Just a Mom, HA!

Veggie Joes

Love Manwich?  Then do not read this post.

Love meatless chili? Then you might be intrigued.

I found a recipe for vegetarian Sloppy Joes, I made it my own without oil and with extra veggies, but then I served it up on brown rice and had a meal that even my healthy brother could eat.  It’s tasty, but it has a bit more of a kick than I expected, so watch for that if you’re sensitive.  We aren’t super spicy people around here but Jay and I devoured it, no prob.

If anyone tries this on buns I’d love to hear about how it holds up.  I also think it would be great with the rice I used but also in lettuce wraps and with a glob of sour cream.

Veggie Joes (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 small zucchini, cubed into small pieces
• 1/2 bell pepper (I used yellow), chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbs white-ish vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Rice, rolls, buns, lettuce wraps, whatever you plan to serve it with

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Confession time:  When I was pregnant with Cee all I wanted to eat were soft Pretzel Bites from the mall.  I drove by a mall on my commute and had to force myself with all my pregnant-lady rationality (which wasn’t much) not to go there everyday and blow my paycheck.

So, when I saw this recipe over at My Kitchen Cafe (a favorite food blog that I stalk), I got so excited.  Just think of all the money I’ll save if those same cravings come back in my next pregnancy? Woo!

Now, as a connoisseur of soft pretzels, let me say just a couple of things.  First, these pretzels were not like Pretzel Time in the mall – more like soft pretzels at sporting events, which made them a little too pretzely for my liking.  I think that I will lessen the amount of baking soda in the wash next time to see if I can soften them up a touch.

Second – since these pretzels cook very hot (500 degrees!) this recipe has a HIGH SMOKE WARNING! The pretzels were perfect, but the cooking spray that I greased the pan with set my fire alarm off when I opened the oven for the first batch.  I’d suggest making these on parchment paper to save yourself the smokey headache.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or regular yeast
7/8 c. warm water (can use up to a cup in needed)

Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
salt, you can just use plain table salt, or get some coarser salt for a fun look
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and cover it.  Let dough rest for 30 minutes or longer if not using instant yeast (dough should almost double).

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper (I’d say paper over spray – note my high smoke warning).

Divide dough into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn’t, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. I only baked one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them with the melted butter. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

Happy Cooking!

Challah Bread (Jewish Braided Loaf)

Challah is a traditional Jewish bread that is famous for its braided texture.  Though the shape is truly unique, the texture and flavor is close to a homemade French bread – white and springing with a browned crust.  I felt up for a challenge, so when I found this recipe from Betty Crocker, I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Only there was one problem – this recipe is a Bread Machine recipe.

Bread Machines are not always found in an Average Pantry, so I took Betty’s recipe and messed with the instructions, until I was able to turn my oven into a bread machine.  Hope you enjoy!

*And in case you’re curious, Challah is pronounced like HA-Lah.  Just drop that ‘C’ to call your bread by it’s true and authentic name.

Challah Bread

• 3/4 c. + 1 Tbs warm water
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs butter or margarine, softened
• 3 1/4 c. flour
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast (I used bread machine yeast, but any would be fine)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbs cold water
• poppy seeds, optional

Dissolve yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes or until water becomes milky.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees, once it reaches that temp turn the oven off while you finish combining the bread ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt, and egg.  Stir until well mixed, then add the yeast water.  Next add the flour, cup by cup, stirring between each addition.  Knead dough until it has a smooth consistency.  Remove dough from bowl, spray bowl with cooking spray, return dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and put the whole thing into the warmed oven.  Allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled.

Spray a large cookie sheet, or line it with parchment paper.  Remove the dough from the oven, sperate it into 3 equal pieces and roll them into long ropes (about 13 inches).  Place the ropes side-by-side, then gently and loosely braid them, pinching the ends and tucking them under to seal the loaf.  Place loaf on the prepared cookie sheet.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  While the oven heats, combine the egg yolk and the water in a small bowl.  Beat together until well combined. Brush or spoon the egg mixture onto the loaf, covering it entirely (I didn’t need to use all of my egg wash).  Sprinkle with poppy seeds if using them.  Bake loaf for about 20 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through.

Happy Cooking!

Valentine Cupcakes (3 Color and Heart Shaped Cupakes)

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day!  For a special surprise, I made Valentine cupcakes for my sweetheart.  They were a combination of ideas that I’d seen, and I was VERY happy with the results.I’m not a baker and I’m not a decorator, but these are just cute, don’tcha think?

AND the ideas used on these cupcake could be applied to other holidays/events, so let’s check these ideas out:

What you need:

• 1 cake recipe or one cake box mix
• 1 frosting recipe or 1 can frosting
• food coloring
• marbles
• plastic bags

To make the heart shaped cupcakes, line the baking pan with cupcake papers, fill them according to your recipe’s directions (about 2/3 full is normal), then slide a glass marble between the paper and the wall of the pan.  It will look like this:

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe’s instructions (mine baked at 350 for 18 minutes).  Be careful of the marbles when you remove the cupcakes – they pop out and are HOT!

Here’s a good view of what the marbles actually do to the cupcake:

I looked at these and said to Jay, “I think they look like little Pac Man heads more than hearts.”  He said that made them all the better Valentine for him.

IDEA for OTHER USES:  Make these into Pac Man cupcakes with yellow frosting and chocolate eyes!  Or use some green and white for little dinosaur heads with open toothy mouths.

To Make Three Color Cupcakes: To make the tri-color cupcakes as seen here, start with a white-colored cake (mine was a type ofvanilla).  After the recipe is mixed together take about 1/4 of the mix and put it in a plastic bag with food coloring.  Squish the bag until it is evenly colored.  Do the same thing with another 1/4 of the mix adding a new color, or a darker shade of the first color.

Fill the cupcake papers about 1/2 full, then snip the corner off the plastics bags and funnel the colored cake batter one at a time onto the center of the white batter until filled about 2/3 full.  Try not to let the colors mix together very much, just layer them.  Bake according to recipe directions.

IDEA for OTHER USES:  Use any color combo you want, or add some flavor extract to make flavor layers to your cupcakes!DECORATING:

I won’t ever pretend to be an expert on this, so if you’re like me here are some ideas:

• To get that smooth frosted look, warm up your icing.  A few moments in the microwave makes frosting much more liquidy, you can then dip your cupcakes in the frosting and let them dry for a no-stroke iced finish.  NOTE: If there are bubbles in your icing just be patient and wait for them to clear on their own.  If you dip them too soon the bubbles show on your cupcakes.
• No frosting funnels? No PROB! This is the average pantry after all – just spoon some frosting into a plastic zip bag, snip a very small piece off of one corner and squeeze away for easy decorating with no special tools (that is was I did for all cupcakes pictured).

Happy Cooking!

Naan (and its many uses)

Jay and I love Indian food.  LOVE IT!  Naan, Indian flat bread, is one dish that we really enjoy, so when I saw what a simple recipe it is I had to give it a go. 

Even though the consistency wasn’t identical to what we’ve had in restaurants, we both loved it and are already planning to make it again (I especially loved that I could make it without oil or butter).

I made Naan to go with Black Bean Chili (that recipe to come soon):

Then for dessert we sprinkled it with cinnamon-sugar and honey, which was outstanding.

Then my friend told me that she makes naan and uses the dough to make little personal pizzas.  I’m crazy about the idea and will be trying it next week!

It would also make a killer base for navajo tacos.

Basically with this recipe I’m giving you a gift with endless possibilities.

No, no need to thank me, I do it cuz I love ya.

Naan
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 2 1/4 tsp. (1 package) fast acting active dry yeast (regular would be okay, just watch it while it rises)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups bread flour, (plus more for kneading if needed – ha!)

Turn oven on to 200 degrees.  When it clicks, turn the oven off immediately, then proceed with the recipe.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Meanwhile, add sugar, milk, egg, and salt, to a large mixing bowl.  Add frothy yeast-water to bowl.  Add flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring between each addition.

Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl until smooth. The dough should grip your fingers, but not stick.  Remove dough from bowl, spray bowl well with cooking spray, form dough into a soft ball, then place back in the bowl. Cover bowl with a damp cloth, and place in the warmed oven.  Let dough rise 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

Push down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough, roll into balls, and place on a tray (tray should be sprayed or have a non-stick surface added to it (I used wax paper, but it still stuck just a little). Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled; about 30 minutes.

After the 2nd rising, preheat pancake griddle to high heat (400+ degrees).  No griddle?  Just us a non-stick frying pan on your stove top.

Roll balls out into a thin circle – the thinner the better. Place dough on grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until puffy and light brown, then flip the naan and cook until the opposite side is browned, another 2-4 minutes.

Finish these steps for all of the dough.  Serve the naan warm and plain, with butter, with garlic sauce, with curry, with cinnamon sugar and honey, with marinara dipping sauce, whatever you love. : )

Happy Cooking!

Pudding in a Cloud

Here’s an EASY dessert idea straight from my childhood that pleases both young and old.

Pudding in a cloud.

So simple, yet so stinkin’ good!  The idea is that you can’t see the pudding from the outside because it’s too well blocked by a layer of COOL WHIP!

Yum! (Or nummy nummy num, as Cee would say.)

My mom would make these on special family nights and line them out on the counter for all 5 of us.  My brothers and I would argue and shove until we were sure that we had the biggest or best serving.

It works with any pudding, any whipped topping, can be served up with a plethora of other goodies, or can be scaled back with low-cal Cool Whip, sugar free pudding, skim milk and you’ve got yourself a great low-cal alternative to ice cream!

Pudding in a Cloud

• 1 tub whipped topping
• Pudding – any flavor, I’ve only ever used instant which makes for a quicker dessert, but cooked pudding would be fine if you have the patience.
• Individual glass dishes (or at least a see through container if you don’t trust your kiddos with glass yet)

Mix up pudding according to package or recipe.  Allow to cool in fridge until set.  Using a spoon, heap and glob of whipped topping into a glass container, smearing it around until the glass is completely covered and you can’t see through (that would be the “cloud”).  Line all of the containers that you’ll use in this manner, then scooped the set/chilled pudding into the cloud.  Put a small final drop of whipped topping on the top.  Eat it alone, stash it in the fridge for a few hours, or serve it up with other goodies – goes great with graham crackers, nilla wafers, or anything else you want!

Happy Cooking!

Yogurt Berry Muffins

These muffins are intended to be a healthier muffin.  If you’re looking for the super sweet, leaves-grease-on-your-fingers type muffins then you shouldn’t read on.  However if you want a muffin that’s warm, not too sweet, and not going to kill you on calories, then this is a great option.

I did want a little more sweet, so I tore mine open and drizzled honey on it.

Then I died because it was so good.

Try the honey, I’m telling ya.

Yogurt Muffins

• 2 c. flour
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 oz light lemon yogurt*
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 1 Tbs natural applesauce
• 1 cup frozen blueberries and dried cranberries (I used about 2/3 blueberries then topped off the measuring cup with cranberries)

Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.  Mix together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making a well at the center.  In a smaller mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients (save berries for later) and mix until well blended.  Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing until everything is moistened – this batter is VERY thick; it’s okay if it’s a little lumpy.  Next fold in the berries, until just dispersed, don’t over mix.  Drop batter into the greased muffin tin dispersing the batter evenly between all 12 cups (each cup should be about 2/3 full).  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*Kim’s note:  the lemon yogurt doesn’t add a strong lemon taste.  If you want even more lemon in your batter, add about a tsp. of fresh lemon zest.  Is amazing with honey!

Happy Cooking!

Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

THIS salad was by far the best thing that I “cooked” all through the holidays.  It beat the ham, it beat the spuds, it rocked.

Oh – and that’s some non-fat dressing you’re looking at to boot!

I’m putting up the dressing recipe, but the salad recipe itself can be whatever you like – suggestions follow…

Cranberry Vinaigrette

• 8 oz whole berry cranberry sauce (about half a normal can, or one small can if you can find it)
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbs. honey dijon mustard
• 3 Tbs. water

Add all ingredients to your blender and liquify.  Store in an air tight contain in the fridge until ready to serve.  Can store for several days.

The pictured salad is made of:

• Sweet baby lettuces
• Spinach
• red onion
• cheese
• cucumber
• candied almonds*
• tomatoes

Next time I’m absolutely adding fresh berries and dried cranberries too.

*Rather than buying tons of candied almonds which I knew I’d eat by the truck load, I bought natural almonds, chopped them, and then sauteed them with only a little cooking spray, sugar and cinnamon.  Wonderful taste, wonderful crunch, no butter and no commitment to eat a million candied nuts.

Wonder Bars (AKA Homemade Reese’s)

Now to reveal this other mystery goody on our caroling plate this year…

Wonder Bars – a classic, Mama D treat.  They are a wonder, because they are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – homemade style.  They are wonderfully tasty, but also wonderfully fattening, so proceed with caution.

Wonder Bars

• 3/4 c. margarine or butter
• 1 3/4 c. graham crackers, crushed (11 crackers)
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 16oz. milk chocolate chips

Melt margarine, add peanut butter and mix. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar to butter mixture then blend well. Pad “dough” into a 13×9 in pan. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Spread on top of PB mixture. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the chocolate set.

Kim’s tips:  Doing half of this recipe in an 8×8 square pan is great for smaller families.  Also, if you choose to chill your wonder bars to help the chocolate set faster, let them come back up to room temp before cutting them so that the chocolate doesn’t crack.

Happy Cooking!

Red Velvet Truffles

Here’s a shot of our caroling goodies this year:

Like I said in another post, I’m a little short on time this month, so we stuck with some simple family classics: cake batter cookies, Wonder Bars (recipe coming soon), and Red Velvet Truffles.

If you need an easy Christmas treat idea, but that will still impress your friends or guests, I’d highly recommend this recipe along with its sister recipe, Oreo Truffles.  For flavor/texture, I prefer the Oreo, but for Christmas time you can’t beat the red and white combo of these truffles.

Red Velvet Truffles

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 1 can cream cheese frosting
• 1 package of white almond bark
• food coloring or sprinkles for decorating, if desired

Bake the red velvet cake according to package directions – I used applesauce in place of the oil and it worked out great for this recipe.  Allow cake to cool completely, then break it down into crumbs.  Add frosting to crumbs, blending until evenly dispersed.  Form the cake mixture into bite-sized balls and place on cookie sheets lined with foil or parchment paper.  Freeze balls for one hour, or put in the fridge for 3-4 hours, or until needed.  I made my cake and balls the day before, kept them in the fridge all night, then coated them the next day.  Melt down half of the almond bark according to package directions, being careful not to scorch it.  Roll the balls in the bark coating them completely, then drain excess coating with a fork before placing the balls back on the cookie sheet.  Repeat for second half. If you want to decorate the truffles, add some sprinkles before the bark sets, or dye some bark with food coloring to drizzle or draw designs (I was thinking of trying to make green holly leaves on mine, but ran out of time and bark). Refrigerate until time to serve.

Happy Cooking!