Egg Nog Bread Pudding

As I get older, I find more and more things remind me of my parents, home, childhood. Egg Nog will always remind me of dad. The process in which he makes it, and drinks it... it is sacred, not to be judged or changed. Some may say it is not surprising I do it the same, as well as the boys. I have been known to look/act a little like my dad... Well the squeals of joy and delight from Easton last week when he saw that they FINALLY after two years, got Silk Nog in at the commissary. I am not a big fan of soy products like this, but it is once a year and I can look past it for the little bit he gets. I am shocked to admit I like it better than the dairy one...
Well, I have not had bread pudding in about 10 years and with all the grey, fog, dampness that is Germany in November, I thought the boys would love it and I could use a pick up. I had every intention on just making plain normal bread pudding but then magic things started happening... magic things that come in the form of bready eggy goodness...

EGG NOG BREAD PUDDING

1 cup Silk Nog
1 cup vanilla vanilla milk or normal
1/3 cup melted butter substitute
3 large eggs ( I use fresh eggs from the chickens in the yard so I used 4 since they are a little more sized challenged.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmug, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups chopped GF bread ( I used the Rudi's Cinnamon Raisin)

Preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat the Nog and milk, along with a dash of nutmeg. Once it gets kind of frothy, add butter and melt, remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. While the milk is heating, in a large bowl add eggs, sugar, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat well for a few minutes until you get some of the goodness. Cut up the bread and place in a 1 1/2 greased quart casserole, but if you have cast iron, is there really a question as to what to do there... Once the milk/nog mixture is lukewarm, slowly add it to the sugar mixture, stirring the whole time. Once everything is all mixed together, pour over the bread. Bake for 30-45 minutes until set. Serve warm. Now if you are feeling frisky, by all means, take the extra step, and make something sweet to drizzle on top, because drizzle is just winning.

Nutmeg Drizzle

1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup vanilla almond milk, warmed ( if you don't have that, add about a teaspoon of vanilla to the normal kind)
1/8 tsp nutmug

Mix all together and pour over pudding right before serving.

Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Rice

I thought this might be good but my goodness. This was one of those I wanted to just roll in. This could be made veggie very easily I think. ( just replace the chicken with good veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini... just roll treat them the same you would the meat version.) It the original recipe they called for raisins and orzo. Since we can't do orzo, and they don't like raisins in their food I left it out. Also red pepper flakes on here would be delish...

Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Rice

1 cup white rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp oil or butter substitute
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
cilantro

Add rice, water, and coconut milk to saucepan, bring to a low boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes, until done. Last 10 minutes add a handful of cilantro leaves.

While the rice is cooking, pull out a medium sized bowl and heat a skillet on medium high with2 teaspoons oil or butter substitute. In the bowl, add all the spices and garlic, mix well. Cut up the onion, add to pan to wilt, stir every now and then. Cut up chicken into bite sized bites and throw in the bowl with the spices to get all spicy and happy. Once the onions are wilted, throw the bowl of chicken and spices in with the onion. Saute and brown for about five minutes or so. Once browned, add the broth and cook for another five minutes or so. If you want to add raisins, now would be the time for that silliness, that is, if you roll that way. Reduce the heat down to medium.

Remove the cilantro from the rice and serve meat on rice. I won't judge you if you put more cilantro on top. Unless you are Kari, and think it tastes like soap, then my all means, keep it out.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies

Can you really go wrong with sweet and salty? Pretzels and chocolate chip cookies? That is right, you really can't. Nick, being a sweet lover, said these might have been the best cookies he has ever had. SInce I can't really find good flours here at a brick and mortar store, I used the Betty Crocker GF cookie mix, and it was perfect. Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PRETZEL COOKIES

1 Box GF cookie mix ( I used Betty Crocker)
1/2 cup smashed GF pretzels ( I used Glutano)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup softened vegan butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
Course sea salt

In a medium bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. In a larger bowl, whip together the sugars and butter. Add egg and vanilla. Mix the dry into the wet turning with a spatula. Once well mixed, cover and refrigerate for an hour. ( It is going to be a bit dry and crumbly. That is okay). Clean up your mess, line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or those cool silicone thingies if you got one.

Heat oven to 350 F. Take a spoonful of batter, and squeeze together in your hand and place on sheet about two inches apart. ( They WILL spread!) Sprinkle the sea salt on top and bake for about 10-12 minutes. I have found to go past the gooey stage and wait until they are browner, they hold together much better. Let them cool for a few minutes before you take them off the sheet, that also helps them hold their shape.

ENJOY!

You can always add about a 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the egg mixture, that is divine as well :)

Vegetarian Bean Chili with Cornbread

I know I have been MIA for a LONG LONG time and I am so angry at myself for that. Now that I am ready to take this back on I need to find the time to add so many things that I have come up with lately. I will also be adding a lot more veggie meals in, being that I am the only veggie in the house sometimes the boys all just have to suck it up and eat mamas 'twigs and berries' as they call it.
Typically The Beasts are not known to be fond of beans. SOMETIMES I can get them to do beans on toast, but for the most part they are a no go. Tonight I wanted to have a bean chili and I wanted to use my crockpot because lets face it, the crock pot just kicks ass. I cannot complain of our cold and rainy summer here, to many of you sweltered a miserable summer. I just wanted to not wear a jacket most days. Now that fall is REALLY hear and you can feel a different crispness to the air, it is time to welcome my favorite time of year. There is nothing better than walking in to your home and smelling a yummy soul meal cooking and slight smoke from the wood stove, hearing the bubbling of the lid on the crockpot... ahhh fall how I love you. The Beanie Weanies loved it and daddy, who showed concern upon hearing what dinner was, was very happy with the result. So enjoy and jump in some leaves!

Crock Pot Vegetarian Bean Chili

1 can Chick Peas, drained

1 can Kidney Beans, drained

1 can Black Bean Soup

1 can ( 15 oz) Vegetarian Baked Beans

1 can corn, drained

1 can Fire Roasted tomatoes

1 Chopped Green Pepper

2 Chopped Celery Stalks

1 Onion, chopped

1Tbl Basil

1 Tbl Oregeno

1 1/2 Tbl Cumin

1 Tbl Ground Corriander

1 Tbl Chili Powder

Good shaking of Worsteshire Sauce

Add everything to the crockpot and set to whatever time works for you. If you can get GFCF sour cream, make it happen, if not, still just as good without and of course, you gotta have cornbread with chili!


CORNBREAD

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup rice flour

2/3 cup sugar

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp xantham gum

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix well all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and add all the wet, stirl well, add more milk if you need too. I did muffins tonight and baked for about 15 min.

Carrot Cake

For as long as I can remember I have loved a good spicy cake. Honestly, I would take it over chocolate. My moms godmother was said to have made the best. Her mama's mama handed it down to her, who in turn handed it to her best friend, ( my grandma) and then to my mom and then me. It really wasn't to hard to adapt at all. The moistness of this cake was insane! I am glad I upped the spices, the flavor is unbeatable! I forgot to add the orange, next time I will and add the amounts to this.

I have to preface this with the fact that I HATE Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour, really I do, but I had to get rid of the bag that I had so I can order the flours I use to make my own mix. When I get my flours in I will adapt and add that as well. This is the first thing I have made with the BRM that didn't taste like dirt, like really, I find it tastes like dirt every other time I use it. Anywho... here it is! ( You could make it with just two cups of BRM if you want, I was trying to keep it from tasting like dirt! HAHA!

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup soy flour
1/4 ground flax seeds
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

if you are one of THOSE people that likes to ruin a good cake with raisins then by all means, be my guest! I just don't roll that way!

In a large bowl cream together the eggs, sugar, and oil

In a medium bowl sift together all the other dry ingredients. slowly add to the cream mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 9X13 glass pan. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

I HIGHLY suggest you keep on eye on it! Soy flour tends to make things brown faster. In my wonky German oven I had to cover it with foil around 30 min or so but it was still really soupy in the middle at that point so cover it and keep on cooking it for about 20 or 30 minutes.

Palmer Pork and "Wild" Rice

I had no idea what to call this so kept it simple. I was feeling random and finally have my smell back after what seems like months, maybe it really was... anywho I wanted something savory and this hit the spot. DON'T skip the rice, it is so rich and amazing. It brings out the glutton in me for sure. The amount of this rice I can eat in one sitting is obscene, really, it is.

"Wild" Rice

3/4 cup vegan butter
2 Cups GF Beef Stock
1/2 GF Dry Onion Soup Mix packet
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white rice

Heat medium sized pot to medium high heat, and melt butter butter. When the butter in melted and starting to bubble, throw in the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. Saute until soft. Pour in the beef stock and 1/4 cup dry onion soup mix packet, and the rice. Reduce heat to low and cover tightly with a lid. Cook for what it says on the rice, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Pork and Sauce

I am going to say right now, LIGHTY salt if you salt the pork at all, the worsteshire sauce and broth add plenty of salt!

4 Bone-in thick pork chops
pepper
2 Tbl vegan butter
3 Tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup GF Beef Stock
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp worsteshiere sauce
1 Tbl tomato past
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 Tbl cooking sherry ( real would be better but I don't have it sitting around, maybe I should...)

Heat pan to medium high heat, melt the butter in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the peppered pork chops and quickly brown on each side. Once brown remove from heat and quickly add the onions in and saute. In a small bowl add the stock and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add too the onions once they are softening and bring back the meat. Turn meat around in sauce to make sure they all get a little bit of happy, cover and reduce to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork is done. When pork is done, remove and raise the heat up to high, once it starts to boil, stir often until the sauce reduces and gets all rich and yummy. Pour this yumminess right on top of the pork. You will be happy you made that last step. You don't have too, but you really should, like, REALLY should!

Chicken with Peppers

I had no idea what to call this, other than good. It was the end of the week, the options were slim and I was short on time so I threw this together. I was shocked that I thought to write it as I went and glad I did. Next time will take pictures of it because seeing yummy food makes it yummier. I served this on good ol' white rice, it was delish!

1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
salt, pepper, and italian seasoning to season meat
1 Tbl vegan butter
3 Tbl Olive Oil
white wine
chicken stock
green olive juice ( optional)
can diced tomatoes
2 bell peppers ( I used red and yellow but any kind is fine) thin sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small onions or one large one thin sliced
handful mushrooms.


Melt butter and oil in pan over medium high heat. While the pan heats up, season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning mix and start the rice. When hot add the chicken and quickly brown removing when done. Quickly throw in the peppers, mushroom, onions and garlic. saute until they begin to soften. Add a few glugs of wine ( precise measurements here, it is all precision!) add about the same amount of stock as you did wine. It was here that I poured in about a 1/4 cup green olive juice but that is all up to you. Add the can of tomatoes and reduce heat to medium and simmer down. Once it has reduced to about half, add the meat back in and simmer on low for about twenty minutes while your rice cooks.

Chicken Cacciatore

Inspired by Pioneer Women's recipe it didn't take much tweaking and oh holy hell was it good! Nothing like good soul warming food on a cold damp day. It was so good that even Buffalo Boy was invited to dinner to eat with us. Apparently Boy loved it, as did the rest of the boys of the house!

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Chicken Parts with skin and bones ( Trust me, it is so much better this way!) I used six thighs and four drums. Go more for more people of course.
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 Tbl earth balace
2 Tbl cooking oil
Large Red Bell Pepper sliced thin
Large Green Bell Pepper sliced thin
Large Onion sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, minced
Package of Mushrooms sliced
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 cup red wine
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
Package of GF noodles, spagetti or alfredro works well, bowtie could be fun...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I did all this in my dutch oven, but if you have a BIG cast iron skillet that would totally rock too! Melt the butter in your dutch oven or large cast iron on medium high heat. As the butter and melts, give the chicken a good covering of salt and pepper. I like to rub it in for good measure. Lightly roll in the cornstarch.

Brown the meat till it is pretty and brown. ( I did mine in two batches to make sure it wasn't crowded and cooked better). If I needed to I added the cooking oil during browning. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Sautee until just wilted. Add the tomatoes and stir around. Add the wine.

Place the chicken back on top, making sure they sit on top and don't get submerged. Place a lit on it and put it in the oven for 45 min. When the time is up, remove the lid and turn the heat up to 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top of the chicken is good and crispy. This is when I make the noodles, while the chicken finishes up in the oven.

Remove the chicken and set aside. Place the drained noodles on a platter. THen scoop as much of the veggies onto the noodles. Put the pot on the stove on medium high heat, stirring frequently, the juices until they reduce by about half. Poor all that goodness on top of the veggies and noodles and sit chicken on top of that.

Dinner was over hours ago and Nick is still talking about dinner, that says something.