sauce. Notice the vegetarian chicken thrown in. Of course for the meat eaters, feel free to use real chicken. If you absolutely need to. Which you don't.
Trust me.

Then pour over the hot sauce. Now, you are wondering, well how much hot sauce do I use?

I would tell you.

If I could.

But I'm afraid I get so lost in the hot sauce step, I forget to measure.

If I had to guess, I would say 1/2 cup.

But, the average person might want a lil less than that.

I like to smother the onions and peppers in a Franks Red Hot bath.

They appreciate it.

After adding the chicken and hot sauce over the top of the peppers and onions, stir and cover, reducing heat and stirring occasionally.

*if you are not a sane person and do not want to use hot sauce, cook the same way without adding the Hot Sauce, keep on medium and covered till onions are translucent then remove from heat.

When The hot sauce has reduced down slightly, remove from heat. Serve over rice.

And if you are making a double batch because you too are crazy, you will end up with these two plates of amazing food

(the one with hot sauce of course, slightly more amazing...just kidding...no I'm not)
If not, then you have one huge plate of this meal.

And you are sane.

Congrats.

And Enjoy.

Roasted tomato soup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:34:00 +0000

I love soup. I love tomatoes. I love Peppers. I love cheese.

I love tomatoe soup topped with cheese.

Of course, you will be needing 5 tomatoes, cored (if necessary) and quartered. Also, you may use regular bell peppers, but we used 4 mini sweet peppers (We used red and yellow) And of course, 3 medium yellow onions, peeled, quartered.

Hand ingredients to someone else to chop, particulary the onions (I hate crying while chopping, its hazardous).
If you happened to hand them to someone who chops as slow as Sarah, feel free to run a marathon, buy a coffee and a snack on your way home, take a nap, and watch a few episodes of lost, as I did, while you wait.
I meant I watched lost...not ran a marathon.
I could've...but I didn't.

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position 2 racks in the middle of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Arrange the tomatoes, skin side down, on a baking sheet. Give the peppers and onions an olive oil bath and put them on the other baking sheet along with the garlic, place the pepper skin side down as well. Give both sheets a light showering of salt, then bake until the tomatoes start to collapse and the onions start to brown and caramelize, about 45 minutes.

When they look as beautiful as this, and the garlic is ooey, gooey, and the cloves are slightly browned, take them out of the oven.

Peel the garlic, dump all of the roasted vegetables into a big, high-sided bowl, and puree with a hand blender. If you are cool enough to have a hand blender. Then, send the hand blender to me. Thank you.
If you are like me, use a food processor and work in batches. Blend in a cup of the stock, and keep adding the rest 1/2 cup at a time until the soup is the desired consistency. Add the paprika, chives, and sugar.

Oh, so pretty.

See the clumps? That is how we prefer it.

But, if you prefer a smoother soup, feel free to blend longer.

Transfer into a pot over low-heat to heat through. Top with cheese.

We ate with a breadstick on the side.

AKA in the soup.

A.K.A an amazing addition to this amazing dish.

Enjoy.

An Official list of ingredients. Because my scatter-brain explantion of what to do is sloppy.

But you love it

5 tomatoes, cored (if necessary) and quartered
3-4 mini sweet peppers (I used red and yellow)
3 medium yellow onions, peeled, quartered
extra-virgin olive oil
5 plump cloves of garlic, unpeeled
fine-grain sea salt
2 - 3 cups light vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 Tbs. cut chives
1 Tsp. sugar
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Stuffed falafels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:45:00 +0000

The other day Sarah asked me if there was anything that was made of meat that I missed eating. I said no, because anything that is made with meat I can replicate (and make it better). But one thing I haven't had since my vegetarianism is cheese filled burgers. So I wanted to make some. And since I've been crazy about falafels lately, I thought stuffed falafels would be a good experiment. And man were they delicous.

I used three types of cheese, mozzarella, pepper jack, and sharp cheddar. I would say the pepper jack was my favorite, I have a thing for spicy food. But it was all good, the cheddar worked well with the chives and tomato and of course mozzarella is always good in anything.

Pulse chickpeas, tahini, and chives in blender or food processor until mostly smooth, but still chunky. Transfer to bowl, and stir in flour, onions, and tomatoes.

Shape chickpea mixture around two pieces of diced cheese, into 1-inch-thick patties

Of course, traditional falafels are not this big.

But I am not traditional.

And this is not a traditional recipe.

It is a cheese-stuffed one.

Pour enough olive oil into large skillet to have 1/4 inch in bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan, making sure patties don’t touch. Cook 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel-lined platter to drain.

Eat a few plain when no one is looking, serve the rest over salad.

Enjoy

Official list of Ingredients

1 16oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbs. Tahini

1-2 tomatos diced

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp cut chives

1/3 cup flour

Diced cheeses of your choice.

Olive oil, for frying

Grilled Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:20:00 +0000

I know, I know. Grilled Cheese isn't exactly something to get too excited about. Well, my grilled cheese it. I could live off these sandwhiches, and occasionally I have.

Grilled Cheese

Whole wheat bread (I prefer to use honey oat)

Mayo

Butter

Cheese of your choise (I like using asiago or pepper jack)

Coriander

All-purpose seasoning

Baby Bok Choy

1 Large Tomato

Spread mayo on both sides of bread. Put about 3 pieces of bok choy leaves, a few slices of tomato and 2 slices of cheese on sandwhich. I also put a vegetarian chicken patty on mine, which is shown in the pictures.

Spread a little bit of butter on both sides of the sandwich, sprinkle coriander and seasoning over bread and lightly spread it so it stays on bread. A panini maker or frying pan would work fine, heat over medium heat and cover the pan to melt the cheese. ....And yes it is necessary to cut it into two triangles before eating.

Homemade Ricotta Ravioli.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:36:00 +0000

I originally found this recipe from Giada here, but we ended up changing it around a bit. Half of it we used prosciutto, and half we didn't (Due to Cyndie being vegetarian). They are pretty time consuming to make, but worth it in the end!

1 container whole milk Ricotta cheese (15 ounces).

About 5 ounces spinach frozen spinach, dried and thawed.

4 ounces prosciutto, thinly chopped.

2 large egg yolks.

1 egg.

48 wonton wrappers.

1/3 cup chopped mushrooms.

2 tsp garlic pepper.

1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning.

3 tsp cut chives.

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, spinach, prosciutto, egg yolks, mushrooms, and spices to blend.

Place 1 tbsp filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrappers with egg, and pinch the edges to seal into a square.

In batches, cook the ravioli in boiling, salted water for about 4 minutes each.

Strain, and let dry completely, before serving.

We used a simple Alfredo sauce to go along with it, w/ extra chives, and it went very well together- but a butter sauce would work, also.

Hershey Kiss Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:16:00 +0000

This is our family recipe for these delicious Hershey Kiss cookies :) I originally wasn't going to put the recipe on here, because it is a family recipe and I don't want the whole world to know it. But, Sarah told me to, since you can find recipes for it online anyways. (But trust me, ours is the best.)

Trust me.

Hershey Kiss Cookies

2 sticks of butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 Tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 16 oz bag of Hershey kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Mix in flour a little at a time.

Add in 1 cup of Chocolate chips.

Hold up all the dough in one gigantic ball and take a picture of it.

Yes, this is a very important step in making these cookies.

If you don't do it, the cookies will come out all wrong.

So do it.

Wrap cookie dough around a Hershey Kiss and place on baking sheet. Repeat with rest of dough.

Try not to eat too many hershey kisses while doing this.

Or, if you are cool like me, wrap one, eat one, repeat.

Since this dough won't expand, don't worry about how far apart you place the cookies.

They take about 10-15 minutes to bake, but it depends a lot on your oven, and how big you make them- so just check on them until they are golden brown.

I think they are better the next day, but they rarely (never) last that long. Right when they come out the kiss is still melted and warm inside the cooked dough. Best dipped in a cold glass of milk :)

Falafels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:50:00 +0000

I love making falafels. I'm seriously addicted to them because they are so easy to make, you can be creative with them, and you don't have to eat a lot to feel full. I got my first falafel recipe from vegetariantimes.com. It was a pretty basic recipe but it gave me my base for my falafels so I'll include a link to the recipe here.

This is my own recipe for this specific batch of falafels, but really you can add anything you feel like to them.

Falafels

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 Tbs. Tahini

1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 red mini sweet peppers, diced.

1 Tsp. Coriander

1 Tsp. chives

1/3 cup flour

Olive oil, for frying

1. To make Falafels: Pulse chickpeas, tahini, coriander and chives in blender or food processor until mostly smooth, but still chunky. Transfer to bowl, and stir in flour and peppers.

2. Shape chickpea mixture into 1-inch-thick patties. Pour enough olive oil into large skillet to have 1/4 inch in bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Place patties in pan, making sure patties don’t touch. Cook 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to paper-towel-lined platter to drain.

We served them on a salad with tomato and Caesar salad dressing, which I think made them even better as well as adding a lot more nutrients. It's a good hearty meal loaded with protein and I am going to make it a few more times while I'm still in Colorado :)

Nutella Raviolis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:45:00 +0000

I love Nutella.

Who doesn't?

And I love these Nutella raviolis.

Who Wouldn't.

We made them once before a few years ago from a recipe in Giada De Larentiis's cookbook, but I must say we made them a lot better this time around.

The won ton wrapper gets golden brown and crispy while the center is filled with warm, creamy Nutella.

So basically it's a heavenly chocolate gooey crunchiness that makes you wish you discovered these sooner because your life will now never be the same.

Nutella Raviolis

16 won ton wrappers

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Nutella

Vegetable oil, for frying

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 won ton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining won ton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate.

Egg Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:26:00 +0000

Sarah has been craving an egg salad so when I got here I suggested 101cookbooks. I love her recipes as they are all so healthy and organic and she offers many vegetarian like this one.

Egg Salad Recipe

6 large eggs

1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise

A tiny squeeze of lemon juice

2 stalks celery, washed and chopped

1/2 bunch chives, chopped

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil.

Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking.

Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple pinches of salt and pepper, and mash with a fork. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.

Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning - adding more salt and pepper if needed.