The long awaited Peanut Butter Kiss cookies!

Alright guys, I know it’s been a while since a post, but get off my back; this recipe is well worth the wait. Personally, one of my favorite cookies of all time and a childhood favorite of many Americans. And if you don’t like these, you’re probably a Commy. If these cookies don’t scream grandma’s kitchen, then you probably had a grandma like me who never hugged you.

What you’ll need:

• 3/4c Peanut Butter (Skippy for the classy folks like me out there)
• 1/2c shortening
• 1/3c granulated sugar
• 1/3c packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3T milk
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2c AP Flour
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t salt
• Granulated sugar
• Hershey’s Kisses

What you’ll do to make this all-American delicacy(sort of):

1. Okay! Now that my tears are wiped away from my hugless memories of grandma!…First things first, people-preheat oven to 350°F(175°C if you actually are a Commy).
2. Beat peanut butter and shortening in a large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add 1/3c granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to peanut mixture, beating until blended. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ugreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 7 minutes of until set. Immediately press kisses into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and let cool.

Makes 3 dozen cookies, provided you are not a baker like me, who eats most of the raw dough!

 

Oh what monkey bread? FOR REAL?!

Another recipe that I’ve acquired through Emma, this stuff is SO damn good! Perfect to make Christmas morning or for your birthday, or whenever you’re in the mood for a buttery, brown sugary, cream cheesy, biscuity, cinnamony breakfast(which, let’s be honest, is all the time).

Sweet Jesus my mouth is watering

What you’ll need:

• 2c packed brown sugar, light or dark
• 2 sticks butter, cubed or cut into tabs
• 2 tubes buttermilk biscuits
• 1/2c sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 package cream cheese, cut into 30 sections

How you’ll do it:

Preheat oven to 350. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and brown sugar and microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until all butter is melted. Once melted, mix butter with brown sugar until fully incorporated.

Next, lay out wax paper and separate all biscuits onto it. Cut biscuits in half lengthwise. Gently push a dimple into the center of each division. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

Halved biscuits with depressions(not the sad kind)

Put about a 1/2tsp. into each depression that was formed in the biscuit. Place cream cheese sections on top of the sugar mixture.

Biscuits with cinn-sugar and cream cheese

Cream cheese is not absolutely necessary for this recipe, especially if you are trying to be even the slightest bit health conscious. But after all, the world is ending next December, so stop being self-righteous and just eat the damn cream cheese. Fold biscuits corner to corner, completely sealing the edges, making sure to have cream cheese completely covered by the biscuit.

Biscuits folded over, ready to be smothered in butter and brown sugar

Place biscuits in a greased bundt pan, only around the outermost edge. Take care not to pack them too tightly, they will rise when baked. Once first layer is in the pan, cover with cinnamon mixture then with brown sugar mixture. Repeat for second and third layer.

All 3 layers of biscuits, ready to bake

Bake in oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert onto a flat plate and eat to your inner fat kid’s heart’s content!

The finished product! Ohhh nomnomnomnom

 

As requested, Scotch eggs at their finest!

• This was the first time I’ve ever made, or heard of, Scotch eggs. Now when you see the pictures, it may look a little odd and like an overly protein-laden handheld delicacy, it is pretty tasty! Think of it as a small, deep-fried sausage and egg sandwich(I’d like to find a way to add cheese to it)!

The delicious Scotch egg

 

What you’ll need:

• 5 eggs
• 1 1/4 lbs pork sausage, hot or sweet
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce(any recommendations on how to pronounce this?)
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup seasoned flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup bread crumb
• A little over a quart of oil(not extra virgin, it has a low smoking point)

• Ingredients for the Scotch eggs!

How you’ll make it:

Before anything, you’ll need to hard boil the eggs. To do this, gently place the eggs in a pot, add enough salted cold water(the general ratio for salted water is 1tbsp per quart of water) to cover them with about an inch of extra water, and heat over high heat to a boil. Once boiled, reduce to a covered simmer for 12 minutes. Toward the end of the twelve minutes, you’ll want to have a bowl full of ice water. Once the eggs are completely cooked, drain the water and immediately submerge into the ice bath and allow to sit for 5 minutes or so. The ice bath is extremely important; without it, the eggs will be very hard to peel. The transfer from simmering water to ice water causes the shells to become brittle and peel easily.

In, you’ll want to slice the sausage lengthwise in order to remove the skin. Once all of the skin is removed, combine sausage in a bowl with sage, worcestershire, salt, and pepper.

Removing the skin from the sausage

 

By the time the ingredients are combined, the eggs should be ready. Gently crack the shell and peel it away from the egg white. Be careful not to peel away chunks of the egg, as this may happen if you try to move too quickly. Once peeled, you are ready to start forming the sausage around the egg.

Oh, the joy of peeling eggs

In the meantime, put the oil in a sauce pot and bring to temperate (approximately 350 degrees).

Divide the sausage mixture into 5 equal parts, slightly flatten the sections and begin to mold around the eggs. Be sure to try and center the egg as best you can in the sausage mixture, uneven cooking will occur if they are extremely offset. Once fully molded and the entire ball is sealed airtight, you can begin the breading process!

The sausage-molding process in 3 steps!

Separate the breading ingredients(flour, egg, breadcrumb, in that order) into 3 separate bowls. Liberally cover the ball in flour, egg, then breadcrumb, making sure it is completely covered in all 3. Once all eggs are covered, you can begin the really fun part: DEEP FRYING!

Nothing like anticipation!

Scotch eggs are fully cooked when they float in the oil, but be sure not to overcook and burn!

Properly fried Scotch eggs

Once they are properly cooked, you will be able to enjoy a beautiful, delicious breakfast meal!

The finished product!

 

 

 

 

Now taking recipe requests!

Hey everyone, I’ve gotten some great feedback on the recipes that I’ve been posting, but what about you, the readers? I’d love to post some recipes that you are specifically interested in. Not sure how to make a meatloaf? Contact me via blog comments and I’ll make one, post the recipe, pictures included. All questions and recipes are welcomed! I’m excited to hear from everyone with your recipe questions and to help you with them! Hope to hear from everyone soon!

 

Tired of killing cows? Me too! Try vegan chili!

 

There was a period of about 3 weeks where my diet was (almost) completely vegan. There was no time in my life when I felt better. I felt healthier, stronger, my skin got clearer, and I never felt bloated after I ate! Eating vegan is one of the healthiest choices that you can make, and I know that I am going to get back on the veggie-based diet as soon as possible.

 

This chili is a great recipe that I found when searching for some dishes that I could make in a large quantity and heat back up over the course of the week. It has all the same components of non-vegan chili, it is smoky, spicy, and hearty, just without all the extra fat of ground beef. Here it is, and I hope you love it as much as I do:

What you’ll need:

• 3 bell peppers of any variety, cut into 1/2″ squares
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• One can (app. 14oz) diced tomatoes
• 3 cans beans (I prefer 1 black, 2 dark kidney)
• 1 can corn
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 can tomato paste
• Water to thin chili, if desired
• Optional: 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

Directions:

Heat up olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart sauce pot. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, also until bell peppers are soft and fragrant. Add in seasonings. Add in tomatoes, corn, beans, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Add water if necessary. Lower heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, this will bring out the flavor of the ingredients more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This can be eaten plain, served with tortilla chips, or topped with crushed cashews(possibly the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten).

 

Disclaimer: I’ve never actually killed a cow, only a squirrel once when I ran it over and I felt awful.

 

Second Disclaimer: I did not make chili out of that squirrel

 

DELICIOUS BANANA BREAD IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?!?!

Let me start today’s post by thanking my wonderful girlfriend, Emma, for giving me this recipe to share with everyone, but more importantly making this delicious bread for me numerous times. Her sitting next to me right now has nothing to do with me adding this recognition

Buy a bunch of bananas and let 4 of them sit for about 5 days, or until most of the peel is brown. No worries, they aren’t bad, this is actually when the most sugar is present in the bananas and they have the most flavor. By the way, this stuff is so simple and delicious that you might actually be mad at me that I didn’t post this before.

What you’ll need:

• 1 stick softened butter, because come, margarine is weird
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 c AP flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 over-ripe bananas

 

Fast forward 5 days: Preheat oven to 350. Soften 1 stick of butter in a large mixing bowl. In a liquid measuring cup, combine 1 cup milk with 3 tablespoons of white vinegar. This is the sourmilk mixture. Set aside and allow to sit at least 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of sugar to the now softened butter and mix until well blended. Then, add 1 egg and 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix well. Then, add 2 1/2 cups of AP flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, mash 4 bananas until pretty smooth. Next, alternate adding the mashed bananas and sourmilk into the flour mixture until well combined. Again, no worries, the batter will be on the lumpy side. Pour batter into a large loaf pan, two smaller loaf pans, or muffin pans(I know, I’m like an evil banana bread-making genius). Bake for between 40 minutes and an hour. Check banana bread after 40 minutes to make sure it isn’t over-browning. If it is browning a lot but the inside is not cooked, cover the loaf with foil and allow it to bake until fully cooked.

 

Steel cut oats-something to seriously consider adding to your diet

Steel cut oats are becoming more and more popular, and when I first heard of them a few months ago, I figured I’d give them a shot without using a recipe. Great idea, right? Wrong. Steel cut oats are much different than pressed oats, such as Quaker or other brands. They require much more liquid and more gentle cooking, but with these changes come much, much more nutrition in each and every oat. However, the recipe itself is extremely easy to follow and makes a tasty, nutritious breakfast that is ready in minutes(when reheating!). This recipe yields 4 cups, which would last 2 adults approximately 4 days, assuming each is eating 1/2 cup with/for breakfast. Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• 4 cups vanilla almond milk
• 1T. cinnamon
• 1t. nutmeg
• 1 cup steel cut oats, if you’re not sure what brand to use, McCann’s is very good

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to heat up, slowly raise the heat, careful not to scorch the liquid. Once brought to a boil, drop to a covered simmer for approximately 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed by oats. Allow to cool and refrigerate oats, keep for up to 4 days.

When reheating, you’ll need to add a slight amount more liquid to soften up the cold oats. I also dice up half of an apple to put on top of the hot oats when they are done heating thoroughly. The cold, crunchy apples make for a nice contrast against the hot, soft oats.

***Side note: I have tried cooking diced apples in with the recipe. The result is not the same, as the apples become mushy and lose much of their flavor.

 

Back to basics-brown rice

Brown rice is a much healthier ad nicer-looking alternative to white rice. White rice is white because it is stripped of all of its’ nutritional value. The same principle applies to white bread, white pasta, etc. Brown rice can be made in medium batches and refrigerated for 3-4 days. As long as you have about an hour twice a week, you can have a constant supply of delicious, nutritious brown rice to have as a part of your lunch or dinner!

What you’ll need:

• 4 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon(you can use chicken or beef, I prefer veggies!)
• 2 cups brown rice, any brand(I typically use whatever store-brand is available)

In a medium sauce pot, bring water to a boil. Add vegetable bouillons and dissolve completely. Add rice, bring to boil. Once water boils, drop back down to a simmer and cover for approximately 40 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed by the rice.Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days. According to portion servings of 1/2 cup, this recipe will provide you with 8 servings of nutritious brown rice.

More recipes involving brown rice as a side, or the focus of the dish, will be posted soon! I just wanted to keep everyone up to date with even the very basics of cooking.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what skill level you’re currently at, everyone can learn to cook nutritious food for themselves(and most importantly, cheaply!)!

 

Comforting Taco Casserole-easier than you think!

This is a great recipe that allows for a lot of freedom and creativity, allowing you to add your favorite flavors, whether they are Mediterranean or Mexican, feel free to make changes as you please!

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb of ground beef, any percentage fat content works
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2t. chili powder
• 2t. ground coriander
• A few pinches of cayenne powder, depending how hot you like it
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper
• Flour tortilla shells
• 1 can tomato soup (I use Campbell’s)
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 package your choice of shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Saute onions over medium-high heat in olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Add spices and ground beef. Cook beef almost all the way through, then add salsa and tomato soup. Tear up tortilla shells into roughly 2 inch squares and mix well into ground beef mixture. Transfer mixture to covered casserole. Top with shredded cheese. If you do not own a casserole, a greased baking dish covered with tin foil will also work well. Bake for 30 minutes, or until flavors are married, cheese is melted, and tortillas are soft and gooey.

This is a great mexican inspired dish and is delicious with kidney beans, corn, scallions, and chives if you enjoy an or all of those!

 

Friday Focaccia!

This is an absolutely delicious recipe that you can use as an appetizer or even an hors d’oeuvre. This is a very simple recipe, you just need to make sure that you have ample time to allow for the dough to rise. Without properly allowing the dough to rise, the bread will not be as light or flavorful as it has the potential to be. This recipe makes 1 loaf, which will make anywhere from 8-12 slices, depending on how you slice them. I make a round loaf and slice it like a regular pizza, but you can do it however you like. Remember, the key to cooking and baking is having fun!

What you’ll need:

• 1 small onion
• A small amount of olive oil
• 3/4 t. quick-rise yeast
• 3/4 c. warm water (110 degrees)
• 1/4 t. sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• ~2 c. flour
• 1 t. each dried rosemary, thyme, dill

First things first, saute the diced onion in a small amount of oil until translucent. Set aside and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine 1/8c. warm water with yeast. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes for yeast to activate, or until foamy. Add sugar, salt, and flour. Mix together to form a wet dough. Once the wet dough is formed, add in onions and half of the amount of all herbs. Add in the rest of the flour and water and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead for a few minutes, but not long enough for the dough to become dry and tough. Transfer back into large greased bowl(I use the same bowl in which I formed the dough, I just wash and dry it well), cover, and let rise until doubled, 45min-1hr. After 1st rise, remove dough from bowl and punch it down. For the first-time bakers here, punching down the down literally requires you to make a fist and gently push down in the center of the dough until you feel it ‘deflate’. Form dough into a circle, no larger than 10″. Transfer to a greased baking pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and allow to rise until doubled again. Push dimples into the dough, about 1/2″ deep, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining herbs, also salt, pepper, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese if desired. Keep in mind that the parmesan has salt content, so don’t get crazy with the salt on the crust! **Remember; the crust is where most of the infamous focaccia flavor will be coming from, not the dough, so you can be generous with the herbs!** Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 or until golden brown. The bread is done when you can flick the top of the loaf and it sounds hollow.

**Optimal conditions for bread to rise is between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Since most home kitchens aren’t this warm, preheat your oven to its’ lowest setting(typically 170) for about 45 seconds. This should yield an oven warm enough to activate the yeast.

I hope everyone loves this bread as much as my friends and I do, it’s a very tasty treat with an authentic Italian taste when made at home! DIY breads are almost much more delicious and satisfying to eat than ones purchased at a supermarket. Enjoy!