tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3511805975039338912024-03-12T23:06:48.749-04:00Amy's Kitchen ResearchAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-39196683519071266702015-05-04T11:15:00.002-04:002015-05-04T11:15:40.446-04:00Farro and Lentil Vegetable Curry Soup<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBU0jGQ9gC_KGNq7elBx5pfv4JetfG4lyQyDstXowvxmyReZbSMSVc8dw8plTaCWyu3Bhc3OXTkCFVKrFVb21knfve8psdTRbSkAyEMuDOpHGIGkR7MC8bOdU7Kk5MiFy_5Va4hiXVLs/s1600/IMG_0364e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBU0jGQ9gC_KGNq7elBx5pfv4JetfG4lyQyDstXowvxmyReZbSMSVc8dw8plTaCWyu3Bhc3OXTkCFVKrFVb21knfve8psdTRbSkAyEMuDOpHGIGkR7MC8bOdU7Kk5MiFy_5Va4hiXVLs/s1600/IMG_0364e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Farro and Lentil Vegetable Curry Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, diced<br />
3/4 cup farro<br />
3/4 cup lentils<br />
32 oz low sodium Vegetable Broth<br />
28 oz finely diced tomatoes<br />
3 ribs celery, chopped<br />
5 carrots, chopped<br />
2 parsnips, chopped<br />
1 tsp ginger<br />
1 tsp lemon juice<br />
2 tbsps + 1/4 tsp curry powder<br />
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes<br />
1/2 head cauliflower, large chopped<br />
8 oz spinach, roughly chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and then throw in the onion and garlic. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed.<br />
<br />
2. Pour in two cups of water and bring to a boil. Stir in the farro and reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a tilted lid (to let out some steam) for about 15 minuets and then add the lentils, celery, carrots, and parsnips. Add more water as needed to keep cooking for another 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Add broth and tomatoes. Stir to combine and then stir in the ginger, lemon juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes.<br />
<br />
4. Cook for about 5 minutes, add the cauliflower, cook for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are the tenderness that you prefer.<br />
<br />
5. Stir in spinach and let it cook down for a couple minutes. Serve.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-70420329960183149132015-04-29T12:15:00.002-04:002015-04-29T12:15:30.569-04:00Rosemary and Sea Salt Soft Pretzel Bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_UXOsc4TOTD9kHLx2NnEwrAmjM8AjZiB5V0DrQGY5kqKz1Bm8qTr0f6kDokwyxOtiKw6F63iUBxf1ydSf1XfXmqyb8W8rWYc8PfW4hZCgHuyab5sqgL7UllYjfFg1NpJmgZ7xJjqBU/s1600/IMG_0381e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_UXOsc4TOTD9kHLx2NnEwrAmjM8AjZiB5V0DrQGY5kqKz1Bm8qTr0f6kDokwyxOtiKw6F63iUBxf1ydSf1XfXmqyb8W8rWYc8PfW4hZCgHuyab5sqgL7UllYjfFg1NpJmgZ7xJjqBU/s1600/IMG_0381e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Pretzels are one of those snacks that are generally liked, but are quickly overlooked for something better. Even a cracker is more exciting than a pretzel. Well, now remove your store bought crunchy pretzels and bring in the soft fresh baked pretzels. You may have had one at the mall, but hopefully you have been lucky enough to try one at a restaurant with some great dipping sauce or at a festival with a beer. Now that is a pretzel worth going out of your way for. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDcP6gW98-ZQI2O46Gg7ox5NcdGeKYEA4VVx-9bzgPpwuuvGJKFUns4GkyiLtBGpaU3dQ3nXdJuBnXDonTO6iK4oa1w50ns5tXspGFBfmg8dohjjtaUxLhx3hCvVmR5i4KsutLzKoFIY/s1600/IMG_0371e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDcP6gW98-ZQI2O46Gg7ox5NcdGeKYEA4VVx-9bzgPpwuuvGJKFUns4GkyiLtBGpaU3dQ3nXdJuBnXDonTO6iK4oa1w50ns5tXspGFBfmg8dohjjtaUxLhx3hCvVmR5i4KsutLzKoFIY/s1600/IMG_0371e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
With that type of pretzel in mind I scored the internet until I found a recipe that looked like what I wanted. As it turns out pretzels are pretty easy to make! It may seem like there are a lot of steps, but all of the steps are pretty easy and just look at the simple ingredients list. You do need yeast, but what a great excuse to make some bread after...or more pretzels! For something that is mostly just white flour and water, they are amazingly tasty....and what texture! I decided to make these savory, but you could also sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMPvhG8J5p-zYNR8OKfNa2PNAKAY4bIbnfposldSSNPVHhSyg2MyZFQudbL0vNas5Ia6wHrigiKLjdr4BwYwA9Zx1gfdgqrquljSEG39UzMXAKVcDsz1jyWdv0q3-aedx5b3_xF2s2ZM/s1600/IMG_0379e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMPvhG8J5p-zYNR8OKfNa2PNAKAY4bIbnfposldSSNPVHhSyg2MyZFQudbL0vNas5Ia6wHrigiKLjdr4BwYwA9Zx1gfdgqrquljSEG39UzMXAKVcDsz1jyWdv0q3-aedx5b3_xF2s2ZM/s1600/IMG_0379e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Rosemary and Sea Salt Soft Pretzel Bites</span></h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/07/20/soft-pretzel-bites/" target="_blank">Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction</a></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 1/2 cups warm water<br />
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast<br />
1 tbsp light brown sugar<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 tbsp melted butter, slightly cooled<br />
3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
1/2 cup baking soda<br />
sea salt<br />
rosemary<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and stir for about 3 minutes. Add sugar and stir until combined (some clumps may remain). Let it sit for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
2. Add salt and melted butter and stir to combine.<br />
<br />
3. Add 1 cup of flour at a time until you have added 3 cups, mixing each addition with a large wooden spoon. Add 1/8 cup of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticky and springs back when touched.<br />
<br />
4. Preheat oven to 200.<br />
<br />
5. Flour a surface and kneed the dough for about 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
5. Turn off the oven.<br />
<br />
6. Shape dough into a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and place in the oven (with the heat off) for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
7. Remove from the oven and preheat the oven to 450. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.<br />
<br />
8. Cut the dough into 8 sections and roll each section out into long ropes that are about 1 inch thick. Cut the ropes into 1 1/2 inch sections.<br />
<br />
9. While you are cutting your dough, boil 9 cups of water with 1/2 cup of baking soda (be careful if you put the baking soda in after the water is already heated up).<br />
<br />
10. Drop about 10 pretzels at a time into the boiling baking soda water and let sit for 20 - 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on prepared baking sheets. They don't need much room, just make sure they don't touch.<br />
<br />
11. Once all of the dough balls have received their baking soda water bath, brush with them each with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.<br />
<br />
12. Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool a bit and enjoy! They are great warm, but are good cold the next day too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-33761622735161342332015-04-28T12:15:00.001-04:002015-04-28T12:15:51.852-04:00Rice and Veggie Soup<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxBrD94Y3caHOYK9AuzcQm-AZz-4O8St25KlnrFDwQWQYj57DRjtvAOpTp5PrZXyF7BhA3jTG_yS_1eRLhFYZlqjKoqqM0WHBToOavLjiezBy6qzZQGWYahyphenhyphentl8S5z_UlPxOSvTzuGb8/s1600/IMG_0353e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxBrD94Y3caHOYK9AuzcQm-AZz-4O8St25KlnrFDwQWQYj57DRjtvAOpTp5PrZXyF7BhA3jTG_yS_1eRLhFYZlqjKoqqM0WHBToOavLjiezBy6qzZQGWYahyphenhyphentl8S5z_UlPxOSvTzuGb8/s1600/IMG_0353e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
With all the super grains now being promoted everywhere, sometimes it's nice to enjoy good old rice (brown rice of course). Growing up my grandma used to do two amazing dishes with rice - tomato based risotto (with butter too of course) and rice soup. In both the star and the only feature was the rice. I was really wanting some rice soup, but I somehow can never just make a simple dish without adding lots of veggies. So I made this brothy tomato soup with lots of veggies and rice and just a hint of spice. Honestly, it's nothing like anything my grandma made, but it's delicious and very satisfying on a cold "spring should be here, but it's not" day. The photo above was from the day I made it and the photo below was the next night after the rice had absorbed more of the broth. I like a thick soup, but you could always thin it out with more broth when reheating (or add more to begin with).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xF_l0JMBuucdHmAe4pmqGCP581aW87gtgF6SOJ8YyY7POqSxMTrTY1Ui2_PQL5mnbg0lmrdIL2tSsRBp9Y2zz5MVNB_M0I9JBTmJnrt5DPOQLclSDvFeiM6RbkG2wSyNvUzgXBdLHFY/s1600/IMG_0357e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xF_l0JMBuucdHmAe4pmqGCP581aW87gtgF6SOJ8YyY7POqSxMTrTY1Ui2_PQL5mnbg0lmrdIL2tSsRBp9Y2zz5MVNB_M0I9JBTmJnrt5DPOQLclSDvFeiM6RbkG2wSyNvUzgXBdLHFY/s1600/IMG_0357e.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Rice and Veggie Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 cup short grain brown rice<br />
2 onions, peeled and chopped<br />
8 carrots, chopped<br />
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped<br />
bunch of rainbow chard, chopped<br />
64 oz low sodium vegetable broth<br />
28 oz diced tomatoes<br />
15 oz cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 tsp thyme<br />
1 1/2 tsp oregano<br />
1 tsp rosemary<br />
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes<br />
5 oz spinach, roughly chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and then stir in the rice. Lower heat and cover, but leave the lid off a crack to let out steam. Add additional water as necessary until cooked.<br />
<br />
2. While the rice is cooking, heat 1/8 cup of water in a large stock pot and add the onions. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed. Adding more water if necessary, add in carrots, celery, and the chopped stalks of the chard. Cook until slightly softened.<br />
<br />
3. Pour in the broth, diced tomatoes, and beans. Stir to mix everything up. Stir in the thyme, oregano, rosemary, and chili pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover and lower heat,<br />
<br />
4. Cook until your vegetables are as soft as you want them and then stir in the chard leaves and spinach. Cover and let the greens cook down,<br />
<br />
5. Once the greens are cooked down, stir again to distribute and then stir in the rice. Cook for a couple more minutes and then remove from heat and serve.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-72369568423689689422015-03-25T10:21:00.002-04:002015-03-25T10:21:46.319-04:00Fontina Farro Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL_509CMqrMLPSumgpU7fy_GdPkPIeN9K3ytkK_fARYLxJ19YgNZ0EVvQNMl7ApBWCf3HUXUg7Op1b04ekWB-wgwJ4twONpVojZQCfxGo7GBDmW5YfwMfcatnTLsfhjPbGNHp4VhkaYw/s1600/IMG_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL_509CMqrMLPSumgpU7fy_GdPkPIeN9K3ytkK_fARYLxJ19YgNZ0EVvQNMl7ApBWCf3HUXUg7Op1b04ekWB-wgwJ4twONpVojZQCfxGo7GBDmW5YfwMfcatnTLsfhjPbGNHp4VhkaYw/s1600/IMG_0337.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Have you had farro? I adore the texture - very chewy, but in a soft and welcoming way. It's high in fiber, protein, iron, and calcium making it a fun alternative to rice and even quinoa. I made farro with lemon a few months ago and was blown away and decided to incorporate into my meals more often. This is a slightly less healthy way to prepare it (cheese instead of lemon), but it is still pretty healthy and trust me when I say that it tastes amazing and does not feel heavy and cheesy. All of the flavors really work well together. I have been really into roasting cauliflower so I had to throw that in of course and it complimented everything nicely. Oh, just thinking about it makes me wish I still had some left.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Fontina Farro Risotto</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 head cauliflower, sliced lengthwise into 1-inch chunks<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
2 cups farro<br />
16 oz low sodium chicken broth<br />
6 oz fontina cheese, grated<br />
6 oz peas<br />
spinach, roughly chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 450.<br />
<br />
2. Spread cauliflower out on a large cookie sheet and drizzing with olive olive and then sprinkle with salt and pepper (using more pepper than salt). Flip all of the chunks and repeat. Roast for about 20 minutes or until parts of it start to crisp up and it is soft.<br />
<br />
3. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and add the onion. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft and translucent.<br />
<br />
4. Add farro and let cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring.<br />
<br />
5. Add 2 cups of broth or enough to cover the farro. Lower heat and cook until the broth has been mostly absorbed (stirring frequently) before adding more broth, 1/2 cup at a time until the farro is cooked.<br />
<br />
6. Stir in peas, spinach, and cheese and cook on low until cheese is melted and everything is well combined.<br />
<br />
7. Cut up cauliflower and stir in, reserve a couple larger pieces for garnish.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-39956382218616691972015-03-24T11:47:00.000-04:002015-03-24T11:47:20.159-04:00Whole Wheat Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTObl06AGpCkk9MHBrgULzhX_eg8RBjETHUTg0-rtiFzR0nsQ_g4sngXH0DxsTO1oWmCfjFoj1t09iBXZQZMfFSvNYpu9dWYP2f0YVTErVPGZbNFtYfHrJmut9cCKJ-zaj5qVohY4Encg/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTObl06AGpCkk9MHBrgULzhX_eg8RBjETHUTg0-rtiFzR0nsQ_g4sngXH0DxsTO1oWmCfjFoj1t09iBXZQZMfFSvNYpu9dWYP2f0YVTErVPGZbNFtYfHrJmut9cCKJ-zaj5qVohY4Encg/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sometimes I get the urge to try to make something a little more healthy. These cookie bars are whole wheat (you need to use some white flour or they will not be tasty to normal people - I have made this mistake) and in place of butter they are made with healthy and delicious coconut oil. The batter was very dry and crumbly which lead me to over-mixing these and making them a little tougher (once completely cooled) than I would have liked (out of the oven they were perfect). Even with that, I still really enjoyed them - I didn't even notice the slight toughness after the first bite. They were beautifully dense with a chewy texture and I loved the hint of coconut flavor. The density and chewiness is assisted by the lack of baking soda/baking powder (they don't rise and get fluffy). Also, due to the use of coconut oil, I think they would be much softer if the temperatures were warmer. I'll test out this theory in a few months. The coconut oil also made the edges very crisp. While I think the whole wheat gives these a hearty taste without being over-powering, if you hate whole wheat stuff, you might want to skip this one. I plan to make other variations of this in the future.<br />
<br />
Note: I baked this in a loaf pan as I did not want to end up with too many. If you have more of a crowd, I suggest doubling and baking in a 9x9 pan.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Whole Wheat Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<br />
<br />
1/2 whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 + 1/8 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted<br />
1/4 + 1/8 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 granulated sugar<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Place a piece of parchment paper in your pan, overlapping the edges slightly (so you can pull the bars out easily when they are cooked) and then lightly coat any of the exposed pan and the parchment paper with light oil olive (not virgin - you can also use canola oil). Set aside.<br />
<br />
2. In the smaller of two bowl, whisk together the flours and the salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3. Whisk together (with an electric beater) the oil and the sugars until well combined and then whisk in the cinnamon, vanilla, and egg.<br />
<br />
4. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.<br />
<br />
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and make sure they are well distributed.<br />
<br />
6. Place batter into pan and press down to evenly spread it out.<br />
<br />
7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and the center looks center. Remove from oven and let sit for a couple minutes before pulling out of the pan with the parchment paper.<br />
<br />
8. Let cool to almost room temperature before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-65940224721860634912015-02-01T14:10:00.000-05:002015-02-01T14:10:16.307-05:00Traditional Muddy Buddies<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTtdKN0i1tlnGnNcQwVSdEQNEstEP3hE0cWuxZrGhNIZJhos1yUjor3NrjvV-ti-2K0Hs3QhSe0ZFo_8oel0wkj21wOAxt0XvwSJ4VNzHe4gX70HdhxJRZKPj1ZGf_Q2XrMPgROazC5A/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTtdKN0i1tlnGnNcQwVSdEQNEstEP3hE0cWuxZrGhNIZJhos1yUjor3NrjvV-ti-2K0Hs3QhSe0ZFo_8oel0wkj21wOAxt0XvwSJ4VNzHe4gX70HdhxJRZKPj1ZGf_Q2XrMPgROazC5A/s1600/IMG_0331.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Need a last minute sweet Super Bowl snack idea? Muddy Buddies (a.k.a "puppy chow") are about the quickest thing you can make and they are a no fail hit! It's been awhile since I have made traditional Muddy Buddies as I have been enjoying testing out other flavor combinations, but the traditional peanut butter and chocolate never gets old or boring and after making them I can say they are just as addicting as I remember them. Other recipes you will see call for less peanut butter and chocolate and honestly, I am not sure why. I think the amounts that I use are perfect and any less would not coat the cereal enough.<br />
<br />
See below the recipe if you are interested in other muddy buddy flavors.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Traditional Muddy Buddies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
9 cups Rice Chex<br />
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup milk chocolate chips<br />
1/8 cup dark chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp peanut butter<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
<br />
1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter. Once they start to melt a bit, stir to speed up the process. Once melted, stir in the vanilla.<br />
<br />
2. Dump 9 cups of Rice Chex cereal into a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently stir until all of the cereal is well coated.<br />
<br />
3. Pour the powdered sugar over the chocolatey Chex and gently stir to coat.<br />
<br />
4. Spread out the coated Chex on a long piece of parchment paper to dry.<br />
<br />
5. Once dry store in an airtight container for up to a week (ha, like it would last that long)<br />
<br />
<br />
Other types of Muddy Buddies worth trying:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/07/smores-muddy-buddies.html" target="_blank">S'mores Muddy Buddies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2013/12/andes-mints-muddy-buddies.html" target="_blank">Andes Mints Muddy Buddies</a></li>
<li><a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2012/11/harvest-muddy-buddies.html" target="_blank">Harvest Muddy Buddies (Taking out the Halloween M&M's, I call this "Black and White Muddy Buddies"</a></li>
</ul>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-85965176399974658712015-01-22T11:31:00.003-05:002015-01-22T11:31:37.448-05:00Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cGjDMtYehi_X6rFP0kkQ0YSFtQYMP3S-AODvSc6Epzsjs0yeb-iTx3c-IUwyNH-9Ipw2CuwrHVHUMzZc6yo3F-Kg4eidNLUH-qyWQYkrkcVLpAFBqHZ6Bhmv6xzsup1NguXaqB6WNrg/s1600/IMG_9590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cGjDMtYehi_X6rFP0kkQ0YSFtQYMP3S-AODvSc6Epzsjs0yeb-iTx3c-IUwyNH-9Ipw2CuwrHVHUMzZc6yo3F-Kg4eidNLUH-qyWQYkrkcVLpAFBqHZ6Bhmv6xzsup1NguXaqB6WNrg/s640/IMG_9590.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I am all about trying out different ways to make chocolate chip cookies and these turned out just as I had hoped. They are medium thickness and are crisp on the edges and (thanks to the large amount of brown sugar) chewy in the middle - so good!<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Crisp and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">(makes about 24 cookies)</span><br />
<br />
2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
3/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
3/4 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
<br />
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy (don't be impatient!)<br />
<br />
3. Add in egg and vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.<br />
<br />
4. In three parts, beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.<br />
<br />
5. Cover well and refrigerate for at least two hours (or overnight).<br />
<br />
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and cover your cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper (not wax paper!)<br />
<br />
7. Form dough into heaping tablespoon sized balls and place two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the edges start to lightly brown, but the center still looks a bit unset.<br />
<br />
8. Let sit for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-85827987221520451692015-01-21T11:25:00.001-05:002015-01-21T11:25:10.253-05:00Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfN8pYtEyD5oVa0hhi-z5qwspRL9VISle2XJ5OykNk-OPe1TIP7FXATt1K-ZI59ulUL0_VFiSD7YDzw8XfLex7C1fI8UvDg36QWH0hwLHp9ScUWOZ1iM3B8a_fVREYNJB5_1_E8HQ_JQ/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfN8pYtEyD5oVa0hhi-z5qwspRL9VISle2XJ5OykNk-OPe1TIP7FXATt1K-ZI59ulUL0_VFiSD7YDzw8XfLex7C1fI8UvDg36QWH0hwLHp9ScUWOZ1iM3B8a_fVREYNJB5_1_E8HQ_JQ/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Ribollita means "reboiled" in Italian and historically, that is what this soup is. Yes, Italians love their bread, but it was actually added to soup to make it last longer. So this vegetable stew was made with inexpensive vegetables and beans (cannellini...larger than navy beans, but very creamy) and before there leftovers were reheated, old bread was added to thicken it.<br />
<br />
Have you ever put good bread in soup? Not crackers, bread. Well, I hadn't and was skeptical, but it's amazing. The flavors of the whole wheat sourdough bread I used (not old) and the broth meld together wonderfully and while soggy bread (from a rogue tomato, etc) is disturbing and unpleasant, in soup it becomes delightful and exciting. I decided to put the bread in before each serving so it wouldn't break down too much in between and it created the perfect texture for me. The soup is good without the bread too, but once you try it with bread you won't be able to go back.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Stew)<br />
How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
4 garlic cloves, diced<br />
2 carrots, chopped<br />
2 parsnips, chopped<br />
3 celery ribs, chopped<br />
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes<br />
1/4 tsp dried parsley<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
1 1/4 tsp ground sage<br />
1 zucchini, chopped<br />
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 bunch kale, destemmed and roughly chopped<br />
26 oz good quality diced tomatoes with liquid<br />
32 oz low sodium vegetable broth<br />
whole wheat sourdough bread<br />
<br />
1. Cover the bottom of your soup pot with 1/4 inch or so of water and heat. Add in onion, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery, and all of the spices. Heat on medium-low for about 20 minutes until everything has softened. Stir occasionally, adding small amounts of water as necessary.<br />
<br />
2. Add in the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Add in the beans, kale and then the diced tomatoes and broth, Stir well to submerge the kale. Lower heat, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
4. Rip one piece of bread per bowl into pieces (not too small). Serve the soup and then stir in the bread. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-43627752754187552682015-01-20T09:41:00.000-05:002015-01-20T09:41:23.396-05:00Two Ingredient Nutella Brownies<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCzEhhCmkwvD0yoyEn0mfmEDddcMXMOaf-akLiHp1_tylJaOztlmvgg3tnjGoVMkwCfQud9dE64IVCAprvsO5cjmSBT0tR3oJScdbKQnzZ7yC-1Dk-ydMw6lYXW5aXW1daYQd-IPTiPo/s1600/IMG_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCzEhhCmkwvD0yoyEn0mfmEDddcMXMOaf-akLiHp1_tylJaOztlmvgg3tnjGoVMkwCfQud9dE64IVCAprvsO5cjmSBT0tR3oJScdbKQnzZ7yC-1Dk-ydMw6lYXW5aXW1daYQd-IPTiPo/s1600/IMG_0313.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have been hearing so much about two ingredient Nutella brownies that I had to try them out. I had such high hopes! Well, the texture is perfect, but they are pretty low on flavor. They weren't eggy, they just didn't have that strong Nutella flavor I was expecting (hoping) for. I solved the issue by heating up some (more) Nutella and using it as frosting. I highly recommend doing that if you make these.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7U2-tQth13Pvm4thQ9eJOCqxMXeOdQooQDQEsL5oiQqKx-vmA_ySCtuFxablGKjJ05imx-TMFjIdIEg486glipqvVzNba1GbK4X7SVxlHQ309565lIWdqAnsrOFXVyI0DMLHH3LibUg/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7U2-tQth13Pvm4thQ9eJOCqxMXeOdQooQDQEsL5oiQqKx-vmA_ySCtuFxablGKjJ05imx-TMFjIdIEg486glipqvVzNba1GbK4X7SVxlHQ309565lIWdqAnsrOFXVyI0DMLHH3LibUg/s1600/IMG_0324.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Two Ingredient Nutella Brownies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It</span><br /></h3>
<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 cup Nutella<br />
1/4 cup Nutella (if you decide to frost them)<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 (or 9x9) baking pan and then cover with parchment paper so some is hanging up over the top. Lightly grease the top of the parchment paper as well.<br />
<br />
2. With an electric beater, whisk eggs until they are light, pale yellow, and billowy. I used the whisk attachment of a hand-held beater and it took 12 minutes. If you don't whisk them enough, your final product will have an eggy taste and will have an unpleasant texture.<br />
<br />
3. While you are whisking your eggs, heat up your Nutella so it is smooth and creamy. Do not burn your Nutella! You should only need to microwave it for about a minute, but make sure to top every 20 seconds or so to stir.<br />
<br />
4. With the mixer, slowly whisk in the Nutella in several parts. Scrap down the sides of the bowl a few times as you are whisking.<br />
<br />
5. Pour "batter" into your prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-58711639070241364342015-01-15T14:46:00.001-05:002015-01-15T14:46:47.398-05:00Nutella Stuffed Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98AV1JvGYXUHwSQ8ScQ1BDr_D6lGeJqT6FdHjVrMLC4CLWEVqcVhkXEAPpKnndNfGObP1V6hcV4ZqkCLmAzM3qBSlCB0QrdNnoxIMir-4Rh32Capz-ddgbfi4B3UeElpkfUJmNHFJC2k/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98AV1JvGYXUHwSQ8ScQ1BDr_D6lGeJqT6FdHjVrMLC4CLWEVqcVhkXEAPpKnndNfGObP1V6hcV4ZqkCLmAzM3qBSlCB0QrdNnoxIMir-4Rh32Capz-ddgbfi4B3UeElpkfUJmNHFJC2k/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/11/nutella-stuffed-salted-brown-butter.html" target="_blank">Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies</a> I made were such a hit with everyone (including myself) that I decided to make a bar version of them. My intention was to literally make a the same recipe, but as a bar instead, but then I happened upon <a href="http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/2013/12/salted-nutella-cookie-bars.html" target="_blank">Vanilla Sugar Blog</a>'s idea to use <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-new-york-times-chocolate-chips.html" target="_blank">Jacques Torres's famously amazing chocolate chip cookie</a> recipe as the base.<br />
<br />
Well, they were amazing! I used more Nutella than she did and was very happy with the results. I thought they were the best about 30 minutes after they came out of the oven. At that point they were solid enough to pick up, but still very gooey. After they they took on the form and texture of an extremely divinely chewy (though very dense) brownie (similar to that of my skillet cookie). If I had to compare, I think the cookies were still a little better, but only because of how outrageously delicious they are. These bars win in their own way though as they are so good and are much quicker and easier (and less messy!) to make. If it feels a little like cheating, you will forget as soon as you take a bite. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Nutella Stuffed Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 2/3 cups bread flour</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/4 tsp baking soda</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/2 tsp salt</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2 eggs</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1/3 cup 60% chocolate chips</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1 1/4 cup Nutella</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1. Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3. One at a time, beat in the eggs, and then the vanilla.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
4. In several parts, slowly beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5. Stir in chocolate chips to evenly distribute. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
6. Shape into a large ball and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a air-tight container in the refrigerator at least overnight.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
7. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 13 pan.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
8. Divide your dough so one part is about 2/3 and the other 1/3.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
9. Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan evenly.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
10. In a microwave safe bowl, heat your Nutella for 30-60 seconds and stir until smooth and creamy. Spread over the dough in the pan, keeping away from the very edges. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
11. Take chunks of the remaining 1/3 of dough and flatten slighly before placing on top of the Nutella. Make sure to get all of the edges - there should be enough to cover the whole thing, but if ot that is okay.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
12. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges start to brown lightly and the center looks set.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
13. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into squares. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.2000007629395px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-72719556685379358492015-01-08T17:29:00.000-05:002015-01-08T17:29:03.373-05:00Frosted Brownie Bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Tqzyw_WgoX3JhEQVs-XI69r_zlBkyvmHR88udwd0f8osB8oznhZKuBSksJ0Cm7auaaXTVct3VZqKDjSbwTer_iF1Qtc8uZMkcNKo5kIOWQVsJuhCtWxFqGm5eqWDCgfLBgj6u0y4b4/s1600/IMG_9941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5Tqzyw_WgoX3JhEQVs-XI69r_zlBkyvmHR88udwd0f8osB8oznhZKuBSksJ0Cm7auaaXTVct3VZqKDjSbwTer_iF1Qtc8uZMkcNKo5kIOWQVsJuhCtWxFqGm5eqWDCgfLBgj6u0y4b4/s1600/IMG_9941.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The frosted brownie bite....when the situation calls for a cupcake, but you call for a brownie.<br />
<br />
If you haven't tried this flour frosting, you will want to. It is addicting and pairs great with the chewy chocolate goodness of a brownie.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Frosted Brownie Bites</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">(Frosting recipe from <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/thate28099s-the-best-frosting-ie28099ve-ever-had/" target="_blank">Tasty Kitchen</a>)</span><br />
<br />
Your favorite brownie batter<br />
5 tbsp all purpose flour<br />
1 cup 2% milk<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 cup butter<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease your mini muffin pan and set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Make your brownie batter as usual and scoop into your prepared muffin pan, Bake for about 10 minutes or until they have a slightly glossy, rounded tops. You want them to be slightly under baked, so if you use a cake tester, remember it doesn't need to come out clean (just not covered in uncooked batter).<br />
<br />
3. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from tins. If they do not come out easily, gently run a butter knife around the edges and pull up. Set aside while you make the frosting.<br />
<br />
4. Whisk flour and and milk in a pot over medium-low heat. Keep stirring until it thickens (do not stop stirring or it will stick and be ruined). Stir more! It will turn very thick (like your brownie mix!) and then you can remove it from the heat and bring to room temperature.<br />
<br />
5. Once it has cooled, stir in the vanilla.<br />
<br />
6. While the mixture is cooling, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and the graininess of the sugar is gone.<br />
<br />
7. Add the cooled flour and milk mixture to the butter and sugar and beat well until it looks like thick whipped cream.<br />
<br />
8. Frost your brownies and enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-39945017736611574892015-01-06T13:56:00.000-05:002015-01-07T14:58:51.519-05:00Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9daxOuUo3N3yRdmyzxl_qYqqVDxtmbE2zGrKFwquFhn7ndX3O2chT1XZux-73yu2-SrsIt1HCzmi0C4Ht8OgfZod8thFz3C9IBkcDpRI8ljtcfck0InJ925Dc3pfxyw08dHrmRRQVCcQ/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9daxOuUo3N3yRdmyzxl_qYqqVDxtmbE2zGrKFwquFhn7ndX3O2chT1XZux-73yu2-SrsIt1HCzmi0C4Ht8OgfZod8thFz3C9IBkcDpRI8ljtcfck0InJ925Dc3pfxyw08dHrmRRQVCcQ/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole </span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1/2 head cauliflower<br />
1 orange pepper, chopped<br />
1/2 can no sugar added corn<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
2 tsp ground chili pepper<br />
1 1/2 tsp cumin<br />
2 tsp dried cilantro<br />
ground black pepper<br />
9 small corn tortillas<br />
1 bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese<br />
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (keep seeds for extra spice)<br />
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 large jar medium salsa<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 400. Place the first 5 ingredients (cauliflower, orange pepper, corn, onion, and garlic) on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with pepper. Mix around a bit to make sure everything is covered and then spread the vegetables out so they are (mostly) not on top of each other.<br />
<br />
2. Bake for about a half hour or until tender and just before they start to crisp up. You will want to stir them around once or twice.<br />
<br />
3. Remove from oven (lower oven to 350) and let cool slightly.<br />
<br />
4. In a bowl, combine roasted vegetables, jalapeno, black beans, chili pepper, cumin, and cilantro.<br />
<br />
5. Cover the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with salsa. Layer 3 tortillas on top and then cover with about 1/2 of the vegetable mixture and then cover with cheese. For the second layer of everything start with the tortilla, then the salsa, then the vegetable mixture and finally the cheese. Top with another layer of tortilla, salsa, and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle lightly with chili pepper and cumin.<br />
<br />
6. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes, removing the aluminum foil after about 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
7. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before digging in!<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-71819667741072967942014-12-29T21:45:00.002-05:002014-12-29T21:45:22.705-05:00Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_UDXGONpFrto_JMzm1hjfWR1D9AAzp87Kpk4hLN1eltzBZ_Q-6xB-c7trpFRlnob5wiRyEOOSXG0CPO13_Qrd-7YvCyZ2a7GGmkLmtOihi7cdwc7TGzCNrXHEM1x_NQKOwa929sJ6i4/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_UDXGONpFrto_JMzm1hjfWR1D9AAzp87Kpk4hLN1eltzBZ_Q-6xB-c7trpFRlnob5wiRyEOOSXG0CPO13_Qrd-7YvCyZ2a7GGmkLmtOihi7cdwc7TGzCNrXHEM1x_NQKOwa929sJ6i4/s1600/IMG_0293.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
While not exactly traditional, this post is still slightly delayed for the season, but the other of the cookies that my sister and I made this Christmas were <a href="http://www.takeamegabite.com/chewy-ginger-chocolate-chunk-cookies/">these chocolate chip gingerbread cookies</a>. They aren't the thin and crunchy gingerbread cookies from your childhood. Instead, they are soft and chewy while still maintaining a delicious gingerbread flavor. We weren't sure how we would like chocolate chips in them (I had thought about white chocolate, but felt that would be too sweet), but everyone agreed that it added something nice to them - the gingerbread flavor is stronger, but you do get the hint of chocolate in there as well.<br />
<h3>
<br /><br /><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies<br />How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup molasses<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp black pepper<br />
1/8 tsp allspice<br />
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices (only 1/4 tsp of the ginger). Set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Beat together butter, olive oil, brown sugar, and 1 tsp of the ginger until smooth and creamy. <br />
<br />
3. Beat in egg and then molasses and vanilla extract. <br />
<br />
4. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
5. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />6. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Scoop the dough by rounded double teaspoonfuls and form into balls and roll to coat in the granulated sugar. Place onto your prepared cookie sheet, keeping them two inches apart. <br /><br /> 7. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges look firm, but the center is still slightly unset.<br /><br /> 8. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet before placing on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container. <br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-77893685372260907122014-12-28T23:12:00.001-05:002014-12-28T23:14:52.451-05:00Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookies<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8v3_TgY1CcznUb-kIPOGqGFYd2O2jU29R9HFzjivOIft43t3z9DN1jcl11gEhxd84CIbt7mt70nmZ6G4PxPC_9HeJtvrPX554Ge-yuIY8Fnm7LJdi9eNo6eBJM0LReuY0P27XsDvNW6A/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8v3_TgY1CcznUb-kIPOGqGFYd2O2jU29R9HFzjivOIft43t3z9DN1jcl11gEhxd84CIbt7mt70nmZ6G4PxPC_9HeJtvrPX554Ge-yuIY8Fnm7LJdi9eNo6eBJM0LReuY0P27XsDvNW6A/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My sister and I have started a lovely little tradition of baking cookies together to share with our family for Christmas. This year we made four (including <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/01/diary-free-chocolate-chip-cookies.html" target="_blank">the traditional chocolate chip</a> which cannot be messed with) including this tasty bite I found at <a href="http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2013/09/19/double-mint-chocolate-cookies/" target="_blank">Life, Love & Sugar</a>. Perfect amount of chocolate and mint (you will see I added more mint than the original recipe and I thought it was just right as adjusted). Make sure not to over-bake these or they will end up more like chocolate mint scones. If you make the recipe as is, you will have a lot of leftover mints and Oreos. Rough stuff. As a side note, ever tried frozen Oreo cookies?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_GsyXiE5vt6ECX-dOXRVtLadn1-8Pi85DcA3sBmjG3zNd0zf4OY0_neuslRNAHXNHdYAE0LmEZKTadlXjcAtDImWvz4MHVwbBVEcnoQy5gn2A0TC8UJ19VaIWrKlaGMNo1kLiiLje7g/s1600/IMG_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_GsyXiE5vt6ECX-dOXRVtLadn1-8Pi85DcA3sBmjG3zNd0zf4OY0_neuslRNAHXNHdYAE0LmEZKTadlXjcAtDImWvz4MHVwbBVEcnoQy5gn2A0TC8UJ19VaIWrKlaGMNo1kLiiLje7g/s1600/IMG_0300.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Chocolate Mint Oreo Cookies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 1/4 cup all purpose flout<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa<br />
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
3/4 cup Andes mints, chopped<br />
1 cup Mint Oreo, broken up<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together the first three ingredients and then set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).<br />
<br />
3. Beat in egg and vanilla extract<br />
<br />
4. Add in dry ingredients and beat just until combined.<br />
<br />
5. Stir in Andes Mints and Mint Oreos until evenly distributed.<br />
<br />
6. Chill for at least 2 hours (overnight is fine).<br />
<br />
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls and space 2 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheet.<br />
<br />
8. Bake for about 8 minutes or until edges are firm, but center looks still slightly unset. Remove and let cool slightly before continuing to cool on a cooling rack. Fantastic served warm, but still good for a couple days if kept in an airtight container (does not need to be refrigerated).Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-52786614730129133622014-12-18T11:00:00.000-05:002014-12-18T11:00:08.687-05:00Asian Soba Vegetable Noodle Soup<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR3PXCTtOKldv7Q_gxiuJjiZ6pkvrCSQxZ1RY2yY3GoRG6ec1GGKv1GccNaHDL7IXxkc2IxboaClvVMuA3ESAHJ2zwcaPKWUziyr0CCxYs_zGrOc5-xBZQWVjtOFVL3HHDbGxxET8wGU/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR3PXCTtOKldv7Q_gxiuJjiZ6pkvrCSQxZ1RY2yY3GoRG6ec1GGKv1GccNaHDL7IXxkc2IxboaClvVMuA3ESAHJ2zwcaPKWUziyr0CCxYs_zGrOc5-xBZQWVjtOFVL3HHDbGxxET8wGU/s1600/IMG_0276.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I bought soba noodles (soba is just the Japanese name for buckwheat) awhile back with the intention of making something new with them. At the same time I bought brown rice noodles which I am obsessed with and thus forgot all about the soba noodles. Well, yesterday I decided to use them. I had originally planned on using them in some sort of stir-fry like dish, but I was more in the mood for soup so I came up with this hardy (slightly spicy) soup.<br />
<br />
I used this stir-fry sauce (soy sauce combined with oyster sauce and some other flavors) I found in the Asian section of Shaw's after deciding even low sodium soy sauce has way too much sodium (25% DV for 1 tablespoon!) and I'm happy to report that it is pretty tasty and worked well in my soup. While I love thick soups, when I make this again I will use less noodles and more veggies. They way I did it is was only really 25% broth which was okay by me really. And tonight it was even better as everything had absorbed/broken down more and the broth had turned into a nice sauce almost (photo was taken on day 1). Very tasty. If you keep the large amount of noodles, one bowl will probably leave you full and satisfied. All of the flavors worked well together and even though there wasn't that much broth, it was enough to make the noodles quite addicting without being over-powering at all. I was pretty impressed though with how tasty the noodles were just plain....and it's filling!<br />
<br />
Buckwheat doesn't have any gluten, but to make this gluten-free, be sure to buy noodles that are all buckwheat (many brands you see in the store will have flour in them as well).<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Asian Soba (Buckwheat) Vegetable Noodle Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
6 oz Soba Noodles (use less if you want it more brothy)<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
4 cloves garlic, diced<br />
32 oz low sodium vegetable broth<br />
3 carrots, chopped<br />
3 parsnips, chopped<br />
3 celery ribs, chopped<br />
3 baby bok choy, roughly chopped<br />
3 tbsp low sodium stir-fry sauce (not straight soy sauce)<br />
1/2 tsp cayene<br />
1/2 ground ginger<br />
<br />
1. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add in the noodles, and lower to medium. Stir occasionally. Once cooked (about 6-8 minutes usually), drain and rinse with cold water.<br />
<br />
2. While the noodles are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of water in a large pot and then add the onion and garlic.<br />
<br />
3. Cook until softened and then pour in broth, carrots, parsnips, celery, sauce and spices. Stir and then cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes and then add in the bok choy and cover again for another 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
4. Once the vegetables are almost how you want them, stir in the noodles. Cover again and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so.<br />
<br />
5. Serve! Keep any leftovers in the fridge.<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-34968125402006712972014-12-17T10:01:00.000-05:002014-12-17T10:01:11.054-05:00Apple Cinnamon Whole Wheat and Oat Pancakes<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FY7-VbdEC8Wx6bzcK_3vdS7d68p5NLBYlXXZJp_lx5tWG-WrUBcVGA2npNgaph18fZV3jakdK3pmnICv8D7ziYyaKIwKo6l3PXcoonxsqa5Y1oIDA4m6Ze0zMyqgSdSXryNYevwjsXo/s1600/IMG_0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FY7-VbdEC8Wx6bzcK_3vdS7d68p5NLBYlXXZJp_lx5tWG-WrUBcVGA2npNgaph18fZV3jakdK3pmnICv8D7ziYyaKIwKo6l3PXcoonxsqa5Y1oIDA4m6Ze0zMyqgSdSXryNYevwjsXo/s1600/IMG_0257.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I don't know why I haven't posted about these before. Maybe because I usually eat them all before I can take a picture. A couple years ago I decided I wanted to make healthy pancakes that still tasted good. Though there were others that were pretty good, these came out on top for me. I just love cooked apple. These are the pancakes you eat when you want something tasty and filling, but don't want to feel slothful afterwards. They almost look like cookies, don't they?<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Apple Cinnamon Wheat Pancakes</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 egg<br />
4 oz unsweetened apple sauce<br />
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp almond milk<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 tbsp honey<br />
1/3 cup oats, slightly processed<br />
1/3 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 tbsp flaxseed meal<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/8 tsp nutmeg<br />
1 apple, peeled and chopped<br />
<br />
1. Whisk the first 5 ingredients together.<br />
<br />
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the apple. Let sit for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Lightly coat two large frying pans with oil (I used light olive oil) and heat on low.<br />
<br />
4. Stir in the the apple and when the pans are heated, pour or spoon the batter in making the size pancakes that you prefer.<br />
<br />
5. Cook until small bubbles start to form and the edges look set. Flip, and cook on the other side.<br />
<br />
6. Serve immediately,<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-65283220543566538542014-12-14T13:02:00.001-05:002014-12-14T13:02:48.361-05:00Chocolate Covered Banana Peanut Butter Bites<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9UJZ3vAOqsQHLsmlnyn6YbgkZKW7kBHkEn9pmAizODuAX7iEof6Sz-SPn9YhH7iCQ2ia84neolr4T81uR6FOqK5CqwVGYZS-OhUKU0Y296lM1rdsHJSObWkk223ahMahLo6LB-xVpUw/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9UJZ3vAOqsQHLsmlnyn6YbgkZKW7kBHkEn9pmAizODuAX7iEof6Sz-SPn9YhH7iCQ2ia84neolr4T81uR6FOqK5CqwVGYZS-OhUKU0Y296lM1rdsHJSObWkk223ahMahLo6LB-xVpUw/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I have been wanting to make a simple treat for someone who loves banana and my first thought was adding a slice of banana to a homemade peanut butter cup. I still might try that, but while brainstorming I came up with this idea which is a bit healthier and much more banana focused. They came out as good as I had hoped (the mixing of the different chocolates and flavors really adds to it in my opinion) and were very easy to make. Freezing them thoroughly before dunking them in the chocolate is a necessary step though so make sure enough time is saved for that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Chocolate Covered Banana Peanut Butter Bites</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<br />
2 ripe bananas<br />
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/8 cup butterscotch chips<br />
1/4 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1. Peel and slice your bananas. You won't need the 4 end pieces.<br />
<br />
2. Scoop peanut butter on top of a slice of banana (be generous) and cover with another slice. Repeat for the remaining slices, matching up similiar sized pieces.<br />
<br />
3. Place all "sandwiches" in a parchment paper lined container in the freezer. Freeze at least for a couple hours, if not overnight.<br />
<br />
4. When the sandwiches are nice and frozen, pour your chocolate and butterscotch into a double boiler and heat. Stir occasionally to help melt. Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
5. One at a time , place a peanut butter banana sandwich into the melted chocolate. Once coated, carefully scoop out with a fork, letting some of the excess chocolate fall off. Place in a container lined with parchment paper. Repeat for remaining sandwiches, only take 2 out to work with at a time and leaving the rest frozen.<br />
<br />
6. Once all of the sandwiches are coated in chocolate, cover the container and place back in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy!<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-25560181995102397332014-12-13T14:29:00.001-05:002014-12-13T14:29:11.620-05:00All Corn Cornbread Muffins<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCt4LHy8c3ZOQCKvi6QbUc3XlAnTpn6kQW2Tf8mr6ZrvoamHZahMsArR5bQnBkzTj3lEaQjl5HTuLhRlmgMtmtT-Ck7e27paY92bbhCRMHmCf0T3ltqEBJmuzl_hynmCzTGwttTar0kU/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCt4LHy8c3ZOQCKvi6QbUc3XlAnTpn6kQW2Tf8mr6ZrvoamHZahMsArR5bQnBkzTj3lEaQjl5HTuLhRlmgMtmtT-Ck7e27paY92bbhCRMHmCf0T3ltqEBJmuzl_hynmCzTGwttTar0kU/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When I was a kid I was never excited about cornbread until one day my mom made them in a muffin tin without a cupcake liner and the edges were crispy and delicious. Since then I have made many different types of cornbread including with corn bits, vegan and with spicy meat. These muffins were my first attempt at gluten-free cornbread. I was more than a little worried about how they would turn out, but they were pretty tasty! I prefer muffins and I decided to make these bite sized, so I used my mini-muffin tin. Look at that delicious streak of butter running through the top of the muffin! Definitely not vegan, but you could make them diary-free by using a butter substitute if you wanted. I just love diary with my corn muffins though, they compliment each other so well, but I did use almond milk instead of regular milk because that is what I had on hand.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">All Corn Cornbread Muffins</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp corn meal (not quick cooking)<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup milk of choice<br />
1 tablespoon of honey<br />
2 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 450. Grease your mini muffin tins.<br />
<br />
2. Whisk together cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk, honey, and melted butter.<br />
<br />
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.<br />
<br />
5. Pour or spoon into the muffin tins. It will look like there is too much milk, but the cornmeal will absorb it as it cooks. Drop a small amount of water into any empty muffin tins and cook for about 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown and a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
<br />
6. Let cool slighly, then run a knife around the edges to release. Best served warm (they re-heat well).Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-58997142399030124662014-12-07T20:41:00.002-05:002014-12-07T20:41:36.080-05:00Peanut Butter Chocolate Trifle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggknG5YvCMqUEaGV46RaSwMz8NJP-AcocnFM6Yn-bhdrmRH3SPA2lgwdQxOq5PbYEofeu9KPuBMTeDYAJwGdYBIkfu23An_Q66K67DxtbkDCOa_bj9sLlZKYcPLuoTi7OPYXoVbNfdRn8/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggknG5YvCMqUEaGV46RaSwMz8NJP-AcocnFM6Yn-bhdrmRH3SPA2lgwdQxOq5PbYEofeu9KPuBMTeDYAJwGdYBIkfu23An_Q66K67DxtbkDCOa_bj9sLlZKYcPLuoTi7OPYXoVbNfdRn8/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I love trying new dessert ideas and combinations, but every time I make a trifle I feel that I <i>need </i>to include brownie (not cake, ugh), some sort of pudding, Oreo cookies, and of course whipped cream. This time I wanted to add another flavor and I was thinking of caramel, but then had to go with peanut butter since I knew it was a favorite of a few of the people who would be eating it (with good reason). To save time, I didn't make the brownies from scratch and I used instant chocolate pudding because I remember loving it in the past, and it is good, but I am sure homemade would have been better. You could make everything yourself or or buy it all and just put together! I have to say, fresh whipped cream is always so much nicer and it is so easy to make.<br />
<br />
I made all of the parts (except the whipped cream) the day before and just assembled when I was ready. This still tastes great the next day, but will not look as good since the whipped cream will weep into the chocolate.<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Peanut Butter Chocolate Trifle</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<br />
1 batch of brownies (homemade or box), cooled and cut into squares<br />
5 oz box chocolate pudding, prepared<br />
2 cups heavy cream<br />
1 cup peanut butter<br />
8 oz whipped cream cheese, room temperature<br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
2 tbsp milk (I used 2%)<br />
1/2 box Oreo, smashed<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Beat heavy cream and 1/3 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Do not stop early! Cover and put in fridge.<br />
<br />
2. Beat together peanut butter and the cream cheese until combined and creamy and then add in the remainder of the powdered sugar and then the milk. Once well combined, gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped cream.<br />
<br />
3. Using a bowl (or trifle dish if you have one), starting layering with brownies on the bottom, then the peanut butter mixture, then Oreo, then chocolate pudding, and then the whipped cream. Repeated this once more and then sprinkled more Oreo crumbles on the top. Keep refrigerated - best the same day.<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-59256481289359726732014-12-05T14:20:00.001-05:002014-12-05T14:20:43.583-05:00Spicy Edamame Dip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9exdeTFOP0Qh92Oc69GXH-gWH1AIkYqQOsLidVk-WNocPECxkDa_nG3RfZW_i9cmDmRdlQkvZ1cO6iLbySdAkhECdSP09mvp9VzNLhoqzZYCorP6BIJ_vMTasa1siZjUJAqfH-nFAAPo/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9exdeTFOP0Qh92Oc69GXH-gWH1AIkYqQOsLidVk-WNocPECxkDa_nG3RfZW_i9cmDmRdlQkvZ1cO6iLbySdAkhECdSP09mvp9VzNLhoqzZYCorP6BIJ_vMTasa1siZjUJAqfH-nFAAPo/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I was initially planning on making hummus, but I had a bag of frozen edamame that I wanted to use up so I decided to do something with that instead. I found the idea for this online, but I can't remember where! I added much more hot sauce than I was expecting to and then I realize while it has healthy ingredients, Trader Joe's Sriracha is more mild than I would like it to be. With that said, I would recommend adding a tablespoon at a time until you hit the heat point that you desire.<br />
<br />
I would say it is good, but it didn't blow me away. I did like it with carrots, but it wasn't good enough that I would make it again over trying something new. Though it is not totally fair to compare, I do much (much!) prefer the <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/07/spicy-asian-white-bean-dip.html" target="_blank">Spicy Asian White Bean Dip</a> that I have made. I should make that one again soon! If you're an edamame (and sesame) fan, you'll probably like this one.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Spicy Edamame Dip</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 cup shelled edamame<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 tbsp Tahini (I made my own)<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice<br />
3 tbsps water<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
1/4 cup sriracha sauce (I used Trader Joe's version)<br />
<br />
1. Boil edamame for about 5 minutes. Drain.<br />
<br />
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture will be thicker than hummus. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-86936721323478686922014-11-11T16:37:00.000-05:002014-11-11T16:37:21.315-05:00Nutella Stuffed Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokcwW5PlUYUqt0cfPQwpqJQlHj42wMDrWQEziP1UN5BmBc0C_NivalQgAOqe0V5sw4jgkILVMziZuUBud_VWBgIxCruV8BmRomet6MrjC5azj77yhBlmgOWLXQj4UEm_kGDjpxia1lAs/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokcwW5PlUYUqt0cfPQwpqJQlHj42wMDrWQEziP1UN5BmBc0C_NivalQgAOqe0V5sw4jgkILVMziZuUBud_VWBgIxCruV8BmRomet6MrjC5azj77yhBlmgOWLXQj4UEm_kGDjpxia1lAs/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This cookies are amazing. Seriously amazing. What makes them so amazing. Well, I want to say it is the Nutella, but honestly the sea salt really brings the cookie together. Oh, and the browned butter (which, by the way, will make your kitchen smell fantastic). I had them for the first time last November at a work party and they were so good I asked the guy who made them for the recipe. He politely said he could not claim credit and emailed me the link to <a href="http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2012/09/nutella-stuffed-brown-butter-sea-salt-chocolate-chip-cookies-my-favorite-cookie-ever/" target="_blank">Ambitious Kitchen's Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter + Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies</a>. I don't know why it has taken me so long to make them, although I did make <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/03/nutella-swirl-blondies.html" target="_blank">Nutella Swirl Blondies</a> over the winter which may have unconsciously been linked to the desire for these cookies. Regardless, I plan to make them or some version of them again soon. Such a delicious combination of flavors.<br />
<br />
Honestly, they were completely craveable as I made them, but when I make these again I want to try adding the yogurt and more Nutella (I used the amount in the recipe). I did change the brown sugar to granulated sugar ratio a bit to help make them more chewy en lieu of the yogurt. Also, note that the pictures are from after the cookies were completely cooled. They were much more drool worthy out of the oven.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYTgmxi36Efg_g61zE9oo4nXY0dQKMgk26YNHNF2RqmLfsJ9VWjUOIEwTYMm70UdylAWTXn-ChJvBDmdIEt7vd_N7QiIn636rwrROWp7yBKsfd0zK5ZCRjZQ3P_mRhCwU1kWl_GQJ6Zk/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYTgmxi36Efg_g61zE9oo4nXY0dQKMgk26YNHNF2RqmLfsJ9VWjUOIEwTYMm70UdylAWTXn-ChJvBDmdIEt7vd_N7QiIn636rwrROWp7yBKsfd0zK5ZCRjZQ3P_mRhCwU1kWl_GQJ6Zk/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Nutella Stuffed Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
1 1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />
1 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp dark brown sugar<br />
1/4 minus 1 tbsp cup granulated sugar<br />
1 egg + 1 egg yolk<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips<br />
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 60%)<br />
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
small jar of Nutella, chilled (I put it in the freezer 30 minutes before using)<br />
<br />
1. Make your brown butter. If you have never browned butter, <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_brown_butter/" target="_blank">please see here for step-by-step directions</a>. I want to stress the importance of using a skillet/wide pan and not a pot. Once you're done, pour into a large bowl to let it cool a bit (large, so you can just add the rest of the ingredients into it).<br />
<br />
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3. Pour sugars into the bowl with the butter and beat well. Then beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla.until well combined.<br />
<br />
4. Slowly (in 3-4 parts) beat in the dry mixture until just barely combined.<br />
<br />
5. With a spoon (and/or clean hands), mix in the chocolate chips.<br />
<br />
6. Chill your dough overnight (or at least for 2 hours).<br />
<br />
7. When you are getting ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.<br />
<br />
8. Scoop out a large chunk of the dough (at least 1 1/2 tbsps), roll into a ball and then flatten. Scoop out about 1 tsp of the chilled Nutella and place in the center of the flattened dough. Fold the dough around the Nutella, completely covering it. Shape back into a ball, making sure all of the Nutella is covered. Repeat for the remaining dough.<br />
<br />
9. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges start to darken, but the centers still look slightly uncooked. Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Let rest for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-77857955936671705392014-11-05T11:31:00.000-05:002014-11-05T11:39:34.130-05:00Rosemary Potato and Kale Vegetable Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML3x9E9TYWrJbaXiYPYSbIgDVE-fbYzoIKWOaHohJOlTOl_LE84h3uMuVCpBOKGx_gFzYWEN4C499VRISny8f1EfatNZ2KjFOq5eFWqLnOg8qF70by8nrkztwW1zMRd04NixUWZOnsS8/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhML3x9E9TYWrJbaXiYPYSbIgDVE-fbYzoIKWOaHohJOlTOl_LE84h3uMuVCpBOKGx_gFzYWEN4C499VRISny8f1EfatNZ2KjFOq5eFWqLnOg8qF70by8nrkztwW1zMRd04NixUWZOnsS8/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Rosemary is definitely one of my all time favorite herbs. It makes everything better from bread, cheese (grilled cheese!), homemade popcorn, potatoes, chicken, and even cocktails! The one thing I hadn't tried was in soup. I was in the mood for a good soup and almost made up a new chili (that will also happen soon), but I had rosemary on the brain. I tried to pick vegetables that I thought rosemary would compliment. Sadly, I was unable to get parsnips, but I would recommend adding them in as well if you can. If you don't like rosemary, this soup is not for you, but the flavor is in no way over-powering. The photo is from right after I made it, but now it is two days later and the broth has definitely thickened up a bit which I like.<br />
<br />
Note that I like to made a crazy amount at once and then freeze part of it. You can easily cut the recipe down as desired.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Rosemary Potato and Kale Vegetable Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
1 yellow onion, chopped<br />
4 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
4 large red potatoes, chopped<br />
6 celery ribs, chopped<br />
6 carrots, chopped<br />
30 oz (no salt added) diced tomatoes<br />
3/4 tsp black pepper<br />
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary<br />
64 oz low sodium vegetable broth<br />
1 zucchini, chopped<br />
15 oz navy beans, drained and rinsed<br />
15 oz green p<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">igeon peas, drained and rinsed</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1 bunch of red kale (any variety would work), removed from stems</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">1. Heat two tablespoons of water into a large pot. Once the water is heated, add in onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">2. Stir in potatoes and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">3. Add in carrots, diced tomatoes (not drained), and 1/2 tsp black pepper and let cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">4. Throw full rosemary sprigs in, stir around and then add broth, zucchini, beans, peas, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and turn up the heat and cover. Once it starts to almost boil, turn the heat down, but not too much below medium.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">5. Let cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the rosemary (it will fall off stems). </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">6. Remove rosemary twigs (pulling off any pieces of rosemary that might remain), mix in kale, stir to combine and cook for another 10 minutes.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">7. Serve!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-69666734624987130162014-11-04T11:22:00.001-05:002014-11-04T12:02:41.859-05:00Whole Wheat Caramel Apple Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3Cr2vNwvEOQ4QO9brQajDgcECs1HzecESlWC2fzPqUZ6FhWxE1udGsJ6vJ4LXv_3uPJqNtjNuo5wZSH10jS0Ftzz5CWDfxEfeRzExJqzcytATLqBsF6n3EewoExLJ79jg_GUJJgSQTA/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3Cr2vNwvEOQ4QO9brQajDgcECs1HzecESlWC2fzPqUZ6FhWxE1udGsJ6vJ4LXv_3uPJqNtjNuo5wZSH10jS0Ftzz5CWDfxEfeRzExJqzcytATLqBsF6n3EewoExLJ79jg_GUJJgSQTA/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Nothing beats a chocolaty cookie, am I right? Well, while traveling for work last year I had a caramel apple cookie that completely wow'd me. After I was done wishing I had taken two instead of just one, I decided I would have to make my own caramel apple cookies. So I started to look to see if I could find their recipe. Sadly, I couldn't find it or anything that seemed even similar. Skip ahead a year and the fall has brought thoughts of caramel apple cookies back to my brain. Instead of trying to replicate my work cookie, I made my own healthier version and I was pretty impressed with how they turned out.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Whole Wheat Caramel Apple Cookies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">(Makes 10-12 cookies)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 1/2 cups rolled oats<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
3/4 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/8 tsp nutmeg<br />
1/4 cup canola oil<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup diced peeled apples<br />
10 caramels, chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.<br />
<br />
2. Combine the oil and sugar and stir together for a couple minutes with a spoon. Add in the apple sauce, vanilla, and egg. Mix until well combined.<br />
<br />
3. In three parts, slowly stir in the dry mixture until just combined. Add in the apples and caramels and stir just until distributed.<br />
<br />
4. Cover and place dough in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to firm up.<br />
<br />
5. Preheat oven to 375.<br />
<br />
6. Form dough into large balls and place on Silpat (or parchment paper) covered cookie sheet.<br />
<br />
7. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they look set and not gooey. Unlike other cookies, I do not recommend under-cooking these, but they do go from under-cooked to slightly too cooked very quickly.<br />
<br />
8. Let cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. They are the best fresh (with the gooey caramel), but you can store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-42346214674087237452014-10-01T11:34:00.000-04:002014-10-01T12:16:47.855-04:00Quick Brown Rice Veggie Noodle Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv-srnHmcWCMiwtDiC0eYlZzFd7HJZm86F2jzeSe0bEZ6Sz2DAJzkslsiXzoH4MdI83xwoayvVOVhTRCs7qgP-CKLjq-RUUZoIlRz1GBDsgL1fSMJXFsuWE9aPcWQOxwy2-lgg2PiJdo/s1600/IMG_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv-srnHmcWCMiwtDiC0eYlZzFd7HJZm86F2jzeSe0bEZ6Sz2DAJzkslsiXzoH4MdI83xwoayvVOVhTRCs7qgP-CKLjq-RUUZoIlRz1GBDsgL1fSMJXFsuWE9aPcWQOxwy2-lgg2PiJdo/s1600/IMG_0088.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
With evenings that have been officially feeling like fall, I was craving some soup, but far too hungry to turn it into a huge planning/grocery store ordeal. I quickly threw this together with what I had around and it turned out really well. The broth was even tasty.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Quick Brown Rice Veggie Noodle Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span></h3>
<br />
4 1/2 cups water<br />
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium dry chicken flavoring<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1/2 onion, chopped<br />
1/4 cup chopped dried vegetables<br />
3 tsp thyme<br />
2 tsp parsley<br />
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped<br />
2 cups of broccoli, chopped<br />
1/4 package of brown rice noodles<br />
<br />
1. Bring water to a boil and stir in chicken flavoring and dried vegetables.<br />
<br />
2. Add in all of the vegetables and spices. Stir, reduce heat, and cover for about ten minutes.<br />
<br />
3. Stir in uncooked rice noodles and let cook in soup for about ten more minutes.<br />
<br />
4. Serve!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351180597503933891.post-13105958782248621192014-09-16T14:30:00.000-04:002014-09-16T14:30:41.417-04:00Quick and Delightfully Simple Peanut Butter Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3p2lGVuQ0Cy1UR7_-7AoQp8ggXU1U05nZ2-1h6oBIFUaAww5gOvibdVeTDKSJ9KEf-o87jNoDolMJzbOUsvy9LDvXGB3_2TBIgEOmAUYUgnh_FCO5Fm04vNKgozUZA1iKMAjgenOrkE/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3p2lGVuQ0Cy1UR7_-7AoQp8ggXU1U05nZ2-1h6oBIFUaAww5gOvibdVeTDKSJ9KEf-o87jNoDolMJzbOUsvy9LDvXGB3_2TBIgEOmAUYUgnh_FCO5Fm04vNKgozUZA1iKMAjgenOrkE/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG" height="530" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The easiest peanut butter cookie you will ever make. While I was posting about my quick and easy <a href="http://amyskitchenresearch.blogspot.com/2014/05/flourless-butterless-peanut-butter.html" target="_blank">flourless and butterless peanut butter cookie</a>, I got to thinking that I could make it even more simple. Well, I did it and they are amazing. Thanks to the peanut butter, they hold up well, but are moist and chewy to the point of almost being creamy. Can a cookie be creamy? I thought I would miss the chocolate, but they are just so good as is. If I added chocolate I might dunk half in melted chocolate - I wouldn't want to disrupt the wonderful texture that they have.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUV_j1QMg2XC81AjGGpjJEIJEtaB5E4F-Ujo3xCDtLb_6Fy_watJY-VPlghqr9jUTJz8JSLQ9H5zynaurz6E8gCmGx8fsJgPNALFW9sVMwXOtUzZLMYanLq7X7O_APRrLkiKDLmHdrJ4/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUV_j1QMg2XC81AjGGpjJEIJEtaB5E4F-Ujo3xCDtLb_6Fy_watJY-VPlghqr9jUTJz8JSLQ9H5zynaurz6E8gCmGx8fsJgPNALFW9sVMwXOtUzZLMYanLq7X7O_APRrLkiKDLmHdrJ4/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3><span style="color: #b45f06;">Quick and Delightfully Simple Peanut Butter Cookies</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">How I Did It:</span><br /></h3>
<br />
1 cup creamy peanut butter<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tbsp flaxseed meal<br />
3/4 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a baking sheet.<br />
<br />
2. Place the flaxseed meal in a bowl with three tablespoons of warm water. Stir and then let sit for 5 full minutes (to gel up).<br />
<br />
3. Pour the flaxseed egg into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.<br />
<br />
4. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet 1-2 inches apart (they only spread a moderate amount). Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for about 10 minutes or until they are just starting to brown and still look under-cooked. Remove from oven and let cool before transferring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471388229715666878noreply@blogger.com0