beef with gravy, cream, and noodles

a three pound pot roast makes a lot of meat for two people. after eating leftovers for lunch a couple times, we were both getting bored with the same meal, and were struggling to think of good ways to use up the leftovers. until i thought about beef stroganoff and how good the leftover pot roast and gravy would be over egg noodles. add a healthy dash of cream and we had a great meal to use up the last of our roast and gravy. jason preferred this to the pot roast!

beef with gravy, cream, and noodles
20 minutes, serves 4 adults

12 ounce package egg noodles
about 2 cups leftover pot roast sauce
about 1 pound leftover pot roast
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. drain, toss with a little butter or olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking together, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
2. while the noodles are cooking, place the pot roast sauce in a medium saute or sauce pan over medium low heat. if you prefer, use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce.
3. cut the beef into bite size pieces and add to the sauce. 
4. turn the heat up to medium high heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. add one quarter to one half cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer. taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. spoon the beef and sauce mixture over the egg noodles to serve.

Wonderful Waffles

Similar to my experience with pancakes, I have tried many, many waffle recipes. Most of them were fine but not quite right. This recipe from AllRecipes is the best I've tried, but the addition of a little ground cinnamon is what makes them amazing! We're cinnamon junkies and the waffles don't taste excessively cinnamon-y to us, it just adds a hint of something wonderful that puts them over the top. So if you love waffles and have been looking for the right recipe, I suggest you give this one a try!

Quick note: I do not know how this recipe will turn out with a Belgian waffle iron. My waffle iron is the old fashioned kind. It's worth a try in a Belgian waffle iron, though!


Wonderful Waffles

2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/3 C butter
1 1/2 C milk
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat waffle iron. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Melt butter in a small mixing bowl in the microwave, then stir in milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined, it's okay if there are some little lumps. Spoon batter onto greased waffle iron (the amount of course will depend on your iron, but mine takes 1 C batter) and cook to desired crispness. Keep waffles hot in an oven set to warm while you make the rest.

Yield: About 4 large waffles (enough for 4-6 servings)

Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches

I made these sandwiches for dinner last night and we just loved them! With only 3 ingredients in the meat, it's also one of the easiest things you could possibly make. If you know you like peperoncini peppers and beef, you will probably really like this one. If you don't know, I suggest you buy a jar and taste a pepper before making the recipe because it does have a strong peperoncini/vinegar flavor. Lucky for us, we both love peperoncinis, so the sandwiches are right up our alley. They are a little spicy- probably too much so for kids or those with delicate taste buds- but not too much for me and I'm fairly wimpy when it comes to heat. We shared a big bowl of cold green grapes while we ate and they helped keep things manageable.

Quick note: The original recipe called for a beef chuck roast but I came home from the store with a beef eye of round roast, which is very lean. The meat was fairly tough after cooking, but after I shredded it and let it cook in the juices, it turned out just perfect.

Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches

3 lb beef chuck roast or eye of round roast
5 cloves garlic, minced (I used the stuff in the jar because I had it!)
16 oz jar of sliced peperoncinis
sub rolls
sliced provolone or mozzarella

Place roast in a 4 quart slow cooker and top with garlic. Pour peperoncinis, juice and all, over top. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 6 to 8 hours. Remove meat, shred, and stir into liquid in slow cooker. Turn heat to high and cook, uncovered, about 1 hour so the meat has a chance to soak up the liquid and some of the excess juice can cook off. Top sub rolls with meat and cheese, then broil to melt the cheese.

Yield: 8 to 12 sandwiches

ina's company pot roast

in all the years i've daydreamed about being an adult, i never pictured myself making a pot roast. it seemed way too grown up for me. which is crazy. since there are few things better than beef that's been slow roasted in vegetables and wine for hours. this is what sunday meals should be made of.

my one and only piece of advice: make sure your dutch oven is big enough to contain everything. i cooked a three and a half pound chuck roast in a four quart pan, and it almost didn't make it. had my roast been a tad bit larger, i would have needed a larger pan.

ina's company pot roast
adapted from ina garten
45 minutes prep, 2 1/2 hours cook time, 15 minutes finishing

3 to 5 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chopped carrotts (about 4 medium sized)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped (about 5 stalks)
2 cups leeks, chopped (about 2 medium sized)
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine
28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes in puree
1 cup chicken stock
3 branches fresh thyme
3 branches fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
mashed potatoes for serving

1. preheat your oven to 325F.
2. tie up your beef so it stays in one piece and doesn't flop around. pat the entire roast dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. coat the entire roast in flour.
3. coat the bottom of a large dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium heat. sear each side and ends of the roast for about five minutes per side, until browned. once all sides are seared, remove roast from the pan and set aside.
4. coat the bottom of the dutch oven with olive oil. add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until softened. add the wine and bring to a boil. add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. put the roast back in the pan, bring to a boil, and cover. 
5. remove from heat and place in the oven for an hour. turn the heat down to 250F and cook about another 1 and a half hours, or until the meat falls apart and measures about 160F internally.
6. remove the roast and place on a cutting board. tent with foil.
7. remove the herb bundle from the sauce. using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until about half of the vegetables have been pureed. if you prefer a smooth sauce, blend all of the vegetables.
8. in a small bowl, mash the remaining 2 tablespoons flour with the 1 tablespoon butter until a paste forms. whisk this into the sauce and stir until thickened. taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
9. remove the strings from the roast and slice the meat. serve the meat over mashed potatoes and spoon the sauce on top.

gingerbread waffles of insane greatness

most weekend mornings start with a bowl of cereal or some fruit and yogurt. occasionally we'll have breakfast tacos or a pancake or two, but our waffle iron only comes out once or twice a year. maybe i should change that.

gingerbread waffles of insane greatness
adapted from food network

50 minutes total, 20 minutes active; serves 2 adults (makes 4 waffles)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon molasses

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

your favorite waffle accompaniment for serving

1. in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
2. add the milk, buttermilk, oil, molasses, egg, sugar, and vanilla and mix well.
3. cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture rest on your counter for 30 minutes.
4. when the batter has ten minutes left to rest, preheat your waffle iron.
5. when the batter is ready, spray your waffle iron with non stick spray. divide batter evenly amongst four waffles and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.

slow cooker chili

one of my unofficial new year's resolutions is to spend less time cooking. sound counter-intuitive? i'm all for spending hours in the kitchen, on occasion, to make great food, but during the week, i want good food, fast. a typical workday for us means we leave the house at 7:30 and get home by 6:30. and the days we stop at the gym after work, it's more like 7:30. the last thing i want to do is spend 45 minutes cooking on a monday night. which is why i'm on the lookout for shortcuts.

and a slow cooker is one of the best kept secrets (ok, maybe you already know how much of a time saver they are, and i'm finally jumping on the band wagon). i've heard it a million times from friends, family, and coworkers, but it's taken me a couple meals to really understand how great it is to spend 15 or less minutes preparing dinner. i love it. so much so, that i've added a slow cooker tag to my recipes so you can get to all of them even easier. even though there are only a few posted now, i hope to continue using mine about once a week.

have a great slow cooker recipe?? leave a link in the comments!

slow cooker chili
adapted from pass the sushi
20 minutes prep, 6-8 hours slow cook; serves 6

while you can certainly brown the beef the morning you plan to eat this, to make morning prep even faster, prepare all the ingredients the night before. cover and place your slow cooker insert (or all the ingredients in a large bowl if your insert isn't removable) in the refrigerator. the next morning, simply put the insert in the cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. placing your cold slow cooker insert directly into the cooker might cause it to crack. mix everything in a separate bowl the night before, cover and refrigerate. the next morning, pour everything into your slow cooker & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
16 ounce can tomato sauce
3 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
16 ounce can or 2 cups kidney beans, drained and rinsed
your favorite toppings

1. brown the ground beef in a saute pan over medium heat. drain and put in the slow cooker.
2. while the meat is cooking, dice the onion and pepper and mince the garlic clove. add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
3. cover and cook on low for six to eight hours. remove bay leaf and serve.

beer battered haddock

since announcing to our friends, family and coworkers in december that i'm pregnant, there's three questions that everyone asks. do you know if it's a boy or girl - are you going to find out? how are you feeling? and have you had any weird cravings?

no, we don't know if it's a boy or girl and aren't sure if we will find out. i've been feeling a lot like myself - just in different clothes and working on gaining weight this time of year while everyone else is focused on losing it. and i haven't really had any weird cravings. unless sour cream and onion potato chips and fried fish sandwiches count.

friday fish fry is popular in upstate new york. and if you're a fan, you know who locally has good fish fry - a crisp, light beer batter - and who doesn't - dense, soggy, greasy beer batter. this is the perfect batter to make fish fry at home. i've made it a few times over the last year and each time it comes out nice and light and crispy.

beer battered haddock
adapted from the joy of cooking
2 1/2 hours, serves 4-6

this is an all purpose beer batter, so try it with shrimp and vegetables, like green beans.

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup beer
1 cup all purpose flour
2 egg whites at room temperature
vegetable oil
2 to 3 large haddock steaks, cut into manageable sizes

1. to make the batter, mix the egg yolks, butter, and beer in a large bowl. whisk in the flour until smooth and season with salt and pepper. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 12 hours. if refrigerating the batter, bring it up to room temperature before proceeding.
2. beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks are left.
3. pat the fish dry with paper towels. heat about three inches of vegetable or peanut oil to 375F in a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed, high walled pot.
4. drop the fish into the batter and turn to coat.
5. cook the fish by dropping it into the hot oil carefully in batches and do not crowd the pan. cook the fish about four minutes per side, or until golden.
6. remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. sprinkle lightly with kosher salt while still hot and serve.

baked's sweet & salty cake [12in2012]

rich, sour cream chocolate cake. salted caramel. and salted caramel + chocolate ganache. i've had this cake bookmarked to celebrate my 30th birthday since before i made the cake to celebrate my 29th.

this is one of my worst cakes and best cakes in a long time. the cake is now my favorite chocolate cake, the caramel one of my favorite caramels, and the ganache is to die for. the problem: structural issues. one of my cake layers stuck to the bottom of the pan and i foolishly decided that should be the bottom layer of my cake. the result: a fault line almost exactly down the middle of the cake, so one half looks absolutely picture perfect and the other is falling off the plate. not so pretty, but delicious none the same. and don't let my structural issues sway you from making this cake. it was my own silly mistake - and next time, the not quite perfect cake layer will be the top, not the bottom.

there's only one tricky part to this cake: caramel. if you've mastered it before, you're set. there's no cooked frosting to worry about. no egg whites to beat. and the only hard part of the caramel is not burning it. once it gets nice and lightly browned, take it off the heat. i highly recommend a light colored pan - skip the non stick - so you can easily see when the colors change. and once it starts to ever so lightly brown, it goes from light brown to perfectly golden amber in about a minute, so don't walk away from it.

and yes, this cake isn't so good for you. a pound of chocolate. almost a pound and a half of butter. but this kind of cake is a once a year occurrence for me, so i'll take it. and while most layer cakes serve 12 to 16 you can easily get 20 pieces out of this one because it's so darn rich.

next time i make this cake, i am going to make one layer only, a full batch of caramel (leftovers store well in the refrigerator and are amazing over ice cream), and a quarter of the ganache frosting. then i'll lose some of the rich, over-the-top goodness, but still have all the flavor.

for other celebration cakes, check out baked's german chocolate cake, one bowl chocolate cake, baked's aunt sassy cake [pistachio cake with vanilla honey buttercream], white layer cake with blackberry buttercream, and chocolate peanut butter marble cake.

sweet & salty cake
adapted from baked: new frontiers in baking
makes 1 three tier 8 or 9 inch cake, serves 20+

i can't stress it enough: line the bottoms of your pans with parchment paper. if you don't have parchment paper, grease them really well, and dust with flour. when you take the cakes out of the oven, let them cool completely in the pans before turning them out. otherwise you risk only half the cake making it out of the pan.

i topped my cake with both maldon sea salt and silver sugar crystals. if you're only using salt, use about half as much as you see in the picture.

like most three layer cakes, this cake is too tall for my cake dome.

for the cake:
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups hot water
2/3 cup sour cream
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

for the caramel:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or maldon sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup sour cream

for the caramel ganache frosting:
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups (or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

~3 teaspoons fleur de sel or maldon sea salt for assembling and topping the finished cake

1. make the cake. line the bottom of three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. spray with non stick spray and dust with flour. set aside. preheat your oven to 325F.
2. in a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa, hot water, and sour cream until smooth. set aside.
3. in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. set aside.
4. in another bowl, mix the butter and shortening together until smooth and light, about 5 minutes. add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. add the vanilla, scrap down the sides of the bowl, and mix until combined.
5. add about one third of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix until combined. add half of the cocoa mixture and mix until combined. repeat alternating the flour and cocoa until it's all incorporated.
6. divide the batter evenly between the three pans. bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. rotate the pans halfway through cooking.
7. cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for about a half an hour. turn the cakes out of the pan and finish cooling on the wire rack. remove the parchment from the bottom of the cake before icing.
8. while the cakes bake, clean up the cake dishes and make the caramel. place the heavy cream and salt in a small saucepan and heat just to a simmer. 
9. in a separate, light colored pan, add the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. mix with a spoon, being careful not to get the mixture up the sides of the pan. place the pan over medium high heat and cook without stirring until it's dark amber, about 8 minutes. turn off the heat and set aside to cool for a minute or two.
10. slowly and carefully - the mixture will bubble up and release a lot of steam - pour the heavy cream into the sugar mixture. whisk until smooth. whisk in the sour cream until smooth. set aside until ready to assemble the cake.
11. while the cakes are cooling, make the ganache frosting. place the chocolate in a large, heat proof bowl, preferably one with a pour spout or the bowl of your stand mixer and set aside. 
12. warm the heavy cream in a small pan on the stove.
13. in a separate, light colored pan, add the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. mix with a spoon, being careful not to get the mixture up the sides of the pan. place the pan over medium high heat and cook without stirring until it's dark amber, about 8 minutes. turn off the heat and set aside to cool for a minute or two.slowly and carefully - the mixture will bubble up and release a lot of steam - pour the heavy cream into the sugar mixture. whisk until smooth.
14. pour the hot caramel over the chocolate. let the mixture sit for a minute or two and using a rubber spatula, stir until the chocolate is melted. continue stirring until the chocolate and caramel are combined.
15. let the chocolate caramel mixture cool  until it's warm to the touch.
16. once cool, mix on low speed for a couple minutes until the bowl is cool to the touch. turn the mixture up to medium and add the butter, about a half tablespoon at a time, until it's all incorporated. once incorporated, turn the mixer up to high, and beat until light and fluffy. if the frosting is still too thin for your liking, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes to cool the frosting and whip it again until light and fluffy.
17. to assemble the cake, place one layer on a serving platter. spread about 1/3 of the caramel over the top of the cake. spread about 1 cup of the frosting over the caramel and sprinkle lightly with salt. repeat with the remaining two layers, omitting the salt from the top layer. lightly coat the sides of the cake with the frosting and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set. frost the sides with the remainder of the frosting. sprinkle the top lightly with salt.
18. store the cake in the refrigerator and remove it about an hour before serving to come up to room temperature.

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday & sweets for a saturday!

grilled turkey, onion, and garlic panini

for the first year or so we were married, some version of this sandwich - sometimes with bacon, others without onions - made it onto our dinner plates about once a week. full of garlicky mayo, fresh basil, melty cheese, and sauteed onions, it's the definition of quick & easy weeknight dinner.

grilled turkey, onion, and garlic panini
30 minutes, makes 4 panini

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced
4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, thin sliced or minced
2/3 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
4 soft rolls
8 slices provolone cheese
about 1 pound sliced turkey

1. melt the butter in a sautepan over medium low heat. add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft, about 15 minutes.
2. while the onions are grilling, mix the garlic, basil, and mayo together in a small bowl. 
3. preheat a panini press, george foreman grill, or grill pan.
4. cut the rolls in half and spread each side with the garlic mayo. put one slice of cheese on each bread half. layer the turkey and sauteed onions to make the sandwiches.
5. brush the bottoms of the sandwiches with vegetable oil and place oiled side down in your grill or pan. brush the top with vegetable oil and close the grill. grill for about five minutes, until cheese is melted. if using a grill pan, grill a few minutes per side. serve hot.

Sage Pork Chops

This is based on a recipe from AllRecipes that I first made a few years ago. It needed some tweaks (namely, it was too salty, the beef broth tasted odd, it didn't have enough sauce and I thought it needed onions), but now it's ready to share! This is a super easy recipe and of course it tastes good, too. The flavor is surprisingly rich and complex considering how easy it is to make and how few ingredients there are. We like it served with rice to soak up the sauce, but mashed potatoes would be good, too. Also I should note you can use bouillon cubes instead of broth (which is what I do), just crumble them into the skillet with the pork chops, onions and water and stir until dissolved, then proceed with the recipe.

Sage Pork Chops

3 T butter, divided
1 onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1 t salt
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t pepper
6 pork chops
2 C chicken broth
2 T cornstarch
1/4 C water

Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned. Remove onions to a plate and remove the skillet from the heat. Combine salt, sage and pepper and rub into both sides of the pork chops. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in skillet over medium-high and brown meat on both sides. Add onions back into skillet along with chicken broth. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and cook about 15 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through (amount of time will of course depend on the thickness of the meat). When pork chops are done, remove them to a plate. Stir together cornstarch and cold water, bring the liquid in the skillet to a boil, and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Cook one more minute. Add pork chops back to skillet. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 servings

Hummus Without Tahini

Look at that, another hummus post! I decided this one was worth posting too because some people can't find tahini or won't buy it because of the price. Sometimes I can get it at the grocery store but about 3/4 of the time, there's none to be found. If the health food store has it, it's about $15 for a jar and I just can't bring myself to spend that much on a jar of sesame seed paste. That's when I turn to this recipe, which I also made up! It's pretty similar to the other recipe except it uses canned garbanzos (for the sake of convenience) and it has more olive oil (for flavor and fat that the tahini would add) and more coriander (for flavor- I love coriander). So if you don't have tahini, I suggest you give this recipe a go. It will still be yummy.

Hummus Without Tahini

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and liquid reserved
6 T olive oil
5 T lemon juice
4 T bean liquid
3 garlic cloves
1 t salt
1 t dried ground coriander seed
1/8 t dried ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Combine everything in the bowl of a food processor or heavy duty blender.

Yield: about 4 cups

2011 meat-free january recap

last year i challenged myself and my mother to go one full month without eating any meat. i'm skipping the challenge this year, since now is not the time to be messing with my diet, but if you've decided to take on the challenge yourself, here's a summary of how last year's meat-free january went. looking for more meat free meals? check out 50+ meatless meals!

overall i ate some great vegetarian dinners, discovered some new foods, and learned some things - 

i went into this thinking it was going to be really really easy. which it was. for about 2 weeks. then i hit a slump - the "what am i going to eat? i already ate everything there is that doesn't have meat!!" slump. the problem is that i was focused on "vegetarian" recipes. once i figured out how easy it is to make meals that normally contain meat meatless, then i was on to something. fajitas that still taste like fajitas (with mushrooms instead of beef/chicken/pork) and potato, corn, & cheddar chowder (minus the bacon) were perfect.

i was driving home from work one night, listening to my stomach grumble, and while driving past the strip of fast food restaurants, realized how difficult it would be to eat on the go and still eat vegetarian. the only real option seems to be salad. i don't know about you, but there's only so much salad this girl can eat.

the only time i went out for dinner was for my birthday. lucky for me, i had the special - shrimp and lobster stuffed shells with romesco sauce. while this may have been the best meatless meal i had all month, it was also the biggest disappointment. i love veal and the full menu page devoted to it didn't really help my cause.

and even though i have every intention to go back to eating meat, i do hope to eat less and less of it. if there's one thing this month reminded me, it's that you don't need meat to feel satisfied. and sometimes, the meal is so good, that you don't even realize it's missing.

Hummus

I've never really cared for garbanzo beans and wasn't expecting much when I first tried hummus about 8 years ago, but I was hooked after the first bite! And my husband hadn't tried it until he met me and we bought a container, but he was won over immediately, too. Unfortunately, it's very expensive at the store. Good news though! It's super easy to make if you have a food processor or heavy duty blender and much, much cheaper. My food processor is basically a hummus machine because that's what it's used for 90% of the time. Here's a recipe that I made up and have fine tuned over the past few years. We think it's perfect! You can also add a small jar of oil packed artichoke hearts and replace the olive oil with oil from the artichokes.

Hummus

1/2 lb dried garbanzo beans, sorted, soaked overnight and drained
1/2 C cooking liquid from the garbanzo beans
3 cloves minced garlic
4 T tahini (sesame seed paste)
5 T lemon juice
4 T olive oil
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried ground coriander seed
1/4 t dried ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper

Place garbanzo beans in a slow cooker with 6 cups of water and cook until tender, about 4 hours on high or 8 on low. Or just cook them in a pot on the stove. When the beans are tender, drain them and reserve 1/2 C of the cooking liquid. Place the beans, reserved cooking liquid, and remaining ingredients in a food processor or heavy duty blender and blend until smooth. Serve warm or chilled with pita bread, tortilla chips, or raw veggies or make a sandwich with pita bread, hummus, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and olives.

Note: The hummus will thicken after being in the fridge. If you want it thinner, you can stir in more olive oil or even water.

Yield: About 4 cups

Tofu and Noodles

This recipe is a slight variation of one my mom made when I was growing up. See, I even alter my mother's recipes! The original used steak instead of tofu, had 2 more packages of noodles, no garlic, and no added seasoning. It was good and I loved it as a kid to the point that my mom once made a double batch for me to share with my classmates when I did a presentation about Japan. All the kids gobbled it up, too! Instead of the tofu you can use steak cut into small strips or diced chicken or even diced shrimp. You can also change it up by using a 16 oz bag of frozen stir fry veggies if you'd prefer. The recipe is very flexible! It's far from gourmet (what could be with ramen noodles as a main ingredient?) but it's inexpensive, easy and good. Enjoy!

Tofu and Noodles

4 packages Oriental flavored ramen
3 C water
3 T sesame oil
1 lb firm tofu, cubed
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz package shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw veggies)
1 T sugar
1/2 T fish sauce
1/2 T soy sauce
1/4 t pepper OR 1/2 t red pepper flakes

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Break noodles into thirds lengthwise while still in the packages, then add them to the water along with the seasoning packets. Cook until noodles are soft and remove pot from heat. Do not drain.

While noodles are cooking, heat 2 T sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and saute tofu for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Remove tofu to a bowl and add another T sesame oil to the skillet. Add green onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so, then stir in bag of shredded cabbage and carrots. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add to pot of cooked noodles along with sugar, sauces and pepper. Stir well to combine, then gently stir in tofu.

Yield: about 6 to 8 servings

greek yogurt with pear & maple syrup

for the most part of the last five or so years, every monday through friday morning included a combination of fruit and yogurt for breakfast. for the first fourish years, it was light vanilla yogurt with frozen fruit and occasionally a handful of granola thrown in for kicks. until about a year ago, when tracy, the woman whose office is right next door to mine and usually eats the same breakfast, switched her light vanilla yogurt to vanilla greek yogurt. the rest of us soon followed suit.

it wasn't long after that one sunday, while picking up my tub of yogurt for the week, i noticed that plain greek yogurt has half the sugar (a few less calories and a couple grams more protein) than flavored yogurt. since i almost always eat my yogurt with naturally sweet fruit anyway, i made the switch to plain and never looked back.

this isn't so much a recipe, but an idea. plain yogurt needs a touch of sweetness or extra flavor on it's own, even when paired with fresh fruit. try topping your next bowl with a teaspoon of pure maple syrup. or mix a splash of vanilla extract, almond extract, or cinnamon into your yogurt. you won't miss the sugar.

light & quick for the new year

i don't know about you, but after all the cookies, other sweets, and heavy dishes i've eaten over the last week (ok, month), i could use some lighter fare. here are some of my favorites from the archives. bonus that most are ready in under 30 minutes.

pierogis and mushroom goulash, bean burritos, apple cider glazed chicken

 
light linguini alfredo with pancetta & peas, shaker chicken noodle soup

 

pasta e fagioli [pasta & beans], risotto stuffed portobello mushrooms 

portobello fajitas, prosciutto & arugula pizza, teriyaki mushroom, spinach, & chicken salad 

tomato & meatball soup, light & quick white chicken chili

my favorite taco salad, giada's quick bolognese, portobello stirfry with udon

honey ginger chicken with peppers, soy glazed cod with zucchini

chicken vegetable stirfry with soba, black bean tacos, baked haddock & roasted potatoes

vegetable soup with tortellini, broiled tilapia with lemon buerre blanc

mushroom marsala fontina flatbread, black bean stuffed avocados, roasted brussels sprouts

my favorites of 2011

yesterday i recapped the most popular posts of 2011. here are my favorites through the year.

january: portobello mushroom fajitas. a meatless meal with all the expected mexican flavors. you won't miss the meat!

february: risotto stuffed portobellos. two of my favorite things: stuff meaty portobellos with leftover risotto for an easy meal.

march: waffles of insane greatness. perfect waffles every time.

april: meyer lemon tart. i finally found meyer lemons. and boy was this tart worth it.

may: french silk chocolate pie. the single best chocolate dessert i've ever had. ever.

june: blackberry swirl ice cream. i have a soft spot for berry anything.

july: breakfast tacos. breakfast potatoes + eggs + beans + fresh salsa + cilantro. perfect.

august: oatmeal cream pies. whip these babies up in no time and feel like a kid again.

september: classic peach pie. as much as i love berries, peaches are my absolute favorite. and this one was my first pie in 10 years.

october: deconstructed lasagna. i love lasagna but it takes too long to put together. this pasta fixes that.

november: thomas keller's chocolate chip cookies. i brought a few to my parents' house and my mom can't get enough!

december: chewy white chocolate chip gingerbread cookies. these have earned a spot in my holiday cookie rotation.