Dangerously Cheesy

A pasta I have been dying to try my hand at for some time, this recipe was a cinch, and quite delicious.  Olive oil is heated up in a pan, a few cloves of garlic is added and sauteed until a light brown, 28 oz of pulsed italian plum tomatoes, crushed red pepper and salt to taste are added.  This mixture is brought to a simmer for ten minutes-boil one pound pasta (mostaccili is preferred) simultaneously.  Drain pasta, add tomato mixture and one pound of mozzarella cheese, cubed.  Served with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, it's a crowd pleaser.
Bread was spread with butter, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and broiled.

Double the Mashed Potato Pleasure!

It was a normal idea, that grew to full on home-cooked meal proportions.

First came the mashed potatoes, with sour cream, butter, and frozen corn (boiled, please)
Next came the sliced tomatoes and red onion (originally planned with avocado as well, but that is a sore subject) drizzled with oil and balsamic vinegar.
And last came the crown jewel of our hearty collection, the pan-seared pork loin, chosen with precision by the professionals behind the meat counter, and finished with a pan sauce made with chicken broth and reduced balsamic vinegar.  Mirrored image, you ask? No, just identical plates of potato and pork perfection.

The morning rolled around, and we had made just enough mash to fill our longing stomachs with the potatoes they desired.  Simply add an egg, and in our case diced red onion to the mix, dollop onto a hot pan, and serve with sour cream and apple sauce.  Hot sauce or ketchup are viable options as well.   

German Pancakes

I don't want to beat the pancake horse to death, but I think I just did.  Sorry you poor, poor pancake horse.                                                                       

These were made extra delicious and thick simply by adding an extra egg. Paired with raspberries, mango, and pear, you really can't go wrong.

Halloweeeen!

It happened again. 

We just started throwing things into the recipe, and deliciousness was conceived into flat, round treats of pure pleasure (pancakes).  

Eggs\Milk\Brown Sugar\Baking Powder\Baking Soda\Bacon Grease\Flour\Mango

Topped with lemon curd and blackberries
I call 'em, Brown Sugar Mango Pancakes

Blackberry/Lemon Curd Pancakes

At the local grocery store, 

planning to make some 'cakes

These blackberries caught our eye

the thought-a delicious breakfast makes

Mixed in, on top berries were everywhere!

Doused with maple syrup and lemon curd to boot

Served with milk and love, 

We scored the best of morning loot. 

Homemade Tomato Soup

A friend of mine and I traveled to the local TJ, decided to make Tomato Soup, and promptly started throwing things into our baskets.  The result was....so delicious it will be talked of for a lifetime, and made over and over again in all of my households.  Here is the recipe:
16oz fresh diced tomatoes
1/8 cup butter
1/4 fresh diced onion
1/2 yellow pepper
generous 1/2 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
salt and pepper
taragon
sea salt
basil
thyme
all simmered over medium heat for 30 minutes.
In a smaller saucepan, near the end of the thirty minutes, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream is heated up.
Both pans are turned off, the cream is added to the larger pan, stirred together, and immediately served garnished with fresh ground pepper and cilantro. 
the french bread was brushed with olive oil, peppered and salted, and broiled on low for 5 minutes.

First-Try Fall Food

Kabocha squash, halved and baked with a head of garlic for forty minutes, then pureed with chicken broth, heavy cream, salt, fresh-ground pepper, and just-squeezed lemon juice. Topped with fresh basil. 

Hot Potato

Par-Boiled, pan fried, with an experimental sauce that included:

sour cream

hot sauce

ketchup

lemon/lime juice

salt/pepper
garlic

Fresh Fruit

Crepes galore!!
The gang traveled to Sauvie Island yesterday (oh just a protected wildlife area, that also doubles as a "U-Pick Farm" location, and triples as a beach on the Columbia river). I chose to gather marionberries, and the roommate scavenged for raspberries. The other members of the troupe stumbled around in a daze that the first trip to Sauvie's usually induces.
What followed next was a breakfast-fest with our berries, crepes, Nutella, honeydew and cantaloupe, as well as a green apple to top it off.

Naomi's Honeysuckle and Mint Salad with Honey Vinagrette

Naomi has been eating honeysuckle from our yard like crazy, so tonight she and I decided to make a salad. She added mint and we made a dressing with strawberry lemonade and honey. It was seriously (I mean seriously) delightful, as is this photo of the chef.

Third (and Fourth) Meal

I got a hankerin' to cook tonight, and one meal was just not quite enough.
First:
Fried polenta, covered in a
chunky red sauce-onions, fresh tomatoes, fresh garlic, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste (and just a sprinkle of corn starch) sauteed together
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
all drizzled in balsamic vinegar and complimented nicely with
Bosc pears.

Second:
My specialty, homemade mac and cheese.
whole wheat pasta (al dente) covered in a
white sauce-butter, flour, milk, pepper jack cheese, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste, topped with
fresh basil and fresh grated parmesan cheese
For an extra spicy delight, add saracha to the mix.

Panna Cotta

For Days.

Homemade Cream of Broccoli Soup

America's Test Kitchen, maiden voyage

BBB

Black Bean Burgers

My friend, Patrick, has a knack for cooking. His work has appeared earlier on this blog in the form of red curry.
Black bean burgers consist of mashed up corn and black beans, eggs, among other ingredients.
The recipe can be found here.
You toast up some buns, add onions, tomato, cheese, guacamole, and any other ingredient you want! They are DDDelicious.

Banana Germies

Yes, we all love germies. I make them probably 3 times a week because they are so cheap and delicious. And, I have invented a new kind.

Just slice a banana into the two pans after the butter has melted and stick it back into the oven for a minute or two before adding the batter. It was so good, and it keeps things interesting. Think of all the possibilities..

Red Curry

My friend made me dinner a couple nights ago, and it was delicious.
Apparently easy too! You just buy the Curry base from your local grocer, follow the instructions, and add anything else you like! (Make sure if you decide on peppers to put them in first, because they take the longest to soften).
Ours had: tofu, peppers, broccoli, garnished with cabbage, and piled atop rice.