Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese

Wow oh wow were these good. I mean "slap yo momma" good. I thought these would be perfect for me and Chris, as it combines some of our favorite things. I think Chris would totally live in a house made of blue cheese, I could lay in a bed of leeks all day (well...maybe not...there'd probably be a lot of dirt..ew), and good bread? We will make ourselves sick eating bread and butter (food coma).

The first thought that entered my mind after my first bite was "creamy..so so creamy". I may have actually said that aloud now that I think about it. I was alone...don't judge me. Slowly cooking the leeks on the stove with a little butter and oil transforms them into the most decadent, amazing, creamy thing ever. I really liked the blue cheese, but any cheese could easily work here: feta (omg), goat cheese, Parmesan, etc. Chris thought they were okay, even with the blue cheese (gasp!). I think he thought they were too plain. He's wrong (sorry honey).

This would be a great appetizer, or a light lunch. I chose the latter, accompanied by an apple the size of my head. 

Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds leeks (about 3 big leeks), lengthwise and white and pale green parts sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 generous cups of slices)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing toasts
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 medium-sized or 12 baguette-sized 1/2-inch slices of bread of your choice 
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled 
Few drops of lemon juice (optional-totally missed this...oops. Must try!)

Directions

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Add leeks and use your hands to slosh them around, separating the rings and letting the dirt and grit fall to the bottom.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium. Once hot, add butter and olive oil until they're fully melted and a bit sizzly. Strain leek slices and add them to the pan, still wet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook leeks for 25 minutes, stirring them occasionally. My stove can't seem to get a low flame, so mine were done in about 15 minutes, as they were starting to brown. Just keep checking! Adjust seasoning to taste.

While leeks cook, brush bread slices with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Run under the broiler until lightly toasted. You may either spread the cheese you're using on now, while the toasts are hot, or sprinkle it on at the end. Divide leeks among toasts. Sprinkle with cheese, if you haven't spread it underneath. Add a few drops of lemon juice, if desired. Serve immediately, or gently rewarm a bit later.

Pastelli: Sesame and Pistachio Bites

Remember when I made Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad? Well I was left with cups of sesame seeds, and had no idea what to do with them. As if Heather from thegirlichef read my mind, she posted these Pastelli a few days ago. I had everything on hand, and made them pretty much immediately. They're the cutest little snack bites!  I was worried they were going to be super sweet because the ingredients consisted of only sugar, sesame seeds, and nuts. There was no need to worry, because though they are sweet, they're more rich then anything else. They are  earthy, chewy, and delicious. I've been eating one or two at a time, usually the second I walk through the door from work. Normally I just stare at the contents of my cabinets for about five minutes and give up due to laziness and "lack of food" (hah!), so I can't tell you how nice it is to have a delicious snack waiting for me when I get home!

Pastelli

Adapted from thegirlichef, who adapted it from Food From Many Greek Kitchens

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1/3 cup shelled pistachios, cut in half

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

Directions

Toast sesame seeds and pistachios in a nonstick skillet over low heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Pour onto a plate or bowl and set aside.

Return skillet to heat and add sugar. Cook, without stirring (I ended up moving the pan around a bit to distribute the sugar better), until it melts and becomes lightly golden. Carefully add honey to the skillet. Working quickly, use a heatproof rubber scraper/spatula to stir in the sesame seeds and pistachios. It should be sticky and thick.

Pour/scrape the mixture out onto a flat heat-proof surface (parchment lined tray, silpat, marble slab, etc.), and flatten a bit with a spatula or spoon. Dip your hands in cold water (as often as necessary) and carefully form a rectangular shape that is about 6 x 7 inches and 1/4 inch thick. 

Let it sit for a few minutes to allow to set up, then cut into small bite sized pieces or rectangles. Don't wait too long or it will be difficult to cut.

I think next time I may try adding some golden raisins. Num no??

Yogurt Scones

I never understood what was so appealing about scones. All the ones I had ever tried tasted like a hard, dry, biscuit (Starbucks anyone?). For a while, I actually wondered if you were supposed to dunk them in coffee like biscotti. Though after seeing several recipes on food blogs, cooking sites, Pinterest, I decided I needed to give them a chance, because obviously something had to be good about them.

I literally Google searched "what should a scone taste like?" Apparently I'm not the only one out there wondering because there were tons of hits regarding this question. After doing a bit of reading, I found that a scone is essentially a glorified biscuit. It should be light, moist, and oftentimes slightly sweet (at least in a America). A comment in one of the threads posted a link to these yogurt scones from Chocolate and Zucchini. I wasn't new to this blog, as it's quite well known in the food blog community, and thought these would be perfect for my first scone attempt.

I was blown away. I love biscuits, but these were SO much better. I didn't even add butter or jam. I ate them warm, straight from the oven. In fact, we all did! I also loved this recipe because it was really easy to make the scones your own. I used lemon zest and dried strawberries, but you could use any other citrus zest, vanilla, whatever fruit you want, or no fruit at all! I also chose to do an egg wash on top. Totally optional of course!

Just to warn you, I think a new obsession may ensue. To all the scones out there: I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to judge you so quickly, simply because I had a few dry duds. I'll make it up to you, I promise!

Yogurt Scones

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

Ingredients

Scones:

1 2/3 cups flour

2 rounded tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

A good pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons milk

Flavoring: Anywhere from 2-3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped, or 1 teaspoon citrus zest, or 1 teaspoon vanilla, etc. All of which could be optional.

Egg wash (optional):

Whisk together 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk or water. You will have some left over. You could give them a quick scramble to serve with your scones!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Dice the butter and blend it into the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter, or using your hands (which is what I prefer!), until no visible lumps of butter remains. Add the yogurt, milk, and whatever flavoring you've chosen to use, and blend them in until the dough forms a ball. Handle the dough as lightly as you can. Avoid overmixing, or the scones won't be as tender!

Pat the dough into a flattish round shape, a little over an inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges (you could also use round cookie cutters!). Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, giving them a little space to expand. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top of the scones are set and golden brown. Mine were finished at about 13 minutes, but that could because my "oven" is teeny.

Serve warm, with an assortment of spreads, or just the way they are!

Alphabet Soup

Yes, I am twelve years old. I couldn't help but buy the package of alphabet pasta, they're just too stinkin' cute! The day I made this we had our first snowfall in Beijing. Yes, in mid-late March. While it seems like Spring is nearly in full swing in many parts of America, we have snow in Asia. I'm hoping this surprise cold snap doesn't last. Last week we hit 50 degrees and I was nearly skipping to lunch that day. Heh..that would be a sight. I'm already stared at enough, people would probably start taking pictures of the crazy American girl!

Anyways, with snow on the ground I decided this soup would be great for lunch. It's simple, healthy, and delicious. The only change I made to the original recipe was adding canned diced tomatoes instead of water. I loved the addition, and I think you will too! Whether you have kids, or are a big kid like me, this is perfect for you!

Alphabet Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 cups celery

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 teaspoons of Emeril's Bam, recipe follows

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth (use veggie broth to make it vegetarian!)

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup alphabet pasta

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and Bam, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Add the alphabet pasta and stir well. Simmer until the pasta is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Bam Seasoning:

3 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregeno

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

I was missing a few of these spices, but it was still fragrant and wonderful. Just use what you have! I also halved the recipe, as I didn't want nearly a cup of seasoning. You can use this seasoning for anything else you want including soups, pizza, sauces, steak, etc. Bam!!

Recipe Source: adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Meet the easiest tomato sauce you'll ever make, and dare I say one of the best. All the ingredients are in the name, there's no chopping or dicing, and after 45 minutes you have an amazing, rich, almost creamy tomato sauce. I actually can't believe it's taken me so long to share this. I found this sauce maybe three months ago, and it makes frequent appearances. There's really not much else to say, except that you must try this...and soon. Buon appetito!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Seen on Amateur Gourmet, originally from Marcela Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking

Ingredients

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes*

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion cut in half ("hamburger style"..hah!)

Salt to taste

Directions

Put the tomatoes (including the liquid from the can!), onion, and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow steady simmer (uncovered..reducing is key!) for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, and discard the onion. I used tongs, and gave them a good squeeze to get all the amazing onion juices back in the pot. Add salt to taste. You may find that your tomatoes already have salt added, in which case you might not need any salt. 

Serve with Spaghetti, with Parmesan cheese. Though, it's so good, you may find you don't even need it!

*I'm sure you could also used canned diced tomatoes or even tomato puree. The cooking time would probably be less, especially with the puree.

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

After months of pinning recipes on Pinterest, this is my first one to actually make. Oddly enough, I found it only a few days ago, and thankfully had the perfect reason to test it out. Chris and Eloy have been playing soccer with other members of our orchestra the past few Saturdays. The game starts at noon, but they leave around 10am, because of the hour long commute and to catch a ride with a friend. The big question? When to eat lunch. There is no time for them between 10am and about 3pm to eat. Enter this amazing pasta salad.

I made the pasta salad the night before, but decided not to add the green onion and cilantro until right before. I didn't want it to get soggy, but looking back I think it would've been fine. This was perfect because they were able to get their carbs in before playing, and it traveled incredibly well. The next time I talked to Chris, he told me he loved the pasta salad, even before I had a chance to ask him. This is coming from a man who I have to bombard with questions after I make something to get some kind of concrete response. Am I the only girl out there who hates the word "sure" in response to a question?

Not only is this salad delicious, it takes no time to make. If you already have cooked chicken, this dish will take you all of 15 minutes to prepare. You can also use the sesame dressing recipe for other salads. I'll definitely be making this again, especially if I'm going back to graduate school next year. It's the perfect lunch!

Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 (16oz) package bow tie pasta

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/4 cup without any problems, though if you plan of having this last you a few days, maybe use the full amount of oil)

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cut up into small chunks)

1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)

1/3 cup green onion (sliced)

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add sesame seeds and cook while stirring until they are lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook according to package direction until Al Dente. Drain pasta and cool. Transfer to a very large bowl.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, add the sesame seeds, vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, and black pepper. Shake well. Pour the dressing over the noodles. Add the chicken and mix well. Add the green onions and cilantro and serve.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Blog Chef

Irish Brown Bread

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! I thought I'd celebrate by sharing this wonderful Irish Brown Bread with you all.

Is there anything better then bread and butter? I don't think there is. I want to improve my bread baking skills (especially yeast bread), and I think this bread is an excellent place to start. It was so easy to make, and the outcome was amazing. It had a wonderful grainy flavor, due to the addition of both wheat germ and wheat bran, and was oh so chewy. I ate it by itself, with butter, with jam, and last night, I even made a grilled cheese sandwich with it!

The hardest part about this bread? The waiting. You have to let it sit for one full hour after baking. I know, how can I actually be serious? I always eat baked goods fresh from the oven, and usually burn my mouth (the same goes for any hot beverage, or food that is supposed to be hot). Apparently, I will never learn. It was very difficult for me to wait an hour, but at exactly 60 minutes after it was pulled from the oven, I understood why the wait was necessary. The inside is pretty moist and dense, and if you try it right away, I don't think it would be completely set in the middle. This was a complaint from a few people who commented on the original post. Another thing, is that in the picture you will see that it is covered in flour, but this is not necessary. I was just playing around aesthetics.

I am also submitting this recipe to my first blogging event:

Again, Happy St. Patrick's day! Don't forget to wear your green, or you may get pinched!

Irish Brown Bread

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients

Yields two medium loaves, or one large. I halved the recipe for one regular sized loaf.

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 3/4 cups wheat bran or wheat germ, or a combination (which is what I did)

4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 ounces cold butter, salted or unsalted

2 1/2 cups buttermilk*

2 teaspoons molasses (I didn't have molasses, so I used honey)

Directions

Put the rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350ºF. Line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, and put it on the oven rack.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. 

Cut the butter into little bits and rub them into pieces in the flour mixture using your fingers, until as fine as possible. Stir in the buttermilk and molasses until the dough is uniformly damp. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and gently knead until the dough forms a smooth ball (remember this recipe makes two loaves so if you're making the full recipe, divide equally and knead each ball separately).

Using a sharp serrated knife, cut a cross over the top of the bread about 1 inch deep. Place the loaf or loaves on the hot baking sheet, being mindful that the baking sheet is hot!

If you're making one large loaf, bake for 45 minutes. If you're baking two smaller ones, start checking for doneness after 25 minutes (mine was done at 35 minutes). The bread is done when the top feels firm on top and hollow when you tap the bottom.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for one hour (this is important, see notes above).

*If you can't find buttermilk, you can make sour milk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to every 1 cup of milk. 

Pork Chops with Garlic and Wine

Wow, you guys really love oatmeal raisin cookies! The day I posted these I had over one hundred hits! I know that's not much, but I'm new to this, so it was very exciting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by! :) Now onto something a little more savory...

I just love cooking with wine. Not only does it impart a wonderfully rich flavor, but I look good cooking with it. Seriously, when you cook with wine, don't you feel like you're hot stuff? Hmm...maybe it's just me. 

These chops were easy to prepare, took very little time, and yielded great results. My sauce was a little on the thin side, because I was doing a million things at once, and added double the amount of broth...oops. I reduced it a little longer then the recipe suggested, but I was impatient and starving, so I decided it was just going to be a little thin. That was not at all a problem, as we slathered our broccoli in it...MMM. The addition of whole cooked garlic cloves was genius. I adore garlic in any form, so this was an added bonus on top of an already stellar sauce. This was my first pan sauce, so I'm super excited to try out more varieties!

Pork Chops with Garlic and Wine

Ingredients

6 whole pork chops (medium-to-thin)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper 

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

1/2 cup beef broth (more if needed)

1 whole bay leaf

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

18 whole pealed garlic cloves

1 tablespoon additional butter

Directions

Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and sear them on both sides until they're nice and golden, about 2 minutes per side. (No need to completely cook the chops at this point.) Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, then throw in the whole garlic cloves. Stir them around and cook them for several minutes, or until they get nice and golden brown.

Pour in the red wine, then add the bay leaf. Stir around and let it reduce, raising the heat if necessary. Cook the sauce for several minutes, or until it's nice and reduced and thick.

Stir in the beef broth (you can add more if it needs the liquid) and add the chops back into the cooking liquid, arranging them so that they're swimming in the sauce. Allow the chops to cook in the liquid for a few minutes, then pour in the balsamic. Shake the pan to get it to distribute, then cook for a couple more minutes, or until the pork chops are done.

Remove the chops from the pan once more, then let the sauce reduce a little more if needed until it's very thick and rich and the garlic is soft. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.

Arrange pork chops on a platter, then pour the whole skillet of sauce (including garlic) over the top.

Serve with a green salad.

*You may substitute white wine for a slightly lighter sauce.

Recipe Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Delish Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Two days ago, I was preparing to share a cake with you all. It was a rustic apple torte. The picture with the recipe looked great, and I thought mine came out pretty good looking too. I didn't think about it until after the cake was already in the oven, but there was no fat in the cake. No oil, no butter, nothing! As expected, the cake was dry, and a few hours later, a brick. I don't think I've ever messed up a cake! Needless to say, I was very disappointed. Thankfully, the biggest cake I can make in the "easy bake" is only 6-inches, so not too many ingredients were wasted. The next day, since my cake was two seconds away from going in the garbage, I still had a sweet tooth. That's when I remembered I had a recipe in an e-mail I sent myself months ago for oatmeal raisin cookies, and all of a sudden I had to have them immediately. I titled the e-mail Delish Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, hence the title of this post. My mom gave me the recipe over the phone, claiming they were the best oatmeal cookies she's ever had. She collected the recipe from a fellow teacher at her school, who brought them in one day. 

I honestly can't tell you the last time I had an oatmeal raisin cookie. They're one of those cookies that seem like they could easily be forgotten. Poor cookies. After my first bite, I literally "mmmmm"-ed out loud. They bring you back to childhood, or visits with your grandmother, or snuggling under a warm blanking on a rainy day. They bring you home.

These cookies were wonderfully delicious. The first bite I took, I was reminded of a macaroon: lightly crisp on the outside and gooey chewy on the inside. Of course, this was 3 minutes out of the oven. In true oatmeal cookie fashion, once cooled completely, it wasn't quite the same. It was a little more crunchy on the edges and slightly chewy on the inside. Still scrumptious, but in a different way.

The original recipe says the baking time is 10-11 minutes. As I learned during my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, under baking is key to a softer cookie. Therefore, I took mine out after 9 minutes, and one batch I took out after 8. The 8 minute batch looked way underdone, so I put it back in for another minute. Looking back, I actually think it would've been fine, and next time I think I'll just trust that they're finished and see what happens. I hope you enjoy this little piece of home!

Delish Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups uncooked old fashioned oats

1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate, larger bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, water, and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in oats, then raisins.

Drop dough 1 tablespoon at a time, onto prepare baking sheets. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden brown. Let stand on cookies sheets for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Just an FYI: I halved the recipe, and it yielded about 22 cookies. This was yesterday, and we now have about 7 cookies left. Maybe I should've made the full batch? :)

Recipe Source: adapted from Cookie Jar Classics (I can't find the book online...sorry!)

Chickpea Salad

We have been eating a LOT lately. Two nights ago it was pizza, and last night was extreme burger madness at our favorite burger place in Beijing, The Blue Frog. Their burgers are awesome, there are always tons of expats there, and on Monday nights the burgers are buy one get one free!! We hadn't been in about a month and a half, so I was looking forward to going last night. As we were ordering we were informed that the drinks were also buy one get one free...double score! I can't remember the name of the drink I got, but I do remember it having vodka, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Oh yeah..and the name started with an 'M'. It was a bit strong for me, but nevertheless delish (and pretty!).

And what burger did I order? I was super close to ordering the Portobello burger. It had hummus, watercress, peppers, and of course a large portobello mushroom. I thought it would be healthier, but you wanna know what I got? The mushroom. Yes..loads of mushrooms and Swiss cheese over beef. But hey..the bun was whole wheat! ;) I think next time we go though, I'll give the portobello a try, because it did look super tasty.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The thing is though, between pizza and burgers, my body was craving something light and green for lunch today. I wanted to make a chickpea salad for a few days now, and this one fit the bill perfectly. It was refreshing, crisp, and light, not to mention the vinaigrette was also wonderful. I ate about one large bowl full, and two kiwis for "dessert". After eating this salad, I’m starting to get super excited about spring, and can’t wait to eat all the fresh produce!

In a way it almost seems silly to write out a recipe for a salad, but at the same time, I would've never made this if I hadn't seen this recipe first. Therefore, try and think of this as a guideline, and get creative! My changes were using cherry tomatoes instead of Roma (they're a little sweeter..and easier to cut!), and adding cucumber. I LOVE cucumbers in salad. They're so crisp and fresh, I just adore them. If feta weren't so insanely expensive, I would've loved to have added some! In the end, I just loved this salad, and my body felt full and happy. Enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 hearts of Romaine lettuce (or one big one)

1 bunch of green onions

1 red pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

For the Dressing

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar

A dash of salt

A dash of pepper

Directions

Wash and chop the lettuce, green onions, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber. Add in the garlic and chickpeas and give it a toss.

In a small jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Give it a shake, and drizzle over the salad to lightly coat. Add freshly ground salt and pepper.

Recipe Source: adapted from Beloved Green 

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I've recently stumbled upon the Pioneer Woman's website, and I'm totally hooked. She has great photos, and her writing has so much character. Ree (Pioneer Woman) loves pasta, and the second I saw this one on her blog, I added it to my list of things to make. Peppers in China are actually quite inexpensive, so I thought this would be perfect to make while I'm here, as peppers can be pricey in America.

We really enjoyed this roasted red pepper sauce. Though I do love a good basic tomato sauce, it can sometimes be a little acidic for me. The red peppers offered a welcome change, and were slightly sweet with smoky roasted goodness. The only suggestion I have if you make this is to not be afraid to add salt (it really needs the salt!!!), and maybe more garlic. The original recipe called for two cloves, but I think three would be better. More garlic is always better! I also didn't have the pine nuts (they're so expensive..gah!), but would be curious to try it out. Apparently it does add a strong flavor, so if you're not sure if you'd like it, maybe leave it out, or only add a little bit. 

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

3 whole red bell peppers

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 a whole medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 pound to 1 pound pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, etc.

Flat leaf parsley, finely minced

Parmesan, shaved or grated

Directions

First, roast the red peppers. You can do this a number of ways: either on the grill, in the oven (450°F for 30 minutes..be sure to keep an eye on them, and turn every 10 minutes or so),  broiler, or directly on the stove top burner. I opted for the burner. Regardless of how you roast them, be sure you keep an eye on them, and make sure they get good and black. Once roasted, place them in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat, for 15 minutes (a little longer if you can). Peel the charred skins from the peppers, them remove the membranes and seeds; set aside. 

If adding pine nuts, lightly toast in a skillet over medium-low heat for about five minutes minutes; set aside.

Puree the peppers and pine nuts; set aside. 

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Pour cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add half of cooked pasta, and continue to add until desired pasta to sauce ratio is achieved.

Place pasta into a bowl, and top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Bok Choy with Bacon

I never had bok choy until I moved to China. I would always see it in grocery stores, but never knew what to do with it. Do you eat it raw in a salad? Soups? Steamed? 

In China, most of the time it's served hot and wilted, usually cooked by a quick fry. The first time I had it in a restaurant here, I was immediately in love, and every time it's served on one of our trips, I scoop a big pile onto my plate. Since bok choy is so abundant here (and super cheap!) I decided I wanted to try cooking some at home. As you can imagine, we eat a lot of Chinese food, so Chris hasn't been in the mood for Chinese when we have another choice. Well, today Chris and Eloy went to play soccer with some people from our orchestra, so I had the afternoon to myself and decided I would make what I wanted: bok choy with bacon. 

I bought the bok choy weeks ago, and it kept amazingly well. When I first saw this recipe, I immediately added it to my list, because anything that has bacon in it has got to be a winner. Bacon is magical, period. I made this as a side to some rice with green onions and steamed dumplings. Of course it was amazing. Such a simple side dish with lots of flavor, and a little kick of spice. I think I made this awesome lunch from start to finish in about 20 minutes (and I'm not the fastest chopper..gotta take care of the flutie fingers!) If you're new to bok choy, or are searching for ways to cook bok choy (hi Katie!), give this quick and simple recipe a go. You'll really love it!

Bok Choy with Bacon

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 pounds baby bok choy, with ends cut off

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 a small red onion, chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt to taste

Directions

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy (or medium low heat, depending on your stove). Remove bacon, reserving one tablespoon grease in the skillet. Add the olive oil, onion, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions start to become tender.

Add the bok choy, toss, and place a lid on the pan. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove the lid; cook and stir until the bok choy is tender but still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bacon, and season with salt. Serve piping hot!

Recipe Source: adapted from AllRecipes.com

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Yes, I know fall was months ago, and yes, I know these muffins have pumpkin in them. I love pumpkin so much, I'll find an excuse to eat it any time of year, though it does seem to taste better when the air is crisp, and orange and red leaves are everywhere. This was another "pre-trip cleaning out the fridge/pantry/freezer" recipe I found. I had about four brown bananas, some pumpkin I froze back in November, and some yogurt that I still hadn't used up, even after making incredibly awesome pancakes. I made these for our trip to ChangChun, and only half of them made it to the train.

These little muffins were delightful. They were very moist, and became even more so after a few days. They were nearly perfect, except I felt that there was a little too much nutmeg for my taste. I adjusted the recipe accordingly, by reducing the amount of nutmeg by half. I was also really excited to make these because I got to use my cute cast iron muffin pan my mom got me for Christmas (Christmas with my family was about a month ago, so I haven't really had it that long). They're not mini muffins, and not the normal size either. They're juuuust right. Aren't they cute??

Healthy Pumpkin Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat or wheat bran

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup applesauce (I used plain yogurt instead)

15 ounces canned pumpkin

2/3 cup rolled oats

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and let sit for about 5 minutes so the oats will soften. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.

Spoon into prepared pans or tins, filling the cups until just about full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

Recipe Source: adapted from Food.com