Jalapeno Honey Mustard

Another mustard recipe! This one requires much less soaking and waiting, which is really nice, plus it gets a different kind of spiciness from the peppers. Since you're not crushing the mustard seeds you really don't have to worry as much about the mustard gas, but I'd still turn on the kitchen vent fan just in case.

Recipe:
1/2 cup mustard powder
2 Tbl flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup mustard seeds
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbl jalapeno, minced

Directions:
Stir together mustard and flour in saucepan until blended. Whisk in water and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Stir in the mustard seeds, vinegar, honey, and salt. Simmer the mixture over medium heat and whisk constantly. Cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat - the longer you cook it the thicker it gets, watch it carefully because no one wants a gloppy mustard. Stir in jalapeno. Transfer to glass containers and store in the fridge. It can keep for two months this way, but seriously, it will be gone long before that time.

Whole Grain Beer Mustard

I had no clue that mustard was so easy to make. It really is. This version takes a little bit of patience since you need to soak the seeds overnight but it is so worth it. Although you have to be a little careful. The first time I made this I nearly passed out - turns out mustard gas is pretty powerful, who knew? Anyway, just be careful and step away from the food processor while it's going. Better yet, open a window too.

Recipe:
3/4 cup mustard seeds (use any combination of yellow, brown, and black - darker = spicier)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup beer
1 Tbl honey
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
In a ceramic (or other non-reactive) bowl, combine seeds, vinegar, and beer. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 24 hours. Transfer to a food processor and the rest of the ingredients. Blend like crazy - the more you break down the mustard seeds the spicier (and thicker) it will get. I like to leave a lot of the seeds whole just because I love the look and texture of a really grainy mustard. Transfer to jars and store in the fridge.

Caramel Apple Baked French Toast

I used to think that I hated french toast. Whenever I ate it growing up it was always soggy and sort of runny. I thought that was how french toast was supposed to be, but really I was just eating a poorly made version of it. This baked french toast is not overly eggy and not soggy at all. It is delicious and sticky - almost like sticky rolls and french toast had the most perfect baby in the world. Since it is fall now I made an apple version of it, but you can replace the apple with peaches, or just leave it out entirely.

Recipe:
1 lb loaf of french bread, cut into 1" slices
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

1 apple, diced and sauteed until very soft
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Mix eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Soak bread in egg mixture for 30 minutes. In the meantime, melt butter and brown sugar together. Add sauteed apples, cinnamon, and vanilla. Transfer mixture to a 9x13" pan. Placed soaked bread on top. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the bread isn't soggy. Turn over onto a lined pan and serve.

Hot Sauce

I love hot sauce. I think it makes so many things taste better, like grits or mac and cheese, but the problem with store bought hot sauce is that it really just tastes like someone dissolved cayenne pepper and salt in vinegar. Sure, it's got some heat to it but it doesn't have much actual taste. Making your own hot sauce from actual peppers not only gives you some intense heat but also tastes like whatever peppers you're using.

Recipe:
1 lb. hot peppers (use any combination of jalapeno, serrano, or habenero).
 2 T. kosher salt
1 1/2 c. vinegar

Directions: In a food processor, pulse together the peppers and the salt for about a minute or until smooth. Transfer mixture to a glass container and loosely screw on the lid. Allow this to ferment at room temperature for approximately 12 hours. Mix in the vinegar and put the lid on again. Allow this to sit on the counter for 1-7 days depending on how strong and deep you want the flavor. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth again. Strain and transfer to a clean glass jar. Store in fridge for up to four months.

Tortilla Soup

I like soup. A lot. It is comforting, it is satisfying, and you can make it out of almost anything in the refrigerator. This is a soup that my mom used to make for me as a kid, especially after I became a vegetarian since she didn't know what else to do with me. I don't know if this is actually how my mom made it, but she was the one who gave me the idea. I would add some beans to it next time but I didn't want to open a can since I knew I wouldn't use all of them and didn't want any more leftovers.

Recipe:

1 T olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
1/2 a green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup-1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used GardenFresh)
1 boca burger, chopped and cooked through
3 cups water
2 boullion cubes
crushed tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced scallions

In a medium-large pot, heat oil and cook the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper until soft. Add the boca burger (or veggie crumbles) and heat through. Add in the salsa and stir to combine. Add the boullion cubes and water. Heat until simmering. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour into bowls and top with crumbled chips, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Raw Vegetable Pizza

The other day I was thinking of all the different things I used to eat as a child and I honestly couldn't remember liking any veggies. But then I thought of this vegetable pizza that my mom used to make and I remember loving it even though it was topped it a ton of raw veggies. I thought I should try it again since I remembered loving it so much. I just guessed on how she made it but it turned out really well.

Recipe:

4 refrigerator crescent rolls
4 ounces of light cream cheese
1/2 Tablespoon of ranch dressing powder
1 cup of raw chopped veggies (I used broccoli, carrot, green onion, green pepper, and tomato)

On a foil-lined cookie sheet spread out the rolls and press them together so that they make a solid square with no gaps or breaks in it. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 11 minutes (check that package and cook accordingly). Cool this completely.

While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese and ranch dressing powder in a small bowl. When the rolls are cool spread the cream cheese all over them and then top with the chopped veggies. Press down just a bit on the veggies so they stick to the cream cheese.

Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash

I really like squash. It reminds me of Fall, which is by far my favorite season. Even though I love squash I haven't really tried a lot of different kinds. I decided to try a sweet dumpling squash and I'm glad I did. Like the name indicates, it had a sweet flavor after roasting it. It kind of tasted like honey even though I didn't add anything to it.

Recipe:

1 sweet dumpling squash
salt
butter

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the squash in half but be careful when cutting through the top of it - the stem was really tough to cut through. Sprinkle with salt and place, cut side down, on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft. Turn the squash over and place a small amount of butter in the center. Bake for another 5 minutes or so until the butter is melted and the squash is very tender.