Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1  1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini, I used the smallest side of my grater b/c I like it small.  ( I did not really measure this. I used 1 med zuch.)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Place grated zucchini in a strainer and drain as much liquid off as you can. Set aside.

Cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Blend well. In a separate bowl, mixdry ingredients together. Mix dry ingredients into the butter mixture well. Add grated zucchini, and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop into muffin pan lined with paper liners or greased well. Bake at 325 degrees F  oven for 18-20 minutes.  Makes 24 muffins.

*I made these last year and they were so rich and moist that I made them again this year.  **WARNING:  They are more like a dessert than a muffin.

Capellini with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1/2 c olive oil, plus extra for the pot

2 Tb minced garlic (6 cloves)

4 pts small cherry or grape tomatoes

18 large basil leaves, julienned

2 Tb chopped fresh curly parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

12 oz capellini or angel hair pasta

1 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Extra chopped basil and grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan. Add the garlic to the oil and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften but don't break up.

 Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.  Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, add the tomatoes and Parmesan and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Serve large bowls of pasta with extra basil sprinkled on top and a big bowl of extra Parmesan on the side.

*I made this last night (motivated by a plethora of cherry tomatoes) and it was DELISH!  I didn't add the red pepper flakes, but left them in the recipe for you to decide.  I cooked the tomatoes on low for probably about twice as long as the recipe says, so they would break open more.  Hope you enjoy!
**Tried them with the pepper flakes and it made it much spicier.  I suggest you add a cautious amount and see what you think.  Or leave them out completely like I did when I made them the first time.

Potato Leek Soup

We had this soup a lot while we were in ireland and I loved it every time.  So when we got potatoes and leeks in the same week from our CSA, I had to try to recreate it.  This recipe did not disappoint!

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
2 leeks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 qt. chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
4 c. potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 c. heavy cream (I used kefir and I think it made the soup even better)

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper until tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir cornstarch into broth and pour broth into pot. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the cream, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Sassy Steak Marinade and Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound beef sirloin steak (1-1.5 inches thick)

1 Tb olive oil

2/3 c cocktail sauce

1/4 c honey

3 Tb soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, crushed


Mix all ingredients (except the steak) in 9x13 pan.  Put steaks in pan, turning to coat top, bottom, and sides.  Refrigerate fo .5 - 6 hours, turning from time to time.

Remove steaks from the frig 30-60 min before you intend to cook them so that the muscle fibers have time to relax, making for a more tender results.  Salt the steaks generously with salt on both sides as soon as you remove them from the frig; you can pepper them too if you desire.  

Coat bottom of skillet w/ just enough olive oil to barely cover it.  Heat over med. high heat until you smell the oil.  Add steaks to hot skillet, cooking them 5-7 min on each side, without turning or moving them.  Use tongs to turn without puncturing them and letting juices escape.  Remove steaks when they are done to your satisfaction cover with foil, and let them sit at least 10 min.  

Heat 1 Tb oil in pan, pour in reserved marinade, and bring back to boil for 5 min or until thick, serve with steaks.

*I made this a few nights ago and the steaks were so wonderful!  I hope the recipe works for you. 

Deodorant

Okay, so this is not exactly a food recipe.  Although, technically, everything in it is edible.  But not tasty.

I have a bit of a sweating problem and I thought it was just something I was going to have to live with because no deodorant in the store does anything to take care of it.  But then, my friend told me she has the same problem and she told me she makes her own deodorant from coconut oil and that it has solved her woes.

And then her husband piped up from the background that this stuff really works.

And I was sold.

Coconut Oil Deodorant

1/3 C. coconut oil
1/4 C. baking soda
1/4 C. arrowroot powder
4 T cornstarch
Essential oils, optional

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Use a pastry blender, or a fork to incorporate the coconut oil.  I used regular coconut oil which is solid at room temperature, so I had to soften mine a bit in the microwave first.  Apparently, my friend uses extra virgin coconut oil and I think that's a little softer.  Then add in a few drops of essential oil, if you want and mix in.  I used Citrus Bliss.

So, now my underarms smell like an orange julius.

I put mine in a small mason jar, but we keep it in our bathroom which is the coldest place in our house (if you want to know more on this, ask Blake.  He loves to explain to me why this is so.), and so the mixture is really firm.  Pretty much like the consistency of normal deodorant.

So, in hindsight, I wish I'd just emptied out an old deodorant container and put this in it.  I'll do that next time.  Which will probably be in about a year because a little of this stuff goes a long way.  In the meantime, I scrape it off with my pinky nail, soften it between my fingers, and then spread it on.  I'm pretty sure the ladies in the locker room at the gym think I'm quite strange.

I don't care.  At least I am no longer smelly.

Fish and Beets and Lentils and Spinach

This turned out to be way more amazing than I anticipated.  Seriously, Weston dined at a fine restaurant tonight, called "Megan's Kitchen".  It was so good.  Here's the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/342471/salmon-with-beets-and-lentils

Here's the copy/paste version:

Salmon with Beets and Lentils

If you make the lentils and beets ahead of time, this dish is easy to assemble.

• SERVINGS:4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 fresh small beets, (about 10 ounces), trimmed and scrubbed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 fresh sprigs thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 six-ounce salmon fillets, skin on
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   In a saucepan of cold water, bring the beets and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside.

2. STEP 2

   Combine 1 cup water, lentils, stock, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain; remove thyme stems and garlic. Add oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss, and keep warm. (If preparing in advance, warm over low heat before assembling dish).

3. STEP 3

   Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine coriander and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; rub over salmon flesh. Spray a cast-iron skillet with vegetable-oil spray, and place over medium heat. When heated, add salmon, flesh side down, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn fillets, add shallots, and place skillet in oven. Cook about 4 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. STEP 4

   Meanwhile, place spinach in a metal steamer basket over boiling water; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and steam until just wilted. Remove and discard salmon skin; keep salmon warm. Place skillet over medium-high heat, and add wine, scraping pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce by half, and add orange juice, mustard, and remaining tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Add beets, and cook until heated through. Adjust seasoning, if desired. Arrange lentils and spinach on plates; place a salmon fillet on top. Spoon beets and sauce over, and serve.

SOURCE

Martha Stewart Living, November 1995

Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

We (Mom) made this risotto recipe while she was at our house helping us empty out our freezer.  It was pretty tasty.

Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

3 C. chicken stock
3 C. beef stock
8 oz. shitake mushrooms (we did half shitake, half button)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 lb. Italian sausage links, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (Mom probably did more, because I always add extra garlic to everything)
2 C. Arborio rice
1/2 C. white wine
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. Butter
1 dash salt and pepper

Combine the chicken and beef stocks in a sauce pan.  Warm over low heat.

In a separate skillet, saute mushrooms and the thyme together over medium heat.  Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper and once they are lightly browned, remove from heat and set aside.
In a skillet, brown the sausage.  Once it's browned, remove the skillet from the heat, discard the fat, and set aside.

In a large skillet heat 2 T. of olive oil over medium heat  Add onion and garlic.  Saute until translucent, about 5 min.  Add the rice and coat well with the oil.  Lightly toast the rice about 2 min.  Stir in wine, and cook until it is almost evaporated.  Ladle about 1 C. of the warm stock into the rice and stir.  Once it is mostly absorbed add in more stock (1 ladle full each time).  Continue this process until the rice is cooked through and nice and creamy, only adding an additional ladle of stock when the prior one is almost absorbed.  You might have a little left over, but not much.

Once cooked through, add mushrooms and sausage to the pan and heat through.  Stir in cheese and butter.  Top with additional cheese, if desired.