Spent Grain Crackers

Having mastered the Spent Grain Dog Treat, toyed with Spent Grain Granola (still need to perfect that one) and learned to incorporate the grains into Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, it was time to seek out yet again a way to use these lovely little leftovers from Mike's brewing adventures...and this time, we get crackers! Crackers that taste insanely like wheat thins!

I found a number of recipes but ended up using the one posted at Acute Cuisine

In a food processor pulse one cup of wet spent grain for 30 seconds or until finely chopped. Mix together with 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour, 1/2 cup Water, 2 Tbsp Sugar or Honey, 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil and 1/2 tsp. Salt.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and shiny, not sticky. Add water or flour as needed. Let rest at room temperature for at least 30minutes and as long as overnight.
Roll out dough to desired thickness (I go around 1/8 inch) and cut into crackers. Bake for 20-25m at 300 degrees until golden brown and crisp. Leave on cookie sheet to cool- crackers will continue to crisp up there.
If you want toppings on your crackers, you can egg-wash them before baking and top with sesame seeds, whole spent grain or other seeds. For toppings like salt, pepper, cinnamon sugar, spray the crackers with a quick shot of oil (Pam will work) right out of the oven and sprinkle.
Makes ~3dozen

We served ours with some Mild Cheddar and enjoyed opening Christmas gifts with the family!

Gingerbread Scones

With the in-laws coming to town on Christmas Eve and plans to wake up in a guest house near the airport on Christmas morning in a land where breakfast is just as pungent and savory as every other meal of the day, I decided it was an absolute must to have something delectable prepared to enjoy after opening stockings and making our way into Seoul.

So, on the night of the 23rd I got to work on a few 'Christmas' dishes: Eggnog and Spent Grain Crackers for when we made it back to our house, and these pefectly seasonal Gingerbread Scones.

From Gooseberry Patch Gingerbread Cookbook

Ingredients/Directions:

Combine 2 cups Flour, 2 tsp. Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, and 1 tsp. Ginger in a bowl. Cut in 7 Tbsp. Butter with a pastry blender of two knives until crumbly. Combine 1/3 cup Molasses and 1/3 cup Milk; add to flour mixture stirring until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4-5 times. Divide dough in half; shape each into a ball. Pat each ball into a 5-inch circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut each circle into 6 wedges, do not separate. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Enjoy as a Christmas morning treat with family while exploring your stockings!

Eggnog 2012

Used the same recipe as last year.

Still not as thick as I expect...not sure why.

However, absolutely delicious!

Eggsplosions and Spicy Black Bean Soup

Pinterest is the source for so much inspiration, it is unbelievable.  This latest 'pinspiration' can be tracked back to this website, and let's just say - my world may never be the same! You may know that we have a deep, deep love for fried eggs, match that up with some toast and a slice of cheese and even the worst of days get to end in a glorious fashion. If you've ever made a grilled cheese and if you've ever made a toad-in-a-hole, you can nail this sandwich.

Using a biscuit cutter or a glass remove a circles-worth of bread from each slice of bread that will soon become a sandwich. Grease a fry pan, throw in one or two slices of bread (depending on space) crack an egg into the hole and let set for a minute or two until bread is toasty and egg is cooked through on the bottom. Flip each slice of bread over, sprinkle or lay on some cheese, let the cook on the other side, but two breads together and you have a eggy, cheesey, amazingly AMAZING sandwich! Serve that up with a bowl of soup and you've got yourself the perfect meal to beat the winter blues.

As for my black bean soup I boiled about 2 cups of Chicken Stock from the freezer added a cup or two of water, roasted about 6 tomatos and an onion, threw them in a food processor with some garlic for a quick chop dumped that into the broth mixture added about 2 cups of black beans and some crisp bacon. Seasoned with salt, pepper, red chili powder, cumin, cilantro (from the freezer) and a roasted green chili mix I had also froze before the chiles could go bad.

(These freezer concepts revolve around a desire to extend shelf life of certain foods, I've posted about the cilantro before, I did the chiles in a similar fashion. Roasted in the oven, threw into the food processor with olive oil and garlic, pulsed and placed in ice cube trays. Now, if I want to add a punch to my dish, I just throw in one or two cubes of 'fresh roasted' chiles from my freezer!)

Easy Tomato and Alfredo Baked Pasta

Extended Shelf Life for: Alfredo Sauce

The expiration date on this Alfredo Sauce had long since passed...fortunately, I have a long history with using 'expired' foods, so I wasn't phased, but was in a bit of hurry to use that jar up and have a satisfying meal.

This isn't rocket science. It doesn't even really belong on a food blog, but I have developed a habit of keeping track of what comes out of my kitchen, what my brain comes up with in those moments I don't want to cook or am too impatient to wait for a more proper and creative meal. This one of them - boil pasta, mix with sauce, toss in a tomato or two, throw in some basil if you have it on hand, a small bit of mozzarella mixed into the pasta dish is nice and of course, top the dish with some cheese before throwing into to oven for 30 minutes or so when it'll be nice and golden, crispy, cheesy and delicious!

Italian Pork and Potato Stew

The slow-cooker is absolutely wonderful. I can't imagine life without.

Ingredients/Directions:

Throw into a crock pot - 3-4 cubed Potatoes (peeled if you prefer), 1 chopped Carrot, 1 chopped Onion, 2 diced Tomatoes, 5 minced Garlics, one or two cups of Shredded Pork, 1/2 cup Tomato Paste, and a combination of Cold Chaser Tea, Water and/or Broth to cover all fresh ingredients, turn on low and cook for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5. Season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning blend and enjoy with fresh bread and friends!

Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

I really wish I were better about posting recipes and such immediately...we're just going to add that goal to the News Years Resolution/30 Day Challenge what-not that I'm taking on for 2012.  Anyway, I was feeling quite sick throughout December and got hit with such an intense craving for Tomato Soup while I stayed at home with a high fever.  I didn't make it that day, because I felt shitty, but the craving hung on until I finally roasted some tomatoes (in the oven, about 30 minutes, helps to remove skins) and whipped up a pot of creamy tomato soup.

The problem that we have currently is...my Pinterest refuses to work on my home computer and I'm not sure which recipe I loosely based this on, nor the details of the recipe.  What I do know is that it includes fresh roasted tomatoes, sauteed onion and garlic, broth or cold chaser tea, milk, salt, sugar, and pepper.  And it's easy. Not as easy as a can, but easy enough. Cook the roasted tomatoes up in the broth with onions and garlic, a touch of spices until warm and fragrant, blend it up in a blender or using an immersion blender then add milk till you reach your preferred consistency and level of creaminess - can also add a mix of cornstarch and water/milk to thicken it up a bit if you so desire. Serve with toasted baguette or a grilled cheese and you'll enjoy yourself the perfect pick-up for the winter blues and cold!

Kimchi Jigae

Mike really loves Kimchi -- I can take it or leave it, often I choose to leave it.

But I do love when Kimchi is used IN things and is served hot - such as kimchi fried rice, kimchi dumplings and kimchi stew (aka-Kimchi Jigae).

We were recently gifted fresh and fermented kimchi...a lot of it.  So, fully aware that we won't live in Korea forever, but I will miss certain foods, I set out to finding the perfect kimchi jigae recipe and I definitely found one - the secret is in the 'sauce' pictured bottom right hand corner.

Ingredients/Directions (kind of rough as stew recipes generally imply I don't measure anything...):

In a large stockpot or dutch oven heat some oil and saute an onion or half an onion depending on your taste preferences etc. Once the onions are translucent, shove them to the edge of the pot and dump in about a cup of chopped fermendted kimchi (more or less depending on your preferences again) and heat through. 

Now, at this point you can add meat (or you could do that first, honestly, we don't use a lot of meat so I don't know how that process should go) but we've added any of the following veggies: mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, bean sprouts, fresh cabbage and/or baby bok choy. With carrots and potatoes they'll need some time to boil in a bit of the broth or water so that they are edible, so if that's part of your veggie repertoire, they go in first. Mushrooms can be sauted with the onions if you disire, cabbage and bean spouts can go in after kimchi and I've always thrown the baby bok choy in for the last minute or so of cooking. 

Once you've figured out the order of veggies add broth or water, perhaps 4 cups, but once again it's completely your preference.  Boil the stew for about 10 minutes or so while you prepare the special sauce. Sauce consists of Korean chili powder (I imagine most Asian markets would have this, or you could use an Asian chili powder as a substitute), Korean chili paste (go-juchang), Soy Sauce and Minced Garlic.  I've done 2 tsp Powder, 1 tsp. Chili Paste, 2 tsp Soy Sauce and 2-3 cloves garlic...but it's spicy so think about who's eating the dish and move forward from that point.

Stir in the sauce, throw in some tofu or baby bok choy if you wish. Serve alongside or over rice and enjoy a taste of Korea!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

With Thanksgiving leftovers and weekend desires for sweet eats I opted to make a few substitutions and alterations to a recipe found in the Gooseberry Patch Pumpkin Cookbook. The recipe is for Pumpkin Coffee Cake and while I could have defrosted some pumpkin, I opted rather to use up leftover Craisin Cranberry Sauce and turned out a quite delectable Coffee Cake.

Ingredients/Direction:

Blend together 1/2 cup Butter, 3/4 cup Sugar and 3 eggs until creamy; add 1 tsp. Vanilla.  Mix in 2 cups Flour, 1 tsp. Baking Powder and 1 tsp. Baking Soda. Add 1 cup Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt (I used plain yogurt), set batter aside.  Combine 1 1/2  cups Cranberry Sauce with 1 Egg and a dash of Cinnamon; set aside. Prepare streusel by combining 1 cup Brown Sugar, 1/3 cup Butter, 2 tsp. Cinnamon and 1 cup Sliced Almonds; set aside. Using one large, well-greased 9x13 baking dish (or 2 cake rounds) spoon in half (or one quarter) of the batter, top with half (or one quarter) of the streusel then all (or half) of the cranberry mixture followed by the remaining batter and steusel. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes to one hour (or less for the cake rounds) enjoy with your morning tea.

Choco-Peanut Butter Popcorn

Thank you Pinterest. This was easy and delicious.

Pop popcorn - microwave or stovetop, your choice. Personally, stovetop popcorn makes me giddy like a little girl, so it's my preference.

Melt a few handfuls of chocolate (or about a cup) and a few large spoonfuls of peanutbutter (to taste) on the stovetop (or microwave...but, why?)

Pour choco-peanut butter over popcorn, place in the fridge (unless it smells like Kimchi, then put it on the 'verandah' if it's winter) for 30 minutes until choco-peanut butter hardens a bit.

Enjoy with friends and crafting supplies!

Brunch Quesadilla

Seriously as I go through the things I have to post this month I keep thinking...that's not that impressive. Probably everybody does this for a quick meal.  Then I remember what kind of hell I was living in taking two Master's courses simultaneously and I think "Eff Yah that's IMPRESSIVE!" (and I don't use 'eff' much). So, it may not seem like much and it's by no means gourmet nor innovative, but it was delicious and quick and energy-giving, what more can you ask for when you're spending hours typing about linguistic concepts followed by English language learner teaching strategies?

Saute Mushrooms and Onions. Whisk one egg with milk, salt and pepper throw into a small hot skillet cover with a lid, cook thoroughly. Throw some cheese on a tortilla, top with egg and mushroom/onion mix, fold, place in a large hot skillet until it's melty on the inside, crispy on the outside and get back to work.

(Probably takes you less time to make it than to read this post)

Spent Grain Lady Treats (a.k.a. Dog Treats)

With Mike's brewing continuing in full force, 519 Kitchen has been blessed with an abundance of spent grain (that's the grain such as pilsner, wheat, caramunich, etc. that's used to give beers their unique flavors and characters).  This grain is generally thrown out by brewers or used for composting projects, but of course, in the Harrington household there is greater joy to be found in discovering ways to use it up.  You may have seen that I failed at making granola with this first batch of spent grain, luckily, my second experiment: dog treats, was a huge success (as evidenced by Lady's eagerness to chow down on these morsels). Best thing about this recipe...it's so easy.

In a large bowl mix 4 cups of spent grain, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of peanut butter and 2 eggs - it's one heck of a thick dough, but use your muscles and you'll get through it.

Next, cut into shapes or just press into a cookie sheet.  If you press into cookie sheet, use a butter knife to separate the biscuits into bit-size/treat-size pieces for your dog and cook at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and break apart the biscuits (unless you already cut them into shapes).

Return to oven, reduce heat to 250 and bake for a couple of hours until they are completely dried out.

If you're feeling spunky, go ahead and test out a biscuit prior to completely drying it out - not to bad for a dog treat!

She's one lucky Lady!

Coconut and Cinnamon Spent Grain Granola: Take One

Actually, this was a fail.

This is more of a post where I'm going to just write some notes to myself.

350 Fahrenheit is 277 in Celsius

275 Fahrenheit is 135 in Celsius

Check granola often...it burns easily.

Korean brown rice syrup is, apparently, not that impressive, go figure.

Fingers crossed that round-two will work out better.

Roasted Cabbage and Onion Fried Rice

Doing an MAED online, having the ocassional exhausting day teaching kiddos or working with co-teachers, I have gained a knack for quick meals that use up random odds and ends from the vegetable drawer - this is not exception.

Chunk up some cabbage and onion, drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper roast in the oven at about 350 degrees (277 Celcius) for 15 minutes or so (mine got a little crispy and I LOVED it, so don't fret too much while it's in the oven). If you don't have day old rice, prepare some rice while veggies are cooking. With prepared rice and veggies ready just throw some olive oil in a skillet, whisk up a couple of eggs with some garlic and soy, throw it into the hot skillet and scramble, throw in the rice and additional soy sauce to taste - mix with the egg and serve with roasted veggies on the side. It may seem like a strange combination and it likely is (the lemon with the soy) but it served it's purpose well in my household and I wouldn't be ashamed to go there a second (or even third time).

Choco-Chip Spent Grain Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin during fall and especially as Thanksgiving approaches is homey and perfect, especially when you're feeling a little too distant from the friends and family you love.

I was of course inspired by a Pinterest find and was so thrilled with the way these turned out, as were my co-workers and friends whom I 'reluctantly' shared them with.  The original recipe at Petite Kitchenesse doesn't involve spent grain, rather it just calls for oatmeal.  However, I used some spent grain in these, which worked out brilliantly and I'm quite confident I could use even more and still have a delicious cookie. I'm hoping to play around with the recipe soon, maybe foregoing pumpkin and throwing in some peanut butter or bananas or Nutella - anything really to use up all these spent grains (leftover grains from my husband's brewing process) we've been producing.

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (177 Celsius) Combine 2 sticks butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cups white sugar until fluffy (or combined if you accidentally melt the butter, not that I would know from experience). Add 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (or a full cup if that's what you thawed from the freezer), 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla and beat until combined. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves and a dash of nutmeg.  Stir in 2 cups of oats and 1 cup of spent grain. If the dough is too wet and sticky at this point (because generally spent grains hold a bit of moisture) add some flour and mix until you acquire a dough that can hold it's shape and isn't too wet. Finally add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, plop dough onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and beautiful.

Ginger Pork Noodle Bowls

Once again, thanks to a plethora of frozen foods, the Man and I plus our friend Aaron had a decent meal regardless of the hours I had spent and still needed to spend sitting at a computer busting out MAED papers and such.

So, with a bag of thawed pork and a few fresh ingredients including: ginger, bok choy, bean sprouts and green onions, I set to work on these Ginger Pork Noodle Bowls

Ingredients/Directions:

(from Everyday with Rachel Ray - September 2011)

Soak rice noodles in warm water.  In a large pot bring 1qt. of beef or pork broth, 4 cups water and a 1 inch sliced piece of ginger to a boil.  Divide 1 cup (or two if you want more meat) pork, 6 baby bok choy, 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, and 1/4 cup sliced green onions among 4 large soup bowls. Divide soaked noodles into four equal portions.  Using a mesh strainer lower one portion of noodles at a time into the boiling broth for 1-2 minutes. Transfer noodles to soup bowls, continue until all noodles are cooked.  Ladle hot broth into bowls serve with fresh cilantro, lime and hot chili oil.

Omelet Brunch Burrito

This dear friends, is what happens when breakfast burrito meets friggin'-fantastic omelet!

Whisk up a few eggs, throw in your favorite omelet fixin's (minus the cheese). Pour into a hot, greased skillet, cook until no longer runny (I recommend putting a lid over the skillet so the top of the egg cooks more thoroughly and at an equal pace to the bottom of the egg.)

Slide egg out of skillet onto a large tortilla (if using a large skillet) throw in some cheese, wrap the beast up, throw tortillas into hot skillet to toast and ensure that cheese is melty and delicious.

Viola! A beautiful brunch omelet burrito for your eating pleasure!

Korean Spiced Pear Cider

Last year we welcomed in fall with this Apple Cider Taste Alike.

This year, I did more or less the same thing...but with Pear Juice. 

1 Part Pear Juice

1 Part 수정과 (soo-jeon-ggwa)

1-2 Sticks of Cinnamon

Sprinkle of Cloves (5-6)

Sliced oranges or orange peels

Heat in slow-cooker or on the stove-top.  You'll convince people you're a domestic goddess because cider simply smells amazing and brings people 'home'...So they'll love you.  And that's the Harrington secret to making friends and ensuring they stick around ;)

Dressed Up Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup

One of my greatest cooking joys is taking something, whether leftovers, something bland, something too scantly portioned for the dining party, etc. and make it better, more filling, more exciting...so, with a single can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup in the cupboard and two hungr bellies, I set to work.

Saute onion, jalapeno and garlic in a touch of olive oil.

Add one can of prepared chicken noodle soup plus one cup of additional chicken broth or other liquid.

Bring to boil.

Whisk four eggs and a splash of water, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

Reduce water to frisky simmer (ha!)

Slowly pour in egg. Restrain yourself from stirring.

Wait for cooked egg bits to begin rising to the surface of the water. Stir. Ensure all the egg is cooked...i.e. wait a minute.

Scoop into bowls and be fed.

Shredded Pork and Rice Brunch Burritos

Inspired by Rachel Ray - adjusted to meet the needs and available ingredients of the day, these burritos were so Quick and Easy, and would likely remain so regardless of whether you had various pieces pre-made in the freezer.

A quick reheat of 1 cup of Rice Pilaf. A simple saute of Bell Peppers (or using 1 cup frozen veggies), followed by the scrambling of 4 eggs, the reheating of 1 cup Shredded Pork, the Chopping of one Tomato and the assembly of 2 large Burrito-Tortillas is all it takes to enjoy a filling, nutritious Sunday Brunch between writing MAED papers and banging your head against the wall ^.^

Red Curry Soup-ness

There's no real reason I should post this as a recipe...

This is one of those times I just need to make a 'mental'/blog note regarding what I've done that is semi-successful when I have random foodstuff in the fridge.

I'm not talented with premade things...hence, soup-ness, it shouldn't have been so soupy...oh well.  It was edible...that's what matters at the end of a long day.

I wanted my veggies (cabbage, bell peppers, onions) to have a bit more character than normal so I prepared them using the same method I did here and then set them aside on a plate.

Heat a bit of oil in a pan, add 1-2 Tbsp. red curry paste and mix. 

Dump in a can of Coconut Milk (I also use a small bit of water to get the extra coconut milk off the tin can insides...so a half cup tin of water contributes to soupiness).

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, throw in some shrimps - 1-2 cups, heat through, add veggies, a touch of fish sauce if you have it on hand, heat through and serve over brown rice.  You'll enjoy it...I'm sure.

Kimbap in a Pinch

Kimbap is Korea's version of a sushi roll...but not really because Korea is not Japan and sushi is Japanese. So kimbap is a Korean snack/quick dish of rice and things wrapped in seaweed. Typical Korean Kimbap includes ham, egg, pickled radish and other non-Japanese style additions. It's cheap and perfect for so many situations.

Once, in desperate need of a quick dinner, a Korean friend recommended a twist on traditional kimbap...I'm calling it Kimbap in a Pinch.

Like all foods I truly, truly love, this can be adjusted and played with to create some great fusion style eats....here's the basic and a couple of variations I've had some success with ^.^

Prepare rice. White rice. (One cup of un-prepared rice will be enough for about 4 rolls once it's been properly prepared).

Mix in mayonnaise, a touch of sesame oil, drained tuna fish, a veggie of choice (I used bell peppers), and some sesame seeds.

Spread onto a sheet of seaweed ('kim' in Korea, 'nori' elsewhere).

Roll, cut, eat.

Variations~Mix-In:

• Mayonnaise, chopped tomato, chopped bacon, salt and pepper (B.S.T. - Bacon, seaweed and tomato) Quite amazing, trust me.
• Pesto and chopped tomato -- received the most raves at a recent gathering
• Mayonnaise or a touch of salsa/hot sauce, black beans, corn and tomatoes -- haven't tried this, could be a total fail.
• Hard-boiled and chopped egg, mayonnaise, salt and pepper (think egg salad in a sheet of seaweed) -- also, haven't tried but definitely think there's potential!
• Whatever you can think of! Kimbap is the new sandwich my friends, go out, experiment and have a grand ole time.

Udon with 'Poached' Egg and Veggies

This was uh-mazing. And easy.
Pinterest Inspired.
Original Recipe here - from the Kitchn

Ingredients/Directions:

2 cups of water per Udon Noodle package -- if you're using the one such as that pictured in the bottom right of the above collage. Bring water to a boil then add Udon Noodles, cook 3-4 minutes or until near done. Throw in chopped cabbage, cover with a lid and let cabbage cook/steam for 1-2 minutes.  Mix in sauce packets from Udon Noodle package (soy and such) then carefully put a raw egg (in this case 2) into the boiling water, let it cook until set, dish into bowls, sprinkle on some green onion and enjoy!

Spanish Rice and Shrimp

Starting to use some of my pre-made freezer goods since I've been living in the uncomfortable space that is two MAED courses simultaneously (we've also eaten a TON of fried chicken...don't judge) Regardless, having food stuff ready and waiting in the freezer is awesome when I want to have somebody over, eat something relatively fresh and home-made and want to get to work on my MAED in a reasonable amount of time.

So, October saw the creation of Rachel Ray's Spanish Rice and Shrimp - a simple, simple compilation of:

4 cups Rice Pilaf, heated in 2 Tbsp. EVOO, set aside in a bowl.
4 cloves Garlic, chopped plus 1 lb. Deveined, Peeled Shrimp and 1 Tsp. Paprika heated in same skillet as Rice Pilaf.
1 cup Tomato Sauce and 1 cup Roasted Peppers added unto the Shrimp mixture and heated through.
Pilaf returned to the pan, mixed, heated served with Parsley (if available) and lemon wedges.

Enjoy with friends and a glass of home-made wine or any wine should do.

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

I quite enjoy stuffed peppers, however I tend to be impatient and too much of a procrastinator to actually make them happen.  Not to mention, I really have a thing for soups. I don't remember any quantities or anything of an exact nature in regards to this dish, but this blog is primarily for personal records and as a source of inspiration to those folks who find a random assortment of whatnot waiting in their fridge...

You may remember when I took a day to prepare some foods once-a-month-style so that doubling up on my Master's wouldn't be deadly? Well, I used one cup of that Tomato Sauce in addition to home-made chicken broth and a cup of Cold Chaser Tea to provide the base for this dish. That of course was after sauteing Onion, Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Garlic in a touch of olive oil. I also had some corn lying around, so threw that in the pot and soaked up all the excess liquid by throwing in some rice I cooked up quickly in the rice cooker. Season with salt and pepper, serve with cheese and sour cream if you're so lucky and enjoy as part of a Monday night dinner with a good friend and someone you love - they'll probably devour it all ^.^

Pesto Egg Baguettes

At Costco recently, I just so happened across LaBrea Demi-Baguettes, which I had learned, from my dear friend Holly, are an item to be treasured.  So, at just under 7,000 won, I picked up a bag of 6 and got to brainstorming the best uses for these delectable little morsels.  With brainstorming came images once gathered on Pinterest and before you could spell LaBrea Demi-Baguettes in Hanguel (the Korean alphabet), I had these Pesto Egg Baguettes in the oven!

Ingredients/Directions:

Slice the top third or so off of a demi-baguette, scoop out the innards from the bottom 2/3's of the bread and munch on this while completeing the other tasks...Spread some prepared Pesto into the hollowed out bread (you could also use rolls or bowls), sprinkle a bit of Mozzarella cheese in side and top with a raw egg.  Place baguette boats into an oven of 350 and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the egg white has set. Last 5 minutes sprinkle on some more Mozzarella if you enjoy cheese, remove from oven, pour a glass of wine and enjoy my friend!

Nutella Oatmeal Banana Bread

Remember this?

Well...I wanted banana bread. Wanted the joy of Nutella IN my banana bread. AND wanted to make a recipe from one of my Kindle Cookbooks...because it makes me feel cool, and happy to have a Kindle with Cookbooks.  Because I love Cookbooks.  And every cookbook on my Kindle was free.  And I really love free.

So from the 'pages' of the Gooseberry Patch Thanksgiving Cookbook (cooklet) comes Banana and Walnut Bread minus the Walnuts and Blueberries, plus Nutella.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large bowl cream together 1/2 cup Butter and 1 cup Sugar.  Add 2 Eggs, one at a time and mix well after each addition; stir in 1 cup of Mashed Banana.  In separate bowl (or not, depending on your perfectionist streak) sift together 1 1/2 cups Flour, 1 tsp. Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp. Salt and 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon.  Fold in 1/2 cup Quick-Cooking Oats (uncooked).  Mix dry with wet if necessary, just until moistened.  Pour half the batter into a greased bread loaf pan, plop in 2-3 spoonfuls of Nutella, swirl, pour in rest of batter, plop in 2-3 more spoonfuls of Nutella, swirl and bake. 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until center is done. Enjoy with a glass of milk, for breakfast and/or dessert and/or after-school snack.

Beanie Weenies -- Just Like Mom used to Make 'em

This is not really the type of recipe one showcases on a foodie blog, however, I've never claimed to be a foodie, so it's okay. This dish is honestly a comfort food. Occassionally, my mom would heat these guys up and I would simply love life. Funny thing is...I made them on this blog once before, but that was during the days of dumpster diving...It's the same concept, so check it out here!

Shredded Chicken: For a Month-ish

I'm quite certain this bit of chicken isn't meant to last a month because I opted for the slow-cooker once again. However, should I do this one or two more times I will in fact have plenty of chicken and chicken broth for the month!

The chicken entered the slow-cooker with a sprinkling of salt and pepper a touch of water for the pot and a few squeezes of lemon juice. At the end of the day, the chicken meat was eager to come of the bones and be shredded and store in the freezer, 1 cup at a time. Next day, the chicken bones happily entered the slow-cooker with a quartered carrot and onion and a bay leaf simply to be covered in water and made into a fabulous broth.

I love the slow-cooker. That's all.

Roasted Veggies: For a Month

Roasted Veggies don't require much explanation. Rachel Ray roasts up some assorted bell peppers and onions followed by (or preceded by, doesn't matter much) a couple of cubed Butternut Squash.

I also roasted peppers and onions. However, I opted for small Korean pumpkins rather than Butternut Squash and rather than cube and roast, I simply set the beasts in the crock-pot (it's best to scoop out their innards first, but it can be done either way), turned it on for 6-8 hours on low and froze smashed pumpkin rather than cubed and roasted. I looked through the recipes which call for the cubes and decided a pure would work as well, differently, but it would still work. Also, I highly recommend cooking pumpkin in your slow-cooker, it's so incredibly easy, too easy really.

Rice Pilaf: For a Month

Rachel Ray cooks her rice in the traditional, stove-top manner. Personally, I opted to throw the rice in the rice-cooker, saute up the onions and such in a pot then add the finished rice when it was ready - so much easier (in my opinion).

Ingredients/Directions:

In a rice cooker prepare 3 1/4 cups Rice (Rachel Ray recommend long-grain ... I used whatever it was Korea could give me), this should require 2 1/4 cups water and another 2 1/4 cups chicken broth. Just before rice finishes heat 3 Tbsp. of Olive Oil then add 3 chopped Onions and salt and pepper to taste, saute 8-10 minutes. When onions are translucent, scoop rice into the pot mix and add in your choice of 16 oz. Frozen Peas, Corn, or Toasted Almonds (I went with Almonds, they're the most available) Freeze in 1 cup increments.

Tomato Sauce: For a Month

Here we are with another mega-load of cooking. This recipe yielded 15 cups of tomato sauce that I'm excited to use for dishes such as Spanish Rice with Shrimp, Fusilli with Chicken and Tomato Sauce and home-made Calzones. Now, doing this in Korea posed a couple of challenges. First of all, I'm not sure if anchovies exist but I went a head and purchased some canned fish with fingers crossed it'd be similar to anchovies...pretty sure it wasn't. BUT, of course I used it anyway, because that is simply how I roll in my kitchen.  Anchovies (or other canned fish) are ultimately optional, if I do this dish again, I'll probably opt out.  The other challenge, in my kitchen anyhow, was opening the giant can of whole tomatoes. I always knew our can opener wasn't top notch but seriously, things got ugly and after about 30 minutes and a new can opener, I finally got the stupid can open. I can't imagine you'll have to face that challenge.

Ingredients/Directions:

In a 5-6 qt. heavy dutch oven combine 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 8 smashed cloves of garlic, 6 oil-packed Anchovy Fillets chopped and 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper. Cook over medium heat until garlic is golden and anchovies disintegrate (3-4 minutes).  Pour in 1 cup of red wine and 4 cans (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes (I had the luxury of using canned whole tomatoes in a 2 lb. can which then had to be 'crushed' with my handy-dandy immersion blender...so just use a lot of tomatoes).  Bring to a boil and let boil about 10 minutes before reducing heat. Cover part-way and simmer until the sauce is thick (about 2 hours) Stir occasionally. Season with salt. Cool and store in 1 or 2 cup portions in Ziploc baggies in the freezer!

Jap-chae: Korean Stir-fried Noodles and Veggies

All you really need to know about Korean cooking can be learned from one woman...that is Maangchi. She is my number one go-to regarding Korean foods since she is a) Korean, b) quarky and c) speaks English. Additionally, she not only posts recipes for dishes with lots of pictures, but almost always includes a video, which is just nice...perhaps someday I'll go live on YouTube with my cooking skills! (HA!)

One of my all-time-favorite Korean dishes is Japchae. The dish is made with sweet potato (also called starch or glass noodles), a ton of veggies and a simple sauce of soy sauce and sesame seeds.

There's a ton of veggies in this dish and the meat called for can easily be substituted or simply left out for a more vegetarian friendly option.

I realize the polite thing to do would be to re-iterate the recipe here, but I really, REALLY want you to meet Maangchi, because she's a blast, so here's the japchae recipe and a bit of Maangchi herself!

Pulled Pork: For a Month

Rachel Ray does this massive dish in the oven. My oven is small. And...I prefer the slow cooker. You need a TON of pork roast - I'm sayin' like 8-10 lbs which is a lot. For the slow cooker, just cut it into chunks that fit into the slow-cooker, season with salt, lemon zest, minced garlic and pepper then cook on low 8-10 hours. Let cool slightly and shred it with two forks. Freeze in 1 cup portions should be between 10-15 cups of pork to be used with a number of dishes at a later date.

(If you aren't familiar with once-a-month-cooking, the concept is simple. Prepare food in large portions, freeze and use at a later date. Most once-a-month-cooking sites/recipes have you prepare quite a few dishes, Rachel Ray gives you five --in a recent magazine that is -- which you prepare, freeze and then use her simple recipes to jazz up one to three of the ingredients which are happily stored in the freezer. It'll make more sense as I begin my overlapped coursework with the Master's and start pulling foods out of the freezer for some uber-convenience cooking that's still 'fresh' and home-made. I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing).

Snickerdoodles

I just ate a ball of snicker-doodle dough. It's delicious. Who needs an oven when you can just eat dough.

Should you be craving dough, or cookies, how about some snicker-doodles?

Ingredients/Directions:

Beat together 1 cup Butter (softened), 1 1/2 cup Sugar, and 2 Eggs. Separately (or not, depending on your style) take care of the dry ingredients: 2 3/4 cup Flour, 2 tsp. Cream of Tartar, 1 tsp. Baking Soda, and 1/2 tsp. Salt - make sure dry and wet ingredients are mixed together and then store in the fridge for an hour or until firm.

Roll dough into smallish balls followed by a swift and enjoyable roll in a mix of cinnamon and sugar (3/4 c. Sugar and 2 tsp. Cinnamon). Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, cool slightly remove from pan and see if you have it in you to share them with guests and/or students. They will thank you. But I won't blame you if you keep them for yourself.

Bok Choy Stir-Fried Rice

This my friends, was so easy, so delicious and for my taste-buds, so, sooo exceptional and delicious (Mike however, is not so convinced that Bok Choy is fab). Regardless, I think it is, I am the cook and you should try it out for yourself.

The manner of preparing the Bok Choy is simple and brilliant in and of itself and should supposedly work with other veg. (Discovered on, you guessed it, Pinterest! Original recipe posted here at Stone Soup) Simply heat a fry pan until smoking, toss in a tablespoon or so of olive oil followed a washed and chop veg, cover with a lid and let steam/scorch for 2-3 minutes (or longer depending on the veg, ultimately long or short enough that you enjoy the texture) Now when I say scorch, you may be freaked out, however, here's the deal a few bits of crispy bok choy mixed in with the more or less steamed version offers such great contrasts and flavorful joy that scorching is a beautiful thing. It's recommended to salt and flavor it as desired for whatever dish you may be making, think along the lines of: lemon juice, vinegar (of any variety depending on the meal), soy sauce, etc.

I used a bit of soy with mine, scrambled up a garlic, soy-saucy egg in a fry pan, threw in a bit of rice and semi-fried the rice (fried rice is best with day-old rice, mine however was fresh which made it semi-fried and mostly just wet). Serve with green onions, additional soy, sesame seeds or as is and you taste-buds will be whooping and hollering (unless of course your buds are more in-tune with Mike's buds, then they may not be so thrilled).

Huevos Frijoles Negros

I could go for a bowl of this right now.

Simple meals have really gotten us through our first month back in the land of Kimchi (that and eating out at all our favorites and a load of new Daejeon restaurants)

I only have dry beans...and prepare them in a slow-cooker. Usually I freeze some and use some.

This round I used some...threw in some diced tomato and a couple of runny eggs on top...so simple, delicious and protein packed!

It's good, seriously.

Chocolate Tofu 'Pudding'

Easiest...Healthiest...Quikest....Desert.Ever.

Silken Tofu + 1/4 cup Cocoa + 1/4 cup Honey (or Agave Nector) + Banana (optional) + Food Processor = "Not exactly pudding, but not too shappy and so much quicker than any other pudding besides the ones already made in the cup which obviously aren't as healty this treat"

Top with additional honey, a touch of cinnamon and some sliced almonds and it's the perfect way to end an evening out in the countryside.

PB&J French Toast Sandwich

Stuffed French Toast. A new obsession. Apparently.

Peanut Butter.

Jelly.

Bananas.

French-toasted.

Topped with Honey and Bananas.

Perfection.

Once again.

Masala Black Eyed Peas and a Re-Make

Recently, I was asked what my favorite thing to cook is...the answer, nothing really. What I LOVE to do however is take some insignificant amount of leftovers and create an entirely new meal the next night...so from a hearty dish of Black Eyed Pea Masala on rice to Open Face Hummus and Masala Sandwiches, this post is a feature of what I love most about working in a kitchen!

Masala Black Eyed Peas:

Saute one Onion in a touch of olive oil, add 2 tsp. Cumin Seed (or powder if that's all you have). Once onions are translucent add 1 Tbsp. Ginger and 1 Tbsp. Garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of prepared Black Eyed Peas and Cayenne Pepper to taste, additionally add 1 tsp. Turmeric, 2 cans of diced Tomatoes, 2 tsp. Garam Masala, 1 tsp. Sugar, 1 Tsp. Salt and a bit of water (1/2 cup perhaps) and simmer until everything is tender, mixed and delectable. Serve over rice prior to a game of Pandemic or any other such thing.

Re-Make - Open Face Hummus Masala Sandwich:

Using leftover Masala and prepared Hummus simply slather a piece of bread with hummus, top with masala, carmelized or stir-fried onions, thinly sliced zucchini, cheese and bake until warm and cheese has melted. Add an egg on top for added protein - viola! You've just made that one cup of leftover masala stretch one more night for three or four mouths!

Hootenanny! Oven Pancakes! (Dutch Baby?!?)

I'm not sure if this is a Dutch Baby or not...I've wanted to make a Dutch Baby...and this looked similar so if you happen to be familiar with Dutch Baby's perhaps you can fill me in...otherwise, you should just get on making yourself some Hootenanny because it is quick, easy, and oh-so-melt-in-your-mouth-delicious!

Ingredients/Directions:

Blend together: 1 cup Flour, 1 cup Milk, 6 Eggs, and 1/4tsp. Salt. Pour batter into a greased 9X13 pan or split between two round cake pans or 8in/9in square pans. Melt 1/2 cup Butter and pour over Hootenanny batter (split if necessary). Do not mix butter into the batter, simply put the pans into the oven for 25 minutes as 400 degrees. Cut into squares of triangles and top as you would a pancake - enjoy!

Minestrone

Living in Laramie there were few things I enjoyed more than a big ole bowl of Minestrone. With too many friends leaving the expat life and heading back to the states I found myself with a lot of dried beans, including chickpeas...honestly, if friends have to leave, at least they can leave delicious foods behind for you to cook up in their absence.

So it came to be, a pot of Minestrone...which should never have exact measurements, as it's a soup...so, for me and my household, Minestrone includes:

Chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, tomatoes (usually from a can), chicken or veggie broth (or tea), salt, pepper, italian seasoning and zucchini (or another form of summer squash) and it shoudl have noodles, mine however did not this go round.

If you make a large batch, which, why not? You should call up some friends and request they join you for dinner and if they feel they must, they can bring a baguette.

And should you find yourself with hardly a cup of soup left over, why not reduce it in a skillet the next night, add additional spices, perhaps chili powder or whatever your in the mood for and throw in a couple cups of rice -- it's a bit like fired rice and it's a fun way to use up some leftover soup ^.^

Yet Another...Stuffed French Toast

Jam + Yogurt sandwich

Dip in Whisked Eggs and Milk

Dredge in Shredded Coconut

Fry up on both sides

Slather with syrup

Enjoy.

Sesame Leaves

I just want to show off my husband's 'green thumb'/aquaponics skills. He grew these sesame leaves. So I made some more leaf sandwiches to serve with the peanut butter noodles.

That's all.

FAB Peanut Butter noodles

The best summer dinners, in my opinion, are those you can make ahead, include fresh veggies and are adequately filling, this dish meets the criteria and is worth the small bit of effort required. I discovered this recipe at this hip little blogspot  (courtesy of Pinterest) and hope you'll give it a go!

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare 8 oz. of noodles, udon, egg, wheat spaghetti/linguine anything really, although udon or soba are recommended.

In a food processor mix together: 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup Warm Water, 1/4 cup Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp. minced Ginger, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 Tbsp. Honey and a dash of Rice Vinegar.

Use a gloved hand to mix the noodles with sauce and your choice of fresh veg - I went with cucumber, red bell and tomato and was more than satisfied. Sprinkle some black and/or white sesame seeds on top and you've got the perfect summer snack or light dinner!

Egg Salad

Seriously, why do I forget how delicious something as simple as egg salad is?

Hard boiled eggs (6-8)...which by the way, I SUCK at making (that's right, hard-boiled eggs get me EVERY time!)

Mayonnaise (1/2 cup ish?)

Mustard Powder (or real mustard if you're so lucky :p)

Fresh chopped cilantro

Salt and Pepper

Toasted Bread

Into thy belly, and enjoy!

Hummingbird Cake

My friend Jen makes some lovely birthday cakes considering the size of her toaster oven and the difficulty of finding various baking ingredients. However, when it was time to celebrate her birthday we couldn't have her making her own cake, for shame. So, I bucked up and accepted the challenge. I'd considered making her a cake with every fruit and vegetable available at my local mart as she alluded to the fact that she would like such a thing, however she also offered a bit of more focused direction and ended up with this Hummingbird Cake as seen on Ezra Pound Cake.

Ingredients/Directions:

This makes enough for 3 layers - or two layers and some cupcakes, so it's a HUGE bit of batter, don't be scared.

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease your round cake pans. Combine 3 cups Flour, 2 cups of Sugar, 1 tsp. Baking Soda, 1tsp. Cinnamon and 1 tsp. Salt. Add 3 eggs, 1 1/2 c. Vegetable oil (I used combination of canola, olive and butter because I was low on all of them...), 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla. Stir in 8 oz. un-drained crushed Pineapple, 1 c. chopped Pecans (optional) and 2 c. Mashed Bananas. Pour into greased pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Top with Cream Cheese Frosting or try out the Yogurt Frosting:

3 c. Powdered Sugar, 1/4 c. Butter (soft), 1 tsp. Vanilla and 6 oz. of Plain Yogurt - blended until smooth. Spread on the cake and top with slivered almonds or crushed pecans.

Thai Bruschetta + Rice Salad Remake (and so much more)

Using leftover marinade/dressing from these Thai Veggies I chopped up some new veggies, sliced up a baguette (actually, the ladies at Paris Baguette sliced up the baguette...) Anyway, with marinated, rough chopped veg and baguette slices, I had myself a TON of Thai like Bruschetta which I served up alongside some chicken Pad Thai.

However, leftovers were an issue, so I reached back into the memories of my semester in Spain, threw the veggies in with some day old rice, added some salt and a dash or two of rice vinegar and viola - rice salad was ours! (It's actually quite phenomenal...just so you know).

And, although there are no pictures, we had some leftover rice salad that needed a 'new life' so into Kimchi Bokkeumbap it went ^.^

Impressive right? All from this marinade and a pile of veggies:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or orange juice if lime juice is hard to come by)

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or cayenne, or whatever)
Put it in a jar, shake it up, dress the veggies, let set a little bit and enjoy the heck out of this dish! You could probably also use the dressing as a marinade or in a pasta salad and have equally great results ^.^

Oh, and should I mention that I used the leftover Kimchi Bokuembap to make Quesadillas? Yep, you read that correctly, some fried rice + cheese + tortialla and a whole new twist on the same old meal...I must say, it's a bit impressive, no?