Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

I have been off from school for three weeks.  I should have had two days last week, but those turned into snow days so I was productive and decided to have a friend over to celebrate my productiveness!  I made this hot cheesy corn dip and we didn't even let it go from the stove to a table, we ate it right there.  It was delish and a perfect compliment to the beef tenderloin and fennel tacos I made!

Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (optional)
2 Scallions, sliced (optional)

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the corn, onion, and red pepper.
Toss and let it sit until slightly charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
Mix the cheese, mayo, lime juice, salt and pepper, place back into the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the cheese has melted.
Top with cilantro and scallions.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

If you're like me, you buy apples hoping someone will eat them and then they just sit there.  (Okay, maybe you're not like me and eat a lot of fruit.)  Anyway, this small batch apple butter is perfect for those 4 or 5 apples that now no one will eat because they're a tiny bit mushy.  This makes about 1.5 cups and will last about 3 weeks in the fridge.
I added in some chai flavors to make this more wintry. 
Enjoy on an English muffin, in a cookie, or straight out of the jar!

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Chai Spiced Apple Butter

Ingredients:
5 medium apples (I used honeycrisp, use whatever you have!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1 Chai tea bag
1/4 cup water

Preparation:
Boil 1/4 cup water and steep Chai tea while prepping the rest of your ingredients (at least 5 minutes).
Peel and chop apples.
Put apples, cinnamon, cardamom, and tea in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil and simmer until apples are soft and you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Place apple mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender off the heat to blend.
Return to sauce pan and simmer.  Stir every 10 minutes for about 1 hour, or until apple butter has grown darker and thicker.
Take off the heat and cool completely before placing in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Cranberry Scones

If you've read my blog before, you know my aversion to baking.  I don't like that you have to use exact measurments and I never quiet know how things are supposed to look before they go into the oven.  I've been watching the British Baking show lately and gave myself false confidence.  "Oh, I can do that!" I said.  Nope.
Well, I shouldn't say I couldn't do it because these scones turned out good... it was just the making them that wasn't great.  The dough was far stickier than it should have been and subsequetnly I couldn't really shape them into scones.  A more accurate description would be cranberry blobs.  I'm sure that if you have baked in your life (more than just a box of brownies) you probably would fair much better than I did.  I also increased the amount of cranberry for my version because I didn't think it had enough.

Cranberry Scones

Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl stir together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in dried cranberries.
Make a well in center of flour mixture.
In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.
Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat or lightly roll each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick circle.
Cut each circle into six wedges.
Place scones 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack; cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Cornbread

Are you ready for the best cornbread?  This recipe is so good.  For real.  I feel like most cornbreads are really dry and crumbly but this is not at all. It's super moist from the creamed corn and it's healthy because there's real corn in there, right?  Right.
It goes perfectly with anyone of my chili recipes (including my sweet potato black bean chili) and any leftovers can go into some cornbread stuffing.  With only 4 ingredients, how can you go wrong?

Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread
2 Eggs
1 15 ounce can creamed corn
1 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients until combined in a medium bowl.
Scrape mixture into a 9x9 cake pan that has been sprayed well with cooking spray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is done.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Pinning Mama

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Yum!  This chili is on point.  It's a bit spicy, but not in an overpowering way and it's so hearty you won't even miss the meat.  You get lots of vitamins by using sweet potatoes and it's full of vegetables and beans for protein.  Serve with a side of cornbread and scoop some sour cream (or Greek yogurt) on top.  Of course, if you're vegan, skip the sour cream and enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne, adjust to taste
2 10 ounce cans  diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
Optional toppings: sour cream (Greek yogurt), shredded cheese

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add sweet potato, onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth and stir until combined.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Serve with any toppings you wish.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Alida's Kitchen

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

If you read my blog a lot, you know about my love affair with enchiladas.  Vegetarian, meat, breakfast, homemade sauce, canned sauce, green sauce, avocado sauce... they're all delicious to me.  This recipe is actually a lot like my crockpot enchiladas, but in an even easier way.  Just cook a package of boca soy crumbles with some enchilada sauce and layer up tortillas in a pan with some cheese.  Delicious! 

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. red enchilada sauce cans
12 oz. frozen soy crumbles (I used Boca brand)
4 oz. frozen corn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
20 4-inch round corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
2 cups cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the crumbles to the pan.
Add 1 can of sauce to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes minutes.
Add corn and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
In a greased 9x13 pan, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.
Layer the tortillas, crumbles and corn mixture, sauce, and cheese (I did three layers, ending with cheese on top).
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned.
Add any toppings you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Fennel and Carrot Soup

This is not normally a recipe I would try on a weeknight, it takes about an hour and a half to complete and though it isn't super labor intensive, it does take time.  Tonight I got home super energized, went grocery shopping, and then changed my menu (this was going to be made on Sunday!) to make this tonight!
This turned out super yummy, I made a few changes to make it more affordable/so I was able to find all the ingredients in my grocery store.  This was more fennel-y than carrot-y, but still was very tasty and definitely was a perfect cool fall night dinner.  I accompanied my dinner with Nightmare Before Christmas and a nice blanket.  Perfect!

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Fennel and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 small russett potato, peeled, halved
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable if you're vegetarian)
1/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped
¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Preparation:
Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium. Add fennel, onion, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until vegetables are soft but not browned and have released their moisture, 40-50 minutes.
Add broth, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until potato is falling apart, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Remove bay leaf.
Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Strain into a clean pot; season with salt and pepper.
Mix yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl. Serve soup topped with maple yogurt and almonds.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Chickpea Peanutbutter Curry

Fall is here!  It's finally time to start making soups and stews and curries are in the mix too!  If you read my blog a lot, you know that I try to include vegetarian or vegan meals several times a week into our diet.  I always want to make sure that the vegetarian and vegan recipes I pick are filling and not so so full of cheese.  This recipe is both!  The chickpeas and peanut butter add protein and it's vegan so no cheese!  

You can always use another nut butter if you're allergic to peanuts and vegetable stock instead of chicken stock to make to vegan or vegetarian; if you're not, feel free to use chicken stock.  Other great news is that this recipe is gluten free!

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Chickpea Peanut Butter Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp coconut oil 

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne 

1/2 tsp. tumeric

1/2 tsp. curry powder

3 Tbsp. peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make vegan)

1 red pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 tsp. salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 lime, juiced 

Preparation:

Add oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and curry.  

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add in the nut butter, coconut milk and stir. Add broth. 

Add the veggies and chickpeas, salt, sugar. 

Mix, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.  

At this point, if you want a thinner curry, add more coconut milk or if you want it thicker, uncover and keep simmering. 

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Vegan Richa

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

So it's actually a total coincidence that I followed my recipe for Greek yogurt Pancakes with this other Greek yogurt recipe.  I don't know about you, but I always have Greek yogurt in the fridge and this recipe probably uses ingredients you already have on hand.  1 container Greek yogurt, 1 cup water, and 1 box lemon cake mix.  Don't have lemon?  Use a different kind of cake mix.  Boom.  Easy!  These super easy muffins came together in about a half hour between making the batter and baking them off.  Perfect for a quick weekend breakfast!
The other perfect thing about these muffins is that they're super healthy!  At only 92 calories per muffin, what could be better?

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins (22-24 Muffins)

Ingredients:
1 5.6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended.
Spray two muffin tins with butter nonstick spray.
Scoop batter into muffin tins until about 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until knife inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean.
Let cool on baking rack.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Penny Pincher Jenny

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I make these pancakes all. the. time.  In fact, I don't even make regular pancakes anymore because these are so easy and because they are much healthier than regular pancakes.  They are only 4 ingredients and you can go from deciding you want pancakes to eating breakfast in about 10 minutes.  Perfect!  These can be made with any kind of Greek yogurt, but be warned that if you use any fruit flavor the pancakes will turn slightly that color; I make these with mixed berry a lot and they always turn kind of blue, which is not super appetizing, but they are good.
These yield about 4 pancakes so if you have a family or really like pancakes, this recipe is easy to double or triple.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 5.3 oz. container Greek yogurt (I used vanilla, but you can use whatever flavor you like)
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tbsp. butter
Optional toppings: butter, syrup, fruit

Preparation:
Mix yogurt, egg, baking soda, and flour in a bowl, until well incorporated.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add butter and heat until melted.
Add scoops of batter until you have 4 even pancakes.
Cook until golden brown on the bottom.
Flip. Cook until golden brown.
Top with butter, syrup, or fruit.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Belle

Blueberry Margaritas

The heat is back in Philly so the only thing to do was make margaritas!  I had some blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used up AND didn't want to run to the store so this recipe was perfect!  My friend Rae came over for dinner so I thought I would make a pitcher of these to impress and they were a hit!
I was a bit skeptical at first about just putting sugar into water and not making a simple syrup, but I shouldn't have worried.  The sugar dissolved and I had one less step!  These were ready in about 5 minutes and made 8 drinks!
We served these with chips and salsa for a Mexican start to our meal... well we actually were supposed to also have tacos to continue that theme, but ended up getting takeout and having a Chinese feast.  The good news is that the margs were so good, you could serve them with almost anything and it would be a good meal!
Photo courtesy of my friend Rae who was much better at taking this picture than I was!

Blueberry Margaritas 

Blueberry Margaritas 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/5 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups silver tequila
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon kosher salt, optional

Preparation:
Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a large pitcher.
Stir vigorously until sugar dissolves.
Muddle the blueberries in the pitcher. Add tequila and lime juice; stir.
If you wish, wet the rims of margarita glasses and dip in salt.
Pour over ice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Zucchini Rollups

Last time I went home my Mom gave me a pound of ground beef so I made meatballs with it and needed something to go with them.  I didn't want pasta because I just made pasta a few days earlier and decided to take advantage of zucchini being in season and made these.  They were much more time intensive than I had intended, but they were delicious!

If you're vegetarian, these would be great with veggie meatballs or some salad and Italian bread.

Zucchini Rollups

Zucchini Rollups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup ricotta

3/4 cup parmesan, divided (the kind in the green container)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

4 medium zucchinis, sliced thin, with a vegetable peeler or mandolin 

1 1/2 cup marinara

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.

On a clean working surface, lay out four slices of zucchini so that they are slightly overlapping and place a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on top. Roll up and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini and ricotta mixture.

Spoon marinara on top of the zucchini, then sprinkle all over with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake until the zucchini is tender and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.

Let dish rest for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from delish. 

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

As I was planning out my menu this week, I realized I was meat-heavy, and thought I would give this recipe a whirl, taking advantage of all the yummy summer produce.  As you know, Matt is always weary of a dish without meat, but I didn't think this would be an issue because of the protein-packed black beans.  As an extra incentive, I promised we could walk to Rita's and get water ice after.
These turned out super yummy and definitely fulfilled my taco craving.  They were filling without being too heavy and there's even a little leftover, so I can have tacos for lunch tomorrow!  Yum!
Also, don't mind that the picture is basically entirely avocado, I promise there's some beans and corn in there too!

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients:
5 small round corn tortillas
1 large avocado, sliced into thin strips
Optional garnishes: pickled onions, hot sauce

Bean Filling
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. water
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Corn Salsa
1 cup corn (thawed if using frozen)
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 red radishes, sliced into thin strips
1/2 lime, juiced
1/8 tsp, salt
1/4 cup feta

Preparation:
Corn Salad: Place the corn into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the chopped cilantro, radishes, lime juice, and sea salt. Mix well. Stir in feta.  Set the bowl aside to marinate while your prepare the beans.
Black Beans: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened and turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and water. Stir and cover.   Cook for 5 more minutes, remove from heat and then remove the lid and use the back of a fork to mash up about at least half of the beans. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
To Serve: Spread black beans down the middle of each tortilla. Top the beans with corn salad. Place a slice of avocado in the taco and serve with optional pickled onions or hot sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Matt wanted muffins since Friday, so today I decided to bake some instead of buying them at the store.  I found this recipe for gluten free cinnamon muffins and I didn't need to buy any ingredients to make them (which is good, because it's Sunday and I didn't want to change out of my pajamas).  These were super easy to make and turned out very delicious!  Though the texture is changed from a regular muffin because of the almond flour, they are still yummy and I would definitely make them again.
Full disclaimer: I thought I had enough almond flour to make these, but I was short about 3 tablespoons, whoops!  So, there's about 1 tablespoon of regular flour in the muffins and the whole topping is regular flour.
These all happen to be dairy free, so all of you with lactose issues can eat them too!  Pair them with some cold brew coffee for a great breakfast!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

Batter
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon Swirl
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. almond flour

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, make the batter by whisking together the eggs, coconut oil, water, honey and vanilla.
Mix in the almond flour, salt and baking soda.
Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full.
Next make the Cinnamon Swirl by mixing the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and almond flour.
Spoon the topping on top of each muffin then use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the muffins.
Bake 15-20 minutes and let cool.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Almond Flour

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Today I needed to make a vegetarian meal because my friend Kevin was over. I knew I wanted to make pizza and I had some arugula to use up and plenty of onions.  I looked at a bunch of recipes for different kinds of pizza, many had figs on them (which my grocery store doesn't carry) or meat (not today!).  I settled on a recipe and loosely followed it, cutting the cheese by over half, I promise, you won't miss it if I am telling you it would have been way way too much.  (Matt calls me the cheese queen).
This turned out delicious!  I served a salad on the side and it was a great meal!  The only problem was that there weren't any leftovers!  Well, there were, but after a few glasses of wine, we finished the last pieces right up!

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Caramelized Onion and Arugula Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pound pizza dough, either homemade or store bought
2 medium onions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp.  olive oil
2 oz. arugula
Cornmeal, optional
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Balsamic reduction, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 425F.
In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt butter.  Add onions and cook stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelized. This will take about 25-30 minutes. (I did this while waiting for my dough to rise).
Meanwhile, on a flat surface, like your kitchen counter, place some flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out your pizza dough with a rolling pin.  Sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheet.  Place the pizza dough onto a baking sheet.
Spread oil all over the dough, as you would sauce.  It might not seem like enough, but you don't want too much in one place, so really spread it around.
Add mozzarella, goat cheese, and onions on top of pizza.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes.  Add arugula and drizzle balsamic on top.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Miryam at Eat Good 4 Life.

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Tonight was a rainy, gross day in Philly and I thought it would be a perfect day to make risotto because who wants to stand over a hot stove when it's hot?  Cherry tomatoes and arugula were both on sale this week so this was a no brainer.  Plus, it served as the perfect side to Garlic Parsley Roasted Salmon.
This was my first try at risotto, but it turned out great!  You could serve this as a side or a main dish.  A wonderful vegetarian dish!

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Tomato and Arugula Risotto

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
½ cup white wine
3 cups hot vegetable stock (plus 1 just in case)
2 cups arugula, washed and dried
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
Salt, to taste
Shaved parmesan, to serve

Preparation:
Start by setting your vegetable stock to simmer in a separate pot. It has to be hot by the time you add it to the rice.
In a large skillet, over medium high heat add the olive oil and once it's hot, add the shallots.
Once the shallots are translucent, add the rice and fry it so that all the rice is coated.
Reduce the heat to medium low.
Add the white wine and cook until it evaporates completely.
Add the first cup of vegetable stock and cook, stirring regularly until it is absorbed by the rice.
Repeat the process with the other 2 cups of stock, one at a time.
If your rice is still hard, add the stock, stirring the rice, until the stock is absorbed.
Turn the heat off and add the tomatoes and arugula.  Stir until everything is incorporated.
Add the mozzarella and stir gently.
Taste to check seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Serve immediately, top with the shaved parmesan.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Olivia at Olivia's Cuisine.

Mashed Potatoes

These are the best mashed potatoes.  For real.  I make them all the time- if I'm not making Mashed Sweet Potatoes, I'm making these.  I topped my yummy mashed potatoes with the garlic gravy from Roasted Chicken Thighs and it was awesome.

These mashed potatoes are super creamy and delicious!  I have used both russet potatoes and yukon gold potatoes for these- I prefer yukon golds because of their inherit butteriness, but russets will work in a pinch or if they're on sale!

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1'' cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp lite cream
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp milk (or more)
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:
Place potatoes in medium pot.  Cover with cold water, about an inch above the potatoes.  Salt with 1/2 tsp. salt.
Turn the heat on to high, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork.
Drain cooked potatoes, mash in a large bowl with a potato mashed.  Mix with butter, cream, milk.
Add milk and beat until the mashed potatoes are smooth. Don't over-beat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Simply Recipes

Shakshuka with Feta

So today is Labor Day, but we don't have a grill so shakshuka it is!  This recipe is super healthy, super flavorful, and filling.  Now, usually when I make vegetarian meals I douse it in cheese, but this one only used 3/4 cup of reduced-fat feta (of course you can use regular feta, I honestly couldn't reach the regular at the store... the woes of being 5 feet tall).  I actually also bought a rotisserie chicken because I was really worried this wouldn't be filling enough, but it was after I dunked Italian bread in all the juices.  (You can make your own bread too, but I ran out of time.)
As a side note when this comes out of the oven, don't touch the handle it's super hot.  Yikes.  My hand is is a little sore :(

Shakshuka with Feta

Shakshuka with Feta

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
¾ teaspoon salt, more as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
3/4 cup feta cheese
4 large eggs
 Chopped cilantro, for serving
Challah, Italian Bread, or Pita, for serving

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add onion and red pepper, cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, cook for about 1 minute.
Add cumin, paprika, and cayenne.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring.
Add tomatoes, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
Cook for about 10 more minutes, until mixture thickens.
Stir in feta.
Crack eggs over the top of tomatoes and place in oven.
Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Take out of oven and sprinkle with cilantro.
Dip some bread in and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The NY Times

Zucchini Green Chile Enchiladas

Alright, first things first, it's been a really long time since I last posted, but I've been so busy!  I've moved up in the world of teaching to 2nd grade and we start next week!  I also have been crazy busy with my online grad classes AND we just moved into a house!  That we bought!

Of course, my first post back is enchiladas.  If you're an avid reader, you know I love making enchiladas.  (For example, my most popular Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas or my Vegetarian Crockpot Enchiladas).

ANYWAY, these enchiladas are awesome.  Zucchini is the star of these, which is perfect for summer.  It was finally cool enough to turn my oven on and use some fresh summer veggies!  I did add about one chicken breast into my filling, but only because I needed to use it up.  I omitted it in the recipe below, but if you're feeling like you need to add some meat, go right ahead.

Zucchini Green Chile Enchiladas 

Zucchini Green Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 zucchini, quartered
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chile powder
1.5 cups corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce green chile enchilada sauce
8 large flour tortillas
2 cups cheddar jack cheese
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until translucent but still crunchy, about 4 minutes.
Add zucchini, garlic, salt, cumin, and chile powder.  Cook until soft, but still a little crunchy, about 6 minutes.
Add corn and cook for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, line a 9x13 pan with foil.  Add half a cup of enchilada sauce into pan.
Take each tortilla and fill it with about 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture, rolling it as you go.  Place seam-side down in pan.  Repeat until you've filled all your tortillas.
Pour the rest of the sauce on top, spreading it out and making sure the tortillas are covered.  Add cheese and cover with foil.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle on cilantro.
Enjoy!

Breakfast Enchiladas

Now, you guys definitely know how much I love enchiladas by now. (Need proof, check out some of my favorites: Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas, Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas, and Vegetarian Crockpot Enchiladas.  Now, I found a way to have enchiladas for breakfast too!  (Not that I didn't eat the aforementioned as leftovers for breakfast).  These are great because I can see myself putting whatever I want in them... I was thinking bacon and leeks next time!  They would also be SUPER easy to make vegetarian as well!
Note that these enchiladas soak in the egg mixture overnight, so if you want to eat enchiladas immediately, try a different recipe!

Breakfast Enchiladas

Breakfast Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed and cooked ham
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
1¼ cup half-and-half
4 whole eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
salsa, sour cream, and additional green onions for serving

Preparation:
In a medium bowl stir together ham, green onions and 1 1/2 cups of cheese (save the remaining ½ cup for later). Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place a good amount of ham mixture onto a tortilla, careful not to over fill them. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in the baking pan. Roll up all tortillas and place them into the baking dish with the sides touching.
Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, salt, and flour. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350º. Bake covered for 30-40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese over enchiladas. Bake for 10 more minutes or until tops are golden brown and the egg mixture is set.
Serve with salsa, sour cream, and additional green onions.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything