Eclair Cake

Eclair Cake
Originally found at Eclair Cake

2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package graham cracker
1 container chocolate frosting

Mix together pudding mix and milk. Fold in whipped topping.

In a 9x13 baking dish, place a single layer of graham crackers. Spread half the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers, followed by the remaining pudding mixture. Add a final layer of graham crackers.

Warm the frosting until it pours easily, then pour over graham crackers and spread to the edges of the pan. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

My Notes:
My stepmom made this when I was over at their house over the summer, and I fell in love with the stuff. And this is so ridiculously easy to make that I couldn't pass up on the opportunity.

I brought this to a class pot-luck (hence the low quality photo--I swear, one of these days, I'll get around to taking really nice photos of all this food). It disappeared within 15 or so minutes (I had to fight to get a piece to photograph. Everyone who had it praised it.

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
Modified from About.com

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups oats

Preheat the oven to 300 F. In a medium bowl, cream together the peanut butter and the sugars. Add the egg, mixing until well combined. Add the water, baking soda, and oats, and mix well.

Form the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and the surfaces have cracked, about 10-12 minutes.

Variation: Mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips with the oats.

My Notes:
I was craving cookies, but didn't have enough butter in my fridge to make any, so I started surfing the web for dairy free cookies. Which I need to find more recipes of anyway, so it all works out.

I started thinking about making oatmeal raisin cookies, and then remembered that I'm not a big fan of raisins. Then I was going to make kitchen sink cookies (as in "Everything but..."), but the only nuts I have are hazelnuts, and I didn't think those would work terribly well with either cranberries or cherries. So, when I stumbled across this recipe, it seemed like a pretty good option. Especially since it's naturally gluten free :)

Brotchen

Brotchen is a type of German roll that has a hard crust, but soft inside. It's most commonly used for breakfast and sandwiches.

Brotchen
Originally found at Food.com

3 cups flour, divided
2 1/2 tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, divided
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 egg white

Sift 2 1/2 cups flour into a large mixing bowl. Form a well in the center. In a separate container, mix sugar and 2 Tbsp water until sugar has dissolved. Add yeast and stir well. Pour into the well formed into the flour, but do not mix. Cover bowl and set in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Add remaining water, plus salt and oil to the flour and mix well. Flour a large surface and turn out dough onto the surface. Knead until smooth, adding remaining flour as needed.

Oil a large bowl and place dough in the bowl. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 30-40 minutes). Punch down and divide into 12 parts. Shape into rolls and place 3" apart on a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until double in size.

Beat egg white and 1 tsp water with a fork until frothy. Brush egg mixture onto rolls. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

My Notes:

I've missed Brotchen. I had some while visiting friends in Germany last summer, and fell in love with the stuff. Unfortunately, the bakeries around here don't sell it. They claim to, but the crust isn't the same hard and crispy crust. We used to have a German bakery near where we lived, but I've moved since then and haven't been able to find a good substitute since.

This was perfect. The crust is nice and crispy and chewy, and the inside is still really soft. I was worried when I first pulled them out that the inside would be as hard as the outside, especially given my tendency to have super dense and hard breads, but it works beautifully. Time intensive, but well worth the effort.

Guacamole

Guacamole
Adapted from Food Network

2 avocados
1/8 cup lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, diced
small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Cut the avocados in half to remove the pit. Scoop out inside with a spoon and place in a medium mixing bowl. Toss with lime juice. Mash with a fork to desired consistency, then add garlic, tomato, cilantro. Mix thoroughly, then season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

My Notes:
I was really resistant to eating guacamole for a long time. But I had some at a pool party last weekend and decided to try to make it. I decided that I really liked the flavor of the lime juice and cilantro that was in the guac I had, but there was no color to it; it just looked like green mush. So, I decided to add a tomato. The result was a much more colorful mix with a varying texture. Not bad. Not something I'll make regularly, due to avocados being super expensive, but every now and then should be fine.

Taco Salad

Pictured: Dairy variety

Taco Salad
From Connie's Kitchen
Serves One

Large handful tortilla chips
2 cups sliced romaine lettuce (about 4 large leaves)
1/2 roma tomato, diced
1/4 medium cucumber, diced
2 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1/2 cup salsa

For Meat variety:
1/4 lb ground meat, browned
taco seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup water

For Dairy variety:
1/2 cup Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles (or other meat substitute)
Taco seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cheese

Place either meat or Grillers recipe crumbles in a frying pan. Combine with water and taco seasoning to taste. Heat to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens.

In a small container, mix Miracle Whip and 2-3 Tbsp salsa until well combined.

To assemble the salad, place chips on plate, followed by lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Top with meat or meat substitute. Dress with Miracle Whip mixture and remaining salsa. If using meat substitute, top with cheese.

My Notes:
My host made this for me last month, except that I think she had carrots in her variety. I modified the recipe a tad, using less Miracle Whip (and Lite stuff, rather than the full fat variety), and making sure it was Kosher.

I personally really like cheese on my salads, so I looked for a way to get the taco flavor without using ground meat. I found the Morning Star crumbles, which are kosher-dairy, so acceptable to use with this recipe. It's made using TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein), so it does fall apart a bit when it's mixed with water, however formed it looks when it's frozen. Still, it gets the job done.