teacher by day - chef by night
WARNING – this is not diet food! This dip is perfect for a crowd at your next party. At our Super Bowl Party this year this dip was the one that had the highest percentage of it eaten, so that should speak for itself. There …
Get out your pots and your stretchy pants and enjoy some amazing savory Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese!
We keep on getting stuff called amaranth from our co-op. It is not a bad thing (actually pretty good) and it actually tastes a lot like spinach (with a slightly more bitter & fuzzy-ness to them) The major problem is that we are getting tired of it and we are also avoiding using the oven all the time during these summer months!
With our last crop of Amaranth I decided I wanted to do some sort of Spinach Pie & this recipe looked like it would hit the spot (which it did)! This got huge thumbs up from us & my parents (served with a big salad and some grilled garlic chicken to satisfy dad’s need for protein with every meal). The flavors in this were right on and in many ways it reminded me of my Spinach Feta Pie, (which I guess I never blogged, and am now craving as well)! Veggie Pies are an awesome way to get some tasty flavors into your diet (although “diet” is a rough word to use here with the 3+ cups of cheeses in the pie). So just ENJOY!
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion in the butter until very soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Mix in the thawed, squeezed spinach.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach/onion mixture and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Transfer filling to prepared pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving & ENJOY
And I leave you with today’s Question… what is your favorite “health food” – whether it is a true or fake health food?
BEST MEATLOAF EVER. Warning: this is not low-calorie and there is nothing you can do to make it low-calorie, so run a few extra laps, go take a hike, hop on a bike – whatever you have to do to make and enjoy this meatloaf!!
Stuffed Shells and Manicotti were not and Italian food that I grew up with (or had ever made before this year), probably because they are not as easy as most other pastas. With just a little bit of time (assemble the night before – the way you would lasagna) you can have the awesome flavors you want with the beautiful presentation you crave!
… like you really need an excuse to eat warm melty cheese!?
I love my Food Holiday Reference and when I saw that this past Monday was National Fondue Day – how could I resist (although we celebrated a belated Fondue Day and waited until Wednesday, but it was the thought that counted & I’m finally getting around to posting this and sharing it with you!)
For earning my Masters this past fall, my Great-Aunt wanted to get me something I could use and enjoy in the kitchen & I had been wanting (but wouldn’t splurge on it myself) an Electric Fondue Pot! After some research I decided she should get me the Cuisinart one. It has some great (easy) recipes in it, so I pulled the traditional recipe from there (which is basically the same one I have used before). Throw in some sliced veggies, cubed bread, & a big fresh salad and you have yourself a Fondue Day Celebration… enjoy (and remember to celebrate the little things in life or celebrate just because!!)
(from Cuisinart fondue pot pamphlet – this “serves 6” – so we cut it in half)
Place the grated cheeses in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the cornstarch and dry mustard and toss to coat the grated cheese completely. Reserve.
Rub the bottom and lower half of the sides Fondue Pot with the cut sides of the garlic cloves. Add the wine to the Fondue Pot. Turn the temperature to Setting 5 and bring the wine to a strong simmer (bubbling, but not boiling strongly). While stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or non-stick whisk, gradually whisk in the grated cheeses, sprinkling in one handful at a time, and not adding any more cheese until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. The mixture will slowly thicken. When the cheese is completely added, stir in the Kirschwasser and serve. Reduce the temperature setting of the Fondue Pot to Setting 3, the fondue should just simmer, it should never boil.
CELEBRATE LIFE