Breakfast Puffs

Note: This recipe is the exact recipe from BHG's Cookbook, called "Nan's Puffs".

These puffs are so simple.

So delicious.

So...adaptable! I made the bare-bones version at home this morning, but I can imagine so many delicious possibilities: Cheese and chive puffs, cinnamon and nutmeg puffs, custard filled puffs...and the list goes on.

These are a perfect "Sunday" breakfast in my mind: quick to make, only a few staple ingredients, and only 1 pot and 1 muffin tin to clean up! Perfect!

Breakfast Puffs

Makes 12 puffs

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter

1 c milk

3/4 c flour

4 eggs

sugar for sprinkling

honey for topping

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375F, and grease a 12 cup muffin tin, inside and around the edges.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the milk and carefully (let's not repeat the dreaded TAPIOCA INCIDENT) bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, immediately and quickly stir in all of the flour. The mixture will stick to itself and make a large ball, coming away from the sides of the saucepan. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

4. After cooling, add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition for one minute.

5. Scoop into equal portions in the muffin tin, filling the cups about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle sugar on top of each puff. Bake for 30 minutes at 375F, until puffed up and golden. Be careful not to startle the muffins too much (treat them as gently as you would a souffle, because they will deflate easily.

6. Serve immediately, drizzled with honey for extra sweetness.

Happy Muffin Says ENJOY! :)

Throw-It-Together Vegetable Soup

Hi Friends.

I'm sorry I've been absent from this blog for well over a month (or two) now. I haven't been posting because I haven't been cooking. We've been really busy, and I've been exceptionally tired after work, so we've been eating out, or eating "staple" meals that I've already described on this blog.

One day, however, I was really in the mood for some soup. So I decided to raid the fridge, freezer and pantry to concoct something sans recipe.

I hope you all can use this recipe as a foundation, and add or remove ingredients to your liking.

Hopefully, I'll be able to post a little more frequently now that the holidays are just around the corner and I will at least be doing some baking!

Throw-It-Together Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8 (Or 2 people 3 times. Hah.)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/2 bunch of celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 head of a small cabbage, shredded

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can whole tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned pepper (or any coarse ground pepper)

2 Tbs vegetarian bullion

8 cups water

salt to taste

Procedure:

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion and celery until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds (don't let the garlic burn!).

2. Add all of the rest of the ingredients except the salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to allow the soup to simmer.

3. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until celery and onions are very tender. Finally, add salt to taste.

4. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top and a whole wheat roll on the side.

Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce

Hey y'all!

It's been a while.

But I come bearing gifts. Buttery, nom-a-licious gifts.

I learned this recipe while on my New Orleans trip last year thanks to Brittni's amazing idea to take me to an authentic New Orleans cooking class.

Life shall never be the same again.

I've modified the recipe a bit, but that's what you're supposed to do. If there's one thing I took away from that class, it was cook with feeling. Do you feel like adding raisins? Do you feel like adding extra booze? Then DO IT.

I made this recipe for my in-laws and friends at a small get together we had at our house, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I hope you all get to have as much fun experimenting with this as I did!

NOLA Bread Pudding

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

6-8 cups cubed, stale French bread

2 c sugar

8 Tbs melted butter

3 eggs (break yolks, but don't whip)

2 tsp vanilla

1 c shredded coconut

1 c chopped pecans

1 c raisins (I didn't add these because I married a raisin-hater)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Dash of whiskey for kicks

milk (add at end)

Sweet Treat

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients except milk thoroughly (I used my clean hands). Add the milk to get the desired consistency: the mixture should be moist, but not soupy.

2. Pour mixture into a greased (with butter, crisco or cooking spray) 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with Sweet Treat if you have it. Place into a non-preheated oven. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.

Serve with Whiskey Sauce, or eat plain when no one is looking...

Whiskey Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 c butter

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1/3 c whiskey (or as much as you prefer)

Procedure:

1. Cream the butter and sugar over medium heat until uniform in consistency.

2. Remove from heat, and blend in the egg yolks.

3. Add the whiskey to your taste, constantly stirring.

Serve warm with warm bread pudding!

Raw Chocolate Date Bars

Sorry again for the absence. You can read all about it here.

I learned this easy recipe from a friend of mine who brought it for dessert to yoga night. She made the mistake of leaving the leftovers with me, and a million calories later, here we are. Tummy ache.

Actually, this dessert isn't inherently bad for you, as long as you enjoy it in moderation.

Feel free to experiment--don't like dates? Used dried papaya and white chocolate for a more tropical rendition.

The possibilities are endless!

Raw Chocolate Date Bars

Serves 10-12 (or 3 Lisa sized portions...)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 large dark chocolate bar

1 8 oz portion of pitted dates (you can also use the chopped dates, I just couldn't find any without any extra sugar)

1 cup unsweetened coconut

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2. Grease an 8x8 serving pan LIGHTLY with some cooking spray. Wipe off excess with a paper towel. Press the contents of the food processor into the pan firmly. Refrigerate, cut into squares and enjoy!