eggplant parmesan

yes! eggplant parmesan for ONE! how could you not be excited? of course, you can easily double or quadruple this recipe and make many mouths happy. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves: 1
30 min

- 1/2 c spaghetti sauce, divided
- 1/4 c low-sodium breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4" thick slices on the diagonal
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1/4 c grated low fat mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 tsp grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 tsp dried basil

1. preheat oven to 350. coat a small baking dish with cooking spray, spread with 2 tbsp spaghetti sauce.

2. combine bread crumbs and italian seasoning in a shallow bowl. heat oil in nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. dip eggplant slices in egg, then in breadcrumb mix. cook slices in single layer in oil 1 - 2 min per side, or until light brown. place half of eggplant slices in single layer in prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tbs mozzarella and 1 tsp pmaresan. discard remaining egg and breadcrumbs.

3. place remaining eggplant slices, remaining sauce, and remaining mozzarella and parmesan over eggplant in dish. sprinkle with dried basil. bake 15 min or until golden brown or microwave 5 min, turning baking dish halfway through cooking time to heat evenly.

pink lentils with zucchini

pink lentils cook in just 10 min, making them ideal for quick dinners. a splash of vinegar at the end brightens the flavors of both the lentils and the spinach without adding extra fat or calories. for a different flavor combination, substitute the cilantro for the sage and curry powder for the mustard. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves: 1
20 min

- 3 tbsp pink lentils, rinsed and drained twice
- 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1/2 c chopped tomato
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 c baby spinach leaves
- balsamic vinegar for drizzling

1. combine the lentils, sage, mustard, 1/8 tsp salt, and 3/4 c water in a medium saucepan. cover and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 8 - 10 min, or until lentils are tender, but not soft.

2. meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over med-hi heat. add zucchini, tomato, garlic, remaining salt, and 1 tbsp water. cover, simmer 3 - 4 min or until zucchini is tender, but still crunchy. stir in lentil mix and cook 2 min more. season with salt and pepper if desired. serve hot over spinach leaves. drizzle with vinegar.

hearty couscous

you can use any left over veggies you have in the fridge to top this dinner for one! try adding tofu or chicken for variation. it can also be multiplied to feed a crowd. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves 1
20 min

- 1/3 c whole wheat couscous
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped green onions
- 1 c diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil
- pinch cinnamon
- 2 tbs dry roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 tbs crumbled feta cheese

1. heat skillet over med-hi heat. add couscous and toast 3 -4 min, stirring occasionally. transfer to plate.

2. heat oil in same skillet over med-hi heat. add green onions, and saute 2 min. stir in bell peper, basil, and cinnamon. saute 2 min or until basil is wilted. add 1/4 c water and bring to a boil. add couscous, reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for 5 min or until water is absorbed. transfer to plate and top with sunflower seeds and feta.

kidney bean and tomato curry

this indian curry recipe puts a whole new spin on rice and beans for supper. if you're not keen on kidney beans (i'm not), try white, black, pinto, or chickpeas. add trimmed green beans, sliced squash or okra and serve over rice. for further variationl, add 1/2 c cooked chicken. can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves 1
20 min

- 2 tsp veggie oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped onion
- 1/2 c finely chopped tomato
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- 4 tbsp plain low-fat yogurt, divided
- 1/4 c cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

1. heat oil in a medium skillet over med-hi heat. add onion and cook 7 - 10 min or until light brown. stir in tomato, ginger, turmeric, and corriander. cover and cook 2 -3 min or until tomatoes are soft. whisk in 2 tbs yogurt and 1/2 c water. stir in kidney beans (and any veggies you might be using), cover and bring to a boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer 10 min.

2. mash a few kidney beans in the pan, then stir in garam masala and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, if desired. serve topped with remaining 2 tbs yogurt and garnish with cilantro.

rice noodle bowl with veggies

it's been a long time since i made dinner for just one, however, i do remember these next few posted recipes coming in handy on more than one occasion back in the day {which was a wednesday, by the way}. add 1/2 c cooked chicken or beef or pork to this one for variation. it can also easily be doubled, tripled, etc to accommodate a hungry family. happy tasting!

courtesy of: unknown
serves 1
20 min

- 1 1/2 oz dried rice noodles (1/4 c), broken into 1" pieces
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chile sauce, or to taste
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c thinly sliced red bell pepper
- 1/2 c broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts, optional

1. bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a med saucepan. add broken noodles. remove fro heat and let stand 5- 7 min or until noodles are rehydrated. drain and discard water.

2. meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chile sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. set aside.

3. heat oil in a skillet over med-hi heat. add onion and garlic, and stir fry 1 min. add bell pepper and broccoli, and cook 1 min more. add soy sauce mix, bring to a boil, and cook 1 min more or until bell pepper and broccoli are tender. stir in noodles. serve sprinkled with roasted peanuts, if using.

strawberry shortcake trifle

i came across this strawberry shortcake recipe while looking for another strawberry recipe, but it looked so delicious that i couldn't pass it up. it's so different from most other shortcake recipes i've studied. tweeked and tasted over the weekend, it's no wonder it's highly rated over at the food network. from my kitchen to yours... happy tasting!

adapted from: paula deen
serves: 6
10 min

- angel food cake (i made my own, next time i will use store bought)
- 8oz cream cheese, room temp
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 12oz whipped topping, thawed
- 1 c sugar
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp strawberry gelatin (jell-o)
- 1 c water
- 2 c fresh strawberries, sliced

1. dice cake using a serrated knife.

2. mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping. set aside.

3. in a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, and water. cook over medium heat until thick. remove from heat and allow to cool completely. fold in berries.

4. assemble in a bowl by layering: cake, strawberry mixture, cheese mixture until all ingredients have been used.

optional: top with whole strawberries and fresh mint for serving.

gazpacho

earlier this week, j and i enjoyed homemade gazpacho with my parents. while, i agree with my little brother that eating gazpacho is a little like digging into salsa with a spoon, i do think it's great my mom did some chopping and dropping in her kitchen. this inspired me to check out some gazpacho recipes online and after some taste testing, my favorite hails from the divine barefoot contessa. happy tasting!

courtesy of: ina garten
serves: 4 -6
20 min

- 1 hot house cucumber, halved and seeded (not peeled)
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 23oz tomato juice (3 cups)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper

1. roughly chop the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, and onion into 1" cubes. put each veggie separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. do not over process!

2. after each veggie is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. mix well and chill well before serving. the longer the vegetables sit, the richer the flavors.

new!

"sunday brunch" is the newest feature on my personal blog, which specifically showcases breakfast recipes. i'll be linking every third week here, instead of reposting. i highly recommend you try the market crab benedict. happy tasting!

market crab benedict

chinese egg whites and tomotoes

french toast casserole

pineapple upside down biscuits

i'm not so good with the whole distant relative relationship thing, so we'll call sherry, my eleventh cousin nine times removedish, she sent me this recipe the other day and my tummy can't wait to try it! i love pineapple upside down anything and paula deen is definitely in my top 5 favorite southern gals {with scarlet o'hara, reese witherspoon, and two of my grandmothers}. and like all things paula deen, it starts with a sticka butta. this must be a winning recipe. happy tasting!
courtesy of paula deen
submitted by sherry thompson
makes: 10 biscuits
10m prep, 15m bake

- 10 maraschino cherries
- 1/4c butter, room temp
- 1/2c packed light brown sugar
- 10oz crushed pineapple
- 1 pkg refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

1. preheat oven to 400. grease 10 cups in a muffin tin. strain the can of pineapple juice, saving the juice for later.

2. combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. divide among the muffin tins. place a cherry in the center of each muffin tin, making sure it hits the bottom of the tin. place 1 biscuit on top of pineapple/cherry and spoon one tsp of reserved pineapple juice over the top of each biscuit.

3. bake 12-15min, or until golden. cool for 2min and invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. serve warm.

granola bars

school's out for summer! with my older, more self sufficient kids at home for the summer, i thought it was a good idea to be one step ahead of the game this week and have a handy breakfast available for them to help themselves to in the wee hours of the morning. this granola bar recipe was uber quick and incredibly easy. i accidentally left these in the oven for an extra hour (oops!) and it was still yummy ~ mega crunchy, but still super yummy. i will be trying it again, next time using a timer... happy tasting!


adapted from nigella lawson
makes 16 chunky bars
10 min prep, 60 min bake

- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup mixed seeds (i used pumpkin, pepita, and sunflower)

1. preheat oven to 250. prepare a 9x11 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line with tin foil. in a small pot, warm the sweetened condensed milk.

2. in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and coat with warm milk. press into prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

3. remove from oven, let cool 15 minutes and cut into 16 chunky bars. let cool completely before serving. store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.

better than mr. fish taco tacos

there's a little taco stand at the bay of sea of cortez in mexico called "mr. fish taco". i've had the privilege of eating there maybe a dozen times. it's good...but it's not this good. i could make a killing off tourists in puerto penasco. i think that's my next plan. happy tasting!

courtesy of: food network mag
serves: 4
30 minutes

- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/4 red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup mayo
- salt
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/4 lbs skinless halibut fillet, cut into 2" x 1/2" pieces
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup fresh salsa

1. heat about 3" of veggie oil in a medium pot over med-low heat until a deep fry thermometer reads 375. meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey, and mayo in a bowl. season with salt.

2. warm the tortillas in a skillet over med-low heat or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave for 25 seconds. wrap in a towel to keep warm.

3. mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and cooked through, about 2-3 min. transfer with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. season with salt.

4. halve, pit, and slice the avocado. fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw, and salsa. serve with lime wedges.

shrimp boil

oh southern domestic goddess who invented the "clam bake"... you are good.

it never fails. every time i take my kids to the supermarket, my oldest begs for shrimp. BEGS! it's ridiculous. i saw this recipe and knew we had to try it at least once, for her. not only did e devour her plate, but my other two children did too and, if i'm honest, it was the first time i have ever gotten over stuffed on my own cooking the first time i ran the recipe {i'm too critical and too skeptical of new dishes i make, it usually takes a few runs to get it just right}. this one will not disappoint and it will be made several times over. happy tasting!

courtesy of: food network mag
serves: 4 {or two small adults and three small children}
40 min {seriously!}

- 2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
- 1/2 cup old bay seasoning {yes, 1/2 CUP. this is not a typo}
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large red onion, quartered
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lb baby red potatoes
- 4 ears corn, husked and snapped in half
- 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, unpeeled
- 2 tbsp butter
- hot sauce for serving {optional}

1. fill a large pot with 4 qts water {i had to use my lobster pot}. squeeze the lemon juice into the water and add the squeezed lemon halves, watch for seeds! add the old bay, garlic, and onion. tie the thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot. cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.

2. add the potatoes to the pot and cook until just tender, about 10 min. add the corn and cook another 5 min.

3. meanwhile, if your shrimp has not been deveined, do so and rinse. add to the pot, cover and cook until pink, 2-3 min.

4. transfer the shrimp and vegetables with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a large bowl. add the butter and about 1 cup of the stock. mix until the butter is melted. transfer the shrimp and veggies to a platter. serve with remaining broth, lemon slices, and hot sauce.

DONE!

lemon cupcakes, raspberry filling, lemon buttercream

vampire bakery was in full swing on friday night with many sweet confections coming from my oven in the wee hours of saturday. i was frosting these luscious delights at 2am. warning: they are sweet, sweet, sweet, but the raspberry filling is the perfect compliment. happy tasting!

courtesy of: missi
adapted from: baking bites and sprinkles cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes

lemon cupcakes:
- 2 2/3 cup flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 c butter, room temp
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest or 1 tsp lemon extract (i used 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk

1. preheat oven to 350. line muffin pan with cupcake cups.

2. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. in a very large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon until just combined. add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla. alternate 1/3 flour mixture and 1/2 milk, starting and ending with flour mixture, and beat until just combined.

4. divide batter among muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. bake for 16 - 19 min, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool completely on a wire rack.

while cupcakes are baking, start the raspberry filling.

raspberry filling:
- 24 oz frozen raspberries (not thawed and not packed in syrup)
- 1 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp cornstarch

1. in a large saucepan, combine raspberries, 1 1/3 cup water, sugar, and lemon juice. bring to a boil and then simmer for 15- 20 min.

2. remove the mixture from heat and strain. return strained mixture to heat.

3. dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and add to saucepan, whisk to combine. bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 min, stirring occasionally.

4. remove from heat and cool completely, stirring occasionally. it may take a while to set up, but it will thicken like jelly. (the leftovers are excellent on toast!)

5. using a flavor injector, icing bag and tip, medicine syringe, or whathaveyou, fill the cooled cupcakes with approx 1tbsp raspberry filling.

while everything cools, make the icing.

lemon buttercream icing:
- 1 cup butter, room temp
- 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 lemon, juice and zest of (i used 2 tsp lemon extract)
- 1 tsp clear vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt

1. combine butter, sugar, and salt. beat until well combined.

2. add lemon and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3-5 min or until creamy.

*buttercream will crust and is thick. i added yellow food coloring as seen above.

3. frost cooled, filled cupcakes and enjoy!

pb cereal cookies

over the snack table today, i was reading the side panel of our cheerio's box when i came across this strange recipe. since i had all four ingredients listed, i decided to try it and you know what? it was good! i particularly like the added crunch from the cheerio's. happy tasting!

courtesy of: cheerio's box
yield: 2 dozen cookies

- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups cheerios (any flavor)

1. preheat oven to 350.

2. in a bowl, with a wooden spoon, combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg until well mixed. add cereal.

3. drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet (i used parchment paper) and pat down tops. bake for 12 - 15 min. cookies may appear undone, but will firm as they cool. allow to cool 2 min and remove to a wire rack.

watermelon salad

summertime always makes me think of watermelon and in arizona, we have an abundance of both. not sure what to do with all that seedless heaven? solution: watermelon salad! there are so many variations of this fresh, light dish that i could never decide which one is best. i can decide that this one is the easiest and my favorite. happy tasting!

courtesy of: missi
adapted from: food network magazine
serves: 6-8

- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups watermelon, cubed and patted dry
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- handful of mint, thinly sliced
- 1/4c olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- handful of cashews, chopped (optional)
- 6oz goat cheese, crumbled

1. in a small bowl, soak the red onion in cold water for 10 min.

2. then, in a large bowl, combine watermelon, cucumber, onion, and mint. add olive oil and lemon juice. toss. top with cashews and goat cheese.

3. refrigerate 20 minutes and serve chilled.

*tip: add cold pasta the following day for a quick pasta salad.

b lurves h

2010 is the year and wedding bells are chiming all over my news feed on facebook. created for a bridal shower, i combined several recipes i found online to get the yum-o pictured below. happy tasting!

modified from: mary todd, yum sugar, and wilton's
makes and frosts: 2 9" round cakes.

vanilla almond cake:
- 1-1/2c granulated sugar
- 1 c butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 c sifted cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/3 c milk
- 1 c almonds, finely chopped
- 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1. preheat oven to 375. generously grease 2 9" round pans. in a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, and vanilla. in a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.

2. combine flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with milk.

3. stir in almonds.

4. fold in egg whites.

5. bake for 28 - 30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool for 10 min before removing from pan. allow cake to cool completely before filling and frosting.


dulce de leche filling:
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 c sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped [reserve seeds]
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 T water

1. in a large heavy saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla beans, and seeds. bring to a simmer over med heat.

2. in a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in water and add to pot. warning: pot will froth!

3. reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. remove bean. continue cooking, skimming top occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup; tan, thick, and creamy. depending on how hot your stove is, this will take 1-1/2 to 3 hours.

4. strain into a clean bowl and allow to cool. dulce de leche will thicken as it cools. cover and refrigerate until ready to use or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.


icing:
- 2c crisco
- 1c butter
- 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
- 2 tsp butter flavoring
- 1/2c milk
- pinch of salt
- 2tsp meringue powder
- 4lbs powdered sugar

1. in a bowl, combine crisco, butter, vanilla, flavoring, and milk. turn mixer off and add salt, merginue powder, and powdered sugar.

2. on the lowest speed, combine. once ingredients are thoroughly mixed, raise speed to medium and blend until smooth.

tip: i found that the measurements made the perfect crusting buttercream icing. however, if yours is too stiff, add milk 1tbsp at a time until desired consistency; if yours is too runny, add more powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency.

croquembouche

pressed for time, but with my heart set on a croquembouche for my 30th birthday, i decided to pull a sandra lee and make it semi-homemade. with a little creativity and 45 minutes to spare, you too, can have a fancy croquembouche. happy tasting!

my birthday croquembouche

courtesy of: missi

serves: 8-10

puff pastry:
- 75 glazed munchkins from dunkin donuts


cream filling:
- 2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding
- 2 c milk

1. combine pudding and milk in an air-tight container with a tight fitting lid. shake vigorously to combine and let sit 5 min.

2. fill a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and inject approximately 1tsp into one donut hole. repeat step until all donut holes are filled.

*since the donut holes are glazed, i didn't see it necessary to coat them in the traditional hardened caramel. instead, i left them "naked" and used other means to stack them into a cone shape...

assembly:
- 1 styrofoam cone
- 75 toothpicks

1. once the donut holes are filled, use toothpicks to attach them to a styrofoam cone. 75 donut holes will cover a medium sized cone.

ta da!

sugarwebs:
- 1 c sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. prepare an ice-water bath. bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, washing down sides of pan often with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. cook, without stirring, until sugar dissolves; 5-6 min. raise heat to high and cook, swirling pan to color evenly, until syrup is amber, about 3-5 min. remove caramel from heat and set bottom of pan in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. slightly cool.

this was once a wire whisk

sugar web application tools:
- wire whisk
- wire cutters
- turn table

1. while caramel is cooling enough to distribute, set the assembled croquembouche on a turn table for even distribution of the caramel sugar web and use wire cutters to snip apart a wire whisk {see above photo}. this will allow wispy strands of caramel to be added easily {see photo below}.

with a turn table, i spin the croquembouce instead of my whisk.

because moister will cause your caramel to become tacky, please serve within 2 hours unless you live in arizona, then serve within 6.

eat your heart out, sandra lee!

yippity yo

let's get serious. rachael ray, eat your heart out. happy watching!

missi's famous salsa

this recipe will be up for the next 24 hours ONLY. it's my super secret salsa recipe that has won numerous awards and competitions. happy tasting! shhhhh....

courtesy of: missi

inside out california rolls

i decided to take on sushi last night for dinner. of course, two hours later i was starving, but i guess that happens even when the big guys make it. having zero experience in the sushi rolling department, i found that it was uber easy and all i did was watch this video. happy tasting!