Tuesday is Tasty - Veggie Style

Sometimes, our favorite meals are completely vegetarian. They are so delicious! Sunday, we had a super late dinner with meetings and such, and we were blasted hungry for something that didn't have sugar.

Dinner - Vegetarian Style

Assorted Roasted Vegetables

Cilantro Rice

Fresh Goods

Dollop of Sour Cream

1.  Roast some vegetables with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Our vegetables on hand were potatoes, green pepper, carrot, onion, and garlic. 

2.  Make leftover rice into cilantro rice. Saute some garlic in olive oil, add rice and cilantro. If desired, add something to spice up the rice. Squeeze lime over when ready to serve.

3.  Chop up avocado and tomatoes. Technically these are fruit but so good and delicious! Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then squeeze lime  over.

I'm so sorry I didn't take a picture of the final product. It was so delicious and we were so hungry! It definitely helped balance out the cupcakes we had earlier.

Tuesday is Tasty - Bacon

Last week, the Elders Quorum had a gathering. The theme: Bacon. You can imagine the turnout they had. It's the best I've ever seen!

So, you had to bring a dish with bacon. That was the only requirement. There were some who looked around at the food and the people there and thought, are we a gluttonous bunch or what?? Everyone else was just happy to see such a delicious spread! There was everything from mashed potatoes with bacon, bacon wrapped chicken, BBQ bacon pizza, to bacon brownies. I'm just sad I didn't bring my camera to document the bacon goodness.

The food we brought was our favorite thing there. (Thanks Mom for the idea!) Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs.

Recipe

Hot Dogs -  cut into four pieces, or eight pieces for Costco sized dogs, uncooked

Bacon - strips cut into three pieces, uncooked

Ketchup

Brown Sugar

Tooth Picks

1.  Line you pan with foil. Preheat the oven to 350.

2.  Wrap pieces of hot dog with bacon, and secure the bacon with a toothpick.

3.  Dip the bacon wrapped doggies in ketchup then brown sugar and place on pan. Cook in the oven for 1 hour.

Tuesday is Tasty - Caesar Salad Pizza

Caesar Salad Pizza

I was inspired by a Pampered Chef recipe for this dinner. It had just what I wanted: something warm, something fresh, something all-in-one. I mostly didn't follow the recipe. It was just my guide.

Recipe:

1      recipe of pizza dough (I used the Kitchen Aid recipe, but there are
        lots of good ones out there.)

1      head lettuce, cut/torn into bit-sized pieces, about 3 cups

1/2   cup tomatoes

1      cup cooked chicken (leftovers were used here)

1/2   cup grated Parmesan

1/2   cup Caesar dressing

1      clove of garlic

1.  Roll out the pizza dough on your pan or stone. Polk holes in the bottom to help the crust cook evenly. Bake according to recipe directions.

2. While the crust is cooking, combine half of the dressing, and Parmesan, and the clove of garlic in a small bowl. In a large bowl toss the lettuce, tomato, chicken, and the other half of the dressing and Parmesan.

3. Once the crust is done, spoon the dressing, cheese, and garlic mixture over the surface and spread it around so it covers evenly. Move the tossed salad from the bowl to the pizza. Serve immeditely.

Tuesday is Tasty

Apple Crisp. Apple Crisp!!

I've been working on this one for a while. We have had lots of apples to play with, so I have made several apple crisps. (Happy thought.)

I actually haven't completely decided on the recipe, but I thought it would be good to share what I concluded so far.

Some crisp recipes are very simple, like the one pictured above, but they lack a few key things: liquid and lemon.

My main sources for the recipe: America Test Kitchen Apple Crisp, and Relief Society Apple Crisp.

ATK mixes actual lemon zest in with the apples. It brightens the apple flavor, instead of the flavor becoming dull. The Relief Society recipe adds apple juice or water to the apple mixture. It keeps the apples from drying out, and also adds to the flavor.

Recipe:

TOPPING

6       tablespoons flour

1/4    cup packed brown sugar

1/4    cup sugar

1/4    teaspoon cinnamon

1/4    teaspoon nutmeg

1/4    teaspoon salt

5       tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened

3/4    cup rolled oats

FILLING

6 - 8  apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4    cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2    teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/3    cup water or apple juice

1. For the topping: Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add the butter; pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture between your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add the oats and toss to incorporate. Refrigerate the topping for 15 minutes before baking.

2. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and zest together and place in a 8-inch quare glass or ceramic baking dish or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.

3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, about 40  minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Tuesday is Tasty

Sorry for the delay. Yesterday was Election Day! It was complete with an election watch party, where we had patriotic food and played games where only debating was allowed.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

My sister has been asking for a while to post this recipe. So here it is! The original is from Our Best Bites. Below is the recipe halved. I only had lemon, so limes were not used.

Ingredients:

1     can black beans, drained/rinsed
1     t olive oil
1/3  C diced onion
1-2  garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
1/3  C chicken broth (or water,)
1/8  t cumin
1/8  t coriander
1/8  t oregano
1/4  t salt
1/8  t pepper
1/2  lime

Instructions:
In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that’s a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.
If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Tuesday is Tasty

Pasta Night

Last night was pasta night! This is where I usually get creative in the kitchen. It is basically dinner in a bowl. I see what is in the refrigerator, and throw it together to great some goodness, and usually some amazing goodness.

Elements of Pasta Night

1. Sauce. I choose from three bases: olive oil, tomato, or Alfredo. Last night, I make a pink Alfredo sauce by  mixing the tomato and Alfredo. Delicious! I generally the America Test Kitchen Basic Tomato Sauce recipe as a guide...have never followed it....it is always good. For Alfredo, I love Our Best Bites Guiltless Alfredo Sauce.

2. Pasta. The ingredients I use for Pasta Night generally weigh spaghetti down too much, and it turns to mush. I prefer to use Penne or Bowtie, bus spaghetti was what we had last night. It worked.

3. Everything else. Last night we had broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, garlic, and green onion. Bacon is always a great option. Always! Other meats include: grilled chicken, deli ham, Italian sausage, pepperoni, etc. Other veggies to use: artichoke, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, onion, olive, etc.

Tips: Sometimes keeping it simple is best. I decided not to add bacon last night so we could focus more on the vegetables since they were steamed, then sauteed, and finished off with olive oil, garlic, and ground red pepper. Other things can be added to the meal such as a light salad or bread. The pasta is the focus and basically it is a skillet dinner. Who doesn't like that?? Yum!

Tuesday is Tasty

Homemade Vanilla Extract

A few years ago, I was given some homemade vanilla for Christmas. Just smelling it delivered instant happiness! (Note: I am a huge fan of smells. Just give me some almond extract sometime.... *bliss*)  Anyway, my friend told me how she made it; knowing the process made it more of a special gift.

Recipe:

1     bottle vodka or rum, lL

10   vanilla beans

       time

Some notes before we begin: the liquor does not need to be the most expensive on the shelf. The vanilla beans are a lot cheaper if you get them online. Also, you can find other instructions online if you are curious about different ratios and such.

1. Slice the vanilla beans lengthwise from top to bottom; you do not need to cut all the way through.

2. Place the vanilla beans in the liquor bottle, swirl the contents inside and place on a shelf where the temperature is constant. Swirl every several days. The beans will need to soak for 3-6 months. The longer it sits, the more vanilla flavor seeps into the alcohol.

Ending notes: 

• Sean checked the alcohol content of the vodka we got, and the Kirkland Signature vanilla extract from Costco. Costco's vanilla has more alcohol. (That made me feel a little better...) 
• The vanilla seems to get more potent in food the longer it sits. For instance, if we are making a cookie dough and save some in the refrigerator for a day or two, it has a stronger vanilla flavor. That may be because we have Mexican vanilla beans. In those cases, I use the cheap vanilla from the store.
• I have heard you can reuse your vanilla beans. After our bottle is used up, we will try putting them in a fresh bottle of vodka and see how it works. In the long run, it seems to be a worthy investment.
• Using homemade vanilla is a happy experience. The aroma is so divine!

Tuesday is Tasty

I decided it is time to set up a more structured calendar for posting on this blog. Tuesdays and Thursdays will have specific topics. Other days may become more structured, but for now I am trying this out. 

Tuesday is Tasty.

Stuffed Tomatoes

 

 

 

Sounds like stuffed peppers right? I would say it is a lighter dish, not quite as hearty. We ordered a box of large tomatoes from Bountiful Basket, and I wanted to try something new with them. Not that a fresh tomato sauce cooked or uncooked, salsa, pico de gallo, and gazpacho aren't great options.

I have to say, I was nervous to try this one out. Not that America's Test Kitchen isn't reliable. I just felt like I was going out on a limb.

Verdict? It was amazing! Our mouths were doing little happy dances! The tomatoes are packed with flavor and goodness! I would suggest serving these with or over a plain or light pasta and maybe a small salad. These lovely stuffed tomatoes can stand on their own, but they need a little more substance if you are making them as a main dish.

Stuffed Tomatoes
By: America's Test Kitchen

Serves  6

Prep Time  10 minutes

Total Time  1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour salting and baking time)

Avoid store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe-their fine texture makes the stuffing dry and gritty. Extra-virgin olive oil is our first choice for good flavor here, although regular olive oil can be substituted.

6     large, firm, ripe tomatoes (8 ounces each)

       salt

3     slices high-quality white sandwich bread

1/3  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3  cup minced fresh basil (I only had dried, and it still turned out. Fresh = better.)

1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil

2     garlic cloves, minced

       pepper

1. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/8 inch  of the stem end of the tomato. Using your fingers or a paring knife, remove and discard the core and any seeds of the tomato. Sprinkle the inside of the cored tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pace upside down on several layers of paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 6 pulses. Spread the breadcrumbs over a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Toss together the dried breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, 2 tablespoon of the oil, and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a 9 by 13-inch baking dish lined with foil. Brush the cut edges of the tomatoes with 1 more tablespoon of the oil. Mound about 1/4 cup of the breadcrumb mixture into each tomato. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the tops of the tomatoes. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve while hot.

Painting Weekend - Part 2

Okay. Our painting buddies didn't have to paint their whole time in Moab. We took a break on Saturday and explored some of Arches National Park:

Starting out.

See what the brothers are walking to?

Landscape Arch!

Thank you for cooperating Sun!

Epic.

Tunnel Arch

Pine Tree Arch

The summit of Sand Dune Arch.

This girl had the cutest giggle and happened to get in my shot... or 3.

 

We relaxed, and after dinner we got ready to watch the first RSL game of the season.

 And enjoyed some chocolate covered peanut butter balls. Basically, a homemade Reeses peanut butter cup. In ball form! Yum.

We all probably ate two or four more than we should have.... Yum.

Thanks for coming to visit Gowens, Gowens!!

Thanksgiving 2011

We started out with a lot of food making! Wednesday was spent mostly in the kitchen baking for the big day.

Caramel apple pies! A traditional crust and dutch crust for both families.

 

 We also had a little gathering to celebrate Dale's birthday.

Chatting with the fam always makes for an enjoyable evening.

Next: Turkey day!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thanksgiving Supper.

There is a story to go along with almost every picture. The food was fantastic all day! We ate enough food to last a few day.

We also were able to see our friends the Cooks during our visit. They suggested Cafe Rio, and we got to  meet their new little one.

Gosh we're thankful. We had a very enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving!

A Bountiful Harvest

We've gotten into Bountiful Baskets here. It has been fun getting most of our produce every 2 weeks, and exploring new recipes with the different fruits and veggies. For instance, I had never really made anything with mangoes, tomatillos, eggplant, and kiwi. Figs?? No.

Here are the first few weeks of the basket:

See that nice box of tomatoes? It was a lot of tomatoes. It was nice to throw them in almost everything. We made several batches of salsa, and some spaghetti sauce. All fresh!

It was a lot of tomatoes though. Since I wasn't feeling motivated to can, it was decided that sun-dried tomatoes would also need to be made. This is how you make them:

They dry on low for several hours. I underestimated the amount of time it would take, so I had to set my alarm for 3:00am to turn them off. It was worth it though! These flavor filled bits will last in the freezer up to 6 months. That is, if we don't eat them all first...

Apple Dapple Cake

Sean also calls this Apple Bread. It isn't too sweet, and has a nice flavor and texture. I actually have never followed these directions completely, but here they are.

APPLE DAPPLE CAKE - courtesy of America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
Serves 12

We prefer the tart taste of Granny Smith apples here, but Golden Delicious or Cortland apples may be substituted.

CAKE

3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup (4 ounces) walnuts, toasted and chopped (I have actually never had walnuts on hand when making this cake)

BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons milk

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 16-cup tube pan. (A bunt pan works, as well as two large bread pans).

2. FOR THE CAKE: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly beat in the flour mixture, in 3 additions, until just incorporated. Stir in the apples and nuts.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted int he center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

4. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Turn the cake right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

5. FOR THE GLAZE: Boil all the ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until thick and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle the thick glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Let glaze set, about 25 minutes before serving.