A few days ago I tried my first "sneaky" recipe from my new cookbook, "The Sneaky Chef" by Missy Lapine*.
We had two little boys over to play so I thought I'd slack off and make Mac n' Cheese for DINNER. (Doug wasn't home and I wasn't about to battle 4 boys without help.)
I looked doubtfully at the cookbook thinking it couldn't help me without a separate trip to the store but was pleasantly surprised!
There were actually a few suggestions for improving boxed Mac and Cheese! The first was to add 2-4 Tablespoons of "White Bean Puree" along with the regular cheese sauce package and just make it as directed.
I looked up the recipe for "White Bean Puree" thinking it would be hard to make or I wouldn't have the ingredients.
It said to mix a can of white beans (in a food processor if you've got one) with few tablespoons of water. That's it!
Easy enough! I keep canned beans in the pantry for Fae's Taco Stuff so that was no problem. I blended them. I added a few scant tablespoons to the Kraft (which I have never ever ever deluded myself into thinking was healthy) and I served it.
The kids loved it. They had no idea it was any different. But they got fiber, protein, whatchmacallit, and (probably) some vitamin whatever. And they didn't even blink.
So I'm sold. I'm a believer.
If I never try another recipe, it'll be worth keeping this book around! (Don't worry Claudia. I'll try more than one recipe.)
I always knew beans really were a magical fruit!
Hooray for the Sneaky Chef!!!
*I am not getting paid by anyone to promote this cookbook, but if you send me a check I'll HAPPILY promote it EVEN MORE!!!
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
May 20, 2008
Oct 15, 2007
Yummmmmmmmmy!
Recipe blogs seem to be all the rage these days, and although I'm no gourmet chef, (Doug is a MUCH better cook than I am.) even I have one. Granted, it only has about 5 recipes on it, but I'm planning to add many more. Not because I think people will start flocking to it, mostly just because I like having my recipes on the computer and in one spot.
ANYWAY, to my point: After I had Gabe, we were the lucky recipients of MANY super yummy dinners. (Being a Mormon has serious perks.) One meal we really loved came from my friend Jenni and she has the recipe posted on her blog, HogieWogie. After months of cravings, I finally made it and not only was it pretty darn easy, it was as DELICIOUS as anticipated!
***Here is the large meal we received in many large disposable containers:***
Mediterranean Gyro Chicken
Wheat and White pita pockets
Tzatziki Sauce (Greek yogurt with cucumbers and seasoning for the chicken)
Rice pilaf with Orzo. (She said it was from a box but it must have been a great brand because we thought it was homemade.)
Greek Salad with olives and a very yummy dressing
The best, most dense, rich, yummy Chocolate Cupcakes I've ever had.
I think that's everything. Boy oh boy was that a yummy meal. The hardest part of making this was remembering to buy fresh dill and then finding the Tzatziki sauce. (Though I hear it's very easy to make with plain yogurt.)
It was worth it. It was to die for. Next time I'll double the recipe because we didn't have nearly enough left-overs.
Here is the link to the Chicken Gyro recipe on her blog. It will soon be posted on my recipe blog.
ENJOY! (That is an order.)
***If you have a baby and I'm assigned to bring you dinner, you will recieve Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice casserole. Possibly a can of apple sauce if I have one. I'm a one dish kinda girl and sides go beyond the scope of my abilities. Sorry in advance.
ANYWAY, to my point: After I had Gabe, we were the lucky recipients of MANY super yummy dinners. (Being a Mormon has serious perks.) One meal we really loved came from my friend Jenni and she has the recipe posted on her blog, HogieWogie. After months of cravings, I finally made it and not only was it pretty darn easy, it was as DELICIOUS as anticipated!
***Here is the large meal we received in many large disposable containers:***
Mediterranean Gyro Chicken
Wheat and White pita pockets
Tzatziki Sauce (Greek yogurt with cucumbers and seasoning for the chicken)
Rice pilaf with Orzo. (She said it was from a box but it must have been a great brand because we thought it was homemade.)
Greek Salad with olives and a very yummy dressing
The best, most dense, rich, yummy Chocolate Cupcakes I've ever had.
I think that's everything. Boy oh boy was that a yummy meal. The hardest part of making this was remembering to buy fresh dill and then finding the Tzatziki sauce. (Though I hear it's very easy to make with plain yogurt.)
It was worth it. It was to die for. Next time I'll double the recipe because we didn't have nearly enough left-overs.
Here is the link to the Chicken Gyro recipe on her blog. It will soon be posted on my recipe blog.
ENJOY! (That is an order.)
***If you have a baby and I'm assigned to bring you dinner, you will recieve Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice casserole. Possibly a can of apple sauce if I have one. I'm a one dish kinda girl and sides go beyond the scope of my abilities. Sorry in advance.
Oct 6, 2007
Good Eats!
I've put two new recipes on my "recipe blog". So if you're looking for something yummy to make for breakfast tomorrow, check it out!
Feb 11, 2007
Six Months Down, 55 Pounds To Go...
Dear Blog,
I am now 6 months into my third pregnancy and growing rapidly. The first few months of nausea and vomiting --which kept my weight gain minimal-- are now being generously off-set by a recent accelerated, but not unfamiliar, craving. The craving now threatening to take over every moment of my free time and cause a 75 pound total pregnancy weight gain is for....
sugar.
Now, sugar and I have always had a bit of a love/hate relationship. (Cue song: "I Love to Hate You" by Erasure.) As a hypoglycemic, any sugar over-dose I may indulge in generally ends in pain and suffering. Or more specifically, extreme lethargy and crankiness which is mostly painful to those around me. Of course, if my sugar indulgence happens to coincide with an empty stomach, vomiting and coma are the likely and usual results.
So imagine my glee when during my first four months of this pregnancy, the very thought of ice cream made me sick and all I wanted (if I wanted anything at all) were large chunks of red meat followed by any artery-clogging, heart attack-inducing side dish. (Read: French Fries)
Lucky me! This meant my baby was getting plenty of protein (and sodium and fat, but whatever...) and I didn't have to feel guilty for eating more servings of dessert than of vegetables on a daily basis!
Alas, all that has changed and my longing for the sweet stuff has taken over both mind and body. Currently, sugar in almost any form will do. If my body tells me to eat a spoonful (or three) of brown sugar, I just do it. Obviously, if I'm craving it, it's because the baby needs it! (Why else would I have ever craved tuna fish or egg salad?)
Unfortunately, more and more often lately, Baby and body have become more demanding. Although a handful of chocolate chips or large chunk of frozen cookie dough can partially satisfy, often I find a desperate need for something more. Something, in fact, homemade and baked.
It seems in the last week or two, not a day goes by when I don't have the desire to bake some divine dessert. Usually, the only thing that can stop me is still having left-overs from the last bake fest or lack of a key ingredient. This is why in the last few days I've consumed approximately 10 sugar cookies (all yesterday morning at a birthday party) half of a Chocolate Mousse Cake and at least 38 Lemon Bars. It's also why, now that I've polished off the last of the Lemon Bars, I'll be making Tollhouse Cookie Bars this afternoon. (I'm only writing to you, Dear Blog, because the butter needs to soften.)
Don't pity me. Although I'm sacrificing my health and sweet temper, it's all for the greater good: I'm keeping Baby #3 happy and satisfied. If you'd like to show your support, please join me as I gorge myself into yet another coma. Here's a little help to get you started:
Best Lemon Bars Ever
Crust:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
Filling:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Crust: Beat butter, powdered sugar, and 2 cups flour together until smooth. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Filling: Beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, 5 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder until well blended; the mixture will be thin. Pour over the top of the baked crust, and continue baking at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cool, and cut into bars.
I'll let you know how the Tollhouse Cookie Bars turn out! Happy eating!
I am now 6 months into my third pregnancy and growing rapidly. The first few months of nausea and vomiting --which kept my weight gain minimal-- are now being generously off-set by a recent accelerated, but not unfamiliar, craving. The craving now threatening to take over every moment of my free time and cause a 75 pound total pregnancy weight gain is for....
sugar.
Now, sugar and I have always had a bit of a love/hate relationship. (Cue song: "I Love to Hate You" by Erasure.) As a hypoglycemic, any sugar over-dose I may indulge in generally ends in pain and suffering. Or more specifically, extreme lethargy and crankiness which is mostly painful to those around me. Of course, if my sugar indulgence happens to coincide with an empty stomach, vomiting and coma are the likely and usual results.
So imagine my glee when during my first four months of this pregnancy, the very thought of ice cream made me sick and all I wanted (if I wanted anything at all) were large chunks of red meat followed by any artery-clogging, heart attack-inducing side dish. (Read: French Fries)
Lucky me! This meant my baby was getting plenty of protein (and sodium and fat, but whatever...) and I didn't have to feel guilty for eating more servings of dessert than of vegetables on a daily basis!
Alas, all that has changed and my longing for the sweet stuff has taken over both mind and body. Currently, sugar in almost any form will do. If my body tells me to eat a spoonful (or three) of brown sugar, I just do it. Obviously, if I'm craving it, it's because the baby needs it! (Why else would I have ever craved tuna fish or egg salad?)
Unfortunately, more and more often lately, Baby and body have become more demanding. Although a handful of chocolate chips or large chunk of frozen cookie dough can partially satisfy, often I find a desperate need for something more. Something, in fact, homemade and baked.
It seems in the last week or two, not a day goes by when I don't have the desire to bake some divine dessert. Usually, the only thing that can stop me is still having left-overs from the last bake fest or lack of a key ingredient. This is why in the last few days I've consumed approximately 10 sugar cookies (all yesterday morning at a birthday party) half of a Chocolate Mousse Cake and at least 38 Lemon Bars. It's also why, now that I've polished off the last of the Lemon Bars, I'll be making Tollhouse Cookie Bars this afternoon. (I'm only writing to you, Dear Blog, because the butter needs to soften.)
Don't pity me. Although I'm sacrificing my health and sweet temper, it's all for the greater good: I'm keeping Baby #3 happy and satisfied. If you'd like to show your support, please join me as I gorge myself into yet another coma. Here's a little help to get you started:
Best Lemon Bars Ever
Crust:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
Filling:
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Crust: Beat butter, powdered sugar, and 2 cups flour together until smooth. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Filling: Beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, 5 Tbsp. flour, and baking powder until well blended; the mixture will be thin. Pour over the top of the baked crust, and continue baking at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cool, and cut into bars.
I'll let you know how the Tollhouse Cookie Bars turn out! Happy eating!
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