Squash Shakshuka with Baked Eggs

I saw my friend, Tamara, yesterday and I went with her and her family to get her bridesmaids dress and go to dinner.  She looks super amazing.  She always looked super amazing, but that girl has been going to the gym, eating healthy, and she just looked fantastic.  I have been trying to get in that mode, but I have been running into some obstacles: THE HOLIDAYS.  So, starting today, I am going to be working on staying more focused, eating healthy/homecooked meals and winter marathon training just started so I'll be running/working out as well.  

The holidays are really starting to catch up with me.  I feel like all we do is eat!  It has been a ton of fun, but now I am trying to get back into "real life mode."  So, today I'm sharing a recipe with you that I found on The Kitchn.  It is a great recipe for a weeknight and it is sort of like a breakfast for dinner thing, which we love.  It was easy to put together and looked fairly impressive:

Squash Shakshuka with Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

2 lbs squash (I used zucchini and yellow squash)

kosher salt

olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 lb tomatoes, chopped

4 oz goat cheese

1/4 cup basil, chopped

4 large eggs

black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut off the ends of the squash and grate using a box grater.  Place all the grated squash into a colander with 1 tbsp of kosher salt and let sit.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In an oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and add in the shallots, garlic, and paprika.  Cook until fragrant.  

4. Using paper towels, squeeze as much liquid from the squash as you can and then add this to the skillet. Add in the tomatoes as well and stir occasionally until the ingredients are no longer releasing liquid.  Stir in the goat cheese and basil. 

5. Remove from heat and create 4 wells in the mixture.  Place an egg in each of the wells and bake for 10 minutes.  Once done, sprinkle some black pepper over the mixture.

Enjoy :)

Roasted Butternut Squash Black Bean and Goat Cheese Dip

Who doesn't love dip?  A good dip is just the best!  I made this one for my book club girlfriends and they found it to be delicious.  I think it has a surprising taste, but it really good and you just can't stop eating it.  In fact, I'm thinking about making this dip for a girl's night I have coming up!

My girlfriends organized a secret santa exchange.  I like to call it a secret snowman exchange, but whatever.  How cute are we? My friend Caryn organized it and I am super pumped.  I can't wait to see what I get and I'm pretty excited about the gift I got for my secret person!  Hanukkah is happening right now and I am excited to do some gift giving :)

This week is also actually flying by!  Today all the students are taking a practice ACT exam.  I am excited to see how my students do.  The school was able to get graphing calculators for every student that did not have one (of the 200ish 11th graders, 110 did not have one).  It was really nice and I am excited to see if they perform better today with the extra help and confidence from the graphing calculator!  We spent the last week integrating calculator skill education into our class so they should be totally ready to use them today!

Cheer is also going great! We had a clinic on Saturday and we had a college cheerleader come in to help support our team and teach them some new cheers and jumps.  The team worked so hard and they learned so much.  I was super proud of all of them!  Plus, our uniforms are finally here! So, on Thursday when we perform at the basketball game, we will be in our uniforms and we will have a bunch of new cheers to debut! I can't wait.

Now, back to that dip!

Roasted Butternut Squash Black Bean and Goat Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz goat cheese
3 tbsp chopped herbs (thyme, parsley, cilantro)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss the cubed squash in a bowl with the olive oil, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and nutmeg.  Spread out in one layer on your lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Once done, remove from oven and lowder the temp to 350 degrees.
2. Place the cooked squash in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth puree.  Add in the goat cheese and herbs and process until smooth.  Add in the black beans and pulse a few times to combine and smash.
3. Place mixture in a oven-safe dish (I used my adorable mini skillet) and place in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, or whatever else you feel like!

Enjoy :)

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Remember that time I made Homemade Pretzel Rolls?  Well, then I made some seriously awesome sandwiches with said rolls.  This is their story:

Bri and I love food.  Bri is a vegetarian.  I am trying to eat a little healthier and I've been trying out all sorts of fun veggie-filled recipes.  Then, I came across this recipe and I was like "OMG I HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

So that's how these Veggie Sandwiches came to be.  I had one for lunch at school and made everyone a little jealous.  Now I am just drooling thinking about them.  

School has been pretty great lately.  My students did a fantastic job on their last quiz and I am excited by how well they are doing overall!  We are in the middle of a unit on solving systems of equations, inequalities, and matrices.  It's pretty fun.  My cheer-girls are also awesome.  They had their first pep rally on Friday and it was a total success.  They did this amazing cheer, dance, and stunt and it was so cool to see them looking so happy and doing such a great job.  I am coming up with a new dance for them and I am also working on incorporating some fun math activities for my students.  I'll keep you all posted! 

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients:

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 red pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

1 avocado, sliced

Goat Cheese Spread:

8 oz goat cheese

1 bulb of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:
1. You need to roast the whole bulb of garlic for the goat cheese spread.  Cut off the base of the bulb so that the cloves are visible.  Place this on a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap in the tinfoil and place in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  Once done, you should be able to squeeze the roasted garlic cloves right out of the bulb.
2. Make the roasted red pepper sauce: In a food processor, place all the ingredients except for the olive oil and salt/pepper.  Process until you have a smooth sauce then continue to process as you add in the olive oil.  Stir in the salt and pepper to your taste.  Set aside.
3. Wrap the sliced portabellas in tinfoil with the 1 minced garlic clove for the sandwiches and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Place foil packet in a small pan over the stove and heat over warm until the mushrooms are cooked, about 5-10 minutes.  
4. Wrap the sliced peppers and onion in a packet of tinfoil: Place all the veggies on the tinfoil and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper and paprika.  Wrap the veggies up and place in a pan over the stove.  Heat on warm until veggies become translucent, about 10-15 minutes.  

5.  Once veggies are done, remove from heat.
6. Make the goat cheese spread, once your garlic bulb is roasted, squeeze the cloves out into a food processor with the goat cheese, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Process with adding in the 2 tbsp of olive oil until you have a nice spread.  Use a spatula to get the goat cheese into a bowl.  (I ended up with a lot of extra of this stuff so place it in a container so you can put it in the fridge when you are done.)
7.  Assemble the sandwiches!  Spread some goat cheese on one piece of bun and some red pepper sauce on the other piece.  Place some peppers and mushrooms over the goat cheese and then top with a slice of avocado.

Enjoy :)

Spring Veggie Pasta

I only have 6 miles left to do on my marathon training plan.  The race is super close and I figured I would share a yummy pasta dish in honor of all the carb loading I've been doing.  I ate this for dinner the night before my big 20 mile run and I felt great.  It was a pasta dish filled with great flavors and I loved the way the roasted broccolini and tomatoes came out.  I used whole wheat pasta and the whole thing ended up being a really healthy way to get some good carbs in your diet.  

Tomorrow I have a 4 mile run and then Thursday is a 2 mile run and then that is it! I am ready to run Chicago's fantastic 26.2 mile route!

School this week is also somehow flying by.  I'm not sure if it is excitement or nerves, but the time is just slipping right by me.  Plus, Wednesday is a testing day where I am proctoring the ACT and Friday is an Institute Day with no students.  Then, we also have Monday off for Columbus Day.  All this is making this, plus the marathon is making this week feel extra special and super strange.  Today my students are starting some graphing work for precalculus and my AP guys are getting ready for a test on Thursday.  I am trying real hard to stay focused, but I honestly feel a bit all over the place! Then, I also have cheer practice, but that is mostly just a lot of fun and the team is getting really good!

So to wrap up, this week is crazy, this pasta is crazy good, and I am a bit of a scattered-brained, mess.  So head over to Food & Wine for this pasta recipe, it is really yummy.  I followed everything pretty exactly except for the fact that I used whole wheat linguini and instead of shaved ricotta salata cheese (my grocery store did not have any), I used a hard goat cheddar cheese (which was super delish).  Have fun and enjoy!

Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

It is absolutely disgusting here! I woke up and looking outside to find a "wintry mix."  That means its snowing and raining and just gross.  I love to go for a nice long run on Saturday or Sunday because I have the time and it gets me outdoors, but not today!  Today, I am heading to LA Fitness to run on a nice warm treadmill where I won't get icy rain in my eyes.  I'm a little bummed about this weather since we have been so lucky up until now.  Every weekend has been in the 40s or 50s and beautiful for winter in Chicago.  I guess that dream is over and winter has finally arrived.

In honor of the yucky weather, I am sharing a comforting recipe that is perfect for when you are stuck indoors, have some time to kill, and want something delicious and warm.  I made this recipe from How Sweet It Is ages ago and when I went to write the post I realized I didn't take any pictures! So, I had to make it again!  I changed a few things, so here is my rendition of a Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms.

Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
16 oz sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine
4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp goat cheese (I used herbed goat cheese...yum!)
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in mushrooms and cook until mushrooms start to reduce in size.  Add in the cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar and cook until liquid reduces.  Remove from heat.
2. Heat the vegetable broth in a medium pot over low heat.
3. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and garlic.  Cook until onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in the arborio rice and stir to combine.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add in the red wine and cook until rice has totally absorbed the wine.  Now, add in about 1/2 cup of the warm vegetable broth and stir until it is absorbed.  Continue this process until your rice is totally cooked.  This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.  In the last 5 minutes, stir in the mushrooms and goat cheese.  Once finished, top off the dish with some parmesan.

Enjoy :)

5 Courses to Celebrate 5 Years

August, 3rd: Bri and I had a really great year.  One year ago, we moved into our apartment and celebrated our 4-year anniversary.  Now, we have been living together for a year and are on year 5 of our relationship!  It has been really great and I am so appreciative for all the amazing times we have experienced together.  To celebrate year 5, I thought it would be cute to cook dinner together and have 5 courses in honor of 5 years.  We shared this amazing meal and watched a movie and it was a quiet and lovely anniversary.

Zucchini Soup

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Feta and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Toasty Parmesan Tomatoes

Creme Brûlée Cupcakes

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag of Spinach Arugula Blend
10 strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp crumbled candied pecans
poppyseed dressing

Directions: 
1. Toss all ingredients together.  Add more of whatever you like and then toss in dressing to taste.

Enjoy :)

Tomato Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart

I just had my first day of new teacher training!  It was a really great day and it made me feel less overwhelmed about school starting.  I was able to meet my mentor and talk with her and another math teacher.  I had tons of questions and they probably think I'm slightly silly, but it was great to be able to ask those questions.  I also listened to some great advice about classroom management and the first day of school.  Both of these topics gave me some confidence in that I know about them and have a sense of what I believe and they made me nervous because I am going to need to adjust based on my classes!  I wish I could know my students, but I know that will come soon enough.  We also took a tour in a school bus of the entire district and I was amazed at how much land is encompassed!  Finally, I got my school ID!  I am officially official!  I still have two more days of training and I am just grateful to have so much time in the school and around more of the teachers.

Today I have a yummy vegetarian recipe that I made the other day to use up some fresh veggies!  I saw this tart recipe on Recipe Girl and adapted it slightly based on my taste.  The dough is almost exact and it was great.  The veggies and cheese are what I was in the mood for!

Tomato Zucchini and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
For the Filling:
1/2 onion, cut into thin strips
8 oz herbed goat cheese
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 squash, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1. In a food processor, process the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar.  Continue to process as you add in the butter.  Slowly pour in the buttermilk and continue to process until dough forms into a ball.
2. On a piece of parchment paper, roll out the ball of dough until you have a round piece about 11 inches in diameter.  Carefully, place the rolled out dough into your tart pan and trim the sides.
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. Placed sliced onion into a pan with olive oil and sautee until onions become translucent and soften.  Sprinkle onions on the tart.
5.  Crumble the goat cheese over the onions and then top with sliced zucchini, squash, and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and top with fresh basil.
6. Place in oven and let bake for 45 minutes.  Cheese will be melted and crust will become slightly browned

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust and Yummy Pizza Ideas

It's another Monday! That means its back to camp.  This week's theme is Reality TV and today is all about Top Chef! We are playing a bunch of food related camp games and competitions and I am excited!

After camp, I am going to get in a run and then I have Monday Night Pilates with Al Pal!  This is my little nickname for my friend Alyson who just turned 21!  I celebrated with her this weekend downtown and it was such a fun time! We went to Navy Pier to eat at Harry Carry's and watch the fireworks off the Pier.  It was a beautiful night! Afterwards, we waited until midnight and then Alyson got to have her first legal drink! We stayed overnight at this great Sheraton in the area and it was just great!  Happy Birthday Al Pal!

Today I have a yummy pizza crust recipe to share.  I made these pizzas for the 4th of July potluck my friends and I put together before the fireworks in our hometown.  I used whole wheat flour for this crust, but you can do any mix of all purpose and whole wheat.  After I made the crust, I decided on two different pizzas: Spinach, Red Pepper, and Feta and Carmelized Onion  Honey  and Goat Cheese.  Both were amazing!

Whole Wheat Pizzas

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast together.  With the mixer on, slowly pour in the water and mix until the dough just comes together.  Form the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, and place in a dry spot.  I put mine in the turned-off oven. Let rise for 18-24 hours.  I just do this part the night before I want to make my dinner.
2.  When you are ready to make the pizza.  Dust a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet with cornmeal.  Take half your dough and stretch it out to form the crust.  Place on the cornmeal, top with your pizza toppings and bake at 500 for about 8-10 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Enjoy :)

Spinach, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Risotto

It's another Half Marathon Monday! This week I ran a little less during the week because of how busy I was, but I still felt great during and after my 8 mile run on Saturday!  Next week, I might go for 9!

This weekend was super crazy, but I still wanted to put together a little post for you all today.  I drove home on Friday so that I could attend a job fair on Saturday morning in a north suburb of Chicago.  Friday night was great because I got to see my mom, Bri (he's on Spring Break!), and get FroYo!!! It was an awesome night.  Saturday was stressful.  The fair went well and I talked to a bunch of schools.  However, it was a scary experience and I left feeling slightly overwhelmed.  I went home, ran 8 miles while watching a movie, and then showered, baked carrot cake cupcakes, and drove back to school for Lauren's Birthday!  We went out to dinner, ate the cupcakes for dessert, and then partyed a little to celebrate her bday.  It was fun, but I ended up exhausted!  Then, Sunday came and I had a thousand things to catch up on and I had to lose an hour! Not fair.  However, Patrick, made a great Birthday Brunch for Lauren and that was a nice way to start the day.

Today I want to share a risotto recipe with you all that Tamara and I threw together.  We like to spend Sundays catching up on work and planning for the week.  So, we also made a little dinner for ourselves.  It was awesome and we had leftovers for lunch during the week! This is a great dish to make when you are trying to use up food in your fridge so give it a try!

Spinach Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto

Ingredients:
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
4 oz goat cheese
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat chicken broth over medium heat.
2. In another saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until onion becomes translucent.
3.  Add in rice and stir to combine.  Pour in wine, stir, and let cook, stirring occasionally until all the wine is soaked up.
4.  Add 1/4 cup of broth and stir until it is soaked up.  Continue to do this until rice is al dente.  Add in spinach and mushrooms and let cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in goat cheese.
5.  Top with parmesan and serve!

Enjoy :)

Weekend Getaway to St. Louis

I just had a super fun weekend in St. Louis.  I haven't been here in a while to visit Bri so I was excited to see him and experience more fun in the city!

I got in on Friday.  I missed school becuase I needed to be here by 4 to make sure I would be intime for Bri's concert.  That's right, he performed with the university orchestra.  This was apretty big deal and it was great to see him perform.  The shymphony was amazing and Bri did a great job! It was really beautiful music and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I got to sit with Bri's dad and stepmom and it was really nice to see them! After the show, we all went out to dinner with a bunch of Bri's friends to Dewey's Pizza.  The pizza at this place is pretty fantastic.  It is thin crust, and we had a red sauce pizza with spinach, sliced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. It was awesome!

The next day, I went for an amazing 8 mile run through Forest Park.  I love that this park is pretty much right next to Bri's apartment.  It has a great path for bikers and runners and, even though it had snowed, the path was clear.  I was planning on running 6 miles, but I was feeling so good and Bri was still sleeping, so I ended up going for 8.  At this rate, 13.1 will be easy peasy right?

After a much needed shower, I was pretty desperate for food.  Bri and I headed to Cafe Nadoz, which we heard was like cafes in Vienna.  We loved those cafes so we were excited to try this.  It wasn't really like the cafes in Vienna, but it was a pretty awesome place for lunch.  We both had really yummy sandwiches and split one of their European-style desserts, a Caramel Apple Bombe.  It was all delicious!

After Cafe Nadoz, we headed out to the Schlafly Brewery for a tour.  I found yet another beer I actually like and it was a great tour! On the way back, we stopped by my friend Michael's house and it was great to see him! After catching up, Bri and I headed back to the apartment to chill for a bit before dinner.  This meant watching 5 episodes of How I Met Your Mother...great show.

Dinner was on The Hill at Zia's.  The Hill is a great little neighborhood known for being like a Little Italy.  We arrived at Zia's to find that it would be about an hour wait.  We decided to get drinks and the famous appetizer of toasted ravioli at the bar while we waited.  This was a great plan until I took a bite into the ravioli and realized it was filled with...MEAT! I grabbed Bri's arm as we was about to take a bite and told him it was meat ravioli.  This was unfortunate as Bri is a vegetarian.  He was grateful that I stopped him before the bite and I ended up with a lot of leftover ravioli to take home with me.  Our dinner was great and Bri ended up being glad he didn't have an appetizer as his baked mostaccioli was a HUGE portion.  I had the portobello stuffed spinach ravioli with asparagus and red peppers.  Everything was super delicous and we ended the meal on a high note with some mini cannoli for dessert! Yum!

This weekend was super fun and I am sad that I have to leave today.  However, tonight is Oscar night and I can't wait to watch back in Madison with all my friends!

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with a Baslamic Sage Brown Butter and Goat Cheese Sauce

Bri was still on break for my first week back to school.  So, he came up to Madison with me and it was great!  We had a lot of fun hanging out together after school/work and it was nice to have the company since Madison is so dead right now with Winter Break still going on.  During the days, I had school and work so Bri worked a ton on his thesis.  It worked out perfectly that he had so much to do because I was so busy all day long.  However, at night we were able to get in some really fun activities around Madison!

On Tuesday, Bri got into town pretty late so he got a bite to eat at Potbelly's and then we discovered a new frozen yogurt place called Cherry Berry.  It was pretty awesome and it's really close (too close) to where I am teaching.

The next night, we made dinner and dessert. It was a really nice time.  The dinner we made was Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic and Sage sauce and then for dessert, Creme Brulee. Everything was delicious and people thought it was our anniversary or something.  Nope, just Wednesday night.

On Thursday, we went to Ella's Deli for dinner on the way to the movie theater.  We saw Les Mis.  It was fantastic.  It is my favorite musical to begin with and now I can watch it whenever I want.  Anne Hathaway truly deserves her Oscar nomination.  I bawled my eyes out at the end and was a tad embarrassed leaving the theater looking like a splotchy mess.  We were able to make it to the 6 p.m. movie time, which was great since it was almost 3 hours long and I was exhausted after my long day of teaching/work.

Friday was when Bri had to leave to get back to Chicago before his long drive back to school so we went to Panera for a quick lunch between school and work and then it was time to say goodbye.  It was really nice having him around for the week.  It felt like a little preview of what next year could be like with me teaching and him in law school.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with Balsamic Sage Brown Butter Sauce and Goat Cheese
(adapted from Aida Mollenkamp)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 oz. goat cheese
4 tbsp unsalted butter
12-16 sage leaves
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 shallots, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Cook the gnocchi according to the directions.  Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Cook the peas according to directions and add to the gnocchi.
3.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  When it starts to foam, add in the sage leaves and cook for a few minutes.  Remove the leaves and place them in the gnocchi bowl.  Return the butter to the stove and add in the shallots.  Cook until butter browns, stirring often.  Scrape the brown bits from the bottom and remove from heat.  Stir in the balsamic and pour over the gnocchi.
4.  Top with goat cheese and season with the pepper to taste.  Toss everything together and serve!

Enjoy :)

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 :)

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 :)

Veggie Wrap

I can't believe this is my last week on my half-marathon training schedule! I am planning to run my self-mapped out half marathon this coming Sunday and I can't wait! I did a 10 week training schedule and it is finally here! This past week I did 4 miles, 4 miles, and 3.5 miles during the week.  Then, I did 9 miles on Saturday.  On top of that, I did Pilates, some elliptical work outs, and turned 21...I was a busy girl!

This week, I have another 3 short runs before Sunday where I will do the whole 13.1! I can't wait!

I also have an awesome lunch idea to share with you all! I hate taking "normal" sandwiches for lunch and so I've been trying to be creative with my camp lunches.  My mom made a fabulous Roasted Red Pepper Veggie Dip for our Pampered Chef party and put out a bunch of veggies and chips to go with it.  Then, we had a ton of leftovers and so I did this:

Random Veggie Wrap

Ingredients:
2 tbsp roasted red pepper dip (see recipe below)
1 small tortilla
handful of chopped up veggies (I used pepper, broccoli, and snap peas)
good goat cheese

Directions:
1. Heat up your tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds.  Spread on the red pepper dip and place veggies and cheese on top.  Roll it all up and pack it away for a fun, healthy, and delish lunch!
 
Roasted Red Pepper Dip (adapted from Low-Fat, Low-Colesterol Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 7 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup snipped fresh dillweed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of salt
3 tbsp minced onion

Directions:
In a food processor, process all ingredients except for the onions.  Mix in the onions.  Chill in fridge or serve immediately.
Enjoy :)

Roasted Beet Pecan Salad with a Cabernet Balsamic Vinaigrette

It's time for the third course in The Dinner Party.  This one was a total crowd pleaser and it was pretty funny because most people were a little surprised by the ingredients.  Chris and I put together a lovely salad with a Cabernet Balsamic Vinaigrette.  It was a super yummy salad and the dressing was amazing.  I seriously couldn't stop smelling it! I just wanted to stick my face in it...not kidding.

Rasted Beet Pecan Salad with Cabernet Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Beets:
2 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pecans:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup pecans
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp curry
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup good olive oil (we used white truffle olive oil)
Salad:
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup Chevere, crumbled

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and place a rack in the center.  Place beets in a glass baking dish and pour the oil and balsamic over them, turning to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven until beets can be easily pierced witha  knife or fork.
2. Toast the pecans by melting the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it is foaming.  As the foaming subsides, add the pecans, sugar, curry, and salt.  Cook, tossing often, until pecans are toasted and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to a plate and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, prepared the vinaigrette by whisking the garlic, balsamic, and Cabernet.  While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. To serve, place the greens in a large bowl and toss with 3/4 of the well-whisked dressing.  Divide the lettuce among 4 plates.  Divide beets among the 4 plates and sprinkle with 4-5 crumbles of the Chevere.  Top with a few toasted pecans.  Drizzle with more dressing if desired.
Enjoy :)

Goat Cheese Swirl Brownies

Yes, I am posting twice today.

I know this is a little overkill, but I made more brownies, yes, also overkill, but I am very happy with these decisions.

There has been a lot going on lately which is why I was unable to post yesterday, and I probably will be missing for a while in the next few days.  Thus, I am posting twice today, while I can.  First, camp is taking over my life.  I have been so busy, but I have been having a really great time and I am actually really happy! This summer has gone great so far! Also, cute food shows up at camp too!

Anna made these for snack on Pirate Day!

Second, my computer is basically in hospice care and could die at any moment.  So, I purchased a new computer yesterday (yikes there goes all my money) and I now have to get it set up.  This means I will be computer-less for a day.  I am totally freaked out about this, but I supposed I'll find a way to survive.

And third, I've been keeping up with my half-marathon training, seeing all my friends, and of course keeping up on this blog! Plus, it's Brownie Marathon! And, so I have yet another brownie recipe to share.  I decided to make something adorable for the little picnic on the beach I am having tonight with my friends.  I found a recipe for Goat Cheese Swirled Brownies and I thought it would be a great way to try something new and stick with my brownie theme! Plus, I decided to make my brownies 4th of July themed! Check 'em out :)

Goat Cheese Swirled Brownies (adapted from My Fancy Pantry)

Ingredients:
Your favorite brownie recipe (I made Ghiradelli brownies)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
8 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp flour
1 egg
red and blue food color

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease and line a 13 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Make the brownies according to the box and mix in the dark chocolate chips. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and set the rest off to the side.

3. Beat the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, flour, and egg until smooth and creamy.  Divide the mixture into three small bowls.  Color one with blue, one with red, and leave the other alone.  Drop spoonfuls of the goat cheese mixtures into the pan with the brownie batter. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and then, using a toothpick or knife, swirl the goat cheese into the batter.  Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Enjoy :)

Spinach, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

TGIF! I made it! I survived the first week of camp! This week was a lot of fun and I am having a great time with all the staff members and all the campers.  We had a blast kicking off camp with fun getting to know you games and we even got to go to a bowling alley as a special field trip.  It was a great week, but it also taught me a lot about myself as a site director and leader.

I discovered how much I appreciate when people are doing a good job because they want to and they get satisfaction out of it.  It really annoys me when I have to remind people to work harder and do a good job because that is so not my style.  I tend to try really hard to constantly improve because I want to and I love it when others do this as well.

I also discovered more about myself as a teacher.  It is so rewarding when campers, on the second day, bring me random art projects that they made for me or want me to have.  I love being around kids and I love how it motivates me to be my best so that I can be a positive role model in their life.  Today, a camper came up to me and said, "You should be a teacher." And I responded, "That is what I want to be when I grow up." And she paused, thought, and then said, "Well, good because you would be a really good one, I would want to have you as a teacher." And then, she walked away and continued playing the game in the gym.  I smiled to myself and recognized that my day had just been made by a random camper who was simply thinking out loud.  I have a hard time identifying what it is that makes a good teacher, but I am glad that people recognize that whatever "it" is, I have it.

My day continued to get even better as my mom and I threw together a really great dinner.  We made an amazing salmon dish-broil your salmon instead of baking it-it's awesome.  Then, I made a stuffed mushroom recipe that I had had my eye on for ages.  And finally, we threw together a random vegetable dish to complete our light, fresh, healthy, and delish dinner! The mushrooms were absolutely phenomenal and you must try these.  Even if you don't like mushrooms, the filling for these is so good that I think it would be worth making.

Now, I am going to go enjoy my weekend and think about how I can make the next week of camp even better :)

Spinach, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms (adapted from Circle B Kitchen)

Ingredients:
12 Stuffing Mushrooms (baby portabellas-or Trader Joe's Stuffing Mushrooms)
6 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
6 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 medium shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
lemon juice (1-2 tbsp)
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
handful of shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and saute the shallot and garlic until shallot is translucent and softened. Place into a large bowl and let cool.
3. In the same large bowl, place the spinach, artichoke hearts, goat cheese, and about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Toss to combine.
4. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and wash them.  Let them dry on a paper towel.  Once dry, stuff the mushrooms with the spinach mixture and place on the prepared pan.  Season each mushroom with salt and pepper.  Drizzle a little lemon juice over the mushrooms.  Next, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese and olive oil over each mushroom and bake for 10 minutes.

Enjoy :)