This is actually a note to myself:
I just made Joy the Baker's Chocolate Banana Bread and it turned out wonderfully! Must make again, but I would add a bit more banana to mine.
Showing posts with label not mine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label not mine. Show all posts
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Raisin granola muffins
Raisin Granola Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1.75 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 cup granola
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp veggie oil
- 1/4 cup raisins (my add in)
OVERALL: So I rarely make things from stratch. Not because I don't like it, but it's always time consuming for me and I don't have enough bowls to mix things separately and I generally make a mess. Plus, I feel like I have less ability to use my creative energy to modify the recipe! But I was staring at my box of granola, which had this lovely recipe on the side. It looked simple enough, and I HAD all the ingredients to make (minus the vanilla). So I decided to make them.
They tasted very good when they came out of the oven. There was only a hint of sweetness, no where near what I'm use to when buying muffins from Starbucks, but they were still good.
I have no idea what happened overnight. I put them in the fridge, covered and all, and they turned to rock hard muffins. They were almost painful to eat. I ended up throwing about half away after I couldn't eat anymore. So I'm not sure if I would make again, maybe some weird planet alignment caused the muffins to turn on me.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Interesting Article: Easy Dinners
t’s 6 p.m. and the family wants to know “What’s for dinner?”
Why not look in your pantry, root through your freezer and search the refrigerator to come up with some short-cut meals? People ask me if I cook and I say yes, but I also do a lot of meal assembly when time is tight. Here are some meals in minutes that will please the family and the cook.
 Have a question of general interest? E-mail Chris Rosenbloom Fit to Eat columns
• Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., is a member of the nutrition faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia State University
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• Brown, black and red burritos. Use a bag of ready rice (brown rice is best) and cook in microwave according to package directions. Pour the rice in a bowl and mix in a can of drained black beans and some jarred salsa to taste. Wrap in tortillas or stuff in pita bread and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve with a side of baked tortilla chips and salsa.
• Chicken soup meal. Take a couple of cans of chicken soup (or any broth-based soup) and add a can of mixed, drained vegetables and a can of drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve with whole-grain bread.
• Pasta in a hurry. Cook any type of pasta in your pantry according to package directions (spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.). Heat olive oil in frying pan and toss in bite-size pieces of vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, onions, carrots, etc.). Serve over pasta with drizzle of olive oil. Serve with side salad and bread sticks.
• Tuna toast. Drain a can or two of tuna and add finely chopped celery, onions, olives and raisins and mix with reduced-fat mayonnaise. Spread over thick slices of whole-wheat bread or any bread in your freezer. Place under broiler to heat through. Serve with baby carrots and apple wedges.
• Tortellini soup. Cook a package of refrigerated or dried tortellini (any kind will do). Drain. Mix one can of chicken broth with one can diced tomatoes. Add chopped garlic and dried basil. Mix in tortellini. Serve with green salad or steamed vegetables.
• Chicken nuggets. Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thaw in microwave if frozen), slice into strips. Dredge in an egg white (give the yolk to your dog) and dredge in panko (bread crumbs). Bake on cookie sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up); add slices of potato drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkle of dried rosemary on the same baking sheet and cook until the chicken and potatoes are done, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with cooked frozen or canned green vegetable.
TOP 10 PANTRY ITEMS FOR SHORT-CUT MEALS
• Cans of beans (keep a variety on hand: black, kidney, garbanzo, cannellini and pinto)
• Bags of ready rice (brown is preferred)
• High-protein whole-grain pastas
• Cans of broth-based soup
• Oatmeal
• Olive oil
• Couscous, bulgur or millet
• Light chunk tuna canned in water
• Low-fat microwave popcorn
• Nuts
TOP 10 FREEZER ITEMS FOR SHORT-CUT MEALS
• Whole-grain breads
• Chicken breast or chicken thighs
• Whole-wheat tortillas
• Vegetables (buy bags of veggies for easy storage)
• Turkey or black bean burgers
• Frozen fruit (for out-of-season use)
• Whole-wheat pitas
• Whole-grain waffles
• Ground turkey breast
• Frozen boneless fish fillets
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sandy's Buffalo Dip
Sandy's Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients:
- 2 Packages of Cream cheese
- 1 bottle hot sauce (not sure on size of bottle)
- 1 bottle Ranch dressing
- 2 cups Shredded chicken
- Shredded chedder cheese
1. Put all ingredients into a pot. Stir until melted.
2. Spread the mixture into a 13x9 baking dish or split between a 13x9 and 8x8 if you have extra
3. Add the chedder cheese on top.
4. Heat in the over at 350 until cheese is melted.
OVERALL: So this dip is absolutely amazing. I asked her for the recipe because I know I am FOR SURE making this. I would recommend "scoop-able" chips to get all the yummy goodness. Sandy also told me that celery in this dish is optional if anyone was looking for an extra crunch. This dip can get a little hot, so if you are concerned with heat add hot sauce in intermittent amounts until you get the right heat. This is great for football games & general party appetizer.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Apologies & Gnocchi
Sorry I haven't been around. With the Fiance leaving for Japan and now closing in on the last month of school things have gotten busy. Tonight I decided to break away from Statistics and make some Gnocchi
Gnocchi with Butter Thyme Sauce
For Butter Sauce
1.5 cup butter
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
For Gnocchi
1 Russet 1 lb potato (I only had Yukon Gold)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup shaved Pecorino Romano (I had Parmesan romano)
DIRECTIONS
Cook the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme leaves. Set aside.
Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the egg; discard the remaining egg. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long). Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. For whatever reasom my Gnocchi was really sticky so they did not turn out as nicely as Gianda's did.
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the hot thyme-butter in the skillet. Toss to coat.
Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls. Top with the Pecorino and serve.
OVERALL: Very good. I had some problems with the dough. Gnocchi is VERY filling. It's not my favorite thing to eat either, but I was in the mood. Good flavor and great recipe.
Gnocchi with Butter Thyme Sauce
For Butter Sauce
1.5 cup butter
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
For Gnocchi
1 Russet 1 lb potato (I only had Yukon Gold)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup shaved Pecorino Romano (I had Parmesan romano)
DIRECTIONS
Cook the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the thyme leaves. Set aside.
Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the egg; discard the remaining egg. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long). Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. For whatever reasom my Gnocchi was really sticky so they did not turn out as nicely as Gianda's did.
Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the hot thyme-butter in the skillet. Toss to coat.
Spoon the gnocchi and butter sauce into shallow bowls. Top with the Pecorino and serve.
OVERALL: Very good. I had some problems with the dough. Gnocchi is VERY filling. It's not my favorite thing to eat either, but I was in the mood. Good flavor and great recipe.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Early Thanksgiving
So this past Sunday, I decided to have a little thanksgiving Dinner with the boyfriend, since He'll be in Japan for the actual thanksgiving.
Maple Walnut Turkey
1. Use Uncle Ben's Long Grained Rice (I used a package of white I had) combine with the water, and pour into the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Place the turkey in skin side up.
3. Pour maple syrup & walnuts in.
4. Set on low & cook for 5 hours.
OUTCOME: Um, so the store didn't have turkey breast, they had turkey cutlets. AND I put it on high instead of low. So they were dry. Like Saharan Africa dry. I didn't even eat the turkey, although it did taste good. Next time I won't be so absent minded.
1. Cook green beans in carrots until tender. We did this by microwave for about 12 minutes.
2. Melt butter and combine seasoning and basil. Mix. Our over Veggies.
3. Enjoy
OVERALL: So honestly (and my boyfriend will agree) these were so fucking good. I actually went back for seconds BEFORE I went back for more sweet potato pie *gasp* He is the one who actually made them, so all credit goes towards him!
His Plate: In a clockwise direction, The overdone Turkey, Green Beans & Carrots, Sweet potato Pie, Mashes Potatoes
My Plate: Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Pie, Chicken from the night before, Green Beans & Carrots, Cranberry
Maple Walnut Turkey
- Turkey Breast
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
- Package of Rice
1. Use Uncle Ben's Long Grained Rice (I used a package of white I had) combine with the water, and pour into the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Place the turkey in skin side up.
3. Pour maple syrup & walnuts in.
4. Set on low & cook for 5 hours.
OUTCOME: Um, so the store didn't have turkey breast, they had turkey cutlets. AND I put it on high instead of low. So they were dry. Like Saharan Africa dry. I didn't even eat the turkey, although it did taste good. Next time I won't be so absent minded.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Success of the night:
Green Beans & Carrots
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Seasoning
- Chopped Basil (about 3 leaves)
1. Cook green beans in carrots until tender. We did this by microwave for about 12 minutes.
2. Melt butter and combine seasoning and basil. Mix. Our over Veggies.
3. Enjoy
OVERALL: So honestly (and my boyfriend will agree) these were so fucking good. I actually went back for seconds BEFORE I went back for more sweet potato pie *gasp* He is the one who actually made them, so all credit goes towards him!
His Plate: In a clockwise direction, The overdone Turkey, Green Beans & Carrots, Sweet potato Pie, Mashes Potatoes
My Plate: Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Pie, Chicken from the night before, Green Beans & Carrots, Cranberry
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
My favorite thing about autumn is Pumpkin. I love the smell, taste, texture, and color. Pumpkin Lattes, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin soups, so good. I've been saving this recipe for a while...
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Recipe provided by Skinny Chef
5 cups day-old cubed challah, brioche or whole-wheat baguette (I used Challah)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove (I didn't have clove so I added some cinnamon. I have no idea clove was so expensive either...)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Non-stick cooking spray
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F and coat an 8-inch square baking dish or 5-quart round Dutch oven with cooking spray.
Gently fold in the pumpkin and chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 35 minutes or until mixture is slightly firm. Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the chips are melted and the top has darkened slightly.
OVERALL: Pretty good. This is my first time making any type of bread pudding. Its not as sweet as you might think, since there is no white sugar. But it is pretty good. I Love the little chocolate chips, I think that adds a much needed texture. Do not confuse this with the taste of pumpkin pie. So many people think pumpkin is normally sweet-- it's not.
Pumpkin itself is pretty healthy for you, Skinny Chef explains "Pumpkin has tons of beta carotene, an important antioxidant..." It's a shame the most people only experience pumpkin in sweet foods. It's actually part of the squash family and can be cooked in the same way as a zucchini most of the time. Only reason I haven't bought a fresh pumpkin is because they are expensive & heavy.. which comes into play up 3 flights of stairs!
I will definitely make this dish for an upcoming Halloween party and for SURE on thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Recipe provided by Skinny Chef
5 cups day-old cubed challah, brioche or whole-wheat baguette (I used Challah)
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove (I didn't have clove so I added some cinnamon. I have no idea clove was so expensive either...)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, spices and salt. Add the bread cubes and stir. Set aside and allow to soak for 4-5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed by the bread.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F and coat an 8-inch square baking dish or 5-quart round Dutch oven with cooking spray.
Gently fold in the pumpkin and chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 35 minutes or until mixture is slightly firm. Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the chips are melted and the top has darkened slightly.
OVERALL: Pretty good. This is my first time making any type of bread pudding. Its not as sweet as you might think, since there is no white sugar. But it is pretty good. I Love the little chocolate chips, I think that adds a much needed texture. Do not confuse this with the taste of pumpkin pie. So many people think pumpkin is normally sweet-- it's not.
Pumpkin itself is pretty healthy for you, Skinny Chef explains "Pumpkin has tons of beta carotene, an important antioxidant..." It's a shame the most people only experience pumpkin in sweet foods. It's actually part of the squash family and can be cooked in the same way as a zucchini most of the time. Only reason I haven't bought a fresh pumpkin is because they are expensive & heavy.. which comes into play up 3 flights of stairs!
I will definitely make this dish for an upcoming Halloween party and for SURE on thanksgiving.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Internet Recipes
So I'm back in school, living in an apartment with basically NO cooking pans, spices, bakeware, utensils, and all that important stuff. I just purchased a 7 piece cooking set, along with a basic set of knives and other kitchen necessities. I still don't have my camera with me. On this lovely labor day, I've decided to clean out some of the internet recipes that I've been saving to make by posting them on here:
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P.F. Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Now, I've never made these, so I don't know if the recipe is good, there's a lot of items that I would have to go buy because a college kitchen normally doesn't have sesame oil... but if these are anything like what P.F. Changs serves, they are insanely good....
Chicken Florentine. Oh Paula Deen. Your fattening chicken florentine cassarole looks too good to pass up. I've been looking for some chicken cassarole dishes, because they are easy... and easy is important when I'm craming for exams.
Soups Galore!. Here is a site that contains about 100 soup recipes. Some favorites for me are Pumpkin, Thai Wonton Soup with Shitake Mushrooms, and Strawberry Soup In Melon Bowls.
Lime Marinated Chicken Wings with Avacado dip. Now I would just use this as a marinade for regular chicken breast, or chicken cutlets. I'm really not a fan of chicken wings.
Chicken and Mango Skewers. haha I can use my Cuisinart Grill. Pwned.
Pumpkin Cup Pies. Yeah I am a Pumpkin Fiend. I can't tell you how much I love November because Pumpkin comes back in Fashion!
Thats all for now. Now let's see if I can actually make these things :)
---------
P.F. Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Now, I've never made these, so I don't know if the recipe is good, there's a lot of items that I would have to go buy because a college kitchen normally doesn't have sesame oil... but if these are anything like what P.F. Changs serves, they are insanely good....
Chicken Florentine. Oh Paula Deen. Your fattening chicken florentine cassarole looks too good to pass up. I've been looking for some chicken cassarole dishes, because they are easy... and easy is important when I'm craming for exams.
Soups Galore!. Here is a site that contains about 100 soup recipes. Some favorites for me are Pumpkin, Thai Wonton Soup with Shitake Mushrooms, and Strawberry Soup In Melon Bowls.
Lime Marinated Chicken Wings with Avacado dip. Now I would just use this as a marinade for regular chicken breast, or chicken cutlets. I'm really not a fan of chicken wings.
Chicken and Mango Skewers. haha I can use my Cuisinart Grill. Pwned.
Pumpkin Cup Pies. Yeah I am a Pumpkin Fiend. I can't tell you how much I love November because Pumpkin comes back in Fashion!
Thats all for now. Now let's see if I can actually make these things :)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Stephen Mayper's Pistacho Cake
This cake was made for me by a really good friend for my birthday this year. I asked him for the recipe to make this cake for my mom's birthday. So here we go:
Pistacho Cake:
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg pistachio pudding jello mix
4 eggs
1 stick melted butter
8 oz sour cream or plain yogurt (I Opted for Sour Cream)
1/4 cup canola oil (Used Sunflower Oil because i couldn't find canola in the house)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (Not part of the original recipe, but added on because every cake needs frosting!)
1 8oz package of soften creamcheese
3 cups confectionary sugar
1 cup sweetened cocoa powder
Just mix everything in a big bowl, sprinkle cinnamon sugar in your greased pan, pour 1/2 batter, pour a thicker layer of cinnamon sugar, the rest of the batter, and some more cinnamon sugar.
it was quite a thick batter, not what I'm use to making.
This cake is insanely good. It's a heavier cake, so one to two pieces in one sitting. But for cake enthusiats it goes fast. The frosting was INSANE. I basically altered a vanilla recipe, hoping that the ratio of chocolate would be alright. It totally was. I only wish I had gotten to pipe more designs on the cake.
Pistacho Cake: Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg pistachio pudding jello mix
4 eggs
1 stick melted butter
8 oz sour cream or plain yogurt (I Opted for Sour Cream)
1/4 cup canola oil (Used Sunflower Oil because i couldn't find canola in the house)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (Not part of the original recipe, but added on because every cake needs frosting!)
1 8oz package of soften creamcheese
3 cups confectionary sugar
1 cup sweetened cocoa powder
Just mix everything in a big bowl, sprinkle cinnamon sugar in your greased pan, pour 1/2 batter, pour a thicker layer of cinnamon sugar, the rest of the batter, and some more cinnamon sugar.
it was quite a thick batter, not what I'm use to making.
to be extra special I added a heart for my mom's birthday!
This cake is insanely good. It's a heavier cake, so one to two pieces in one sitting. But for cake enthusiats it goes fast. The frosting was INSANE. I basically altered a vanilla recipe, hoping that the ratio of chocolate would be alright. It totally was. I only wish I had gotten to pipe more designs on the cake.
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