Crustless Sweet Potato Pie with Pumpkinseed Crunch

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie with Pumpkinseed Crunch

WHAT?! Pie without the crust?! Blasphemer! Yes, I know. I am a huge fan of pie crust, and have been known to bake extra pieces of the crust just to dip into my filling while I bake ( I did not say I was proud of that fact, just that it was true). However, I hate pre-made crusts and crusting takes forever and obscene amount of utensils to make it perfect, and after all the time and patience I have found it still is inconsistent whether it will turn out pretty or not. Therefore, I do this for dinner parties because individual ramkins make you look chic and sophisticated, and the lack of a crust means you get to eat twice as many without the caloric overload (or I suppose you could just be healthy and eat just one, but that's just crazy talk).

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes, baked, and mashed (but not overmashed)
- 2 Lg. eggs
- 1 Lg. egg white
- 1/2 cup (or 3/4 if you like it really sweet) maple syrup (the good stuff from Vermont!)
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tablespoons of raw sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (not salted)

Directions:
Preheat to 375.

Whisk mashed sweet potato with whole eggs, 1 egg white, maple syrup, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Spoon into individual ramkins. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in middle of oven until it doesn't look jiggly (check at 20-25 mins).

Spray foil with cooking spray. Toast pumpkin seeds in skillet with 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup for 1-2 mins until golden. Spread on foil and let cool in a layer. When ramekins are done, crumble seeds over each to garnish.

*Can also whip 1 cup cream with a little vanilla and cinnamon and dollop or serve on the side.

*This also works well for any pumpkin pie recipe. Just watch the ramekins b/c they bake differently in different ovens.

Shashukah...Lichiam!

Shashukah!

This roughly translates to "Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce." This is an Israeli dish kids used to bring to potluck when I was in school, but after a little bit of research (aka typing it into Google) I have learned that nearly all nationalities have their own version of this, which is so good to know b/c any endless possibilities exist for this really easy, bread holding dish. Enjoy!
*This is adapted from the Smitten Kitchen blog and a sheet of paper found in my mother's recipe box, so who knows where it really came from.


Ingredients:
- sick amount of olive oil
- 2 small onions
- 3 fresh chiles (halved and seeded, but if you like it really hot leave in the seeds or use some adobe chiles from the can)
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon of paprika (smoked is better)
- 1 tsp. of cumin
- 2-4 leaves of sage
-1 pat of butter
- 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 4 eggs
- 1 can of crushed tomatoes (or do it yourself with whole tomatoes as if you are making tomato sauce)
- salt and pepper to taste
- crumbled feta
- warm, crusty bread

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes. In another pan brown a pat of butter and cook sage leaves in it until they get brown and you begin to smell them, about 2-3 mins. Set aside.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle with feta. Cut up the sage leaves and sprinkle on top (some people use flat leaf parsley, but parsley makes me gag) and serve with warm crusty bread

*When I made this recently I forwent the feta and instead spread goat cheese on bread for dipping and that was even better, so choose your cheese option to taste.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Simple Tomato Sauce

It has come to my attention that nearly everyone I know, even the sever foodies, still use tomato sauce from the can! This is astonishing, not only because of the pure amount of sodium and who knows what else from the can, and not only because my mother still makes it fresh (the woman who has since been converted to a life of Jenny Craig, Nutra-System, and any other get-thin-quick pre-made food), but because it is possibly the EASIEST thing in the world to make. It is impossible to screw up and as long as there are tomatoes in the house, almost anything goes. So here it is: the simplest homemade tomato recipe. I like to make huge batches at the end of the summer then freeze them individually for all year round good times when tomatoes are no longer in Virginia, but for you warm weathered eaters with eternal access to tomatoes, I am jealous.

Ingredients:
- Tons of tomatoes (3 lbs is recommended, but you know how tomato-y you like it so use some discretion. Also, I like romas, but anything goes and mixing yellow, green, and cherries in with the big tomatoes will give it a great taste)
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or 2 pats of butter
- 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- slivers of fresh basil
- Italian seasonings such as oregano, thyme, etc. (*optional)
- 1/2-1 cup leftover red wine (*optional, but don't use anything you wouldn't drink!)
- large onion, chopped or slivered
- 1-2 carrots, chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms (any kind works, and again all veggies are optional)

Directions:

Cut small X on bottoms of tomatoes. Place in a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds, then in an ice bath or cold water. Peel off the skin. Then squeeze tomatoes over a strainer reserving juices and getting rid of the seeds. Chop the squished and squeezed tomatoes, or if you are feeling lazy, just wait and use a potato masher in the pot when making the sauce. (*If you are feeling very lazy, skip this step and buy 2 cans of peeled or crushed tomatoes)

Heat olive oil in the pot you plan to make the sauce in (one less pan in better for everyone to deal with). Add garlic and cook until lightly brown. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add any other veggies you want softened (aka mushrooms, carrots if you don't like them crunchy, celery, etc.). Then add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and reserved liquid. Add in the wine and any other spices (I like to add in a lot of red pepper flakes and adobe chiles, but I like things hot in the kitchen). Stir.

Bring to a boil, then put it on simmer, and go watch an episode of Dexter or something for about 1/2 hr while it simmers, stirring occasionally, and that's it! You're done. Salt and Pepper to taste.

OTHER OPTIONS:

- Instead of red wine, you can add 1/2 cup of vodka and some cream to make it a creamy tomato vodka sauce (look to add enough to make it a dark orange color)

- for extra flavor, simmer the basil leaves or sage leaves in the butter before putting other stuff in the pot.

- Add 1/2-1 lbs. of ground turkey to a pan and/or sweet Italian sausages, cook until brown, and throw in to make it a meat sauce.

- Add a scope of tomato paste if you like it to me a little richer, or add less of the tomato juices.

- While making the sauce, roast leftover tomatoes in the oven at 400, drizzled with salt, pepper, and olive oil until sauce is ready. Add them in at the end, mashing with a fork for extra smoky, tomato-y flavor.

Veggie Casserole w/ Tofu Topping

VEGAN! For the record, mine never looks like this, but there's hope that it could. Enjoy!



For vegetables

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 lb cabbage, cored and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices (4 cups)
• 1 lb kale, stems and center ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped (12 cups)
• 1/2 lb carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For topping

• 1 1/2 cups fine fresh or dried bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 7 oz firm tofu
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano(1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauté vegetables:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a deep 12- to 14-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add cabbage, kale, carrots, water, soy sauce, and salt. (Skillet will be full, but volume will reduce as vegetables steam.) Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Make topping:
Pulse all topping ingredients together in a food processor until combined well. Alternatively, mash ingredients together in a large bowl with a potato masher. Sprinkle tofu mixture over vegetables in baking dish and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and vegetables are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

Easy to make, still smells like Christmas and for extra flavor include 1/4 tsp. of vanilla, almond, or cinnamon.

Ingredients:
1C soft shortening (margarine)
1 1/2C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4C flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt


Directions:
Combine shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift together and stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Chill dough for about 20 mins. Preheat oven to 400. Roll dough into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll into mixture of 2 Tblsp. of sugar and 2 Tblsp. cinnamon.

Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Place in preheated oven for about 8-10 mins. or until golden brown.

Parmesan Mushroom Risotto

Parmesan Mushroom Risotto

Yes, another pain in the arse, take your sweet time recipe, but it is totally worth it. Since I don't like greenie veggies in my risotto, this is my alternative to Mel's. I like to use a ton of different kinds of mushrooms, and it is really to taste. It takes awhile, so this is a dish to prepare if you are trying to impress someone or you like to calm down you nerves with cooking (eh hem, me). What I love most about risotto is how fascinating it is that such a small little granule can absorb so much liquid. It fills with flavor and becomes creamy and melts in your mouth from something so simplistic. Quite a romantic dish.


Ingredients:
1/2 lb of wild mushrooms (shiitaki, cremini, or whatever you fancy/can afford), dried. You can find these on the side of the fresh veggies side. Make sure you get the dried out kind b/c the broth left over works amazingly well
1/2-1 lb. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 leek (optional)
1 sweet, white onion
1 Tblsp. minced garlic, or 3 cloves
2 Tblsp. butter (optional)
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1C chicken or veggie broth
1C white wine or sherry wine, whatever is available
1C arborio (aka risotto) rice
1-1/2C grated, fresh Parmesan cheese
1T chopped, fresh basil (for garnish)
*truffle oil, if you happen to have it in the spice rack, but its expensive so don't worry if you don't


Directions:
Reconstitute the dried mushrooms (aka put them in lukewarm 4C water & 1/2C sherry to absorb for about 1-2 hrs or follow directions on the package), then drain. Set aside broth.

Heat oil in largest skillet/saucepan you have. Dice onions and leeks, and sautée until translucent. Add garlic to brown for a min or so. Add reconstituted mushrooms, and fresh mushrooms, until tender. Salt & pepper, to taste. Take out veggies with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving oil and drippings in pan (if it looks a bit dry, add some more oil and let heat).

Bring heat to med-low and melt butter if you so desire but not necessary. Add rice, stirring continuously to keep it from browning, until it turns translucent (about 7-10 mins). Warm the wine on low in a separate pot. Simmer the broth to be used (should be about 4-5C of broth from the mushrooms, but if you don't have enough, substitute chicken or veggie broth) in yet another pot. Your pot count should be 3!

Stir in the set-aside veggies in with the rice in the large saucepan. Stir in 1/2C of the warmed wine until completely absorbed. It must be warmed to keep from "shocking" the rice, or it will begin to flake, taking a bit away from the romanticism, not to metion the taste.

Once absorbed, begin to ladle 1/4C of the broth at a time, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to look all absorbed, ladle in more until you are out of liquid (it should equal about 5C of liquid). This process takes quite awhile with the ladling and stirring and waiting for absorption, so don't feel like you are doing it wrong, it supposed to be a bit creamy, liquid-y, and take awhile. If you still aren't sure, keep tasting the rice grains, it should taste al dente, and not hard.

When most of the broth is absorbed (during the last ladle), add in 1Tblsp. butter if desired, or a few Tblsp. of cream, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat. Add the basil as a garnish on top or mix in.

This would be a good pairing with basic chicken in white wine, or sauteed chicken strips can be mixed in for a more filling meal.

Enjoy!

Kitchy Kitchen Appliances Defunked!

So, I am a product junkie, but since my guilt-ridden move to greening, I can no longer buy bath and body products when I don't need them or without looking up and down at the ingredients. Any normal person, would just make the transition, but since I am a tad OCD, I needed my obsession to seep into another aspect of my life, and so it has - into cooking. I longingly glance in the windows of William Sonoma and Crate and Barrel for a peek at their pricey shelves of decadent kitchen appliance, and watch hours longer than I will admit of QVC ads selling numerous chopping, whipping, blending, heating devices I may or may not be able to live without. Yet, the whole poor, loan-laden student lifestyle leaves very little budget wiggle room for such items, however I constantly find myself wondering if I had the ability, which items would I absolutely need. So I have started to gather a list of the needs vs. the need nots. Thanks to the help of my mother, Heather, and law school's lack of entertainment leaving me with plenty of time to search reviews on such items, I have come up with some reviews. Please let me know if there are things you cannot live without, and things you certainly can and merely sit in the corner being un-used.


Must Haves:
- French Press
- Cuisinart Mixer
- Cuisinart Blender
- Crock pot
- Krups bean grinder
- Stainless steel mixing bowls
- Copper mixing bowl
- Silpat Cookie liner
- Roasting Pan
- One set of intricate bread loaves
- Cooling rack
- Japanese Rice Cooker
- Silicone Spatula or Spoonula


No Needs:
- The Magic Bullet
- GT Express 101
- Burr Grinder
- Pizza Stone
- Cookie Press

JC's Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

OK, I will admit it, I took this straight from Julie/Julia, which took it straight from Frenchie, Foodie, Julia Child's Master the Art of French Cooking, so this is kind of a Kevin Bacon dish, but the end result is amazing. I am embarrassed to have been so influenced by the media version of cooking, but I will give my quick review - Book: annoyingly obvious, Movie: fabulous. However, Julie Powell's description of this dish is spot on (and completely unlike any other part of the book). It's easy, takes awhile, but its so good for something so simple. I never really have the urge to make soup, nor have I ever tried because soup is an "and..." type of dish. Let me explain: Anytime you mention soup as a meal, especially for dinner, the inevitable next question is, soup and...? Its always soup and salad or soup and sandwich, so if you are going to fuss with cooking why bother making something when you are going to have to make something with it?! Exception: tomato soup, which is pure comfort food. But this is going to soon take over tomato's coveted position. Its sweet, filling, and gives a sense of accomplishment (though, I might just feel that way because I accomplished it in stark contrast to all of copyright law). Its also so good because it took me a moment to even remember what a leek was, not to mention I doubt I had ever had one before, but turns out its just a more mild version of celery (which is good because I hate celery). So here it is: The original recipe with a few tweaks (as always).


Ingredients:
3-4 cups of diced peeled potatoes (1 lb.)
3 cups thinly sliced leeks, including the tender greens (cut all the way until the real greeny part and it starts looking like a stalk instead of a meaty vegetable)
2 quarts water
1 Tablespoon salt
3 Tblsp. butter
dash of cream (optional)

Directions:
Peel potatoes and chop. Slice leeks. Salt and boil water in 3-4 Qt. saucepan.

Simmer vegetables, salt, and water together, partially covered for 40-50 minutes. Mash the vegetables into the soup with a fork or pass through a food mill. I neither had the patience for the fork or possessed a food mill so, I just mushed them back and forth with a slotted pancake-flipper, but to each his/her own.

Julia does not like the texture of soup pureed in a blender, and I have to agree. It should look like the picture. Adjust salt and pepper. When ready to serve, bring soup back to simmering. Then off the heat, stir in the cream or butter and top with ground pepper. Serve with warmed French Bread. Makes 2 quarts of soup for 6-8 servings.

Barefooted Lasagna

Barefooted Lasagna

I've done it! 3rd time really is a charm! After many failed experiments with the lasagna (HWSNBNITB has stated many a time how he preferred Stoffers, which of course broke my heart a little bit, causing me to go into a frenzy to find the perfect recipe). This is adopted from The Barefoot Contessa's recipe, takes about an hr., and produces a tangy, sweet and reheatably delicious result. Again, this is of course to taste, so tomato people- use 2/3 of the ricotta mixture and double the ingredients for the tomato sauce, and you will have enough leftover for spaghetti later in the week. Cheesy/Creamy people-keep the cheese the same and the tomato the same. Warning: this is a super rich dish. I like to pair this with a sweetish white (my favorite right now is Crystalis Sarah's Patio White - its amazing!) and for veggies, crunchy califlower is a nice addition.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 onion)
1 pck of button mushrooms or whatever mushrooms you relate best to
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 lb. ground turkey (or soy crumbles if you wish)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 Tblsp. oregano leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tblsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 pound lasagna noodles (use the no bake ones, they are waaaay easier)
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled OR chive & garlic cheese spread OR feta
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 pkg shredded mozzarella

*Again, tomato stuff should be doubled and cheese should be halved for tomato-people
*If you want to make it veggie: Use soy crumbles and morning star sausage instead and include bell peppers, spinach, etc. to taste
*Spices are to taste and can be altered based on your taste and spice rack amenities

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Then add the mushrooms until cooked for a min or two. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, pepper flakes, and any other spices you see fit. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If using baking noodles, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. *Skip step if using no-bake.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese/garlic spread cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, some chopped basil to flavor, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan and a little shredded mozzarella. Bake for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Let cool for 5-1o mins, while cooking the cauliflower or your chosen veggie for the evening.

Makes a pretty large pan, so invite some friends, drink some wine, and enjoy!

Whoohoo!

Organic Caramel Popcorn

The All Organic Recipe for Perfect Organic Caramel Popcorn!!!

I've done it ladies! Whilst ignoring the large amounts of reading that has slowly been piling up over the weekend, I have focused my energy on a new feet: I have officially found the perfect recipe for organic caramel popcorn. Now, I know there is organic corn syrup out there, but I just plain
don't trust it! The corn industry scares me with their popsicle ads. So, I have developed my own recipe for caramel corn without the use of it. I must admit the measurements might be off a little (mainly because I made it up as I went along).


I will also give the instructions for the perfect way to make popcorn because again I am distrusting of the microwave popcorn industry also. Basically, I am 3 steps away from living in my own farm house right outside of a no-name town next to the unibomber, but at least I will be eating well and plan to outlive everyone. I literally did not have a single unpopped kernel using this method!

The Perfect Way to Make Popcorn:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
3 Tblsp. popcorn oil (or olive/grapeseed oil if you wish)
1 tsp. salt
*1-2Tblsp. butter to taste
*Big-ass NONSTICK pot (I use the same pot for the caramel. MIne is 8 1/2 Quarts)

Directions: (taken from Simplyrecipes.com)
Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.

Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping all at once. Once the popping starts, gently shake the pot by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan. Salt to taste.

and now....

Organic Caramel Popcorn
*There are two versions. The first allows for chewy, hot off the stove caramel corn, and the other is akind to firmer, crispy caramel corn much like cracker jack, so use the oven if you like crispy, leave it alone for softer corn. The crispy tends to be a little grainer, so if you don't distrust the corn industry, go ahead and substitute corn syrup for the honey and agave.

Ingredients:
4-5 quarts popped popcorn (a double batch of the above popcorn recipe, unsalted, unbuttered)
2C firmly packed organic brown sugar (light or dark is your choice)
1C (2 sticks) unsalted butter (could probably reduce to 1 1/2 sticks)
3T organic molasses
1T organic honey
1 Tbsp organic agave nectar (*or double honey amount)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
*Almonds or peanuts if you wish

Directions:

Heat oven to 225 degrees if using oven method.

Combine brown sugar, butter, molasses, honey, agave nectar and salt in a thick-bottomed, pot (aha, big ass pot). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thermometer reaches 250°F or if you don't have one, use a small amount of mixture dropped in ice water until it forms a hard ball (about 12 to 14 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. The caramel will foam up a little and turn a lighter color when you add the baking soda.

Pour the popcorn into the pot along with the add-ins if you want them. Using a wooden spoon, stir until all popcorn is coated. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, stir to more evenly coat the popcorn with the caramel sauce. Return to oven. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately spread caramel corn out onto waxed paper. Let cool completely. Break into bite-sized pieces. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes about 5 quarts.

Enjoy! Pair with a good, sweet white wine and romantic comedy for the perfect night in, Carly-style.