Baked Curry Fries

This another fun take on baked fries. These had quite a bit of spice to them, so they were awesome and unique. Definitely will make again!

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, sliced into thin fries
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoons turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Slice potatoes into thin fries and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add spices and olive oil to fries and toss to coat the fries evenly.
4. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake potatoes for approximately 30-45 minutes, turning after 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are crispy on the outside.

This recipe was adapted from http://www.notveganyet.blogspot.com/2014/05/roasted-indian-curry-fries.html.

15-Minute Mac & Cheese

Kraft Mac & Cheese was one of my absolute favorites as a kid, and mac & cheese is still one of my favorite sides today. However, Kraft simply doesn't measure up to macaroni & cheese from scratch. I love a good stovetop mac and cheese because it is the perfect creamy consistency. I have made this many times and highly recommend! Or check out my roasted garlic mac & cheese if you prefer baked mac & cheese.

Ingredients:

8-ounces dry pasta (elbow, shells, bow-tie, etc)
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
4 tablespoons butter
8-ounces cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

1. Cook pasta al-dente according to the package instructions. Drain.
2. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and ground mustard.
3. Add butter to the pasta pot over low heat. Add drained pasta to the pot.
4. Stir in the sauce, then the cheese. Stir the pasta until the cheese has melted and desired texture is achieved.
5. If consistency is too thin, remove a portion of the liquid and combine with cornstarch until dissolved. Recombine with mixture in pot. Stir well.

This recipe was adapted from "Quick and Easy Stove Top Mac & Cheese in 15 Minutes" from PBS (http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2013/02/28/quick-and-easy-stove-top-mac-cheese/).

Copycat Yumm Sauce

If you have ever been to Oregon, you might have been to a local restaurant chain called Cafe Yumm. Most of their food is just rice bowls, but what makes this restaurant really unique is the signature sauce. I wanted to find a good recipe so that I could make the sauce at home, but most of the recipes I found online were not very close to the real thing. I have been tinkering with the recipe for about a year, and now I finally have something that is ridiculously close to the original! This sauce is awesome!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
3/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans (~1/2 15 oz. can)
3/4 cup cooked soybeans (not edamame beans)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1-2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (or add a little black pepper and lemon zest)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend toasted almonds, garbanzo beans, soybeans, and oil.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth.

This recipe was adapted from the recipe at http://www.food.com/recipe/yummy-sauce-297251. I modified this recipe heavily, as the original recipe was not very close to real Yumm sauce.

Avocado, Mozzarella, and Tomato Salad

This salad is a great side that can be made with no use of the oven or stove. It is awesome to make on summer nights, when I don't want to heat up the house.  Totally delicious too!

Ingredients:

1 avocado, cut into small pieces 
1 roma tomato, diced
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed (or use halved balls of marinated mozzarella)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix avocado, mozzarella, and tomato together and season with olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. 

This recipe was adapted from "Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad" from Bearwithmeee (http://www.chefjenny.com/2012/02/avocado-tomato-mozzarella-salad.html).

Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes

When I was in college, I loved getting pesto pasta from one of the coffee shops on campus. It was so delicious and simple that I just had to make it at home, especially when we started getting ridiculously large amounts of basil from our garden. This is great with a homemade pesto sauce, but you could also use store-bought too. Great summer side!

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil    
8 ounces macaroni pasta (or whatever you have on hand)
3 Tbsp pesto 
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain. 
2. When pasta has cooled slightly, add the pasta to a bowl with tomatoes, olive oil, and pesto. 
3. Toss and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, top with parmesan cheese, to taste.

This recipe was inspired by the recipe at the Whole Grains Council (http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/main-dishes/penne-with-pesto-and-cherry-tomatoes).

Canned Tomato Salsa

I used to always buy canned salsa in the store just to have around for when we made Mexican food. However, a few months ago, I found this recipe for salsa made from canned tomatoes, and it is so awesome, I will never buy canned salsa again! It's amazing how much of a better this is than canned salsa, despite starting from canned tomatoes. The use of fresh garlic, onions, jalapeños, and lime juice are really make the flavor of this salsa. I did not expect this to be so great, but now I make it all the time! 

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tsp lime juice (fresh is always better)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (or 2 Tbsp dried)

Directions:

1. Drain tomatoes and reserve juice. 
2. Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic to a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse to chop.
3. Add juice from tomatoes, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne. Pulse to combine.
4. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and process on for a few seconds. Add remaining tomatoes and cilantro and pulse until the salsa is the proper consistency. 

This recipe is adapted from "Best Canned Tomato Salsa Recipe" from Simply Fresh Cooking (http://simplyfreshcooking.com/2012/04/best-canned-tomato-salsa-recipe/).

Avocado Feta Dip

When I was starting out with cooking and trying to build up a set of recipes I liked and felt comfortable making, this was one of the first things I made. It's an awesome dip to take to parties! The feta, tomato, and avocado in this salad really complement each other. Highly recommend this recipe because it's very easy to make and sure to impress a crowd!

Ingredients:

2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cups red onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 avocados, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Dash of lime juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except avocado.
2. Add avocado and stir a few times (you don’t want to make the avocado too mushy).
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

This recipe was adapted from the recipe at tastebook.com (http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/354791-Kathy-s-Avocado-Feta-Salsa?full_recipe=true).

Pesto, White Bean, Tomato, and Tortellini Salad

We've had a ton of basil coming out of our garden recently, and so I have been making pesto all the time! I have been trying to come up with new ways to use it, and this was a really awesome option. This salad is great because it's very filling and vegetarian. I like trying to eat vegetarian as often as I can because its healthy, and it saves me money, not eating meat at every meal. If you are one of those people who needs meat with every meal, though, this would pair great with any grilled item, such as bratwurst or chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

1 (19 oz.) bag frozen tortellini
1/2 cup pesto
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern beans)
1 roma tomato, diced

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and allow time to cool.
2. Mix the tortellini, pesto, white beans and tomatoes. 
3. Toss ingredients until well mixed and everything is coated in pesto.
4. If desired, chill before serving.

This recipe was adapted from The Dreaming Foodie (http://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/2013/07/03/tortellini-salad/#comments).

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

These potatoes are awesome because they are extremely versatile. They go great with breakfast food, either as a side to meat and eggs or in breakfast burritos. They'd also go great with any dinner where you might instead make a baked potato or fries. I'm sure there are even more uses for them! Potatoes are also always pretty cheap to make, so they are awesome when you are trying to be frugal.

Ingredients:

3 medium russet potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the potatoes into 1/4”-1/2” pieces.
3. Place in a bowl with the olive oil, pepper, and garlic. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.
4. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out into an even layer.
5. Roast in oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice during cooking to make sure potatoes do not burn and are evenly browned.
6. Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe was adapted from "Garlic Roasted Potatoes" from Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/garlic-roasted-potatoes-recipe/index.html).

Chunky Vegan Guacamole

Guacamole is one of those foods where I am always changing up the recipe and trying new things. This recipe is great for people who are lactose intolerant or vegan because it has no sour cream in it (I love sour cream so I would normally add some). It's based on a Chipotle guacamole copycat recipe that I modified by adding tomatoes, garlic, and cayenne pepper. It came out pretty spicy and really delicious!

Ingredients:

3 avocados, sliced
1/2 cup of red onions, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped (or a tablespoon or two of dried, if you don't have fresh)
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash/stir with a fork

This recipe is based on the Chipotle copycat recipe from Budget Savvy Diva (http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/02/copy-cat-recipe-chipotles-guacamole/).

Cilantro-Lime Rice in Rice Cooker

This is a great alternative to spicy rice in burritos. I especially like being able to make this in the rice cooker. I should have made sure the chicken bouillon was better dissolved when I cooked this, but it still came out tasting great! I will definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 crushed bouillon cube
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add the rice, water, and chicken bouillon to a rice cooker.  Stir mixture to dissolve bouillon as mixture heats. Cover and cook.
2. When rice is finished cooking, add the lime juice, cilantro, and salt; fluff ingredients with paddle until well combined.

This recipe was adapted from a non-rice cooker recipe found on Allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cilantro-lime-rice/detail.aspx).

Baked Garlic Cilantro Fries

Baked fries are awesome to make at home because they're pretty easy (especially if you have a mandoline slicer) and also really delicious. One of the baked fry recipes I make most often is this one, garlic cilantro fries. They're so good and so simple. I will note, though, that I had a lot of trouble with fries sticking to the baking sheet when I first started making baked fries. I tried lining the baking sheet with foil, like most recipes recommend, and they still stuck. I have found that the key to nice crispy fries that don't stick is to line the sheet with parchment paper. If you don't already have this in your kitchen, you can easily pick it up from any grocery store. Highly recommend using it for fries! They come out so much better than any other method I've tried.

Ingredients:

2-3 russet potatoes, cut into thin fries
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped, or 1-2 tsp. dried cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Soak thinly cut fries in cold water for 5-20 min, depending on how much time you have. You can skip this step, but the fries won’t be quite as crispy.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Drain fries and dry with paper towel.
5. Toss the fries with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you are using dried cilantro, you can also add that here.
6. Spread seasoned fries out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the temperature of your oven and desired crispiness of fries. Flip the fries every 15 minutes while baking.
8. Remove fries from over, toss with cilantro in a bowl (if using fresh).

This recipe was adapted from "Baked Garlic Cilantro Fries" from The Talking Kitchen (http://www.thetalkingkitchen.com/baked-garlic-cilantro-fries/).

Toasted Slivered Almonds

When I made the Pesto with Toasted Almonds recently, I didn't have any whole almonds. So, instead, I toasted up some slivered almonds. It's really easy to burn these, so be careful and check on them often! Mine came out pretty well, though!

Ingredients:

Raw slivered almonds
Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for five minutes.
4. Remove the cookie sheet and shake to mix the almonds. Return to the oven.
5. Check every couple of minutes to avoid overcooking. Remove almonds when they are barely darker than they were raw. Overall, the almonds should roast for 7-12 minutes.

These instructions are based on those found at http://vinegarlic.com/2011/06/27/how-to-toast-slivered-almonds-in-the-oven-temperature-how-long-time/. However, their instructions call for a cooking time that was far too long for my oven. Mine would have burned if I left them in for 10-15 minutes.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach dip is one of my favorites! I could eat this for a whole meal (and have on a few occasions). It's not particularly good for me, but it is so delicious. This recipe is particularly amazing, with a little bit of heat from hot canned jalapeños, and lots of creaminess to balance that.

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese
16 oz light sour cream
1 stick unsalted butter
1½ – 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
14 oz quartered artichoke hearts, drained
4 oz can diced jalapeños, drained
10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

1. In a pan over medium-low heat, melt to combine cream cheese, sour cream, butter and parmesan cheese. 
2. Stir frequently until all ingredients are melted and consistently mixed.
3. Stir in quartered artichoke hearts, drained can of jalapeños, drained spinach, and minced garlic cloves.
4. Serve warm with chips or toasted bread.

Recipe adapted from "Spinach and Artichoke Dip" from Natasha's Kitchen (http://natashaskitchen.com/2012/09/30/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe/). 

Roasted Garlic

There are probably tons of instructions for making roasted garlic out there on the internet. However, for anyone who is curious, this is how I made the roasted garlic I used in Roasted Garlic Mac & Cheese.

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice about a third off the top end of the garlic head. Remove any loose paper from the head of garlic without breaking apart the cloves.
3. Place garlic on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil.
4. Bring the foil over the sides of the garlic and twist to seal it, but not too tight.
5. Place it in a oven-safe dish and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, until garlic is very soft.
6. Wait until the garlic cools a bit, then squeeze the cloves out or use a fork.

Instructions for roasting garlic are based on There's always thyme to cook... (http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com/2010/10/roasted-garlic.html). I raised the cooking temperature from 350 to 400 degrees F, though.
 

Sautéed Green Beans & Garlic

I'm always looking for creative ways to prepare vegetables that make them as delicious as possible. This recipe is great to use with fresh green beans, if you have them around. I don't know how well it would work with frozen or canned. 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. fresh green beans
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Chop off ends of green beans.
2. In a medium to large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add beans to skillet with a sprinkle of salt.
4. Cook beans until they start to have some color. 
5. When the color starts to substantially change, add garlic.
6. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until garlic is aromatic.
7. Remove from heat and season with pepper and salt.

This recipe was adapted from instructions at Broke and Healthy (http://www.brokeandhealthy.com/sauteed-green-beans-garlic-62). This recipe didn't have exact ratios in it, so I tried to list close to what I used. 

Romaine, Blue Cheese, Avocado, and Almond Salad

We keep lettuce around the house a lot because it makes great food for our bunnies. However, it's also awesome to have around for the occasional salad. This salad was pretty awesome; though, next time I might have to make the dressing with fresh basil. It would probably be even better!

Ingredients:

½ head of romaine
2-4 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled
1 avocado
1/4 cup of slivered almonds
1 Tablespoon dried basil (or more, to taste)
6 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 T champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
zest of a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Tear romaine into small pieces.
2. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle blue cheese over the salad. 
3. Sprinkle almonds over salad.
4. Cut the avocado into small pieces and add to the salad. 
5. Wash the lemon, zest it and then juice it. 
6. Combine the dried basil, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Add the dressing from the food processor to the salad and toss.

Recipe modified from "Romaine, Blue Cheese, Avocado and Almond Salad 
with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette" from Salt on the Table (http://www.saltonthetable.com/2012/02/romaine-blue-cheese-avocado-and-almond.html). This recipe uses fresh basil, so if you are thinking of doing that, you should check here for amounts.

Blue Cheese Guacamole

Awhile back, I bought blue cheese on whim. I like blue cheese a lot, and I felt like I was always seeing recipes with blue cheese on Pinterest. So, I figured I would have no problem using it up. Of course, I forgot about for awhile and didn't remember it until I was trying to decide on an appetizer to bring to a friend's house. I had a bunch of avocados at the time too, and settled on blue cheese guacamole!

I was a little skeptical, but it turned out pretty damn awesome and was a huge hit with everyone else. Will definitely make again!

Ingredients:

3 small avocados, sliced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mash with fork to desired consistency.


This recipe was based on "Blue Cheese Guacamole" from Closet Cooking (http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/08/blue-cheese-guacamole.html).

French Bread

I love French bread for so many uses, from garlic bread to French bread pizzas. It's so cheap to make at home, that I figured I would try my hand at it. It came out so well! I would definitely make this again.

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups warm water, yeast, and sugar.
2. Add salt and 2 cups flour. Mix until well combined.
3. Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix using a wooden spoon. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
4. Sprinkle remaining ½-1 cup flour onto smooth surface. Transfer dough to surface and knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. 
5. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn over once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
6. Punch dough down, and divide in half. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. 
7. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
8. Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, you can place your loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
10. With a very sharp knife, make 4 or 5 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. 
11. Bake in a preheated 425 degrees F oven for 25-35 minutes with baking dish of water on extra rack to keep oven humid. Cooking time may vary, so check bread often.
12. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

Modified from recipe at Allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/french-bread/detail.aspx).