Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound green lentils
3 medium-large onions, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped carrots
3 quarts vegetable stock
¼ cup tomato paste
Parmesan cheese

What to do:

Be warned -- this makes a ton of soup.

Boil water and pour over the lentils, allowing them to soak in the hot water for 15 minutes.

Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin. Using a really big pot, sauté the onions and leeks in the olive oil mixture for 20 minutes. Add the carrots and the celery and sauté for another 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, tomato paste, and lentils. Bring the mixture to a boil, covered, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for one hour

Drizzle with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

1/2 box of linguine

S&P

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

~1/2 cup white wine

1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail optional

6 tbsp butter

3 tbs fresh lemon juice

1. Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside in a large serving bowl.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large enough pan so that the all the shrimp can fit in one layer (but don't add the shrimp just yet). Add the garlic to the oil and cook until it smells really yummy, about a minute or so but be sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the wine and some s&p. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Add the shrimp to the boiling mixture and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp starts to change color. Bring the heat down a bit and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring several times to be sure the shrimp cook on all sides.

4. Remove the shrimps into the bowl with the pasta, leaving the liquid in the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook it down until it reduces to about half the original amount. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tbsp at a time. Stir in the lemon and some s&p to taste. Pour the sauce over the pasta-shrimp mixture and toss.

Easy Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp butter (or oil)

2 eggs

salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup edamame

1/2 cup broccoli

1-2 cloves garlic

2 cups cooked rice, cold

1/4 cup soy sauce

1. Scramble the two eggs with the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Melt the butter (or heat oil) in a large skillet/wok. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked but not dried out. Place in a separate bowl and wipe the skillet clean.

2. Heat the oil in the clean skillet. Add the onion and simmer for about 4 minutes over low to medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for another two minutes. Then add the broccoli, edamame and garlic. Continue to sauté for 3 or 4 more minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

3. Add the rice and cook for about another 3 or 4 minutes. Add in the soy sauce. Cook another 4 minutes or so and then add in the egg. Cook for one more minute and then remove from heat.

This is listed as gluten free but only because I used gluten-free soy sauce. Most is not gluten free.

Jeremy's Risotto

Jeremy makes this and it is so yummy. He walked me through it and I tried to recreate. I didn't measure, so the amounts below are estimations.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp oil

1 shallot

1 cup arborio rice

~ 1 carton stock, maybe a little less

1/2 cup of white wine

1 lemon

~ 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the oil. Add the minced shallot and saute for a few minutes. Add in the rice and mix until completely covered in the oil and shallot mixture.

2. Add a bunch of stock, about 2 or 3 cups, and the white wine. Bring to a boil and then simmer - stirring continuously the entire time so that the rice can absorb the liquid. Keep adding stock as it cooks down. Simmer for about 20 minutes - again, stirring very frequently.

3. Add the lemon juice and the parm. Simmer for a few more minutes while stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until it is no longer runny.

Ginger-Honey Salmon Marinade

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients to make the marinade. Place fish in container with marinade, pink side down. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Bake at 350, tightly covered with tin foil, for 20 minutes.

Halloween Severed Finger Cookies

Cookie ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp spiced rum

2 3/4 cup flower

1 tsp baking powder

sliced almonds

Preheat over to 325.

Mix the butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg and rum, mix. Stir in the flower and baking soda.

Roll the dough into finger-shaped cookies and place a few inches apart on a cookie sheet. Press an almond slice into the end of each cookie. Use a butter knife to make knuckle creases.

Bake for 20 minutes. Once cool, dip end into raspberry sauce, directions below.

Raspberry Sauce:

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 tsp corn starch

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about five minutes.

Baked Flounder with Parmesan Breadcrumb Crust

Flounder was on sale! This is super easy.

Ingredients:

3 flounder fillets

3/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup panko

4 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat over to 425.

2. Combine the parmesan, panko, melted butter and oil to form a crumbly mixture.

3. Lightly butter a baking dish.

4. Lay fish flat in the baking dish and cover with the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven at let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Potato Pancakes

Potatoes were on sale! This made way more than I thought it would, about a dozen pancakes. Originally, the recipe I followed called for about a 1/3 of each of the following but I had three potatoes so I made a lot.

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes

1 1/2 large yellow onions

3 eggs

3 tbsp chopped parsley

3 tbsp flour

3 tbsp panko

1 tbsp thyme

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Olive oil for frying

Shread the potatoes and onions together into a bowl. Squeeze out the excess water with your hands and put the potato/onion mixture into a large bowl. Add egg, parsley, flour, panko, thyme, lemon juice, and s&p. Mix throughly.

Add oil to a pan such that the entire bottom is significantly covered, about a little less than 1/2 cup for the pan I was using. Heat the oil on high. Reduce to medium hear and then drop about a 1/2 cup-sized ball of the mixture into the pan. Flatted out with a spoon. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. I patted them with a paper towel to remove excess oil and also added a little more salt to the uncooked side facing up.

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Orange Frosting

These cupcakes were absolutely amazing.

For the cupcakes:

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1 can pumpkin

1 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

For the frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3 tbsp, softened

1 to 2 tbsp orange juice

2 tsp spiced rum

1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel

4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for ~25 minutes and test with a toothpick.

3. For the icing, mix together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the other ingredient and blend until smooth.

4. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

5. Nom nom nom.

Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus 1 extra tablespoon

1 1/2 large yellow onions, sliced

2 medium zucchini, sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

sprinkle of nutmeg

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup hot milk

3/4 cup panko

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add in the onions and cook over low heat for twenty minutes. Add the zucchini. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until tender.

2. Add in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for another five minutes.

3. Add in the flour and milk and cook another few minutes until it makes a sauce. Pour mixture into a glass pie dish.

4. Mix together the panko and gruyere. Sprinkle over the top of the zucchini mixture. Cut the remaining tbsp of butter into pieces and put on top of the panko/cheese mixture.

5. Bake for 20 minutes or until all browned and bubbly.

Candied Pecans

Ingredients:

2 cups raw pecans, halves

1 egg white

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup white sugar

~1 tsp cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Whisk together the egg white and water until frothy. Add the pecans to coat.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in another bowl. Toss in the pecans.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and grease it with butter. Spread out the pecans in a single layer.

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Bubble and Squeak

Ingredients:

(Left over) mashed potatoes

Butter

Oil

Veggies of your choice. I used:

1 carrot, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 handful green beans, cut into half inch pieces

1 tomato, diced

Either make mashed potatoes or use leftover ones.

Boil the green beans, about 4 or 5 minutes.

While the green beans are boiling. Melt about a tbsp of butter with a tbsp of oil in a pan. Cook the leeks, carrot and onions together. Once they are cooked, add in the green beans and the diced tomato.

Add the potatoes and fry in the pan flipping every few minutes.

Double Spice Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

My co-worker Dan named these.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla (I used spiced rum instead)

2 cups oatmeal

(chocolate chips)

Preheat to 350.

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix softened butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg and rum.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Last, add in the oats. I added chocolate chips to the last half of the batter.

Bake ~18 minutes on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Zucchini Pancakes

Zucchini Pancakes

2 medium zucchini, shredded

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 cup flower

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp baking powder

butter

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add shredded zucchini, onion, flower, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Last, stir in the baking soda. Cook on the stove like regular pancakes, about 2 minutes on each side. They won't bubble like regular pancakes do.

Apple Butter

Ingredients:

6 apples

1/3 cup apple cider

2/3 cup maple syrup (or dark brown sugar)

2 tsp spiced rum (or vanilla)

1 tbsp lemon juice

cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves to taste

Peel, seed and cut up the apples. Pull all the ingredients into a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the apples are easily squished. Remove from heat and use an emersion blender to puree until smooth.

Beans and Greens

Jeremy makes this and I tried to do what he does. :)

2 cans white beans

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

salt

~2 cups vegetable broth

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

bunch of kale, about 4 handfuls, chopped

crushed red pepper flakes

pepper

parmesan cheese

1 loaf of Italian bread

olive oil to drizzle

Heat the butter and oil. Add the onions and garlic, cook for about 4 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another few minutes. Add about half of the vegetable broth and the crushed red pepper and salt. Cook until the onions start to get soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in the kale and keep stirring in until it gets all wilted. Cook for about another 7-10 minutes, depending how squishy you want the beans to get. Add more vegetable broth as needed so it says soup-like. Add in salt and pepper. Top with parm.

Slice the Italian bread and toast in the oven with some olive oil on top.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

These were super good and really moist. They kind of ended up being a mix between a granola bar and a cookie and therefore it is appropriate to also eat them for breakfast, I think.

Oven set to 375.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp rum (this was a sub because I was out of vanilla)

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 cups oats

1 cup peeled, diced apples (I used red apples)

Blend butter, sugar, milk, rum and egg with mixer for a few minutes in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg. Blend dry ingredients slowly into milk/sugar mixture. Stir in oats and apples.

Bake at 375 for ~13 minutes on either a greased cookie sheet or a cooke sheet with parchment paper on it. Space about an inch apart; they didn't flatten too much. This made 24 cookies.

*This recipe originally called for brown sugar, vanilla instead of rum, walnuts, and raisins and a little less of the cinnamon and nutmeg than what I did and listed above.

Pesto with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3 medium cloves of garlic

2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup 3 cheese blend: asiago, fontina, parmesan

4 tbsp olive oil

1 can peeled, crushed tomatoes

salt, italian seasoning

~ 1 lb pasta

parmesan cheese for topping

1. Start chopping the garlic. Add about 1/3 of the basil and continue to chop it down. Add 1/3 of the basil, and again with the last 1/3. Start to add in the cheese and continue until all of the ingredients are mined together. Squish into a patty and put into a bowl. Cover with olive oil and put it in the fridge.

2. Boil the water and cook the pasta.

3. Heat the tomatoes for about 5 minutes, adding the salt and spices.

4. Combine pasta, pesto, and tomatoes (without liquid). Top with parmesan.

Chick peas with tomato and onion

The general outline of this recipe came from my friend Saman whose family is from Pakistan.

Ingredients:

~3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

4-5 cans of chickpeas

4 tomatoes, chopped

3 onions, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp salt

~1 tsp cayenne pepper (add slowly and test for spiciness)

tamarind sauce (recipe below)

Tamarind Sauce:

1 tbsp tamarind sauce (at Whole Foods)

4 1/2 cups water

bunch of crushed red pepper

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp sugar

Rice:

3 boil-in-bag rice

1 tbsp butter (optional)

~ teaspoon lemon pepper

pinch of garlic powder, salt

Start with the tamarind sauce. Bring the water to a boil and add all the ingredients. This needs to boil down for about an hour. After about a half an hour, start the chickpeas.

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add cumin seeds (seeds should sizzle so test one first). Let them sizzle until they start to brown and then add the chick peas. Fry the chick peas for about 5 minutes.

2. Add everything else! Start a pot of water to boil the rice for 10 minutes.

3. Cook on high heat for about 20-25 minutes and then add about half of the tamarind sauce, which should be down to about a half a cup. Reduce to medium heat and cook for about another 20-25 minutes, depending on how mushy you want the chickpeas to be. Add the rest of the tamarind sauce during that time. They should cook until there isn't any liquid anymore, stirring periodically the entire time.