Goals: Keeping Up.

I love having a blog.  It gives me a creative outlet, encourages me to try new recipes, and gives me an awesome subject to practice photographing (food!!).  Considering I have a 6-month old baby and a 5-year old crazy child, I think I've done a relatively good job at posting semi-regularly... but I would love for this to become more routine.  I'm a creature of habit, and if I'm not used to doing something regularly, it generally gets forgotten about eventually.  Since people (what people? I dunno...) always say that you are more likely to stick to a goal if you write it down - here goes.  A little challenge for myself, because if I actually tell you my plan, I might hear your little voice whispering in my head, Go blog! You said you would!  


So here's the general plan:

• I'm starting out with a simple 3 day/week goal.
• Tuesday Treats - blogging about some kind of sweet and tasty treat that I've made and need to share with you.
• Thursday Things - posting about my favorite finds of the week... things that have been inspiring me on other people's blogs and pinterest.
• Savory Saturday - recipes and photos for something, um... savory. Did you not read the title? Y'know, like appetizers, main dishes, or lunch box yums.

I can totally do this.

So, come Saturday, I expect you all to pop back over here to check up on me.  I have a deeeelicious recipe for black bean and potato enchiladas coming your way!

Valentine's Day Pretzels

Two big news items:

1. I actually completed one of the many thousands of things I've pinned on Pinterest.

2. Carter helped me.

Now, #2 is seriously huge.  Carter doesn't like to do anything with me, unless it involves an iphone or playstation.  He is so not into cooking or crafting which leaves me debating whether or not he was switched at birth. Just sayin'.

But, he seemed super excited to help make these cute little treats.  Yes, I know I'm WAY early on the Vday desserts... but I wanted to eat them, and didn't want to wait another month.  So there.

His favorite part was dropping the sprinkles.  And I've been sweeping them up for days now.

It was some good fun, even if I did have to bite my tongue about 30-million times to stop myself from telling him the "right" way to dip the pretzels. Control-freak, much?

Even with his less-than-perfect confectionary skills, they still turned out super cute and deliciously edible!


Oh... were you looking for a recipe? Here you go: melt some white chocolate chips. Dip pretzels in them. Lay pretzels on parchment paper/silpat-lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sprinkles! Refrigerate until chocolate hardens again. The end.

Sweet Potato Risotto

My family loves sweet potatoes.  We stick 'em in enchiladas, make them into French fries, and even enjoy them in little tarts.  So, of course, I had to make this recipe when I saw it on Pinterest.  The recipe was originally posted by Ezra Pound Cake, which has a totally awesome blog.  You should definitely check it out (um, after you finish reading mine. duh.).  It is a perfect recipe for cold weather, and I think it would be extra fantastic with a pinch of sage and thyme thrown in for some Thanksgiving-style flavor.  Mmm... next time! Word of advice: don't skip the garnish. The parsley and toasted walnuts were an amazing addition, adding the perfect crunch and flavor to this dish.

I know what you're thinking... Risotto?  I know that you don't have time to be slaving over a hot stove, stirring endlessly while your dinner comes together.  This is a much quicker, yet still super delicious, method... and I know you'll like it. 

Sweet Potato Risotto

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter

1lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp minced, peeled fresh ginger

2/3 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup riesling wine (save the rest for drinking!)

2/3 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sweet potatoes, onion and ginger; saute approximately 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Remove from heat.

Cook rice in a small sauce pan of salted water or vegetable stock until just tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes.

Drain rice.

Add rice to sweet potato mixture. Add riesling and stir over medium-low heat until blended. Stir in mascarpone until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon risotto into bowls and top with parsley and toasted walnuts.

Enjoy!

Thai Green Curry Soup

As much as it pains me to step.away.from.the.pumpkin... it must be done.  Otherwise, I'll probably turn all orange and mushy.  It just isn't good.

This week, I have some yummy and savory deliciousness to share with you.  

Don't mind the fact that this is probably the ugliest recipe you have ever seen.  anywhere.  EVER.

Seriously, it is an ugly-duckling of a recipe, but it tastes SO GOOD.  Warm and comforting, a little kick to it, creamy and hearty and all kinds of wonderfulness for this cold weather we've been having.

Ignore its appearance.  Make it.  Eat it.  Love it.

told you it wasn't pretty... don't judge. 

Thai Green Curry Lentil Soup

recipe from Simple Bites

Yield: 6 bowls of goodness

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)

1 Tbsp curry powder (I used the BEST green curry powder EVER)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 large onion, chopped

5 cups vegetable stock

1 1/2 cup green lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1 tsp sea salt

Melt coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Ad curry powder, garlic and onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add vegetable stock and green lentils. Bring soup to a boil, then partially cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for 35-55 minutes, until lentils are tender (mine usually takes 50+ minutes).

When lentils are tender, remove soup from heat. Stir in coconut milk and salt. Puree to your desired consistency using an immersion blender or regular blender (in batches if using a regular blender).  I like my soup with a little bit of texture, but find out what works best for you!

Serve on its own or over rice with your choice of garnish: chopped chives, a little plain yogurt, a pinch of curry powder... a chocolate donut... get crazy!

Pumpkin Bars with Caramel Frosting

What did you just say?  Did you really just ask me to post another pumpkin recipe?  Don't you know how over pumpkin everyone is?  Huh?  People aren't over pumpkin yet?  Well, thank goodness, because I have a little dish full of deliciousness to share with you.  

These pumpkin bars are simple, sweet, warm with fall spices, and are the perfect nibble... every. single. time. you walk through the kitchen.  Nearly every pumpkin recipe out there seems to be slathered with cream cheese frosting.  Now, don't get me wrong - I love cream cheese frosting - but there is something unexpectedly fantastic about going with caramel.  

So, go on now... melt yourself some butter and get baking!

Pumpkin Bars with Caramel Frosting

recipe from A Pinch of Yum

Yield: 2-3 dozen, depending on how generously you slice them up

Bar Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup pumpkin puree 

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup melted butter

Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup milk (I used half&half)

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease/spray a 10 1/2 by 16 inch pan (if you use a smaller pan, you might need to put foil over the top halfway through to prevent over-browning before the middle cooks properly). 

Mix together bar ingredients, adding melted butter last.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, approximately 40 minutes. Cool completely.

For the frosting, boil butter and brown sugar for two minutes.  Add the milk, whisking until well-combined. Bring it to a boil again, then add powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth and pour over cooled cake immediately.  Frosting will set very fast, so be sure to pour it evenly over the cake to avoid having to spread with a spatula.

A little sprinkle of sea salt over the top of the frosting is delicious, and gives a nice contrast to the sweet frosting. Mmmm!

Best Chili EVER.

Sometimes I look into my spice cabinet and get completely overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of tiny glass jars sitting there.  How did I get so many?  And how in the world am I ever going to use them all up?  That is when I pull out the big guns - awesome, spice-heavy chili.  A batch of this deliciousness will serve a couple purposes:

1. It'll make you look like a chili-contest-winning, super-duper-amazing cook

2. It'll help you work through your never-ending rows of spices... so you can... well, buy more.

This is some seriously tasty chili.  I discovered the original recipe a few years ago at allrecipes.com and made just a few minor tweaks (most notably, a big increase in bacon!).  It takes awhile to simmer, but the effort is so worth it.  Make sure you are using a BIG pot - this will feed a crowd! 

Best Chili EVER.

Yield: 16 bowls of goodness (freezes/reheats well)

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (or links with casing removed)

3 (15oz) cans of beans (I use a mix of black, kidney, and cannelini beans)

1 (15oz) can of chili/pinto beans in spicy sauce

2 (28oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice (fire-roasted, if you can find them!)

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 can roasted green chilies 

3-4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Beef Better then Bouillon (can substitute bouillon cubes)

1/2 cup beer

1/4 cup chili powder

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp dried oregano

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

Garnish with:

Corn chips (Fritos) and shredded cheese

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef and sausage until evenly browned.  Drain off excess grease.

Pour in beans, tomatoes and tomato paste.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir to blend.

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours.

After 2 hours, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder, if needed. 

Serve with fritos, shredded cheese, and cornbread!

Oh, yeah, and sorry for the lack of photos. Chili isn't really the most photogenic food out there, you know? 

Oh, Nuts!

I have an addiction to spice blends.  I admit it.  

Phew.  I feel a lot better getting that off my chest! 

I have tons and tons of tiny tins, jars and bottles of the most amazing spice blends - Jamaican Jerk, Thai Green Curry, Park Hill Maple Pepper, Chili and Lime... you get the point.  As much as I love these delicious spices, they usually sit unused for quite a long time.  They are so taste-specific, that they usually only "belong" to one or two recipes in my repertoire.  After months years of collecting, I decided I needed a plan to use them up.  I mean, how else am I going to clear enough room in the spice cabinet to buy new spices?!

Today, while flipping through the latest Food Network magazine, inspiration struck!  Spiced nuts!  YES.   We always have a ridiculous amount of nuts in the house (and that is besides the people), so I had everything I needed on hand already. I used a spice blend called Park Hill Maple Pepper from the fabulous spice shop, Savory (you can order online if there isn't a location near you). It is a mixture of maple sugar, black pepper, coriander, tumeric, ginger, nutmeg, cumin, mustard and lots of other fantastic flavors. A perfect sweet and savory blend.

Unfortunately, batch #1 was a huge FAIL.  I used the temperature/time recommendations from the magazine and managed to horribly burn the batch.  Ugh.  Word of caution - do not stray far from the oven during cooking time.  If you start smelling the nuts getting toasty, remove them asap... there is no recovering burnt nuts.  Luckily, batch #2 was a delicious success.  I lowered the temperature and decreased the cooking time.  Perfection! 

Park Hill Maple Pepper Spiced Nuts

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted or reduced salt peanuts

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp Park Hill Maple Pepper spice blend (or whatever spice blend that you happen to have sitting around in your spice cabinet)

Sprinkle of salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400˚.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

Mix nuts with vegetable oil and spices in a small bowl.  Stir until nuts are evenly coated.

Spread in an even layer on baking sheet.  Bake for 4-6 minutes, stirring once.  Pay close attention - the second they start getting golden brown, get them OUT of the oven!

Transfer to cooling rack lined with parchment paper or paper towels to cool.  Enjoy!