Autumn Brown Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

It's back to school time after a nice 3 day weekend.  This weekend was pretty great.  I had my nephew's bar mitzvah and so all of my out of town family was around and we had a great time celebrating!  We had multiple dinners together and it was so nice to see everyone.  

I also love 3 day weekends because I just feel like I get so much more done.  For example, I was able to do my long runs, see all of my family, and prep food for this week.  One of the meals that I made for this week was a special request of Bri's.  We made our very own Vegetarian Thanksgiving back in November and this dish was a huge hit.  I made some Autumn Brown Rice and then stuffed it into a Roasted Acorn Squash.  It was crazy yummy!  Last night I made a double batch of the brown rice because I wanted to have leftovers and you can totally eat it on its own.  The acorn squash provides a beautiful presentation and it is yummy, but it is not necessary.  Also, if you don't want to use cranberries, you can also use any sort of dried fruit.  I used fresh cranberries the first time around and let them cook in the rice until they were bursting, but the second time around I used dried cherries and they were also great! 

Autumn Brown Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

(adapted from Carlsbad Cravings)

Ingredients:

(makes 1 batch, you can also double everything if you want a ton of leftover rice)

2 acorn squash, halved and deseeded

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups apple juice

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup brown rice

2 tbsp butter

1/2 onion, sliced

1 apple, cored and chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/4 cup fresh cranberries (or dried)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Place your halved squash facing up on a baking sheet and brush the insides and sides with olive oil.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the squash and then cover with tinfoil.  Roast in the oven to 40-50 minutes or until squash can be pierced with a fork.

2. While the squash is roasting, place a large pot on the stove and bring vegetable broth, apple juice, butter, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and rice to boil.  Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.  

3. Drain the rice after 45 minutes and place the empty pot back on the stove over medium heat.  Add in the 2 tbsps of butter, onion, and apples.  Cook for 5-7 minutes so that the onion is translucent.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Then, add the rice back in along with the apple cider vinegar, pecans, and cranberries.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so.

4.  Scoop some rice mixture into each side of the roasted squash and serve!

Enjoy :)

Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

Merry Christmas everyone!

I didn't have a ton of time to talk about Hanukkah this year since I was so busy with school before winter break and then going to Cancun for 5 days, but here is one great Christmas recipe that everyone should know about.  Head over to Recipe Girl for the official recipe, but here is a picture of one of my favorite breakfasts/desserts: Cranberry Bliss Bars!  I made mine with unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, but otherwise I followed to recipe and they were just amazing!

I am wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope that everyone has a wonderful day with friends and family no matter what you celebrate :)

Enjoy :)

Winter Squash and Brussel Spout Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Our trip to Cancun was absolutely amazing.  We didn't do much and it was amazing.  Plus, I actually got some color on my uber-pale arms and I look like I actually traveled somewhere!

Now, it is time to come home from this beautiful place.  After days of laying by the pool, yoga on the beach, countless, delish margaritas, and a trip to Tulum to see some historic ruins, I feel like I am finally ready to return to reality...

Actually, that's a lie.  I love it here and we have had such an amazing time.  I know that you can't do "nothing" forever, but I could probably handle a few more days :).  The real reason I can't wait to come home is; Benny.  Yes, I miss my cat!  I am also pretty excited to see my family for some fun Christmas Eve celebrations.  However, I just notice that it is 81 and party cloudy here and 36 with thundersnow in the forecast there.  Yuck.

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite salads to make with some typical winter ingredients.  I love roasting some squash and Brussel sprouts and then throwing them on top of a bed of greens for a yummy school, lunch salad.  I could also use a few days of this salad as a detox for all the crazy eating I've done in Cancun...

Winter Squash and Brussel Sprout Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 cup Brussel sprouts, peeled and cut in half
1 cup Butternut squash, cubed
olive oil
salt and pepper
chili powder
1 bag of baby spinach
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup almonds (or other favorite nut)
1/4 cup feta cheese (or other favorite cheese)
Dressing:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking pan with oil.
2. In a large bowl, place prepared squash and sprouts.  Drizzle with a few tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder, to taste.  Spread out on baking sheet and place in oven for about 30 minutes.  Toss after 15 and 30 and continue to cook longer if you would like softer veggies.  Remove from oven and let cool.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and honey.  Season with salt as needed and drizzle in about a tbsp of olive oil while whisking.  Add more olive oil if you want.
4. Place spinach leaves in bowl.  Toss with the cranberries, almonds, feta and veggies.  Use as many ingredients as you want here, its your salad!  Flavor with dressing (again, as much as you want!)

Enjoy :)

Cranberry Coffee Cake

I am in a brunch mood! Today I am sharing a recipe that I made a while ago, but it is so good and can easily be adapted.  Plus, it is perfect for brunch!

It is only 8 in the morning, but I already ran 9 miles!  Today, I went on my first run with CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association).  Every Saturday, they have long runs where you get to the meeting place by 6 a.m. and run with a pace group.  I went with the 10:00 race group and it was a blast! It was so much better to run with other people and I am already done with my whole Saturday still in front of me! I met a ton of people, had some great conversations, and it was just a blast.  I will definitely continue getting my butt out of bed by 5 a.m. on a Saturday in order to do this.  Marathon training is a marathon in itself and it was so nice to have a group to run with.  Next week, we will be doing 10 miles!

So, that is why I am in a brunch mood and this coffee cake is just the best.  I found a recipe over at Hungry Couple and just adapted it slightly.  This recipe called for cranberries.  I won't lie, I made this during winter when it was cranberry season and then just forgot to post about it.  However, you can totally use fresh blueberries or strawberries now that those are so amazing!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups nonfat, plain greek yogurt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups cranberries
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a tube pan.
2. In a medium bowl, make the crumb topping.  Mix all ingredients into the melted butter so that you have crumbs that look like wet sand.
3.  To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and butter until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla, orange zest, and greek yogurt.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined and then, gently, mix in the cranberries.  Pour the batter into your greased tube pan.
5. Take the topping and sprinkle on top of the batter until it covers the whole top.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake has risen and is springy to the touch.

Enjoy :)

Cranberry Chicken

When I was getting ready to come back to school, I wanted to bring along some dishes that would remind me of home.  This dish is one of my favorites.  I loved when my mom would make this for dinner.  She always served it with orzo and veggies and it was great.  It is also crazy easy to make and so I wanted to make a dish to bring back with me.  Now, I have 4 amazing pieces of Cranberry Chicken ready to be served with some veggies for dinner or chopped up in a nice salad for lunch.  This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket when you need an amazing and quick meal idea.

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

8 oz. russian dressing

1 package lipton onion soup mix

few drops of honey

1 can whole cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Place the 4 chicken breasts in a 13 by 9 inch pan. 

2.  Mix all the ingredients together and spread over the chicken. 

3.  Place the chicken in the oven for 40-60 minutes or until chicken is done!  

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Christmas Ornaments

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is all about Christmas!  You can win some amazing Christmas ornaments from KC Ornaments.  Just follow the rules and link up your recipes!  This week I am linking up my super fun Gingerbread House, amazing Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce, and Maple Pumpkin Souffles!

Last week Foodie Friends Friday was sponsored by Honey Locust Hills and here were the winners:

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

2. Salted Caramel White Chocolate Cheesecake

3. Egg Nog Cupcakes

Most Clicked:

1. Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

2. Cinnamon Sugar Donut Bites

3. Egg Nog Cupcakes

Enter below and you might be a lucky winner of some Christmas Ornaments!!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsview.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://walkingonsunshinerecipes.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Jutta at HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

Kelly at http://www.adornedwell.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings: : http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com 

Joanne at Winelady Cooks: http://www.wineladycooks.blogspot.com

Marlene at Nosh My Way: http://www.noshmyway.com

Ericka at http://www.chefpickykid.com

Kiera at http://www.lusciousdelights.blogspot.com.au

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce Topping

This is the perfect Christmas Cheesecake.  It was absolutely amazing!  I was shocked at how creamy this guy was, but also how light it was.  Plus, the beautiful cranberry topping put this cake over the top.  I am going to make this again!  However, I am celebrating Christmas at my aunt's house and she is lactose intolerant.  Maybe cheesecake isn't the best dessert to bring over there...

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Cranberry Sauce Topping (adapted from Dash of East)

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
4 tbsp unsalted butter, browned
16 oz low-fat cream cheese
12 oz goat cheese
1 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease a 9 inch spring-form pan.
2. Brown butter in a saucepan: over medium  heat, melt butter and then continue to swirl for a few minutes or until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
3.  In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, oats, and brown butter together.  Press the mixture into the bottom of your pan.  Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove and let cool.
4. Reduce the oven heat to 325.
5.  In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the goat cheese until well combined.  Scrape down sides and add in the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Beat until well combined.  Scrape down sides and mix in the eggs one at a time until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla.  Scrape down sides and continue to beat for another minute or two.  Pour mixture over your crust and bake in the oven for about 60 minutes.  Sides should be firm and middle can be slightly wobbly.  Remove and let cool.  Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
6. Make the cranberry sauce: Place the cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and spices in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Stir and bring to a boil until all the cranberries have popped.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Mixture will thicken.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Top cheesecake with the cranberry sauce.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Honey Locust Hills

I feel like I've been on vacation! We took a week off from Foodie Friends Friday for Thanksgiving, but this week we are back! This week's sponsor, Honey Locust Hills, is giving away jars of Apple Raspberry Honey Jam or Cranberry Apple Honey Jam.  I'm linking up some of my favorite recipes that include some of these fun, fall flavors: Honey Wheat Cakes with Brown Butter Honey Glaze, Baked Apple Cider Donuts, and White Chocolate Raspberry Tipsy Cupcakes!

In the last party a bunch of lucky winners won great prizes from Don Thomas Coffee!

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Palpitation Cupcakes

2. Eggnog Bundt Cake

3. Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

Most Clicked:

1. Palpitation Cupcakes

2. Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

3. Mexican Nutella Hot Chocolate

Enter below and you might be lucky winner of one of these great jams!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsview.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Jutta at HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

Kelly at http://www.adornedwell.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings: : http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com 

Joanne at Winelady Cooks: http://www.wineladycooks.blogspot.com

Marlene at Nosh My Way: http://www.noshmyway.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cranberry Sauce

I adore cranberries.  Also, here in Wisconsin, cranberries are kind of a big deal.  Every week at the Farmer's Market, you can pick up huge bags of fresh cranberries!  I know they are not everyone's favorite cup of tea, but I think this recipe could change a lot of cranberry non-believers out there into believers.  The recipe is crazy simple and crazy good.  I basically used the recipe that was on the bag of cranberries and used Orange Juice instead of water.  Please put down the canned stuff, go get some fresh cranberries, and make this sauce.  It's perfect for Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup sugar
1 cup Orange Juice

Directions:
1.  Heat the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan until boiling.  Add in the cranberries and let boil until they all pop.  Remove from heat and place in a bowl to be refrigerated   As the sauce cools it will thicken.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

This stuffing recipe was amazing! I adapted it because we decided against stuffing it into the turkey, but it was simply fantastic.  I am definitely going to be bring this one to the Thanksgiving table in the future.

In other news, I am currently watching Gossip Girl.  I haven't been into this show since high school, but something about it is drawing me in this season.  Plus, I don't really feel the need to get a good nights sleep lately.  This week is funky because the students had testing today and all I did was help hand out books, calculators, pencils, and whatnot.  Then, I got to get a lot of work done for both my university classes and 8th grade classes.  I'm feeling pretty relaxed about now.  On Wednesday, though, I am getting observed.  I'm a little nervous because I'm trying out a new sort of classroom arrangement for an activity, but I am also excited because I think that my lesson plan looks really good and thoughtful.  Finally, I am supposed to find out where I will be teaching next semester any day now.  I am extremely excited and nervous.  More on that as soon as I get details!

Sorry about my random ramblings.  I guess I am just a little unfocused, it must be the gossip girl, or the fact that I am still STUFFED from the crazy Thanksgiving Feast I had this weekend.  I mean...check out this stuffing!

Thanksgiving Stuffing (adapted from the Food Network)
serves about 40

Ingredients:
2 loaves Challah bread, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 quarts chicken broth
8 oz mushrooms
4 cups chopped white onion
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped green pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp salt
12 oz dried cranberries
8 oz chopped pecans
8 eggs, beaten
8 tsp dried rubbed sage
8 tsp dried parsley
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and heat until simmering.  Place the mushrooms in the broth, remove from heat, and let sit, covered, for 35 minutes.
3.  Place the copped onion, celery, and green pepper in a large bowl.  Toss with the vegetable oil and salt.  Spread the vegetables out on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.  During the last 10 minutes, place the cubed bread on top and continue to cook.  
4.  Reserve 1 cup of the chicken broth and then drain the mushrooms.  Chop the mushrooms and place in a bowl with the rest of the roasted vegetables and bread.  Mix in the cranberries, pecans, and season with sage, parsley, and pepper.  Pour the beaten egg over the mixture and toss to combine.  Place the stuffing in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve warm.

Also, you can pour some of the cooked turkey juices over the stuffing.  This will moisten the stuffing up a bit and make it taste as though it was cooked in the turkey!

Enjoy :)

My First Turkey

I participated in making my first turkey this past weekend.  The Little Sisters of Delta Theta Sigma threw a Thanksgiving Feast-Harry Potter Style for an event we call, Dinner/Auction.  We have dinner, we have an auction, and its a great fundraiser.  We dressed up like Harry Potter characters and it was a blast!  For the next few days, I will be updating this menu with posts on the Thanksgiving recipes that we made for this awesome feast.  Stay tuned...

The Menu:

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Roasted Herbed Carrots

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Golden Snitch Cake Pops

Butterbeer

Butternut Squash Blondies

With Thanksgiving coming up, I have been on the lookout for fun recipes to celebrate fall flavors.  When I came across the idea for Butternut Squash Blondies, I just couldn't resist! I love when recipes are unexpected and exciting and this was perfect! I adapted it slightly from Food Plus Words and the result was amazing! I knew I was going to like it since I adore butternut squash, but even I was surprised at how much I loved it.  I roasted by own butternut squash to make the puree and then got to work on the blondies.  I can't wait to make this again and share it with my family for Thanksgiving!

Butternut Squash Blondies 

Ingredients:
Roasted Butternut Squash Puree:
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp brown sugar
Blondies:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp (heaping) cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tbsp brown butter, cooled
1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mixed chocolate chips (I did white chocolate, milk chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate)
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2. Prepare your butternut squash by peeling it, taking out the seeds, and then cutting it into 1/2 inch cubes.
3.  Toss the chopped squash in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar.  Spread the squash out on a baking sheet in a single layer and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, stir the squash and roast for another 15.  After 15, stir again, and leave in for a final 15 minutes.
4.  Place the roasted squash in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.  Let cool.  You can do this ahead of time and place in the fridge for a few days, or you can let it cool and use immediately.
5. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350.
6.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
7.  In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar and eggs until pale in color.  Beat in the brown butter, squash, vanilla, and salt until well combined.  Switch to a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and cranberries.
8. In a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish, pour the batter.  Bake the blondies for about 30 minutes or until sides are lightly browned and the middle is set.  Let cool.

Enjoy :)

Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Now, it is back to yet another crazy week.  However, this week has been going so well so far.  The kids have been great.  We are working on constructing reflections and rotations and they have been working really hard and really well.  I have been working on getting partner activities to run smoothly.  The first few partner activities were a mess.  Kids got rowdy and it was out of control.  However, lately they have been working well.  I made an effort to walk around and hand out "tickets" to kids who were working well and staying on task as a group.  These "tickets" can be used at the school store or in the class raffle every month. Typically, 8th graders are not as into the tickets as the younger kids, but this type of award seemed to instill some motivation in them.  I think I am going to continue this type of positive reinforcement.  Does anyone out there have any other ideas for motivating kids?

Also, this week is a short week! We have professional development days on Thursday and Friday, but my cooperating teacher advised me to take the day off Thursday as I am not an employee of the district and my time can be spent in better ways by not going.  Plus, my class on Wednesday was cancelled! So, after 11:30 tomorrow until 1:00 the next day, I am totally free! I don't even know what to do with myself.  My days have been so packed up until this point and I am afraid this crazy amount of freedom is just going to drive me insane! Actually, I am looking forward to sleeping a little more, working out, baking something fun, and working on some lesson plans and homework.

Here is one of the treats that I have made this week: Maple Pumpkin Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate.  I figured this type of cookie would be the perfect fall treat to bring to a study night.  These cookies smell amazing and are bursting with awesome fall flavors.  I can't wait to share these with my lovely DTS brothers and sisters!

Maple Pumpkin Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Some The Wiser)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
3 drops maple syrup
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
3. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, and butter until well combined.  Beat in the egg until well combined.  Finally, mix in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Slowly combine the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
4.  Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  I made 24 medium-large cookies.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Enjoy :)

Daring Bakers' September Challenge: Empanadas

Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our Empanadas as creatively as we wished!

I startled looking through tons of recipes for Empanadas.  I knew that I wanted to make a vegetarian one and I also knew that I wanted to make a whole wheat dough.  After lots of searching, I decided to combine some of my favorite tastes and make something fantastic.  I was inspired by Naturally Ella's recipe, and I adapted from there.   Also, I used the recipe for the dough that was provided from Patri and just used whole wheat flour! 

Sweet Potato Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Empanada

Ingredients:

Dough Ingredients:
5-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups lukewarm water
1 satchel (1 tbsp) dry yeast
2 tsp salt

4 tbsp canola oil
olive oil, to brush over pre-baked dough

Filling:
2 tbsp (divided) extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large white onion, coarsely chopped into strips
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp chipotle powder
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika
8 oz goat cheese (I used cranberry cinnamon)

Directions:
1. Make the dough: Mix flour and yeast together and create a hole in the middle of the mixture.  Measure out the water and mix in the salt.  Pour the warm salt water into the hole in the flour and mix to combined.  Knead dough for about 8 minutes or until rough and elastic.  Clean out the bowl, cover with oil, and place dough in the bowl.  Cover witha  a towel and let rest/rise for about 1 hour, or until the dough is about doubled in size.
2. While the dough is rising, make the filling: In a medium saucepan, place 1 tbsp oil, onions, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp chipotle powder.  Heat over medium, toss to combine, and then let cook, covered for 30 minutes or until onions are caramelized.  Stir the onions ever 5-10 minutes.  

3.  In another large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat and sauté the peppers and garlic until peppers start to look translucent, about 4-5 minutes.  Next, add in the sweet potatoes and the water.  Continue to cook, stirring once in a while until potatoes are cooked and can be pierced with a fork.  Add in the beans, cilantro, caramelized onions, chipotle powder, and season with salt and pepper.   Remove from heat and let cool.

4.  Once your dough has risen, place it on a floured surface and divide in half..  Roll out half the dough into a rectangle about 1 foot by 2 feet.  Spray a large pan or baking sheet with oil and place dough on the baking sheet.  Make sure the dough covers the bottom and goes up the sides.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Next, take the goat cheese and sprinkle crumbles over the dough.  Pour the filling onto the dough.  Roll out the other half of dough so that it covers the top and goes a little over the edges. Pull the edges together and roll to make sure they stay together.  You can cut off any extra dough and use it to make cool designs (I did a J for Jodie :)).  Sprinkle more paprika on the top and then, using a fork, pierce the dough is several places so that the fork goes all the way through the top to the bottom.  Brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

5.  Preheat oven to 400 and let your empanada bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden.  Using a spatula, make sure the bottom is cooked as well.  Serve with salsa or other dipping sauces and...

Enjoy :)

Mom's Favorite: Sonoma Chicken Salad

Every week my mom goes to Whole Foods and all she does is rave about their amazing Sonoma Chicken Salad.  I have never been a gianormous fan of chicken salad/potato salad/egg salad because of how much mayo can be in those things.  Not only do I enjoy eating healthy, but I really just don't like the taste of mayo that much.

I found a recipe for "Sonoma Chicken Salad" over at Cooking Classy (a fantastic site...go check it out!) and I thought it would be really cute to make some for my mommy for lunch.  Instead of mayo, I used greek yogurt, and I threw in some chopped red grapes because I know how much she likes those.  The chicken salad was amazing! It tasted light, delicious, and a little sweet.  I was thrilled with how it came out and I'll definitely be taking this as lunch when I start camp.  I asked my mom how it compared to the store's and she thought it was very good, but she still would get the store's stuff if she didn't have time to whip up this recipe.  I was a little sad that my recipe didn't blow her away...

But then, I went with her to the store and I discovered that the guy at the deli counter, who knows that her favorite is the chicken salad and offers her free samples of anything she wants, is extremely good looking.  That explained a lot!

Sonoma Chicken Salad (adapted from Cooking Classy)

Ingredients:
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked with a little olive oil (I used stuff from Sonoma, California!), salt and pepper, and shredded
3 celery stalks, chopped
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup red grapes, halved or quartered
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
For the dressing:
2/3 cup non-fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup apple juice
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Toss the shredded chicken, chopped celery, pecans, dried cranberries, grapes, and cheese in a large bowl.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, add salt and pepper to taste, add more honey if you want it a little sweeter.
3. Pour dressing over the chicken mixture (I only used about 3/4 of the dressing) and toss to evenly coat. Eat on it's own, as a sandwich, or, as we did it, with toasted pita bread...mmm!
Enjoy :)

LC2 Ladies Night

It's Ladies Night! Tonight all the beautiful women of learning community two are getting together for a good ol' pajama party.  There are about fifteen of us and we are all future secondary education teachers.  Each subject area was assigned a different dish to bring.  English is dessert, Science is appetizers, and Social Studies/Math is Main Course/Salad.

I am Math so I had to come up with some sort of main dish or salad.  I'm thinking about making a dessert as well just for kicks.  This event reminded me of Progressive Dinner with my coworkers at VIP.  I thought about what people brought for the main course for that and remembered the amazing quiche that Leigh put together.  I decided that I would make a similar one because it is a great dish and pretty healthy!

Cheesy Spinach and Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:

1 russet potato, peeled and thinly sliced

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 cups packed baby spinach

2 large roma tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup low-fat, mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 inch pie pan.

2. Peel, wash and slice the potato into slices about 1/4 inch thick.  Place potatoes on the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are translucent. Set aside.

3. Beat eggs and milk until well combined.  Mix in seasonings.

4. Place the spinach on top of the potato crust and sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the spinach.  Pour the egg mixture over everything.  Finally, place the tomatoes on the top.

5. Bake quiche for 30-40 minutes or until it is no longer jiggly.  During the last 10 minutes or so, sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the quiche and let it continue to bake.

Enjoy :)

This event is super cute and I can't wait for tonight.  Of course, I am also going to share everyone else's dishes! I think that all teachers should have opportunities to have events such as this one.  It requires very little work to put together as everyone brings a dish and it helps everyone get to know each other and get closer to each other.  I am so excited to spend tonight with these ladies.  

Learning Community 2 has become a huge part of my life.  We take almost all of our classes together in the School of Education and we get to share our teaching experiences with each other.  You can learn a lot from hearing other's experiences and we have gotten very close through this process.

I hope you enjoy everyone's recipes!

Appetizers:

Meat and Cheese Tray

By: Kristin

Ingredients:
Cheddar Cheese Squares
Crackers
Pepperoni

I also brought cole slaw...all from Target (great store)

Caprese Salad Sticks

By: Courtney

1. Cut your own ke-bob sticks or use tooth picks
2. Place 1 cherry tomato, 1 basil leaf, and a slice of mozzarella cheese (I used string cheese!) on each stick.
Enjoy :)

Chips and Salsa
By: Shannon

I got Donkey chips and Frontera Salsa
Enjoy :)


Main Course:

Cheesy Spinach and Tomato Quiche (See above)

Baked Mostaccioli
By: Lauren

Ingredients:
2 cups spaghetti sauce
Ground beef, cooked
3 cups mostaccioli noodles, cooked according to box
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated, plus more for the topping
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
2.  Mix in the cooked ground beef to the spaghetti sauce. Mix sauce/meat with the mostaccioli and 1 cup of mozzarella.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Top with more mozzarella and parmesan (as much as you would like)
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is brown and sauce is bubbling.
Enjoy :)

Emily's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 red pepper, diced
1 ball of mozzarella, cubed
1 summer sausage, cut into small pieces
1 box of Bowtie Pasta
Your favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette, to taste

Directions:
1. Make pasta according to the directions on the box.  Drain and let cool.
2. Place pasta in a large bowl and toss with the rest of the ingredients.  Top with your favorite balsamic dressing.
Enjoy :)

Tamara's Pasta Salad (adapted from Multiply Delicious)

Ingredients:
1 20 oz package of cheese tortellini
1/2 cup (or so) of your favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 cups firmly packed baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing and mustard together. Set aside
2.  Cook pasta according to directions, drain, and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and let cool for about 10 minutes.
3. Toss the pasta with the spinach, basil, tomatoes, and peppers.  Toss with the dressing.  Serve immediately or let chill in the fridge before serving.
Enjoy :)


Jenny's Salad with Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing (also known as: Northern Light Garden Salad)

Ingredients:
For the salad:
8-12 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
2 cups strawberries, halved
8 oz Brie, cut into small pieces
For the dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tbsp poppyseeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced onion

Directions: 
1. Prepare the dressing: in a small saucepan, whisk the sugar and vinegar over low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and whisk in the oil.  Whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients. Place in fridge until ready to use.
2. Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle dressing over everything.
Enjoy :)

Dessert:

Cake Batter Cookies (adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)
By: Tamara

Ingredients:
1 18.25 oz box yellow cake mix
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
sprinkles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a few baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, stir the cake mix and baking powder.  Add eggs and oil and mix until blended.
3. Stir in chocolate chips and sprinkles. Drop by spoonfuls on the cookie sheets. Top with more sprinkles if desired.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool completely.
Enjoy :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

By: Natalie

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. (Makes about 15 cookies).
Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

By: Hillary

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, mixing well.
3. In a medium bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture in several additions, mixing until just combined.  Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
4.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Enjoy :)

Puppy Chow

By: Heather

Ingredients:
9 cups chex cereal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2ish cups milk chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
2 ish cups powdered sugar


Directions:
1. Microwave butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about a minute.  Stir to melt completely and add in vanilla.
2. Place chex in a large bowl and pour in chocolate mixture.  Stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Once the cereal is coated completely (you might want to add in more chocolate/peanut butter mixture), place it in a plastic bag with the powdered sugar and shake the bag to coat the cereal with the sugar.  Again, you might want to add in more sugar.
Enjoy :) ...and try your best not to eat it all at once (like I did...)