Sunday, June 28, 2015

Lemon Zucchini Bread!

 
For the batter:
2 eggs
1/2 c. canola oil
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. milk
zest of 1 lemon
1 c. grated zucchini
2 c. flour
½ t. salt
2 t. baking powder
 
For the glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. milk
 
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.  Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well.  Add flour, salt, and baking powder and stir until just combined.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  While still warm, make glaze and spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Kale and Queso Fresco Curry!

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 roma tomatoes, diced
1 T. canola oil
8 oz. queso fresco or paneer, cut into cubes
1 T. curry powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. crushed red peper
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. brown sugar
1 c. coconut milk
8 oz. tomato sauce
5 c. kale, stems removed and diced
basil
1 1/2 c. rice
3 c. water
 
Saute the onion and tomato in olive oil until soft.  Puree in a food processor and reserve.  Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add thet queso fresco cubes in a single layer and cook until starting to brown, then flip over and repeat on all sides. Remove from the pan and add the tomato onion puree.  Add spices, coconut milk, tomato sauce, and bring to a simmer.. Add the kale and allow it to cook and wilt.  Stir in the fried queso fresco and serve the entire mixture over cooked rice.

Maple Fingers!

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough
1 c. canola oil
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. milk
1 T. corn syrup
2 t. maple extract
2 c. powdered sugar

Pour  canola oil into a medium sized saucepan and begin heating on medium heat.  Open the biscuit dough and separate. Gently stretch the biscuits into an oblong shape, as opposed to the round shape they come in.  In a separate saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Whisk in milk and heat for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add in corn syrup and maple extract. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, whisking until smooth between additions.  Once all powdered sugar is added, keep the glaze warm on the stove, whisking occasionally.  Once oil is ready, drop biscuits in 2 at a time. Let cook just until golden, then turn and cook on the other side. Have a paper towel covered plate ready to set the bars on when cooked. Let doughnuts cool for a few minutes, then whisk the glaze to make sure it’s smooth enough to dip each doughnut.  Dip the doughnut, then immediately turn glaze side up on a plate. Repeat this process until all doughnuts are fried and glazed

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins!


Muffin Batter:
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. strawberries, diced
 
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
 
Streusel Topping:
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. cold butter, diced
 
Beat the milk, oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.  Place 1 T. of batter into each cupcake liner.  Top with 1 c. of the diced strawberries.  Beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.  Spoon cream cheese filling over the strawberries.  Fill each liner with the remaining batter and top with remaining strawberries.  Prepare the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Add the butter and mix with a fork. Sprinkle topping over each muffin top.  Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Bok Choi Tofu Pad Thai!

12 oz. tofu, pressed and diced
1 t. curry powder
4 bunches baby bok choi, chopped
2 green onions, diced
2 green garlic, diced
1 T. coconut oil
12 oz. vermicelli noodles
1/3 c. peanut butter
2 limes, juiced
1 T.  soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. sriracha
1/2 c. cashews, chopped
cilantro


Saute tofu with curry powder in a skillet or bake in the oven until crisp and golden.  Meanwhile, Saute bok choi, green onion, and green garlic in coconut oil until soft.  Boil a pot of water and turn off the heat.  Add noodles and let sit in the hot water for 10 minutes or until soft, stir every few minutes.  Drain noodles and toss with the bok choi.  Simmer and whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, water, brown sugar, and sriracha.  Toss with the noodles and bok choi.  Top with chopped cashews and cilantro. 





Kohlrabi Fritters!

For the yogurt sauce:
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 green onion, diced
1 green garlic, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt
pepper
 
For the fritters:
3 kohlrabi bulbs
2 eggs, beaten
4 T. breadcrumbs or instant potato flakes
1 green onion
1 green garlic
salt
pepper
oil
 
Mix all ingredients for the yogurt sauce and set aside.  Meanwhile, peel off  the tough layer of the kohlrabi and shred the remaining bulb in a food processor with the onion and garlic.  Place the shreds in a colander and squeeze out all of the excess moisture.  In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, breadcrumbs or potato flakes, shredded vegetables, salt, and pepper.  Form into patties and drop into a hot, oiled skillet.  Cook on each side until golden brown or broil in the oven.

 

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!



For the crust:
2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
2/3 c. butter
5 T. cold water

For the filling:
3 c. strawberries, halved
2 c. rhubarb, diced
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch

For the topping:
1 T. milk
1 T. sugar
 
Combine flour and salt in bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water with fork just until flour is moistened. Shape pastry into ball; divide in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten slightly. Wrap one ball in plastic food wrap; refrigerate.  Roll out the other pastry ball on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle.  Place into 9-inch glass pie pan, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust around edge of pan and set aside. Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; toss lightly to coat fruit. Spoon into prepared crust.
Roll out remaining pastry ball on lightly floured surface into 11-inch circle. Cut out  strips with sharp knife and place over filling.  Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 55 minutes. Cover with foil after 20 minutes to prevent burned crust.  Cool pie before serving.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Rhubarb Banana Bread!

1 c. mashed banana (2 medium or 3 small)
2  eggs
1 t. vanilla
⅓ c. brown sugar
1½ c.  flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. chopped rhubarb
 
Use a  mixer to beat bananas and eggs on medium speed for about 30 seconds.Mix in vanilla and brown sugar until combined.  Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in rhubarb. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let cool before loosening sides with a knife and removing from pan.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Pea Vine Pasta!

1 lb. spaghetti
1 T. olive oil
2 green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. heavy cream
1 bunch pea vine, chopped

1/4 .lb. asparagus, cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper


Boil the spaghetti until al dente, reserving some of the cooking liquid.  Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add green onion & garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer.  Add the heavy cream and reduce the total volume by half by simmering over medium-low heat. Do not let the mixture boil or it will separate and curdle.  Season the cream mixture with salt and pepper.  Once the cream mixture has reduced by half, add the pea vine, cover and allow the pea vine to wilt into the cream, which will  only take a few minutes.  Once the pea vine is wilted, remove the sauce from the heat. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and puree the mixture until the pea vine is completely  chopped up. Carefully pour the cream mixture back into the pan and return it to the stove top over medium-low heat.
Add the asparagus and simmer just until tender but is not completely cooked. Add the spaghetti to the pan and stir to combine. You want the sauce to lightly coat the pasta. If the sauce is a little too thin, continue to cook the pasta in the sauce for a few more minutes. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out by adding a little bit of the pasta liquid until the sauce is the desired consistency.  Top with grilled chicken if desired.