There are few things I enjoy more than coming home from a long day of work, opening a bottle of wine, and making a simple meal such as bruschetta. Maybe I’m just becoming an old lady, but it really is awesome and relaxing to cook and get snookered off of some pinot grigio. There are a-thousand-and-one ways to make bruschetta but this is the best way (mostly because I’m the one who made it up)…

1 loaf french bread
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped (I usually try to do the fancy strips like the chefs do on the Food Network)
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn your oven on broil. Cut bread into 1″ slices and place on sheet pan. Let toast in oven until golden, then flip. Once other side is toasted, remove from oven.

In the meantime, mix diced tomatoes and basil in a small bowl. Liberally salt and pepper then set aside. Heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Cook garlic and onions in olive oil until translucent, then pour over tomato/basil mixture. Stir until well combined. Serve over toasted bread.

Note for making the best bruschetta: This is one of my favorite meals. EVER. Pouring the warm oil over the tomatoes and fresh herbs brings out a lot of flavor. ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: I enjoy warming up a wedge of brie in the oven and letting it share some bread-space with my tomatoes. It’s also good with some pears or apples on the side! So tonight: open up a cold bottle of white wine, make this quick and easy tapas meal and relish in the deliciousness of it.

Do you ever sit down to dinner and think, “This is tasty, but I could be eating _____”? Well for me, my dream/wanna-eat-every-day meal is pad thai. Whenever I’m not eating it, I wish I were! I constantly wish I had made a better decision for dinner! Words cannot describe how much I love pad thai. With that being said, I have it at least three times a week. What do I have for food? I don’t know but I know I have pad thai materials! Ah, anyway… here you go. I got the recipe from my roommate who originally got it from her dad who just whipped it up one day (he’s a closet genius in the kitchen).

1/2 of a 16 oz. package of rice noodles (make sure they’re RICE or it won’t be the same)
Broccoli florets (enough for you liking)
1/2 block tofu, cut into small strips
1 egg, scrambled
Soy sauce to taste

The (magic) Sauce:
1/2 c. peanut butter
4 tbs. ketchup
3 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
Splash white vinegar
Lemon juice to taste (I skip this, but some of you may like it)

Start by boiling two pots of water, a large and a small. Heat a skillet and fry up tofu with butter and a bit of soy sauce. In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients for sauce. Set aside and once the water is boiling, add rice noodles to the large pot and the broccoli to the other. Add a couple splashes of soy sauce to the broccoli, then boil until tender. Once all ingredients are cooked (don’t forget the egg), toss in warm skillet with sauce until completely covered. Serve immediately.

Note for making the perfect pad thai: Some of you may argue but I feel less is more in this case… I like my pad thai with just broccoli, egg and tofu. But you can really put whatever you want in it! ALSO: you can easily sans the tofu and do chicken if you eat meat! This is looking so good, I just might make it for dinner tonight.

IT’S HERE, GUYS! The end of muffin march is finally among us… and of course I had to try a weird recipe. Perusing recipes in vintage cookbooks I found the popcorn muffin. My first thoughts? WHAT?! After further research on the internets, there are whole websites dedicated to the popcorn muffin! Apparently they’re a “poor mans” version of cornbread muffins, which is right up my alley…

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. popped corn (plain, unbuttered)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. shortening, melted
1 c. milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 435 degrees (very hot!). In a food processor or anything you have to grind, process the popcorn until it’s as small as you can get it (I used an immersion blender which worked well). Add ground popcorn to flour, baking powder, salt and stir. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, shortening, milk and egg. Add to flour mixture then stir until well combined. Spoon into lined muffin tins, then bakd for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note for making perfect popcorn muffins: GUYS, THESE WERE AWESOME. I couldn’t believe it! They were buttery, delicious biscuits. Awesome crust on the outside, too. The best part? They didn’t taste like popcorn! I’d highly recommend these to anyone… You probably have all the ingredients in your house right now! GOODBYE MUFFIN MARCH! I’LL (kinda) MISS YOU.

HA! I HOPE I’VE THROWN EVERYONE FOR A LOOP! English muffins were pretty much the whole reason why I wanted to do March Muffin Madness… Because, you know, it’s kinda funny… but they’re also so delicious (and the fact that they’re my roommate’s favorite and I knew she’d help me eat them)!

1 1/4 c. lukewarm water (between 110-120 degrees)
4 c. flour (either bread or all-purpose, I used all-purpose but I’m sure bread flour yields better results)
1 packet (.4 oz) active/instant yeast
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg whites
Fine cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast and 2 cups of flour. Let sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, whisk egg whites in a separate bowl until glossy and the hold a stiff peak. Add to yeast mixture, and fold in to the batter until well incorporated.

Start adding remaining flour in 1/4 c. batches. When it gets too hard to stir with a spatula, transfer dough to clean, floured countertop. Knead in remaining flour, then continue kneading until dough is smooth and soft (about 6-8 minutes). Place in clean, well oiled bowl (turn the dough over so it’s completely covered in oil) and let sit until it doubles in size, about an hour.

Once risen, remove from bowl and knead lightly to remove air. Roll out with a rolling pin until 1/2″ thick, then cut circles with 3″ cutter. Set in pile of cornmeal, then transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with more cornmeal, then cover and let sit for 45 minutes to rise.

Heat a buttered skillet to medium. Add a few muffins (no more than three if you’re using an average skillet), then cover for 4 minutes. Flip muffins, then cover and cook for another 4 minutes. Continue until all muffins are finished, then serve immediately!

Note for making the best english muffins: Let me tell you… there’s really nothing like a fresh, homemade english muffin first thing in the morning. I will say, this took about 3 hours from start to finish which I didn’t really expect, but IT WAS WORTH IT. Store these in the fridge and they’ll last about a week (the recipe yields about 15, so it’s something you’ll need to consider)!

I will admit: I have only had french onion soup once in my life. It was one of those dishes that I always loved, but never actually ordered when I was out at a restaurant. Truthfully, it has always seemed pretty granny-ish to me but, of course now that I’m a vegetarian I’m craving it like WOAH. It’s something about warm soup topped with bread and cheese that makes me want to conquer a veggie version…

3 large yellow onions, cut into strips
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tsp. sugar
8 c. vegetable broth
3 tbs. butter or margarine
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf of french bread, cut into slices
1/4 lb. muenster cheese (provolone or gruyere would work too!)

In a large pot on medium, melt butter and olive oil. Sauté garlic, then add onions. Sprinkle onions with sugar and stir. Cook until translucent (almost mushy), about 25 minutes. Add vegetable broth, vinegar and soy sauce, then bring to a boil. On a sheet pan, toast bread on broil in the oven, then melt slices of cheese on top. Serve soup with cheesy bread!

Note for making superb onion soup: Bread soaked with hot soup = a recipe for DISASTER. Make sure you let this cool, because I totally burnt my tongue… Other than that, it’s a pretty simple recipe! It’s imperative that you cook the onions until they’re very soft. It allows them to lose their strong flavor, and take on a taste with more depth. I can tell you this soup was great, but anything covered with cheese is obviously going to be delicious!

If you like The Office even half as much as I do, you’ll understand why I spent three hours of my day off making soft pretzels. For the record, I didn’t realize they were going to take me that long… Now I have enough pretzels to feed a soccer team, but boy were they good. IT’S PRETZEL DAY… GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus some for kneading
1 tsp. table salt
1 1/4 oz. package active yeast
1 1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 tbs. sugar
1 egg, beaten
Toppings for sprinkling (I just used coarse salt)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

In a glass bowl, mix yeast, sugar and water and set aside until it gets foamy, which should take no more than 10-15 minutes (if it doesn’t foam, start over with a new packet). In the meantime, mix flour with table salt. Once yeast mixture has foamed, stir into the flour using a spoon until it’s shaggy. Transfer to a clean, floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes (the dough should become very smooth and tacky). Return to it’s original bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour.

Once it has doubled in size, remove from bowl and cut into eight pieces. Roll each piece of dough until it’s about 24″ in length, then shape into a pretzel (I googled cause I sadly needed help with this). Place on an oiled baking sheet for 20 minutes to rise again. In the meantime, preheat oven to 425 degrees and get a large pot of water boiling on the stove.

Place pretzel in boiling water (no more than two or three at a time) and let cook for about 3 minutes. Flip occasionally. Remove from water and set on a rack or plate to dry off/cool. Transfer back to the oiled sheet pan, brush with egg, sprinkle with toppings, then bake for 25-30 minutes (or until golden brown). They will be EXTREMELY hot when they’re finished, so let cool for 15 minutes before eating!

Note for making perfect pretzels: I can’t believe these came out of my kitchen! Totally worth the 3 hour wait… Although they’re made of only water, flour and yeast, they taste so buttery and delicious! My only tip is to be patient (which I have little of. If I can do it, you definitely can). Sometimes yeast can be fussy so it might take a little longer than expected! These would be SO AWESOME to bring to a party. I’ll host an Office party, cover them with chocolate and lots of junk, then watch all my guests whine until they all pass out. EVERYONE’S INVITED!

I thought it was about time for something down-home, and amidst my craze for vintage cook books I decided to conquer… THE BISCUIT. They’re more or less a necessity around these parts (in New England we have the english muffin), and rightfully so: they’re delicious with just about anything. I added a little bit of wheat flour, some whipped cream and strawberries and turned this in to the best dessert this side of the mississippi!

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. wheat flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 tbs. butter
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flours, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until it’s in small pieces. Stir in milk until mixture is shaggy, then transfer to a floured surface and knead until all is combined. Flatten dough until it’s about 1/2″ thick (you don’t need a rolling pin, just use your hands!), then cut out biscuits with a round or beveled cookie cutter. Bake on lined sheet pan for 12 minutes, then serve immediately!

Note for making the bestest biscuits: Strawberry shortcake has always been one of my favorites, and it’s always so much better when the biscuits are from scratch! This is a pretty decent recipe, but it could have used a little more butter if anything (Mrs. Deen would be so proud)… don’t feel the need to hold back! The recipe makes about a dozen biscuits, so I made some breakfast sandwiches which were FANTASTIC. I love recipes that can duo as both breakfast and dessert (and there aren’t many).

My go-to hungover food has always been a deep fried eggplant parmesan sub. I’m telling you… it makes me feel like a billion bucks no matter the situation. Delicious sauce, lots of cheese, and the crunchy eggplant make such a wonderful sub that I was curious with how it would work in another popular italian dish…

1 Large jar of your favorite pasta sauce (or 3 cups of your own homemade sauce like mine)
8 9″ flat pieces of lasagna pasta, cooked until bendable
4 oz. bag mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 large eggplant, skinned and cut into very thin slices (no bigger than 1/4″)
2 c. italian bread crumbs (already seasoned works great, you don’t have to buy all those spices!)
1 c. parmesan cheese, split in two
3 eggs, beaten with a glug or two of milk
Vegetable oil (to fry)

(Makes 9×9 dish or 4 servings. If you want more, double it!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix breadcrumbs with 1/2 of a cup of parmesan cheese in an open bowl. Dip thin slices of eggplant in egg/milk mixture, then into breadcrumbs. Once all slices are covered, heat oil in large skillet. Fry each side for 3 minutes or until golden brown, then set on a paper towel covered plate (this lets excess oil drain). Once all pieces are fried, begin the assembly of your lasagna.

Begin by putting a little sauce in the bottom of the dish (to prevent hard pasta that’s hard to cut), then interchanging the layers of pasta, ricotta, eggplant, mozzarella, then more sauce. After each layer, press down to remove the air bubbles.

Top with more sauce and the rest of the parmesan cheese, then stick in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly!

Note for making delicious lasagna: Again I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but this was the best lasagna I’ve ever had! It really helps when you press down on each layer… It makes a much tighter lasagna that’s easier to cut (i.e. no more floppy slices that fall off the spatula and droop everywhere). This keeps very well for days, so it’s great to make and eat as leftovers all week long (like I’ve been doing this week)!

I know it may seem hard to believe, but all of this stick-to-your-ribs cooking is starting to catch up with me. In the past four month, I’ve eaten dessert every single day. Although some may think it isn’t such a bad thing, I’m starting to feel like total crap. Voila: a salad. I work at a tiki-bar/restaurant on the island, and the kitchen is great because they make almost everything from scratch… including the dressings. Their fantastic homemade caesar inspired me to concoct my own!

4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tbs. mayonnaise
2 tbs. dijon mustard
1 tbs. white vinegar
Handful parmesan cheese
About 1/2 c. olive oil (more or less)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, blend garlic, mayo, vinegar, mustard, cheese, and lemon juice. Once combined and creamy, continue blending while slowly pouring olive oil into processor. Give the dressing a taste, and add salt and pepper accordingly. Serve over a bed of romaine!

Note for making delicious dressing: This is so easy and I’m not quite sure why I haven’t made it before! Also: I’ve never been a huge fan, so I decided to forgo the anchovies. A lot of recipes I found actually do not include anchovies, so I guess they’re not a huge deal when it comes to caesar! This makes enough for at least four decent sized salads, and although it isn’t the healthiest of things I could be eating, it sure does make me feel a lot better!

When I was a kid, my favorite meal was a make-your-own empanadas dish. It was comprised of a few fresh and store-bought ingredients, making it really easy for my mom (working 40 hours a week, going to school, taking care of children… the fact she got dinner on the table was a miracle in my eyes). I decided it was about time to recreate a from-scratch version!

Filling:
1/2 large red onion, cut into thin slices
1 tbs. white sugar
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. water
1 tbs. cumin powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Dough:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1/3 c. ice water
1 tbs white vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat oil and sauté onions. Add sugar, then caramelize. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, cook black beans in water until they start to break down. Add all spices and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

For dough, mix flour and salt. Cut in butter until it’s in little pieces (no bigger than the size of a pea). Whisk together water, egg and vinegar, then add to flour mixture. Work it together with your hands until it’s shaggy, then place on floured surface and knead until well combined.

Cut the dough into four pieces. Make each into a ball, then roll out with rolling pin (I bypassed this and just used my fingertips). Take 1/4 cup of filling and place on one side of dough. Top with a few caramelized onions, then fold over and score edges with fork. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown!

Note for making extra awesome empanadas: These are a little more grown-up than then ones I used to eat (usually filled with taco meat)! They take a little time but they’re worth it… One is enough especially with the polenta and guac! If you’re looking to feed one, freeze the extra three before cooking them. A month later, this will be the BEST thing you’ve found in the back of the icebox, ever.