Not-So-Weekly Recipe

What The Fuck Should I Make For Dinner?

Because, sometimes, I just don't fucking know.


(via A Cup Of Jo)

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

This isn't as much of a recipe as it is a recipe hack.  Delicious delicious hack.  Mmm.

Blueberry Banana Muffins

ingredients

1 package of blueberry muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker for these, but I also like Jiffy's)
Water (or milk and eggs - whatever the mix calls for)
1 or 2 overripe bananas
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1.  Mash bananas in a medium sized bowl.  Press up onto sides.
2.  In center of the bowl, prepare muffin mix as directed.
3.  Add in extra flour and vanilla.  Throughly combine banana with mix.
4.  Pour into greased or lined muffin tins.
5.  Bake according to package instructions.
6.  But add a few extra minutes.
7.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

There's no escaping pineapples when you're in Hawaii.  So really, I don't know why it's taken over a year for me to make a pineapple upside down cake.

Seriously.  Why didn't I do this before?

...And why don't I make this every week?

Pineapple Upside-down Cake
(adapted from Allrecipes and Smitten Kitchen)


ingredients

3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 stick of butter
Fresh Pineapple - peeled, cored, sliced (or make it easy and get a can, because you'll need the juice too)
Maraschino Cherries
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I threw in some nutmeg and allspice as well, because that's just how I roll)
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice


directions

1.  Melt butter in a small saucepan on stove top.  Mix in sugar.  This makes the most amazing caramel EVER.  If you're anything like me, you'll want to stop right here and forget the cake.  Fight the urge to hide in a dark corner while gorging yourself on warm, buttery caramel.  Fight it!  But totally lick the spoon.
2.  Pour caramel into a greased cake pan.  Arrange pineapple slices and cherries into caramel.
3.  In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup butter until creamy.  Stir in sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Slowly stir in flour, spices, baking powder.  Pour in pineapple juice until combined.
4.  Spoon cake batter into pan, on top of caramel and fruit.  Level.
5.  Bake in preheated oven at 350* for 45 minutes.
6.  The top should become golden brown, and raise slightly above rim of pan.
7.  Remove from oven and let cool.  The cake will sink back down.  That was kind of a bummer.
8.  But serve this cake warm.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

The best quiche I've ever had was at Mill Bay Coffee, a local coffee shop in Kodiak, Alaska.

Sorry, Mom.

Ever since that first bite, I've been trying to recreate it on my own.  I've come close.  Close enough.

Vegetable Quiche

ingredients

(Shameful disclaimer:  I cannot make a pie crust.  Can.  Not.  Crust + Me = FAIL.  So I totally cop out and buy ready made.  I usually pick up Pillsbury's rolled out kind where I can use my own pie plate, but this time I went cheap and got the ones in the foil tins.  Not a huge deal, but I'm sure a homemade crust would be one step closer to achieving Mill Bay goodness.  But for that, you're on your own.)

2 deep 9" pie crusts

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 - 12 eggs

Various vegetables - I go with onion, green pepper, squash, and spinach.  Use as much as you can fit into the pans.  Seriously.

1/2 - 1 cup chopped ham (I only add this in one, to placate my non-quiche-fan husband)

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to season

directions

1.  Lightly brown crusts in oven.  350* should do the trick.  Remove before they turn a golden color.  Set aside.

2.  Saute chopped vegetables on stove top.  I think the biggest difference comes in this step.  Technically, the Mill Bay Coffee quiche was ROASTED vegetable.  That's a little much to ask of me.  So I've stuck with the sauteing route, and have been happy.  If you're using spinach, only add it in at the last minute, just to soften the leaves.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, scramble eggs.  Mix in cheeses.  Add in vegetables.  And any meat.  Salt and pepper to your heart's content.  

4.  Pour in enough milk to thin out mixture.

5.  Mix well.

6.  Separate mixture into the two pie plates.  Cook until the eggs set.  You might need to cover the edges of the crust with some foil to keep them from getting too brown.

7.  It takes a while to cook.  Especially depending on how much you fill the pies.  Just remember they're ready when they don't wobble any more.

8.  Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve.

Enjoy!  

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

I tried to make mashed sweet potatoes.  

I failed. 

 

I don't know how.  But I did.  So in an effort to save as much as I could, I made a pie.  You can't go wrong with pie.

Salvaged Sweet Potato Pie

ingredients

1 package graham crackers, crumbled

1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter

Ground cinnamon

Mashed sweet potatoes (I peeled and diced 4 good-sized potatoes, and boiled them til soft.  I mashed them with some butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a bit of brown sugar.)

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar

More cinnamon, and nutmeg, and allspice

directions

1.  Mix graham cracker crumbs, dash of cinnamon, and melted butter.  Use only as much butter as needed to coat crumbs.  Press into bottom of pie plate.

2.  Scramble egg in a large bowl.  Add sugar (amount depends on how much sugar was used in the "mashing" part.  I used close to 1/2 cup white sugar, but brown sugar would be great, too).  Combine mashed sweet potatoes.  Mix.  At this part, I remembered pumpkin pies need condensed milk...  so I went ahead and added some regular fat-free milk.  I couldn't really say how much, but just enough to thin out the potato mixture.  

3.  Dump in a bunch of spices.  Well, you know.  Whatever seems reasonable.

4.  Mix.
5.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake in preheated oven at 350* for umm...an hour.  It might have been longer.  Just keep checking on it.  It's done when the center doesn't jiggle any more.

It turns out really rustic looking, which I like.  Of course this isn't the best summertime recipe, but it was a nice way to save a misfired meal, and it kinda reminds you of Thanksgiving.  Which is always nice anyhow.

Add a dollop  of whipped cream, and enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

Hawaiian food is really similar to Southern food when you get down to it.  There's lots of deep frying, lots of side dishes, and lots of influences.  All in the best way possible.  

Manapua is without question my favorite local food so far.  

And here's my very southern take on it.

Southern Manapua

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix

1/2 cup milk

About 1/2 cup finely chopped, cooked, chicken (I used leftovers...I generously season my chicken breasts with pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, Italian Medley Mrs. Dash, and parsley, both sides, and cook them on our little George Forman grill)

6 slices cheddar cheese, or about a handful of shredded

butter and garlic salt (optional)

directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450*

2.  Prepare biscuit mix.  Using box directions, simply mix milk into Bisquick.  

3.  Spoon out 6 mounds of dough onto baking sheet.  Flatten as best as possible (it's pretty sticky).

4.  Pile on chicken and cheese.

5.  Cover biscuits with remaining dough.

6.  Cooks up in less than 10 minutes.  So keep an eye on 'em.

7.  Just before taking out of the oven, lightly brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

A quick tropical pull together.  It's become a usual around here lately...because well, it's hard to walk out of a grocery store in Hawaii without a pineapple.




Tropical Fruit Salad

ingredients:

1 large orange

2 cups grapes (any type would work, but green grapes add a nice bit of sourness to the sweet pineapple)

1 pineapple

directions:

1.  Slice grapes in half.  It's kinda a hassle to do all those grapes, but I think it makes it easier to eat with a fork.

2.  Peel and segment orange.  Cut into chunks.

3.  Dismantle the pineapple.  A fresh pineapple is worth the work.  Trust me.  Slice into bite size pieces.

4.  Add all fruit into a bowl.

This makes two huge helpings.  Or two regular helpings, and enough left over to go back and finish immediately.  Either way.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

One of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I've made.  Ever.  I think it was the Smart Balance.  And I might have added a bit too much baking soda...

(Leftover Halloween Candy) Chocolate Chip Cookies

ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter (if you use Smart Balance butter get the kind for baking, not the other kind...the other kind ruins whatever you bake...just a note)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 - 2 cups chocolate chips (or 10 mini bags of Hershey's Kissables left over from Halloween that you had to promise to use up in cookies just so your husband wouldn't eat them all)

directions:

1.  Hand mix butter and sugars until creamy.

2.  Add in eggs and vanilla until combined.  

3.  Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Once dough is formed, mix in chocolate chips.

4.  Refrigerate for at least a half hour.  (If you refrigerate longer, you might want to cover the dough.)  

5.  Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto cookie sheet.  

6.  Bake at 375* for 10 minutes.  

7.  Let cookies sit on the sheet for a minute or two once out of oven.  Then cool completely on wire rack.  

Enjoy!   

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

A little late for Valentine's Day, but it'd still be great any other occasion. Like, it's Tuesday. Yea!



Chocolate Cheesecake

ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate Teddy Grahams, crumbled in the blender)
1/3 cup melted butter
at least 1 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon (totally optional)
1 package (8 oz) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

directions:

1. Prepare crust by mixing chocolate crumbs, butter, and cinnamon. Press mixture into bottom and slightly up sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
2. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Blend in eggs, one at a time.
3. Melt chocolate pieces in microwave - follow directions on package (about a minute and a half for the whole bar).
4. Gradually pour melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture, beating on low speed until well-blended. Add flour and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
5. Pour into prepared crust.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for 55 - 60 minutes or until filling is firm. Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake 1 hour without opening door. Cool completely. Chill several hours or overnight. It really is best when the cheesecake has cooled for at least a couple hours. But sometimes you just can't wait...

Eat as is, or top with your favorite goodies. Try cherries, raspberries, or fudge sauce. Mmm.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

Totally lacking in the recipe department. I know, I know. It's been the same ole' same ole' around here lately. Plus, not many grocery store trips. So the cupboards are bare.

However, these are an amazingly great treat. Even when you're low on supplies.




Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies


ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (I personally have to have crunchy. Have to have.)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
dash of cinnamon
splash of vanilla extract


directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Double recipe if desired. (It'll only make around a dozen...depending on the size of the cookies)
2. Spoon out teaspoon sized dollops of dough onto cookie sheet. Press tops down with sugar-coated fork.
3. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes, or until bottoms turn brown.
4. Let sit on pan for a few minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

Here's one of my favorite meals...

Chicken Pot Pie

ingredients:

1 can reduced fat condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can mixed vegetables (pick out all the lima beans, because really...who likes lima beans?)
1 can diced potatoes
2 -3 cooked chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 egg

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Dump vegetables, potatoes, and soup (no water), into a 9" pie plate...or other similar sized pan. Mix in chicken. Stir until everything is coated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together Bisquick, milk, and egg. Pour batter on top of chicken/vegie mix in the pie plate. The batter will stay on top, baking up into a biscut-like crust.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. I find that putting a sheet of tin foil on the rack under the pie plate saves a lot of clean up hassle in case the pot pie boils over. The crust should turn golden brown, and the inside boils up a little.

Total comfort food that's easy to make.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

I love carrot cake. Like, lovelove. I found a recipe online for a low-fat version, and modified it a little more. Here it is. Trust me, you'll lovelove it too.

Carrot Cake

ingredients

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, with juice
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I like to use a little extra)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (or pumpkin pie spice...)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely grated carrots

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Coat baking pans with cooking spray. Whip egg whites in a medium mixing bowl until stiff. Set aside.
2. Cream sugar, apple sauce, syrup, and can of pineapple in a large mixing bowl. Beat in egg yolks and egg substitute. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to mixing bowl, and beat on low speed until blended. Fold in egg whites. Stir in grated carrots and spoon mixture into prepared pan(s).
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

A side note about the frosting: I've tried twice to make cream cheese frosting, and neither time it came out right. Save the hassle and buy it already made. After grating all those carrots, you'll thank yourself for at least one short cut!

The picture is a mini-cake. To make, do cupcakes. Cut off tops of cupcakes, and icing like normal. Viola...mini cake. Totally cute, right?

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

Breakfast food rocks. Here's a recipe I came up with on the fly the other morning...

Banana Pecan Pancakes

ingredients

1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
2 or 3 ripe bananas
a handful or two of chopped pecans

directions

Mash bananas into a large mixing bowl. Add egg, sugar, and vanilla. Stir well. Slowly pour in Bisquick mix while adding milk. Should make a thin batter. (Add more milk if necessary.) Mix in nuts. Cook on a pre-heated skillet. I always burn the second batch of pancakes - so keep an eye on the temperature...unless you're an adept cook. These pancakes turn out so light and fluffy. And of course delicious.

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

The best cookie ever. Hands down.
Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder, and I don't think it made a difference)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups softened butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 oz. package Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

directions:
1. Heat oven to 350*
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt - beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Don't over bake! Cool slightly on pan, then move to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes close to 5 dozen cookies.

I usually half the recipe, so there's not that many sitting around teasing me with their deliciousness. And ohmygoodness how heavenly would they be if you used tons of chocolate chips instead of the peanut butter ones? Insane. But seriously, you must try these. (The recipe is on the back of the Reese's chips bag.)

Enjoy!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

I've been adventurous since moving to Alaska. I mean, I grew out my bangs, for goodness sake! Who does that?!
So really, it's only been a matter of time before I came across something so alaskan, so outta my norm, it would throw me for a loop.
And folks, that was the other day.

I. Ate. Deer.

Deer meat. Little baby Bambi.

Ok, ok...I know that's not really a big deal. Lots of people have eaten deer. (It even has a name...venison. Right?) Well, I never have - and it freaked me out. Can you blame me? I even cooked it.
A couple Joe and I know gave us the meat (the wife hit the deer with their new truck. So essentially, it was road kill. Not only did I eat deer, I ate road kill. Who does this happen to? Seriously.) It was ground up, packaged, and frozen. And sitting in our freezer for awhile.

[I should mention that I hateHATEhate to grocery shop. So we run out of food frequently.]

I wanted to make a lasagna, but didn't have any meat to add into the sauce. Nada. Well, except for the deer. I thought about it. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Until I talked to Joe, and he told me I was a huge wuss. Which I am, but that's beside the point. I caved in, and cooked it up. Venison (or this one specifically, because I've never had the honor of pan frying multiple antlered animals) has an almost sweet smell to it while it cooks - very different from ground beef. After it browned, I couldn't bring myself to taste it. The dogs liked what I gave them, though. Nevertheless, the meat was added to the lasagna, the lasagna cooked up, served.

It wasn't that bad.
I had to leave my body as I ate, so I wouldn't think about the cute little deer I see on the side of the road while driving into town...
But it wasn't bad at all.


Road-Kill Lasagna

Eh. You know how to make a lasagna. The recipe comes right on the side of the noodle box. I did layer in spinach leaves; that was gooood. And of course the deer meat. But please feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe - catch up

Sorry for the delay...I know everyone waits on pins and needles each week...

Here's a quick recipe, that's delicious (and mildly good for you).



German Chocolate Cake

Buy the prepackaged cake mix and frosting. Make cake according to box directions, but instead of using oil, use apple sauce. Really. Can't tell the difference when it's made. I promise. Garnish with sliced almonds, and you have a dessert you don't have to feel guilty about eating.

Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe

Here's a mexican twist on the basic chicken and rice staple:

Arroz con Pollo y Frijoles

ingredients

3-6 pieces of chicken breast
garlic salt
pepper
long-grain rice (not instant)
2 cans diced tomatoes & chilies
1 can chicken broth
1 can refried beans
1/2 shredded cheese, monterey jack or cheddar

directions

Season chicken with pepper and garlic salt. Spray large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken into pan, and cook 7 minutes on each side (or until they're golden brown). Remove chicken from pan, and pour in rice. Brown in pan over medium heat for 2 minutes (I added in a little bit of water, to keep the rice from sticking.) Add in tomatoes and chicken broth; blend well. Place chicken on top of rice mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. It'll look soupy...no worries. Then remove chicken (yes, again) and keep warm (placing it in the microwave is good for keeping it warm). Spoon beans into rice mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Heat an additional 5 minutes, or until beans are hot and cheese in melted. Serve with chicken.

This meal is delicious, even though it doesn't necessarily look it. Give it a try...you won't be sorry. Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe

You want a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth, but there's nothing in the kitchen, except for the bag of rhubarb in the freezer. I don't know about you, but this happens to me all the time. And I have just the recipe to make it work...

Rhubarb Crunch

ingredients
4 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup sugar (brown or white)
1 egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter

directions

Preheat oven to 375*. Lightly grease 9x13 inch baking pan (I used 8x8...the smaller the pan, the thicker the bars). In a large mixing bowl combine rhubarb, sugar, egg, and 3 tablespoons flour. Stir well and spread evenly into baking dish. Set aside. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir well, and then cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over rhubarb layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the edges get bubbly.

A dessert that's made from vegetables? Sweet!

Weekly Recipe

When you're penny pinching (like I am this week), fancy food just doesn't make it. Here's one way to stretch your grocery budget (and it really isn't that bad!):




Knuckle-Down Soup

ingredients
1 can chicken noodle soup
1 package of ramen noodles (any flavor works)


directions
Heat chicken noodle soup over stove. Add 1/2 can water (in addition to the can of water the directions call for...because you're using instant condensed soup, right? Right, because it's the cheapest.) When it boils, add in the instant noodles. No need to add the flavor packet. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes, until done.

Now you have enough chicken noodle soup to go around.
Delicious with saltine crackers, but even better with a grilled cheese, turkey, and tomato sandwich.

Good for a quick lunch, or unbelievably inexpensive dinner. Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe

I'll be the first to admit it - I'm no Martha. I'm not even Not Martha. But I am becoming slightly domesticated, and I thought I'd share the good news.

It wasn't too long ago that I caught bread on fire as it was warming in the oven. Seriously. Living on an island with limited take-out options, however, has kicked me into gear and made me a much better cook. I suppose I could only get better...I couldn't get any worse!

The first recipe is one I've perfected, because I make it so often. Bananas go pretty fast around here, and we all know mushy bananas are no good on cereal. So I found a better use for them.



Grandma's Banana Bread
ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less, depending on your taste)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 slightly beaten egg whites
1 cup mashed bananas (about 4 bananas...way past ripened)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce (or vegetable oil)
1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts

directions
In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Mix in egg whites, sugar, and apple sauce. Stir in flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt until moistened. Add nuts if desired.
Spray loaf pan or muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into pans. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Muffins take around 20 minutes.) Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Delicious plain, but amazing with a crumble top: mix a couple tablespoons of brown sugar with a little flour, butter, and left-over nuts. Sprinkle on top of batter before putting it into the oven.

It makes a lovely and quick breakfast. Enjoy!