Re-Visited: Cooking Club #14

[Original post date Dec. 2011. --Updated 4/7/15: original separate content, with updated photos and/or more details, if available.]


---> Cooking Club is coming up soon, and now that I'm blogging, I want to share these moments but I thought I should play catch-up first. So without further ado, here (and in more posts to come) is what we've been up to. Enjoy!

#14 August: Special Diet

The Menu:
       Appetizers
Green Stuffed Appetizer Shells (Vegetarian)
Barbecued Baguettes (Vegetarian)
Party Stuffed Pinwheels (Vegetarian)
       Main Course
Italian Zucchini Pie (Vegetarian)
       Side
Coleslaw (Sugar Free)
       Dessert
Vegan Cupcakes

Jessica had the theme for this month. Lately, we had been talking about trying more vegan and gluten-free recipes because some of our family members have special diets. However, the ingredients for "special diets" can be quite on the expensive side. And when you're on a tight budget, it's not the easiest to do. Hence the reason most of us chose to go vegetarian for this month's menu. [Isn't it amazing what a few years can do? These ingredients are nowhere near as expensive now. Awesome.]

I was excited to skim through my vegetarian recipes, hungry to try something new. After much consideration, I chose the Italian Zucchini Pie, out of The 1,000 Best Recipes.

My husband and I have been on a huge zucchini kick lately. I've used it shredded, fried, baked, in patty form and, Mr. B's personal favorite, Zucchini Chips (<--- find this recipe here).

Zucchini and cheese in a pie, yes please. It sounded delicious. It looked delicious. It smelled delicious. The filling was delicious...the crust...was a little hard.

I'd make this again in a heart beat, but with a different crust recipe.

Italian Zucchini Pie
*adapted from The 1,000 Best Recipes

Serves 6

2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp
1/3 c olive oil
1 egg, beaten + 3 eggs & 1 egg, lightly beaten for glaze
3-4 Tbsp iced water
1 1/4 lb zucchini, grated
5 oz provolone cheese, grated
4 oz cottage cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp finely chopped basil
pinch of nutmeg

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt and make a well. Combine oil and beaten egg, and almost all of the water and add to flour. Mix until mixture comes together in beads, adding more water if needed. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Heat a baking sheet. Grease a 7" pie dish. Toss zucchini with 1/4 tsp salt and place in colander for 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands. Place in a large bowl and add cheeses, 3 eggs, garlic, basil and nutmeg. Season well and mix thoroughly.

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry until large enough to line base and side of pie dish. Spoon zucchini filling into pastry shell and level surface. Brush exposed rim of dough with lightly beaten egg. Roll out remaining dough to make a lid. Cover filling with it, pressing edges together firmly. Trim edges. Crimp rim. Prick top all over with a skewer and brush with egg.

Bake on hot sheet for 50 minutes or until golden.

My other favorite this month was Jenny's Coleslaw. I usually like my coleslaw a little thicker and not as sweet, but I found it to be quite tasty.

[Oh, and if you couldn't tell by now, I forgot my camera. I don't have any of the other tasty dishes. Fail.]

*I hope you enjoyed these Cooking Club snippets. I've finally caught up! I hope these themes, and even Cooking Club itself, inspire you to gather with your friends and family in the kitchen, and make sweet moments (and delicious food) of your own.

**I've only included the recipes to the dishes I made. Only because I'm unsure of where everyone got theirs...and hey, we gotta give credit where credit is due. If you have any questions about the other dishes, I'll ask the other members where they got their recipes and pass it along!

Check out our previous meetings!
Cooking Club #1-4
Cooking Club #5-8
Cooking Club #9-12
Cooking Club #13

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Re-Visited: Cooking Club #12

[Original post date Nov. 2011. --Updated 10/29/14: original, but separate content, with updated photos and/or more details, if available.]


---> Cooking Club is coming up soon, and now that I'm blogging, I want to share these moments but I thought I should play catch-up first. So without further ado, here (and in more posts to come) is what we've been up to. Enjoy!

#12 June: Finger Food

The Menu:
        Appetizers
Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Savory Parmesan Bites
        Dessert
Vegan Raspberry Scones

This month Kelly finally got to pick the theme. She got a bunch of cookbooks over the Christmas holiday and wanted to do an appetizer theme....which became a finger food theme...and then Kelly and her girls couldn't make it. But we thoroughly enjoyed her theme for her.

I came across this fun skewer recipe--actually I have no idea where I got this dish--I just know I've had it for a while. And it includes all of the things I love:

Cherry tomatoes (I eat these like they're candy, God's candy they are), check.
Watermelon (one of the reasons I love summer), check.
Basil (my favorite herb), check.
Balsamic vinegar (love and will put it on almost anything), check.

Even in bad lighting, these ingredients look delicious. I can smell the basil and taste the vinegar syrup as I type. I'd make these today if I didn't have to sell my right arm for the ingredients.

Trust me, you won't stop at just one, or two.....or five.

So, soooo good.

Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers

Serves 8

1/4 c balsamic vinegar
scant 1/4 c sugar
1 (4-5 lb) watermelon, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
32 small basil leaves
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
16 wooden skewers (about 16" each)

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. Starting with watermelon squares, push a square to very tip of skewer. Then skewer a basil leaf, then a tomato half. Continue layers until skewer is full. Continue with remaining skewers. Drizzle skewers with balsamic syrup and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve. (I even like mine with a little freshly ground black pepper.)


Even though there were only three of us this month, we have one, two, three, four...yes, four recipes. Jessica and I stumbled upon this Vegan Raspberry Scones recipe while killing time at work one day, and decided immediately that these qualified as finger food. We split the cost of ingredients and made these tasty little things as a combined effort.

(However, ours didn't turn out as dark as theirs...)

I was able to score some beautiful raspberries.

Jessica and Jenny might have consumed more than went into the batter. I, however, am not of the fresh-raspberry-liking crowd.

These were so flavorful with a different texture than your average scone. Great for breakfast, warmed with a tiny drizzle of honey, and cup of hot tea.

*I hope you enjoyed these Cooking Club snippets. There are more to come as I try to play catch-up before this month's meeting. I hope these themes, and even Cooking Club itself, inspire you to gather with your friends and family in the kitchen, and make sweet moments (and delicious food) of your own.

**I've only included the recipes to the dishes I made. Only because I'm unsure of where everyone got theirs...and hey, we gotta give credit where credit is due. If you have any questions about the other dishes, I'll ask the other members where they got their recipes and pass it along!

Check out our previous meetings!
Cooking Club #1-4
Cooking Club #5-8
Cooking Club #9
Cooking Club #10
Cooking Club #11

[Update: Just the previous Cooking Club links!]

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Zucchini and Corn Rice Soup

I love finding recipes and making them my own. It's pretty much what I do 100% of the time. Oh, how far I've come. There was a time when I followed a recipe to the tee, back when I was first learning to cook on my own. At that time, I think it's important to follow recipes until you learn how to cook, what you like, and how to substitute. After that, then it's game on. Use the recipe as a guideline or suggestion, not the rule. Use what you like and replace items with similar stuff on hand. No need to run out and spend a fortune on some ingredient you have no idea how to use/or when you'll use it next. If you're still leery about making a recipe your own, make it through once the way it states, but next time switch it up.

Just like I switched up this mouth-watering soup from Jenna over at Eat, Live, Run. I'm sure her original recipe is mouth-watering, which is why I planned to make it in the first place. But as I was rummaging the zucchini out of the fridge I noticed the large bag of fresh corn that needed to be cooked soon. Very soon. So, I put on a pot to boil. I had leftover rice in the fridge, which would cut down the cooking time, and I usually replace any cream called for with evaporated milk when the recipe allows. And, of course, coconut oil ALWAYS.

However, as I was pulling out the partially-cooked corn with plans to freeze the dozen ears in preparation for winter, I realized some corn would be perfect in this soup. I love mixing zucchini and corn. (Sauteed up with some gnocchi makes for one quick summer night meal.) And then I looked in my freezer and saw I already had a bunch of corn stock freezing, and there was no way Mr. B was going to let me take up that much freezer space for stock (we really need to get another smaller freezer for the basement STAT). So, instead of pouring it out, I replaced the vegetable broth called for with my homemade corn stock...as well as placing some in the fridge for sauteing up veggies later on in the week.

OH.MY.GOODNESS. Honestly, I think I found my new favorite soup. Move over Broccoli and Cheese.

This DELICIOUS soup combines summer and fall into one nice bowl of comfort, and is the perfect way to use up the last abundances of corn and zucchini that might be overflowing the garden and fridge. Plus, with my healthy substitutions, you're looking at only 200 calories per serving. Eat up, eat up!

Did you know September is National Rice Month?

Zucchini and Corn Rice Soup
*recipe inspired by Eat, Live, Run

Serves 4

2 lbs zucchini, sliced 1/2" thick
2-3 ears of corn, cooked and cut off cob
1 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 T coconut oil
1/2 c brown rice, cooked (I usually have leftover rice on hand)
1/4 c evaporated milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
4 c  corn stock (the leftover water from boiled corn ears) <--- if don't have on hand, use chicken or vegetable broth
1 t each salt and pepper
lemon wedges for serving (this is a must!)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot add onion and saute until golden. Add the zucchini slices and corn stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, 10-15 minutes, until zucchini is tender. Remove pan from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer soup in batches to a blender and puree.) Place back on heat, bringing soup to a simmer. Add in cooked rice, corn, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook until heated through, 10-15 minutes. Before serving, add in milk and stir through soup. Serve in bowls garnished with a lemon wedge. Sprinkle that juice all over. It's soooooo good!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Gnocchi Is My Favorite

I.cannot.get.enough.

When I discovered this tasty little gem about four years ago with this fantastic blue cheese sauce (click the link and scroll down that post to #7 January-Pasta for the recipe), all other pasta went out the window.

Potatoes and flour. The perfect combination of carbs and starch. YUM.

I can eat gnocchi any way except with marinara. I'm not sure why this is, but I don't like it. Browned butter, pesto, melted goat cheese, a little cream, and even plain, straight out of the boiling water, are all perfectly acceptable. I could eat gnocchi every day. However, Mr. B could take it or leave it. A few weeks ago when I made gnocchi with a little bit of browned butter and a sprinkle of cheese alongside some roasted zucchini, he said he preferred a little more sauce and cheese with his pasta. Last week I made him spaghetti and me this beautiful pesto gnocchi dish. Guess who gobbled up all my leftovers, preferring my gnocchi over his sauced and cheesed spaghetti?

I enjoy gnocchi tremendously because it's very versatile, it cooks up in just a few minutes, and it is actually quite easy and quick to make a batch of homemade gnocchi. But the packaged gnocchi makes for a very quick mid-week dinner. (Often I make a couple homemade batches and freeze, pulling out and thawing what I need in the morning for that night's dinner.) Bonus! This meal is a great way to use up leftover roasted vegetables, not that we ever have that problem....

Gnocchi with Sauteed Squash and Brussels Sprouts

serves 4 with a side salad
(*Note: if left alone, I could and will probably eat all of it)

1 (16 oz) pkg gnocchi
3 T (+ more as needed) vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 c Brussels sprouts, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
salt and pepper
jar of pesto (or any homemade kind you might have on hand)
2 T grated Romano cheese (optional)

In a large pot, boil water and cook gnocchi according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add broth along with prepared vegetables and garlic. Saute until crisp and brightened in color, about 4-5 minutes (adding broth as needed). Season veggies with salt and pepper to taste. When gnocchi is ready, scoop out of water and directly into the pan with veggies. Add a scant 1/4 c of pasta water to pan as well. Add as much or as little pesto as you'd like; a spoonful or two is probably all you'll need. Mix thoroughly until heated through. Sprinkle with Romano cheese, if desired.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

{Quick Appetizers} Crescents Galore!

Ahhh, crescent rolls. So easy, so versatile, so melt-in-your-mouth tasty. They're perfect all on their own. However, they're even tastier kicked up a notch. Crescent rolls are a staple in my household when it comes to appetizers, crowds, and game day. I have tried a plethora of crescent recipes, and below I included all my (and Mr. B's, of course,) appetizer favorites. So, take your pick (pssst...there are 6 of them)!

All you need is one 8-count can of crescent rolls, regular or jumbo is fine, (or more depending on the crowd you're serving), an ungreased baking sheet, an oven set to 375 degrees, and more or less of the following ingredients:

Crescent Poppers
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

Unroll crescents, separate and cut each one in half (giving you 16 poppers). Add a dollop of cream cheese to the center of each. Layer on a few pieces of bacon and pepper. (Add more jalapeno slices for more spice.) Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Pepperoni Crescents
mini turkey pepperonis
4 pieces mozzarella string cheese, halved
garlic powder
pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

Unroll crescents and separate. Place a few mini pepperonis and one half of the string cheese in the center of each crescent segment. Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.










Taco Rolls
3 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
2 tsp homemade taco seasoning mix
3/4 c shredded chicken (a great way to use up leftover chicken!)
1/3 c salsa
1/4 c shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Unroll crescents and separate. Combine cream cheese and taco seasoning; mix until smooth. Spread 2 teaspoons on each crescent, almost to the edges. Add a tablespoon of shredded chicken and a small dollop of salsa. Roll up, enclosing on all sides so it doesn't ooze out while in the oven, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Brie, Fruit & Nut Wraps
Brie cheese, peeled and sliced
apple slices (pear slices work well here, too)
nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds....)
honey

Unroll crescents and separate. Layer each crescent with a small slice of cheese, fruit, and a nut. Tightly roll up each crescent, making sure all sides are pinched closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with honey. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. [Yes, a glass of wine, or tea, is a must with these!]

These crescent rolls are perfect for game day appetizers, sides, snacks, brunch, AND dessert. Also, don't forget to check out my Cold Vegetable Pizza, which uses a package of crescent rolls as its crust. It's a definite winner, along with my gooey Ham Cheese Crescents!

Check back for the Crescents Galore Dessert version!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Blogger Recipe: Grilled Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza

This pizza is sooooooo good.

So good I really don't want to share. I want it all to myself.

And it's even better cold.


(It's even Mr. B's favorite.)

Growing up I would eat tomatoes like candy (and I still do). My grandma always had a plate full of tomatoes and cucumbers fresh from the garden sitting on the kitchen table when my cousins and I would come in for lunch. A classic summer memory. And now, some days that's all I want for lunch...when those vegetables are at their peak. I can't eat sandwiches unless there is a tomato on it. I eat my cottage cheese with tomatoes. I LOVE tomatoes.

You know what else I love: goat cheese (obsessed) and pesto (my latest re-occurring obsession) and homemade pizza crust (the only way I'll eat pizza).

One day in June, I stumbled across this recipe and my taste buds exploded just from reading about it. I immediately went to the grocery store after work, bought the ingredients, and soon sat down to the most delicious pizza ever. Since then I have made this pizza once a month...it's a constant in our household.

And I could eat the whole thing. Ah-mazing.

Here's my shortened up version....for the full recipe go here.


Grilled Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza
(*adapted from Eat, Live, Run)

serves 4-6 (usually just me and Mr. B)

1 homemade pizza crust or store bought (My absolute favorite is The Pioneer Woman's crust.)
pesto (use as much as you like, homemade or store bought)
sauteed mushrooms, sliced
tomatoes, sliced
5 oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out your dough to fit a pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes. Top crust with pesto (spreading to edges), tomatoes, mushrooms and goat cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes.When done the crust should be a tad golden and cheese melted.

Simple, healthy, and perfect.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Beauty Burgers

Burgers.

It's all about the beans. THE beans. The BEANS.


I'm finally sharing my Black Bean Burger recipe. And it's not because I didn't want to share, I just haven't gotten around to it.


And it's not even my recipe.

I stumbled across it last summer while browsing the various blogs I read on a weekly basis. I found this recipe on Jenna's blog, Eat, Live, Run. This is one of the top three blogs I must visit every day, and her book, White Jacket Required, came out recently and it went straight to the top of my to-read list. I find her blog to be very inspirational, with healthy recipes, travel posts, and great book reviews.

But let me tell you about these burgers. I.cannot.get.enough. I would eat these every day if I could. Which technically I could if I would just make them.

I probably make these every other week. Mr. B frowns upon them (even though he has never tried one), so all six bean patties are mine. Therefore they should last me a week. Nope. I'll be lucky if these beauties last me three days...they're that good.

As soon as I make a batch, I have to eat one. Then I package them up for my work lunches.

I eat one for lunch, sometimes one and a half. And I have every intention of saving the rest for later in the week. But then I get home and I'm starving. They make a great snack. Oh, these are so good.

I think these are why I can't eat ground beef anymore. It doesn't even sound good. Last night I even thought I'd be excited because I made meatloaf; you know, THE Best Meatloaf, and I don't make it often...it's a special treat for me (or it used to be). I took one bite and that wasn't even good anymore. I had to force myself to eat it. I don't know what my deal is. I just know I love these Black Bean Burgers...and turkey burgers.

Just look at the caramelization.

You want that.

These are a must try! Thank me later.


Black Bean Burgers
*slightly adapted from Eat, Live, Run

Makes 6 patties

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water (this is your flax egg)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp cumin
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen...frozen, thawed)
olive oil (or canola oil)  for frying burgers

In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax and water. Let sit for five minutes.Add garlic and one can of beans to a food processor (or high speed blender) and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt, pulsing until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip. Transfer the black bean mixture to a large bowl and stir in the bread crumbs, tomato sauce, flax and corn. Stir well until everything is combined. Add remaining black beans. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.

[That's it...so simple!]


I usually just eat these plain and cold....straight out of the fridge. Delicious.

But sometimes, when I'm feeling ambitious, I eat them like this.

Topped with an avocado-Greek yogurt mixture and a tomato. With a side of lime tortilla chips.

Enjoy!


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Mexican Rice and Broiled Polenta

For Christmas I ordered The Ultimate Daniel Fast Cookbook. As a congregation, my church does an annual fast every January, and my goal is to eventually work up to a full 31-day Daniel Fast. However, when a lot of people (including myself at one point) think about the Daniel Fast, it seems as if you can only eat fruits or veggies. That is not the case. There is so much that you can eat on this fast, and when fasting it is important to focus on what you CAN eat.

Kristen Feola, author of The Ultimate Daniel Fast blog and its coinciding cookbook, offers a plethora of information on the subject of Daniel-fasting. Her blog not only focuses on the fast, but includes food guidelines, recipes and devotionals. These devotionals are a great support system as you journey through your fast. The cookbook also supplies devotionals and Scripture references for fasters throughout their fasts, offering support through God's word and journaling topics.

I was stoked when I finally received my copy of The Ultimate Daniel Fast Cookbook. There are so many delicious meal options, and I can't wait to dive into the recipes even more. Especially when summer comes and more fruits and vegetables are readily available. (And don't cost an arm and a leg.)

This Mexican Rice dish is one of many satisfying recipes offered in this amazing cookbook. But I will warn you...this rice is SPICY. So, go easy with the cayenne and cumin at first. I added some plain Greek Yogurt (since, at the time, I wasn't fasting but just trying out recipes) and it took away some heat. I also paired the rice with broiled polenta. I love polenta. Mr. B....not so much. I just followed my simple go-to polenta recipe.

Polenta

3 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c cornmeal

dash of garlic powder

handful of fresh basil, chopped

Heat water to boiling in large saucepan and add salt. Slowly add cornmeal, whisking constantly so it doesn't stick together. Stir 20 minutes until polenta is thick and pulls away from sides of pan. Stir in garlic powder and basil. Serve...or broil.

To Broil: Wet a paper towel and rub bottom of casserole dish to prevent sticking. Transfer cooked polenta to dish and pack well. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Rub baking sheet with olive oil. Remove polenta from dish and cut into squares. Place squares on prepared baking sheet. Broil, 4" under broiler, until both sides are crispy, about 10 minutes each side.

I hope you give this recipe and Daniel-Fasting a try. Your life, your body, and your relationship with God will benefit greatly.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi