Applesauce Cake

The answer is yes, I have fallen to the busy holiday season. That's one reason for the lack of blogging lately. Well, and really I haven't been
cooking as much. Christmas Eve was with Al's family and Christmas day with mine...and I only had to make potatoes au gratin and cookies. (Which were awesome by the way...cookie dough truffles, pumpkin molasses, nutella no-bakes, butterscotch drops, and super soft sugar cookies with fun icing!)

Anyways, on to something that's kind of special to me. A little over a year ago, Al's side of the family threw me a bridal shower at which I received a family cookbook. Filled with pages and pages of recipes passed down from generation to generation. Mixed in with a family tree and some really neat photos from as early as the 1860s. This is a recipe that comes from that cookbook. Craving something sweet and not having a ton of ingredients, I found myself with just about everything for this cake. I skipped the frosting, it was good enough without. And I didn't add in raisins or walnuts which are in the recipe. This turned out to be a delicious moist cake. Loved it.

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened natural applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 teas cinnamon
1 1/2 teas baking soda
1 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas salt

optional:
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add applesauce, sugar, and oil, mix well. Add in the rest of the dry ingredients, stir until well combined.
*Pour into a coated baking pan. (13x9)
*Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
*Sprinkle with powdered sugar, eat plain, or top with some frosting! Enjoy.

Shredded Pork

Continuing with my current love affair with the ciabatta rolls I made, here is another stellar use for them...or really any bread for that matter. Or just a fork. Heck, finger food. Being a person who normally tends towards vegetarian meals, one might find it odd that I adore shredded pork sandwiches. Or pulled pork, whatever you want to call it. But for real, I love it. There is just something about it. And this recipe is a little bit sweet, a little bbq'y, a little just plain awesome. Its one of those slow cooker meals. Put it all in  in the morning and by the afternoon your house smells so good you want to eat the air. I slathered on a little homemade jalapeno mustard that made this one tasty sandwich. (2 parts yellow mustard to 1 part dijon mixed with some chopped jalapeno and a dash of garlic powder....yum!)

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs boneless pork shoulder
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbls cider vinegar
2 tbls Worcestershire
1 teas chipotle pepper
2 tbls brown sugar
1 teas cumin
2 teas garlic powder
1 tbls dry minced onion
1/2 teas salt
1 teas black pepper

*Trim off any large chunks of fat on the outside of the cut of meat. There's plenty of marbled fat to give you nice flavor, no need to keep excess fat on there.
*Place pork into slow cooker. Smoother with all the other ingredients. Turn to coat. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
*About an hour or two before you're going to serve, shred up the pork-while still in slow cooker-with a couple of forks. This way the meat can soak up even more of the awesome sauce juice it's sitting in.
*Serve and enjoy!

Ciabatta Rolls

When I set out to do these, I really had set the bar kind of low. Expecting this to be a whole day invested into a mediocre attempt at something a little too far out of reach. Boy was I surprised when these turned out AMAZING! No lie. And I'm not even going to attempt to reiterate the details of the recipe, but rather point you in the direction of The Kitchn. Yup, that's where I found this. See last week, well, it was sandwich week over here. I already post a burger(okay, not exactly a sandwich, but go with it)that sat between a sliced ciabatta roll. And I've got at least one more post in the making. We went through these crazy fast. I ended up making about a dozen rolls and then one larger loaf for slicing. The loaf got wrapped up in tinfoil, froze, and about a week after I made these, pulled out and sliced for some pb & banana toast-to see if the bread was good after freezing. Ahem, it is. So here's a photo of how mine turned out and here is where to go for how to have them for yourself. There are step by step photos and its all explained really well. Happy Baking!

Black & White Burger

In my pursuit of all things delicious, I am yearning for a solid veggie burger recipe. I have done black bean burgers before with minor success. They have all tasted great, but consistency wise fall below where I would like. Perusing the internet for some inspiration, I came across these from namelymarly.com. I find it quite nice that there is a never ending source of vegetarian/tasty/pretty/yummy/healthy blogs out there. I could literally spend all my time searching for new things to make!

I'd give these a good thumbs up, although I need to probably try them sticking exactly to the recipe. I still have problems with measuring, I'm a guesstimater you see. And frankly, I'm okay with it....it just proves difficult when trying to then reproduce my dishes on paper. Another fun fact about me: I will use the least amount of dishes and utensils possible when cooking and baking. So for this, when it called to put grind up some of the beans in a food processor, I wasn't exactly feelin' it. The parts were still in my dish rack from being used and washed earlier in the day. So I nixed that step. It may be the missing link between my pretty good patties with okay consistency and awesome patties with consistency that melts your face off. All in all, these had great flavor. They have already been eaten as left overs in the form of a wrap with veggies and simply heated up with a little sour cream on top(I wasn't feeling so hot yesterday but knew I could use a little protein).

FYI, this burger went on homemade ciabatta rolls. Yeah, that's right. I went there. A little time consuming but sooooooo worth it. And way cheaper than you would buy them for. I'll get that posted today too.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 tbls flour
1 tbls lemon juice
1 teas salt
1 tbls chili powder
1/2 cup cornmeal
olive oil
salt and pepper

*Place half the beans and onion in food processor, pulse until coarse ground.
*Mash the rest of the beans in a bowl. Add back in the other beans, rice, flour, lemon juice, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add cornmeal and stir again. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. If its still to wet, add in some more cornmeal.
*Shape dough into 6 patties.
*Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place in patties and cook about 5 minutes on each side. Keep patties hot in a 250 degree oven for about 10-20 minutes, while the rest of the patties cook.
*Enjoy!

Gingerbread Mini Muffins

I hinted to these bad boys yesterday. This was one of those "I saw it on pinterest and was immediately in my kitchen" kind of things. The recipe, coming from a pinch of yum, makes these as mini donuts. (I altered slightly, due to my lack absence of allspice.) Well, with a big sigh I say that I don't own a mini donut pan. And since making these, I have toiled with the thought of getting one. Even making up-in my head-a pro con list as to why or why not.

PRO: I love donuts.
CON: Its money that could be spent on something else used far more often.
PRO: I love mini donuts!
CON: Having a pan of this sort would cause me to want to use it to get my money's worth...thusly consuming far too many donuts.
PRO: They are baked donuts, so so much better than fried.
CON: They are still donuts.

So you see...its really just a toss up. But so far I've held out. Hence these guys became mini muffins instead. And really...still tasted awesome. All the steps were still the same and I, I mean we, got to enjoy a fun treat!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup flour
3/4 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1 teas cinnamon
1 teas ginger
1/2 teas ground cloves
1/4 teas salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, dived
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbls maple syrup
3 tbls milk, divided
4 tbls butter, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar

*Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Mix in egg, applesauce, syrup, 1 tbls milk, and 2 tbls of the butter.
*Transfer batter to a ziplock bag and cut the corner off. Pipe into an already (cooking) sprayed pan filling each space 1/2 full.
*Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. Immediately remove from pan onto cooling rack.
*In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbls butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Let boil for 2 minutes then add 1 tbls of milk and bring back to a boil. Add the powdered sugar. If needed thin out with remaining milk.
*Turn down heat to low to keep glaze going. Dip each and let set.
*Enjoy/try not to eat all of them right away.

Spicy Thai Noodles

Have I ever told you my favorite place in the whole world is Thailand? Cause it is. I've had the privilege of being all over the country(and it's neighbors). Thai food ranks as one of my favorite types...ever. It seems its in a three way tie with Chinese and Mexican. I think it boils down to my love of spicy food. Anyways, I have only dabbled in a few thai dishes. Most of them being complex in flavor and/or preparation. This, well its got all the flavor but is a pretty easy dish to make. Which is a winning combo in my book. We gobbled this stuff up in no time. 

Kitchen tid-bit: Ginger is something I find myself using more and more, but I can go a week or two without sometimes. Which can make for having to throw away shriveled up ginger fingers and having to buy new ones when you find yourself craving say...gingerbread mini muffins with a brown sugar glaze? (COMING SOON!!) Here's what ya do. Buy a good chunk of ginger. Peel and freeze! Then whenever you need some pull it out and grate it! Easy peasy! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg of whole wheat spaghetti 

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup water

1 tbls brown sugar

3 tbls low sodium soy sauce, divided

1 tbls rice vinegar

1 tbls sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced or grated

1 tbls crushed red pepper flakes

*Prepare the pasta as directed, drain and set aside back in stock pot.

*While pasta is cooking, mix together peanut butter, water, sugar, soy, and vinegar and aside.

*Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add in 1 tbls of soy sauce as well as bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. You can also add in a bit more water if needed. Cook until veggies are tender, another few minutes. Remove from heat.

*Place the pot with noodles back onto a medium heat. Pour in peanut sauce and the cooked veggies. Stir to coat and cook until everything is hot. 

*Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto with Asparagus

Last nights dinner was a home run. I'm not even going to mess around telling you all the little things about this dish, trying to persuade you of how awesome it is. It needs no real introduction. A couple hours after dinner as Al and I were chillin' on the couch, he started to talk about the risotto. He said something to the effect of: if I were offered a bowl of ice cream, even my favorite flavor, or another bowl of that risotto....I'd choose the risotto. That says it all folks.

Learning more fun facts about me: I don't drink. This is a choice that has evolved from, in my teenage years...it's wrong, to my early twenties...I can't stand the smell, to today...I don't really see the point and don't really have any desire to. Al has an affection towards scotch. He's not all that into drinking but once in a blue moon he'll break out one of the double old fashion glasses and sip a bit.

Why am I talking about drinking? Well you see, in cooking, there are often times when a recipe calls for wine. Found often in things like cream sauces or in instances when you need to deglaze the pan. Couple the fact that we don't drink wine with me not really having the desire to have some in the house simply for cooking not knowing when and if I'll use it and you'll find we never have it. Last night when preparing to make the risotto-which called for dry white wine-I found the alternative! This person suggested that you water down a bit of juice and use a splash of vinegar. Fun fact, I have all those things!! So instead of the 1/2 cup of dry white wine that this recipe called for...I used 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup apple juice, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Worked great for this dish! And now I have a go to for those instances. Rather than finding a whole new recipe like I have been.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small/medium butternut squash, chopped 1/4" pieces
7 cups broth(veg or chicken) divided
4 tbls butter divided
2 teas dried sage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine(or sub 1/4 juice, 1/4 water, splash vinegar)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 strips bacon
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper

*In a medium stock pot, simmer the squash pieces in 1 to 2 cups of broth until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Strain liquid from squash and place the squash in a bowl and set aside. Add the rest of the broth to the pot with remaining liquid and keep at a low simmer.
*In a large stock pot, over medium heat, melt 3 tbls of the butter. Sprinkle in sage and let it wake up for a couple minutes. Add in the onion and cook until the onion is translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, and let it be absorbed before adding any broth. Might need to turn down the temp a bit, medium to medium-low.
*Add hot broth in batches, 1/2 - 2/3 cups at a time. Making sure the liquid is still being absorbed. Repeat this until all the broth is added. This process should talk about half an hour.
*While broth is being added, fry up the bacon until crisp. Remove from heat and chop into small pieces, mix in with squash you previously set aside.
*About 10 minutes before risotto is ready, drizzle olive oil over asparagus. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill on a george foreman, takes about 7 minutes.
*Once all liquid is used and absorbed into rice, add in the squash, bacon, and parmesan cheese. Stir in until well combined. After about 5 minutes add in the last tbls of butter. Once everything is melted and heated through plate up with asparagus on top. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.
*Enjoy!

Breakfast Sandwich

So yes, I have already posted twice today. However, there was a reason for posting salsa and bread on the same day. Why you ask?? Two words...breakfast...sandwich. And I know you're like....Kati, we know how to make sandwiches!! But seriously, you should go over and make the bread and the salsa and then make one of these guys. I mean come on!! Fry up a couple eggs, melt some nice sharp cheddar cheese over them. Cut up some nice fresh avocado and then cover it all with some of the salsa and put it between two slices of toasty fresh bread....I mean!! Hello! That was one good lunch. Did I say that right? Yeah I had it for lunch. But really...I'd eat this whenever possible. So good.

W. W. Bread

I think in the past year I've made dozens and dozens of loaves of bread. I rarely buy bread at the grocery store anymore. Except for a good marble rye, which happens every now and again. After tweaking this and that recipe I've come up with a mighty fine loaf of bread. It functions for us as a decent sandwich bread, toasted or not. And I always enjoy when its fresh out of the oven and I just can't wait and I cut off a chunk and smother some butter on it and it melts right before my eyes. That might be why I keep doing this. Ha!! Don't judge.

The W. W. doesn't exactly stand for whole wheat. Its a combo wheat white bread. I've found that while I enjoy both extremes of the bread world (a nice hearty whole grain and a classic white) this is a nice middle ground. All things considered I enjoy its simplicity as well. One would think that after making so much bread I would a. have a bread machine or b. have bread flour. Yeah...about that. I don't. Have either. I think part of it is having just one more thing in my already lacking space kitchen. Not to mention I know I (almost) always have all-purpose flour on hand. I've dabbled in straight wheat bread, but theres more happening there. This is simple, has only a few ingredients, and doesn't require that much kneading.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm water
2 tbls sugar
1 tbls dry active yeast
1 teas salt
3 tbls vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
cooking spray

*Dissolve the sugar into the water, then stir in the yeast. After about 10 minutes, once the yeast is creamy, add the rest of the ingredients.
*Once a ball forms, knead on a floured surface until smooth. Put into a boil sprayed with cooking spray. Roll around so all sides are oiled. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for an hour in a warm area. (Note: if you're avoiding huge heating costs like I, and your house is a bit chilly, just preheat your oven to like 100 and then turn it off and you place the dough in...cuts down the time it takes to rise by a good amount)
*Punch down dough and knead into a ball, form into loaf pan, coated with cooking spray, you're using. Let that rise again until about an 1" above the pan.
*Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
*Enjoy for the next few days!!

Roasted Salsa

Now, I've dabbled with a few different salsa recipes in the past. My fav was a pineapple and black bean that I made months ago. But I've never really made a "I think I could eat this on anything" kind of salsa. I mean, when you have pineapple and black beans in it, you limit your options just a bit...not much, but I'm not sure I would have put that on say...eggs. In my constantly renewed efforts to eat healthy, salsa is a real good go-to. Its so much better for you than most other condiments. Especially when homemade. You can control and/or omit things like salt and sugar. This recipe is super easy and does just that. No sugar and minimal salt. I'm sure you could actually omit the salt. When I think about it I probably should have since most often we go to town on salsa with tortilla chips that have salt on them. Note to self.

This. Is. Easy. And makes a hearty portion of salsa. I adapted it from a recipe that I saw online but can't currently find. I was eating this stuff when it was still hot, temp wise, cause I just didn't care. It was also hot, spice wise, but again, didn't care and I loooove spicy food. Roasting all the veggies gives it some awesome flavor. So here it is....uber good, roasted salsa.

INGREDIENTS:
14 roma tomatoes
2 yellow onions
10 serrano peppers
5 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 teas salt

*Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a sheet pan. Peel and slice onions in half and again, cut side up. Cut the caps off the peppers and peel the garlic and place both on the pan.
*Roast at 375 for 45 minutes, or until your peppers start to go black.
*Put in a food processor along with chopped cilantro and salt. Process until desired consistency.

Garlic Butter Naan

Here's the recipe, from my post on veggie curry, for the naan. It turned out great. Do note though that this recipe makes a large amount of naan. However, I can now testify that freezing the dough totally works. I just made some a few minutes ago and enjoyed it. These turned out as nice individual sized pieces(even though I just ate three). I cooked them up on my George Foreman, which was slightly time consuming because there is only so much space to work with. But cooking 2 at a time and your good to go in just a few short minutes. We still have a bunch in the freezer to be pulled out whenever that naan craving hits.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 teas active dry yeast (equals one packet)
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbls milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teas salt
4 1/2 cups flour
cooking spray
butter
garlic salt

*In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. After 10 minutes stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and 4 cups of the flour.
*Knead on a floured surface until super smooth. If too sticky add more flour, as needed. Place in a well oiled bowl and let rise for an hour.
*Punch down the dough. Pinch off and roll into small balls. Place them on a try and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for another half an hour.
*Heat up your Foreman, or large skillet if you so choose. Melt a little butter and mix with a dash of garlic salt in a small bowl and set next to your grill. Stretch out dough until nice and thin. Spray the grill and place dough on it. Cook until browned. Brush uncooked side with garlic butter and flip, grilling again until browned.
*Enjoy.

Chicken Pot Pie

This one goes back a couple weeks. Had some friends and their kids over and I thought what better dish than a pot pie! And what's better than individual pot pies!! Not much really. Especially since its been getting colder and colder, which means I desire to be cozier and cozier. It was a hit. Each one of these little pies was creamy goodness on the inside and flaky tasty on top. I just used crescent roll dough for the top, didn't mess with dough all around. This was overall a lot easier than I had presumed it to be. I was even told, by one of our guests that it was the best pot pie they had ever had. I'll take it!

FUN FACT:
For the life of me I cannot remember how I made these. So, perhaps when I get a second go 'round at them I'll be a little bit quicker to post. For now, just enjoy the picture and know that they were awesome.

Polenta with Kale & Beans

Confession: I have been a little slack on the blogging. Reality: I have still been cooking up a storm. I have six dishes waiting, longing, yearning to be blogged. But as a result of having some sort of cold and or flu the last few days cooking the food is about all the energy I have. Mustering up some energy for a little photo shoot this afternoon, revolving around yes, food! I'm very excited to do this!! Okay, so hopefully there will be a steady roll out of posts this week because I have a lot to post. 

This dish was something I was eagerly waiting to make. Not really sure why. Probably the balsamic reduction!! And yes, I mean the reduction that almost killed us. I've never made a balsamic reduction before so I'm not sure if this is true for everyone else...but the "burn off" was potent! Al refused to go into the kitchen, and I knew I had to cause I already started the process. Which took about an hour, FYI so I was invested and committed to it. Turned out great, but yeah, painful. Ha! And my polenta turned out a bit funky too. I didn't have much coarse polenta was the thing, and I didn't want to mix it with fine ground cornmeal. I don't know. I was experimenting to say the least. But it turned out great. The kale and beans with the balsamic...pretty sure I could eat that daily. So good. It'll probably become a nice little side for us in the future. 

Also, yes, for those of you on pinterest, that is the infamous pinterest potato. Thought I'd try it, worked great. Go figure.

INGREDIENTS:

polenta, sliced

olive oil

crushed red pepper flakes(optional)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bunch of kale, chopped

1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup of vegetable broth

salt and pepper

balsamic vinegar

*Heat a splash of olive oil and flakes in a skillet on medium-high, brown the polenta slices and set aside.

*In a stock pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and the garlic until the garlic is nice and aromatic. Toss in the kale and cook until wilted, about 6 minutes. Add in the broth and beans. Heat through and make sure the kale is nice and tender. Stir in s&p and balsamic to taste. (I used only a splash of balsamic at this point.)

*Plate up the polenta, top with kale and beans, drizzle with more balsamic. Enjoy!

Veggie & Garbanzo Bean Curry

Tonights dinner, well lets just say it was kind of a last minute change of plans. All day I kept thinking it was Friday-not sure why. But my thought process when cooking on Friday is not like that of Sunday-Thursday. See, on those days, I'm always keeping Al in mind. Leftovers for lunch that is. So I changed it up and made this tonight instead of tomorrow. And tonights dish(its a doosey)will be made tomorrow.

This is yet another inspiration from the vegan stoner blog. Al is mad in love with curry. The boy could eat it, like always. When he came home from work he was hungry, which is totally the norm. Usually we eat dinner around 5:30, depending on the day. But this was going to take a bit longer. Mainly because my motivation for making it didn't start until later and also because I decided to make naan. For the first time. Ever. Not that it turned out to be terribly difficult, just a little more time consuming. I'll toss out the naan recipe some time in the not so distant future. Back to the curry. It was made, it was consumed, it was good. Wish I would have had some more yogurt, could have been a little more saucy. Next time! So I'm doubling what I used as far as yogurt goes.

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil
2 green bell peppers, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
12 oz plain greek yogurt
4 tbls curry powder
1 teas garlic powder
prepared brown rice

*Heat olive oil in a medium pot, add carrots and peppers. Cook for a few minutes and then add in beans, yogurt, curry, and garlic powder.
*Mix and cook until veggies are soft.
*Serve with brown rice.

Spicy Potstickers

Today I am thankful for my husband. I saved the best for last. Al is the most amazing person to ever come into my life. We are so close, I never imagined loving someone and sharing so much with someone. In the   15 months of dating, 6 months of engagement, and almost 11 months of marriage...I have found out more about who I am suppose to be, because of him. He's also hilarious, intelligent, considerate, and genuine.

Perhaps I'm thankful for him today too, cause I made dinner for one tonight. And I made something that Al looooves! I have some ready to go for a snack when he gets home from school. This is a favorite of mine too, I think its because it reminds me of being back in China. This was street food. I love street food!! Ha! The key to these bad boys is the crispy bottom. It makes the dish. I'm not gonna fry them in tons of oil to get it though. The way I have this recipe it makes about 20, depends on how much you stuff in, I usually shoot for about a tablespoon. Anyway, enough jabbering-lets get to the potstickers!! Oh! First, I will say that I usually pair it with a little dippin' sauce. I mix a couple tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce with a dash of rice vinegar, a sprinkling of brown sugar and some crushed red pepper...it gets the job done. :)

INGREDIENTS:
potsticker wrappers
1/2 lb of ground pork
3 green onions, chopped
1 fresno pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
splash of rice vinegar
1 teas hoisin sauce
1/2 teas chinese five spice
cooking spray
water

*In a bowl mix pork, onions, pepper, garlic, vinegar, hoisin, and chinese five spice. Make sure everything is well incorporated.
*Take a wrapper, lay it flat in your hand. Pile in the middle, about a tablespoon of the pork mixture. Dab finger tip in water, wet the edge of half the wrapper. Fold in on itself and crimp the edges. Making sure it's all sealed. Place wrappers on a sheet with a damp towel and cover as you keep forming them.
*Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, spray cooking oil and then place in, edges up, your potstickers. Cook for about 4-5 mins cover on, making sure the bottom gets crispy brown, but not burnt. 30 seconds before removing from the skillet, pour a few tablespoons of water into the pan and cover quickly with a lid. Let the steam finish off the potstickers and then remove from skillet.
*Eat them right away, they don't hold heat too well, but trust me, they eat up fast anyways!

Lentil Loaf

Today I am thankful for my parents. I got to pick them up from the airport today, they were off escaping the winter by golfing in Arizona for the past week. I got to puppy sit for their dog-loved having another animal in the house. But back to what I'm thankful for, my parents...there really isn't much to say except that I was once an unruly teenager and now, finally, at the age of 25 I can say that I am friends with my parents.

I'm going to call this dish a work in progress. I loosely followed the recipe from this vegan blog. When I make this again in an (inevitable) week or two, I will most likely put 2/3 in a food processor and blend. This is because I had some consistency issues. I would also add a little more ketchup into the mix....I've accounted for that in this recipe. But taste wise...fantastic. Al asked if I put "meatloaf spice" on it. HA! Oh, he'll be a vegetarian yet! :]

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag lentils, cooked
1 onion, chopped
1/2 a sleeve of ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 bag of frozen veggie mix(carrots, peas, and beans)
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teas garlic powder

*Heat oven to 350.
*Put lentils, onions, veggies, apple sauce, and ketchup in a large bowl. Mix well adding the garlic powder and crackers.
*Process a portion in the food processor. Mix back together.
*Pack in a loaf pan, top with ketchup. Cook in the oven for 45-50 min.
*Enjoy!

Grate Pepper Pasta

Today I am thankful for water! So so thankful for water. Not even just water, but the best water in the world. (Seriously, it's liquid awesome.) And I can actually say that because I've been to a bunch of different countries. Most of which you can't drink the water. When I lived in China I had to have one of those water coolers, and make the call every time I needed a new one in ridiculously broken chinese. True story. On monday there was a water main break a block away and we didn't have water for half the day. So for running water I am also thankful!

Okay, so I did not miss type the title of this post. I know how to spell great and I know how to spell grate. I'm calling this one Grate Pepper Pasta cause of how its made. Half the stuff you put in the sauce, ya grate it. Badabing badaboom. This turned out so good. It was creamy. It was spicy. It was flavorfull. Umm, yeah, I'll take seconds. Which I didn't, actually, because I wanted to spread out this goodness over a couple days. I'm about to reheat the last of it as soon as I post this. ::sigh:: I guess I'll have to make more soon!

 INGREDIENTS:
whole wheat penne pasta
2 red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 teas crushed red pepper flakes
1 carrot, grated
1/2 a small onion, grated
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls basil
2 cups almond milk
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 handful spinach, chopped

*Prepare the pasta as direct while making the sauce.
*In a food processor or blender, put the peppers, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, carrot, onion, olive oil, and basil. Blend until smooth.
*Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the milk to a simmer adding in the pepper mix and the parmesan cheese. Once its heated through and mixed well throw in the spinach and the cooked pasta.
*Enjoy!

White Bean Dip

Today I am thankful for YOU! Cheesy? Perhaps. But seriously. I started this blog about 5 or 6 weeks ago because people seemed to be enjoying the things I was eating for dinner. I never thought that in such a short time I would already be at 589 views!! Mind blowing! So thank you to all of you who read this faithfully, or you catch a dish every now and then or hey, thanks to you if this is the first time you've been here!! This is becoming a fun little hobby. And really for me, its kind of like a digital recipe book to go back to things I've made. Its just that all of you get to come here too.

Bonus: today you will learn a little more about me and my husband. Ahem. For us, life is...at the core, all about Christ. Our relationship is based with Him at the center. Al and I go to this really amazing home church. We meet at our pastors house each Sunday. We've been going for the past few years and couldn't have found more amazing people to fellowship with. Each week I usually try to whip up something to snack on. A few of us do. Its funny how one week we all bring sugar-loaded-desserts, the next crunchy-salty-snacks, and then the next we all cut up fruit. Ha! Remember the Apple Donuts, those were a huge hit there. Anyways, this is something I brought this past Sunday.

I am all about hummus. I make it all the time and we use it on everything. But a girl can use a break sometimes. Hence, a white bean dip. (I can hear the ooo's and ahh's now) This was born out of a simple concept...substitute what type of bean you are using normally. But then I had to experiment with the herbs. Result, a rosemary and thyme spread. I toasted up some thin slices of french bread to smother in the stuff. Delicious. Also, I made it in a hurry Sunday morning...so, umm, I hope I'm remembering all that went into it!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
1 tbls lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls grated parmesan
1 teas rosemary
1 teas thyme
1/2 teas black pepper

*Place all ingredients in a food processor.
*Process. :)

Quinoa Tostadas

Today I am thankful for organization. Now, this thankful moment I'm having is two fold. I'm thankful for having an organized room, things put in their place, everything neat and tidy. When and if that happens-I love it! Its effort but such a weight off when all is said and done. Secondly, I'm thankful for event type things that are organized. When you have a group of people that are doing something, going somewhere, all pitching in on something...when things run smooth that my friends is a blessing. Because so often there are bumps along the way. So here's to being organized, getting organized or aspiring towards organization.

Okay, so for those who have come here a time or two, remember the Quinoa Stuffed Peppers? Well this is using the base of that! We fell head over heals for the filling to those peppers and this is the second go-'round that couldn't come any sooner. This time I went the route of a tostada. I bought some small corn tortillas which I baked in the oven till crispy, saving some calories from going the frying in oil route. The assembly line went as follows: crispy tostada, slathered with refried beans(from a can, I wasn't that ambitious tonight), sprinkled with lettuce, covered in the quinoa mix, and topped with a few slices of avocado. YUM! The crispy tortilla really did the trick. All in all, a great use for this. Four thumbs up from the Reich's.

Eggplant & Spaghetti

Today I am thankful for mornings. The funny part is that it took me sleeping through one this morning to realize this. I'm normally an early riser, sleeping in means that its approaching 9 on the clock before I get out of bed. Today though, pretty much broke a record. It felt like any other morning. Expecting to see something like, 8:27 on the clock. Nope. Try 10:36. Really self?! No idea why I was/am so tired today. Getting back on track. I'm thankful for mornings because they are like this fresh start every 24 hours. Ya get to step out of bed and have all your firsts for the day. First good stretch. First glass of water. First pet of the puppy. First bite of breakfast. First chance to start everything off right and spend time with the Lord. First thoughts of all the things you can do that day. And when you miss a morning...it all just gets thrown off.

Life around the Reich household has been out of whack lately. Al is gone all the time and it just throws me off my game. Which has a ripple affect that works its way to our dinner time. AKA it doesn't really happen like to used to. So this is a meal from a few weeks back. The spaghetti, just boiled pasta and sauce from a jar. I've recently fallen in love with this sauce...more specifically the Chunky Garden, Garden Combo sauce. Its jam packed with veggies and has stellar flavor. Not to mention they go on sale all the time at the grocery store and sometimes there are coupons and you can pick up a jar for only $.99 which makes my day. The eggplant I made to add a bit to the spaghetti was a fairly simple breaded deal. We loved it. Here's the specs on this dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced about 1/3 inch thick
(the breading is all based on the size
of your eggplant, so these are the things
I used, play around with the portions)
cooking spray
salt
pepper
basil
thyme
parsley
garlic powder
breadcrumbs
1/2 cup water
3 teas garbonzo bean flour
whole wheat spaghetti
marinara sauce

*Heat oven to 400.
*Place eggplant on a cooling rack on a baking sheet in a single layer. Spray with the cooking spray and season with s&p and basil. Turn over and repeat.
*Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, eggplant needs to be done.
*Dissolve the bean flour in water in a bowl big enough to dredge the eggplant.
*In another bowl big enough to dredge, combine the thyme, parsley, garlic powder, and breadcrumbs. Set bowls next to each other.
*Dredge the eggplant in the flour water mix on both sides and then the breadcrumbs making sure it is well covered in crumbs. Put back on the rack in a single layer.
*Put back in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
*Serve with spaghetti and sauce.

Sausage & Pepper Frittata

Today, I am thankful for Bueller! My beagle puppy! Okay, so he's not a puppy anymore, he's 5. He's my spunky, wild, playful, adorable, talented, & sweet little best friend. The dog can show off with tricks, hoover his dinner in 30 seconds flat, and he follows me around the house from room to room like my shadow. I mean, come on. Love him. And being that most of my days are spent at home with this little guy...I think he's come to put up with me as much as I put up with him!

Over the weekend my husband and I got to enjoy a lazy Saturday. A full day (well almost) of just the two of us. What better way to start that day, than a brunch to please the masses. Frittata! This one had some diced up breakfast sausage and bell peppers. Its decently healthy, affordable, and more than edible. Check, check, check, aaand eaten. It makes about 5 servings and is great the next day or two when you want a hot breakfast without the effort.

 INGREDIENTS:
6 breakfast sausages
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teas crushed red pepper flakes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 teas dried basil
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella

*Cook the breakfast sausage until well browned, remove from pan.
*Preheat oven to 425.
*Heat the olive oil in the same pan, adding the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about a minute. Toss in bell peppers and tomato. While this cooks for a couple minutes, dice up your cooked sausage and then throw that in with everything else. Top with the basil and get everything working together for a few minutes.
*Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the 6 eggs with the milk. Once the veggies are ready, pour into the pan. Add cheese, reserving just a bit. Make sure everything is well distributed in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
*Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until browned on top. Wait for 5-10 minutes to serve.

Mac & Peas

Today I am thankful for something that I don't exactly have...all the time. Patience. I am choosing to be thankful for the patience that the Lord does give me. In the current season of life we are, well really Al is on the job hunt. He graduates in this May. I am currently trying to plan for an unknown future...and that's hard. Thankfully, yes, thankfully God has given me some kind of patience otherwise I could be going nuts right now. Are we staying home? Will we be moving across the country? How??!? Where!!? When?!?! Okay so...I have my moments.

Now that you have a peek into my current/constant thoughts...I would also like to introduce you to one of my new favorite blogs!! Drum roll please.....the vegan stoner. The layout...neat. The food...inspiring. The recipes...simple. And its where I have gotten a few of my latest from. Including mac & peas!! So rather than including the recipe on my site today I'll let you venture around on theirs. They don't give specifics for all the ingredients, which I like/don't like all at the same time. It gives room for your own twist but if you're clueless...it makes it that much harder. Anyways, my first crack at mac & peas was awesome. I did add some almond milk, and I think it made it creamier. Life is good when you have a creamy pasta dish. Al's comment was that it was more like a simple alfredo than a cheese sauce. My response was well, it isn't exactly a cheese sauce cause there is no cheese in it honey dear. Anyways, check out the blog and check out my other dishes as well!!

PB&Chocolate Bites

Today I am thankful for,

my God.

Fun fact...I'm very thankful for Him everyday! Its true. Today though I am thankful for a specific facet of His character, His acceptance. There are so many rules, regulations, pressures, expectations...(I could go on) put on us by the world. Yet the Lord of heaven and earth says simply...come. Come to me as you are. Come to me with your burdens, your scars, your insecurities, your pride, your talents, your heart...come. He accepts all, and not only that, but turns around and causes it for good and for His glory.

Another blessing from God, to be ever-so-thankful for...the mouthwatering combination of peanut butter and chocolate! This is like one of the only ways I eat chocolate. Those darn peanut butter cups!! This is a recipe that is out there in several different places. Seems like everyone and their mother is making peanut butter cups. Reason: they are fantastic! Hello!! So after perusing a handful of homemade versions of this treat, I came up with my own take. Lets just call this a homerun.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag Hershey's milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 graham crackers, crushed

*Combine peanut butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. Make sure the consistency is good enough for you to roll them into balls. Add more crackers or sugar(you pick)to get it there. Kind of depends on the peanut butter you are using.
*Using a small pot, heat a cup of water over medium heat, you want it to slightly bubble, but not boil.
*In a metal or glass bowl, place the chips. Then put the bowl over the pot to use, double boiler like. Stir until the chips are melted and looking silky smooth.
*Roll a ball of pb dough smaller than a golf ball. Toss into the chocolate and using a spoon roll to cover. Place on a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper. Repeat until all the bites are done.
*Place sheet in freezer for about 30 minutes.

Notes:
*We are keeping ours in the freezer, they seem to hold up better that way.
*When I reached the end I had more pb dough then I thought would get covered by the chocolate I had left. So I tossed the pb dough into the remaining chocolate and just mixed and melted it all together. Made a "log" on the waxed paper, and after it was frozen cut into chunks. Same taste as the bites...I'm eating it like its my job, FYI.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Today I am thankful for....

the cozy side of fall.

Ya know...blankets, hot beverages, snuggling, candles, and the aroma of freshly baked pie. It makes you do that thing where you closer your eyes, tighten up your shoulders, and smile! Love it.

Speaking of an aroma wafting through the house. I for sure had that going on last night. I made these awesome cookies...or should I say banana-bread-bites-from-heaven. They were excellent. AND!! Come out to only about 140 calories per cookie, which isn't half bad. I had a couple for breakfast this morning...yum!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 medium bananas, mashed

1 egg

1 teas vanilla

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
3/4 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas nutmeg

*Cream together the softened butter and sugars. Once fully incorporated add bananas, egg, vanilla, and oats. Then combine with the rest of the dry ingredients.
*Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
*Spoon out onto baking sheet, make sure to spread the batter out just a bit, not quite flat but not a heap of a mound either.
*Bake for 13-14 minutes. Cool on baking rack and then watch these things fly.

Spinach Eggplant Lasagna

Today is the first day of November. You know that time of year that men stop shaving? I mean, that time where we are more than ever reminded to be thankful for the blessings in our life. And I'm all for this! We go through life to fast and really need to stop and be thankful. I'm joining in on this because of an old friend and the blog she has with her sister. So, I'll be starting off every post this month with something I am thankful for!

Today...today I am oh so thankful for being able to run! Its a new love of mine and I really am thankful that I can do it. For a good handful of years I wasn't able to and had to stick to biking or using an elliptical to get a good cardio going. But this spring, after trying out a new technique I was able to start running with my knee brace. Working up to my first race! Which was actually a 12 person relay where we ran 196 miles(my portion was 13.5 miles)...Ragnar Relay its pretty epic. Long story short, we are doing another race and I'm now running without my brace!! I am thankful that I can run because its a blast!


This my friends is a wonderfully easy lasagna!! Yes this is straying far away from being vegan, with four kinds of cheese and a couple eggs...I mean come on. But alas a vegetarian delight! As winter is upon us, sometime soon at least, I am constantly looking for affordable meals that will go the distance. Heating bills are going up and my grocery bill needs to go down. This week, combining some of my coupons with a sale or two, and I made this hearty dinner for about $12. All things considered and the fact that it was dinner for myself and a friend last night(2), a late night snack for all last night(2+1=3)left over lunch for Al today(3+1=4), I will dine on it for lunch or dinner today(4+1=5), and that well over half of it is left....that makes this lady pretty happy. Whenever I make lasagna, I never precook the noodles. I have never had issues with doing it this way. Love saving an extra step too, don't we all.

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 16 oz bag frozen spinach
1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 cups ricotta cheese
3 cups cottage cheese
1 cup & 1/2 cup(for topping) mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup & 1/4 cup(for topping) parmesan cheese
1 teas nutmeg
1 teas black pepper
2 eggs

*Heat oil in large sauce pan. Add eggplant, and cook for about 8 mins, cooking all sides. Add in the spinach and cook until heated and no longer frozen.
*Combine, in a large bowl, ricotta, cottage, mozzarella, parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, and eggs. Reserve some of the mozza and parm for topping the lasagna.
*Pour half the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place first layer of noodles and then top with half of the spinach mix. Spread half of the cheese mix over it all. Layer noodles and repeat with second half of the spinach and then cheese. Layer your final noodles and then top with the second half of the sauce.
*Cook in a preheated oven, at 375 for 25 mins. Pull out, sprinkle with the remaining mozza and parm. Place back in the oven for 30-35 mins. Remove, let set for at least 10 mins until serving.

Note: the reason I did the cooking the way I did...I didn't have any tin foil. If you wanted, you could fully assemble the lasagna, top with foil and after the 25 remove and cook for the remaining time without removing from oven. I did it the way I did and it worked just fine.

Six Veggie Stir-Fry

Lets just say, I'm writing this with remnants of this meal in my mouth and I'm contemplating not brushing my teeth for a couple days. I make stir-fry type dishes about once a week. Its fun to experiment with the basic concept of a stir-fry and make it different each time. Broccoli is a must. Peppers...always. The rest really depends on what looked tasty when I got the groceries last. Also, I finally remembered to get some chinese five spice seasoning...and I'm glad I did. Its a simple mix of a few spices...five, go figure. But the levels of flavor are complex and satisfying. Worth a purchase if you plan on making chinese food regularly. Anyways, here's my latest meal...hope it's inspiring you to try something new perhaps!

INGREDIENTS:
sesame oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbls crushed red pepper
8 stalks of asparagus, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
1 tbls chinese five spice
3 tbls lite soy sauce
2 tbls hoisin sauce
3 cups of spinach

*In a skillet, heat up oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3 mins.  Then add in veggies, except for the spinach, and work in, getting all the veggies covered in a bit of oil. cook for about 5 mins.
*Put in the five spice, soy sauce, and hoisin. Make sure all veggies are again, covered in the sauce. Cook for another couple minutes. When veggies reach desired tenderness, throw in the spinach. Stir until it wilts. Serve with brown rice.

Marinated Chicken with Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Remember that pesto I made the other day? Well I had some extra after our dinner Saturday. Combine that with it being the season of all things gourd. I give you Pesto Spaghetti Squash. Pretty simple, especially since I already had the pesto made, and its delicious!! Spaghetti Squash is something I've had before but never prepped myself. But I really like the idea of using the squash instead of say a different starchy side dish. The squash itself is somewhat bland. Usually served with butter and s&p if a side dish or it could be subbed for pasta and topped with some marinara sauce for a main. I paired it with some marinated chicken and then some frozen(yes, I use frozen-pre-made items from time to time)veggies to round out the meal. It was good.

INGREDIENTS:
(marinated chicken)
4 chicken breasts, skinless
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbls lime juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teas ground coriander

*Place chicken in a large ziplock bag. Add in all the other ingredients, work around all the corners of the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Cook as desired(bake or fry-I fried in a couple tbls of olive oil in a skillet)

(pesto spaghetti squash)
1 spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
3/4 cup prepared pesto
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded or grated

*Take the squash and cut in half length wise. Take out all the gunky innards and place rind side up on a cooking sheet. Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 min, depending on the size.
*In a large skillet, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Shred and scoop out the cooked squash into the pan. Sprinkle on some s&p, mix. Then add in the pesto and work it through all of the squash, evenly. Finally mix in your cheeses and let everything get all ooey-gooey and melty.

Tuesday Choupi

Last night proved to be a fun one in the kitchen. I've mentioned it before, but Tuesdays often end up being a soup day. Making something you can have over the next few days. This one ended up being spur of the moment, spontaneous if you will. I'm calling it the Tuesday Choupi. Choupi, being a cross between a chili and a soup. Its hearty like a chili, but not quite all there to put it in such a category. I was tossing in things left and right. "Oh, I have a few potatoes!" & "Lets put in carrots!!" may have been things I said. This dish has some kick to it, so feel free to modify the spice down to your liking. It makes a ton! My pot was simmering to the brim with this concoction. And not gonna lie, it turned out awesome. Once again, when Al came home, he inhaled a huge portion. Gotta love him.

TIP:
I am constantly using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in my dishes. Not wanting the to waste a whole can, try this out for size. Take the whole can when you first need it and throw it in a food processor, process until nice and smooth. Use what you need the first time, and then put the rest in a ziplock baggie, place in the freezer. It makes it so easy to then, when you need it, break off a chunk and use! An extra step the first time around and a super time saver all subsequent times!

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
2 tbls chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, food processed
2 tbls ground cumin
1 tbls ground corriander
1 tbls chili powder
1 teas oregano
1 4 oz can diced jalapenos
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
water(refill the tomato can with water, dump in...twice)
4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cans of white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup bulgur

*In a LARGE pot, heat a bit of olive oil over medium-high. Add in the onion and garlic, sweat out for 3 or 4 mins. Throw in the carrot and bell pepper, throw in some s&p and cook until the veggies are tender. Sprinkle on all the seasonings and the chipotle peppers as well as the diced jalapenos. Work together so everything is covered in spicy goodness.
*Pour in the can of diced tomatoes in their juices. Refill the empty can with water, pour in and do it one more time. Adding in a total of 2 cans of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add in the potatoes and let it boil for 5 min and then reduce heat to a solid simmer, place the cover over the pot, tilted.
*Add in the beans and continue to simmer for about 10 mins, again mostly covered. Then add in the bulger. Simmer for another 10 min with the cover fully on, check to see if the bulger and potatoes are done. As soon as they are...serve!

Asparagus & Egg Lefse Sandwich

Al and I got to enjoy a relaxing weekend, spent mostly at home. We lounged around and did loads and loads of laundry. Sunday morning we decided we were going to splurge and go out for breakfast, a treat and a rarity these days. So we headed off to one of our favs, Takk For Maten. Picked out a few items and enjoyed them family style. There were forks and knives everywhere for the 8 minutes it took us to scarf down every last morsel. My personal favorite was the lefse sandwich I had. Ooooh! It was sooo good. This morning, I decided to recreate it for us. And I'd say it turned out stellar.

INGREDIENTS:
lefse
asparagus, chopped into pieces
eggs, scrambled or hard boiled&crushed
Jarlsberg cheese

*All depends on the lefse you have and how you want to fold it together. But its basically lefse with egg in the middle topped with asparagus pieces and then covered in some Jarlsberg. Fold the lefse over the top and fry. I cooked the asparagus a bit before putting it in the sandwich and it worked well. I would have used a panini press...had I had one.

Broccoli Tofu Pesto Pasta

Basically I did I lot of cooking this weekend. So there may be a few double post days...stay tuned!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! I got another person in this world to try tofu! Our dear friend Trav was over Saturday night, and I offered to cook dinner for the three of us. Originally going to simply make pesto pasta, I peeked into that big ol' fridge to see if I had anything else to add to it. The green heads of broccoli were calling to me. And then, out of the corner of the fridge, I heard...the tofu. In a unified harmony I heard "eat me!"  So, my simple pasta was now getting jazzed up. Also!! Unbeknownst to them, they ate-for the first time-nutritional yeast. A common cheesy like substitute for vegans. Mark this one down as vegan AND delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cashews

water

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package extra firm tofu, cut into pieces

broccoli, chopped

whole wheat pasta

*Soak the cashews in warm water for 10 mins. In a food processor, combine basil, arugula, nutritional yeast, and olive oil. After well mixed, add cashews, 1/2 cup of the water they were in and the garlic. Blend well. Set aside. 

*Cook pasta as directed. Steam the broccoli and start to cook the tofu by heating a tbls of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute until browned on both sides. 

*Serve pasta, covered in pesto, topped with broccoli and tofu. Enjoy the heck outta it!!

Turkey Tamale Pie

Yesterday I mentioned how I enjoy spending time searching for edible inspiration...err, inspiration for edibles. Either way, its fun! There is so much out there! Another one of my sources is, dun dun dun...the Rachel Ray Show. Most of my days are currently spent home bound, and a giant portion in front of the computer. Doing photo edits, developing my website, searching for recipes, watching last nights episode of the biggest loser that I missed...you get the idea. In being home, during what some would call "daytime" I have also tuned into to daytime programming from time to time. And I love watching the Rachel Ray Show for the recipes! Most of which I alter, but that's another story. Cause this recipe I followed (almost) to a T. Any excuse to use my cast-iron skillet is also something I jump at. Plus, one word: polenta! We loved it, Al of course went back for seconds. Leftovers...tons! One of the changes I made was I didn't have any beer, so deglazing the pan didn't exactly happen. And I didn't have tomato sauce I only had diced. So...anyways, we enjoyed it. Here is the way I did it, you can check out the link for what was on the show.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbls olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey
2 hot chili peppers, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 tbls ground cumin
1 tbls ground coriander
2 ancho chili peppers in adobo sauce, chopped fine
2 tbls cider vinegar
2 tbls brown sugar
2 tbls worcestershire sauce
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can chicken stock
1 cup almond breeze
1 cup polenta
1 tbls honey
1 cup shredded mozzarella

*Heat oil in a cast-iron or large skillet. Brown the turkey and then add in peppers, more peppers, onion, garlic, s&p, cumin, coriander, and chilies. Stir occasionally and cook for 10 min, until the peppers and onions are soft.
*Stir in vinegar, sugar, worcestershire sauce, and tomatoes. Simmer to thicken, 5 to 10 min.
*Preheat broiler and then in a sauce pot, bring the chicken stock and "milk" to a boil. Add in the polenta and stir in constantly for 2 or 3 mins, until it has thickened up. Add honey and mix well.
*Spread polenta over the turkey to about an inch from the edge. Top with cheese and throw under a pre-heated broiler until golden brown.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Oh. My. Good food! So I'm not a mom yet, but I know I'm going to be one of those moms who quietly hides veggies in food unannounced to the little mouths that will eat it. That is unless they come out like their mama, aka veggie loving! This is seriously a dish that is jam packed with awesomeness. In my pursuit of all things nummy, I scour the web and the growing stack of cookbooks I have for ideas. This one caught my eye and my taste buds wanted at it! I've made stuffed peppers before, but this one takes the cake. The combination of everything in it seriously wanders close to the line of perfection. I used poblano peppers this time, I might try good old bell peppers next time...its just hard when they're so expensive. Not to mention I got some mighty good sized poblanos this week. On a spicy scale from 1-10 this ranks at a "I noticed there was something there". But we love ourselves some spice here at the Reich household. (So we topped it with a little chopped jalapeno!) We ended up with extra filling, I only had 3 peppers, so I'm freezing it to use for a burrito filling the next time we are in need of an insta-meal. And like I said before, check out all the great super foods packed into these delicious peppers...

INGREDIENTS:

4 or 5 peppers(poblano or bell)
2 tbls olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tbls chili powder
1 tbls cumin
1 teas oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
a generous handful of spinach
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup frozen corn
1 large carrot, grated
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup shredded cheese
salt & pepper

*Heat oil in a large pot, over medium-high. Add in the onion and cook for 5 mins. Then add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic and saute for about a minute.
*Toss in the spinach and tomatoes, cook off some of the extra liquids for 5 mins. Then add in the black beans, quinoa, corn, carrots, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a medium to medium-low heat. Simmer for about 20 mins or until the quinoa is cooked.
*Stir in the cheese and s&p.
*Take your peppers and cut them in half from top to bottom. Strip out the seeds and ribs. Stuff with the hot quinoa mix. Place in a baking dish with tinfoil tented over the top. Put in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 mins.
*Remove tinfoil and top with a little bit of extra cheese, place back in the oven for another 5 mins. Serve and enjoy to your little hearts content!

Cornmeal Crusted Walleye

To put it simply, our vegan diet has been busted. I enjoyed the last couple weeks of food exploration and creation. But for now, we will be going back to an anything goes diet, rooted mainly in healthy full-flavor dishes that usually end up being vegetarian. This one however is based all around a fish.

My dad gave me some fresh walleye he caught a few weeks ago. I froze those bad boys, knowing we weren't going to be eating them for a while. But the other day I saw fit for a nice and easy fish dinner. I've always loved fish, since my dad put it on the table at least once a week during the non-winter months. I've also always loved its ease in preparation and cooking. A few little preps and seriously no time at all and you have yourself a meal. Just like this one. I paired it with some real simple steamed broccoli and garlic red skin mashers.

INGREDIENTS:
4 fish fillets
1/2 cup of cornmeal
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 teas cayenne
olive oil

*Put a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
*Mix all dry ingredients and coat by dredging the fillets on both sides, place in pan
*Flip after a couple minutes, depends on thickness of fillet. Enjoy!

Apple Donuts

So just a little update for everyone...on why there weren't many posts last week. Our happy little puppy, Bueller, got sprayed by a skunk! Ugh, and it seriously affected like everything! It was a rough week last week. But enough of that, back to food!

Its October, so that means apples are......everywhere. For those that read my post last weekend, this one has the same base recipe: beignets. When I made those last time it was way thinner then I thought it would be, so I added more flour and they came out more like donut holes. This go 'round, I followed the recipe exactly and then took apple slices and coated them in the batter, and fried as normal. After they cooled for a few minutes I then tossed them in cinnamon sugar. These were seriously divine!!! I brought them to church on Sunday and were gone so fast. Again, a bit time consuming but well well well worth it. It was like five steps up from mini-donuts....and to put it mildly I'm a mini-donut connoisseur. So make these. Seriously. Do it.

Candy Corn

Apparently I have a sweet tooth lately. And I'm not much of a chocolate fan, so that gets rid of a ton of options. Yet, somehow it doesn't take me long to think of something I want...and then I'm making it! This is not for the faint of heart. It is decently time consuming...or at least it was for me, perhaps I'm not a competent concoctor of candy corn. Nevertheless, I powered through. They aren't exactly like the candy corn you buy this time of year, but they suffice for a sweet tooth craving. They have a softer consistency as well, again, this may have been how they turned out for me. But yeah, I'd make it again. I'd be more likely to if I had a partner in crime to help in the shaping of the pieces. TIPS: use plastic gloves or cling wrap when working with the "dough". Don't roll out too thin, or it will break. They get better the longer they are left out, getting slightly hard on the outside.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup 
5 tablespoons Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
a pinch of sea salt
red & yellow food coloring


*In a sauce pan bring the sugar, corn syrup, margarine, and vanilla to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 5 mins stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
*Sift the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Then add the sifted dry ingredients into the pan, stir to combine. Let stand for about 20 mins.
*Divide into 3 pieces. Add food coloring to create the yellow and orange and leave the white plain. Work each ball, kneading until color is established and they are smooth. 
*Roll out into 3 ropes of equal length(they will be long!) and push the ropes together. Take a rolling pin over the top to flatten just a bit, joining the ropes together even better. 
*Use a knife to cut into triangles, form as you wish!

Beignets

I made these on this past weekend when desiring something sweet. I could not believe my little brown eyes when I saw that these were vegan! Not to mention honestly simple. If you have the time I totally suggest them. They were awesome. Kind of ended up more like a light donut consistency rather than beignets that we're all used to. (I mean, we have all had them right?! Right?!!?) I'm going to make these again soon, with sliced apples inside, cause that sounds down right superb!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teas salt
2 tbls sugar
4 teas dry active yeast
1 teas cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of water (120 - 130 degrees)
1/2 teas lemon juice
oil for frying(I used veg oil)
powdered sugar

*Mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add water and lemon juice, stir until well blended. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for about 45 mins.
*Heat oil to 350 degrees(medium to medium-high heat). Drop in the batter in heaping spoonfuls. Once golden brown, flip over once. With a slotted spoon remove and place on a cooling rack with a paper towel.
*Serve with powdered sugar dusted on top.