where the secret ingredient is love
Week of September 20
Monday: School of Library Science Autumn Reception
Tuesday: grilled chicken
Wednesday: meatloaf… maybe an old recipe, maybe a new one, we shall see!
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: African Studies reception/out to eat with some of Ben’s coworkers… my, aren’t we social this week?
Saturday: stuffed green peppers
Sunday: leftovers/Hamburger Helper for Ben; Kappa Delta meeting for me
So, this bread should really be renamed “Brownie Bread,” because that’s what it tastes like: a nice gooey, rich, chocolately brownie in bread form. Cakey. Fudgey. Chocolately. This bread is perfect warm out of the oven, with some fruit and yogurt in a bowl for breakfast, or right out of the pan as a late night snack. And… because it’s a bread, and not a pan of brownies, then it certainly must be healthy. A perfectly acceptable breakfast option. Right? Well, considering that chocolate chips kept literally jumping into my mouth as I was mixing this up and that there’s this odd gravitational force constantly pulling me to the kitchen, maybe the health factor is a bit debatable. But I’m not so sure. Regardless, just do yourself a favor and try this bread over the weekend. You probably have most of the ingredients anyway. You won’t regret it. Just trust me.
from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then pour in buttermilk and mix on low until fully incorporated.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in half cup increments to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
What’s your favorite dessert for breakfast?
Mmmmm pasta! I know I recently posted another pasta recipe, but I just can’t help myself. I love pasta. I dream of pasta. I could eat pasta for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.Same kind, different kinds, it wouldn’t matter.
I love the variety that comes with pasta. Sauces rich in tomatoes, cream, wine, or oil. Texture in the form of meats, veggies, or nuts. Pasta can be served hot or cold; it can be a sweet pasta or a savory pasta. Almost anything can be added to pasta to make it unique or different or more suited to a particular occasion. I’ve had peanut butter sauce on my pasta, and I’ve even had spaghetti omelets [when I was studying abroad in Cameroon]. It can be light and healthy or more indulgent. I love them all.
Perhaps my most favorite pasta dish of all time is lasagna. I grew up loving and always requesting my grandma’s lasagna. To this day, I can’t order lasagna in a restaurant or at a friend’s without being disappointed and comparing it to the family version. But alas, I do occasionally try a new recipe. This non-typical lasagna doesn’t disappoint. Comprised of the same red sauce, gooey cheese, and Italian seasonings as a traditoinal lasagna, this dish stands out in the noodle selection. Instead of flat lasagna noodles, I used Radiatore noodles, which are small, short noodles that are wavy and fun.
Another perk of this lasgana, besides it’s great taste, is that it’s easy to make and bakes up quickly. You can really use any small noodle shape you like, but you’ll have fun with the Radiatore!
inspired by Sound Eats
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a large stock pot, begin boiling water for your pasta. Use Lynn’s tips for cooking pasta. They’re great! Add in Radiatore when water is boiling and cook to al dente according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, brown 1 pound ground beef with 1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped. Drain fat and return to pan. Mix in spaghetti sauce and red wine, stir to combine. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan, and all herbs together. Set aside.
When all components are prepared, grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Layer your dish with 1/4 of the sauce, 1/3 of the pasta, 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, and 1/2 cup of Mozzarella. Repeat once, then top with 1/4 of the sauce, the rest of the pasta [1/3 of what you made], the rest of the cottage cheese mixture [again, 1/3 of what you made], the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the cheese [1 cup].
I know that’s complicated but I did it this way because I like the top to be covered with sauce and cheese so the noodles don’t dry out. But really, you can be creative and flexible with these measurements… I just eyeballed it. You could even mix the noodles and sauce together and do a layer of noodley/sauce goodness, the cottage cheese, half of the Mozzarella, the rest of the noodles, then the rest of the cheese. Anything goes! There are no lasagna police out there, I promise you!
Then bake your lasagna for 30 minutes, then turn up the oven to broil and let it broil for a minute or so–just until the cheese gets bubbly and brown on top.
Be sure to watch it carefully under the broiler so the pasta doesn’t burn. That would be so sad. But you won’t be sad when you’re eating this cheesy, noodlely, and saucy goodness. No, no, no! You will be so happy. 🙂
What family recipe is your absolute favorite?
This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!
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It’s time to celebrate. To celebrate a rich tradition that is as old as time; perhaps older. That’s right, it’s football season again. And to kick off the first big game of the season, you need a recipe that can lead you to victory. Put away the vegetable tray, it’s time for a real snack: buffalo ranch chicken dip.
Now I’d like to preface this by stating something that many of you may find borderline offensive. In my opinion, ranch dressing rates very high on my most overrated food list (Equally offensive: peanut butter is on there too. Now this isn’t to say that I dislike peanut butter, I’m just not buying the hype. I don’t need a spoonful right out of the jar. I don’t need it every single day of my life. I don’t want all my sweets to taste strongly of it. And ranch, I don’t need to dip every savory appetizer or finger food in you. So many people make these two items out to be the epitome all of that is delicious, and that just rubs me the wrong way. They taste just fine, but they are significantly overrated. Also worth noting, the worst offense regarding these two items is the following: I actually knew someone who ate peanut butter and ranch sandwiches. Seriously. It’s exactly how it sounds. PB & J – the J + ranch. I shall say no more.). But this dish opened my taste buds to what ranch used properly can do. And it is glorious. Without further ado, the recipe.
from Sarah’s friend Kelly
Ingredients:
Directions: Poach your chicken breast. You can cut it up into smaller pieces prior to poaching so it’ll cook faster, or you can just cut it up after it’s cooked (my method). Heat the cooked chicken and hot sauce on the stove until heated through. Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing. Mix in half the shredded cheese. Transfer to a slow cooker (the cream cheese does not need to be fully melted at this point). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover, and cook on low until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips and Ohio State football games. Yields not nearly enough servings (for this hungry football fan, anyway).
What do you think are the most overrated foods?
So last week was just one of those weeks. I was sick and we just didn’t eat off our meal plan as I like to do. By the time Friday came around, I was feeling a little better physically but I just wasn’t feeling up to eating something rich and cheesy like a calzone for dinner. However, we had plans to run a local 5K the next morning so I wanted something light, healthy, and filling. This dish I threw together in a few minutes did just the trick! It is definitely one I will be making again, unlike some of my past pasta creations which were just so-so.
This penne pasta dish had just the right combination of savory sausage, flavorful veggies, and complimentary seasonings. I loved how the sweetness of the honey was just barely noticeable but made it’s presence known. However, my favorite part of this dish was the sundried tomatoes. They really added a lot to the pasta–a little saltiness, a little tang, and a dash of tomato flavor to really bring the sauce together… so don’t skimp on them! I bet fresh tomatoes and a little tomato paste would be delicious too, and would give the dish a slightly different flavor palate.
by me 🙂
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat a dash of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until they are just beginning to brown and soften. Then add green pepper to the pan and cook for another two to three minutes until the green pepper is just beginning to soften. Turn heat down to medium and add chopped sausage into the pan. Let cook until sausage has browned, stirring every so often.
Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a large stock pot for your pasta. [Be sure to check out Lynne’s Kitchen Adventures for tips on the perfect way to cook pasta. It sounds elementary but it is not at all!]
Meanwhile, add sundried tomatoes to sausage mixture. Cover and simmer on low while pasta cooks. Cook pasta to al dente. Before draining pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water to thin out sauce if necessary. Drain and add penne to saucepan with sausage mixture. Stir in honey and mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add up to 1 cup pasta water to thin out sauce–I used about 1/3 cup. Toss to combine and serve. Eat and enjoy!
Notes:
This recipe yields about 3-4 servings. Ben had one large helping and a smaller helping, I had a medium-sized serving, and there was some leftover for lunch yesterday… so be sure to keep that in mind and alter to fit your needs.
Have you ever made an improv recipe that ended up being a favorite? If so, tell me about it!
The Pajama Chef 