mThis is one of our very favorite recipes. I dare you to try it!
Chinese Dumplings
We have only made the pork version, as I much prefer pork to shrimp. We also have never made our own wrappers. It just looks like too much work! You can find them in packs of 50 at any Asian market for a couple bucks. This recipe makes around 70-80 I think.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Basil Pesto
I'm on a roll! So is this great food! We ate this last night and it instantly made it to our list of top favorite recipes. It is also from the Moosewood Simple Suppers cookbook.
Look Here
We ate ours on a bed of bowtie pasta with some cherry tomatoes on top. Delicious!
Look Here
We ate ours on a bed of bowtie pasta with some cherry tomatoes on top. Delicious!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Navajo Stew
It sounds a little weird, but let me tell you, it tastes delicious! And its very healthy! This recipe is from our new favorite cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers.
Serves 4; Time: 55 minutes
2 medium sweet potatoes (not more or the balance is off)
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 15-oz can of tomatoes
1 TBSP canned chipotles in adobo sauce (we used about 1/2 tsp of chipotle spice that we borrowed from a friend which toned down the unique flavor and was JUST PERFECT. I'll leave a comment when I can find out exactly what brand of that spice she uses)
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-oz can of butter beans or black beans, drained
flatbread (tortilas, lavash, pita, or naan)
plain yogurt, sour cream
Preheat oven to 450. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil,, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.
Serves 4; Time: 55 minutes
2 medium sweet potatoes (not more or the balance is off)
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 15-oz can of tomatoes
1 TBSP canned chipotles in adobo sauce (we used about 1/2 tsp of chipotle spice that we borrowed from a friend which toned down the unique flavor and was JUST PERFECT. I'll leave a comment when I can find out exactly what brand of that spice she uses)
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-oz can of butter beans or black beans, drained
flatbread (tortilas, lavash, pita, or naan)
plain yogurt, sour cream
Preheat oven to 450. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, oil,, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2- to 3-quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, warm the bread in the oven. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream, with warm flatbread on the side.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Yummiest Coconut Cake Ever!!
I've been meaning to post about 1000 recipes on here since this blog's creation. I am ashamed to say that this is my first! But it is well worth the wait, let me tell you! This cake is good! For those of you who tried it over Christmas, this adapted version of the recipe is better than the one I used out there--and Jonny will back me up on that one! I tried to find where I got this version on-line, but I can't find the exact recipe anywhere. That is unfortunate for 2 reasons...one, I have to type everything in myself now, and 2, I have no way of giving credit where credit is absolutely due. The only other problem is that I am not an exact cook and just add things and take things away as I feel appropriate and according to how I think it tastes. I'll try to recreate my version of this recipe for you, but I didn't take very good notes of my alterations. Anyway, hope this recipe works out for you and that you love it as much as we do!!
Coconut Cake
3/4 C Butter or Virgin Coconut Oil (I just used butter)
2 C Sugar
1 C Coconut Milk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Almond Extract (I'm pretty darn sure that this made my cake taste too much like almond so I dumped a bunch of coconut extract (maybe about 1/2 tsp?) in there to cover it up. Just taste as you go and adjust)
3 C Cake Flour (I used all purpose and it worked out fine)
3 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans (it fits in two, but practically overflows in the oven, which is what we did). Cut a piece of wax or parchment paper the size of the cake pan bottoms and place in pans. Lightly flour the paper.
Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in coconut milk. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla, almond, and coconut extracts.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add slowly to sugar mixture.
Divide batter between 3 baking pans and bake until brown and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. (This recipe says 20-25 minutes but that is a lie. I have no idea how long mine ended up baking for, but it was much longer than this. I would just keep an eye on things and check it after 20 minutes and go from there. The Martha Stewart recipe that I linked to at the bottom says 40-45 minutes, but when I made her version that was too short a time too.)
Turn cake layers from pans and let cool. Remove the wax paper from cake layers. Cut off any uneven tops. Brush off crumbs. Frost each layer of cake. Pat sides and top with toasted or non-toasted coconut, and/or toasted pecans. Yum. (We did toasted pecans on the sides and non-toasted coconut on the top).
Coconut Cream Frosting
(I think I ended up making most of this recipe up...so you might want to do your own research and make up a recipe of your own. This is how I would guess at doing it again based loosely on the original recipe's suggestions)
1/2 C Butter
4 TBSP Cream Cheese
approx. 7 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Coconut Extract
1/2 tsp Salt
the rest of the can of coconut milk (I think I may have added extra to the cake, because I don't remember having more than about 1/4 C left, if that. Just use it if it needs more liquid I guess)
4 C (ish) Grated Coconut
Cream butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Add the extracts and salt and mix. Add coconut milk as needed. Taste and adjust according to how you like it. Add coconut.
Good luck!! If you make this, leave a comment and let me know if you added or changed anything that you think is an improvement! For reference, I used a loose rendition of this recipe when I made this in Utah, and it is a pretty good one to bounce some ideas off of, although its yield is substantially more.
Coconut Cake
3/4 C Butter or Virgin Coconut Oil (I just used butter)
2 C Sugar
1 C Coconut Milk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Almond Extract (I'm pretty darn sure that this made my cake taste too much like almond so I dumped a bunch of coconut extract (maybe about 1/2 tsp?) in there to cover it up. Just taste as you go and adjust)
3 C Cake Flour (I used all purpose and it worked out fine)
3 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans (it fits in two, but practically overflows in the oven, which is what we did). Cut a piece of wax or parchment paper the size of the cake pan bottoms and place in pans. Lightly flour the paper.
Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in coconut milk. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla, almond, and coconut extracts.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add slowly to sugar mixture.
Divide batter between 3 baking pans and bake until brown and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. (This recipe says 20-25 minutes but that is a lie. I have no idea how long mine ended up baking for, but it was much longer than this. I would just keep an eye on things and check it after 20 minutes and go from there. The Martha Stewart recipe that I linked to at the bottom says 40-45 minutes, but when I made her version that was too short a time too.)
Turn cake layers from pans and let cool. Remove the wax paper from cake layers. Cut off any uneven tops. Brush off crumbs. Frost each layer of cake. Pat sides and top with toasted or non-toasted coconut, and/or toasted pecans. Yum. (We did toasted pecans on the sides and non-toasted coconut on the top).
Coconut Cream Frosting
(I think I ended up making most of this recipe up...so you might want to do your own research and make up a recipe of your own. This is how I would guess at doing it again based loosely on the original recipe's suggestions)
1/2 C Butter
4 TBSP Cream Cheese
approx. 7 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Coconut Extract
1/2 tsp Salt
the rest of the can of coconut milk (I think I may have added extra to the cake, because I don't remember having more than about 1/4 C left, if that. Just use it if it needs more liquid I guess)
4 C (ish) Grated Coconut
Cream butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Add the extracts and salt and mix. Add coconut milk as needed. Taste and adjust according to how you like it. Add coconut.
Good luck!! If you make this, leave a comment and let me know if you added or changed anything that you think is an improvement! For reference, I used a loose rendition of this recipe when I made this in Utah, and it is a pretty good one to bounce some ideas off of, although its yield is substantially more.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tomato Basil Bisque Soup
The fact that I am blogging right now means I am wasting precious nap time. And to be honest, I have a lot of other things that I would rather be doing. But guess what else that means. . . this soup is dang good. Good enough to sacrifice nap time . . . just to share the recipe with those whom I love.
I had a butternut squash, and wanted to make a soup. This is what I tried and was very pleasantly surprised. Though you would never know it has butternut squash in it. Its just a really really yummy tomato bisque soup. Its light, and we had it with salad and bread. But it was delicious, and more than one person told me to save the recipe so we could make it again.
Love to you all!
I had a butternut squash, and wanted to make a soup. This is what I tried and was very pleasantly surprised. Though you would never know it has butternut squash in it. Its just a really really yummy tomato bisque soup. Its light, and we had it with salad and bread. But it was delicious, and more than one person told me to save the recipe so we could make it again.
Go here to see her recipe and a photo :http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/03/tomato-bisque-soup-and-a-few-housekeeping-items.html
Here are my notes:
1) TO make your preparation A LOT easier, cook the butternut squash this way:
Cut the squash in half and place one half of it face(inside) down on a plate. Pierce the skin with a fork several times to avoid it blowing up. Then just microwave it for about 8 minutes. I had to let mine sit for a while to cool down, but then you can just scoop out the inside with a spoon. It should be completely cooked and soft. Then do the same thing with the other side. I scooped mine right into the blender.
2) I used heavy whipping cream and it was SO SO SO good. Next time I make it, I'll try to be more healthy and use fat free half and half. If anyone goes this route, let me know how it turns out! I'm sure it will still be good.Love to you all!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Coconut Tres Leches Cake
Lauren's latest post got me looking at that food blog, and the best recipe showed up last week. So we made the Creamy White Chili with this fabulous dessert yesterday and we were in heaven. It was divine!
Coconut Tres Leches Cake
*Serves 12-16
Cake:Make-ahead Yellow Cake Mix or other preferred cake mix or homemade yellow cake recipe
Milk Syrup:
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnishes:2 medium-size ripe bananas
Sweetened cream (see instructions below)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 350 degrees until golden brown, 7 minutes, or toast it in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop)
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside. Place the make-ahead cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes (if using another cake mix or recipe, bake according to box or recipe instructions). Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it is lightly golden and is slightly pulling away from the edges, 30-34 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the milk syrup: in a blender, combine the cream of coconut, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla and process until smooth.
Pierce the cooled cake all over the top with the tines of a fork or a thin wooden skewer. We are talking all over! The more pokes, the more the syrup will soak into the cake. Using a large spoon or ladle, spoon some of the milk syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake, then continue spooning the syrup on top until all of it has been used up. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed and might be pooling on the top but that’s ok because it will absorb as it refrigerates. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until all of the syrup is absorbed, 2 hours. Cut the bananas, if using crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Slice the cake and serve it with sliced bananas, sweetened cream and toasted coconut, if desired.
Sweetened Cream:Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a large (preferably chilled) glass bowl and beat it on high speed until thickened 1 ½ minutes. Stop the machine and add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Makes 2 cups.
Go here to see picture and blog.
Jana's notes:
Coconut Tres Leches Cake
*Serves 12-16
Cake:Make-ahead Yellow Cake Mix or other preferred cake mix or homemade yellow cake recipe
Milk Syrup:
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnishes:2 medium-size ripe bananas
Sweetened cream (see instructions below)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 350 degrees until golden brown, 7 minutes, or toast it in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stovetop)
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside. Place the make-ahead cake mix, 1 1/4 cups warm water and 2 large room-temperature eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes (if using another cake mix or recipe, bake according to box or recipe instructions). Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it is lightly golden and is slightly pulling away from the edges, 30-34 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the milk syrup: in a blender, combine the cream of coconut, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla and process until smooth.
Pierce the cooled cake all over the top with the tines of a fork or a thin wooden skewer. We are talking all over! The more pokes, the more the syrup will soak into the cake. Using a large spoon or ladle, spoon some of the milk syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake, then continue spooning the syrup on top until all of it has been used up. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed and might be pooling on the top but that’s ok because it will absorb as it refrigerates. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until all of the syrup is absorbed, 2 hours. Cut the bananas, if using crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Slice the cake and serve it with sliced bananas, sweetened cream and toasted coconut, if desired.
Sweetened Cream:Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a large (preferably chilled) glass bowl and beat it on high speed until thickened 1 ½ minutes. Stop the machine and add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Makes 2 cups.
Go here to see picture and blog.
Jana's notes:
- I don't like banana so I topped with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries; it was delicious!
- I used a regular Betty Crocker cake mix, it worked great
- I looked at reader's comments and found the Cream of Coconut is located by the alcoholic drink mixes at any grocery store. I found the 15 oz can easily at Smith's.
- The toasted coconut is a must!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
White Bean Chili
To me, this is like a creamy chicken tortilla soup. IT IS SOOOO GOOD! I was craving something like it and it turned out EXACTLY how I wanted it to, which never happens. Please make this, it's so good.
I got the recipe from: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/09/creamy-white-chili.html
go there for a picture and her full recipe.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.
Lauren's notes:
I have made this at least 3 times now (In the last couple weeks) and I like to make a double recipe and freeze half for a quick dinner. If you trust me: SHRED YOUR CHICKEN. I microwaved it, and shredded it. Then sauteed the onions, added the chicken and garlic powder until it was all mixed, and then continued with the recipe as she says. It makes the chicken ditributed into every bite.
One time I made it, I used 2 cans of green chiles and it wasn't too hot at all, it was perfect. Another time, I added one can and it was pretty hot. So I think it depends on the brand you get. If you are wise, add one can and taste it once its done. If its not too spicy, add the other.
Anyway, I said it once, and I'll say it again: this recipe is so good - please make it.
I got the recipe from: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/09/creamy-white-chili.html
go there for a picture and her full recipe.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.
Lauren's notes:
I have made this at least 3 times now (In the last couple weeks) and I like to make a double recipe and freeze half for a quick dinner. If you trust me: SHRED YOUR CHICKEN. I microwaved it, and shredded it. Then sauteed the onions, added the chicken and garlic powder until it was all mixed, and then continued with the recipe as she says. It makes the chicken ditributed into every bite.
One time I made it, I used 2 cans of green chiles and it wasn't too hot at all, it was perfect. Another time, I added one can and it was pretty hot. So I think it depends on the brand you get. If you are wise, add one can and taste it once its done. If its not too spicy, add the other.
Anyway, I said it once, and I'll say it again: this recipe is so good - please make it.
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