Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘recipe’

Peach cobbler-pie

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on July 30, 2011| 3 Comments »

Peach cobbler in a bowl

It’s not quite a pie, but it’s not quite a cobbler either. What is it? Delicious.

My mom has an amazing Poor Man’s Cobbler recipe with a slightly more cake-like topping, which I’ll post some other time. But this is not Poor Man’s Cobbler. This recipe is a combination of cobbler and pie (like I know the exact difference, haha).

Peaches are in season, and I can’t get enough of the big, juicy stone fruits. In season means cheap, and Sprouts had peaches for $0.47/lb.! Oh, the things that make me happy these days.

Ingredients

The crust on this beauty is more flavorful than your average pie crust, but it’s still sturdy like a regular crust. And it’s really easy to work with!

For the Crust

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar because I was out of white)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbs vanilla
  • 3 Tbs milk
  • For topping: 1 Tbs milk, a sprinkling of sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon

For the Filling

  • 8 medium peaches (the number of peaches is flexible)
  • 1 cup brown sugar (you can use 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar if you want)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or just sprinkle it on)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Of course, none of these measurements is set in stone. Feel free to experiment as you wish. 🙂

Side note: I think a stray nectarine may have made its way into the cobbler while I was trying to use up my fruit. The world did not end.

Directions

This is a very low-maintenance crust, along with a superbly easy filling. I love low-maintenance things. I AM low-maintenance.

  1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt for the crust. Cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry blender until crumbly. In another bowl, gently beat the eggs and vanilla and add it to the flour mixture. Add the milk and stir until it becomes a ball.
  2. Split the dough into 2 pieces. Press 1 piece down onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan as the bottom layer. Refrigerate the remaining piece of dough.
  3. Pit the peaches and slice them thinly (don’t worry about making them perfect). You can peel them if you don’t want to bite into the occasional skin, but if you don’t care about eating the skins, and peeling them is not worth it to you, then don’t do it. I sure didn’t.
  4. Stir all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into the pan over the bottom layer of crust.
  5. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a long rectangle to cover the filling in the pan. If you’re fancy, use “a rolling pin on a floured surface.” If you’re me, use an olive oil bottle and roll it between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Place the dough on top of the filling in the pan.
  6. Poke it several times with a fork. Brush the top with the remaining Tablespoon of milk and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
  7. Plop a dollop of Bluebell “homemade vanilla” ice cream on top of a serving in your bowl. Consume with glee.
It refrigerates nicely, it doesn’t get soggy, and it doesn’t ooze out all over the place when you try to cut into it. By all that I mean to say, it’s great to bring to parties or serve to guests!
Pan of peach cobbler from the side
Peach cobbler in a bowl with whipped cream and a spoon

Read Full Post »

Greek-style quinoa with avocados

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on July 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Bowl of avocados and quinoa

I love light, filling, refreshing meals in summertime. This dish was exactly that. Stephen thought it was good, but he would’ve preferred something a little meatier. I, however, couldn’t get enough of it! When you’re making it, it looks like it might not taste very good, but that first bite transforms it into a thing of beauty. It’s really quick and easy, and it’s really cheap as well.

Ingredients

I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I had been wanting to make it for a long time, and I finally got around to it. It’s definitely a keeper!

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (I got mine from the bulk section in Sprouts.)
  • 1 cup water (I got this from… the faucet. Way less exciting.)
  • 2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (I probably used closer to 1/2 cup)
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 avocados, sliced (and seeded and peeled…). I actually cut mine into bite-size pieces.
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (ok, by now you should know that I rarely measure cheese. You can wing it on this one.)

The recipe called for 2 avocados, but I would actually go for 3 next time. I love avocados, so I wanted them to have a bigger role in the meal. It’s technically supposed to make 4 servings, but I split the quinoa into 3 servings and used the avocados on only 2 of them; that’s why the photo at the top has so much avocado!

Directions

Quick and easy!

  1. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes (liquid should be absorbed).
  2. Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and mix in tomato, spinach, and onion.
  3. Whisk lemon juice, olive oil and salt in a separate small bowl. Pour over quinoa mixture and mix.
  4. Add avocado and feta cheese.
  5. Try not to eat the entire bowl in one sitting.

If you’re making this ahead of time, brush the avocado slices with lemon juice to keep them from getting brown.

The remaining serving with no avocados:

Bowl of Greek quinoa mixture

Read Full Post »

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on July 1, 2011| 2 Comments »

Slice of chocolate peanut butter pie

Let me introduce you to one of the simplest equations in the universe:

Chocolate + Peanut Butter = BLISS

I’m glad we’ve got that settled. No variables here. Refer to my post on the Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake with No Ice Cream for my feelings on the subject.

So I was making this pie a few weeks ago, and Stephen inquired as to why I hadn’t blogged about it yet, because I was depriving the world of a great treasure. Except he didn’t use those exact words about the treasure. But he was right – I needed to pass it along! (You can thank him later.) It will make your taste buds yodel and do the polka, which is kind of cool since I’m pretty sure I didn’t know how to do the polka. Or yodel, for that matter.

Chocolate and peanut butter. Such a beautiful thing.

Ingredients

The original recipe came from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, but of course I always make a few adaptations.

Crust

  • 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (You can buy them pre-crumbled, or just put some whole graham crackers in a large ziploc bag and mash them until they’re crumbs)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup melted butter

Filling

  • 1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened (I use Neufchâtel cheese, which is usually right next to the cream cheese and will probably say something like “1/3 less fat than cream cheese” on the package)
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter (I use creamy, but crunchy works)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup whipping cream (as in, heavy whipping cream – NOT “whipped cream.” You’ll find it in the store next to the half-and-half)
  • 2 Tbs powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces (I have actually never used these. I’ve always just used regular-size and chopped them up, or I’ve used squares of baker’s chocolate and chopped/shaved it really small. But if you get them small it will save you some work and some dishes!)

So I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s really not. I just apparently talk a lot in my comments after each ingredient.

Directions

This really is embarrassingly easy.

  1. For the crust, mix all 4 ingredients and press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan. Bake at 350° F for 5-7 minutes. Let it cool while making the filling.
  2. For the filling, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the 1 cup powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until combined.
  3. Beat the whipping cream and 2 Tbs powdered sugar in a separate bowl until peaks begin to form and stand by themselves (NOW it’s whipped cream). Gently mix about 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the peanut butter mixture, and then mix in the rest, along with the chocolate pieces.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the pie crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with any remaining chocolate. Cover and chill until set, about 2 hours (unless you put it in the freezer because you can’t wait any longer, in which case it takes significantly less time).
I would eat that even without something in it:
Chocolate graham cracker pie crust
The humble beginnings:
Peanut butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl
It’s coming together:
Blended peanut butter and cream cheese
Whipping cream, post-whip:
Whipping cream in a mixing bowl
Chopped up pieces from a couple of baker’s squares of chocolate:
Chopped-up chocolate
It really is a thing of beauty:
Angled view of chocolate peanut butter pie
P.S. Please excuse the TERRIBLE lighting; I got the urge to make it long after natural light was no longer available…

Read Full Post »

Memorial Day Menu: Part 3 – Orange julius

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on June 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Fresh orange julius smoothie

A lot has happened since Memorial Day, aka my last blog post. A week and a half in Canada? A wedding? Another wedding? Insanity? I’ll take a little of each, please.

Here, at last, is Part 3 of our Memorial Day menu. Orange julius!

***

By the way, if you missed my previous post, I’m splitting our Memorial Day Menu into several posts:

***
This was one of my favorite treats growing up, and now it’s a household staple for Stephen and I as well. Orange julius (orange cream smoothie) is really quick, more delicious than you could ever imagine, AND it’s somewhat healthy!  That’s a win in my book for sure.

Ingredients

By the way… the only thing I have EVER measured out in this recipe is the milk, and even then I don’t do it every time. In fact, on my actual written “recipe,” the only ingredient with a listed measurement is the milk.

So basically, what I’m trying to say is, I made up all the numbers in this recipe. I figured that might be better than telling you to just throw a bunch of stuff in there until it looks good.

  • Ice
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 can of orange juice concentrate (frozen)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I usually use a little more, but I love vanilla)
  • 1-3 Tbs sugar, depending on taste

If you keep a couple cans of orange juice concentrate on hand in your freezer, you should have everything you need to whip up a quick batch of this fabulous smoothie. You will become any guest’s favorite person ever.

Directions

The trick is to blend the ice and milk for a few seconds to get the ice into smaller pieces before adding everything else. It’s no big deal if you don’t do it that way, but it helps guarantee smoother results.

  1. Pulse the milk with a few big handfuls of ice in the blender.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

One batch makes enough for 2-4 people, depending on how big your cup is. Stephen and I have no problem finishing off one batch, but we live in Texas, where it’s currently 104° F outside. (Though in the interest of full disclosure, our orange julius consumption is by no means limited to the summertime.)

And to wrap up the Memorial Day Menu series, you get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes peek at the wreckage in my kitchen after all that frenzied cooking!

My messy kitchen after cooking

Read Full Post »

Memorial Day Menu: Part 2 – Soft pretzels

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , on June 1, 2011| 4 Comments »

Soft warm pretzels

There’s something special about pretzels.

No, not the tiny hard ones you buy in a bag (though they do have their place!). I’m talking about the big, warm, soft, salty variety that makes you want to live in a pretzel shop. My friend Andrea and I decided that not only can soft pretzels end wars and cure world hunger, they also make the PERFECT snack. What more could you want in a food?

I found them on one of my favorite blogs, Annie’s Eats, and then my friend Tram made them and posted about it on her blog, Momma Bird’s Kitchen. I’d been wanting to make them for months, and I finally got my chance.

Mine aren’t as cute and little because (A) It was really hot outside, and I was going back and forth to Stephen and the grill outside by the pool, and (B) I was in a huge hurry and juggling corn cobs and dishes and a spastic timer. And also because I wanted to eat them and didn’t want to waste time making them look pretty. Thus, I ended up with the “rustic” look. That I intended them to have all along. Ahem..

***

By the way, if you missed my previous post, I’m splitting our Memorial Day Menu into several posts:

***

So, without further ado (who am I kidding? There’s always plenty of ado when I’m around), the Glorious Pretzels of Peace and Love.

Ingredients

You really don’t need any special ingredients! That’s awfully exciting for someone on a budget (though you do need a hefty amount of baking soda…).

For the dough:
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  •  4 Tbs butter, melted
  • A splash of vegetable oil for greasing the bowl
The original version calls for kosher salt or at least big chunky pretzel salt, but I didn’t have any. It didn’t really affect the flavor, but it sure would’ve been prettier with the right salt.
For finishing:
  • Cooking spray or silicone pan liners
  • 10 cups water
  • 2/3 cup baking soda
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbs water
  • More salt for sprinkling

Directions

The actual baking process is pretty quick, but you do have to let it rise. Also, I only have a hand mixer. I don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook. If you do, use it. If not, work harder and still end up with delicious pretzels.

  1. Combine the water, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and butter and mix just until it starts looking like dough. At this point, either switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, OR flour your hands, stick ’em in and moosh them around for a while until the dough becomes more solid and smooth. Move the dough to a large bowl with a little vegetable oil drizzed in it. Turn the lump of dough once to coat the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 55 minutes (it should double in size). I put it in the trunk of my car. This is Texas, friends. I’m surprised it didn’t start baking in there.
  2. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Lay the silicone pan liners on 2 baking sheets, or spray both sheets lightly with cooking spray. Put the water and baking soda into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Take one piece, roll it into a long rope, about 18-24 inches. Make a U-shape with the rope, twist it, and fold it back over to make a pretzel shape. Once you have all the dough shaped into pretzels, place one of them into the boiling water for about 30 seconds each. Fish it out of the water with a slotted skimmer and return it to the baking sheet before moving on to the next.
  4. Brush the tops of the pretzels with the egg/water mixture and follow with a light sprinkling of salt.
  5. Bake 12-14 minutes or until “dark golden brown.” Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes before serving. Or not:
Stephen sneaking a pretzel
We were going back and forth to the pool/grill, so Stephen took the golden opportunity to snatch a pretzel off the cooling rack. Please note the guilty look.

Next, I’d really like to try mini pretzels, cinnamon sugar pretzels and mustard pretzels. But not all at the same time. That would be weird.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »