Holy Cannoli Recipes

Seven Vegetable Coconut Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:47:00 +0000

I love curry foods. I usually always have some form of curry in the house at all times. Although, the Mr. doesn't love curry he will eat it. This recipe comes from Miriam Barton's Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters cookbook. I liked the combination of vegetables in this dish. It has yams, bell peppers, broccoli and cabbage all mixed in a coconut curry sauce. And it was extremely easy and fast to make.

There were a couple of things that I changed from the recipe. The only kind of powder curry they sell out here is the yellow kind and the Mr. does not like that kind at all. So I picked up a box of the curry sauce mix that comes in a brick form. I did have to add a bit more than a tsp of the mix since (in my opinion) it isn't as strong as the powder stuff. As for the cabbage, I used your everyday green cabbage and it worked out beautifully in this dish. The recipe didn't specify which kind so that is what I used. I found this recipe to be extremely easy to make. You can cut all the vegetables ahead of time, store in a baggie in the refrigerator and then assemble the dish when you get home from work.

1 yam, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 c. broccoli florets
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. shredded cabbage
1/4 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 c. lite coconut milk
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. red curry powder

In a small pot, boil the yam chunks in water until they are soft but not mushy.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the vegetables in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve over a bed of rice

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday
Made By You Monday

Western Pinto Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:36:00 +0000

I was asked to review Miriam Barton's Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters cookbook and this was one of the recipes that immediately caught my eye. I love beans and I cook them all the time adding spices to them as they cook for flavor. So when I saw this recipe had onions, lime juice, cilantro and a bunch of other great flavors mixed into the beans, I knew that I would love this recipe.

I did soak the beans first over night and then cooked the beans with the 3 cups of vegetable stock and then added water until the beans were covered in about four inches of liquid. I then added all the rest of the ingredients and cooked them for about an hour until the beans were fully cooked. I didn't have the 3 hours to cook the beans so I soaked them the night before which helps cut the cooking time. I served the beans over rice and then later on used the left over beans in burritos. This recipe makes a lot of beans so, be prepared to have leftovers.

2 c. dried pinto beans
water
3 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP. hot sauce
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or over night in a large stockpot filled with water.
Rinse the beans and remove any debris. Put the beans back in the large stockpot add all the ingredients. Add water to the pot to make sure that the beans are covered at least 4 inches under the liquid.
Cook the beans over medium heat until it starts to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are tender and fully cooked. Check on the beans every once in a while to make sure they have enough water. If it starts to look low, add more water to cover the beans.
Serve the beans over rice, in burritos or bean bowls (with grated cheese, avocado slices, diced tomatoes and a bed of shredded lettuce).

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday
Made By You Monday
Made From Scratch Monday

Sweet and Sour Calamari

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:55:00 +0000

I love Asian cuisine. The Mr. and I don't go out to eat all that often so unless I can talk him into ordering Chinese food, I'm usually stuck making it myself.

The other day I had taken out calamari rings from the freezer but wasn't exactly sure what to make with it. I was searching on the internet for a recipe when I saw one for pineapple calamari which peeked my interest. The only problem was I didn't have pineapple and I wasn't about to run to the store to buy it. So instead I stuck my head in the refrigerator to see what I had on hand and decided to make a sweet and sour sauce with what I had. I felt like a mad scientist mixing a ton of stuff together and had you seen everything on the counter you would have thought I was doing an experiment. Luckily the dish turned out delicious in the end and I quickly wrote down everything I did before I forgot it. I'm really glad that this recipe turned out because it was super simple to make and I always have these ingredients on hand. Half the time I have a container of leftover rice in the refrigerator just waiting to be used, so this is a perfect opportunity to use it. Of course, this recipe can be used with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or even extra firm tofu.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. apricot and pineapple jam
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp corn starch

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Sweet and Sour Calamari

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, wedged
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 button mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 dried red chili peppers
1 c. broccoli florets
1 1/2 lbs. calamari (squid) rings
1 Tbsp oil

In a large skillet over medium heat add oil. Once heated, add dried chili peppers until lightly toasted but not burned.
Add vegetables and cook until just tender; about 5 minutes.
Add calamari and cook until white; about 5-8 minutes.
Stir in sauce and cook until thickened.
Serve over a bed of rice.

This post is submitted inWhole Foods Wednesday Newlyweds Recipe Linky

Win a KitchenAid Mixer for Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:11:00 +0000

Remember how I told you about an upcoming awesome giveaway that I would be participating in? Well, the time has finally arrived for your chance to win a KitchenAid mixer! Mommy and Me Giveaways, Frugal Experiments, Wahm Options, Mom To Bed By 8, Holy Cannoli Recipes and 23 other awesome blogs have teamed up to bring you an amazing giveaway for Mother's Day! We're giving away a KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart Stand Mixer! Winner will have a choice in color depending on prices on Amazon at the time the giveaway ends, valued at up to $300! The winner will get their prize in time for Mother's Day too!

Features of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart Stand Mixer (from the manufacturer):

The Artisan mixer's strong 325-watt motor delivers the power to handle the heaviest mixtures, and mix large batches easily.
The 5-quart polished stainless steel bowl with ergonomic handle is big enough to handle large batches of heavy mixtures. Its ergonomically designed handle is contoured to fit the hand and makes lifting the bowl more comfortable.
Unique Mixing Action The beater spins clockwise as the shaft spins counter clockwise; moving the beater to 67 different points around the bowl. This unique mixing action creates a thorough blend of ingredients and eliminates the need to rotate the bowl.
Multiple Speeds10 speeds allow the user to select the right speed for the mixing job; from very high to very slow stir. It's easy to select the precise speed needed for a perfect mix.
Versatile AccessoriesThe flat beater, dough hook, and the professional wire whip add to the versatility of the mixer. The flat beater is the ideal accessory for mixing normal to heavy batters. From cake mixes to firm cookie dough, the flat beater mixes quickly and thoroughly.
The dough hook mixes and kneads yeast dough, saving both time and the effort of hand-kneading. The wire whip incorporates the maximum amount of air in whipped mixtures for fluffier whipped cream and angel food cakes.
All attachments are solidly constructed, and attach easily to the stand mixer.
Easy Clean UpThe pouring shield fits around the top of the bowl and prevents ingredient splash-out. The chute makes it convenient and easy to add ingredients.
The tilt-back mixer head allows for easy access to bowl and beaters. A lock lever holds the mixer head securely in place and the bowl fastens tightly to the base.
Optional AttachmentsOptional attachments (sold separately) complete the package to make cooking a pleasure. From citrus juicer to sausage stuffer, KitchenAid stand mixers can handle just about any job in the kitchen.

Blogs participating:

One lucky US reader is going to win this KitchenAid Mixer in choice of color valued at up to $300! Giveaway ends May 7th at 11:59pm EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Bodum Chambord Aluminum Stovetop Espresso Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:52:00 +0000

I know I am breaking away from the norm here but I've decided to add kitchen product reviews to HCR. We've all done this, spent hours searching the internet for an honest review and I once even asked you guys for help while looking for kitchen gadgets. So I figured why not review the new kitchen items that I buy? So without further ado I present to you one of my new favorite kitchen additions.

I bought a 6 ounce Bodum Chambord Aluminum Stovetop Espresso Maker from Amazon for $14 when they were having their lightening deals right before Christmas. It's just the Mr. and I in the house and I am the only one that occasionally drinks coffee. I had been thinking of buying one of those fancy one cup coffee makers. We actually call them the robotic makers because we were introduced to them with this commercial.

However, have you seen how expensive these things are? At the time they didn't have reusable K-cups either so you had to buy their boxed set of k-cup's and even though I am not a coffee snob, I am particular in that I pretty much only like Kona coffee and their kona cups were more expensive than a bag of whole kona coffee beans from the grocery store. Not to mention that the machines are pretty bulky in size. Right now our current kitchen is so tiny that I have one of those 55gal plastic totes out in the garage filled with baking pans, quesadilla maker, chocolate fountain... basically anything that I don't use on a daily basis. So needless to say, I don't have the space for a big chunky coffee maker. I do have a 4 cup coffee maker but it just sits on the counter and gets rather dusty between uses and with my space issue there is nowhere to store it when I don't need a caffeine fix so it just takes up well needed counter space. So when I saw the Bodum Espresso Maker I must admit I got pretty giddy when I saw the measurements and compared it to my current coffee maker. The thing is no wider than a container of salt. So it makes storing a synch.

Not only that but I for one love the espresso it produces. I will admit that I have never had espresso before but what comes out of the maker is so strong that for the first couple of months I had to add hot water to my cup to dilute the taste until I got accustomed to it but now I just need a little bit of milk and raw sugar and I'm good. Now when I drink normal coffee it just tastes like a watered down mess. Sort of like comparing freshly ground, brewed coffee to a cup of instant coffee. There is just no comparison.

Speaking of coffee... you don't need a fancy brand of coffee beans for this. However, you do need to finely grind your own coffee, so pre-ground coffee beans won't really work out so well since they tend to be more course. Other than that though there really is nothing special you need to do and cleanup is super easy. You just unscrew the base, dump the coffee grounds, wipe out filter and wash out the top and let dry.

I highly recommend this for anyone who is limited on space and is looking for a one cup deal. They do make a 12 ounce version that would obviously be larger and offer twice as much espresso but for me, this is perfect. I can toss the old coffee maker in the tote out in the garage and pull it out on the rare occasion that we have company over. Meanwhile reclaiming a good chunk of counter space in the process.

*I was not compensated for my review. Bodum doesn't even know I exist.

Torellini in Basil-Balsamic Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Now that Spring is upon us it is starting to get rather toasty here in the desert. We've already hit the 90's (f) and that is considered comfortable. Well, not so much for me, I'm still just a girl from New York and I have a feeling that no matter how long I live here I will never get used to the insane heat. Luckily it hasn't been staying in the 90's and it seems to keep dropping back down into the 70's-80's. However, that hasn't kept me from making easy recipes that don't require a lot of time standing over a hot stove in the kitchen. This tortellini salad come from Better Crocker and it is good not only warm but cold as well.

This is really a simple dish to make. You cook the tortellini, chop up your veggies, mix the vinaigrette and then toss it all together. The only advice I can give you... don't chop your broccoli too large... like I did. HaHa I also found that I needed a little more vinaigrette since the tortellini seemed to have soaked it all up. You would definitely want more (maybe double) when making a cold salad. I would toss half in right when the tortellini is cooked and then reserve the other half before serving it.

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated tricolor cheese-filled tortellini
1/4 c. balsamic or cider vinegar
1 TBSP. chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 TBSP. olive or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 c. broccoli florets
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)

Cook and drain tortellini as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
In large bowl, mix vinegar, basil, oil, paprika, salt and garlic with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in carrot, broccoli, onions and tortellini until coated.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday
Newlyweds Recipe Linky
Real Food Wednesday
Friday Food
Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Want to win a KitchenAid Mixer?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:07:00 +0000

If you follow me on Facebook than you might have already seen this announcement. I have decided to take part in a multi-blogger giveaway for a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer. Lisa over at Mommy and Me Giveaways is putting this whole event together and is looking for bloggers to participate.

But for those of you who are interested in winning one of these beautiful kitchenaid mixers, the giveaway will run from April 23rd - May 7th and you will have your choice from the colors below.

Gloss Cinnamon:

Blue Willow:

or White:

Interested in participating in this giveaway and giving your readers a chance to win?

Swing on over to Mommy and Me Giveaways and read how to be apart of the fun.

Spinach Pizza Dough

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:30:00 +0000

I have a new addiction and that is Pinterest. I love the visual you get with the pictures, you can find a ton of recipes on there and you can create your own categories. So much better than the "favorites" section on my web browser. So now I do most of my recipe browsing on pinterst. Which just so happens to be where I found this beauty. I mean, come on, spinach pizza crust? What a marvelous idea! Usually I try to justify eating half of a pizza pie by the fact that is has calcium with the cheese, nutrients from all of the veggies I load on top and antioxidants from the tomato sauce. Now I can add spinach crust the list!

Now all things on pinterest come from somewhere and this recipe comes from Jane's blog Get Healthy, Feel Awesome! I am so glad that I found this recipe because I absolutely love it. It's just like making normal pizza dough but with the added benefit of the spinach. Plus my favorite color and even though some foods that are green (like ketchup, YUCK!) freak me out, something about my pizza crust being green thrills me. Now if I said this out loud with the Mr. around he would look at me and give me the infamous "look" like I just said something stupid. He hates it when I describe food as earthy or fun. To him, food is only fun if it's being thrown at someone in a food fight. Boys... pffft. :oP

3 cups white flour
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (equivalent to one packet)
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 (10 oz.) Package frozen spinach, thawed
¼ cup warm water
2 TBSP olive oil

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water and let sit for five minutes or until foaming.
Using a blender or immersion blender, pulse the thawed spinach with juices until half-way pureed.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, salt, and sugar.
Add pureed spinach and olive oil followed with the yeast/water mixture. Stir until fully incorporated and proceed to knead until mixture is elastic – about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover dough and let sit for 20 minutes.
Roll dough out and top with pizza toppings of choice. Bake for 15-20 minutes in 400 degree oven.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday

Chicken Burgers Topped w/ Brie & Cranberries

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:54:00 +0000

There used to be this little cafe here in town that served these delicious sandwiches that consisted croissant, turkey, cranberries and brie cheese. Every time I went there I always got this sandwich, there was never any question about it. I was loyal to my sandwich. So what does one do when they can no longer go out and order their favorite sandwich? You make your own of course!

Now I know that I don't have everything from the original recipe... for started the bun. I've never made a croissant and even though they are so darn tasty, they are not all that great for you. So I swapped out the croissant and used homemade wheat buns instead. Another change from the original is the fact that I used chicken instead of turkey. The reasoning behind that is because when I went to the commissary they were out of turkey. Completely out, zero zilch none. Apparently this isn't totally uncommon since I went to the commissary last week and their entire poultry section was bare except for a piece of paper that apologized for the inconvenience. So as you can see, there are time when even the most common grocery items are unobtainable to me. :o)

These burgers hit the spot for me but the Mr. couldn't understand why I would put brie and cranberries on a burger. HaHa He ate it and said it wasn't bad but he wasn't a fan. He would much rather have his BBQ sauce on a good ol beef burger. Oh well, you can't win them all can ya?

1 lb ground chicken
1 Tbsp. canola oil
9 Tbsp whole cranberry sauce
Brie cheese with the casing removed
3 buns
cumin
coriander
salt
pepper

Heat oil in medium sized pan over medium heat.
Season the ground chicken with salt and pepper. Form into 3 patties and cook in the pan, about 4 minutes each side. Sprinkle the top of the burgers with cumin and coriander (not too much though, just a sprinkling)
Meanwhile warm up the cranberry sauce via microwave or stove top until warm.
When burgers are almost done cooking, place the brie on top so that it can start to melt. Depending on the cut of brie you have just make sure the slices cover the top of the burger so you may need two or three slices per burger. Remove from heat when cooked, place the burgers on the buns and top with 3Tbsp cranberry sauce.

This post is submitted in
Bunny Hop Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
What's Cooking Wednesday

The New Green Smoothie Diet Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 05:01:00 +0000

The New Green Smoothie Diet by Hilary Greenleaf talks about the benefits of green smoothies and gives recipes and tips on making them. It goes over detoxifying the body, how to achieve increased energy levels, and how to incorporate green smoothies into a weight loss plan.

The chapters include recipes for

Weight loss
Detoxifying the body
Increase energy
Fight heart disease
Prevent certain cancers
Boost immune system
Protect against diabetes
Healthy skin and hair

I've tried juicing before and have found that I like it. I am not a huge vegetable person and this is a great way to get more vegetables in my body than I normally would. But, I wasn't a huge fan of all the cleanup and prep work that you have to do for the juicer. So when Hilary sent me an email asking to review her new book and host a giveaway for my readers I decided to jump on the offer. I know that a few of you have discussed juicing and this is a great solution without having to buy a fancy juicer. I have tried a few recipes from this book so far and I can't wait to try more. This book is a starter for green smoothies. Hilary gives you tips for making your own smoothies that are geared towards your needs with the ingredients that you love.

When I saw the energizing drink in the book, I decided it would be my first test victim. I tend to drink coffee in the mornings before work because if I don't, I don't usually get my motor running until about 2 hours in and even then I am scolding myself for skipping my caffeine fix. So I was pretty surprised when I skipped the coffee and brought a smoothie to work instead and found myself wide awake and peppy... and I am never peppy in the morning. This smoothie sort of reminded me of the ones you would get at a fancy smoothies bar. I couldn't taste the spinach or the avocado but the smoothie was thick and very berry-y. :oP

Morning Zing Smoothie

1 orange, peeled and seeded
1/2 lime, peels and seeded
1 c. spinach
1 large banana
1/2 c. blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 avocado, pitted
2 c. water

Blend everything in the blender until there are no chunks.

Now onto the fun stuff! Hilary was nice enough to offer not one but FIVE electronic copies of her book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is submitted in
Sugar Free Sunday
Mix it up Monday
Monday Mania

Chickpea & Tomato Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:21:00 +0000

I hate it when something so delicious looks the total opposite in pictures. Oh well, what can you do, you'll just have to take my word for it. So even though this may not look very appetizing, just note that it is insanely good! (It's even better the next day when you eat the leftovers.) I saw this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and since I am a curry fan, decided to give it a try. It had great reviews and I love the fact that it could be made in about 30 minutes... because I had about an hour to figure out what I was making for dinner... before dinner time. I am really glad I spotted this recipe because it was really easy to make and very flavorful.

I actually didn't have any problems with this dish but I did omit the cilantro only because I really do not like cilantro. Even though the Mr. gave me a strange look when I added the yogurt on top, it was pretty good.

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 TBSP. oil

1 TBSP finely chopped ginger root

1 TBSP curry powder

2 cans (15 oz each) chick peas, drained, rinsed

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

Hot cooked rice, if desired

Plain yogurt, if desired

In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, ginger root and curry powder in oil about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.
Stir in chick peas and tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt.
Serve over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

This post is submitted in
Friday Food
Meatless Monday
Mix It Up Monday

Healthified Garlic Shrimp Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Ever have one of those days where you wait until the very last minute to figure out what to make for dinner? I do it all the time and usually end up eating hamburgers or leftovers for dinner. Except last week I was lucky enough to have everything on hand for this recipe from Betty Crocker. Well... almost everything at least.

I did change some things from the original recipe below starting with the tomatoes. I didn't have cherry tomatoes and I wasn't going to run to the store at 5 o'clock to pick some up. I had a roman tomato staring me down and decided that it would do just fine. I also used thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh. I have some fresh vegetables but the majority of what I have on hand is frozen. With it just being the two of us, we don't do through the vegetables fast enough and I end up throwing them out in the end. And last but not least, I used dry vermouth in place of the wine. With my substitutions, I loved this dish. So much so that between the Mr. and I, we ate the whole thing.

8 oz uncooked multigrain pasta

4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail shells removed

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons butter

In 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; return to saucepan. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cover to keep warm.
While pasta is cooking, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2 minutes.
Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and butter until butter is melted. Add shrimp mixture to pasta mixture in saucepan; toss to mix.

This post is submitted in
Friday Food and Recipe Linky

Undone Stuffed Pepper Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:43:00 +0000

I LOVE stuffed peppers but with it being just the Mr. and I, making stuffed peppers is a whole lot of work for just two people. Not to mention that there is no such thing as making just 2 stuffed peppers, the filling you make could stuff a grocery store worth of peppers. So... what does one do when cooking for two? ALAS, I have the solution for you! (okay if you don't know what it is yet, then you clearly haven't been paying attention to the website you're currently on). Instead of stuffing "x" amount of peppers to use up your filling, what about mixing it all together in a pan, throwing it in the oven and forgetting about it until the oven screams "BEEP"? Oh, did I forget to add that it tastes exactly the same as its stuffed pepper cousin? Yup! I don't know about you but I always end up chopping my stuffed pepper up on my plate creating a chaotic mess anyways. So why not skip the extra steps and make a casserole. The leftovers are delicious and if you are cooking for just one, this is a perfect make ahead dish, you can store the leftovers in individual servings in your freezer for dinners down the road.

I got the recipe from Kraft and the only thing that I changed from the recipe below is the spaghetti sauce. I used a big can of crushed tomatoes instead since that was what I always have on hand. Other than that I followed the recipe and it came out delicious.

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 green peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 (24 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1-1/2 cups shredded five cheese blend, divided

Preheat oven to 350F
Brown meat with peppers and garlic in large skillet; drain. Stir in rice, spaghetti sauce and 3/4 cup cheese.
Spoon into 2-qt. casserole; top with remaining cheese.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

This post is submitted in
Real Food Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked

My Memories Suite v3 Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:37:00 +0000

I know that this a food blog but when I was approached to do another review/giveaway by a company called My Memories, I looked at their digital scrapbooking software and I knew that a lot of you guys would be interested in this. But first I need to get this off of my chest... I do not scrapbook. I tried it once, about 7 years ago and I got as far as three pages before I finally called it quits. I love scrapbooks, I think they are awesome but I suck at it. And if you are like me, this program comes with pre-made templates where all you need to do is click on the photo you want and drop it into the photo section and voila! You can even move the different elements that are on the template around. So even though it is a pre-made template you can still go in and make it yours. After playing around with the templates I decided to get ballsy and try my hand at making my own from scratch. It took a few tries to get the hang of it but I love the results! There are so many more things that you can do other than scrapbook. One thing that I might take advantage of is instead of the old typed out recipe layout, I might start doing it like this.... I think it gives the recipes more personality.

This program has so many features and embellishes that are already done for you, that it makes it extremely easy for someone like me. I think that is what made me really fall in love with this program. So I just wanted to show you a few of the pages that I made. Now like I said before, I am not artsy, I wouldn't even be surprised if my mom told me that I used to eat paste during craft time in kindergarten.

My Memories was nice enough to not only give away My Memories Suite v3 to one lucky reader ($40 value) but they are also giving everyone $20 off of their products! $10 off of the software itself and another $10 off of their kits in their store. So even if you don't win the grand prize, everyone walks away a winner!

The promotional code is STMMMS81032

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Turkey Jerky For Your Pets

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:25:00 +0000

When this time of year rolls around, everyone is all hyped up over the Super Bowl. I never grew up in a sports family and thankfully I only had to deal with football on Thanksgiving when my uncles would take over the T.V. Truth be told, I am just not that into football and I don't really understand any of it, except for you aim to get the ball on the other side of the field. So it comes to no shock to a lot of people when I tell that that instead of watching football on Sunday, I plan on watching the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. I mean seriously, you have to be blind and heartless not to find it adorable. All those puppies running around, pouncing on each other and just having a grand ol' time. Then of course there is the Kitty Halftime, which in my opinion is better than some of the performers they get for the Half Time. Half of the kittens pounce on all the cool toys zipping around and then the other half are just wide eyed wondering "Where am I?!" I really could go on and on about how awesome I think the Puppy Bowl is. So while all the food bloggers out there are doing appetizer posts for the Super Bowl, I will be doing one for our very special four legged furry friends.

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray's website and when I heard about the recipe I knew it was perfect. Very few ingredients, easy to make and it's something that dog, cat or even human can eat. I had no difficulty at all making these... unless you could the fact that I accidentally turned off the oven halfway through when I only meant to turn off the timer. So four hours later I go out to the oven to pull the finished jerky out of the oven and realize that not only is the oven cold but the jerky looks the same as it did 2 hours ago when I cut them. Oops! So I turned the oven back on and put them in for another two hours. The finished product turned out great and the girls gobbled them up. I did cut them into 1" by 2" strips since my cats are not the size of an Irish Wolfhound.
*This recipe makes quite a bit of treats, so I gave some to a friend who's dog is a picky eater (he doesn't like dog treats) and a cat and she said that they loved them. She also shared some with her father's 4 dogs dogs and they sat at attention waiting to get more treats. So these were definitely a success!

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon EVOO

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees . In a bowl, combine the turkey, carrot, cranberry sauce and EVOO. Spread the mixture evenly on a 9-by-11-inch foil-lined baking sheet; bake for 2 hours.
Carefully turn out the meat onto a large cutting board and cut into 1-by- 4-inch strips. Return the strips to the foil-lined baking sheet and bake until completely dry, about 2 more hours. Transfer to a rack and let cool before storing in the refrigerator.

This post is submitted in
What's Cooking Thursday
These Chicks Cook

Boundless Nutrition Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:01:00 +0000

Boundless Nutrition is a family owned and operated business located in Austin, Texas. They manufacture natural and healthy snacks like the Wellness Bars that is high in protein, fiber and calcium while remaining low in the sugar department. They also make Perfect Fit Protein Cookies that are gluten free and packed with protein with only 150 calories.

Omega 3 Wellness Bars

100% whole grains
300 mg EPA & DHA Omega 3
14 g. hormone free whey protein
3 c. green tea
5 g. fiber
14 g. protein
190 calories
prebiotic inulin

100% whole grains
200 mg DHA & EPA Omega 3
10 g. hormore-free whey protein
10 g. protein
3 g. fiber
2 c. green tea
120 calories
prebiotic inulin

My thoughts:
All three of the bars look the same and have the same density. The only one that looked different was the Blueberry Pomegranate Crunch bar. One thing that I noticed about them besides their appearance and texture were their taste. You could not taste the fish oil in any of them. Now, considering that I am not a huge fish person and the smell of fish oil repulses me, this was huge. I thought for sure I would find a hint of fish in these bars but I found nothing. I would also like to add that they are quite filling. I found that half of a bar would curb a mid afternoon hunger and sustain me until my lunch break.

Dark Chocolate Peanut- This bar really threw the Mr. and I. We were expecting a very peanut taste and instead couldn't taste anything remotely like peanut. I could taste oats and a hint of mint but no peanut. Which was a let down for me since I could eat a jar of peanuts or take a spoon to a jar of peanut butter and be set for life.

Mocha- There should be a disclaimer here because I don't like mocha flavored things. Just like I don't like banana flavored anything, same goes for mocha. Unless of course you are handing me a cup of coffee. So I feel like my review on the taste of this bar is mute.

Dark Chocolate Mint- Okay close your eyes and think Thin Mints. That is exactly what this bar tastes like. If I didn't eat it so fast I would have thrown it in the freezer to see if it had the same effect as it does on the cookie. (I know I am not the only one that does this.)

Blueberry Pomegranate Crunch- This bar had a very powerful blueberry taste to it. It reminded me of the blueberry pomegranate juice that we drink but only in bar form.

Perfect Fit Cookies

150 calories
10 g. protein
4 g. fiber
3 c. green tea
gluten-free
low sodium
no soy wheat or egg
hormone free milk protein

My thoughts:
All three of these cookies were delicious! They did however have a grainy texture to them but the Mr. and I chalked it up to all the protein that is in them. Neither one of us were put off by it and if there was a Boundless Nutrition shop next to a Mrs. Fields, we would hands down get these Perfect Fit cookies.

From the pictures left to right.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut- This cookie was probably my least favorite of the three. It had more of the chalky taste and gritty texture that you associate with the protein bars you get a health food store. However, the Mr. liked this one a lot and said that even though you could certainly tell that is wasn't homemade, he would gladly eat more of them.

Chocolate Chip- Can anything with the words "chocolate chip cookie" be gross? I am starting to believe that the answer is no. For me personally, this was my favorite out of everything that I tasted. Maybe I am just a sucker for chocolate chip cookies but I really liked this cookie. It was just like the cookies you get pre-wrapped in convenient stores except you felt good after eating it.

Peanut Butter- This didn't have a processed peanut butter taste to it at all. It was as if they ground the peanuts up themselves to make a paste and used that in their cookies. I even liked the extra touch of chopped peanuts in the cookie.

☆ I must thank Boundless Nutrition and Amy, who was nice enough to send me a box full of their tasty treats to try. They were even as kind as to offer my readers a box (12 bars or cookies) to one lucky winner! So swing by their webpage and leave a comment here letting me know which ones you would like to try.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tortellini and Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:39:00 +0000

You know how you should never go to the grocery store when you are hungry because you will end up buying everything... well sometimes that isn't such a bad thing. This time it worked out well in my favor. I never buy tortellini and when I came home one day with two packages of the stuff, I started to look for dinners to incorporate them in. I wound up finding this recipe over at Betty Crocker and thought it sounded delicious.

The recipe is extremely easy to make and is easy on the clean up as well. Everything is made in the one pot, there is no slicing and dicing, it is literally a throw everything in the pot kind of recipe and I love it! The last thing I want to do when I get home from work is change out of my work clothes and slave away in the kitchen making dinner and this recipe takes all of the labor out of dinner for you. The only thing I did differently was that I used cooked dried beans instead of the canned beans.

3 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ basil, oregano and garlic, drained
1 c. frozen chopped spinach
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (9 oz) package cheese filled tortellini
basil, sliced thinly for garnish (optional)

In large saucepan, combine vegetable broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add spinach, beans and tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; boil gently 5 minutes or until tortellini is tender and soup is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:25:00 +0000

BOOOO!

Yeah, I know, it has been a while. Trust me, there is a reason why I have been MIA for a while. If you follow me on Facebook than you know that the Mr. and I hitched a ride on a few planes from CA-NY to see family and friends for New Years. Have you ever tried to see everyone and do everything within 5 days when you have been gone for nearly 2 years? It isn't easy. When we were home we finally got a chance to go to a SU basketball game. For those who follow college basketball, you might know that we are currently #1 in the Big East. We have been following our hometown team and watching the games on TV but we hit the days just right to where we were able to go to one of the games. So we were both pretty excited to finally be in the Carrier Dome watching a game.

We also got a chance to see another local team, the Syracuse Crunch play as well. My mom was able to get us awesome seats and I was up close and personal to watch a bunch of grown men slam each other around and get physical on the ice.

We also got to do something we weren't able to attend last year... First Night. We have something called Lights on the Lake where during the holidays you drive through all of these light displays while listening to the programed music channel but on New Years Eve, they shut it down to cars and allow the public to walk through all the light displays instead... the whole 5 miles worth.

When we finally made it back home, I realized... I have no more stored up recipes! I thought I had more saved on our old computer but when I yanked the hard drive and had a looksy, I realized I needed to get my butt in the kitchen and start cracking. So I have been making up new dishes so that I can share them with you guys.

However, I was welcomed home by a box from Boundless Nutrition containing some of their wellness bars and protein cookies to review. They also offered to give one of my lucky readers a chance to try their products as well. So as soon as I can eat my way through their treats, I will post my review. Believe it or not, these little guys are quite filling and even with the Mr. and I splitting them in half, we can pretty much only make it through one a day.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful new year so far.

Baked French Toast Casserole w/ Praline Topping

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:14:00 +0000

Every year on Christmas Eve I would make this french toast casserole before heading out to my aunt's house for the annual family holiday get together. That way, the next morning when we all watch my niece open up her gifts from Santa, I can throw the casserole in the oven and by the time she's done, the casserole's done. It really does time out perfectly and I found that it is a lot more enjoyable to just relax Christmas morning with a hot cup of java, listening to Christmas music in the background while my niece tears into her gifts. However last year we were unable to make it home for the holidays but I still kept the tradition alive and made the casserole at home. I will have to do the same this year as well since we won't be home for the holidays again. Plus, I think I might be working on Christmas, so this might be more a dinner when I get home than a breakfast. Yeah, apparently National Parks don't close for Christmas and someone has to show up and talk to visitors. Oh well, I am not complaining, I would much rather work the holiday that have one of my co-workers who has a family at home waiting for them spending their Christmas day sitting in the visitor center.

This is a super simple casserole that you make the night before and let it sit and soak over night in the fridge. Then the next morning all you have to do is pretty much just throw it in the oven. I did alter the recipe quite a bit since it does come from Paula Dean and that woman likes her heavy creams and butter. I have also found that from previous years, if you cut the bread in cubes instead of slices, it soaks up the egg mixture better leaving you with perfect french toast texture throughout. As apposed to some parts being dried out and more toasted and others having a glob of egg on the side.

French Toast:

1 loaf of challah bread (any bread will work)
8 eggs
3 c. skim milk/soy milk
1 TBSP. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Slice bread into 1-inch thick cubes. Arrange bread onto buttered 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Combine all the ingredients above and whisk until blended. Pour egg mixture over the bread making sure all of the bread is evenly covered. Cover casserole with foil and store in the refrigerator over night.

Praline Topping:

1/2 c. butter/margarine
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. pecans
2 Tbsp. lite calorie light corn syrup (not the dark stuff)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Store in container in the refrigerator over night.

Next Morning:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Praline topping will have separated over night, stir until well blended.
Pour mixture evenly over bread.
Bake for 20 minutes with foil on. Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 20 until the bread is puffy and golden brown.

This post is submitted in
Make It Yours

Gingerbread Marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:42:00 +0000

I know everyone makes gingerbread cookies for the holidays. It seems like gingerbread and Christmas go hand in hand. So why not spruce up your typical holiday drink and add a little gingerbread flair to your hot cocoa? I came across this recipe last year and instantly fell in love. It isn't that hard to make but you do have to have patience to allow the marshmallows to fully set before you cut into them. But all good things come with time and this is no exception.

I would highly recommend that you use at least a hand held electric mixer for this recipe. You have to spend minutes whipping the mixture to get it light and fluffy and unless you are looking for one serious workout, a plain old whisk just isn't going to cut it. I however used my stand mixer and was able to walk away and start to clean up while the marshmallows were whipping away to fluffy goodness.

1 oz packet gelatin
1/2 c. cold water
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. water
2 TBSP molasses
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
2 egg whites, room temperature

Put sugars in a saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water to make a mixture that looks and feels like wet sand. What is most important is that all sugar has the same amount of moisture. Add molasses, salt, ginger, cinnamon and clove, and place over low heat. Cook until it becomes a sugar syrup of 235-240 degrees. It should have the consistency of corn syrup.
Meanwhile, Place 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water. Let bloom.
Once the sugar syrup is ready, turn off heat and let sit for a couple of minutes...not too long. Start your mixer on low and get the whites to foamy. Mix the gelatin into the sugar syrup and stir until melted completely. Place egg whites into a large bowl. Add the salt. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl, careful not to hit the whisk attachment and turn the mixer on high. Leave on high and mix until the mixture is warm, but full volume and comes to a peak. While it is still warm, pour into a lightly greased 13x9 pan. Sift powdered sugar on top. Allow marshmallows to sit at least 5 hours or over night to fully set up. Cut into squares and store in airtight container.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday
Make It Yours

Chickpea Pot Pie w/ Cornbread Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:47:00 +0000

With the temperatures finally getting below 60 here in the desert, I am making more winter friendly recipes. One of which was Joanne's amazing pot pie. The recipes she comes out with are amazing and I am pretty sure that unlike myself she has taken food photography classes because her pictures make you drool on your keyboard without even realizing it. So, no surprise here that when I saw this recipe, realized I had everything in the pantry to make it, I made it for dinner that night. The entire time I was thanking Joanne for posting it. I grew up on that frozen pot pie crap that you throw in the oven, yeah... you know what I'm talking about. I have since made my own pot pies but never made one with cornbread topping before! Why on earth did no one think of this before? I am pretty sure that as I mercilessly dug into my pot pie that night, I was saying all of this out loud to the Mr. Usually I ask him if he likes any of the new recipes I try but I am pretty sure I blurted out at the table "I hope you like this because I love it and plan on making this recipe a lot." I don't believe he complained but then again, I was too preoccupied devouring my dinner.

So aside from the fact that this is drool worthy another thing that I loved about this recipe... it was incredibly easy. You pretty much cook your filling in one pan, mix your cornbread topping in a bowl while everything is cooking and then you assemble and throw in the oven. I only made two ramekins for the Mr. and I and stored the filling and topping in two separate containers in the refrigerator for round two. I did change a couple of things. Instead of sugar I tried truvia sweetener (which you couldn't tell the difference) and because I am from Syracuse, I used Franks hot sauce. If you have a favorite hot sauce by all means use it.

2 c. chopped sweet potatoes
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. AP flour
2 c. vegetable broth
2 c. cooked chickpeas
1/2 c. frozen baby peas
1 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper
dash of Franks hot sauce
3/4 c. cornmeal
3/4 c. AP flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 1/2 TBSP sugar/sweetener
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c. almond milk or skim milk
2 TBSP olive oil
1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten

Boil the potatoes and carrots until tender but not soft and set aside.
Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray (or ramekins!)
For the filling, heat a large saucepan until hot. Add the oil and onions. Saute onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the 1/4 cup flour and mix. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock whisking well with a wire whisk. Still using the whisk, cook the mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, peas, cooked potatoes and carrots, salt, pepper to taste, and hot sauce. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. turn into the prepared casserole dish, spreading evenly or divide evenly among ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
For the crust, in a bowl combine the cornmeal, 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil and egg yolk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until uniform but a bit lumpy. Spoon the batter evenly over the filling.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes for the casserole and 10 to 12 minutes for the ramekins.

This post is submitted in
Just Another Meatless Monday

Cream of Spinach Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:26:00 +0000

I had this soup a couple of years ago while out with a bunch of friends for lunch. The soup of the day was cream of spinach and even know I am not a fan of "cream of anything" soup I decided to give it a shot. I ended up devouring mine in record timing and probably would have gone up for seconds if it wouldn't have made me look like a total pig. Now that it is finally cooling down here in the desert, I have started to make soups. When at the commissary I was looking at the frozen vegetable section and saw a bag of chopped spinach and immediately thought about the soup I had back in VA. The Mr. looked at me like I was crazy when I bought 2 bags of spinach and even questioned what I was doing. I will admit that when I told him my plans for dinner he wasn't overly thrilled. You see the Mr. and I share the same view on creamed soups. I went home found a recipes on All Recipes and got to work.

This soup is super simple to make and isn't loaded with heavy cream. You can add different spices to the batch to give it more flavor. I added chipotle for a little smoky kick. However, I thought the soup was fine all on its own and was sneaking "tastes' while I waited for the Mr. to get home from work.

1 1/2 c. vegetable stock
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach
3 TBSP butter/ margarine
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. skim milk
1 TBSP dried minced onion
pinch chipotle powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine stock and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook until spinach is tender.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in spinach mixture.

This post is submitted in
My Meatless Mondays
Tuesdays at the Table
Hearth and Soul
Full Plate Thursday
Penny Pinching Party

Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Meatloaf and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:36:00 +0000

I received an email the other day from Chef Jeff who is the author of the cookbook DinneRevolution. The cookbook contains over 200 healthy recipes that have 10 ingredients or less. I like that it has a wide selection of poultry, beef, pork, seafood, vegetarian and side dish recipes. The ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery store and the directions are easy to follow. There is also the nutrient facts at the bottom of each recipe. So if you are counting calories or just watching what you eat in general, this cookbook won't leave you guessing. I have only made one thing from this cookbook so far and both the Mr. and I loved it.

I don't know what it is but lately I have been on a blue cheese and hot sauce kick. So the second I saw this recipe I called up the Mr. and told him to pick up a pound of ground poultry on his way home from work. It took no time to throw it together and the ending result was pretty tasty. We did add more hot sauce when we were eating it, so the next time I make it I think I will use more hot sauce but other than that, this recipe was delicious. One thing I should add is that pretty much every recipe in this cookbook uses the no salt seasoning. I just used one of my empty spice containers and put the seasoning in there. I didn't have any lemon peel on hand but I will go out and get it soon and add it in. It is a nice spice blend to have on hand.

All Purpose No Salt Seasoning

1 1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP thyme leaves
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP paprika
1/2 TBSP celery seed
1 TBSP white pepper
1 TBSP dry mustard
1 TBSP dried lemon peel
1 TBSP ground black pepper

Mix together and store in a tight fitting container

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Meatloaf
Serves 4
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 pound Ground Turkey/Chicken
1/2 c. Egg Substitute or 1 whole egg
1/4 c. Bread Crumbs
1/4 c. crumbled Blue Cheese
1/2 c. sliced Green Onion
1 TBSP All Purpose Seasoning, no salt
1 TBSP Hot Sauce
1/4 c. Dijon Mustard
1/4 c. Ketchup
1 TBSP Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In large bowl mix together the ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, blue cheese, green onion, and seasoning, pat mixture to a loaf and place on a baking sheet.
Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the meatloaf.
Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Internal temperature should be 160 degrees.

per serving: 204 calories; 15 gram protein; 6.5 grams total fat; 0 gram fiber; 4.5 gram
saturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 33 mgs cholesterol; 949 mgs sodium

This post is submitted in
Real Food Wednesday

★ ☆Everyone wins! All you need to do it enter and leave your email address and I will email you the link to download your free cookbook. This giveaway is open internationally to all of my followers. ★ ☆

Mock Paneer Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:16:00 +0000

I am still new to Indian cuisine but I love changing up our menu every once in a while. I found this recipe over at Living Free and decided to give it a try. I am always looking for new vegetarian dishes to try and this one was definitely not anything I have had before. It's a mock paneer because the cheese is substituted with tofu. There are also different variety of vegetables in this recipe that you wouldn't necessarily find in a traditional curry.

I will admit that the pictures didn't turn out all that great but that's what happens when you are impatient to start eating. This recipe makes a lot and so I had it for leftovers for about a week and every time I warmed it up it just kept getting better. My tofu fell apart but I guess that is what happens when you man handle it. HaHa

1/2 c. white onion, sliced
1/4 c. button mushroom, sliced
1 c. broccoli florets
1 c. green beans
1 small romaine tomato, finely chopped
1 package extra firm tofu
3 c. lite coconut milk
1/4 c. finely ground brown rice flour
1 TBSP. cumin powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. ginger
Salt to taste, if needed

Start by cooking the 5 vegetables in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover it all. I recommend putting this on a back burner to cook while you work on the sauce.
Next, drain the tofu and place on a cutting board. I started by cutting the tofu length ways, so that there were two large yet thin rectangular pieces. It doesn’t really matter how you cut them really, as long as the pieces are about 1/2″ by 1/2″. Once the tofu is sliced, set it aside.
In a large saucepan, not yet on the stove or on heat, add 2 cups of coconut milk and the flour. Wisk together until there are no clunks of flour. Put the pan on to the stove on medium heat. Mix until the liquid starts to thicken, then add the 3rd cup of milk.
Add the tofu chunks and continue mixing for about ten minutes. The continual mixing ensures that things won’t stick to the bottom of the pan, especially as the liquid continues to thicken. Then mix in the cooked veggies and cook for an additional five to ten minutes. Add the spices, mix well.This is when you should test the flavor and add anything additional you think it needs.
Serve hot, although it’s good left over as well; unlike most Indian dishes where the ghee separates and it looses it’s texture – this keeps the same texture when re-heated!. This made enough to feed 6 to 8 people.

Apple Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:55:00 +0000

Last year a bunch of us loaded up and got out of the desert to go apple picking. I was pretty excited since back in NY there are orchard everywhere and the price to pick your own is pretty good. However, that wasn't the case with the place we went to. Not only were their apples expensive but the made your own cider station was ridiculous. So needless to say I only got to make one thing with my picked apples and I chose apple butter. I found the recipe over at All Recipes. The recipe was super easy since everything is done for you in the crock-pot and the only thing you really need for this recipe is patience because it takes a long time to cook down. I used smaller jars for storage and gave some away as Christmas gifts.

*Depending on the sweetness of your apples you may want to alter the sugar amount.

5 1/5 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 c. sugar or sweetener
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

This post is submitted in
A Southern Fairytale
Let's Do Brunch