What I'm Watching: King Corn

[Photo by Bryan Cheney]

If you are what you eat, there's a good chance that you are made of corn. I just finished watching the documentary King Corn, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in knowing more about where their food comes from (and/or what your food eats before eat it's eaten by you). And also, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, the main protagonists and narrators, provide a rather servicey how-to guide to making high-fructose corn syrup. Just a heads-up, you'll need some sulfuric acid on hand.

The film is available on DVD and lucky Netflix users can opt to watch it instantly.

For more information, click here.
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What's Baking: High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies

I definitely have a weakness for homemade chocolate chip cookies -- and possibly an even greater weakness for chocolate chip cookie dough. When I first moved to Wyoming, I was dismayed to find out that my favorite (and quite famous) chocolate chip cookie recipe was a failure up here at 7200'. After scouring the Internet, I came upon a cookie recipe made specifically for baking at higher altitudes, and, lo and behold, it worked like a charm! The following recipe is now my go-to recipe for baking chocolate chip cookies. Since Lord knows I don't need more than two dozen cookies, I halved the original recipe. If you need to bake a larger amount of cookies, double all ingredients but the eggs -- you'll just need to add one.

High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 24 (or, it would if you didn't eat, say, 1/3 of the dough . . .)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup Guittard chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
4. Add the dry ingredients in small portions to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine between additions.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
6. Use a spoon to drop cookie dough in rounded portions onto a nonstick baking sheet. Set each cookie about two inches apart.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies have set on top and are slightly browned around the edges.
8. Remove from baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool.
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What's For Lunch: Tri-Color Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Sometimes a heaping bowl of pasta sounds pretty good around lunchtime. Today's pasta dish was made with a tri-color pasta (fun wintertime pasta from World Market featuring snowmen, presents, and snowflakes) and my favorite pasta sauce -- Barilla Tomato & Basil. SO good. And of course, garnished with some freshly-grated cheese -- today I opted for a little romano on top.
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What's For Lunch: Bison Burger

For all intents and purposes, I am not much of red-meat eater, aside from what D brings home from the hunt (e.g, antelope and white-tailed deer). So, really, eating burgers is a rarity for me. This past weekend we decided a cookout would be in order after our two-hour snowshoeing stint in the nearby national forest. Since eating naturally-raised meat is very important to me (you won't see me eating a CAFO-raised fast food burger any time soon), we opted to purchase High Plains ground bison meat from our local grocery store. Humanely-raised, grass-fed, and antibiotic- and hormone-free -- definitely the kind of meat I can get behind. In addition, bison meat is substantially lower in fat than traditional beef. Since being health-conscious is another trait of mine, this is also welcome news.

D cooked the burgers on the grill (sub-20 degree temperatures are no match for the Grillmaster!) and luckily after our nosh-fest on Sunday there was a leftover burger for today's lunch. I garnished my burger with a small slice of pepperjack cheese, a few baby spinach leaves, a couple slices of tomato and onion, and some dijon mustard. Though over the weekend we served the burgers on fluffy toasted buns, for today's lunch I opted for a toasted whole wheat english muffin instead. To complete the meal, a small heap of Terra veggie chips (made of sweet carrots, blue potatoes, and kabocha squash) made the perfect burger accompaniment.
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What's For Dinner: Peanut-Soy Veggie (and Marinated Antelope) Stir Fry



Since it has been awhile since I last made a stir fry, it seemed about time I added one of my old favorites to the rotation. For tonight's dinner, a peanut-soy vegetable and antelope stir fry served on brown rice. (This meal would work just as well without the addition of meat; you could opt to substitute tofu to increase the meal's protein content.) To up the convenience factor, I used a frozen stir fry veggie blend. I began this meal by marinating the meat in a peanut-soy marinade. To make the marinade, simply stir together the ingredients. I made the marinade directly in an 8x8 glass baking dish -- and after all the ingredients were mixed together, I added the meat (I used two antelope steaks (~6 oz each), cut into strips and chunks), flipping each piece over to make sure all pieces were completely covered by the marinade. I covered the dish and placed it in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld for about two hours. (Alternately, and for even more flavor, you could let the meat marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.)

Peanut-Soy Marinade
1/3 cup natural smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup shoyu sauce
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
pinch red pepper flakes

To make the stir fry, I heated a few tablespoons of sesame oil in an electric skillet (set to about 350 degrees). Next I added the frozen veggies, allowing them to simmer for about 5 minutes, continually stirring to make sure the veggies could heat evenly. Meanwhile, I heated another couple tablespoons of sesame oil in a saute pan on the stove over medium-high heat. I added the meat to the pan and allowed to cook on each side for a couple minutes, until evenly browned. After the meat was cooked, I added it to the veggies in the electric skillet. Finally, I stirred in the peanut-soy sauce, cooking for another minute or so to heat through.
Peanut-Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon shoyu sauce
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes

The stir fry was served over a bed of brown rice. Yum!
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What's For Breakfast: Egg "McMuffin"

From this past weekend -- an egg "mcmuffin" to start out our Sunday . . . a great hearty breakfast, which was much-needed given our plans to meet up with some friends in the afternoon for a little snowshoeing at Happy Jack. This egg sandwich is made up of a poached egg (made so much easier with this little gadget bought recently at good ol' Bed Bath & Beyond...which I always say to myself Buzz Lightyear-style), shredded mozzarella, and baby spinach, all served on a whole wheat english muffin. After photographing this beauty, I added a little black pepper atop the egg and some dijon mustard to the muffin. Definitely a tasty way to start the morning!
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What's For Dinner: Mustard-Roasted Salmon with Shallot-Lingonberry Sauce

For D's birthday dinner, I decided to rely on my favorite (and trusty) dinner party entree -- mustard-roasted salmon with shallot-lingonberry sauce with sides of roasted fingerling potatoes and broccoli. Though it looks fancy (right?), it is actually fairly easy to make.

Mustard-Roasted Salmon with Shallot-Lingonberry Sauce
makes 2 servings

2 6-oz wild Alaska salmon fillets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
fine sea salt
black pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lingonberry preserves
2 tablespoons shallot, chopped finely

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the fillets (skin side down) on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
3. Season the fillet with the salt.
4. Melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir in the dijon mustard.
5. Spoon the dijon mustard mixture over each fillet, covering each completely.
6. Season the top of the mustard-covered fillet with black pepper.
7. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the salmon is flaky and mustard is browned.
8. While the salmon is cooking, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small sauce pot. Add the shallots and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and lingonberry preserves. Continue stirring until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer.
9. Once the salmon is cooked, plate the salmon and generously spoon each fillet with the shallot-lingonberry sauce.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
makes 2 servings

2 cups fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
rosemary
thyme
parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Place the fingerling potatoes in a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and your choice of herbs. (I used dried herbs, so just shook in a little bit of each.) Toss the potatoes to coat each with the oil and herb mixture.
3. Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet.
4. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until each potato is fork-tender and crisp on the outside.
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What's Baking: Birthday Cake!


Today's post is a work in progress -- a birthday cake for D! I based this cake off of a delicious-looking recipe on Smitten Kitchen. (For the cake itself, I followed a recipe for white cake offered by the New Mexico State Cooperative Extension Service -- these recipes are meant for those living at higher altitudes.) Pictured above is my cake after I put it together . . . it is now sitting in the fridge, allowing all the flavors to meld together. More later when it's serving time!

The finished product:
I still need to figure out a good recipe for the cake; it didn't really turn out as well as I hoped. The texture and flavor was a bit off -- I was hoping for a light, super, um, dare I say it, moist cake; this one was a bit too dense and the flavor was anything but light. So . . . back to the drawing board! Not to say I didn't eat a slice (or two) -- the filling and icing definitely makes up for (many, if not most of ) the cake's shortcomings.
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What's For Dinner: Red Pesto Borsetti with Roasted Tomatoes

For tonight's dinner, a twist on a previous meal -- replacing plain pasta with some delicious Safeway Select Brie & Ricotta with Roasted Garlic Borsetti ("little purses" in Italian). Make the red pesto, roasted tomatoes, and cook the borsetti per manufacturer's instructions. Toss the borsetti together with the red pesto (you may want to reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin out the pesto per your preferences) and roasted tomatoes. Serve atop a bed of iron-rich spinach and garnish with some goat cheese crumbles. Delish!

Red Pesto 

1 bag sun-dried tomatoes
2 medium garlic cloves
a couple generous pinches of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 t fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

1. Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Remove from heat when the nuts become golden brown and fragrant.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a good processor and whirl together. Voila! Red pesto!

(from 101 Cookbooks)
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What's Baking: Pumpkin Bread

Though I typically associate pumpkin bread with autumn, I figured there's no reason why I can't bake a few loaves now in the depths of winter!

Pumpkin Bread
makes 1 large or 1 medium and 1 small loaf

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium bread pan.
2. Sift together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the two eggs. Mix in the vanilla. Alternately add in the pumpkin and the sifted dry ingredients.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips (if desired) -- I added two handfuls of chocolate chips to the batter for my small loaf.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared bread pan(s).
6. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven, then let cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
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Where to Eat: Laramie

Since I had today off due to Presidents' Day (yea, presidents!) I cajoled D into taking a long lunch (no break for the university!) and we headed out to eat at Sweet Melissa's. This restaurant caters to vegetarians and has a number of tasty options on its menu. Today, D and I both opted for the grilled wrap with roasted vegetables and basil walnut pesto. It was super-tasty and definitely hit the spot. Though we were too full to even think about dessert today, on previous occasions we have indulged, and I can definitely recommend their carrot cake. In addition to being delicious, the slice of cake that is served is also quite generous.

If you happen to stop by this spot for dinner, consider getting a cocktail before or after your meal (or heck, before AND after) at the Front Street Tavern, which recently opened next door to Sweet Melissa's. The bartender makes a heck of a mojito.
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What's For Breakfast: Heart-Shaped Pancakes

For today's breakfast, some Valentine's-inspired heart-shaped pancakes. The recipe I used this morning was from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Pancakes
makes 8 servings (or, um, 2 hearty servings)

1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T raw sugar
2 t aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 t fine sea salt
1 beaten farm egg, beaten
1 C organic skim milk

1. Sift together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
2. Stir together the milk and beaten egg.
3. Add the milk mixture in the center of the dry ingredients. Stir until combined (the batter will be lumpy). Add more milk to thin out the batter if needed.
4. Spoon the batter onto a lightly greased hot skillet (I use an electric skillet, set around 350-375 degrees). Cook for about 2 minutes per side. (Or flip when bubbles appear.)
5. Draw the outline of a heart and fill with the batter to make heart-shaped pancakes. Or invest in some of these.

Bon appetit!
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Afternoon Snack

I have to say that I love my air popcorn popper. Just toss in 1/3 C of kernels, and a few minutes later I have a full bowl of popcorn. I give the popcorn a little spray with organic canola oil and then toss generously with sea salt. If I'm in a savory or spicy mood, I might toss the popcorn with taco seasoning or a pesto seasoning; if I'm craving something sweet, I'll toss it with some cinnamon sugar. Couldn't be simpler, and definitely curbs those mid-afternoon snack attacks!
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What's Baking: Tiramisu-Inspired Cupcakes

After making a delish (if I do say so myself) tiramisu a couple weeks ago, I have since become obsessed with tiramisu-inspired desserts. In preparation of attempting a tiramisu cake for D's birthday next week, I thought I'd start small with cupcakes. We will call this cupcake attempt #1. Though not bad per se, the cupcake turned out a bit denser than I would have liked. The frosting, however, is TO DIE FOR. And I think it'd be even better with a little brandy, which I left out since I brought these along last night to a Boy Scout shindig. Of course, I may have forgotten that there would be LDS troops in attendance as well, so let's just ignore the coffee-soaking part, shall we?

For my cupcakes, I melded together a few different recipes. And, for full disclosure, these cupcakes should actually technically be called attempt #2, given that attempt #1 was a bit of a runny mess. I have to say that making baked goods is definitely a bit of a challenge at 7200'. The first recipe I followed was for flatlanders, and my attempt at making it suitable for my elevation by reducing the baking powder did not help one iota. So, for my second attempt, I followed a recipe for brown-sugar vanilla cupcakes, found at Cheeky Kitchen. Note that the recipe is intended for those living at high elevations (the writer lives in Colorado Springs). After the cupcakes came out of the oven, I used this recipe to make an espresso syrup (omitting the liquor). When the cupcakes had cooled sufficiently, I used a turkey baster with a flavor injector to inject about a tablespoon or so of the syrup into the center of each cupcake. Feeling that might be inadequate, I also used a pastry brush to sweep the top of each cupcake a couple of times with the syrup as well. I returned to the Smitten Kitchen tiramisu cake recipe for the frosting (again, sigh, omitting the liquor). I used a pastry bag with an icing tip to swirl on the frosting, and then finished each cupcake with a dusting of cocoa powder and a Ghiradelli chocolate chip garnish.

Since I have a bit of frosting left over, I think I am going to give these cupcakes another whirl this weekend and see if I can figure out a lighter cupcake recipe to try. I think it might also be a great idea to squirt a bunch of the icing into the center of the cupcake as well. Let the experiments begin!




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What's For Dinner: Pesto Pasta with Sauteed Yellow Squash

For tonight's dinner, D treated me to pasta with sauteed yellow squash. We paired this delicious pasta dish with a loaf of sourdough bread and a roasted garlic clove. Yum!

Pesto Pasta with Sauteed Yellow Squash
makes two servings

2 C pasta (we used an organic gemelli pasta)
2 T basil pesto (we used the (gasp) tube kind)
2-3 T olive oil
1 yellow squash, sliced thinly
salt
pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta per manufacturer's instructions.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the yellow squash strips in the olive oil, about 5 minutes per side. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss the cooked (and drained!) pasta with the pesto sauce, and serve with yellow squash.
5. The pasta pairs fabulously with a glass of Two-Buck Chuck (shiraz).
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What's For Dinner: Spinach, Olive, Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Quiche

Since D is back from Mexico (yea!), I thought I'd treat him to a quiche. Totally new flavors tonight -- I opted to go with a Mediterranean-inspired dish. Though this quiche is essentially crustless, the addition of flour does make a very thin crust.

Spinach, Olive, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Feta Quiche
makes six servings

1/3 C kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess moisture
2 farm-fresh eggs
2 egg whites
1 C organic half-and-half
1 T unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 t black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 10-inch glass pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Thaw the frozen spinach and drain off the excess moisture. I used a potato masher to squish out as much liquid as possible.
3. In a bowl, mix together the spinach, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, and half-and-half. Stir in the black pepper and flour.
5. Spoon the spinach filling into the bottom of the prepared glass pie dish. Pour the egg mixture over top.
6. Bake in the over for 45-50 minutes, or until the quiche is set in the middle. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting slices.
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What's For Lunch: PB and J

Sometimes nothing sounds better to me than a good ol' classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (And of course, the only thing that runs through my head as I make my sandwich is the "Peanut, Peanut Butter . . . and Jelly!" song.) For my sandwich, I use an organic whole wheat bread (though homemade would be best!) along with an all-fruit strawberry spread, and natural peanut butter (ingredient: peanuts). (And, from the looks of it, I think I need to buy a new jar!) I like cutting my sandwich into little squares or triangles; feel free to cut your sandwich in whatever shape your heart desires! Perhaps I should invest in one of these?
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What's For Dinner: Susan's Spicy Venison Chili

Holy cow (deer?!) -- this is a spicy chili! And surprisingly, I didn't add any spices. It took me about 10 minutes to throw all the ingredients into my slow cooker, and then I cooked it on low for 8 hours. (If you're pressed for time, or get a late start, you can also cook this chili on high for 4-5 hours.)

Susan's Spicy Venison Chili
makes 6 servings

8 oz venison, cut into 1-inch cubes (or you could use soy crumbles to make it vegetarian)
1 can organic diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can no-salt-added organic black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can organic kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (toss the sauce in the slow cooker, too!)
1 C salsa (I used medium)
1 white onion, chopped
vintage white cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Place all the ingredients (except the cheese!) in the slow cooker.
2. Cook the chili on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.
3. Top the chili with shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Have a glass of water handy -- this chili is SPICY!
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What's For Dinner: Jimmy John's #6 and Sweet Potato Chips

Another convenience-dinner for me! Tonight I headed over to Jimmy John's to grab my favorite sandwich -- the #6 (I prefer no mayo, no sprouts, and EZ cheese -- which, no, is not a request for cheese of the spray can variety, but instead just half the provolone normally placed on a sandwich). In lieu of the Baked Lays (which are oh-so-tempting!), I opted to make my own baked sweet potato chips at home. Does this qualify as a "Semi-Homemade" meal?

Baked Sweet Potato Chips
makes 2 servings, or, um, one delightfully large serving

1-2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
olive oil
spices of your choice (I used a mix of chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper and cinnamon on one batch and just curry powder on another)
coarse sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Use a mandolin or knife to slice the sweet potato into 1/8" discs.
3. Spread the chips out on the rimmed baking sheet. Try to avoid having any chips overlapping the others. (When using two sweet potatoes, bake the chips in two batches.)
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chips and toss to coat.
5. Sprinkle the chips generously with the coarse sea salt. Then sprinkle the chips with your preferred spice(s).
6. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes. At the halfway mark, flip the chips. Keep a close eye on the chips near the end of the baking time as they can brown quickly.
7. After removing the chips from the oven, place them on a paper towel-covered wire rack to cool.
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What's For Dessert: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

Nothing pairs better with some chocolate chip banana nut bread than a little Häagen-Dazs five vanilla bean ice cream. Truly tasty and made with only five ingredients -- skim milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Definitely indulgent (read: a bit rich in fat), but luckily even just a small portion is quite satisfying.

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What's For Breakfast: Desayúnese Tacos

I thought I'd use some leftovers from recent meals to make some breakfast tacos this morning. These probably took about 15 minutes to make -- perfect for a hearty weekday morning breakfast.

Breakfast Tacos
makes 3+ servings

1 farm egg
1 farm egg white
1 T skim milk
1 C shredded potatoes
1/4 C salsa
3 corn tortillas
3 T tomato sauce
1/3 C pepperjack cheese, shredded

1. Re-heat the spicy black beans and shredded potatoes. (I mixed them together in a small pot and warmed them over medium heat on the stovetop.) Add the salsa, and mix to combine. Once heated, remove from heat or lower heat.
2. In a glass, combine the whole egg and one egg white. Add the milk, and use a fork to scramble.
3. Cook the scrambled eggs in a skillet over medium heat. Once the eggs are cooked, add them to the black bean mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Scrape away any egg residue from the center of the skillet, and add the tomato sauce. Soften the corn tortillas in the tomato sauce, heating each side for about 5-10 seconds. Scrape off any excess tomato sauce.
5. To make the tacos, place several spoonfuls of the black bean mixture into the center of the tortilla, and fold over. (Feel free to add some cheese, too.)
6. Top each taco with a generous sprinkle of shredded pepperjack cheese and a few cilantro leaves.

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What's For Dinner: Frozen Pizza


Whuh? Let's face it, I don't want to make a full-blown dinner every night. And since tonight I had a class from 5:30 to 7p, the thought of coming home and still having to put together a dinner from scratch was just not appealing at all. So -- frozen pizza to the rescue! I opted to go with a small spinach and cheese pizza by O Organics, the Safeway house brand. (The price was right, too -- substantially less than Amy's brand.) With only a 10-minute cooking time, it wasn't long before the pizza was out of the oven and into my stomach. (Well, half of it anyway -- cold pizza for lunch tomorrow!) Yum!

[So yeah, it doesn't look exactly like the pizza pictured on the box, but it was still quite tasty!]
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What's For Dinner: Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella

For tonight's dinner, I threw together a fairly simple pasta dish. Roasting the tomatoes took about 45 minutes, but the other ingredients came together in less than 10 minutes. For this pasta dish, I used an organic gemelli pasta. (Gotta love the multi-packs of organic pasta from Costco!) After boiling the pasta in salted water, I drained the pasta and just tossed it together with the roasted tomatoes, some diced mozzarella, roughly chopped fresh basil, and a little glug of olive oil. So good -- and no sauce necessary!

Roasted Tomatoes
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
~2 T olive oil
1 T brown sugar
pinch of coarse sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the halved cherry tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish.
2. Mix together the olive oil, brown sugar, and sea salt in a glass.
3. Pour the olive oil mixture over the tomatoes, and toss to cover.
4. If necessary, flip tomatoes so they are cut-side up.
5. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until tomatoes are shriveled.

I served the entree alongside a few pieces of bruschetta, which mimicked the flavors in the pasta. To make this bruschetta, I cut a few slices of ciabatta, drizzled the bread with some olive oil, and then topped each piece with a thin slice of mozzarella, one basil leaf, and one tomato slice. Each piece of bread was then drizzled with a little bit of balsamic vinegar.
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What's For Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Granola

I have to admit eating steel-cut oats day in and day out was getting a little old, so I've moved onto the yogurt train. For this morning's breakfast, I had a cup of Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries, a healthy dash of cinnamon, and a quarter cup of granola. Since Greek yogurt is a little sour for my taste, I also added in a generous squirt of agave nectar to sweeten it up.
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What's Baking: Mom's Banana Nut Bread


After seeing a bunch of different banana bread recipes around the interwebs this part week, I figured it was about time I made a loaf or two myself. The following (slightly modified) recipe comes from a great cookbook of recipes from family and friends my Mom put together as a wedding gift.

Mom's Banana Nut Bread
(makes one large or one medium and one small loaf)

1/2 C unsalted butter
1/2 C raw sugar
2 farm eggs
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 t fine sea salt
1/3 C walnuts, chopped
4 uber-ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 C Guittard chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease (use cooking spray or rub with butter) one large or one medium and one small loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients (I just put them all in a bowl together and mix with a fork; sifting is overrated!)
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and mashed banana to the butter-sugar-egg-vanilla mixture.
6. Stir in the chopped walnuts. [I added the chocolate chips to the batter for the small loaf.]
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s).
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the bread center comes out clean.
9. Remove the bread from the oven and place pan on wire rack. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes, remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.



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