Calzones (Freezer Friendly)

I don't think words can describe how much I love these! They turned out better than I could have ever expected. I have already taken these for lunch a few times and are perfect (Even when eating them cold). This is a perfect way to create personalized meals in a simple way. I hope you have fun making them your very own!

Ingredients
Dough:
4 cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons Yeast
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Warm Water

Filling:
1/2 lbs Sausage
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Fresh Spinach
Pizza/Pasta sauce for the filling

Optional:
Sauteed onion
Sauteed zucchini
Red pepper
Olives
Or what ever else you want to add

Topping:
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Basil
1 teaspoon Garlic


Instructions:

1. Add flour, salt, and yeast to a mixer. Pulse until well mixed. Add olive oil and pulse again.
2. Turn mixer on and while running pour in warm water. Let mixer run until dough pulls away from the edges and forms a ball.
3. Cover dough and let it rise till it is double in size.
4. Take handfuls of the dough and roll out into 6 inch circles. Fill dough then fold dough into a half circle and seal.
5. Place on a greased cookie sheet and brush with topping. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
6. To Freeze: After baking cool and wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
7. To Reheat: Unwrap from plastic wrap and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or until thawed. Microwave then for 30-60 seconds.

Inspired by: Homemade Hot Pockets (freezer friendly)

Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake

I made this for a friends birthday a few months ago and have been meaning to post the recipe ever since. When I asked my friend what he wanted for his birthday treat he decided on an Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake. I realized when I started looking for recipes that there weren't any good recipes for one so I naturally had to create one!

Cookie Crust:

6 tablespoons Butter softened

30 Oreos

Cheesecake:

3 packages (8oz) cream cheese soften

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate (melted and cooled to room temperature)

10 Oreos crushed into pieces

Cookie Crust:

Place softened butter and Oreos in a gallon freezer bag and mash until mixture looks sandy and wet. Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and then refrigerate while making the filling.

Cheesecake:

Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a double broiler till creamy then set aside to cool.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined then add sour cream and vanilla and mix.

Add melted chocolate and whip 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Then gently stir in crushed Oreo.

Spread the filling evenly over the crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 3-4 hours.

Note: For clean slices when cutting run knife under hot water and wipe dry before making each cut.

Inspired by: No-Bake Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake and {No-Bake} Oreo Cheesecake

Zucchini Fritters

I love zucchini, but I was getting a little sick of just sauteeing it. So here is a great simple, yummy, new way to eat zucchini. We had a 3 1/2 lb. monster zucchini that had been sitting on our counter for awhile and I decided that it finally needed to be used. I had seen recipes for zucchini fritters and had been wanting to try them for years and so here was my chance. I hope you enjoy these delicious fritters. It is my favorite way to eat zucchini!

Yield: 3 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups zucchini, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated colby jack cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add salt and stir to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain zucchini well. Squeeze longer than you think. 
2. In a bowl, combine zucchini, flour, colby jack, garlic, and egg; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scoop tablespoons of batter for each fritter (See note below), flattening with a spatula, and cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer.

Notes: Using a cookie scoop works great to get the right amount on the skillet.

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Better than Cafe Rio Dressing

This salad dressing is good enough to drink!  I like to tell myself it is healthy-- it has vegetables in it!  The original recipe doesn't reference anything about Cafe Rio, but that is the closest thing I can compare to this dressing.  The biggest difference is this one is fresher and tastier.  Since it has fresh ingredients you will want to make sure to finish it off within a few days.  With how tasty this is, it shouldn't be hard!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until all ingredients are combined.  Enjoy on top of tex mex salads, cobb salads, dipping vegetables or basically anything!

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

One Pot Pasta

Surprise! There is another sister! I made a cameo on the blog a little over two years ago with my recipe for Spicy Corn Chowder. Finally, I am privileged enough to post. I hope you enjoy my recipes. As a college student I try to find meals that are fun, easy and make great leftovers. And this one hit the spot. And so without further ado One Pot Pasta.

Servings: 4

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 lb. Pasta

1/2 package Andouille Sausage, sliced thin

1/2 Large Onion chopped

1 14.5 oz. Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Basil

2 cloves Garlic minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups spinach chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan

Instructions

• In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat saute onions until soft. Add sausage, pasta, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and 2 1/2 cups water; season well with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in spinach and Parmesan.
• Serve immediately.

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Thai Coconut Soup

After having a baby I am always on the lookout for quick recipes that don't require much chopping. This one is a winner! I combined a few different recipes to make it work with the ingredients I had on hand. This came together super fast and Michael and I were pleased. I'll be keeping the ingredients on hand to put this together in a pinch!

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion cut in thin half moons
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
1/8 teaspoon cumin
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 packages ramen noodles broken up (don't use seasoning)
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro

Heat oil in a medium soup pan then add onions and cook until soft. Add jalapeno, ginger and cumin and cook until fragrant.

Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Add noodles and chicken and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until noodles are soft.

Add lime juice and cilantro and add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

You could sub a package of ramen noodles with chopped bok choy, red pepper or shredded carrots. Just put those in with the broth and let them cook until soft.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted vegetables is one of my favorite side dishes in the fall and winter months. It's easy and absolutely delicious (though it does take a bit of time). This is my absolute favorite way to eat yams. There is something amazing that happens to them when they are smothered in the flavorful sauce and roasted for an hour. Sometimes I think of getting rid of all the other vegetables and just making a pan full of yams. But then I think of the delectable bites of potato and carrot and I remember that I actually do like all the vegetables on the pan - the yams may just disappear faster than the rest.

This recipe is very adaptable. You could do whatever combination of vegetables you'd like - cauliflower, broccoli, beets, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, etc. You need about 5 pounds of vegetables for the sauce, but other than that feel free to get creative! (But I do highly recommend the yams. Can you tell I love them?)

Serves: 6 people

INGREDIENTS
1 yam, diced
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop all the vegetables and put into a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, melt butter and mix in vinegar, mustard, garlic and salt. Pour over the vegetables. Stir to combine.
4. Spread the vegetables on two baking sheets, leaving space between the vegetables. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Stir vegetables every 20 minutes or so. The vegetables are done when they are soft and browned slightly (or more than slightly - I like mine on the darker side).



Recipe inspired by roasted vegetables my uncle brought to family dinners growing up.

The Best White Bread

I almost always make my own bread.  I have a wheat grinder and typically make whole wheat bread.  Last week I was visiting Valerie out in California and when I arrived, she had a fresh loaf of this bread on her counter.  It was heavenly.  When I got back from California, I decided to make breads for work gifts.  After church on Sunday and made 18 loaves of different kinds of breads!  It was pretty fun, but also rather exhausting.  This one was one of the breads in the mix and it was a winner.  I won't be abandoning my whole wheat bread recipe anytime soon, but when I want a treat, this hits the spot.


2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups warm water
5 teaspoons yeast
6 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup oil

In a stand mixer, add sugar and warm water.  sprinkle yeast on top and let it sit 5 minutes until it gets foamy.  Add flour, salt, and oil.  Turn on mixer and knead for 7 minutes.

Place in a large, clean, greased bowl to rise and cover lightly with greased plastic wrap or a dish towel.  Let it rise until it has doubled in size.  If you poke the dough and it doesn't spring back, you will know it is ready.  Punch the dough down and knead it a couple of times.

With buttered hands, shape into two loaves and place in greased bread pans.  Let it rise again until it has risen to the top of the loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove promptly from pans and let it cool on a baking rack or clean dish towel.

Enjoy!

Tips:

Flour:  Flour should never be an exact measurement when making yeast breads.  The look at touch of the dough will tell you how much flour to add more than a measuring cup.  The dough should be very soft.  Add just enough flour that you can still handle the bread, but no more.  If you flour your finger and tap the dough without it sticking, it will be just right.  Another indicator is to watch for when the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Freezing: This dough freezes great.  Unless I am going to give a loaf of bread away, two loaves is way too much.  You can freeze it after the first rise, when you shape the loafs. Place one shaped loaf in a gallon sized freezer bag. When you are ready to use the frozen loaf, place it in a greased loaf pan, cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. In the morning place in on the counter and let finish rising for a few hours.  Bake as normal.

Curried Cauliflower

Lately I've been on the hunt for interesting side dishes. You can only eat steamed broccoli so many times before your ready for a change. Recently I had a head of cauliflower sitting in my fridge that needed to be used. I love steamed cauliflower with butter and salt and pepper, but my husband is not so happy to eat it in that form. So in my search of a way to make it more palatable to him I found this simple recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I can't claim any credit for it since it was perfect the beginning. But it is so good, I just have to share. My husband declared it an acceptable way to eat cauliflower and I made it again the next day it was so good. I call that a win.

One last quick note. The curry is a really subtle flavor here so even those who don't love curry flavor may be persuaded to eat this. I hardly noticed it was curry flavored.

Curried Cauliflower 
Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 medium head cauliflower
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

DIRECTIONS
1.    Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
2.   Wash and core the cauliflower and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl.
3.   Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, salt and curry powder.
4.   Turn out the cauliflower onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, stirring every 6-7 minutes, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and is crisp-tender.
5.    Serve immediately.

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

The Best Biscuits Ever

I'm alive! I haven't posted in months and months. Morning sickness got the better of me for a while and then I was just plain busy! But I hope I can post on here regularly again. I've been cooking up a storm lately and have lots of recipes I want to share. The trick is remembering to photograph them. I always forget to take pictures. I'm hoping having a baby will help me remember that I actually want to document life (and maybe that will apply to the food I make too?).

Anyway, today I want to share with you my favorite biscuit recipe ever. I've heard a lot of people say they don't like biscuits. And I have experienced way too many dry, tough biscuits that are not worth eating. But these are a different story. They are flaky and light and delicious. Give these babies a chance and you might just find yourself liking biscuits.

The Best Biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits

Note: They will only turn out light and flaky if you don't overwork the dough. Be careful not to handle it too much. You want little pieces of butter still in the dough even after it has been kneaded. This is what produces the flaky, light texture.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I've done as much as 3/4 wheat and they are still delicious!)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until mixed. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the milk until mixture forms a soft dough and leaves the side of the bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).2. Lightly sprinkle  our over a cutting board or countertop. Place dough on floured surface; gently roll in the  our to coat. To knead dough, fold dough toward you. With the heels of your hands, lightly push dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat 10 times. Dough will feel springy and smooth.3. On the floured surface,  flatten dough evenly, using hands or a rolling pin, until dough is 1/2 inch thick.4. Before cutting each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2-inch round cutter into  our to lightly coat it so it will cut cleanly through the dough without sticking. To cut, push the cutter straight down through the dough without twisting or turning. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place biscuits about 1 inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides, or place with sides touching for biscuits with soft sides.5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm. 

Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup is probably one of my favorite soups.  Even though it is October, it doesn't fell like fall quite yet.  Yesterday I decided  like I would pretend like it was cool enough to make soup.  I already had all the ingredients on hand, so I got to work chopping all the vegetables.  It turned out to be a perfectly tasty, comforting, and nourishing bowl of soup.

1 lb sausage (I used a sweet chicken sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 small zucchini chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup small pasta
1 can kidney beans, drained
2 handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1. brown sausage in a frying pan.  When halfway cooked, add onion and carrots and cook until sausage and vegetables are cooked through.

2. In a large pot add sausage and vegetables, tomatoes, and broth.  Add zucchini and pasta.  Cook until pasta is almost cooked through and zucchini is tender.

3. Add kidney beans, spinach, and seasonings.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Serve!

Almond Coconut Muesli

We have taken a little hiatus from this blog.  Part of my hiatus was due to a pretty epic trip to Europe and another part has been to cooking, but not measuring ingredients.  The good news is I am back from Europe and actually took the time to measure the ingredients for this recipe.  This was inspired by lovely Italian breakfasts.  Is it just me that finds memories and food closely intertwined?  My first morning in Italy we woke up at a charming hotel and there was a wonderful breakfast.  Among the options were plain yogurt, muesli, fruit, and honey.  I had never tried muesli before, but it looked wonderful.  I mixed it with the tangy yogurt, topped it with fruit, and drizzled a little honey on top.  It was wonderful and inspired me to see if I could recreate it back home. I think it comes pretty close.

5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips (optional)

1. Mix oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium sized bowl.

2. Add maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.

3.  If desired, spread ingredients out on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly toasted. Once cool, mix in chocolate chips, if desired.

4. Store in an airtight bag or container in the freezer.

Serve with milk or yogurt and top with fruit.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Ganache, Berries, and Cream

Last week I was looking for a recipe that would serve a crowd, but would still be Sunday worthy.  I generally think desserts Sundays should be a step up from the ordinary.  Now is the tail end of zucchini is in growing in gardens and cheap in the stores, so it is the perfect time of the year to make this cake.  My sister told me she is generally disappointed in the texture of zucchini cakes, because the end up almost gummy and gelatinous.  (Is that even a word?)  This cake was nothing of the sort.  The cake was moist and the crumb was tender.  I'm pretty sure the combination of tender zucchini cake, ganache, berries, and cream was a match made in heaven.  Fun little fact, the plate below is part of my great grandmother's china set.

Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups grated zucchini

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

2. In an electric mixer, add eggs and lightly beat.  Add sugar and vanilla mix until well combined.  With mixer running, slowly add oil and buttermilk.

3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

4. Fold in grated zucchini.  Add hot water and mix until combined.

5. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Ganache:

8 ounces of good quality semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup cream

1. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl.

2. Heat cream on medium low heat until it is almost boiling.

3. Pour cream over chocolate chips and stir until all the chocolate chips are melted.  If they don't completely melt, microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval.

Cream:

3 cups cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar or pure maple syrup

The cream is good either just drizzled on top of the berries and cake or whipped. 

If you choose to whip it, whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and sweetener.  Whip until cream forms stiff peaks.

If you choose to drizzle the cream, just mix in the vanilla and sweetener and serve in a pitcher beside the cake.

Berries:

3-4 cups fresh raspberries or diced strawberries

To assemble the cake, cut the cake into squares, top with berries, and drizzle or dollop cream on top.  Enjoy!

Recipe simplified and adapted from Simply So Good.

Lemon Rice

More carbs, I know.  I promise we'll get some healthier recipes out there soon.  But for now, enjoy carb overload.  This lemon rice is to die for.  The first time I tasted it, I'm pretty sure my eyes popped.  The lemon was stronger than I expected and in a good way.  I've had a lot of bland "flavored" rice dishes in my day.  This one far exceeded my expectations.  Not under or over doing it with flavor.  It is just perfect in my book.  I'm salivating just thinking about it.  

I always serve this rice with lime chicken, though I'm sure it would be delicious with many other dishes.  It also is delicious as breakfast.  I may or may not be guilty of eating every tasty morsel for breakfast the day after.

Lemon Rice

1/3 cup lemon juice
4 tbs. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 cups brown rice
3 & 3/4 cups chicken broth, hot
black pepper to taste

In a large, wide saucepan bring the lemon juice, butter, and salt to a boil. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed. 

Add the hot chicken broth, cover, and cook on low until the rice is cooked, about 45 minutes.  Remove from heat with lid still on and let rest for 10 minutes to ensure the moisture is all absorbed.  Stir in black pepper and more butter, if desired. 

Recipe from my mother-in-law.

Portuguese Sweet Bread

Okay guys, it has been a while.  Can I just say that I was moving to another state and be forgiven for my absence?  Thanks for being patient while I packed up and unpacked all my belongings.  I haven't cooked nearly as much in the past month since we were searching for an apartment, packing, moving and unpacking.  But I am back on my game!  I have gone to the store a million times and feel like I am finally stocked up on my staples.  I may have cringed and pulled my hand back when I saw the prices, but at last I have realized I have left cheap Utah prices behind.  Sigh.  The food may not be cheap in California, but it is a beautiful place to live!  And farmer's markets year round?  Yeah, I'll take that.

This recipe doesn't take anything from the farmer's market, but is absolutely divine.  This lightly sweetened bread is my husband's favorite.  In fact, it was his birthday "cake."  He'd much rather have this than actual cake.  I'm alright with that.  Though not the healthiest bread to down, it certainly is one of the most delicious.  Light and fluffy and delicate lemon flavor combine to make the most addicting bread.  It never lasts long in our house!

Portuguese Sweet Bread

1/3 c. milk
2 tbs. instant mashed potatoes
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, cut into chunks
1 tbs. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 - 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbs. melted butter

Heat milk until boiling. Remove from heat and immediately stir in instant mashed potatoes, sugar and butter. Let cool until just warm.

In a stand mixer or bowl, sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 5 minutes. With the dough hook, mix the beaten eggs, salt, lemon zest, vanilla, potato mixture and flour. Start with 2 cups of flour and mix until combined. Keep adding flour slowly with the mixer going until you have a soft dough. It will no longer be sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour or the dough will become too stiff.

Cover dough with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.  If you poke an indentation in the dough and it doesn't spring back, it has risen enough. If you are in a hurry, my sister-in-law taught me a great trick. Warm your oven up just slightly and then turn the oven off. Leave the dough in the oven to rise and it will rise quicker. Just make sure it is mildly warm in the oven. If it is too hot, let it cool down before putting the dough in. We don't want to cook the bread yet!

Knead dough breifly to release air bubbles. Let dough rest 5-10 minutes.

On a lightly oiled surface, roll dough with your fingers into a 30" rope. Coil rope, twisting slightly as you go, into an oiled 9" pie pan, starting in the center and moving out.

If desired, brush with melted butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 40 minutes.

Uncover and bake in a pre-heated over at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.


Slightly adapted from my mother-in-law.

Banana Cream Pie

Often when I think of making pie I think of a long time intensive dessert.  Pies aren't hard to make, but they take longer than whipping up a batch of cookies or a pan of brownies.  I love pie, but don't often have the time to make one.  This pie is almost more "assembly" than "cooking".  The boxed pudding makes this come together in a snap.  I rarely buy boxed mixes, but I think the cook-and-serve pudding is pretty tasty and sometimes you need to take the short cut.

I am pretty particular when it comes to banana cream pie.  I usually don't like store bought ones and although I love bananas, I don't like things with fake banana flavor.  I really prefer vanilla pudding in this pie.  Graham cracker crusts are so tasty, because they have butter!  This one has just a hint of cinnamon, which adds a subtle dimension to the pie, that is fantastic.  If you want to get all fancy, feel free to pipe the whipped cream on, but I just spread it on the top and called it good.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers (I crushed them in the blender)

1/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together until well combined.  Press into a 9 inch pie plate along the bottom and up the sides.  Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes.  

Filling:

1 large box cook and serve vanilla pudding, prepared and cooled

3-4 bananas, sliced

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

The rest of the pie is mostly assembly.  Whip the cream until thick, add vanilla and sugar and whip until soft peaks form.  Slice 2-3 bananas into the bottom of the crust. Pour pudding on top, then spread whipped cream on top.  Slice and add the last banana on top.  Serve immediately.

Crust recipe adapted from my cousin Emily.

Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of my go to meals when all I have are a few scraggly vegetables left in the fridge.  I pretty much always have rice and eggs on hand and have started picking up ham steaks when the go on sale to keep in my freezer for this very purpose.  You can switch this up with different vegetables and types of rice depending on what you like and have on hand.  This is one of my favorite combinations.  I bet bean sprouts or a bell pepper would be awesome in this.  Once I added some purple cabbage and while it tasted good, it turned the ham and rice purple!  I don't think I will do that again.  One trick is using cold rice, since it isn't quite as sticky, making this is a good meal to use up leftover rice.

4 1/2 cups cooked rice (1 1/2 cups uncooked).  I usually use brown rice, but any kind will work.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
3 cloves minced garlic
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 small head broccoli, chopped (I even peel and chop up the stem)
1 zucchini, chopped
1-2 green onions, sliced
2/3 cup frozen peas
2-3 eggs
1 cup fresh
Soy sauce to taste
Fresh cracked pepper

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Add chopped ham and cook, stirring occasionally until ham is lightly brown.

2. Add onion, cook for a couple minutes, then add garlic and carrots and cook for another couple minutes.  Add the rest of the vegetables, except the peas.

3. In a separate small frying pan, scramble the eggs, breaking them into smaller pieces.

4. When vegetables are slightly tender, add rice, eggs, green onions, and peas to large frying pan.  Stir everything together.  Season with soy sauce and pepper and cook until rice is hot.  Enjoy!

Variations: Add 1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped.  Instead of scrambled eggs, top each serving with a soft fried egg.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite treats, but they take a little more time than I am willing to invest on a regular basis.  I first tried a version of this when I was staying with a friend in Arizona and I thought it was wonderful!  I have made it a few times since then for different events, slightly adapting it each time.  I love that it has normal ingredients that I always have on hand.  The first time I made it, I thought it was way too sweet and had a little too much butter (and I love butter).  I have cut down the sugar and butter a bit and think it is just about perfect.  The cinnamon shines through and it is still plenty sweet.  Every time I make this, it is always well received.

Cake:
3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping:
14 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9×13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Adapted from Your Home Based Mom.

Banana Cake

This is the best banana cake.  It is moist without being too dense.  I have tried several recipes for banana cake and while they are usually good, they aren't anything to write home about.  The first time I made this cake, my friend Kelsey requested that I use this her family's recipe for this banana cake for her birthday.  It is a Howell family classic, with good reason!  The Howells are great cooks, so it was no surprise that this cake was fantastic! I have made it several times since.  The recipe has been slightly adapted (I can't help myself), but no matter how I make it, where ever I bring it, it is a hit!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease a 9x13 cake pan.

2. With and electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture.  Mix until partially combined.  There should still be a few dry streaks.

4.  Add lemon juice while mashing bananas and once mashed, add with butter milk to the batter.  Mix until just combined.

5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.  Sounds crazy to bake it at such a low temperature, but it works.  You will know it is done, when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Soften cream cheese and butter.  Beat together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Beat until well combined.  Spread on top of cooled cake.

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

My husband and I are in the midst of moving so posting is a bit spotty right now.  Luckily, we've found an apartment so I have time to post a recipe I've been meaning to post for a while now.  Jen loves these lettuce wraps and has been asking me to post them.  Today is the day!

For some of you, Sriracha sauce, hoisin sauce and rice vinegar may not be kitchen staples, but trust me they make a lot of Asian food taste more delicious.  If you decide to buy them, I recommend getting them at an Asian market.  They tend to be much cheaper there than at your every day grocery store.  And keep in mind they last a long time and you don't need much in your recipes, so it's a great investment.  Plus, once you try this peanut sauce, you'll know you need these ingredients on hand.  This peanut sauce is that good.  And don't try to make it without the Sriracha.  Believe me, I've tried it.  It was highly disappointing.

Lettuce Wraps
Serves: 6 people

2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1 - 8 oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 c. cabbage, minced
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
3 tbs. cilantro, chopped
1 head green leaf, Boston Bibb or iceberg lettuce, washed and separated into individual leaves
(You can use any of these.  Boston Bibb is my favorite since it's soft enough to fold without breaking.  It is also the most expensive.  Iceberg is fairly traditional, but it breaks too easily for my taste.  Green leaf was a happy, cheaper compromise for me.)

Brown turkey with salt.  Add garlic, ginger and cabbage when the meat has stopped producing so much liquid.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add green onions and water chestnuts.  Mix all together and cook for a minute.

Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce and Sriracha sauce.  Stir until combined and cook for about 3 minutes for it all to incorporate.

Mix cilantro in when ready to serve.

Eat on a lettuce leaf with peanut sauce drizzled on.


Peanut Sauce

1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. fresh ginger, minced
6 tbs. water (or chicken broth)
5 tbs. hoisin sauce
1/2 c. peanut butter (I do creamy, but crunchy could be good too.)
1 tbs. Sriracha sauce
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. lime juice

Saute garlic and ginger in olive oil until fragrant.

Add in water, hoisin sauce, peanut butter, Sriracha, brown sugar and lime juice.  Cook until everything is combined and smooth.

Add more water if the sauce is too thick.  It should be smooth and thick, but still able to drizzle.

Peanut sauce adapted from kolpona.com