Hummus

My go to semi-healthy snack is now hummus and carrot sticks. This spring I am in love with it! I discovered this 'love'  by my cooking project and ever since this first batch I've been experimenting with hummus making. There are many recipes online for it. Today I'll give you the one that is in the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker. I also tried a roasted red bell pepper hummus (you'll see pictures of both with this post).




What you'll need:
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
3 Tbsp. Tahini (this is a sesame seed paste)
2 Cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. Fresh finely chopped parsley
sprinkling of paprika
salt to taste

What you'll do: 
1. Process in chick peas in a blender or food processor
2. Add in lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and a pinch of salt
3. Puree until smooth. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water if it gets to thick
4. Remove from blender and mix in paprika, parsley, and olive oil
5. Serve with warm pita bread or fresh veggies such as carrots, bell peppers, and celery

Notes:
Rating (this recipe): 3.75/5 

Matter Paneer Made Simple

One of my favorite types of foods is Indian food. I think about it and I start to drool. I love it! Indian cooking is one of the types of foods that I have little experience in and have lots to learn. When I saw this recipe made easy I couldn't help but go right out and find my ingredients. First thing is first when you look at the recipe do not be alarmed by the large number of ingredients. They are mostly spices. Give it a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Matter Paneer Made Simple
From: Vegetarian times magazine
30 minutes or less













What you'll need:
1 large onion, quartered
1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. whole brown mustard seeds (I couldn't find these so I used ground mustard seed)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. garam masala (a blend of spices that I find at Hy-vee in the bulk foods section)
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbs. reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 8-oz. pkg. paneer (this is a type of cheese)

What you'll do:
1. Purée onion in food processor.
2. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin, and bay leaf.
Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.

3. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned.

 Stir in tomato sauce, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, salt, and paprika. Simmer 10 minutes,

or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add up to 1/2 cup water if sauce is

too thick.

4. Stir in peas, sour cream, and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes, or until peas are heated
through.
5. Fold in paneer, and cook 3 minutes more. Remove bay leaf, and serve hot with
basmati rice or naan bread.

Serves 4

Notes:
*Cut the paneer into small cubes so they become well mixed into the matter.
*If you are feeling up to it try making your own Paneer Cheese, I'd like to do this soon!
*rating 3.75/5

Burger and Fries

I love it when it gets warm outside that means: Its time to fire up the grill! I love a good "burger" and fries for a quick and easy weeknight meal. For my burger I really like the Boca line of meat less burgers (all except the cheese burger one). My favorite by far is the Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan with melted cheese, mayo, and pickle relish. To spice up the normal I decided to try some sweet potato fries. Here is the recipe...

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11169?section=

What you'll need:

2 lb. assorted sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks

• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2  tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. potato starch
• 
  

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Set 1 oven rack in top position and 1 rack in bottom position.

2. Toss together sweet potatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, if using. Sprinkle with potato starch; toss mixture once more to coat well. Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Turn potatoes with spatula, and rotate baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes more, or until golden brown.

Serves 6

Notes:

*Be careful with cooking these I had trouble getting them to brown and not 'burn'

*Potato starch is a much- fries with out lacked the crunchiness

*Great to dip in bbq sauce

*Rating: 3/5 

Warm up with some yummy vegetarian chili

With snow looming on the horizon today it seems like the perfect day for some warm spicy chili. This has become one my favorites. Today I'm starting a new "feature", the JK rating system for how my husband and  I like the recipes. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili
Recipe adapted from: Joy of Cooking
by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped peeled carrots--chopped very finely
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 fresh or frozen green chili peppers-leave seeds in
1 tablespoon ground hot chili pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can dice tomatoes, with juice
One 16-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
One 16-ounce can chili beans, with sauce
Two 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
Salt to taste

What to do:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add carrots, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
   
   
   
3. Add chili peppers and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato juice, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, adding more tomato juice or water as needed, about 45 minutes.
   
   
   
5. Enjoy!
   
   Notes:
   *the longer you cook it the thicker and better the flavors blend
   *To bring down the spice add some shredded cheddar cheese (yum!)
   *Works great re-heated for lunches, makes quite a few leftovers
   Rating: 4.5/5 stars
   
   

Cheddar Potato Soup

Cheddar Potato Soup

What you'll need:
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (add more to taste I sometimes add up to 3 cups also thickens the soup)
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash paprika

What to do:
1. In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender.
2. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
3. Puree in small batches in a blender until smooth; return to the pan.
4. Stir in the cheese, milk, pepper and paprika. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. 

Makes about 8 servings.

Notes:
Be very careful when blending the hot soup. Make sure to secure your lid before you go and keep a hand on it. I divide the soup into two batches to blend.

My newest cooking "project"

I watched the movie Julie and Julia recently and inspiration struck me! I wanted to do something similar because:
*I love to cook and try new things
*I want to expand my cooking skills
*I want to try new things I may have never thought of before
So I decided to start by working my way through the cookbook Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker
As I've been working I've decided to not conform to a weekly recipe count but to keep making my way through this book when I want to try new things. I've been doing pretty well and discovered some new amazing food. But as with many projects I'm not going to force myself to eat and make food I'm not interested in. So it is a very flexable project. Look for lots of recipes from the Joy of Cooking book.
Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for giving it to me as my first vegetarian cookbook :)

Ciabatta overflow

I love to bake, especially during the cold long winter month.
Since last Christmas I have been experimenting with ciabatta bread. I love the texture and taste especially for sandwiches. In my last trial I had a bit of a over rising/ not enough space in the bowl problem...

Never fear even messes like this can turn out some great bread. (and some good stories too!)

Still tasting great one headache of a mess in my oven later :)