The 2nd Annual Zorn/Wetherington Pumpkin Carve-Off

JJ and I carved our pumpkins tonight, as we do every year on October 30, which also happens to be Pumpkin's adoption anniversary! I've had my little Boo girl for 2 years! I can't imagine life without her :) Here she is, modeling the contestants....



JJ was unprepared, and was crazy google image man tonight, and found something he liked, but I had my design planned for a few days. He decided to go big or go home...
He decided he didn't want everyone to know which pumpkin belongs to him and me, but I think it's kind of obvious....

I would like to note I used only a carving knife, and he was able to get out his kit from anatomy class for dissecting cadavers... BIG advantage! But anyway... Please vote as to who the winner is. Last year I conceded from the race... but we're not going talk about last year's pumpkins...

Harira Soup

When I saw the photo of this soup, I knew it was going to be perfect for this week, as temperatures have topped out at 50 or so! I love to mix in vegetarian meals during the week, and this one, though vegetarian, has lentils and chick peas, making it hearty and healthy!

The author writes that this soup traditionally breaks the fast during Ramadan. It is traditionally served with dates and crusy bread, and though the dates sound strange, they are a delicious combo. I agree 100% with the author, I love to mix sweet and savory, so it was nice to eat some soup, which was smoky and warm, then eat a sweet date to balance the flavors.

Harira Soup

Serves 6

7 oz. dried chick peas

1/2 c. EVOO

1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger

1 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onions, diced

2 bay leaves

2 celery stalks, chopped

(I added 2 carrots, sliced)

4 c. vegetable stock (I used organic chicken)

7 oz. dried brown lentils

Pinch of saffron (omitted)

1 tbsp. paprika

1/2 red chili, finely chopped (subbed 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes)

1 tbsp. cumin

salt and pepper

2 c. water

5 tbsp. flour

Juice of 1 lemon

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 bunch parsley, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

5 oz. vermicelli, broken (I used spaghetti)

Cilantro for garnish

Crusty bread

Dates

Soak the lentils and chickpeas overnight.

Heat the oil in a large pot, fry the ginger, garlic, onions, bay, celery, and carrots until onion is soft. Add 2 c. of the stock, bring to a boil. Add lentils, chick peas, saffron, paprika, chili, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover with remaining stock, bring to a boil. Simmer for 25 minutes.

In a glass bowl, mix the water and flour. Add lemon juice and tomatoes. Place over a pot of steaming water, whisking while the mixture thickens. Add parsley and cilantro. Add tomato mixture to the soup, simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add vermicelle and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Ladle into a bowl, top with cilantro, serve with bread and dates.

Moroccan Glazed Carrots

I love carrots, especially the sweet baby carrots in a sugary glaze... yum! I was drawn to this one because it has some sugar, some vinegar for tang, cilantro for a brightness, and lots of spices!

Moroccan Glazed Carrots

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced on a bias

2 tsp. vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. paprika

Pinch of chili powder

Salt and Pepper

1 tbsp. minced cilantro

Steam carrots for 5 minutes, or until tender.

While carrots steam, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Add in carrots, toss to coat.

Serve warm or chilled

(Adapted from Moroccan Modern)

Smashed Green Olive and Ruby Grapefruit Salad

When I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Not only is it a superfood/anti oxidant rich salad, but it's got so many elements that contrast and pair so well, and it's delicious! Also, I finally found pomegranates in season! After removing the seeds (and a tiny bit of juice), I understand why a bottle of pom 100% juice is $5! This was a wonderful salad!

Smashed Green Olive and Ruby Red Grapefruit Salad

Serves 4, I halved it

8 oz. green olives

2 grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1/4 c. flat leaf parsley

3 1/2 oz. watercress

1/2 c. hazelnuts (subbed with almonds)

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 c. pomegranate seeds

2 tbsp. EVOO

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Fresh black pepper

Smash the olives with a rolling pin or the back of your knife.

Whisk lemon juice, pepper and EVOO together.

Arrange salad in a bowl, top with viniagrette.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine

As I was browsing thru Morocco Modern, I found many recipes for tagines. Unfortunately I don't have a tagine - the traditional Moroccan cooking vessel. I read what the tagine's purpose is though, and decided that I could use a pyrex dish with a lid and it would work just as well. A tagine isn't meant to brown meat, it's meant to slowly cook and steam the food due to the shape of the vessel.
The spice mixture and flavors in this dish was delicious! The egg in the middle looked intestering, but I gave it to JJ so I don't really know how it was. I served these meatballs over what cous cous.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine

Charmoula Marinade

Makes 3 c.

1 tbsp. dried crushed chili

1 tbsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. grated ginger

½ tsp. saffron threads

1 onions, diced

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

½ preserved lemon, sliced thin

½ c. EVOO

Juice of ½ lemon

Mix all ingredients together, leave for half an hour before use. Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine

Serves 4 (I made 1/3 recipe for 2)

Sauce:

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 c. charmoula marinade

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

8 oz. frozen peas

Meatballs:

½ c. dried breadcrumbs

½ c. milk

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. parsley

1 tbsp. cilantro

1 egg

2 tbsp. EVOO

2 ¼ lb. ground beef

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 egg, for serving

For the tomato sauce, heat the EVOO in a saucepan and fry the charmoula marinade for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Soak breadcrumbs in milk until soft, add remaining ingredients and combine. Form into golf ball sized meat balls. Bake for 10 minutes to seal.
Add peas to tomato sauce, add the meatballs, coat in sauce, simmer for 5 more minutes.
Place tajine over low, add meatballs around the outside, sprinkle with prslet, break raw egg into the middle. Gook gently for a few minutes to set the egg. Serve immediately.

Moroccan Modern by Hassan M'Souli. Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. Northhampton, MA.

Country Challenge - Morocco!

Sometimes when choosing my country challenge winner, I browse thru the cookbooks at the library, which is how I chose this week's country. I found a cookbook called Modern Moroccan, which had the most delicious looking photographs. I have to say, if a cookbook has photos, I'm immediately drawn to it, and this cookbook has gorgeous photos. The cookware is beautiful, the ingredients are so colorful, and the dishes are so elaborate, but simple, with clean, bright flavors and not an abundance of ingredients.


Officially called the Kingdom of Morocco, it is located in Africa's northwest coast. It is the only country in Africa that isn't a member of the African Union, and one of the United States' major non-NATO ally.
Morocco has been inhabited since 8000 BC, originally by the Berbers. Through the Roman Empire and Byzantine Greeks time, the Berbers were able to maintain control over most of modern Morocco. In the medieval times, Islamic expansion made it's way into Morocco.


During the American Revolution, Moroccan rulers were the first to recognize America as a nation, and allowed the ships free and safe passage in their waters. The American-Moroccan Treaty of Friendship stands as the US's oldest non-broken friendship treaty.


In the 1800's, Morocco became an interest to European countries. In 1906, Spain and France policed Morocco jointly. Tension increased over the years, and the Treaty of Fez was signed, which made Morocco a protectorate of France.


Nationalist parties arose, however, and conflicts developed between France and Moroccans as they wanted independence. After France exiled Sultan Mohammed V, Moroccans attacked the French until Mohammed was allowed back into leadership. The revolution was called "Taourat al-malik wa shaab" - the revolution of the King and the People- is celebrated every August 20.
In 2006, Morocco celebrated it's 50th year of independence.


Currently, maps of Morocco differ. The Western Sahara region is currently under dispute.


As for the cuisine, it is very diverse because of many influences, including Berber, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Arab, and Jewish.
Spices are used extensively, and many popular ingredients are mint, olives, oranges, lemons, chicken, and cous cous.
Tagine cooking is very popular, and one of the most common national dishes is Harira.

Classic Meatloaf

A few weeks ago, someone asked me for my best meatloaf recipe. I told them to check the blog, figuring I'd made it at least once in the past 9 months… well it turns out I haven't! Then I remembered why, I planned to make it for JJ's birthday (it's his favorite food). Then I realized I never made him birthday dinner because he was working football pre-season and was gone the month surrounding his birthday! Since I'll be gone this weekend, I decided to make his birthday dinner tonight, leaving him with lots of leftovers for the weekend. He pretty much will eat any kind of meatloaf, but I love to make my classic meatloaf because it's healthy, has lots of veggies, and is very moist due to the tiny chopped veggies all throughout the meat. I use my meatloaf mix – beef and turkey- rather than classic meatloaf mix (beef, pork and veal) because it's healthier and I don't eat veal.
For the side, I went with his all-time favorite, baked white cheddar mac and cheese. I am using Cabot's 50% less fat white cheddar, which alters the taste a bit, but since I make a béchamel, it is still very creamy and flavorful.
So sorry I'm 2 months and 1 day late, JJ, but Happy Birthday!

Classic Meatloaf

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

1 red or green bell pepper

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. Italian style organic tomato paste

1 1/2 lbs. 99% fat free ground turkey breast

½ lb. 96% lean ground beef

½ c. Italian style breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chunk all veggies to a 1-2" dice.

Add garlic to the food processor, process until well minced. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery. Pulse until finely chopped. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add EVOO and veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until veggies have sweat out some of their moisture. Turn heat off and set veggies aside. (see last photo)

In a large bowl, add turkey, beef, parsley, worcestershire, tomato paste, breadcrumbs, and egg. When veggies are at room temperature, add to the bowl. Gently toss all ingredients together. Form into a loaf pan or into a loaf shape on a sheet pan.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with ketchup.

Place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until done inside.

JJ's favorite White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. piccolini farfalle

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 onion, grated

3 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

4 cups shredded Cabot cheddar cheese

½ tsp. mustard powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente.

In another pot over low heat, melt butter, grate onion directly in and cook 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to form a roux. Allow the flour to cook for a minute, then add in the milk. Bring to a soft boil, turn to low, whisk in the cheese slowly, a handful at a time. Stir in the mustard, taste and adjust seasonings.

Drain pasta very well, add to cheese sauce.

Mix to distribute. Pour into a baking dish, and bake at 400 for 30 minutes, until crisp on top.

Baked Stuffed Pumpkins

A few weeks ago pie pumpkins were on sale at Kroger, so I picked up 4. I cooked 2, and left 2 on the front porch. I was browsing through the many pumpkin recipes online, and saw one for a pumpkin stuffed with cous cous and sausage – sounded great! I didn't bookmark the recipe, but I took the 3 main ingredients I could remember and added in a few things that I thought would pair well! I was looking for butternut squash to add in, but I found a golden acorn squash that looked so pretty, so I used that instead.

Baked Stuffed Pumpkins

2 pie pumpkins, cleaned and seeded

2 links of turkey sausage, casings removed

1 small golden acorn squash, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. EVOO

1/2 red onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Handful of dried sour cherries

1 c. dried Israeli cous cous

1 1/4 c. organic chicken stock

4 sage leaves, minced

Salt and pepper

½ lb. asparagus tips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place hollowed out pumpkins in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

While pumpkins roast, prepare remaining ingredients.

In a small stock pot, add EVOO, onions, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in stock, bring to a boil, add in cous cous and squash, cover, and turn heat off.

In a small skillet, brown sausage, drain, and set aside.

When cous cous is finished cooking, add in sausage crumbles, asparagus spears, sage and cherries. Stir to combine.

Fill each pumpkin with half the mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes with the lid off, serve alongside the pumpkin.

I know, I know, once fall is over I'll stop with the photos of Pumpkin and Pumpkins....

they're just too cute!

Will's favorite Guatemalan Black Beans

Thank you so much to Allison for letting me in on this recipe. As you can see, it's so simple, but it's so delicious because the flavors of the ingredients shine through. Since there are just a few ingredients, I wanted to use the best - dried organic black beans, organic onion, and organic garlic, all fresh from the farmers market.

Allison told me Will usually eats the beans with eggs and corn tortillas. I added a fresh tomato salsa because my dad told me when he was there, they had this salsa and loved it. The way he described it, I'm pretty sure it was a pico de gallo.

These beans tasted outstanding... and really, what an inexpensive meal!

Will's favorite Guatemalan Black Beans

1 lb. bag organic dried black beans

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

A heavy sprinkle of kosher salt

Soak the beans for the day so they soften up and cook faster.

Drain the water from the beans, and put them in a heavy bottomed pot.

Add fresh water to just cover the beans, as well as the minced onion and garlic (Allison said she puts her garlic in at the end to keep it from getting bitter, but mine got sweet as I kept the heat over low).

Cook for 4 hours or more over low heat, gently stirring occasionally.

Top them with salt and crema fresca (or sour cream).

Allison puts the tortillas on an open flame for a few minutes each side until they're slightly crispy, but I don't have a gas stove so I broiled mine for a few minutes on each side.

Thank you sooooo much Allison :)

It's A Small World!

In August, my dad and about 10 members of his church took a mission trip to Guatemala. Having blogged about countries for many months, he was very excited to bring me home some authentic Guatemalan coffee and an apron, as well as tell me about the cuisine and culture.
Since then, he’s constantly asking me when I’m going to cook Guatemalan food and post a photo of me in my apron.

One week after he returned, JJ and I hosted a BBQ for the new Athletic Trainers at IU. One of them, Will, is Guatemalan! I couldn’t believe it when his wife told me because just a week earlier my dad was there. Allison (Will’s wife) told me that his birthday was coming up, and he wanted his favorite traditional Guatemalan dish, black beans with eggs and tortillas, something his mom always made. I tucked that little piece of information away, knowing I'd beg her for the recipe when I started blogging again!

Now that I’ve restarted my Country Challenge cooking, I just had to talk about Guatemala. Not only to please my dad, but because I have the most authentic dish out of every challenge I’ve done so far!

So thanks to Dad for my authentic Guatemalan Apron:

Here is the group on the mission trip at the civil war memorial (my dad is 3rd from the left standing). My dad said a new flower is placed in the hands every single day to represent how delicate life is after a long, tumultous civil war (see previous post).

And thanks to Will's Mom, Will, and Allison for getting this authentic recipe to me and allowing me to blog about it!

(They were married in July overlooking the beach in California... and have beautiful postcard worthy photos!)

Country Challenge - Guatemala

Because I will be away this weekend, I cooked and researched this week's country early - Guatemala! I chose Guatemala for many reasons (see next post)... so here's a little background on the country that borders Mexico (which I didn't know) and is actually not too far from us here in the states!


Archaeologists have found remains that lead them to believe there was civilization in Guatemala as far as 12,000 BC. Between the years of 250 and 900 AD, the Mayan Civilization was at it's peak in Guatemala, and many cities and states were built. The cities were all abandoned around 900 AD as famine broke out and killed off the population.


After the Spanish arrived in the Americas, there were many expeditions thru Guatemala. The contact with Spaniards by the natives resulted in widespead disease, and again killed off much of the population. Guatemala was then claimed as an Audiencia, and supplied Spain with sugarcane, cocoa, dye, and wood used for building churches.


In 1821, Guatemala claimed Independence from Spain, and incorporated itself into the Mexican empire, however it dissolved. In 1871, the "Liberal Revolution" occured, which modernized Guatemala, and brought new manufacturing and agriculture, including coffee, a major export.


As far as Modern history goes - America supplied Guatemala with arms and machinery during the Cold War. Guatemala was also involved in providing air strips for the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Many years followed with leaders stepping up and being overthrown, invasion, and guerrilla groups. In a scorched earth style of warfare, 45,000 Guatemalans fled to Mexico as civil war erupted in 1982. The war carried on for many years, finally ending in 1996. The UN negotiated talks between the guerrillas and the government. Since the war ended, Guatemala has had very successful government elections and has prospered in creating trade agreements.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

One classic dish I have always wanted to make is Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. I have seen so many recipes for it made so many different ways, so I read through them all and took elements out of each to create a dish that would cater to my tastes. When I told my husband I was making Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, he looked like I said we were having dirt for dinner. He couldn't comprehend eating a dish with 40 cloves of garlic because sometimes he'll say dinner is garlicky when I only use 2 or 3… but I assured him the garlic cloves would braise for a few hours, and they would not be pungent like in a pesto. Also, the 40 cloves are used when you make a whole chicken, so I scaled this back and used 2 bulbs, about 18 cloves.

One element to the dish that varied greatly was the different types of alcohol used. I saw a few dishes with only white wine, and some with vermouth or Cognac and white wine. I looked up the differences and settled on using brandy and white wine, as Cognac is a type of brandy from the Cognac region of France.

I also noticed some recipes called for the garlic in its skin, and some did not, I opted to peel it and get the most flavor. I also used 2 boneless, skinless breasts because I don't cook whole chickens (we only eat white meat) and I don't like cooking chicken bone-in. I served this over some spaghetti and asparagus spears, which were perfect for absorbing some of the delicious sauce.

The garlic ended up breaking apart some, which made it even tastier!

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

18 cloves of garlic, peeled and whole

1 small shallot, minced

¼ c. brandy

½ c. white wine

1 c. organic chicken stock

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp. cream or fat free 1/2 and 1/2

½ lb. Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti

1 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed

Heat a dutch oven over medium high, add in EVOO.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown, then flip.

Add in garlic and shallots, sauté for 2 minutes.

Add in brandy and white wine.

Turn heat to low, reduce alcohol by half, add in stock and thyme.

Season with more salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours.

Right before serving, add in cream and pull out thyme stems.

15 minutes before serving, drop pasta into boiling salted water, cook until 2 minutes to go, drop in asparagus and boil for last 2 minutes of cooking pasta.

Drain pasta and asparagus; pour into a shallow bowl, top with chicken and sauce.

Spicy Ranch Oven Fried Potato Wedges

Every now and then I miss chicken fingers and fries. So unhealthy, but so good! After my long run on Saturday, I decided to indulge in a healthier version of chicken fingers and fries, and they were delicious! I love seasoned fries and ranch chips, so I combined the two to make spicy ranch oven fries, and made my usual bonesless buffalo chicken tenders, always a favorite!
I served this up with a garden salad with blue cheese dressing.

Spicy Ranch Oven Fried Potato Wedges and Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders

(For 4 servings)

2 lbs. russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. ranch seasoning (I use hidden valley)

Nonstick cooking spray

Cut poatoes into wedges - 8 per potato. Place in a ziplock bag. Sprinkle in seasoning, and shake potatoes until all are covered in seasonings.

Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray, Lay potatoes out on sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders (12):
1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders
1 cups flour
1 cup wing sauce (recommended Frank's Red Hot)
2 cups Panko bread crumbs (found in the Asian food area)

Lay out 3 plates or bowls, put flour in one, hot sauce in another, and bread crumbs in another. Season flour with salt and pepper.

Take chicken tenders and dip them in flour, tap excess off, dip in hot sauce, then coat in bread crumbs.

Lay on a cookie sheet until all tenders are coated.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Note: I prepare potatoes, put them in the oven on the top rack, then make the tenders, and put them on the bottom (about 10 mins. later)
When I flip the potatoes with 10 mins. to go, I also flip the chicken.

Pink M&M Cookies for my Zetas!

I am extremely lucky to have joined a sorority in college, Zeta Tau Alpha. Not only have I made some friends for life, but I have been able to really get involved in Breast Cancer Philantropic Events, as that is our national philanthropy. Because of the many college bakesales and events, I was a veteran in pink ribbon cooking long before my mom ever got breast cancer.
When I found out her race was in Charlotte, I knew I'd have to go and have some of my sorority sisters join me in cheering her on, as I went to school in Hickory, NC, about an hour away.
However, in order to get them to come, I promised baked goods... So I decided to use the extra M&M's and make some cookies! I used the Levain copycat recipe. These cookies are delicious, they're moist and dense, but at the same time they're cakey and soft. I based my recipe off of a Levain bakery copycat recipe.

Pink M&M Cookies

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs at room temp.
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1 c. pink M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down sides.

Add in vanilla, turn mixer on medium, add eggs one at a time.

Add in salt, baking poweder and soda.

Slowly add in flour and most of the M&M's.

Place dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls, place on a greased cookie sheet, press extra M&M's into the dough so they are on top and visable.

Bake for 14 minutes, or until golden and puffy.

Pink M&M Cookie Bars for the Avon Race!

It is finally time for my mom and I to head down to Charlotte for her Avon Breast Cancer walk! We had so much success with the bakesale a month ago! I was telling my co-workers about it, and one of them brought in a bag of pink M&M's for me on Friday. I decided to use them to make some cookie bars to give to my mom and other women at the race. Trish has told me a million times that I need to try these bars, and wow, they are good! JJ especially loved them (and Pumpkin watched them cool for 10 minutes...see photo below).

Pink M&M Cookie Bars

from Trish

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup oil
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugars with the oil.
3. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing well.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients.
5. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
6. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil (if you use foil, spray with non-stick spray).
7. Spread the dough into the pan, then sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
8. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes until light golden brown.

Italian Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese (The LR Special!)

Today my husband made a request, which is very stange - he never requests meals! He asked me for "The LR Special" which is the one thing our college cafeteria made well, creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese with bacon. I didn't have any bacon in the freezer, so I told him it would have to be plain grilled cheese with white cheddar, but I could make some tomato soup from scratch. I made it up as I went along, clearing out the herbs in the areo garden to really add a nice fresh flavor!

Italian Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

1 tbsp. EVOO

1/2 yellow onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 c. 2% milk

1 c. chicken stock

1 28 oz. can organic crushed tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

1/4 c. fresh minced Italian herbs (oregano, parsley, thyme and basil)

2 slices multi grain bread

2 slices white cheddar cheese

1/2 tbsp. butter

In a soup pot over medium low, sautee onion and garlic in EVOO. Cook for 5 minutes, add in milk, stock, tomatoes, salt, pepper and herbs. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, butter one side of each slice of bread. Place buttered side down in a nonstick pan over medium. Top with cheese, other slice of bread, and cover. Flip after 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is melty and bread is brown.

Serve soup on it's own, or sprinkle with cheese, herbs, sour cream, or a splash of cream.

Mantu

I chose to make 2 dishes from Afghanistan and serve them together. The first is Mantu, a meat filled pasta. The author says this is a very traditional dish, a bit time consuming, but worth it. The dough is very simply made of flour and water, but wonton wrappers can be substituted. I chose to be as authentic as possible (and cost cutting) by making my own dough with just flour and water. It is traditionally made with lamb, but I am using beef. It is served with a simple tomato sauce and yogurt, which has been strained, another traditional practice as to rid the yogurt of some of the acidity. Strained yogurt is called Chaka. Okra is very common in Afghan cooking, and it is stewed with onions and tomato, which are the basics for every stewed vegetable.

Mantu

(Pasta filled with Meat and Onion)
Pg. 87

(I made 1/3 of this recipe)

1 lb. all purpose flour
1 c. water (less or more)
2-3 tsp. salt
1 lb. lamb, chopped into small pieces (I used ground beef)
1 green chilie pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
16. oz. yogurt (chaka)


In a kitchen aid using the dough hook, add the flour and 1 tsp. salt. Turn the mixer to low and stream in water, about a cup, more or less. Let the dough knead for 5 minutes. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.
In a small bowl, combine the lamb, chilie, pepper, cumin, and 1-2 tsp. salt. Set aside.
Divide the dough and roll out to 1/16” thickness. Cut into squares. Spoon 1 tbsp. of the meat mixture into each piece of dough, pull the sides up and press together, but do not seal the pasta.
Grease the steamer, place the mantu on and steam for 30-45 minutes over medium heat.
While mantu steam, prepare tomato sauce. Heat oil in a skillet, add the tomato puree and bring to a bubble. Turn heat to low until mantu are ready.
Plate mantu, cover in sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with chaka.

“Afghan Food and Cookery”, Helen Saberi. Hippocrene Books: New York, 2000.

Bomya

Bomya or Qorma-e-Shast-e-arus

Okra Stew
Pg. 198

1 lb. okra
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 oz. split peas
1 7 oz. can tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. powdered dill weed

Clean the okra and cut off the stalks.
Heat the oil and fry the onion until brown. Add the okra, fry until they are coated in oil, add the split peas, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Add water to cover the okra, then add the dill. Bring to a boil, then turn to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the sauce is thick and reduced. Serve.

“Afghan Food and Cookery”, Helen Saberi. Hippocrene Books: New York, 2000.

Country Challenge - Afghanistan

AFGHANISTAN

As I was browsing thru the cookbooks at the library, I found one called “Afghan Food and Cookery”. I picked it up right away because right now, I believe many people associate Afghanistan with war and terrorism. However, there is an amazing history and culture in the country, including a delicious and interesting cuisine, and that is what I like to focus on, the people, the tradition, and the food.


Afghanistan is located in such a place that many armies through the centuries have stormed through, leaving their impression on the culture. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Babur, and the British have all invaded Afghanistan, and sometimes stuck around for a few years!


Afghanistan is also situated on the Silk Routes, which meant traders traveled thru the country, leaving Indian spices, Chinese Teas, and many other ingredients that have influenced the country.


Hospitality is extremely important in Afghan culture, and guests are treated very well. Meals are eaten on the floor on cushions and pillows. Usually there are large platters of rice and many different condiments are laid out, such as chutney, pickled vegetables, and breads. It is traditional to eat with your right hand, and no silverware is used, except for nan (unleavened bread).


Through all of my reading, I found many pieces of literature that discussed grapes, which grow extremely well in Afghanistan; a few other common and popular ingredients are pomegranate, cilantro, chickpeas, onions, eggplant, and yogurt.


All information paraphrased from “Afghan Food and Cookery” by Helen Saberi.

7 Layer Dip

7 Layer dip is a family favorite for football games, so I made a big bowl for us to snack on during the Ohio State Game. It may not look pretty, but it tastes great! There are a million ways to make 7 layers, but this is my favorite...

7 Layer Dip

1 brick of lowfat cream cheese, softened

2 c. thick salsa

1 28 oz. can vegetarian refried beans

2 c. guacamole

1 sack of shredded iceberg lettuce

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. light sour cream

1/2 c. salsa or pico de gallo

Optional: Chopped jalapenos, olives, or red onion

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and salsa. Spread into the bottom of a clear, deep dish.

Spread beans over cream cheese layer.

Make guacamole, spread over beans.

Top with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and other toppings.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Guacamole:
4 haas avocados

2 lime, juiced

2 tsp. salt

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp. ground cumin

Chop the garlic and sprinkle with salt, paste it together. Dice the avocado, add to a bowl, squeeze lime juice over, add garlic paste and cumin, stir and cover with plastic to keep from browning.

Pair of Baked Frittatas

Over the weekend I wanted to serve a nice brunch for the fam before they headed home, so I made a pair of frittatas along with the cinnamon buns and fruit. I chose these 2 combos because they're so tasty and vegetarian, which much of my family tends to eat.
I was going to cook these like I do my normal frittatas (in a skillet and under the broiler) but I only have 1 nonstick skillet, so I had to find another method. I didn't want to make a quiche, but figured baking them in a pie plate would be best. I remembered seeing Trish's crustless quiche, and thought the only difference was some breadcrumbs on the bottom, so I tried it out and it worked very well!

Spinach & Cheddar and Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Frittatas

2 red peppers, roasted and peeled, sliced
1/4 c. crumbled fat free feta
4 eggs
Splash of milk

Pinch of cayenne

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of oregano

1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 c. sauteed spinach

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs

Splash of milk

Pinch of dried thyme

Salt and Pepper

Pinch of cayenne

1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray 2 pie plates with nonstick spray.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the bottom.

Whisk eggs with milk and spices.

Gently pour eggs over breadcrumbs, then drop toppings into each mixture.

Wiggle it a bit to make the veggies and cheese sink.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown and puffy.

Chili Baked Potatoes

The plan on Saturday was to watch football, eat and drink. We were very successful!
I saw 5lb. bags of potatoes were on sale, so I decided to do a baked potato bar. However, it sounded like everyone liked the idea of just chili cheese potatoes, which was a lot easier! I deviated a bit from my standard chili, but it came out fantastic, hearty and healthy!

Chili-Cheese Baked Potatoes

8 russet potatoes, cleaned, pierced and wrapped in foil
12 oz. 96% lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
15 oz. can dark red kidney beans
1/2 bottle of corona light
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp. mexican chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Dash of cayenne
2 c. 2% cheddar cheese
1 c. light sour cream


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place wrapped potatoes in the oven and bake for 1-2 hours (depending on size)
In a large pot over medium high, brown meat. Drain, and add onions, garlic and peppers. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Deglaze with the beer, turn to low. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, and spices. Simmer for a hour or two. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Put potatoes in a bowl, top with chili, cheese and sour cream.

Winery Picnic

Over the weekend, we took my parents and sister and brother in law to Oliver Winery, a local winery that offers tastings, tours, and has a beautiful terrace outside for picnics. They encourage you to buy a bottle and sit on the patio with it. They sell picnic food, but I brought some from home.
Winery Picnic:
Trail Mix (Dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, pecans, pepitas, almonds, and chocolate chips)
Hummus Trio and Veggie Dippers
Italian Bread with Crab and Veggie Cheese Spread
Outrageous Brownies
Grapes
Wine


Everything was wonderful - except for the bees!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Buns Copycat

My brother in law's favorite breakfast food is a cinnamon bun. Since they made the long drive from Cleveland this weekend, I thought I'd try out some homemade cinnamon buns! I found a Cinnabon copycat recipe that adapted a bit because I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand. The buns were great, But I should have opted for a thicker, more substantial icing.
Also, after I took the photo, I put the buns back in the oven and baked them for 5 more minutes and added more icing.

Cinnamon Buns

Buns:

1 cup 2% milk, microwaved for 1 minute

1 packet dry active yeast

1 tsp. sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 c. melted butter

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

Filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. butter, softened

Icing:

1 c. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour milk, yeast, and 1 tsp. sugar into a mixing bowl. Let it sit 10 minutes until the yeast foams. Turn the mixer on (dough hook) and add in melted butter, flour and sugar. When the mixture all comes together, add eggs one at a time. Let the mixer run for 5 minutes to knead dough. Turn off, cover in plastic wrap, and let dough rise for an hour.

Roll dough out to 20x12. Smear butter on dough, then spinkle on sugar and cinnamon. Roll, slice into 12 buns, and lay in a round baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Cover in plastic and let rolls rise for another hour.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Bake buns for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and top with icing.

Country Challenge, to continue or not...

So many of my wonderful readers have commented that I stopped doing the Country Challenge where I blog about one country and cook from it each week.
I stopped for a few reasons... One is I had a few not so good meals, I also was running out of cookbooks at the library to check out, another is because while trying to cook as authentically as possible, I had a hard time finding ingredients, and lastly, those ingredients are expensive!
However, I did really enjoy learning about and discovering new countries and their food, and it sounds like people actually enjoy learning too!
So...
I'm going to start it back up!
However, this time around I might just do one or two meals, and not an entire week.
Sound good?
Also, please leave feedback on this post, did you like how I did an intro to the country and tell you a bit about it? With the map and flag, or do you just like recipes?
I still read all about it, I just don't want to bore people :)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Even though I tend to use the same recipes over and over if I like them and they work, I can't help but want to try something new! I decided to go with Hershey's Chocolate Cake and Frosting recipes for the Chocolate cupcakes at the bake sale. They were delicious, but I do think I like my standard chocolate cake from Ina a bit better (though the recipes are so similar).

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hersheys Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water


Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting (I doubled this)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Butter, add in cocoa powder and mix together on low.

Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

Stir in vanilla.

About 2 cups frosting.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I was going back through my blogger and found a few drafts of posts that I forgot were still in here! I wanted to get this recipe up from cupcakes I made for the bakesale. They were red velvet with cream cheese frosting. I love cream cheese frosting, it's so creamy and delicious, and the red velvet is so moist and, well... velvety!

Red Velvet Cupcakes by Paula Deen

with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages of cream cheese, at room temp.

1 stick of butter at room temp.

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

3 lbs. of powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add salt and vanilla. Add powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time. If icing is too thick, add a splash of milk to thin, if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Pasta e Fagioli

If you were a devoted reader from the beginning, you may notice I've made this dish before. As much as I try to not repeat any meals, I had a few reasons for repeating this one. One is it's just so delicious, and today was so cold and rainy. It was perfect. Secondly, I have decided that I'll eventually make my blog into a cookbook, and I'd like to have more photos (hopefully better) of some dishes to use in the cookbook. I used the same recipe, one I made on my own after making this dish a few times. The green beans are non-traditional, but I like to add veggies whenever possible, and it grabs an element from the vegetarian version of this soup - Minestrone.

Pasta e Fagioli

6 oz. 96% lean ground beef

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic minced

1 small yellow onion chopped

2 carrots peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried

15 oz. can dark red kidney beans

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

¼ pound green beans in 1 inch segments

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup ditalini or orrechetti pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Shaved Parmesan

In a soup pot on medium high, brown ground beef for 6-8 minutes. Drain if necessary.

Add garlic, onion, carrots, salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium and let vegetables sweat. After 5 minutes, add kidney beans, tomatoes, green beans and chicken stock. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to a few hours.

Add pasta, cover, and let simmer another 15 minutes.

If soup looks thick, add chicken stock until desired consistency is reached.

Top with fresh shaved parmesan.

Note - I added about a cup of stock to the pot after taking this photo, I just wanted the ingredients to be visible.

Italian Wedding Soup

I've been trying to make more classic dishes lately because some people think I make stuff that's too out there (cough:trish:cough...just kidding!)... so I decided to do my take on Italian Wedding Soup! I love meatballs poached in soup, they're so tender, and I love spinach and how it has a creamy taste in a broth based soup. It's actually very healthy, and easy! I served it with some crusty bread and a tossed italian salad.

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 tbsp. fresh minced italian herbs
1/2 small onion, grated
1 egg
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. grated parmesan

salt and pepper
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
6 oz. lean ground beef


Soup:
1 tbsp. EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
8 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. stars pasta
1 c. frozen leaf spinach, thawed and drained well
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
1 tbsp. fresh minced oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes


Heat a large soup pot over low heat. Add EVOO, onion and garlic. Season and sweat out veggies for 5 minutes, do not brown!
Add stock, and turn heat to high. Cover and bring to a low boil.
While stock begins to boil, mix together all meatball ingredients. Divide into fourths. From each fourth, form 6 mini meatballs.
Turn the stock down to medium heat, and drop in meatballs as they're formed.
Once finished, add in stars and cover. Cook for 8 minutes.
Add in spinach and herbs. Taste and season.
Serve immediately, top with grated parmesan.


Note: If you're not serving this immediately, you might want to cook the pasta serperately, and stir into the soup when you're ready to eat so the stars don't overcook.


PS - It's hard to take photos of broth based soup!!!