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Monday, June 25, 2012

Eggless cookie dough

I love cookie dough, I honestly think it's frequently better than the actual baked cookies! I wanted to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, and used a regular vanilla ice cream recipe for the base. I added this cookie dough recipe to it and it was phenomenal. Possibly the best ice cream I've ever made. I also put it in chocolate ice cream and think it was just as good in that. If you're really desperate for a snack you could keep some of this dough in the freezer for a quick dessert. :)

Eggless Cookie Dough
from CupCake Project

Ingredients:
  • 2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3/4 C unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 C packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 C white sugar
  • 1 T vanilla extract
  • 4 T milk

  • Directions:

    Mix all of the ingredients together (add chocolate chips if you want, but I would leave them out or chop them into really fine pieces if using for ice cream), and form into 1 tsp balls.

    Tuesday, June 19, 2012

    Quick stir-fry for a busy night

    I wanted to make a quick stir-fry one night and decided to make one with tofu. It's nice to have meatless meals, and tofu soaks up the flavor of whatever it's cooked in so it's a great addition to a stir fry.

    I didn't use a recipe and didn't measure anything. All I did was press and cube the tofu, then baked it in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

    I heated oil in a pan, then tossed in some peanuts and crushed red pepper flakes. After heating those I added the baked tofu and a bag of frozen veggies (I thawed them first), along with some garlic and ginger, and also a bit more of the soy sauce. Cook over medium heat, then let simmer if you want the sauce to thicken a bit.Serve over rice and enjoy!

    Monday, June 11, 2012

    A new kind of potato stew

    I really enjoyed this stew, the only thing that would make it better is if I had made it in the crockpot instead of on the stove. The flavors all meld together really well and it's full of protein so it's sure to fill you up!

    African Peanut-Potato Stew
    from Fat Free Vegan

    Ingredients:
    1 onion, chopped
    2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
    2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
    1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
    2 teaspoons ground cumin
    1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
    2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
    2 14.5 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
    2 14.5 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    1 pound green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
    1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    ¼ cup natural peanut butter

    Directions:
    Place 1/3 cup water, onion, jalapenos, ginger and garlic in a large pot. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add cumin, cinnamon, salt, red pepper and coriander. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans, vegetable broth, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

    Monday, June 4, 2012

    French Toast - in a slow cooker!

    I don't know about you, but I love French Toast. The only thing I dislike about it is having to stand over a hot pan while flipping bread and juggling whatever else you have going on in the kitchen at the time. That's where this recipe comes in - you just put the bread in a crockpot and forget about it for a couple hours. Perfect! Next time I won't cook this quite as long, the bread got a little bit hard (I read reviews saying it was mushy so I cooked it longer, which I shouldn't have done).

    This is a must-make recipe!

    Crockpot French Toast
    adapted from Suddenly Frugal

    Ingredients:
    6 eggs
    1 cup milk
    1 loaf of bread
    1/3 cup brown sugar
    1 T cinnamon
    1 tsp vanilla
    Butter

    Directions:

    Let the bread sit out overnight to harden slightly (I made homemade bread for this recipe and froze the second loaf for future use).

    Liberally coat the inside of your slow cooker with butter.

    In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, brown sugar and cinnamon. Dip each piece of bread in this mixture, then pour the remaining liquid mixture over the bread.

    Turn the slow cooker on low for four to six hours, checking every few hours to make sure the bread is not drying out too much.Serve with maple syrup, and fruit. Enjoy!

    Tuesday, May 29, 2012

    Crockpot Chicken Santa Fe

    This meal is as easy as it is delicious. You all know how much I love crockpot recipes, definitely give this one a try!

    Chicken Santa Fe
    from Closet Cooking

    Ingredients:
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
    • 1/2 cup chicken broth
    • 1 pound chicken breast
    • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
    • 1 cup frozen corn
    • cayenne pepper to taste
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 green onions, sliced
    • 1 handful cilantro, chopped
    Directions:
    1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
    2. Add the onions and saute until tender and a bit caramelized, about 4-6 minutes.
    3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute and transfer to the crockpot
    4. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side and set aside.
    5. Add the chicken broth to the pan, deglaze it and transfer to the crockpot
    6. Add the diced tomatoes, black beans, corn, cayenne, salt and pepper to the crockpot, stir, add the chicken and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
    7. Remove the chicken, shred it and return to pot.
    8. Serve over steamed rice, garnished with green onions and cilantro.

    Monday, May 21, 2012

    Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

    I had some extra time one weekend and decided I wanted to tackle a fairly involved meal. I decided to try this gumbo, and even though it took quite a bit of work it was well worth the extra time. The thing that took the longest was the roux, it just would not brown! I eventually decided it was dark enough and just continued on, and the meal was still very flavorful even if the roux wasn't quite right. This even froze well, and made excellent leftovers!

    I'd also like to wish my husband a happy anniversary. 7 years together, it's been incredible. <3

    Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
    from Annie's Eats

    Ingredients:
    6 oz. bacon, diced
    2 lbs. chicken legs or thighs, bone-in and skin-on **I used chicken breast**
    Salt
    1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced (or spicy Italian sausage, crumbled)
    ½ cup peanut or other vegetable oil **I used olive oil**
    1 cup flour
    2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
    4 stalks celery, diced
    1 large onion, diced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tbsp. tomato paste
    4 cups chicken stock
    4 cups water
    ½-1 lb. okra, sliced into discs **I omitted this**
    3 green onions, chopped
    Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

    For the Cajun spice mix:1 tsp. black pepper
    ½-1 tsp. cayenne pepper
    1 tsp. celery seed
    2 tbsp. sweet paprika
    1 tbsp. garlic powder
    1 tbsp. dried thyme
    1 tbsp. dried oregano

    Directions:
    In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Set the chicken pieces skin side down in the bacon grease to brown. Season the side facing up with salt. Cook 4-5 minutes without moving. Flip the chicken pieces over and brown on the opposite side. Remove the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside. Add the sausage to the pan and cook until well browned. Remove to the plate with the chicken.

    The amount of fat remaining in the pot should be about ½ cup. Add the additional peanut or vegetable oil to the pot. After the oil has heated for a minute or two, stir in the flour. Stir this mixture together almost constantly for the first few minutes, then every couple of minutes or so thereafter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the roux until it becomes fairly dark.

    While the roux is cooking, combine the chicken stock and water in a separate pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and maintain at a simmer.

    When the roux has reached the appropriate color, stir in the diced green pepper, celery and onion. Mix well. Let cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Mix in the tomato paste.Using a large ladle, gradually add the hot chicken stock mixture to the pot. It will sizzle and seize as the roux absorbs the liquid. Continue adding the stock, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot. You may not need the full amount of liquid but add enough so that it is slightly more watery than you want the final product to be since the mixture will cook down over several hours. Stir in half of the Cajun spice mix and add more to taste.Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken pieces to the pot. Let simmer gently until the chicken meat falls easily away from the bones, about 90 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and let cool slightly. Return the sausage to the pot with the gumbo, and stir in the sliced okra. Shred the cooked chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones (or saving for a later use). Add the shredded chicken pieces back to the gumbo. Cook the gumbo for an additional hour or more, until the gumbo has reached your desired final consistency. Before serving, stir in the green onions and reserved bacon and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve over rice or with crusty bread.

    Tuesday, May 15, 2012

    It's better stuffed

    I love recipes that find replacements for pasta, and this recipe totally fit the bill. The flavor was amazing, I absolutely loved these. The Husband didn't like them quite as much as me, but that was alright because it left more for me to enjoy! The only change I made was to chop up the extra cabbage leaves and add them to the filling. It bulked up the filling and added even more veggies to the meal. :) Oh, and of course I used ground chicken instead of beef.

    Stuffed Cabbage
    from Pennies on a Platter

    Ingredients:
    • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
    • 1 medium head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1/2 cup cooked rice (white or brown)
    • 1/4 cup raisins (I use golden)
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup beef broth
    • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
    • sour cream, for serving (optional)
    Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch pan with cooking spray or oil.

    In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.

    In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cooled onion, rice, raisins, and salt. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place 1/3-1/2 cup of the beef mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

    In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Serve with sour cream if desired.