Salad dressing

Thought this was good to know. 

Chinese Pancakes

Chinese Pancakes

Love these!  Learned how to make them in Taiwan and they never disappoint.  There are some blogs out there that have pictures that show how to roll them up, if you need.  (:

Prep: 20-30 min Cook: 15 min

Serves 6-8 (2 per pancake)

Ingredients

2 C flour

¾ C hot water (approx.)

1 T salt

1 bunch of green onions

Vegetable oil

Directions

·        1.  Mix flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl

·        2.  Pour in hot water and quickly mix together until water is absorbed.

·        3.  Add more water (cold is fine), about 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture just until dough forms

·        4.  Knead dough for a couple minutes, until smooth and somewhat firm (add flour if it is too watery)

·         5. Divide into 3 or 4 equal pieces

·         6. Roll 1 piece of dough into a large thin round.  Brush the top with vegetable oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and some green onions

·        7.  Pick up 1 end of the round and roll dough around green onions into a long scroll-shape

·         8. Periodically, pat the roll from the middle to the end to get rid of any air on the inside

·         9. Take 1 scroll end and roll dough into a disk. Repeat with remaining dough

·         9. Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.

·         10. Place 1 disk on a floured surface and roll into a 1/2-inch thick round

·         11. Cook in the hot oil until golden brown (2 to 3 minutes per side)

·         12. Repeat with remaining disks.

Chcolate zucchini bread, that even Xandi would eat!

Once upon a time, we invited xandi and james over to dinner. We were pretty excited to make our new favorite dessert, zucchini brownies! No oil, no sugar, just a half cup of honey and soooooo delicious!! We were all obsessed.

Well, they hated them. Apparently they hate healthy things. And xandi can't stand bananas (who doesn't like bananas???), and admittedly, they tasted like chocolate banana brownies...so, it was a big disappointed for them.

But I didn't give up! I've been on the hunt for a delicious zucchini bread that EVEN xandi and James would eat, and I found it! Well, at least i think I have. Try it and let me know, yeah?

A word about zucchini- it makes bread sooooo moist and delicious. And you can't tell it's there. I absolutely promise you, there is not the slightest flavor of zucchini In this bread. BUT all the added nutrients ;).

Isn't it pretty?

My changes: in order to omit banana, there needs to be oil. But I used coconut oil, not vegetable. And since there is no banana, there also needs to be sugar. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of brown sugar, usually that means packed. I didn't pack it, I used just under a half a cup of very fluffy brown sugar. It turned out perfect!

It seriously tastes just like chcolate cake. Try it and tell me what you think!

1 hour bread

Okay, as you all may have noticed. I make a lot of bread. A carbohydrate full addiction of mine. Nick wishes I made less bread I'm sure, my waist line sure as heck wishes I would put a stop to the bread making. But alas...I cannot. I have spent the better part of my married life trying to figure out the art of bread making, and so I'll pass on my bits of knowledge to you all ;).

1) measure *PERFECTLY*. No guestimating with bread making.

2) the temperature of the water is very very important. Too hot and you'll kill your yeast. Too cold and your yeast won't "grow". The best way to find the right temperature..is obviously with a thermometer. But the SECOND best way is wth your finger ;). Feel the water, if there is a slight sting from the heat, that's what you want, if I burns it's too hott. If you can hold your finger under the water and easily handle the sting, you've found the right temperature. 

And with no further ado, my absolute favorite 1 hour bread :)

Which I had to screen shot, because my stupid phone won't let me paste.

Easy white chicken chili soup

This was so good. I made it more like a soup since we were feeding more people. It is worth making again for sure and it was so easy! Only 5 ingredients.

6 cups chicken broth 

4 cups shredded chicken (I grilled breasts)

2 cans white beans 

1 can kidney beans 

1 can black beans (or pinto if you prefer) 

You really can add any kind of bean you like. They are all very good 

2 cups salsa verde (green) (or homemade yum!)

2 tsp cumin

Optional toppings: diced avocado, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, crumbled tortilla chips (everyone at my table asked for tortilla chips go figure!)

Directions: 

Stovetop method: add chicken broth, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 mins. 

Slow cooker method: add chicken broth, uncooked chicken breast, salsa and cumin to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Shred the meat and serve. Enjoy! 

Waffles from Scratch

Waffles!!

I have never made waffles from scratch before- and this recipe was AWESOME! I added chocolate chips.  So yum.

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings<3

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• PREP
  5 mins
• COOK
  15 mins
• READY IN
  20 mins

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Veggie Mac n Cheese

Guys, I am in LOVE with this mac n cheese recipe that incorporates squash, cauliflower, and carrots.  Sooo yummy!

Ingredients  serves 8-10

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 cups butternut squash pieces
• 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used half cheddar, half mozzarella- You could even stand to use less, if you wanted.   It is very cheesy!)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 TBS butter  (I halved this and it still turned out great.  I even think you could pull off none)
• 16 oz pasta

Directions

Cook the cauliflower and carrots covered in a saucepan filled about a 1/4 of the way with water for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the squash and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Drain the veggies and let them cool for a minute.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Put the veggies in the blender with about 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth.  Add the puree to a large sauce pan.  On medium-low heat, add in the milk, salt, cheddar, butter and cream cheese and stir until melted.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir.

I loved it!  It reheats well, but you might have to add some milk to get it creamy again.  

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

-Nicole