Cornmeal Scones

It’s handy to keep cornmeal around for polenta, but you can also use it to bake. I wasn’t in the mood for traditional corn muffins, so I found this recipe for Cornmeal Scones. (Note: There’s a typo in the recipe, and step 1 should say to say to mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.) The ingredients are simple, and they’re the kind of thing you can whip up quickly on a Sunday morning.

The scones are nicely crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. I cut the scones on the small side, and plan to freeze most of the batch. They are dusted with sugar but still not overly sweet. You could enjoy them on their own, or with a savory dish, but you will enjoy them!

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

My nod to St. Patricks’s Day this year doesn’t include corned beef, or turnip, or the amazing mint brownies that my Mom used to make. I did make Irish bread a couple of weeks ago, but never got around to baking another loaf. This year I picked up a head of cabbage and tried something completely different, using this Martha Stewart recipe as a guide.

I cut the head of cabbage into 1″ slices, and then brushed them with olive oil, Garlic Gold, salt, and pepper. I put them in the oven at 375F for about 30 minutes, and they were done. In fact, a few slices got very crispy at the edges. This cabbage recipe has a lot more ‘life’ than the traditional method of boiling it all day. If you’ve been turned off by the pale boiled leaves, you might give cabbage another try with this recipe. It may not be authentically Irish, but it’s very good.

French Toast Muffins

This muffin recipe promised to deliver ‘the best part of French toast rolled up in a muffin’. With a promise like that, I got out my mixing bowl! Of course, the recipe calls for Bisquick which I never keep in the house, so I used the trusty Bisquick substitute of 1 c. flour, 1 1/2 t baking powder, and 1/2 t salt. The batter came together quickly, but the muffins took a bit longer in the oven than the recipe indicated.

When they came out of the oven, I brushed them with melted margarine and dusted them with cinnamon and sugar. After all that, you’d think they’d be amazing, right? Ehhh, I was disappointed. None of them will go to waste, but they weren’t as good as I expected. I think they need more cinnamon and sugar on the inside. Don’t worry, I have another recipe on my list which I think will fix this problem!

Green Bean Pasta Salad

Between the spring like weather and the time change, it seemed the right time to make some pasta salad. I had seen this recipe in Real Simple, but it’s not quite green bean season yet and I didn’t have any fresh parsley either. With frozen green beans and pantry spices, I forged ahead. I am so glad I did; the pasta salad was a great change of pace, and quite colorful.

Green Bean Pasta Salad

2 c. whole wheat penne, cooked until al dente
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen green beans, steamed
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
Thyme, Salt, and Pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste and serve.

-Adapted from Real Simple

Eggs and Peas

Although cooking on any weeknight is hard, I think Friday nights are the worst. It’s been a long week, and there usually aren’t many groceries in the house. Sometimes I have plans to be out, sometimes I swing by Whole Foods to make a salad or grab sushi, and sometimes I force myself to get creative. The Internet definitely helps. I usually find two ingredients and type “IngredientA IngredientB recipe” into Google. This week, a recipe for Eggs and Peas popped up.

Less than 30 minutes later, I had a skillet full of hot food ready to enjoy. This is certainly not the most beautiful dinner I ever made, but it was tasty, nutritious, and economical, with leftovers for the next day. On Friday nights, I consider that a win.

Eggs and Peas

2 c. frozen peas
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
3-4 eggs
1/2 c. reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Place peas in a skillet on low heat until they are thawed. Add in tomato sauce, stir, and continue cooking until heated through. Make 3-4 indentations with a spoon, and crack an egg into each space. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes until eggs are set. Remove cover, and sprinkle with cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

-Adapted from Hillbillly Housewife

Spinach Rice Balls

Sorry to leave you hanging last week, I was a bit under the weather. I am feeling better now, but I still can’t deny that I’ve been cooking less than usual this year. Or at least cooking fewer ‘blog-worthy’ dishes! But I was invited to a dinner party on Saturday night and the host asked me to bring an appetizer. I was instantly inspired to find something good, but I also knew the crowd was full of generally healthy eaters.

I found these Spinach Brown Rice Balls on the site Cooking with My Kid, and made just a few changes. I used Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits in oil, but you can use regular olive oil and minced garlic. I also used Parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella for a sharper flavor. I think they turned out really well, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Even adults like finger food, and the Spinach Rice Balls were full of flavor. Although they were an appetizer on this night, they will be making more appearances in my lunch bag.

Spinach Rice Balls

2 c. cooked brown rice
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits in oil
2 eggs
Dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into balls, and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

-Lightly adapted from Cooking with My Kid

Poor Woman’s Polenta Pizza

I spotted this recipe on the Real Simple website for polenta pizza, and I always keep a container of cornmeal in my pantry. But since polenta is known as a peasant food, it didn’t make sense to top it with radicchio, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. So this is my poor woman’s version of polenta pizza.

It came out pretty well, but I should have drained the tomatoes more because they made the crust a little soggy. The edges got nice and crispy, but the middle fell apart. It was still pretty good for poor woman’s pizza!

Poor Woman’s Polenta Pizza

2 1/4 c. water
1 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (28 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, drained
1 c. reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Bring water to a boil. Slowly add cornmeal, stirring constantly. Continue to cook cornmeal for 3-5 minutes, until it is thick. Remove from heat, and mix in Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Spread polenta on the bottom of a 9″ springform pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Use either the back of a spoon or your fingers to get the surface as flat as possible.

Mix spinach and tomatoes together, and place on top of polenta. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted.

-Adapted from Real Simple

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

First, a bit of social media news. I finally got on Pinterest. Some people are pinning like crazy and others have never heard of it. Right now, I am using it to track recipes I’d like to make. If you click here, you should be able to see the recipes which I’ve pinned. Of course, I may never get around to some of these, but you may be inspired to try them yourself.

Now on to today’s recipe, Chicken Pot Pie Soup. I adapted the recipe from Skinnytaste, increasing the vegetables and cutting back on the chicken. For the record, I meant to grab a potato at the grocery store and totally forgot, so I used cauliflower instead. I think no matter what you do here, you won’t go wrong. This is nothing fancy; it’s simple, basic comfort food seasoned with good ‘ol salt and pepper. There’s also no ‘pie’ but you could serve the soup with a biscuit or roll if you like. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1/4 c. flour
2 c. water
4 c. skim milk
1 c. frozen pearl onions
1 (16 oz.) package frozen vegetables with green beans, carrots, and corn
8 oz. frozen cauliflower
1 Knorr vegetable bouillon cube
Black pepper
1 1/2 c. diced cooked chicken
Salt

Whisk flour into 1/2 c. cold water and set aside. Place remaining water, milk, onions, mixed vegetables, cauliflower, and bouillon cube in a large pot. Season generously with black pepper. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and the flour/water mixture and stir well. Cook on low heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the soup thickens. Season with salt if needed.

-Adapted from Skinnytaste

Cheesy Brown Rice and Green Beans

This is one of those pantry dinners that ended up much better than I expected. I started by making a simple cheese sauce. It took less than 15 minutes, and all you really need is flour, milk, and cheese. I seasoned mine with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, but you can use anything you like.

Meanwhile, I steamed a 10 oz. bag of frozen green beans and boiled a bag of instant brown rice. I tossed the green beans and rice in a bowl and mixed in some cheese sauce , then topped it with some freshly grated Parmesan. I even had some cheese sauce leftover for another meal. I can’t claim that this is an official ‘recipe’ but it was a decent dinner with leftovers for lunch, and that’s all that counts.

Irish Soda Bread

It’s a little early for St. Patrick’s Day, but I never made this last year and wanted to get a head start. Plus, I had never taken a picture of it for the blog. This is my family’s recipe, but there are many versions of Irish bread out there!

A few words of (Irish bread) wisdom. First, you don’t need to buy buttermilk. Place 1 1/2 T of white vinegar in a large measuring cup, and fill with milk to make 1 1/2 c total. Allow milk to sit for 5 minutes, and you now have 1 1/2 c. of buttermilk. Easy, right? Second, don’t overmix the dough. Really, you just want to make sure it’s blended together, you don’t want to stretch it out too much. You also don’t want to be tempted to add too much additional flour; the dough is meant to be sticky, not smooth. And finally, if the top gets too brown but the bread isn’t done, cover it with foil and keep baking. You don’t want to dry it out, but you do need to make sure the inside is cooked.

Now I think I am inspired to make another loaf or two before the holiday!

Irish Soda Bread

4 c. flour
3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
6 T butter
1 1/2 c. raisins
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 2 quart round casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients (flour through baking soda). With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, beat eggs slightly. Remove 1 T egg and reserve. Stir buttermilk into remaining egg and then stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. The dough will be sticky.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, and with floured hands, knead about 10 strokes to mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball, and place in casserole dish. With a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top and brush dough with reserved egg.

Bake about 60-100 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.