Dragon Noodles

Holy mother, it is HOT outside. As in 'too hot to cook' hot. As dinner approached today, I was in search of a quick and delicious meal that would allow me to quickly return to my spot on the couch, where I could eat in the air conditioning and watch bad TV. I found this recipe, and it was exactly the type of dish I was looking for! Although I will warn you - as the name implies, this dish is super spicy. Maybe not the best thing for a hot day like today, but we all know how I feel about spicy food.

This dish is ready in less than 10 minutes. I kid you not. And it's SO delicious. It's also SERIOUSLY spicy. I feel like I should stress that so you don't hate me for not warning you.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. lo mein noodles
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha (rooster sauce)
• fresh cilantro
• 1 green onion, sliced

How to:

• Boil water in a medium size sauce pan, and cook noodles according to package.
• While noodles are cooking, prepare the sauce: combine brown sugar, soy sauce, and Sriracha in a small bowl.
• In a large skillet, heat butter over low-medium heat. Add red pepper flakes as butter is melting.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl, and add to butter in skillet. Stir gently until egg is cooked through. Then, turn off heat.
• When the noodles are tender, drain and add cooked noodles to the skillet. Add sauce and turn noodles until they are evenly coated with the sauce.
• Heat the skillet over low heat to reduce some of the sauce. 
• Sprinkle with cilantro and onion, and serve.

If the spice is too much for you to handle, try adding less crushed red pepper, or omit it altogether. You can also try this dish with any type of noodle - linguine or udon noodles work well too. 

The original recipe can be found here.

Honey-Balsamic Sweet Potato Mash

Happy Thursday, readers! This week has been crazy. Well, let me rephrase - this week has been crazy in an awesome way. I was a social butterfly this week! Some girlfriends and I ventured out to experience Paint Nite at a local bar (which was fantastic, by the way!), and the following night I met up with some more friends to share delicious margaritas and Mexican food. So many awesome plans on weeknights? Sometimes (most of the time) my life rules. 

Needless to say, I haven't spent a whole lot of time in the kitchen this week. I did, however, find time to whip up this sweet little side dish. This recipe for Honey-Balsamic Sweet Potato Mash is VERY tasty. It's great, because you can pop your potatoes in the oven to cook while you throw the rest of your meal together, and by the time your main dish is complete, the potatoes are ready to be mashed.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup half & half
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

How to:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Prick your potatoes with a fork, and bake on a foil-lined baking sheet until very tender (50-60 min).
• Set the potatoes aside to cool.
• When they are cool enough to handle, halve them lengthwise and spoon out the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins.
• Mash the potatoes to your desired consistency, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately.

The original recipe uses heavy cream, but I only had half & half in my fridge. The sweet potatoes still tasted very velvety and rich with this substitution. Additionally, the original recipe suggests using wildflower or lavender if you don't have any honey. I'm thinking it's time for me to purchase these ingredients, so I can see how they change up the dish!

Enjoy!

This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook.

Skinny Broccoli Mac & Cheese

What kid doesn't have fond memories of Kraft mac & cheese? I used to love this stuff. In fact, the first time I had legitimate macaroni & cheese - you know, the homemade kind made with like, eighteen different cheeses, that's baked and all crunchy on top - I thought it was disgusting. Apparently I was a sucker for artificial fluorescent cheese powder. Anyway, I hadn't had Kraft mac & cheese in years, and Jake actually re-introduced me to the 'thick & creamy' version a few months after we started dating. I fell in love all over again.

While I still enjoy some of the good old Kraft version from time to time, I've also learned to LOVE legitimate macaroni and cheese. Which is why I've decided to share this fabulous recipe with all of you. This skinny recipe for Broccoli Mac & Cheese combines two of my favorite things - cheese (duh) and broccoli. It's also a relatively healthy version, so chow down!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. macaroni elbows
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups (8 oz.) reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• cooking spray

How to:

• Cook pasta & broccoli together in a large pot of salted water so the pasta is al dente (under cook for 2 minutes). Drain and set aside.
• Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large heavy skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low-medium heat until onions are fragrant (~2 minutes). Add flour and whisk together until flour is golden and well combined. 
• Add milk and chicken broth and whisk together, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, whisking frequently, until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese. Mix well until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Add the cooked macaroni and broccoli to the sauce and mix until coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
• Top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Spray top lightly with cooking spray.
• Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Broil for a few additional minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to brown.

I used 6 oz. regular elbow macaroni, and 6 oz. whole wheat/high fiber elbows. Although the recipe I worked from used fat free chicken broth and reduced fat cheddar cheese, I used regular chicken broth and extra sharp cheddar cheese. You can definitely tweak it to your preference (I'm such a sucker for all things cheese), and it will still turn out fab. 

This dish is reminiscent of my Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Bake, except it's much simpler and is perfect for all you vegetarians out there! Ironically, as Jake was eating this he said to me "this would be awesome with chicken in it." So pick your poison, readers! 

Easy Fried Rice

I swear, these past few weeks have been so busy, I can't even keep up with my blog. I suppose it's because Jake and I's wedding is only a mere 9 weeks away, and the amount of things we have piling up is starting to get a little overwhelming. Oy, is it May yet?

One day last week, between trips to the gym and addressing wedding invitations, I threw this meal together. Super easy, super fast, super delicious. Like most of my meals, chances are you already have all these ingredients in your pantry and fridge. So, you should be able to whip this up in no time.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs sesame oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen vegetables, thawed*
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
• 3 cups cooked rice**
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

How to:

• Warm oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
• Add in frozen (thawed) veggies and egg, stirring until egg is cooked through.
• Add in rice and soy sauce, mixing thoroughly, until veggies are cooked through and dish is heated throughout.

*You can really use any type of frozen veggies you want. I used a mix of peas, carrots, and corn, but anything will work.

**Day-old leftover rice works best. I also found that cooking the rice with 1/4 cup water less than what is recommended gives the rice a good texture as well.

This is one of those meals that you can pretty much add anything to, and it'll still taste good. If you have leftover chicken or beef, I say toss it in. As you can see in the picture, I've also diced up some raw chicken and cooked it in the sesame oil before adding in the onion & garlic. It turned out pretty good!

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce

Looking for a quick and easy dipping sauce? Look no further - this recipe takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, and it's delicious. I usually throw it together when I prepare my Crab Wontons, but you can use this Sweet and Sour Dipping sauce for anything from chicken nuggets to french fries!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 4 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp water

How to:

• Combine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce in a small saucepan.
• Heat to a boil.
• Add cornstarch/water mixture while stirring. 

And that's all there is to it! The original recipe can be found here.

Cheesy Corn Cakes

Jake and I had our friends over to watch the Ravens game today, and I knew I had to try out this recipe for Cheesy Corn Cakes when our friends said they were bringing chili over. It's just one of those perfect fall days - there's a chill in the air, and chili is the perfect dish to warm you up. Why not pair it with some cornbread?

Here's the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk*
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 cups freshly grated pepperjack cheese (I grated the cheese so 1 cup was finely shredded, and the other cup was regularly shredded)
• butter (for greasing griddle)

How to:

• Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and honey.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined - do not overmix!
• Fold in the grated cheese.
• Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat and grease with butter.
• Scoop (I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup) some of your mixture onto the hot griddle. Using a spatula, press down the mixture so it lays flat like a pancake.
• Note: spray the back of your spatula with cooking spray so it doesn't stick to the corn cake.
• Once brown, flip cake, and brown on other side. 
• Repeat process with remaining batter.

*If you don't have buttermilk, you can add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to 1 1/4 cup milk, and let it stand for 10 minutes.

I popped one of these Corn Cakes right on top of my chili. The chili wasn't super spicy, so the pepperjack cheese of the Corn Cake really added a nice kick to the dish. Everyone seemed to like this addition to the chili! I'm anxious to try these with a nice bowl of beef stew as well. 

The website I found this recipe initially says these cakes keep well. Her instructions for reheating say to nuke a cold Corn Cake in the microwave for ~30 seconds. If frozen, heat on 50% power for 1 minute, and then in 20-30 second intervals until hot. 

Enjoy!

Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes are a versatile food; they're delicious fried, mashed, baked, plain, covered in cheese, covered in bacon, covered in sour cream, covered in butter (although to be fair, what ISN'T delicious when covered in cheese, bacon, and/or butter). Basically, they're delicious in any way, shape, or form. Potatoes are a staple food in this household.

I found this recipe for a Crockpot version of scalloped potatoes and immediately had to try it. The original recipe can be found here. This recipe (as do most Crockpot dishes) serves 10-12 people. It's a great dish to prepare when you're having a party!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs red potatoes (I peeled half of them, and left the skins on the other half)
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light)
• 1 can cream of potato soup
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• paprika (optional)
• 3 Tbs chopped chives (optional)

How to:

• Thinly slice potatoes and place in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream, soup, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Combine potatoes and mixture and mix until potatoes are evenly coated.
• Spray Crockpot with cooking spray.
• Add 1/2 of the potatoes to the Crockpot. Top with 3/4 cup cheddar.
• Repeat layers. 
• Cover and cook on high (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours) or on low (7 to 8 hours).
• Serve topped with paprika and chives, if desired.

I seriously can't stop eating these. They're so good! The next time I make these, I think I'll leave the skin on all the potatoes. They give this side dish a really nice texture. Enjoy :)

Crockpot Applesauce

Yum!

It's October 1st. Which means fall has officially started. I should mention that I love all things fall-related. I'm from Massachusetts originally - the home of Salem witches and some seriously awesome foliage. As any native Mass-hole will tell you, fall is the best season of the year. A time where pumpkin and apple flavors are crammed into every food-related item you can imagine. Which is why apple picking is a must on my fall to-do list. As is pumpkin picking - but we'll get to that at a later date.

A few weekends ago, my girlfriend Jessica was visiting, and we decided to head to Lohr's Orchard to do some apple picking. We picked some of the biggest apples I've ever seen. EVER. Why is it that people always pick more apples than they'll ever eat? That happened to me & Jess. After 2 weeks of eating apples, I decided it was time to do something with what I had left.

Check out the size of that apple on Jess's head!

I stumbled across a crockpot applesauce recipe that seemed very simple, and I happened to have all ingredients on hand. I figured I'd give it a shot.

The recipe I worked off of can be found here. It looks like she grabbed this recipe from Skinnytaste - one of my favorite places to find new recipes!

Ingredients:

• 7 large apples* (enough to fill a crockpot) of any variety, peeled, cored, & diced
• 1 strip of lemon peel (I used a vegetable peeler)
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 tsp light brown sugar (unpacked)

How to:

• Combine all ingredients in your crockpot
• Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir periodically

How easy is that?

*Keep in mind, my apples were enormous. The original recipe called for 8 medium apples, or 20 small apples. As long as you have enough to fill up your crockpot, you should be good to go!

Your apples will reduce down to a delicious blend of apples & cinnamon as they cook. I found that the consistency of the applesauce was perfect - there were small apple pieces that gave the applesauce a great texture. I used a mixture of granny smith and macintosh apples. In the future, I'd use a less tart apple than granny smith - my applesauce has a little bite to it. But overall, this recipe turned out close to perfect. And best of all - the house smelled amazing all day! 

Here's the finished product. Enjoy!