Baked Asparagus

April 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It may come as a surprise to many that I eat other foods, besides baked goods :) I do, I really do! Here’s proof!

One of our favorite things to make for dinner is baked asparagus. Everyone in our house loves them, especially our 3 year-old! This is a super easy way to make asparagus that is delicious & healthy!

Start out by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Next, you’ll want to wash & gently shake dry your asparagus. Then trim off the ends (I usually cut them off at an angle) with a knife or kitchen shears. Then lay them all out nicely on a standard cookie sheet. This is the step that I usually have the daughter help me do. She loves it and is surprisingly very good at it! :) Next step is to drizzle some olive oil over the asparagus. We have a misto sprayer that is filled with olive oil, so we use that instead :) Sprinkle salt and pepper to your liking. I like to use coarse salt over ours. I would have said sea salt, but I learned from Food Network, that ALL salt is considered sea salt! Thank you, Alton Brown! There you have it! You learn something new every day. We put the pepper on after they have been cooked, since our daughter doesn’t like pepper (apparently it’s too spicy for her). We have also made this recipe with the addition of grated parmesan cheese as well. Just sprinkle it over the top of the asparagus before you put it in the oven. So good!

Typically, I would line the cookie sheet with foil for quick & easy clean-up, but I was feeling a bit lazy last night :) Which makes no sense at all since I had to clean up the pans AFTER the asparagus was done. Most days, my logic makes no sense at all.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes. The time can vary depending on how crunchy or soft you like your asparagus. We like ours about medium-not too mushy or too crunchy.

Look so good, right? It is SO delicious! I made some last night and took it over to our neighbor. She apparently loved it so much, she had to go run out and buy her own asparagus so she could make some more :)

Here’s a quick rundown for you.

 

Baked Asparagus
recipe by A Little Bit Random

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Wash & gently shake dry asparagus (1 bunch)
-Cut off the ends.
-Lay  asparagus out on a cookie sheet, in a single layer (be sure to leave some space in between each piece). You can line your sheets with foil with easy clean up.
-Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus
-Salt and Pepper to taste (I prefer coarse salt)
-Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese for some extra flavor & texture (optional)
-Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes

Serves approximately 2-4 people

 

Filed Under: Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Baked Apple Thins

March 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

My daughter and I made these easy, baked apple thins today. She loves to help me with anything in the kitchen, but especially loves to help me cook or bake.

I saw this fun recipe in the paper today, which is weird because I never read the paper. I just happened to see something about “food” and I started reading. What can I say? They had me at food….

We were actually in the middle of eating some Fuji apples when I ran across this recipe. I thought it would be fun to give it a try, and of course, Violet (the daughter), wanted to help.

I think these would be the perfect snack for after-school, in the car, or just to have around :)

The recipe says to bake these at 150 degrees, but our oven apparently won’t go to 150 degrees. We have a gas oven with a digital display and it would only allow me to set it to 170 degrees. I don’t think it really mattered because the difference was minimal and I still baked our apples for 2 1/2 hours at the 170 degrees. Just perfect, if you ask me. Next time, I will cut up 4 apples and bake them on 2 cookie sheets so we’ll have plenty of apple chips.

Baked Apple Thins
recipe adapted from Dr. Oz

Ingredients
2 Fuji apples
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup – 1/2 cup water
cinnamon (to taste)
brown sugar (to taste-optional)

Instructions
Slice up Fuji apples into thin slices (approx 1/8″ thick). Dip apple slices into a dish with lemon juice and water. Drain water & lemon juice and lay apple slices (in one layer) on a non-stick cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar (optional).

Bake at 150 degrees for 2 1/2 hours

Ours were not too crispy. Still slightly soft & chewy. Just perfect!

Happy Baking!

 

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Italian Potato-Sausage Soup (with Kale)

March 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

One of my husband’s favorite soups is from a big chain restaurant, Olive Garden. Whenever we go there, which is not very often (1-2 times a year), he always gets the Zuppa Toscana soup. If you’re not familiar with what that is, it’s essentially a potato and sausage soup in a cream base. I always go for the salad or opt for a different type of soup.

Since I’ve started my blog, I’ve been wanted to try more recipes that are new and different to me. If you know me at all, you know I love (simply adore!) baking. Cooking….meh, not so much. If I can cook something that makes the husband happy (and have seconds!), well, you know it was a good night for me. I made this soup the other night and on a whim, I decided to double the recipe so I could freeze the leftovers for future meals. Yes, I was feeling lucky…real lucky that it would all be as good as I had “hoped” it would be. Sometimes, you just have to have faith that it will all go well :)

The verdict: Soup was awesome! Husband and I both had seconds! My neighbor, who had just returned from vacation, happened to stop by and I gave her some to take home with her. Just today, she told me that she “needed” this recipe. Obviously she was still thinking about the yummy, goodness of this soup.

The original recipe called for spinach, be we LOVE kale, so being the experienced chef I am (total sarcasm here), I decided to switch things up and use kale. The Zuppa Toscana soup has kale in it, so I wanted to get something closer to that recipe. Our love of kale goes hand-in-hand with our love of juicing….kale is awesome for juicing and practically a must. But sorry, that’s another post :)

Okay, without further babbling, here’s the recipe. Go ahead, make a lot. You’ll want to freeze it for future meals. Trust me.

Italian Potato-Sausage Soup
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
20 oz. lean Italian turkey sausage
1/2+ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large onion, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 cups (2 boxes) chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups low-fat milk
3 ounces light cream cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups kale, chopped (be sure to remove the stems from the ends)

Instructions:
Remove the sausage from casings and crumble it into a large soup pot. Begin cooking it over medium heat and add red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, onion, and garlic. Saute until the sausage is fully cooked and drain if necessary. Add the chicken broth and Italian seasoning, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Add kale approximately 5 minutes after potatoes have been added (kale will cook in about 10-15 minutes). Cook potatoes until tender (approx. 15-20 minutes).
Note: I used about 1/2 bunch of kale for this recipe and it was perfect. If you are doubling this recipe, use the entire bunch.

While the potatoes and kale are cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, then add the milk mixture and cook over medium heat until thick (like a very thick cream soup or a stirrable pudding). When the potatoes are cooked, add the thickened milk mixture. Season with additional crushed red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 8-10.

Happy Cooking!

 

 

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My love for Bobby Flay + Orange Pumpkin Pancakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

February 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Today, I made THE MOST AMAZING pancakes. Ever! Yup, that is the honest truth. You can ask my husband, daughter, or even our dog. We all enjoyed a yummy, delicious, breakfast.

First, let me start off by saying that one of my guilty pleasures is watching the Food Network. My husband and I usually watch it late at night or even when our daughter is still awake. The bonus about watching the Food Network with a little one around, you never have to worry about bad, scary, or inappropriate commercials. Totally true! I can’t say the same for regular network channels. We rarely watch network t.v. and maybe that’s why? Probably not, but when I do watch t.v., it’s usually super late, so I’m always able to find something on Food Network that can catch my eye…or just make me drool.

I guess I like to live vicariously through some of these chefs and pretend that I’m a good cook and/or I can learn just by watching them :) If you know me at all, sad to say, I’m not the best cook. I’m okay. Not great or good. Just okay. Baking on the other hand, I’m pretty good :) Something about using the stovetop…doesn’t always work out well for me. I burned 2 pans of the pancakes. True story. Luckily, it makes enough for you to make multiple screw-ups.

Sorry, I digressed.

My husband, daughter, & I, had the most amazing Sunday. We basically did a lot of nothing and just hung out with each other. Rarely, do we get a day (especially one on the weekend), where we have absolutely no plans! I figured today was the perfect day to try out my new recipe.

My new favorite show on the Food Network is “Worst Cooks in America.” Seriously, I have a hard time believing some of these people on this show are real.  I’m not the best in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, but seriously, I know how to use a can opener! Seriously? I know, I said seriously, a lot, but seriously?

I would DIE to have an “8 week crash course” on cooking with Bobby Flay or Anne Burrell. Although, if I had to pick, I would choose Bobby Flay :) I love him from all his many shows on Food Network, and let’s not forget, Entourage! Bobby, if you are reading this: “CHOOSE ME! I could totally use your help in the kitchen. My husband would love you for it!”

Anyway, enough about my love for Bobby Flay. As I was watching my new favorite show, they made these yummy pancakes. Of course, I wanted to try them out. Today was the day! I was so intent on making these, that I had to have the husband run out to get an orange so we could make these. When I get my mind set on something, there’s no stopping me! So, of course, he went out and got me my orange :) He’s the best! Love you, Babe, and thank you!

Oh. My. Goodness! Tell me these don’t look yummy! If you do, I’ll know you’re lying ;)

Here’s the recipe. I think I’ve made you wait long enough.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for egg whites
  • 7 1/2 ounces canned pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup milk4 eggs, separated
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • Butter, for cooking pancakes
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
  • Cinnamon Maple Syrup, for serving, recipe follows
  • Vanilla Whipped Cream, for serving, recipe follows
  • Thick-Cut Bacon, for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine the pumpkin, milk, egg yolks, orange juice and zest in another bowl, mixing until homogenous. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and mix until combined.

Preheat the griddle.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch salt in a separate bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, until the whites form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds. Do this quickly and gently, so the pancakes will be light and fluffy.

Melt small pats of butter onto the griddle, and then spread them around with a paper towel to remove any excess. Spoon or ladle the batter onto the griddle to the desired size of the pancake. When the top of the pancakes are full of holes (look like bubbles have risen to the surface and burst), flip and cook until the bottoms are golden brown.

Transfer the pancakes to serving plates, dust with powdered sugar and serve with Cinnamon Maple Syrup, Vanilla Whipped Cream and Thick-Cut Bacon on the side.

Cinnamon Maple Syrup:

  • 1 cup grade B maple syrup
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Heat the maple syrup with the cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the syrup is hot, remove from the heat and allow the flavors to steep, about 30 minutes. Yield: 1 cup.

Vanilla Whipped Cream:

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Beat the cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl, using a whisk or hand beater, until the cream starts to thicken. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until the cream is very light and fluffy and holds soft peaks. Yield: 3 cups.

Thick-Cut Bacon:

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon (4 ounces)

Place the bacon in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Cook until the fat starts to render out and the bacon turns golden brown and crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

**My husband made our bacon in the oven, on a cookie sheet. I didn’t even know you could do that! See, you learn something new every day. They turned out awesome, of course! And bonus….no splatter!

Luckily, I had the canned (organic) pumpkin on hand (thank you, thank you!) that I ordered previously from Vitacost. Now I know that this recipe exists, I might have to order some more canned pumpkin…you know, just in case.

They were so yummy! My daughter kept asking for more!  You know that’s always a good sign :) Now I have no excuse to NOT make more pancakes from scratch. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Seriously. Well, maybe except for the one person who didn’t know how to use a can opener.

I love homemade whipped cream on anything. It can really put something over the top and it did not disappoint on these delicious pancakes. Seriously, take the time AND make the whipped cream. You won’t be sorry, I promise!

And….I’m still thinking about these….and it’s Monday at 3:37 am. They were that good!

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Life, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Sunday/Fun Day

February 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. Translation: eat bad-for-you-food all day long, day. I’m really not into watching the game, but I did enjoy some time with the husband and daughter. We all slept in a little and then had donuts, juice, and coffee (no coffee for the daughter) for breakfast. I love Sunday mornings that are just chill and relaxing.

I decided to make some 7 layer dip for our Sunday, Fun day :) This is what I made, but you could definitely adapt this recipe to make it your own. I was feeling lazy, so I kept it simple.

7 Layer Dip

Ingredients:
16 ounces refried beans
1 (1 ¼ ounce) packages taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 cup lettuce
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
4 ounces sliced olives
1 cup tomatoes

Directions 
Layer in this order
16 oz refried beans mixed w/ 1 package taco seasoning
1 c sour cream
1 c guacamole
1 c salsa
1 c lettuce
1 c Mexican cheese
4 oz sliced olives
1 c tomatoes

Did you make anything fun for this “Fun day?”

**Yes, the olives are missing from our dip. I don’t like them, so we hardly ever have them around. My poor husband….

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Buttermilk Coffee Cake

January 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Happy Monday!

I woke up with a little bit of sore throat this morning, so I thought it was important that I treat myself to some baked goodies – stat! :) That and some airborne. That should do the trick, right?

Here is one of my favorite recipes for coffee cake. I’ve changed it slightly to suit my tastes, but I’m sure you could modify it many different ways and it would still be delicious! My three-year old loves to help me make this coffee cake. Her favorite part is sprinkling the “crumb mixture” on top of the cake batter :)

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Grease a 9×13 pan
Mix flour, salt, cinnamon, both sugars, & vegetable oil thoroughly with hands until crumbly.  **Reserve 1 cup crumbs (flour mixture) for later.

Mix 1 egg (beaten), 1/2 cup buttermilk, baking powder, & baking soda. Combine and add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes with a mixer.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk and beat 2 more minutes.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Sprinkle reserved crumbs over the top.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the top is nice & golden brown.

Serve warm.

 

Happy Baking!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: ,