Spaghetti Squash with Thai Peanut Sauce

I know many of you may not be spaghetti squash believers just yet.  I think the problem is the name.  As my mom has said, don't name something a name that makes it try to be something it isn't.  She has often told me that when I try to serve her something like quinoa fried rice ("just call it Asian quinoa!").  And she has a point.  If you go into eating spaghetti squash expecting a perfect substitute for spaghetti, chances are, you are going to be disappointed.  It's not spaghetti.  It's squash.

Now that we have that settled, this spaghetti squash with Thai peanut sauce is so good, it does't matter what you were expecting.  To be honest, the squash strands are noodle-ish, just a bit more crunchy.  They absorb the peanut sauce flavor, and combined with peanuts and fresh cilantro, there is so much flavor, it's ridiculous.  You can decide whether you want this to be a main dish or a side.  Mark and I ate it for dinner and I was happy that we both loved it.

The sauce really makes this dish, and the great part is, the recipe makes way more sauce than you need.  I, sadly, kept it in the fridge for about a month and then threw it out.  I am still mad at myself for that.  I did eat a little bit of it with pretzels, but could never figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it (besides make more spaghetti squash with it, of course).  What do you like to do with peanut sauce?

Recipe:

spaghetti squash with Thai peanut sauce
from Leelalicious
serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley and cilantro
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
for peanut sauce:
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk
2/3 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar (I used brown sugar)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons red curry paste

Instructions:

1) To cook spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, make peanut sauce.  Place all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Then turn down to low and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring almost constantly.  Take off heat to cool sauce.

3) When squash is done roasting, take it out from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Then, using a fork, scrape out spaghetti squash strands.  If your squash is very moist, you might have to place the strands in a colander and pat with a paper towel; I didn't have to.

4) Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add minced garlic, chopped parsley, and 1/4 cup of the peanut sauce.  Combine.  Add spaghetti squash and crushed peanuts, stir to combine, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

5) Plate and garnish with a little more crushed peanuts and chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

Gingerbread Pancakes

This may come as a surprise to you, but even though I have mastered difficult recipes, like croissants or spanakopita, there are lots of things that I have never tried.  Easy things.  Things like pancakes.  Or French toast.  Apparently just breakfast foods.  But really, it's weird that I am the kind of girl who bakes for fun, and yet I've never made pancakes.  Don't worry: as of Christmas morning, I am now a pancake expert.

Back to the pancakes.  Before Christmas, Mark worked so much that I never saw him.  I am only slightly exaggerating.  He went weeks without a day off, and many days worked at both jobs.  Finally, Christmas Day was his first time to relax.  Obviously, he slept late, so I took advantage of the extra time in the morning to make him a special Christmas breakfast.  I came up with the idea of gingerbread pancakes; it felt Christmas-y and exciting and would make the house smell nice!  I found a recipe and had everything I needed, so I got to work.

These pancakes are flavored with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, brown sugar, and molasses.  They turn into fragrant, dark, spicy pancakes that are just perfect for a special morning like Christmas.  By the time Mark got up, the oven was keeping a nice platter of gingerbread pancakes warm, and we were able to sit down and have our first Christmas breakfast together.  I think it will probably become a tradition for us.  Maybe next year I will tack French toast :)

Recipe:

gingerbread pancakes
from Williams Sonoma
makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
3/4 cup cold water

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, molasses, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, and the water.  Add the brown sugar mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  There will still be some small lumps.

2) Place a large griddle or fry pan with low sloping sides over medium heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle and then immediately evaporate.  Brush with some of the remaining melted butter.

3) For each pancake, ladle about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot surface.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until small bubbles appear and the edges start to look dry, about 4 minutes.  After 3 minutes, lift a pancake to check if the underside is done; do not let the pancake darken too much.  Carefully turn the pancakes over and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 1 minute more.  transfer to an ovenproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm; do not cover the pancakes or they will get soggy.  Repeat with the remaining batter and butter to make about 8 pancakes, each about 4 inches in diameter.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Okay, I get it: by this time in January, it feels like the holidays were months ago.  We took the tree down late - last Monday on our snow day - and I miss it.  It feels like the dead of winter (oh wait, it is) without the glitter and glam of the holidays.  And so, here I am, presenting you with a peppermint bark cookie recipe!  Who says peppermint season ends January 1?

This was my entry for our second annual cookie swap, held here at my house for a small but wonderful group. I love cookie swaps: so much fun, so much beauty, and such great cookies.  I always spend a lot of time picking out my cookie swap recipe; I want it to be tasty of course, but I want it to be beautiful.  Wow factor is something that a winning cookie needs.  Plus we have prizes for best and worst tasting, and prettiest and ugliest cookie, and those prizes were fabulous (okay they were combinations of weird gifts from students and strange cooking utensils found at the Dollar Store).

Then I stumbled upon these peppermint bark cookies.  As someone who isn't much of a sweets eater, even I can appreciate peppermint bark.  Kenzie makes the best: white chocolate with Rice Krispies in it to lighten it up and give it more of a crunch, topped with crushed candy canes.  Mmmm.  And these are peppermint bark cookies, so they're really the best of both worlds.

The cookies are dark chocolate with peppermint extract.  The bottoms are lightly dipped in a very thin layer of bittersweet chocolate, with the tops dipped in white chocolate and topped with peppermint candy.  The result of the two differently-dipped layers makes them truly melt in your mouth, and they have such great textures: crunchy, creamy, soft, hard... they are pretty awesome.

The end result?  I won prettiest cookie!  Wahoo!  The elusive tastiest cookie prize was, alas, not mine for the second year in a row.  But even I have to admit that it was amazing to have Rachael be the winner of that award.  Rachael: the girl who never ventures into the kitchen and claims to hate cooking, and yet she won best tasting cookie and said she didn't even hate making them!  Here's to new beginnings?   And peppermint bark cookies! :)

Recipe:

peppermint bark cookies
from Annie's Eats
yields about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
pinch of salt
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
to finish:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Instructions:

1) To make the cookies, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a small bowl; whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes.  Blend in the egg, peppermint extract, and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated and no streaks remain.  Form dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, 1 - 2 hours.

2) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut out 3-inch rounds with a cookie cutter and place cut outs on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes, just until set.  Let cool on the baking sheet about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3) Line baking sheets with wax or parchment paper.  Place the bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a few inches of simmering water.  heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  One at a time, dip the bottom side of each cookie into the chocolate.  Use an offset spatula to scrape off the excess, leaving only a very thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cookie.  Place on the prepared baking sheets.  Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until the chocolate has set, about 15 minutes.

4) Repeat the melting process with the white chocolate in the double boiler set up.  Use an offset spatula to spread a layer of white chocolate on top of each cookie and sprinkle immediately with crushed candy cane pieces before the chocolate sets.  Transfer to the refrigerator again to chill just until set, about 15 minutes more.  Store in an airtight container.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Thingies

I have made these spicy little numbers twice now.  They are the epitome of perfect party food.  I made them first for Ross' house warming/ ugly sweater party.  It was my plan to see how they went over with my family, and if people liked them, I would make them again for Christmas Eve.  Considering only one was left out of 40, I decided they were a hit, and did end up making them for our family holiday party!

The beauty is how simple these are.  No, they're not jalapeño poppers, there's no breading (gluten-free!) or frying (hence the "thingies" name). You simply slice the jalapeños in half and scrape out the seeds (lots of them like to hide near the stem... I found this out the hard way.  FYI, they are the spiciest part!).  Then fill them with softened cream cheese, wrap them in bacon, and bake.  That's it!  I broiled them the last couple minuets to get the bacon extra crispy.

The second time I made them, Nick made the suggestion to add a little shredded cheddar to the cream cheese.  I did that, and they got rave reviews yet again, so if you're looking for some extra flavor, go for it and add the cheese!  Not too much - I used maybe 1/4 cup total.

Obviously I can't tell you how these are personally, but I can tell you that they were devoured, complimented, scarfed, and even cheered when they were spotted at the second party! :)

Recipe:

bacon-wrapped jalapeño thingies
from Pioneer Woman 
serves 10

Ingredients:
20 whole fresh jalapeños, 2 - 3 inches in size
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 pound regular bacon, sliced into thirds
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put a cooling rack in a baking pan so the thingies will not cook in the bacon grease.

2) If you have them, wear latex gloves for the pepper prep.  Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (or leave them if you like things hot!).

3) If using cheese, mix into the cream cheese.  Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeño half.  Wrap each half with a 1/3 slice of bacon.  Secure by sticking a toothpick through the middle.

4) Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  You don't want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to squeeze the jalapeño.  If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn't look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple minutes to finish it off.  These are best when the jalapeño still has a bit of bite to it.  Serve immediately.

Cuban Spiced Pork Tenderloin and Soffrito Rice

When I bought the pork for yesterday's apple cinnamon pork, I bought an extra one.  I don't even know why I did it.  I never buy extra meat unless there is a definite plan for it because it's so darn expensive.  But I picked up two for some bizarre reason, and found myself staring at it and trying to figure out something exciting to do with it.  Since Mark's less than enthusiastic reaction to the apple cinnamon pork, I decided to stick with something totally savory and maybe a little spicy, since he always says his all-time favorite meat that I have ever made is the BBQ-rubbed pork tenderloin.  I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for Cuban-spiced pork, served with a soffrito rice.

I was intrigued by the rice (obviously more so than the pork!) ; it is cooked in chicken broth and spiced with either saffron or turmeric (I went with the cheaper option), then mixed with chopped bacon, onion and green pepper.  Apparently, soffrito is the base of lots of Cuban recipes and includes bay leaf, cumin and oregano.  Interestingly, none of these are found in the rice, but you just wait.  They're on the pork.

And so is basically everything but the kitchen sink.  Seriously, this pork is not short on flavor.  Similar to yesterday's pork, it gets sliced and stuffed, except not with apples.  The slits get filled with bay leaves and whole cloves of garlic.  Then it gets rubbed with anise, coriander, cumin, the zest of limes, grill seasoning blend. salt, and pepper.  And then it all gets roasted for 25 minutes.

Mark said this pork was far better than the day before's, even if it still doesn't touch his beloved BBQ-rubbed pork.  He said it had a lot of flavor.  And we both loved the rice - even though I was out of green peppers so I know I was missing a big component.  We packed up the leftovers for Nick since I wasn't about to eat pork and Mark won't eat reheated meat (don't get me started).  He gave the same report as Mark: not as good as "the spicy pork," but "two thumbs up."  And he especially loved the rice too!

Today was an unexpected snow day.  Such a perfect belated birthday present.  Year 30 isn't looking so bad!

Recipe:

Cuban spiced pork tenderloin and soffrito rice
from Rachael Ray for the Food Network
yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
for rice:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 3/4 cips chicken broth
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 pinches saffron or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt
for pork:
2 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
4 cloves garlic, cracked away from the skin
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons anise seed
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 limes, zested
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (i.e. Montreal Steak Seasoning)
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Make rice: Heat medium pot with tight fitting lit over medium high heat.  Add oil and bacon, and brown bacon.  Add onions and peppers and sauté 5 minutes.

2) Add broth, and bring to a boil.  Add rice.  Cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook 15 to 18 minutes, until rice is tender.

3) Meanwhile, make pork: cut 4 slits into each loin and nest garlic and bay leaves into meat.  Place meat on nonstick baking sheet.  Combine the spices.  Coat meat with oil.  Rub spices over the pork and place in oven.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let juices redistribute.  Slice and serve with soffrito rice.

Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Pork Loin

The trouble with all these meat recipes now that Mark and I live together alone is that there are days when I have only one person's opinion to base blog posts off.  And so for this recipe, I am not sure what to say.  Mark didn't love it, but couldn't put his finger on why.  He just said it wasn't the best.  That's about the extent of what I got out of him.

It wasn't a regular recipe, but that was what I liked about it: you make slices in the pork loin and slide apple slices into the cuts.  Then it gets drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon, and onions get laid on top.  That's it; set it and forget it.  I was intrigued by the sweet and savory idea, and of course by how easy it was.  I did notice that there was no salt, and I would probably add that next time (although there probably won't be a next time since Mark didn't love it and I won't be eating it myself).  I did pair it with some lovely mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts.

Again, I am not sure if this was a total fail or if maybe just Mark wasn't a fan.  I had no idea whether I should even share it!  I decided to let you be the judge yourself.  If you try this, please let me know if it's good or not!

Recipe:

apple cinnamon slow cooker pork loin
from Rachel Schultz

Ingredients:
3 pound pork loin
1 apple, sliced
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 yellow onion, sliced

Instructions:

1) Slice slits into pork loin horizontally about 3/4 of the way through meat.  Fill each slit with an apple slice and drizzle honey over the top.

2) Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Transfer pork to slow cooker.  Layer onions on top.

3) Cook on low 3 - 4 hours.  Serve.

Pomegranate Spritz Cookies

How could I forget these pomegranate spritz cookies!?  These beautiful little cookies were what I made while my friends and family made crafts at my Christmas craft night (see yesterday's post on gingerbread whoopie pies for more information on that).  I considered using a cookie press to be quite crafty.  I got the cookie press for Christmas two years ago and yet had never pulled it out to try it.  Why? I have absolutely no idea.  The cookie press is an ingenious invention, particularly for someone who often makes great tasting looks that don't look so great.  I've explained before that I don't excel at making pretty food, so I was pretty thrilled at the idea of using a machine that will make all my cookies look the same, and have them be in lovely little shapes!

For those of you who don't know, cookie presses feel like a toy from your Play-Doh days.  And it also looks a little bit like my inhaler and spacer.  You put your dough inside it and press the trigger to press out a shape - and there are lots of different shapes you can make using different discs.  That's it!  It was fun and easy to use once I got the hang of it.

Now, on to the cookies themselves.  They're the most beautiful red color thanks to 3/4 teaspoon of red food coloring and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses.  I had picked up pomegranate molasses a few months ago when I saw it at Market Basket with no definite plans for it.  I knew it was a staple in Middle Eastern cooking and baking, so I figured I would put it to good use some time.  I was actually just watching a show on the Food Network this morning that talked about what pomegranate molasses is - it's not molasses at all.  It's really pomegranate juice that has been cooked down and reduced so it's thick, sweet and syrupy (which also means you could make your own if you can't find it in the store).  Mmmmm.  It gives the cookies a really fruity flavor, along with a nice red color.  There's also some orange zest in the cookies to brighten the flavors up.

The end result were these lovely little flower-shaped red cookies with so much taste packed into them, it was insane.  At my craft party, people seemed to like them but not love them - no one was going wild for them, at least.  But then the next day, I brought them up to my grandmother's house for her birthday party, and my relatives scarfed them down.  In fact, my uncle Gary announced they were like potato chips in that it is totally impossible to eat only one.  My aunts and uncles were raving about them wildly and begging me to make another batch!  I had to try some at that point, and I also found them weirdly addictive.  They're sweet and fruity, and small enough that it feels totally acceptable to eat handfuls of them.  If you have a cookie press, go dust it off and try to make these cookies!

Recipe:

pomegranate spritz cookies
from the December 2014 issue of Food Network Magazine
yield 72 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
3/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
silver nonpareils for decorating (I didn't think they needed any more decoration so I skipped this)

Instructions:

1) Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg, pomegranate molasses, food coloring, and orange zest.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. (The dough can be made a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before filling your cookie press).

2) Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Press cookies 1 inch apart onto 2 baking sheets.  Decorate with nonpareils.

3) Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set but not browned, 15 to 18 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then loosen with a thin spatula and let cool completely on the baking sheets.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Question: What do you do when it's time to decorate for Christmas and you're a newlywed in a new home with no decor?  Answer: Host a craft night!  Invite your craftiest ladies, tell them to start scouring Pinterest for ideas, and beg them to leave at least one of their crafts behind to help you start your Christmas decoration collection.  It was such a fun night, and a much better way of getting decorations than hitting up Wal-Mart.  Now all my holiday decor means a lot more to me than it would have if I bought it.  I know this post is a month too late, but keep it in mind in the future if you know a new homeowner next Christmas time :)

Now, let's get to the food.  Obviously I have to feed these people!  I had chips and other snack things like that, including my taco dip, decorating it with tortilla chips I made by cutting Christmas-themed cookie cutter shapes out of tortillas.  Then I also decided to make them something sweet, and I settled on these gingerbread whoopie pies.  Because, everyone likes gingerbread, and everyone likes whoopie pies, so why not?!

These whoopie pies are made from spiced ginger cookies, which would be delicious all on their own, with their cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger.  But then you sandwich two of them together with a buttercream frosting in between.  They were gobbled up quite happily by my crafting friends and family.

Some of the party goods!

It was a perfect deal; I made snacks and whoopie pies, and they made me paintings, wreaths, candle holders, and ornaments.  Thanks, girls :)

Recipe:

gingerbread whoopie pies
from Diethood
makes 20 small pies or 10-12 large pies

Ingredients:
for cookies:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk
for filling:
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.  Set aside.

3) In bowl of stand mixer, combine the shortening, butter, and brown sugar.  Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Add the egg.  Beat until incorporated.

4) Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine.  Mix in the molasses.  Then add the remaining dry ingredients and the buttermilk.

5) Using a spoon, drop 1 tablespoon of dough, leaving 2 inches in between, on the prepared baking sheets.  For bigger cookies, scoop out 1/4-cup of dough.

6) Bake the cookies for 12 - 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cookie comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place the pan on a rack to cool completely.

7) In the meantime, make the filling.  Beat the butter with mixer on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue to mix on low until combined.

8) Pour in the milk and vanilla, and beat on high until you reach desired consistency.  Add more milk if necessary.

9) Spread frosting onto cooled whoopie pie and place another cookie on top, and sandwich together.

Lentil Sloppy Joe Sliders

Not surprisingly, I have never had a sloppy joe.  It wasn't something we had growing up and it is certainly not something I ever wanted to cook for myself... that is, until I found this recipe for lentil sloppy joe sliders.  Now, before you assume you will hate this recipe, hear me out.  I served these to some legit carnivores and even brought a beautiful platter of them to Ross' housewarming party, and I think it is safe to say that everyone was pleasantly surprised.  Okay, keep reading.

The lentils are a sloppy, saucy number, with bell peppers and spiced with cumin, paprika, mustard and chili powder.  To add a touch of sweetness, there's even some maple syrup.  And the vinegar gives it a little zing.  This is some tasty sloppy joe filling, I tell you.  But there's more.  A lot more.  There's cilantro cabbage slaw!

This is no ordinary cole slaw (I hate slaw).  This is a mixture of garlic, purple cabbage, cilantro, scallions, and carrots (and jalapeños if you're up for it), and they're dressed with lime juice, olive oil, and brown sugar.  It's bright, sweet and salty, and truly makes the sandwich not only beautiful and colorful, but amazingly delicious.  It adds a crunch and the sweetness from the slaw lends itself to the maple syrup in the sauce, so it all goes together beautifully.

Lentil haters, try these.  Even Kenzie, self-proclaimed lentil hater, admitted the sandwiches were pretty good, and when I get Nick and the Cormier boys to happily eat lentils, you know I've got something special going on!  Do yourself a favor and try these sliders.  Cute, delicious, healthy and colorful!

In other news, since when did I move to Alaska?  -30 degrees tomorrow morning with a wind chill!?  I won't complain too much though, since it's already bought us a 2-hour delay!

Recipe:

lentil sloppy joe sliders
from Simply Scratch
serves 12+ (this makes a huge amount!)

Ingredients:

for sloppy joes:
1 pound brown lentils
5 1/4 cup water, divided
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
24 whole wheat slider buns
for the cilantro cabbage slaw:
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 medium lime, juiced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small head of purple cabbage, shredded
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

1) Make the sloppy joes: rinse and drain one pound of lentils.  Place them into a large saucepan.  Pour in five cups of cool water, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Drain and set off to the side.

2) In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup water, maple syrup, mustard and vinegar.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

3) Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, sauté the peppers and onions together until soft and translucent.  Next, add in the minced cloves of garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

4) Reduce the temperature to low and pour in the sauce.  Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the drained lentils, stir to combine, and heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

5)  While sloppy joes are simmering, make the cilantro cabbage slaw.  Combine all slaw ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss well and refrigerate until ready to use (this can be made a few hours ahead of time).

6) Spoon sloppy joe filling onto whole wheat slider buns.  Top with slaw and serve.

Greek Pita Pizzas

At this time of the year, when it's freezing (-30 on Thursday? Cool) and dark at 4:00 and I am exhausted from getting back into the work routine, quick, easy meals are something to be cherished.  In addition, quick, easy meals that are vegetarian get bonus points.  And extra credit for being both Greek and healthy.  So these Greek pita pizzas get an A+ in my book.

Picture this: whole wheat pitas crisped up in the oven, topped with hummus in lieu of sauce.  Then they're sprinkled with your choice of Greek toppings (I skimped on the red onion but used olives, grape tomatoes and feta).  Then there's mozzarella cheese and a light dressing made from red wine vinegar, fresh oregano and olive oil.  They get baked again to melt everything together beautifully.  The recipe suggests topping them with tzatziki sauce after they bake, but I thought there were already enough flavors going on.  The bright dressing was more than enough - is there anything better than fresh oregano?  Not to mention the salty feta, creamy mozzarella and those bright pops of grape tomatoes.

These pizzas are quick, light, delicious, and totally customizable.  Skip the olives, add the red onion, do the tzatziki, whatever your little Greek-food-loving heart desires.  Just promise you'll make these soon (it takes under 30 minutes!), and eat them for dinner, and then for lunch.  You won't be sorry.

Recipe:

Greek pita pizzas
from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 8-inch whole wheat pita breads
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta
tzatziki sauce for serving

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of the pitas.  Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.

2) Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.  Toss with the olives, onions and tomatoes.

3) Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella on each pita.  Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with feta.

4) Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes.  Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.

French Onion Soup with Optional Meatballs

Here's another ingenious Kitchen Treaty One Meal, Two Ways recipe.  It's a delicious French onion soup, full of caramelized onions and bursting with onion flavor, that is split in half; half remains vegetarian, and to the other half, you add mini meatballs.  Then everyone is happy!  The carnivores can slurp their soup and chomp on their meatballs, and we vegetarians can happily enjoy the flavor of onions cooked in garlic and thyme.  And let's not forget the bread with melted gruyere and mozzarella.  Now that is a step not to be skipped.  The bread soaks up the broth and the cheese is just a heavenly addition to this soup.

Key word: optional meatballs.  If you want to stick vegetarian, do it!  I sincerely think both Kenzie and Mark are vegetarian and just won't admit it yet :)

I actually made this one night at my mother's house when Mark was working.  It almost felt like the old times, cooking in my first kitchen :) The only downside is that then I feel bad taking my leftovers home, and I am a big fan of bringing leftovers to work.

Speaking of leftovers, today was our first day back at work after Christmas break, which meant I'm back in the swing of packing lunches.  I am debating what I can pack for Mark, because he is notorious for losing our Tupperware.  Or, and this might be even worse, he leaves them in his classroom for weeks and then brings home mold-filled, gag-enducing sludge.  He is so busy at work that there are many days when he doesn't get to eat lunch, so I can't demand that he bring home his containers every day.  What do you do to make sure your husband (or children!) don't lose your Tupperware?

Recipe:

French onion soup with optional meatballs
from Kitchen Treaty
serves 3 vegetarians and 3 carnivores!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 - 5 yellow onions, sliced (about 7 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 heaping teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
8 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 - 6 1-inch thick slices French bread
butter for bread
1 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
if you're making the meatballs:
2 cups vegetable or beef broth
1/2 pound ground beef, 90% lean
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook for about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft, medium brown and caramelized.  Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the cooking to help the onions cook down.

2) Stir in the garlic and dried thyme  Cook for about two minutes.  Stir in the flour.  Cook for another minute or so.

3) Add the vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about an hour.  Continue to summer over low heat while preparing the meaty half of the soup.  Skip to skip 7 if you're not making the meaty half.

4) Meanwhile, make the meatballs.  In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until all ingredients are well-incorporated.  Scoop out tablespoonfuls, roll into balls, and set aside.

5) After the soup has cooked for an hour, into another large saucepan over medium heat, transfer two cups of the soup plus another 1/2 cup or so of the onions with a slotted spoon.  Add the two additional cups of broth (either beef or more veggie).  Bring to a boil, then simmer.

6) Carefully drop the meatballs into the meaty soup and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes until cooked through.

7) Butter the French bread on both sides and place on a cookie sheet.  Broil on high heat until golden brown; turn over and brown the other side.  Remove from the oven, but keep the broiler on.

8) Ladle the vegetarian soup into three oven-proof bowls, and ladle the meaty soup into three bowls as well.  Place on piece of French bread on top of each bowl of soup, then sprinkle each with 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup gruyere.  Carefully place the bowls on a cookie sheet and broil on high until the cheese is melted and bubble, then serve.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries

These strawberry cream cheese pastries were my favorite of the three desserts I brought to Thanksgiving (along with caramel apple cheesecake crumble bars and English toffee bars) .  They had the wow factor that I always look for in the desserts I bring to big groups: they're beautiful and look more difficult than they really were.  Time consuming, perhaps, but not hard to make.  Plus, they're delicious; they are basically tiny danishes, which I have always loved.  When I was little, it was really the only dessert I would eat; for some indiscernible reason, I called them hash, and I would order hash at bakeries and confuse everyone.

Anyway, the pastries: the dough is cream cheese- and butter-based, and it basically melts in your mouth.  It's delicate and flaky and wonderful.  Then each little square of dough is filled with a sweetened cream cheese filling, and strawberry jam (I suppose you could use any type of jam your heart desires). They're folded up adorably so a little white and red filling peeks out (these would actually be perfect Valentine's Day desserts... see, I'm not super behind schedule, just looking ahead for you!).

Besides looking cute, these pastries are really so good.  I will confess to keeping a few in my refrigerator, and eating them all by myself.  Mmmmmm.  Sweet, flaky, creamy, strawberry cream cheese pastries.  Just delicious.

Recipe:

strawberry cream cheese pastries
from Diethood
makes 26 - 30 pastries

Ingredients:
for the pastries:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
powdered sugar for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the fillings:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
strawberry jam

Instructions:

1) In your mixer's bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, light and fluffy.  Add flour and salt and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.

2) Lightly dust your work area with powdered sugar.  Transfer dough to work area and shape into a ball.  Divide it into 4 rounds.  Flatten each round and cover each round with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  This step cannot be skipped!

3) In the meantime, prepare the filling by combining cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in your mixer's bowl.  Beat until creamy and smooth.  Set aside.

4) Dust work area with flour.  Remove each dough ball from the refrigerator and let rest for 5 minutes.  Roll out each ball of dough to 1/4-inch thickness.  Cut into 3x3-inch squares.  Fill the center of each square with 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon strawberry jam.  For a prettier presentation, using a pastry bag, you can pipe the fillings, one on top of the other.

5) Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center and over the filling.  Pinch seams together.  I used half a toothpick on each pastry to help keep the corners together at this point.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, and then remove toothpicks before baking.

6) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 10 - 11 minutes, or until edges are browned.  Cool completely. Store pastries in airtight containers in the refrigerator.  They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Kind of similar to yesterday's post, these bars are a conglomeration of all things wonderful.  Caramel, apple, cheesecake, crumble!?  What's not to like?!

These are the second of three desserts I brought to the Ajemian Thanksgiving.  I was thinking that they would be perfect for a big group, because there are so many components, everyone was bound to like some part!  There is - I know, for basically the third straight day - a shortbread crust (I guess I really got into shortbread crusts in November), followed by a layer of cheesecake.  As if that isn't great enough, then there are cinnamon and sugar apples, and a buttery crumble topping finishes it off.  Lastly, there is supposed to be a drizzle of caramel sauce on top (please see the other day's post on my hatred of caramel drizzle - I skipped it, obviously). Yeah, I know.  These are legit.

They were a bit time consuming with all those layers, but none of them were difficult.  If you are looking for a delicious and rather exciting dessert, this is probably the one.  Kenzie was my taste tester and voted this dessert the best of my three Thanksgiving sweets.  It's basically all the good flavors from apple pie, cheesecake, and apple crisp together.  What more could you ask for?

Recipe:

caramel apple cheesecake crumble bars
from Averie Cooks
yield 9 - 12 squares

Ingredients:
for crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
for cheesecake:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (lite is okay)
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for apples:
about 2 cups diced apples (from about 2 medium applied, peeled and cored)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
for crumble:
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not quick-cook or instant)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 of a stick), softened
1/2 cup thick caramel sauce for drizzling

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang, and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2) Make crust: in a large bowl, add the flour and brown sugar, and cu tin the butter with two forks.  Keep working until mixture is combined and pea-sized crumbly bits are present.

3) Turn mixture out into prepared pan, hard-packing it with your fingertips in an even, smooth layer to form a crust.  Bake for 14 - 15 minutes, or until just set.  Remove from oven and set aside.  While crust bakes, prepare the remaining layers.

4) Make cheesecake: in a large bowl (same one used for crust is okay, just wipe with a paper towel) or bowl of a stand mixer, add all ingredients and beat vigorously until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes on high power.  Set aside.

5) Make apples: peel, core and dice apples and place in medium bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and toss well to combine.  Set aside.

6) Make crumble: in a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, and oats; cut in the butter with 2 forks.  Keep working until mixture is combined and pea-sized crumbly bits are present.  If necessary, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour or oats for preferred consistency is mixture is loose.

7) After removing pan with the crust layer from the oven, pour cheesecake mixture over the crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.

8) Lightly and evenly sprinkle the apples.  Evenly sprinkle with the crumble mixture.  It looks like a lot, but it sinks some while baking.

9) Bake 45 - 50 minutes, or until crumb topping is just set and very lightly golden browned.  Place pan on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes.

10) After 30 minutes, evenly drizzle with caramel sauce.  Allow bars to cool, in pan, on wire rack for at least 4 hours of overnight.  Cover with foil if cooling overnight.  Don't slice bars too early or they will likely fall apart.  Prior to slicing, lift bars out using foil overhang, then slice and serve.  Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 6 months.

English Toffee Bars

Two posts in one day!?  Yeah, that's what you get when I am trying to pass the time before I can go get some blood work done (cortisol tests can only be done at certain times in the day... weird).  It's been a 12-hour fast too, so I am just drooling thinking about these English toffee bars.  This was one of the three desserts I brought to the Ajemian Thanksgiving.  I thought they were pretty and sounded amazing.  One of the sweets that I actually do like is toffee.  I think I have told the story before about how I used to spoon out the Heath Bar pieces from the coffee Heath Bar crunch ice cream when I worked at the ice cream stand!

In some ways, it was rather similar to the recipe I posted early today (the salted caramel maple pecan bars).  There is a shortbread crust, and pecans on top.  But in this dessert, the shortbread and pecans are topped with toffee.  Mmmmm.  Then when it comes out of the oven, you press some chocolate chips into it.  It's basically a cookie-bottomed version of a Heath Bar.  Yeah, now I'm really drooling. Because there is cookie, there is toffee, there are pecans, and there is chocolate.  Now do yourself a favor and go try these babies out.

Recipe:

English toffee bars
from My Baking Addiction
makes about 36 bars

Ingredients:
for bars:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup milk chocolate chips
for toffee:
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions:

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13x9x2" baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl.  With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until fine crumbs form (a few large crumbs may remain).  Press mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle pecans over crust.

3) Prepare toffee topping.  Combine butter and brown sugar in small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue boiling, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.  Use immediately.  Drizzle evenly over pecans and crust.

4) Bake 20 to 22 minted or until topping is bubbly and golden.  Remove from oven.  Immediately sprinkle milk chocolate chips evenly over to; press gently onto surface.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

Salted Caramel Maple Pecan Pie Bars

This is the dessert I made for the pre-Thanksgiving dinner.  I thought every single word in the title was so exciting, and really elevates pecan pie to something special.  This recipe has a shortbread "pie crust," with a pecan pie filling - except it's better because it's maple-y!  Then I was supposed to drizzle the bars with salted caramel sauce, but I didn't have any and I didn't get around to making my own.

Can we talk about drizzling things with caramel sauce for a minute?  There have been at least 2 dessert recipes that I have made recently that called for caramel drizzles, and I have skipped it on both.  It's not that I don't like caramel, but I hate sticky fingers.  And messy foods.  I have this thing about people with food on their faces... it makes me wonder if I will be able to have children.  So maybe someday I will finish recipes like these and add the sauce, but I felt the need to explain myself.  Keep your sticky fingers to yourself.

The cool thing about these bars is that people will think you slaved over them for hours, but they are surprisingly quick and can be made in one bowl.  I love that.  Caramel sauce or no caramel sauce, people loved these bars.  I had planned to bring another batch to Thanksgiving but I came up with three different ideas (they're coming up next); however, I am sure they would have disappeared there as quickly as they disappeared here for Pre-Thanksgiving:)

Recipe:

salted caramel maple pecan pie bars
from Averie Cooks
makes 9 - 12 bars


Ingredients:
crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
filling:
1 large egg
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/3 cup maple or pancake syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 cup pecans (you can use raw or roasted, salted or unsalted, whole, halves or pieces)
about 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce for drizzling

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8" baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray and set aside.  Don't skip this step!

2) Make the crust.  To a large bowl, add flour and brown sugar, and cut in the butter using 2 forks or a pastry cutter.  Keep working until butter is evenly distributed and pea-sized lumps and sandy bits form.  The softer the butter is, the quicker and easier it is.

3) Turn mixture out onto prepared pan and hardback it with a spatula or hands to form a smooth, even crust.  Bake for 17 to 18 minutes, or until crust is just set.  Don't over bake it because pan is going back into the oven after filling it added.  While crust bakes, prepare the filling.

4) Make the filling.  To a large bowl (same one used for crust is fine, just wipe it with a paper towel), add the egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined.  Stir in pecans.

5) After crust has baked, gently and carefully pour filling over crust, smoothing the pecans with a spatula or your fingers to evenly distribute them. Make sure they're not clustered in one area and they're as flat as possible because edges or corners that are jutting up will be prone to burning.

6) Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until center is set and not jiggly.  Use an oven mitt to shake the pan gently starting at 16 minutes, and use your judgement from there.  The bars will set more as they cool.  Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour before drizzling with salted caramel, slicing, and serving.  Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

You can see how backlogged I am with recipes, because this is the recipe I used to cook my family a Sunday dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving.  With this being my first year as a married woman, it was strange to be going to the Ajemian Thanksgiving; I had a great time, but I was feeling nostalgic for all the years with my whole big family all together, and I knew I'd miss my mom and sisters on the big day.  So I decided to have a pre-Thanksgiving feast for them.  They helped out too - my mom made my grandmother's amazing potato stuffing, and Kenzie made squash and stuffing.  I made the roasted fall vegetables, and this turkey breast.

I didn't want  - or need - to cook a whole turkey, and  turkey breast in the slow cooker sounded right up my alley.  I liked that the idea is for the turkey to come out moist and juicy; from my meat-eating days, I remember never really liking turkey, partly because I didn't like the taste but also because I feel like it dries out so frequently.  I also liked all the spices and herbs that the turkey would be cooked with.  What I did not like was having to take said spices and rub them over the turkey and under the skin.  That was really gross and very unenjoyable.  So was removing the skin when the cooking was done; apparently it helps to keep the meat moist but the texture after slow cooking is pretty repulsive.  Yuck.  I was swearing I would never make this turkey again.

But then everyone tried it, and loved it.  It was juicy and flavorful. Nick proclaimed it the best turkey he ever had.  My mother admitted to being disappointed that rubbing the herbs and butter under the skin made such a difference - she always tries to skip that step!  I guess what I learned is that, although there are some unpleasant steps in this recipe, it is still pretty easy, and received rave reviews, so most likely the next time I need to cook a turkey, this will be the way I do it.  If you're craving another mini Thanksgiving now that the holidays are over, here's your chance.

Recipe:

easy slow cooker turkey breast
from Butter with a Side of Bread

Ingredients:
1 turkey breast (mine was bone-in, but it would be easier without it)
1 small apple
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons onion powder

Instructions:

1) Place your turkey breast in the slow cooker.  Slice the apple.  Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.

2) Rub the seasonings on the turkey breast, making sure to get some underneath the skin.  Dot turkey with butter; again, put some underneath the skin.

3) Place the apple slices in the crockpot, on and around the turkey breast.  There is no need to add additional liquid; the butter and apple are sufficient.

4) Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.  If your turkey breast is bone-in, you'll need to cook it for 5 - 6 hours on low, checking every half hour after 4 hours.

5) Let the turkey rest after cooking in the crockpot on warm for 5 - 10 minutes.  Remove the skin just prior to serving.