Sloppy Joe Lentils

I was really craving some good ol' Sloppy Joes last night, but did not want to go to the store to get ground beef. Hmm what to do, what to do? I knew I had some lentils in the pantry, and they are always my go to "meat substitute" in dishes because they are so high in protein. After doing a couple quick Google searches, I discovered that Lentil Sloppy Joes are actually a really popular item in the vegetarian/vegan world. There are like a bajillion recipes. I used some bits and pieces of others' ideas online to create my own concoction. It wasn't exactly Manwich, but it sure was delicious and incredibly flavorful. I also didn't haven't buns (fail) but served it over rice with super easy roasted green beans.

Sloppy Joe Lentils & Roasted Green Beans Recipe:

• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground mustard powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash of cinnamon
• salt, black pepper

• 1/2 lb green beans, washed, trimmed and dried well
• olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Asiago cheese

Combine the lentils and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Do not overcook.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil over medium low heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except green beans and last seasonings), mix very well and cook together for a couple minutes. Add your drained lentils, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low. Depending on how sloppy you want it, add more or less liquid. 

Meanwhile, toss your green beans in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and grated cheese. Spread evenly on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake to turn the green beans and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

When ready to eat, serve Sloppy Joe lentils over rice with your delicious roasted vegetables!

Not a beautiful dish, but a tasty one.

No-Bake Fruit Cake Squares

Happy Holidays!

 Geez Louise, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Sigh, this time of year is so wonderful, yet so busy. 

Speaking of being too busy to do ANYTHING, these no-bake fruit cake squares are the solution to any holiday baking dilemma. That is, if you like fruit cake, which I know a lot of people don't. In fact, I have no idea when I started liking it. These squares aren't really fruit cake though so I definitely recommend trying them out even if you're skeptical. And they're freakishly easy! The recipe I made fit into an 8x8 inch pan, but you can double for a 9x13 to feed a larger crowd.

No-Bake Fruit Cake Squares Recipe:

• 1/2 box graham crackers, crushed (about 2 whole sleeves of crackers)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or walnuts, pecans, etc.)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
• 1 container of candied fruit (the mix comes with green and red cherries, candied lemon peel, candied ginger and pineapple)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I added just to balance out all the sweetness)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• dash of salt
• 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk

Combine everything in a large bowl until well mixed. Yup, that's it.
Line an 8x8 inch square pan with plastic wrap so that it comes over the sides. Spray the plastic wrap with a little non-stick oil. Also, spray your hands with the oil too so the fruit cake mixture doesn't adhere to your skin. Spoon the mixture into the pan and spread evenly using your hands. Cover with the extra plastic wrap and place in freezer for about an hour. Then move to fridge until ready to cut and eat! Serve room temperature.





Ho ho ho. Noms noms noms.

Pan-fried Tilapia with Jalapeno Sour Cream Sauce

Gotta love those "fridge-scrounging" meals.

The recipe was born out of stale cornbread, expiring sour cream, frozen tilapia and zucchini - mmm mmm. We always have an unnecessary amount of rice in the house so that was a no-brainer side. It actually turned out really delicious. I'm not normally a "bread and fry" kind of girl, but this was super easy and tasted great without feeling oily or heavy. Good for ya too!

Pan-fried Tilapia with Jalapeno Sour Cream Sauce Recipe:

• 2 cups rice (I used half brown, half red Jasmine)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch strips (kind of like french fry size)
• 1 carrot, (same as zucchini)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt, black pepper, cumin
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp jalapeno vinegar (a.k.a. the juice in a jar of pickled jalapenos)
• 1 tsp water
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp jalapeno powder
• salt, black pepper
• 4 frozen tilapia fillets, thawed
• about 2 cups stale cornbread, ground into crumbs
• smoked paprika, cayenne pepper
• salt, black pepper
• 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine rice and onion and cook according to preference (I use a rice cooker). 

Coat vegetable strips with olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin and bake in oven for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes. 

To make the sour cream sauce, combine sour cream, jalapeno vinegar, 1 tbsp water, garlic powder, jalapeno powder, salt and black pepper. Mix together very well until smooth and creamy.

Combine cornbread crumbs, paprika and cayenne in a shallow dish. Combine egg and water in a separate shallow dish. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper fish fillets, dredge in egg mixture then in crumb mixture and place in the pan. I was able to fit 3 fillets at once. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish becomes tender and flaky. 

Enjoy with your roasted veggies, rice and sour cream sauce!

Spooooky Bloody Ghost Cookies

BOO!

Oh man...scary, right? You know what's not scary about these cookies? The taste. Just the perfect little recipe for cookie cutter sugar cookies. I hate sugar cookie recipes that have so much butter in them that they never keep their shapes. You basically end up with big flat no-shape cookies. Not fun. These taste rich and buttery and are easy to make! The strawberry blood filling makes it fun for Halloween, but they would be great on their own.

Bloody Ghost Cookies Recipe:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 5-6 very ripe strawberries, sliced (if not ripe, you might need to add a bit of sugar)
• 2 tbsp water

Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and combine. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to wet mixture until combined - don't overwork too much or the dough will get tough. Wrap in plastic and keep in fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat sliced strawberries and water in a small saucepan over medium low heat until the strawberries have broken down and the mixture is thick and bubbly - like jam or jelly. Remove and keep in fridge. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a surface and your rolling pin, roll out dough and cut out desired shapes (spooky ghosts!) Place on greased baking sheet. Add a small dollop of strawberry filling onto a ghost and top with another cookie. Using a fork or knife, prick all around the edges to seal the ghosts shut. Bake in oven for about 8 minutes or until the sides begin to get golden. Enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ta da! Another pumpkin recipe! Because we all just can't get enough, right? 

Actually, I have to admit that I'm slowly weening off my pumpkin addiction. Every so often I get a craving for something pumpkin-y, but it's definitely mellowed out since September. 

I so often make sweet pumpkin things that I find savory pumpkin recipes to be particularly special. This soup is absolutely divine. The texture is so velvety and smooth that you just want to take a bath in it. And it's incredibly easy!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe:

• 2 small pumpkin pie pumpkins
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced 
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp fennel seed
• 2-3 cups chicken broth (depending on how much pumpkin flesh you get - start with 2 and add more as desired)
• 1 tbsp fresh sage
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• pinch of fresh nutmeg
• sour cream and green onion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off each pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Leave as much flesh and fiber inside the pumpkin as possible (the stringy fiber will actually just mash up with everything else). Place pumpkins on a baking sheet cut side up and place tops on to prevent burning. Roast in the oven for about an hour or until internal flesh is wrinkly and soft. Scoop out the flesh and set aside in a bowl. Reserve pumpkins to use as serving bowls.

In a medium pot, sauce onion and garlic until soft. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and fennel seed. Add the pumpkin meat and chicken broth and stir together. Add sage and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce temperature, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blend*, blend the soup together until you achieve your desired texture. I blended it for awhile, used nearly all 3 cups of chicken broth and the texture was absolutely perfect. Grate some fresh nutmeg, cover and cook for a few more minutes. When ready, ladle into pumpkin bowls, top with fresh sour cream and green onion. Mmm mm soup goodness.

*If you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer to a regular blender and then return to pot to continue to cook. 

Asian Coconut Curry Chicken

This dish is very special to me. 

For one, it introduced me to the world of curry - a spice blend that I now cannot live without. Whether it be Asian or Indian, curry is definitely one of my favorite things. Secondly, this dish reminds me of Pei Wei, where I first encountered Coconut Curry Chicken and where my fiance and I had our first lunch "date." Thirdly, it just tastes so darn incredible. The combination of super hot green curry paste and soothing coconut milk, paired with the crunch of strong onion, sweet red bell pepper and zing of fresh basil - phenomenal.

If these flavors sound enticing to you, give this recipe a whirl.

Asian Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe: 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into thick chunks (you can use breasts or bone-in meat, but cooking time will differ)
• 3-4 tbsp green curry paste (choose according to your heat preference)
• salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped into thick chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cayenne peppers, diced
• 4 tbsp chicken broth
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into thick chunks
• 2 cups fresh green beans, snapped in half and blanched
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• Cooked rice to serve (I used 1 cup brown mixed with 1 cup Jasmine)

Combine chicken with green curry paste and salt and set in fridge to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken chunks and brown. Add the onion, garlic and cayenne pepper and cook together for a few minutes. Add chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, allow the sauce to thicken, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, blanch your green beans. When ready, add bell pepper, green bean and fresh basil. Stir and serve with rice.

Provencal Broiled Fish & Potato Gratin

I'm really not big on French food. As far as cuisines go, I find the fare typically quite bland, void of spice and too rich. But I've been watching a lot of Jacques Pepin lately and I have discovered one thing that I truly love about French food - the ability to make really simple, rustic dishes that sound way fancier than they are. 

Exhibit A: Provencal Broiled Fish & Potato Gratin. 

Take away the fancy words and you have what the dish really is: broiled fish and potatoes. This recipe really wasn't that special and didn't photograph too beautifully, but the flavors well made up for presentation. Very simply, easy and delicious!

Provencal Broiled Fish & Potato Gratin Recipe:

• 2 - 3 lbs potatoes sliced thinly (I used 1 large sweet potato and a couple cups of fingerling potatoes)
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil or more (be generous)
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 2 tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 3 tilapia fillets (I recommend a better fish with the skin attached, but hey this is what we had)
• 1 lemon, sliced and juiced
• salt, black pepper, dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• spoonful of capers + 2 tbsp caper juice
• fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all of your potatoes, onions and garlic in a large gratin dish (about a 9x13 baking pan). Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and toss with salt and pepper until evenly coated. Pour in the chicken stock and top with tomato slices. Bake in oven for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. While that's baking, marinate your fish with lemon, seasonings, olive oil, capers and parsley. 

When the potatoes are finished, pour the wine into the pan, place the fillets on top with all the marinade juices and place under the broiler for about 8 minutes. DO NOT put on the very top rack too close to the broiler; choose the second rack. If your potatoes are already looking too brown, drizzle some more olive oil on top before broiling. After about 8 minutes, if the fish is not to your preferred doneness, turn the oven off and let it sit in there for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes and serve!

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more pumpkin.

Seriously, cannot get enough. I'm thinking of doing a 31-days-of-pumpkin cooking challenge; I think I could incorporate it into 1 meal every day and be ecstatic with the results. 

This recipe is super easy (start to finish in like 30 minutes), and the flavor is so unique.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage link, sliced
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• handful of fresh spinach
• 2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• whole wheat pasta

Start bringing your pasta water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium/medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes until golden. Throw in the sliced sausage, fennel and paprika and cook until it starts to release some moisture and brown. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, yogurt and broth and mix until smooth. Add more or less of any of those ingredients to get your desired taste/texture. Add in the saucepan, bring to a slight boil, reduce and simmer until the pasta is finished. Throw in a handful of spinach and freshly grated nutmeg and stir. Finally, add the cooked pasta, combine and serve! 

Unbelievably Easy Black Forest Cake

Alright, alright; so I cheated on this recipe. I really didn't do anything but mix pre-made things together and throw in the oven. Well, the dark chocolate shavings were my own personal touch. Regardless, it tastes absolutely wonderful. Seriously, my fiance almost had a heart attack.

Unbelievably Easy Black Forest Cake Recipe:

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake
• 1 can cherry pie filling (with whole cherries)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 tub Cool Whip (thawed)
• 1 package white chocolate pudding mix (or vanilla or cheesecake)
• 1 square dark chocolate (for garnish)

Depending on the pan you're using and what the boxed cake mix says, preheat oven to desired temperature. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pie filling, water and egg. Pour into pan and bake. Remove and let cool.

Meanwhile, once the Cool Whip is completely thawed, add the dry pudding mix and combine. When the cake is cool, frost and garnish with dark chocolate.

So easy, so good.

Slow Cooked Pot Roast & Root Vegetables

Melt-in-your-mouth pot roast with tender vegetables, gravy and crusty bread. That's my kind of meal.

I really do have this infatuation with Lord of the Rings and what I consider to be rustic, hearty meals that a knight would eat in a dark, dank pub. This is one of them. If I had iron bowls and goblets of ale, it would be a complete meal. 

I made this in the slow cooker because I was going to be out and about, but I would probably recommend using a dutch oven instead. I don't know why because this turned out amazing, but for some reason slow cookers always feel like cheating to me. Oh well, I love them.

Slow Cooked Pot Roast & Root Vegetables Recipe:

• 1 1/2 lb beef roast (chuck, loin, whatever you want. Remember that leaner meats will either need to  cook for less time or a loooooong time to be tender.)
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• salt and black pepper
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 turnip, diced into chunks
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• Handful of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 potato, diced into chunks (optional, I didn't actually use)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves only
• 1 tbsp dried or fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp dried thyme

• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• crusty bread

Cut slits all over your pot roast and insert sliced garlic. Rub with salt and pepper liberally and place in the slow cooker. Add everything else in the first set of ingredient list, put on the lid and slow cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Couldn't be easier. 

When the roast is nice and tender, remove from the slow cooker (along with veggies) and set aside in a bowl (keep warm). It will look like this:

Ah, beautiful.

Then pour the juices into a small saucepan and heat over medium on the stove. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add to the gravy in the saucepan and stir constantly until it comes to a boil and reaches your desired thickness. Place the roast and veggies back in the slow cooker and pour the gravy in. Warm everything together for an additional 20-30 minutes. Slice and serve with crusty bread!

Oh and since you'll probably have leftovers, here's a next-day idea:

Leftover Pot Roast & Wild Rice Casserole Recipe:

• Leftover pot roast, shredded
• Leftover veggies and gravy
• 2 cups cooked rice (I did 1 cup wild rice and 1 cup white rice)
• 1-2 cups chopped green beans
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Mix everything together and pour into 9x13 baking dish. Bake, covered, for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove cover and bake for additional 8 minutes. 

2 meals for the price of 1!

Pumpkin Mole Enchiladas

I would consider myself a pretty humble person who doesn't boast often or enjoy a lot of attention. Sigh, middle child syndrome. But holy mole (har har) this dish is freaking fantastic. I am tooting my own horn all the way back to the kitchen to get seconds. It was a pretty laborious recipe, but all the careful details really made a difference in the final product. As usual, I didn't measure any of my dry seasonings so I'll try to guesstimate. Yay for fall + pumpkin + smoky Aztec-inspired flavors!

Pumpkin Mole Enchiladas Recipe:

• 1 large split chicken breast (bone-in and skin removed)
• salt, black pepper, Oregano, smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, roasted garlic powder

• 1 tomato
• 2 jalapenos
• 3 green onion bulbs + stalks
• 2 garlic cloves
• handful of mushrooms

• 1/2 can pumpkin puree
• chicken broth (didn't measure but about 1/4-1/2 cup)
• salt, black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika

• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp pumpkin mole sauce
• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 cup grated mozzerella and Asiago cheese blend
• corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your chicken breast in a casserole dish and season generously with first set of spices. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit covered to retain all the juices.

Crank up the oven to broil. Place the next set of veggies on a baking tray and roast in 2 minute increments, checking and rotating often to prevent burning. Took about 6-8 minutes total.

Remove veggies and let cool for a couple minutes. Turn oven back to 350 degrees. Slice up the roasted garlic, remove the onion bulbs (save stalks for later) and de-stem the jalapenos. Add all the trimmed roasted veggies (except for mushrooms) in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and chicken broth and blend. Finally add all of the dry seasonings, blend and pour into a bowl when you have your desired taste and texture.

By this time your chicken should be well-rested. Hand pull the meat off of the bone (laborious, right?). Combine in a bowl with spinach, chopped roasted mushrooms, diced roasted green onion stalk, cumin, Greek yogurt and 1 tbsp of pumpkin sauce. 

Warm tortillas in damp paper towel in microwave for about 45 seconds. Pour a little chicken broth and pumpkin sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish (I used the same one I roasted the chicken in so all the little chicken bits and gravy were in there too). Now start rolling enchiladas! Fill tortilla with chicken mixture and cheese and place in dish. Cover everything with the heavenly pumpkin mole sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil, grate some fresh nutmeg on top and bake again for 5 minutes. BAM! Done. Enjoy these perfect fall enchiladas and smile :)

A Thanksgiving-Inspired Affair

Fall is my favorite time of year. I actually go a little crazy once I feel the slightest cool breeze and begin to see pumpkin products sprouting everywhere.

Exhibit A) I've called Yogurtland 2 times in the last week asking if they have the pumpkin pie flavor yet. Exhibit B) I bought Halloween decorations this weekend and almost put them all up in my apartment.
Exhibit C) I wanted Thanksgiving dinner so badly on Saturday that I just had to make it (sort of).

The weather was just too lovely and Fall-ish not to indulge though :)

This is Thanksgiving-inspired, since I didn't use turkey or really go all out (i.e. make my own stuffing...which I'm regretting; boxed stuff = bleh.)



Roast Chicken Recipe:

• 2 chicken breasts, bone-in (skin on or off optional; longer cooking time if skin on)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 lemon, juice + sliced
• salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken and veggies in a 13x9 baking dish. Season generously, cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes or until juices run clear when you slice into chicken.

Sweet Potato Recipe:

• 1 sweet potato
• cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, ground almonds, butter

For a super fast sweet potato, poke a few holes and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Flip and microwave additional 4 minutes. Baking is usually better, but will take substantially longer. Let it cool, cut in half and mash the insides a bit while keeping the skin in tact as a serving cup. Add your seasonings, butter and almonds, mix and enjoy!

Green Bean Casserole Recipe:

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
• 6-8 mushrooms, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add green beans and blanch for a couple minutes; throw in ice bath. Heat oil in medium sauce pan. Saute garlic and mushrooms until mushrooms start to brown. Add flour, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until flour begins to brown. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and reduce. Simmer and stir until the mixture is to desired thickness. Add green beans and sauce in a baking dish and bake uncovered until bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

*Also pictured: boxed stuffing and packaged gravy. I am not proud.

German Red Cabbage & Corn Casserole

Every so often I really crave good German food. It's hard to find and can be difficult to make. Luckily there are some key flavor agents that always bring about German sentiment: caraway, mustard, apple cider vinegar. With leftover pork tenderloin already cooked and ready to go, I just had to make a couple quick sides and voila, instant German meal. 

German Red Cabbage Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, black pepper
• 1/2 red cabbage, shredded
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp celery seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire powder
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and saute until soft. Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and cook until it begins to get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining seasonings, followed by the honey and apple cider vinegar. Mix well, cover and cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes or low for about 30 minutes (with this dish, the longer and lower you cook it the better). 

German Corn Casserole Recipe:

• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chili, diced (optional)
• salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup crushed pretzels (separated in half)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl (just 1 half of the crushed pretzels) and mix very well. Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan or 8-inch square pan, spread evenly and top with remaining crushed pretzels. Cook for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. 

Chicken 'n' Biscuits

Sheesh...it's been awhile since I've updated this blog. Been quite busy over the last couple of months with the engagement and then getting braces. But no, I shall not let Freelance Food dissolve like so many other blogging ventures of mine. It must remain alive so that I continue to cook and write! After all, I would like to get paid to do that for a living one day...maybe...in my dreams....

Anyway, this recipe is so good and comforting. It was pretty much my last meal before I began all the oral surgery and it was an excellent way to say goodbye to regular food. Although actually, it ended up being so soft that I probably could have managed with braces. If you're craving some classic, home-cooked comfort food, give it a try.


Chicken 'n' Biscuits Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp - 1/4 cup all purpose flour (thicken to your preference)
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp brown mustard
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1/ 3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp olive oil (I used a jalapeno-infused one that made these taste excellent)
• 1 tbsp dried parsley

As far as the cooked chicken, you could also go the easy route with a pre-made rotisserie chicken from the store. I happened to have 2 frozen chicken breasts so I thawed, placed in a saucepan and covered with water and seasonings (salt, pepper, bay leaf, cayenne, garlic powder). Then I brought it to a boil, reduced heat to medium-low, covered and cooked for about 10 minutes. Be sure to let the chicken rest before you cut it to prevent from becoming dry. Onward...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and saute until tender. Add garlic, cook for a couple minutes and then add Worcestershire sauce, seasonings and flour. Allow the flour to brown for a minute or two to release a better flavor, then add the milk and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for a couple of minutes until thickened. Add the frozen veggies, chicken, mustard and cheese; stir, reduce heat to low and cover.

Now to prepare the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients; in a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir the wet into dry until just moistened and mixed. Easy.

Transfer the chicken filling to a greased 8 x 8 inch baking pan or 9 1/2 inch pie pan (I used the latter and it was filled to the brim). Drop biscuit batter by tablespoons on top and bake uncovered for about 35 minutes or until biscuits are browned.

Enjoy!

Tortilla Pizzas

Obviously I haven't been feeling very adventurous in the kitchen over the past few weeks. Similar to my last post, tortilla pizzas are no-brainers. Except they are really mini geniuses. Look at all of the benefits:

• Great way to use up old tortillas (how else does one eat 150 tortillas before they expire?)
• Super fast (bakes in the oven for 15 minutes or less)
• Customizable and creative (Italian? Mexican? American? It all depends on your toppings)
• Cheap (tortillas + whatever you have in the fridge)

We used corn tortillas, so I instinctively went with Mexican pizzas (bottom pic). But my fiance actually created a very tasty Italian one using corn tortillas too (top pic).

Tortilla Pizza Recipe:

• tortillas (corn, wheat, flour, gluten-free, whatevs)
• toppings (whatever you want, below is for Mexican pizza)
• tomato paste
• refried beans
• minced garlic
• sliced red onion
• sliced mushrooms
• diced tomatoes
• fresh cilantro
• fresh arugula 
• salt, cumin, chili powder, black and cayenne pepper
• shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make tortilla pizzas (derp). Place them on a baking sheet, bake in the oven for 5 minutes and then check on them. Depending on how many toppings you added, they might be done already. I loaded mine up with beans, so it took another 10ish minutes to get a nice crispy tortilla crust. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding Sundaes

So this one's a no-brainer...

Step 1: make chocolate pudding
Step 2: add stuff
Step 3: eat chocolate pudding sundae

Easy and delicious.

 This particular sundae is chocolate pudding, whipped cream, sliced strawberries and crushed graham crackers. If you wanted to be fancy, you could make a graham cracker crust, press into pie pan, fill with chocolate pudding, top with whipped cream and strawberries and freeze. But that requires a lot more time and sometimes, one cannot wait to eat chocolate pudding.

Mini Berry Pies

Happy Birthday, Steven!

Every year, my fiancee asks for a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday. This year, however, the first thing out of his mouth when posed with the "which dessert" question was a berry pie. Eager to bake something new, I jumped on it. We were having a party to celebrate so instead of making one big pie that would be a mess to cut, I made mini individual pies in a muffin tin. Super cute, easy and well-received by everyone! 

Mini Berry Pie Recipe:

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 lb carton strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pie crust (cheated and used pre-made)
• milk to brush and sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine everything but the crust, milk and extra sugar in a large bowl and set aside to allow maceration (a.k.a juices to seep out of fruit).

Roll out your pie crust and cut out circles about the size of a standard glass (or use a biscuit cutter). Ideally you want to be able to press the bottom crust down in the muffin tin cup and have extra crust up over the edges to seal tops. To make 12 mini pies with tops, you'll need about 3 9-inch pie crusts. The recipe will actually make a lot more than 12 mini pies so I just used the rest to make one big pie and stored in the freezer.

Grease the muffin tin, place the dough circles down in the cups and fill with berry mixture. Cover the pies with a crust top (be sure to cut slits) or make lattices. Place in freezer until ready to bake - this will ensure that the fruit doesn't boil too quickly before the crust is finished baking.

When ready to bake, brush the tops with milk or cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Roasted Korean Chicken Sandwich

One day, I had a surplus of chicken thighs, a leftover loaf of french bread, a tub of kimchi and some mushrooms that were looking a little sad. I thought, "Hm, how shall I make use of all of these ingredients."

Usually when I have an extra loaf of crusty bread, I immediately think banh mi. Unfortunately, I could not make a *true* banh mi with my ingredients so instead, we have a random "Korean" chicken sandwich. And it is delicious.

Roasted Korean Chicken Sandwich Recipe:

• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 2 cayenne peppers, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp red chili paste
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• Dash of Chinese Five Spice (GASP, I know...not Korean)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds 
• 2 green onions--white parts

Yogurt Spread:

• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1/2 lime, juiced 
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put mushrooms, cayenne peppers, garlic, green onion whites and chicken in a small baking dish. Add soy sauce and chili paste. Season chicken with ground ginger, mustard powder, Chinese Five Spice and sesame seeds. Place in oven, uncovered, and cook for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees, cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for additional 5 minutes. Let chicken rest for a couple minutes and then slice in pan with vegetables and juices.

When ready to eat, toast the baguette slightly and spread on yogurt sauce. Top with chicken and mushroom mixture. Garnish with fresh basil, cilantro, green onion and homemade kimchi (recipe at later time). Enjoy!

Moroccan Lentil Stew

I know what you're thinking...

Stew? In the middle of the summer in Texas? Are you insane?

Maybe, but I love stew, and I won't let 100-degree weather keep us apart. Also, today happened to (officially) be the first day of summer. Now this means absolutely nothing to people in Texas, but still...kind of funny that I chose to make this of all meals. Oh well! It's so good and hearty and totally worth it.

Moroccan Lentil Stew Recipe:

• 1 cup lentils
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cayenne peppers, diced ( also added a few tbsp of homemade hot sauce)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• Pinch of ground cardamom
• Generous salt, black and cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups beef broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 1 sweet potato, NOT peeled and diced into small cubes
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Green onions for garnish

Add the first set of ingredients to a large stock-pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover and let simmer for 15 more minutes. Check to make sure lentils and potatoes are tender; using an immersion blender, puree some of the stew. This will give it a thicker, creamier texture. Add the remaining ingredients (sans green onion), simmer for an additional 10 minutes and serve!

Turkish Chicken Shish Ka Bobs

There's nothing like eating chunks of delicious charred meat and veggies off of a stick, nah mean?

Pair it with some turmeric-basil-lemon rice and a spiced yogurt sauce, and you have one fine Turkish-inspired meal. This is super easy with minimal clean-up and it tastes incredible. Perfect for a summer bbq!

Turkish Chicken Shish Ka Bobs Recipe:

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cayenne pepper, diced
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper  
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp cumin
• generous salt and black pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juice+zest
• 2 tsp Greek oregano
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp roasted garlic powder (optional)

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 1/2 red onion, cubed (see a pattern here?)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thick circles (or cubed)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 tsp turmeric 
• salt and cayenne pepper  
• 3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 lemon, juice+zest

Combine the first set of ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour half of the sauce in a gallon ziplock bag, add the chicken and coat well. Set in fridge for a few hours, at least. Cover the remaining yogurt sauce and reserve for later.

When ready to grill, assemble skewers with marinated meat and assorted veggies. This recipe makes 3 large skewers. While the shish ka bobs cook, add the rice and remaining ingredients in a rice cooker (is that cheating? oh well!). Serve with leftover yogurt sauce and enjoy!

Pre-grill

Post-grill. Mmm, look at that char!

Spicy Bechamel Pasta

This is a very simple pasta dish based on one of the classic French sauces--Bechamel. It's relatively easy to make and tastes light years better than any pre-made white sauce out of a can or package. We paired with salad and leftover grilled pork chop.

Spicy Bechamel Pasta Recipe: 

• 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1-2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt, black and cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 onion, diced very finely
• 1 fresh cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 pkg thin spaghetti, cooked

Melt the butter or margarine in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour until clumped and then pour in the milk. Whisk together. Add in the garlic, onion and fresh pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce, add seasonings and simmer for about 15 minutes or until thickened to your desire. Toss in the pasta and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Pasta Bake

Here I go again with the Thanksgiving food...

This dish actually wasn't planned out to be Thanksgiving themed; however, a quick exploration of the fridge and pantry led to its creation. Darn tasty too! Sorry about the one (and only) terrible photo.

Thanksgiving Pasta Bake Recipe:

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red chilies, diced (optional)
• 2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt, black pepper
• 1 tbsp Greek oregano
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary 
• 2 cups chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 pkg cooked spiral pasta 
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1/2 can water
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, add ground turkey, garlic, chilis, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium until turkey is cooked through and garlic has softened. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. 

Pour into 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil and bake in oven until warm and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

The turkey + fennel seed + cranberries really do make this dish taste like a Thanksgiving spread!

Stir-Fry Veggie Udon

This is one of the prettiest dishes I have ever eaten, if I do say so myself. 

I think spinach + purple cabbage= my new favorite culinary color combo.

It also tasted really, really, really good! I was very pleased, especially since I was just throwing something together quick to use all the fresh veggies in the fridge before I go out of town for the weekend. I would definitely recommend this meal.

Stir-Fry Veggie Udon Recipe:

• 1/2 package Udon noodles (for 2 people)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 carrot, diced
• 4 Thai chiles (spicy!), diced
• 1/4 head of purple cabbage, diced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh spinach, torn
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp red chile paste
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• Black pepper
• Sesame seeds and chiffoned fresh basil for garnish

Cook the Udon according to package instructions.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chiles and carrot. Cook for about 5- 10 minutes to soften. Add the purple cabbage, soy sauce, chile paste, fish sauce, pepper and vinegar. Cook until the purple cabbage becomes tender (another 5-10 minutes). Add the peanut butter and spinach. Be sure to incorporate the peanut butter well so as to not to have big lumps. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Add cooked Udon noodles. Garnish with sesame seed and basil. Enjoy!

No-Bake Pumpkin Pudding Pie

You know the problem with seasonal dishes?

We think we can ONLY eat them during that particular time of year.

I don't know about you, but I crave roast turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie ALL the time. But I guess if I indulged in that craving all the time, Thanksgiving would no longer be so awesome.

Well anyway, this is a pumpkin pie recipe that's perfect for summer. It's cool, refreshing and requires no oven time (well excluding the crust, but you could totally just serve this in a bowl).

Obviously the pudding to crust ratio is overwhelmingly uneven, but I swear there is a crust under there!

No-Bake Pumpkin Pudding Pie Recipe:

• 1 can solid packed pumpkin
• 1 package vanilla pudding mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon + more for topping
• 1/2 tsp all-spice
• 1 pre-made crust (I made a weird one that I'll share, but you can use store-bought)

Mix pumpkin with milk in a medium bowl. Add in the pudding mix and spices and whisk together until smooth (no grainy pudding lumps, people!). Pour into prepared crust in a pie dish and refrigerate at least for 4 hours to set (overnight is best). Enjoy with whipped cream or by itself!

Crust:

• 2 packages instant cinnamon oatmeal
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp margarine
• 1 tbsp applesauce
• 1 tsp honey

So I wasn't originally going to use a crust, which is why I kind of panicked and threw together something from on-hand ingredients. But it actually turned out quite delicious! Because I used instant oatmeal that was already chock full of cinnamon and sugar, I only added a little bit of honey. If you use plain oats, you'll need to add more sugar. 

Basically just mix it all together, pat evenly into a 9-inch pie pan (greased) and bake for about 10 minutes in 425-degree oven or until browned.