Statutory Crepe

One of the greatest parts of coming home is the food. LOTS and LOTS of absolutely delicious food (plus, a dishwasher that makes enjoying all the amazing food even easier). Every once in a while I get to wake up and smell the sweet scent of vanilla wafting through the house. It means one thing-- my momma is making fresh crepes for breakfast. SO DELICIOUS! Ahhh my goodness, it is nice to be home :)

What you'll need:
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- splash of Grand Marnier (optional)
- a little bit of lemon zest (also optional)

How you make it:
Simple! Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.

I suggest using a non-stick pan to make this recipe a little healthier, but if you don't have one available make sure to lightly grease the pan with either some oil, Pam cooking spray or butter.

Pour a ladle of the mixture into the center of the pan and spread it around, making a thin layer across the bottom of the pan. When it begins to brown, flip it! And repeat.

You can fill the crepes with anything you like! My favorite filling combination is Nutella and fresh fruit (pictured). You can also do peanut butter, trail mix, and bananas. YUMM

If you want to fill the crepes with savory fillings, just omit the Grand Marnier and vanilla extract from the recipe and you're good to go!

MEATBALL SUBstantial Step

It's funny where you can find inspiration. It's honestly everywhere! I was at lunch with a my friend when he got a meatball sub and after having a bite of it, I found myself craving it later that week. So here's my rendition of a meatball sub--a substantial step towards achieving the delicious (and slightly messy) crime.

NOTE: If you just want to make the tomato sauce for pasta, it's pretty darn good!

What you'll need:

- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef (or whatever you prefer)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- one 24oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 head of garlic (1/2 sliced, 1/2 crushed)
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp of salt
- 3 tbsp of pepper
- 1 tbsp of red pepper flakes (adjust depending on your taste)
- olive oil
- 2 tbsp of paprika
- 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
- 1 egg
- 3 large carrots, diced
- french roll
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar


How you make it:

Start by sauteing your diced onion, diced carrot, and sliced garlic in a large pot with olive oil and 1 tbsp of salt. Add the red pepper flakes and 2 tbsp of black pepper. Mix it around and let it brown. Then add the full can of crushed tomatoes, the paprika, the sugar, 1 tbsp dried basil and 1 tbsp dried oregano. Lastly, add the parmesan cheese. Mix it up and let this simmer, covered, on low.

In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, the crushed garlic, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp paprika, and the 1 egg. Then, make this mixture into golf sized balls (makes about 25)!

After letting the sauce simmer for 45min (make sure the carrots are fully cooked), transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Drizzle in some additional olive oil, and give it a taste! Add whatever you deem necessary (I added a few drops of hot sauce).

Transfer the sauce back into the large pot and simmer on low. Add in the meatballs, cover, and let cook for an hour. [If you use beef fattier than 80/20, cook the meatballs half way on a skillet and drain the fat, then add them to the sauce]

When the meatballs are done, it's sandwich time!!

Cut open your roll and remove a little of the inside bread. Add your meatballs with a good amount of sauce, sprinkle with more oregano, top with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and place it in the open on broil. Keep an eye on it, and remove as soon as the cheese starts to look delicious. I added a few extra slices of onion and fresh basil, but you can add whatever you want....sauteed red peppers?

NOM NOM NOM!

Baked Apple Chips

Growing up I always accompanied my mom on trips to the market (yes, I call the grocery store the "market," don't make fun of me). I developed the habit of shopping for food to feed six people, and when I moved away for college, I couldn't seem shake the natural tendency. Plus, I eat insane amounts of fruits and vegetables on my own. Sometimes though, I simply can't make it through all 4lbs of apples in time, and the last 3 or 4 start to spoil. What to do?! My family never let food waste, so I needed to find a solution...

What's a better way to rescue a few apples from demise than to make them into delicious apple chips that store for weeks?!

What you'll need:
- apples
- cinnamon


How you make it:

First, start by removing the apple cores. You can use a special tool that does that, or you can do what I did and use the sharp point of your vegetable peeler. (I'm sure a thin knife would do the trick too)

Next, cut the apples crossways into thin slices, making sure to keep the thickness of the slices consistent.

Now, line a cookie sheet with either foil or parchment paper (I used foil and they stuck a little, so use parchment paper if you have it)

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 275 degrees for an hour. Flip the chips, and then bake for a second hour.

I couldn't resist and starting to snack on them immediately, but if you let them cool they will get crispier.

So easy, completely healthy, and really really delicious!

Double Whammy! Chickpea (Garbanzo) Bean Mediterranean Salad & Crunchy Snack

Lately I haven't been moving much (wooohooo library hibernation). So, I thought it would be best if I took a break from the desserts and made something a little healthier...a lot healthier, actually. These recipes are ridiculously easy and very satisfying! You can serve the salad as a side, or make it your lunch! There's definitely enough protein to make it a meal. The snack is great for munching on when you want to get that salty-crunchy fix OR you can toss some in a salad in place of of caloric croutons!

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a great source of zinc, folate, fiber, and protein. They're low-fat and low-cal. PLUS, made right, they can be very tasty! [credit: Wikipedia]

Here are two recipes that utilize these bad boys in the best ways! Remember, all of my measurements are suggestions. Use the proportions that satisfy you most.

Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad

What you'll need:

- 1 can of garbanzo beans

-1/2 tsp of cumin

- 1/2 lemon

- handful of chopped cilantro

- salt & pepper to taste

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

- 1/2 small onion, chopped

How you make it: 

First, drain the beans and rise them. After you shake off all of the excess water, place the beans in a small bowl, juice the lemon, and add the rest of the ingredients. Carefully mix it all together (you don't want to turn the beans into mush). You can eat right away or refrigerate for a couple of hours to make it even better! Quick and simple! 

Crunchy Garbanzo Bean Snack

What you'll need:

- tbsp olive oil

- 1 can of garbanzo beans

- your favorite seasoning mix (I used the Adobo seasoning I featured in my previous POST. I really want to try using Tony's Creole Seasoning!)

How you make it:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, rinse the beans and shake off any excess water. Next, spread the beans across a double layer of paper towels to dry them even morer. Once your oven is fully preheated, remove the paper towel and spread the beans across a baking pan (I suggest you use one that has a rim so they don't roll off the sides.)  Pour the olive oil over the beans and mix it around, making sure to get every bean coated. 

Then just pop it in the oven on the middle rack and let it cook for 35-40 mins. When you take the beans out of the oven, immediately sprinkle them with a coating of your desired seasoning. As the beans cool they will become even crispier. Munch away! 

Cranberry Almond Bars!

Cranberries and cranberry flavored treats are some of my favorite things about this part of the year! They're just awesome little things! Sweet, yet tart. Vibrant, yet so chic. (plus, red is my favorite color)

These bars are just plain yummy! The crust is delicate, the cranberries are tart, the almonds add crunch, and the glaze is sticky sweet. Try it out, and let me know what you think!

What you'll need:

- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (you'll also need 2 tbsp butter for the glaze)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I assumed light brown sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 cups toasted slivered almonds (you can substitute any nut you like)
- 1/2 lemon

How you make it:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then, while on low speed, add in the flour and salt. Let this mix until a soft dough forms it will be very sticky).

Next, spread the dough across the baking pan, doing your best to make it even. Make sure to press the dough up the sides of the pan, otherwise when you add your toppings later, they will stick. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden. Take the crust out of the oven when done and let it cool.

While it cools, reduce the oven to 325 degrees and get a medium saucepan! Combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla and cook this over medium heat until mixture has melted and becomes syrupy. Make sure that you continually stir the mixture until bubbles form around the edges. DO NOT LET IT BOIL!

Now, remove the glaze from heat and let cool. Make sure to stir it every once in a while. Once the mixture has cooled substantially, whisk in your beaten eggs. Make sure that your mixture has properly cooled, otherwise you'll have scrambled eggs!

By this point, your crust should be cooled. In a bowl mix together the cranberry sauce and the juice of half a lemon. Then, evenly spread the cranberry mixture over the top of the crust. Next, scatter the almonds all over and pour the glaze over everything. Make sure to evenly coat everything. Pop it back in the over to back for 35-40 minutes. When the looks firm in the middle, you're done!

Make sure to let these babies cool completely before cutting, or they just turn into a huge mess! So delishhhh

Carne Asada Fajitas, Chili Lime Rice & Fresh Guacamole

Being from Southern California, I have been spoiled with an abundance of ridiculously good Mexican food. Oh how I've missed late night/early morning burritos runs. My San Diego roommate and I were even dubbed the "burrito fairies" after one of our absurd 4am burrito escapades (we loved them THAT much!).

I've been craving some spice, so I decided I'd take a stab at making my own Mexican food. There are a lot of different components, so don't feel pressured to the make the whole meal. If you don't have time, then keep it simple--follow the carne asada recipe, buy some guac, make a 90sec microwavable Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice packet, and you're good to go. If you're in the mood to GO BIG, however, try the whole sha-bang! It's worth it, I promise :)

NOTE: 3 of the ingredients should be available in the Latin Food section of your supermarket. This includes the Adobo seasoning, the chipotle peppers, and the roasted green chilies. In case you aren't sure what these items are, I've posted pictures/links at the end of this recipe to help you find them!

What you'll need:

Green Chili Rice: 
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- 1/2 lime
- 4oz can of diced roasted green chilies
- handful of roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 lime
- salt & pepper
- roughly chopped cilantro
- half of a small onion (diced)

Fajita Vegetables:
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 1/2 bag of frozen tricolor bell peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- olive oil
- pepper
- Goya Adobo seasoning [you can substitute Taco Seasoning]
- 7oz can of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (save half for the carne asada)

Carne Asada: 
- Beef (sliced into strips)
- Goya Adobo seasoning
- the rest of the chipotle peppers

How you make it:

Green Chili Rice: 
Start by making your rice. If you have a rice cooker, use that. Otherwise you can use a pot (it's just as easy).

First, bring the water to a boil. Then add the rice and salt. Stir and cover. When the water returns to a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15-20 mins, until fully cooked.

When done, put all of the rice into a large bowl and mix in the can of roasted green chilies, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and butter (optional). DONE!


Guacamole:
Scope out the insides of both avocados into a small bowl. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt & pepper. Mix together using a fork, making sure to break up the avocado. Give it a taste and SERVE!


Fajita Vegetables:
Start by warming up a large pan on medium-high heat with some olive oil. Once the pan is warm, add your sliced onion and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little of the Adobo Seasoning, mix, and let cook. Once this gains a little color, add your frozen (or fresh!) bell peppers and let it continue to cook. Then add some of the roughly chopped chipotle peppers (I added 2 peppers--adjust depending on how spicy you want it). Mix this around and let it cook on medium heat until done. Remove from heat and EAT!

Carne Asada: 
Mix the sliced meat with sliced chipotle peppers and the adobo seasoning. Cover and refrigerate. Let this marinate for a few hours or even overnight. Cook on a large pan over a medium-high heat until fully cooked.

Make a huge plate and nom away!

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

Diced Fire Roasted Green Chilies

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Cupcakes!

Three desserts in one?! CRAZINESS!!! These little gems might seem over the top, but they're simple, delicious, and way fewer calories than you'd expect (thank you yogurt and low-fat cream cheese).

What you'll need:
- 8oz cream cheese, softened (you can use 1/3 less fat)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 can pumpkin (full can makes them very "pumpkin-pie-like"--use half to make them more "cheesecake-like")
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground all spice
- 1/4 tsp salt

How you make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then gradually beat in the yogurt, egg whites, and flour.

Then add the pumpkin, allspice and cinnamon. Mix well, and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the butter, graham cracker crumbs, the remaining sugar and salt.

Line a cupcake tin with liners. Fill the bottom of each with a layer of the graham cracker mixture. (Fill depending on how thick you want the crust to be). Press smooth.

Then fill the the remainder of the cup with the pumpkin mixture so that the cups are 3/4 full.

Bake for 25-30mins. Let them cool completely before enjoying (you can even refrigerate)! Easy-breezy!

Beef Stroganoff Restatement

It's finals time and all I want is comfort food, comfort food, and COMFORT FOOD!

Makes me instantly think of my grandmother's delicious beef stroganoff, which, let's be honest, tastes oh-so-yummy because it's made with lots of butter, sour cream, and FAT...that just doesn't mesh with my lifestyle right now. Sorry, Baba.

Plus, I simply couldn't compete with my grandmother's stroganoff even if I tried, so I've made my own lighter version!

It's simple. It tastes good! And it won't make you hate your life if you eat it while watching the Victoria Secret Fashion Show (but no promises). It's my restatement of beef stroganoff, here to make your life easier and happier :)

**NOTE: I don't like using exact measurements when cooking, so these are rough estimates.Just use the portions you think work best. For example, I ♥ peas, so I added extra!**

What you'll need:
- 1 medium onion
- 1-2 lbs of beef cut into strips (any cut of beef you like!)
- 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (for even few calories, you can use a reduced fat soup!)
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas
- 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms
- paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- dried red chili (optional)

How you make it:

Start by slicing the onion and sautéing it in a medium pot with a dash of salt and the red pepper. Be careful with the salt because condensed soups tend to be packed with sodium.

Then add the beef, and brown. You won't want to cook the beef all the way trough just yet!

When the beef/onion mixture gains some color, add the pepper and paprika. Stir. And then add the can of soup. Mix a little more, reduce heat, cover and let it stew away!

It can literally cook for as long or as little as you like. I let it simmer on low for a little over an hour while I studied Torts. When I was almost ready to dine, I added the sliced mushrooms and frozen peas and let it continue to simmer as I waited for my pasta to cook in a separate pot (and while I tried to make sense of my professor's economics charts..??).

You can serve the stroganoff over anything you like. Egg noodles are traditionally used, but I used rigatoni pasta. You could even use mash potatoes!

I like to top it off with a little hot sauce and PRESTO! A healthy and simple restatement of an old classic!