Tale of Two Sisters and their Kitchens

Creamy Rosemary Potato Soup

2014-01-19T12:24:00.001-08:00

We got potatoes in our Bountiful Basket last weekend, and one of my favorite ways to enjoy potatoes is potato soup. I love the comforting, creamy goodness of potato soup. I couldn't decided on a specific recipe to try, so I kind of made up my own.

Creamy Rosemary Potato Soup

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8-10 hours
Yield: 10-12 cups

Ingredients

3 large baking potatoes, cubed
3 veggie bouillon cubes
1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 red pepper, chopped
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
6 cups water
1 cup almond milk

Cooking Directions

Stir all ingredients together in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
About 1/2 an hour before serving, remove about 1/2 of the soup to a blender or food processor; blend until creamy. Stir back into the remaining soup. Add almond milk and continue cooking until heated through, another half hour or so.

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Tomato & Bean Crostinis

2013-10-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what to make for dinner last night, when I was suddenly struck with inspiration! I mentioned to Jeff what I'd concocted in my head driving home, and he was totally game.

And the Tomato & Bean Crostinis were born.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15-20 min
Total time: 30 min

Yield: 2 servings (or more if served as appetizers)

Ingredients

1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1/2 cup beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
vegan cheezee sauce
french bread, sliced
shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Stir together tomatoes, beans, and spices. Set aside.
2. Spread vegan cheezee sauce on sliced bread.

3. Spoon bean mixture onto bread.

4. Bake in toaster oven for 15-20 minutes, until bread is toasted around the edges. If adding shredded cheese, sprinkle over bean mixture in the last few minutes of baking.

To keep these vegan, simply leave off the mozzarella cheese or use a vegan shredded cheese substitute.

These seriously turned out so good!

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Easy Breakfast Lettuce Wraps

2013-09-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile, and while I've made some delicious recipes, I haven't found the time to blog about them. This morning, I made something so yummy for breakfast, that I simply had to share it will all of you!

Easy Breakfast Lettuce Wraps

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

2 leaves butter lettuce (or any other leaf lettuce)
2 slices tomates
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded cheese
Frank's Red Hot (optional)

Directions

Rinse and dry lettuce leaves. Chop tomato slices.
Scramble eggs over medium heat, season with salt and pepper.
Divide scrambled eggs evenly over lettuce leaves. Top with shredded cheese and chopped tomatoes. Shake on Frank's Red Hot, if desired.

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Italian Enchiladas

2013-07-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get creative with all these wraps that we have. Hmm. How about making enchiladas, but with spaghetti sauce instead of enchilada sauce and a filling similar to lasagna?

And voila! The birth of the Italian Enchilada.

Ok. So, it's possible that someone else has already come up with this idea, but it was new to me and turned out so delicious! I'm excited to call this my own, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

Yields 4 hearty enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 of an eggplant, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 egg
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup torn fresh spinach
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 Tomato Basil wraps

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease square cake pan.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook until tender.

Add chopped red onions and garlic.

Sautee 1-2 more minutes until onions are translucent.
Add crushed tomatoes. Stir until mixed. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together egg, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, herbs, salt and pepper.

Spoon a layer of eggplant mixture onto a wrap. Top with the cottage cheese mixture.

Roll up wrap and place seam-side down in a greased square cake pan.

Spread spaghetti sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is nice and gooey.

Enjoy!

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Broccoli Cheese Roll-ups

2013-07-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on my other blog, you might know we're in wrap-heaven right now thanks to Bountiful Baskets. We'll be eating a lot of wraps and other things with tortillas, so you've been warned. :-)

Last night, I made the most delicious broccoli cheese roll-ups. And they're so very easy to make, too! I roasted just enough broccoli for two wraps, but this is simple enough to adjust to however many wraps you ~~need~~ want to make.

Ingredients
Broccoli
Olive oil
Seasoned Salt & Pepper
Garlic & Herb Tortillas
Shredded Fiesta Blend cheese
Chopped red onions

Directions
Toss broccoli in olive oil and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes at 400°F or until broccoli is nice and tender. Cool slightly and chop.

Place tortilla on a plate. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, onions, and chopped broccoli.

Microwave for 1 minute or just until cheese is melted.

Cool slightly, so you don't burn your fingertips rolling up the tortilla.

Enjoy!

What are you cooking this week?

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Bean 'n Mushroom Enchiladas

2013-07-05T22:00:00.001-07:00

I wanted to try the recipe for enchiladas on the back of my package of shredded cheese. I'd been meaning to try this recipe for awhile, but by the time I got around to it, the cheese was gone and the new package had a different recipe.

I had to improvise.

So I decided to do a little fridge clean-out. I found beans, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, and chipotle chiles that needed to be consumed. Add a couple other ingredients and the Bean 'n Mushroom Enchiladas were born.

Jeff is not a big fan of mushrooms (neither am I, really) so I was nervous that he wouldn't like this, but he surprised me by saying they were very good. I don't think I ever told him there were mushrooms in there. Shhh... It will be our little secret.

Click for Recipe

Banana-Nectarine Pancakes

2013-06-16T12:17:00.003-07:00

In my quest to use successfully use all the delicious produce we received from Bountiful Baskets, I found this intriguing recipe on Pinterest for Blueberry Banana Pancakes.

Pancakes with only 3 ingredients? No flour? No sugar? No oil? Sounds a bit crazy, but I had an over-ripe banana on my counter that really needed to be used, so I figured, why not? Of course I had no blueberries, but lots of nectarines, so I changed it up a bit. Don't I always?

Banana-Nectarine Pancakes

Yield: 3 pancakes

Click for Recipe

SW Bean Burgers

2013-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here. And yes, I even still spend a little time in the kitchen. Though not nearly as much as I'd like.

Tonight, I made the most delicious bean burgers. I was slightly inspired by this recipe, but I changed so much of it, that I'm totally going to call it my own!

These are quite possibly the BEST bean burgers I've never made (or enjoyed!). And super easy to make as well.

SW Bean Burger

Yield: 4 burgers

Click for Recipe

WIAW #4 - Oops!

2013-03-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

They say the third time's a charm, right?

Well, it's the third time I'm starting to participate with What I Ate Wednesday. The first time lasted one week; the second time, two weeks. Hopefully, I'll be able to stick to it much longer this time... perhaps at least 3 weeks. :)

I was also hoping that at least on the day of the picture taking, this would help keep me in check and on track for healthier eating.

This is kind of embarrassing, but here's What I Ate Yesterday.

I started out pretty good, but things took a real turn after I got home from work. :(

Breakfast - leftover pancakes topped with pure maple syrup and bananas. almond milk
Lunch - leftover baked pasta. small side salad. applesauce.
Snacks - wasabi almonds and string cheese. dark chocolate almonds.
Dinner - Cadbury Mini Eggs.

I'd intended to just have a couple to relax after getting home from work, but then I got distracted and lazy and never made it back to the kitchen to make dinner or even warm up some leftovers.

Not pictured above - I also had a small handful of potato chips and onion dip, much to Jeff's dismay. He wanted them all for himself.

So, not the very best day, or start to WIAW, but I've got to start somewhere, right?!

What did you eat today?

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

2013-03-04T21:13:00.000-08:00

I got really excited when this recipe appeared in my Inbox. It looked soooo gooood! And sounded even better. I finally got around to actually making it on Valentine's Day. Something about V-day always screams pasta to me. I don't know why.

This dish turned out to be so flavorful! I loved it!! Jeff, however, didn't care for the texture. :(

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

Yield: 4 cups

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Black Bean Soup

2013-02-09T20:48:00.001-08:00

I love black beans. And black bean soup has always been one of my favorites, so when I saw this recipe over at Happy Fit Mama for Roasted Corn Black Bean Soup, I could hardly wait to try it out. I didn't have any peppers, roasted corn, or zucchini, so I had to modify it a bit with what I had on hand.

The last soup I made had been a complete disaster, so I decided to stick to the recipe instructions for this one and not attempt to make it in the slow cooker. It probably would've been fine since there is no kale or pasta in this soup, but I didn't want to risk it. I mean, really, it doesn't take that long on the stove top anyway.

I did, however, risk making this with the salvaged broth from the disaster soup. Turns out, it was a risk well taken. It cleared out some space in my fridge and tasted pretty good in the soup. Well, it didn't taste bad, at least.

Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6 cups

Click for Recipe

Healthy Recipe: White Bean Soup

2013-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been in my drafts since 2010. It was in a Healthy Living company newsletter.

Simple and nutritious, this hearty soup is incredibly rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that will fill you up without filling you out.

Doesn't that sound perfect? I've been wanting to try it ever since but never seemed to have the ingredients on hand (namely, the kale). Since I've resolved to try 2 new recipes a month in 2013, I figured this week was the perfect time. I added kale to my shopping list and was very excited to give it a try.

It was a complete disaster! Even though it didn't turn out seriously, it was so bad that we ended up eating pizza for dinner instead.
I figured I'd still share the recipe.
Click for Recipe

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

2013-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

I found this delicious looking recipe over at Nutritious Eats. Ok, well, I actually saw it first over at Happy Fit Mama's menu plan for the week. These sounded and looked so good, I couldn't wait to throw them on our menu plan for the week.

Yes, I actually made a menu plan this week.

I excitedly added egg roll wrappers to my shopping list, and made these the very next night. I was nervous about them because they have spinach in them. Jeff doesn't normally like anything with cooked spinach, so I had pretty much braced myself for having to eat the majority of them.

Turns out the spinach is hardly noticeable AND Jeff really liked them.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Yield: 21 egg rolls

Click for Recipe

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls (vegan)

2012-12-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning seemed like the perfect time to experiment a bit with making cinnamon rolls. I've made them before, but I wanted to create a vegan version. These turned out exquisitely well - some of the best whole wheat cinnamon rolls I've ever had! Some of the filling bubbled out making almost a caramel like substance on the bottom of these. I was skeptical at first, but I really think that is what made these so delectable.

I didn't have any powdered sugar, so I enjoyed these without any icing. Jeff, however, said they were good, but that icing would make them even better!!

Cinnamon Rolls (vegan)

Yield: 12 rolls

Click for Recipe

Banana Bread

2012-12-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

I made this banana bread over a month ago. I'm not sure where I found the original recipe, but I modified it to make it vegan. I pretty much ate the entire loaf. Oops!

Banana Bread

Yield: 1 9-inch loaf

Click for Recipe

A Little Bit Healthy, A Little Bit Sneaky Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2012-11-30T20:23:00.001-08:00

I was uber-blog surfing yesterday.
I would comment on a blog, and then go visit the blog of the person who commented just before me. Leave a comment, visit previous commenter, and on and on and on. It was lots of fun! I stumbled upon a lot of fun running blogs and a LOT of What I Ate Wednesdays (WIAW) posts. Like I said, lots of fun!

In my meanderings, I stumbled upon the blog Eat. Move. Balance.
Eat whole foods. Move every day. Balance your life.
Sounds like a great mantra/motto. In exploring that site a little, I found this recipe for some sneaky cookie bars. They sounded so good that I couldn't wait to give them a try! I didn't have all the ingredients, so I had to make a few modifications.

These turned out so delicious! In fact, even Jeff said he liked them. Yes, the entire pan was completely gone in less than 24 hours. Oops!

A Little Bit Healthy, A Little Bit Sneaky Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients

2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup (or 1/2 15.5oz can) chickpeas
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used ones that were dairy, nut and soy free)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan.
Combine the oats, flour, chickpeas, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Process until fine.
Transfer to a large bowl. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared pan, making sure dough is evenly distributed.
Bakes for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into delicious squares.

Whole Wheat Oat Bread

2012-11-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

I've made this bread twice now since starting this post. The first time I didn't take any pictures, but wrote up the post. The second time I remembered to take pictures, but it took me forever to edit them and put them in the post, but the wait is over!

This bread turned out great! Even my husband, who prefers everything store-bought, agreed. The problem with homemade bread, of course, is that it doesn't last as long a store-bought. I mean, we eat it SO fast! I'm not going to complain, though - at least the house smells really good while it's baking. Yum!

Whole Wheat Oat Bread

Yield: 2 9-inch loaves

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (95F-100F)
1/4 cup honey
1 pkg active yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 T vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

Dissolve honey in warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle package of yeast on top of water mixture. Do NOT stir in yeast; simply let it sit for 5-10 minutes until yeast softens and forms a creamy foam.

Meanwhile, stir together the flours, oatmeal, gluten, and salt. Form a well in the center and add the yeast mixture. Stir until it all comes together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 12-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Tip 1:To determine if yeast dough is kneaded enough, break off a small walnut-sized ball of dough. Stretch the dough; much like stretching a balloon or a piece of bubble gum. If the dough is kneaded enough, it will be tear easily and a translucent membrane will be visible. This is known as a gluten window.
Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat it with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise until doubled - about 45 minutes.
Tip 2: I shared this tip before here, but to determine if the dough has doubled in size, gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.
Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough and turn it out onto a lightly-floured surface. Use a knife to divide the dough into two equal parts - do not tear. Shape the dough into loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake loaves 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.

chickpeas anyone?

2012-10-19T11:57:00.001-07:00

I have been intrigued by this next recipe I am going to give. I have seen it on cooking shows and on the web. I even got a can of chickpeas aka garbanzo beans. But I never got the gumption to try it. I am talking about roasting chickpeas. They are suppose to be incredibly healthy and a nice nutty snack. Someone had the audacity to say that they are better than potato chips. I KNOW that is quite the statement isn't it. I have a hard time believing anything tasting better than a good ole fashioned potato chip. So, finally last week I decided to do it. I was going to actually roast this can of beans I have had in my cupboard for over 9 months. It was time to get adventurous. I cracked open the can and just dug in! They smelled wonderful while they were in the oven. Then it was time for the taste test. Could it be that they were better than the crunchy goodness of a potato chip? Could it be possible?

NO.

No they were NOT better. They were...how should I say this? They were OK. Not great, but they did not live up to the hype that it was given. I was a little disappointed, but maybe this is an acquired taste. Maybe different seasoning combinations would help. Maybe they just aren't for me. But I think that I get an "A" for effort and for trying something out of my comfort zone. I think that some people will LOVE these. But, they just aren't for me. I might try them again though with some more intense flavor combinations and see if that changes my mind! So give it a try, I think this is the type of food you either love or hate. But you will never know unless you try it! Step out of the norm of everyday cooking and try something different. You never know, you might find something that you LOVE and never knew because of the fear of trying something different.

With that, here is the recipe for the roasted chickpeas.

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drain the beans and rinse with cold water. Remove excess water by patting with a paper towel. In a mixing bowl coat beans with olive oil. Add spices and mix well. Spread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until beans are completely dried and crunchy. Check often at the 30 minute mark, you do not want to burn them.

I think that you can mix up different flavor combinations and it would help immensely. I think I might try a sweet one with brown sugar and cinnamon maybe. We will see!

A perfect 10 Pretzel

2012-10-11T16:18:00.001-07:00

Yep, it is another post from "other" sister. I know, I know, 2 posts in a week from me is CRAZY. It is great to have a working computer and the time to do this! I have been enjoying spending time in the kitchen and trying new recipes I have wanted to make but didn't have the time to do so. I have been toying with the idea of making homemade soft pretzels for awhile, but it seemed like a daunting task and I just never took courage to do it. But I got it in my head on Sunday night that I was GOING to make them, no excuses. I do have to admit though that I cheated. Just a little. I needed to make them a lunchbox snack so I made pretzel BITES instead of the cool braided looking pretzels. In this case, form had to follow function, and if it happened that it made it a little easier...hey I can't help that! Let me tell you something, my husband couldn't stay OUT of these! They were almost all gone before the night was over! I always ask him to rate my recipes 1 to 10 with 10 being the best and I have never gotten a 10. I have a lot of 8's and some 9's but never a 10. UNTIL NOW. I got a perfect score on this baby and the accompanying dip that went along with it. I am still on cloud nine! Or should I say cloud TEN! So here it is, the perfect chewy pretzel recipe! Hope you all enjoy! By the way, they were NOT hard at all! Pretty easy actually, so that is a plus!

Chewy Pretzel Bites

Ingredients
Dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional-I used regular)
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and 2 1/4 cups flour. Mix to combine and then add the water. Mix well, adding the remaining flour as needed to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough by hand or mixer for about 5 minutes until it is soft and smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl and put dough in rolling around so it is coated with the oil. Cover and let rise for about 60 minutes. (until about doubled in size)

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Lightly oil two cookie sheets. Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface and divide into about 4 equal pieces. Roll each piec into a one inch diameter rope. Allow the pieces to rest for 5 minutes uncovered. While dough is resting combine the 1/2 cup warm water and baking soda in a bowl deep enough to dip the pretzel pieces into. Stir until the soda is dissolved.

Cut each rope into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Dip each piece into the baking soda solution and place them on the cookie sheets. Allow to rest for another 10 minutes. Bake on sheet at a time for 5 - 7 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Remove from oven and brush them thoroughly with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt.

Onion Cream Cream Cheese Dip

4 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 half onion chopped
2 Tablespoons butter

Saute onions and butter until onions are soft and translucent. Combine cream cheese and onions until well blended and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Biscuit loving.....in 6!

2012-10-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

Ok so now I have a computer back....I can't find my camera....oh moving is so fun isn't!!!! I am so lucky right now in my life because I am back to being a stay at home mom. WHICH MEANS???????!!!! Why more baking and cooking time. Of course, it also means a little tightening of the budget but I am finding it to be a pleasant challenge....makes me feel so good when I create a great tasting low costing meal.

I have a confession to make. I have had a secret love affair since my son got his ipad. I am and probably will forever on be addicted to FoodGawker. I love it and have "hearted" thousands of recipes that I probably will never be able to begin to make. These people are AMAZING bakers and chefs, if I could be even a smidgen as good as them I would be happy as a clam! So I was taking my nightly looksie and found this AMAZING recipe for super tasty and tender biscuits. I am a BREAD addict, I swear I have one whole organ in my body solely devoted to use of Bread products....there is a reason it is called the staff of life!! If I don't have bread or a dog in my house I am one UNHAPPY camper....SO to find a quick fix for it and in such a nice batch size I was all over this recipe. As my dad would say, like a chicken on a june bug. I made these little lovelies and was NOT disappointed. Neither was my son or my husband, which is amazing because my hubby is not one for bread or any of its relatives. He ate 2. Seriously no joke! So I thought to meself, it is time to post on the blog. BUT HOW???!?? I have no pictures of my own to show...true, but this is the internet, with a click of a button you will be sent to this amazing recipe complete with picture and all in less than 20 seconds!! I will continue with my search party for my camera as of tomorrow....my upstairs is full of surprises yet to be uncovered! Until then, enjoy this recipe, and head over to foodgawker too....it is AMAZING....way better than Pinterest....seriously!

Source: dessertfortwo.com via Clarinda on Pinterest

PS Make sure you use REAL buttermilk for these. VERY important:)

Pasta turned Soup

2012-09-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

I needed to make something for dinner. I thought pasta with red sauce sounded good, but, of course, I didn't have any red sauce on hand. I did have some veggies and tomato sauce. I could make a sauce from scratch. Without a recipe. Right?

Turns out, nope.

It turned out way too thin, so I improvised. Instead of serving it like a regular pasta, I served it like a soup. It was delicious!

Veggie Pasta Soup

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8oz) can water
1 (15.5oz) can black beans
seasoned salt
dried oregano
dried basil
crushed red pepper
6 oz elbow macaroni

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet. Add celery, onion, and carrots. Saute until slightly soft. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so.
Add tomato sauce, water, black beans and seasonings (to taste).
Meanwhile cook macaroni according to package directions.
Combine sauce and pasta and simmer for at least an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Easy Pineapple-Coconut Cake

2012-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we were invited to dinner with some friends. I offered to bring dessert. Unfortunately, I got wrapped up in a little blog clean-up and waited until the last minute to find a recipe. Fortunately, I found this recipe over at allrecipes.com.

All ingredients on hand? Check!

Easy to put together? Check!

Relatively short baking time? Check!

PERFECT!

Easy Pineapple-Coconut Cake

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30-35 min
Yield: 1 9-inch round cake

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 (20oz)can crushed pineapple
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
cream cheese frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add egg and mix until well blended. Fold in the pineapple, coconut and walnuts. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until center springs back when lightly touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Spread cake with frosting, once cool.

Fluffy French Toast

2012-08-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted something different for breakfast this morning. Actually, I was out of cereal and didn't feel like eggs. How about french toast? Yeah. That sounds good! Besides, I had some hamburger buns in the cupboard that were nearing the end of their lives, so this would be perfect. I hit to the Internet and found a recipe to try. I modified it ever-so-slightly and was very pleased with the result.

Fluffy French Toast

Yield: 2 servings (2 slices per serving)

Ingredients

1 T + 1 tsp flour
1/3 cup coconut milk
3/8 pinch salt
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar
cinnamon
4 thick slices bread (I used hamburger buns.)

Directions

Measure flour into a bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Sprinkle with cinnamon, to taste. Place bread on hot pan, cinnamon side down. While cooking first side, sprinkle top with more cinnamon. Flip once bottom is golden brown, and cook second side until golden brown. Repeat for all 4 slices of bread.
Serve hot with syrup or toppings of your choice.

Original recipe can be found on Allrecipes.com. Fluffy French Toast by Bonnie.

Cheezee Sauce

2012-08-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Want to be vegan, but can't give up cheese? Here is a great recipe for when you need a cheese sauce substitute. We had this on top of Salsa Rice and Red Beans and it was TASTY!! It's even Jeff approved. Now, it's not exactly like cheese, but it's very good. Go ahead. Give it a try.

Cheezee Sauce

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

1/3 cup nutritional yeast*
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plain coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the yeast, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder. Whisk in the water and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard. The sauce is now ready to use. if not using right away, refrigerate the sauce in a container with a tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for several days.

Recipe Credit: Cheezee Sauce. Vegan on the Cheap. Robin Robertson. pg. 36

*Nutritional yeast is not the same as the yeast used in baking bread. It can be found at most natural food stores I think in the bulk section.

WIAW #3

2012-08-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok. Seriously. I have not to start eating better and healthier and MORE. I do recall that last week was a pretty bad day. Today, too. BUT Tomorrow is another day, right? A fresh start...

Watermelon
Three Bean Loaf with melted cheese
Peanut M&Ms not the whole bag, thank goodness!
Sandwich Creme Cookies more than I should've had.

What did you eat today (or last week)?

Head over to Peas and Crayons where I'm sure you'll find far more inspiring eats.