Accepting Fall & A Giveaway Winner

First up, the winner of my Oloves Giveaway thanks to Random.org is commenter #2: Lauren G.! Send me an e-mail with your shipping information and the olives will be on their way!

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My favorite season is summer, and I have no problem admitting that each year as fall creeps up, I get a little sad. Sure, fall means apple picking, cider, cooler (but not cold) weather, pretty foliage, etc., but it means we’re that much closer to winter, which I dread. It probably doesn’t help that I’m not into the whole pumpkin obsession either (except for pumpkin beers) since I don’t really love the flavor. Despite my love affair with summer, I don’t loathe fall – I appreciate all the things that come with it, especially when it comes to food and fashion.

Even though peach season is almost over, it’s perfect weather for apples here in New Jersey. So my fresh box the last few weeks has included peaches and apples, resulting in an overflowing crisper drawer full of the two fruits. My sister is a baking fiend, and any time she’s home, she’s in the kitchen just throwing together desserts on a whim. While she was still home during the summer she made a phenomenal peach and blueberry crumble, so I decided to try an recreate it with peaches and apples.

I love cooking, but baking still intimidates me. Some people (like my sister) just have a knack for baking and can throw things together easily; that definitely isn’t how I roll. I’m extremely comfortable in the kitchen cooking savory dishes, but for whatever reason, baking requires a different level of confidence I just don’t have, so I rely heavily on recipes when it comes to baking. But this past Sunday, I went a bit out of my comfort zone and threw together this simple peach and apple crumble, that is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert!

Peach & Apple Crumble
– serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 apples, seeds removed and sliced (I used Gala, but you can use your favorite type)
2 peaches, pitted and sliced (I used white peaches, but same applies here – any kind will work)
2 Tbsp butter, cut into little pats (8 squares)
2 tsp flour
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
For Crumble:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp butter, cut into little pats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the apple and peach slices, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and pats of butter.
3. Spray a a cake pan with cooking spray, and add in the fruit mixture.
4. In the same bowl you had the fruit, add the remaining flour, sugar, butter, and oats. Use a fork to mix everything together, slightly mashing the butter in the process. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the fruit.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.

Enough For Me & You

Whenever I make a recipe that provides enough for leftovers, my appreciation for the recipe doubles. Why, you may ask? Because it gives me either a delicious option for lunch the next day, or even better, a night off in the kitchen! A lot of recipes I make suggest that they are at least 4 servings, but I rarely find myself with leftovers (between the two of us in the house). So, whenever there’s a huge casserole or Dutch oven meal on the week’s menu, I can count on that providing me some type of leftover; whether it’s enough for one or two people is another story.

As always, I try to make sure that my meals are as balanced as possible; vegetables, protein, healthy fats… you know the drill. Since I take medication daily, my gastroenterologist likes for me to have blood work every so often just to make sure the medicine isn’t affecting anything negatively. I actually just had some routine blood work last week, and they mailed me a copy of the results. I’m happy to report that pretty much everything was within the “normal” range! I’ve got plenty of blood protein, calcium, and all the other goodies that people often swear vegetarians don’t get enough of. So even though my gut doesn’t work properly, my blood is in good shape! At least I know I’m doing something right.

But now that we’ve talked about my blood, let’s get back to food… I’m currently trying to ramp up my mileage (only a little) and intensity (a little more) for a half marathon in April. I’m actually running two half marathons in April – the RU Unite Half Marathon that I’ve run the last 3 years (and was my first!), and then a week later the Nike Women’s Half. I’m hoping to PR at the first, and then enjoy the second. I would love to run a 1:45 (or faster, of course), and I think it’s possible since I had to walk a few minutes due to a side cramp last year and finished in 1:47. As always, running has seriously increased my appetite, which is huge to begin with. So, when I found a big ‘ole strata recipe on Martha Stewart’s website, I knew I had to make it.

I had to make some changes to the recipe, most notably because one of the main ingredients was sausage. I’ve been completely obsessed with soy chorizo the past few months, so I knew that would be a perfect replacement. I’ve had the soy chorizo from both Trader Joe’s and Stop & Shop, and they are both equally delicious, and easy to use in anything from a burrito to an omelet. This particular recipe includes things I love; spicy chorizo, eggs, bread (yay carbs!), cheese, and a solid dose of leafy greens. It’s perfect to whip together before work and then cook when you get home, make the night before having brunch, or do all at once (since it really doesn’t take that long). I love the versatility of stratas, and this recipe is no different!

Vegetarian Chorizo & Chard Strata adapted from Martha Stewart
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 package of Soy Chorizo (or 1lb. of regular chorizo)
1 tbsp olive oil*
1 small onion, diced (can be yellow, white, Spanish)
1 bunch of Chard (Swiss or red), roughly chopped
1 baguette (day old is best), sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup of smoked Gruyere or Gouda cheese
7 eggs
2 1/2 cups of milk (any dairy or non-flavored and unsweetened non-dairy kind will do)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium sauté pan, cook the chorizo and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. *If you are using real chorizo, you do not need to add the oil – you can use the fat from the meat.
4. Next add in the chard, salt, and pepper, and cook until just beginning to wilt, about 5 minutes.
5. In a 9×11 greased baking dish, layer half the chorizo, followed by the chard and onion mixture, then sliced baguette. Follow with another layer of chorizo and then chard.
6. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour over the casserole dish, doing your best to distribute evenly. Top with cheese. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, but can go up to overnight.
7. Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving!

Do you have any favorite dishes you make that always give you leftovers?

Sweet on Brunch

I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that brunch is a fabulous thing. I could wax poetic about how anything goes, it’s a great excuse to sleep in and still enjoy breakfast foods, etc., but you already know all this. So instead, I’ll give you a recipe for a super easy brunch dish that would be perfect for New Year’s Day… or any day for that matter.

While I may be one of the few and far between not doing a wrap-up of 2012 post or a pre-2013 post, I’ll share with you a few things that in just the last few days, I’ve decided will be my “to-do’s” of the new year. They’re quite simple: run more, cook more (recipe creation, really), complain less, learn to take better pictures, and practice yoga more… all while striving to be happy and healthy. I guess you could say there’s a trend of “more” for 2013, which I’m okay with. Since 2012 was far from what I expected, I have high hopes for 2013. Of course, the aforementioned to-do’s won’t happen without action from me, so we can say that I’m planning on making 2013 the year of doing. I’m pumped.

I’ll be kicking off my year of doing with a 5k on Tuesday, aptly named the Hangover 5k. I somehow hurt my foot on Wednesday last week, ran on it anyway on Thursday, and could barely walk by Friday. So, I haven’t run since then, making my goals for this 5k to just finish without foot pain. Goofy is just under 2 weeks away, and I have to make sure I can finish those 39.3 miles! The 5k will be my first race as an Oiselle Team member, and I can’t wait to rock the racing singlet, rundelicious top, and lesley knickers! And then after the 5k, I’ll probably make this fabulous brunch dish, again.

So next time you’re looking for something brunch-y to eat, you can give this a try. It isn’t really a frittata, or a strata, or a crustless quiche. I suppose it’s more of a Sweet Potato Egg Pie… so that’s what we’ll call it. Cheers to a happy and healthy 2013!

Sweet Potato Egg Pie
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup of shredded cheese
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat a cake pan or pie dish (I used a cake pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Layer the sliced sweet potatoes along the bottom, covering as much of the pan/dish as you can. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until combined. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
4. Once the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the potatoes, and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Egg Love

Getting a CSA box each week has been such a treat – we pick up on Fridays, so I always look forward to the Thursday “newsletter” with a list of the week’s fruits and vegetables, as well as recipe ideas and tips for storing everything. Once I get that e-mail, it’s all about planning the week’s meals around the fruits and veggies. Most of the time I don’t have trouble coming up with uses for everything, but once in a while I’m stumped. Included in this week’s box (among other things) were some leeks and arugula that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with.

I’ve only cooked with leeks once before (though I absolutely love them), and have only had arugula in salads, on sandwiches, and in a few pasta dishes. Originally my thoughts were to keep the two vegetables separate – I didn’t want to blow through my CSA box before we were halfway through the workweek. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized the two would pair well together alongside eggs.

Truthfully, I’m not usually a big egg fan. Blasphemy, perhaps, but I never really enjoyed them the way that so many people do (I’m talking in the “OMG I eat eggs every single day!” kind of way). Growing up I would have hard boiled eggs, but that was typically as far as my eggventures went (see what I did there?). Omelets were manageable for me too, as long as they were stuffed with veggies and had an equal ratio of cheese to egg. Eventually in college I realized eggs and omelets were my best option for breakfast, and I learned to love them with ketchup (again, a lot of people think it’s totally gross, and I did as well way before I would willingly eat eggs). Until recently, I would typically chose something without eggs over something with eggs, but they’re growing on me. Maybe it’s because I finally know how to cook them and use them with other flavors I enjoy, or my taste buds are changing, but I’ll take it either way.

Since I’m currently on the egg train, I’m going to ride it for as long as I can. Enter the leek and arugula frittata! The frittata is one of the easiest dishes out there, and it’s so incredibly versatile I don’t know why I only recently started making them (oh, right, because I’m not a big egg fan…). You really can throw almost anything into a cast iron skillet, saute it, top it with eggs, cook it a bit, and call it a day. Seriously – I basically just wrote out the recipe. Obviously for this frittata I used leeks and arugula, but a few weeks ago I made an equally awesome Swiss chard version. And the very first frittata I made had soy chorizo and kale in it (and it was called a strata, but whatever), and I dream about it, it was that good. Basically what I’m saying is get creative with your frittata – or give mine a try!

Leek and Arugula Frittata
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
8 eggs
2 leeks, diced (white parts only)
1 cup arugula, stems removed and diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, a mix – whatever your heart desires)
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I used garlic and herb, but plain works too)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl and dd in the cheese. Set aside.
3. Add in the arugula and tomato, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes until the arugula is wilted.
4. Meanwhile, preheat broiler on high.
5. Pour in the egg and cheese mixture and stir to make sure everything is combined. Using a spatula, lift the eggs on the edge of the skillet, tilting the pan to allow the egg mixture to drip to the edges. Continue doing this as it cooks for 10 minutes.
6. Take the skillet and place it in the oven with the broiler on high, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Super Easy Lunch

Cross training is something that I actually enjoy. I think it keeps me from going insane when it comes to running, and I like seeing other body parts getting stronger. It’s also helpful for days when I really just dont’ want to go outside because it’s either too hot, too cold, or I’m just being lazy. This week has been HOT by March standards in New Jersey, so I’ve been able to do some cross-training outside. The heat has meant extra sweating, which is always sexy. Case and point:

After my sweat-filled workout on Tuesday, I had a great idea for a perfect protein packed sandwich.

Every time I say it, my husband shudders in disbelief. I’m not a big breakfast foods fan. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy an omelette, some pancakes, waffles, or other typical breakfast foods here and there, but I rarely crave them. My husband, on the other hand, could eat breakfast for every meal, and is excited to find breakfast foods on “non-breakfast” menus.

So, after picking up some coconut curry simmer sauce from Target a few weeks ago for dinner, I had half the jar sitting in the fridge just staring at me, begging to be used. With the sauce sitting mere inches from a carton of eggs, I had an idea. Coconut curry egg salad! Yes, it sounds weird but I promise it doesn’t taste weird. I actually loathe egg salad, mostly because I can’t handle mayo. So, I figured this would be a flavorful alternative to mix together the smashed eggs. Thankfully, the taste experiment didn’t backfire.

This sandwich comes together in a matter of 20 minutes (if you include the time it takes to hard-boil the eggs), and is absolutely delicious. I had mine on some toast with spinach, but the possibilities for a sandwich are endless. It’s super creamy and isn’t overly eggy, but the egg is there. I could even see this working really well with tofu if you aren’t an egg fan.

Quick Coconut Curry Egg Salad
– Serves 1 –

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Target’s Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce
2 Hard-boiled eggs (see directions below)

Directions:
1. To hard-boil an egg: Fill a large pot with cold water, enough to cover the eggs by about 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Once it’s boiling, take it off the heat and allow to sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain the water and let it sit at room temperature, or pop it in the fridge for a few minutes before peeling.
2. Mash the hardboiled eggs with a fork.
3. Add the simmer sauce and mash/mix to combine.
*I had mine on two pieces of toast as a sandwich with some spinach, but you can enjoy it any way you’d like!

Easy Baked Donuts

This past weekend was my first attempt at lesson planning. Sure I’ve made some mock lesson plans for courses I’ve taken over the last two years, but not plans for an entire week, that I’d actually be teaching. Thankfully it snowed on Saturday, so I was forced to stay inside and get it done. Teaching is no joke (not that I ever thought it was), and I definitely have a lot of work ahead of me.

othello — Nothing like a little Shakespeare

Teaching aside, the husband and I were in the mood for something sweet on Sunday morning. The mini donut pan I have from my bridal shower hasn’t been used in months (and was only used once), so I figured I’d break it out. These are your “old fashioned” style baked donut – it isn’t anything fancy, but boy are they good. With a simple cinnamon and sugar coating, they’re perfect with a cup of coffee. It certainly beat getting in the car and going to Dunkin’ Donuts, and then feeling bad about that decision later. The only time I allow myself to have donuts (and by “have” I mean devour) is after long runs – usually accompanied by a Coolata.

Easy Baked Donuts
– makes about 14 donuts –

Donut Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk or creamer (I used coffee creamer which makes it richer, but any % milk will work fine)
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 egg
4 Tbsp butter

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together.
3. Combine the wet ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, until the butter is completely melted. Be careful not to have the mixture get hot – the butter just needs to melt.
4. Add the wet mixture and egg to the dry ingredients and whisk together.
5. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough from the bowl and into your donut pan. You want the mixture to sit just below the rim of the pan.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, then take out to cool for about 2 minutes.
7. As the donuts are cooling, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping on a plate, and melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave (about 30-40 seconds).
7. Once the donuts can be handled, dip one side into the melted butter and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Anytime Pizza

With the high temperatures this week, I struggled with what I should make for dinner each night. I didn’t want to turn on the oven, but the thought of standing outside and grilling in the heat was too much to bear. So, I cranked up the air conditioning and got to work, this time on pizza.

I’ve been meaning to make a breakfast pizza for awhile, but hadn’t gotten around to it. I had breakfast pizza for the first time while staying at The Borgata in Atlantic City, at their buffet. Until that point I hadn’t thought of a breakfast styled pizza, but after having a slice was immediately convinced it’s a great idea.

So when one of the things I got in my Hormel Family Food Blogger welcome package was bacon, I decided that would be the perfect vehicle for my breakfast pizza. In addition to the bacon, I added some eggs, scallion, cheese, and seasoning. Since I used a pre-made pizza crust, it was so quick and easy. Because it’s so fast and requires little effort, it’s great as a quick week night meal, or even as something easy to throw in the oven on a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Breakfast Pizza
– makes one pizza –

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pizza dough crust, or your own
1 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but any kind will work)
3 scallions, diced
4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
3 eggs
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Layer pizza with cheese, bacon, and scallion. Crack each egg over the pizza (I did a triangle formation to try and prevent them from spreading into one another). Top with oregano and basil.
3. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until crust is crispy and eggs are cooked through

Muffin Remix

I haven’t been posting much these days, but I promise I’ve been in the kitchen! Even though I’m done with classes for the semester, a new project has taken it’s place – wedding planning! Obviously, I’ve been planning the wedding for quite some time now seeing as that we got engaged back in January 2010, but with the wedding a mere three months away, I’m in wedding overdrive.

Having taken off two weeks from running to try and rest my achey and less than perfect legs, I set out for a two mile jaunt sans music and GPS, just to get myself back in the swing of things. It was hot (85 degrees with 70% humidity), so of course it felt much worse than it actually was. Either way, it was nice to be back out there. I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with yoga, and I can already see some extra definition in my arms, but running is still my favorite.

After the run and a much needed shower, I decided to make some muffins. I basically took the same recipe from my Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins, and made them Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins… YUM! I left out sugar simply because I wasn’t paying attention. So, if you want your muffins sweeter, I would suggest adding 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the mix. Whoops!

I love muffins for one simple reason – you can eat them at any time of day as an acceptable snack. Sure you typically associate a muffin with breakfast, but you really can eat it at any time of day without breaking eating rules. We all know I’m not one for following rules, especially when it comes to eating, but you get my point.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
– makes 12 muffins –

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl (including coconut)
3. Heat butter, and stir in milk and the egg. Add that mixture into the dry mixture, to combine, finally adding in the chocolate chips.
4. Spoon mixture into greased cupcake/muffin tin, and bake for 15 minutes.

Quiche Me

I always find myself inclined to make more involved, comfort foods on Sundays. It’s a day where you can get away with eating earlier and have it not considered part of the early bird special, and it’s those last few moments of the weekend that you can savor.

Since we were up early on Sunday morning to register at Crate & Barrel (hello KitchenAid Stand Mixer!) we didn’t have the opportunity to have a real breakfast; we enjoyed free samples and then grabbed some Starbucks to reward ourselves for a registry well done. So, I figured it would be appropriate to have breakfast for dinner, or in this case, brunch for an early dinner.

This particular quiche recipe had me sold the second I saw gouda cheese listed as an ingredient. I also really like portabello mushrooms and onions, so adding that in was an added bonus. Of course I added a little more gouda than what the recipe called for, and I could have even added more! I don’t think I can ever get enough of that cheese. It’s so goood-ahh (get it?!).

Anyway, I could definitely have this dish any time of day – breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. Or as my fiancé affectionately refers to it, brinner. We wound up having leftovers, so I was able to have it for dinner on Sunday, and lunch on Monday!

Broccoli, Mushroom, and Gouda Quiche via ChowHound
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 Basic Pie Dough or a 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust (I used regular pre-made pie crust)
2 cups broccoli florets and tender stems, large dice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups portobello mushroom, large dice
1/2 medium red onion, minced
3 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half*
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded young Gouda cheese

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly flour a work surface and roll pie dough out. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough, and fold over edges into a decorative design.
2. Blind bake for 20 minutes. Make sure to put something in the middle to weigh it down (beans, weights, aluminum foil, etc.).
3. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add broccoli and cook until fork tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and let cool in a single layer on a large plate.
4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushroom and onion and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
5. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half*, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until incorporated and smooth. Stir in broccoli, mushroom mixture, and cheese. Pour into pie shell and bake until puffed and golden brown, 45-50 minutes.
6. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.

*I didn’t have any half and half, so instead I melted 1 Tbsp of butter, and poured that into a 1 cup measuring cup. I then filled the rest of the measuring cup with milk, to make my own version of half and half.

Muffin Love

Desserts are one of my favorite things. During the week, though, I rarely have time to make anything dessert related. So, while I was making dinner on Tuesday night, I had a great idea – oatmeal muffins! Conveniently, the oven was already pre-heated to the temperature I needed to cook them since I was roasting veggies. It was as though the baking stars had aligned, and I just had to bring my dreams of coconut chocolate chip oatmeal muffins to life.

I haven’t had oatmeal in awhile, and we have giant container of oats in our pantry. So while at work, I was trying to think of ways to put them to good use aside from a typical oatmeal cookie or overnight oats. I’ve never made muffins before, but since I’m a huge cupcake fanatic I thought it might be a nice change of pace. Plus, I’m obsessed with coconut and chocolate, and when they’re combined, it’s like kryptonite.

You really only need about 20 minutes start to finish to whip up a batch of these badboys. This was some nice prep work for the cupcakes I’m planning to make for the fiance’s birthday! I have visions of slathering these with almond butter for breakfast, or with a spoonfull of vanilla ice cream for dessert…

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
– makes 12 muffins –

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
2/3 cup of shredded coconut
1 cup of chocolate chips