Friendship Bread

    This recipe comes from grouprecipes.com.  I have never been on this site before but when I googled the ingredients I was hoping to use to make a bread, I was pleasantly surprised.  On the site, this recipe is called Cranberry Oatmeal Bread.  I am going to rename it Friendship Bread.  The recipe called for walnuts and grated orange peel.  I did not have either.  I used sliced almonds instead and forgot about the orange.

Friendship Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal 
• 1-1/4 cup hot water 
• 3/4 cup softened butter 
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1-1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp grated orange peel
• 1 egg
• 2-1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cup chopped cranberries (I used dried)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used 1 cup of slivered almonds)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and flour 2 (8" x 4") loaf pans and set aside
3. In medium bowl, combine oats and hot water
4. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes
5. In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy
6.Add oat mixture, sour cream, orange peel and egg, blend well
7.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, mix gently
8. Fold in cranberries and walnuts
9. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth to level
10. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and sprinkle over batter I skipped this.
11. Bake for 55-65 minutes until bread is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of pan
12.Cool 5 minutes in pan. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the bread and remove to wire rack to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap to store.

Update: So my friend Heather has demanded more feedback on how my recipes turn out.  I often blog while things are cooking/baking.  I do this to kill time and also to avoid cleaning the kitchen!  My blog is usually posted before I have even had a chance for a taste test. In an effort to please my best pal, who is too far away to enjoy any of my endeavors, I will try to add a bit more about how my recipes turn out.  Here it goes...


The Taste Test
    This friendship bread smelled SO good baking in the oven.  Fortunately this recipe made two loaves because as soon as I flipped the bread onto the cooking rack, I hacked off a chunk...just to make sure it was edible.  This was a sweet treat that wasn't too dry.  Because of the almonds and cranberries, it had a nice mix of chewiness and crunch.  Unfortunately I was in such a rush to taste it that my cut came out uneven so I just had to cut off and eat a bit more to even things out.    It took a few cuts to get it just right but now I'm happy to report that everything is in order and I still have one loaf of bread to share with a friend.

Quinoa Tofu and Veggies

    2011 and I am going to start the year off with something other than soup for lunch!  I wanted to try something new, so I bought some tofu at the store and then searched for a recipe.  I found a recipe for Quinoa Tofu and Veggies at savvyvegetarian.com.  I adapted the recipe a bit based on what I had in the kitchen.  It was pretty easy to make and I took a bite to taste test it and it was good!  There is a lot of texture and I think it will be really filling.

Quinoa Tofu and Veggies

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 lb extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup cashew pieces-The recipe never mentioned where these came in, I just tossed them in with the tofu
• 1 Tbsp peeled minced fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 six inch zucchini
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaf
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp gr coriander
• 2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup minced parsley or cilantro

Method

1. Soak quinoa 15 - 20 minutes, rinse, drain and set aside
2. Cut tofu in bite sized cubes, place in a small bowl, sprinkle with garlic salt and soy sauce and shake or stir to coat with marinade. Set aside
3. Heat 1 -2 Tbsp olive oil on low in a large pan
4. Mince ginger and garlic
5. Chop celery, carrots, and zucchini into small pieces.
6. Turn the heat up to medium, and stir fry ginger, garlic, celery, carrots for 5 minutes
7. Add zucchini and stir fry another five minutes
8. Stir in dry spices, herbs
9. Add the drained quinoa and stir until coated with spices
10. Add 1 3/4 cup water, and salt, then bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes on low
11. Meanwhile, fry the tofu cubes on medium, stirring and turning, until browned
12. Stir tofu and parsley into the quinoa and vegetables
13. Heat on low for another few minutes and serve

The Taste Test
     This dish had a lot of flavor and texture.  The combination of ginger and soy sauce along with the cashews made this a really tasty lunch.  The tofu had a good consistency, not too mushy.  I've found a good method for getting all of the excess water out of my tofu, although it looks a bit strange.  I remove the tofu from the package and pat it dry with paper towel.  I then place the tofu between several layers of paper towel and underneath my heaviest cutting board.  I then place canisters of sugar and grains on top and let it sit for about 45 minutes.  It's amazing how much water gets removed through this process.  I bought another package of tofu at the store this week.  I'm excited to try and find something new to try.  Stay tuned... 

If you cook, they will come

   I've discovered that my cooking is a selfish act.  I cook so that my family can gather and be together.  I cook because I know that when I do, everyone will come over and for a moment relax from the craziness that ordinarily consumes their day.  Arnauld is probably tired of hearing me say, "Hey, want to make dinner for everyone tonight?"  Last night, New Years Eve, was no exception.  I went straight to the internet to find some new and not so complicated recipes to tackle.  Here is what I came up with:

Hot Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/3  cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained, divided
• 1  (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• Cooking spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; add 1 can of artichokes and beans. Process until smooth. Add remaining can of artichokes, 3/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, and garlic. Pulse 20 times or until artichokes are coarsely chopped.
3. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Method

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Arrange the chicken, onion, and sweet potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the oil over the chicken and vegetables and season with the salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Drizzle with the maple syrup and top with the sprigs of thyme.
3. Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Antipasto Style Penne

Ingredients

• 1  medium red bell pepper-I skipped this
• 1/2  cup  pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/3  cup  refrigerated pesto
• 3  ounces  prosciutto, chopped-I also skipped this to make it a vegetarian option
• 1  (7-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained and chopped
• 1  (6-ounce) jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 8  ounces  uncooked penne pasta (about 2 cups)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/4  cup  pine nuts, toasted

Method

1. Stir olives, pesto, tomatoes, and artichokes together in a large bowl.3. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add cooked pasta and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to vegetable mixture, and toss gently to combine. Spoon about 1 cup pasta mixture into each of 6 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons remaining cheese and 2 teaspoons pine nuts.

My mom made Magic Bars for dessert.

Magic Bars

Ingredients

1 stick melted margarine                            

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

6 oz chocolate chips                                     

1 cup coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Method

Melt butter in 13x9 pan, pack in graham crackers on bottom of dish, and layer chocolate chips and coconut. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

     My sister and her family are leaving to go back to North Carolina later today.  My heart feels heavy knowing I'll have to say goodbye to them for a while.  It's amazing how much our family has grown with the addition of Jax and Ace.  They are so loved by everyone.  Sometimes I'm amazed by how much love I do have for them.  I feel so fortunate to have been able to be so close to them as they grow and learn.  I'm fascinated by how much they soak in from the world around them.  The other night I slept over my mom's house while Arnauld was in Long Island.  I slept in Jax's room.  When he woke up, he got so excited and said, "The sun is awake!  Time to get up."   They remind me to take time to cherish the little things in life, the things that make everything worthwhile.  It's these little moments that I will miss most-that and hanging out with my sister.  But thanks to modern technology, I know they are only a Skype call away...or a short plane ride!

 Happy 2011!

Chicken with white beans and tomatoes

     Let me just start out by saying that this turned out to be one of my favorite dinners I have made in a long time.  It was so simple to make and was just simply delicious.  I found this recipe for Chicken with white beans and tomatoes in an old issue of Real Simple. This was the runner up recipe for our dinner guests earlier this week. It smelled delicious baking in the oven and took just about three minutes to throw together.

Chicken with white beans and tomatoes

Ingredients
2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh oregano, plus leaves for garnish
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil-I used less
kosher salt and black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)-I used boneless, skinless thighs

Directions
1. Heat oven to 425° F. In a 9-by-13-inch (or some other large) baking dish, toss the beans and tomatoes with the thyme and oregano sprigs, garlic, red pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
2. Pat the chicken dry and place on top of the bean mixture, skin-side up. Rub with the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
3. Roast until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano leaves.

Book Club Brunch

    This year a bunch of girls from school decided to start a book club.  It was a good excuse to get together on a somewhat regular basis and chat.  Last month we read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  We didn't end up talking much about the book during our meeting.  Our next book was Room By Emma Donoghue.  We met this morning at our house for brunch to talk about it.  It was nice to see everyone over break and we did manage to discuss the book a bit too.  I made just a couple of simple things that came out well.  Both recipes came from my Cooking Light book.  This was a great investment from the bargain aisle at the bookstore.  I don't think I've ever made something from this book that didn't come out delicious...or at least somewhat edible.

Easy Banana Bread

Ingredients
 1 cup mashed ripe bananas- I used 3
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg white
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups flour
*1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking Spray
* I didn't have cream of tartar.  I googled a substitute and I found out that there really isn't a good substitute because there is something about the chemistry between the baking soda and cream of tartar.  I did read that you could use baking powder in place of both.  I used a teaspoon of baking powder.  I also added some chopped almonds.



Method
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth
3. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife.  Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring just until moist.  Spoon batter into an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes  and then remove to a cooking rack to cool completely.

My bread came out a little light, I should have left it in the oven little longer.





Dutch Pear

Ingredients

• 4  Bartlett or Bosc pears, cored and thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
• 1/4  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  2% reduced-fat milk-I used almond milk
• 3  tablespoons  granulated sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 3  large eggs
• 2  teaspoons  butter or stick margarine-I used Smart Balance
• 1  tablespoon  powdered sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine sliced pears, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add pear mixture; sauté 5 minutes or until pears are golden. Remove pear mixture from pan, and keep warm.
3. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place the flour in a large bowl. Combine the milk, granulated sugar, salt, and eggs, stirring the mixture well with a whisk. Add the milk mixture to the flour, stirring with a whisk until well-blended.
4. Melt the butter in pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until puffy and golden. 5. Spoon the pear mixture into center of pancake; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 6 wedges. Serve immediately.

Here are pictures of some of the delicious breakfast foods other people brought.  Hopefully the recipes will come soon!

Muffins made by Deb

Creme Brulee French Toast made by Ali

Moose and Otis were thrilled with the book discussion.  Here they are sleeping in their new favorite spot, under the Christmas tree.

A Dinner Party

   Ali and Erik came over for dinner on Monday night, after the snowstorm.  The goal was a healthy meal coming off of Christmas weekend.  For an appetizer I made an artichoke spread from a recipe I found on bhg.com.   It was very simple and very tasty.  Even Arnauld liked it and he doesn't usually go for my vegetarian creations.

Artichoke Spread

 

Ingredients

• 1  15-ounce can  cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
• 1  9-ounce package  frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and well drained-I couldn't find these frozen, so I used a canned.
• 1  clove  garlic, quartered
• 1  teaspoon  finely shredded lemon peel
• 1  tablespoon  lemon juice
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  cayenne pepper
• 1    green onion, thinly sliced
•     Sliced green onion tops
•     Assorted vegetable dippers and/or crackers

Directions

In a large food processor, combine beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cover and process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary.
Transfer bean mixture to a serving bowl; stir in the thinly sliced green onion. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 2 days. If chilled, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
To serve, garnish with sliced green onion tops. Serve with assorted vegetable dippers and/or crackers.

     I poured over past issues of some of my magazine before finally deciding on the dinner menu, chicken and sweet potatoes with shallots, from February's issue of Real Simple.  Unfortunately, it was so good I forgot to take pictures before it was all devoured.  Since it tasted so good, it will probably find it's way into my rotation of favorite recipes.

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes with Shallots

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each 6 ounces)
• 4 shallots, sliced into thin rings
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary-I used dried

Directions

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water, drain the sweet potatoes, and return them to the pot. Mash with the reserved cooking water.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.
5. Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until the shallots are tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and drizzle with the shallot mixture.

   For dessert I went with apples in the skillet.  I peeled and cut 4 apples, added 1/4 cup of brown sugar, some lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a few shakes of cinnamon.  I put them in the skillet until the were soft and served them with vanilla ice cream and cool whip.  Yum!

Recipe Binders

    My other homemade gift this year was recipe binders.  It is a project I've been meaning to organize for myself.  I am constantly pulling recipes from magazines and stashing them in a folder, with no sense of organization.  I thought making recipe binders for gifts would jump start my own filing system.  I started by purchasing pretty binders from Target.  I then ordered earthy looking tabs from amazon.com along with plastic sleeves and recipe card sleeves.  Some pretty scrapbook paper made for colorful pages to glue recipes onto.  I paired these binders with some of my homemade recipe cards.  Hopefully these gifts will inspire cooking and organization for the recipients!