Empty Fridge Challenge

So payday isn't until Friday and it is another Monday and another blog.  What to do, what to do?  Well I have an empty fridge and somewhat empty cupboard.  This is what I came up with.  Enjoy!

(The lighter version, instead of noodles make a salad out of it)

(And this is what I had to work with)

Pasta w/ the Bare Minimum

16 oz pasta
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs. olive oil
6 fresh, sweet basil leaves, minced
12 oz roasted red pepper, chopped
6 oz diced tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato pasta
2 Tbs. pesto

mozzarella, shredded
feta, crumbled

Start boiling a large pot of water for the pasta noodles. Cook noodles according to package.  In a frying pan, brown beef with the onions and garlic.  Drain liquid.  Add olive oil, basil, pepper, tomato, paste, and pesto to the beef and saute' on simmer for about 10 minutes.   Once the noodles are finished toss with a little bit of olive oil.  Spoon out a portion of noodles and top off with beef sauce and cheese.

Banana's Foster Muffins w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

Banana's Foster Muffins w/ Brown Sugar Glaze

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 milk
2 bananas, sliced in half and then cut into 4 pieces each
2 Tbs. butter, unsalted
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans, roasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray  muffin tins with cooking spray or line with cup cake liners.  In a electric mixer combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine oil, egg vanilla and milk. Mix the two mixture together until well incorporated.  In a frying pan, melt butter and brown sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next add the bananas and saute' for about 5 minutes and the bananas are completely matched.  Add the pecans and continue to saute' for another minute.  Add banana mixture to the muffin batter and beat until well incorporated.  scoop batter into muffin tins, should be able to make 12.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Brown Sugar Glaze

4 Tbs. butter unsalted
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. Creme' Brule'e Creamer
1/3 c. powder sugar

In a medium sauce pan melt butter, sugar and creamer.  Bring to a boil for about 8 minutes, stiring constantly. Turn off the burning and stir in powder sugar until completely incorporated.  Dip the muffin tops into the brown sugar glaze and then let set on a cooling rack.  The glaze sets fast so you are going to want to be quick. (And don't burn yourself.  I did that a couple of times. :) )

Peach and Blue Berry Scones w/ Lime Icing

Farmers Market Finds Part 2!  When we were at the farmers market my husband decided that he wanted to try a scone and he picked a peach and blue berry one.  It tasted yummy so I decided that I wanted to try and make my own and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Peach and Blue Berry Scones w/ Lime Icing

4 c. flour
2 Tbs. sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. unsalted butter, cut in slices
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. half and half
2 peaches, peeled and sliced into small cubes
1 c. blue berries

2 Tbs. sugar

Lime Icing

1/2 c. powder sugar
1-2 Tbs creme' brule'e creamer
1/2 lime or lemon, squeezed
1 drop yellow or green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray.  In a mixer combine flour , 2 Tbs. sugar, baking powder, cream or tarter, and cinnamon.  With a bread hook attachment or using two forks, combined butter and flour mixture until crumbly.  In a separate bowl separate egg yolk and egg white. Set aside the egg white.  Beat the egg yolk and then add half and half, combine.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture and combined using a fork until the dough forms a ball.  Add in the blue berries and peaches.  Using your hands combined with the dough.  On a floured surface need the dough a couple of times.  Cut the dough in half and with a floured rolling pin roll out each dough into a disk about a 1/2 inch thick.  Cut the disk each into 6 triangles and place them on the baking sheets.  With the egg yolks brush the tops of the scones and finish off, sprinkling the remaining 2 Tbs. of sugar over top.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops are golden brown.  Remove from baking sheets and let cool.

In a small bowl combine powder sugar, creamer and lime juice.  You can also use lemon but I didn't have any so I used a lime. Add a drop of food coloring for a fun little color and then drizzle evenly over scones.

Enchiladas! Verde Salsa! & Corn w/ Roasted Red Peppers!

I had no idea what I was going to make today.  I went to our local farmers market this weekend and got lots of great produce that I wanted to use.  I ended up getting tomatillos, which I have never cooked with before, so I needed to come up with something good.  This is what I came up with and to think I had everything thing I needed in my fridge and cupboards. Enjoy!

Corn w/ Roasted Red Pepper

1 large red pepper
3 corn on the cob
1 small onion
2-3 Tbs olive oil
sea salt, for taste
crushed red pepper, for taste

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Cut the red pepper in half and place on a baking sheet.  Roast in the boiler for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook the corn on the cob until golden.  Once the corn and pepper in done, chop the pepper into cubes and cut the corn off the cob.  In  frying pan, saute red pepper, corn, onion and olive oil.  Add sea salt and crushed red pepper for taste.  Saute for about 10 minutes.

Verde Salsa

10 tomatillos
1/2 jalapeno
10 fresh sweet basil leaves
1 lime
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tomatillos in half and place them face down on a baking sheet.  Roast the tomatoes in the broiler for 7 to 10 minutes or until the tomatillos are softened.  When the tomatillos are finished place all the above ingredients into a food pressesor or blender and puree.  Move salsa to a sealable dish and refrigerate for at least a half hour.

Enchilada Sauce

6 oz. can tomato paste w/ pesto
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1.2 tsp. chili powder

Place all above ingredients into a sauce pan.  On medium  heat bring sauce to a boil, stiring occasionally. Cover and set aside until you are ready to assembly the enchiladas.

Enchiladas

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 Tbs. olive oil
taco seasoning of your chose

2 c. cheddar cheese
1 c. asiago cheese
enchilada sauce
verde salsa
8 tortilla shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a frying pan brown the ground beef, garlic, onion and olive oil to cooked through.  Add in your taco seasoning and follow the directions on the seasoning packet.

Assembling the enchiladas!
Lay out the tortilla shells.  Evenly scoop the ground beef onto the tortilla shells.  Fold in two sides of the tortilla shells and lay them face down on to a  baking sheet.  Pour the enchilada sauce over top of the tortilla shells.  Top off with cheese and bake for 10 minutes. Before serving add verde salsa to the top off enchiladas.









 

Black and Blue Cheese Burger Soup

I was originally going to make a simple Cheese Burger Soup today but I got inspired by an outing I took with my hubby this weekend.  We decided to go to Red Robin for lunch this passed Saturday and the hubby ordered a Black and Blue Cheese Burger.  Well that got me thinking; that could make a good soup.  So here I was tonight coming up with just that.  Enjoy!

Black and Blue Cheese Burger Soup

2-3 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. Chicago steak seasoning

1/2 lb. bacon

2 c. heavy cream
2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1 c. smoked Gouda, shredded
1/2 c. smoked blue cheese
32 oz. chicken broth

loaf of sour dough bread, sliced

Gouda and bacon for garnish

In a large frying pan saute' olive oil, onion and garlic for about 3 minutes.  Add ground beef and seasoning to the the mixture and cook until beef is cooked through.  Meanwhile, on a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy.  Set aside beef and bacon when completely cooked.  In a large pot bring heavy cream to a boil.  Once the cream is boiling add the cheeses and whisk continually until completely melted.  Bring cheese mixture down to a simmer and add broth, beef and bacon. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  With the sour dough, butter both sides of each slice.  On the the skillet with the bacon grease toast each side of the bread.  When you toast the bread make sure there isn't too much grease on the skillet.  Pour finished soup into bowls, garnish with shredded Gouda and bacon with sour dough on the side.

Bruschetta French Toast

4 peaches, cubed
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2-3 Tbs. olive oil

6 oz. pecans
2 Tbs. butter

custard, I used this recipe
(http://www.grouprecipes.com/63982/homemade-vanilla-custard.html)

loaf of french bread, sliced
6 eggs
1 c. milk

In a frying pan, saute' peaches, cinnamon, brown sugar, and olive oil for about 5-10 minutes or until the peaches create a sauce.  Set aside. In another fry pan saute' pecans and butter until the butter has melted. Set aside.  Make sure you make the custard ahead of time.  For the recipe above the custard had to set for 2 hours. Whisk together the eggs and milk.  Soak bread and then cook on a skillet until golden brown.  Layer the french toast with custard first, then peaches and pecans.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and Enjoy!