I love cool evenings, it's official.

I was a lazy ol' lard most of the day, but in my defense, I've been exhausted since last Thursday or before. lol Evenings are usually when my magic comes in to play anyway.

I made a tasty lentil soup(based on the lentil soup recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook) and a chocolate cobbler tonight!

Lentil soup:

2 cups dry lentils (rinse 'em if they look dirty, after all, they are a ground-dwelling legume)
6ish cups water
2-3 mid-sized tomatoes (I'll tell ya what they're doing in a sec)
2 carrots, sliced or diced, your call
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 biggish yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced with seeds and membranes cut out
6-8 cloves of minced garlic
spices of your choosing (I used 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, a buttload of black pepper, salt and cayenne)


Put your water on to boil in a reasonably big pot. While you wait, rinse and core your tomatoes, then when the water is boiling, put the whole tomatoes into the water for about 15-20 seconds. The skin will split a little and the flesh will soften a smidge. Take 'em out of the water, peel the skin off, and then squeeze the excess juice and the seeds out. Dice up the emptied, softened tomatoes and set them aside.

Put your lentils and about 2 tsp salt into your water you used on the tomatoes. Let it get back up to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and cover is partially, let it cook for about 30 minutes.

Now, you have plenty of time to prep the other veggies! Get everything rinsed, diced and ready! Once the 30 minutes of solitude for the lentils is up, put your veggies and garlic (BUT NOT THE TOMATOES!!!) in the pot, along with most of your spices. Don't go crazy on the salt just yet, I added most of mine right before serving. I also adjusted the spice level before serving. Let all the veggie/spice/lentil goodness simmer for 20-30 minutes, partially covered. When that time is up, PUT IN THE TOMATOES! Let it cook for 5 more minutes, then adjust flavor levels as you see fit. Guess what? You just made a vegetarian soup!!! I served mine up with a corn muffin and topped with a spoonful of plain yogurt. Mmm-hmm!

Chocolate Cobbler(aka Hot Fudge Pudding Cake):

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (I used soymilk, it tasted just fine)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1-1/4 cups hot water
Whipped cream

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top, and DO NOT STIR IT. DON'T EVEN CONSIDER IT!!!

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set (not jiggly). Remove from oven. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve it up, being sure to get both the crusty top and the saucy underbelly in there. Garnish with whipped cream and enjoy it with some friends!

I'm glad dinner was so healthy, because dessert was ultra-decadent. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM all-around. :D

Enjoy the cool week, and eat well!!!

<3Jen

What a weekend!!!

First off, my chorus's 20th anniversary show on Saturday night was magical, to say the least. All the sweat and hard work definitely paid off. :) After the final bow, there was cleanup, a glorious night's sleep, then off to Tulsa for some sightseeing and relaxation.

First stop was Leon's for a quick bite before heading out to The Philbrook Museum. I soooooooo wish we would've had more time there, we only saw the ground floor before they closed up! Breathtaking artwork, gorgeous place. We will definitely go back to see the rest and check out the giant landscaped gardens.

After begrudgingly leaving the museum, we made our way to The Victorian Lady in Jenks to check in. It was a smidge hard to find, since it was amidst a neighborhood, but that ended up being a great asset. It made for a very peaceful and tranquil stay(the fact that we were the only guests Sunday night didn't hurt!). Jetted tub for two? Check. Ridiculously plush bed with giant pillows and million threadcount sheets? Check. Amazing homemade 3 course breakfast with freshly squeezed juice? Check. The innkeeper, Deena's, major attention to every detail and more hospitality than you can shake a stick at? CHECK. Definitely check this place out. It's worth every cent.

For dinner, we moseyed back to Brookside and ended up at Fuji. Little did we know, we had stumbled upon "Tulsa's #1 Sushi Since 1986." We ordered a Yokohama combination platter, which has salad, soup, tempura shrimp and assorted tempura veggies, 6 pieces of Makizushi (we chose spicy salmon), and 7 Nigirizushi of the chef's choosing(the fresh and smoked salmons were my fave, followed closely by the bluefin tuna). We rounded it out with an additional roll and made very happy plates! It always feels weird to say I got full at a sushi restaurant, but I did. lol

To work off our big ol' bellies, we went to walk by the river. There's a giant path along the eastern shore of the Arkansas River that's miles long. We were about 3/4 of a mile from the nearest restroom and I developed an urgent need to GO. I'm pretty sure I've never walked that far, that fast before. LOL

Then, it was back to the inn to take a soak in the tub and sleep so we could get to that amazing breakfast! After we were fed and rested up this morning, we headed out to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I had heard about it, but was definitely blown away by how cool it was! So many different animals to check out! I can say with confidence that I have now petted a sea cucumber. :D Sadly, we had to leave before they fed the sharks, but maybe next time we can watch that.

On the way back to Norman, we had lunch at Be Le, which is a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant. MAN OH MAN IT WAS TASTY! I got a fried tofu and black mushroom dish. I wanted to marry those mushrooms... The service was great, though unexpectedly funny. Our server, whom I have dubbed Be Le Man, has the power to be hilariously frank. Be Le Man brought another patron one of those drip coffees with the condensed milk that brews into the cup, then is stirred and poured over the ice. The patron asks Be Le Man, "What is this?" to which Be Le Man replies, "Coffee," in an almost exasperated tone. He then gives the patron what sounds like dating advice. lol Zach ordered the aforementioned coffee at the end of the meal. While he was drinking it, Be Le Man asks him, "Hey! Are you going to let her have any?" I drank some to make Be Le Man feel better. It was strong. :) So, in short, great food at a great price, and unexpected hilarity.

This evening, after having dinner at Pepe's, we drove toward home, only to find a dachshund puppy wandering down Duffy. We scooped her up, parked the car at home, then set out to find her family. After about 10 minutes of walking and a series of helpful tips from neighbors, we got little Gretchen back to her dog friend Maggie and their owner Marge. Happy day! :D


PHEW! I'm pooped, how about you? I think I may turn in a little early tonight!
Never fear, I'm off work tomorrow, so maybe I'll make a little something for dinner!

Eat well(and have fun adventures, too!)!

<3Jen

Recycling pizza and guilty pleasure cookies...

I had yet another frozen ball of pizza dough, pining away for use, so we made a pizza tonight. It has pesto, mozzarella, spinach, red onion, crimini mushrooms, bacon & feta. It smells awesome...

For dessert, I had been jonesing for cake mix cookies, a guilty pleasure treat in that they are totally cheating! LOL

So easy, and ultimately customizable... So many different cake mix flavors, so many different things to mix in... I just thought about a devil's food mix with andes bits, and I had to excuse myself. Just kidding!

Cake mix cookies

1 box cake mix (I used strawberry today)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of whatever you want to mix in (white chocolate chips today)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs together until well combined. It'll be thick! Add your mix-ins, make sure they're well distributed. Place rounded tablespoons of dough on a greased cookie sheet, bake 8-10 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet for a few minutes so they don't fall apart, then transfer to another surface to cool all the way (I'm a fan of paper towels on the washing machine ). Do your best to share these around, but they're good... so I don't blame you if you eat them yourself! :)

Have a great weekend!
<3 Jen

a preview of breakfast...

Since we've had an epic 3-hour nap, we decided to do the prep for breakfast now. lol :D

Fresh salsa (to use up some cilantro and onion) to top some eggs, and sourdough french toast (to use up some sourdough bread from tonight's dinner) topped with vanilla butter sauce... I'll let you know what it tastes like tomorrow, but first, the recipes...

Fresh salsa

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
* 2 small cloves garlic, minced
* 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
* 2 hot chile peppers, Serrano or Jalapeno, finely chopped
* 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
* 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
* salt and pepper

Preparation:
Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain throughly. Discard water. Cool.

Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors.
Makes about 2 cups of salsa.


Sourdough french toast with vanilla butter sauce

4-6 pieces sourdough bread (I'm using a smallish loaf, so I'll likely need 6)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla butter sauce (recipe below)

Heat skillet on medium heat and grease with your preferred product. I'm a fan of butter, personally. Combine eggs and milk in a bowl big enough to get the bread into, blend well. Add cinnamon and vanilla, give the mixture a good stir. Start coating your bread slices and cooking them on your skillet until golden brown on both sides. If you have more egg mixture, make more toasts and distribute them to friends, or maybe freeze them. :) Top with vanilla butter sauce and kiss your waistline goodbye. You didn't need it anyway. :D

Vanilla butter sauce:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (do yourself a favor and use The Good Stuff.)

Bring brown sugar, butter and heavy cream to boil in 2-quart saucepan on medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm.

Zach saves the day!

Today had the best intentions for being a non-freaky dinnertime day. Then, before I knew it, a 6:30 nap sounded SO good and before I could let out a snore, it was 9:30 and Zach was (very nicely) shaking me awake. lol

Since it was so late, I'm glad we had planned a very veggie dinner. It was equal parts healthy veggies and deliciously bad for you heavy cream, cheese, carbs and butter. :D

It's no secret that we lurve The Pioneer Woman around these parts, so naturally, we've made her Pasta Primavera. For the record, Zach picked the dinner and made the vast majority of it, all the while listening to hiphop and rap on the kitchen stereo. :D There's a reason I keep that cutie pie around... ;)

PW's Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

* 1 cup Bite-sized Broccoli Pieces (up To 1 1/2 Cups)
* ½ whole Onion Diced Finely
* 3 cloves To 4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped Finely
* 2 whole Medium To Large Carrots, Sliced On The Bias (diagonally)
* 2 whole Medium Zucchini, Sliced On The Bias (diagonally)
* 1 whole Medium Yellow Squash (optional)
* 1 container (about 5 Oz.) White Button Or Baby Porcini Mushrooms, Roughly Sliced
* 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Into Strips
* 4 Tablespoons Butter
* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 1 pound Pasta (I like little shapes, like bowties)
* FOR THE SAUCE:
* ¼ cups Dry White Wine (up To 1/2 Cup), Optional (replace With Additional Broth If Not Using)
* ½ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
* 1 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
* 1 cup Half-and-half
* ½ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
* 5 leaves Basil (or More To Taste), Plus Extra For Garnish
* ½ cups Frozen Peas (optional, especially considering Jennifer finds them to be freaky)

Preparation Instructions

First, prep the vegetables. Chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ cups worth. Dice half a yellow onion. Chop 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Slice carrots on the bias (diagonally), and do the same for the zucchini and yellow squash. Roughly slice the mushrooms and slice the red pepper (seeded) into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic together and cook for a minute or two, until they start to turn translucent. Then throw in the broccoli. Stir, and add in the carrots.

Stir it around, and PLEASE, PLEASE cook it for only a minute, tops. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Add in the red pepper strips to the skillet. Stir them around for a minute or so, then transfer them to the plate.

Add pasta to slightly salted boiling water and cook to al dente.

Add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Add squash and zucchini, cook for less than a minute, then transfer to plate. Cook mushrooms for a minute or two (add salt to taste), and again transfer to the plate.

FOR THE SAUCE

To make the sauce, pour ¼ to ½ cup dry white wine into the skillet (see note below). Add ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, a tablespoon of butter and scrape the bottom of the skillet to pull up the flavor left behind by the veggie cooking. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken.

Add 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup half-and-half. Measure out ½ cup grated Parmesan; add to the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chiffonade 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves and add that to the sauce; stir.

Dump veggies and mushrooms into the sauce along with ½ cup frozen peas right out of the freezer. Add pasta al dente and stir. If the sauce seems a little thick, or if there doesn’t seem to be enough sauce, add a good splash of chicken broth and a little more half-and-half. Top with more Parmesan, salt, pepper, and basil to taste.

Note: if you’re averse to wine, add chicken broth instead. But watch the salt later.


Oh man, this was epic. I scarfed it down in a manner most unladylike. lol! Enjoy!!!