Spicy snack, anyone?

Spicy Salty Pretzels

This is Andrew's favorite snack. He loves it so much that I actually have to hide the bag so he doesn't eat them in one sitting. They are super easy to make but are very messy. The heat can be adjusted if you're a little wimp and can't handle it.

The Spicy Trio

   

all you need is:

1 Dry Ranch Packet 

Lemon Pepper Salt- 2 tbls

Ground Pepper- 2tsp

Ground Cayenne Pepper-2tsp to 1tbls (depending on what you can handle)

Olive Oil

1 Bag of Pretzels

A ziploc bag-the big one

 I usually start by doubling all the dry ingredients (especially if I am using a whole bag of pretzels), mixing them together and setting them aside. Pour half the bag of pretzels into a large mixing bowl, add a little bit of oil while continuously turning with your hands or spatula so that they are thoroughly coated. Once they are coated start adding the dry mixture for a couple minutes. Put that batch into a ziploc bag and gently roll them around (at the bottom of the bowl there will be some wet spice mix, make sure you add that to the bag). Do the same thing to the rest of the pretzels, add them to the same ziploc bag and rotate till they look wet. once they are all coated in the bag let them marinate/dry which takes about 2 hours.

 If you make this for a party make sure to mention they are spicy because sometimes you don't notice then five pretzels in people are blaming you for burning their lips and tongue. Of course if you do enjoy spicy food these are not as spicy as I am making them sound. They are delicious and addicting. 

Enjoy!

Christmas Tree Triming Apps

I love Christmas Party food!! I love making it and eating it and looking at it, I love it. I made a couple appetizers for the Foster Family Tree Trimming party, that were delicious. Lots of goat cheese, lots of Thyme and a little bacon. I didn't take many pictures because KU was playing and I got distracted.

Walnut Goat Cheese Herb Balls:


Ingredients:
4 ounces goat cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
1 tsp Cracked black pepper
6 slices of bacon, cooked
1/4 cup walnuts (or pecans)

1) Mix the goat cheese and cream cheese together with 1 tablespoon thyme and the black pepper.I mixed with a fork but you could use a food processor  (You also use it for the walnut mix so its a lot of cleaning).
2) once the cheese is all mixed make them into little balls (1 inch). put them on a plate and place them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
3) while the balls are chilling get out the food processor and get started on the walnut coating. put the walnuts the other tablespoon of thyme and the bacon into the food processor and pulse till they are tiny little pieces.
4) spread the walnut spread on a plate. Roll the balls in the mixture and put back in the fridge till served.
Spread on crackers or pop them in your mouth!



Prosciutto Rolls

4 ounces soft goat cheese
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 teaspoons lemon zest (I used 3)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or thyme chopped

3 to 4 ounces prosciutto sliced
 Olive Oil
Black Pepper
Salt

1) In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, creme fraiche, lemon zest and thyme with a fork until smooth.
2) Spoon the cheese mix into a sandwhich bag (with on corner cut off) or a pastry bag. Chill for 30 minutes.
3) cut the prosciutto into strips 3 inches wide and 3 inches long.
4) pipe the cheese onto the end of the strips of prosciutto and roll up tightly
5) pour some olive oil onto a plate with some salt and pepper put the rolls onto the olive oil and turn a couple times to cover.
6) Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Soups and Pizza this coming week.


YUMM

Dirt Soup

I made up a recipe the other night. All Sunday Andrew kept complaining about his throat hurting and I brushed it off, then all Monday he kept texting me that he was feeling sick, so I told him I would make him soup. I made up a soup! Its called Dirt Soup because the stuff I put into it took more time to clean then to actually cook. I didn't even write down what measurements I used I just through it all in a pot and boiled it and it was amazing.

So I cleaned 4 potatoes off, peeled them then had to wash them again. I cut those into 2 inch cubes and boiled them until I could stick a fork through them easily. I drained them and set them aside.
I was in the mood for mushrooms so I bought a pound of white mushrooms and cleaned them for about 7 hours, not really but it took forever. I quartered them and set those aside.
I chopped 1 onion and 3 garlic cloves, I sauteed them until the onions were tender I then through in some sage and thyme.
This whole time I had some Vegetable Bouillon boiling (about 5 cups). I threw all the ingredients in and 2 tsp of Lawry's salt and simmered for 15 minutes.  

Andrew loved it and oh my goodness he was healed, so not only is it dirty it is also miraculous.

I would have posted a picture of it but it kind of looked like soggy potatoes in muddy water. Appetizing? It was delicious.

YUM!

Hey Foster Family, Here is a sneak peak:

I finally get to contribute to the Foster Family Thanksgiving food fest!! My new found love is making pies. I made a pretty bomb apple pie last month and decided that it was only appropriate to share it with a big group of people. It also made sense to make the pie look as good as its tastes so i attempted a lattice crust, and I owned it!
Its actually not that difficult I watched a tutorial on youtube and then VUALA the pie practically formed itself.

One inch strips

Basket Weaving

Before the gloss

Brushed with an egg yolk

The Final Product

Get ready for tomorrow family members!!!

YUMMM

Lettuce Wraps, Bok Choy, wontons and Kelli

I considered not posting about this meal, only because it was so amazing that I don't think I could ever top it and people would stop reading my blog.


On the occasional Wednesday night Kelli Downey stops by and I make her dinner, that is our arrangement. I trade food for company. I was in the mood for some greasy Chinese food, but now that I do this food blog I felt guilty and decided to make my own.

The Menu:
Tempeh Lettuce wraps
Sauteed Bok Choy
Cream Cheese Wontons



The Lettuce wraps have an addicting quality to them
THEY ARE AWESOME!!!

Ingedients:
8 Ounces Tempeh (cook in boiling water for 30 minutes, pat dry and chop it up)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin saice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Asian chili paste

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onions (Green!!or white)
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup minced white mushrooms
1 cup minced water chestnuts
leaves of lettuce


While the Tempeh is cooking in the water mix all the ingredients in red together and set aside.

After chopping up the tempeh brown it in oil it should take about 8 minutes on medium heat.Then set it aside
Saute the Garlic and Onions till they are soft. Add the mushrooms and chestnuts to the pan and cook for  2 minutes. Add the Tempeh and the prepared sauce, bring the whole pan to a slow simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Put it in a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and go to town!

 

The Bok Choy is super easy, it is a great side for any oriental dish. Bok Choy is really dirty so make sure you clean it really well. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil for sauteing. Cut the leaves off and set aside. Cut the stems into one inch pieces and throw them in the pan first, add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and let the stems get tender, not exactly soft, around 5 minutes. cut the leaves into strips, add them to the pan and cover, stir occasionally to let them cook down, add more soy sauce if you would like.

Wontons

I was afraid to make these, I didn't think they would turn out as great as they did. I have to stop myself from making a whole batch just for Andrew and me, because they are so addicting. So I would suggest making them for a party or you may gain 90 pounds.This recipe makes about 40-I swear I only made 20, on two separate occasions...
Be careful my friends:

1 package wonton wrappers
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Olive Oil for brushing

Mix all those herbs into the cream cheese evenly. Take one wonton out at a time and brush with olive oil. place 1/2 tablespoon of the cream cheese in the middle. Fold the wrapper closed by bringing each corner into the center, pinch and twist (make sure all the corners are pinched together. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool and then share them with many people.

 

Asian simplicity.

Yum.

Bye.

Stormy Soup

Today was gross, grey, cold and stupid. One of those days where you seem to have a headache all day long and don't feel like smiling and want to slap anyone just looking in your direction, and then you go to the dentist. Instead I took my weird pent up aggression and stabbed some potatoes with a fork (later I "baked" them in the microwave) and it really seemed to help. That's right I made Baked Potato Soup, not like yo mama's Baked Potato Soup, unless of course you are my husband's mama because that is who originally gave me the recipe.

Yummm....eat me!

This Soup is vegan and hearty and delicious and CHEAP! Here is what you need:

4-6 Baking Potatoes (Bake and Cool then cut into 1 inch chunks)
2 Tbl of Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced into thin strips
3 cloves Garlic, minced (5 if you love Garlic)
1/2 tsp of fennel seed, crushed (I don't use this, because fennel smells like sausage, blah)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 c. white wine, or more broth
5 c. Vegetable Broth (I used Vegetable Bouillon because it's saltier)
4 c. Kale torn into bite size pieces

Basically all you do is start by preparing your broth or Bouillon. While that is boiling, saute the onions in the olive oil. Once the onions are brown (about 12 minutes if on med heat) add the garlic,fennel (boo), thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Cook all that for 2 minutes then add the wine to de-glaze the pan. Dump that into the broth, you can then add the potatoes.
note: I feel like I never clean potatoes as well as they should be cleaned so I have always taken the skin off the spuds after they have cooled down, it gives the soup less of a dirt taste...end of note.
After you add the potatoes bring the whole pot to a low boil and add the Kale, mix it around cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
...and you get a boiling hot pot of some salty, garlicy, kaley, greatness that cost me $5.24 for Kale, Potatoes and Bread everything else I had on hand. THATS EIGHT SERVINGS!!! I will freeze what is left in this pot..and eat it in about 2 weeks when I'm bored.

 

Also putting a little Parmesan Cheese on top never hurt anyone too bad, just don't tell those crazy vegans. You can eat a ton and not feel guilty afterward, and it freezes beautifully!

So the weather is still gross and depressing but for that hour that I was in the kitchen surrounded by the hot stove and oven it felt so comforting..aah..now I am going to turn on my space heater and sit in front of it, pretending it is a roaring fire, then probably go to bed.

Adios!

My very first post

Hello Everybody/nobody, 

While this is very exciting, it is extremely strange. I don't plan on having too many followers this is my trial blog. I have been married a little over 5 months! wahoo I blew Kim Kardashian out of the water. Andrew is pretty cool, I like his beard and fell in love with his hair, when I met him it was about to his shoulders, now its all cut off but I know he'll never lose it, so he will never lose me!

The Phillies and Kansas City (Photo by Chris Walter)

There we are, major PDA! Thank you Chris Walter for the awesome Photos.


MOVING ON...to Food.
Since I have a job with the local school district I get out of work at 3:30. I started filling up this time by going to the Lawrence Public Library and getting cookbooks. Cooking has become a hobby that I am actually good at, and people enjoy. So I am ready to develop it further.


My Goal: Make at least one new and interesting meal per week and report back. Study techniques, nutrition, food combination, and wine, and report back. Anything really that I find interesting about food, I'll report back.


Thank you for reading my very first post, maybe, maybe you only read this line, whatever, Thanks for stopping by.