JASMINE RICE SIDE DISH

 I found some jasmine rice on sale and was looking up some recipes and used this one because I already had anything! The bay leaf adds an amazing cool flavor to this dish.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1/4th cup green peas

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups dry jasmine rice

3 cups water

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour 3 cups water into the saucepan and add the salt. Increase the heat to medium and let the rice come to a quick simmer. Reduce heat to low and let rice simmer lightly and sit uncovered until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cover the rice and remove from heat. 
2.  In a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in green peas, bay leaf, and jasmine rice. Stir to coat the rice. 

PASTA CARBONARA

I was wanting to make a pasta carbonara dish and was doing a little research, and realized that the authentic recipes are nothing like a pasta carbonara dish you would order at an American-Italian Restaurant. There's no heavy cream, or wine, or peas in the sauce ( I still added them), but rather the sauce is just uncooked egg! My recipe is still not completely authentic but it was so delicious. And actually pretty healthy when you think about it! My substitutions included using Whole Wheat pasta, Turkey Bacon, and adding Peas. All together it took me about 30 minutes to make!

BAKED KALE CHIPS

I have found my new obsession. Baked Kale Chips. That is all. 

Oh and here is the recipe! It is so simple! 

Ingredients:

Kale 

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Olive Oil 

1. Chop kale in large pieces and without stem and make sure it is dry!

2. Toss in a little olive oil - do not drench it! just enough to coat it lightly

3. Add some salt and pepper ( be careful to not add too much!)

4. Bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes

-Amy-

CHRISTMAS BRUNCH

For Christmas my sister requested a Christmas Brunch! So Christmas Eve as I did some last minute present shopping, I Googled some recipes and found a Goat Cheese and Caramelized Balsamic Onion Quiche and a Starfruit and Spinach Salad.  I got the original recipe for the Quiche here but made a few minor changes. 

Ingredients

2 pie crust (I used a store bought crust)

2 Onions 

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 

3 tablespoon sugar

1/4  cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

8 large eggs

5 ounces goat cheese

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tomato, sliced into ¼ inch slices

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. lay the pie crust into your baking dish

3.Bake the pie crust according to the instruction. While it bakes begin caramelizing your onions.

4. Slice onions and cook on the stove with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt/pepper, and sugar.

5.Take the crust out when it is done and let it cool

6.spread onions in the baking dish and crumble in goat cheese

7. In a bowl mix together buttermilk, milk, eggs, salt, nutmeg, pepper

8. Pour mixture into baking pan and bake until egg is set and golden. for about 40-45 minutes

My uncle has an amazing fruit garden and always send us tons of fruit. This time he sent us a huge box of start fruit. More than what we know to do with! So I threw some in with some spinach and almonds for a salad. For the dressing I mixed together some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, lime juice, minced garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. I didn't really measure it out exactly just poured and mixed until it tasted right! 

-Amy-

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

I was looking for a recipe that called for ricotta to use mine up, and a way to procrastinate from studying for finals, and I found this! Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Who knew? The ricotta makes the pancakes extra moist inside and you whip the egg whites before adding, which adds so much volume and fluff. The end result is a pancake that melts in your mouth. Stop drooling!

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and canola oil. Gently fold this mixture into the dry ingredients until flour disappears. Don't over mix. The batter will be thick.
3. Heat a griddle or a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.  Drop about 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot griddle or skillet. Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the pancakes on the other side, about two minutes longer. Serve warm with maple syrup or fruit topping!

 -Jerica-

CREAMY CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA

I devoured this for dinner and then the next day for lunch. It was delicious, quick, and suchhh a comfort food. And I love any dish with wine, my most favorite comfort food. Cause I'm a girl and all. Get it?? ahhahahahahahahhhahha. But back to the recipe....

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb hot or sweet Italian turkey or chicken sausage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 8 oz (2 1/2 cups) penne, ziti, or rotini pasta
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, dried, and chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2. Stir in wine, water, pasta, tomatoes, and salt.  Increase heat to medium-high and stir often, until Penne is tender and liquid has thickened.  Stir in 3/4 cup of cream or half-and-half; increase the amount up to 1 cup if the dish needs a little thinning after you add the spinach in the next step.
3. Stir in spinach, one handful at time, and cook until wilted. Remove from heat, add Parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from here.                                                            -Jerica-

ALMOND PESTO & SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Almond Pesto with Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Raw Almonds

1/4  Cup Olive Oil

1/8 Cup Truffle Oil 

3 cups Basil chopped leaves
3 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup  Parmesan Cheese
 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon juice

1/2 Teaspoon Truffle

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 Zucchini- shredded into thin strips  

2 links Italian Sausage

1/2 Teaspoon dried Basil

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Italian Season

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

2. Cut and take out the seeds from your spaghetti squash. Drizzle squash and shredded zucchini with a tablespoon of Truffle oil. Sprinkle with Garlic Salt, Dried Basil, and Italian Seasoning Roast, then place spaghetti squash in the oven for about one hour or until tender. Bake the zucchini for 30 mins.

3. Bake Sausage according to instructions as well! I do it all at once to save me some time.

4. Using a food processor blend together almond, basil, cheese, garlic, olive & truffle oil, lemon juice, salt/pepper, truffle until it forms a relatively smooth paste.

5. Shred your squash and mix with pesto and sausage!

6. Enjoy!

-Amy-

OLIVE GARDEN COPY CAT: CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP

I have done an olive garden copy cat recipe before, for their Zuppa Toscana soup, and it turned out so delicious. That one is made in the crockpot, and the main ingredients are Italian sausage, potatoes and kale. Amazing. However I must say that this Chicken Gnocchi recipe does not taste exactly like Olive Garden's (I don't think theirs has onions or thyme) but that doesn't mean it isn't great! This is a lot more creamy and filling than their Zuppa Toscana but I still don't know which is my favorite!

I tackled making some of my own gnocchi, which turned out to be super easy. All you need are potatoes, flour, and an egg. That's it! There is a nice little tutorial here, but basically all you do is bake a few potatoes for 45 minutes, remove the skin as soon as they come out, and grate it up with a very fine cheese grater. Then you add you egg and flour and mix it up! You cook them by rolling them up and placing them in a pot of boiling water, and when they  float to the top they are finished cooking.
Pair it up with some homemade garlic bread and you're good to go. Mmmmmmm carbssssss.

GNOCCHI

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 potatoes, peeled
• 2¼ cups plain flour
• 1 egg  

FOR THE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup chicken breasts, diced and cooked (can use canned chicken or turkey)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 quart half and half (can use evaporated milk)
• 1 14 ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 16 ounce package gnocchi (or make your own!)

PREPARATION:

1.In a large stockpot, saute the onion, celery and garlic in the butter and olive oil. When the onion is clear, add the flour and form a roux. Stir and cook a minute. Add the half and half.

2. In another pan, cook the gnocchi according to the instructions above.

3.Add the carrots and chicken to the stockpot. Stir often and when it gets thicker, add the chicken broth, gnocchi, spinach and seasonings. Cover and heat through. Enjoy!

Recipe from PassTheSushi

-Jerica-

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Oh my goshhhh. As soon as I tasted these I knew this would be something I would be making regularly. It's such a quick and easy recipe too. These are super fluffy little cookies, almost like the top of a muffin, so not really like a cookie at all! They are also very orange, it's not just a weird picture :).

They taste just like fall; dead leaves, wind and Halloween! Exactly what I expect of all my recipes!

 

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

                                Makes 2 dozen

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
•  1 cup white sugar
•  1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil 
• 1 egg
•  2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.

2. Add flour mixture slowly to pumpkin mixture and mix as you go.

3. Stir in the vanilla, followed by the chocolate chips.

4. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for approximately 12 minutes or until firm.

Original recipe found here

-Jerica-

BEER BATTER CHOCOLATE BACON MAPLE CUPCAKES

This is definitely a cupcake that is suited for the students of CU Boulder. Its the ultimate munchies cupcake- Beer Battered Chocolate Bacon Cupcake with Maple Syrup Frosting. Drooooool. I got this recipe from another blogger who was inspired by one of my favorite shows! Two Broke Girls.
I absolutely loveeeeeeee bacon. A few months back I made some bacon chocolate chip cookies and packaged them in some mason jars for some wonderful classmates that were super helpful in a group project (I’ll post that recipe up soon). As for the other chocolate cupcakes I made last time… meh. The flavoring was great but the texture was too dense. Once I tweak that recipe a bit I will post it!

-Amy-

CORN CHOWDER- FOR THOSE COLD DAYS TO COME!

Mmm today I made corn chowder from a recipe my friend Jessica gave me! I changed it up a little because it wasn’t as spicy as I wanted it to be. It was amazing though.

Vegetarian Chile Pepper & Corn Cream Chowder

2 TBS butter
1 C. Chopped Onion
2 Anaheim Peppers ( I used 4)
1/2 C. thinly sliced celery
1 pkg. frozen corn (16 oz) ( I also threw in some peas cause I love them)
12 oz. red potatoes diced
4 C. whole milk
6 OZ. cream cheese ( I used fat free- granted this is already unhealthy so it probably made no difference)
salt and pepper to taste
(Then I threw in some Cayenne peppers, chili powder, and garlic powder- to taste.)

1. melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high add onion, peppers and celery cook & stir 5 MINUTES
2. move into big soup pan and add corn, potatoes and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Remove from heat add cream cheese salt and pepper. stir until cream cheese is melted.
EAT AND ENJOY!

-Amy-

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM BURGER

Gorgeous day to have lunch outside in Colorado. Made a delicious portobello mushroom burger with an avocado yogurt spread! So simple! Just grill the portobello with oil, sea salt, and black pepper. And for the spread mash together half an avocado, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, some minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Eassssssssy and quick.

-Amy-