Cranberry Pecan Pie

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 9-inch prepared pie crust
3 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Spread pecan halves on baking sheet, and toast 5 to 7 minutes in oven, or until lightly browned and fragrant. (Do not overbake; pecans burn quickly.)
2) Meanwhile, lightly crush cranberries until broken, but not mashed. Spread in bottom of piecrust.
3) Whisk together eggs and sugar in bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir in pecans, then pour filling over cranberries in piecrust, redistributing pecans and cranberries with fork, if necessary.
4) Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of pie comes out clean. Serve warm.

Review: Oops - I forgot the butter! I read and reread this recipe countless times, but still managed to forget an ingredient. However, it wasn't missed! The pie was a little runny, even though I cooked it for 55 minutes. I'm not sure if that's because I missed the butter, or if it really just needs to be cooked for 60 minutes. It was still quite delicious. It had a spiced taste, despite only having a bit of cinnamon. It reminded me of mulled cider, mixed with pecan pie. The cranberries really topped the whole thing, as it gave just a bit of sweet/tart citrus taste. This will definitely be made again!!!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/cranberry-pecan-pie/

Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

1 lb wild mushrooms, trimmed and chopped coarsely

1 Tbs butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp thyme, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

1) In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2) Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 

3) Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. 

4) Add the Parmesan, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

5) Serve over cooked pasta. Let rest for two minutes and serve.

Review: We've been doing a lot of our grocery shopping at Trader Joe's. They have a lot of great frozen meals that are both healthy and economically priced. This has been the death of my blog. On the other hand, they also tend to sell all sorts of random, awesome things. These types of things are typically sold for a limited period of time, so I grab them when I see them. However, I then end up with a motley collection of items in the cupboard. It's become my goal to eat my way through this mess and tonight I used three finds from Trader Joe's:

Of course, none of these were purchased at the same time, nor were they ever intended to be put together. However, I had the idea that a wild mushroom cream sauce would be great over gnocchi. I hit google to find recipes and then combined some ideas and made this recipe (an original?!). It turned out wonderfully tasty, though I initially had too much sauce for so little gnocchi. After two minutes, it congealed nicely and no longer looked like soup. I think it might also be tasty if it was made with gruyere instead of Parmesan.

Now, what to do with the jar of salted caramel sauce?

Cheese Tortellini With Spinach, Peas & Brown Butter

1 lb fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1 small bunch spinach, thick stems removed
1 beefsteak tomato, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper

1) Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking.
2) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and tomato and cook, tossing occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the tomato begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes more.
3) Add the tortellini, peas, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to the skillet. Toss to combine.

Review: This looked like such an easy recipe, I just couldn't pass it up. This was pretty tasty, except that I didn't taste the browned butter. I think the next time I make it, I'll use at least 2 Tbs more. I may also need to let it brown more than I did.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/cheese-tortellin-brown-butter

Esquites - Mexican Corn Salad

3 Tbs butter
4 cups frozen corn, defrosted
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
4 Tbs mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs lime juice
1/4 cup cotija, or feta cheese, crumbled
chili powder to taste
1 avocado, diced

1) Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2) Add the corn, toss and let it sit. Cook until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
3) Add the jalapeno and saute for one minute. Remove from heat.
4) Add to a large bowl and mix with all other ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Review: Unfortunately, cotija was not to be found at either Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, where we typically shop. And, I stopped in at A&P today, but totally forgot to look for cotija. So I made it with feta, which is super tasty. This had an amazing tang, between the mayo, feta and lime juice. However, it wasn't over-powering and was an amazing little dish. Little, because it makes two servings if it's your main dish. I think I made a side dish recipe again . . .

a good view of the charring (could be more, but I'm impatient):

the salad:

Adapted from:
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/08/esquites-mexican-corn-salad.html

Kale & Peanuts Stir-Fry

1 cup basmati rice
1 bunch curly or broad-leafed kale, stems removed and leaves torn into pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 Tbs thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp tamari sauce
2 Tbs dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

1) Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.
2) Heat wok over high heat; add oil and swirl to coat wok. Add kale and carrot, and stir-fry 3 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add tamari sauce and stir-fry for 15 seconds more.
3) Mix in rice and peanuts. Serve immediately.

Review: I've held onto this recipe for over a month, just waiting to have enough kale in my garden. Tonight I was able to harvest quite a bit!! I always complain about how many bugs are in kale when I get it from the grocery store. There were about 20 times as many in the kale from my garden, and lots of holes in the leaves. Ah, organic gardening!! It was worth it though, as the kale tasted so much more intense and fresh!!! This, coupled with the ginger and tamari made for a particularly savory dish. I was glad to have enough to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Yum.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/flash-fried-kale-with-peanuts/

Surprise!!

This has got to be the worst gardening season ever. Between the long, cold spring and the summer's near 100 degree temps and frequent storms, it's been so difficult. The weeds are doing great, but the vegetables have struggled all season. My cabbage and carrots never sprouted, and my Swiss chard was eaten by bunnies. I do have some cherry tomatoes that are almost ripe. The real winner this season was my kale. Yes, they are holey from various caterpillars and grasshoppers, but there was plenty to harvest!

Discovered!

I have been making a favorite dish, Black Bean & Mozzarella Bowl, for quite some time. However, the recipe called for Drew's Smoked Tomato dressing. I couldn't find it anywhere!!! So, I made up my own vinaigrettes, but it never felt like the right flavor. Yet, this weekend, I found it at the Mount Kisco NY's Mrs. Greens!!! I made it tonight, as it was supposed to be made, and found it to be better than I could ever have believed! It was such a nice tangy/smoky flavor, that really couldn't be duplicated. Yum, I will definitely be making this again, and have plenty left in the bottle!!

Sugar Ann Snap Peas

This is the second handful I've harvested from my garden.

I don't personally like snap peas, but my husband loves them. So, I made sure to get an heirloom variety to grow in my garden. The first harvest was passed around at his birthday party this past weekend. Everyone raved about them. Mike got all of them this time and was a happy camper. I asked him to describe the difference between these and the ones he gets at the grocery store. He told me the flavor is much more intense. Ah, of course, most grocery store veggies tend to taste weaker than garden veggies!

SouthWest Rice & Bean Salad

1 cup instant brown rice
2 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs lime juice
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa

1) Cook rice according to package directions.
2) Meanwhile, toss all the other ingredients into a large bowl. Add the rice, once it has finished cooking.
3) Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Review: This recipe originally called for sushi rice, but I wanted to make it healthier. This was a great balance of flavors. The cilantro and salsa provided a significant amount of flavor, but wasn't overwhelming due to the pinto bean and bell pepper flavors. This will be great served cold for lunch tomorrow!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/southwest-rice-and-bean-salad/

Cookies-N-Creme Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups sandwich creme cookies, crushed
2 Tbs butter, melted
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 Tbs milk

1) In a medium bowl, mix the powder sugar, cookies and butter, until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla extract.
2) Continue mixing, while adding milk until the desired consistency is achieved.

Review: For this birthday, we went with a cookies-n-creme theme. For the cake, I used two boxes of Trader Joe's vanilla cake mix. It's a snack cake mix, so it's dense and designed to make an 8x8 cake. So, to fill the castle shaped bundt pan, I needed two boxes. I added one cup of crushed cookies (Trader Joe's Joe-Joe's). It's definitely a rich, dense, moist cake!! I came up with the glaze recipe after consulting a few vanilla glaze recipes. I must be the first person ever to want this flavor glaze, because I couldn't find a recipe online ANYWHERE!!  It looks kind of odd, but we couldn't decide if the glaze made it look like it was covered in mud or if it just looked like an older castle. Regardless, I think it looks delicious. We'll also be serving this up with ice cream on the side. Oh, what kind? Trader Joes' Joe-Joe's ice cream (cookies-n-cream). Yum!!

Edamame & Corn Salad

2 qts water
1 pkg (16oz) frozen shelled edamame
3 ears (2 cups) fresh corn, cooked and kernels cut from cob
1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
4 (1/2 cup) green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbs oregano leaves
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1) Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a medium saucepan on high heat. Add edamame; cook 4 minuts, or until edamame are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2) In a small bowl; mix olive oil, cider vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, until well bended. Add edamame, corn, red bell pepper, green onions and parsley; toss well to coat. Cover.
3) Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Toss before serving.

Review: I always enjoy cold salads in the summer. Especially when it's unseasonably hot, as it has been lately. This particular salad was quite interesting. For the first time, I used Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, instead of Heinz or the store brand. Oddly, it seemed to have a sweet taste instead of a vinegary bite. Mike asked a few times if I had put sugar or honey into the vinaigrette!

Adapted from:
http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Salads-Sides/Edamame-and-Corn-Salad-with-Oregano-Vinaigrette

Summer Berry Salad With Lime-Basil Vinaigrette

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 Tbs lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
4oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

1) Place almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking skillet constantly, until almonds are light golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
2) Place lime zest and juice, olive oil, honey and basil in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Place spinach, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a large bowl. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Top with goat cheese and almonds. Serve immediately.

Review: I found this recipe last week and knew I had to make it soon, instead of filing it away for some future dinner. I thought the idea of berries, almonds and goat cheese sounded amazing. Of course, I left out the raspberries since I hate them (I do love blackberries, though). This was unbelievable! The sweetness of the berries perfectly complemented the tang of the goat cheese and the acidity of the vinaigrette. Mike doesn't usually like acidic salads, as he much prefers creamy, ranch type salads. But, we both ate two bowls and there were no leftovers. Also, this made for such a pretty salad, which makes it a great option to take to parties.

Adapted from:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/summer-berry-salad-50400000122343/

Garlic Scape & Swiss Chard Pesto

1/2 cup pine nuts
roughly a dozen garlic scapes
1 bunch Swiss chard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups Quattro Formaggio (Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina & Mozzarella)
salt to taste

1) In a small pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until evenly browned. Remove from heat and set aside, allowing the pine nuts to cool.
2) Clean garlic scapes and chop into smaller pieces. Place all the pieces into a food processor and chop until finely shredded (2-3 minutes.)
3) Clean Swiss chard and remove leaves from stem. Throw the stem away and add all of the Swiss chard into the food processor. Chop for another minute.
4) Add the lemon juice, olive oil, pine nuts and salt to the food processor and run for another minute.
5) Add the cheese to the food processor and chop until everything in finely shredded and mixed well.

Review: Last year I discovered garlic scapes at the farmer's market. Many of the booths also sold garlic scape pesto. Of course, I couldn't just buy their versions!! I bought a bag of garlic scapes yesterday and did an internet search for recipes. I found very few recipes, but I found one that really intrigued me, and then I made it my own by changing it up a bit. I really like this version of pesto, as it's not the typical basil flavor, but is still quite yummy. This doesn't have the typical garlic bite, so while it has garlic flavor, it's a little easier on the palate. It also has more nutrients, with the addition of Swiss chard. I can't wait to take it to a potluck!!

Strawberry Balsamic Basil Pops

3 cups fresh hulled or thawed frozen strawberries
2 Tbs chopped basil
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1) Place strawberries in a glass or plastic bowl with basil. Top with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Toss and let marinate for 1 hour.
2) Pour the marinated mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Mix well and pour into ice-pop molds. Insert sticks and freeze for about 8 hours.

Review: The recipe I loosely followed told me this would fill a set of 4 pops that each held 3.5oz of pop. I have two sets of these and this recipe filled both sets (8 pops). I'm not sure what happened, but luckily I had two sets! This recipe intrigued me because adding balsamic vinegar to frozen desserts seems to be very trendy. For these, it added a bit of tang, while the basil added a bit of spicy. Overall, I'm not "wowed" by the flavor, but I do feel a little gourmand when I eat them.

Garden

We currently rent a house with a garden lot. When we looked at the house for possible renting, back in July 2011, it was overgrown with weeds, but had a few plants (zucchini, tomatoes and basil). Instantly, I began dreaming of having a big, organic, heirloom garden. For the past few months, I have consulted many sources in order to know when to plant my seeds. However, it was consistently too cold for me to be outside in the wet dirt, so how could a baby plant possibly survive? It was also increasingly difficult to clear out all of the weeds. It had been overgrown for many, many years. It also has a significant amount of poison ivy growing in the fencing and there must be a nearby yellowjacket nest. I get swarmed by yellowjackets if I go out in the afternoon!

But, this weekend Mike and I beat back much of the overgrowth, which was aided by the fact that much of it mysteriously died on it's own in the last week. Last weekend I planted the leek and cherry tomato seedlings. Today, I planted seeds for sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, kale, carrots, cabbage and zucchini. I started basil and Brussels sprouts seeds in my kitchen window, to plant later.

Fortunately, my landlord (who was once a master gardener) stopped by this afternoon and assured me he never planted things prior to Memorial Day, though the weekend before isn't a bad idea. Oh, I was so relieved, since all of my sources told me I was two months behind!!

So, here's some pics in the garden's current state:

the whole plot, note some of it is still quite wild

I have markers set for each vegetable

I laid out paths through some of it, mostly to kill weeds without having to dig them up! There's still quite a bit of weeds in the garden, but there's enough removed that I could plant stuff this weekend.

Here are my cherry tomatoes, leeks are growing just to the left of them and cabbage is planted in the corner.

There's a little plastic pond back there, where frogs have been nesting for years. Earlier this year, it was filled with eggs and then tadpoles. I'm going to keep that area fairly wild, mostly to make it a frog habitat. To make it more enticing, I threw an entire packet of "butterfly mix" flower seeds around there.

The entire list of what I'll be growing this year (most are heirloom varieties):

Chantenay Red Core Carrots
Giant Musselburgh Leeks
Sugar Ann Snap Peas
Black Beauty Zucchini
Flamingo Pink Swiss Chard
Genovese Basil
Dwarf Siberian Kale
Black Cherry Tomato
Premium Late Dutch Flat Cabbage
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts (not an heirloom variety)

SouthWest Pasta Salad

1 pkg elbow macaroni or penne rigate
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup tomato salsa
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

1) cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. In large serving bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, avocado, cilantro and jalapeno.
2) For dressing, in small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, salsa, lime juice and salt. Add to pasta mixture; toss gently. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate to chill.

Review: I wasn't sure this was going to turn out well, as the idea of mixing mayonnaise and salsa scared me. It actually just made it taste a bit like a SouthWestern ranch dressing. It was fairly quick to make and was even better once it was refrigerated (mostly because the dressing wasn't as runny).

Adapted from:
http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/healthy-pasta-recipes/2008/08/southwest-pasta-salad.html

Penne & Zucchini

8oz penne pasta
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
1 sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups baby arugula
1/3 cup shredded provolone

1) Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and reserve pasta water.
2) Whisk together ricotta and 1/3 cup pasta water in small bowl; set aside.
3) Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add zucchini and garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 3 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Stir in arugula, cover and cook 1 minute, or until arugula is just wilted. Add ricotta mixture to arugula mixture and cook 1 minute, or until hot but not boiling. Serve ricotta sauce over penne, and sprinkle with provolone.

Review: We couldn't find shredded provolone, so Mike just topped each serving with a slice of provolone. As it melted and oozed onto the dish, I realized this would be better as a casserole. I doubled the ricotta sauce and arugula, as the recipe called for portions that would have left ricotta and arugula wasting in the fridge. With the increased "sauce" and greens, it was definitely enough food to fill a casserole dish. At the minimum, it could be stuck under the broiler for a few minutes to melt and brown the cheese. While I'm pondering the possibilities of altering this recipe, I'd like to clarify that it is yummy as is. I think it could just be altered for winter months to make a more of a comfort food type of dish.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/penne-and-zucchini/

Fusilli Col Buco With Braised Spring Vegetables

1/2 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups dry white wine, preferably Italian
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
18oz frozen artichokes hearts, quartered
20 baby carrots, diced largely
10oz baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 cup frozen peas
8oz dry fusilli col buco pasta
20 basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) Heat large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add thyme, red pepper flakes, wine, broth and lemon juice, then stir in artichokes, carrots and mushrooms. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add peas and cook, covered, 5 minutes or until peas are tender and bright green.
2) Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
3) Add braised vegetables to pasta and toss to combine. Add just enough vegetable-braising liquid to achieve preferred sauciness. Stir in basil and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Review: Wow, this had SO much sauce!! I could have easily used only 1 cup of wine. Also, I used rotini, as Mike has wanted whole grain pasta lately and the selection is limited. Overall, this was a great dish. The vegetable variety was good and the sauce had a nice tang, with a bit of heat (I may have used too many red pepper flakes). I also loved that I finally found frozen artichoke hearts, despite years of looking. Trader Joe's saved me and I found the artichoke hearts to be MUCH more tender than the canned varieties. I only had two leaves that weren't edible, compared to the twenty that I usually have to contend with!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/fusilli-col-buco-with-braised-spring-vegetables/

Basil Lemonade

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1) Bring basil leaves, sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and bruise basil leaves. Simmer 5 minutes without stirring. Strain, pressing on basil to remove liquid. Cool.
2) Pour basil syrup into large pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and 4 cups of water. Transfer to refrigerator and chill well. Serve over ice.

Review: This recipe said basil was one of a few options. This can also be made with rosemary, sage or thyme. Interestingly, this was also supposed to use 4 cups of basil. Mike didn't like that idea, so I used only 2 cups and this had a very strong basil flavor. I can't imagine twice this amount! This had a sweetness that was followed up by a strong peppery kick - total basil goodness. Mike thinks it would be great mixed with gin.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/basil-lemonade/

Brown Sugar Toffee Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt 6 Tbs butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup cold, strong coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
3 milk chocolate-toffee bars, such as Heath

1) Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
2) Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
3) Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar with electric mixer until smooth in separate bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time and then beat in coffee and vanilla extract. Add 1/4 cup yogurt and beat until smooth.
Add half of flour mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, then remaining flour mixture. Beat 2 to 3 minutes, or until batter is smooth and creamy.
4) Spread batter in prepared cake pan, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, pulse milk chocolate-toffee bars in food processor 8 times, or until crushed into bits. (It's ok if some bits are larger than others.) Unmold cake from pan and set on wire rack. Sprinkle chocolate-toffee bits on top of cake while hot. Cool completely before serving.

Review: I was granted another houseparty and was provided with a Keurig Vue to showcase. Of course, that meant I needed to make coffee cake! This was a little difficult to navigate at 6:30am. None of my ingredients were at room temperature and I accidentally melted the butter when trying to soften it in the microwave. Regardless of all of this, it came out just fine. Especially considering I had bought a bag of Heath bits, instead of messing with the food processor. This cake was a huge hit and a great complement to coffee!

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-toffee-cake/

Baked Chiles Rellenos With Smoky Tomato Sauce

Chiles Rellenos
6 large poblano chiles
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 large eg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sour cream

Sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chipotle chile powder
1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1) Roast and peel chiles. Cut 3-inch slit in each chile, and remove seeds with spoon.
2) Preheat oven to 425F. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add zucchini and corn, and cook 5 minutes more. Season with salt, if desired. Transfer to bowl, and stir in cheese.
3) Stuff each chile with 1/2 cup zucchini mixture. Secure closed with toothpicks.
4) Whisk egg with 1/2 cup water in bowl. Spread breadcrumbs on plate.
5) Dip chiles in egg wash. Coat with breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet, and bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
6) Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder, chipotle chile powder and cumin, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is soft and spices are fragrant. Add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer to blender and blend on low speed until sauce is smooth.
7) Serve chiles rellenos with sauce, cilantro and sour cream.

Review: Unfortunately, I had accidentally used all of the zucchini in a different recipe a few days ago, forgetting that I needed one for this recipe! Even without that, I had more filling than I needed and my poblanos were overstuffed. I tweaked the recipe a bit to save time and effort. Instead of making an egg bath, I brushed the poblanos with the egg mixture and sprinkled panko breadcrumbs on top of each poblano. That seemed to work really well. Also, I didn't blend the sauce, as Mike complained about having too many dishes to do and didn't want to add to the mess. He also claimed to prefer his sauce chunky. It worked fine, and was incredibly tasty. Notably, I also had too much sauce, so I froze half of it for future use! Overall, this was a fairly labor intensive dish, even with the tweaks, so I doubt I'll make it again.

Adapted from:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/baked-chiles-rellenos-with-smoky-tomato-sauce/

Rigatoni With Chunky Vegetable Sauce

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lb rigatoni

1) In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms, and cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2) Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in oregano.
3) Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats the pasta. Serve immediately.

Review: I've had this recipe for quite some time now, and keep passing it over. It's not a "special" dish, but is a little more interesting than a basic pasta and sauce dish. This came together quite easily and was very hearty. It may be a good dish to make when I don't want something fancy, but don't want to settle for boring, either.

Adapted from:
http://www.marthastewart.com/340648/rigatoni-with-chunky-vegetable-sauce

Creamy Spinach Enchiladas

10oz pkg baby spinach, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
6oz shredded Cheddar
2 4.5oz cans chopped green chiles
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper
8 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed

1) Heat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach, corn, 1 cup of the Cheddar and 1 can of the chiles. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, the remaining can of chilies, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
2) Dividing evenly, roll up the spinach mixture in the tortillas (about 1/3 cup per tortilla). Place seam-side down in a shallow baking dish. Top with the cream sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup of Cheddar. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Review: I used the whole container of cream, as I'm used to having lots of enchilada sauce for them to bubble in. However, that was definitely too much and just seemed to wash out the flavor. I thought this recipe could have been an interesting switch from a typical enchilada and sauce dish, but it was a disappointment. It was filling, and I believe healthy. But, I reallllllllly love enchilada sauce and kept lamenting that I didn't have any. I would have preferred that this recipe be more of a burrito in cream sauce recipe.

Adapted from:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spinach-enchiladas

Key Lime Pie With A Pretzel Crust

1 cup, plus 2 Tbs very finely ground salted pretzel crumbs
3 Tbs sugar
7 Tbs butter, melted
4 large egg yolks
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup key lime juice
3 Tbs lime juice (the juice of 1 lime)
zest of 1 lime (about 2 tsp)

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with non-stick baking spray.
2) Crush the pretzels until very fine; processing in a food processor for about 30 seconds works well.
3) Add the sugar and melted butter, mixing to combine; you can do this right in the food processor. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Pour pie weights in, to maintain the shape of the crust.
4) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust has firmed up. Remove the pie weights.
5) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and condensed milk.
6) Add the lime juices and zest. Mix well, though the mixture should thicken almost immediately.
7) Pour into the crust and smooth with a spatula.
8) Bake the pie for 28 to 32 minutes, until the filling is set, with a small spot in the middle still soft-looking. Cool and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, before serving.
9) To serve, garnish with crumbled pretzels.

Review: I used unsalted pretzels, as I feared the crust would be too salty otherwise. I did sprinkle the crust with a bit of salt before tossing it into the oven to bake. I was super excited to make this, as I don't usually include zest in recipes because it's a waste of a lime. However, this recipe actually used the juice from said lime, so I pulled out my microplane and zested away. Nothing was wasted and I got to do something a little fancy! Everyone raved about the pie. The consistency was great all the way through and the flavor was a bit on the tangy side. I wonder if leaving out the regular lime juice and subbing in extra key lime juice would have made it less tangy.

Adapted from:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/key-lime-pie-with-a-pretzel-crust-recipe

Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie

15 graham crackers
6 Tbs butter, melted
3 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 12oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs whipping cream

1) Preheat oven to 375F. Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Mix crumbs with melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Once fully mixed, dump into a buttered pie plate and press evenly across the bottom of the pan and up the sides, forming a pie crust. Fill with ceramic pie weights and bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Once the crust has been removed from the oven, increase the oven temp to 450F and preheat to bake the cheesepie. (and take out those pie weights!)
2) Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer, until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in 1 2/3 cups chocolate chips; pour into crust.
3) Bake 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce temperature to 250F; continue baking 30 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven to wire rack. Cool completely. Cover; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
4) Place remaining 1/3 cup chips and whipping cream in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) for 20 to 30 seconds or just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cool slightly; spread over top of cheesepie. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesepie.

Review: Once again, I misread the directions! I didn't get whipped cream, because I don't like whipped cream. Unfortunately, I needed the 'heavy cream' to make a chocolate shell for the top of this! Oops!! So, instead, my dish had extra chips on the inside. It worked out just fine, as the cheesepie absolutely filled my pie plate and I fear pouring the shell on top would have just oozed off and onto the counter. This was absolutely delicious, though one of my princesses thought it had too much chocolate. Is there really such a thing?!!

Adapted from:

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-chocolate-lovers-cheesepie-366632

Spinach Artichoke Mac 'n Cheese

salt
1 pkg penne
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
4 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 10oz box frozen chopped artichokes, defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1) Preheat oven to 375F and place rack in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente.
2) While the pasta water comes to a boil, place a medium pot over medium-low heat and heat the oil and butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and cook until they are very soft, about 10 minutes.
3) Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan. Add the spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper to the sauce and simmer until thickened and vegetables are warmed through, 2-3 minutes more. Add 1 cup of each of the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.
4) Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano over the top, and then sprinkle the bread crumbs across the top of the dish. Bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Review: This was an amazingly yummy dish! I was afraid to make it at first, as I thought I was going to have a lot of stirring in making a cheese sauce (I really should fully read the directions more often!). However, this came together fairly quickly. On the other hand, it also took about 45 minutes for my dish to brown and be fully done. It was worth it, though. This had a bit of a tangy flavor and wasn't overly heavy like most mac 'n cheese.

Adapted from:
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2542

Rigatoni In Creamy Tomato Sauce

2 Tbs unsalted butter
3oz "pepperoni," finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
salt
1 lb rigatoni
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1) Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add "pepperoni" and onion, cooking until onion is soft (3 to 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
2) Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Season with salt.
3) While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes or as package label directs. Combine with sauce and basil. Serve.

Review: I found this recipe and kept it, thinking I would simply omit the pepperoni. However, when I pulled the recipe out to make it this week, I reconsidered and bought vegetarian pepperoni. It was worth it. The sauce was a nice, creamy flavor, but the "pepperoni" gave it a kick of flavor that wasn't over powering. I definitely liked the sauce. However, I timed the pasta wrong and couldn't let the sauce simmer as long as it should have. So my sauce was a little runny, but was still completely delicious!

Adapted from:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rigatoni-creamy-tomato-sauce

Couscous With Swiss Chard & Tomatoes

1 pkg Israeli couscous
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch long, 1/4-inch wide strips
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and cut into 2-inch long, 1/2-inch wide strips
1/3 cup white wine
5 to 7 large basil leaves, stacked, rolled tightly, then cut crosswise into very thin strips

1) Cook the couscous according to the package directions. When the couscous is tender, use a fork to fluff and separate.
2) Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring, until just softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper to taste; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3) Add the chard and white wine; cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chard starts to wilt. Uncover, stir and cook for about 3 minutes, until the chard has completely wilted. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes, then add the cooked couscous and toss to incorporate. Remove from the heat.
4) Gently stir in the basil, then taste; adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Review: First and foremost, I want it known that the chard I used was flamingo pink! Though, this was a little disappointing. I chose to grow this particular variety in my garden this summer, because I had never before seen that color. As soon as I received the seeds in the mail, I found the variety sold at Whole Foods. So, I won't be all that unique, but at least I know it's going to be yummy! And, then I can make this dish again. This was awesome, savory and filling. The tomatoes and chard gave the dish a nice garden taste, but then couscous added a comfort food taste. It also made plenty of food, so I had leftovers!

Adapted from:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/couscous-with-swiss-chard-and-tomatoes/12312/

Kiwiberries!

We find some of the most interesting things during our Saturday night forays to the grocery store. Last night, we stumbled upon the kiwiberry. This little crate cost us $5, but we justified the cost by doubting we'd ever see them again. We originally thought these were just baby kiwis, but they're totally a different species! They look like kiwi on the inside, but the skin has a bit of a tart taste. They were quickly eaten and I'm sure they're full of nutrients.

Pot Pie

I recently made a potpie and upon realizing the sauce was actually gravy, my creative juices began flowing. I pondered how easy it would be to whip up a potpie on the fly. I have a standard pie crust recipe that I love, and I could mix premade gravy with chopped veggies and tempeh:

I buttered a pie pan and put a bottom layer of pie crust in the pan. I added the chopped veggies and half of the tempeh (diced). I poured the gravy over the mixture and topped it all with the top layer of pie crust. I put it into a 350F oven and after half an hour, the crust was still soggy and fairly raw. I increased the temperature to 375F and after another 15 minutes, the gravy began bubbling out and the top crust began browning. The pie was no longer something I'd take a picture of, as it was just a bubbling over, edible mess. It was hot and filling, but seemed to be lacking some flavor. My husband and I pondered the solutions. I believe the next time I attempt this, I will add garlic and thyme. I will also bake at 375F and believe it will be done in about 30-35 minutes.

Brown-Butter Toffee Blondies

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup toffee bits

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2) In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns golden brown; remove from heat, and let cool. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine browned butter and both sugars; stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture, walnuts and toffee bits. Mix until thoroughly combined, and pour into prepared pan.
4) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool completely and cut into squares. Blondies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Review: We had the task of bringing dessert to a family function, with the instructions to not use chocolate as a niece gave it up for Lent. My husband and I pulled out the cookbooks and weighed our options. We looked at cake recipes, pie recipes and bar recipes. We kept finding fault with different flavors and ingredients. Finally, I stumbled across this one and it sounded easy and yummy. However, I had to visit four different stores before I found toffee! All the baking sections offered chocolate covered toffee bits, which was taboo. Walgreens actually sold a bag of old-fashioned toffee candies. I had to unwrap each one and then my husband got to smash them to bits, which he greatly enjoyed. Luckily, all of the hard work paid off as these were DELICIOUS!! The family cleared out 2/3 of the pan this evening. I got to bring home the leftover third, but I doubt it will last. This was deliciously buttery, sweet and chewy. I liked this better than brownies any day!

Adapted from:

http://www.marthastewart.com/350047/brown-butter-toffee-blondies

Heirloom Eggs

We bought these on sale last night at Whole Foods. $2 for 6 eggs is a little pricey, but we wanted to try something new. These were a slight blue and had a bit of a buttery taste. They were totally worth trying, but not something I'll be dying to try again.

Eggs in action (with vegetarian bacon, of course):

Brown-Braised Fingerling Potatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
14 oz fingerling potatoes, halved
1 shallot, sliced lengthwise, into 8 pieces
1 clove garlic, minced

1) Combine wine and broth in measuring cup. Heat 1 1/2 Tbs oil and 1 1/2 tsp butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp thyme and salt over bottom of pan. Arrange potato halves (cut-side down) and shallot in skillet. Partially cover, and cook 6 minutes, or until potatoes are browned.
2) Add wine mixture, and simmer, partially covered, 7 minutes (brown bits should loosen on their own). Add garlic, remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil, 1 1/2 tsp butter and 1/2 tsp thyme, and cook 1 minute. Garnish with remaining 1 tsp thyme.

Review: I think I cooked this too low, as few of my potatoes browned. Regardless, this was incredibly tasty! The sauce that was created from this concoction was so tasty that I made sure the potatoes were served with a little extra! It was savory, but a little sweet. This was a great side dish to some fake chicken nuggets.

Adapted from:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/brown-braised-fingerling-potatoes/

"Sausage," Cauliflower & Kale Potpie

2 Tbs olive oil
1 pkg refrigerated Italian "sausage," cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
2 sheets puff pastry (one 17.3oz pkg)

1) Heat oven to 400F.
2) Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the "sausage," onion, rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, tossing, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
3) Pour this mixture into a large bowl and add the cauliflower, tossing until combined. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with the puff pastry, covering the potpie filling (1/3 of a sheet will be leftover).
4) Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Review: This is one of the few times where I took a recipe that used meat and made it vegetarian. Shopping for the ingredients was a chore, as we've been doing the bulk of our grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Apparently Trader Joe's does not sell a white wine vinegar. Whole Foods only sells one type and it's organic and expensive. Whole Foods had a Champagne Vinegar on sale and we snagged that, thinking it was close enough! I also lamented that Trader Joe's didn't have puff pastry anymore. Whole Foods had one brand, which cost $12 for the package. Forget that! I picked up Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry at Target for a little over $4, but I hate that they use high fructose corn syrup! Regardless, I love puff pastry and it's flaky yumminess. And, the sauce was essentially gravy, a staple of a good potpie!

And, this is what I did to the 1/3 sheet of puff pastry that was left over - make snacks!

Adapted from:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/sausage-cauliflower-kale-potpie