Usually we have fruit plain, but sometimes it's nice to make it a bit more special with a sweet dip! My mom has been making this one for as long as I can remember. It's super easy and definitely my favorite. A bit tart, brown sugar sweet, and the cinnamon pleases my cinnamon loving soul. Over the years I've had it with basically every kind of fruit you can imagine and it always tastes good!
You can change the recipe around by altering the sour cream. You could try light sour cream, greek yogurt, a mixture of whipped cream and sour cream, or a mixture of sour cream and cream cheese if you want it thicker. Also, the amount of brown sugar you use is completely up to you. I tend to go kind of heavy on the sugar but you don't have to! I'll bet a few drops of vanilla extract would be really nice, too! Point is, you can't go wrong with this dip recipe and feel free to make it your own.
Sorry about the lack of a picture! I meant to take one but it was all gone by the time I got around to it! Will try to remember next time.
Sour Cream Fruit Dip
1 C sour cream
1/2 C brown sugar (you may want to start with 1/4 C and add more if you think it needs it)
1/2 t cinnamon
Stir everything together in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for an hour or so before using if possible so the brown sugar can dissolve. Serve with any kind of fruit!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup
This is one of our favorite soups and the one I've been making the longest. I first had it when I lived in Austria, my host brother made it and it was so good! My husband was skeptical the first time I made it for him (about 6 years ago when we were dating), but he's become extremely fond of it as well. Usually I make him chicken noodle soup if he's sick, but he said next time he has a cold, he wants this one! It's also just perfect for a cold day, and sad to say it but halfway through April we still have a thick blanket of snow on the ground. The original version has caraway and I'm not a big fan of it usually, but it is perfect in this soup. It's also pretty perfect without the caraway so you can't go wrong either way!
In the past I always made it on the stove, but it occurred to me that it should be just fine in the slow cooker, and I was right! It's hardly difficult to make on the stove, but you have to stir it a lot as the potatoes cook so it doesn't burn, and the slow cooker makes that unnecessary. If you do want to make it on the stove, just simmer everything but the sour cream in a big pot for about 2 hours, stirring every few minutes, especially towards the end. You might need to add a bit more water or broth if some cooks off. When it's finished, you may or may not need to use a potato masher (the stirring action tends to break down the potatoes). Remove the soup from the stove and add the sour cream like the recipe says, then serve.
Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup
1 large leek, quartered and sliced (white and beginning of green part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
optional: 1/4 t caraway seeds
2 C sour creamYield: about 10 servings
Monday, March 25, 2013
Dreamy Baked Ziti
I've tried several recipes for Baked Ziti in the past and none have been remarkable. Not bad by any means- how can pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese be bad?- but forgettable. Until tonight! Last week I came upon this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe (it's originally from Cook's Illustrated Magazine) and I just knew we would love it. Turns out I was absolutely right! It's nice and creamy (but not too creamy) and the herbed tomato sauce goes with it perfectly. The melted, golden cheese on top is the crowning glory. If you are like us and love the pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese combo, definitely give this recipe a try! And just as nice is the fact that this recipe is pretty quick and easy to get going, only about half an hour of prep time before it slides into the oven. My search for a fantastic Baked Ziti recipe is definitely over and I can't wait to make this for my in-laws when they visit next!
Quick note: I've both tweaked and simplified this recipe a bit. Basically, I commit the cardinal sin among parmesan cheese and just use a container of shaved parmesan. Also, instead of cooking the cream with the cornstarch to thicken it, I just stir both ingredients in with the cottage cheese mixture and it ends up thickening perfectly in the oven. Saves time and dishes! Oh and if you're leery of the cottage cheese, don't be- it's very good in this dish and apparently Cook's Illustrated baked a version with ricotta but discovered that the ricotta dried it out.
Dreamy Baked Ziti
1 lb ziti or rigatoni
2 T olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 t dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1/2 t black pepper
1 t sugar
1 t salt (or to taste)
1 lb cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 C cream
6 oz oz grated or shaved parmesan, divided
8 oz cubed mozzarella cheese, divided
1 t cornstarch
1 t salt
1 t dried parsley
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13 pan and a piece of aluminum foil. Cook pasta in salted water until almost tender. It will continue cooking in the oven. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil over medium and saute garlic until golden. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper, and sugar, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. While pasta and sauce cooks, stir together all other ingredients except for half of the parmesan and half of the mozzarella cubes. When pasta has finished cooking, drain and then stir in cottage cheese mixture and about 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Spread pasta mixture in baking dish and top with remaining tomato sauce, spread to cover. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cubes and parmesan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake 30 minutes longer or until nicely golden and bubbly.
Yield: About 10 servings
Quick note: I've both tweaked and simplified this recipe a bit. Basically, I commit the cardinal sin among parmesan cheese and just use a container of shaved parmesan. Also, instead of cooking the cream with the cornstarch to thicken it, I just stir both ingredients in with the cottage cheese mixture and it ends up thickening perfectly in the oven. Saves time and dishes! Oh and if you're leery of the cottage cheese, don't be- it's very good in this dish and apparently Cook's Illustrated baked a version with ricotta but discovered that the ricotta dried it out.
Dreamy Baked Ziti
1 lb ziti or rigatoni
2 T olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 t dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1/2 t black pepper
1 t sugar
1 t salt (or to taste)
1 lb cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 C cream
6 oz oz grated or shaved parmesan, divided
8 oz cubed mozzarella cheese, divided
1 t cornstarch
1 t salt
1 t dried parsley
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13 pan and a piece of aluminum foil. Cook pasta in salted water until almost tender. It will continue cooking in the oven. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil over medium and saute garlic until golden. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, pepper, and sugar, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. While pasta and sauce cooks, stir together all other ingredients except for half of the parmesan and half of the mozzarella cubes. When pasta has finished cooking, drain and then stir in cottage cheese mixture and about 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Spread pasta mixture in baking dish and top with remaining tomato sauce, spread to cover. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cubes and parmesan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake 30 minutes longer or until nicely golden and bubbly.
Yield: About 10 servings
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Shrimp Egg Foo Young
SHE LIVES! Sorry about the long hiatus. I started a new job in January and have been pretty busy with that so haven't been cooking a lot of new recipes. Several times I did refer to the blog though for recipes I've already made so I could make them again! Hopefully I am out of my cooking slump though. Last night I spent a solid couple hours looking at new recipes and am all excited to try them out.
To kick things off, here is a recipe I made for dinner last night. Egg foo young. A couple of weeks ago my in-laws took us to a nice Chinese restaurant to celebrate our birthdays (which are a week apart) and I ordered a combination plate that had egg foo young on it. Had never had it before, but it sure was good, so I decided to try it at home! The recipe I made is loosely based on this one from AllRecipes. Had to tweak it a bit based on availability of ingredients and so it would suit our tastes better, but it turned out REALLY well and I will definitely make it again.
Oh and I served this with brown rice. I'd never actually cooked brown rice, but found out you could bake it so decided to give it a try! Worked PERFECTLY and it turns out we both really like brown rice, so I plan to make it frequently now. I just followed Alton Brown's recipe, which you can find here. My only suggestion is to cut back on the salt a tad if you're going to serve it with something salty like Chinese food, and the butter is probably unnecessary. Also I haven't tried it yet, but apparently you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9 by 13 pan if you want a whole lot of brown rice!
Quick note: I cooked the Egg Foo Young as one big omelet in the pan to save time, but you could cook it in smaller amounts like pancakes so they're round.
Shrimp Egg Foo Young
about a tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1/2 lb shredded cabbage (I used the shredded cabbage and carrots in a bag for coleslaw)
1 clove garlic, minced
5 eggs
1 C frozen cooked baby shrimp, thawed
1/3 C thinly sliced green onion
1/4 t salt
1 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
Sauce:
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 T sugar
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T white vinegar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
Heat about a teaspoon of oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded cabbage and garlic and cook just until it starts to wilt. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then add in remaining Egg Foo Young ingredients. Add cabbage mixture once it has cooled. Stir well to combine. Heat remaining 2 t oil in skillet over medium (don't want it too hot), then pour in mixture. Let it cook until it's nicely set on the bottom and sides, about 4 minutes, then cut the round into quarters with a spatula and carefully flip each quarter over. Cook until lightly browned on the other side and completely set, about 2 more minutes. Remove Egg Foo Young to a plate and keep warm in an oven set to 200 while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, rinse out the skillet or use a saucepan. Add all ingredients except cornstarch and cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir together cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Once liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat a little, then whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened and clear, which should only take a minute or so. Serve over Egg Foo Young and rice.
Yield: 4 dinner sized servings
To kick things off, here is a recipe I made for dinner last night. Egg foo young. A couple of weeks ago my in-laws took us to a nice Chinese restaurant to celebrate our birthdays (which are a week apart) and I ordered a combination plate that had egg foo young on it. Had never had it before, but it sure was good, so I decided to try it at home! The recipe I made is loosely based on this one from AllRecipes. Had to tweak it a bit based on availability of ingredients and so it would suit our tastes better, but it turned out REALLY well and I will definitely make it again.
Oh and I served this with brown rice. I'd never actually cooked brown rice, but found out you could bake it so decided to give it a try! Worked PERFECTLY and it turns out we both really like brown rice, so I plan to make it frequently now. I just followed Alton Brown's recipe, which you can find here. My only suggestion is to cut back on the salt a tad if you're going to serve it with something salty like Chinese food, and the butter is probably unnecessary. Also I haven't tried it yet, but apparently you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9 by 13 pan if you want a whole lot of brown rice!
Quick note: I cooked the Egg Foo Young as one big omelet in the pan to save time, but you could cook it in smaller amounts like pancakes so they're round.
Shrimp Egg Foo Young
about a tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
1/2 lb shredded cabbage (I used the shredded cabbage and carrots in a bag for coleslaw)
1 clove garlic, minced
5 eggs
1 C frozen cooked baby shrimp, thawed
1/3 C thinly sliced green onion
1/4 t salt
1 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
Sauce:
1 1/2 C chicken broth
1 T sugar
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T white vinegar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
Heat about a teaspoon of oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded cabbage and garlic and cook just until it starts to wilt. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then add in remaining Egg Foo Young ingredients. Add cabbage mixture once it has cooled. Stir well to combine. Heat remaining 2 t oil in skillet over medium (don't want it too hot), then pour in mixture. Let it cook until it's nicely set on the bottom and sides, about 4 minutes, then cut the round into quarters with a spatula and carefully flip each quarter over. Cook until lightly browned on the other side and completely set, about 2 more minutes. Remove Egg Foo Young to a plate and keep warm in an oven set to 200 while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, rinse out the skillet or use a saucepan. Add all ingredients except cornstarch and cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir together cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Once liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat a little, then whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened and clear, which should only take a minute or so. Serve over Egg Foo Young and rice.
Yield: 4 dinner sized servings
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Tuesday's with Dorie: Pizza Dough
Okay, okay, so I really only made half of this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe, which is supposed to be Pizza with Onion Confit (can find the recipe here at The Boy Can Bake). I didn't make the onion confit, which sounded very interesting, because my husband was horrified by the idea of topping a pizza with so many onions, and I envisioned my house reeking of onions for the next 3 months. So I decided to make a different kind of pizza, though the dough recipe was followed straight from the book. Sorry, Dorie and Julia!
The verdict: Pretty good! Easy to make, easy to work with, tender, soft. Definitely not a chewy crust (which may or may not be good, depending on your own tastes!), not heavy or dense, and not too breadlike, which is good. Not especially remarkable though, and no better than my regular pizza dough recipe but takes longer to make since first you make a sponge, let it rise an hour and a half, then make the dough, and let that rise for an hour and a half. Don't think I'll be making this one again, but we ate it happily and the other half of the dough will be enjoyed later, too.
I made my dough into a good ol' pepperoni and olive pizza, which is our default. Used my pizza sauce recipe and baked it on my cast iron pizza pan.
The verdict: Pretty good! Easy to make, easy to work with, tender, soft. Definitely not a chewy crust (which may or may not be good, depending on your own tastes!), not heavy or dense, and not too breadlike, which is good. Not especially remarkable though, and no better than my regular pizza dough recipe but takes longer to make since first you make a sponge, let it rise an hour and a half, then make the dough, and let that rise for an hour and a half. Don't think I'll be making this one again, but we ate it happily and the other half of the dough will be enjoyed later, too.
I made my dough into a good ol' pepperoni and olive pizza, which is our default. Used my pizza sauce recipe and baked it on my cast iron pizza pan.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Salad Stuffed Shells
I came across this recipe on AllRecipes the other day and had to make it right away! What a clever idea, spooning chopped salad into large pasta shells. It's also quick to make and pretty healthy. These would make a great lunch or summer dinner, but I didn't want to wait that long and anyway it was in the 20s here today which is practically summer, right?
This is more of an idea than an actual recipe. Make your favorite salad (with the salad and other ingredients chopped up), add dressing, and stuff it into pasta shells. Feel free to follow this recipe, but you can really put in whatever you want! Oh and if you decide you want leftovers, you can mix up the salad part on the first day, just make sure to only add the dressing to the portion you plan to serve right then.
Salad Stuffed Shells
20 large pasta shells (I suggest just cooking the entire 12 oz box since some will undoubtedly tear)
1/2 of a 10 oz bag pre-washed lettuce, chopped into slightly smaller than bite size pieces
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 C cooked, shredded, and cooled chicken
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
caesar salad dressing to taste (this recipe is our favorite, or you can use bottled)
6 T grated parmesan, divided
Cook pasta shells in a large pot of salted water, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water until shells are cold. Drain well, then blot each shell dry.
While pasta cooks, combine salad ingredients, dressing, and 2 T of the parmesan. When shells are ready, spoon some of the salad mixture into each one. Arrange on plates and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Yield: 4 or 5 dinner sized servings
This is more of an idea than an actual recipe. Make your favorite salad (with the salad and other ingredients chopped up), add dressing, and stuff it into pasta shells. Feel free to follow this recipe, but you can really put in whatever you want! Oh and if you decide you want leftovers, you can mix up the salad part on the first day, just make sure to only add the dressing to the portion you plan to serve right then.
Salad Stuffed Shells
20 large pasta shells (I suggest just cooking the entire 12 oz box since some will undoubtedly tear)
1/2 of a 10 oz bag pre-washed lettuce, chopped into slightly smaller than bite size pieces
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 C cooked, shredded, and cooled chicken
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
caesar salad dressing to taste (this recipe is our favorite, or you can use bottled)
6 T grated parmesan, divided
Cook pasta shells in a large pot of salted water, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water until shells are cold. Drain well, then blot each shell dry.
While pasta cooks, combine salad ingredients, dressing, and 2 T of the parmesan. When shells are ready, spoon some of the salad mixture into each one. Arrange on plates and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Yield: 4 or 5 dinner sized servings
Monday, December 31, 2012
Cream Cheese Frosting
The summer between my junior and senior years of high school, I had to take a cooking course for my occupational credits. My mom and I had just moved back to Washington and it was a graduation requirement, so off to summer school I went. The course was 8 hours a day for a month and we used a full sized professional kitchen. It was SO much fun and I learned a lot about cooking! During that course is when I made frosting for the first time. Another girl and I were handed a recipe for cream cheese frosting, and we whipped up about a gallon of it to frost several giant pineapple carrot cakes. It ended up being easily the best frosting I've ever had, and the cake was incredible as well.
Unfortunately for me, I did not save the recipe for either. I just assumed that all cream cheese frostings would be as delicious since the ingredients were only cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Easy, right?! Yes, definitely, but I have NEVER had cream cheese frosting turn out as perfectly since and I have no idea why! They've basically all been big flops for me. Vanilla frosting, too. Maybe the powdered sugar I used in the cooking course was a different kind? I've mentioned before on this blog that powdered sugar has a strong, strange flavor that completely turns me off, I think it's the cornstarch they add to it. Whatever the reason, I was never completely happy with another homemade non-chocolate frosting recipe until I tried this one from Southern Plate. It's nice and sweet, not too tart (but still obviously cream cheese based), and has a rather interesting addition: butter flavoring! Lucky for me, the addition of butter flavoring completely masks the unappealing powdered sugar flavor. You can either try it with the butter extract or just use vanilla if you like.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick salted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t butter flavoring or vanilla extract
3 1/2 to 4 C powdered sugar
Beat together butter, cream cheese, and flavoring until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until frosting is thick and has the desired consistency, you will probably use the full amount. You can add more powdered sugar 1/4 C at a time if necessary, or thin it with about a teaspoon of milk at a time. Use immediately.
Yield: Enough to frost a 2 layer cake, or a 9 by 13 cake with some leftover.
Unfortunately for me, I did not save the recipe for either. I just assumed that all cream cheese frostings would be as delicious since the ingredients were only cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Easy, right?! Yes, definitely, but I have NEVER had cream cheese frosting turn out as perfectly since and I have no idea why! They've basically all been big flops for me. Vanilla frosting, too. Maybe the powdered sugar I used in the cooking course was a different kind? I've mentioned before on this blog that powdered sugar has a strong, strange flavor that completely turns me off, I think it's the cornstarch they add to it. Whatever the reason, I was never completely happy with another homemade non-chocolate frosting recipe until I tried this one from Southern Plate. It's nice and sweet, not too tart (but still obviously cream cheese based), and has a rather interesting addition: butter flavoring! Lucky for me, the addition of butter flavoring completely masks the unappealing powdered sugar flavor. You can either try it with the butter extract or just use vanilla if you like.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick salted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t butter flavoring or vanilla extract
3 1/2 to 4 C powdered sugar
Beat together butter, cream cheese, and flavoring until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until frosting is thick and has the desired consistency, you will probably use the full amount. You can add more powdered sugar 1/4 C at a time if necessary, or thin it with about a teaspoon of milk at a time. Use immediately.
Yield: Enough to frost a 2 layer cake, or a 9 by 13 cake with some leftover.
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