Creamy Fettucine with Corn and Arugula

Creamy Fettuccine with Corn and Arugula
Originally found at Real Simple

3/4 box fettuccine
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups baby arugula (1 1⁄2 ounces)
1/4 cup parmesean cheese, grated (recommend pecorino)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (3-4 minutes). Add the corn and wine. Simmer until corn is tender (2-3 minutes). Stir in the cream. Add pasta; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in the arugula. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

My Notes:
Ok, slight confession on this one. I was not the one who found this recipe. I just helped make it. One of my friends was throwing a dinner party, and I was bored, so I went over early to help out with the cooking.

This is amazing. Incredibly fattening, of course, but lots of veggies that I don't typically cook with. Add on the side the roasted asparagus, and I was in heaven.

Clearly this is a sign that I need to be involved in dinner parties more often. I'm working on it.

Chickpea Curry

Chickpea Curry
Adapted from All Recipes

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup water

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion; saute until onions are clear. Add ginger, cinnamon, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Saute until fragrant. Add chickpeas and tomatoes. Mix flour and water into a slurry. Add to pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

My Notes:
I was craving curry tonight, but didn't feel like dealing with the chicken part of it. So, I pulled out some chickpeas. The sauce I normally make for the chicken seemed way too fattening (with a whole can of coconut milk), so I decided to change it a bit.

I used a can of tomatoes instead of tomato paste, and cut out the coconut milk entirely. It took a while for the sauce to reduce down; if you don't feel like waiting that long, but still want a thicker sauce, try mixing some flour and water together.

I ate it with some delicious Naan and it was very satisfying. And my apartment smells like India now :)

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.