Cabbage Baby

Simple, tasty, and under 5 ingredients needed. My friend used to cook this all the time, and I never gave it a shot. Sauteed cabbage, with a dash of olive oil, salt and some butter. Talk about poor mans food? Or classically perhaps a very Irish meal, this dish was great!
Sauteed Cabbage
Half a head of cabbage, chopped. So as to resemble short noodles.
Olive oil. So it will not stick to pan
2 cloves of garlic (duh!)
Salt. To taste
Butter, at the end
Sauteed on medium heat for a decent amount of time. You want the cabbage to really cook, its a thick veggie, even caramelized a little with the edges darkening.

Sweet dogs love sauteed cabbage too!

Bread Head

Utilizing only half of my roasted yummy butternut squash, I made a Butternut Squash Bread as well as a Pumpkin Bread. I was inspired to make a bread from this because last week I made Pumpkin Bread and had left over pumpkin and a bunch of tasty bread fixings. I used two similar recipes and tweaked a little with the type of flours it called for. I used all whole wheat. And as per usual, lowering the amount of sugar called for, just a tad.
Pumpkin Bread a second time around gets a 5!
What a simple healthy lil bread (all whole wheat and I added oats and flax seeds). I have been eating this tasty bread for breakfasts with a slab of Earth Balance butter on it. I never realized how simple it is to make breads. If you have the baking stuff in your pantry, you really only need shop for the main ingredient. Pumpkin puree comes in a can, Libby's Pure Pumpkin. Main and ONLY ingredient reads: PUMPKIN. Opening that can up was so fun, just a bunch of pure, mashed up, tasty pumpkin in there. Fall in a can.
Sad to report, the Butternut Squash Bread gets a 2!
It was like a sweet, bready cake? And properly cooked! I even lowered the amount of sugar and upped the amount of butternut squash puree. Maybe just not a bread that I like?! (impossible!) The boyfriend too agreed, it was not delicious. The reviews online of this not so common bread suggested otherwise.
My SUPER Simple Pumpkin Bread
3/4c brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1c pure pumpkin
1/4c canola oil
1/3c low-fat plain yogurt
1tsp vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 whole wheat flour
1 1/12 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/4c oats
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp flaxseeds
With the oven at 350 degrees, and the bread pans greased, whisk brown sugar and egg whites. Add pure pumpkin, oil, yogurt, and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine the dry: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, oats, flaxseeds, salt. Slowly mix the dry into the wet and do not over mix. Pan the batter, and cook for 30-35 min.
Maybe Just Not For Me Butternut Squash Bread;)
1 and 1/2c butternut squash puree (I just mashed the heck out of it in a bowl, I only used a half from yesterdays roasted butternut squash)
2 eggs
1/2c veg oil
1/4c water
1 and 1/4c brown sugar
1 and 3/4 whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4c oats
Oven at 350 as well. Greased pans, ready to go. Mix the wet: the puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars (sugars arent wet, oh well). Separately mix the dry: flour, baking soda, spices, salt and oats. Slowly combine the dry with the wet. Pan the batter and cook for 30-40 minutes.
Enjoy the healthy lil fall breads...
Recipes inspired by My Baking Addiction and Good Housekeeping
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/butternut-squash-bread/

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/healthy-pumpkin-bread-recipe

Check out the utilized salted and roasted butternut squash seed topping the breads!

Day 2 of My Personal Challenge

It is wild, I am so glad for this idea and this space, today brought new meaning. I decided to do this "challenge" yesterday morning whilst wallowing in my unemployment (which I brought upon myself mind you, ending my job after a good 3 and half year run) and forgetting the beauty in this time in my life. I am secure (for now!) and I have time on my hands! Whats the problem here, Quinn?

Moving forward, I chose to play with the butternut squash for Day 2 of my challenge (cook a new recipe each day of the work week while unemployed). I don't have experience with this interesting vegetable (fruit?!) only memories of family and friends tackling the fun lil guy, in my presence.

My Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Butter
1 large/medium Butternut Squash
Cut the squash long ways through the center, and scoop out the seeds. I saved the seeds, cleaned them and saved for further baking, cooking, dressing a fun salad. Put a scoop of butter in the center. I sprinkled the top, to taste, with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake at 400 for 30-40 min. Monitor with a fork and check for tenderness.
I continued after removing the squash from the oven, to make a Butternut Squash Bread that is just now coming out of the oven. Stay tuned for more simple health conscious grub. Ciao ya'll!

Recipe was inspired by the Food Network, specifically Robin Miller's recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/roasted-butternut-squash-recipe/index.html

Hey There Chicken Broth!

So I have been going to Culinary School (a one year program) for a couple months now. And let me tell you, one huge thing I've collected so far are the brilliant uses of chicken broth/stocks. We've done three weeks on soups, stocks and sauces. At first it was daunting however this new found understanding of chicken broth must be shared! Not only are they essential in stocks/soups/sauces within a commercial kitchen but in my little box of kitchen too. I've found a new staple:) I particularly like the brand above (the idea of canned chicken/beef/veggie broth does not add the fresh flare I tend to reach for, slap the words "organic" on it and mentally I'm there). Case and point, I made a last minute pot of veggie chili last week, it was too thick. Rather than thinning it with water, I used our tasty sub chicken stock. Last night, instead of thinning the cheese sauce with an olive oil ( it was my only thought, cause I didn't have that "cooking liquid" it required from the real sausage) I reached for the chicken broth. 

Looking forward to unearthing its hidden talents... 

Experiment Numero UNO!

Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Inspired by Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_sausage_arugula_pasta.html

For my first experiment, I chose a simple and light dish found on Eating Well's website, see the above link. I was drawn to this recipe because ONE, I love arugula and TWO, of the ingredients that were existing in my fridge. It proved a tasty first experiment.

I tweaked the recipe for my own personal delight and ease. The recipe called for spiral or twisty whole wheat noodles, I chose Debole's Organic Spinach Fettucini (another chance to add some green to the dish, I'll take it! annnndddd... its all I had in the pantry). Instead of turkey sausage, I used Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Sausage. I really enjoy the fake sausage and the Italian flavored Tofurky. However what  my boyfriend (guinea pig / control / taste tester / one lucky son of a B) and I derived mid meal was that I should have used real turkey sausage (*see asterisk below).
Lesson learned... sometimes the fattier choice is best!
ON a scale of 1-5, I give this meal a 3 Its a tasty, SIMPLE, and health conscious meal!

My Sausage-lees Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Cook Time: 30 min (if that!)

Serves: bout 3

1 box Spinach Fettucini

3 links of Sausage-less sausage

2 cloves garlic

8 oz arugula (half of one of those plastic boxes)

20 or so cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 c Italian Pecorino Romano or Parmesan finely shredded

TT (to taste) Pepper and Salt

Oil (olive or whatever) to coat pan

1/3c chicken stock

Boiling water for your fettucini, cut the "sausage" links and begin to saute them in an oiled pan. Cut tomatoes and add those to the pan once the sausages have browned a bit. Add the arugula last maybe a minute before you pull off burner, will wilt quickly! Cook until tomatoes are tender and sausage browned. On the side in a bowl, mix the cheese salt and pepper and slowly add to the fettucini, mixing in first cheese, then chicken stock (just enough to thin the cheese along the noodle) making a sauce in your pan on your fettucini. (*The original recipe called for "the cooking liquid" which I assumed was the turkey sausage grease. I grabbed the chicken stock in my fridge because the sausage-less sausage offered little to no "liquid.) Plate pasta, top with the sauteed mixture in your pan and ENJOY:)

Unemployed

I've been unemployed for 5 days now.
It was today that I realized I had to do something to keep me sane. Today, it has been decided that I will tackle one new recipe each day of the work week and blog about it along with other food related ideas (currently in Culinary School) Here it goes!