Skillet Lasagne

My cooking frenzy was cut a bit short this weekend.  Today we went for a LONG HIKE which lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours.  We worked up a hearty appetite along the way.  I was glad I had the ingredients on hand for this one pot meal.  Here's the recipe:

SKILLET LASAGNE

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (hot or sweet)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jar pasta sauce (24 ounces) *

3 cups (24 ounces) water

8 ounces medium-sized uncooked pasta
(ie. rotini or medium shells)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Grated cheese (mozzarella or pepper jack)

Garnish: chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

* I use Bertolli Organic Tomato & Basil Sauce

Directions:
In a large pot, cook onion and sausage, breaking the sausage into small bits as it browns; cook until no pink remains in sausage and onions are translucent.  Drain oil from sausage and onions and return to pot.

Add the pasta sauce to the sausage in the pot. Fill the pasta sauce jar with water and add the water to pot.  Add remaining ingredients to the pot (except cheese and parsley).  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until pasta is al dente (about 20 to 25 minutes).  Top with grated cheese and chopped parsley.

I have not made this meal in a really long time. It's one of those recipes I made too many times in a row, that we kind of got tired of it... but this easy one-pot recipe is a keeper!  Today I made the dish with mild Italian sausage, pepper jack cheese, and rotini pasta.  We also enjoy it with hot Italian sausage, medium-sized shell shaped pasta, and mozzarella cheese.  You can also add mushroom and bell peppers when you cook the sausage and onions.  Adapted from a recipe in Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Enjoy!

What does a cooking frenzy look like?

Cooking frenzies have their price... dishwasher can't keep up with me! In the background, you can see I am watching Ina Garten in "The Barefoot Contessa" on... you guessed it... the Food Network.

I had a heck of a cooking frenzy yesterday after pretty much taking a break from cooking on Friday... although I did make some more Zucchini-Banana Bread with Walnuts and Raisins (this time with yellow squash and it turned out great!). I had great intentions of freezing the bread but I don't think it will make it to the freezer... it's magically disappearing. Yesterday I made a pot of chili and a bunch of chicken wings to stock the refrigerator. We had fresh corn on the cob from the Farmer's Market along with home-made pizza for lunch. Yesterday, my big experiment was the vegan meal I've been dreaming up... it with met with some success and some speed bumps along the way.

Orange-Cilantro Basmati Rice

1 cup basmati rice (rinsed and drained)

2 cups water

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

finely grated zest of one naval orange

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Bring 2 cups water to a boil; add salt and rice and return to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce temperature to low. Simmer 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add orange zest and chopped cilantro. Toss to combine.

***The rice goes well with oven roasted vegetables.***

Oven Roasted Broccoli and Peppers

2 crowns of broccoli, chopped into florets

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive

salt and pepper to taste

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, peppers, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Spread on prepared roasting pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes (stir half way through cooking time).

*** I made this tofu to go with the rice and veggies. The sauce for the tofu is super good, but I still have a lot to learn about tofu. I also want to learn about seitan and tempeh. Perhaps they would have the texture I am looking for. I am not fond of the tofu, but you might like to try this glaze. It's very yummy and pairs well with the rice and veggies.***

Chipotle-Orange Glaze for Oven Roasted Tofu

3/4 cups orange marmalade

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce (diced and mashed up)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)

Juice of one naval orange (1/3 to 1/2 cup)

Combine the five ingredients in a skillet; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Will reduce and will thicken.

**** This is where my recipe hit a BIG speed bump!

Looks pretty

At this point, I added about 1 pound of extra firm tofu, which I had cubed and drained in a papertowel lined kitchen strainer. I added the tofu to the sauce, stired to coat, and then put the tofu on a aluminium foil lined roasting pan and roasted it in the oven alongside the veggies (noted above). I was disappointed the tofu had the consistency of cubes of scrambled eggs, but the flavors were really good. This recipe is a keeper (at least the rice, veggies, and sauce). Perhaps seitan or tempeh will work better. My friend Harriet has generously invited me to her home to give me a "crash course" in vegetarian/vegan cooking. After eating this tofu, I know I need all the help I can get! Hee, hee!

My lunches for the week.

As I set my camera on the counter, I noticed some interesting shots... Rocky Ford cantelope from the Farmer's Market (from Rocky Ford, Colorado... east of us).  Mini-watermelon (from the grocery store) in the background.

More goods from the Farmer's Market... Palisade Peaches (from Palisades, Colorado)... west and over the mountains from us.  Was going to make jam with these beauties but turns out they are too good for jam... if that's possible!

Another random shot from my cooking frenzy. 

Tub of salad for the fridge... Phew, I am tired... time to go put my feet up and knit!

Cream Cheese Cherry Pie

CREAM CHEESE CHERRY PIE

You'll have to take my word for it... this picture  does not do this pie justice.  It's even better tasting than it looks!  And... it only has a few ingredients and is a snap to whip together.  I have three co-workers and all four of our birthdays fall between August 12 and September 25.  How crazy is that?  All of my co-workers are "ga-ga" about this pie and I almost feel ashamed bringing it to work for birthdays as there is no cooking or baking involved (unless I make the graham cracker crust myself, but the pre-made crusts come with a lid which makes it easier to transport to work... so I used the pre-made crust here).  

This recipe is especially great for the hot summer months when you want to make a treat and you don't want to heat up the oven or the house.  When I was a kid, I remember my Dad requesting this treat for his birthday (in July) instead of a cake.  I can also picture making this dessert around Christmastime... the red cherry pie filling is rather festive looking I think.

 

Whoops! I left the vanilla out but it still tasted good!

INGREDIENTS:

1 home-made graham cracker pie crust or a pre-made graham cracker pie crust (6 oz. size)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Real Lemon brand lemon juice (fresh lemon juice from approx. 3 lemons would also work)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling

Time to lick the beaters.  Hee, hee!

DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixture on low speed until creamy. Next, while the mixer is running, slowly stream in the sweetened condensed milk; mix until well incorporated, scraping the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the lemon juice and vanilla all at once and beat on medium speed, for approximately 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until thickened and creamy, and all ingredients are well incorporated.  Spoon the filling evenly into the graham cracker pie crust.  Refrigerate for an hour or two (the cream cheese filling will become much more firm) and then top the pie with with the cherry pie filling. 

Easy as... pie!

Anna's Easy Vegan Banana Bread

Anna's Easy Vegan Banana Bread

I posted about this recipe a few days ago.  It's a recipe from Cookie Madness.  Click HERE for the recipe link.  My husband sampled this recipe before I did.  I must preface this by saying he sampled the banana bread AFTER he had been snacking on the other bread I had made... Zucchini-Banana Bread with Raisins and Walnuts... which had a ton of cinnamon, allspice and cloves in it.  When he said he thought this banana bread was "kind of bland," I was bummed out and disappointed.  I tried the banana bread myself and thought maybe it was a little bland, but I loved the great texture and I enjoyed how moist the bread was... despite me over baking it by a few minutes. 

I wanted to update you on my opinion of this bread.  This bread is AWESOME.  We just THOUGHT this banana bread was a tad bland because of how it tasted in COMPARISON to the Zucchini-Banana bread with all the extra spices.  This past weekend, I froze the banana bread and the Zucchini-Banana bread... I've been baking TOO much.  For breakfast today, I thawed some of the banana bread and it is AMAZINGLY GOOD!  This bread obviously held up well to freezing and thawing, it maintained it's great moisture and texture, and it's not bland at all. This is my new FAVORITE "go-to" banana bread recipe... I hope you give it a try!  Yum!

Home-made Pizza Crust

I've made lots of home-made dough for pizza crusts in my bread machine.  In fact, this week alone we had home-made pizza twice.  For a week night meal, we made taco pizza.  I make the dough the night before, coat the dough in a little olive oil, put the oiled dough in a gallon-sized plastic bag with a zip-closure, and place it in the refrigerator. 

For the taco pizza, we use Ortega brand mild taco sauce instead of tomato sauce.  We top the sauce with grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese and bake the pizza at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until done.  At the table, we top our pizza slices with crushed up corn tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, as well as diced tomatoes, red onion, and avocado. 

Tonight, we had more traditional Italian-style pizza.  Well, I should say my husband and I had traditional Italian-style pizza.  Our son did his own thing; he topped his half of the dough with Cholula Hot Sauce, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, and lots of freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder... interesting, huh?  Here's a picture of my son's culinary creation.

HOME-MADE PIZZA

My husband and I topped our half of the dough with 1 cup of jarred spaghetti sauce (we use Bertolli Brand Organic Traditional Tomato & Basil sauce), cooked hot Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Sorry, no photo of our pizza... my husband was REALLY hungry by the time our pizza came out of the oven. We cook the pizza's separately so they cook evenly.  Here's a great pizza crust recipe for your bread machine:

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour or bread flour ***
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons yeast (I use Fleishman's Brand bread machine yeast)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed (I place the oil and the herbs in the corners).  Set bread machine to "dough" setting.

*** You may substitute up to 1 cup of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.  I snuck in a bit of whole wheat pastry flour today and the boys did not notice.

Brown RiceTabbouleh

BROWN RICE TABBOULEH

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse or English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced  (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.  Cook the brown rice according to package directions.  My package directions called for cooking 1 cup rice in two cups water (season with salt if desired).  Bring water to a boil, add rice and salt, stir, cover with lid, and cook over low heat for 35 to 45 minutes.  Allow rice to cool and place in refrigerator.

2.  Once the rice is cool, add the mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, salt, and the pepper.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and olive oil; pour over rice mixture & stir to combine.  Serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Last week, I tried to make tabbouleh with wheat bulgar. I've never had this dish, but found the ingredients appealing... hearty wheat bulgar, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, olive oil, lots of fresh parsley and mint.  I bought some wheat bulgar a really long time ago and was never sure what to do with it. As I was thinking of making up the tabbouleh and reading loads of recipes on-line, I realized I was missing the ingredients of traditional tabbouleh, so I decided to just wing it with ingredients on hand... wheat bulgar, fresh cilantro, limes, olive oil, tomatoes, celery, grated carrot... sounded good to me.  Since I had bought the wheat bulgar in bulk, I had no instructions on how to cook it.  The internet totally had me confused... cook like rice over low heat for 20 minutes or cook like couscous by pouring hot water over it and letting it sit?  I called the health food store and they suggested steaming? I was even more confused.  I went for the couscous method and while the bulgar wheat and boiling water sat, I went to chopping up all the fresh veggies.  I put it all together and, as I did, I decided it was either going to be fantastic or terrible... it was the latter and ended up in the trash.  Such a waste.  Blech!  It was icky!!!  But I persisted... I tried again this week with much better results.  For my recipe above, I combined two different recipes I found on-line and the recipes may be found  HERE & HERE.

Anna's Easy Vegan Banana Bread

Anna Ginsberg is an amazingly creative and knowledgeable baker!  She has a blog called Cookie Madness and she bakes something wonderful in her kitchen each and every day.  I must admit that when my brain needs a bit of a break at work, I pop over to Anna's blog to see what's going on her kitchen.  The other day, Anna posted a recipe for a great looking banana bread. Here's the link to the recipe:  Anna's Easy Vegan Banana Bread. 

ANNA'S EASY VEGAN BANANA BREAD

I made this recipe pretty much "as is" except for a few small changes.  I used 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (instead of just 1/2 teaspoon), I added 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg, I added about 1/3 to 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts in with the flour, and I used a combination of 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour (instead of 2 cups all purpose flour).  The instructions indicate to bake for one hour. My loaf got a bit brown on the edges, so next time around will start checking at about 55 minutes. When my husband tried the bread he said it was "good," but a bit bland.  I think he found it bland because he's been gobbling up the Zucchini-Banana Bread with Walnuts and Raisins and I did put a LOT of spice in that bread.  He did not miss the shortening and eggs.  When I tried the bread, I decided next time I make this recipe, I will add some ground cloves and perhaps more cinnamon and nutmeg.  This bread, despite me over baking a tad, is very moist and also has a great texture.

Anna was nice enough to post a recipe of mine several months back.  Here's the link to my cookie recipe on Anna's blog.  The recipe is called Carrot Ginger Spice Cookies.  I won a little prize from Better Homes and Garden's Magazine for this recipe: the contest category was called "Smart Cookie".  I plan to make a vegan version of these cookies soon. Shouldn't be too hard to adjust now that I am learning all sorts of things about egg replacers.

Zucchini-Banana Bread with Walnuts and Raisins

My friend, Harriet, sent me this recipe.  It's a low-fat Zucchini Bread recipe from a great blog called... Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.  For the link to the recipe, click HERE.  I made some changes to recipe and it turned out great.  Here's my version:

Zucchini- Banana Bread with Walnuts and Raisins

DRY INGREDIENTS:

In a bowl, combine the following dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour (I had whole wheat pastry flour on hand)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts

1 cup raisins

WET INGREDIENTS:

In another bowl, mix together...

3 tbsp. ground flaxseed meal and 9 tbsp. water (this is the egg replacer)

Add and mix...

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

Then whisk in...

2 small bananas, well mashed (my two small bananas made a heaping 3/4 cup)

1 tbsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini (2 small or 1 medium-sized zucchini)

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Don't over mix because, if you over mix, you develop the gluten in the flour and the result is tough bread (the original recipe suggests whisking in 1/3 of the flour at a time... I did not read the instructions well and dumped the flour in all at once... and it turned out fine). Grease and flour two loaf pans.  Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then slide a knife around the edges to un-mold. Place loaves, right side up, on a rack to cool.

The original recipe calls for applesauce. When I originally read the recipe, I was happy because I knew I had all the ingredients for the recipe at home. When I was assembling my ingredients today, I found there was... something... growing in my applesauce in the refrigerator!  Uhhhh.... gross!  I winged it and used the over-ripe bananas on my counter in place of the applesauce... and lo and behold... this bread turned out great.  My husband and I have been together for 20 years and I have NEVER known him to eat zucchini bread.  Today, before I brought this bread to my Thursday knitting group, I told my husband I was worried I had undercooked it.  He told me the bread looked funny... like it had a bunch of "whole-grain-stuff" in it, but before I knew it, he grabbed part of a slice and gobbled it down.  He informed me that it was fine but that I had cut it before it had cooled sufficiently.  I found this hilarious because my husband has never baked anything in his life, but suddenly... he was an authority.  I brought one of the two loaves of bread to the girls at the knit shop and they said it smelled and tasted great!  Tonight, my husband helped himself to two slices for dessert.  I just about fell over from shock!  How 'bout that!  This bread MUST be pretty darn good! 

No Chop Chili

I try to almost always have the ingredients on hand for this easy chili recipe. With the exception of the ground beef, all the ingredients are kept in the cupboard.  This recipe is nearly as easy as opening up a can of chili, but much more healthful and tasty.  I call this "no chop" chili since no chopping is required. This recipe is based on a "knock off" recipe I received via e-mail and it is supposed to taste like the chili at Wendy's fast food restaurants.  I don't know how close the recipe really is, but after tweaking this recipe a bit, I've come up with a chili my husband and I really enjoy.  Again, I make this ahead and store it in the refrigerator for easy meals during the week.  Sometimes we heat up some chili in the microwave and then cook some "baked" potatoes in the microwave. We split the potatoes down the center lengthwise and then top with a scoop of chili.  For an extra treat, we put a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on the potatoes before topping with chili.  I wonder how this recipe would be if one were to substitute Boca Soy Crumbles in place of beef?  I wonder if my husband will notice? Maybe I'll have to try that and let you know...  Here's the recipe.
 
No Chop Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 15−ounce can of dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15−ounce can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 8−ounce can tomato sauce
1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes, fire roasted if available (liquid included)
1/2 of a 4−ounce can of diced green chilies (with liquid), about 3 tablespoons *
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1  to 1 1/2 cups water (less if you desire thicker chili)

1. Brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking into small pieces with the spatula.  While the beef browns, drain and rinse the beans; set aside.  Measure the spices into a small bowl; set aside.
2.  Drain the excess fat from the ground beef; return the cooked beef to the pot.  Add the spices to the beef, stir to combine, and cook an additional minute.
3. Add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced green chilies, and water. Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!

* So that nothing goes to waste, I freeze the leftover green chilies in a snack-sized zip-closure bag and use it in the next pot of chili.  I pop the "chilie-pop-sicle" right into the simmering pot of chili.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Cooking Flops

While I did manage to post a few new recipes in the past week, I feel as if I had more kitchen messes than kitchen successes over the weekend.  I did a lot of experimenting and did not come up with anything brand new to post, but do have a recipes which will remain in the category of "great idea... still needs work!"  These recipes include:  Millet "Meat" Balls (a recipe I found on Bob's Red Mill), Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers and Onions over Basmati Rice (I intended to use the Millet Meat Balls for this dish but the texture was not quite right), and Wheat Bulgar Tabbouleh.  The Millet Meat Balls are in the freezer until I can decide what on earth to do them, the Sweet and Sour Chicken is what I am eating for lunches at work this week, and the Tabbouleh wound up in the trash... such a shame!  It's a long story.  Oh, and I grilled portobella mushrooms on the grill on Saturday when the boys had steaks.  I marinated them (the portabellas... not the boys... hee,hee!) in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary.  Let's just say... I can STILL taste the vinegar more than 24 hours later!  Yikes!!!!  The Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts and Millet is in the freezer and I am having it for toast in the morning... with peanut butter of course.  I think I like this bread better toasted.

Since I did not think the boys would like my wholesome version of Cinnamon Raisin Bread, I made them their own loaf the next day.  This recipe baked up really nicely in the bread machine. For years, I used to just make dough in the bread machine and then bake the loaves in the oven.  Once I wore my first bread machine into the ground and got my new Sunbeam Bread Machine ($40.00 at WalMart!), I've been having better success with the loaves turning out nicely when I let the machine do all the work.  It's a good thing I took a few photos of this loaf before the boys got to it... they gobbled it up in no time flat.  Here's the recipe:

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm milk (I used light soy milk... the boys did not notice)

2 eggs

3 cups bread flour (I used all purpose flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I used Kosher salt)

3 tablespoons softened butter or margarine

1/4 sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2/3 cups raisins

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I used Fleishman's Bread Machine Yeast)

Directions:  Place all ingredients in bread pan, select Light Crust setting, 1 1/2 pound loaf size, and press start.  After baking cycle ends, remove bread from pan, place on rack, and allow to cool before slicing.  Recipe adapted from book called "Bread Machine Magic" by Linda Rehberg & Lois Conway.

Some raisins do get minced up when the machine kneads the dough but you know they are in there!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Peppers and Onions... good enough for my lunches, but not ready for posting.

And finally... Bob's Red Mill "Millet Meat Balls".  Basically, cannelini beans, onion, garlic, and cooked millet rolled in bread crumbs... fairly nice texture on the outside and tastes like creamy hummus inside.  Interesting recipe... they are in the freezer hibernating until I can figure out how to use them.  Hmmm????

Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts and Millet

Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Walnuts & Millet

RECIPE:

3/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour **

1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher salt)

2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup millet

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten (I used Bob's Red Mill)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons yeast (I used Fleishman's Bread Machine yeast)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Remove bread pan from machine. Put water and oil in bread pan.

2. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed. (**When measuring the whole wheat flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then sweep to level. Scooping the flour from the canister or bag with the measuring cup tends to compact the flour and may make your bread too dry.)

3. Place bread pan in machine and bake according to your machine's instructions. (On my Sunbeam machine, I use the whole wheat setting, light crust, 1.5 pound loaf size and it comes out perfectly every time.)

I found a recipe awhile back for "meat" balls made from millet and cannelini beans in place of any meat.  I did find some millet at my local healthfood store so it got me to wondering how else I could use millet in recipes.  I checked out the website for Bob's Red Mill.  The folks at Bob's Red Mill suggested adding some millet to bread dough.  I made this bread last night and tried a slice this morning.   Although I know I've had bread with millet in the past, I have to admit I was a bit surprised by the texture of the millet.  To me, the millet did add a nice crunchy texture to the bread, but the millet seeds seemed a bit chalky. It got me to wondering if I should have rinsed the millet first or something.  Whatever the case may be, I like this bread and it was even better with peanut butter on it... of course!!!  If you don't think you will like this bread with millet, the millet can be omitted but I think an equal amound of untoasted sesame seeds would be really good in this bread. 

Bob's website contained the following information about the healthful benefits of millet:

 
"Hulled Millet is often referred to as birdseed, however, it is very nutritious for humans as well as birds. Like rice, millet is a staple food of the Far East. It is easily digested because it is alkaline whereas most other grains are acidic. Use millet to make a delicious cereal, prepare and serve just like you would steamed rice, or add a half cup to your favorite yeast bread recipe for a delicious crunchy texture."  Hmmm.... I wonder if the ALKALINE quality of millet is what I found to be chalky.

Italian Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained

1 3/4 cups water

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. kosher salt, dried oregano, dried basil, & garlic powder

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes & ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

Directions:
Combine the water and quinoa in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover with a lid, reduce to low heat, and cook covered until all liquid is absorbed (For me, at high altitude, about 17 to 19 minutes is perfect. If you are at a lower altitude, your quinoa may take a few minutes less).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the salt, pepper, herbs, and spices. Stir to combine and heat in microwave for about 15 seconds.

When quinoa is done cooking, fluff with a fork; drizzle olive oil mixture over quinoa and stir well to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately. Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley would be a great addition.

This is my very first quinoa recipe and how I got my husband to eat quinoa. My son is still not a fan of quinoa. I use the same oil-herb mixture outlined above and toss it with hot, cooked pasta (such as orzo or small bowties), top with lots of Parmesan cheese, and my son does love that.


In our house, whether we make this dish with quinoa or pasta, we call this recipe "Ollie Oul" (rhymes with "ghoul").  I used to order a recipe called "Aglio e Oleo" (garlic & olive oil) at a local Italian Restaurant... a simple pasta dish with., as the name suggests, is made with garlic & olive oil... and sometimes crushed red pepper flakes.  It's one of those items you order off of a menu and you totally stumble over correct pronunciation and end up pointing to the item on the menu so you can ensure the waiter or waitress understands you because you want to make sure you get what you really mean to order.  However you spell or pronounce it, it's tasty comfort food in my book.

FRENCH'S CRUNCHY OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

The other night, we had  French's Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken with Italian Quinoa and Caesar Salad for dinner.  It was a nice meal but quick and easy enough to whip together on a week night. 

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa with Spicy Black Beans

CILANTRO-LIME QUINOA  WITH SPICY BLACK BEANS

I am so happy to share this recipe with you. When I recently challenged myself to introduce more vegetarian and/or vegan dishes into my diet, this is the first recipe I dreamed up.  I have a real thing for cilantro & lime... they have a real affinity for one another... just like chocolate & peanut butter, lemons & blueberries, coffee & chocolate... at least in my humble opinion.  I've made this meal twice now and this time around I included avocado. 

If I had to answer the question, "what is your favorite type of food?"... I would probably have to say "Mexican.

This dish combines my favorite things about Mexican cuisine.  To me, that is combinations of flavors and textures... hot and cold, creamy and crisp, fresh, vibrant... so many great food adjectives.  This dish includes earthy quinoa, spicy black beans, all topped with creamy avocado, crisp onion, and fresh tomatoes.  Cilantro is one of "those" ingredients... people either really LOVE it or HATE it. I hope you are a huge fan of cilantro, as am I, and I hope you are inspired to try out this recipe.  I would be tickled if you do and would love to hear what you think. Here's the recipe:  

CILANTRO-LIME QUINOA:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups water

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (approx. 1/3 cup before chopped)

finely grated zest of one lime, approx. 2 tsp (Microplane graters work well) ***

SPICY BLACK BEANS:

2 cans black beans (15 oz. size), rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

heaping 1/4 tsp garlic powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, & kosher salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper & crushed red pepper flakes

TOPPINGS:

*** slice the reserved lime into wedges

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced (drizzle with lime juice to prevent browning)

1/2 red onion, diced

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium sized pot, over high heat, bring 1 3/4 cups water to boil.  Add rinsed quinoa and a few pinches of salt.  Return to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce temperature to low, and simmer covered for 16 to 19 minutes (or cook quinoa according to package directions).  Note:  I live at high altitude, so your cooking time may be a bit less.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, chopped cilantro, and lime zest.  Stir well to combine and set aside.

Next, in another medium sized pot, combine the beans, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce temperature to lowest setting, cover with a lid, and allow to simmer while quinoa cooks.

Dice tomatoes, avocados, and red onion; place each in individual bowls.

When quinoa is finished cooking (all liquid is absorbed), fluff with a fork; drizzle olive oil mixture over the quinoa, and stir well to combine

Serve family style.  Each person can layer quinoa and black beans on plate or in a bowl, and top as desired with diced avocados, tomatoes, and red onion.  Pass lime wedges and drizzle fresh lime juice over each serving as desired.

I just have to tell you this... my husband LOVES this dish. He is a true "meat and potatoes" kind of guy. When I made this dish the first time, I made it for me.  He came into the kitchen and said he'd like to try what I was cooking.  He ate it and went back for seconds... and suggested I make it again. I just about fell on the floor.   As for our son.... he had pizza for dinner tonight. *sigh* 

Harriet's Oat Bran Muffins

Harriet is one of my knitting gal pals at my Thursday knitting group at Anne's Knits and Such. Around the same time I learned to knit in October 2008, Anne's shop opened up on Main Street. I ventured into the shop to check things out and I was hoping to get information about classes and knitting groups.  Wouldn't you know it was a Thursday and a group of knitters were gathered together in the back of the shop. Such luck!  The ladies invited me to join them and we all knit together on Thursdays in Anne's shop... I go as  frequently as I can. 

On the day I stumbled across the Thursday knitting group, Harriet was instantly the person I was most drawn to... I just had a feeling we'd have a lot in common. Turns out we do.  Not only do we love knitting,  we also really enjoy cooking and baking.  Harriet is a vegan and, until I met her, I did not know a thing about veganism.  I've learned a lot from Harriet while we knit and chat.  Harriet is warm and compassionate and is very passionate about her love of animals and all living things.  Knowing this makes me understand why she lives a vegan lifestyle and it has made me question things I have accepted and taken for granted for 40 plus years.  I am learning more each day about vegetarian and vegan diets and I am intrigued and motivated to eliminate more and more animal products from my diet for a variety of reasons. 

Harriet's Oat Bran Muffins

For now, this is a blog about how I cook for my family and myself and we are basically omnivores.  But the notion of cooking and baking with new ingredients (while eliminating other ingredients) has my creative energy at an all time high. I have so many recipe ideas I want to try!  I'll keep you posted on my progress.  For now, here is an excellent recipe from Harriet.  She indicates the recipe is called "Gibb's Oat Bran Muffins" and it's from a book entitled "Simplify Your Life".  I don't know who Gibb is, so to me... these are "Harriet's Oat Bran Muffins."  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups oat bran 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (the original recipe did not call for it, but next time I make these muffins, I plan to add a bit of salt)
• 1/4 cup of sugar or maple syrup or agave nectar (I used agave nectar)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts - optional (I used pecans)
• 1 cup of blueberries *or* 1/4 - 1/3 cup raisins *or* 1-2  finely chopped apples (if you use apples add 1 tsp. of cinnamon)  (I used raisins)
• 1 1/4 cup of soy milk or you can use 1 cup of apple juice and 1/4 cup of soy milk if you want a sweeter muffin (I used Lite Soy Milk)
• Enough egg replacer to equal 2 eggs (I used 6 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons flax seed meal and let it sit for 10 minutes before adding it to the wet ingredients)
• 2 large overripe bananas
• Option: In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons brown sugar with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the muffin tops prior to baking.

Instructions:

1.  Combine all "dry" ingredients in mixing bowl and blend. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add the rest of the "wet" ingredients and blend thoroughly. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

2.  Fill 12 greased or oiled muffin cups (I used the paper liners) allowing for expansion when you fill about 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tops are slightly brown. (Note: Harriet's recipe instructions indicate this recipe should yield 12 muffins. I ended up making 17 smaller muffins and I reduced the cooking time to 15 minutes.  Harriet notes the recipe may be doubled and the muffins freeze well... just microwave the frozen muffins on high power for approximately seconds to thaw.  Finally, Harriet says she brushes melted Earth Balance on each muffin and sprinkles a little cinnamon and sugar on top... that must be where I got the idea to add some brown sugar and cinnamon to the muffin tops before baking).