Foods: Budget Bytes Edition

Oh hello there, blog.  It's been a while.  It's also been a grand old while since I went on about different foods I've made lately.  While I am always picking things from here and there on the wide world of the interwebs, lately I have been stuck on Budget Bytes--also known as the source of the most best burritos in the world.  What's so great about this website?  Let me list some ways:

The recipes are simple, with simple ingredients, but they add up to great flavors.  Having Boo Boo at my heels makes me appreciate a fast recipe more than ever, which these usually are, and of course the lower cost is appealing as well.  I like that she takes good, helpful photos rather than twenty pictures of the same plate of food.  I like that she cuts to the chase and basically just talks about the food, rather than her life story.  Speaking of cutting to the chase, here is a very long list of what I've tried so far:

Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet
Delicious, filling, simple.  Next time I'm going to add some diced tomatoes and maybe some mushrooms, but it's good as is.

Chicken Yakisoba
Easy and tasty!  Maybe my carrots were large, but I would scale back the veg slightly next time.

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta
I love pasta, and this is a good one.  I like that the sauce is creamy and cheesy but not heavy at all.

Dragon Noodles
I've made this a few times and mine NEVER looks that pretty (maybe because I can never find that kind of noodle...I use the ramen-esque kind).  But it is good and spicy all the same.  I like making Asian things for dinner because it gives me an excuse to have Drewbles make sticky rice.

Italian Wonderpot
Did I mention I like pasta?  I like wonderpots so much, it's just magical how they turn out.  DON'T WORRY, there's more than one on this list.

Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche
You know what's great about this?  It's a quiche but you don't have to make a crust!  I've made this several times, I highly recommend it.

Oven Fajitas
Is this the easiest way to make fajitas?  I think so.  Side note: one thing I like about BB is that chopping ingredients is part of the instructions, rather than the ingredient list.  I feel like that gives a more accurate representation of the work required, you know?

Oven Roasted Greek Stuffed Pitas
Is this the easiest way to make pitas?  I think so.

Beef and Pineapple Enchiladas
An unusual combination that works!  One caveat: I didn't LOVE the enchilada sauce recipe.  

Easy Southwest Mac and Cheese
This is the only recipe in this list that I didn't love and knew I wouldn't make again.  It was just kind of bland, but DON'T WORRY, there's more mac and cheese options.

Chicken & Lime Soup
I LOVE THIS SOUP.  Love it.  It's so good, I can just keep eating it and eating it and eating it some more.  One of the very best soups I've ever had, no joke.  If you anticipate leftovers, I'd cilantro on a bowl-by-bowl basis to keep it fresh and green.

Salsa Poached Eggs & Grits 
A cross between shakshuka and, you know, grits.  So, a winning combination.

One Pot Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
I'm not a huge sausage fan, but this was a winner.

Spinach and Artichoke Wonderpot 
Wonderpot strikes again!  The sauce was still a bit thin in the end, but I liked the flavors a lot, better than the traditional Wonderpot.

Spicy Tomato and Shrimp Pasta 
SO good.  I made this more for Drewbles than myself, because he loves shrimp, but it was a big hit for both of us.  And it's so simple!  Seriously, there's no reason to not make this...unless you hate shrimp.  I GUESS.

Zesty Tomato and Artichoke Pasta
You know, I honestly can't remember if I actually made this or not.

Spinach Tortellini Soup
I love a tortellini soup!

Miracle Mac and Cheese
I don't think I need to rehash my pickiness for homemade macaroni and cheese, so I'll just say that this is, hands down, my favorite recipe for homemade mac and cheese.  Just watch the pot carefully so it doesn't boil over!  Oh man, so tasty.

Tomato Herb Soup
A perfectly good tomato soup, but it can't match my favorite.

Spinach Feta Grilled Cheese 
I've never met a grilled cheese I didn't like. 

I *think* that's every single item I've made, but you never know.  And the best part is that there are so many other things to try!  And try again!  Maybe I'll start with the chicken and lime soup...

Burritos to Change Your Life

I used to not like burritos.  I didn't like beans and every burrito I had seemed to be bursting with refried beans.  No amount of cheese could undo the beany beanness of those beans.  Fast forward to college when I discovered black beans.  They were good!  My opinion of burritos went way up, so long as they had black beans.

Fast forward again to last summer, when a friend brought us dinner after Boo Boo was born.  She brought us burritos.  But not just any burritos--LIFE CHANGING BURRITOS.  I talked about those burritos for months, and since I got the recipe from her last November, I have made them, well, a lot.  They are SO GOOD.  I cannot emphasize that enough.  SO GOOD.  I would eat these every day.  

How do you make these magical burritos?  First you take a look at the source material (I highly recommend that website in general).  Second, you take a look at this adaptation of the original recipe into burrito form:

1 (15 oz) can black beans, lightly rinsed
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1/2 small red onion, chopped (green onions work well too)
1 clove garlic, minced (or just garlic powder)
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. shredded cheese
1 T. taco seasoning
taco size tortillas
salsa

Heat oven to 350. Combine everything in a bowl, besides the tortillas (duh).  Add enough salsa to get the consistency you want (I think I usually do about 2/3 cup).  Roll those puppies up and bake them for 20 minutes.  A batch generally gets me 10 burritos w

So go make some and then rejoice in your burrito-improved life.  

Pumpkin 2: The Pumpkining

I made more pumpkin things, like a crazy cat lady with pumpkin foods instead of cats.  Here are the results:

Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Not pumpkiny enough at ALL!  Also, personally, I didn't think the result warranted the extra work either.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
These were pumpkiny enough, but I still have a lot left and I made them several days ago so...  There's something about the texture that I don't really like--maybe I'm just missing a crust-like element.  I added chocolate chips to half of them and that was an improvement.

Pumpkin Pie Granola
HOW could this ever have enough pumpkin flavor when it doesn't have actual pumpkin in it?  Mmhmm.  (Still good granola though.)  Word to the wise: when looking to buy dried cherries, make sure you don't buy cherry-flavored cranberries.  Ocean Spray is tricky!

Pumpkin Seeds
A great, basic recipe--all I need with my pumpkin seeds is salt.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
I followed the alteration suggestions in the first "most helpful positive review" and it was great.  Instead of a bread, I made 24 muffins and a bunch of mini muffins as well.  I'm sure there are better pumpkin bread recipes out there, but this one was good and worked for muffins. 

Pumpkin Whoopee!
Honestly, why do I even bother with other pumpkin recipes?  This is the only one I need!

And with that, I think I will go into baking hibernation...until it's time for pumpkin pie that is.

Pumpkin Fever

Last fall, as I worked at growing a Speck, I made almost no pumpkin foods at all.  I'm sorry to say pumpkin sounded gross, and I only rallied in time for a pie at Thanksgiving.  So I guess you could say I'm making up for lost time this year--or you could say I'm doing the same thing I always do, and that is make every pumpkin thing in the world.  

Now, I have come to the realization that when I make a pumpkin thing, I want it to taste like I've actually shoved my face in a pumpkin pie and have to eat my way out.  I don't want subtle pumpkin.  I want to be hit in the face with pumpkin.  So when I complain about recipes not being pumpkin-y enough, well, maybe they would be for other people.  Here's what I've made so far this fall:

Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchies 
I started off the season with these and they were tasty little things.  I am a big fan of butterscotch so that was a bonus.  The butterscotch kind of overwhelmed the pumpkin flavor, but it was still there.  (Note: I used quick oats, and also this recipe makes a LOT of cookies)

Pumpkin Pie Spice
I made my own after seeing how much a tiny jar of the pre-made stuff was (it was cheaper to buy allspice, the only ingredient I lacked).  Of course, only after I made it did I discover a bottle of it in the cupboard...

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies 
Not pumpkin-y enough!  That said, they were REALLY great chocolate cookies... (Note: I too used chocolate chips)

Pumpkin Whipped Cream
I made this to give a pumpkin boost to the chocolate cookies.  If you REALLY want to go big, make a cookie sandwich with it!  Even better, make a frozen cookie sandwich.  I combined the recipe with the spices of this one.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Again, not super pumpkin-y, but ever so delicious anyway.  Totally worth the work!  As for the glaze, well...I discovered that the whisk attachment for my immersion blender is not the same as the whisk attachment for the Kitchenaid.  Um, I'll leave it at that.  Okay okay, it made a huge mess but it didn't make a glaze!  Lesson learned.  *scrubs counter*

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup
I've mentioned this recipe before, and it's worth mentioning again.  The pancakes could be more pumpkin-y, but they are tasty nonetheless.  Also, the syrup!  You gots to make the syrup. 

Apple Cider Caramels 
I know, not a pumpkin recipe, but in my mind, cider and pumpkin are cousins.  True story: I made these last fall, without a candy thermometer.  Take my advice, Internet, and just buy a dang thermometer!  My first attempt, while not wholly inedible, had a burnt taste and a tough texture.  I say "not wholly" because Drew ate them.  He ate them all.  Every single one, aside from the two or so I ate.  He's just a trooper!  And a not-waster.  ANYway, the second batch came out perfectly--soft and cider-y, as a caramel should.  I think Drew was secretly relieved at not having to eat them all again.

Well, October is speeding past, but there are still lots of recipes to try!  Where am I going from here?  This granola is in the oven at the moment.  These waffles are on the horizon.  These cupcakes are imminent.  And of course, let's not forget the old favorites like the inevitable pumpkin pie and the most delicious of things, Pumpkin Whoopee.  Ah, fall.  How I love to eat my way through it.  

A Dietary Compendium

And now, in a break from books and the Speck--food!  If there's one thing I like, it's food.  (But really, that is a ridiculous thing to say because I like many things and 99% of people like food.)

Anyway, lately we have been engaged in sourcing our dinners from what we already have in an effort to clear out the freezer and some cupboard space.  But before that, we were eating things like these:

Rustic Crusty Bread
I don't make bread very often--I just don't have time--but this recipe is so simple and doesn't require too much active involvement on my part.  Also, it is really good and perfect for open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches, a term I just made up.  It is also really good for...

...Tuna Melts and Tomato Soup 
Growing up, my Mama would make what we called "tuna toasties"--bread topped with tuna and slices of cheese then broiled until it's all crispy and melty.  These tuna melts are basically the same, with the addition of tomato slices.  And if there's one thing I like, it's tomato slices.

As for the soup, I think I mentioned last time that I've been hunting for the perfect tomato soup recipe, and this is definitely the winner thus far.  Simple, tomato-y.  All it needs is some basil...

Speedy Vegetarian Cheese Tortellini Soup
I love soup!  I especially love easy soup.  This is one of those soups.  I highly recommend adding some zucchini, and I also added more celery and carrots (along with more broth).  It's kind of a basic recipe as is, but certainly not a bad one.

Quick Clam Chowder 
I am always on the lookout for a great clam chowder recipe.  I like super thick clam chowders when someone else has made it, but I have a hard time adding all that cream myself.  So I liked that this recipe has SOME cream but it's a little lighter overall.  Still plenty of clams though!  You gots to have a lot of clams (I got half minced, half chopped, because I like to SEE my clams). 

French Bread Rolls
I actually made these twice, and they turned out very differently.  Both batches were good, but the second was infinitely better and there were two things I did differently--used bread flour and added a little bit more salt.  Oh, and even though I use instant yeast, I did let it sit in the warm water for a minute anyway.  I love rolls.  Rolls and soup!  Does it get better than that?

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
I made these cookies to bring to a work meeting, and let me tell you, it was hard to not eat them all beforehand.  They are so pretty, so soft, so tasty!  (And so easy!)

Chocolate Fudge Coconut Cake 
This cake looked pretty when it was done, but let me tell you, it was not the best cake-making experience I have had.  When the timer beeped, I went to do the toothpick test and they were not done.  Five minutes later, they were--but also all three layers had sunk miserably (solidarity among cakes?).  This is always depressing.  So to account for my sinkhole cakes, I had to make even more frosting and use even MORE butter, and I will not say how many sticks of butter went into this cake.  Ignorance is bliss.  Anyway, it was a very long, frustrating process and though it did look pretty and was well-received, it was hard for me to love it.  And that's the story of that cake.  

(Also, can I just say that I have no love for food blogs that go on and on about things entirely unrelated to the food they're posting about?  [Or really, go on and on about anything] Get to the point!)

For the Oscars this year, we had a food party.  And by "party" I mean I made a lot of food for the two of us to eat while we speed watched the Oscars.  It was not a particularly social party but it was...well-fed?  Here was our menu:

Killer Artichoke Bread
You cannot go wrong with anything that has this ingredient list. 

Hoagie Dip 
This makes SO MUCH.  We ate it as dip on two occasions and then still had so much left we used it to make open-faced grilled cheeses and also regular grilled cheeses.  So, be prepared.

Chicken Verde Wonton Tacos
Delicious little things.  Yep, that sums it up.

Tiny Pigs in Blankets (technical term) 
These hardly need any explanation: lil smokies + crescent/biscuit/breadstick dough + oven = these.  If there's one thing I love, it's pigs in blankets. 

Foods

Who wants to talk about boring stuff like INTROSPECTION when there's FOOD to talk about?  Thinking is gross!  Food is delicious.  So let's talk about it. 

But first I will tease that this, your favorite vaguely Harry Potter-titled blog, will feature a ~*~*~*giveaway*~*~*~ in the coming weeks!  Weird, right?  I feel a bit like one of those "professional" bloggers.  So stay tuned, I think it will be really fun.  Back to food!

I haven't had much of a sweet tooth lately (that is to say, I haven't really wanted to seek it out/make anything, but if it's there, I will gladly eat it--I may have eaten about ten handfuls of Belly Flops in one sitting), but this list somehow manages to still feature mostly sweet things.  So...there you have it. 

Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops
These were the first items to break my baking/cooking-in-general drought, and they were well worth it.  They're perfect for those times when you happen to have no flour, granulated sugar or butter but you DO have plenty of powdered sugar and coconut.  I left out the nuts because nuts are terrible and did a full cup of chips and coconut to fill in the nuts gap.  You may doubt them when they go in the oven, but they bake up perfectly, with a delicate, crispy crust and gooey innards. 

Cocoa Brownies
Tasty tasty brownies.  I am more likely to have cocoa powder in the cupboard than chocolate bars so cocoa recipes suit me better.  I made these with dark cocoa and they came out the color of asphalt.  Warm, chocolatey asphalt. 

Creamless Tomato Soup
I've been on a tomato soup kick these last few months.  (I also made this one and this one)  They've all been good and I'd recommend any of them, but so far I haven't found the recipe that makes me say "YES, I will now eat the whole batch!"  I just want a tomato soup that's simple, without a lot of cook time and with more tomatos and less cream.  Bonus for basil.  Any recommendations, world?

Buffalo Grilled Cheese
I suppose it makes sense that with all the tomato soup going on, we've also made a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches.  I totally simplified these, but they were still awesome.  I used ranch instead of the white sauce, buffalo sauce right out of the bottle, chicken from a can, and axed the celery and onion.  Also I added the blue cheese.  Winner!

Pretzels!
(They're so good they deserve a !)  I was home being gross one day and then I saw these on Facebook and said YES, THOSE and made them immediately.  Side note: it is really handy to have such a big awesome counter now because I can sit on it while I make things.  They're SO GOOD and you just want to eat all of them in one sitting and I would not judge you for this.  The first batch I made with bread flour and man, they did not want to roll at ALL so they turned out super fat.  The second time I used regular flour and they were much more cooperative but, strangely, not quite as good.  Maybe chunky pretzels are the way to go.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake
This has been on my radar for a long time, and I finally bit the bullet and got myself a bundt pan.  So worth it!  This cake was SO good.  I mean it--really, really good.  Just enough orange, just enough chocolate and goodness everywhere.  It does involve a number of steps but if you have a buddy around to zest and juice your oranges, it's not that bad.  You won't regret the time it takes!

Cinnamon Rolls
This was one of the things I made in my baking frenzy during Christmas week.  I'd never made cinnamon rolls before because they seemed so intimidating, but the idea of eating them after opening presents was irresistible.  My Mama passed this recipe along to me and I gave it a dubious whirl.  I know I've said this several times already but these were SO good.  I made them the night before and baked them in the morn and they came out perfectly, with ooey, gooey middles.  And as usual, the actual making of them was not very intimidating after all.  (Of COURSE I left out the nuts and the raisins--eurgh!)

30-Minute Buffalo Chicken French Breads
I don't know why I am drawn to buffalo chicken things--I think buffalo wings are stupid--but it seems to pop up frequently at our house.  Maybe part of this is Drewbles periodically saying, "We still have half a bottle of buffalo sauce--what are we going to do with that, woman?"  ANYway, I have never been a big fan of French bread pizza because the bread gets all crispy and crunchy--two things I don't like in bread.  But!  These turned out so good we made our own creations the next night with the rest of the bread.  I didn't broil the bread beforehand, which helped it stay soft and we had no green onions or fontina, but otherwise I stuck to the (halved) recipe.  Maybe French bread pizzas and I will be friends after all.

Foods

I have had this post percolating for months now, but left it unpublished because I thought it was "too soon" for another food post.  Then I thought 1) it's been a long time and 2) when is it ever "too soon" for anything food related?  (The answer to that rhetorical question is: after food poisoning)

If a lot of these seem a little summery, that's because, well, we ate most of these things during the summer.  So don't forget these things come next summer!  In the meantime, enjoy your hot cocoas and pies and perhaps some ham. 

Zucchini Rice Gratin
I had never really made anything like this before.  Partly because, well, I just don't really like rice.  But if there's a way to make me eat rice (besides making it sticky), it's to cover it all up with tomatoes and cheese.  This was delicious!  I think as it is, it's a good main dish for two hungry people, but for more I would probably double it, if only for leftovers.

Strawberry Summer Cake
I'm not even sure how many times I have made this cake now.  It's so easy, it's so tasty and it's so pretty.  I love my triple-decker cakes, but this is a little more...shall we say, practical.  (PS, I love smitten kitchen.  It never fails me!)

Pizza Stromboli with Spinach, Mushrooms and Cheese 
Try to look past the unappetizing photos!  It really was good.  I prefer my pizza crust recipe from Betty Crocker, but theirs is fine too (a little tougher/denser).  It was quite a pretty thing to behold right out of the oven!

Avocado Brownies with Avocado Frosting
I know, right??  But trust me, these were SO good.  We ate the entire first batch ourselves.  The brownies don't taste like avocado--just like super fudgy, dense brownies.  The frosting, if you add all that powdered sugar, doesn't tastes like avocados either.  Personally, I thought the frosting was way too sweet, but it's definitely a taste-as-you-go situation.  I liked having it taste a little more like avocados.

Dark Chocolate Banana Cookies
An easy, tasty way to use up bananas.  They aren't terribly pretty but that's never stopped me.
 
Tomato and corn pie 
I wanted to try this out both because it looked so pretty but also as a different take on our regular tomato pie.  They're both winners, but this one is definitely a little more labor intensive.  Also I had corn all over the kitchen.  It's a small price to pay!  Gosh, I want some tomato pie right now.
 
Avocado Enchiladas
So delicious you won't even notice they're vegetarian.  I like my enchiladas stuffed so I used 4 avocados, and of course it's flour tortillas all the way because corn tortillas are barfy.  

Smitten Kitchen Brownies 
Well, not my favorite brownies, but, you know...brownies nonetheless.

(Still hanging in there?  Like I said, this has been building up for a while now...)

Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup 
Maybe bok choy isn't my thing, but while I liked this soup, it did not amaze me.  I made it a little too spicy on accident, which didn't help, but Drewbles was a big fan so there's an endorsement for you.

Grilled Ham and Cheese Pull-Apart Sandwich Loaf 
This is not high-brow eating.  But it IS good eating, when you're in the mood for something a step up from a Hot Pocket.  We baked ours.  

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Over the last year or two I have become a big, big fan of poppers.  I save them for special occasions when I need something to look forward to, but since this isn't *technically* poppers, I could make it for no reason whatsoever!  And then eat it all.  

Oreo Pudding Cookies
Another item we ate all on our own...with no complaints.  Maybe we need friends?  Anyway, I was a little skeptical about these cookies, maybe since Oreos aren't my favorite.  But, hear me, blog world, you want these cookies and you want them ASAP.  Do yourself a favor and eat them fresh out of the oven.

Panko Mozzarella Sticks 
You KNOW these were good.  Don't even stop to wonder.  Bonus: they fried up nice.  Much nicer than the poor, ill-fated fried cheese curds...

Baked Mac and Cheese
This summer I kind of went on a homemade mac and cheese streak--partly because I've never met a homemade mac and cheese I love more than Velveeta and partly because, well, I've also never met a mac and cheese I didn't like (except YOURS, Ikea).  Anyhoo, this was one of the experiments.  Better than Velveeta?  Hah!  I thought it was a little heavy and didn't have the smoothness that I like.  But that doesn't mean I didn't scarf it down.

Banana Ice Cream
Meaning, made out of bananas.  Though it's kind of annoying to have to use the food processor, this really does work!  And it even tastes like ice cream.  It's just amazing, and worth a try if only to see how it really works.

Did It Myself

Why blog about big exciting things like cruises and holidays and...well, that's it...but why blog about those thing when you can blog about small crafty things you accomplished?  The answer is this: it's a lot faster to talk about crafts than a big trip.  Hold tight, cruise, I'll get to you one of these days.  

Anyway, the last few weeks I have been trying to make some things that we generally buy.  I'm not clear on my motivation, but I think sometimes I see these how-to things as a challenge from no one the universe.  I just like putting my fist in the air and saying, "I can make that!"  One day I will make my own flag to wave in these moments. 

Thing the First: Freezer Jam

I am daunted by the canning process.  I don't actually know what that process is, but I know it involves a lot of pots and a lot of jar boiling.  So, you can see the appeal of freezer jam for me, which involves no pots or jars or stoves.  I used the recipe that came with the pectin but it is essentially this: mash the fruits up, add some pectin and sugar and put it in the un-boiled container.

Thing the Second: Ranch dressing

I re-stumbled upon this recipe and, since we were out of ranch anyway, I decided to give it a whirl.  I have never been huge on ranch, but the Mister would happily use it on anything so we go through bottles regularly.  And while he would gladly eat any kind of ranch, I think this is already my favorite kind!  It's closer to the Cafe Rio ranch than, say, Hidden Valley, but...the Cafe Rio kind is better than Hidden Valley anyway.  

Thing the Third: Glass cleaner

Lately I have been intrigued by homemade cleaning supplies, and this was my first foray (I used the winning recipe found here).  I tried it out in the bathroom, and it cleaned up nice.  No, it wasn't the most amazing glass cleaner in the world and it does run, but since our bathroom is small and windowless, I appreciated the lack of ammonia fumes.  
Plus it works pretty well for general cleanup, as you can see from how I cleaned off the windowsill before taking the picture.  

Now all I have to do is not get it mixed up with this bottle of water for Drew's haircuts: 

   
You know what else I can make myself?  A sandwich press. 

Who's Hungry?

We eat food!  Here is what we have been eating lately: 

Tilapia burgers with watermelon salsa and avocado
Confession: this was the first time in my independent adult life that I made meat burgers of any kind.  Who knew you could make them with fish?  I was kind of grossed out by food processor-ing the fish but the end result was well worth it.  The watermelon salsa was an excellent addition.

Asiago portobello burgers with roasted red peppers + balsamic glaze
I think my mushroom love has been pretty well established by now.  These were so fast, easy and tasty, plus the English muffin was an interesting twist.  I'll admit that every time I read the words "balsamic glaze" I just get out the ol' Newman's Own balsamic vinaigrette.  I enjoy making easy things easier for myself (usually).

Roasted strawberry, brie and chocolate grilled cheese
I like to think I'm willing to try just about any grilled cheese combination at least once.  And I like to think I'll be trying this one more in the future.  It's hardly your everyday grilled cheese but it's fun for a more celebratory occasion (like finishing moving).

Roasted tomato caprese grilled cheese
Remember that thing I said about balsamic glaze?  Yep.   

Reuben dip
While I cannot abide rye bread, I love all the other ingredients in a reuben.  This was a fun way to eat them.  I also tried this recipe and, while good, I preferred the stronger reuben taste over the cream cheese taste. 

Pizza dip
We MIGHT have had dip for dinner one night.  Actually, that is not true.  We had PIZZA for dinner, followed by multiple dips.  The series finale of Veronica Mars calls for such extravagances!  Anyhoo, good dip.  

New York-style bagels
Long ago, in the shadowy days of my youth, my mama made bagels.  They were delicious but I think she thought they weren't worth the work because we never made them again.  I've been haunted by the deliciousness of those bagels and finally I made some myself.  SO worth the work.   And actually, they weren't very hard or time-consuming either.  (In my mama's defense, we made many more bagels that day than I did, plus I don't have four kids.)

Peach and crème fraîche pie 
My latest pie endeavor.  Side note: I think I am finally getting the hang of making pretty-ish crusts!  This was a great summery pie that was actually fairly simple to make.  I took the make-your-own crème fraîche route and used the sour cream method.  I also tried the buttermilk method and...that attempt is still in the fridge, refusing to thicken.

Chocolate Quake Cake
Ah, quake cake.  So good I made it twice.  Sometimes I think about making just the frosting and eating it for dinner (along with some dips of course).

So, does anyone have any good recipes to share?  I don't use pinterest because, honestly, I am already prone to being overwhelmed enough in my life.  I don't need or want an entire internet's worth of recipes...but I'm always interested in personal recommendations.

Foods for the Envying

We had these for dinner tonight.   

Roasted strawberry, brie and dark chocolate grilled cheese sandwiches.  Just FYI.  (Recipe here--I used at least twice as much brie because our bread was bigger)

(I think it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: we don't usually have chocolate for dinner.)

And then I made some cake batter! 

In a pot!  What a wacky world we live in.  The finished product will be making its debut when it's, well, finished.   Meaning tomorrow.  À bientôt!

Food for the Eating

It's been a few months since the last recipe post so it must be time for another!  I'm happy to say that beans are not involved in any of them.   

Eggs in Tomato Sauce
I had never heard of such a thing as this before but now I wish I had.  I could have been eating this for years! One thing I will add is that the recipe says to use "tomato puree", which I did and which was not full of chunky tomatoes (like the pictures) or even flavor.  Mine didn't come out of a box so maybe that's my problem.  The second time I used the puree (I had leftovers since I could only find it in a 28 oz. can) but added a can of diced tomatoes.  Much better. Plus it's more saucy and if there's one thing I like, it's sauciness. 

Shakshuka  
After the deliciousness of the eggs in tomato sauce I had to try this too.  All during dinner we kept talking about how good it was and after dinner we were talking about when we could have it again.  The recipe says to use pitas for dipping but we just piled it onto a pita and ate it with a fork.  So good.  Seriously.  So good.  If you make one thing from this list, make this.

Portobello Fajitas with Fontina Queso
Mushrooms are one of the foods nearest and dearest to my food heart so of course this was perfect for me.  I skipped the cheese on this (me! skipping cheese!) because it seemed to take away from the simplicity of it, not to mention the healthiness.  Still tasty just with salsa. 

Grilled Caprese Sandwich
Basil.  Cheese.  Tomato.  Sold. 

Thai Coconut Soup 
We made this instead of going out for Valentine's and it was definitely the right decision.  It was almost a little *too* heavy on the coconut milk, but it was a nice change of flavor from the Tom Yum we usually make.  Also, mushrooms.  

Grilled Coconut Lime Tilapia Tacos with Kiwi Salsa
Poor Drewbles has often ordered fish tacos only to be disappointed by them (as am I because they involve barfy corn tortillas).  Since we had some cod, I decided to try to satisfy his fish taco dream.  I don't usually like fish tacos because the fish is fried and I really only like fried fish with fish and chips--otherwise you can't taste the fish.  So if you like the taste of fish with your fish, maybe these are the fish tacos for you.  Either way, the salsa was a winner. 

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken 
Tomatoes.  Basil.  Cheese.  Sold. 
Okay, partially sold.  I prefer eating chicken shredded or cut up, and the chicken we happened to get was quite thick and big.  I think I'd like this better with smaller/thinner chickens.

Corn Salsa
I made this before dinner one night.  We had to put it away so we wouldn't eat it all right then.  Nuff said.

Brownie Peanut Butter Cups
You want to eat these.  Don't even wonder--you want to eat these.  It's even easier if you use a brownie mix, but just be sure to let them cool before you take them out of the pan!  Not that we learned from experience or anything... 

Chocolate Pudding Pie 
I had a goal this year to make a dessert pie.  It was my first time making a traditional crust from scratch and I think I made it through unscathed.  I love pudding and I love chocolate pudding so win win.  

Maybe next time I'll blog about, you know, actual life or something. 

Dilemmas

Tonight we're supposed to have this white bean soup for dinner (pureed white beans and I get along). It's healthy, it's good for me and it requires using my immersion blender, which is always a treat. The trouble is that I keep thinking about something we had for dinner last week...
Look at them sitting there so innocently, stuffed with cheese and eggs and bacon. True, it would require a stop at the store while the poor white beans go neglected and unloved. But do I really care about beans in the face of this possibility?
No. The answer is no. Those beans never had a chance.

In Which I Compile Another List of Recipes (aka, Beans)

I've been thinking a lot about tennis balls lately. I know that sounds ambiguous at best and random and stupid at worst, but it's still true. One of these days I will explain my tennis ball thoughts, but for now I will talk about food. Food > tennis balls.

On a side note, is anyone else still frustrated with extra holiday poundage? Harumph. Though I have to say, all that fudge was worth it...at the time...and now...

First, I have made chili. Not once but twice! In the same week! This is impressive because I have never been a big chili fan, mostly because I am not a big bean fan. Black beans and I are great friends. White beans and I are acquaintances. All the other beans and I are frenemies--I'll eat them when I must and make barfy noises the rest of the time. Black beans are the sole reason why I liked these two chilis:

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken & Black Bean Chili
I am a fan of anything in a crock pot. If I could make everything in a crock pot, I would. Anyway, this was super tasty. I'm not really sure exactly what the chipotle taste is, but it was good. And hot. Side note: if anyone knows what else to do with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce let me know...

Healthy Spicy Beef and Black Bean Chili
Super fast, super easy and tasty. I think if you spent a little more time on it it could be better and more interesting, spice-wise. But sometimes fast wins out over interesting.

Crock pot Mango Enchiladas
I combined these two recipes, and they were so very delicious. I don't know when exactly I became such an enchiladas fiend, but they're so good. They have quickly climbed up my list of favorite foods.

Bloomin' Onion Bread
My advice is to make this today. Maybe even right now. Then proceed to devour the whole thing in one sitting. Okay, don't do that, but that's what you'll WANT to do, despite knowing how much butter is in it. But I cannot say enough that you should make it RIGHT NOW.

Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos
Okay so ours were minus the beer. Still good! Yep, that's pretty much all I have to say about this.

Tomato sauce with Onion and Butter
We had this just last night and today I keep thinking about how good it was. I was skeptical--I mean, three ingredients? How could that really be so great? No, let me tell you--it was really, really good. It might have converted me from ever using bottled sauce again. It takes a little while, but for how much effort you actually have to put in it's totally worth it.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Yeah, it really doesn't look like much, but you'll want to keep eating it anyway! I almost halved the buffalo wings sauce so that it wasn't too hot.

Chicken Taco Soup
More black beans! I should start my own black bean farm. This was another victory for the slow cooker (I didn't sautee my onions before hand), but since we had it the same night as the Bloomin' Onion Bread it got a little overshadowed.

Well, now you know what we've been eating lately. You can sleep well at last.

PS: No, I didn't get any of these from Pinterest.

PS: Bonus recipe for fudge (I left out the nuts because they just don't belong in my food).