Roasted Artichoke and Pepper Panini

This recipe is super easy, fast and very adaptable. You could add roasted chicken, sandwich meat, spinach and any number of additional toppings you wanted. 

Roasted Artichoke and Pepper Panini

2 slices Firm bakery bread (sourdough, whole wheat--- any kind will do as long as it's not too soft)
2 tablespoons Roasted artichokes and red peppers (I used a jar mixture from Trader Joes)
1 tablespoon mustard
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
avocado, sliced
olive oil

Directions

1.) Turn on and preheat your panini maker.  Use a paper towel and olive oil to grease the paddles.
2.) Lightly brush each outside piece of bread with olive oil. 
3.) Spread roasted artichoke and pepper spread on one side of your bread.  Spread the other piece of the bread with the mustard.

4.) Place the cheese and the avocado on the bread and stack the two pieces.

5.) Place it on the grill and cook until cheese is melting and the bread has golden brown toast marks.
6. ) Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Curry Soup

This recipe I loosely learned from my old roommate in Steamboat Springs, Dave Gale.  It has evolved a lot over the years, but the basic principle of using butternut squash, broth and curry is the same.  This recipe is easy to alter and change.  I start with butternut squash and then use whatever other vegetables I have on hand.  Sometimes I have everything below, sometimes I use more potatoes, sometimes I used almost all squash.  There is no perfect combination, just throw your root vegetables into a pot and add enough broth to cover it and put some curry in.  I've also added gram masala and anything else I think might taste good that day.  I haven't ever found a bad combination so I know you'll all love this recipe too.  So get out your blender and start cooking!

Butternut Squash Curry Soup

1 lb cubed butternut squash (about half a butternut squash)
1 potato,  cubed
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 or 2 carrots, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
4-6 cups of vegetable broth

2 teaspoon curry powder
a few cranks of cracked pepper
Salt to taste
a dash of cayenne powder (to whatever spice level you prefer)
olive oil

Directions

1. Add some olive oil to a pan and sauté garlic, onion, red and jalapeno pepper until soft, about 3 minutes.

2. Add squash, potato, sweet potato and carrot, and then add enough vegetable broth to cover all ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until potato and squash cubes are very soft.

4. Using an immersion blender (or a blender), puree the mixture until  you reach a smooth consistency.  Add seasoning  and allow to simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

I like to add a few crumbles of goat cheese or feta to the top of mine and eat with a crusty roll.

Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

This is an easy and tasty side for any meal.  Lately Brussel sprouts have been on sale, so I decided to buy them even though I rarely eat them.  They were surprisingly good!  I think we will be buying them more often in the future!

Roasted Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
1.5 cups Brussel Sprouts--clean, peeled and cut in half

1.5 cups baby potatoes cut into a similar size

2-3 tablespoons Olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Salt

Pepper

a dash of cayenne

1.) Preheat oven to 400.

2.) Wash, clean and chop brussel sprouts and potatoes.

3.) Combine potatoes, brussel sprouts, olive oil and spread out on roasting pan.

4.) Sprinkle with seasonings.

5.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until tender.

 Enjoy with your dinner!

Angel Food Cake

I made this cake a few weekends ago for my friend Anita's birthday.  It is Alton Brown's angel food cake recipe, with the addition of the swirl, whipped cream and berries by me.  Its very light tasting and is perfect for an occasion where you don't want a heavy butter filled cake.

Berry Swirl Angel Food Cake

1 3/4 cups extra fine cake sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 tablespoons berry mixture (see recipe below)
whipped cream (see recipe below)
sliced strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1.) Sift half of the sugar with the salt and the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
2.) In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, vanilla and cream of tartar.
3.) After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. 

4.) Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

5.) Remove about 2 cups of the mixture and mix with the berry mixture.

6.) Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan until about half the batter has been used. Spoon in the berry batter and then cover with the rest of the plain batter.
7.) Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).
8.) Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.
9.) Once it has cooled completely, frost with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and the remaining berry mixture.

Berry Mixture
1 cup mixture frozen berries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vanilla sugar (regular sugar will also work)
1/4 cup jam (any berry flavor will work)
1 tablespoon lemon zest 

1.) Combine all ingredients and cook until fruit is very soft and about half of the liquid is gone.  Put into food processor and pulse until smooth.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1.) Using a mixer, whip the heaving whipping cream until it has stiff peaks.  Slowly mix in the pudding mix and powdered sugar.

Champagne Vinaigrette

If you are like me, you get bored with the same old salad dressing when you have to buy a whole bottle and use it all up.  Which translates to me not feeling like eating salad and thus not being healthy and wasting money on my spinach which goes to waste in the fridge.  So what is the solution?!  Make your own dressing because you can do it in whatever quantity you want and switch it up all the time. All you have to have is the basics: olive oil, vinegar of some kind, salt, sugar, pepper.  The type of vinegar and the other ingredients will keep you salad dressing changing and flavorful.  Just stick to the ration of 2:1 olive oil to vinegar.  Then throw in whatever sounds good.  Today I made a champagne vinaigrette, recipe as follows (but adjust to however much you want to end up with). 

Champagne Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup champagne vinegar 
1-2 cloves garlic diced
1 tablespoon diced roasted red pepper
1 or 2 tablespoon honey (to your taste preference)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
sprinkle of cayenne pepper (because I like everything with a kick!)

1. Combine all ingridents above in food processor or blender.  If you don't have one, you can still make it, just use a garlic press for the garlic and red pepper so it is super fine.

2. Blend ingredients or shake jar if not using food processor.  

3. Bottle and place in fridge for at least 1 hour for flavors to develop.
4. Shake or stir and serve on your salad.  Keep refrigerated and use within a week for best results.

Served on a baby spinach salad with feta, blueberries, avocado and pumpkin seeds.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

I found this recipe while browsing the website Taste Spotting, which is amazing!  This recipe comes from a posting on it and you can find it on the website Use Real Butter. Check out the link, because their pictures look way better than mine.  The cookies have a terrific earthy, green tea flavor.  However, if you don't like green tea and/or matcha, you might not like these.  They are loaded with antioxidants though and I love the taste.  I made a whole batch for my family and while some complained they tasted like green tea (hello, that's the point!), they were still gone in about 15 minutes. 

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 (2.25 oz.) cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tbsps matcha green tea powder
10 tbsps (5 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup (8.5 oz.) flour
3 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar (to coat the dough)

Directions

1.) Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder together. Beat the butter and matcha sugar mixture together in a stand mixer (use paddle attachment) or using a hand mixer until the butter is smooth and light. 

2.) Add the flour and stir until just combined. 

3.) Mix in the egg yolks until they are incorporated and the dough comes together. 

4.) Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until it is firm.
5.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter (about 2-inches) to cut shapes from the dough. Or roll the cookies into a log and slice off cookies. 
6.) Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until they begin to turn golden at the edges. Store in airtight container away from sunlight as the color will fade with exposure to sun.

Salsa

Salsa.  You pay over $4.00 a jar.  STOP!  You can make it way cheaper at home and it takes 10 minutes or less.  Plus, you can customize it a million different ways by adding different or extra ingredients like hot peppers, black beans, avocados, mangoes, pineapples, herbs etc.  Here is my basic recipe that I use and then expand upon when I want to switch things up.

Ingredients

1 can diced tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper

4 cloves garlic

a handful of cilantro (when I have it, it is still good without)

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

cayenne pepper to taste
Optional: Avocado, beans, corn, fruit

1. Roast garlic (skin on) and jalapeno in a pan until sides are browning.

2. Place garlic and jalapeno in a brown bag for about 5 minutes, then remove and peel garlic.
3. Give the jalapeno and garlic a rough chop. Remove the jalapeno seeds if you like less heat.

4. Place jalapeno, garlic and about 1/4 of the can of diced tomatoes into a blender or food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Add the remaining tomatoes, chopped cilantro and pulse until all pureed.
5. Stir in chili powder and cayenne and transfer to a serving dish.

Plain Salsa with chips

Salsa with avocado added

Salsa on quesadillas, yum!