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The recipe for these chocolate-orange brownies caught my eye in the March Bon Appetite issue. I love a chocolate-orange flavor combination, so I couldn't resist. I was so confident in the brownies, I actually made them for a meeting (of course, I crossed my fingers). The orange flavor balanced well with the more intense dark cocoa I used (the recipe called for regular unsweetened cocoa, but I only had Hershey's special dark). The recipe also called for pecans, but my fridge only offered me the choice of almonds or walnuts, so I went with walnuts (not toasted). The brownies were moist, cake-like, and delicious.
This recipe can be found on pages 21-22 of the March issue for Bon Appetite in the R.S.V.P. section. It is adapted from the Homepage Cafe in Bozeman, MT.
Chocolate-Orange Brownies
nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 C boiling water
6 T natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 C packed dark brown sugar
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C pecans, toasted, chopped
2 large eggs
10 T (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 T finely grated orange peel
1/2 t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Spray 9x9x2 inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray (I used a silicone pan). Whisk boiling water and cocoa powder is a small bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add butter, orange peel, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Whisk cocoa mixture into egg mixture. Add flour mixture; stir just to blend. Transfer to prepared pan.
Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into 16 squares and serve.
Enjoy & thank you Homepage Cafe and Bon Appetite!!
Four months ago, I challenged myself to only eat from the contents of my fridge and pantry & only buy from a list of 25 staple items to inspire culinary creativity, save money, and curb unnecessary grocery spending. How I did depends on your outlook. If you are a multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank type of person, I probably barely passed. However, I am more of an essay type person, so I think I passed.
For the first part, did I only eat from the contents of my fridge & pantry? No. I did, however, use up approximately 25% of my contents, so yea for me:). In doing so, I created meals using ingredients I had on hand supplemented with staples.
Here is one of those meals. It was inspired by a casserole my mom made and modified to be vegetarian with TVP, green olives, and a yellow pepper.
It tasted much better than it looks, especially with my toppings (yogurt, bottom-of-the-bag tortilla chips, and some green onions).
Did I only buy from my list of staples? No. I did, however, stick pretty close to it. My strays were mainly other vegetables and fruits, or buying more than one item due to sale price. Though, I must confess I bought a few things completely unrelated to my staples list due to sale price or a serious craving. I did definitely spend less on groceries. I even shopped once based on coupons and related sales and saved a whopping 48%.
It was also my goal to eat out less, which I did accomplish. I wasn't perfect, as it was my goal to only eat out for legitimate reasons (like book club or meeting friends). Laziness & convenience overcame me a few times, but, well, I'm weak some times. One thing I did stick to is only getting Starbucks when I can expense it, or with a gift card. There are 2 things I always have ingredients for: tacos and PB & J, so I went back to eating a lot of tacos and PB & J.
In conclusion, even though I strayed from my list of staples, gave in to the convenience of dining out, and sometimes ignored the contents of my pantry and fridge, there were areas of improvement. I got creative in my kitchen, and reminded myself how much I love to bake and cook. I definitely saved money, and saw the benefits of shopping smarter. I even learned to control my Starbucks addiction. Overall, I give myself a B-, and plan to continue with my renewed habits.
Last night, my dinner was a frito tomato soup (gazpacho). I realize it is spring now, and winter is usually the season to crave soup (it is the second soup I have made in a week); I guess I am off-season a bit. Anyway, I actually had the soup two nights in a row, the first night, hot, and last night, cold. It was excellent at both temperatures.
Below is the recipe. Please note, measurements may still need to be tweaked, as this was my first attempt.
1 can tomato soup
1 28oz can of peeled tomatoes in sauce (I went with Italian style with basil)
4-5 green onions (not stalk), diced
2-3 T rosemary
1-2 t cajun spice (I like Slap Ya Mama, by Walker & Sons)
salt & pepper
fritos
Optional: shredded cheese, diced bell pepper, chopped avocado, plain yogurt, cucmbers, and chives (green onion stalk)
Cook ingredients for 10 minutes, or until heated. Serve with fritos, and any optional toppings.
May be served warm or cold. If serving cold, chill before serving.
Cream of mushroom soup was on sale, so I had a couple cans. What does one do with cream of mushroom soup, if one is not in the mood for tuna or green bean casserole? Online did not offer much help, as chicken seemed to be the star ingredient (no chicken for this girl). My heart was set on chowder, so I gathered some ingredients, and crossed my fingers.
See, not too shabby, and pretty tasty... (Harris Teeter made the bread). Below is the recipe, but keep in mind this was the first try, so it may need some tweaking :).
Mushroom & Corn Chowder
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
2-4 green onions (not the stalks), diced
1-2 garlic cloves, diced
3 small red potatoes, peeled & diced
1-2 T butter
1-2 t truffle oil
2-4 T lime juice
4 sprigs of time, dried + 1
1-2 t hot pepper sauce
salt & pepper
Optional, but recommended: serve with shredded cheese (I like sharp), plain yogurt (Greek style is my choice) or sour cream, and green onion stalk or chives
(1) Add chopped green onions, garlic, and potatoes to 2 qt. saucepan.
(2) Add oil, butter, lime juice, salt & pepper. Cook over Med. High heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. Add more lime juice, if seems too dry.
(3) Add corn, and stir. Lower heat to Med. Low, and cover. Cook another 10 minutes.
(4) Add soup, milk, 4 sprigs of thyme (remove thyme leaves from sprigs), and hot sauce.
(5) Cover. Cook, stirring periodically, 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are done.
(6) Add last sprig of thyme, and stir.
Serve hot. Toppings & crusty bread are optional. Enjoy!
Beautiful backyard blossoms were aplenty for me this weekend (a bonus for me for house sitting). The previous homeowner was quite the gardener, and my green-thumbed friends are continuing the backyard botanical garden.
So, spring's blossoms in my neighborhood do not include the darling cherry blossoms, but I still found plenty to admire...
Ahh, the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms....
They really are beautiful, even when seeing them means having to toughen up to brave the throngs of other onlookers, tourist groups, strollers, tripods & cameras.
The cherry blossoms entice people to travel in from other states, and even other countries. Yet, I live just across the river, and it took me four years to pay a visit.
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