trail mix-a-lot(s)

I've been away...busy...but still eating and cooking of course...

I adapted this recipe and really like the result. I hope you do too!


2 sticks soft butter
3/4 c each brown and white sugar
3 T maple syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 T b soda
10 oz white flour
2 oz whole wheat flour
3/4 c granola, any kind
1/3 c flax meal
1 1/4 c oats
1 c chocolate chips
2 c nuts, toasted and chopped (I used a combination of sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts and almonds)
1 c coconut


cream butter and sugars, add eggs, m. syrup and vanilla, mix well, add cinnamon, salt, and b soda, mix well, stir in flours, granola, flax, oats, choc chips, nuts and coconut. 325 15-18 min. yum.

minestrone

Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe here. 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium carrots, diced

3 large celery stalk, diced

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried

Coarse salt and ground pepper

28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped a bit

3 small red potatoes, diced

2 c (cooked) white beans, I used great northern

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ c pesto

Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, cook onion, carrots, celery, red-pepper flakes, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, add tomatoes cook for about 3 min, add potato, beans, and 2-4 c water (depending on how thick you like your soup and on how watery the tomatoes are). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, stir in garlic and pesto just before serving. Serve sprinkled with parm. cheese. yum.......(you could also add some diced kale or cabbage to this to increase the greenery to your liking...)

lemon layer cake

So Val says, as I'm frosting this cake "I'm only a little sad that you had to make your own birthday cake this year because I know it is going to be good." Well, I'm usually not one to brag...but this WAS good!


You can find the recipe here. I only made 1 layer and sliced it in 1/2 to make it a 2 layer cake. It would be much more elegant with 4 layers, but a 4 layer cake is just a little extravagant for me. I didn't have the full 1/4 c of zest called for in the frosting, but it came out just fine. Oh, and I thought the frosting could have benefited from a some cream cheese instead of all that butter...enjoy!

blue hubbard squash risott(ohhhhhh)

I know I know...the picture is not great. But, don't let it fool you, this recipe is well worth the effort. If you've never made risotto, there is a good, basic recipe with instructions here. Otherwise, proceed as usual!

3-4 c veg stock
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 diced onion
2-5 cloves garlic, diced (depending on  your taste)
1 c short grain rice, I used brown, but you could be authentic and use Arborio
1/3 c white wine
2 c (approx ) steamed squash, we used blue hubbard, but butternut would be great
1 c chopped, blanched kale (you could sub asparagus, spinach, any kind of green thing would do just fine)
1/2 c diced bell pepper, I used red
3 chopped carrots
1/2 c parm cheese


In saucepan, heat stock, keep this hot as you cook the risotto.
In a big dutch oven, melt butter, add oil, saute onion until soft and just starting to brown, add garlic and rice, saute until rice and garlic are toasted, (2-4 min) this enhances the flavor of the rice. add the white wine, deglaze the pan and stir well, when wine has evaporated, begin adding stock, 1/2 c at a time. after each addition of stock, gently stir and let simmer, only after the stock has cooked into the rice will you add the next 1/2 c. Continuously test the rice throughout the cooking process (for 1 c of brown rice, I used about 3 1/2 c stock). when you think it's just about done, add squash, greens, carrot and bell pepper. if you add these sooner, the dish will get mushy. Add a bit more stock and let everything simmer and finish cooking. hopefully not too much longer. just before serving sprinkle parm cheese over, remove from heat, cover and let cheese melt...enjoy!

chocolate peanut butter cup cake, oh yes I did....

Adapted from one of my fav sites: Vanilla Sugar Blog

My changes:


I only had a 13 oz box of cake mix, so I lessened the buttermilk and oil by about an 1/8 c. Also, I added chopped up Snickers Bars instead of peanut butter cups because that's what I had. 


Oh, the best part? I made peanut butter cups for the top. Adapted from, once again, Vanilla Sugar Blog.


Peanut Butter Cups (pic coming...)


9 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate (or 9 T cocoa powder + 3 T veg oil)
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c plus a few T powdered sugar
1/3 c crushed graham crackers or animal crackers


melt chocolate in double broiler, once melted, spoon about 1 -2 tsp chocolate into the bottom of mini muffin tin, pop in freezer to harden. Stir together the peanut butter, sugar and cracker crumbs, you should be able to gather a spoonful and roll together into a ball. If it's too dry, add a bit more peanut butter. Roll entire mixture into teaspoon sized balls. After chocolate has been in the freezer for 5-10 min, plop a ball into each muffin tin and cover with chocolate. Put back into freezer and let harden for 30 min (minimum). If you have extra filling balls, just place one on top of the pb cups (before the last freezer  session) for an extra bit of peanut butter delight. enjoy! yummmmmm

bagels

My advice: Invite friends over that like to eat. Have them bring some toppings. Have the dough made and...get to work! You'll never want to buy bagels again...promise. The recipe is here. This nice person posted the recipe, so why should I type it all out?! Enjoy. And get bakin'...

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce (recipe below...) and Fresh Rolls (recipe to come...)


Peanut Sauce adapted from David Lebovitz

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

3/4 cup  hot black tea

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 T peeled and minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 small chiles, seeded and finely chopped or 1 tsp chili flakes

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper (if available)

1/4 c fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste (Rooster sauce) or chili oil

2/3 cup packed cilantro 

1 tablespoon fish sauce

put the peanuts and hot tea in blender. whip it up and add the rest of the ingredients. use within a week. YUM!