Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I was originally going to bake these cookies in celebration of my boyfriend and mine's anniversary this past weekend...but seeing as how difficult it was for me to find one of the ingredients, I made them tonight!

I wanted to make these cookies because I associate lemons with being refreshing and light (in flavor). And even better? It only uses four ingredients!

Recipe (makes ~24 cookies):
1 box               Lemon Cake Mix
1                       Egg, lightly beaten
2 cups              Cool Whip (or Whipped Topping), thawed
1/2-1 cup        Powdered Sugar

Ingredients

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the Lemon Cake Mix, Cool Whip/Whipped Topping, and Egg in a bowl. You will end up with a very sticky mixture.

3. Form dough into tablespoonfuls and roll thoroughly in the powdered sugar.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden. Allow to cool for 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool thoroughly.

**Because my tablespoonfuls were quite large, I left the cookies in the oven for a few minutes longer than the said 8-10**

UPDATE: As easy and refreshing as the cookies were, I'm not compelled to make them again. There was just no "Wow!" factor to them...no memorable flavors or textures that would make me want to bake them again. 

Vegan Banana Ice Cream Part 2 (Strawberry Compote Included)

A mere 24 hours have passed since the making of Vegan Banana Ice Cream (original post here). I would show you a picture of the ice cream itself, except nothing is too exciting when its just frozen in tupperware.

Instead of sprinkling cinnamon on top of the ice cream before eating it, I opted to make a strawberry compote (I adapted a recipe from here) There are many different compote recipes that you can find online, but in a traditional sense, a compote is essentially fruit cooked in sugar or spices.

Recipe (makes 1 cup):
1 lb (the equivalent is one box)             Strawberries, washed, dried, cubed
1/3 cup                                                     Sugar
1/2 cup or 2 tbsp                                    Grand Marnier or Lemon Juice (respectively)

Ingredients

Alteration #1:

I cubed the fruit instead of slicing it. Anytime I've ever had compote, the fruit has been cubed. Also, the uniformity in shape guarantees that the strawberries will be cooked evenly.


Instructions:

1. Warm a non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine all of your ingredients.

2. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the fruit simmer until it is soft, about 8-10 minutes. 

**Note: the mixture will appear to be very soupy. I stirred the mixture every once in a while so that nothing would stick to the bottom of the pan**

3. Remove from heat and cool.

Alteration #2:

The original recipe continues with instructions and tells you to place the fruit in a food processor, but I prefer to eat the compote as is.

4. Pour over your favorite ice cream, and enjoy!

 UPDATE: The Vegan Banana Ice Cream turned out delicious! Since there is no custard (as there is in regular ice cream), the ice cream turned out icier than expected (not that that is a bad thing). This would make for a great summertime treat, because it is light, healthy, and refreshing. There are also plenty of other fun and fruity vegan flavors that you can make (more of that to come!)

Vegan Banana Ice Cream

There's something about winter that makes you want to eat ice cream. I'm not lying! When the blizzard hit two weeks ago, one of the first things to sell out in the grocery store was ice cream. Strange, indeed.

Now, I've been wanting an ice cream maker for quite some time, but I can't quite seem to justify the cost of buying one just yet. I found this recipe via Pinterest, and all you need is a food processor or blender!

Also, I'm lactose intolerant, but refuse to take Lactaid pills. So when I found a vegan recipe, all I could think was Hallelujah!!! :)

Recipe (makes 3-4 servings):
5                   Ripe Bananas
2-3 cups      Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2-1 tsp     Vanilla
Sprinkle of Cinnamon (optional)

Ingredients

1. Place all items in a blender/food processor until smooth and creamy.

**I used 2 cups Almond Milk and 1 tbsp of Vanilla**

2. Take out of the blender/food processor and pour contents into a container to freeze overnight.

.....follow up with the next post on how it turned out!

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Almost nothing is as hearty as having a good risotto in the middle of winter. There are plenty of different combinations of risotto that you can make, but I decided on the recipe below. This recipe, again, comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. (As pictured below, and mentioned here) It's William Sonoma's Weeknight Fresh & Fast cookbook, which can be found in most bookstores.

Recipe (makes 4 servings):

5 cups       Low-sodium Chicken Broth

1 tbsp       Olive Oil

1                Onion, finely chopped

3/4 lb        Italian Sausage, casings removed

10-12 oz   Button Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup     White Wine/Vermouth

1.5 cups    Arborio Rice

1/2 cup     Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Coarse Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley or Basil, minced, for garnish

Ingredients

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth warm while you are making the risotto.

2. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.Add the rice and stir until it is opaque, about 1 minute. Add the wine/vermouth and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

3. Add about 3/4 cup of the broth to the pan and adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles and is absorbed slowly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to cook, adding the broth about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently, until rice is tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy; about 20 minutes.

4. Mix in the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Saute with Thyme, Lemon, and Chili

One of my favorite cookbooks (as pictured below) is full of simple and easy recipes. What's especially nice about the book is that it separates recipes based on seasonal fruits and vegetables. So, for example, during the summer season portion of the book, they'll share recipes using summer fruits and vegetables, and in the winter season, they'll share recipes using winter fruits and vegetables. In addition to the recipes, they give a few ideas for side dishes and desserts per season.

Continuing with the chicken dinner streak, I chose the recipe below because I had most of the ingredients already. In addition, I roasted some vegetables as a side dish.

Recipe (makes 2 servings):
2 tbsp      Olive Oil
3/4 lb       Chicken Breast Cutlets
1              Large Shallot, minced
2 tsp        Fresh Thyme, minced
1/2 - 1     Serrano Chile, minced
1/3 cup    Dry White Wine
2 tbsp      Fresh Lemon Juice
Coarse Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Ingredients

Yum!

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and add to the frying pan. Saute until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 2 plates when finished cooking.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same frying pan, and then add the shallot, thyme, and chile. Saute until the shallot begins to soft, about 1 minute. Add the wine and lemon juice, boil, stirring up the browned bits on the pan bottom, until syrupy, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add any juices from the plate holding the chicken to the sauce and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve right away. 

Roasted Vegetable Side Dish: 

Ingredients: Carrots, Parsnips, Red Potatoes, Cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Marinate vegetables with whatever seasonings you like. I used kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh rosemary. Toss in bowl so vegetables are evenly coated

3. Prepare a roasting pan. Grease the bottom of a pan, or line with parchment paper.

4. Arrange vegetables. Place vegetables in a single layer in pan.

5. Once oven is preheated, slide vegetables onto middle rack. Roast for 10 minutes, then stir vegetables. Roast for another 10 minutes, then stir vegetables. Roast for another 10 minutes. 

Delicious!

Birchbox #1

My very first Birchbox arrived yesterday! (See the original post here)

Left to Right: Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate with Caramel Filling, Jouer Matte Moisture Tint with SPF 15, Color Club Nail Laquer in Tweet Me, TIGI Catwalk Finishing Hairspray

It looks like every month, they send products out based on a theme. This month, because of all of the glitzy and glamorous awards shows going on, they're sending out product samples that help to achieve those looks. The even have tutorials and a blog on their website to help guide you!

Baked Balsamic Vinegar and Soy Sauce Chicken

I love making baked drumsticks. No matter the marinade. Reason being, you can really make any marinade, bake it at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, and end up with something tender and delicious. I was thinking about making my usual drumsticks (that will be for another day) for tonight's dinner until I saw this recipe for Baked Balsamic Vinegar and Soy Sauce Chicken.

The chicken turned out delicious! (I'm talking licking my fingers good) It was sweet and sticky and savory all in one!

INGREDIENTS: Black Pepper, Soy Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Garlic, Ginger, Drumsticks

Add all of your ingredients in a medium size bowl

Place drumsticks in a large Ziploc bag (I didn't have any available, so I used two sandwich bags instead) and then pour the marinade into the bag. I let the chicken sit in the fridge to marinate for a little over 7 hours, flipping the bag over every so often.

After the first 25 minutes of baking, before putting the second coat of sauce on top

40 minutes of baking and 3 coats of sauce later...