August turned out to be a busy month for me; I visited Atlanta twice (once for Margaret's wedding) and my brothers came in town for a long weekend, which we spent camping in northern Georgia. I didn't do terribly much cooking; mostly just stuff to get me from weekend to weekend, though Margaret and I did make some amazing black bean and corn dip, along with chicken kabobs on the grill; I'll have to share those recipes at some point.

But I'm back at home now, at least for the next little while, and that means I'm pulling the pots and pans back out.

Earlier in the summer, I picked up a great cookbook at a garage sale for a mere quarter: Recipes from the Poor Clare Nuns of the Holy Name Federation. Now, I promise it's not just my Catholic bias- this collection is a real gem. My first meal attempt was a simple casserole:

Chicken and Cheese Casserole:
-3 beaten eggs
-1 can cheedar cheese soup (I used cream of chicken)
-1 1/2 cup milk
-6 slices buttered bread (I used cornbread- Southern flair, you know?)
-8 oz sharp cheese (cheddar), sliced
-3/4 lb chicken, cooked and cubed (or shredded)

Mix together eggs, soup and milk. Place 2 buttered slices of bread at bottom of a greased 2-quart casserole. Lay slice of cheese on each, then half the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Make another later of bread, cheese and chicken, then top with remaining bread and cheese. Pour the soup/egg mixture over top. Bake at 350 about 40 minutes or until brown and puffy.

The original recipe calls for shrimp, and says tuna can be substituted as well. This made a nice little meal, and great for leftovers (but isn't everything?)

Rumspringa Gemelli

-1 lb Gemelli pasta

-1 lb ground turkey

-1 onion, sliced

-5 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 C white wine

-1/2 C cream

-2 oz cream cheese

-1/2 C chicken broth

-herbs

-1 head broccoli

Brown the turkey in a frying pan, and when done, remove the turkey, leavings the drippings. This is the base for your sauce. Saute the garlic and onions in the grease until the onion is clear. On low-medium heat, add the white wine, cream, cream cheese, stirring each in slowly. Let this simmer, and slowly add the chicken broth, stirring all the while. Add in any herbs you like (in our case, it was rosemary and thyme given to me by a friend, and basil from my little basil plant, Gianni- who is growing up quite nicely!) In the meantime, steam the broccoli or spinach (or just microwave it in a bowl with a little water) and set aside. Once your sauce is at its desired consistency (and you can totally experiment with my portions, which are pretty much made up anyway), add the meat back and the broccoli and let the whole thing simmer on low. Cook the pasta until al dente (it takes longer because it's wound tightly, but it will also be firmer when done than your average spaghetti noodle). You can either pour the meat sauce over the noodles and toss, like we did, or serve them separately. We ate this with some pumpernickel bread and- you guessed it- more dip! Why can't dip be a meal? (2 points if you get this reference).

This was mine and Margaret's Sunday afternoon activity- aka 'What's in The Kitchen? Let's throw it in a pot and see what happens.' In my opinion, pasta is the ultimate 'experiement', whether you're making a red sauce, white sauce, or just drizzling olive oil over some noodles. There is no right or wrong, and you can use whatever you have on hand- sometimes the results are so-so, but other times (especially when you're starving, as we happened to be), you happen upon a really fantastic dish. The more your experiment, the more you learn about proportions and what things taste good together. This simple meal was definitely a winner with us, so much so that we named it. Now we'll always have our 'Rumspringa Gemelli' (don't ask) to commemerate the time we spent together and this stage of life we're embarking upon.

Good 'ol Southern Comfort

The winds from Atlanta blew a special treat my way this weekend in the form of one Margaret Jago, my dear friend and ex-roommate (one of her favorite terms). We share an intense love for food (though hers tends toward the dill pickle and diet coke side of things, while mine favors all things butter and chocolate), so I knew the weekend would bring another of Margaret's favorite words- FULL. And so it was. On Saturday, we tried to see Moliere's 'Miser' put on by Shakespeare in the Park, but Mother Nature had other plans, and, with a terrific summer storm that commenced half an hour before curtain call, she sent us high-tailing back to dry ground (poor Alycia and TJ got left out in the rain while Margaret and I watched the apocalyptic events from the shelter of my car, but that's a story for another time). So we took our little party back to my apartment and had a picnic on the floor. I made Honey Beer bread and spinach dip, which we enjoyed with TJ and Alycia's pasta salad, raw broccoli, grapes (on sale at Publix), and Winking Owl Cab Sav (thank you Aldi's!) We stuffed ourself to contentment and beyond, and let our food settle while we played a rousing game of Taboo. Not exactly what we planned, but perhaps a good sight better.

Honey Beer Bread
-3 C flour (Add more if necessary)
-1 1/2 t salt
-4 1/2 t baking powder
-1/3 C brown sugar
-12 oz beer (still rocking the Sam Adams Black- can't beat it)
-1/4 C honey

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the beer and honey and mix well. Pour into a greased loaf pan, and spread butter and honey on the top if you wish. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Spinach Dip
-8 oz (1 bar) cream cheese)
-1 C sour cream
-1/2 onion, finely chopped
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 lb spinach, chopped
-seasonings- to taste (salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, herbs)

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add spinach. In a mixing bowl, mix together sour cream and cream cheese (best if it's softened), then add in the spinach mixture. Stir in the seasonings and refrigerate for at least an hour. The garlic is really what makes this dip, so don't be afraid to really go to town. This is amazing with the sweet beer bread, but would be great with any type of cracker or bread (Wheat thins come to mind).

In thanks for all Velveeta has done

So, I've been feasting all week on my well-prepared left-overs of Southwestern Beef and Veggie Bake and Black Bean Soup, but the reserves ran out today and so I had to scrounge up some dinner. By the time I got home after staying (very) late at work, the spirit of Friday left me too lazy to make any real attempt at cooking, so I made one of my favorite doctored quickies. Velveeta Cheese and Shells is one of my go-to comfort foods, but I can't quite shake the fact that I'm consuming starch and orange chemicals, so to ease my guilty conscience, and make it a little heartier, I like to add whatever I have around- my favorite is tomatoes and/or salsa. Other options are broccoli, onion, spinach, any little bit of leftover meat you might have sitting around (taco meat is great), beans, and the list goes on. And, as always, a little garlic can improve any dish that doesn't call for chocolate (same for fresh or dried herbs). So simple, but it's amazing what 2 minutes can do to take a dish from spaghettio's to gourmet.

Black Bean Vegetable Soup
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-2 carrots, chopped
-3 teaspoons chili powder
-1-2 teaspoon ground cumin
-2-3 cups chicken stock
-2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, corn, and pepper; bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minuets or until carrots are tender.

This soup is cramazing! I stewed it up on a Sunday night so that I could have leftovers throughout the week. It's great with some cheddar cheese sprinkled on top, and crackers- or tortilla chips! It reminds me of a cross between Tortilla soup and vegetarian chili. If you wanted to stretch it, you could make a cheese quesadilla to go alongside. Easy, healthy and delicious! Can't go wrong.

Beer Bread

-3 Cups all-purpose flour
-1 T baking powder
-1 t salt
-2 T sugar
-1 C shredded cheddar cheese
-12 oz beer (1 bottle)
-1/4 C butter, melted

Add any herbs you want- basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, dill, chives, garlic (use 1 t dried, 1 T fresh). Mix all the ingredients together except the butter. Spread the dough into a greased bread pan, and brush half the butter (2 T) over top. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Brush the rest of the butter over top. Let cool for 10 minutes or so and ENJOY.

This recipe was inspired by my dinner treat- a Sam Adams Black (yay!) with my chicken salad. I had about half my beer left and decided to put it to work, and HO-LY COW why is this stuff not better known?! I have never had beer bread before but it is PHENOMENAL! Crusty on top, chewy and spongy on the inside and just amazing... it would be interesting to see what other beers do, particularly something light and/or sweet. This is about the most bang for your buck (both monetarily and temporally) that you can get.
Note: If you make an herb-ier version of the bread, it's fantastic with a sweet cream cheese, like raspberry- the hazlenut cream cheese from Panera comes to mind. If you go with a sweeter version, serve with a garlic-herb cream cheese. The combination of sweet with herb is really great.

Fruit Smoothie

I am a creature of habit. There's nothing I love more than finding something that really works, perfecting it, and running with it. My latest breakfast thing is a fruit smoothie. It took a good while until I could made a smoothie worth drinking, but it was totally worth the time and effort. This is the best breakfast trend I've ever been on. Here's what I use

-3 medium strawberries, frozen (I buy a big frozen bag at Costco)
-1 medium banana, frozen (I buy bananas, cut them into small chunks, put them in a ziploc, and stick them in the freezer)
-1/2 C milk (varies depending on desired consistency)
-4-8 oz yogurt of any kind (my favorite is blackberry! I also like raspberry. Again, the amount depends on the consistency you're going for. Experiment!)
-1 t vanilla
-1 T flax seed (for nutritional purposes- it does change the taste and consistency a bit, so leave it out if you don't care for it)
-1 T sugar- optional- it's good without, too (I use sweetener)

Throw it all in a blender and go to town! I often make the smoothie when I get up in the morning, pour it in a travel mug, stick it in the freezer, then grab it on my way out the door. This gives it a half hour or so (depending on how late I woke up) to chill out and just makes it a little more slushie like. This is a completely mold-able recipe, but I've got a pretty good thing going here.

Southwestern Beef and Veggie Bake

Ingredients:
-1 lb ground beef
-1 small onion, chopped
-2-3 t chili powder
-1-2 t cumin
-1/4 t cayenne pepper
-2 T butter
-3 T flour

-1/2 C chicken or beef broth
-1-2 C chopped peppers
-1 16oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
-1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 can whole kernel corn, drained
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 4oz can green chilies
-1 tube refrigerated cornbread sticks (I used a cornbread mix package)

In a large skillet, brown meat and seasonings (you can use a package taco seasoning in place of the herbs) and onion. Add flour, stir until well blended (add more flour if necessary). Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat, add beans and veggies. Pour into a 13x9 baking pan. Pour cornbread mix over top. Bake uncovered, 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until cornbread is lightly browned. (In my opinion, it is imperative that the cornbread be sweet- either use a sweet package, or add sugar/honey to your batter)

To start the meal out, I made a little guacamole and it turned out really well. I used 1 avocado, mashed, then mixed in a tsp of lime juice, a minced clove of garlic, a few shakes of cumin, salt and pepper, and half a chopped tomato and maybe a 1/4 C of finely chopped onion. Really good. Keep in mind this doesn't make a lot- TJ pretty much devoured the whole thing in the time it took Alycia and I to do our "hiiii! you look greeeeat!" hug-hug kiss-kiss greeting. It's easy to double.

I made this meal to celebrate Alycia being done with her summer class, and it was delicious. This recipe is courtesy of Patty, our cook at Pi Phi, and I have to admit that I did not do her justice, but it was a good imitation of the real thing. It's good leftovers, and great served over chips with cheese melted on top, and salsa. Gourmet Pi Phi nachos, anyone?

Mocha Smoothie

One thing about South Carolina is that it's hot. Extremely hot. All the talk you hear about the oppressive humidity is, I'm discovering, not a joke. In a climate like this, cool, refreshing treats are an absolute necessity, and this is one of my favorites. Quick, cheap, easy, and relatively good (or at least not bad!) for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free milk
1 medium banana, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices, and frozen
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or honey (I use sweetener)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice

In a blender combine milk, banana, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee crystals, and vanilla. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes. Cover and blend until nearly smooth. (I'll often add a little hazlenut creamer or something like that, to change up the flavor- you could do pretty much anything here).

Makes 2 servings

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (makes 24)
1 cup flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or silicone mats

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the rack on the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the brown sugar, then the egg, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats and raisins.
5. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons 2-inches apart on the baking sheets and use a fork to gently flatten the dough.
6. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Take them out of the oven as soon as they look slightly blond and are no longer wet on the top. Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nobody likes crunchy cookies. You say you do, but trust me, you don't. What brings more comfort to the stomach and the soul (we won't comment its effects on the hips) than a warm chewy cookie with a cold glass of milk? And that's what you get here- a cookie that stretches when you bend it instead of breaks in two. Save a little bit of the dough and put it in the freezer to enjoy as a treat later. The only thing better than cookies fresh out of the oven is cookie dough from the icebox.