Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad

The holidays are over and we're back into the swing of things.

I guess I'm still a novice food blogger because although I had great intentions of posting delicious recipes and witty commentary during my time off from work, I found myself relaxing and enjoying the time almost completely unplugged. The lack of turning on my computer resulted in a lack of blog posts.

I did some cooking and baking with the family for the holidays (don't worry, recipes to come!). I got to spend time with the cutest niece in the entire world. When I got back to town last Thursday, I had a nasty cold that kept me on the couch on Friday (despite my plans of working that day). Then Scott came to town, well we spent the weekend in St. Louis, for New Years. All in all a successful holiday season for this girl.

I also got to meet up with some friends from college and from high school while I was in Michigan. With the latter group, we had pizza lunch and I volunteered to bring a salad. This salad was quick and easy to whip together and enjoyed by everyone the girls, in particular. A healthy start for the new year!

Happy 2013!

Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
8-10 oz fresh baby spinach
15 oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 large red onion, chopped thinly
1/3 cup craisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Toss together the spinach, oranges, onion, craisins, almonds and cheese.

Whisk the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. While whisking, stream in the oil.

Either serve with the dressing on the side or toss with the spinach mixture.

Mini Gingerbread Men (and others!)

Did you ever have those gingerbread men cookies that were covered with some granulated sugar from the bins at the grocery store? I used to love those; the thick and crunchy perfection of cookies. I think it was the memory of those cookies that made me really want to make gingerbread cookies this year. When I came across this recipe in my Cooking Light Holiday edition, I figured I should try them out. The original recipe called for a combination of golden cane syrup with molasses but since I couldn't find the syrup in my grocery store, I upped the molasses slightly and subbed in some corn syrup. They are probably not as "light" anymore, but they did turn out well.

They are quite the crunchy thick cookies I was imagining, but even the non-gingerbread lovers will enjoy the flavor. The ginger isn't over the top and if you use 1-inch cookie cutters like I did, you'll get bite-sized goodness that is just enough.

Gingerbread Cookies (adapted from Cooking Light December 2012)
Ingredients:
For cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of salt
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3 tbsp molasses
1 large egg

For frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp meringue powder
3-5 tbsp water (more or less to thin as desired)
green and red food coloring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk well to mix.

Beat the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup, molasses and egg and beat until combined, about 1 minutes. Add the flour mixture and stir using a wooden spoon until just combined. Form into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use cookies cutters to get the desired shape and cookies, rerolling to dough as necessary. Continue cutting until you have used almost all the dough, placing the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and then remove and let cool completely.

Prepare the icing by beating the powdered sugar, meringue powder and about 3 tbsp water in a large bowl on low speed until the sheen has disappeared. Separate into two bowls and color with red and green food coloring, adding more water as necessary. Spoon into disposable pastry bags fitted with size two round tips. Pipe on to cookies in desired designs.

Tofu Peanut Stir Fry

Are you looking for something easy and light amongst on all the goodies this holiday season? Then look no further. Here I made a tofu stir fry full of vegetables set atop some noodles. The peanut flavor is reminiscent of Pad Thai but since I just winged it, it's not exactly the same. As I always say with tofu, you have to make a nice sauce to get it flavorful, and I think that is just what I've done here.

So set aside your cookies, cheese and crackers, bread, and decadent holiday dishes for a night and make this. Your waist line with thank you ;)

Tofu Peanut Stir Fry
Ingredients:
For marinade:
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium, preferred)
1/2 tbsp mirin
3 oz extra firm tofu, cut into bite sized pieces

For stir fry:
1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium, preferred)
1/2 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 tbsp mirin
1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 scallion, sliced thinly, whites and greens separated
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
pinch of sugar
1 1/2 oz somen noodles
1 cup broccoli slaw
4-5 mini sweet peppers, sliced thinly
4-5 button mushroom, sliced thinly
peanuts, for garnish

Directions:
Mix together corn starch, soy sauce and mirin and toss the tofu in it. Refrigerate until ready to stir fry.

Prep all of your vegetables and set them close to the stove.

Whisk together the soy sauce, peanut butter, mirin, hoisin sauce, corn starch, Sriracha and broth. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a wok. Pour off any excess marinade and then add the tofu to the pan. Cook, flipping gently, for 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove to a plate and wipe out the wok.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Drain.

Heat another 1/2 tbsp oil over medium high heat in the wok. Add the white of the scallion and the garlic; cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and peppers and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the broccoli slaw and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add back the tofu, sauce and noodles. Mix completely and heat until thickened.

Serve garnished with the greens of the scallion and peanuts.

Serves 1-2.

White Almond Bark Chex Mix

This is a Christmas cookie tray staple at my house... and it is probably my favorite Christmas treat ever! Oh my, it is so addicting that I could eat an entire bowl in an evening and feel sick later in the night, just to consume more the next day. That is why whenever I start a new job, I always make it for my new coworkers. It is soooo easy to scale up to however many people you need to give treats to and it takes no time at all.

There is one kitchen utensil (?) that is essential in making this: you must have a large glass or ceramic bowl (I recommend this Pyrex 4 quart bowl). The key is to use a bowl that conducts heat. You will have a lot of trouble if you use a plastic bowl; take it from my difficult experience in grad school. A bowl that retains the heat will allow you to stir everything and get them nice and coated before the bark starts to solidify again.

Please forgive my fail of purchasing normal peanut M&Ms instead of holiday ones. I do not know where my head was... For a Christmas effect, just use green and red M&Ms.

Also, please forgive my lack of "amounts" in the directions. This is really a pour, mix and observe type of a recipe. This year I used two 24-oz packages of white almond bark, a full 8-oz box of cheerios, almost a full 12.8-oz box of rice chex, almost a full 15-oz bag of pretzels and two 12.6-oz bags of peanut M&Ms. It made lots. I filled up the 10 bags above with about 3 cups each plus a larger tin and two quart sized ziploc bags (not including everything I stuffed in my mouth while I was making it ;)).

White Almond Bark Chex Mix
Ingredients:
Rice Chex
Cheerios
Pretzels
Peanut M&Ms
White Almond Bark

Directions:
Working with half of the brick of almond bark at a time (if you have a really big bowl you could probably use it all), heat in microwave for 90 seconds in a glass bowl. Remove and stir. If it is not completely melted, microwave for another 15 seconds. Stir and repeat if necessary.

Add 1-2 cups of chex, 1 cup cheerios, 1-2 cups pretzels and 1 cup M&Ms. Gently mix using a large spoon trying not to crush the cereal or pretzels. Add additional chex, cheerios, pretzels and M&Ms if you have still have melted bark that has not coated everything.

Spread out on wax paper and allow to cool.

Break into pieces and devour. Or package into pretty bags or tins to hand out. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Sweet Potato and Peanut Tomato Soup

You guys, can you believe that it is one week until Christmas?!?!

I am definitely in the holiday spirit! I've found a Christmas station on the radio (which is a hard thing to do when you're celebrating your first holiday season in a new city), I've done a bit of baking and packaged up treats to give to my co-workers (you'll see that recipe tomorrow!) and my shopping is almost all done. I have even already wrapped most of my presents (this is the beauty of not having to fly home). Now I'm just counting the hours until I'm on vacay. ;)

The weather has finally reached winter temperatures and that has gotten me in the mood for comfort food in the form of soup. This past weekend I made this delicious creamy soup. Spoiler alert- it contains no cream! Which means that it is a LOT healthier than most cream-based soups. Instead, it is the combination of the pureed sweet potato and the peanut butter that gives that creamy feel. The flavor is reminiscent of tomato soup with an extra kick from the chilies and of course the peanut taste is prominent as well. It is almost like a Thai-inspired tomato soup. It tasted great the first day but may have been even better after flavors had time to meld in the fridge and I reheated it for lunch the next day.

Note that I used homemade vegetable broth (that contains no salt) and no salt added tomato juice. This allowed me to adjust the seasoning as I desired (and avoid excess sodium). Even if you purchase low-sodium broth and juice, you will certainly not need to add an entire tsp of salt. Make sure to taste and season!

Sweet Potato and Peanut Tomato Soup (adapted from Eating Well)
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 cups tomato juice, no salt added
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 tsp ground all-spice
2 cups vegetable broth (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
chopped peanuts, for garnish
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Rinse and wash the sweet potatoes. Prick them with a fork multiple times. Place them in a microwave safe container and microwave on high for 7-10 minutes until soft and cooked. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add the ginger, tomato juice, chilies and all-spice. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

After potatoes have cooled, peel them and chop into bite sized pieces. Add half of the chopped potato to the pot. Combine the remaining half with the vegetable broth and peanut butter in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Mix into the pot on the heat. Add the salt and pepper, tasting and adding additional if you desire. Simmer for at least 5 minutes to heat through (you can keep it on the heat for longer if you want).

Serve garnished with chopped peanuts and fresh parsley.

Serves 4-5.

Fudge Covered Cookie Bars

I have discovered a new Pandora station that I'm loving right now- The Pitch Perfect soundtrack. It is lots of acapella music and Glee songs interspersed with some current pop music. It is perfect for data analysis in lab as well as cookie baking and Christmas card addressing at home. Truth be told, it makes me want to get up and dance. That is perfectly acceptable in the comfort of my own home but probably not the best idea for work. ;) 

Anyway, one of the things I made while dancing rocking to this station was these cookie bars. I was inspired by these chubby hubby cookie bars that sounded delicious and just looked beautiful. However, I decided against purchasing the malt powder and wanted to skip the peanut butter drizzle if case anyone I was sharing with had a peanut allergy. I chose instead my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe in bar form, topped with the delicious chocolate-y fudge and garnished with chocolate covered pretzels. You could certainly skip the pretzels, but I would suggest sprinkling the top with a little kosher salt because the salty sweet combo is what really makes these bars. They would be any easy addition to any cookie platter this season because you can skip the rolling or dropping of individual cookies; just spread it into your pan and go from there.

Fudge Covered Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
For cookie bar (adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 oz mini semisweet chocolate chips

For topping (adapted from Shugary Sweets):
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter
12 oz milk chocolate chips
30-40 chocolate covered pretzels (such as Flips)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds on medium high speed. Add the brown sugars, baking soda and salt and beat until combined well. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as possible with the electric mixer. Change to a wooden spoon and stir in the rest of the flour. Mix in the mini chocolate chips.

Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Make the topping by heating the sweetened condensed milk and unsalted butter over medium low heat until melted and warmed. Stir in the milk chocolate chips. Pour the topping over the cookie bars when they come out of the oven, using a spatula to spread evenly. Place the chocolate covered pretzels evenly on top of the fudge layer, pushing in so that they stick well. Cool completely.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) until cold. Remove from the pan until the parchment paper to pull out. Cut into squares.

Cheese Stuffed Buns

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

"Buddy the elf, what's your favorite color?"

"We elves try to stick to the main four food groups- candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

"Smiling's my favorite."

"You smell like beef and cheese. You don't smell like Santa."

"Fran-sis-co."

"CONGRATULATIONS! World's best cup of coffee."

"Watch out! The yellow ones don't stop."

"SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM!."

"What's a Christmasgram? I want one!"

Guess what I did yesterday? You got it- I watched one of the greatest holiday movies ever- ELF. I love it. Will Ferrell is so funny and now I'm officially in the Christmas spirit. :)

I also made these delicious cheese stuffed buns. They are soft and chewy full of melty cheese and a hint of garlic. Perfect straight out the oven, or even reheated the next day. You should add them to your holiday plans; the oven will be on for cookie baking anyway, right? Feel free to use whatever cheese you want but you certainly don't want to miss out on these.

Cheese Stuffed Buns (adapted from Heather Christo Cooks)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot water (110-115 F)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 oz monterey jack cheese, cut into 8 equal cubes
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Combine the hot water, sugar and yeast in a medium to large bowl. Allow to stand until bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic powder, salt and oil; mix. Add in about 1 cup of the flour and mix. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead in the additional 1/2 cup flour. Continue to knead for 5-6 minutes until it is a smooth soft dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled, about 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your house.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece slightly and place a cube of cheese into the center. Close the dough around it and form into a ball. Place buns on prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden on top. Remove and brush with more melted butter.

Serve hot.

Makes 8 buns.