Free Printable Recipe Cards

I love recipe cards (big surprise, right?) and these are adorable...not only are they adorable but you can print them out for free (!!!) from Vale Design. There are a few other designs on the site but these are my favorite. Click here to print yours!

Recipe: Basil Chicken Burgers with Pesto Mayo

Here is another recipe from the same Family Fun Magazine. This recipe looks great and we're always looking for new burger recipes. We're currently stuck on turkey burgers (I'm sure you could make this recipe with ground turkey too) but we'll be testing this one out soon. I love basil and could eat pesto everyday so this one is on the "to make soon" list!

Recipe can be found online here

Basil Chicken Burgers

For the burgers:
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar or 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pesto (store-bought or your favorite recipe)
Oil for brushing the burgers
6 burger rolls
Lettuce
Sliced tomatoes

For the Pesto Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pesto

1. Line a medium-size baking sheet with plastic wrap and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, cheese, salt, and pepper, gently tossing the mixture with your hands or a large fork, until evenly blended. 2. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and pesto, then add it to the ground chicken mixture and combine until evenly blended. Shape the meat into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, placing each one on the lined baking sheet as you go. Cover the burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes to firm them. (Note: The patties will be softer than traditional hamburgers.) 3. While the meat is chilling, prepare the grill and make the Pesto Mayonnaise (just combine the ingredients in a small bowl). Then brush one side of each of the burgers with a little oil and place them on the grill, oiled side down. Lightly brush oil on the other side of the burgers and cook them for 5 minutes on each side, turning once, or until the meat is no longer pink inside. 4. Serve the burgers on the rolls, dressed with the lettuce, tomatoes, and Pesto Mayonnaise. Makes 6 burgers

Original Collector: Me

Recipe: Fiesta Fajitas and Fresh Pineapple Salsa

I found this recipe while I was waiting in a doctors office with some clients, it's from Family Fun Magazine and it's delicious!!! We've already made this twice and each time it's been excellent! I'm not too sure about the Pineapple Salsa - it's okay but we chose not to make it the second time around, I definitely prefer regular ol' tomato salsa.

I served the dish with grilled corn, salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and avocado... Yum!

Fiesta Fajitas
For the marinade:
1/3 cup canned pineapple juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the fajitas:
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds), trimmed of silver skin
2 large red onions, cut into 1-inch-thick slices and threaded lollipop-style on skewers
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into quarters
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into quarters
Olive oil for brushing
8 flour tortillas, wrapped in foil

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag, then add the tenderloins and toss them to coat. Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator and allow the tenderloins to marinate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. 2. Prepare the grill for cooking. Brush the onion skewers and bell peppers with olive oil. Grill the vegetables until they are soft, about 20 minutes, and the tenderloins, turning them occasionally, until the centers register 145°, also about 20 minutes. Transfer all the food to a baking sheet and allow the tenderloins to rest for 5 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, remove the onion slices from the skewers. Chop them and the bell peppers, then arrange the vegetables on one side of a large serving platter. Slice the tenderloins into strips, then arrange them beside the vegetables. 4. Heat the foil-wrapped tortillas on the coolest part of the grill, turning them several times until they are warmed through. Serve the grilled vegetables, tenderloin strips, and tortillas with small bowls of the Fresh Pineapple Salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Serves 8.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (1 fajita made with a tortilla, 1/8 of the meat and vegetables, and 2 tablespoons of salsa):Calories 304Total Fat 6 g (9% DV) Saturated Fat 1 g (6% DV) Cholesterol 74 mg (25% DV) Sodium 459 mg (19% DV) Total Carbohydrate 33 g (11% DV) Fiber 2 g (6% DV) Sugars 4 gProtein 29 g (58% DV) Vitamin C (90% DV)

Fresh Pineapple Salsa

2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less for a milder taste)
Salt

1. Place all of the ingredients but the salt in a blender or food processor and pulse until the ingredients are mixed but still chunky. 2. Transfer the salsa to a bowl, salt it to taste, then cover and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Makes 2 cups.
Nutritional Information

Per serving (1/4 cup):Calories 20Total Fat 0 g (0% DV) Saturated Fat 0 g (0% DV) Cholesterol 0 mg (0% DV) Sodium 148 mg (6% DV) Total Carbohydrate 6 g (2% DV) Fiber 0.2 g (1% DV) Sugars 3 gProtein 0.3 g (1% DV)

Original Collector: Me

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Our DIY Save the Dates

I've been hanging on to these photos for quite some time but now, I'm finally ready to show them off. These are mine and Tony's save the date cards. I designed everything myself, with my tiny bit of design knowledge...all using Paint and Microsoft Word. I chose the color scheme and design around our October wedding, played around with the wording and fonts and there you have it!

I bought card stock from Michael's and Hobby Lobby and ordered the envelopes online. The envelopes are made out of recycled brown paper bags which were an excellent touch and nod to our wedding style (at least I thought so!) A regular printer, paper cutter and glue finished them off...oh, and quite a few hours of assembling!

Our invitations will match this design but we've yet to start production on those - they will be even more complex and time consuming!

Did I mention we made the cards into magnets?

Though the cards and invitations are a pretty big thing to undertake, I'm very thankful that we did it. It's pretty special to hand make each invitation using your own design....oh, and we saved a TON of money by making our own (that never hurts!)

Recipe: Blueberry Cream Pie

I ran across this recipe and happened to have all of the ingredients on hand so I made it right away. It's super light and so easy to make that a toddler (or even Tony) could do it! I made it while my sister was in town and it got both her and Tony's seal of approval.

You can make this with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or anything else you can come up with by simply substituting the blueberry yogurt for another flavor to match your fresh fruit.

Photo and Recipe from Gina's Recipes

(forgot to take my own photo!)

Blueberry Cream Pie
9-inch ready made reduced fat graham cracker pie crust
8 oz fat free cool whip
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 (5.3 oz) containers fat free blueberry yogurt

Combine cool whip, berries, and yogurt into a bowl. Pour into pie crust and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or freeze). Garnish top with extra blueberries and keep chilled until serving. YIELD: 8 Servings

Per serving: 196 calories

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipes: Chipotle Chicken Kebabs, Sweet-n-Spicy Grilled Pineapple, Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Next to the Asian chicken, this was my second favorite meal. These recipes are pretty simple and the meal was an all around hit. I love how colorful the meal plated up but the chicken and pineapple are by far the stars of the show!

We used leftover chicken kebabs in pita and hummus sandwiches for the next couple of days. The pineapple was a great breakfast and the black bean salad would have been excellent leftover for lunch served with some tortilla chips.

Chipotle Chicken Kebabs

1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Cooking spray

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag, and toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. 2. Prepare grill. 3. Thread chicken onto 4 (10-inch) metal skewers; place on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 11 minutes or until done, turning once. YIELD: 4 servings.

Note: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes before grilling.

Per Serving: Cal 206; Fat 2.3g; Pro 40.7g; Carb 3.4g; Fib .2g

Sweet-n-Spicy Grilled Pineapple

1 peeled and cored pineapple

1 1/2 tbs pineapple juice

3 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles

Cooking spray

1. Prepare grill. 2. Cut pineapple into 8 slices. Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, and adobo sauce in small bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Blot excess moisture from each pineapple slice with paper towels. Brush 1 side of each slice with brown sugar mixture. 3. Place pineapple slices, brushed sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 3 minutes or until browned; brush with remaining brown sugar mixture, turn, and grill3 minutes. YIELD: 4 servings

Per Serving: Cal 87; Fat .2g, Pro .6g, Carb 22.7g, Fib 2g

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

9 oz frozen corn, thawed

1 tomato, chopped

1 small hass avocado, diced

1/4 c. red onion, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 lime, juice of

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh cilantro

salt and fresh pepper

Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Add avocado just before serving. YIELD: 12 (1/2 cup) servings

Per Serving: 106 Calories

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipe: Grilled Sesame-Ginger Chicken

This is by far my favorite recipe so far.....absolutely delicious!!! This was so good we may be eating it at least once each week for a while! The recipe could not be easier and it was quick too! I served the chicken with cooked rice and salad.

Grilled Sesame-Ginger Chicken

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger *
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
Sliced green onions (optional)

1. Prepare grill. 2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.** 3. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet (this step is not so important.) 4. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done, basting occasionally with sesame seed mixture. Place on a serving platter; garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve immediately. YIELD: 4 servings

* definitely use fresh ginger, the taste can't be beat
**I would make extra sauce to drizzle over your rice!

Per Serving: Cal 236; Fat 3.1g; Pro 40.2g; Carb 9.9g; Fib 0.4g

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipe: Honey-Dijon Salmon with Pecans

This was my second time cooking fish and I have to admit that I liked the Spicy Tilapia much better. The salmon seemed a little strong to me but the glaze was excellent and it was extremely easy to cook. Again, Tony liked the recipe more than me but maybe he's just not as picky! I served the salmon with wild rice, salad, and cantaloupe. Yum!!


Honey-Dijon Salmon with Pecans

2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat broiler. 2. Combine honey and mustard in a bowl, stirring well. 3. Place fish, skin side down, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Brush honey mustard over the fish; sprinkle with pecans. *** Broil 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (*Ours took a little less time because we had smaller fillets. YIELD: 6 servings

***When I topped the fish with the pecans and put it under the broiler, it quickly burnt the pecans and set off the smoke detectors! This has to be a misprint in the recipe, I'd top the fish with pecans after it has cooked (Hence, no pecans on my fish =( ! )

Per Serving: Cal 316; Fat 14.8g; Pro 36.5g; Carb 7.2g; Fib .3g

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers

I made this healthy version of Stuffed Peppers because Tony loves them. Served with a salad, this was a pretty hearty meal. Tony enjoyed these a lot more than I did but overall, I can't complain....plus, they are super easy to make.

(The cheese was the best part!)

Stuffed Peppers

2 large green bell peppers (about 10 ounces each)

3/4 lb ground sirloin

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 (8.8 - ounce) package precooked whole-grain brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's)

1 cup tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Classico)

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, cut sides up, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Microwave at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. (*We cooked these in the oven to soften, not the microwave.)

2. While bell peppers cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion until browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain, if necessary; return to pan. Stir in dried Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, brown rice, and pasta sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until warm, stirring occasionally.

3. Fill bell pepper halves with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Microwave at HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts. (*Again, we finished these off in the oven, not the microwave.) YIELD: 4 servings

Per Serving: Cal 312; Fat 9.8g, Pro 27.4g; Carb 29.9g; Fib 4.1g

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Recipe: Spicy Tilapia Fillets

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! There is too much to update on but in brief: we finally got the house (June 4th to be exact), moved in and have been working away ever since. We are cooking a lot and trying to grill out as much as possible. All of the recipes I'm going to post today are things we've made since moving and finally, some actual photos that I've taken of the dishes. Also, we're trying to cook lots of healthy, nutritious dinners this summer so be sure to try them!

This recipe is actually one of the first times I've ever cooked fish (it has always scared me before!) The fish was great but could have used some more spicy heat... overall: success!

Spicy Tilapia Fillets

3 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tsp Creole seasoning (more if you ask us!)
4 (6-ounce) Tilapia Fillets, grouper, or any other mild white fish
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Combine flour and Creole seasoning in a large zip-top plastic bag; add fish, and seal bag. Shake bag to coat fish. 2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute 30 seconds. Remove and discard garlic. Add fish; cook 7-8 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. (*cooking time was much less for me, we had small fillets) Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (1 fillet)

Per Serving: Cal 189; Fat 2.9g; Pro 33.6g; Carb 4.7g; Fib .2g

I served the fish with couscous cooked in chicken stock and topped it with pine nuts, diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

7 Hearty Salad Additions

I realize that I've been posting lots of recipes for sweet stuff but that's just because I love to bake. There is something so rewarding about following a recipe, precisely measuring, stirring, mixing and then, there you have it, a perfect dessert. These are the recipes that I'm drawn to but I obviously don't eat cake for dinner.

Now that summer is here I love to find easy meals that are perfect for hot nights when nothing else sounds goods..... that go to meal = salad. I stumbled across an article here on The Kitchn that lists 7 additions to make salads more filling and hearty. A quick article with some good ideas to get filed away for later when those summer salads start making an appearance on my plate.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Recipes

A website completely dedicated to chocolate and peanut butter... a website that is genius. You've got to visit The Chocolate and Peanut Butter Gallery to check out their extensively delicious looking list of recipes. Click here, yum!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Recipe: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies

This cookie recipe was posted on The Kitchn sometime last week and it looks delicious. While these are still incredibly bad for you, at least they are whole-grain and gluten-free. At the very least, a small, delicious step in the right direction!

I was planning to make these last weekend for a cookout but it didn't end up happening so I'll be saving this recipe for a summer cookout in our new house!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies

About 3 dozen cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups creamy natural peanut butter, well-mixed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
About 1 cup chocolate candies or other mix-ins

Preheat oven to 350F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in baking soda, then oatmeal and mix-ins.

Drop onto cookie sheets with an ice cream scoop and flatten slightly. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until done. Do not overbake!

Remove from oven when slightly golden. Let cool on the sheets for a few minutes until they have firmed up enough to remove to wire racks.

Original Collector: Me

Decorating Inspiration

This past month I've been busy collecting lots of decorating inspiration for our house. I am ridiculously excited to have a house to decorate, a blank canvas for all of my ideas. Living in apartments for the last 5 years has been very limiting when it comes to personal style. Below are my two favorite photos which were featured in an article on Apartment Therapy.

I envision our living room looking a lot like the photo above. Our couch and chair are the same beige as this one and we're painting the walls blue. We'll throw in some cool prints with the pillows and there you have it: our living room.

I LOVE this photo, I love every element here, I want to move right into this place! I would love to have this living room but we've already got that design covered. We are, however, using this same color scheme for our kitchen and dining room. Gray walls with white trim, golden yellow and brown as accent colors - Its going to be excellent, I'm stoked, enough said.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Our House

Here it is, the reason I've been completely MIA for nearly a month.....our house! We have been insanely busy running here and there, doing one thing or another for the house almost every single night this past month. We should be closing on the house next week, we should have closed on May 20th but I've come to learn that this stuff does not always go according to plan...actually, it never goes according to plan. We've had about 50 different plans at this point and none of them have worked out.

Anyway, I've still been busy collecting some good stuff so hopefully I'll have a few days to make some posts before the real craziness begins. This house has already been a lot of sweat and tears on our part and I'm sure the blood is soon to come with all the moving and painting.

I'll post more photos of the house in the future, after we get moved in. Hopefully some good before and afters!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Recipe: Fleur de Sel Caramels

Here is the recipe for the homemade caramels that may be making a show at our wedding. I've always wanted to give homemade caramels a try and if I do make them as wedding favors you can bet that I'll be testing out the recipe several times. Yum!

Recipe from Cookbook Catchall

Original recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Fleur De Sel Caramels

Vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to drape over two sides.

2. In a deep saucepan (89 diameter by 4 1/2" deep), stir together 1/4 cup water with the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown color. Don't stir — just swirl the pan to mix. Watch carefully, as it will burn quickly at the end!

3. In the meantime, in a small pan, bring the cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. When the sugar mixture is a warm golden color, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful! It will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248°F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully (because it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.

5. When the caramels are cold, use the parchment paper to pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board (note: the caramels will still be supple and easy to handle – if too stiff, allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes). Using the parchment and starting from the long side, tightly roll the caramel up until you have rolled 1/3 of it. Cut along the edge and repeat two more times. Use the parchment to gently roll each log to even out the thickness and smooth out the seam from the cut side. Cut each roll into 8-10 pieces, taking care not to touch the caramel with your finger. Sprinkle each piece with fleur de sel and wrap individually in glassine or parchment paper. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

Original Collector: Me

DIY: My Wedding Favors

I'm currently debating between these 3 wedding favors:

from The Knot

Caramel apples bought from Huber's Orchard in Indiana (delicious) - with custom wrapping.

From Cookbook Catchall

Homemade caramels by me - packaged in some cute container.

From Brides.com

Small homemade jars of apple butter (the first recipe I posted!) - This would be extra special but lots of work (well, for my dad) haha.

All three of these ideas would be excellent for our fall wedding....I want something that's more unique than jordan almonds and other candies and I think these are all great ideas.... I just can't decide! Thoughts?
Saturday, May 02, 2009

DIY: My Wedding Cake

Photo here

As I mentioned in the DIY recipe cards post, I've been thinking about having a cake bar instead of a traditional wedding cake. These photos are some of my inspiration. I love vintage cake plates.... I also love baking cakes. Having a homemade, old fashioned cake bar would be a perfect fit for our style of wedding.

Photo here <- this blog is great, I love her tag line: Creative. Thrifty. Sane. I like to believe that about myself as well.

Photo here

Taking on the task of making the cakes will be incredibly stressful - what if I burn them?! I'll be testing out cake recipes before the wedding and posting them on here! We'll see how those go and then I'll decide if I can handle it.

Saturday, May 02, 2009

Recipe: Cheese Pops with Herbs, Pecans, & Bacon

There must be a new trend in serving food on sucker sticks - well, not that new but they are all shaped like these pops. Forget the cake pops, these look even better and again, perfect for a party or shower. While these are essentially individual size cheese balls, I'm 900% sure you can't go wrong by making them! Maybe I'll collect enough of these recipes to have a whole party with the theme of food pops - that would be incredibly.....dorky.

Click here for recipe and instructions.

Original Collector: Me

Recipe: Cake Pops

These look like SOO much fun to make but unfortunately, I don't have an occasion for them now. They would be perfect for any sort of shower or for a birthday party (*Tony, take notes*). I'm filing these away for a later date but you better believe I'll be making them. If no special occasions come up soon, I'll be serving them to my friends at a cookout!

Click here for the recipe and instructions

Original Collector: Me

DIY: Recipe Cards

It's no secret that I love collecting recipes so what better project than DIY recipe cards? I've thought about designing my own card (that matches our handmade invitations and other wedding stationary) and including a special family recipe to give as another favor at our wedding. I've also considered having a cake bar with several different old-fashioned layer cakes instead of a traditional wedding cake - I could share those cake recipes on cards and display them on the cake table for people to pick up as they get a piece of cake. I'm not sure if I'll use these ideas but I'm definitely going to design my own recipe cards to have on hand because well, why not? They're great, I love them and they would make great gifts!

You can find recipe card templates for the ones above at Etsy and Apartment Therapy. For a small price you can download the template and customize it to your own preference but with a little creativity, card stock and printer you can make your own 100% customized card so... why not?

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Recipe: White Bean Dip

I love hummus and other bean dips to the point that I could eat them almost everyday. I've never made my own hummus or bean dip but I've been dying to for the longest time. Reason why I've never made it: I don't own a food processor. Sure, I could do small batches in a blender but it would be more trouble that it's worth. Remedy: Food processor is definitely going on our wedding registry... I'll make hummus and dips and pestos until they are coming out of our ears! This recipe looks simple so it's on the list for tryouts.

Recipe from Cookbook Catchall

White bean dip

1 lb dried white beans such as cannellini beans

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt

Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish

Soak beans overnight in a generous amount of cold water. Rinse and pick out any debris. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, sauté onion and garlic with thyme in a few tablespoons of olive oil until onions are translucent. Add beans and cold water to cover beans by a few inches. Bring to a full boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until beans are tender 1-2 hours. Remove thyme.

Drain beans and place in blender with ¼ cup olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Purée, adding additional olive oil slowly to adjust texture as desired. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley, sea salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Original Collector: Me

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Recipe: Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis

I have been terrible about posting lately but I do have a good excuse: Tony and I have been super busy getting pre-approved for a home loan, looking at a dozen homes, looking at dozens more online, making an offer, counter-offering, getting out bid by just a little bit on a house that we love, and being totally bummed out. So now we're back to the beginning but I do have lots of great things to post that I've been collecting even during these busy weeks... hopefully the posts from today will make up for my major lack of posting!

This recipe looks delicious. I love oatmeal and breakfast bars so this looks like the best of both worlds. I love that you can take it with you on the run because I usually travel to work with hot oatmeal in a tupperware bowl (because I'm always running late!) I've got to make these sometime! Oh, and it's great that you can substitute for different nuts and fruits.

Original Recipe from Quaker Oats

This recipe found on Chocolate & Zucchini
Review of recipe on The Kitchn

Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis
- 2-1/4 C quick cooking oats, uncooked, or 2-3/4 C old fashioned oats, uncooked
- 2/3 C brown sugar
- 3/4 C raisins and/or dried cranberries (substitute other dried fruits)
- 1 apple, peeled and sliced (substitute other fresh fruits - optional)
- 1/4 to 1/3 C nuts, chopped (walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts..., or even better a mix of all - optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-1/3 C milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
(Serves 8)

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F). Lightly oil an 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, raisins, chopped nuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and use a wooden spoon to make sure the solids are more or less evenly spread out. Arrange the apple slices over the surface. They will sink somewhat but that's okay, they'll float right back up when the oatmeal cooks.

Put in the oven to bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the center is set and firm to the touch. Let cool slightly : it should be eaten a bit warm but not scalding hot.

Cut in 8 servings, and serve with yogurt and fruit if desired ; it is also nice with a thin spread of jam or peanut butter. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered, or wrap each serving individually and put in the freezer. You can then take a serving out the night before and leave it to thaw until the morning when a 30-second stay in the microwave will bring it to the perfect temperature.

Original Collector: Me

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Recipe: Pickled Eggs and Beets

This recipe is possibly the only reason that I'm willing to try the Chinese Tea Egg recipe below. Pickled Eggs and Beets -- they too are strange looking eggs but they taste wonderful! My family has been making this recipe forever...well, since before I've been alive...and I must admit that I haven't always been a fan. It's a taste I've acquired and to admit something else, I still don't like the beets! (but you definitely need them for the flavor!) Anyway, these are super easy and great to munch on all year. I love slicing them up and eating them with crackers for lunch.

Pickled Eggs and Beets

Pickled Eggs and Beats
12 Hard Boiled Eggs, shelled
2 #303 Cans of Sliced Beets (standard size cans)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Vinegar
1 Cup Liquid from Beets*
2 Cinnamon Sticks, broken
6-8 Whole Cloves

Drain liquid from beets and set beets aside. Add Sugar, vinegar, cinnamon and cloves. Boil mixture together for 10 minutes. Place eggs and beets in glass container. Pour in liquid.

Let stand in refrigerator for several days before eating (the longer, the better!) Also, when you have eaten all of the eggs you can place more in the leftover liquid and wait a few more days for another batch!

*If liquid is less than 1 cup, add water to make full cup

Original Collector: My mother's family

Recipe: Chinese Tea Eggs

Okay, I know this recipe doesn't look appetizing in any way, shape, form or fashion but I bet that these are wonderful. I was hoping to post egg recipes on or before Easter but obviously that didn't happen. This recipe would be great to make when you have left over eggs from Easter or just to clean out the fridge when you have too many! I definitely want to try these sometime!

Recipe from Nook & Pantry

Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs
6 - 8 large eggs
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp black tea leaves or 2 black tea bags
1 star anise
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Roughly 2 C water

Put the eggs in a saucepan that can fit the eggs snugly and cover with water. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 7 minutes. Drain the eggs and rinse them with cold water until they have cooled off enough to handle. Use the back of a spoon gently tap the shell all over or just hit them against the counter top.

Return the eggs to the saucepan, add the soy sauce, tea leaves or tea bags, star anise, salt, and enough water to cover. You'll want to use a saucepan that can fit the number of eggs you're cooking perfectly. You don't want to use a saucepan that's too big otherwise, you'll need a lot of water to cover the eggs and it will dilute the tea brew. Simmer them in the tea soy sauce brew for 2 - 3 hours. You can even cook them for a few hours in a slow cooker. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the eggs over, add more water if necessary.

After cooking, store the eggs in the brew at least overnight so the flavors can permeate the eggs completely. I like to cut them in half and spoon a bit of the soy sauce brew onto the yolk before eating, it makes the yolk creamy and more flavorful.

Original Collector: Me

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Slaw

Since I've been so bad about posting these last few days you get a two-for-one today. I love the idea of this next recipe and I've been wanting to try it for awhile. I think I've had similar dishes but I haven't made anything like this. I'm posting it today because I think this one would also be a great cookout dish for springtime!

Recipe found on The Kitchn

Crunchy Peanut Slaw

1 big bowl of slaw, serves at least 8

1 medium head green cabbage, outer leaves removed

1 1/2 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts

1 bunch green onions

1 cup chopped cilantro (about two big handfuls unchopped)

Salt and pepper

Dressing:

1/2 cup light oil, like canola

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar (or more, to taste)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce (or more, to taste)

Shred the cabbage very finely. The fineness of the shredded cabbage is really what makes this salad; you want it in in threads, almost, and with the threads chopped into bite-size lengths. Toss with the peanuts in a large bowl. Chop the scallions, including the green and white parts. Toss the scallions and chopped cilantro with the cabbage, seasoning very lightly with salt and pepper.

Whisk the dressing until emulsified, then taste and adjust to your own preferences of sweetness and saltiness.

Toss with the cabbage. Garnish with a few more peanuts and serve.

Original Collector: me

Recipe: BBQ Chicken

I'm only one week in and I've already been slacking off on posting....oh well. I decided to post this recipe because we've been fighting off the bug to grill out since last Thursday. As luck would have it, now that we are finally ready to grill out the weather has gone back to freezing so we'll have to hold off on making this for another week or so.

This recipe for BBQ chicken is a go to favorite that's perfect to take to cookouts or any other summer party. The recipe is simple because the chicken is precooked and then marinated in the sauce. Whenever you are ready to eat all you have to do is grill the onions and heat the chicken through... it's great on its own or served as a chicken sandwich. You've gotta try this recipe - my mom was able to feed crowds with this when I was growing up!

BBQ Sauce

½ c. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. ketchup
½ tsp pepper
1 ¼ tsp dry mustard
1 tsp paprika
dash of Tabasco
½ c. thin sliced onion

· Mix above ingredients to create chicken marinade.

To Prepare Chicken:

· Simmer boneless chicken breasts in water 15-20 minutes, until cooked.
· Marinate cooked breasts in 13x9-inch pan for 8 hours or overnight.
· Place marinated chicken and onions on grill, heat thoroughly.
· Serve as is or on sandwich bun.

Original Collector: My Mom

Tuesday, April 07, 2009