necessity is the mother of invention

Earlier this week, I made these peach bars from How Sweet It Is. If there is one thing you make all summer, it needs to be these peach bars.


I used about three or four peaches for that recipe, but I had one left over. So I had to come up with something to use up this peach and maybe even a few strawberries. 


I ended up making Peach Strawberry Shortbread. Delicious! I'm traditionally not much of a baker, so trust me when I say this recipe was easy. 


What You'll Need:
Crust:

• 1 C. flour
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. butter

Topping:

• 1 peach, sliced
• small handful of strawberries, sliced
• a blackberry jam/preserves

How to Cook:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pie tin with a non-stick baking spray.
• Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl, just with a spoon.
• Measure out your butter and leave it out for a few minutes so that it's a little soft - not fresh from the fridge. Once soft, cut/spoon into little cubes or pieces and mix into the flour mixture.
• Combine the flour mixture and butter together until combined; it will look very crumbly - that's what you want. Just try to make sure everything is fluffily mixed together.
• Press the dough into the pie tin. This is when it will actually look like dough and when I stopped being confused about it. It may try to stick to your hands, but that just means you can probably stop pressing it.
• Spread enough jam/preserves to cover the entire crust. I used a blueberry-blackberry jam that I made, but basically any dark preserve will work.
• Place your sliced peaches and strawberries on top.
• Bake for around 35 minutes. Remove, let cool, enjoy!

It took a lot of guesswork to know when it was done baking; the shortbread won't turn crispy brown on top like a normal pie crust might. (For reference, I used the shortbread recipe from here). Check after 25 minutes to see how much longer you'll need, but I suggest 35-40 minutes in the oven.

This shortbread turned out great, I think! The crust was moist and dense, but still crumbly like a shortbread; the jam was maybe a tad sour for this recipe, but store-bought won't be.

a note about tofu

I get the feeling that a lot of people are scared of tofu and that's why they "don't like it." So in order to promote tolerance, I'd like to introduce you to your good friend tofu. Tofu tastes like what you cook it in. That's all. Doesn't sound so scary, now does it? The toughest part


You can find tofu in any grocery store (if I can find it here in the south, then it can be done). It comes in a package that looks like this:

For cooking purposes, I recommend extra firm tofu. When you open the package, you'll see a block of tofu sitting in liquid. Don't worry! That's how it should look. But in order to use the tofu, you'll need to get as much of the liquid out of the block as you can. In three easy steps!

1. Place the block of tofu onto a plate with two or three paper towels. Put two or three paper towels on top of the tofu.
2. Get a heavy, flat thing (a cutting board!) and place it evenly on top of the tofu. Put a small pan or heavy bowl in the middle of the cutting board; this is to put pressure on the tofu and gently get the liquid out.
3. Wait. For like at least thirty minutes.

Check your paper towels at least once during this process; if your tofu has more water than usual, you might need to replace your paper towels. 

Now your tofu is ready for cooking!

I'm not even going to write down a recipe because it is SO EASY to cook tofu, you guys. Three more easy steps!

• Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and bring to a medium heat (about a 5 on my stove top).
• Put the tofu in the pan (I generally tend to cube mine, but cooking it flat is also fine). Pour the sauce of your choice over the tofu.*
• Cook tofu for no more than six minutes, flipping occasionally to make sure it cooks thoroughly and is completely distributed with sauce. Serve.**

* - I often use a soy sauce/teriyaki sauce combo, but BBQ sauce works also. I've even used honey mustard.

** - Rice makes a good side with tofu; I've also put tofu in a sandwich with lettuce and tomato. It's pretty versatile, as it just takes place of a protein in your dish.

Now you have no reason to be afraid of tofu. It's the easiest thing in the world to cook, so try it out!

jamming is not hard, sorry

Working for Punk Domestics has opened my eyes to a whole new world of food. Besides making my own meals, I've also started to make my own jams!


Now, these aren't traditional jams as I'm not using any preservatives (pectin products) or any sort of canning methods. That means that you have to use it within a few days; believe me, that's not a problem.


There are basic ingredients to every jam and I've had fun experimenting with different variations. You should, too!


Today I made a strawberry-blackberry "jam". It's going to make you wish every meal was breakfast.


What You'll Need:

• strawberries
• blackberries
• a lemon
• brown sugar
• sugar
• pumpkin pie spice (optional)
• cinnamon (optional)

Notice I gave no measurement for any of those. That's because I don't use any in particular. It all depends on how much fruit you use; a cup of fruit should get just about two cups of sugar. The spices are just generous pinches.

How to Cook:

• Chop/slice your fruit into small pieces and place into a saucepan.
• Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the saucepan. I also like to include some small chunks of lemon.
• Place the saucepan on the stovetop on a medium-high heat, about a 4 on my stove.
• Add the pinches of optional spices.
• Add what sugar you'd like. I chose to include brown sugar to make this jam deeper.
• Check your twitmailbook to give the fruit some time to get with the sugar.
• Stir and mash some of the fruit. All of the liquid in the jam comes from the fruit itself (there's no added water). So it's important to squish the fruit. It's up to you how MUCH you do; I like seeing the fruit in the final product so it's chunky.
• Once the fruit is at the desired consistency, just stir it around.
• Check your facetwitmail.
• Stir and raise the heat to a 5/6. It doesn't need to be that hot for too long, but this helps eventually make the jam thick.
• Once it's been boiling for just a minute or two, reduce to a low heat for five-ish minutes. So, check your bookmailtwit.
• Pour the jam-sauce into a resealable container. It's still really warm so don't put it in the fridge just yet.

It may not seem like much... but it is TASTY.

So what are the main points to any jam?

• A fruit! Berries tend to be better in jams; citrus fruits can be made into marmalades, though I have made an orange-strawberry jam before.
• An acid! Lemon is an obvious choice, but oranges would work too.
• Some sugar! Sugar brings out the fruits' juices and makes the jam sticky and delicious.

Experiment while berries are in season! Maybe next week I'll make some sort of apple "jam"...

did I bake an apple?

Well, kind of.


This is a generally pretty easy recipe, as all of mine tend to be.


Here's what I did; it wasn't perfect, but it was still dang tasty!


What You'll Need:

• an apple
• about 1/8 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• handful of Craisins
• pat of butter

How to Cook:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Somehow core your apple.
• Stuff the apple with brown sugar, cinnamon and Craisin mixture.
• Place the pat of butter on top of the stuffed apple.
• The apple should be in a small, oven-safe dish. Fill the dish with a little water, enough to come up about halfway up the apple.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• After letting the apple cool for a minute and then somehow transfer to a bowl.
• Enjoy!

Now, when I cored my apple I used a paring knife. I almost got the core out beautifully but then the apple split. Oh well! I kept the apple together the best that I could. 

When I took the apple out of the oven, it looked like a crazy apple soup; perhaps too much water? Oh well! I put the apple into a bowl and spooned the liquid in/around it. That's where all of the sugar and Craisins had gone and that's the important part!

I almost forgot the most important step!

• Eat two or three doughnut holes while you wait.

princess breakfast

We've moved on to delicious cupcakes for breakfast, you guys. And I gotta say, it's a great way to start the day. I pair a cupcake with a couple pieces of fruit (Monday, grapes. Tuesday, strawberries). 


It automatically makes you feel like a princess. What's more decadent than that?


So when you guys are done making some cupcakes (I'll wait here), you can enter a great giveaway!

AllThingsForSale.com is giving away adorable sandwich cutters and bento accessories. The giveaway ends July 11 and it's SO easy to enter: follow that link for further instructions.

I just really like frenchfast, okay?

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To end this week of yummy "French" breakfasts, what could be better than French toast?


Take that, Burger King! I no longer require your services.


French Toast Sticks:


What You'll Need:

• Two slices of bread.
• One egg.
• About 1/2 cup of milk.
• 1 teaspoon of sugar.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon

How to Cook:

• "Whisk" together the egg, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork until combined REALLY well. The cinnamon may try to clump, and the egg white may resist whisking, but just do your best. The end result will be a light yellow mixture with the cinnamon blended in.
• Slice your bread into "sticks"; this ends up being about three "sticks" per slice of bread.
• Heat a frying pan on a medium heat (about a 5 on my stovetop); use a light amount of non-stick cooking spray.
• LIGHTLY dip each side of one "stick" and place into the hot pan. Continue with two other "sticks" and fit them in the pan, too.
• Cook each "stick" for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan when done; there's no need to be over-browned or too crispy, but just make sure the egg is cooked all over.
• Serve with a couple spoonfuls of jelly for dipping.

I know French toast is generally made with a loaf of French bread, baguette slices or even Cuban bread; I had none of those, but it's also easier to make "sticks" out of sandwich bread.

Some people might like to dip in syrup, but I find that to be a little heavy in the mornings. The topping/dipping is up to you!

what I've been having for frenchfast

As a newly christened "morning person", breakfast has become one of my favorite meals. If I could eat a breakfast pastry for every meal, I would be the happiest.


Because I don't have a delicious, French pastry shop in my kitchen (I'm assuming I'll become a master baker one day and eventually make my own), I've been trying to find ways to make breakfast a little fancier than usual.


Apparently that means adding Nutella and strawberries to otherwise normal breakfast items.


Maybe these ideas can help start your day off delicious and full of chocolate!


Tuesday: Croissants avec Nutella

• Cut into your croissants like you were going to cut them in half, but don't cut all of the way.
• Put them in the toaster oven for two minutes maximum (or quickly heat in the microwave).
• Spread Nutella in the pocket you made in each croissant.
• Slice a couple of strawberries to enjoy on the side; you may also choose to put them in your "sandwich".

Wednesday: Bagel avec Nutella et la gelée

• Separate one bagel and toast/heat however you prefer.
• Spread Nutella on one half and jelly on the other (I used a local boysenberry spread).
• Enjoy one half at a time, or however you prefer.

Thursday: Gaufe (waffle) avec Nutella

(I've been wanting to do this one for a while)

• Toast/heat until they've reached your desired level of crispiness.
• Instead of using butter, just spread Nutella
• Slice strawberries to enjoy on the side.

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break me off a piece of that bur-ri-to

With my weird metabolism, I'm generally not hungry for dessert like I used to be.


How sad is that, right? Especially when I could use a daily dose of sweet and/or chocolate.


So for breakfast, I tend to have something sweet (like PopTarts, bagels, etc); this morning, I ended up having a slice of cake. My mom baked the cake last night and I made the chocolate frosting from scratch (using the recipe on Hershey's website), so it was PAINFUL not to be able to enjoy it last night.


Let me tell you, cake for breakfast is genius.


But for lunch, I figured I should make up for my culinary indiscretion with something at least a little healthy.


I haven't had much protein lately, something important to a vegetarian's diet. Hence I created a lightly fried burrito. Think of a soft taco made crunchy.


Bouncing Bean Burrito:

Unstuffed Peppers

Last week, my mom and I picked up some fresh fruit and vegetables from a local farmer's market. We had plans to use some of them, but then others ended up sort of sitting around for a bit.


So a cubanelle pepper has been staring at me for a few days now. Today, I decided to finally use it. But, how would I cook it? It's a sweet pepper, so it can be used in a lot of different ways.


There are a lot of recipes online for stuffed peppers; I got it into my head that I would stuff the peppers with a rice/veggie mixture. But as time went on, I didn't really feel like roasting it in an oven "forever". I like my lunches to be quick-yet-delicious.


Eventually, I used some stuff from our fridge and pantry and came up with a Spanish rice-style dish. Fair warning, this is a combo of ingredients that might sound... a little strange. But it's delicious, I swear!


Unstuffed Peppers

these bagels are more than just "bites"

I'm one of those people that relies heavily on Bagel Bites as a major food group. That sounds a bit extreme, but during the school year, they're usually on my grocery list.


I also love bagels (though I still tend to grab Pop Tarts in the morning) and all the yummy things you can eat with them. They're kind of like a food chameleon, or whatever.


Anyways, you should definitely make your own "bagel bites" when you get the chance. More satisfying and just as easy to make!

Foodlettes on the Road - Part 1

I spent 13 hours in a car yesterday. I had a good excuse, so don't worry.


I'm currently enjoying a mini-vacation with my grandparents in historic Williamsburg, VA. We left their house at 4 a.m. and drove, with plenty of stops, until we reached our condo.


My nana is all about her research, so we already had a couple of dinner spots we want to visit while we're here. They like seafood and eating healthy, so it wasn't too hard finding locations in this college-area.


Last night we ate at "Food for Thought".

Symbolically, Food For Thought is built on this same success model. Our food is prepared with love and served with pride. The foundation of our menu is built upon Classic American dishes such as Fork Tender Pot Roast, Grandma's Meatloaf, and "fall off the bones" ribs. These are meals that America grew up on. To complement these American favorites we added some newer, more contemporary flavors and ideas like Pad Thai, Jamaican jerk chicken, flavored butters, and original vegetarian dishes.

A truly wonderful meal is a combination of good food and good conversation. So talk about the special people featured here. Talk about the contributions that these people have made to the world. Talk about how everyone can be great in his or her own way. Talk about how we can each make a significant contribution if we model the same principles and beliefs of those that have gone before us. Have fun while enjoying a deliciously inspiring meal and expand your mind as well as your belly. . .

After being in the car all day, I pretty much just wanted a salad and a nap.

Happy Summer Blueberry Nests!

Since I've been doing so much baking lately, I decided to share with my downstairs neighbors. I've never really spoken to them, or any of our other neighbors, but they have an adorable little girl (and a UF welcome mat) so I figured they could use a treat!


I had come up with an idea for a "thumbprint"-style cookie, where you make wells in the cookies before you bake them, then fill that well with a jelly or a jam.


I still had some blueberries that I had picked a couple weeks ago (that I will hopefully finish baking away soon) so I decided to make my own blueberry "jam".


I used the same cookie recipe that I've been raving about, those glazed lemon cookies, but added the juice of 1/2 lemon to the dough mixture. Then, I made sure to add a "nest" as best as I could to each cookie.


Because I wasn't actually making a jam out of these blueberries, I sort of had to invent my own recipe for the sauce/syrup.

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• juice 1/2 lemon

Heat that up in a saucepan over medium heat. This recipe is fun because you get to squish and mash the blueberries in order to make it a sauce; there is no other added liquid. It'll heat up and get delicious, then bring it to a boil (pretty much still on medium heat) for at least five minutes.

From there, spoon a little into each cookie. Mine had a lot of spillage, as the cookies weren't built like the dams they should have been, but that was my own fault. Either way, the cookies and jam have to cool and harden a little before serving.

I packaged up a whole tray of cookies for my neighbors (the recipe makes two trays, so we were able to enjoy some, too) and left it on their doorstep. I know they've brought it inside, but I'm still waiting to see if they think I'm some lunatic - or if they appreciated the thought. I included a recipe card so that they could make them, too.

Note: You're going to have plenty of leftover blueberry sauce. If you're like me, you'll eat a couple spoonfuls just out of the pot, then save the rest for later use.

salad! the DIY way

Many moons ago, my dad and I would make our own salad dressings. We didn't do it too often, but it was a really fun way to experiment with flavors and use ingredients you might normally use.


I've been trying to eat more fruits and veggies lately (c'mon, health!), so for lunch today I thought I'd make my own salad + dressing.


Sami's "Vinaigrette" Dressing:


I didn't use any proper measurements, just sort of eyeballed what I poured into a small mixing bowl and whisked together.

• About a teaspoon of honey mustard.
• Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
• A dash or two of blueberry infused red wine vinegar. (I'm almost positive no one else even has this. I don't know why we do, at this point.)
• A good tablespoon of soy sauce.
• Two teaspoons of honey (I used clover honey).
• A couple pinches of sugar, to taste.

At the last minute, I cracked in some pepper. Along the way, it's so important to taste after almost each step. One ingredient can completely change the entire dressing, so you might have to compensate with a little more of something else. I originally wasn't going to include any sugar, but it was pretty tart.

In order to have more fruits and veggies all in the same meal, I sliced up one orange and two large strawberries to toss in with a salad mix.

Stir together, and enjoy! As you can see, I enjoyed the salad before I could snap any photos. I suggest you do the same.

warning: not a vegetarian recipe, but I hear it's delicious

After I bugged my friend Derek, he revealed the recipe for this ginger chicken soup. You see, I'm just trying to coerce all of my friends into food bloggery.


And no, like the title suggests, this recipe is not vegetarian, but that can be easily fixed.


You'll need a crock-pot (a slow cooker) in order to make this recipe to Derek's perfection, but that can be fixed, too.


Derek's Ginger Chicken Soup:

cocoa powder does not mess around

We all know that I bake cookies a lot; there was a month where I didn't even have to look at the recipe anymore.


A few days ago, I decided I had to bake away some of the blueberries I had picked. By using my strong Google-fu, I was able to find a great recipe! (You can find the recipe here.)


Today, though, is the day before my parents return from their two-week safari, and I had promised them brownies.


I follow Keep It Simple Foods, a fabulous blog for vegetarian recipes and everything delicious. Before my parents had left for their vacation, I had found a brownie recipe on KISF that was seemingly to die for.


You can find the recipe here, but you'll want to make them right away. Don't say I didn't warn you.


The recipe uses pecans, but I left those out. Kept the chocolate chips, though.

Hello, lover.

I've never made brownies from scratch before, and certainly never with cinnamon or cocoa powder, but these are winners.

true life: I'm a carboholic.

I'm pretty sure my body needs twice as many carbs as it does protein; where normal people need meat, I'll be happy with crackers or bread.


One of the foods I crave the most when I'm away from home is potatoes. ANY kind of potatoes. They just don't keep in a dorm situation.


I've been toying with the idea of frying my own french fries, a Main family staple, or my own hash browns.


Tonight, though, I went with my favorite version of the potato: roasted.


After consulting Google, which has a handy recipe function, I concocted a winner.


Sami's Potatoes:

healthy is not boring, sorry

I've had some apples sitting in our fruit basket for a while. Pretty sure the only way to tell if apples have gone bad is by squeezing them every day and making sure they're not mushy. These are still far from mushy, but they're not doing anybody any good just sitting there.


So I wanted to make an apple salad! I remembered these lemon glazed cookies I made a couple weeks ago; the glaze was just lemon juice and powdered sugar. (Cookies here.)


I dumped a small amount of granulated sugar in a bowl and squeezed the juice of one lime over it. Combine via whisking and add two chopped apples. Stir together; enjoy.

You guys have no idea.

pita pizza!

As I was putting away groceries today, I found a can of pizza sauce that we had used recently. Lunch was invented!


I kind of made up some of it as I went along, but it turned out delicious.

The tools! You can have whatever toppings you'd like, but the sauce and cheese are a must.

quinoa, I barely know her!

Quinoa is somewhat of a mystery to me, but I've learned how to use it to my advantage.


It's a grain that is PACKED with protein; as a vegetarian, I have to get my protein wherever I can find it.


Tonight's dinner was quickly thrown together. I never know what I'll feel like eating (or cooking). I saw my infrequently used box of quinoa in the pantry and figured it was time.

Tools of the trade.

snacks became tradition

Sometimes it's hard to balance a college life with my home life. I suppose I technically don't live at home anymore, but I do visit whenever I can during the semester.


This year, I would bake cookies every time I came home. It started out as a way to say thank you to my parents, either for driving two hours just to bring me home or for constantly putting up with my various problems. Cookies became synonymous with Sami.


However, I was basically terrible at baking. I'd follow the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chips bag (the same recipe in this post), but my cookies would turn out like pancakes.


Flat, misshapen, but still delicious.


I've now baked cookies so often that I know the recipe by heart. Every time I bake, the cookies turn out a little differently than the time before. Oh well.


There was no way I could have taken photos for this post; my hands were incredibly messy. 


Here's the recipe and how I make these cookies my own:

make it count

I'm spending a couple days with my grandparents, just something to pass the time while my parents are out of town. This means that my Nana showers me with delicious food and snacks while telling me that I eat like a bird.


Sadly, that means I'm not really doing any of the cooking, so I have no recipes to share with you.


But! We picked our own blueberries today. Of course, you have to sample as you go. Blueberries are one of nature's "superfoods": they're packed with antioxidants and tons of vitamins.

The bigger ones tended to be sweeter.

So I've had a ton of these today, along with my new favorite granola. The "Back to Nature" brand makes a "honey almond cluster" granola that is TO DIE FOR.


I may not eat a lot, but I try to snack and eat smartly when I do.

my "own" pasta sauce

So I've been slightly cooking for myself for a little while now. As a vegetarian, a lot of my meals or protein elements come from the freezer, so I just have to heat them up in the microwave - bing, bang, boom. 


Living in a dorm does make cooking harder, but this past year I lived in an apartment-style dorm. Technically, that made cooking easier, but nothing compares to the access of my pantry at home. Not that it's extensive, but it at least has more to it than a college pantry.


I'm pretty sure carbohydrates are really what my body needs, not protein or certain vitamins. I can eat crackers anytime of day and I love getting loaves of bread from the store to snack on during the week. So, as a carb lover, I think it's fitting that I start off this blog with a pasta post. I was inspired to start blogging once things were already cooking, so bear with the photos.




I chopped some fresh garlic and started heating that over low heat in a pan with a capful of extra virgin olive oil. I let that heat up for a while to make sure the garlic got slightly browned; it's important to keep it on low heat during this part, because garlic can burn easily.

Tools of the trade.