Big Pot of Chili and Jalapeño Beer Bread

As part of my preparation for my raw experiment in January, I'm trying to cook everything that I will most likely crave in the wee weeks of the year. One of those things is a steaming hot bowl of meat-ful chili and a thick slice of toasted bread.

Also, I wanted to try out my shiny new Cuisinart. Formerly when I wanted ground beef, I'd pick up the cut of meat I wanted then have the butcher grind it down for me (I have a very serious aversion to pre-packaged ground beef....I mean, really, who knows what is put in there?). With the powerful new processor on my counter, I can grind my own meat. Yay! These are the things that make me happy....

So here it is....a HUGE pot of chili. I wasn't thinking clearly when I decided to grind one pound each of chicken and beef (instead of total). The result is enough chili to feed a small army....or just my family for two nights.

The bread was a vehicle to help me get rid of an insane number of jalapeños from my parents' garden. I still have quite a few, but at least this made a dent!

Big Pot o' Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb chuck roast, placed in freezer for about an hour

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, placed in freezer for about an hour

4 tbs butter

1 tbs dried marjoram

1 tbs dried savory

1 tbs mustard seed

1 tbs caraway seed

1 tbs peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1 tbs chili powder

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 6oz can tomato paste

4 15oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c water

2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbs Chipotle Tabasco sauce

additional salt and pepper

greek yogurt and fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

Cut the beef and chicken into 1" cubes. In a food processor, pulse until ground to desired consistency.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add the ground meat and allow to brown. In a spice grinder, combine marjoram, savory, mustard, caraway, and pepper; grind into powder. Add ground spices, salt, and chili powder to the browning meat and stir to combine.

Once the meat is mostly brown, add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Allow to cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat ingredients. Pour in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add kidney beans and Tabasco. Stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If needed, add additional salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into individual bowls and top with a spoonful of greek yogurt and some chopped parsley. Makes a whopping 16 servings of chili!

Jalapeño Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c roasted jalapeños, diced

1 c shredded smoked cheddar

1 12oz bottle beer

1/2 c butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the jalapeños and cheese. Pour the beer into the mixing bowl and stir until blended. Pour mixture into a greased 9" loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top of the loaf. Bake one hour or until golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing. Makes one spicy loaf of bread that is perfect for dipping into soup or sandwiching for grilled cheese with a kick.

A Vegetarian Baby Shower - Part I - Mushroom Tartlets, Tofu Skewers, and Pineapple Cake

Is December really almost half over? I find it hard to believe that it is already almost the new year, and yet here we are.

While some may say debate that it's the most wonderful time of the year, I think everyone can agree that it's the most BUSY time of the year. Your own personal anti-chef has been busy, too. There's the job and the kids, as well as planning my next adventure in food. What may that be?

Starting January 1st, I'm going to embark on a mostly raw diet. My friend, Amber (of Almost Vegan), has been attending raw culinary school, which has pushed me from just pondering it to making the commitment in my head to do this. So I've been deep in the planning stages of this experiment of sorts. I bought a few new kitchen toys and signed up for a local co-op home delivery service for organic fruit and veggies (oh, the sacrifices I must make!). I've already given my first raw recipe a trial run, which I'll post about at a later date.

And now for the main event du jour: Recipes from my sister's baby shower! My sister is a

vegetarian, so the food naturally followed suit. I am splitting them into two posts for the sake of keeping my blog readable. On the menu were mushroom tartlets (recipe below), quinoa-stuffed sweet peppers, hummus (recipe HERE) and crudités, avocado sandwiches, tofu skewers (recipe below), a variety of flavored nuts, fruit bowl, and--of course--a virgin rum-runner punch.

First I want to show off the cake I made. My

sister's theme was pirates, so I created this rather messy-looking skull with sparkly blue eyes and the cutest pacifier ever. Can you read what it says? The cake was pineapple cake with coconut-

cream cheese frosting (recipe below--spoiler, I used cake mix). This recipe is totally a cheat, but after all I'm not the anti-pastry chef!

Now on to the recipes!

Mushroom Shallot Tartlets

Ingredients:

3 tbs peanut oil

2 c fresh mushrooms of choice, diced (I used shiitake, oyster, and baby portabellas)

4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 tbs fresh sage, minced
1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs vegetable stock

2 15-count packages of frozen mini fillo shells

1/4 c goat cheese of choice (I used Humboldt Fog)

3 oz enoki-dake mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms and shallots for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to soften. Add the herbs, pepper, salt, and stock; stirring frequently, cook another 10 minutes or until most the liquid is cooked off.

Arrange the fillo shells on two baking sheets. Divide the goat cheese evenly among the shells. Do the same with the cooked mushrooms and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. If desired, garnish with enoki-dake mushrooms (as you can see in the photo, I ran out of time....the poor enokis were left in the fridge!). Serve immediately. Makes 30 tartlets.

Crispy Tofu Skewers

Ingredients:

1/4 c peanut oil

18 oz extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 1/4" cubes

1 tsp salt

1/4 c tamari

12 pearl onions

12 cherry tomatoes

1/2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters and then cut into thirds to make 1" wedges

12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 10 minutes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Salt the tofu cubes, then add in a single layer to the hot oil. Allow to fry for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the tofu is a golden-brown. Gently flip each cube and fry the opposite side for 5 more minutes. Depending on the height of the oil in the pan, the sides of the tofu may also need to receive contact with the cooking surface. The goal is the have all six sides golden-brown. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. When ready to assemble skewers, toss the tofu cubes with the tamari.

On each bamboo skewer place one pearl onion, one tomato, one cube of tofu, and one zucchini wedge. Arrange on a baking sheet and heat in oven 15 minutes. Make 12 tofu skewers.

Pineapple Cake and Coconut Cream Cheese Icing--for the lazy!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 box pineapple cake mix

2 15oz cans crushed pineapple, undrained

1 canister of cream cheese icing

1 tbs coconut flavoring

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cake mix and the pineapple and beat on low speed until just combined. Pour into the greased baking p an of choice and bake in the preheated oven according to the recommendations on the box for the cake pan you chose. Obviously I went with a skull-shaped pan....

For the icing, simply heat the icing in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until it's easy to stir. Mix in the coconut flavoring, and it's ready!

I was pretty pressed for time when cake-decorating came around, but that didn't affect the flavor negatively. For posterity, I also made chocolate cupcakes for those who weren't feeling the pineapple vibe.

Vegan Carob Cupcakes with Icing

Imagine the birthday parties you've been to....or imagine the photos you've seen of your own first birthday. What image comes to mind most frequently? Chubby faces and hands smeared with chocolate, right? It's an important milestone is every baby's life, as well as every parent's.

Last night I had a first birthday to celebrate, but this baby is special. She can't have chocolate, because it's poisonous to her. Dairy is off the table because of lactose intolerance. While it would be easy to make a cake just for her, we wanted to celebrate this milestone with her....

Surprise! It's my puppy, Trillian's, first birthday!

This moist, fudge-y, melt-in-your-mouth cupcake uses carob powder to keep it as dog-friendly as you can get while maintaining high human satisfaction. Rice milk was substituted for milk, coconut oil for the necessary butter element. While eggs are on the safe list for puppies, I had a bag of Jonathon apples that I was desperate to use up, so I blended one up for some au naturel applesauce.

Put it all together, and what do you end up with? A tasty treat for canine and human alike. The dogs had cupcakes topped with just the icing. For the humans, I spooned a bit of strawberry-balsamic purée over the top and then added a dollop of icing. Trillian had a very happy birthday, indeed!

Carob Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unrefined cane sugar

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoons

carob powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 c applesauce

1/2 cup rice milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line or grease 12 muffin tins and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flours, carob, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Add applesauce mixture to the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot water. Pour batter evenly into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake in the preheated over for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy as is or add toppings as desired.

Carob Icing

Ingredients:

1/4 c rice milk

1 tbs cashew butter

1 tsp coconut oil

1/4 c carob powder

1 tbs agave (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small, heavy saucepan warm the milk, cashew butter, and oil over medium-low heat. Whisk frequently until the cashew butter is well-combined with the milk. Add the carob powder and the agave and continue stirring until all ingredients are incorporated, dark, and shiny. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool, then use to top your favorite desserts. Makes about 3/4 cup of icing, which is perfect for one dozen cupcakes.

Strawberry Balsamic Purée

Ingredients:

8 medium-sized ripe strawberries

1 tsp balsamic vinegar (I used my chocolate-infused!)

2 tbs sugar

Directions:

Purée all ingredients in the blender. Serve over your favorite desserts. Makes 1 cup of purée.

Slow-Roasted Chicken, Harvest Vegetables, Rosemary Scones, and Pumpkin Mousse

I'm a few days late, but here is our typical Samhain feast. Traditionally (as in, before modern culture turned it into a demonized commercial festival), Samhain represented the end of summer and a celebration of the summer harvest. In addition to giving thanks for the harvest, Samhain was also a day to remember loved ones that have passed to the other side (or, simply put, died). It was common custom in pre-Christian times to set a place setting at the table for deceased ancestors and to recite a prayer to honor those that came before as well as those to come in the

future:

With the gift of remembrance

I remember all of you.

You are dead but never forgotten,

and you live on within me

and within those who are yet to come.

Because I'm a fan of celebrating the original meaning of most holidays, I share this with the offspring. We don't go as far as to set an extra place at the table, but I do like to make a traditional meal and make a toast to our roots. If you can't tell from my holiday selection, there is a strong Celtic vein or two in my body.

Enough history....on to the food! This meal is meant to make use of seasonal ingredients. In the normal world, this is when hens would be full-grown and root vegetables would be most plentiful. The use of rosemary is a common theme, because traditionally rosemary is for remembrance.

Because the majority of the dishes make use of the oven (requiring different cooking temperatures, of course!), I have had to adapt my timing. The harvest vegetables include instructions for preparing while the chicken is in the oven. During the last hour of the roasting time, I prepare the dough for the scones. Then, once the chicken and veggies are out of the oven, I reduce the heat and pop the scones in to bake while the chicken rests. The pumpkin mousse can be made up to a day in advance.

Speaking of the mousse, I have no photo of it. Not that a photo would look especially exciting....just imagine pale pumpkin orange cream in a wine glass, topped with a dark chocolate drizzle. Or, better yet, make it and enjoy the dessert in person!

Slow-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tbs butter, room temperature

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced + several whole sprigs of rosemary

1 tbs fresh thyme, minced + several whole sprigs of thyme

1 tsp lemon zest

5-6 lb whole chicken, innards removed, rinsed, and patted dry

salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut into fourths

1 medium yellow onion, cut into fourths

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F.

Combine butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme leaves, and lemon zest. Form a log of butter on a piece of plastic cling and wrap the cling securely around the butter. Place the butter mixture in the freezer to harden.

Season the inside of the chicken breast well with salt and pepper. Using your hand, separate the

skin from the breast meat gently (you want the skin to remain intact and attached to the bird). Rub the space between the skin and the breast liberally with salt and pepper. With a paring knife, make several one-inch slits in the breast meat, spacing the slits about an inch apart. Stuff the bird with the lemon, onion, and sprigs of herbs.

Remove the butter from the freezer, unwrap, and slice into as many rounds as you have slits in the breast meat (probably around 6-8). Push one round of butter into each slit. Using cotton string or twine, tie the chicken legs together. Place the chicken in a baking dish breast-side down. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes per pound. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 150F, flip the chicken to breast-side-up, return to the oven, and turn the heat up to 400F. Roast another 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160F. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving.

Harvest Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

2 lbs fingerling potatoes, large potatoes cut in half

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (or follow the directions in the note for preparing these potatoes along with the Roasted Chicken).

Combine the oil, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss the vegetables in the oil mixture to coat. Place in a baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes, or until tender.

To prepare while the chicken roasts: Start the vegetables in the oven in the last hour of the chicken's roasting time. Remove the vegetables at the same time as the chicken.

Rosemary Scones

Ingredients:

3/4 c milk

1 tbs lemon juice

1 3/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbs butter, room temperature

1/2 c grated cheese

1 tbs fresh rosemary leaves, minced

1 tbs fresh thyme, minced

1 tbs olive oil

extra rosemary leaves for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl, combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside to allow to curdle (alternatively, use 3/4 cup of buttermilk).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in cheese and herbs. Add curdled milk and mix in until dough comes together.

Knead dough on a floured surface, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Form dough into a 7-inch circle. With a floured knife, cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges about an inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover with cling wrap and place in freezer for ten minutes.

Remove baking sheet from the freezer and discard the cling wrap. Brush tops of the dough with olive oil and garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until tops are pale golden brown. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients:

1 -15oz can pumpkin

3 c heavy cream

3/4 c fine sugar

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend

3 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips or chocolate drizzle (recipe below), if desired

Directions:

In a meadium saucepan, combine pumpkin, one cup of the cream, sugar, spice, and one teaspoon of the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Once pumpkin mixture is cooled, beat the remaining cream and vanilla to medium peaks. Fold whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture until well-combined. If desired, top with chocolate drizzle or chocolate chips before serving. Serves 8.

Chocolate Drizzle

(adapted from this Almost Vegan recipe--thanks Amber!)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbs coconut oil

1/2 c fine sugar

1/4 c + 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c heavy cream

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the oil over medium heat. Whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Slowly add cream, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth and heated through. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt, ans set aside. Allow to cool completely before drizzling over the mousse.

Fried Rice Balls, Chocolate Banana Muffins, and Bentos--oh my!

I've been experimenting with bento boxes lately. I happened into a beautiful bento box that I've been trying to use. I love the concept of the bento, and the gods know I could use help finishing up leftovers. I've put together a few so far that I'd like to share here, as well as a couple of recipes that have made it into my bentos.

This was my first bento lunch. I made a sushi roll of smoked salmon, avocado, and green onion with some leftover sushi rice and partial package of lox leftover from breakfast. I also had some grilled shrimp from the night before, so I rolled that up with shredded carrot into a spring roll. My teeny sauce bottles held soy sauce and my own plum dipping sauce. To round out my meal, I had miso soup and some watermelon in a separate container.

My next bento saw some more of the grilled shrimp, this time in its originally prepared state. With rice leftover from Chinese takeout, I made the fried rice balls you see in the top section (recipe below). The bottom section had a salad of shredded carrot and fresh mushrooms, and a few watermelon balls. Again, you see the teeny bottle of soy and plum sauce.

My youngest offspring expressed an interest in taking a bento lunch to school, so this is what I packed for her this morning. Once again, we had leftover shrimp (the mild version from last night's dinner). Also included are carrot sticks and broccoli, corn salad, whole wheat tortilla cut into fun shapes, and a Laughing Cow wedge of spreadable cheese. For dessert, she had grapes and a chocolate banana mini muffin (recipe below).

So far, I'm having a great time making these little lunches, and I will likely be making many more in the future. Now on the the recipes!

Fried Rice Balls

Ingredients:

2 c leftover long grain rice

1 c water

2 tbs cream

1 egg, beaten

3 tbs onion, finely chopped

2 green onion stalks, finely chopped

2 tbs seaweed, finely chopped

1 tsp red pepper powder

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbs protein of choice, cooked and finely chopped (suggestions below)

1 tbs sauce of choice (suggestions below)

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp salt

1/2-3/4 c flour

oil for frying

Directions:

Mix water with rice in a medium sauce pan and bring to a very low boil. Cook until water is absorbed; remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat together cream, egg, onions, seaweed, red pepper, and baking powder. Stir in the rice until evenly coated. Mix protein, sauce, sesame seeds, and 1 tsp of the salt into the rice mixture. Stir in flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture is thick enough to shape into balls.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat. With floured hands, shaped the rice mixture into 2-inch diameter balls.

Fry the balls for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the rice balls on paper towels. Sprinkle with remaining salt and serve.

Protein suggestions:

Salmon (used in the photo above)

Lentils

Shrimp

Edamame

Chicken

Tuna

Spam (a Korean favorite, of all things)

Sauce suggestions:

Plum sauce (used with the salmon in the photo above)

Teriyaki marinade

Fish sauce

Hoisin sauce

BBQ sauce

Sour cream

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c flour

1/4 c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. For mini muffins, bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; standard muffin tins take about 25 minutes to bake.

Bacon Cheesecake with Bacon-Infused Toppings

Alternate Title: How I Would Die Were I a Diabetic.

I am surely going to hell for this concoction, but I must say that the ride is totally worth it. I came up with the idea after the amusement that ensued after making bacon potato chips to go with vegetarian burgers. Thoughts evolved, and here she is....

The crust is a simple almond and graham cracker crust, which is then topped with a layer of candied bacon. Standard cheesecake is then poured over the crust and baked. The crowning glory is split between the crispy bacon bits mixed into a dark chocolate topping and the caramel sauce that is made with bacon fat (told you I was going to hell). This cheesecake has all the smooth creaminess and mild tartness you'd expect from such a dessert, with the subtle addition of smoky, salty bacon. The juxtaposition of flavors is pure sin.

Most cheesecake snobs would insist that you use a water bath when baking the cheesecake, lest it be marred by unsightly cracks. I have yet to come across a cheesecake that tasted better or worse based on the smoothness of its surface, so I don't bother. If cracks offend you, by all means find yourself a pan big enough to hold your spring form AND a quart of boiling water.

Bacon Cheesecake with Bacon-Infused Toppings

Ingredients:

Bacon Layer:

6 strips thick-cut bacon

3 tbs brown sugar

Crust:

2 c low fat graham cracker crumbs

6 tbs melted butter

3 tbs sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c ground almonds

Cheesecake:

24 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 c heavy cream

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs vanilla extract

1 tbs bourbon

2 tbs flour, sifted

Toppings:

6 strips bacon, diced

1 c sugar

1 tbs water

1 tbs butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 c heavy cream

1 c bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Bacon Layer:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon and pat down to coat. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until sugar starts to caramelize and bacon has crisped. Remove from oven, cool, and chop. Set aside.

Crust:

Reduce oven to 350F. Mix together the crust ingredients until well-combined. Put 3/4 cup of the crust mixture to a air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for later. Press remaining crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the cooled caramelized bacon evenly over the crust and set aside.

Cheesecake:

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl a few times to ensure all the cream cheese is mixed in. Add cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and bourbon; blend until smooth and creamy, again stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add flour slowly, mixing until cheesecake batter is completely smooth.

Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, using a water bath if desired. The outer edges will be set, while the center 2 inches will appear uncooked. Do not remove the cake from the oven, but carefully run a rubber spatula around the edges to release the edges. Close oven and turn off heat; let the cake rest in the oven one hour. Remove, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

After the cheesecake has cooled overnight, release the springform pan and place cheesecake on serving dish. Press the reserved crust crumbs into the sides of the cheesecake.

Bacon Caramel Topping:

Fry bacon until crispy. Reserving 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat, drain the bacon and allow to cool. Set bacon bits aside.

Stir together sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the sugar has melted, bring to a slow boil until mixture is caramel colored. Add bacon grease and butter. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla, lemon juice, and cream. Cool sauce at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pour caramel over the top of the cheesecake.

Bacon Chocolate Drizzle:

Microwave chocolate chips in a small bowl for 30 seconds and stir; repeat until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in bacon bits, then drizzle chocolate over cheesecake in desired pattern. Allow chocolate to harden, then serve. Makes 16 slices; store in refrigerator.

Vegetable and Pasta Carbonara with Italian Beer Bread

I don't know that there is anything more comforting than a big bowl of pasta, and pasta carbonara definitely tops my list for comfort food. The summer weather demands a lighter dish, so I added fresh veggies to balance out the heaviness of the sauce and pasta.

The bread is just a basic beer bread with the addition of herbs and cheese. I used a dark beer in the bread, but any beer will do.

If there are leftovers, make sure to reheat the pasta low and slow, otherwise you might end up with pasta and scrambled eggs! I put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes at 30% power and stir frequently.

Vegetable and Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

2 c asparagus, cut into 2" lengths

1 c carrots, julienned

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c dry white wine

1 c grape tomatos

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 tbs heavy cream, room temperature

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb pasta, cooked al dente

1 c grated Romano cheese

1 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Saute asparagus and carrot in the bacon fat for 2-3 minutes, until asparagus turns bright green. Add garlic and saute another minute. Return bacon to the pan. Stir in wine and tomatoes; allow to simmer 2-3 minutes.

Beat eggs and cream together, then season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat and quickly whisk in the egg mixture with the vegetables until the eggs thicken. Add hot pasta to the vegetable and egg mixture and toss to coat. Stir in cheese and parsley. Season to taste and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Italian Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 c unbleached flour

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbs each fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c grated parmasen cheese

12 ounces beer

1 egg

2 tbs water

Directions:

Heat oven to 375F. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, herbs, garlic, and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined (batter will be thick). Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan. Beat the egg and water together and brush onto the top of the loaf. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies for the Dark Side

Here's my latest Cookies for the Dark Side venture. These are my favorite so far, and every one who has tried them has given them rave reviews. I took a batch to work, and my fellow nurses couldn't get enough. Suffice to say I was the favorite staff member that night!

In my directions, I indicate to bake 12-15 minutes. I prefer a chewy, fall-apart-in-your-hand cookie, so I tend to lean toward the 12 minute side of baking. If you like a sturdier cookie, aim for 14 or 15 minutes.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies for the Dark Side

Ingredients:

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

1 c granulated white sugar

1 c (1/2 can) pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract; mix well.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Banana [choose Carrot or Pumpkin] Bread

I don't know how it is that no matter how few bananas I buy, I end up with three that are over-ripe. As a result, I make banana bread fairly often. Never one to leave well enough alone, I started experimenting. The addition of shredded carrot came about from a partial bag of carrots that was in severe danger of going bad very soon; the pumpkin, because I had half a can leftover from my latest Cookies for the Dark Side venture.

I've listed the recipes separately for ease of reading, since I adjusted the spices for each version.

Banana Carrot Bread

Ingredients:

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c banana, mashed (3-4 bananas)

1 c grated carrot

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In large bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and bananas. Add flour mixture a little at a time and blend well. Stir in grated carrots and nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, slice, and serve.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c banana, mashed (3-4 bananas)

1 c canned pumpkin

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In large bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and bananas, then add pumpkin and mis well. Add flour mixture a little at a time and blend well. Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, slice, and serve.

Peanut Butter Cookies for the Dark Side

This is my second installment of "Cookies for the Dark Side."

Peanut Butter Cookies for the Dark Side

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c smooth peanut butter at room temperature

1/2 c sugar

3/4 c lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 dark Reese's cups, coursely chopped

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and continue beating until fully mixed. Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat well.

Mix in half the flour mixture until combined, then fold in remaining flour and beat until well combined. Fold in Reese's. Cover batter with plastic wrap (leaving no air in between) and chill dough 24-36 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Roll about a tablespoon of dough at a time into 1 to 1 1/2" balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving a couple inches of space between drops for expansion. Lightly press each cookie with either a fork (making those ubiquitous criss-cross marks), back of a spoon, or your fingers.

Bake 8-10 minutes (they will look underdone, but this is important in making a soft cookie!).

Cool cookies on cookie sheet a few minutes before transferring to another surface. Keep cookies flat at least 15 minutes so that they retain their shape. Makes 24-32 cookies, depending on size and how much raw dough is eaten ;).

Egg-less Apple-Cranberry-Almond Muffins

I've mentioned before that I do not enjoy baking. It's too rigid, and I can't play with as many ingredients as I prefer. But, as with the Cookies for the Dark Side, sometimes I want a freshly baked item. Typically, I turn to the oldest offspring for that task, but this morning I wanted to do something for the girls.

My immediate thought was fresh muffins for breakfast....and since I had a Golden Delicious apple that had been sitting in my fruit bowl for some time now, that was the logical choice. The plan was coming together. I happily measured and mixed away (making substitutes that I knew would work in the world of baking). Then I opened the fridge to grab the one lonely egg needed for the recipe.

Frak. No eggs. No egg substitute. Not even an empty carton to taunt me.

A tumbleweed blew through my kitchen.

My mind raced. After all, I had already ground the oats, measured the dry goods, and grated the apple. I reasoned that apples have pectin, and that is some sort of stabilizer, so in theory that would help. I needed something else, however, and I didn't think cornstarch would do the trick (the batter was too dry). I looked at my little cartons of yogurt and made a snap decision. Lemon seemed the least offensive flavor, so I measured a quarter cup into the batter and mixed. Things were still too dry for my taste, so I added another quarter cup. The batter at least looked like muffin batter at this point, so I decided this was do or die time: I spooned the batter into the muffin pan and placed it into the oven....and the Almighty Baking God's hands.

For whatever reason--my intuition, the alignment of the planets, or just plain old luck--these muffins turned out delicious. They are a denser sort of muffin, yet not so heavy that you can't enjoy two or three at a time. The lemon yogurt seems to have enhanced the apple flavor very nicely. All in all, I'd say it's not a bad effort for a non-baker such as I.

Egg-less Apple-Cranberry-Almond Muffins

Ingredients:

1 c unbleached white flour

1 c oat flour

1/4 c white sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 c canola oil

1/2 c lemon flavored yogurt

1 c grated apple

1/4 c dried cranberries, chopped

1/4 c almonds, ground

additional slivered almonds for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line the muffin pan with liners or grease. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Mix in the oil and yogurt until well-combined. Add the grated apple, cranberries, and ground almonds; mix well.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and top with slivered almonds. Bake 20-25min until golden brown or till a tooth pick comes out clean from it. Makes 12 muffins.

Cookies for the Dark Side, part one

"Come to the Dark Side....we have cookies."

"Well, what kind of cookies are they?"

This conversation sparked my creativity and a rare desire to bake. I don't enjoy baking, personally. I think it's boring. I like eating baked goods, of course, but the entire chore of measuring, mixing, rolling, baking, and cooling simply does not appeal to me. I prefer a freer form of cuisine.

But, sometimes a girl just needs a really good cookie. The flavor profile mimics that of one of my favorite low-cost wines: Mirassou Cabernet. The dark chocolate is the first taste perceived against the brown sugar background, followed by the tartness of the dried cherries. The key here is to use good chocolate; the bitterness is necessary to offset the sweet.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Dark Side

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla (not imitation)

12 oz (2 c) bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate chips

1 c dried cherries

In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until well-blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mix to butter mixture a fourth at a time and beat until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and cherries.

Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap, leaving no air in-between, and chill 24-36 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Drop dough in 2-tablespoon portions, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

Cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool. Makes about 30 cookies.

Notes:

While it isn't necessary to chill the dough, it's a trick most people who actually enjoy baking swear by. After some research, I found that it allows the wet ingredients to soak into the dry ingredients and produce a better melding of flavors. See this article for a very good explanation.