Pesto Turkey Meatballs

I feel like I've been cooking and baking a lot recently, and I decided I wanted to share some of my recent successes. I mean, recipes. So I'll probably be posting frequently (as frequently as nap times and other chores will allow). 

I'm also the kind of person who rarely sticks to a single recipe when cooking. I look up two or three (thank you, Pinterest!) for ideas and guidelines and cook times, and then do my own thing. So here's what I ended up with tonight. 

Tonight's recipe came from "Slow Cooker Revolution" from America's Test Kitchen. Or it was inspired by that recipe, anyway. Life happened and I didn't get things done early enough to even use the crock pot. I also used this recipe from Pinterest. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2/3 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 2/3 (ish) cups pesto (from the refrigerated section of the grocery store - much better than the bottled kind)
- 1/4 (ish) cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp Mayo (the recipe called for one egg yolk, but I was all out of eggs. This was a suggested substitute I found via Google).  

Mix all ingredients together using your hands,
- 2-3 mozzarella string cheese sticks, cut into 8 pieces.  

Roll a bit of the meat mixture into a ball in your hand, then flatten it slightly. Put a mozzarella piece in the middle and roll it up. Repeat until all the meat is used. I think I ended up with about 22 meatballs. It would be easy to freeze the extra at this point to use for a future meal.
Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Eat immediately to enjoy the hot cheesy goodness. 

(Mine ended up with the cheese spilling out of the meat balls and sticking everything to the foil. A silicon mat may have been more effective, but then I'd have to wash it.)

Serve with pasta (or spaghetti squash) and pasta sauce.

Spicy Chicken Soup

Yesterday we tried out this spicy soup from allrecipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Catherines-Spicy-Chicken-Soup/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

It was pretty good. I left out the sour cream since Adam doesn't like it, then put a little dollop on my own serving and it was good with and without. I liked  it a little better with. Also, don't put in the whole canned tomatoes, it's a little ridiculous and I just ended up taking them out anyway. Also, it makes a LOT of soup.

Pistachio Pesto Chicken and Pasta

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest from How Sweet It Is, a great cooking blog. I had basil growing in the garden that I needed to prune a large section off of, so I decided to make pesto. Jeran has said before that he doesn't really like pesto so I normally wouldn't make it but this looked so good, and it uses pistachios which are delicious and easy. We both loved it. I liked the pasta better, Jeran liked the chicken better. Either way, it's a win.

Pistachio Pesto Chicken and Pasta

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

1 cup shelled pistachios
10 large basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, torn
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring water for pasta to a boil.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large oven-safe skillet on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes each.

While the chicken is cooking, add pistachios, basil, parsley, garlic and cheese to a food processor. Pulse and blend until the nuts are coarsely chopped, then with the processor on, stream in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Add a little more if necessary, depending on how "spreadable" you want your pesto to be. Finish by adding in salt and blending once more. Spread a thin layer of pesto on top of each chicken breast in the skillet, then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

While chicken is baking, boil pasta and prepare according to directions. Once finished, drain pasta and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 1/4 cup of pesto, the red pepper flakes and grated pecorino. You just want a very light coating of pesto on the noodles. Once chicken is done, remove and spread a little additional pesto on top. Serve together!

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We found that it makes enough pesto for twice the amount of chicken or pasta or you can use it for something else completely. Or you could do JUST pasta or JUST chicken. Whatever you put it on will be very tasty.

Green Soup

I found this article and recipe in a Reader's Digest when I was home, and when I got back home Kara and I tried it out.  Here's the recipe, then I'll give the review.

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 lb greens: green chard, kale, mustard greens, or beet greens
14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 oz)
4 cups vegetable broth
Big pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice, more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt; cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 2 tbs. water, and cover. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are greatly reduced and have a caramel color, 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine 3 cups water, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, and rice in soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Trim ribs and tough stems from the greens and spinach; discard. Coarsely chop greens and spinach.

3. When rice has cooked 15 minutes, stir in greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook 10 minutes. When onions are caramelized, stir a little greens' simmering liquid into them; immediately add them to rice along with spinach, broth, and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.

4. Puree soup in pot with immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with olive oil.

We also garnished with croutons. And feta cheese.

Review:

It was very...green. Tastes like greens. The lemon juice and cayenne add some nice flavor to it. Kara suggested adding a Parmesan cheese rind into the soup as it's cooking. I liked the feta cheese in it because it's very salty and the creaminess offsets the kind of bitterness from all the greens. If you are feeling like you're getting scurvy or otherwise lacking in vitamins, go ahead and try this recipe and feel free to dress it up with whatever you like.

Cheesy Quinoa Casserole

The magazine we found this recipe in called it "Quinoa Mac and Cheese." After making it once, we decided it's not a mac and cheese dish at all, but does make a very delicious casserole. We've now made it twice, and it's delicious!
(This recipe makes one half the original recipe, good for 4-6 servings)

1 cup whole-grain quinoa

1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 medium leeks (perhaps half an onion?)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¾ cup crumbled fat-free feta cheese

¼ cup light garlic and herb cream cheese

1 tablespoon milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking spray

Panko

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

1. (Quinoa) In a large pot, combine quinoa and vegetable broth, then cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to a low and cook for 30 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff resting quinoa with a fork.

2. (Greens) Meanwhile, roughly chop only the white and light green part of the leeks and discard the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high. Add leeks and garlic sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Using a paper towel, squeeze excess water from spinach, add to pan and sauté 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in thyme, parsley, pepper, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and feta together; set aside.

4. (Combine) Place cream cheese and milk in a small microwavable bowl and heat I the microwave on high for 30 seconds, then whisk to combine. Mix in Parmesan, spoon mixture into a zip-top bag, and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Add cooled quinoa to spinach and leek mixture; toss to combine, then stir in egg mixture until combined. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and pile quinoa mixture. Snip a corner of the cream cheese-filled baggie and squeeze evenly over quinoa. Scatter panko and parmesan on top and mist lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately. 

Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake

I made a really delicious root beer float cake for Jeran's birthday. I looked for recipes for a root beer float ice cream cake and was surprised that there weren't very many to be found. Maybe two. Luckily, the one I tried is very scrumptious and simple (I would be lying if I said this cake was easy for me to make, but that is only because the cake stuck to the pan big time).

Here's a link to the original recipe post by Keep It Sweet Desserts.

And here's the recipe:

Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients (Serves 12)

• 1 (18.25) ounce box white cake mix
• 1 (12 ounce) can root beer (I used diet)
• 4-5 cups light vanilla bean ice cream
• 2 (8-ounce) containers fat free cool whip

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and soda until almost all the lumps are gone. Divide cake batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set cake aside to cool (you can even cool the cake layers in the freezer so the ice cream doesn't melt when you build the cake. )
• When cake is cooling, prepare ice cream layer. Line an 8-inch cake pan with wax paper and press ice cream down into pan. Put this layer in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour. Once the cake and ice cream layers are ready you can build you cake.
• Place first layer down on a cake plate. Top cake with ice cream layer by turning wax papered ice cream upside down over cake and then peeling wax paper. Top ice cream with second layer of cake and press down lightly. Cover cake with saran wrap and re-freeze cake until ice cream is frozen again, about 20 minutes.
• Ice entire cake with cool whip and refreeze for 2 hours or until cool whip is set. Slice and serve. Store leftovers in the freezer covered tightly with saran wrap for two weeks.

I would either really lather the pan in cooking spray or line them with a baking liner. I had such a hard time getting the cake out intact. Maybe freezing it in the pan would help. Not sure, but don't stress over it because between the freezing and the frosting, it is very forgiving of crumbling cake.  Good luck!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Ever since we got back from vacation I've been on a healthier eating kick. There's nothing like eating snacks and pizza for a week to motivate me to try something new, and this one was super yummy. I found this soup quite a while ago from two peas and their pod, which is a blog that I don't really follow regularly, but where I occasionally find some good recipes to try out. This soup is colorful, flavorful, and relatively easy. I definitely recommend it. I was also surprised at how spicy it was. I guess I had forgotten that there were red pepper flakes and chili powder in there. :)

 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

1 T olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (I used one large and one small because I like sweet potato and it definitely didn't seem like too much... I think it was just right)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (I used jarred because I didn't want to roast a red pepper just for this soup. I had never purchased a jarred roasted red pepper before but it smelled super duper good right when I opened it. bonus. I also used some of the juice from the jar as part of the 2 cups of water below.)
2 cans low sodium vegetable broth (15 oz. size)
2 cups water
3 cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 T chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the sweet potato and roasted red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the broth, water, black beans, and tomatoes. Stir well.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir and toss in the cilantro. Stir again. Let the soup simmer on medium low for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

I didn't use any of these, but she says you can garnish the soup with cilantro, avocado slices, cheese, tortilla strips, and/or sour cream. 

I had to put the soup on medium-high for part of the 30 minutes because my potatoes just weren't getting soft, and I didn't end up adding any salt and pepper at the end because I thought it tasted great. However, I didn't get the low sodium versions of beans and vegetable broth so you may want to add some salt if you do get the low sodium stuff. I served it with buttered wheat toast which was super good to dip in the soup broth. Yum yum yum. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow. :)

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Poblano Chiles

Kara and I have been looking for quite some time for a good mac and cheese recipe. I think we finally found it - we loved this dish! Even though this is a slightly spicy recipe, variations should be pretty easy. The hardest part of the recipe was timing everything - I'd suggest doing the peppers first, and putting the noodles in to cook about when you start the Bechamel sauce.

Mac and Cheese
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 large fresh poblano chiles
Sea salt
1 lb dried pasta
4 cups hot Bechamel sauce (recipe included)
8 oz sharp white cheddar, grated
8 oz sharp orange cheddar, grated
8 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago, grated
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 c breadcrumbs

Bechamel sauce
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
4 c whole milk, heated till steaming
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Peppers:
Lay chiles on the sides on a gas burner and turn flame on high. Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until skins are evenly charred, about 10 minutes. (We put them in the oven on high broil).
Steam until cool in a closed paper bag (we put them in a covered bowl), about 15 minutes. Under cold running water, rub off burned peel. Then discard stems, core and devein chiles, scraping away all seeds, and cut into long thin strips.

Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to instructions on package until just tender. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl (do not rinse) and toss with butter.

Bechamel Sauce:
Melt 6 tablespoons butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking often, without allowing flour to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in hot milk. Add salt and nutmeg (and black pepper, if desired). Return to medium heat and bring to simmer. Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sauce has thickened to texture of melted ice cream, about 10 minutes.
Add cayenne, paprika, mustard, and Tabasco to sauce.
Stir all but one cup of the grated cheeses into the bechamel sauce. Heat, stirring until cheese just melt and sauce is smooth.

Pour the sauces over the pasta in the bowl. Add chiles and stir. Spoon into a buttered 9x13 baking dish . Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake at 400 until pasta is heated through, sauce is bubbling, and top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand on a rack for 5 minutes. Serves 8.

Blueberry Cobbler

I realize that nobody's posted anything on here in about a year, and that the last bajillion posts were by Mindy, so I figured it's about time that I post something. Earlier this week Mindy and I went blueberry picking at a local farm a couple of miles from our homes. I ended up with almost 6 cups of blueberries so I came home and found this recipe online. There were some other ones, but they usually involved orange juice, which I didn't have at the time. I had never made a cobbler before and I think it came out so darn good I had to make it again... two days later.

Blueberry Cobbler

      Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (fresh is best, right?)
• 1 teaspoon melted butter (I used a tablespoon because I read it wrong and it was delicious, so whatever you want to do here)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

     Topping:

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan, heat to boiling, stirring constantly, then boil for a minute or two (it turns clear and goopy when it's ready). Add the blueberries and pour into a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart pan/pyrex/pie plate/whatever. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with melted butter. For the topping, combine the dry ingredients, then add the melted butter to the milk and add that to the dry ingredients. Mix it until it comes together in a ball, then drop by spoonfuls onto the blueberry mixture. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes until topping is golden brown and goop is bubbling. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

You know it's good because Lydia kept asking for more... she didn't even have to finish a bite before she'd ask for another.

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

recipe altered slightly based on recipe from AllRecipes.com

4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 slice onion

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed (optional)
4 whole cloves (I used ground cloves)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cloves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender or just pour it into a blender and blend it up until smooth.

In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

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We are this with grilled cheese sandwiches and I added a few basil leaf bits to the top of my soup. Yum!

Stir Fry Sauce

Stir Fry Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sherry or Chinese cooking wine (I skip this or add a little extra soy sauce)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1+ tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp peanut oil (I just use more sesame oil instead)
3 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger or 2-3 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1tsp - 1 Tbsp minced garlic (opt.).

In a small bowl, combine the stock with the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch slurry, vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

In a medium saucepan, heat the peanut oil until shimmering. Add the ginger and crushed red pepper (and garlic) and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant and golden. Add the stock mixture and boil over high heat until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute.

A reviewer on Allrecipes.com (where I got this from) said: I usually add some garlic and some fresh orange juice instead of all that stock and 1/4 t. salt - I think this is really nice because it gives you a lot of sauce - I don't like a dry stir fry, especially over rice.

Kung Pao Chicken

This recipe is very tasty and is quite similar to the Spicy Chicken with Snow Peas recipe I just posted. I love the hot chile paste and I always love water chestnuts!

Kung Pao Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
2 tablespoons white wine (or not - I just left this out)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 ounce hot chile paste
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts
4 ounces chopped peanuts

To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

Perhaps less cornstarch or more water if you like it thicker and make double or triple the sauce.

Spicy Chicken with Snow Peas

We had a big bag of snow peas to use so I tried a few new recipes. I'm realizing that chile paste is a great way to really kick up the spiciness.

Spicy Chicken with Snow Peas

Olive oil
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pouch (3.5 ounces) boil-in-a-bag long grain brown rice
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Teaspoons chile paste with garlic
1 teaspoon bottled fresh ginger
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1.5 cups matchstick cut carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Place 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken cubes and cook until all sides have turned white and the center is no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Start cooking rice according to directions on the package, but omit the salt and fat. Once rice is done cooking remove from heat, but keep warm.

Combine sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chile paste and ground ginger in a small bowl.

Coat the skillet with cooking spray and add sesame oil, heat over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and bell peppers, saute for 2-minutes. Add the cubed chicken and snow peas to the pan and saute for an additional 1-minute. Remove carrot, pepper, chicken, snow pea mixture from the pan and set aside.

Return pan to the stove; over medium-high heat add soy sauce mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook mixture until it has reduced to 1/4 cup (about 1.5 minutes) stirring constantly.

Divide the rice amongst four plates and place chicken/vegetable mixture over the rice. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of sauce over each plate and top with 4 teaspoons of chopped peanuts. This recipe serves 4.

Taco and Fajita Seasoning

I recently gave up on buying Taco and Fajita seasoning packets from the store because I found these seasoning mix recipes that I think are so much better. Plus, you can increase or decrease the ingredients to suit your tastes (I always add extra hotness, like cayenne and crushed red pepper).

Taco Seasoning

To make about 1 packet worth (for 1 lb meat):

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Or 4x it and do this to make about 2/3 cup:

4 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoon paprika

6 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoon sea salt

4 teaspoon black pepper

I do the 4x recipe and put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.

Fajita Seasoning (about 3 packets worth)

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Same as with the Taco seasoning, put the ingredients right into a small container (like an old jam jar or small plastic container) and then shake. To use, add a few tablespoons of the mix and a few tablespoons of water.

Root Beer Float Cookies

Holy cow! These are amazing! So amazing, in fact, that I didn't even get the glaze made and they were disappearing so fast that I decided to skip it this time, although I'm sure it only adds deliciousness.

Root Beer Float Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons root beer concentrate or extract
4 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, eggs, and root beer extract. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for one hour until firm, then roll into one inch balls. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or use a silpat like I did). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before applying glaze.

Cream glaze:
2-3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk all ingredients until all lumps are gone.

Zucchini Cakes

I found this recipe in Relish Magazine (which comes with the newspaper), and since I had two big zucchini sitting in the fridge and we always have trouble using them, I decided to give it a try. These were delicious and didn't taste too zucchini-y (the recipe claims they taste like crab cakes but I don't know what crab cakes taste like). As usual, I didn't have everything: I substituted a Old Bay spice blend substitute I found online for the Old Bay Seasoning and some white onion for the green onion.

Zucchini Cakes

3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (from a baguette)
1 egg
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon butter

1. Place grated zucchini in a colander; sprinkle lightly with salt and let stand 30 minutes. Press with paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Zucchini should be fairly dry, and you should have about 2 cups. Place zucchini and remaining ingredients (except oil and butter) in a bowl. Mix well. Form into 8 patties the size of crab cakes. Chill.
2. Heat oil and butter in a skillet.
3. Add patties to skillet and cook on both sides until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Clam Chowder

This recipe makes an awesome clam chowder. I used 'fat free" half-and-half (what is that anyways? I thought it was the fat content that determines whether it is milk or heavy cream or half-and-half, etc. Anyone know?) and it still thickened up just fine and tasted great. Also I substituted apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar. The vinegar really makes the flavor pop so don't leave it out! Last time I made it I added extra onion, potatoes, celery, carrots and 4 cans of clams, making it a little heartier but still very delicious, without needing to increase the sauce (besides the added water to cover the veggies while cooking).

Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

I know many people aren't big fans of squash, but this is a recipe that even my squash-hating husband enjoyed. I chose this recipe because it has lots of other flavors that do a pretty good job of covering any squash taste. I did make a few modifications: I used half spicy sausage and half ground beef, used a second green pepper and some red pepper flakes instead of the red pepper, used some fresh tomatoes in addition to a small can of tomatoes, and substituted some of the cheddar with mozzarella. This smells delicious baking! Enjoy.

• Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
• 
  
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Basic Pizza Dough

A long while ago I found this pizza dough recipe on a website and it had very detailed instructions to how to prep it once it was mixed. Here is a link to the site for more detailed instructions on how to mix and prep it: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/46/17753

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup warm water (between 95° and 115° F.)
2 T yeast (2 tablespoons, I like my dough a little yeasty. You can use less)
2 T honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Feel free to add ingredients to the dough to make it more interesting.

You can mix it in a bread machine, kitchen mixer/food processor, or by hand (detailed instructions at the link above). After mixing, roll it out (instructions below)

Rolling out the dough:

One mistake most people make when working with dough is not using enough muscle. Dough fights back. You push it, it pushes back. Don't be afraid of the dough. It won't bite you and you can't really damage it, either. When working with dough, use plenty of flour, but don't let it get too dry. It should be fun to work with, not too sticky and not too crumbly.

Form it into a flat ball about six to eight inches wide.

Using both hands, one on top of the other, press from the center outwards on it to start stretching it out, turning the dough a bit on each push. You can also pick up the dough and squeeze the edges of it while turning it like a steering wheel. This allows the weight of the dough to stretch it.

Once the dough is about 1/2" thick all the way around, use a rolling pin to flatten it out to about 1/4" thick. I usually run the pin over once or twice, flip the dough over and give it a quarter turn and roll it again to make it even.

Take a fork and put puncture holes all over the dough. This keeps it from bubbling up while cooking and it also helps to hold the sauce on as well.

Transfer dough to pizza peal sprinkled corn meal or place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with sauce, cheese and/or toppings and bake in a 400° F. oven until the crust is light brown. Bake on either baking stones or on the cookie sheet or a pizza pan.

This dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or so, or even frozen. Be sure to let it come to room temperature before using.

Also, sometimes I (Mindy) bake the dough for a while (half time) before topping it with sauce and toppings - there is nothing worse than making a magnificent pizza only to find the dough in the middle uncooked.

Squash Soups

Butternut Squash Soup (from Cindy Miller)

1 small onion

1/2- 3/4 stick butter

1 med/large butternut squash (peeled and cut into cubes)

4c water

4 cubes chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried marjoram ( you will find it

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese ( I use fat free and it still tastes great)

1 tsp vanilla

* saute onions and butter until soft. Add cubed/peeled squash, water,chicken bouillon, marjoram and black pepper to the pot and bring to a boil. Once squash is tender (not mushy) pull the squash out of the soup and add to blender and puree with cream cheese. Return to soup mixture, the soup should be creamy not chunky when finished. Add Vanilla but do not allow to boil at this point. Serve with French bread and Enjoy!

Tips for peeling squash: you either can cut squash in half across the equator & then countinue cutting in 1-2 ring sections. Once in rings, they are easier to peel. (that is how Melanie peeled hers) I cut the squash in half long ways then cut into sections kinda like a carrot, then peeled it with a potatoe or carrot peeler which I found easier than in circles. This soup is really GOOD...hope you all enjoy it!

SQUASH SOUP (From Allison Olson)

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 lb peeled and sliced squash (butternut or buttercup is good)

2 medium potatoes

2 large carrots

1 small onion

2 stalks celery

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp thyme

1 Tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup half and half (or milk)

Cut all the vegetable in small pieces. In large saucepan, melt butter and saute squash, potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer till vegetables are tender, at least 30 minutes. Add half & half. Puree in blender. Heat and garnish with parsley.