Ugandan Chapati

Chapati is something that we learned about a little too late when we were in Uganda. One of our last nights, friends came over with it and were like "what you haven't tried it yet?". We actually had tried it when we ate Rolex - just didn't know it alone. It is somewhere between a flatbread, naan, or tortilla bread. It is not the easiest thing to cook right - but worth it when you do.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• warm water
• cooking oil
• finely chopped purple onions
• finely chopped garlic

1. Mix flour, onion, and salt in a bowl
2. Mix water in slowly until you get a thick dough
3. Knead slowly adding in flour as need be
4. Cover bowl of dough with a cloth and let it sit for a t least a half hour
5. Preheat skillet and coat with oil
6. Divide dough into small balls
7. Flatten balls into rounds
8. Dust chapati rounds with flour
9. Fry on each side until both sides have brown marks
10. Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I made this again tonight and realized that I never posted it on the blog. It is way too good not to share and super super easy. I have been growing brussel sprouts in my vegetable garden in the back yard so have been able to have plenty of roasted brussel sprouts lately and my hubby and lil boy love them too!

• brussel sprouts
• evoo
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper (and any additional seasonings you enjoy)
• shredded parmesan cheese

1. lightly oil a glass dish
2. spread out brussel sprouts so none of them are touching
3. drizzle evoo, plenty of balsamic vinegar, spices, and parmesan cheese over the sprouts
4. broil for 10 minutes or until browned and soft
5. Enjoy!

Toast with Strawberry Jam and Hummus

This morning I happened upon a delightful creation by accident. I was putting strawberry jam on my flat-bread after heating it. When my son said "you putting peanut butter and jelly on it?". And I thought - hmm peanut butter would be good. But when I reached into the fridge for peanut butter my hand hit the bowl of hummus. And a lightbulb went off.... Hummus is similar in consistency and taste to peanut butter. So I spread it on lightly on one side of the toast (in case it was horrid) and left the other side with just strawberry jelly. Brought it up to my office... and tasted heaven. So here ya go.

• strawberry jam
• hummus
• toast

1. Spread jam and hummus on toast
2. Enjoy :)

Make your Own Strawberry Jam

This past weekend we took Josiah strawberry picking and when we came home with buckets of strawberries, I knew jam would need to be produced. After some google searching I found the recipe to use, modified it for my own purpose and got cooking. I share it here with you, so that you can make your own jam for your family.

• 6 cups of chopped strawberries
• 1.5 boxes of low sugar needed pectin (this is what thickens and jels the jam)
• Sweetener (we used 2 cups of agave nectar but you can also 4 cups sugar or your sweetener of prefernce)
• 6 bell jars including tops
• funnel

1. Sanitize your jars and lids in your dishwasher or in boiling water. Keep them in the heated dry until they are ready to use (or boiling water) so they are the right temperature and dont go to hot too fast and possibly crack.
2. Pick or buy your strawberries. Wash them. Chop off the tops. Chop or food process them to your preferred consistency. The more they are crushed, the more natural pectin comes out in its own consistency. You want 6 cups of it after it is crushed so you will need 8-10 whole.
3. Measure a quarter cup of sweetener with your pectin until it is blended well.
4. Mix this sweetener/pectin blend in with your strawberries.
5. Put the strawberry blend in a pot and bring slowly to a boil under medium/high heat.
   (If you do not use pectin you will need to take a much longer time over heat to get it to the right consistency, and double the sweetener. Pectin is a natural chemical extracted from apples - so nothing to worry about there)
6. Once they have come to a complete boil, remove them from heat and add the remaining sugar.
7. Bring to a boil again and let it boil for 1 minute. The slower you bring it to boiling the less foaming you will experience.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Skim the excessive foam and place in a bowl. You can microwave it for 60 seconds and throw it in the fridge for fresh jam.
10. Here is where you get to test the JEL factor. Keep a cup of ice water with a spoon in it. Pull the cold spoon out and spoon out some jam. Let it cool to room temperature. Then see if it is the right JEL factor for you - if its not jelly enough add more pectin and reboil for one minute. Otherwise you are good to go.
11. Let it stand for 5 minutes
12. Stir completely
13. Remove your jars from the dishwasher/hotwater and start funneling in the jam. Immediately place the tightly closed jar with jam in a pot of boiling water where the water covers the lid a couple inches.
14. When the jars are all in the boiling water they should boil for about 10 minutes depending on your elevation.
15. Remove carefully from the boiling water with tongs and place to set.
16. After 24 hours they should be processed and set. You should be able to tell that the tops will no longer pop in or out. If they pop then store it in the fridge since it won't last as long before spoiling.
17. Processing the jars like this ought to keep them in a cabinet for 6-12 months.
18. Serve, share, and enjoy :)

Vegetarian Chicken Salad (Meat Free)

I have long looked at people eating chicken salad and wished that I could have something similar. Well over the past few years different companies have started making vegetarian chicken strips and I have tried out chicken salad recipes with it. Here is my fav of the moment:

• chicken strips
• lite mayo
• mustard
• lemon juice
• vidalia onions chopped
• tomatoes chopped
• celery chopped
• pitted and chopped kalamata olives
• cilantro, chives, parsley, curry

1. Heat the chicken and then place in large bowl
2. Wash and Chop all of the vegetables
3. Add all vegetables to chicken mixture
4. Add mayo, mustard and spices to taste
5. Serve alone or on a pita or bread
6. Enjoy!

Taco Seasoning (without MSG)

I am making a mexican meal tonight and wanted to premake the taco seasoning. While I have some packets in the fridge I  have a slight sensitivity to msg and really would prefer to not put any of it in my son's body if I can avoid it. I didn't have the same ingredients as the recipe called for so this is my version...

Oh I should mention - in the future I will not leave my son alone with his lunch (tadiq leftovers) while I make taco seasoning - lest I return to the table and find my dog with a tadiq fur coat, my son covered in tadiq and a new dining room carpet of tadiq.... apparently my son and my dog had a food fight.

• 4T chili powder
• 3T + 1t paprika
• 3T turmeric
• 1T + 1t ground chives
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/4 t ground cayenne pepper

1. Mix ingredients
2. Add 2 heaping T of seasoning + 1 C water to 1 lb meat

Coconut Crusted Tofu in Thai Mango Sauce

I have seen a couple versions of this around the net lately and my sister made an attempt at this last week with chicken and said it was great. Here is my go - around.


Marinade

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 t sliced fresh ginger
• 1 t sliced fresh garlic
• 1 dash of salt

Tofu

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 4 T thai chili sauce
• 1 dash of salt

1. Dice tofu into cubes and pat dry
2. Soak in marinade for at least 1 hour
3. Combine items for sauce in blender until well mixed
4. Prepare first bowl with 1/4 cup flour
5. Prepare second bowl with 1/4 cup flour and enough water to make a thin paste
6. Prepare third bowl with coconut and breadcrumbs
7. Dip tofu piece from one bowl to the next until it is crumbed and set on plate to dry
8. When all pieces have been coated fill the bottom of a pan with oil and heat
9. Once water sparks out of it you can start frying the tofu
10. Turn over until all sides are browned and then place on paper towels to dry
11. Serve with a side of sauce (we served it over couscous and it was fantastic)

Hoisined Tofu

One of my recipes that is an old standby of mine is Hoisined Tofu. Very very simple but something so wonderful about it.

• tofu
• evoo
• hoisin sauce

1. Sautee tofu slices in a few tablespoons of evoo
2. Once tofu is browned serve with hoisin sauce lightly braised over the top
3. Enjoy

Curried Beef Thai Crockpot Bowl

So, my sweet boys love their meat. But their mommy/wifey is a vegetarian. To be honest I have been trying to get off the veggies this past year, but I have really struggled with that. The most I can force myself on is Tilapia and only if my husband blackens it and I eat it really fast without thinking. I cook meat for my family on occasion but they are sadly getting most of their protein from beans, tofu, and eating out. What I will often do is cook a version of something for me without me and one for them with meat, but honestly I am not doing this enough. So I figured that tonight (when I am drinking my meals) would be a good time to try something new and fun for them. So here goes...

• 1/2 bag egg noodles
• 1 lb ground round 
• 1/2 bag frozen japanese vegetables
• 1/2 vidalia onion sliced
• foo curry sauce

and then for the sauce

• 1T Hoisin Sauce
• 1/2t tumeric
• 1t Raw Agave Nectar
• 1t lemon juice
• 2T peanut butter
• 1T panang curry
• 1/2t coriander
• 1t curry
• 2C water

1. Pour noodles in crockpot
2. Pour 2C water over them
3. Place onions over noodles
4. Place Vegetables over onions
5. Place Meat over veggies
6. Make Sauce
1. put everything except for the water into a small bowl and blend until homogeneous
2. slowly mix in the water until it is a saucey/soupy consistency
7. Pour sauce over all in crockpot
8. Pour 2C more of water over mixture allowing sauce to creep down
9. Set on HIGH for 3-5 hours or until hot

Cheesy Garlicy Biscuitys - in Red Lobster Cheesy Biscuits Style

This has always been the only thing attracting me to Red Lobster, not being a big fish fan and all. So when I found this recipe I had to do it.

• 1.5 cups bisquick mix
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 0.5 cups light vanilla soymilk (or milk)
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 0.5 Tablespoons oregano
• .25 Tablespoons basil
• couple shakes of salt
• 4 garlic cloves chopped

1. preheat oven to 400
2. mix bisquick, cheese, and milk in a bowl until it is properly mixed and sticky doughy
3. scoop spoonfuls onto glass baking dish
4. bake doughballs for 10 minutes
5. while dough is baking mix spices, garlic, and butter in a bowl and microwave until it is all liquid melted
6. remove biscuits from oven after 10 minutes and just when its getting less gooey
7. pour or brush buttery mixture over biscuits
8. return biscuits to oven for 5 minutes
9. lower oven to 350 and bake another 5 minutes
10. At any point that your biscuits start getting crispier you can remove them, otherwise bring to completion
11. Serve, enjoy, and try not to eat them all at once :)

Candied Ginger Recipe

Seeking an ideal finishing touch for my cookie plates this year, I turned to crystallized (candied) ginger. The recipe was actually so easy. Give it a try yourself and save some money on sweet and spicier candied ginger.

• granulated sugar
• ginger root

1. peel and slice 2 ginger roots into coins
2. pour 3 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar into a pot to under medium heat, stir
3. once the syrup is warmed add your ginger coins to the mixture, mix and keep an eye on it
4. after 30 minutes and ginger is tender remove ginger with a strainer (you can save the sweet ginger syrup for homemade ginger ale)
5. place your ginger in a single layer to dry on a cookie rack
6. after 5 hours at least your ginger should be dry, fill a bowl with sugar
7. place ginger in bowl and shake it up
8. remove ginger and let dry another hour before serving or adding to cookie plate

Whole Wheat Pasta Dough from scratch

My name is Kim and I am a pastaholic. Growing up in an italian family always has this common thread: pasta. As an adult I have been surprised to learn that not everyone has pasta with every meal, and can sometimes go a whole week without pasta at all. Perhaps this is why us italian girls keep a little chunk on.

Anyhow, as an adult I have also found that it is important to keep cholesterol low and carbs low, which also means switching from the white smooth pasta to whole wheat pasta. I am embracing this wholeheartedly and have even enjoyed the added flavor of a whole wheat pasta and am looking forward to more ways to get creative with it.

I surprised myself this week when I realized that I had never made pasta from scratch before. Sure I have helped my mom/relatives make some but never on my own. Well this has officially come to pass. And while easier than I thought it would was also a bit of a chore. Will I do it again? Heck yea!

• 1C whole wheat flour
• 2.5 egg whites
• splash of salt
• 1T milk (if you are making a stuffed pasta, of course I use skim organic)
• If you are feeling creative you can add completely drained spinach to make it green

Making the Dough Balls

1. Work on your counter-top or another nonporous location 
2. Pour the flour as a mountain on the counter
3. Create an inner volcano area to place the eggs
4. Careful not to let it all run off, smoosh it together and let the flour start soaking it in
5. Throw in your splash of salt to add some flavor, and certainly the spinach here if doing so
6. Start kneading and working the dough here, adding the milk carefully if using it
7. Spend at least 10 minutes working and kneading the dough with the palm of your hands to ensure a proper blend
8. When you are getting towards the end the dough should become elasticy. You can bounce it off the counter if you're not careful. However throwing it and kneading should continue until it is smooth, elastic, and a proper dough consistency.
9. Place the dough in a plastic wrap/bag and lock airtight for 30-60 minutes. This process will release the glutin and it should become softer and easier to work with. You will likely want to separate these dough balls into workable sizes perhaps the size of a tennis ball.

Cutting into Pasta

1. Once you can more easily depress the doughballs you will want to get ready for pasta prep
2. If you have a pasta machine you can use that at this point otherwise follow the instructions here
3. Remove a doughball, keeping the rest tightly wrapped until you are ready to work with it.
4. Use a wooden rolling pin well caked with flour to roll it out until it is almost paper thin. It is a balance here because if it is too thin you will have trouble holding the filling if you are making a stuffed pasta. 
5. Go here for nonstuffed pasta
1. For nonstuffed pasta leave it to dry on a kitchen towel for 15 minutes before making your cuts
2. After about 15 minutes you can start your cuts using a sharp knife
3. After cutting let it sit at least 5 minutes before boiling. Or if you would like uncooked pasta can sit in a pantry for over a month if you sit it in an uncovered bowl mixed up like a birdnest, just make sure its completely dry before storing like this.
6. Go here for stuffed pasta
1. Once it is flattened to your desired thickness start cutting your pasta pieces. So many options here. For raviolis you can cut into squares to prepare for folded triangles, you can make circles for more of a tortelini experience... Regardless if you are working with stuffed pasta you want to do this quickly while the milk is still keeping it sticky enough to close.
2. For stuffed pasta as soon as you cut, spoon your filling, fold it over, and completely seal the edges, place it on a plate to prepare for boiling

Roasted Butternut Squash Puree

This is a key ingredient in Butternut Squash Ravioli, but can also be made into soups and sauces and pretty much anything your heart desires. Enjoy and certainly comment if you have a new idea to use the puree in.

• one large butternut squash 
• 4T butter
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 C orange juice
• honey
• Cinnamon
• berbere
• splenda

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Start by halving the squash lengthwise
3. Scoop out the strings and seeds to leave a clean vegetable
4. Rub the inside of the squash down with butter and pepper, salt, and a hunt of berbere
5. Place the squash open side up on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until you can easily push a knife through the skin
6. Cool the squash until you can handle holding it
7. Scoop the flesh out of the squash into a food processor
8. Puree the squash, juice, honey, cinnamon, splenda, and any spice to taste you like, I added some more berbere and some cajun red pepper spice
9. Pulse until smooth, if you need you can splash more oj to make it smoother