Egg Drop Soup - Stracciatella

My parents went out of town a few weeks ago and left me in charge of the house. This, of course, means cooking for myself. I don’t mind cooking, but sometimes cooking for one can be a pain. Sometimes you have so much left over you don't know what to do with it and other times you eat so much you end up in a food coma for the weekend.

While sitting at home, cuddling with my dog I was thinking about what I should make myself fod dinner that night. I was craving soup, but I wanted something simple and homemade. I decided to make myself some Italian egg-drop soup (also known as stracciatella). This is a very very simple soup that’s easy to make, whether it's for one person or four.

All you need is:

2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup of parmesan cheese I used a lot of parmesan cheese for this recipe, but that’s because I love cheese (In my opinion the more cheese the better).

1 eggs

Salt and pepper

First, start by bringing the two cups of chicken stock to a boil and then lower to a simmer.

While the stock is boiling mix the parmesan cheese and the egg together until they’re completely mixed.

(this is before they were mixed)

Finally, while the stock is simmering, slowly pour the egg and cheese mixture into the soup and stir it while you pour it in. Let it cook for about two minutes and then add salt and pepper to taste.

For some variations on this recipe you can add peas, spinach, parsley or any combination of vegetables that you’d like. I chose to add a bit of nutmeg which added more depth to the flavor of the soup. But feel free to play with it, and enjoy!!

Muddy Buddies

It’s official. I’m the worst food blogger ever. It’s been what, five months since I’ve posted something? That’s unforgivable. But at least I have a reason… or an excuse rather. This semester has been crazy as far as school work is concerned But I promise I’ll get better about posting!!

Anyway, I’ve got a great really easy recipe that anyone can do. And believe me, I mean anyone. They’re called muddy buddies, and they’re delicious. Their name isn’t the most appealing, but that’s clearly just so that people that don’t know what they are stay away so that you can have more for yourself! Muddy buddies are basically just chex cereal that you toss with melted chocolate, peanut butter and butter and then coat in powdered sugar. They’re completely amazing. I must have eaten at least half of the recipe by myself, and my friends were more than willing to have some as well.

Here’s the recipe:

9 Cups of Rice Chex – I chose to use rice chex because their texture is light and fluffy, which makes a big difference for me

1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

½ Cup Peanut Butter

¼ Cup Butter

1 ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar

Step 1: Measure 9 cups of the chex and place them in a large bowl

Step 2: Measure the chocolate, peanut butter and butter and place in a medium sized microwave safe bowl.

Step 3: Microwave the chocolate, peanut butter and butter for about one minute on high. If you’d rather melt them over a stove top you can. If they aren’t melted after the one minute, stir them and place back into the microwave at 10 second intervals.

Step 4: Pour the melted ingredients in with the cereal and mix them together thoroughly. This step is kind of annoying, but you need to make sure that every piece is coated so that the powdered sugar can stick to them.

Step 5: When the melted ingredients and the chex are mixed completely put them into two separate one gallon freezer bags and pour half of the powdered sugar into each bag. If you pour too much don’t worry about it, once the muddy buddies are completely coated the sugar will just stick to the bag.

Step 6: Pour the muddy buddies out onto a piece of parchment paper and let them cool completely. Once they’re cooled you should put them in an airtight container so that they don’t get stale.

That’s it! They’re easy, delicious and definitely a crowd pleaser! Enjoy!!

Pasta-Salad-with-Cherry-Tomatoes-and-Green-Olivada

So, It’s been a while. I know. But I promise I’ll start updating more and more! Hopefully… Things have just been kinda crazy around here. I’ve been going back and forth between Boston and New York every few weeks and I’d frequently leave my computer behind. I do have a great recipe for you though!

It’s a pasta salad which I know is often overdone during the summer months but this has a pretty interesting twist on it—instead of using mayonnaise it uses a home-made olive Olivada (olivada is an italian olive spread). My only warning is if you don’t like olives I’d avoid this recipe; the olive based spread it makes the entire salad taste slightly of olives.

Here's what you'll need:

Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2010

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives (I used stuffed olives with red peppers on the inside)

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound gemelli, fusilli, or rotelle pasta (I used tri-color pasta)

2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

1 8-ounce package small (cherry-size) fresh mozzarella balls in water

The recipe calls for a food processor but I used a blender instead.

Begin by placing clove of garlic (chopped finely) into the food processor/blender. Add half of the chopped olives, the capers, the white wine vinegar, anchovy paste, crushed red pepper and mustard to the blender. Pulse ingredients until mixed together coarsely. Slowly add the half cup of olive oil into the blender or food processor while the machine is moving. (I wasn't able to do this with my blender so I added a little bit at a time and then mixed it.) Once the olive oil is fully incorporated move the olivada into a separate bowl and refrigerate.

Next, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until it is al dente (tender but still firm), stirring occasionally. Once the pasta is cooked drain it in a colander and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta and toss to coat.

Add the olivada, tomatoes and mozzarella and toss together.

All things considered the recipe is really simple, and I can't recommend it enough! It really is a great summer dish!

Oatmeal Raisin Bars

I know it may not seem like it from these posts, but I like to eat healthy as often as possible. But from time to time I can't help but eat junk food, sweets, excessive amounts of cheese, I just can't do it. So after moving to Boston for the summer I decided to make my roommates something that (almost) everyone enjoys, oatmeal raisin cookies. Sadly, I didn't have cookie sheets up with me and neither did any of my roommates, so instead I chose to make them into cookie bars.

All things considered, this recipe is incredibly easy-you can make the dough and throw it in the oven right then or you can put it in the refrigerator and let it chill (doing this makes the cookies chewier when you bake them.) It is a great recipe to learn off of and once you get more comfortable with it, you can experiment with food other than raisins. I like to use cranberries but other people prefer chocolate chips or different types of nuts.

I've had this recipe for years so I don't actually remember where its from, possibly a food blog or maybe a friends mother. If you recognize it, feel free to comment and tell me!

What you'll need:

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

1 1/3 cup of light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon of salt (you can add up to a teaspoon if you enjoy very salty baked goods, but if you add more it'll be too salty)

3 cups of rolled oats (not instant oats)

1 1/2 cup of raisins

Like any recipe you start with creaming the butter and sugar together until they are fully mixed together. Luckily one of my roommates has a KitchenAid so that made the process of mixing much easier. Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar and mix those until they're fully incorporated.

Then place the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a separate bowl and mix them together with a fork. This allows for the dry ingredients to be evenly distributed so that when they are mixed in there is an equal amount of each ingredient being combined with the wet ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; if you add them too quickly you'll send flour shooting all over your kitchen. I recommend using a quarter of a cup at a time, I know its tedious but it is a heck of a lot easier than cleaning it off of your cabinets later on.

Once the mixture is smooth start to add the oatmeal and the raisins into the dough. Doing this slowly will prevent your electric mixer from possibly shorting out due to having too much to do at once.

After all of the ingredients are mixed together butter an 9x13 pan and place the dough into the pan. Make sure to scrape out all of the dough from the bowl so that you are not leaving any behind. Then flatten out the dough into the pan and try to make sure it is even--doing this will ensure that the bars are all evenly cooked.

Cook the bars for 25-30 minutes at 350° F and let them cool completely before cutting them.

Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Wow. It's been a month. Between the end of classes, concerts, finals and friends graduating I've barely been able to cook, let alone remember to update the blog. But I have been cooking I promise! So I've got a few recipes lined up, so hopefully they'll be up soon!

Anyway, a few weeks ago (more like a month) I was craving a grilled cheese, but I didn't want to settle for your typical dining hall grilled cheese. After having an discussion about cheese, more specifically Brie, I decided I wanted a Brie and apple grilled cheese sandwich, and who wouldn't want one?

...I mean, come on, look at that delicious sandwich.

So I went on a trip to the grocery store (which, as a car-less college student is quite a pain) and I got myself some Brie and some apples and went on my merry way. If I'd had the time I would have tried to make my own bread, but since I don't have the resources at school I couldn't. The recipe itself is pretty easy, but it is definitely worth it.

What you'll need:

- A small wheel of Brie. You can also use any cut of Brie that is the same weight as the average small wheel.

- 2 medium-large apples. Choose your favorite variety.

- A tablespoon of butter

- A non-stick pan

Cut the apples and Brie in thin slices and place them on one of the pieces of bread. Using a sharp knife helps you cut straighter and keep your slices more consistent. Once you've cut up all of the apples and brie heat the pan to a low-medium heat and grease it with the butter once the pan is warm.

Place the Brie and and apples on one piece of the bread and put it on the pan. While the sandwich cooks place brie on the other piece of bread and put it on top of the half of the sandwich already in the pan.

Wait for the cheese to start melting on the bottom slice and then flip the sandwich over. The piece of bread that is facing up should be a golden brown by now. Wait for the Brie on the bottom to melt and flip the sandwich again. Once both sides are golden brown and the cheese is meted remove from the pan and place on a plate. Cut it however you want and enjoy!

This recipe is incredibly easy and incredibly delicious! When you get a chance you should definitely try it!

Nutella Sandwich Cookies

So I apologize for being MIA lately. April has been a crazy month. Between easter, birthdays, school work, internship applications and everything else I've barely had enough time to cook, let alone write about it. But now, I'm setting aside some time to tell you about one of the most delicious cookies I happened to discover around easter time.

I'd been eying this recipe for Nutella pocket cookies for some time, and decided that easter was the time to do it. I was going down to my grandparent's house and although their kitchen doesn't have a lot of new equipment, its still a great kitchen to work in. What I wasn't anticipating was that I'd be out of a rolling pin when I got to their house, so I had to change the plans around. Instead of making pocket cookies I'd make sandwich cookies, I mean who doesn't love the idea of an oreo-like cookie and who doesn't like Nutella? (as my friend Chelsea said: "Everyone likes Nutella, just not everyone LOVES Nutella.") But with these cookies I got nothing but a positive response, everyone loved them, even people who had never tried Nutella, people who don't really like sweets or people who don't like chocolate.

The cookie was light, and the dough was something pretty unique. I'd never used cream cheese in a cookie dough before, and it added a whole new level to the cookie, it made it somewhat creamy but not overwhelming. Also, the cinnamon in the dough cut the cream cheese taste so it wasn't overwhelming. Although the sandwich cookies required a little bit more effort (mixing the dough by hand is a pain, and waiting for the dough to get cold enough that it won't bend with your hands is tedious) they're worth it. I also had my dad helping out to mix the dough when I got tired, doing it in shifts makes the mixing much easier.

This recipe was adapted from La Fuji Mama's "Nutella Pocket Cookies"

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

Mix together the butter, cream cheese, sugar until everything is smooth. Mix together the dry ingredients (cinnamon and flour) and stir together to aerate the flour a little (this is my fast way to pretend-sift flour.) The add in the vanilla to the wet ingredients and when that is incorporated slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

When the dough is smooth put on parchment paper in small 1.5 diameter rolls and put in the refrigerator over night. About 30-45 minutes before you are planning on baking the dough place the rolls in the freezer so that they will harden just a little more, doing this prevents the dough from getting warm and losing its shape easily.

When you are ready to start preparing the dough, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, cut the dough into 1/8-1/4th inch slices and place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper underneath. Using parchment paper allows for an easier clean up, the cookies don't stick to the cookie sheet and the parchment paper doesn't get too warm. Place the cookies in the oven for eight to twelve minutes keeping an eye on them so that they do not burn, if your oven cooks faster in the back make sure to flip the pan about halfway through so that the cookies will bake evenly. This will make about 80 individual cookies.

Take the cookies out and let them cool for a few hours. When they are all completely cooled take the Nutella and spread it on one side of a cookie and take another cookie that is about the same size and sandwich them together. All things considered this is a lot of work for cookies, but it is well worth it. They were a huge hit with everyone I shared them with, so hopefully they'll be a hit for you too!

Monkey Bread

Its been one of those weeks, where everything is incredibly busy. So to decompress this week I went to target and bought a monkey bread making kit. For those of you who don't know what monkey bread, its a delicious cinnamon-y sugar-y doughy mix. There are really simple recipes to make monkey bread, but if you buy the Nortic Ware kit you actually end up making the dough yourself (in most recipes you would usually just use pre-made biscuit dough). Instead of giving you the directions from the kit, I'll give you the simple directions.

Ingredients:

4 cans refrigerator biscuits (about 40)

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

Cut up each individual biscuit and roll into a 1-2 inch balls. Put them into a ziplock bag a few at a time with the cinnamon and the white sugar already in it and shake. When the pieces you put in are covered with the cinnamon and sugar mixture add more dough until there is none left. Place the pieces into a buttered bunt pan (I used cupcake tins and it made about fifteen large individual monkey breads.)

Melt the butter and the brown sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture cool for about ten minutes and then pour over the dough in the pan.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. If you used the bunt pan allow it to cool fifteen minutes when you take it out of the oven before you flip it over and serve it.