Jammies

You are probably asking, what are jammies? Pajama parties? Music session? The answer is muffins! I made JAMMIES for Mr. Sexy Veggie and I for breakfast this morning.

These were easy and delicious. A batter made from flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, egg, butter and milk is blended, and a little is put into each muffin cup. A teaspoon of jam is placed on top of the batter (I used jam from Mom Veggie!), and the remaining batter is put on top.

The muffin tin is put in the preheated oven, and baked for 20 minutes. After cooling for a couple minutes, they are ready to enjoy.

These were very good. The batter was sweet and tasty, and the strawberry jam in the middle was a lovely treat.

Stir-Fried Szechuan Tofu, Broccoli, and Mushrooms

The local natural foods store carries wonderful tofu in bulk, and I jump at any chance I get to use it in a recipe. Last night I used fresh veggies and tofu in STIR-FRIED SZECHUAN TOFU, BROCCOLI, AND MUSHROOMS.

This is a very easy recipe! Before starting to cook the ingredients, the recipe calls to prep all the ingredients. This includes dicing the tofu, chopping the broccoli, slicing the mushrooms, and cutting the carrots. The tofu is sauteed in oil until golden brown, and then removed from the pan. The mushrooms, carrots, and broccoli are cooked until tender, and then a sauce made from cornstarch, water, chili paste, soy sauce, sherry and sugar is stirred in. This warm mixture is served over rice.

This was so good! The flavors were fresh and bright, and the sauce was a little spicy. The leftovers were equally as good. I will make this again--many times!!

Butternut Squash and Cider Soup

For the starter course for Thanksgiving, I decided to make BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CIDER SOUP. I thought this warm dish would be a great start for a special meal.

It is a very easy soup to make. You peel and dice one butternut squash, saute garlic and leeks in butter until tender, then add the squash, water, apple cider and curry powder to the pot. The mixture is simmered for thirty minutes. At this point, the mixture is transferred to a food processor and pureed until smooth and creamy. Reheat a little, and it is ready to eat!

I did not care for this. It tasted too much like apple cider, and very little like butternut squash. I really liked the idea of the soup, and might try it again with a smaller amount of apple cider. It was very pretty, at least!!

Flaky Pie Crust

Yes, I know it is not very fair to show a picture of a chocolate pie and talk only about the crust, but that is the recipe this post is about. For Thanksgiving, Mr. Sexy Veggie likes a chocolate pie, and I made a FLAKY PIE CRUST to hold the delicious chocolate filling!

The process begins by mixing flour in sugar in a food processor, and blending in flour until it is crumbly. Oil, cold water, and cider vinegar are added, and it is blended until the dough becomes pliable.

The dough is then wrapped and plastic wrap and chilled for 20 minutes. At that point, it is ready to be rolled out into the appropriate size. Once rolled, the dough is wrapped around the rolling pin and transferred to the pie plate. It goes back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes, and then is ready to bake!!

This crust was great!! I will admit I am not good with pie crust, and usually go for one that requires no rolling. I was very pleased with the ease of this one, the consistency and workability of the dough was nice. The flavor was nice, crispy and flavorful. I will be making this again!

Baked Mexican Style Rice and Beans

I'm back! After a fun trip to New York City and a little bit of recovery time, I am back into my cooking groove. Tuesday night I made BAKED MEXICAN STYLE RICE AND BEANS!

I wanted an easy and flavorful meal to make, and I picked this filling casserole. Basmati rice is cooked until tender, and then mixed with tomato sauce, chilies, beans, and chili powder. The filling is layered in a casserole dish with monetary jack cheese and sour cream, and baked for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly!!

This was a very favorable, comforting, and filling dish. The flavors melded together very well, and the cheese gave it a nice and creamy consistency. Served with corn on the cob and tortilla chips, it was a great dinner!!

Ten-Minute Chilaquiles

I love Mexican-style recipes. They usually incorporate 3 of my favorite ingredients.........tomato sauce, beans, and cheese. This recipe used all three!!

TEN-MINUTE CHILAQUILES (Layered Tortilla Casserole) is a very easy and satisfying dish. For the sauce, salsa, tomato sauce, water and kidney beans are mixed together. This is poured on the bottom of a casserole dish, and topped with crumbled tortilla chips. The chips are covered with sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese. The layers are repeated, and then the casserole is baked for 35 minutes.

Yum! This was so easy, and delicious. It was warm, spicy, and flavorful. The leftovers were even better the next day!! I will be making this again-Mr. Sexy Veggie will love it!

Ravioli with Broccoli and Red Peppers

On Sunday evenings, I usually take ingredients for dinner to Mr. Sexy Veggie's house. I prefer quick and tasty recipes, and many pasta recipes fall into this category.

This Sunday I made RAVIOLI WITH BROCCOLI AND RED PEPPERS. This meal is easy to prep and cook. One red pepper, sliced, is sauteed in oil with garlic until tender. Meanwhile, frozen ravioli is cooked in water until done. Broccoli is added to the boiling water for 3 minutes. All of these ingredients are mixed together, and sprinkled with Parmesan before serving.

This was great! Very easy to prepare, and pleasurable to eat. Leftovers were great for lunch the next day too!