Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Vegetable Moussaka and a little love story...
David and I were Greek for our anniversary this year. I made Vegetable Moussaka and Greek Salad and we enjoyed our dinner after James was tucked snugly into bed. We had planned to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but we sipped wine, talked about everything and did other important things instead. :]
There is a story behind the Greekiness so let me explain...
September 13th, 2002 fell on a Friday (Friday the 13th!) and I was 16 (about to turn 17 in January). My dad and I were planning to meet with our good friends Richard and Cathy and their young daughter, Lauren, for dinner and a movie that night. This was sort of a bi-monthly tradition, and we always had a lot of fun!
This particular Friday afternoon held a phone call from Cathy asking if we minded if they brought along a young (male) family friend of theirs since he would be finishing piano lessons with Lauren close to dinner time. She also mentioned that he was very cute and good enough of a pianist to get into Julliard. I said of course we didn't mind if he came along, the more the merrier!
Fast forward to that evening when they arrived at our house and it was love at first sight for both of us. I ran to the bathroom to (squeal like a girl) and to make sure I had deodorant on and fixed my hair and then we were off to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bonsall, CA, where I proceeded to eat more than I should have. (true love knows no shame)
{{Disclaimer: Okay, so obviously the whole love at first sight thing is debatable, especially among Christians, but I truly felt drawn to him like a bee is to honey and time told that it was not just the initial attraction stage, (ie, lust). Thankfully, the Lord has guided our relationship ever since that moment, through almost hell and back and for that we are thankful!}}
Then we hopped over to the Bonsall theatre to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which was hilarious and surprisingly fitting. I do believe we ended with ice cream from Baskin Robbins, but that part is a blur. That was the night I met David, and believe it or not, the first "real" conversation we held in the car was exchanged in the form of an argument about music. We got married 17 long months later and the rest is history!
So on to the recipe for Vegetable Moussaka (since we don't eat no meat)!
1/2 cup +/- olive oil, for frying
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
11 ounces canned green lentils
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used dried)
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1 inch slices
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the celery and garlic.
Then add the tomatoes and lentils (add the can juices from the lentils).
Season with parsley and salt and pepper, to taste.
Reduce the heat, cover loosely and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a little of the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant slices in batches, sprinkle lightly with salt and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on paper towels.
Layer an oven-safe baking dish with the lentil mixture and the eggplant slices.
Ending with a layer of eggplant.
Now, to make the sauce, put the butter, flour, and milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. (this is why there are no pictures of this part... I was whisking, constantly.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg. Pour the sauce over the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes,
or until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
To make this Greek salad, simply chop large tomatoes and cucumber, add some feta cheese and kalamata olives and sliced white onions. Mix together (to taste) red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, a teensy bit of olive juice and some pepper. Shake it up and pour over the salad mix and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Oh, and if you haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, grab a glass of wine and go watch it!
recipes from: The Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Nicola Graimes.
There is a story behind the Greekiness so let me explain...
September 13th, 2002 fell on a Friday (Friday the 13th!) and I was 16 (about to turn 17 in January). My dad and I were planning to meet with our good friends Richard and Cathy and their young daughter, Lauren, for dinner and a movie that night. This was sort of a bi-monthly tradition, and we always had a lot of fun!
This particular Friday afternoon held a phone call from Cathy asking if we minded if they brought along a young (male) family friend of theirs since he would be finishing piano lessons with Lauren close to dinner time. She also mentioned that he was very cute and good enough of a pianist to get into Julliard. I said of course we didn't mind if he came along, the more the merrier!
Fast forward to that evening when they arrived at our house and it was love at first sight for both of us. I ran to the bathroom to (squeal like a girl) and to make sure I had deodorant on and fixed my hair and then we were off to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Bonsall, CA, where I proceeded to eat more than I should have. (true love knows no shame)
{{Disclaimer: Okay, so obviously the whole love at first sight thing is debatable, especially among Christians, but I truly felt drawn to him like a bee is to honey and time told that it was not just the initial attraction stage, (ie, lust). Thankfully, the Lord has guided our relationship ever since that moment, through almost hell and back and for that we are thankful!}}
Then we hopped over to the Bonsall theatre to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" which was hilarious and surprisingly fitting. I do believe we ended with ice cream from Baskin Robbins, but that part is a blur. That was the night I met David, and believe it or not, the first "real" conversation we held in the car was exchanged in the form of an argument about music. We got married 17 long months later and the rest is history!
So on to the recipe for Vegetable Moussaka (since we don't eat no meat)!
1/2 cup +/- olive oil, for frying
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
11 ounces canned green lentils
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used dried)
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1 inch slices
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Add the celery and garlic.
Then add the tomatoes and lentils (add the can juices from the lentils).
Season with parsley and salt and pepper, to taste.
Reduce the heat, cover loosely and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a little of the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the eggplant slices in batches, sprinkle lightly with salt and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted metal spoon and drain on paper towels.
Layer an oven-safe baking dish with the lentil mixture and the eggplant slices.
Ending with a layer of eggplant.
Now, to make the sauce, put the butter, flour, and milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. (this is why there are no pictures of this part... I was whisking, constantly.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg. Pour the sauce over the eggplant, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes,
or until golden brown and bubbling.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
To make this Greek salad, simply chop large tomatoes and cucumber, add some feta cheese and kalamata olives and sliced white onions. Mix together (to taste) red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, a teensy bit of olive juice and some pepper. Shake it up and pour over the salad mix and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Oh, and if you haven't seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, grab a glass of wine and go watch it!
recipes from: The Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Nicola Graimes.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Caramel Layer Bars
I got this recipe from a sweet friend a very long time ago. I found it typed out in pink and blue in my recipe notebook. Note to self: If I asked for the recipe and actually followed through to get the recipe, it had to be a good one. I made this delightful layered bar tonight for our 6th Wedding Anniversary, AKA, Valentine's Day! This is my first time making these since having them so long ago, and boy am I glad I asked for the recipe!
This is probably one of the most decadent desserts I have ever tasted in my life. That is probably the reason why the original copy says that this yields 3 dozen servings, which is good because this is certainly not the most healthful dessert out there... Cut yourself a small serving and enjoy!
Caramel Layer Bars
What you need:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
11 oz caramels
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in butter with fork.
Set aside 1 cup for topping.
Press remaining mixture into a greased 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, combine caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir frequently,
until melted and smooth.
Here is the cookie base, it looks good enough to eat by itself!
Sprinkle chocolate chips (and watch them melt)
and walnuts...
then top with caramel mixture.
Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture (hopefully you resisted the urge to eat this with a spoon)
and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
This little cookie will satisfy any sweet tooth!
Enjoy!
This is probably one of the most decadent desserts I have ever tasted in my life. That is probably the reason why the original copy says that this yields 3 dozen servings, which is good because this is certainly not the most healthful dessert out there... Cut yourself a small serving and enjoy!
Caramel Layer Bars
What you need:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
11 oz caramels
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in butter with fork.
Set aside 1 cup for topping.
Press remaining mixture into a greased 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, combine caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir frequently,
until melted and smooth.
Here is the cookie base, it looks good enough to eat by itself!
Sprinkle chocolate chips (and watch them melt)
and walnuts...
then top with caramel mixture.
Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture (hopefully you resisted the urge to eat this with a spoon)
and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
This little cookie will satisfy any sweet tooth!
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins
Blueberries are on sale in my area right now. Not sure if it's a regional thing or what, because I thought Summer was the season for blueberries... but maybe it was Fall? Anyways. We love blueberries! James eats them fresh by the pound, but he also likes them (just like his Daddy) in his pancakes and pretty much any other baked good I make.
I was thumbing through my old recipe book looking for a yummy muffin recipe the other night when I stumbled across this one. It is dated 3/26/2005 and rated a 9 1/2 (out of 10 stars). I don't remember making these in 2005, but boy oh boy am I glad I made them the other night! I made them again the next day because we ate them all up between breakfast and tea time. Sadly, even though I made these twice, I managed to forget to take a picture both times... maybe next time!
Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins
Makes 6 jumbo or 12 regular muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
3/4 cup rolled oats (quick cooking)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh or thawed blueberries
Directions:
Grease your pan or use baking cups and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, stir flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
In a larger mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla and mix with fork until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Gently fold blueberries into the batter and spoon into muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!
this recipe is from Better Home and Gardens.
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