Baked "Fried" Pickles

This is... interesting.

I don't think I'm 100% on the bandwagon of frying everything in sight.  In fact, I'm not somebody who fries anything on a regular basis. 

This fried pickle thing seems a little suspicious.  I know people seem to love them and everything, but people also seem to like frying ice cream and kool-aid.  And, I'm a little too green for such extreme ideas just yet, 

Nonetheless, I really wanted to see what the hullabaloo was all about.  Millions of people can't be wrong, after all.  When I found a recipe for baked "fried" pickles, I knew I had found my entry point.  As it turns out, people are right about cooking pickles.  The flavor enhances into something tangy with a slightly sweet undertone.  The crunch of the pickle is replaced with a softer slice encapsulated by super crunchy bread crumbs. 

And, dipping them in a litte horseradish sauce?

Forget it.

I mean, I can put horseradish on just about anything, but this literally beckons for a little horse-y heat.

We're definitely on to something now!




Baked "Fried" Pickles

2 whole dill pickles
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
Horseradish Sauce for dipping



Preheat oven 425F.

Cut pickles into 1/2" slices.

Dip each slice into milk, followed by flour and finally the bread crumbs until completely coated.

Lay slices onto a greased cookie sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Serve with Horseradish sauce.

Corn Salsa

So...

after the chaos that was my life last week, I think things are finally starting to slow down... hopefully.

I still have no kitchen, which I guess isn't really a shocker to anyone except me who thought that you could totally renovate an entire house in only like three days.  I was apparently very wrong.  So,  we've been eating either snack foods or takeout, neither of which make me too happy.

I mean, it's hard to keep your self-esteem up when your belt is crying for help.

I so cannot wait to cook a vegetable on my new stove.  And, that is the last time you'll ever see me type those words, so enjoy.

The other night, we headed out to Chipotle (again) for dinner.  Usually, I get the same burrito every time, but I was curious about switching some stuff up.  For one, I was pleasantly surprised that the steak was just as tasty as the chicken that I normally get.  And I also traded my salsa verde for corn salsa.

Good idea.

Now, I like any kind of salsa, really.  But, this corn salsa was sweet and hot and completely unlike other salsas I've tried or made.  Like, the kind of salsa I could eat alone with a fork.

I may have eaten this recipe alone with a fork.

Don't judge me.

Anyway, I strongly recommend this salsa next time you're cooking up a little Mexican fare and decide to add in some sweet heat.  In fact, I may use this recipe instead of plain canned corn in some of my other recipes to see how it might enhance the flavor.

While I do that, you take this recipe and get to work in your own (fully operational, I hope) kitchen!



Corn Salsa

2 cups frozen corn
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tbsp fresh cilantro
Salt & Pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Carrot Cookies

Busy.

That is the word I would use to describe my life currently.

My house is a constant mess on account of the construction.  We have family visiting from out of state. A lot of family.  My 4-month-old puppy is nearing fifty pounds and displays his human mother's defiant independence on a daily basis.  The Hubbs has had to work into the wee hours of the morning several times this month, leaving me with all of the 'boy' jobs around the house as well as the 'girl' responsibilities.

Throw in a full-time job and a love of cooking and cooking blog.... and I have no time.  I've been working on re-formatting this website and adding some new features.  I've been exploring my crafty side lately as well as trying to adopt a more natural and eco-friendly lifestyle.  But that whole idea has been pushed to the wayside for a bit while I attempt to merely survive my hectic life.

I've even been posting some older recipes that I haven't had a chance to share because my ability to cook has been somewhat impaired by my lack of appliances.

That's why I'm offering up these carrot cookies I made last summer.  Light and refreshing, these cookies were omitted from the pile only because I was too busy piling chocolate desserts and barbeque-style foods in front of your eyeballs because that was most of my life last year.

Regardless of the season, these cookies are simple and light and even healthy.  You can snack on these without feeling weighed down by richness like other cookies.  And, the carrots over an unusual, but pleasing sweetness that scream summer simplicity.

My new favorite way to eat carrots!



Carrot Cookies
(adapted from Gooseberry Patch)

2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups carrot puree
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Frosting:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups Confectioner's sugar
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

Candied Carrots:

2 tbsp butter

1 cup shaved carrots

3 tbsp honey

Roast carrots in oven at 425F for 25 minutes.

Puree carrots in a blender.  Reduce heat to 350F.

Combine carrots with the rest of the cookie ingredients.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Let cool.

Combine ingredients for frosting.  Ice cookies.

For the candied carrots, cook the carrots and honey in the butter over medium heat.  Stir for 2-3 minutes until the carrots are tender.  Lay them out on a sheet of waxed paper to cool.   Place on top of frosting.

Butternut Squash & Sage Pizza

Okay.

This recipe, I will admit, is a little old.

As in, I made it way back in the fall when butternut squash is all the seasonal rage, and I loved it.

But...

the Hubbs...not so much.

I think his exact words were "too healthy" and "too foodie".  Truth be told, if you met my mountain man "meat & potatoes" kind of guy, you might understand.  He can rarely be convinced to try anything and usually I have to throw things onto his plate on the down-low in the hopes that he doesn't notice.  He usually figures out he likes something new after he's unknowingly eaten it.

This pizza did not pass his visual inspection.

With the large orange slices adorning his pie, he was clearly onto my plot.  Long story short, his remarks made me nervous about posting the recipe.  I usually make sure one other person likes it before I make the post.

After going through some older recipes and drafts a couple days ago, I was reminded about this savory and light pizza from a few months back.  I decided that I had to post it because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't like butternut squash and sage.

We are on the same page when it comes to food.  So I can trust you with my recipe.

Now if we can only convince the Hubbalubba....



Butternut Squash & Sage Pizza

1 batch Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 butternut squash, slices in 1/4" slices
2 tbsp olive oil
10 sage leaves, roughly chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste



Prepare dough as directed.

Preheat oven 425F.

Place butternut squash slices on cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes.

Turn oven up to 450F

Roll pizza dough out into a large circle.  Combine the garlic and butter in a dish and brush over the pizza dough.  Sprinkle mozzarella over the top, followed by the Parmesan.  Top with the roasted squash and sage leaves.

Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

I love lemon.

The color.  The sour flavor.  Lemonade.  Limoncello.  Lemon balm.  Lemon grass.  Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.

Everything lemon.

So this cheesecake, being that I also love anything cheesecakey, is absolutely perfect for me.  The slightly yellow cheesecake with flecks of bright yellow zest, topped with a sweet and sour curd and a crunchy graham cracker crust...  I mean... what words can I use?

Delicious.

Delicioso.

I only know english and spanish.  So every other way to say "delicious" in other languages.

It's sweet with a definitive tang and a slight sour punch.  It's creamy with a crunchy crust.  It's literally every adjective your taste buds are looking for in a dessert.

So why haven't you made this yet?




Meyer Lemon Cheesecake


Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest

Filling:
3 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon extract
2 tbsp Meyer lemon zest

Topping: 
2/3 cup Meyer Lemon Curd



Preheat oven 350F.

For the crust, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Press down into the bottom of a greased springform pan wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon extract and lemon zest together on medium until the cream cheese is smooth.  Add eggs and beat for an additional minute on low.  Pour into the crust.  Bake in a water bath for 45-50 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, spread lemon curd over the top of the cheesecake before serving.

Basil Pesto

So, I feel a little behind the eight ball.

As in, I feel like everyone on the planet has made pesto except me.  In fact, everyone is making pesto out of everything green, and I'm starting with the basic basil blend.

Alliteration.  I'm a fan.

Pesto was not something eaten in our house growing up.  My dad didn't like it, or maybe didn't know what it was.  Therefore, mom didn't serve it.  As you can see, I blame my dad's picky eating habits for my sheltered childhood.

This changed a couple years ago when I ordered an "Italian Flag" at a local restaurant here.  This meal consisted of three manicotti, each covered in a different sauce to resemble an Italian flag.  I love marinara and alfredo, but the green pesto was unfamiliar.

I tried it despite my reservations, and as usual, I was delighted to find another sauce I liked.

In what became my first pesto experience, I learned what fresh basil is truly supposed to taste like.  I mean, it's always been easy for me to throw a smidgen in here and a dash in there without really understanding its flavor.  But, I finally understand why basil is so important.

And tasty.

It took me a few batches of playing around with the amounts of different ingredients before I got a sauce that I was truly happy with.  I've been putting this on pasta, pizza and even appetizers.

Incredibly good.  Incredibly easy.

Go pesto!




Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt & Pepper to taste



Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until aromatic.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth with a thick consistency.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

As much as I enjoyed stuffing potatoes yesterday, I equally love stuffing peppers.

To the brim.

With anything and everything that complements the flavor of bell peppers.

In my experience, I've only found a few recipes of stuffed peppers that I really can't get enough of, and this is one of them.  In this healthy version of Tex-Mex cuisine, the peppers cook until they are soft and sweet and ready to fall apart.  Inside lies a filling of spicy rice, corn and beans smothered in salsa and cheese.

Who needs those carb-heavy shells?



Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

2 red bell peppers
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco seasoning
2 cups brown rice, cooked and drained
1/2 cup black beans, drained
1/2 cup corn, drained
1 cup salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped




Preheat oven 375F.

Cook ground beef in olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

Add taco seasoning.

Mix together with cooked rice.  Add salsa, black beans and corn.

Cut bell peppers in half vertically.  Lay on sides with cut side up to form a bowl.  Scoop rice mixture into each pepper half and place into a casserole dish.  Top each pepper with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro.