Banana Saturday

Let me start off by thanking Gwen Stefani for being able to spell banana with no hesitation.

Moving on... I bought some bananas at the store the other day with the intention of baking something that I can bring for breakfast in the morning as I am running out the door.

Lo and behold, I made two somethings.  First up is Baked Oatmeal off of the lovely food blog A Cozy Kitchen.  I must admit, try as I might, I can't get myself to love oatmeal.  It's the texture that gets me, just too slimy.  But oatmeal just seems like the perfect warm wholesome breakfast for when it's chilly out, so I am hoping that this oatmeal will finally be one that I like.  I haven't tried it yet though, so I will have to update you on that.  The only alterations I made to the recipe was leaving out the nutmeg cause I didn't have any, I only used 1 banana, I used steel cut oats instead of rolled (I won't pretend like I know the difference between the two), and I did not include the raspberries or almonds (I like my food plain).

I also baked some banana bread to polish off my last two bananas.  I used this recipe off of allrecipes.com.  I didn't change anything with this recipe.

And ta-da, two baked goods that I can bring with me to school or work in the morning!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, bring on Christmas!
M

Banana Bread

This is whats left of the banana bread I made last night. Yum! Hello Fall! This is my favorite banana bread recipe. It has sour cream in it. This is Martha's recipe found here. And the good news is I made two loaves!

R

My New Obsession

So ya know how I have been obsessed with turkey sandwich's? I have finally moved on, meet the bacon, egg and cheese.

Now this is a very complicated recipe so pay close attention. Ahem.

Step1: Cook egg whites. Cook bacon. Toast a bagel.

Step 2: Place bacon on cooked egg whites, top bacon with white american cheese, melt. Then place between bagel. Ta Da!

I have this fantasy that once I move out I'll turn into a chef and cook gourmet meals for myself and my friends and family. It becomes harder and harder to believe when I get so much satisfaction from a bacon egg and cheese.

The End.

Riz

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Rizzo Style

Check out these nuggets of goodness...

Ooo ya that's what I'm talkin' about. These are my new fabulous creation I came up with today. I call them...

Taco Scoops

Ingredients:
- tostitos scoops
- leftover taco meat
- shredded cheddar cheese
- assorted taco toppings (optional)

Directions:
1. Set your oven to broil (low). Line a cookie sheet with tin foil.
2. Arrange scoops on sheet.
3. Reheat taco meat and put small heapings into scoops. Cover each with some shredded cheese.
4. Cook under the broiler until cheese is just melted. Make sure you don't walk away from these or they will end up looking like this...

Kapeesh?

These bad boys are delicious. What a great way to use up leftover taco meat right? I also think they would be a great party appetizer. I feel like someone needs to pay me for this brilliant idea. Tostitos? Anyone at all? O well.

Eat these hot, top with your favorite taco toppings and Enjoy!

Riz

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

Wednesday is here again people! This summer is fllyyiinngg by and I am not happy about it!

My recipe for today isn't really a recipe it is more of a meal idea.  I haven't been putting to much effort into meals lately.  When it's hovering around 100 degrees outside, the last place I want to be is in a hot kitchen.  So this week I want to share a quick meal that has been my go to this past week.

Spicy Chick'n Boca Patties+Baked Potato+Corn on the Cobb

photo credit

These things are delish! Not to spicy but it has a bit of heat.  I cook them in the oven, 6 minutes on each side.  In my opinion the oven makes the outside crispier which is a must in my book.  Kitty daddy, the typical guy, is totally down to throw his in the microwave for a couple minutes, slather some ketchup on it, and call it a day.  Ga-ross.

So I just cook 'em up real quick and throw them on some hamburger buns.  In the mean time, I cook two potatoes in the micro for like 10 minutes, mash them up with some butter, and put some seasoning on them.  Sometimes I'll throw some broccoli on there too, yum!

This week I have been using corn on the cob too since our Dad hooked me up with some from the farmers market we hit up this past Saturday.  Sooo good!  And while Kitty Daddy has no preference on how his Chick'n patties are prepared, he would prefer to not have his corn on the cob cause it "gets in his teeth and is just annoying".  So the little Susie Homemaker I am, last night I cut his corn off the cob for him. (Yes I am aware I should just tattoo "enabler" on my forehead)

So super quick, easy, and yummy! Perfect for when you get home late and the last thing you want to do is sit in the kitchen for an hour making something.

I would really suggest that anyone who is looking into vegetarian recipes/diets, look into everything Boca has to offer.  I haven't come across anything I didn't like so far, and that's saying something cause as our Cat says I'm a "finicky kitty".

Enjoy,

M

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

Once again, sorry for my tardiness. I really need to start branching out cause I feel like I am running out of recipes to post.  Anyways, here is your belated recipe of the week.

Fried Tacos

To make these vegetarian we use Boca Meatless Crumbles. They are a soy protein substitute for ground meat. They are also vegan for any of you vegans out there.

photo credit

Flavor wise, they are definitely savory but not an exact meat flavor replica.  The texture is softer than real meat but firmer than tofu.  However, we really enjoy them.  They come in a resealable package so you don't have to use the whole bag at once which is nice.

Anywho, you will need

• Boca Meatless Crumbles
• Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (or whichever is your favorite)
• water
• taco sized tortillas (again, brand does not matter, I buy whatever is cheapest)
• mexican blend cheese
• any other taco toppings (olives, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
• Canola oil (vegetable oil works too, but canola is recommended)

Directions

1. The boca crumbles all get frozen together in the package so just break those up a bit before you open them and that will shorten your cook time.
2. I use the whole package and cook in a deep skillet on about medium heat until cooked through
3. Add about a 1/2 C of water to the meat and stir in seasoning packet.  Cook until water boils off. I like to brown them a bit at this point too, but that's just me.
4. In a second deep skillet, bring about an inch of oil to temperature (the surface will look like its moving a bit)
5. Assemble your tacos like normal (cheese+toppings too) and use toothpicks to keep them closed.
6. Gently place into oil and fry until golden brown, remembering to turn them so both sides get fried.  Watch the temp of the oil so it does not smoke and set off your fire alarm (this happens to us too often) and unless you want to smell like a frialator and be forced to change, febreeze, and perfume before your siblings will let you go to see the last HP movie, then I would suggest opening some doors/windows and turning on fans as well.
7. Remove from oil and place on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
8. Remove toothpicks and serve

These are delish and very filling.  Kitty Daddy's mom makes them and she is the one who taught Kitty Daddy to make them so I can't claim this one as my own.  This just goes to show all the ways you can make everyday recipes and adapt them to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Hope you enjoy, Happy Thursday!

M

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I'm going to have to start trying out more recipes because I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of good ones to post about!  Today I decided to post a breakfast/ snack recipe.  I'm not a breakfast eater I must admit, and yes I know it is way healthier to eat breakfast blah blah blah.  I just don't wake up hungry people!  My solution to this is to find breakfast items I can grab as I walk out the door and then eat when I get to work.  We're so slow in the mornings, I eat out of boredom.

I tried a granola recipe that I found online not too long ago and I wasn't impressed.  I think if I had baked it less than the recipe called for I would have liked it better.  So after this disappointing attempt, I was so excited when kitty daddy's mom gave me a book of granola recipes called Granola Madness: The Ultimate Granola Cookbook by Katherine Dieter and Donna Wallston. 

photo credit

This thing is a gold mine people! I haven't tried them yet but I want to share the recipe I'm dying to try first.

Gingerbread Granola
4 C rolled oats
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t cardamom
pinch of salt
1 C pecans
1/4 C melted butter, or canola oil
1/2 C honey
1/4 C molasses
1/2 C dried apricots or dates (optional) {I would opt out on these bad boys}

Preheat oven 325 degrees
Warm honey, molasses, spices and melted butter( or canola oil) while stirring.
Combine oats, flour, and pecans in a large bowl.
Pour in the liquid mixture and combine thoroughly.
Spread in thin layer on baking pan and bake until golden (about 20 min), stirring often.

I can't wait to try this one.  In high school, I had a friend who introduced me to breaking up Nature Valley granola bars and adding them to vanilla yogurt.  Before then, I wasn't a yogurt fan because I need some texture with my food.  But this was perfect because the granola became the texture.  This little breakfast/snack was portable as well which was great.  However, now that I buy my own groceries, Nature Valley just seems so expensive for a snack.  So making my own granola is a great solution!

Happy baking,
M

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

My recipe today is a super healthy one.  I give you...Broccoli Chow Mein

Ingredients

3 stalks broccoli, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound mung bean sprouts (I don't like these so I skip them)
1/2 cup slivered almonds or sunflower seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon arrowroot or corn starch (I do corn starch)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (I use soy sauce)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Instructions
Stir-fry broccoli in oil and 1/2 cup water for 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add bean sprouts and almonds or seeds.
Stir-fry for 2 more minutes.
Dissolve starch in 1/2 cup water.
Add to broccoli and sprout mixture along with tamari or soy sauce and sesame oil if desired.
Stir, then heat covered for 1 minute longer.
Serve hot.

I serve mine over rice usually. The last time I made it though, I served it over quinoa.

broccoli over quinoa

This is another recipe from The International Vegetarion Union.  It has a huge list of recipes and it organizes them by country which is really nice if your looking for a specfic style of food. A great resource for anyone looking for a variety of vegetarian recipes.

And just for giggles, Mr. Boy Cat.

He just has to be in the middle of everything I do, he can't help himself!

Till tomorrow,
M

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

It's that time of the week again! After much deliberation I decided to share a dessert recipe with you guys. I wasn't going to share dessert recipes because obviously those are vegetarian, but I love myself some dessert so I wanted to share those too!

Hopefully everyone is familiar with the pepperidge farm cookie Milanos, they are delish!  So when I found this online on Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World while blog hopping, I had to try them.  They are very easy and easy on your waist in my opinion without eggs, milk, or butter.

So I decided to put the spotlight on these little treasures...Vegan Milanos

1/3 cup rice milk (or soy)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (I didn't have any so I skipped this)
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a strong fork to mix together milk, sugar, oil, vanilla and zest.
2. Add half of the flour, along with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix until you have a soft, pliable dough.
3. Make sure your hands are very clean and dry, and dust them with flour.
4. Grab about 1 tablespoon’s worth of dough and roll it into a ball, and then roll into a log that’s about 1 1/2 inches long. Flatten with the palms of your hand to create an oval that is 2 inches long and 1 inch across, then straighten the edges out with your fingers.
5. Continue with the rest of the dough, flouring your hands before you form each cookie, until you have 16 cookies placed about 1 inch apart
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until tops are firm and edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Use a thin, flexible spatula to transfer to a cooling rack.
7. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate.  I just put all the chips in a metal mixing bowl and placed that on top of a saucepan with some simmering water.
8. Now, once the cookies are cool you can either dip the bottoms of two cookies and sandwich them together or "frost" the cookies with chocolate with a spatula.  I found the "frosting" method to be less messy. But once you have a sandwich set them on a platter and let set in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the chocolate is hard.

And that's it! They are super easy and delish!

They may not the the prettiest, but they're tasty

M

Dessert Recipes

TGIF!

Since I am trying to shed those last 10 LBS I am really watching what I eat. Therefore, all I can think about are desserts. I am that person that would prefer to just order dessert instead of dinner. I am also much better at making dessert than any other meal as I have mentioned before. Sooo I thought since I won't let myself indulge, the least I could do was share some simple desserts that are always a hit.

Trifle

Photo Credit

In MA we tended to call it a truffle for whatever reason. A trifle is basically a layered dessert. You can do it anyway you want. All it requires is an imagination and a pretty trifle dish. You don't need one necessarily but if you care about what it looks like then this is what you need.

My two favorite combo's

Vanilla version:

White cake (1)
Cool Whip (3)
Vanilla pudding (3)
Strawberries

Bake a white or yellow cake mix. Cut the cake into cubes.
Make the pudding. I use the kind that you whisk the cold milk in.
Cut the strawberries in half.
Now you layer. Start with cake on the bottom. Then pudding. Then strawberries. Then cool whip.
Pete and Repeat went down the river, Pete fell out, who was left? REPEAT.
Finish with a cool whip layer and slice more strawberries thinly and make a pretty design on top.
Chill. (as in the fridge but you can chill too, it's an easy one)

So of course you can do any layer combo you want but this is a nice and light one, great for summer. You may not need 3 containers of everything, but you always end up using more than you think you will so buy more than you think you need. Also make sure you mound up the layers on the sides so you can clearly see them through the trifle dish. Also try to have the same amount of stuff in each layer so nothing gets lost.

Chocolate version:

Chocolate cake (1)
Cool Whip (3)
Chocolate Pudding (3)
Heath bars frozen (alot, plus more since you might lose them before they get in the trifle)

Same drill.
Except this time you will freeze the Heath bars them break them up really good before you put them in the trifle.
Start with the cake in the bottom, then chocolate pudding, then heath bar, then cool whip.
Repeat.
Finish with cool whip and sprinkle with heath bar pieces on the top to decorate.
Chill.

Enjoy!

The chocolate version is VERY rich. Once again you can use any combo you want. I have seen brownie but that would make it even richer so I don't know about that one. Make sure you get enough heath bar in every layer. That's the best part, you can never have enough.

Photo Credit

Trifle's would be fun to do in individual cups as well for dinner parties. More work but it would be cute.

Nieman-Marcus Cookies

Photo Credit

Everyone's heard the story, but these really are the best cookies EVER.

2 cups butter

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups sugar

5 cups blended oatmeal

24 ounces chocolate chips

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (8 ounce) Hershey Bars (grated)

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 36 mins

1 Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

2 Cream the butter and both sugars.

3 Add eggs and vanilla.

4 Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.

5 Add chocolate chips, grated Hershey Bar and nuts.

6 Roll into 1 inch balls and place 2-inches apart on a cookie sheet.

7 Bake for 10 minutes at 375° or until golden.

Thanks food.com for this recipe. I'll have to double check later to make sure this matches the version we have. It looks the same. These are always a hit. They do take some time though. Especially the grating of the chocolate bar.

Brownies

Photo Credit

This isn't a recipe. Just my favorite brownie mix.

Betty Crocker's Fudge brownies.

Love these. They are the best brownie mix out there, hands down. Don't bother getting any other brownie mix, even if this one is a little more expensive. For some reason I don't like the taste of these when they're warm. Weird, yes but just let them cool completely and you be the judge.

After this I really don't know if I can fight the need for chocolate M&M's. I mean one medium bag wouldn't hurt right? As long as I can get lil bro to go with me. He's pissed at me right now. I was a tad bit of a b-i-t-c-h this morning. All I can say is watch out for the wrath of Rizzy, it's not pretty and I am not proud of it. If you piss me off or hurt me in any way, watch out, all I see is red and I take no prisoners. Except for Lyddy of course, because her wrath may just be worse.

Happy weekend, bake something for me!

Riz

P.S. What I am loving today:

1. Tea

2. Shower caps. Lyddy taught me to use shower caps in the shower so I can shower every day and not have to clean my hair everyday. This is necessary after workouts. She's a genius. No I wouldn't have figured this out on my own, or bothered, she's the hair person, it's even her shower cap. Thanks Lyd!

3.

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

So sorry! This post was meant for yesterday but I was otherwise engaged. My kitty daddy's family is visiting from out of town and they got here yesterday so after I got off work we hurried and went to have dinner with them.  So this is my excuse for being behind on my posting.

So better late than never, here is my recipe for the week...

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

• 1 (19 ounce) can green enchilada sauce [I used red cause I couldn't find green]
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon [I used veg broth cause I couldn't find bouillon]
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes [I don't like tomato chunks so I just used tomato paste]
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup vegetarian chicken substitute, diced (optional) [I haven't tried these]
• 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn into strips [I just sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top]
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• I like to put rice in there so I add more liquid to compensate**

In a pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the liquid, and season with garlic powder, chile powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Mix in the beans, tomatoes, and corn. Simmer until heated through. Mix in vegetarian chicken and tortillas, and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to serve. **I sprinkle cheese on top and sometimes sour cream.

This is so easy and quick! Perfect for after a long day of work when you just want to throw dinner together and eat on the couch.

Enjoy,

M

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesday

It's that time of week again, WCGLW is here!

So my vegetarian recipe for you guys today may seem like a no brainer, but it's a staple at my house.  This is also perfect for those thinking of different ways to incorporate meatless options without taking the full blown plunge into vegetarianism.

And it is...drum roll please...

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese!

mine in my mini crockpot

This gem is from the blog A Year of Slow Cooking.  If you haven't checked it out, go now, your kitchen will never be the same.  Another plus, it is not just a vegetarian blog, she has something for everyone.
Anywho, click the link for the recipe, she has a bunch of suggestions as well as her thoughts about how it came out.

One suggestion I will give, instead of using shredded cheese, I would buy it in a block and shred it yourself.  If you buy it shredded, I feel like the consistency isn't as creamy as it could be.  Oh, and don't skip the dry mustard, otherwise it's a bit bland.

Happy eating,
M

Another recipe...

I also have a great recipe to share! It's Ina Garten's peanut butter frosting. Yum! Now Ina and our family did not start off on the right foot. By foot I mean footaroni and cheese. That is the name we gave one of Ina's mac and cheese recipes that our Mom made a couple of years ago. It tasted like straight feet.

After that horrific experience we were very cautious when it came to Ina's recipes. But one day I was watching the food network and watched Ina make homemade chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. It looked amazing! So I made a chocolate cake (cake mix) and made this frosting recipe for our Dad's bday and it was delish!

Recipe credit

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

I was not opposed to making my own cake but I read once that there is no noticeable difference between a homemade cake batter and a store bought one, so I just opted for store bought.

I toped my cake with chocolate chips as opposed to chopped peanuts as suggested by Ina. This recipe is delicious and not too sweet.

Enjoy!

R

What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesdays

Hey Guys!

I'm going to try something new here.  Every Wednesday I want to post a recipe that has gone over really well at my house.  So today is the first day of What's Cookin' Good Lookin' Wednesdays (WCGLW for short).

Lets start with a little background info, shall we?  Before the bf and I decided to go vegetarian, I had a lot of reservations.  Being a picky eater, I was very afraid that I would starve to death if I went vegetarian.  I could count the number of vegetables I liked on my fingers and fruits weren't that much better.

However, I had recently turned 21 (woo hoo! par-tay! Just kidding I am a total homebody and don't like the taste of alcohol...with the exception of mojitos) and decided it was time for me to be a big kid about food.  So we decided to take the plunge and just give it a go.  If it didn't work, well hey we tried right?

So I went searching in every corner of the internet for vegetarian recipes trying to find out what we were going to eat.  To my dismay, the majority of what I found was not just a little outside my comfort zone, but all the way in Timbuktu.  So I want to use WCGLW to share recipes that even I didn't turn my nose up to.

So without further ado I give you..... Tortellini Soup!

I found the recipe on theveggietable.com and it goes a little something like this... (fresh prince of belaire anyone? lurv it)

Yield: 2- 4 (more like 2 at my house)
Time: 15 min (if that)
Ingredients:

2 T butter or olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

4 c vegetable stock (2 soup cans)

6 oz tortellini (cheese, mushroom...; fresh or frozen) (I use frozen cheese)

1½ pounds of tomatoes, chopped (I don't like tomatoes so I skip them)

10 oz spinach, washed, stemmed, and chopped

10 basil leaves, washed and chopped (my basil plant isn't far enough along yet so I use dried)

¼ c Parmesan cheese, grated (optional, but totally delicious)

Directions:
1. Heat butter or oil in the bottom of a large saucepan and add minced garlic. Cook until browned.
2. Add veg. stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil
3. Add tortellini and cook until done (if using frozen ,they are done when they float)
4. Add spinach and basil and cook for a few more minutes
5. Serve with parm cheese on top and enjoy!

I didn't think ahead and take a picture of one of my batches but the next time I make it I will update with pictures!

Happy Cookin'
M