Food for Thought

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:52:08 -0400

Finally! A split pea soup recipe without bacon or ham. This is one of my favorite soups and you do not usually find a vegetarian-friendly version. This may be time consuming, but it absolutely suitable for this chilly, rainy day.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
1 bag (12 ounces) dried split green peas
2.5 quarts water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large Dutch oven, bring the peas and water to a boil over high heat for 2 minutes, uncovered. Cover and Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

After an hour has elapsed, add oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and thyme to the oil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the mixture and bay leaves to the Dutch oven and simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Credit to Shannon for the recipe and photo at The Curvy Carrot http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/02/24/vegetarian-split-pea-soup/

Baked Sopapilla Cheesecake

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:20:00 -0400

A friend posted this recipe that she found yesterday and I, knowing I had all 6 ingredients, immediately made them for breakfast. It really does not get better than the combination of buttery and flaky crescent rolls, sweetened cream cheese, and cinnamon. I must warn you though, these are not at all healthy and you’ll probably find yourself eating the 8 pieces the recipe yields. If you bake these little bad boys, please serve them surrounded by caution tape… if you do decide to share with others!

Baked Sopapilla Cheesecake
2 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
cinnamon and sugar, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll one can of crescent rolls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and spread equally over each piece of dough. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and fold over the mixture. Brush melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until dough is golden brown. Serve fresh out of the oven and enjoy!

Thank you to Alina for the recipe, photo, and extra calories at My Yellow Umbrella- http://myellowumbrella.blogspot.com/2010/10/sopapilla-cheesecake.html

Red Curry with Shrimp

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:23:20 -0500

It has been a very long half of a year of nursing school! Thankfully I had a small break so Rocky and I were able to go on a date. We started out at an art gallery in Deering Estates (amazing venue) and then wandered over to Sushi Maki. It was our first time there and I was so happy we tried it. I have had curry once before and did not like it, but Rocky and I did “halves-ies” (we split my eel rolls and his thai shrimp curry) and I thought the dish was incredible.

Red Curry with Shrimp
2 cups medium cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 cup fresh carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh snap peas
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For curry sauce:
1 can coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato puree, cooked
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground comin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice

Combine all ingredients for the sauce and process in a food processor or blender. Add the curry sauce to a wok and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp, vegetables, and cinnamon and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve over rice, if desired, and enjoy!

Hot and Sour Soup

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:53:22 -0500

The hot and sour soup from Pf Chang’s is the best soup I’ve ever eaten. Since I am recently a vegetarian, I can no longer go to the restaurant for this wonder as it contains chicken. I decided recently to make my own vegetarian version and absolutely loved it! I am actually forcing myself to write this so I do not get up to serve myself another bowl. Is it dinner yet?

Hot and Sour Soup
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
7 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into strips
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 can (6 ounces) bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
6 ounces firm tofu, cubed
3 ounces white vinegar

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and saute the mushrooms, about 3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Mix in the soy sauce, pepper, and bamboo shoots and cook, about 3 minutes. Mix the corn starch and water together and add to the boiling mixture.

Add the eggs, stirring in until cooked, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add the tofu and vinegar. Stir to combine, ladel into soup bowls, and enjoy!

Tilapia Parmesan Rolls

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:10:00 -0400

We just learned that our dog has been diagnosed with IVDD. In an effort to save money to afford a possible surgery, we are cutting costs in the kitchen. Although cooking for a pescetarian can be pricey, it becomes very much affordable by just switching from fresh to frozen fish. Who knew that 8 pieces of tilapia could cost 9 dollars? This recipe was an easy few ingredients, cost next to nothing, and was absolutely delicious!

Tilapia Parmesan Rolls
4 tilapia filets
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
salt and pepper, to taste
4 hot dog buns (I used Martin’s long roll potato rolls)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat defrosted filets dry and season with lemon pepper. Place in a greased baking sheet and cook for 12 minutes.

Mix butter and parmesan cheese together. Remove fish from oven and spread cheese mixture evenly over each filet. Place each in a potato bun and broil for about 2 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and the roll is toasted. Serve with lemon and enjoy!

Credit for recipe and photo to Jessica at How Sweet It Is (http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/01/easy-baked-parmesan-tilapia/).

Maple Pecan Rice Pudding

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:05:28 -0400

One of my favorite things to do is cook with my grandma. When we are not cooking, we are often watching the food network to get ideas for our next dish. Recently, we watched an episode about rice with Ina Garten and she made the most delicious looking rice pudding I have ever seen. It included all of my grandma’s favorite ingredients (raisins, maple, and pecans) so I surprised her with some on this lazy, rainy afternoon. It was probably one of the most delicious desserts I have ever made.

Maple Pecan Rice Pudding
3/4 cup white basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Combine rice, salt, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, on low for 9 minutes.

Add half and half and sugar. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, on low for 30 minutes. Stir often. Slowly stir in the egg to the mixture and cook for an additional minute. Turn off the heat and add in the vanilla extract, maple syrup, and raisins. Stir well and pour into a medium bowl. Top with pecans, either warm or chilled, and enjoy!

Credit for photo and recipe to Ina Garten at the Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/maple-pecan-rice-pudding-recipe/index.html).

Blueberry Peach Crisp

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:53:00 -0400

Rocky and I recently went to Grand Lux Cafe to celebrate my acceptance into nursing school! It is probably one of my favorite places, especially because of their warm apple crisp dessert. We had not been there in a while, but when it was time to order dessert the absolutely amazing apple crisp was changed to a peach blueberry crisp. Although I was not sure if I liked peaches, the dessert was equally amazing! I was thrilled to find a recipe online and share it with the family.

Blueberry Peach Crisp
1/4 cup butter, softened
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
3 cups blueberries, washed and dried to room temperature
3 medium peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Work butter into the mixture until clumpy. Stir in the pecans and set aside. In a large bowl, toss the blueberries, peaches, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg together.

Pour the fruit mixture into a greased 9-inch square pan (or pie crust, if desired). Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is bubbling and the topping is browned. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Credit to Jennifer Yu for photo and recipe at Use Real Butter (http://userealbutter.com/2009/08/17/blueberry-peach-crisp-recipe/).

Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:27:52 -0400

It was almost 8pm and I still hadn’t made dinner for the family. I wanted to make something quick and easy that I could just pop in the oven while we all continued on with our Harry Potter movie marathon. This dish was a nice change from the baked pastas I usually make and fed a family of 6 for a little under 11 dollars!

Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
1 green pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
12 6-inch corn tortillas
1 can tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a saucepan and saute onion and pepper, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes and cumin and allow mixture to simmer on low for 5 minutes. Add black beans and remove saucepan from heat.

In a 9”x13” casserole dish, layer a third of the black bean mixture, 6 tortillas, and 1 cup cheese. Repeat once. Top the casserole with the remaining black bean mixture and tomato sauce. Cover with tin foil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and cook for 5 more minutes, or until cheese has melted. Cut into squares, serve, and enjoy!

Credit to Kelly for photo and recipe at The Meaning of Pie (http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2010/09/black-bean-enchilada-casserole/).

Pizza-Stuffed Mushrooms

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:39:00 -0400

My sister and I bought a spaghetti squash while at Whole Foods the other day. She had seen a simple recipe that used the squash instead of pasta, so we thought we would try it. She enjoyed it, but it is something I would have to get used to as a substitute for pasta. The appetizer we made while the squash baked, however, was amazing! It was very easy to make and equally easy to eat.

Pizza-Stuffed Mushrooms
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but use your favorite!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop. Fill mushroom cavities with chopped stems and tomato sauce. Top with cheese and bread crumbs. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Credit for photo and recipe inspiration to Gimme Some Oven (http://gimmesomeoven.com/stuffed-mushrooms-with-blue-cheese-sun-dried-tomato-pesto/).

Shrimp and Corn Tomato Bisque

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:37:00 -0400

It’s a very lazy Saturday today! I woke up at 9 but did not get out of bed until almost noon (only because I was getting hungry). It’s been raining on and off, so I stayed in and just grabbed some leftover corn and shrimp from the housewarming party to concoct something on my own. This soup was hearty and heartwarming- absolutely perfect while laying in bed on this rainy summer day.

Shrimp and Corn Tomato Bisque
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 cans tomato bisque soup (I used Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Bisque Soup)
3 cups water
1 can whole kernal corn
2 cups medium cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
salt and pepper, to taste

In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add celery and cook and additional 2 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Mix in tomato soup and water and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add shrimp and corn and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Credit to Jon Danao for photo at Silk Routes (http://silkroutes.com/2010/09/grilled-corn-soup/).

Quinoa-Stuffed Red Peppers

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:33:00 -0400

In an effort to get my family to eat healthier, my sister follows several food blogs now and asked to make this recipe with me. She experienced her first shopping trip to Whole Foods (she is now in love) and her first organic culinary adventure. She did a great job sauteing the vegetables and cooking the quinoa to perfection. I am looking forward to her learning more about cooking and making more healthy dinners on her own.

Quinoa-Stuffed Red Peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag (9 oz.) baby spinach, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated
2 cups and 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise and ribs removed

Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until most liquid has evaporated. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each pepper with quinoa mixture and place in baking dish bottomed with 1/4 cup water. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from heat, top each pepper with cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, transfer to serving plates, and enjoy!

Credit to the Vegetarian Times for recipe and photo at (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10896).

Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:39:00 -0400

I know I mentioned this in my previous post, but I made these cinnamon chips with fruit salsa for Rocky’s housewarming fiesta. Although I intended for this to be the appetizer, I brought them out after our meal for something sweet to munch on while we played a board game. This was so easy to make and perfect as a light dessert or sweet snack for a party.

Cinnamon Chips with Fruit Salsa
10 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 fugi apples, peeled and diced
1 pound strawberries, diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush both sides of tortilla with melted butter. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over both sides of tortilla. Cut tortilla into 8 wedges and place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until chips are crispy and starting to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, mix kiwis, strawberry, brown sugar, and honey. Add apples and mix. Serve with cinnamon chips and enjoy!

Credit to Nicole for photo and recipe inspiration at Heat Oven to 350 (http://heatovento350.blogspot.com/2011/04/fruit-salsa-with-cinnamon-chips.html).

Sweet Corn Cakes

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:36:00 -0400

Rocky finally had his housewarming party last weekend! He made everyone chipotle shrimp tacos (yum!) while I made sweet corn cakes and fruit salsa with cinnamon tortilla chips. The sweet corn cakes were inspired by my favorite appetizer at the Cheesecake Factory and were a complimentary little side to the tacos. It was a wonderful housewarming with great food and great friends.

Sweet Corn Cakes
1 1/2 cups sweet corn, frozen
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup corn masa (corn flour)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place 1 cup frozen corn in a food processor and coarsely puree. Add pureed corn, butter, and honey to an electric mixer and blend until smooth. Add masa and flour to mixture and blend well. Mix in the remaining frozen corn by hand.

Form 3-inch wide patties (about 1/2 cup mixture each) and arrange on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom. Carefully flip each cake and bake for an additional 7 minutes, or until the opposite side is browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm topped with southwestern sauce (combine and chill 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon water, 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder, dash salt, dash garlic powder), avocado, tomato salsa, sour cream, salsa verde, and cilantro (if desired) and enjoy!

Recipe and photo inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s Sweet Corn Tamale Cake and Kitchen Witch at (http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/recipe-exchange/2558-sweet-corn-tamale-cakes-cheesecake-factory.html).

Banana Crumb Muffins

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:30:55 -0400

I may have not posted much lately, but I sure have have been baking up a banana storm. For some reason we just can not seem to get all the bananas out of the hammock before they become over ripened. Luckily, I love to bake and have been having a field day with my favorite fruit. Although I recently made banana cake and a banana/blueberry loaf, I did not even want to post the recipes before I shared these banana crumb muffins with the world. I think I may purposely refrain from eating bananas just so I can bake these frequently- they are truly to die for!

Banana Crumb Muffins
1 1/2 cups and 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large ripened bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, and 1/3 cup melted butter. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until moistened. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased muffin cups.

In a small own, mix brown sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Add 2 tablespoons butter and mix until moistened. Sprinkle crumb topping over muffin batter.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Credit to Pip and Ebby for photo and recipe at (http://www.pipandebby.com/storage/recipes/BananaCrumbMuffinsRecipe.pdf).

Shrimp and Pasta with Lemon Pesto Sauce

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:57:41 -0400

Once a week I get together with my grandma to have lunch at our favorite local cafe. I am not a creature of habit, but this is the one place where I have a “usual”- their Tuna Pasta Pesto Salad. It’s a fillet of tuna atop a bed of penne pasta tossed in a delicious pesto sauce. I could really eat this dish more than once a week, but in the spirit of saving money, I created a cheaper version that is absolutely delicious!

Shrimp and Pasta with Lemon Pesto Sauce
1 lemon, cut into pieces and seeded
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
1 cup raw medium shrimp (deveined, shells and tails removed)
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine lemon, basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor. Blend until a thick and smooth pesto sauce forms and set aside.

Boil water and cook pasta according to package. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook shrimp until done, about 3 minutes each side. Remove shrimp and deglaze pan with wine. Remove pan from heat and stir in pesto sauce.

Toss pasta, shrimp, pesto sauce, and feta cheese together until evenly coated. Serve warm and enjoy!

Credit to Kevin for recipe and photo at Closet Cooking (http://www.closetcooking.com/2010/04/meyer-lemon-pesto-and-feta-pasta-with.html).

Baked Tortilla Española

Sun, 08 May 2011 12:00:00 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day! I had a wonderful morning with Rocky and his mom at his place for a little spanish themed brunch. For our menu, we baked salmon and goat cheese empanadas and a tortilla española. This is not the type of flat, disc shaped tortilla that I am used to serving at the Mexican restaurant, but rather a “little cake” (translated from Spanish) of potato and egg- very similar to an omelet or frittata. There was nothing left of the empanadas or tortilla at the end of the meal and Rocky’s mom was really moved by our culinary efforts.

Baked Tortilla Española
1 cup red-skinned potatoes, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, cover diced potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 7 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a frying pan, cook the garlic, scallions, and peppers in olive oil over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until scallions are softened. Allow to cool and add to cooled potatoes.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and cheese. Add to potato/vegetable mixture. Pour mixture into greased casserole dish and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed in the center. Allow to cool completely, serve as squares, and enjoy!

Credit to Lydia for recipe and photo at The Perfect Pantry (http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2009/05/garlic-recipe-tortilla-espanola.html).

Curry Shrimp and Vegetables

Mon, 02 May 2011 12:26:00 -0400

Rocky has officially moved into his own place! I’m so proud of him and very much looking forward to the new memories we are going to share. To break in his dining set, I cooked this curry dish that was absolutely perfect as our first meal. Not only was it palate pleasing and filled the apartment with a wonderful aroma, it was one of those easy, “one pan” meals that was so effortless to make after a long day of building furniture and unpacking boxes. It was definitely a great housewarming dish.

Curry Shrimp and Vegetables
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 8 ounce bag cabbage, shredded
1 pound raw medium shrimp, tails and shells removed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups brown rice, cooked (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook garlic, onion, and red pepper for about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric and coat evenly for about 1 minute. Add water and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and cabbage and cook about 8 minutes. Serve warm over brown rice and enjoy!

Credit to Miryam for recipe and photo at Eat Good 4 Life (http://eatgood4life.blogspot.com/2011/04/curried-shrimp-and-vegetables.html).

Roasted Sweet Pepper and Tomato Couscous

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:42:00 -0400

Rocky is moving into his new apartment in less than one week! I am very excited for him, but also a little nervous because he is still new to cooking. He can make scrambled eggs and a really mean sandwich, but I know he wants to learn more so he can cook while I am not around. I am going to dedicate a few blogs to simple recipes that he can create on his own that will keep him healthy and well fed.

Roasted Sweet Pepper and Tomato Couscous
1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous, prepared according to package
1 package (5 ounce) sweet mini peppers, stemmed and pitted
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In baking pan, toss halved peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, and pepper until evenly coated. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned.

When slightly cooled, mix into cooked couscous and cilantro. Top with goat cheese. Serve either warm or cold and enjoy!

Credit to Veronica for recipe and photo at The Enchanted Cook (http://theenchantedcook.blogspot.com/2011/03/whole-wheat-pearl-couscous-with-roasted.html).

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:14:00 -0400

Happy Easter! Every year my family gets together to have breakfast at our favorite little bagel shop, Brothers of Brooklyn. This year, sadly, the restaurant was closed for the holiday. Although slightly disappointed, the news didn’t stop us from wanting to create our traditional feast. When we returned home, we went straight to the kitchen and cooked up some of our usual Easter morning requests: french toast, scrambled eggs, and homemade cinnamon raisin bagels!

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Combine water, honey, and yeast in a small bowl and allow to activate (about 10 minutes, or until frothy). In a large bowl, combine flour and cinnamon. Once yeast has activated, add to flour mixture and mix well. Knead dough for about 5 minutes and add raisins. Knead for 5 more minutes, or until dough is very smooth.

Separate the dough into 4 ounce balls. Use your fingers to make a hole in the center and stretch to about 2 inches in diameter. Place on greased parchment paper and set aside for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil each dough round for 2 minutes total, 1 minute on each side. Place on wire rack and allow water to drain for about 5 minutes. When ready, preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite spread and enjoy!

Credit to Beth M for recipe and photo at Budget Bytes (http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/09/cinnamon-raisin-bagels-094-recipe-009.html).

Kringla Sweet Pretzel

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:05:00 -0400

I have been having major Disney World withdrawals lately. Rocky and I usually go once a year during the winter, but our dog became very ill so we cancelled our most recent annual trip. Thankfully, Penny is back to her cute self and we are now planning to possibly take a Disney trip next month! In honor of our upcoming trip, I wanted to make one of my favorite sweets from my favorite Disney park. If you haven’t visited Kringla Bakeri og Kafe at the Norway Pavilion in Epcot and had yourself a Sweet Pretzel (or School Bread, but let’s save that for another blog) then you are really missing out!

Kringla Sweet Pretzel
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 cups bread flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Combine water and sugar in a small bowl and scatter yeast on top. Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside. When yeast is ready, add to dry flour mixture. Add maple syrup and mix well. With an electric mixer, use dough hook and mix about 2 minutes on low speed. Then add the raisins and mix, if desired.

Separate the dough into 4 ounce balls. Roll each ball into a long strand and form pretzel shape. Place on a greased cookie sheet and allow to rise, about 30 minutes.

When ready, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake about 12 minutes, or until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for icing. Once pretzels are cooled, dip into icing mixture and cover with toasted almonds. Sit back, “just think happy thoughts”, and enjoy!

Credit to Disney Bloggers for recipe inspiration and photo at (http://allears.net/din/rec_krin.htm).