Source, altered by me
Ingredients:
5 cups canned peaches, blended (including juice)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
1. Combine peach puree, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
2. Simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
5. Serve hot.
Notes: Soooo delicious. I served this with pancakes last night and I doubt I'll ever want maple again! (Even Bret's hot homemade liquid of love.) It would be equally delicious over ice cream, cakes, etc.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Vegetable Quiche
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I used a whole wheat / oil pastry for the crust and filled the crust with a mixture of:
Toss together:
- 1 diced and sauteed onion
- 1 diced and sauteed green pepper
- 4 small summer squash grated and squeezed (I salted slightly and let moisture drain for several hours)
- 2 cups diced fresh spinach
- 1 cup steamed and diced asparagus
- 2 cups grated cheese (medium cheddar)
- Seasoned with season salt
- I did add about 2 T bacon bits I had leftover from something else but I could not even taste the bacon
I then added 4 eggs and about 1- 1/2 cups milk in the blender and then poured over the vegetables. Add more milk if needed to bring liquid to the top of the vegetables
Bake for about an hour. I would let it sit for a while before eating, it was still quite wet when served it. We actually had to drain some of the liquid off, but it was a tasty quiche !!!
This is a huge pie pan and it holds all of the above ingredients. (I did make one tiny quiche for grandma with some of the filling)
The key is LOTS of vegetables and low cheese
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Spicy Roasted Broccoli
Source: The Wednesday Chef
Ingredients:
1 medium head broccoli
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky salt to taste (I'm not that fancy and just used regular table salt)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I don't have ground coriander, so I just skipped this)
1/2 lemon (I happened to have half a lime in my fridge instead, so I subbed it for the lemon and it was great!)
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets. Toss with the olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin and coriander. Spread out on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the pan out and toss the broccoli around. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 additional minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and squeeze the lemon over the broccoli. Toss well and eat immediately.
Notes:
I saw this recipe yesterday and decided that this would be my dinner for one (and a half) while Gregg was gone to a conference overnight. (I actually had a grilled cheese, too, but that's beside the point.) I love broccoli but I've never roasted it before and this was quite delightful. I'll be remembering this one for another time when broccoli is sitting lonely in my fridge.
Ingredients:
1 medium head broccoli
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky salt to taste (I'm not that fancy and just used regular table salt)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I don't have ground coriander, so I just skipped this)
1/2 lemon (I happened to have half a lime in my fridge instead, so I subbed it for the lemon and it was great!)
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets. Toss with the olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin and coriander. Spread out on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the pan out and toss the broccoli around. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 additional minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and squeeze the lemon over the broccoli. Toss well and eat immediately.
Notes:
I saw this recipe yesterday and decided that this would be my dinner for one (and a half) while Gregg was gone to a conference overnight. (I actually had a grilled cheese, too, but that's beside the point.) I love broccoli but I've never roasted it before and this was quite delightful. I'll be remembering this one for another time when broccoli is sitting lonely in my fridge.
Chicken Alfredo and Asparagus Pizza
Source: mostly from my head, but I did go here for the sauce inspiration
Ingredients:
pizza dough for one pizza (I always use this recipe from my mom's recipe box - just use half for one pizza)
cornmeal (to spread on the bottom of your pan)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
pinch of cayenne (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled in some black pepper to taste)
pinch of nutmeg (really - don't leave it out - I think the nutmeg makes the sauce!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (I just used the stuff from the can, but I'm sure fresh grated would be awesomer!)
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 large chicken breast, diced
3-4 large button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 roma tomato, diced
Directions:
Sprinkle baking sheet or pizza stone with a thin layer of cornmeal. Roll prepared pizza crust to fit your pan and place dough carefully on pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and whisk in the salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Let cool while you prep the asparagus and chicken.
Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute in boiling salted water and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well. In a small frying pan, heat a little oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes, till cooked through.
Spread the white sauce evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza. Top with asparagus, chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Notes:
Friday nights are pizza nights at the Blanchard casa, and last week I was feeling a little tired of our usual red-sauce supreme-ish (i.e. throw on whatever toppings we have) pie. We had some asparagus in the fridge and I thought I'd whip up a white sauce to go along with it. This is what emerged. And boy was it delicious!
Ingredients:
pizza dough for one pizza (I always use this recipe from my mom's recipe box - just use half for one pizza)
cornmeal (to spread on the bottom of your pan)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
pinch of cayenne (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled in some black pepper to taste)
pinch of nutmeg (really - don't leave it out - I think the nutmeg makes the sauce!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (I just used the stuff from the can, but I'm sure fresh grated would be awesomer!)
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 large chicken breast, diced
3-4 large button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 roma tomato, diced
Directions:
Sprinkle baking sheet or pizza stone with a thin layer of cornmeal. Roll prepared pizza crust to fit your pan and place dough carefully on pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and whisk in the salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Let cool while you prep the asparagus and chicken.
Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute in boiling salted water and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well. In a small frying pan, heat a little oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes, till cooked through.
Spread the white sauce evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza. Top with asparagus, chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Notes:
Friday nights are pizza nights at the Blanchard casa, and last week I was feeling a little tired of our usual red-sauce supreme-ish (i.e. throw on whatever toppings we have) pie. We had some asparagus in the fridge and I thought I'd whip up a white sauce to go along with it. This is what emerged. And boy was it delicious!
Pizza
Source: a tattered and well-used recipe card from my mom's files
Ingredients / Directions:
In a bowl add 2 cups 110 degree water, 1/2 Tablespoon sugar and sprinkle over 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast. Proof 5 minutes.
Then add:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 Tablespoon salt
About 4 cups flour (I like half wheat, half white, but you do what you think's best. You've just got to watch the amounts - don't want to add to much! I usually add about three cups and stir it in, then knead in more as it's needed to create a soft, but not sticky, dough.)
Knead dough. Let dough rise in bowl, covered with a clean dish towel, for about 20 minutes, till doubled. Divide into 2 sections. Roll out on a floured surface to fit your pan. Place on pizza pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with tomato sauce, spices (oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder) (or you could just use premade spaghetti or pizza sauce), cheese, and other desired toppings (be flexible - think pepperoni, ham, sausage, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, etc.). Bake at 435 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are browned.
Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.
Notes:
I've been making this pizza dough forever! Many, many sleepovers and parties with friends in high school and college involved this pizza. Many, many Friday nights growing up at home involved this pizza and a movie (usually Star Wars). We Blanchards have kept up a weekly Friday-night-pizza-and-a-movie tradition of our own, and it's always with this pizza. It's a keeper!
Ingredients / Directions:
In a bowl add 2 cups 110 degree water, 1/2 Tablespoon sugar and sprinkle over 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast. Proof 5 minutes.
Then add:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 Tablespoon salt
About 4 cups flour (I like half wheat, half white, but you do what you think's best. You've just got to watch the amounts - don't want to add to much! I usually add about three cups and stir it in, then knead in more as it's needed to create a soft, but not sticky, dough.)
Knead dough. Let dough rise in bowl, covered with a clean dish towel, for about 20 minutes, till doubled. Divide into 2 sections. Roll out on a floured surface to fit your pan. Place on pizza pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with tomato sauce, spices (oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder) (or you could just use premade spaghetti or pizza sauce), cheese, and other desired toppings (be flexible - think pepperoni, ham, sausage, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, etc.). Bake at 435 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are browned.
Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.
Notes:
I've been making this pizza dough forever! Many, many sleepovers and parties with friends in high school and college involved this pizza. Many, many Friday nights growing up at home involved this pizza and a movie (usually Star Wars). We Blanchards have kept up a weekly Friday-night-pizza-and-a-movie tradition of our own, and it's always with this pizza. It's a keeper!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
"Unbelievable" Carrot Cake
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with a few alterations made based on some of the comments (to reduce oil amounts, etc.)
Ingredients:
for cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat + 2 cups unbleached all-purpose)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
for icing: (Mel says she doubles this if she's frosting a 9-inch layer cake, but for the 9x13-inch cake I made, a regular batch was more than enough to frost the top - in fact, I didn't use it all)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
5 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars, eggs and applesauce on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes (mine was done in ~35) for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat! (The cake looks extra fancy with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans on top, if you have them.)
Notes:
The week before Easter about a million different carrot cake recipes popped up on the food blogs and pinterest boards that I follow. All those carrot cake pictures swirling around the internet must have infiltrated my brain, because I decided that I simply had to make carrot cake myself. So I did. Oh my holy moley is this a good one. So moist and tender and delicious! And I think Gregg and I are going to be in trouble - because we've got the whole thing to eat by ourselves. Good thing Toasty is here to help, too. ;)
Ingredients:
for cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat + 2 cups unbleached all-purpose)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
for icing: (Mel says she doubles this if she's frosting a 9-inch layer cake, but for the 9x13-inch cake I made, a regular batch was more than enough to frost the top - in fact, I didn't use it all)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
5 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars, eggs and applesauce on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes (mine was done in ~35) for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat! (The cake looks extra fancy with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans on top, if you have them.)
Notes:
The week before Easter about a million different carrot cake recipes popped up on the food blogs and pinterest boards that I follow. All those carrot cake pictures swirling around the internet must have infiltrated my brain, because I decided that I simply had to make carrot cake myself. So I did. Oh my holy moley is this a good one. So moist and tender and delicious! And I think Gregg and I are going to be in trouble - because we've got the whole thing to eat by ourselves. Good thing Toasty is here to help, too. ;)
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