Dinner Rolls

I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe for these dinner rolls and they turned out wonderfully. However, I had a difficult time shaping mine like hers because my dough was much stickier and harder to work with than hers appears to be. I don't know if it's because I used skim milk and she uses whole, or if there's some other differing factor. Despite their humble appearance, these rolls were divine and I highly recommend her recipe.

Fast Food

I think I've finally gotten the veggie burger recipe down to a consistent base that can then be adapted based on available ingredients and the occasion! Today's was so good. Plus, potatoes are one of my favorite foods and adding them to a meal ups its chances of success by a significant percentage.

Veggie Burger:

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

1 egg

Plain breadcrumbs, as many as needed for the mixture to feel cohesive

The following seasonings I don't measure. Just use them as generously as you feel like your crowd will appreciate.

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Smoked paprika

Garlic powder (I usually use fresh garlic, but was out today)

Garlic salt

Cumin

Ground mustard

Form patties (I made seven this time) and cook over medium-high heat in large skillet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. I cooked them on each side for about five minutes and that seemed sufficient.

I then prepared my burger with sliced tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and pesto.

Potatoes:

For two people, three potatoes (small-to-medium sized) is plenty.

Cut potatoes into small, even pieces. Place them in a large bowl and toss with your choice of seasonings and olive oil. I used the following, again, with no real measurements. It's hard to go wrong.

Seasonings:

Ground Mustard

Cumin

Ground rosemary

Garlic salt and/or powder

Sea salt

Ground pepper

Parmesan cheese

Then cook them, spread evenly on a cookie sheet, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Flip them with a spatula to ensure even cooking and put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. You can then broil them for a couple of minutes (watch them closely!) if you don't think they're crisp enough, or turn them down to about 300 degrees if your burgers aren't ready at the same time.

So good!

Santa Fe Pinapple Salad

2 cups finely chopped pineapple

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn

1 chopped bell pepper

2 tbls chopped cilantro

1 tbls seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper

1/2 tsp grated lime peel

2 tbls lime juice

Combine all ingredients. Allow to chill. Serve with chips or spooned over tacos.

Red Potato Salad

Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

3 tbls lemon juice

black pepper to taste

1 cup celery, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, cut onto strips

1. Cook potatoes 15 minutes or until tender. Rinse with cold water and drain.

2. Combine all other ingredients and then mix in potatoes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: I added 1/2 mayonnaise and that gave it a nice creamy flavour.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers

Halve 4 Bell Peppers

Place in boiling water for 3 minutes

Remove from heat, allow to cool

Cut off stem and innards

For Filling,

Mix together 10 or so ounces of goat cheese

desired amount of Monteray Jack Cheese

a little chopped basil

and a few chives

Stuff filling in bell peppers and grill for five to six minutes

This is so so yummy!! I served them for Fourth of July and they were a big hit!

Bryan's Bruschetta

Into the food processor....

3 garlic cloves

2 generous handfuls of fresh basil

CHOP!

Add..

15 ounce can diced tomatoes (mostly drained)

salt to taste (roughly 1/2 a teaspoon)

pepper to taste

small handgrab of sugar (it's not a science, it's an art)

Then,

Olive Oil (one slow rotation of the food processor)

*It should dampen things down and coat everything

Balsamic Vinegar (one FASTER rotation)

MIX

and taste....add whatever it may need and serve with crackers.

Gnocchi

Ingredients:

2 lbs - 2 oz. whole baking potatoes
1 beaten egg
2-1/4 cups flour
pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes whole with the skin in salted water until cooked.
2. Once cooked drain the potatoes and then peel them being careful not to burn yourself.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a bowl.
4. Add the flour, egg and a good pinch of salt.
5. Mix until you have a nice pliable ball of dough.
6. Prepare a work area and dust it with flour.
7. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
8. Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long.
9. With a fork, holding the tines against the work surface, use your finger to press a piece of dough gently against the fork and roll it slightly then letting it fall to the table.
10. The result should be gnocchi with an indent on one side from your finger and a pattern on the other side from the fork.
11. Handle the gnocchi carefully so they don’t loose their shape. Place them on a lightly flour plates. Keep them apart so they don’t touch one another or they’ll stick together.
12. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and then add the gnocchi carefully a plate or two at a time. When they float to the surface they are ready just remove them with a slotted spoon and set them in a strainer to drain off the excess water.
13. Add more gnocchi to the water and serve the others right away.

SERVE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAUCE (picture is with a pink suace)

Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin Lasagna

• 1/3 cups, Flour
• 1/4 cups, Parmesan cheese
• 6 tablespoons, Butter
• 1 count, Onions
• 2 1/2 cups, Milk
• 3 pounds, Spinach
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds, Mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons, Black pepper
• 1 pound, Mozzarella
• 1 pound, Lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds, Ricotta cheese
• 15 fluid ounces, Pumpkin
• 2 counts, Garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Stir together pumpkin and ricotta cheese until smooth and well-mixed. Set aside.
3. Steam spinach over high heat about five minutes until wilted. Squeeze out water in batches and chop coarsely chop. Set aside.
4. In large saucepan over med. heat, melt 3 Tbsp. butter or olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 min. Add mushrooms and saute until soft. Add onion-mushroom mix to pumpkin-ricotta mix. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and nutmeg. Stir to blend. Set aside.
5. Place empty saucepan back on stove and melt remaining butter/olive oil. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add flour and stir, cooking until dry, about 12 min. Add the milk and cook over med-high heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-8 min. Stir constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat when sauce is thick and creamy.
6. Grease pan, layer half of the noodles on the bottom. Spread half pumpkin mixture on top, then spinach, white sauce and half of the mozzarella. Repeat. Place Parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until hot and bubbly. Remove foil 10 minutes before taking pan out of oven to brown cheese on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Bryan's Pizza

Pizza Dough

Add 1 tsp instant yeast to 3/4 cup warm water (let sit for 15 minutes)

In another bowl, mix 2 Tbs sugar, 1 Tbs kosher salt, 1 Tbs Olive Oil

Add water and yeast combination

Then, mix in 2 cups bread flour

Stir mixture and then knead for 15 minutes

Place dough in large bowl and cover with a little olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap.

Keep in fridge overnight.

 

The next day, cut dough in half, mash to get air bubbles out, roll into two balls and cover with a tea towel for 30 minutes

Cover work surface with flour and form dough into 2 crusts

Brush crust with olive oil

Arrange desired toppings

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Cook for around 7 minutes or until brown

Let cool a little before eating. and then ENJOY! :)

Mini Caprese Bites

Great appetizer for a party. Recipe contributed by Therese.

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed, and cut in half at the thickest part
1 container marinated mozzarella balls from Trader Joe's, cut in half
1 bunch basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
long toothpicks, great ones found at Cost Plus
salt and pepper to taste, if needed

Thread tomato half, cheese half, basil leaf, then other tomato half onto picks. Place on serving plate, salt and pepper if desired, can drizzle remaining marinade over caprese bites before serving.

Laurie's Chocolate Cake

The only chocolate cake you will ever make/eat again. When choosing the cocoa powder, you can use the Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder for something even more delightful. Recipe contributed by Therese.

Cake:
1 3/4 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk*
1/2 vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C freshly brewed coffee (don't need to cool before adding)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 x 9 " cake pan. Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl mix wet ingredients (except coffee). Slowly add wet ingredients to dry, then add the coffee. Pour the batter into pan and bake 30 - 4o minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

*if you don't have buttermilk: put 1 TBSP white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, add milk to equal 1 Cup, let stand for 5 minutes then use as buttermilk in recipe! (it works)

Frosting:
3/4 C butter or margarine
1 C cocoa powder
4 C powdered sugar (usually equals 1 box)
1/2 C hot milk
2 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan over low heat melt butter, add cocoa, stirring constantly over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 - 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature to spreading consistency.

Bryan's Quiche

Bryan made a really tasty quiche out of some leftovers...

Chop any vegetables (he used leftover Easter green beans and bell pepper)

and stir fry them in a meduim frying pan

season with salt and pepper

Mix 4 eggs in a bowl

Pour them over the veggies

Add shredded cheese your your choice

Cover and cook until egg is done

At the end, sprinkle more cheese and brown in the oven (without cover)

So many options here for variety!! Experiment as you please :)

Baklava

Baklava

Grease 9 x 12 pan

Place 3 sheets of phyllo dough (thawed) in bottom of pan

Coat with melted butter

Sprinkle with VERY finely chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts)

Layer 2 more phyllo sheets

Continue to coat with butter and nuts until top of pan

Finish with 6 or so sheets of dough

Cut into four strips and then on the diagonal

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes (or until brown)

In a sauce pan, stir one cup water, one cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey and lemon juice until sugar melts and then let simmer for 20 minutes

Spoon mixture over top when it comes out of the oven

The baklava will get soggier (and yummier) as time goes on

SOooooo delicious!

Salad with Chick Pea Patties

Salad with Chick Pea Patties

Yummy Salad Greens

Cherry Tomatoes

Plain Yogurt, Lemon Juice and Pepper dressing

Mash up Chick peas with parsley, salt, pepper, lemon and any other seasonings

Form into Patties and coat with flour

Fry in oil

Enjoy!

Easter Meal

For Easter we had Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans with slivered Almonds and a Yummy Omelette!!

Potatoes

Peel, slice and parboil 4-6 potatoes

Drain and layer potatoes in greased 9 x 12 pan

Layers: Potatoes, 2 Tbs flour, chopped butter (as much as you like) and CHEESE!! (cheddar or asiago or any of your choosing)

Make 3 layers

Then, heat 1 1/4 Cup cream (or milk) with 1/4 tsp dried mustard and 1 1/4 tsp salt

and pour over potatoes. 

Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (or until brown)

Enjoy!! :)

Green Beans and Omelette are pretty self explanatory...and delicious!

Peanut Sesame Tempeh

This dish was REALLY yummy and REALLY REALLY healthy.  Bryan loved it.

I made brown rice for the base.

Then, I marinated a package of Tempeh for an hour in the fridge. (You can find tempeh at your local health store)

I stirfried bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, purple onion and snap peas.

And then I covered it all in a yummy sesame peanut sauce. Mmm mm mm.

Tempeh Marinade

-One orange, sliced and peeled

-One cup orange juice

-A handful of sesame seeds

-A dash of toasted sesame oil

Sesame Peanut Sauce

Add together in a saucepan all of the following ingredients:

-One cup water

-1/3 Cup peanut butter

-dash of soy sauce

-2 Tbls agave sweetener (you can use anything sweet...I LOVE agave)

-6 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 Tbls toasted sesame oil

-dash red pepper flakes

-pinch of salt

-pinch pepper

Heat this and then add in 2 Tbls of flour to thicken (I use spelt flour but any kind works)

So, there you go! It was really really good! Enjoy :)

Welcome Cooks with Looks!

Hey my lovely girls!! 

I am starting this blog so we can share, inspire and encourage each other to keep (or start) creating nutricious, tasty and creative meals. I am so excited because we will be able to share our crazy creations and try new and fun things! 

Happy Cooking!

Love,

Kate