Garlic Bread

This garlic bread post is part 1 in a series; tomorrows recipe will be mushroom marinara sauce. This is one of my favorite pasta sauces (which is weird, since I hate mushrooms) and it goes perfectly with garlic bread. Since today I don't feel like typing an incredibly long pasta recipe, I'm just going to give you the galric bread one. Yes, I know, I'm super lazy.

Garlic Bread

1 loaf of nice bread, we used french bread

1/2 stick butter, melted

garlic powder

onion powder

Cut the bread into slices, but don't cut all the way through. Leave about 1/2 inch of the bread still together at the bottom. Liberally brush the melted butter between the slices. If you need more butter, go ahead and melt some more. This is not the time to be stingy people. Then sprinkle on plenty of garlic powder anywhere you put the butter. I like to sprinkle on a little bit of onion powder too, but hey that's totally optional. Put the bread in a 350F oven for about 10 min, checking on it after 5 minutes. If you like it crispier, leave it in for the full ten. Then turn the broiler on and let it crisp up for about a minute. Keep an eye on it! Don't want super burned garlic bread, just golden brown and crispy. Oh this would also be the time to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, if you so desire. When it's done just put it in a basket and people will rip off the slices themselves.

XOXO

Natalie

Roast Chicken and Veggies

So I have a huge long list of things to post here, however I'm letting one particular meal cut in line. This is a great simple meal that is so amazingly satisfying. This is also a really great meal if you have a local farmers market. I've taken to wandering around the farmers market, grabbing veggies and fruits that look the freshest and making some kick ass food out of it. While I was at the farmers market this week, I already had roasted chicken and veggies in mind so all I had to do was find the nicest looking veggies. I ended up getting a BUNCH of stuff, but for this meal I used potatoes, carrots, squash, zucchini, and onions. Unfortunately, they don't sell whole chickens, dead or otherwise, at the farmers market so I went to Safeway for that. So here is how to make a whole roasted chicken and veggies to go along with it.

Roast Chicken and Vegetables

Chicken adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 whole chicken

Fresh herbs (I used sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley)

Canola oil

1 lemon

1 onion

Vegetables for roasting, cut into uniform pieces

Zuchini

Squash

new potatoes

carrots

Remove the insides from the chicken if this hasn't already been done for you and pat the outside with a paper towel. If the chicken isn't dry before putting on the herbs, it won't get deliciously brown and crispy. Chop up the herbs and combine them with oil. Depending on how many chickens you are doing you will need to change the amounts but here is the basic rule for one chicken:

2 Tbsp chopped herbs

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp canola oil

If you are doing two chickens (like I did) then you would double that. Rub the oil/herb mixture all over the chicken. Then cut the lemon and onion in half and put them in the chicken. My two chickens were kind of small so I did half of each in each chicken. You can also throw in a couple cloves of garlic if you so desire. Also feel free to pin the back of the chicken so that the lemon/onions don't fall out. I used those long metal pointy things. I really don't even know what to call them.

Cook the chicken in 450F oven for an hour to an hour 15 min until the juices run clear. Let rest for 15 min before serving. I thought the chickens were done, but the legs weren't quite as cooked as the breasts were. But we were starving so we carved up the breasts then put the chickens back in the oven to cook the legs through.

Now for the roasted veggies! Make sure all the veggies are all chopped to approximatly the same size, otherwise they won't cook evenly. I cooked my veggies in batches because I wanted to make sure everything was cooked properly. First I did the potatoes and carrots. This is also where you would roast the onions if you chose to do so. Toss the carrots and potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and any fresh herbs you have on hand. You can put the potatoes and carrots in the oven with the chicken at 450F for 30 min.

After they're done, put them in a bowl, cover it with foil and just wait till everything else is ready. The squash and zichunni are next. The same goes for them: toss with oil, salt, pepper, and herbs and throw it in the oven. These only cook for 10-15 min. Check on them every now and then to see when they're done to your liking.

So there you go! A delicious (and super healthy) roasted dinner.

XOXO

Natalie

roasted asparagus

Hey everybody! I promised a roasted asparagus recipe so here you go! I don't really like asparagus that much; I don't hate it, it's just not my favorite veggie. This is my favorite way to make it because it's easy and tasty. Basically you throw it in the oven until it's done to your liking. I think that we had it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Toss the asparagus, with the bottoms trimmed off please, with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss it in a 350F oven, testing them every 5 minutes or so. I don't think you would want to cook it more than 20 minutes because that would mean they would be soggy and that is gross. So please please please, for the love of all that is good, please don't over cook your asparagus.

That is all.

Eat up!

XOXO

Natalie

garlic parmesan potatoes

The other day I had two things: a bag of potatoes and an idea. TA DAH! I was put in charge of the potatoes for dinner the other night and, remembering a recipe I saw earlier, I made some really tasty parmesan and garlic potatoes. This is a really nice side dish and it went really well with the main course, salmon. I also made some roasted asparagus, so today I'll be posting the recipes for the potatoes, but I'll put up the asparagus tomorrow. OK! Let's do this thing!

Adapted from Naturally Ella

3-4 cups red potatoes, sliced

Olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

fresh basil

1/2 cup parmesan

In a large skillet (I had to use two) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and garlic and cook until the potatoes are softened. Then add the basil and parmesan and fry the potatoes until they have a crunch to them. I didn't cook mine long enough before I added the parmesan, so make sure they actually are soft. Also, feel free to replace the basil with any fresh herbs you have around. The original recipe called for oregano, but I didn't have any. So basil it was!

Hope you like it!

XOXO

Natalie

Eggpocalypse II

So my last post was a fritatta, which was a nice way of using up a boat load of eggs. This is the other way I used up oh so many eggs. Egg salad! Now, I personally don't really like egg salad. I don't really like eggs at all, especially hard boiled eggs. I know that I'm pretty much alone in this, so I made egg salad anyway. This is a super simple recipe and is great for sandwiches.

adapted from allrecipes

6 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Chop the hard boiled eggs into small squares. (If you don't know how to boil eggs, here is a good guide) In a bowl, combine everything but the eggs, then gently fold in the eggs.

Serve in a sandwich with some potato chips on the side!

XOXO

Natalie

Torrrrrrrtillas

So I have another very simple recipe for you all today. We had like zero food in the house, but we did have the ingredients to make tortillas! Specifically, gluten free flour tortillas! And if you don't have the ingredients to make these then you need to go to the store more than I do.

adapted from home cooking in montana

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently mix in the vegetable oil and milk until the dough forms into a ball. You can do this in a mixer or with your hands. I am mixer-less so I just kneaded the milk and oil in. If you are using gluten free flour like I am, you are going to need to use a lot more milk. I added 3/4 cup and it didn't blend well at all. Just add about a 1/4 cup of milk at a time until the dough forms into a ball. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes. Then make eight balls out of the dough. Cover in plastic wrap again and let sit for ten minutes.

Time to cook em! Roll them out between two pieces of saran wrap. They have to be reallllllly thin. Like paper thin if you can. Then throw them into a hot pan. If you aren't using a non-stick pan then you might need to add a little bit of oil. But not too much because you don't want to deep fry them. Use a spatula to prevent it from sticking. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side and transfer to a plate.

These are really good fresh, and I had a hard time not eating them right out of the pan! but please, try to contain yourself and let other people try them too.

XOXO

Natalie

scalloped potatoes

So the other main dish I made for easter was scalloped potatoes. I love scalloped potatoes, and in fact, I don't think I know anybody who doesn't like them. They're delicious. What could be better than potatoes in cream sauce? nothing, that's what. I also made mashed potatoes because Andy begged for them, and you can find that recipe here. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it seemed like everyone really liked it. So, here's how to make scalloped potatoes!

1/3 cup chopped onions (about one small onion)

5 Tbsp butter

5 Tbsp flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

5 cups milk

6 cups thinly sliced potatoes

Preheat the oven to 350F and peel/slice the potatoes. Then in a sauce pan melt the butter. Add the onions to the butter and cook over med-high heat until the onions have softened slightly. Then add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir it continuously. We're making a roux again!

keep stirring until the mixture is thick then add the milk. Bring it to a boil, stirring every now and then.

In a 9x13" baking pan, layer half the potatoes in the bottom. Then pour half of the mixture on top. Then do it again!

The dish will be really full, so please be careful not to spill on yourself. Bake, uncovered, for 60-70 minutes. The top should be golden brown and crispy and the potatoes will be tender.

Eat up!

XOXO

Natalie

Hi I'm Natalie and I'm a chip addict

I would like to announce to the world that I am DONE WITH MY FEMINIST THEORY CLASS! yayyyyyyy! Seriously, I could not be happier. Not the worst class I've taken, but it is definitely up there on the list. (Econ 2 takes the cake, if you were wondering) Yesterday I handed in my final paper and I was done with that class for good. The worst part of it is, I only took that class in order to stay in school. The system requires that we have at least 14 credits, or we are not a full time student. If you're not a full time student, you cant live on campus, and you could be kicked out for a quarter or more. So basically, when I only had two classes this quarter I was forced to find a third class and feminist theory was literally the only thing left. And it ended up being my most difficult class! But that doesn't matter now, because I am never taking a fem class again. No offense to all the fem studies majors out there. I'm sure you're all great at what you do. But your major blows.

Anyway, onto the food!

Last weeks winner at the poll was eggs benedict, so I will be making those over my spring break. I'm sure my parents will be very happy, because my mom has been asking me to make them forever.

I have a super, super, SUPER simple recipe for y'all today. I actually wasn't going to post it, but they ended up so tasty, I just have to share it. We (me and my roomies) were having another kitchen adventure and we decided to make ground beef with taco seasoning and guacamole. But we didn't have any chips! ...but we did have tortillas. And oil. So I made tortilla chips!

Tortilla chips are really good, but homemade ones are like exponentially better. Basically what you do is grab a fat stack of tortillas, cut them into wedges (a pizza cutter is an excellent tool here) and then start heating up about a 1/2 inch of oil in a pot. When the oil is hot, maybe about 350F, throw a couple of wedges in the oil. After about a 30 seconds to a minute, grab some tongs and flip them over.

Use your discretion here, because some people like their chips super crispy, and some don't. I did a mix of the two. Anyway, these chips are great with homemade guacamole, and I'm sure they would make great nachos too!

XOXO

Natalie

Beans are healthy too, right?

ALLLLLRIGHTY I've got a delicious and unhealthy recipe for you today. And yes, I do remember that like two posts ago I said that I was going to be healthier. But this is an exception. There are beans (a lot of beans) in this, and beans have protein. so....HA! These baked beans are now healthy!I actually have two baked bean recipes, this one is from pioneer woman and is the more complicated one of the two. It's probably better for like parties and family gatherings. The other one I have (which I will post at some point) is more like a quick thing to throw together as a side. Anyway, here's how you do it!

8 slices of bacon

1 med onion, cut into a small dice

1/2 med green pepper, cut into a small dice (optional)

3 large cans of baked beans (with pork please)

3/4 cup bbq sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 tsp dry mustard or 2 tbsp dijon

Preheat the oven to 325F. Then crack open a thing of bacon and get frying! Fry the pieces of bacon until almost crispy.

They're gonna cook in the oven, so you don't want them to be completely cooked. Take the bacon out and put it on a plate with paper towels. Then add the onions and peppers if you use them.

And now I would like to tell you what usually happens when I make this at home. Around this point, my brother comes into the kitchen and the conversation goes like this:

Stephen: Hey.

Natalie: Hey.

Stephen: Whatcha makin?

Natalie: Baked beans.

Stephen: WHY ARE YOU OBSESSED WITH BAKED BEANS?! Wait....what...what are you...ARE YOU PUTTING THE ONIONS IN THE BACON FAT?!

Natalie: yes I am!

Stephen: OH MY GOD! WHY?!

Natalie: Are you going to eat it?

Stephen:...YES...

Natalie: Then shut up and pretend you didn't see it.

Then he leaves and I assume forgets about it, because he ends up eating them anyway.

Anyhoo! Next step! Cook the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes until they're tender. Then dump the beans and all the other ingredients into the pot and bring it to a simmer.

Pour the beans into a greased casserole dish and put the bacon on top. Bake them for about 2 hours, or until they don't look liquidy anymore.

I only baked these for about an hour because I had quartered the recipe. So if you aren't using the whole recipe, just check on it every now and then and see how it's doing.

We had these baked beans with (semi) bbq chicken. It was raining, so I couldn't actually grill the chicken. So instead, I just fried it up in a pan with some bbq sauce! yummy.

And that's how you make delicious baked beans!

XOXO

Natalie

Saintly wings

Well the superbowl was a rousing success. GO SAINTS! Anyone see that incredible interception? So awesome. We had Garrett and John over and we all watched the game together. And I made a FEAST of snack food. Seriously, it was like our one meal of the day. And I will be putting all those recipes up during the week. Today I want to tell you about the main event of the feast: wings. I have never made homemade wings before, and so this was awesome, and I was really proud of them. I found the recipe on Pioneer Woman Cooks, but I changed it up a little bit. (Click at the bottom to see the rest!)

Evil TAs and roasted carrots

Ughhhhh, you know what sucks? homework. I've got a ton of it and I feel like it's never ending. But that's college I guess. And if I'm gonna be a history major, I better get used to it. Also had to deal with sections today. For those of you who don't know what those are, they are basically extra class that you don't get credit for. You go and listen to a TA talk for an hour. FUN! Doubly fun when you didn't bring notes with you and the TA calls on you to analyze two feminist essays. And then when you try to BS some random answer, she stares at you and you just finish up your sentence with "...um....yea.....that's...what I was thinking...." Next week I'll be sure to have my notes handy. And I'll write my name really small on the attendance sheet so she won't call on me. Also I had to laugh because the person that gave the right answer was a dude....in my feminism class. Maybe the proper response should be shame that my oppresor knows more about liberation than I do. But it's all good, because my breaks from work are fun enough to balance it out. Last night I made dinner for my roomies and watched the hangover with them. And if you haven't seen that movie, you really have to. It's fantastic.

Oh also: If you aren't a follower already, go click follow in the side bar! Actually, I don't know if it sends you notifications or emails or anything... Anybody know?

And dinner was pretty tasty too! I made pasta with meat sauce and roasted carrots. I know, strange combination, but we had carrots and I wanted to use them. So there. The pasta was really basic and I kind of made it up. ground beef, onion, seasonings and a jar of Prego sauce. Not particularly exciting, but delicious! What I want to tell you all about is the roasted carrots. I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman's website and I don't really know how I feel about it. I mean, it was good, but I don't really like carrots. I kind of burned them too, but I personally liked the burned ones better. They were sweeter and had a nice texture. It's probably the easiest vegetable thing I've ever made in my life besides salad. Which doesn't really count cause I only eat iceberg lettuce and that's pretty much water. Anyway! Here's how to make them!

preheat your oven to 400F and then go get your carrots. You can peel them, or just wash them really well. Whatever you prefer, but I personally like to peel them. Then cut them up so that they're all about the same size. (I cut them in half so I had two long strips, then cut the wider on in half again. That way I ended up with three long strips about the same width) Put them on a baking sheet and pour some olive oil on them. Then move them around so the olive oil coats them thoroughly.

Now here's where I deviated from the recipe. It called for fresh thyme but all I had was the kind in the jar, and safeway is wayyyyyy to far to go just for a handful of herbs. So if you have it, sprinkle fresh thyme over the carrots. If you only have dried, then use that and mix the carrots around so there's some on each. Then add salt and pepper.

Toss the whole baking sheet in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

I didn't do this, but I would suggest flipping them around once or twice while they're cooking if you want to avoid burned bits. But really, they're good with the burned parts too.

Hope you like it!

XOXO

Natalie