White Fudge with Lemon and Pecans

Extended Shelf Life for: Lemons

Being back in the land of Holiday snacking and gaining a few pounds in time for New Years Resolutions had me feeling a strong desire and deep urge to try my hand at some holiday candy-making. I've never done much in terms of fudge and I actually tried a few different recipes this Christmas, but high-altitude laughed in my face and my chocolate fudge was re-created into fudgy, no-bake cookies (which are always a win, so I laughed back, even harder, in the face of high altitude).

However, in the process of making candy at high altitude, I discovered this recipe for Easy White Fudge in one of my all-time favorite cookbooks: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Because we'd had an abundance of lemons at our door (aka, from the dumpster) in October, I'd learned a few tricks in regards to preserving lemons, and had a jar full of zest begging to be included with this fudge experiment, so I tweaked and altered, and what do you know? I came up with a fantastic, easy-to-make-regardless-of-altitude: White Lemon Fudge.

Ingredients/Directions:

Line a square baking dish with foil, butter or grease, set aside.

In a 2 quart saucepan cook and stir 3 cups White Chocolate Chips and 1 14oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk over low heat. When chocolate has melted, remove saucepan from heat and stir in 1/2 cup chopped Pecans, 2 tsp. Lemon Zest and 1 tsp. Vanilla. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Carefully remove foil from square pan, cut fudge into squares, store tightly covered for 1 week...if they'll last that long!

Chocolate Avocado Bread

Extended Shelf Life for: Avocados

Ugh... 

The problem with huge life transitions and letting your blog back up for months on end means you simply can't remember every recipe. This is one of those recipes. I have no idea where I received my inspiration or anything about anything. 

 What is important to note however is: 

a) Frozen, dumpster avocados, can in fact be turned into a delicious quick bread 

b) Frozen, dumpster avocados, can be pretty brown, which means adding chocolate is a very good idea.

c) You could probably essentially follow a recipe, such as this, and have this bread. One thing I do know, is that I didn't use banana, I just increased the avocado...so there you go.

d) I got to use farm fresh eggs from my sister's chickens, how awesome is that?!?!?

So, there you have it, a non-existent recipe for Chocolate Avocado Bread! But hey, at least now we all know I made it, and it can be made, right? RIGHT?!? Jeesh, I really am trying hard to be a more consistent food blogger, but I'm not sure how that's going to go...2013, I have a lot of hopes for you!

Overnight Oats Variation: Banana Bread Inspired

One of the latest Overnight Oats variations that was hit at the Harrington's breakfast table was a Banana Bread Inspired mix of fresh bananas, walnuts, a shake of brown sugar and shake of cinnamon!

Overnight Oats will never disappoint.

Banana Nut Rice Porridge

Breakfast is big deal in our home. So is using up whatever random ingredients may be living in our refrigerator and may potentially need to be getting on out of there quickly. Needing to be booted from the fridge this weekend was some rice from a recent dinner of Kimchi Chigae.

If you've scrolled through any of my more recent posts, you may notice I have a slight obsession with Rice Pudding. So, when I was reading through a cookbook on my Kindle and noticed a Rice Cereal/Rice Porridge, I knew I was in for some recipe inspiration!

Saturday morning in Daejeon, South Korea was as rainy as could possibly be making for the perfect opportunity and weather to enjoy a hot bowl of porridge. Throw in some banana and walnut and you're nearing on tastebud ecstasy!

Ingredients/Directions:
Adapted from eBook Superfoods: Simple Breakfast Recipes

In a small sauce pan heat 2 cups prepared rice (brown is recommended, but white will serve the same purpose however less nutritionally) and 2 cups of milk. Boil this mixture until it begins to thicken, stirring occassionally (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and add 1/3 cup Sugar and 1/2 tsp. Grated Orange Peel, cook an additional 5 minutes until flavors blend and porridge thickens a bit more. Remove pan from heat and add 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract and the following spices to taste/per preference: Cinnamon, Cloves, and Allspice (Personally, I go heavier on the cinnamon and light on the cloves and allspice). Serve porridge into bowls, top with one sliced Banana per serving and a handful of crushed Walnuts, an extra shake of cinnamon and enjoy with your breakfast drink of choice!

 
Find more sweets for your weekends and day-to-day...
 

Walnut Basil Pesto

Fresh Pesto...is too easy.

But delicious.

Traditionally, Pesto is made with pine nuts. They are available in South Korea. But not at my local little market at the bottom of the hill. So, I opted for Walnuts because the author of Green Kitchen Stories had done it and so would I.

I cannot recall the exact measurements, but I believe it was roughly equal parts walnuts, basil and Parmesan, enough olive oil to create a thick sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

I've been enjoying this as part of a breakfast dish I'm excited to tell you about, but for now, this is all you get!

Sour Cream Walnut Banana Bread

Some of my yogurt didn't turn out that well. It was a bit more like sour cream than yogurt. But of course, I don't let that phase me, I just use that as inspiration, because truthfully, there are a lot of things I'd like to do with sour cream...like make Enchiladas...or Banana Bread!

Ingredients/Directions:
Adapted from Closet Cooking

Mix together, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Cream together 1/2 cup room temperatur butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar. To the butter/sugar mixture add 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt) and 3 mashed overripe bananas. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Bake in a loaf pan at 350*F (177*C) for 60-70 minutes.

Roasted Pepper and Onion, Almond Pesto Pasta

This evening (that's right, this evening, as in, I'm posting a blog merely hours after having eaten the meal - I do believe that's a first) I went to work harvesting some fresh basil from my fabulous AeroGarden which was a Christmas gift from the man.

It's been a day of throwing fresh herbs into whatever I can, and I'm lovin' it! Hoping I can manage these greens well enough that they keep producing for me for a while at least.

Using this recipe from Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom, I created a dish that was truly satisfying and used up a number of ingredients I had on hand. I did, of course adjust the recipe to my availability of ingredients and personal tastes.

Here is what I came up with:Roasted Pepper and Onion, Almond Basil Pesto Pasta

Ingredients/Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a small skillet toast 4 whole cloves of Garlic in 1/3 cup room temperature extra virgin olive oil. As the garlic begin to toast, throw in 1/3 cup of Almonds and toast a couple minutes longer. Transfer ingredients from skillet into a food processor and pulse until a rough paste is formed (add additional EVOO throughout the process if necessary). Next, add 1/3 cup of cubed Parmesan to the food processor, pulse. Repeat that process with 1 cup of roasted peppers and onions then again with 1 cup of fresh basil. During this time, keep your eye on the water and add 1 lb. of Penne Pasta once the water begins to boil and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta water (or you can have 1/2 cup heavy cream available) and drain the pasta. In the large pot, mix about 1/4 cup of the pasta water with 1/2 of the Pesto, continue adding pesto and a bit more water until you have the desired consistency in the sauce (not too runny, but not to stiff either), toss in the pasta, serve with additional Parmesan and basil with a fresh baguette and bottle of homemade wine, bon appetit!

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.

Pumpkin Kid and Almond Alfredo Noodles

I thought I was grabbing a cucumber. Turns out it's a Pumpkin Kid (direct translation from Korean to English). It's essentially a summer squash, although I don't know the specifics. Either way, it served it's purpose well in this relatively low-prep dish.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare spaghetti noodle or other noodle of choice. Dice one Pumpkin Kid, Onion and mince 2 cloves of Garlic, saute in olive oil until tender. Place frying pan ingredients into a food processor, add a handful of almonds and pulse. Add a touch of moisture with some heavy cream and pulse again until reaching desired consistency. Move back into pan, heat up the mixture and add more heavy cream and mozzarella (or other cheese) until reaching perfect noodle clinging consistency. Add noodles, mix and serve alongside home-made bread if you so choose ^.^

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Would I have been enjoying this soup at Sweet Melissa's in Laramie, life would have been quite grand, however, I had the great joy of recreatin Sweet Melissa's soup using this recipe and slurpping down the results with one heck-uva-good-lookin' man!

Ingredients/Directions:



In a saucepan heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.  Saute 1 large onion, chopped for about 10 minutes, add in 2 cloves garlic, minced , 2 teaspoons minced fresh root ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 pinch ground cloves. Stir in 3 medium tomatoes, chopped, 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped, and 1 carrot, peeled and chopped continue to cook and stir about 5 minutes.

Pour 1 litre water into the saucepan, season with salt and bring to boil and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove soup from heat and begin the blending process (blender, food processor or immersion blender are all fine options) add to the soup mix 40g chopped, unsalted peanuts before blending. Season with 1 pinch cayenne pepper and return to saucepan and medium-low heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, heat through. Garnish with 1 bunch chopped fresh coriander. For a real treat, enjoy with corn bread!

Baklava Crepes

Rarely is a recipe uniquely my design, it seems someone always mentions this or that and the wheels start turning. These crepes, for example, were wrought when a friend asked:

"Melissa, how can I have Baklava without Phyllo Dough?"

My response included: make your own phyllo dough (difficult), pay an arm and a leg for phyllo from an online grocer in Korea, make the filling and use with cinnamon roll dough, on pancakes, in french toast or in crepes. Well dear reader, that was enough to inspire me! Hopefully it does something for my friend ^.^

Ingredients/Directions:

For Crepes:

Whisk together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup Milk and 1/2 cup Water. Gradually add 1 Cup of Flour. Add pinch of Salt and 2 Tbsp. Melted Butter. Heat a skillet over medium/high heat, grease lightly coat pan with approximately 1/4 cup batter, cook about 2 minutes then flip - continue until batter is all used.

For Baklava Syrup:

Simmer on stovetop until syrup like or Crepes are ready: 1 part Honey, 1 part Water, throw in Orange and Lemon Rind (or orange and lemon hard candies) and season with Cinnamon.

For Crepe/Baklava Filling:

Choose a Nut, finally chop 2-3 handfuls (or more for garnish, etc.) mix with Honey and Cinnamon.

Fill Crepes with a bit of the nut filling (could add some whip topping if it's on hand and you're in for some calories), wrap and top with syrup. Enjoy every bite because before you know it, the dish will be devoured!

Peanut Butter and Almond No Bake Cookies

A continuation of (well, in actuality, the first of three cookie experiements) a night of cookie experimentation yielded a more traditional sort of no-bake cookie with only a few substitutes.

Ingredients/Directions:
In a saucepan bring to boil: 1/3 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup Peanut Butter, 1 handful of chopped Almonds, 1 Tbsp. Coco Powder and (roughly) 2 Tbsp. Milk chocolate pieces. Boil for about one minute and remove from heat. Add to sauce 3 cups of Oatmeal or combination of Oatmeal and Corn Flakes depending on availability. Add enough grains to soak up the majority of the sauce as to prevent a particularly sticky no-bake cookie.

Spelt Zucchini-Nut-Rasin Pancakes

Extended Life for: Raisins, Nut Mix and Garden Zucchini

My first issue of Vegetarian Times housed 5 great recipes for zucchini. I have already prepared the Zucchini-Tomato Gratin as published but took some liberty with the Sweet Zucchini-Ricotta Pancakes with Raisins and Walnuts which brings us to this gem of a recipe. Using some raisins we salvaged last spring and the nut mix from an abundance of salads we had late this summer I made these pancakes my very own!

Ingredients:

4 cups grated zucchini

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup spelt flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup nut of choice

Butter or oil for cooking

Directions:

Sprinkle zucchini with salt, stir to combine and let sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.

In seperate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in ricotta and sugar. Stir in spelt, cinnamon and baking powder. Squeeze excess liquid from zuchinni. Fold in raisins, nuts, and zucchini.

Spray pan with oil or add butter. Place desired amount of batter in pan, let mix cook for about 3 minutes, flip and cook for another minute or two until both sides are crisp and golden.

Serve topped with favorite pancake topping or try vanilla yogurt with cinnamon sprinkled on top. Delicious, vegetarian and easy! Enjoy!