Over and Out

....well the time has come. the time is here. I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA BABY! and then I'm coming back. My bags are packed and sitting at the back door waiting to be loaded into our trunk. yes, our trunk. we are driving to California straight through the night. it will take us approximately 31 hours. it really isn't all that bad, trust me. Because.....

1. my cousins are driving with us = double the fun.
2. we drive through the night so that means i'll be sleeping half the time
3. i've seen the most of the country from the backseat of our van, so long trips are no big deal to me
4. it's great family time..even though we do fight sometimes [31 hours stuck sitting next to your siblings will bring that.] 
5. you never know what adventures await. one year we got snowed in in New Mexico. NEW MEXICO!! it never snows in New Mexico.
6. but most of all some of my favorite memories in life are from what happened from point A to point B in our van.

so you see, it really isn't that bad! we will be gone for around 15 days. so that means no blog posts for 15 days. i hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

see you on the flip side. over and out.

Crunchy Falafel Pitas

...a few tuesday nights ago i made Crunchy Falafel Pitas! they were soo good! recently i've been hearing a lot about falafels on several cooking shows, so when i found this recipe at my Aunt Sue's house, it immediately caught my attention. a falafel, turns out, is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans. for my particular recipe i used chickpeas. now i realize that the description of a falafel might not sound the most appetizing, but trust me, they are amazing! This dish is super easy to make, takes no time at all, and doesn't us any "fancy" ingredients, most of which we had at home;  plus, it tastes amazing. how could you go wrong? 

Crunch Falafel Pitas
PREP: 10 min. COOK: 8 min. SERVES: 6
Ingredients: 
Sauce:
1 c. plain yogurt
1 garlic clove [minced]
salt to taste
Falafels:
[2] 15oz. chickpeas [rinsed and drained]
1 1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cumin
1 large egg
1/2 small onion [chopped]
1/2 tsp. salt
The rest:
1/4 c. olive oil
6 pita breads [split]
1 c. cherry tomatoes [halved]
1 small head of romaine [chopped]

Directions:
[1] Combine yogurt and garlic in a bowl and season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

[2] In a food processor, combine chickpeas, 1/2c. flour, cumin, egg, and 1/2 tsp. salt. and process until almost smooth. Add onion and pulse til just combined. Place remaining 2 tbsp. of flour on plate. Form chickpea mixture into 1/2" patties. Dredge with flour.

[3] Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties, cook until golden, turning once, about 8 minutes all together. Slide patties into pita. add tomatoes and lettuce, top with reserved yogurt sauce and serve.

the Thanksgiving Adventure!

...sorry for the silence on my blog! after Thanksgiving i was swept up with finishing up school, studying for finals, and getting ready for Christmas! i just love this time of year! anyways, for thanksgiving this year, my family broke our usual tradition for Thanksgiving. normally, my family hosts Thanksgiving at our house and my dad's sister and her family come to our house for the feast; but this year my brother Jesse, the one living down in Kentucky training to be a jockey, couldn't make it up for Thanksgiving. so, we brought Thanksgiving dinner down to him. we did most of the cooking the day before. with our trunk full of luggage and Thanksgiving dinner, we left early thursday morning for Lexington, KY.

    

                                                                     

we stopped for Thanksgiving breakfast at McDonalds

backseat buddies with my cousin Joe!
when we finally reached our hotel in Lexington, we found out that our room only had a stove top and not an oven. we were banking on the oven for re-heating all of our food. my dad went down to the front desk to ask if they had another room with an oven in it that we could switch to. they did not. buuuuuut, the head chef overheard my dad explaining our problem to the person at the front desk and he offered to cook all of our food for us in the hotel ovens! thank you Chef Adam! without him our Thanksgiving adventure would have been a flop!

my mom making the mashed potatoes. (the one thing we could make on the stove top)

 and part of the Thanksgiving food line up:

bread, fruit, relish tray

the sweet potatoes!

and you can't forget the turkey and grandma's 4 stick stuffing!

going through line.

my plate of food! i should say my first plate of food. we stuffed our bellies full and fell into bed satisfied. the next morning we woke up at the crack of dawn to

 go watch Jesse exercise horses! The whole weekend was filled with food, family and laughter,

and for me, those are the best kind of memories to look back on.

p.s. stay tuned for an actual food post later this week.
p.p.s if you want to see all the exciting things that have been happening to my brother Jesse in pursing his dream, follow him at www.jessesauder.com.

Broccoli Omelet with Tomato Salad

...ladies and gentlemen, may i present to you another food recipe from........Fooood Network! you guys probably think food network is the only place I get my recipes from (which is partially true,) but i really do get recipes from other places too! like from Cooking Light, and All Recipes, and my mom's recipe box and cookbook collection. Anyways.........back to the food! So a few tuesday nights ago i made Broccoli Omelet with Tomato Salad. the broccoli omelet was really good, but i absolutely loved the tomato salad!

Broccoli Omelet with Tomato Salad
 TIME: 40min. SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped broccoli (about 1 small head)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups frozen shredded hash browns (about 8 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups shredded havarti or cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
8 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 scallions, chopped

Directions: 
[1] Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.
[2] Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the hash browns and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Whisk the eggs, milk, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl and stir in the broccoli. Pat the hash browns into an even layer, then pour the egg-broccoli mixture on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the omelet is just set, 15 to 20 minutes.
[3] Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Add the tomatoes and scallions and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Invert the omelet onto a plate and cut into wedges. Serve with the tomato salad.

Per serving: Calories 502; Fat 34 g (Saturated 15 g); Cholesterol 483 mg; Sodium 696 mg; Carbohydrate 24 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 27 g

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons

... when i was perusing through my Food Network magazine i saw a recipe for Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons. it looked delicious so i decided to give it a whirl. in the recipe it called for orzo, which i had never heard of/tasted before. orzo is a type of pasta shaped like rice. this is what it looks like:

 i found it in the pasta section at Walmart. orzo, turns out, is delicious, especially when put in tomato soup! i loved the texture of it! this recipe also had grilled cheese croutons in it. when i was looking over the recipe i failed to notice that you need a panini grill to make the croutons. we sadly do not have a panini maker. so when i got to the part in the recipe were i was supposed to make the croutons, i improvised and used a waffle maker. they turned out great! i loved how this recipe took a different spin on your traditional tomato soup. it was very good. i think i will be making it quite often this winter.

this picture does not do the soup justice.

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Croutons

TIME: 50min. SERVES: 4-6

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Large pinch of saffron threads
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream
Grilled Cheese Croutons (see below)
Directions:

[1]In a large pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

[2]Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.

[3]Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

Grilled Cheese Croutons
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

[1]Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.

[2]Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.
 

 

Broken Lasagna With Zucchini Tomato Sauce

...when i opened my mailbox a few weeks ago i found my Food Network magazine crammed inside. excitedly i tugged it out. when i laid eyes on the cover i knew i had to make the dish featured on the front. this is what i saw...

doesn't it look delicious? i quickly flipped through the magazine to find the recipe and it was surprisingly a very simply and easy one and it only takes 30 minutes to make! i made it the next tuesday night for my family and we all loved it!

as you can tell it doesn't look quite as nice as the magazine cover but it still tasted delicious!

Broken Lasagna With Zucchini Tomato Sauce

TIME: 30min. SERVES:4

Ingredients: 

Kosher salt
2 large zucchini (about 1 3/4 pounds), coarsely grated
12 ounces lasagna noodles (not no-boil), broken into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups cherry tomatoes (1 cup whole, 1 cup halved)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 small bunch chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

[1]Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, toss the zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a colander set over a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess moisture.

[2]Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir vigorously to prevent it from sticking. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

[3]Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until blistered and slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and lemon zest and cook, lightly crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

[4]Transfer the zucchini-tomato mixture to a large bowl. Add the pasta and cheese and toss. Stir in half of the chives and about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water, adding more to loosen, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese and the remaining chives.

Per serving: Calories 478; Fat 13 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 36 mg; Sodium 407 mg; Carbohydrate 73 g; Fiber 6 g; Protein 17 g
 

The Secret recipie of: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

...i am a big lover of cupcakes! my favorite type of cupcake used to be a vanilla cupcake frosted with a vanilla butter cream frosting. working at a cafe/bakery, i have had the pleasure of trying many different types of cupcakes. one day while i was working, the cupcake for the day was a pumpkin cheesecake cupcake. and me, being a big fan of pumpkin, just had to try it..so i did...and it was AMAZING!! with just one bite it became my VERY favorite cupcake! it was so good. there are three layers in this amazing cupcake. at the bottom is a pumpkin cake layer, in the middle is a cheesecake layer, at the top is another pumpkin cake layer and at the very tip-top is cream cheese frosting. it is soo good! now i of course wanted the recipe and my kind boss told me i could have it.......but i was sworn to secrecy. i can't share the recipe with anyone! which is really sad because i can't post it on here so you all can taste the most wonderful cupcake ever. so, really the best advice i can give you to taste the most amazing cupcake ever is to order some from Caleris (the bakery i work at.) 

 P.S. isn't the cupcake holder cute? my cousin Rebecca gave them to me.

Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

...i have been on a pumpkin craze lately. in the past few weeks i have made/devoured: pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pasta, and pumpkin biscuits. i LOOVEEEE pumpkin, if ya couldn't tell. : ) fall is my favorite time of year for several reasons. one being that every restaurant/coffee shop/ bakery is selling pumpkin flavored tasty things and second, i just love the air. i love crisp fall air, i love the smell of fall, i love wearing hoodies and jackets, i love boots, i love the changing colors of the leaves, i love the colorful leaves that fall on the bright green grass, i just love fall all around! anyways, a few weeks ago my eyes fell on this recipe in my Food Network magazine and i just had to try it! It was Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce and it was delicious!

 p.s. check back later this week for:Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Tortellini With Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
TIME: 20min. SERVES: 4

Ingredients: 
Kosher salt
2 (9oz.) packages cheese tortellini
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 c. canned pure pumpkin
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
11/4 c. heavy cream
1/4c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Freshly ground pepper  
Chopped fresh parsley, for topping (optional) (I did not put parsley on mine) 

Directions:
[1] Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.

[2] Meanwhile, heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the cream and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium low; simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cook until thick, about 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

[3] Add the tortellini to the skillet and toss with the sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese and parsley.

Thai Stir Fry

...okay, so I had my leftover Thai peanut sauce that I had made for the Chicken Satay Salad sitting in the refrigerator. my mom had the great idea of making a stir fry with it. this sounded fairly easy so i went out and bought some snow peas, carrots, an onion, a red pepper, and broccoli. i heated up some olive oil in a large skillet and then added the chicken and onion. meanwhile i had the broccoli steaming in a pot on the stove. after the chicken was cooked through i added the carrots, red pepper, and snow peas. i sauteed that for a bit and then added the sauce. once the broccoli was drained i added it to the stir fry and voila! supper was served! Oh yeah, i also cooked up some rice in the rice cooker to go with it.

Chicken Satay Salad

...once again, a few tuesday nights ago, i turned to my Food Network magazine. once again, it did not disappoint. whenever i look through their magazine i find my mouth watering and all of a sudden getting the urge to cook and bake all day. i found an easy 25 minute recipe for Chicken Satay Salad. in the recipe,  it called for 7 tablespoons of Thai peanut sauce. i looked for the sauce at walmart in the asian section, but i couldn't find any. i then resorted to the internet for help. i found a recipe for Thai peanut sauce and it turned out just fine. i actually even had some sauce left over, which i used up another night to make a delicious stir fry. so stay tuned for it on my next post later on this week.

Recipes: 
Chicken Satay Salad
Active: 25 min [Total: 25 min] Serves: 4
 Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
7 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) Thai peanut sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 head romaine lettuce, sliced
1/2 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
3 tablespoons chopped roasted salted peanuts

Directions: 

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Slice the chicken breasts 1/2 inch thick and toss with 2 tablespoons peanut sauce, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons peanut sauce and 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the lime juice and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Add the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper and cilantro and toss. Season with salt and pepper and divide among bowls. Top with the chicken, peanuts and more cilantro.

Thai Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
1 c. unsalted peanuts
1/3 c. water
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar, to taste
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 c. coconut milk
Directions: 
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth.

Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

So a few Tuesday nights ago…okay, so really it was more like a few Monday nights ago... I was perusing around online, trying to come up with a new recipe for my Tuesday night dinner. I ended up on my cousin Rebecca’s blog, What's for Meat ? And her latest entry was for Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa.(Click here for recipe) Now it just so happened that we had an avocado sitting in our fridge. This is a rarity as our local IGA does not usually carry them, and when they do, they aren’t too good. But this one, I think, was from Wal-Mart. I immediately asked my mom if anyone had dibs on the avocado in the fridge (this is how it works when you have such a rarity as an avocado). she said no, so I went and put a sticky note on it saying it was mine and to back off! Seriously, I did. So the next night my family and I sat down to a delicious meal of Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa. It was soo good!