at home with ann

You remember the Butternut Squash and Barley Risotto from earlier this week?  If you make it, you will remember it for a long time because it makes a ton.  I love leftovers, but this quantity was a little daunting, even for me.  These risotto cakes mix the leftovers up a bit, so it feels like a whole new meal.  Risotto Cakes yield- about 15 cakes about a third of the Butternut Squash and Barley Risotto leftover 1 egg canola oil Mix beaten egg into leftover risotto.  Heat canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of risotto onto hot pan and cook for about 5-8 minutes a side, until crispy.  I had some trouble keeping my cakes together, my risotto was a little wet, so I transferred the completed cakes onto a baking sheet and stuck them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  This firmed them up.  Serve garnished with Parmesan or goat cheese.

Risotto is one of my favorite foods.  I love everything about it.  It can, however, be a bit rich, and not exactly health food.  You all know that doesn't stop me, though, I adhere to the "everything in moderation" school of thought.  It can also be a bit time consuming, so unless you want to spend 40 minutes standing in the kitchen stirring (this is only ok when you have a kitchen buddy and a glass of wine in hand), it's not the best for a weeknight meal.  This is my long-winded way of saying that while Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto is one of my favorite meals of all time, I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for a healthier, easier alternative.  Butternut Squash Barley Risotto recipe from Good Housekeeping 2 Tablespoons butter 2 shallots, sliced (I used half an onion) 2 springs fresh thyme (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried) 2 cups pearl barley 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 butternut squash (2 1/2 pounds, or so), peeled, seeded...

I have no idea why I've never made baked apples before.  It's essentially apple pie filling without the hassle.  And while I love crust, when you skip the butter and flour-laden layer, you get to eat more ice cream.  You can even eat this for breakfast. One of the things I like about this recipe is that the measurements are very loose guidelines.  Pretty much just sprinkle however much you like of each ingredient over the apples and toss it all together. Baked Apples inspired by Joy the Baker 4 large or 8 small (or however many you have) apples, peeled and sliced Lemon juice (I used half a lemon) Brown sugar Cinnamon 1 Teaspoon cornstarch Pinch Allspice Pinch Nutmeg Pinch Salt 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces In a baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, allspice and salt.  Mix well. Dot with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil. (I found my apples looked ...

Way back at the end of October, I got a kohlrabi in my final CSA pickup.  It intimidated me a bit, and sat in the back of my refrigerator for a solid month before I worked up the courage to tackle it.  What the heck is kohlrabi, you ask?  Well, per Wikipedia , it is a German turnip, part of the cabbage family.  I admit that cabbage is not my favorite thing in the world, so I was still a little wary.  I was assured by the internet that the flavor was very mild when cooked.  I came across a recipe for ham and kohlrabi gratin, which seemed manageable.  Ham, kohlbrabi, creamy white sauce; I can handle this.  This morphed in my mind to macaroni and cheese with ham and kohlrabi, and that's how we got here.  This falls into the category of "throw whatever vegetable you have around into mac and cheese so you feel better about eating it."  Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Kohlbrabi 2 cups pasta (I used whole wheat rotini) 2 cups grated ch...

You know what's hard to photograph?  Indian food.  It is ugly.  Tastes great, though. Red Lentil Dal is one of those recipes that comes together in less than 20 minutes, and is healthy and delicious.  You do need a pretty robust spice cabinet, but that can be built over time.  And I use pretty much all the spices in my cabinet, so it's worth the investment.  Except Herbs de Provence.  I have no idea what to do with that, but I digress. Red Lentil Dal recipe from Happy Herbivore 1/2 cup red lentils 2 cups vegetable broth 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon cumin 1 whole tomato, chopped 3 ounces tomato paste (half a can) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small onion, diced 1 teaspoon paprika 1 Tablespoon ginger dash cayenne pepper 1 Tablespoon coriander 2 teaspoons garam masala  In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in 1/4 cup water until translucent.  You can also use a light flavored oil, such as canola. Add spices,...

I'm guessing you don't need anyone to tell you how to make a burger.  Whether you like beef, turkey, chicken, bison, tuna or veggie, I'm willing to bet you have a recipe that works for you.  I like them all.  One of the reasons I like burgers is because they are all about the toppings, and if you saw my refrigerator door, you would know that I am no stranger to condiments.  That being said, I will not bore you with directions to make burgers, only say that these are turkey burgers and I went with the oven baked cooking approach.  And half the reason I used that cooking method was because I already had the oven on to bake the sweet potatoes.  We're all about multi-tasking around these parts.  What I will share are the toppings, because they were good.  Melted cheddar cheese (on top of and under the burger), barbecue sauce , sliced apples and romaine lettuce .  My taste tester commented that they would have gone to a whole new level if we...

I had half a can-worth of pumpkin puree in my refrigerator after making last week's muffins.  There were so many possibilities, I didn't know where to start.  In my Google reader alone, I have 47 recipes starred that feature pumpkin.  While they all sound delicious, I knew I wanted to take a little break from traditional baked goods (this weekend will mark the third baby shower in as many weeks, I have not been deprived of cookies).  The Pumpkin Granola from Baked Bree was especially appealing because I had all the ingredients on hand, and I've been craving cereal lately. I ended up having still a little leftover, so I made a pumpkin pie smoothie, which you've already seen if you Like my Facebook page.  If you haven't already seen it, you should Like my page.  In addition to linking to all the recipe posts, I also share random comments, mini recipes, and awkward kitchen moments.  Pumpkin Granola recipe from Baked Bree I halved the original rec...

I have made a lot of different lasagna and lasagna-type dishes.  Vegetarian, with squash instead of noodles, with goat cheese instead of mozzarella, with white sauce instead of marinara; there are endless options.  This time, however, I wanted to go classic.  Tomato meat sauce, noodles, and gooey cheese.  I intended to add a layer of spinach leaves to get a little more nutrients in the mix, but I can barely remember my name these days thanks to pregnancy brain, much less things that aren't on my shopping list.  A quick Google search brought me to the always wonderful Pioneer Woman.  Not one to shy away from baked meaty, cheesy goodness, I knew she wouldn't steer me wrong. When the power went out on Sunday, and we were deciding what to do with all the food in the refrigerator, the fate of the leftover lasagna was top priority.  I'm happy to say our porch made an excellent alternative refrigerator, even colder than the real thing, and it reheated won...

Day two of muffin recipes.  I love pumpkin baked goods, and this is the time of year when every market has a huge canned pumpkin display.  Of course if you are ambitious, you can use fresh pumpkin for this, but I wait until later in the fall to hack up and cook my pumpkins.  Yesterday morning when we left the house, I noticed that some animal had made quite a meal out of half of one of my pumpkins.  This might explain the mysterious noises I heard outside on Halloween night.  Due to the snow storm, power outages and downed trees, our town changed Trick or Treating from Monday to Friday.  I left the lights off Monday night and did my best to exercise control with the giant bowl of candy.  I worried the mysterious noises were disgruntled children egging the house. Creepy animals on the front steps are so much more comforting.  This recipe took hardly any time to come together, and I didn't even need my mixer.  I've mentioned before how much...

It's no secret I love muffins.  And that's why it should come as no surprise to you that I will be sharing two more muffin recipes this week.  My sister and friend Megan threw a baby shower for me this past weekend, and I couldn't resist making mini muffins for the event.  Plus, the leftovers made great snacks when the freak October snow storm left us without power on Sunday, thwarting my grand plans to make apple cinnamon pancakes and bacon for my guests. Whole Wheat Apple Muffins recipe from Smitten Kitchen yield: 36 mini muffins plus one mega ramekin muffin 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon cinnamon 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt (I used vanilla yogurt) 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used 4 small apples) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare muffin tins wit...