Our (current) Favourite Granola

We are granola lovers around here, and we love it with fruit in place of the oil. The classic, of course, is applesauce, but we've also used pumpkin, and right now we're crazy about bananas. This little creation is like Banana Nut Bread, but in crunchy, wholesome granola form. It's great as a snack, with creamy whole milk, with yogurt, or just snitched right out of the container. It's that good. You can vary the nuts, of course, and use almonds or pecans or a combination of whatever, but, strange as it seems, I wouldn't do it without the sesame seeds. Somehow they just make it perfect; they are the je ne sais quoi of the granola.

Banana Walnut Granola

5 cups rolled oats
3 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup sliced almonds (or more walnuts!)
3/4 cup sesame seeds

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves


Preheat oven to 300˚F. Combine the oats, nuts, and seeds in a large bowl. In a saucepan, combine bananas, honey, oil, salt, sugar, and spices. Mash together with a fork or whisk, or do like I did, and use a stick blender. I love the vroot-vroot. Cook and stir until it's warm and gooey, then pour over the dry ingredients. Mix well with a large spoon, then spread over 2 baking sheets. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 and rotating pans at the 20 minute mark, until browned and starting to crisp. Let cool completely on pans, then store in an airtight container.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

A couple of months ago Justin went to a neighborhood party at which he tasted the best cookies he has ever tasted.  I was intrigued and asked him what made them so amazing.  He couldn't pin point anything in particular and just told me to get the recipe from our friend.  I didn't and time went on...after I had Vida this friend dropped off a plate of cookies for us.  I tasted one and couldn't believe it.  They were the best cookies in the world!  Simple chocolate chip, and I couldn't discern anything that made them special.  I meant to ask for the recipe but didn't and time went on...then one day I was making cookies with my sister-in-law and she explained she's been on a quest to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world and I exploded with excitement!  I know where to get it!  So, finally I asked for the recipe.  It's a very tricky recipe and I haven't gotten it right yet.  The trick is that it calls for cold butter and you never let the ingredients mix enough to have smooth dough.  You want it chunky.  This last time I think I left it too chunky.  Picture a consistency in between this and smooth:

And that's what we're shooting for.  I'd recommend halving the recipe until you get the consistency right.  I asked my friend how she does it and she said she pre-measures everything and adds everything sequentially to her Kitchen Aid mixer, without much pause.  She said she doesn't spend more than 5 minutes mixing, total.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

• 2 sticks butter, cold
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups  chocolate chips
• 2 cups walnuts (optional, but my friend always adds these)

Briefly mix sugars and butter.  Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda; incorporate.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

If you'd like to join the quest, please do.  Let us know how your attempts turn out!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I got this recipe from Heather, originally from Vicki.  It's great by itself - but I also saturated it with Heather's chocolate sauce and topped it with Michelle's Cinnabon cream cheese frosting.  So good.  I halved each of these recipes to make a small cake.  And even then I only used about half the chocolate sauce - so maybe make less of that?  Or just save it and eat it on ice cream.  It's delicious that way.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour milk

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4TB cocoa
• 3/4 tsp salt

• 2 cups finely grated zucchini

Cream butter, sugar and oil.  Add eggs, vanilla and milk and blend.  Mix dry ingredients separately then mix with wet.  Fold in zucchini.  Pour in 9x13 greased baking pan and bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Poke holes in cake and pour in:

Chocolate Sauce

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and allow to thicken.  Remove from heat.

Frost with:

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar (or until the consistency is right)
• 1 TB milk

Combine ingredients in bowl and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

This pumpkin soup recipe is sooooooooo good.  I bought a big pumpkin for 10 cents a lb (they are now 5 cents a lb so I might just get another), cooked it up and made pumpkin puree just like I did last year.  I always pick highly-rated and most-popular healthy recipes from allrecipes.com and I always look at the comments.  Always.  The comments are extremely helpful, and even they are rated according to how good they are.  The comments at the top are the ones users feel make the recipe the best.  I added celery and a bay leaf to this recipe thanks to the comments and I think it made all the difference.  I've never had a soup that tasted so much like thanksgiving stuffing in my life - and I LOVE stuffing.  Marquie and Patrick were here and can testify of how delicious it is.  Replace the bouillon cube broth I used with James' homemade chicken stock and this soup would probably be the best soup I've ever had.  James and Liz - you must tell me if you make this with your homemade broth.

Pumpkin Soup

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 cups fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 med-large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 cup milk

Heat all ingredients except the milk in a large stockpot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes [I simmered for about 2 hours because I had the time].  Remove bay leaf, puree in blender or food processor and return to pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.  Stir in milk and serve.

Autumn Panzanella

I made this tonight for a family get together, and it's amazing. Panzanella is that salad we all love where you chop up tomatoes and toss it with bread/croutons and herbs and oil. Unfortunately, the season for this is past, so one must improvise. I made homemade croutons, half french bread, half sweet brown bread (from the day-old rack at WalMart) and they are truly amazing. If you're not in the mood to make your own croutons, then just use some pre-made ones and call it a day. It'll work.

This has everything amazing about Autumn—creamy butternut squash, crisp-tender cruciferous vegetables, parmesan cheese, herbs, crusty bread, and rich red onions. I highly recommend it.

Winter Panzanella

Adapted from Michael Chiarello

For the croutons:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed

6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan (I used the shredded stuff from the store)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt

4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice)

1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered (I had small sprouts, so I only halved them)

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. I know I said one could use store bought croutons, but these are amazing. I'm pretty sure I ate enough of them to throw off the intended balance of the salad. Oops!

Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 90 seconds, then drain.

Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.

In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan, if you'd like, and serve immediately.

Curried Squash and Red Lentil Soup

Mom made this soup for me while she was here and it was so good.  I'm usually not a fan of non-creamy soups but I looked forward to this every time I had a bowl.  We ate it with the squash rolls I posted last year.  I had another one of those mammoth banana squashes to use up.  Love those.  I paid $3 for it and am just now using it for it's 5th dish.
I just happened to have red lentils on hand, that's why this recipe caught our attention.  Anyone know more cool stuff to do with red lentils?  I love finding new ways to use different kinds of grains that I don't usually cook with.  We didn't make the cilantro oil for the topping, but I'm sure it's lovely. 


Curried-Squash and Red-Lentil Soup

• 3 TB canola oil
• 2 TB butter
• 1 1/2lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces [we used banana squash]
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped,
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TB minced peeled ginger [we used ginger powder]
• 1 TB curry powder
• 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• [we added some chicken bouillon at the end to make it more flavorful]

Heat oil with butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir in curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.  Add lentils and water and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25 to 40 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Make cilantro oil: 
Purée 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender.

Serve soup drizzled with cilantro oil.

Spinach Quiche

So, yeah, I got an iPad.  I suppose I'll blog about that sometime on my regular blog.  Maybe not.  Anyways, I've been very much enjoying the ease and convenience of my new Epicurious app.  We've still got this breakfast for dinner tradition going on Sundays, and one thing I haven't been enjoying about it is that it seems most breakfast foods take little prep.  I can't take the leisure time available to me on Sundays to do something I truly enjoy:  cooking.  I love a good long cooking prep session as long as the product is a healthy meal that I can really be proud of (and if I get help tending Jaime, which is also available to me on Sundays).  But, I decided the problem is only for lack of effort on my part.  There are plenty of breakfast foods that involve the kind of prep that makes me feel good and proud of my cooking - chopping lots and lots of produce.

On this particular occasion I had spinach to use up and began my search for a spinach quiche.  I found a a great recipe that I then altered to include even more produce and was very proud of the result.  I've always had the feeling quiche was pretty unhealthy but I'm really happy with this quiche recipe.  I basically filled up the homemade pie shell with sauteed produce and then poured a mixture of eggs and cottage cheese to fill in the holes.



Spinach Quiche

• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 bunch of spinach (or a 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach)
• 1 pie crust
• 1 tsp flour
• 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp dillweed

Saute onion and pepper over med-high heat in olive oil until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add spinach and stir until spinach is dry, about 3 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle both cheeses over bottom of crust.  Top with spinach mixture.  Beat eggs, cottage cheese, and spices in large bowl to blend.  Pour over spinach mixture and bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes.  Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Beet Greens

We got some beats from the ward garden.  We are still experimenting with the actual beats, but in the meantime we've discovered a salad we like to use up beat greens.  It's delicious and healthy.  Enjoy!





Beat Green Salad

• 2 bunches beat greens
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 TB olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup almonds, toasted until golden

Rinse the greens thoroughly.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the greens and remove after 1 minute (blanching).  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Squeeze out the excess liquid and chop coarsely.  In a large skillet, heat 2 TB olive oil then add greens, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir constantly for 2 minutes until the greens are tender but still brightly colored.  Transfer to a bowl.  Whisk lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1 TB olive oil together separately, pour over the greens and toss.  Add onion, tomato and almonds.  Toss again.  

Garlic Roasted Summer Squash

I found this recipe through a google search (go figure) the other day when I wanted a side dish for some yummy whole wheat pasta.  It turned out better than I thought it would, maybe because of all the oil?  I think my cooking standards dip lower than normal during pregnancy, so sue me.  We all loved it and couldn't get enough.  I didn't measure any of the ingredients, just used the recipe as a guideline and eye-balled it all, making some substitutions.  Try it out with what you have in your kitchen.

Garlic Roasted Summer Squash

• 2 summer squash
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence [substituted with rosemary, thyme, marjoram and fresh mint from the front yard, diced]
• salt
• pepper

Trim ends of squash and cut into thin wedges, lengthwise.  Toss the squash in a bag or bowl with the rest of the ingredients.  Spread on baking sheet and roast 5-10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Shepherd's Nachos

Just dropping in to share a unique idea Justin came up with and I brought to fruition for lunch today.  Mashed potatoes topped with beef, red bell pepper, onions and black beans (cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning), sprinkled with cheese and dolloped with sour cream and salsa.  We ate it with corn tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner

We're trying out a new tradition of having breakfast for dinner on Sundays.  At first it was really hard to stick to because I could only think of the same handful of things to make, but lately we've gotten more creative.

Breakfast Pizza


Make a regular pizza "breakfast themed" by adding breakfast sausage and a good amount of drizzled egg.  This one had tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, sausage, eggs and cheese.  Delicious and incredibly filling.

Homemade English Muffins


Got the recipe here.  Make the dough, roll it out, cut 'em out, let 'em rise, and cook 'em in a skillet.



We made ours into breakfast sandwiches by splitting them and adding egg, summer sausage and cheese.



So delicious!

2 New Treats

Remember how delicious my lemon cheesecake is?  Yeah.  You'll love this.  We had an extra package of cream cheese and an extra container of cool whip left over from the holiday yesterday.  I put them to use in a new creation - my lemon cheesecake recipe turned into a lighter, firmer creamy lemon mousse.  It is delicious and everyone loved it!



Lemon Cheesecake Mousse

• 1 graham cracker crust
• 8oz cream cheese
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 8oz cool whip

Use a hand mixer to smooth the cream cheese; add milk and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add lemon juice and beat until smooth.  Add cool whip and beat just until combined (do not over beat or the cool whip will get runny).  Pour into graham cracker crust and let set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

I created this next tantalizing treat a couple of weeks ago.  Again we had two items that needed to be used up...is that how all of my new creations are made?  It could be.  This time the two items were a devil's food cake mix that was past its expiration date and a can of coconut milk that Jaime ripped the label off of.  The result was a succulent better-than-whatever style chocolate coconut cupcake with Nutella frosting.  If I could change one thing about what I did, it would be to make it in cake form instead of cupcakes.  There are other issues, such as it's overly intense richness and the stiffness of the frosting...but I'll leave that up to you to experiment with.

Coconut Nutella Cupcakes

• 1 box Devil's Food cake mix
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can coconut milk
• butter
• powdered sugar
• Nutella
• strawberries, or other garnish

Make cake mix according to package directions and add 1/2 can of coconut milk to batter before baking.  Let cake cool and then poke holes in it as you do when making 'better-than-whatever' cake (for cupcakes I used a chopstick for smaller holes).  Combine the rest of the coconut milk with sweetened condensed milk and pour into holes.  Make Nutella frosting by creaming butter, adding powdered sugar and then adding Nutella.  Enjoy!

Tell me what you think, what you'd do differently, or if you do make them, how they turn out!

Sausage and Pepper Penne Salad

We've been busy on the salads this week. This won't be the last one. This was a meaty, grilled winner, and could easily be modified using Italian or any other sausage or skipping the meat entirely. Go with what makes you happy. Also, this is a biggie—it served 7 of us as a main dish, so scale down as needed, or invite someone over to help.

Grilled Sausage and Pepper Penne Salad

2 pounds fresh kielbasa, grilled to perfection

3 bell peppers, various colors, roasted or grilled, then diced

1 pound penne, cooked and drained

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

2 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese

Dressing:

1/2 cup [light] mayonnaise

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste

salt and pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss together. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over, then mix well. Want more mayo? Add it. Need a little more vinegar tang like I did? pour it in! This is a great salad for using up leftovers.

Quick Tomato Salad

We had this last night with a roasted chicken, and it was summer heaven. Make it now.

Tomato Salad

2 quarts grape or cherry tomatos, halved

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2-1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

up to 1/4 cup fresh sage, or to taste, chopped

drizzle olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix and serve. You might want to start easy on the sage and add more if you have a hankering. It can be overwhelming if you overdo it. Try to make the salad about 1/2 hour before you want to eat it so it will settle, mellow, and blend.

It's summer in a bowl.

Chinese Night

You may already have these recipes, but here's a refresher because these are just too good to ignore.

This first one is an incredibly common dish in China that I had never before attempted before tonight, called Tudou Si.  I looked for a recipe and found one on this site.  I've also used the site for Smacked Cucumber, another incredibly common Chinese dish usually served as an appetizer.  I really like the site and her very Chinese way of giving cooking instructions - no measurements, simply an order to things and descriptions of certain Chinese cooking techniques.  It turned out okay but next time I'll cut the potatoes thinner and use less red pepper flakes.  In China it usually has chopped dried red pepper instead of red pepper flakes, but I had to improvise.

Tudou Si (Shredded Potatoes)

• oil
• 2 potatoes, julienned length-wise (smaller than the above picture)
• 1/3 green bell pepper
• 1-2 shakes red pepper flakes
• vinegar
• soy sauce

Heat oil in frying pan.  Add potatoes and bell pepper and stir-fry over high heat until half cooked.  Add the rest of ingredients and cook until potatoes are a pleasant firmness (add a few tablespoons of water every time they start sticking before they are soft enough).

Next is Chao Jidan, or Eggs and Tomatoes.  This one wasn't quite as common, but every foreigner we knew ate it.  It's a foreign crowd pleaser in China.  The most prevalent memory I have of this dish is buying it with rice for less than a buck whenever I was hungry and didn't want to cook.  I'd only made this a hand full of times, but after I made it tonight I asked myself "why am I not eating this all the time?"  It's so delicious, and very easy.  I received the recipe from a Relief Society Chinese cooking activity while in China.  It's also on the site I mentioned above.

Chao Jidan (Eggs and Tomatoes) 

• oil
• 2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
• garlic (I did 3-4 cloves)
• 4 eggs 
• sugar
• salt
• chicken bouillon

Heat oil in frying pan.  Add eggs and scramble (this is a different kind of scrambling - dump the eggs in and then rapidly stir them in a big circle until they're all cooked - it makes tiny pieces and long pieces, not fluffy clumps).  Remove from pan and set aside.  Brown garlic in pan.  Add tomatoes.  If tomatoes bleed enough liquid you won't need to add any, but if they are sticking add a few tablespoons of water.  Sprinkle small amounts of salt and sugar.  Sprinkle bouillon to taste.  Half cook the tomatoes and then add the eggs back in.  Heat through.

I never ate this final dish in China.  We ate it and learned to make it while staying with the Ye family in Taiwan.  China does similar versions, usually by cooking the cabbage in strong and spicy sauces.  It's simple, delicious, and can use up a whole cabbage at once.  That's what I'm talking about.

Bacon Cabbage

• 1 head cabbage, cut into 1-2 inch square pieces
• 1/4 - 1/2 lb bacon or ham, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• salt
• sugar

Cook bacon in large stock pot.  Drain as much grease as desired.  Add cabbage and a few tablespoons of water.  Cover and let steam until cabbage has collapsed, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!  We did.

Spanish Rice and 7-layer dip

These two dishes sounded like a good combination for last night.  I've made the Spanish Rice several times and love it.  It's adapted from this recipe using the comments listed on that site.  The 7-layer (actually 9 layer) dip was a first tonight but a success.  It was adapted according to my desires using this recipe.

Spanish Rice

• 2 TB oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1+ cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper [I put the whole thing in...when am I going to use the other half?]
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles [I used one can diced tomatoes, one can chopped green chiles]
• 2 tsp chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin

Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Add rice and brown.  Stir in water, tomatoes and spices.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

7-Layer Dip

• 1 lb sausage [I used 1/2 lb turkey sausage]
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles
• [I added guacamole]
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream [I did less - one thin layer]
• 1 (11 oz) jar salsa [I did less - a thin layer]
• 1 (6 oz) can sliced black olives
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend [I did less - one thin layer]
• tortilla chips [I did Fritos]

Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned.  Remove from heat and stir in beans, chiles and taco seasoning.  Spread mixture into 9x13 serving dish.  Layer in this order: [guacamole] sour cream, salsa, olives, tomato, green onion, and cheese.  Serve with chips.

Cornbread and Sweet Potato Soup

Hey guys, no pictures this time.  I just wanted to let you know of two recipes I've been enjoying lately.  The first is a cornbread that I make to serve with Jambalaya and it's delicious.  I've made it 3 times or so, including a dinner for Liz and the boys and one for Michelle's family (so I'm sure they can vouch).  The second is a sweet potato soup I've made 3 times as well, including while Liz and the boys were here.  Today, I started making it and Jaime was interested in the process and got to help with stirring, dumping, etc.  Near the end she saw me taste it and wanted a taste. So, I gave her a taste and then she wanted taste, after taste, after taste...you get the picture.  To be honest though, she didn't like it so much that she would sit in her highchair and put her bib on to get a bowl of it.  I made it ahead of time and will reheat for dinner.  The comments on the website say it's better after it sits for awhile.  I love these two, so enjoy!

Buttermilk Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk [I make this ahead of time with vinegar and milk]
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Stir together butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until well blended.  Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended.  Pour batter into greased 8 inch square pan. Bake for 30-40min at 375 degrees until toothpick comes out clean.  [This also makes 12 cornmeal muffins.  If you do muffins, cook for much less time, about 20 minutes.]

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs peeled raw sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into large dice
• 1 TB butter
• 1 pinch sugar
• 3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half [I used milk, but Jaime even liked it without]
• salt and pepper, to taste
• garnish: chopped honey-roasted peanuts

Heat oil over medium-high heat in medium soup pot.  Add sweet potatoes and onion and saute 7-8 minutes until golden brown.  Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic.  Cook about 10 minutes until vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color.  Add ginger, nutmeg and cayenne and saute 1 minute until fragrant.  Add broth, bring to a simmer over med-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered until sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Blend mixture in blender or food processor until smooth, venting appropriately for steam release.  Return to pot and add half-and-half or milk until desired consistency.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.  Heat through and ladle into bowls.  Enjoy!

Biscuit Casserole

So, I randomly got a craving for a dinner I had once about 7 years ago, and even then it was one of those deliciously unhealthy dinner-in-a-box things.  I scoured the internet for recipes for this homemade chicken and biscuit casserole, and with help from James and Justin I was able to find a suitable recipe to base it off of.  I left the chicken out, added extra vegetables and made the biscuits half wheat flour.  Come on.  Who are you talking to?



Biscuit Casserole

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1  cup chopped onion
• 1 rib celery [I did 2 ribs]
• 1/3 cup white flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp dried sage [I don't have sage, so I used half thyme half rosemary]
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken [omitted - used extra peas until mixture was good consistency, I would also recommend chopped potatoes]
• 2 cups vegetables of your choice [I used a frozen bag of mixed veggies]
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in medium-sized pot.  Stir in the onion and celery, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add the flour, stirring 1 to 2 minutes.  Whisk in the chicken stock.  When it starts to thicken, whisk in the milk.  Add spices, chicken and vegetables and stir until mixture is heated through.  Remove from heat, spread in casserole dish and set aside.

For biscuit topping:

• 2 cups flour [I did half white half wheat]
• 1 TB baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup milk

Meanwhile, turn oven on to 375 degrees and begin biscuits.  Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in butter using hands.  Add the milk and stir briskly, just until the dough pulls together.

Flour your work surface, knead the dough two or three times, and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.  Using a cup or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into round biscuits and place on top of casserole, edges touching.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 20-30 minutes.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

We all enjoyed it, but in retrospect I'd do a few things differently.  First off, the creamy filling wasn't quite as delicious as I thought it should be.  Suggestions?  I think it needs a bit more flavor, and might even be good a bit spicy.  Also, the biscuits weren't nearly as fluffy as I wanted them to be.  All white flour?  Biscuits from a can? Homemade rolls instead?  Those are my thoughts.