More Squash!

     I shared in my last post that I bought a variety of squash during my last trip to the grocery store.  Tonight it was the acorn squash's turn.  Feeling a little lazy after a day off spent with my pals from work, aka The Hens, I went for a recipe with the fewest number of ingredients and least amount of prep.

Acorn Squash Fries

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
salt
cooking spray

Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
1. Peel the squash and cut into fry size wedges and sprinkle with sea salt. 
2. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the wedges in a single layer.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the fries are tender and a bit crispy.

The Taste Test
    Simple and delicious.  The consistency was similar to potato fries and the taste just a tad sweeter.  The fries really shrink in the oven.  I just bought a small squash, so next time I might either buy a larger squash or buy two.  The trickiest part of this simple dish was cutting the darn squash- I haven't quite mastered the art of cutting anything gracefully.

Chocolate Chip and Coconut Scones

     On August 14th, Arnauld and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary.  We happened to be visiting my sister in North Carlina that weekend and had a fun time hanging out with some of our favorite people in the whole wide world.  The first wedding anniversary gift is traditionally paper.  Arnauld and I had agreed to stick to paper gifts and my parents also went in on the tradition.  They gave us tickets to see Memphis on Broadway.  We were so excited and thought this was a really great and thoughtful gift.  As we began to plan for our day in the city, I envisioned blue skies and the super cute clothes I would buy to help me get excited about the start of a new school year.  However, someone named Irene had other visions for the day.  Her visions included downed power lines, torrential downpours, and snow days in August.
    Fortunately for us, Broadway shut down for the hurricane and we were able to reschedule our tickets for tomorrow.  We were also able to buy additional tickets for my parents, who recently celebrated their 30th anniversary, as well as my brother and his girlfriend, Annie. We are going to be driving into the city, just a little over an hour away.  Anything over an hour is a road trip and you always need snacks for road trips!  I'm hopeful that the rain will hold off and we will be able to make a day of it-hence the scones for breakfast...

Chocolate Chip and Coconut Scones

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk (you can also use regular milk)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method
1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Mix together.
2. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter.  The mixture should be course and crumbly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla.  Add this to the flour mixture and mix together with a fork.
4. Next mix in the chocolate chips and coconut, stirring just until the mixture begins to come together.
5. Knead the dough on a well floured surface, 5-6 times.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 8 inch circle.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 6-8 diamonds or triangles.
6. Place the scones on a greased baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.  The scones should be golden.

The Taste Test
Delicious.  All of the scones were devoured prior to arriving in NYC!

     So my sister has been in North Carolina since July and our family here in Connecticut has been missing the Ritchie family like crazy.  Since they couldn't join us for our trip to the city yesterday, my parents decided to make them smile by sending pictures of themselves posing with any characters they could find on the streets of New York.

Spaghetti Squash

     I keep waiting for the temperature to drop and for fall to be here, but summer is hanging on for all it's got.  Over the weekend, I bought three different kinds of squash knowing that I'd be able to find plenty of recipes to use them in at this time of year.  This was my first attempt ever with spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
basil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Place the squash, cut side down in the baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft enough to poke a fork into.  Once you take the squash out of the oven, scoop out the insides with a fork-it should be stringy.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in the tomato just until it is warm. 
3. Next stir in the squash, olives, feta, and basil.  Allow the dish to heat just enough that the cheese begins to melt.


The Taste Test
    A very simple dish packed with a lot of flavor.  I loved how easily the squash scooped out, so fun!

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

      Just like me, my mom gets daily recipes from all over the place emailed to her daily.  Every once in a while she sends one my way.  That's where this recipe comes from, an email passed on by my mom from myrecipes.com.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cold water
1/4 tsp salt


Method
1. Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and rinse the pasta using cold water.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked orzo, feta, chickpeas, dill, and onion.  Gentry mix everything together.
3. In a small bowl, whist together the lemon juice, oil, water, and salt.  Drizzle this dressing over the salad.  Toss and serve.


The Taste Test
    A simple tasty lunch or side dish.

Pear Tarts

    It has been a while since we have had our family over for a gathering.  The last few weekends have been busy with grad school and wedding festivities.  But this weekend, I wanted to set some time aside for a small gathering for dessert.  One recipe caught my eye from the October issue of Cooking Light.  It seemed simple enough and called for pears, which are in season and delicious at the moment.  Let me start off by saying that I have used phyllo dough before, but it's been a while.  So when the recipe called for 12 sheets of phyllo, I bought 3 boxes that said that they contained two sheets per box.  I figured I would have to adapt the recipe but it seemed that the recipe was calling for an awful lot of phyllo.  Well, I had 6 rolls of dough defrosting on the counter and boy was I surprised when I opened the first roll and there was more than enough phyllo right there!  I make myself laugh sometimes.

Pear Tarts

Ingredients
2/3 cup almonds. toasted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, divided
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
12 sheets phyllo dough
Cooking Spray
2 pears, cored and sliced thinly
2 tbsp apple jelly

Method
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
1. Place almonds and sugar in the food processor until it is finely ground.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter, vanilla, salt, and the egg.  Continue to process the mixture until it is a thick paste.
2. Melt the rest of the butter in the microwave.  Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a large surface.  Brush the sheet with a light layer of butter.  Layer another sheet of dough on top of the first and brush again with butter.  Fold the sheets in half to form a 9 x 7 stack of dough.  Next fold in the edges (loosely) to form a tart.
3. Place the tart on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Spray with cooking spray and continue the process to form additional tarts.
4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the almond paste onto each tart.  Top with 6 slices of pear, overlapping slightly.
5. Bake the tarts for 23 minutes or until the dough is golden and crispy.
6. Melt the apple butter in the microwave and brush each tart evenly before serving.

The Taste Test
     I love the crispiness of phyllo.  This was a relatively simple recipe once I understood the directions and the tarts were a big hit with our guests.  I'd like to try these again with other toppings-I'm thinking Nutella and berries...

Happy Birthday September!

     At school we have a Sunshine Committee that helps to spread happiness by hosting staff breakfasts, happy hours, and parties, giving gifts, and taking care of the needs of the staff with simple every day things such as making sure there is filtered water and forks in the staff room.  This year I volunteered to bake a cake a month to celebrate birthdays.  I recently saw a blog, I can't remember what it was at the moment, that featured a cake of the month.  I thought this project would be fun to feature on my blog and what better way to spread happiness than with cake?  Here's to you September!

Two Layer Apple Cake
Adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe

Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces


Apple Cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted plus more to grease pans
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
4 granny smith apples, peeled  2 roughly grated and 2 cubed


Method
Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cover the bottom of either two or three 8 inch pans with parchment paper.  Coat the bottom and sides of the pans with butter and flour the pans.  Shake out any excess flour and set the pans aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk it together and set it aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and brown sugar in a separate large mixing bowl.  Fold in the grated and cubed apple.  Then stir in the flour mixture until everything is well combined.
4. Divide the cake mix in the pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Once removed from the oven, all the cakes to cool in the pans for 20 minutes before turning them over on a wire rack.  Cool completely before icing.

Butter Cream Frosting
1. Beat together the eggs, brown sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl.  Place the bowl above a saucepan of simmering water.  Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely.
2. Beat the egg mixture at a medium speed for 15 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Then increase the speed to high until firm peaks form in the frosting.
3. Lower the speed of the mixer to medium low.  Gradually add in the but butter.  Beat until fully incorporated.  If the frosting seems to separate, just keep beating.  It will eventually come together!

To assemble the cake, place one cake on a serving platter and spread a layer of frosting on top before adding the second layer.  Completely ice the cake and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 4 days.  Bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

The Taste Test
    I'm not sure I will get a taste of this cake since I haven't made it to the staff room yet this year.  Hopefully someone who gets a taste will post a comment about how it came out.  I'll keep my fingers crossed that it tastes as good as it smelled baking in the oven!

Erin's Buffalo Chicken Dip

     My sister texted me this morning for this recipe.  She asks me for it a few times a year because her husband, Dan, really likes it.  This is a recipe that my friend Erin from work shared with the staff in 2009-I only know that because I printed the email and it is in my recipe binder.  This is a perfect Sunday night football appetizer.  I'm posting it here so that my sister has easy access to it always.  Hopefully she'll send a picture.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2 packages cream cheese
1 cup blue cheese dressing
3/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Boil chicken and allow it to cook before shredding.
2. Mix the chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the cream cheese and blue cheese dressing.  Stir and continue cooking until everything is well blended.
3. Mix in half of the cheddar cheese and put the mixture into a serving platter.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and heat in the oven until it is warmed all the way through-about 15 minutes.

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce

     Last night Arnauld and I went out for Indian food.  We each got a curried dish that was creamy and delicious.  So when thinking about dinner tonight we decided to keep up with the theme of international cuisine.  Each day that I arrived home from work this week, I happily found another magazine in the mailbox.  Each held the promise of dinner ideas, fun desserts to share with friends and family, and inspiration for autumn.  Unfortunately the weather for the past few days has felt anything but fall like.  The rain has left things feeling more like a sauna.  So as the magazines I leafed through suggested recipes for every kind of chili you can imagine and endless ideas for what to do with the seasonal squash that is popping up at the grocery store, I couldn't really get into that when it feels more like summer.  Instead, I opted for enchiladas-neither associated with fall or summer-season neutral I suppose.

Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Light, October 2011

Ingredients
2 dried ancho chilis, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable broth (I completely forgot this!)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp red pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
3 green onions, sliced
Cooking Spray
6 six inch corn tortillas
sour cream


Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Combine the chiles and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan.  Bring this mixture to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then drain chiles but reserve 1 cup of the cookine liquid.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 1 minute.  Add the garlic and salt and cook for 5 minutes, lowering the temperature to medium.  Next add the broth, cumin, and tomato paste.  Cook for 8 more minutes, or until the mixture thickens. 
3. Pour the onion mixture into the blender along with the chiles and the reserved cooking liquid.  Blend until the mixture is smooth.  Stir in the red pepper and lime juice.
4. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 1/2 cup of the blended sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Heat the corn tortillas according to the package directions.  I used the microwave.
6. Combine the black beans, 1 cup of the Mexican cheese, and 1/2 of the green onions in a medium bowl.
7. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the bean mixture into each tortilla and place in the baking dish, seam side down. 
8. Top the tortillas with the remaining cheese and green onions.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until the enchiladas are lightly browned.

You can serve this meal with sour cream if desired.

The Taste Test
     I completely forgot to add the broth to the onion mixture.  I didn't even realize it until I went to type up this recipe.  My ranchero sauce was pretty thick, I suppose if I had used the broth it would have been a lot thinner.  Overall I don't think it impacted this dish that much.  Arnauld's reaction to his first bite was "exquisite."  He was really impressed with all of the flavor that the ranchero sauce offered.  There was a nice kick to the dish that was complimented nicely by the cheese and the texture of the beans. 

Halibut with Balsamic Glaze

    This was just a quick and simple weeknight dinner.  The balsamic glaze on this fish added a nice simple taste.  I even splashed a bit of the extra sauce on my veggies, yum!

Halibut with Balsamic Glaze
Recipe adapted from Giada

Ingredients
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb halibut
cooking spray

Method
1. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, olive oil, and garlic.  Arrange the halibut in a shallow baking pan and pour the marinade over the fish.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
2. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Place marinated fish on the baking sheet.  Broil the fish until it is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
3. Bring the remaining marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and then simmer until it becomes syrupy.  Whisk often.  Spoon off any extra oil and serve fish with extra sauce if desired.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

    A new position at work means more excuses to try new recipes.  Part of being a reading teacher involves hosting a monthly literacy team meeting.  Snacks always make meetings better.  For our first meeting I made these pumpkin cookies because I have been enjoying the fall like weather.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting
a Pillsbury Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I excluded these)

Frosting
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1-2 cups powdered sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the granulated sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg until everything is well blended.  On a lower sleep, beat in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  If using nuts, stir those in at this point.
2. Drop rounded teaspoons of the dough on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.  Cool completely.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar until it boils.  Once boiling, cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.  This mixture should be pretty thick.  Remove from the heat and  cool for 10 minutes.  Add milk and beat until the mixture is smooth.  Mix in enough powdered sugar so that you can spread the frosting on the cookies.
4. Frost the cookies and allow the frosting to harden before serving.

The Taste Test
     As I typed up this recipe I realized a few mistakes I made, but they weren't major!  I added the entire can of pumpkin instead of just one cup.  The cookies came out very moist and a bit cake like.  Perhaps they are suppose to be firmer, but I don't think it made a big difference.  I also completely forgot the cinnamon-so much for careful reading!  Again, I don't think it made a difference but it may have made these cookies a even tastier.  The pumpkin was very subtle and the frosting added the perfect amount of extra sweetness.

Vegetable Chowder

    This recipe is the second that I have tried from my Moosewood Cookbook.  The temperature dipped a bit towards the end of the week, leaving it feeling more like fall.  Fall is my favorite time to make soup.  Last year I made a lot of soup that I then ate for lunch, however once spring hit I abandoned my soup recipes.  Now that fall is in the air, soup is back!

Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients
1 tbsp Smart Balance (or regular butter)
2 cups onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp basil
1 medium potato, diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 cups corn
black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart low fat milk, heated
optional: minced herbs including chives, basil, marjoram

Method
1. Melt the butter in a large pot.  Add onion and half of the garlic, salt, thyme, and basil.  Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the potato, celery, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Continue to saute for 5 to 8 minutes.  Then add the mushroom and corn along with lots of black pepper.  Saute for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the water and cover.  Simmer for about 15 minutes or until everything is tender.
4. Stir in the hot milk and remaining garlic.  Remove from heat for about 10 minutes before serving.  At that time, reheat the chowder gently.  Top with minced herbs and serve.

The Taste Test
     When I first added the milk into the soup pot I got very worried because it was so watery.  A quart of milk is too much I think.  I did some research on how to thicken chowders and ended up whisking together some cornstarch and cold water and adding it to my simmering pot.  That helped a bit.  Also, when serving the soup I just scooped out some of the liquid.  This may be another recipe that needs a bit more experimenting.

Sweet N' Sour Cod with Cabbage and Broccoli...Not a bad stir fry if you make a few modifications

      Here is an example of a recipe gone sort of bad but with a glimmer of hope!  I bought cod for dinner after our semi-success last week with the cod with basil sauce.  I had cabbage in the fridge so I search for a way to combine these two ingredients.  The result was a stir fry.  I've never had a cod stir fry, so I was a bit skeptical but optimistic.  The recipe suggested using thick fillets of cod, but I found the recipe after purchasing thinner fillets.  So when I went to mix everything together, the cod flaked apart and was practically non-existent by dinner time.  Sure there was a hint of fish flavor mixed in with the cabbage and broccoli, but as Arnauld declared after dinner, "I couldn't find the fish."  The basis for this stir fry however, is very healthy and the sauce is tasty.  This might work better as a purely vegetarian dish or with some chicken or other protein thrown in the mix.

Sweet N' Sour Cod with Cabbage and Broccoli
recipe adapted from whfoods.com

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped into thick pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable broth
2 cups broccoli, chopped
4 cups cabbage, chopped
1/2-1 lb thick cod fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Sweet n' Sour Sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup Mirin
2 tbsp vegetable broth
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, the mixture should reduce by half.  Set this aside after the 15 minutes.
2. While the sauce is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of broth in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Toss in the onion and cook for 1 minutes.
4. Next add the garlic and cod and stir fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes before adding the cabbage and continuing to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
6. Finally, stir in the sweet n' sour sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scallops with Olive and Tomato Compote

    I think this is my very first compote.  I had to look up what that word actually meant.  The only thing that came to mind was a compost pile...but I knew that wasn't right.  All of the definitions I found had to do with fruit cooked in a syrup but maybe the tomatoes count as a fruit in this case?  I never knew which they really were, fruit of veggie?

Scallops with Olive and Tomato Compote
recipe from delish.com

Ingredients
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, in juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup Kalamata olives
1/4-1 1/4 lbs sea scallops (I only used 1/4 lb but the recipe called for 1 1/4)

Method
1. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons of oil.  When the oil is hot add the onions.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the onions are golden.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
2. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the vinegar, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Let the mixture come to a boil.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The mixture should begin to thicken.  Stir in the olives and then transfer the "compote" to a covered dish.
3. To prepare the scallops, rinse them under cool water and pat them dry.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a clean skillet over medium heat.  Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and then cook the scallops for about 5 minutes total, flipping once.
5. Top the compote with scallops and serve.

The Taste Test
    I was far too hungry coming home from school today to hold out for this dinner.  I instead inhaled some leftovers from the fridge and was then too full for this dish, that smelled very tasty. Arnauld enjoyed it enough to add it to the "make again" pile.

Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes

     Another week of work means another quick fix for lunch.  I have been eager to use some fall ingredients even though it still feels like summer outside.  Today I had to resist the butternut squash at the store, reminding myself that it would taste better when it actually felt like fall.  My compromise was sweet potatoes.
    On a side note, my camera is still being repaired!  I am so frustrated with Nikon.  They have had my camera for well over a month.  They accused me of dropping the camera, 3 weeks after it went off warranty.  I have called them numerous times and I think I'm just too nice.  This last time I called, I tried to tell them that I was pretty disappointed with the service I was receiving, after they told me they were waiting for parts from Hong Kong or something, but I don't think they really understood the magnitude of my feelings.  Last month if you asked me what I thought about my camera, I would have told you wonder stories.  Now, not so much.  Oh well.  

Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Method
1. Put two cups of water and the quinoa in a medium saucepan.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook the quinoa for 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the sweet potato and cook for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Set the sweet potatoes aside and allow them to cool down.
3. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled combine them with the quinoa and the red onion.  Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top the salad with the dressing.  Allow the salad to sit for at least an hour before serving.

Pasta with Lemon, Olives, and Basil

     Arnauld requested "a simple pasta" for dinner tonight.  He said, "something like olive oil and crushed red pepper.  That's it."  As he described his dream dish, I thought to myself, "that won't make a very exciting blog post."  So I turned to my favorite food apps and found a recipe from Whole Foods that had just a few ingredients and sounded like it would be fresh and delicious.  When I told Arnauld I wanted to spice it up a bit, he said "Can't you ever just listen to me?"  I listened but knew I could do better.  When dinner was finally on the table, his exact words were "Wow!  This looks great.  This was just what I was thinking of." 

Pasta with Lemon, Olives, and Basil

Ingredients
1/2 lb penne pasta
Zest and Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Kalama olives, sliced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Combine the lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, olives, and basil in a large bowl.  Whisk these ingredients together.
3. After draining the pasta, add it to the lemon mixture and mix together.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.  You can top this dish with a little fresh Parmesan if desired.

The Taste Test
     This dish had a strong lemon flavor that made it taste fresh and light.  The olives added a nice salty contrast.  Arnauld and I both enjoyed this quick and easy dinner.  I quickly cooked up some shrimp for Arnauld to add to his pasta.  I bet this would also taste great with some grilled chicken if you wanted to add some protein.  Arnauld is already excited because he froze the leftovers and plans to have them next Saturday when I'm not around.

Chocolate Chip Crumble Muffins

     Early tomorrow morning a bunch of girls from school are meeting at our house  so we can catch a ferry in order to celebrate with our friend Kelly before her wedding next weekend.  I'm looking forward to the time with my pals.  I feel like I haven't even seen them despite working in the same building every day (except Kelly who recently made the leap to middle school)!  To kick off our day, I thought it might be nice to have some coffee...and muffins.  This recipe comes from a book I have used and posted about before, Muffins Galore.

Chocolate Chip Crumble Muffins

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate but semi sweet would work)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping
1/3 cup flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1. Prepare the crumble topping by sifting the four and cocoa powder into a bowl.  Mix the butter in until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Set this mixture aside.
2. For the muffin mix, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Use a pastry blender to mix in the butter, again so that it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar and chocolate chips.
3. In a separate small bowl, stir together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Pour this milk mixture into the flour mixture all at once.  Stir just until everything is combined.
4. Scoop even spoonfuls into prepared muffin cups (either lined or greased).  Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the crumble topping. 
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes.  The muffins should be well risen and firm if you touch them. 
6. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pan Seared Cod with Basil Sauce

     This was a last minute throw together dinner.  The criteria was quick and easy.  Being back to school in addition to being back in grad school has me feeling a little tired and rushed but I want to keep the blog going strong...well maybe not as strong but at least going! 

Pan Seared Cod with Basil Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb cod
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Method
1. Combine basil, broth, cheese, and olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Coat with cooking spray.  Place cod pieces, sprinkled with salt and pepper, in the skillet and cook each side for about five minutes.
3. Spoon the basil mixture over the fish and serve.

The Taste Test
   Arnauld says, "It's a lot of basil.  You should never overpower anything with basil, you know what I mean?  But I liked the rest.  I liked the pan seared cod."  I liked the basil.  I thought the flavors were simple and without the basil, the fish would have been pretty bland.  I guess we all have different tastes.

Summer Farro Salad

     Back to school time means back to making lunch.  I'm actually happy to be back to school simply for the more consistent routine.  This summer I felt like I packed so much into each day and was constantly running from one place to another.  When thinking about lunch for this week, I was tempted to make the Farro with Peas and Watermelon that I posted about a while back.  I have made it several times and I really like the combination of sweet watermelon with the salty cheese and the black pepper.  But instead I went on a hunt for a different farro salad.  I ended up finding one that is a take on a caprese salad, which is perfect given the fact that my grandma is still blessing us with more tomatoes than we know what to do with!

Summer Farro Salad 
Recipe from www.food52.com

Ingredients
2 cups farro (you can also use barley)
1 medium red onion, cut in half
1 garlic clove
1 handful of fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup finely diced mozzarella (1/4 inch cubes)
6 kalamata olives, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
black pepper to taste
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey

Method
1. Place 2 cups farro, half of the red onion, the garlic clove, and a few sprigs of parsley in a pot.  Add 2 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the temperature to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Cool the farro completely.  This can be done by spreading it on a baking sheet.  Also, remove the remaining onion and garlic from the farro and discard.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining onion (diced), tomatoes, parsley and basil, olives, and the mozzarella.  Stir in the cooled farro.
3. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and honey.  Pour over the salad and mix thoroughly.  Season with black pepper.

The Taste Test
     I tasted this before and after putting the dressing on and I think I liked it better without.  I only put about half of the dressing mixture onto the salad and it was just enough to add a little more moisture and flavor.  Next time I think I'll try leaving it off all together.  The farro had a nice chewy texture and the combination of tomatoes, cheese, and onions gave it a lot of flavor. 

Huge Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Last night Arnauld hosted his Fantasy Football Draft at our house.  Knowing the house would be filled with guys talking about football, I invited some friends from work to celebrate the end of our first week back to school out by the fire pit.   The guys seemed to have a good time doing their football thing and us girls had a nice relaxing evening wearing our sweatpants and catching up about the craziness of the start of the school year.  I wasn't really in the mood for major cooking on a Friday afternoon, so Arnauld ordered wings and sandwiches to fit the football theme.  I made a couple salads and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  The recipe I used for the cookies boasted bakery sized cookies that were chewy and delicious and that is just what they turned out to be!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup vanilla chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until creamy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually sift in the flour mixture until everything is well combined.
5. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate and vanilla chips.
6. Spoon 1/4 cup of cookie mixture onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (or just greased).  Each scoop should be about 3 inches apart.  These turn out to be some pretty big cookies!
7. Bake 15-17 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden.
8. Allow to cook on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.