Hungry Like the Wilf: 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Moving Day

Hello Hungry Like the Wilf Followers!!!

I am having some difficulties with using Blogger these days (namely in that Blogger is not allowing me to store or upload photos any longer to my blog) so I have decided to make a move to a new blog host. Please click the link below to find my new web address. All old recipes and blog content will be still available there! Plus, I like a lot of the new features I have found one the new host. I may be a bit slower in uploading recipes as I learn the new program but I hope you find me there!

www.hungrylikethewilf.wordpress.com

Heather Wilford

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Make Your Own Take-Out - General Tso Chicken

This recipe turned out SOOOOO good. We love a good spicy sesame chicken or General Tso chicken from the local Chinese restaurant. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try making it myself. It was crispy, sweet, spicy, and just delicious! There wasn't a bit of it left over! It will definitely be a regular at our house!

Make Your Own Take-Out General Tso Chicken

Recipe adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com

2-4 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten

Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 c. Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce for Wings
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 c. frozen or fresh broccoli

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.

Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce.

While the chicken is cooking, steam broccoli. Serve over hot, steamed brown rice.

Husband Rating: 8 out of 10

Food for Thought: By using the buffalo sauce, it takes a little of the heat down a notch for the chicken but it still had a good kick. It was a little hot for our three year old. I would recommend looking at the sweet and sour chicken recipe from the same blog. I made the same one that night and although I personally preferred the spicy chicken, the boys liked the sweet and sour and our whole family was happy. (You make the chicken basically the same way, just a different sauce you bake it with.)

Monday, November 19, 2012

Garlic Roasted Chicken

I was shopping at Trader Joe's and saw these HUGE whole chickens and was inspired to roast a chicken for dinner. When I say huge, I mean a 7 1/2 pound chicken... small turkey??? No, it really is a chicken but it does feel a bit like we are doing a Thanksgiving preview around here. Watching some football, the bird is in the oven, not a bad way to spend out Sunday.

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Recipe adapted from www.fortheloveofcooking.net

1 whole chicken
1 Tbsp. softened butter
2-3 tsp. minced garlic
1 small yellow onion, cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil cooking spray
salt/pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove any giblets from the chicken and rinse chicken inside and out. Pat dry.

In a small bowl, combine butter and 2 -3 tsp. minced garlic (to your taste preferences). I go heavy on garlic because I love it! Loosen the skin around the chicken breasts and coat breasts with butter mixture.

Coat outside of the chicken with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Combine parsley, smashed garlic cloves, and onion and stuff inside bird cavity. Place the bird on a roasting rack on a roasting pan.

Bake chicken at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes per pound (so for me that was about 2 1/2 hours) or until the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes covered in tin foil lightly tented over the bird to allow the juices to redistribute before cutting and serving.

Husband Rating: 5 out of 10

Food for Thought: If you plan to stuff your bird, add at least 15 minutes to your cooking time.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Chicken, Tomato, Zucchini, and Orzo Stew

So, after roasting that huge chicken, we had about half of it left over. I needed something to use up the meat and wanted something different. I also had a box of orzo in the pantry that I had been wanting to find a use for. I threw together a few different things and this is what I came up with. It is definitely not my husband's style of meal - he really didn't like it but I enjoyed it and it was a nice way to use up some of the food we already had around the house!

Chicken, Tomato, Zucchini, and Orzo Stew

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
4 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1 1/2 c. orzo
4 c. cooked chicken, cut into bit sized pieces
salt/pepper to taste
optional: sliced kalamata olives (for topping - though I LOVE kalamata olives and would say they really make the dish!)

Instructions:

In a large sauce pan, combine tomatoes, broth, garlic, carrots marjoram, thyme, and basil. Bring to a boil.

Add orzo and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until orzo is tender. Add cooked chicken and heat until chicken is hot. Dish up and top with olives.

Husband rating: 1 out of 10 (but like I said, this isn't his type of meal)

Food for thought: I also thought of making it a bit more soup-like. To do that, I would double the amount of broth in it. I might experiment with making it more of a soup than a stew next time and see what I can come up with. I will keep you posted!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Crispy Flounder with Roasted Tomatoes and Potato Leek Hash

I need to start working on making fish more often. I just get kind of intimidated with buying good quality fish, cooking it in a way that turns out well, and not having it go to waste on my kids (who often don't like fish).

Tonight though, my littlest one LOVED the fish eating his fillet, half of mine, and his brothers (who true to form refused all but his no-thank-you bite of fish). So, I guess I just need to buck up and make fish more often. It wasn't hard to make and it turned out well.

Crispy Flounder with Roasted Tomatoes and Potato Leek Hash

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2012

Tomatoes:
2 Tbsp. kalamata olives, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
salt/pepper, to taste
1/4 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced
Fish:
1 c. panko
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 6-oz. skinless flounder fillets
cooking spray
salt/pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Hash:
1 package refrigerator shredded hash brown potatoes
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 tsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large oven proof skillet, toss olives, olive oil, and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a shallow dish, combine panko, parsley, and thyme. Rinse and pat dry fish fillets. Generously coat each fillet with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets in panko mixture and set aside on a plate.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add potatoes, leeks, 1 tsp. thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 12 minute or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside when done.

When oven is heated, put tomatoes in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

While tomatoes are baking, heat oil to cook fish. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil at a time over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets to pan and cook 3 minutes per side or until reaches desired doneness. Remove from pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining fish.

When tomatoes are done, top with basil. Serve fish with hash and tomatoes. Yum!

Husband Rating: 5 out of 10

Food for Thought: The original recipe called for capers instead of kalamata olives. I think capers would also be delicious in this recipes and would like to try that next time too! I thought that having hash browns for dinner was a little odd but am willing to maybe give this meal another shot but with maybe doing the potatoes in another format. I guess I am a hashbrowns for breakfast kind of gal...

Friday, November 9, 2012

Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce with Sausage and Gnocchi

What was on the menu wasn't really thrilling me today. So, I looked around my newly organized pantry and in my fridge and freezer and pulled together the following items and came up with a yummy dinner! And, the kids... they liked it! One love gnocchi and so he ate as much of that as I could keep on his plate. The other loved the sausage in the sauce and devoured that. In fact, they even resorted to swapping the parts of their meals with each other that they liked best. Works for me!

Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce with Sausage and Gnocchi

5 Italian sausage links (I used Trader Joes Spicy Italian Vino and Formaggio Chicken Sausage)
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 c. baby spinach
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 c. tomato basil sauce
1 pkg. multi-colored gnocchi
fresh grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves. Remove sausage from casings and cook in oil. When sausage is cooked through, add spinach and cook until wilted. Add tomato basil sauce, dried basil, and cream cheese and reduce heat to low. Stir occationally to combine as cream cheese melts into the sauce.

In a seperate pan, bring water to a boil. Boil gnocchi for 2-3 minutes until they are floating on the surface of the water and are tender. Remove from water and set aside. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and garlic cloves until fragrant. Place gnocchi in a single layer in the pan. Cook until it begins to get crisp on one side (about 3-4 minutes). Give the pan a good shake to rotate some of the gnocchi. Cook for another 2-4 minutes until gnocchi are crispy all around.

Serve gnocchi with sauce on top and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Husband Rating: 6 out of 10 (My husband is a bit of a sauce snob - he likes white sauces to be white, red sauces to be red, but doesn't like when the sauces are a bit in-between like tonight. So, I was pleasantly surprised with a six on a meal I didn't really think he would like!) :)

Food for Thought: You could skip the crisping part of the gnocchi and serve it soft as well. I just personally like the texture of the crispy gnocchi in contrast to the sauce. If you are pinched for time or don't want to dirty another pan, simply just boil the gnocchi and serve!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Rosemary Garlic Pork Tenderloin

I have been feeling unispired for dinner the last week or so... just no knowing what to cook or even what ingredients I wanted to try. I figured that since I didn't really know where to start, the best thing to do was to work on clearing out a few of the basics that were sitting in our deep freeze.

We had a bunch of pork tenderloins and so inspired by a meal I had recently had at a restaurant, I looked up pork tenderloins using maple bacon. This recipe is what I found and it was delish! I would say the pepper was a bit intense in the rub and I might cut back on it a bit next time. However, it was overall delicious, a great warm meal on a cool Fall day!

Rosemary Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Recipe adapted from www.foodnetwork.com

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems

5 large garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed

2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each

6 slices maple bacon

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Rub the mustard mixture over the surface of the tenderloins and wrap in plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a roasting pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with 3 slices of maple bacon.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes minutes or until thermometer inserted in tenderloin registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Husband Rating: 8 out of 10

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

Happy Day after Election Day! Whether your candidate won or lost, aren't you glad to be done with the phone calls, mailers, needless political ranting on facebook, etc.? I know I am!

Our good friends invited us last night to their house to watch the election results come in. Wait a minute... a fun activity on a Tuesday night??? That is unheard of, at least since we had children!

Since we rarely get out for a night without the kids, my husband and I decided we should have a little fun with it - i.e. Uncle Sam hat for him, light up red/white/blue tiara for me, patriotic leis, the whole sha-bang!

And, when I offered to make a dessert, of course I had to do something within the theme. Though this is probably more appropriate as a 4th of July dessert, it was light, fruity, and scrumptious! Happy Post Election Day!!!

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

Recipe from www.recipesnobs.com

1 1/2 pounds raspberries or strawberries

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided

1/4 cup cold water

16 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 cups cold heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fine salt

20 to 24 ladyfingers

3/4 pound blueberries

In a medium bowl, combine raspberries with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and water. With the back of a fork, lightly mash berries to release their juices and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together mascarpone and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Whisk in cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and, using an electric beater, beat until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.

In an 8 in. springform pan, place half the ladyfingers in a single layer (you are going to have to cut up the lady fingers a bit to get them to fit). Top with half the berry mixture. Spread half the whipped cream over berries.

Repeat layers with remaining ladyfingers, berries, and whipped cream. Top with blueberries and refrigerate until whipped cream is stiff and cookies have softened, about 3 hours. To serve, remove outside of springform pan, slice and serve!

Food for Thought: My sister and I were tossing out ideas on how you could make this a Christmas-y dish and we came up with a few variations - make it just all red and white striped (so it looks like a a candy cane) by replacing the blueberries with strawberries, try kiwi instead of blueberries to get the red and green look, or even possibly a little green food coloring in the whipped cream and then doing just red berries for the fruit. The possibilites seems endless! :) Happy eating!

Friday, November 2, 2012

It has to get worse before it can get better...

Today, I digress from my usually recipe posting to venture into another of my favorite past times - organizing! My kitchen has been driving me up the walls! It has been in need of a MAJOR overhaul!

When we moved into our house, my older son was three weeks old. I had just had a c-section and could lift minimally. I just basically shoved things into cupboards in order to have our boxes unpacked and cookware accessible. As time went on, many items found homes in different inconvienent spaces because I needed to keep them away from curious toddlers.

I finally hit the wall when I came home from Trader Joe's a few weeks ago with several items I already had in my pantry but didn't know about because there was no organization to it! I mean, really, does one need the empty box for their child's nebulizer next to the apple peeler/corer/slicer next to the tomato soup in the pantry? Does that really make sense? Should my cake pans, dinner plates, measuring cups, and serving bowls all be shoved into the same cupboard? Why can't I ever find any lids for my tupperware containers - is it because they are scattered in the deep recesses of the pantry shelf my tupperware lives on? My kitchen was driving me bananas!

Here are a few pictures of my sad pantry and spice cabinet... I didn't snap pics of all our cupboards... just a few to expose my shove and shut the door method of organizing (with fingers crossed that nothing falls out the next time I open the door)! This obviously wasn't working!

So, I arranged for the boys to be neatly tucked away at Grandma and Grandpa's for the day, did a little shopping ahead of time at Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get some great kitchen organization tools, and did a little research on my new favorite blog obsession www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com, and a few other websites for kitchen organization tips.

And, finally, today was the day for all the fun to begin!!! All the various websites I looked at suggested that in order to truly get yourself organized, you really need to start from scratch. Meaning, empty your cupboards completely and then reload in an organized manor. So that is exactly what I did.

I started emptying a few cupboard before dropping the boys off at Grandma and Grandpa's. My three year old (seen below) thought it was pretty cool seeing Mom destroy the kitchen!

It must get worse before it can get better...

Much worse...

Ok, at this point, I had my doubts... Would it all fit back into our kitchen? Could I get this done in one day? Would I have the energy to get it all done and do it properly without just giving up after a few hours and starting to shove everything back in where ever it fit just to get it done?

I put on some great music, drank a little more of my pumpkin latte from Caribou I picked up after dropping off the boys, and dove back in.

I worked for probably between 9 and 10 hours from empty to organize but the results are outstanding!!! Here are a few of the after shots!!!

Baking Supplies and Spices Cabinet

I have a LOT of spices so in addition to my lazy susan I was already using I added a step shelf so the spices were not just stacked three deep but can be seen. I also bought canisters for my sugars and flours so they are neatly stored rather than in bags that spill all over all the time.

My favorite little trick I found on the web was using these little 3M hooks to hang your measuring cups and spoons right on the inside of the door of your cabinet so they are readily accessible for baking without taking up shelf space. LOVE it!!!

The other thing that I did that seems really helpful was to get a clear bin to put all my various nuts in. That way when a recipe calls for pine nuts, macademia nuts, pecans, walnuts, etc., I can just pull out that container and see what I have rather than shuffle through bags of nuts on the shelf. So much easier! (Prettier labels yet to come... just needed something for the moment!) :)

Dishes and cookware were organized by use/category - daily use, baking, food prep, etc. Each cabinet and drawer has a more focused purpose now. And, the location is more appropriate too with daily use items in cabinets near the sink and dishwasher, food prep items in the cabinet under our kitchen island, etc. All of this in an effort to make cooking more streamlined! It's so lovely and organized and I am such a nerd!

And, finally, the pantry... which needed the most help! Remember? It had the empty box from my son's nebulizer in it, next to the apple peeler/corer/slicer I use once a year, next to the 6 boxes of tomato soup I bought in bulk at Costco, next to the paper plates and cups from Halloween and birthday parties... And, now... lovely organization!!!!!!

In here, the main objective was to keep it mainly food related (with the exceptions being food storage - baggies, tin foil, plastic wrap, paper towels) and for each shelf to have a category. My main categories included pastas, grains, canned goods, and quick grab lunch food (soup, mac-n-cheese, etc.). By creating categories, my hope is that when it comes to grocery list making time, I can more easily glance quickly at the shelf to see what is needed rather than hunt through three cabinets to see where all the different locations of canned goods are and see what I have.

The other piece that I think is helpful is to condense all the smaller bags of various grains and rice into a large bin. They, like the nuts mentioned above, tend to scatter all over a shelf and be hard to locate and keep neat. By putting them all into one bin, I can easily grab the bin out when I am cooking and get the quinoa, rice, or barley I need to cook! Yay for great organization!

(Oh, and another tip I saw online often was clear bins, as you can see I used. It is easier to quickly glance at what you have rather than having to dig through as you would with wicker baskets or opaque baskets.)

Last but not least, our former "junk" cabinet... the one where we put all the bills to be paid, the mail coming in and out of the house, the pens, pencils, scissors, etc. Now, one shelf holds such items and the top shelves are my cookbooks and extra party supplies (crepe paper, cups, napkins, plastic silverware, plates).

And, I used an old silverware organizer that we no longer needed to organize the "junk" drawer below the junk cabinet! Not bad!

After all was said and done, I was left with one empty drawer and a few empty shelves in two cabinets. I love that I have room to grow. Yes, I did throw out about 3 bags of trash as well as donate to charity one large box of items we no longer use. However, considering the massive piles that I saw this morning and the daunting nature of the task, I think it went rather well!!!

Here are my highlights for you if you want to do a little kitchen reorganize yourself:

Start by completely emptying the space you want to reorganize
Sort your items into categories - daily use, baking, food prep, etc.
Use clear bins to hold smaller like items such as nuts, grains, rice, etc. (and label your bins!!!)
Utilize hanging spaces such as hanging measuring spoons and cups on backs of cabinets

Happy Organizing!!!!!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Cream Cheese Frosting

I hosted a Halloween party for my boys and wanted to make a somewhat sneaky healthy treat for the party. I cooked up a batch of my pumpkin muffins and decided they needed a little something special to make them "party-worthy". Enter a quick batch of DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting! Yum! It was perfect. The kids loved them; I loved them; I felt good about what I was feeding the kids.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Beat for 2-3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Caramelized Butternut Squash

Squash is such a delicious Fall food! This is another easy way to bake it up and enjoy as a delicious side dish. I could eat them plain for a snack, they are so tasty fresh from the oven! And, even better warmed up the next day! (If you have any left over, that is...)

1 medium butternut squash
1/8 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut ends of butternut squash off and discard. Peel the squash, cut it in half the long way, and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and salt/pepper. Pour over the squash and stir to coat cubes evenly.

Cover a cookie sheet or large baking dish in tin foil (for easier clean up) and spread the squash in a single layer on the foil. Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, turning a few times, until the squash is tender and begins to caramelize.

Mom's Delicious Lasagna

I love, love, love lasagna! It's one of those comfort foods that I always can eat large amounts of! My mom's homemade lasagna recipe is the best. I love it! That's all I need to say about that!

Mom's Delicious Lasagna

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef, turkey, or Italian sausage (whatever you prefer, I use Italian sausage)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 10 oz. pk. frozen chopped spinach (optional)
1 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 pkg. oven ready lasagna noodles or 8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and drained
2 c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced

Instructions:

Saute the onion and garlic in oil over medium high heat until tender. Add the meat and brown. Add tomato sauce, paste, spinach, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

In a 9x13 baking dish, place 1/2 of the lasagna noodles across the bottom of the dish. Layer 1/2 of the cottage cheese, 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Add half of the meat sauce. Repeat the layers. Use the remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese on top.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes and until hot and bubbly. Remove pan from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Slice and serve.

Husband Rating:

Food for Thought: This is an easy make-ahead and freeze kind of meal. I usually double or triple it if I am going to go through the work of making it and put a few in the freezer. Simply make the sauce and assemble the lasagna. Prior to baking, cover the lasagna and freeze. When you plan to cook it, set it in the fridge to thaw or plan for additional baking time.

Pumpkin Waffles

My inquisitive 3 year old loves to ask food related questions.

"Mom, what is it when you mix breakfast and dinner?"

"Brinner."

"Mom, what is it when you mix breakfast and lunch?"

"Brunch"

"Mom, what is it when you mix lunch and dinner?"

"Uhhhhh.... linner????"

Anyway, when my sister and I decided to make pumpkin waffles and maple sausage links for "brinner" the other night, my son was over-the-moon excited to be experiencing "brinner" for the first time in a long time! I guess I need to do brinner more often! It was delicious and everyone ate a ton of food! Yay for brinner!

Pumpkin Waffles

Recipe adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

Mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks (as in, far softer than the over-beaten whites you’ll see in my picture above). Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.

Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 1 1/4 c. for regular waffle iron) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with maple syrup (or if you are feeling a bit naughty, it would be really good with a dollop of whipped cream on top!).

Food for Thought: We doubled the recipe for this because I knew I would want extra waffles for the freezer. The trick to freezing waffles is to let them cool on cooling racks. If you stack the waffles they get really soggy. But, if you spread them out on cooling racks, they cool nicely. Then, simply stack them in freezer bags. When you are ready to reheat, pop them into the toaster for one or two rounds and eat, just like you would any other frozen waffles. Much healthier for your kids than store bought ones and much tastier too!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Beef Barley Soup

Homemade soup is not my strength. I would like to get better at it but I am just not that good at it. My mother-in-law however is the queen of making homemade soups. Her's always turn out amazingly delicious without any kind of recipe. You know, where she just kind of dumps whatever she has in her cupboards and fridge in a pot and it turns out delicious! And, my husband always rates my soups against what his mom's are like. No pressure, right?

(And, by the way, I love my mother-in-law dearly! She is wonderful, not your typical
MIL relationship in any way!) :)

So, I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to invite my in-laws over for dinner on a night I decided to make a homemade soup. I mean, really? Soup???? For the queen of homemade soups???

Luckily, Iowagirl's recipes haven't failed me in the past and this one followed suit. This Beef Barley Soup was amazing! Everyone loved it! The soup was delicious, meaty, hearty, and healthy. And, we had plenty left over. I was able to freeze a big batch for another meal for our family in a few weeks. The best kind of leftovers!

Beef Barley Soup

Recipe adapted from www.iowagirleats.com

1lb lean ground beef

1 small onion, processed or chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 large carrots, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

3 c. kale, stems removed and chopped

1-14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes

3 c. frozen green beans

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

4-6 c. beef broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup barley

salt & pepper

Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onion and garlic, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add carrots and celery and continue to cook until carrots are tender, about 3-4 more minutes.

Add in kale, tomatoes, green beans, corn, 4 cups beef broth, basil, bay leaf and barley. Bring the soup to a boil. Place a lid on top, lower the heat, and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the barley is tender.

The longer you cook the soup, the better it tastes. After the initial 60 minutes of simmering, I left it on low on the stove most of the afternoon before we ate it. The flavor just kept getting better. Keep checking to see if the soup needs more broth. I added as much as 2 cups of broth as I was cooking the soup.

Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and season with more salt & pepper to taste before serving.

Husband Rating: 8 out of 10 (highest soup rating possible - in his mind, soups can never be a 10)

Food for Thought: I had tons of leftover of this soup. I froze it and plan to simply heat it up again for the meal. If you are going to do this, plan to have some extra beef broth on hand. Most likely you will need to add a bit when reheating the soup.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

I wished I had taken a picture... Brussels Sprouts in Honey Butter

Do you like brussels sprouts? No? Well, this recipe will change your mind. These brussels sprouts were seriously the best brussels sprouts I have ever eaten in my entire life and I am so, so, so sad that I didn't get a picture of them. They were the most delicious, yummy, flavorful, sweet, salty, amazing brussels sprouts I have ever eaten.

My husband had gone out to dinner for work and his co-worker ordered brussls sprouts. When asking the waiter what made them so good, the waiter said they were cooked in honey. Honey? Yes, honey. Man, that is the secret ingredient! Yummmmm! I never was much of a honey girl growing up so it is not something I think of often to use when cooking. This was key in making these little brussels sprouts go from good vegetable side dish to star of the meal! I was almost glad my little boys put up a protest on eating brussels sprouts. More for me!!!

Brussels Sprouts in Honey Butter

Adapted from www.hungrydesi.com

1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. butter, soften
sea salt

Cut stems off brussels sprouts and peel off any yellow or brown leaves from the outside. Cut each brussels sprout in half.

In a small bowl, stir together honey and butter.

In a large skillet, melt honey butter over medium high heat until bubbling. Add in brussels sprouts cut side down. Cook without stirring for about 8-10 minutes until sprouts get browned and slightly charred on one side.

Give the pan a good shake allowing most of the sprouts to flip. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add 1-2 Tbsp. water and cover pan. Cook another 3-5 minute so sprouts are soft throughout. Test with a fork.

Serve immediately. *Optional, top with Parmesan cheese.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Not a recipe I would normally have cooked, my friend Katie recommended this one and I am glad she did. These stuffed squash were not only lovely to look at but delicious to eat. My boys loved all the ingredients in them and I thought they were rather easy to make. (Especially considering how pretty they looked when they were done!) It was the perfect Fall meal!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recipe adapted from www.iowagirleats.com

2 acorn squash

Extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

4 sausage links (I used chicken and apple sausage)

2 small apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4″ cubes

2 cups chicken broth, divided

1-6 oz box Stove Top stuffing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce acorn squash several times with a knife, then place on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 2 minutes. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, then microwave for 1 additional minute.

Lay squash halves on a baking sheet, skin side down, then brush with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the thickest part of the squash goes in easily.

Meanwhile, if the sausage you bought is already cooked, cut into bite-sized pieces. If not, remove from casing and brown in a skillet.

Combine apples and sausage in a skillet and cook until hot and apples cook down a bit. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to cook until apples are soft but not mushy, ~3-4 more minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup chicken broth to keep apples from burning.

In a separate saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups chicken broth to a boil. Pour in the box of stuffing, stir, then place a lid on top and turn the heat off. Allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff stuffing with a fork.

Combine stuffing with sausage & apple mixture then mound onto cooked acorn squash halves. Place under the broiler until stuffing is golden brown on top.

Husband Rating: 6 out of 10

Delicious Vegan Chili

My husband had the guys from his fantasy football league over to watch the Vikings game and have some chili, an owner's event if you will. One of the "owners" is a vegan and when I heard that he was coming, I was excited at the challenge of making a vegan version of my chili for him to eat as well. I think I liked the vegan version as much as, if not more than, my meat chili recipe. It was yummy! And, some of the other "owners" liked it as well! I'd say the recipe was a success! (BTW - my "meat" chili recipe will also soon be posted.)

Delicious Vegan Chili

Recipe adapted from www.ohsheglows.com

1 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp chili powder
pinch sea salt
pinch cayenne
1 can each: black beans, white kidney beans, red kidney beans (rinsed) (I used 1 large mixed can)
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 c. vegetable broth
2 tbsp chia seeds (see Food for Thought)

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, peppers, onion, and carrots. Saute until veggies are soft, approximately 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes on low to medium heat. Add additional vegetable broth as needed if the chili seems dry. (The chia seeds absorb a lot of the moisture!)

Food for Thought:

For those of you who don't know about Chia Seeds, I highly recommend you look into learning more about this powerful little superfood! Chia seeds (yes, the same ones that grow chia pets) are black or white and are said to have protein, calcium, potassium, antioxidants, iron, and large amounts of omega 3 and omega 6. They are a whole grain, a soluble fiber, keep you hydrated, give you energy, and in my opinion, keep you fuller longer. Because they keep you fuller longer, they also are said to be a dieter's dream, helping helping you consume less calories yet feel full.

I eat a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds every day with my breakfast. I scoop a little on my cereal, into my greek yogurt, or into my oatmeal. They are great in smoothies, tossed into any soup or chili you make, and can be added to many recipes. Becuase they are flavorless and look a bit like a poppy seed, my kids don't seem to notice them at all.

For runners, you can use chia seeds to make your own energy gel as well. They absorb 9 times their weight in water. I combined 1/3 c. seeds with 2 c. water and soaked it for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the chia seeds fully hydrate, they create a gel. I drink that about an hour or so before a long run and feel great throughout my run. I have a lot of energy and need less water as I go. When I recently did my 10 mile race (a first for me) I did the chia seed gel before hand and felt great throughout the entire race, needing very little water along the way! It was great!

I have not been paid in Chia Seeds to write this nor have I been reimbursed by any Chia Seed manufacture to endorse them. :) I do not have a doctorate in Chia Seed science and am not a Chia nutritionist. I simply believe in their health value from the research I have found and have seen the positive results of including them in my diet over the last year. I would encourage you to research it yourself if you are curious.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage

I saw a package of pumpkin gnocchi at Target and thought, why not? Let's try it! I love gnocchi, I love food with pumpkin in it. So, let's see what we can make with it. Yea, this was a delicious meal!

Sage is not an herb I use often... if ever. I will now! Yum! We served it with some chicken breasts I cooked up with a little of the same butter and sage flavoring and had some fresh green beans on the side. But, the true star of this meal was the gnocchi!

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage

1 package pre-made pumpkin gnocchi (I got mine at Target)

3 Tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

5-6 sage leaves, coarsely chopped

Instructions:

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to float. Remove from water and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat butter until it begins to brown. Add in onions and sage and cook until onions begin to caramelize (about 6-7 minutes).

Place cooked gnocchi to the onions in a single layer and brown about 2-2 1/2 minutes per side until lightly crispy.

Husband Rating: 8 out of 10

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Best Brownies Ever

Ok, I normally make brownies the cheater way, i. e. grab a box off the shelf at the grocery store, add water, and bake. However, when I saw this recipe, how few ingredients it required, and how easy it was, I knew I could do it! And, I am certainly glad I did! Wow, these blew the box brownies out of the water! I will never (or rarely) make box mix brownies again! (Oh, and I did include a delicious frosting recipe below that I used on them.)

Best Brownies Ever

Recipe from www.http://iowagirleats.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6017970

3/4 cup melted butter

4 squares un-sweetened baking chocolate (see note below)

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using a glass pan).

Combine melted butter and chocolate squares in a large glass bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes or until chocolate is melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Add sugar into the bowl and mix well. Add eggs and vanilla then mix well. Add flour and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into a 9x13" buttered baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool before frosting.

For best results, cut into large squares and eat in large quantities! :)

Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe

3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread evenly over brownies. Lick bowl and spoon well!