Peanut Butter 'Fudge'

Peanut Butter 'Fudge'
Originally found at LJ Cookie Exchange

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Combine butter and peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes on high; stir. Microwave for another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir to combine. The fudge should be stiff, but not crumbly, and will lose its sheen. Spread into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan. Melt the chocolate chips (in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time), and pour over the peanut butter mixture. Smooth out.

Cover and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

My Notes:
I had a hard time getting the powdered sugar lumps out of the fudge, but overall, it wasn't bad. It's not something that I'd really consider 'fudge', and probably something that I'm more likely to bring somewhere than make for myself, but it's good.

One of these days I'll master making actual fudge, complete with the melting sugar and everything. One day.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Originally found in Season's Best Recipe Collection (Spring/Summer 2011)

Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
1 Tbsp lemon extract
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

3 squares white chocolate for baking
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
Fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside. Mix together sugar and oil; add zest, yogurt, soymilk, and lemon extract. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift into wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Whisk egg whites vigorously until very foamy; fold into batter.

Scoop batter into liners, about 2/3rds of the way full. Drop 1 tsp of preserves into the center of each cupcake and press down lightly. Bake 15-17 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from pan, and allow to cool completely.

Microwave chocolate 45-60 seconds, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add yogurt and extract. Dip cupcakes into ganache, coating the tops evenly. Garnish with raspberries.

My Notes:

These cupcakes are very moist and dense. And while I don't typically like white chocolate, the ganache is mixed with enough flavor that it doesn't quite taste like white chocolate. They were a hit among my friends, as usual.

The raspberry preserves will sink to the bottom, so if you want to keep them in the center of the cupcake, I've heard adding some cornstarch to the mix will do the trick.

Artichoke Chicken Hodgepodge

No image.... yet.

Artichoke Chicken Hodgepodge
From Naomi's Kitchen

1 small onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
1-2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped
1 small can black olives
Several cherry tomatoes, quartered
Olive Oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly soft. Add artichoke hearts and olives and heat through.

Serve over rice or noodles.

My Notes:
This is one of those dishes that my friend made by just tossing together a few things that she had in her cabinet. It has since become one of her and her husband's favorite dishes. I've had it twice, and I've liked it both times. And it's my sort of dish... it has all the major food groups and only requires two pans (one for the dish, one for the rice/noodles) and about a half hour of preparation.

I recommend rinsing the artichoke hearts and olives, as both are rather salty, so this dish can get very salty very fast. I'm also the type of person who doesn't add salt to anything, so keep that in mind.

If you want more sauce, add 1/2 cup or a cup of chicken broth. Enjoy :)

Moroccan Chickpeas

They disappeared before I could take a picture. Sorry.

Moroccan Chickpeas
Originally found at Dinner with Julie

canola oil, for cooking
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small can tomato paste
3 cans chickpeas
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
Water, as needed

In a large skillet, saute the onion in a bit canola oil over medium-high heat, until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg and cayenne and cook for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and a splash of water. Bring to a simmer. Add the chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat. Cook for a bit to cook off any excess liquid if need be. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. Add the red pepper as desired.

My Notes:
First off, I just want to state that you should definitely check out the original recipe. I left a bunch of stuff out of mine (some of it by accident, some by design). It was still really good, and I wish I would've had some sort of flatbread to go with it, but it might be better if you follow the original recipe.

I didn't add the red pepper and it was plenty spicy. I think it would've made a good addition, but because I was bringing it to a potluck, I didn't want it to be too spicy for anyone. So I left it out.

Tropical Salsa

Tropical Salsa
From Bingjie's Kitchen

2 bell peppers (any color)
2-3 avocados
2 mangos
1 small red onion
2 cans black beans
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro
4-5 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
lime and lemon juice, to taste

Dice all ingredients (finely for the garlic). Add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes as desired. Add equal amounts of lime and lemon juice, to taste. Serve with chips.

My Notes:
This is a recipe that I got from one of my friends. It's amazing, at least when she makes it. When I make it, my mangoes aren't ripe enough and I leave out things like avocado. But it's still good.

Seven Spice Mix

Seven Spice Mix
Originally found at All Recipes

1/2 cup ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground cumin
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground coriander
1/4 cup ground cloves
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Mix together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

My Notes:
This. Is. Spicy. There's a whole lot of black pepper in there, so I'm just giving you a heads up. It smells great, though. I've used it a few times on chicken, and it's always turned out marvelously. I tried to mix it together in a rice dish with the chicken, and it was way too spicy for me to finish. So you definitely need something to balance out the heat.

The easiest thing to make with this, other than just chicken and rice, is wraps. Throw a little hummus and lettuce along with the seasoned chicken (cooked however you want; I generally pan fry) into a whole wheat tortilla. Roll up and enjoy.

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

Yes, the picture sucks. Forgive me. I need to get some new bowls.

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili
Originally found at Whole Foods

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Cayenne powder to taste
1 tsp chipotle chili en adobo
1 pound chicken breast, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are translucent. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken. Cook Stir to break up and brown for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until flavors have melded and chili is thick.

My Notes:

This actually tastes a fair amount like my black bean chili. Same sort of deep flavor, with the corn and black beans, I guess. I didn't add any cayenne personally, because I was weary with the chipotle, but it certainly could've used it. Maybe a teaspoon or so.

I think I need to play with some flavors a bit more. But this was definitely good. The website says it feeds 4... I can get about 3 servings out of it. So I guess if you have two kids, it'll be fine, but adults will probably want more.

And one of these days I'll get a really good dairy-free cornbread recipe to go with these.

Granola, Take 2

Picture coming.

Granola
Originally found at Food Network

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine honey and oil. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

My Notes:
Yes, I know I've done Granola before, but I was less than impressed with the final result, and decided to try a different recipe. I love Alton Brown, and found this recipe, and decided to give it a try.

The result? I love it. It's so much crunchier, and actually clumps together. Plus, it's pareve.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins
Originally found at Once a Month Mom

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper liners (or spray).

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and eggs. Add potato, honey and applesauce, and whisk until well combined. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then slowly work into wet ingredients.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

My Notes:
Yes, I'm having a slight obsession with sweet potatoes. They're yummy. I'm not sure why I haven't been exposed to them before. This recipe is nice and yummy, and pumpkin can easily be substituted if you prefer. Best of all... they're pareve.

If you plan on feeding these to an infant, please substitute brown sugar for honey.

Sausage and Pepper Paella

Sausage and Pepper Paella
Originally found at Epicurious

2 links hot and/or sweet Italian sausage (about 6 ounces total)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup Arborio or other medium-grain rice or converted rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup drained diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Squeeze sausage meat from casings into a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet and add bell peppers, onion, and oil. Cook mixture over moderately high heat, breaking up sausage with a fork and stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown. Add rice and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and water and bring to a boil, stirring to loosen brown bits. Transfer skillet to oven and bake, uncovered, 25 minutes, or until most liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.

My Notes:
I used turkey sausage. And yes, they do have kosher varieties.

This is an interesting recipe. When it came out of the oven, I wasn't so sure how I was going to feel about it, but it was pretty good. I should mention that I did not use medium grain rice, I used the regular ol' long grain that I get at the store. I also don't have an ovenproof skillet, so I transferred to a square baking dish and it turned out just fine.

Sausage Subs

Sausage Subs
Originalish Recipe

Turkey Sausage Links
1 each red and green bell pepper, sliced
French Bread

Either grill or fry the sausage until almost done. Add sliced peppers and a bit of oil (if necessary) and allow to sit on the heat for a few minutes, until charred. Cut a loaf of french bread in sub-sized sections, then in half. Place sausage in bread, and layer on peppers. Serve hot.

My Notes:
Yeah, it's a really basic recipe, but it's the first I've tried. And it was pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie
Adapted from All Recipes

15-20 oreo cookies
5 Tbsp butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package Cool Whip, thawed

Crush cookies to a coarse powder. Melt the butter and combine with cookie crumbs. Press to the bottom of a 9x13 in pan (or two pie tins).

Mix the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Stir in peanut butter and milk until well combined. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour batter over cookie crust and freeze until firm.

My Notes:

One of my friends made a version of this a couple weeks ago and I fell in love with it. I used soy milk and it worked fine, but I don't think you can get away from the dairy entirely.

My friend also swirled Nutella on the top of the pie (before freezing), but I ran out and didn't realize it until I was already making the pie. It tastes great either way.

Curry Chicken Remix

Remember this recipe? Here's a much simpler recipe if you're just craving something curried.

Curry Chicken Remix
Original Recipe, more or less

1 chicken breast
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
1-2 teaspoons flour
Cayenne Pepper, to taste*
Oil

Cut chicken into cubes. Saute the chicken in a skillet with a small portion of oil (less than needed to cover the bottom of the pan; it's just to prevent sticking), until no longer pink. Remove from pan. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, then add curry powder and flour. Stir until thickened. Pour over chicken.

Serve with rice.

My Notes:
*I found this recipe to be a bit boring without some heat, so I suggest adding some. If you can get your hands on some Indian chili powder, I recommend it. Otherwise, cayenne pepper should work fine.

I actually had found a recipe something to this effect, but the chicken was breaded with flour and egg whites first.

Obviously, this produces a small portion. Adjust quantities as needed; if you want more sauce, start with more chicken broth. Jazz it up with carrots and some ginger if you want. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes, so long as the chicken isn't frozen, so it's a nice and quick alternative to my other recipe, without using all the ingredients I don't use terribly often.

One of my friends likes to randomly experiment with things. One of these days, I'll take a page out of his book and try some sort of curry soup. Or something.

Triple C Cookies

Triple C Cookies
Original Recipe

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Sift together all the dry ingredients and slowly add to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined. Add chocolate chips and stir until well combined.

Drop the dough onto a cookie sheet by the spoonful, at least 2 inches apart. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are firm. Cool for 5 minutes on pan, then cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container.

My Notes:
Triple C stands for chocolate chocolate chip, in case you were wondering.

Yeah... these cookies didn't turn out exactly how I wanted them to. It was an experiment, combining three different recipes. I was running low on granulated sugar, so I did a 3:1 ratio of brown sugar to white sugar. Then, I realized about halfway through that the one recipe I was following didn't have any flour in it, and its hard to have cookies without flour. So, I added a cup of flour. And I looked in horror when they came out of the oven spread out like pancakes. Seriously... incredibly thin pancakes.

My roommate tried them, and loved them, and I called over the guy next door (one of our classmates) and he liked them too. So they're not bad tasting. They're just weird. I think they might make better brownies than cookies. I'll either have to rename them or fiddle with the recipe. If you have any suggestions, let me know :)

Strawberries & Cream Cake

Strawberries & Cream Cake
Originally found at Cooks.com

1 pkg. angel food cake mix (+ ingredients to make it)
1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
2 (8 oz) containers Whipped topping
2 pints fresh strawberries, washed & sliced

Prepare and bake angel food cake according to package directions in a 10"x4" tube pan. While cake is baking, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and almond extract in a medium bowl. Blend well. Slowly fold in whipped topping. Chill 10-15 minutes.

Once cake is done, invert on a wire rack or wine bottle and cool completely. Remove from pan and place on serving platter. Slice a 1" horizontal layer from top of cake; carefully lift off and set aside. Cut out interior of cake, leaving 1" in each direction (inside edge, outer edge, and bottom). Tear the removed portion of cake into small pieces. Pour 1 1/2 cups of chilled whipped cream mixture into a medium size bowl and add the cake bits and sliced strawberries. Fold until well mixed.

Gently spoon strawberry mixture into the hollowed out cake and replace the top. Use remaining cream mixture as a frosting. Place in freezer and chill about two hours, or until frosting is firm. Garnish with remaining strawberries.

My Notes:
When I was on vacation last week, my friend was making this for her BBQ (which I, sadly, could not attend). So when one of my friends back home asked if I wanted to go strawberry picking (best strawberries ever), I leaped at the chance and proceeded to buy everything I needed for this cake. It's a rather inexpensive dessert, all things considered.

Some notes: I did not actually frost the sides of my cake (obviously), nor did I freeze it. I just took the cream mixture, spooned it into the center, then spread it on top. I missed the direction that said to separate it into two batches before stirring in the cake. It still turned out yummy. Not very firm and a pain to cut, but very yummy. I'm wondering what I'm going to do with it now.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes
Originally found at Joy of Baking

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated white sugar, divided
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. With an electric or hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/3 cup sugar, egg, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and smooth. Avoid overbeating, else the top will crack during baking. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Slowly stir the water mixture into the flour mixture, until smooth.

Fill the muffin cups about halfway with the chocolate batter. Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling has set and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the chocolate will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

If there are leftovers, refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

My Notes:
So, I didn't get the nice well in the center that they did... my cupcakes look like chocolate cupcakes with a cheesecake like frosting. They still taste really good, and if you only use the chocolate part, it's dairy free. Not to mention egg free. I'm sure you could make it gluten free if you tried.

I'm going to have to restrain myself from eating too many of these things.

Thai Noodle Salad

(Told you it was pending)

Thai Noodle Salad
Originally found at Allrecipes.com

1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta
4 large carrots, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup tahini (estimate)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Green onions, for garnish

Break pasta in half and cook as directed. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, carrots, bell peppers and cilantro.

In a food processor, mix together 1/4 cup peanuts, peanut butter, tahini, vinegar, chile sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar until well combined. Add a small amount of oil if the mixture is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Ten minutes before serving, toss the pasta mixture with the peanut sauce. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and sesame seeds, if desired.

My Notes:

I definitely adapted this recipe. I didn't have rice wine vinegar, so I cut the amount in half and used white wine vinegar. It came out really sour, so I added more tahini to compensate. The recipe above reflects the change I made; if you actually use rice wine vinegar, you may want to use more, as it isn't quite as strong as white wine vinegar.

I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I brought the dish to a potluck we were having, and those who had it complemented me on it. And I tried it and was mostly pleased. It's definitely less harsh on the salad itself than it is straight out of the bowl. Guess I need to work on my taste discrimination a bit more.

All in all, it was a very good, and very colorful recipe. I enjoyed it, and it was nice and light for a summer's day (or night, as the case may be).

Almond Crusted Chicken

Almond Crusted Chicken
Originally found in Southern Living 2007 Annual Recipes (p 54)

1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp jerk seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken cuts
olive oil, as needed

In a food processor, combine almonds, breadcrumbs, jerk seasoning and salt. Pulse until well combined and uniform. Place in a shallow dish. Brush olive oil on chicken and coat with almond mixture. Heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet and cook chicken over medium-high heat, 4 minutes on each side. If you have thicker slices of chicken, cook until golden brown on each side, then place in a baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven until center is no longer pink.

My Notes:

Another non-dairy recipe! I really liked this recipe. It has a nice crunch and a nice kick, but with flavors that I'm not really used to using. It's good. I served mine over rice, but it could just as easily be served with some corn (grilled corn, anyone?) or other vegetables. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles
Originally found at Joy of Baking

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup granulated white sugar (divided)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and 1 tsp cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth (works best with an electric mixer). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Shape the dough into 1 inch round balls. In a shallow bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Roll the balls of dough in the sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, gently flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and firm around the edges.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

My Notes:
My roommate was begging me to bake something, so I surfed the internet a little until I found this recipe. I like the result... nice and sweet with a little kick of cinnamon. I did add a little bit of cinnamon to the batter itself (reflected in the above recipe) because I felt it added a bigger depth of flavor, rather than just having cinnamon sugar on top of a sugar cookie. I also really like this batter, so I might use it instead of my former batter.

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken
Originally found at Food.com

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp flour
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cut chicken into 1 inch strips or cubes. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes, or until no longer pink. In a medium bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, water, ginger, red pepper flakes, and flour. Whisk until well combined. Pour over chicken and cook until sauce thickens slightly and chicken begins to soak up sauce.

Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds.

My Notes:

So, I used already cooked chicken for this recipe and had to cut down the proportions because I didn't want that much sauce with my less than 2 lbs chicken. It still produced a lot of sauce. I was skeptical about how it was going to taste while I was making it, because all I could really smell was the soy sauce, but it turned out very well. Nice kick of spiciness from the red pepper flakes and sweetness from the honey. I think it would've been even better had I breaded the chicken a little (just tossed it in some flour beforehand), but as I said, I used already cooked chicken and it wasn't practical. Next time I suppose.

Salmon-Asparagus Orzo Salad

Salmon-Asparagus Orzo Salad
Originally found at My Recipes.com

6 cups water
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (1 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat broiler. Put water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from water, reserving water in pan. Place in ice water; drain and set aside.

Bring reserved water to a boil; add orzo and cook until al dente. Combine dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salmon fillet and place on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil 5 minutes* or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Using two forks, break fish into chunks. Combine fish, orzo, and asparagus in a large bowl and toss. Season again with lemon juice and olive oil, if desired.

My Notes:
*If you're using a frozen salmon fillet, use the low broiler setting and cook 10-15 minutes, until the center is a light pink. No, I don't really trust raw fish.

A few months ago, I went to a restaurant called Orzo. The menu wasn't fabulous for a kosher-style diet, as most of the dishes contained pork. But, I lucked out and found a broiled salmon fillet over a bed of asparagus orzo. I hadn't really ever had asparagus before, so I was hesitant to get it, but I went for it, thinking I could pick out the asparagus if it came down to it. I actually found that I really liked it. This recipe basically mimics it, except that you break the salmon into the salad.

I changed the original recipe a little by using the 'vinaigrette' to flavor the salmon instead of tossing the whole salad in it. As a result, there wasn't a ton of flavor on the orzo itself, but that was easily fixed by some more lemon juice and olive oil.

And notice! It's not a dairy recipe!

Italian Risotto

Italian Risotto
Originally found at Food.com

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, finely diced

Cut everything before you start, as with this protocol, you won't be able to chop while the rice is cooking.

In a small saucepan, bring broth to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm. In a separate saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice; cook two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine and cook 1 minute, or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium.

Add 1 cup of broth to rice; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, allowing each portion to be absorbed before adding the next portion. Stir in half-and-half, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, basil, and cheese.

My Notes:
Since this was my first time with this recipe, I didn't play around with it much, especially to figure out how to make it without stirring so constantly. I thought it was okay, and I brought it to a potluck and everyone really liked it, so into the recipe book it goes.

And yes, I know it's another dairy recipe. I'm trying, but it's really hard to get meat recipes when I'm the only one in my house who will eat it. I'm working on it. And I've got a pareve recipe in the works now.

Buffalo Sweet Potato Fries

Yes, that is my anatomy book. What of it?

Buafflo Sweet Potato Fries
Originally found at Food.com

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
2 Tbsp oil

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into whatever size fry you like. Place them into a plastic bag and drizzle with oil. Shake to coat well. In a small dish, combine spices. Pour spice mixture over the potatoes, and shake well to coat.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until tender. Serve.

My Notes:
Okay, a bit of back story on this one. November was my first time eating a sweet potato, when I went to my dad's house and had my stepmom's sweet potato casserole. And then in January, I had a soup that featured sweet potato, and I've been trying to hunt down a recipe for it ever since. Today was one of those crazy recipe snooping days, mostly because I'm avoiding studying. So, I sought out that soup.

I didn't find it, but in the process, I came across a recipe for spicy sweet potato fries. While I was at my Habitat for Humanity trip last month, we went to a pub and I had a craving for sweet potato fries, and got them, and have basically been craving them ever since cause they were so good. But those were definitely sweet, complete with brown sugar sprinkled on them, and I wasn't in the mood for something that sweet (I know, shocker). So I decided to make these instead.

I didn't have cayenne pepper, but my lovely roommate is Indian and has a huge thing of red chili powder, which is super spicy, so I definitely did not use as much as the recipe might've called for had I been using a more mild powder. But these were so good. I served with ranch dressing, so that made it dairy, but the fries themselves are pareve. Yay for me breaking out of my dairy confines!

Brown Bag Burritos

Brown Bag Burritos
Originally found at The Finer Things in Life

1 can refried beans
1 can black beans
2/3 cup enchilada sauce (roughly 1/2 can, more if desired)
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup cheese, shredded
20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)

Combine all ingredients (except tortillas) in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Heat tortillas for a few seconds (10-15) in microwave, until pliable. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down the side of each tortilla. Roll up, wrap in a paper towel, and then wrap in foil. Freeze.

When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for 1-2 minutes.

My Notes:
Couple notes here. First, I know the picture isn't all that great. But it's really hard to get a decent picture of something so white. Maybe I'll cut one and top it with salsa or something for a better presentation. Anyway...

I made these because I've been looking for things that I could freeze and bring to school with me so that I could study at school (I'm finding I tend to be a little more productive there than I am at home), or for days when there's not a free lunch that I can grab between morning and afternoon classes. These work very well. They're also really easy to make in big batches (so I can make them once a month or so and be set), and they're pretty inexpensive (and save me from spending even more by eating out).

If you wrap them in BOTH paper towels and foil before they cool, they'll continue to steam and get a nice ice crystal layer in the paper towels, which keeps them moist when they're in the microwave.

I'm going to experiment with different options; I think I'll try one with ground meat, and one with shredded chicken, just to see how it works out. I'll update with the results.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry Shortcakes
Originally found at Betty Crocker

1 quart (4 cups) whole strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup whipped cream

Wash and cut strawberries and place in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar on berries and mix. Cover and set aside for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix Bisquick, milk, 3 Tbsp sugar, and butter in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Take a large spoonful (about the size of your palm), and roll in your hands to form a ball. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat for remaining dough.

Bake the shortbread for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

To serve, split the shortbread, cover with strawberries and juice, and top with whipped cream. Makes about 10.

My Notes:

Yes, I cheated. I used Bisquick. But I had bought a big box of it a few months back for some recipe, and I can't for the life of me remember what recipe I wanted to use it for. And it's kosher, so I decided to make something. Strawberries were on sale this week, so I bought some and mixed me up some strawberry shortcakes. They were delicious. Even without the strawberries. Don't ask how many I ate.

And yes, it's dairy. I know, I need to branch out. I'm working on it, I promise. More recipes to come later this week (once I get pictures :))

Southwest Layered Salad

Southwest Layered Salad
Originally found at Kraft Canada

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 cup broken tortilla chips

Place lettuce on plate, followed by beans, corn, salsa, cheese, ranch dressing, and chips. Serve.

My Notes:
I finally found a kosher ranch dressing. I'm so excited. When I originally started this, I was thinking that there was no way I'd find a kosher ranch dressing, since my favorite varieties (mostly Hidden Valley) weren't kosher. So, I started trying other dressings (honey mustard became my favorite). But I was randomly shopping in the store the other day and found one with an OU certification.

At any rate, this salad actually tastes really good. I was skeptical, since I'm picky with textures and salsa on lettuce without some sort of meat didn't sound that appetizing, but it was good. The crunch with the tortilla chips was key, I think. This could be adapted to be pareve or meat, but I chose to just keep it dairy. I really need to branch out more.

Flounder with Orange Glaze

Flounder with Orange Glaze
Original Recipe

1 lb flounder fillets
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, as desired
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp ginger*
1 Tbsp flour

Combine dredging flour (a cup or so, as needed) with salt and pepper in shallow dish. Dip the fillets into flour and coat well. Heat olive oil in a skillet until shimmering. Carefully place fillets into skillet and allow to brown (4-5 minutes). Flip and allow to brown again, until fully cooked through. Remove fillets from skillet and set aside.

Pour orange juice into skillet. Add ginger and flour, whisk to combine. Allow sauce to thicken, then pour over flounder fillets. Serve with rolls or rice.

My Notes:
So, I had bought a small thing of orange juice a while ago intending on making something with fish. Problem was, I couldn't find the recipe when I went back and looked. I knew I needed fish (I usually use tilapia, but they were out when I went shopping for it, so I got flounder instead), and orange juice. Possibly even dijon mustard, since I found a recipe also calling for mustard and we have an unopened bottle in the fridge. Can't remember if I bought it or not.

I honestly wasn't expecting much out of this, but it turned out pretty well. My fillets were falling apart by the time I sat down to eat, but it tasted really good. I ate it with dinner rolls, but it would be just as good over rice, especially to soak up all the yummy goodness.

Definitely a keeper. Though I might try to get a little fancier with it next time :)

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Originally found at All Recipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (I used 5 bananas)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt, until well combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

My Notes:

Banana bread. My mom used to have a recipe that I loved, but apparently she switched to just pulling a recipe off the internet. I found this one, and it smells heavenly. I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars
Originally found at Sugarlaws

1 cup butter, softened
12 sheets of graham crackers (one package), crumbled in a food processor
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella

Mix together the butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar, vanilla and peanut butter until blended and smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and nutella, stirring frequently, until melted (30 sec intervals, shouldn't take more than 2 minutes). Spread over the prepared crust, and refrigerate for another hour, until firm. Cut into squares.

My Notes:
Why, yes, I am obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter. Thanks for noticing. I found this recipe on Sugarlaws and thought it sounded delightful. So, I bought a jar of nutella in preparation for making nutella samosas, and proceeded to make these tonight when I had a sweet tooth.

Little background. I first tried Nutella in high school. I had never heard of it before, and then for international day, the French Club sold nutella waffles. They were amazing, but after that I didn't pay much attention to Nutella simply because it was rather expensive compared to other things. And then I went to Italy. Apparently Nutella started there, and I got a little background from some older Italians about how it was a real treat way back when. And now, of course, it's commonplace on US shelves. And yes, it is kosher.

Anyway, I didn't put quite as much nutella in as the recipe called for, because I wanted to save some for bread or something. As such, there isn't a whole lot of nutella flavor in them, which is why the name is 'peanut butter bars' and not 'nutella and peanut butter bars'. But, if you really like Nutella, feel free to spread a layer on top. You can't go wrong, really.

Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls
Modified from Emeril

2 tablespoon canola oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 pkg coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
Egg Roll Wrappers
Oil, for frying

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and toast sesame seeds. Add coleslaw mix and saute for 3 minutes. Pour soy sauce over and cook until boiling. Remove from heat and cool.

Lay the egg roll wrapper on a flat surface and lightly brush edges with water. Place a spoonful of the filling in the middle of each wrapper. Fold sides over, then roll up. Heat 3 inches of oil in a large, deep saucepan. When oil is hot (350 degrees), fry the egg rolls until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the fryer and drain on paper towels.

My Notes:
Not the best egg rolls I've had, but I'm trying to mix it up some. Can't tell you how many it makes, cause I could only find wonton wrappers at my store, so I made a bunch of mini egg rolls. They're decent, though, and matched up with some stir fry and rice are good.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Originally found at Food Network

1 package chopped frozen spinach
1 can chopped artichoke hearts
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot.

My Notes:
One of my friends made this for the talent show that we had last month, and I've used a friend's party as an excuse to make it. That, and I had a block of frozen spinach in the freezer and no idea what to do with it. I threw it in the crockpot, and proceeded to leave it at home when I went to the party. Oops.

It was still good afterwards, though perhaps less volume, and I'm bringing it to a superbowl party later today instead. It'll still be good and we'll have food there. It's great, with just the right amount of spice and ingredients that I can actually fathom eating in the dip (my mom's recipe calls for hot sauce, which I never use in anything else, so I never care to buy a bottle just for the dip).

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Modified from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice (contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice)
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes about 30 cupcakes.

My Notes:
I have no idea where she got the idea that this only makes 18 cupcakes. I frosted these with my cream cheese mix that I use for my crepes as well. Delicious. I'm going to have real issue trying to save them for class on Tuesday...

Indian Chicken Curry

Indian Chicken curry
Adapted from All Recipes

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp grated ginger root
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt, to taste
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can (12 oz) coconut milk
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, and sugar. Add salt to taste. Heat about two minutes, then add chicken, tomato paste, and coconut milk. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Remove bay leaf and add chili powder. Simmer 5 minutes, then serve with rice.

My Notes:
So, my roommate is Indian, and she goes home and brings back these wonderful foods, making me want to learn how to make them. Unfortunately, she doesn't really know how, so I'm left to searching the internet for recipes.

I found this one and figured I'd give it a shot. I adjusted the recipe so that it was dairy free (the original called for yogurt), and to make it slightly more authentic based on the comment to that recipe. The end result? It's great. A bit spicy, so be careful with the cayenne, but very good. It's definitely one I'll make again.

Soft Pretzels

Image to come

Soft Pretzels
Originally found at Sugar Laws

1 pkg yeast
5 Tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2.5 Tbsp canola oil
6 Tsp baking soda
2 cups hot water

Mix together yeast, sugar, and water, and allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until creamy and foamy. Stir in flour, salt, and oil until well combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425. Take a small piece of dough and roll into a long rope. Set aside and repeat for remaining dough. Combine water and baking soda in a bowl and stir until soda is dissolved. Take a rope and twist into a pretzel shape, then dunk in the soda water and place on a greased sheet. Repeat for remaining ropes. Sprinkle with salt or other desired toppings.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. If you wish to freeze, take them out a little early, freeze. Reheat in the oven until brown.

My Notes:
I had a little issue with the proportions here, because the original recipe called for 1 tsp of yeast, and I buy the packets, so I only had 2.5 tsp. Some of the proportions didn't quite transfer right, so my dough was a little off. But it turned out amazing. I've already eaten four of them. They're so lovely, warm and steamy right out of the oven.

I didn't use salt on top, but they were still amazing. I'm going to have to stop myself from eating more now...

Pecan Butter Cookies

Pecan Butter Cookies
Originally found in 1000 Mexican Recipes

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour

Beat together sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs and combine well. Add pecans and vanilla extract; stir to combine. Add flour and mix until well combined.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll the dough into balls and place about one inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until edges are browned and the tops are slightly rounded and light in color. Cool on wire rack.

My Notes:
This was another addition to the talent show repertoire last night. I had actually tried to make Mexican Pecan Cookies before, but the recipe didn't call for sugar, and they didn't turn out well. I added sugar to the second half of the batch I made and they were decent. So, this time I looked for a recipe that actually included sugar in the wet ingredients.

These turned out wonderfully. They were gone relatively quickly at the talent show, and I had a couple people tell me that they were reminded of snickerdoodles. Take that for what it's worth.

Butternut Squash Dip

Butternut Squash Dip
Originally found at Sugar Laws

10 oz box of frozen butternut squash
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper

Microwave squash for approximately 5 minutes, stirring once. Add sour cream and cheese, and stir to combine. Top with freshly ground pepper. Serve with crackers, bread slices, etc.

My Notes:
So, last night, we had a Talent Show and I offered to bring food for before the show and during intermission. I ended up making several things (because the guy organizing the food was really worried that there wasn't going to be enough; there was plenty), including this dip.

It wasn't bad, but it certainly is not my favorite dip in the world. Honestly, I think it's a little bland and could do with some jazzing up. I'm just not sure what to jazz it up with. I also wasn't sure whether this dip was supposed to be served hot or cold, which may have had something to do with the taste of it.

Black-Bean Chili

Black Bean Chili
Originally found at Dinner with Julie

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 each red and green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
1-2 tsp chopped chipotle chili en adobo
1 tsp cumin
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can tomato paste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic, then add peppers, until fragrant. Add stock, then remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer on medium heat for half an hour. Serve with chips.

My Notes:
So apparently the original recipe doesn't call for stock, and I didn't realize that until I was typing up the recipe. Go figure. I added it, it gave a nice soupy texture to the chili, which I like. If you like things super thick, put in less stock.

I always rinse my beans, mostly to get the extra salt off of them because I'm very conscious about that sort of thing. Kidney beans should not be made directly from scratch (toxins associated with cooking them), but feel free to use everything else from scratch.

I used fire-roasted tomatoes instead of regular. The original recipe called for chili powder, but knowing my recent experiments with the adobo chiles, I opted to omit it, and it was just spicy enough for me. Try it without chili powder first, then add to taste if it's not spicy enough for you.

Overall, it's a great dish, and I'm very happy I stumbled across it.