Archive for the ‘ Recipes ’ Category

Peanut Sauce!

I am a big fan of peanut sauce because it is delicious on chicken and even pasta. You can make either chicken skewers or breasts of chicken and BBQ them! So this easy to follow sauce is very diverse for lots of dishes. You will need 1 cup of smooth peanut butter, 1/4 of a cup of low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of chili paste, 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, the juice from 2 limes, 1/2 a cup of hot water. Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT for the hot water in a blender or food processor. As the blender or food processor is running drizzle the hot water into the mixture in order to get the sauce thinner. You may not need all the water just enough to get it to a thickness for you. Now you are ready to use this sauce for several different dishes!

2011
11/27
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Cranberry Sauce for the Holidays

Being in Europe during American Thanksgiving made me appreciate my Mom’s Thanksgiving dinner that much more! We went to the Hard Rock Cafe as they were serving American Thanksgiving dinner. The meal was pretty good but nothing compared to home. However, the most disappointing part of the meal was the cranberry sauce and cranberry sauce is so easy to make! You will need 12 ounces of cranberries, 1 cup of white sugar, and 1 cup of orange juice. In a saucepan over medium heat dissolve the sugar in the orange juice and once it is dissolved put the cranberries in. Cook the mixture for about ten minutes or until the cranberries pop. Remove the saucepan from the heat and put it in a different bowl to cool. The sauce will become thicker as it cools down. Just a simple ten or fifteen minutes and you have yourself delicious cranberry sauce for the holidays to enjoy!

2011
11/27
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Lets make tacos!

Since being in Barcelona I have missed a good Taco a great deal. I tried buying the prepacked taco seasoning, however I did not enjoy the taste that much. Instead I realized that making your own seasoning for tacos is so easy. You need: 1 tablesppon of chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin, salt and pepper.

Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add as much salt and pepper as you wish. And there you go there is your taco seasoning. You can either put this seasoning on sliced chicken or ground beef what ever you prefer. Grab a margarita to have a full mexican meal!

2011
11/16
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Delicious sweet potato fries

This is another simple and delicious recipe, perfect baked sweet potato fries! One sweet potato serves about 2 people depending if it is a side or not or how hungry you are. Peel the sweet potato and then cut the sweet potato into slices. When you have cut the potato into fries place it in a bowl and drizzle olive oil on them and mix them so all the fries have a light coat of olive oil. Shake salt and pepper on the the fries to your taste. Put the fries on a cooky sheet and bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-40 minutes or until taste. Enjoy this healthy snack!

2011
11/02
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Easy ten minute Hummus!

The ingredients you need for this recipe are simple they are: 1 can of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, 1/4 of a cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of cumin. You put all the ingredients together in a blender until the mixture is creamy. And then you are ready to serve this simple hummus with pita bread or veggies. Hummus is great to use as a veggie dip or on sandwiches.

2011
11/02
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Squash Lasagna…YUM

During class sometimes I go on Stumbleupon, which is a website that directs you to certain websites depending on your interests. I found a recipe on stumbleupon that I thought looked delicious. I have not tried it yet, but I am planning on it this week so I will let you know how it is. This recipe uses a slow cooker, which is a great investment if you do not already have one. The ingredients you need are:

  • 1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
  • 2 10-oz. packages of frozen pureed squash or 2 cups of fresh pureed squash*
  • ½ teaspoon of dried rubbed sage
  • 1 15-oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup of milk
  • ¼ cup of parmesan, grated
  • ¼ – ½ cup of part skim mozzarella, shredded
  • A few handfuls of spinach (optional)

In a bowl, combine squash with sage, and salt and pepper to your taste.  In a different bowl, put ricotta with milk and parmesan and again add salt and pepper to your personal preference.

Coat the inside of a 5-6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray (such as PAM). Place a layer of noodles at the bottom of the slow cooker, but do not worry if you need to break the noodles or if you use small pieces of noodles.  Cover with half of the squash mixture, spreading it evenly. Place another layer of noodles on top of the squash, then a layer of spinach and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers, ending the layering with ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the lasagna. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the noodles are tender. The great thing about a slow cooker is that you can leave your meal cooking while you are not around! Enjoy and let me know what you think of this new recipe.


2011
10/26
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Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is an easy meal that is hearty and satisfying, but some times a basic grill cheese is just a little too basic. It is not hard to spice up a grill cheese. First you are going to get fresh bread and slice two slices. Butter one side of both pieces of bread… on the other side of the bread spread pesto on both pieces. (Learn how to make homemade pesto on a previous post). Next put a layer of sliced tomatoes, then put a layer of gouda cheese, thinly sliced avocado, and finally put the other piece of bread to close the sandwich. Make sure the pan is hot and put the sandwich in the pan. When the one side is toasted to your preference flip the sandwich and let the other side cook. Then wa-la, you got yourself a yummy treat.

2011
09/28
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Enjoy mouth watering gazpacho

I got this recipe from my mom, and since making it I have realized how easy gazpacho is. You combine 4 medium tomatoes, 1 cucumber with the skin cut off, 1 medium white onion, 1 green pepper, 3 gloves of crushed garlic, 1 1/2 cups of tomato juice, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice, 5-6 drops of tabasco sauce ( do this to personal taste), and lastly salt and pepper. You cut the vegetables up and put all the ingredients in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Then you have yourself enough gazpacho for 6 large servings. Easy enough right?

2011
09/25
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Homemade Pesto

Pesto is a great thing to have in the fridge so you can quickly cook pasta and have a tasty meal in minutes! The great thing about Pesto is that you can adjust the ingredients to your taste. The materials you need are…lots of basil (because this is base of the pesto), olive oil, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and garlic. You combine all the ingredients together and put as much or little olive oil as you want depending if you want a more liquid-y pesto or not. When all the ingredients are together in a bowl you blend them together. At home I make the pesto in a blender but at our apartment in Barcelona there is a handheld blender so I put the ingredients in a bowl. Once you have blended the ingredients into a smooth consistency taste it and decide if you want any more of anything. Enjoy! 

2011
09/21
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