So good I’ll probably make it America.

So I don’t know if people still post and read here (the last post seems to have been quite a while ago), but I wanted to share something I’ve made here that I was super excited to make as soon as I got back to the village with my Christmas package from my parents.  Besides, I know at least one person who understands the deliciousness of ranch dressing on pasta

pasta (something like shells work well, but I can’t be picky here)
1 small onion, diced
garlic, a few minced cloves
1 can tuna fish, drained
worcestershire sauce
ranch salad dressing
cilantro (optional)

Cook pasta and set aside.  Saute onion and garlic in a little bit of oil until onion is clear.  Add tuna and Worcestershire sauce – a splash or two, more if you like.  (This is where I also add cilantro if I happen to have any in my garden.)  Cook for a few minutes until tuna is heated through.  Serve immediately combining the tuna mixture, pasta, and enough ranch dressing to coat the pasta.

Not exactly the easiest thing to make here since it requires American ingredients, but I love it when I’m able to make it!

Easy “Pea-sy” Noodle Soup

Today was our second snow day, and I was just itching to try to make something hearty.  I am a big soup fan, so I decided to make a hearty soup that would keep me full and warm.  This is the first recipe I’ve ever invented, and I have to say it is really good!  I highly recommend making it on any snowy day.  Also, if you don’t have the spice savory on your spice rack, you really need to invest in some!  It is great on vegetables, eggs, and anything else that needs a little spice!

Easy “Pea-sy” Noodle Soup

6 cups beef broth (I used beef bouillon cubes)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound egg noodles
1/4 tsp. savory
1/2 tsp. season salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
16 oz. (1 can) peas
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of beef broth to a boil.  In a separate large pot, saute the butter, garlic, and onion over medium heat about 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.  Add beef broth and egg noodles.  Stir for 1 minute, then add spices.  Cover pot and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until egg noodles are no longer hard.  Drain peas, then add to soup.  Stir and cover for 2 more minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!  We love you all so dearly and hope you have the happiest of holidays.

 

love,

lauren and michael

Italian Rice (a.k.a. what I eat most days at site)

Ingredients:

rice, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, bit of oil

Cook rice.   (Don’t overcook like the Rwandans do.)  When rice is cooked, add a small bit of oil (I like to use old vegetable oil from french fries if available for extra flavor) and the spices (I just use dried spices since that’s all I have right now) and enjoy!

So maybe it won’t be a crowd favorite in the States, but I’m quite satisfied with it!

Macaroni and Cheese

I am a big cheese fan, and I think any kind of macaroni and cheese is pretty amazing.  I found a great food blog and she included this recipe adapted from Martha Stewart by Smitten Kitchen.  I tried it, I loved it, I am about to go eat it now.  And then I will go work out!  I suggest you check it out immediately

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

I have made this soup twice and I absolutely love it.  I am a big butternut squash fan, and if you are as well, you have to try this recipe.  I use less chicken stock than the original recipe because I find it makes a thicker soup, but play around and see what you like!

Butternut Squash Soup

(originally from Food Network)

4 cups chicken stock (I use bouillon cubes)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 (2 pounds) butternut squash, chopped into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg

In a large pot, melt the butter.  Sauté the onion in the butter until it is translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and butternut squash, bring to a simmer.  Cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove the squash with a slotted spoon and put in blender and puree.  Return to pot and flavor with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

brazilian coffee cocktail

i found this recipe in the latest edition of food network magazine and we were psyched to try it.  it combines two of our favorite beverages, coffee and rum–you cant really go wrong!

to make a single drink, just combine 1/4 cup espresso, 2 tbsp. rum, 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk, and some ice.  shake it up well and pour it into an ice-filled glass, then top it with some cinnamon.

delicious.

Chicken Curry!

I finally had the time and motivation to make some delicious food again.  And after driving past the Indian food restaurant on my way back from school today, I decided that I wanted something curry.  So I found a great recipe that had most of what I already had at home.   What I used was (actually I halved the recipe cause I was making it just for me):

• chicken breast, cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 lime, juiced (I actually used lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Steamed white rice, for serving

I combined all of the ingredients and marinated the chicken in the sauce.  Then I cooked the chicken (I think grilling would be nice if I had a grill).  It was very good!

This sauce is a must!

This is not a sauce that I have made, but it is a sauce that every serious cook has to have.  It has gotten rave reviews in multiple magazines and on many websites.  My mother-in-law bought us some of this sauce for Christmas and I haven’t stopped using it.  It is called Sriracha, and it is a hot chili sauce made by the Huy Fong Foods Corporation.  The back of the label says that it can be used in soup, on pizza, in pasta, on meats, and just about anything!  I have used it for cooking and as a condiment and I can’t get enough of this sauce.  The flavor is slightly sweet because of the kind of chilis that are used, but the heat is definitely there!  Sriracha is available at Fresh Market, World Market, or directly from Huy Fong Foods.  Check it out here: http://www.huyfong.com/.  Enjoy the sauce!

Home-made icing that will wow everyone!

I have, in the past few months, become rather obsessed with cake decorating.  I have taken the Wilton course classes and in the next few months, will become a certified Wilton decorating instructor!  I have made all of my own icing for these courses, including buttercream, royal, and fondant.  However, the buttercream I make always gets rave reviews.  It’s the Wilton recipe, with a few slight modifications.  Try it on your next cake!

Wilton Buttercream Icing with Susan’s Modifications

1 cup vegetable shortening (get the kind WITH trans-fat, it works better)
4-5 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp. butter flavor
1/4 tsp. vanilla flavor
1/4 tsp. almond flavor
1 lb. confectioner’s powdered sugar (approx. 4 cups)
1 tablespoon meringue powder
pinch of salt

Beat the shortening, water, and flavoring in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) until blended.  Add the sugar, meringue powder, and salt and mix until smooth and creamy.  Add gel food colorings if desired (not liquid colors, they will change the consistency of your icing).  Ice cake immediately or keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.  Makes approximately 3 cups of icing, or enough to ice an entire 8-inch cake including the filling.

For more fun ideas with icing, check out www.wilton.com!