How to Make Cereal: A guest post

I present my first guest blogger: Patrick.

I've known Patrick for 10+ years.  He's a pretty cool kid (awesome baseball/basketball player!)  and supports (/endures?) all my cooking adventures (including this blog!)

While this is Patrick's speciality, you can guarantee that all cookies, on this blog, have been taste tested (and approved) by Patrick!

THE BEST RECIPE EVER.  CEREAL.  

(by ME.){Patrick.}

Step 0: Make sure you have your favorite cereal.

Step 1: Get a bowl, spoon, cereal and milk.

Step 2: Pour cereal in bowl.

Step 3: Add milk

Step 4: Enjoy! (OR DIE.).

REMEMBER, THIS IS THE BEST THING YOU WILL EVER DO IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.  TAKE THE CHALLENGE OF EATING CEREAL.

TAKE YOUR TALENTS TO FLAVORTOWN.

  

---Thanks, Patrick!

Roasted Red Pepper "Sauce"

This sat on my "Must Make" board since I first joined Pinterest.

For over a year, that poor recipe just hung on, collecting virtual dust.

I finally bit the bullet, a few weeks back, and quickly made it.  Seriously, quick. Less than 20minutes from start to in my belly.

I like quick recipes.

It was just as good as I was hoping and my only suggestion would be to use warm peppers.  The sauce was cool and the gnocchi hot and I think hot sauce, hot gnocchi would've been a million times better.

(disclaimer, I do not have a microwave... that would've been too obvious a solution!)

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

(from How Sweet)

1 jar roasted red peppers
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
4-5 basil leaves, torn
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a food processor , combine garlic, cheese, basil, salt, pepper and peppers.  Puree then add olive oil until smooth.

Serve over your favorite pasta or meat. 

ENJOY!!!!

Black and White Cookies

These cookies were my Dad's October edition of his Cookie of the Month Club.

I think I've mentioned before that my Dad's Christmas gift (for 2011) was a batch of homemade cookies delivered once a month.  It's been fun for me because I get to try/create new recipes and he gets to try/enjoy my creations!

The month tends to have a theme and this them was Halloween.  Black and White translating to x-rays/skeletons.

I made a Halloween theme note (complete with word plays "boo-tiful, "spook-tacular" and, my favorite, de-"fright"ful) and tried my hardest to impress the man.

(I'll admit... this was a stretch and not my most creative.. oh well!)

Black and White Cookies

(makes 3 dozen)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*

In your mixer, combine butter and sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs until incorporated.  

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa and baking soda.  In small batches (3 or 4) add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.

Stir in white chocolate chips.

Drop onto lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to cooling rack and let cool for, at least, 20 minutes.

ENJOY!!!!

Moroccan Squash Soup

This is one of my favorite soups

Not only does it make the whole house smell warm and delicious but

 The flavors go nicely together 

and it's the perfect soup for crisp, cool, fall days.

The spices can be adjusted to create for a milder or more intense soup suitable for the whole family.

And you can easily make it vegetarian/vegan if you swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth. 

Moroccan Squash Soup

(serves 6-8)

2 lbs butternut squash (halved, seeded and roasted 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 medium chopped onions

1 tsp black pepper

salt (to taste)

5 large chopped garlic cloves

1/2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, ginger and all spice

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 sweet/tart apple (honeycrisp works best!) cored and chopped

28 oz chicken broth

3 cups water

juice of one lemon

Directions

Roast squash, insides down, on a baking sheet at 400* for one hour.  Let cool.

While cooling,

In a 6qt pot heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, once warmed stir onion, pepper and salt until onions are browned.  Stir in garlic, spices, apple and sautée an addtional 30 seconds.  Remove from heat.

Scoop squash into pan. Add broth and water and simmer on medium high for 20minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. 

(you can also pour, in small batches, in blender and blend until smooth)

Stir in lemon juice before serving.

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

These granola bars are a "healthier" version of last weeks cookies.

(and also a Max favorite!)

These came out of the oven and the "cool time" was barely tolerable.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

(from Two Peas and Their Pod)

(makes about a dozen bars)

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don't want them to be under baked.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. 

 Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

These bars are NOT going to last long...

ENJOY!!

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

I know. I know. I know.

Another PUMPKIN recipe. 

I think there is one more and then I'm done...

...maybe.

And to be honest, I didn't even TOUCH pumpkin until 2009!

And it was a fluke. 

But, like most flukes, it was wonderful and now I can barely keep my hands away!

Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

(adapted Taste of Home)

(serves 10)

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chicken broth

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons chili powder

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions 

 In a large skillet, saute turkey breast until mostly cook. Add in the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to crockpot and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

ENJOY!!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

I apologize (but not really) for the "All Fall All the Time" posts

These cookies are the epitome of fall. 

At least in mine and Max's opinion!

I first introduced these cookies to Max last fall and at least once a month he asks that we make these cookies.

These cookies are soft, moist and full of warm fall-y flavors.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from How Sweet)

(makes about 3 dozen)

1 1/2 sticks melted (and cooled) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the flour, salt, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stir in pumpkin butter until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. Fold chocolate chips and chunks.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, then roll into golfball-sized balls.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are crisp and slightly golden on the edges, then let cool completely.

Grab your favorite cookie monster and a glass of milk and...

ENJOY!!

(ps you can now follow me on Twittter "@thatgirlbakes"!!!)