Sophie in the Kitchen

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

2013-05-19T10:37:00.000-04:00

I'm back and still just trying to catch up on everything. My laptop is fixed so thank you to the tech at Apple's Genius Bar. I made baked potato wedges before and they were great. But these baked sweet potato wedges are completely different in how they turn out. They are slightly sweet with a bit of a caramelization crust. These baked sweet potato wedges don't get as crispy as the regular russet potatoes but are deliciously addictive. Feel free to try different seasonings in addition to the salt and pepper, such as cinnamon, garam masala, etc. Enjoy this great side dish!

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub sweet potatoes clean, no need to peel them! Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into thirds. If the wedges are long, you can cut them in half too.

Place sweet potato wedges onto a baking pan. Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the wedges.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and flip potatoes to the other cut side. Bake additional 15 to 20 minutes. The sweet potato wedges will be browned on the outside and tender inside.

Season with additional salt if desired.

Serves 4.

Blog Break

2013-05-12T23:05:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I need to take a temporary break from blogging since I am without a computer. My MacBook Pro decided to die on me yesterday! I need to get it fixed hopefully soon because I don't want to have to buy a replacement yet. Be back soon but if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram then you will see any foodie (or doggie) updates in the meantime. Thanks to all my followers!

Vanilla Panna Cotta

2013-05-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

I love panna cotta, it is an Italian dessert and means "cooked cream." I am shocked at how easy it was to make panna cotta myself. You basically simmer cream and sugar and mix in gelatin. I made a basic Vanilla Panna Cotta and it was absolutely delicious. I adapted David Lebovitz's Perfect Panna Cotta recipe. My cousin Cathy (from Petite Therapy) is going to expect me to make this at the next family event when she's in town! I served the vanilla panna cotta with some sliced peaches and I cheated by using frozen peaches from Whole Foods. I would ideally have added berries if I had any but I didn't. The next day, I did try the vanilla panna cotta with a spoonful of nutella on top and it was so good! Enjoy!

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 packet gelatin (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)

3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Lightly grease 4 custard cups or 2 larger ramekins.

In a bowl, add cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour the warm panna cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Divide the panna cotta mixture into the prepared cups or ramekins.

Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or until panna cotta is firmly set. Feel free to chill overnight.

To unmold, run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta and flip onto a plate.

Garnish with fresh fruit if desired.

Serves 2 to 4.

Cavanna Pasta

2013-05-05T21:15:00.003-04:00

Last week was the first week of the Crystal City Farmer's Market and my favorite pasta stand, Cavanna Pasta, was there! I couldn't believe it because Cavanna Pasta used to be at another farmer's market that I went to near my old apartment. Also, the same guy runs the stand and he remembered me and its been about a year since I last saw him! He even asked me how the dogs were so I guess Buddy and Ellie are memorable too. If you happen to go to the Crystal City Farmer's Market (on Tuesdays 3pm-7pm), I would check out this pasta stand. They sell raviolis, gnocchi, sauces and even meatballs. I have tried their eggplant parmesan and lasagna before too and they are delicious.

I bought the Tagliatelle pasta, which is one of my favorite types of pasta. It comes frozen at the farmer’s market so it’s easy to store at home. You can keep it frozen or in the refrigerator. I was told if you store it in the refrigerator, you should open the lid a little bit so there is no condensation and the pasta remains dry.

It takes only 2 to 3 minutes to cook in boiling water. Quick and easy!

I also got the Vodka sauce and it is amazing. It is also frozen and defrosts easily in the refrigerator. I reheat the sauce in the same pot after I drained the pasta. I add the pasta back in the pot and toss it gently in the sauce to coat the pasta.

Serve with a little parmesan cheese if desired and dinner is ready!

Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

2013-05-02T21:22:00.002-04:00

Need a cool refreshing side dish? These Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers are your answer! My friend Hoang gave me this recipe after I saw her post a picture of it on facebook. (BTW - are you following me on facebook?) The recipe I'm posting lists the original ingredients but I adjusted mine a bit. I used only 1 teaspoon of chili powder since I can't handle too much spice and I used toasted sesame oil. I also omitted the scallion only because I didn't have any but I will definitely add it in next time. This recipe is versatile, I can see trying honey or agave in place of the brown sugar too. Overall this is a really delicious and easy side dish, perfect for warm weather. Enjoy! And thank you Hoang if you are reading this!

Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon brown sugar

1 scallion, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except cucumbers.

Add in cucumber slices and toss to coat.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish.

Buddy Birthday Cake

2013-04-29T20:52:00.002-04:00

Happy 11th Birthday Buddy! I can't believe Buddy is already 11 years old, it felt like yesterday when I first brought him home. The recipe for Buddy's Birthday Cake is similar to last year's birthday cake but with a few modifications. Somehow I think Buddy knew this cake was for him because he wouldn't leave me while I was in the kitchen baking it. Ellie was of course right by Buddy's side! Buddy also got a new frog toy - it is his favorite one (he's been getting a new one once or twice a year for birthdays/holidays). I decorated the cake with Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits and Zuke's mini natural dog treats and frosted with plain greek yogurt. I used peanut butter in a plastic sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to pipe Buddy and 11 on the cake. Overall this was another hit with Buddy and Ellie - they loved it!

Here is a snapshot of Buddy's fun times in the last several years, he's such a lucky dog!

Buddy Birthday Cake

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 egg

¼ cup peanut butter

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon greek yogurt

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Optional Frosting:

plain greek yogurt

peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.

In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in carrots.

Pour cake batter into an 8 inch or 9 inch round baking pan. You can use a similar sized baking dish/pan of your choice.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

For the frosting – Spread the yogurt over the cake. I put some peanut butter in a plastic sandwich bag and snipped a corner of the bag to use for piping on the cake. (Flip cake from pan onto plate to easily frost the bottom of the cake.)

Feel free to decorate with extra shredded carrots, dog biscuits, or your dog’s regular kibble.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Buddy ate the toppings first!

Doesn't this cake look good enough to eat and not just for dogs? LOL

Baked Potato Wedges

2013-04-24T21:46:00.002-04:00

I think the title of this recipe explains itself, Baked Potato Wedges. I admit I nearly spelled wedgies instead of wedges as I was typing up this post. LOL I can't believe I haven't made these baked potato wedges before because its so easy and delicious. You really should try seasoning them with old bay spice too - it's a Maryland thing to season your fries (and anything else) with old bay. Bay fries are amazing and I also sprinkle old bay on my corn on the cob too! Try it sometime. It was a Meatless Monday meal this week so I served these baked potato wedges with an avocado salsa topped veggie burger (Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burger). Enjoy!

Baked Potato Wedges

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

old bay spice (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub potatoes clean, no need to peel them! Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into thirds. If the wedges are long, you can cut them in half too.

Place potato wedges onto a baking pan. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the wedges.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and flip potatoes to the other cut side. Bake additional 15 to 20 minutes. The potato wedges will be browned and crisp on the outside and tender inside.

Season with additional salt and old bay spice if desired.

Serves 2 to 4.

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

2013-04-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

This is my new favorite way to make asparagus! The balsamic butter sauce is so good! I came across this Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce from allrecipes.com. I was a little unsure of it at first but the sauce is wonderful. It has just the right amount of saltiness with the soy sauce and the balsamic vinegar was sweet and tangy. I did use a pomegranate flavored balsamic vinegar and it was fine. Overall a really easy vegetable side dish to prepare. I made the sauce while the asparagus was baking. I think I will try the balsamic butter sauce with green beans next because I can see it being great with other veggies. Enjoy!

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.

Lightly coat asparagus with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake asparagus for 12 minutes or until tender.

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In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Stir to mix well.

Pour sauce over baked asparagus.

Serves 2-4.

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

2013-04-18T20:22:00.002-04:00

I realized I haven't baked anything in awhile and I had to use up a couple of very ripe bananas. I came across a Banana-Walnut Muffins recipe from Rachel Ray's magazine. Here is the official recipe since I did change it up with what I had. Overall the muffins were good, moist and I even like the walnuts in it. I don't typically add nuts to many baked goods but the walnuts were good in these muffins. I added in the chocolate chips because any baked banana goodies I make has to have chocolate of course. I brought these banana walnut chocolate chip muffins to work to share with my lucky coworkers. Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (or use all-purpose flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup walnuts, chopped

½ cup chocolate chips

1 cup mashed banana (2 ripe bananas)

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 egg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with baking liners.

In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, remaining ½ cup sugar, baking powder, salt, remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, walnuts and chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, combine banana, yogurt, and egg. Stir in melted butter.

Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until combined.

Fill each lined muffin cup with batter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

2013-04-14T20:27:00.002-04:00

I had the best Mediterranean Chicken Salad at Restaurant Mez (one of my previous birthday eats). I knew I could recreate this salad at home and I did it! I literally have been making and eating this salad daily. To make things easier, I prep all the ingredients ahead of time (like the grilled chicken). This has been the perfect salad for all the warm weather we've been getting in DC because I haven't felt like cooking any hot meals for dinner lately. This is not only a beautiful salad, its absolutely delicious and healthy. I love the red wine vinaigrette with this salad especially since that is how they serve it at Restaurant Mez. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bag of salad mix (I used romaine or spring mix.)

2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced into bite-site pieces

¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

¼ cup fresh mozzarella cheese, bocconcini (small balls)

½ pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 seedless cucumber, sliced and quartered

1 apple, diced (I used a fuji apple.)

Red wine vinaigrette (or your favorite salad dressing)

½ cup whole wheat croutons (optional)

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl.

Toss salad with red wine vinaigrette (or your favorite salad dressing).

Serves 4.

Easy Indoor Grilled Chicken

2013-04-12T17:08:00.000-04:00

I admit that I am afraid to use the propane grill that my building has for everyone to use. My solution is this Calphalon Unison Nonstick 12-Inch Round Grill Pan, which I received as a Christmas gift this year. I love it! It makes cooking this Easy Indoor Grilled Chicken actually easy! Haha! If only I was paid to endorse this pan but unfortunately that is not the case. I have been making this chicken ahead of time so I can have it ready for salads, specifically a Mediterranean chicken salad (next recipe to be posted) that I've been eating almost daily for meals now. If you love to grill outdoors, that will give a nice char to the chicken. Enjoy!

Easy Indoor Grilled Chicken

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken breasts

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions

Drizzle a little olive oil on each chicken breast to lightly coat.

Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat.

Grill chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Allow chicken to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. This will prevent the chicken from drying out.

Note: If making ahead of time, refrigerate and store in covered container for up to 3 days. I usually cook and cube the chicken and store for salads during the week.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2013-04-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

The weather in DC has been beautiful all week and I've been walking the dogs for 2 miles every day after work. I do have to admit my AC wasn't turned on the last few days (its a main switch in my building) and it was super hot in my apartment so I've been MIA. Luckily it got turned on this morning and I can finally be comfortable again. I have to share this Red Wine Vinaigrette, it is my new favorite salad dressing! It is best to use a really good extra-virgin olive oil, not the cheap stuff. I usually have at least 2 different olive oils; a cheaper one for cooking and a good one for salad dressings or dips. That is a little tip for a great salad dressing in case you were wondering. Not only is this red wine vinaigrette super easy to make, you don't even have to stir it. I put all the ingredients in a glass jar and shake it up to mix - don't forget the lid before shaking haha! I love this dressing with my other new favorite salad, a Mediterranean chicken salad (pictured below and recipe to be posted soon too). Enjoy!

Red Wine Vinaigrette

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

You may also place all ingredients in a glass jar with a screw-on lid. Tighten lid and shake it up before serving.

Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days if not serving immediately.

Baked Avocado Eggs

2013-04-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

I have seen eggs baked in avocados featured in so many food blogs and I finally tried it. I made these Baked Avocado Eggs just last month for St. Patrick's Day breakfast so I am way behind on this post. It is super easy and definitely better than I expected. The avocado is creamy and the egg is silky, but the melted cheese on top is crispy, giving a slight bite. I used a shredded swiss cheese but you can use whatever you have at home. Top with a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce and these Baked Avocado Eggs were perfectly delicious. So overall a great, simple dish and you can serve this at a brunch and pretend to be fancy haha. Sorry I'm way behind on blog posts these days, but I'm trying to keep up, enjoy!

Baked Avocado Eggs

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 avocado

1 egg

shredded cheese

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (I used my toaster oven.)

Crack egg in a small bowl and whisk.

Slice avocado in half and take out the pit.

Place avocado halves on baking pan. Pour eggs in each avocado half.

Top with shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Note: You can place an egg in each avocado half if you scoop out some of the flesh of the avocado so the egg won’t overflow. I just split an egg instead.

Birthday Eats!

2013-04-01T19:23:00.002-04:00

It was my birthday on Friday and I've been celebrating all weekend! It has been great. I feel so lucky to have such great family and friends, thank you for making my birthday feel so special. Here is a recap of my weekend - I had so much fun! If you have been following me on my instagram or facebook page, you might see repeat foodie pictures, but doesn't it all look delicious?

My work BFF planned lunch with my coworkers at Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) - http://www.buffalowildwings.com

I had the boneless wings with mild sauce, fries and blue cheese dressing. I'm not a fan of anything super spicy so the mild sauce was perfect for me. Also I am particular about my french fries and I was surprised at how good they were at BWW - I love thin cut french fries so these were good! I also got a free slice of chocolate cake for my birthday :)

Monuments by Moonlight Cruise in Georgetown by DC Cruises - http://www.dc-cruises.com/index.php

My BFF Cindy planned the night and we went on a fun cruise departing from the Georgetown waterfront and it was beautiful. We missed out on the cherry blossoms since they were originally going to be at the peak during my birthday but was pushed back. The DC weather has been crazy lately and March was cooler than usual this year. We went at a great time thought and saw the sunset and the lighted monuments. It was absolutely beautiful!

We had dinner at Sequoia - http://www.arkrestaurants.com/sequoia_dc.html

I got the Seafood Cioppino – scallops, mussels, shrimp, clams, fin fish & lobster, potato & corn on the cob, cassava, tomato, fennel & orange broth. It was absolutely delicious!

The waiter brought me a birthday dessert - chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream! My second of the day haha!

On Saturday, my brother and sister-in-law took me to lunch at Al Dente - http://aldentedc.com

We are foodies as a family and we like to share, and wait till you check out everything we ordered! Of course we shared everything, lucky me :)

Cold Antipasti - Imported Burrata Cheese with Prosciutto di Parma and Chestnut Honey. This may have been one of my favorites! It was delicious with the house bread they offered us.

Pappardelle with Braised Oxtail Ragu - this was my dish. I am a fan of house made pasta at Italian restaurants and I will usually pick pappardelle or tagliatelle if available.

Squid Ink Fettuccine with Fresh Water Head-on Peeled Shrimp and Tomato Sauce - this was my sister-in-law's entree and the shrimp was so fresh!

Roasted Loin of Monkfish with Pancetta over Black Ink Farro and Braised Creamed Onions - this was my brother's pick and it was overall a great dish. I really enjoyed the black ink farro too.

Pizza - Margherita D.O.C. Sorry I didn't get a picture of this but it was really good - Al Dente has a beautiful wood burning pizza oven right in the middle of the restaurant. I am regretting not taking a picture of the pizza and the oven :(

Ready for the desserts?

Hemisphere Tiramisu Hot Chocolate Sauce and Caramelized Hazelnuts - you can't go wrong with tiramisu.

Salame di Cioccolato Thin Slices of Chocolate - Terrine Style, served with Cold Zabalione Sauce. This was the dessert recommended by our waiter and it was surprisingly good. My brother actually thought we were going to get chocolate covered salami meat! LOL That was not the case because it was chocolate with cookie pieces. The Zabalione sauce, an alcohol infused custard, was delicious!

House Made Gelati – Pistachio, it was very much pistachio flavored, not too sweet either.

Espresso (reminds me of Italy)

I had a birthday dinner with my mom at Muay Thai Sports Eatery (formerly known as Amina Thai). This is a local favorite restaurant near my parents which recently changed names and the entire style of the restaurant became even more informal. I don't know if I like the change, I prefer the old Amina Thai. We started off with thai iced teas and got the following to share:

Pad Thai - chicken with thin rice noodles, stir fried with fresh bean sprouts, red bean curd, scallions, eggs, topped with crushed peanuts and fresh bean sprouts. I used to always get the shrimp pad thai but they didn't offer it on the menu since the restaurant has changed.

Pad See Ew - chicken stir-fried with fresh wide rice noodles, eggs, and broccoli in Thai sweet soy sauce.

Fried Banana - banana wrapped in rice paper, deep-fried, topped with honey or chocolate syrup. It reminds me of a spring roll but with bananas haha. They served us this dessert on the house too :)

I went out to a birthday brunch on Sunday with my other BFF Sarah and her family and another friend. We went to Chef Geoff’s - http://www.chefgeoff.com/menu/chef-geoffs

Eggs Chesapeake - three poached eggs, jumbo lump crabcakes, buttermilk biscuit, country ham hash, and hollandaise. I have no complaints with this meal at all, absolutely delicious!

I had my last belated birthday work lunch on Monday with my boss since she was out of the office on my actual birthday.

We went to Restaurant Mez – http://www.allmenus.com/va/arlington/267512-restaurant-mez---marriott-crystal-gateway/menu/lunch/

Mediterranean Chicken Salad - organic grown vegetables, greens, whole wheat croutons, fresh mozzarella cheese, with red wine vinaigrette. This is the only thing I've ever had at Restaurant Mez ever since a coworker recommended it. My goal is to recreate this salad soon; I already wrote down everything I ate that was in the salad so look out for the recipe soon! The waitress also brought out a 7-layer chocolate cake for dessert with a candle but I forgot to take a picture.

I can finally say my birthday is officially over until next year...back to healthy eating and no more desserts...for awhile haha! Thank you to all the wonderful people in my life!

Healthy Black Bean Brownies

2013-03-28T19:34:00.003-04:00

My coworker's birthday was on Tuesday and I made her these Healthy Black Bean Brownies. It was a hit! What I love about these brownies is how moist, fudgey and chocolatey they are - you barely know the brownie is made with beans. My coworker has been demanding that I post the recipe for the brownies ASAP! Your welcome :) I am so glad she enjoyed the brownies and we had a great time celebrating her birthday by going to a Capitals hockey game - lets go Caps! Unfortunately the Caps lost by 1, but it was still a fun game to watch. I actually have made black bean brownies before but with a box mix if you are short on time. But I recommend this recipe instead because its even healthier since you know the exact ingredients. Enjoy these Healthy Black Bean Brownies!

Healthy Black Bean Brownies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup agave

2 packets of Truvia natural sweetener (or 2 tablespoons sugar)

¼ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9 inch (for thinner brownies) or 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place black beans, cocoa powder, oats, baking powder, salt, agave, Truvia, coconut oil and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until everything is combined and well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour brownie mix into prepared baking pan.

Top with a few extra chocolate chips.

Bake for 18 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 8 to 10.

Simple Sausage Gravy

2013-03-27T18:16:00.000-04:00

This Simple Sausage Gravy is so easy to make. I have never made this type of gravy before but I've always known it was a "diner" classic. I used a hot pork sausage which gives a nice kick to the gravy. If you aren't into spicy, then use a mild or maple sausage instead. This gravy goes great with my whole wheat biscuits. Go bake up some whole wheat biscuits and make this simple sausage gravy and you won't be sorry! I promise!

Simple Sausage Gravy

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

16 ounce package of hot pork sausage

¼ cup flour (I used whole wheat flour.)

2 ½ cups milk (I used low fat milk.)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a dutch oven or large pan, over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned and no longer pink.

Stir in flour.

Slowly stir in milk. Continue to stir and cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over your favorite biscuits. (I served them over my whole wheat biscuits.)

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2013-03-24T19:36:00.000-04:00

I was feeling southern comfort food after watching an episode of Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Guy was eating some biscuits and gravy at one of the diners he was visiting and it looked so good! I figured I could easily make them myself and voila I did! I baked up some Whole Wheat Biscuits and while baking, I also made a Simple Sausage Gravy. I'll try to post the gravy recipe soon, but this is my birthday week and I'm going to be super busy with a bunch of fun activities! Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

In a stand mixer, combine flour mixture and shortening until crumbly.

Slowly stir in milk until dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Place dough onto a flour surface. Roll out dough to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter or a glass dipped in flour.

Place biscuit onto ungreased baking pan.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. (Note: I used my pampered chef large bar pan so it took me longer to bake about to 18 minutes.)

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

2013-03-22T19:29:00.002-04:00

It was my baby brother's birthday this month and he initially wanted me to make cake pops. So of course I asked my sister-in-law what type of cake I should make but she suggested I make him cookies instead. Apparently he had liked the oatmeal cookies that I made for my sister-in-law post-baby last month and had asked her to make him cookies recently. She has no time to bake cookies with a new baby and suggested I do it for him instead haha. Since I am such a great big sister, I made these Everything Oatmeal Cookies because I figured he likes almost everything! I added dried cranberries, chocolate chips and walnuts in these oatmeal cookies. I even included plain greek yogurt just because I have been including it in all my baked goods lately. Overall I think these Everything Oatmeal Cookies were awesome. I think my brother and sister-in-law both scarfed up these cookies quickly too LOL!

Buddy wanted some cookies too...but I told him they were for his Uncle. He looks a little disappointed, but I told him to wait until his 11th birthday next month! Hopefully he will be feeling better by then, lately he hasn't been doing well on his thyroid meds so currently he is on a short trial without the meds to see if there's a change and we'll go from there...sigh...I clearly love my dogs :)

Everything Oatmeal Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup or 1 stick butter, room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1 ½ cup oats

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy.

Next, beat in egg, vanilla and yogurt.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Slowly, stir flour mixture into butter mixture.

Next, stir in oats, dried cranberries, and walnuts.

Scoop cookies by teaspoon onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. (You can make them bigger but I preferred them to be bite-sized.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

The cookies will be golden at the edges with a soft center. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Chinese Style Green Beans

2013-03-19T22:42:00.002-04:00

These Chinese Style Green Beans reminds me of home. They are a great side dish. I blanched the green beans first but it’s not really a necessary step if you want to save time. You would just need to sauté them longer. I also typically like adding sliced onions to sauté with green beans but I was out of onions when making this. I served these green beans with rice and aidells’ spicy mango and jalapeño meatballs. I got the meatballs from Costco after tasting a sample – they always get me with the samples at Costco! On a side note its been more difficult keeping up with this blog but I'll try to post as often as I can, life has just been more busy these days. Having a "senior" dog with hypothyroidism and even more separation anxiety is taking a toll on me lately. Any advice on dealing with separation anxiety, mostly constant whining/barking, will be appreciate! Thanks!

Chinese Style Green Beans

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound green beans (I used french green beans.)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (You may also use vegetable or sesame oil.)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon agave (You may use sugar or honey as your sweetner.)

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used light soy.)

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add green beans. Cook for about 3 minutes and drain.

In the same pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil and garlic cloves. Add in cooked green beans.

Stir in agave, oyster sauce and soy sauce.

Saute for about 5 to 7 minutes, until green beans are tender.

Serves 4 to 6.

In case you want to see how I cooked the meatballs...just saute in a pan (they are precooked so they only need to be reheated all the way through) and add them to the leftover sauce from the green beans. How easy is that?

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Beef Stew

2013-03-17T11:01:00.002-04:00

I made this Slow Cooker Gluten Free Beef Stew for Shabbat dinner recently. This beef stew had such amazing flavors. You can really taste the wine, so be sure to use one you would drink or serve to guests. I served the stew over rice to make the entire meal gluten-free. I mostly followed the Gluten-Free Goddess Beef Stew recipe. I googled gluten-free recipes and found the Gluten-Free Goddess and I'm a new fan! My friend is gluten-free and I realized it wasn't that hard to serve a gluten-free meal. I was up for a challenge but this Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Beef Stew is comforting goodness. My apartment smelled wonderful while it was cooking too. The beef was tender and the potatoes, carrots and celery were soft which made it really nice. Also, any leftovers can be frozen too. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Beef Stew

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1.5 to 2 pounds stew beef (cubed beef)

salt

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup pearl onions (I used frozen.)

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 cup dry red wine (I used a malbec.)

4 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used a pomegranate flavor.)

1 to 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Salt beef cubes on all sides. Allow salted beef to rest while you prep the vegetables.

Heat a dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Brown beef cubes on all sides. Add beef to slow cooker.

Sauté garlic, pearl onions, potatoes, carrots and celery for a few minutes in the same dutch oven. Add vegetables to slow cooker.

Pour the wine and broth into the dutch oven to deglaze the pan.

Stir wine and broth into the slow cooker with the beef and vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, bay leaf and ground pepper. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high 4 to 5 hours or low 8 to 10 hours.

Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2013-03-12T20:30:00.002-04:00

I have made chocolate chip banana bread a million times with my previous one bowl banana bread recipe. But I think this new chocolate chip banana bread recipe is going to be in my repeat recipes files. I tried using whole wheat flour and greek yogurt with this new recipe. It is so moist and wonderful. You can't even tell that its whole wheat flour or has yogurt in it. The taste of bananas shines in this bread. You could add in 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts but I usually only do chocolate chips, so it is up to you. Definitely make this chocolate chip banana bread recipe, the yogurt is the secret ingredient that makes this bread extra delicious. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups flour (I used whole wheat.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Light grease a loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, bananas and yogurt.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

Slowly, add dry ingredients half a cup at a time to wet ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour. (I check the bread by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread, if it comes out clean, it is done.)

Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 1 loaf.

Easy Nutella Cookies

2013-03-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

These easy Nutella cookies came be made in 20 minutes or less, including baking time. They are that easy! I love Nutella, a hazelnut chocolate spread. I've seen several online recipes for Nutella cookies and I adapted this recipe from Kirbie's Cravings. I used whole wheat flour instead and made about 14 cookies. You must try this easy Nutella cookies recipe next time you are in a pinch to make cookies. The cookies are nice and soft in the middle with a light crisp edge. Absolutely delicious!

Easy Nutella Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup and 1 tablespoon flour (I used whole wheat.)

1 egg

1 cup Nutella

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, egg and Nutella with a spoon. Stir until dough comes together and no lumps of flour remain. Stir in chocolate chips.

Make dough balls about 1 to 1 ½ inch in diameter. Place on baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.

Press lightly on dough so the dough balls are like round disks. Smooth edges so you have thick round smooth disks.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on cooling rack.

Makes at least 1 dozen cookies.

Sophie's Colcannon

2013-03-08T00:28:00.001-05:00

My colcannon recipe is perfect for St. Patrick's day. If you don't know what colcannon is, it is a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage (or kale). Colcannon is such a warm, filling side dish. I saw several recipes online that required just boiling the cabbage but I love the taste of sauteed cabbage with onions. I would add some bacon too if I had any. I served my colcannon with my mini meatloaves and it was perfection on a cold snowy day. We had a snow day on Wednesday but it was a bust since DC hardly got any snow. All we got was slush and everything gets shutdown in DC. Lucky for me I got to stay home since work was closed, woohoo! Buddy and Ellie were happy to just stay in and snuggle. I'm still waiting for Buddy's blood test results and hopefully I will know if his thyroid meds are at the right dosage. I was told by the vet that if its too high, he could be more anxious which could explain why he's been crying/whining at the door in the mornings when I leave for work. Poor guy, he misses me so much and luckily I got to stay home an extra day this week. Make colcannon soon and enjoy!

Sophie’s Colcannon

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

¼ to ½ cup milk

½ cabbage, shredded

½ onion, diced

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a saucepan, add diced potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. (If you can pierce the potatoes easily with a fork then they are done.)

Drain water from potatoes. In the same saucepan or a bowl, add 2 tablespoons and ¼ cup milk to potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Add in additional milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add in onions and cabbage. Sauté for about 10 to 15 minutes or until onions and cabbage are tender and lightly browned.

Add mashed potatoes to onions and cabbage. Stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2013-03-05T22:32:00.002-05:00

It's suppose to snow in the DC metro area tonight and tomorrow...so far no snow in DC yet but I am hoping for a snow day! I know Buddy and Ellie would love for me to stay home because Buddy has been going through some separation anxiety the last few weeks. The vet told me it could be his dosage of hypothyroid medication which can make him hyper if its too high. Hopefully I'll find out after this last blood test if his thyroid levels are normal or not. Don't you just hate waiting to hear news? Here is a funny video of Buddy recently howling at fire trucks that drove by - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syQsXj7l37k Buddy is still Buddy!

Anyway I was craving waffles last week and I finally made them! This is my first time making waffles using whole wheat flour and coconut oil. I love the subtle hint of coconut in these whole wheat waffles. Overall these whole wheat waffles are healthy but of course I covered them maple syrup and had a few slices of bacon on the side. How delicious do these whole wheat waffles look?

Whole Wheat Waffles

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour (I got mine at Trader Joe’s.)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cups milk, lukewarm

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (You may also use melted butter or vegetable oil.)

Directions

Preheat waffle iron.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix together coconut oil, egg and milk.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, do not over mix. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Cook waffles according to your waffle iron instructions.

Note: I used my Cusinart Griddler with the waffle plates and they take about 5 to 7 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mini Meatloaves

2013-03-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

I actually like meatloaf, kind of weird right? I never ate meatloaf as a kid because it just wasn't something my Chinese mother would make for dinner. But the thing about making meatloaf is that it takes an hour to bake. This is where I came up with making mini meatloaves with my muffin tin. Anything in a mini form is always better right? Just like me! Haha! I guess you would only get this joke if you actually know me in person because I am sized petite 0. So yes, mini is always better! I also happened to have shopped at Whole Foods recently so these mini meatloaves are made with grass-fed ground beef and cage-free raised without antibiotic eggs. Enjoy these mini meatloaves!

Mini Meatloaves

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1.5 pounds lean ground beef

1 egg

½ cup breadcrumbs

½ cup onions, diced

¼ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 packet Lipton onion soup mix

½ cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.

In a bowl, mix ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion soup mix, and water until combined.

Form each mini meatloaf into balls and place in prepared muffin tin.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done (internal meat temperature should be 160 degrees F).

Makes 12 mini meatloaves.