Saturday, November 7, 2009

Brown Rice Flour Bread



Brown Rice Flour Bread
(for the bread machine)
From the Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

What you’ll need (1 ½ lb loaf):
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Honey
1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white bread flour
¾ cup brown rice flour
1 ½ Tbsp nonfat dry milk
1 ½ Tbsp gluten
1 ½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast


How to make it:
  1. Place all ingredients in the bread pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust to dark and use the whole wheat cycle. You may make this recipe with your delay timer setting. Press start
  2. When the baking is done remove from the bread pan. Let cool to room temperature for the best slicing. Enjoy!





    Notes: 
    *This bread is amazing for sandwiches.




Monday, November 2, 2009

Blue chesse pecan salad

This recipe was inspired by my trip to Lanesboro, MN this last summer. What did I learn, salad is what you make of it. This salad's ingredients hit on many of the food groups you need each day and will also fill you up. It makes a great weeknight super or is easy to pack for a quick filling lunch.
Blue cheese pecan salad
What you'll need:
*Your favorite lettuce or spinach mix (note this could be as simple as a head of iceberg chopped up)
*Blue cheese
*Pecans chopped into bite sized pieces
*Raspberry walnut vinaigrette
*Optional: raisins, and/or an apple chopped into bite sized pieces





How to make it: 
1. Add all ingredients together, with as much or little as you like. Enjoy!


Notes:
*This is a Kristel original salad combination.
*When taking salad in your lunch take a separate container for the dressing so your salad doesn't get soggy. Add in right before you eat.


Friday, October 30, 2009

Cina-Beer French Toast

Sometimes in life you randomly discover really tasty things. Last Sunday I had one of these days. I had wanted some French toast for a few days and when I woke up before my husband Sunday it was a good time to surprise him with some fresh breakfast. My house is typically stocked for baking as I love to bake, especially bread. So I didn't think twice about having what I needed for ingredients. It turned out I had barley any milk or eggs so I got creative and saw the beer in my fridge and created this:

Cina-Beer French Toast
This recipe makes about 3-4 pieces of French Toast so you may want to double depending on how many you want to feed.
What you'll need:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup beer (dark flavorful ones work the best)
1 tsp cinnamon
3-4 pieces of your favorite bread- sandwich size
Oil for frying
Optional toppings: real maple syrup, fresh or frozen fruit

How to make it:

1. Heat frying pan on a medium heat with about 2 Tbsp oil
2. In a shallow dish big enough to dip your bread into mix: egg, milk, beer, cinnamon. You will want to mix this very well to get all the ingredients thoroughly distributed, a fork works well.


3. Take a piece of bread and quickly dip it in, flip and transfer right away to the hot frying pan. It is not good to let the toast sit in the egg mixture and longer then it takes for both sides to get wet with the mixture.
4. Fry each side of the bread until it is golden brown.

(this is an the un-fried side)
5. Remove from heat and serve with the optional toppings


Notes:
This is a Kristel original recipe created October 2009.
It is best to eat the toast while it is still hot.
The beer adds a new interesting flavor to this traditional breakfast food. Try experimenting with different types and flavors of beer to see what kind you like best.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

What does a vegetairan eat: Falafel "burgers"

Falafel
Adapted From:  Joy of cooking all about vegetarian cooking pg 44
By Irma S Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker


You’ll need:
1 can pre-cook chickpeas
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground red pepper
2 tbsp flour
Some vegetable oil for frying
Pita bread (1/2 pockets work nice)
Optional toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, and/or sour cream


How to make it:
1.       Chop the following ingredients in a food processor: Chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, coriander, baking soda, ground red pepper.
2.       This mixture should be processed until it is coarsely pureed.





3.       Remove to a bowl and add in the flour



4.       Wet your hands and take a handful of the mixture and form into “patties”. The mixture will make about 4 about 3 inches in diameter.
5.       Let them stand for about 15 minutes.
6.       While the patties ‘stand’ preheat a frying pan with about ½ of oil in it. At this time also pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.





7.       Fry the patties until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. P
8.       Place on a paper towel to drain





9.       Heat pita pockets in oven for about 10 minutes

10.       Make your pita sandwich with the toppings you have chosen and your falafel burger



Notes:
Falafel is the original "veggie burger". 
It is a popular food that originates in the Middle East.
This recipe take around an hour to put on the table. 
It doesn't make a lot of left overs but the cold falafel patties are very good.


Falafel "burgers"

Falafel
Adapted From:  Joy of cooking all about vegetarian cooking pg 44
By Irma S Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker


You’ll need:
1 can pre-cook chickpeas
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground red pepper
2 tbsp flour
Some vegetable oil for frying
Pita bread (1/2 pockets work nice)
Optional toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, and/or sour cream


How to make it:
1.       Chop the following ingredients in a food processor: Chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, coriander, baking soda, ground red pepper.
2.       This mixture should be processed until it is coarsely pureed.





3.       Remove to a bowl and mix in the flour



4.       Wet your hands and take a handful of the mixture and form into “patties”. The mixture will make about 4 about 3 inches in diameter.
5.       Let them stand for about 15 minutes.
6.       While the patties ‘stand’ preheat a frying pan with about ½ of oil in it. At this time also pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.





7.       Fry the patties until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. P
8.       Place on a paper towel to drain





9.       Heat pita pockets in oven for about 10 minutes


10.       Make your pita sandwich with the toppings you have chosen and your falafel burger



Notes:
Falafel is the original "veggie burger". 
It is a popular food that originates in the Middle East.
This recipe take around an hour to put on the table. 
It doesn't make a lot of left overs but the cold falafel patties are very good.


What does a vegetairan eat: tortellini casserole


You’ll need:
*1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
*1 jar alfredo sauce OR 1 jar tomatoe based pasta sauce
*You favorite vegetables such as bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc chopped into bite sized pieces
*16 oz shredded cheese (your favorite white cheese such as mozzarella)
 
In a 13X9 casserole dish layer your ingredients in this order:
        *All frozen tortellini
        *Your chopped vegetables
        *Your chosen sauce either alfredo or tomato based pasta sauce
        *Your cheese
Make sure to spread all of the layers out so you get an even taste of all ingredients




Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and brown




Notes:
Thanks to Jenny who gave me the idea to get started creating this one! This is a Kristel original recipe. 
It makes great left overs for lunch.

 

Monday, October 26, 2009

Happy Birthday Nolan!



Happy Birthday to Nolan! You are an awesome friend who keeps life interesting and always makes the work day fly by. And something that makes you even more awsome then you already are is you are good cyclone supportor or symthaizer  amongst a sea of black and gold. I hope you enjoy your day!!

Random story on how I met/didn't met nolan....
It turns out that we were actually in marching band together at ISU  for a year. Not sure if we actually met during this time. He transfer to Iowa eventually and I graduated and moved to Iowa City. Nolan got a job at the company I work for. I kept thinking to myself he looks really fimiliar...hum. One day and I don't remember all the details here (Nolan maybe you can fill in) we started talking and have become very good friends. Strange how paths cross isnt't it!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

totellini casserole


You’ll need:
*1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
*1 jar alfredo sauce OR 1 jar tomatoe based pasta sauce
*You favorite vegetables such as bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc chopped into bite sized pieces
*16 oz shredded cheese (your favorite white cheese such as mozzarella)

In a 13X9 casserole dish layer your ingredients in this order:
        *All frozen tortellini
        *Your chopped vegetables
        *Your chosen sauce either alfredo or tomato based pasta sauce
        *Your cheese
Make sure to spread all of the layers out so you get an even taste of all ingredients




Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and brown




Notes:
*Thanks to Jenny who gave me the idea to get started creating this one!
*This is a Kristel original recipe.
*It makes great left overs for lunch.
*It is an easy weeknight meal as you can go from making to table in about 30-35 minutes



Silent day: A walk around Iowa State in the fall






























Monday, October 19, 2009

Homecoming 2009

This weekend John and I went up for homecoming. Its always so wonderful to spend time with my friends and do a little spinning (what the color guard calls when we do routines with our flags).


Friday night we headed up for the alumni band social. afterward we made a social of our own at Welch Ave Station. Then we headed over the the campanile for mass campanileing and fireworks.


Saturday we had to practice for our 1/2 time show, and attend a brunch. Afterward we had some free time...Lynne had just arrived in Ames and we had some fun.


John and me ready to go to the game


My brother and me


My  friend and former roommate Skippy


The team is ready to go


I got nice and close to the field :)





Touch down!


WE ARE WINNING AND WON!


Rockin' it with cy!



After the game we went back and hung to and had Pizza.
Sunday we did a KKY breakfast which then moved to stomping ground (coffee shop) which then turned into some cyclone apparel shopping. It was a great time to catch up and spend time with lots of my good friends.