A Moon Made of Cheese

Apple Cider Donut Holes Adapted from Live Well Bake Often Ingredients For the donut holes: 1 cup apple cider (reduced to 1/2 cup) 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cool For the coating: 4 tablespoons butter, melted 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice Method   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your baking pan. Add apple cider to a sauce pan over medium-high heat and simmer until it has reduced by half. Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes.  In a large bowl mix together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl mix together your wet ingredients: reduced apple cider, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Evenly

Biscuits and Gravy Recipes Courtesy of Alton Brown Southern Biscuits Ingredients 2 cups flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons shortening 1 cup cold buttermilk Method Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and shortening by hand, cutting the fat into the flour using the tips of your fingers to rub and mix until your fat bits are around the size of large crumbs and well incorporated. Be sure to work quickly or the fat will begin to melt! Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk. Work together until the dough just comes together. The dough will be pretty sticky and wet. Turn your dough out on a heavily floured surface and fold it onto itself 5 times. Press into a 1-inch thick layer for cutting. Make sure you cut down evenly and quickly before adding to your baking tray (lined with parch

  Quinoa Salad With Chickpeas and Herbs Adapted From Cookie and Kate   Ingredients: For the Salad 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped baby spinach 1 cup chopped flat leaf parlsey 1/3 cup chopped green onion (green bits only) 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup toasted unsalted sunflower seeds For the Dressing 1/4 cup olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons tahini 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt fresh cracked pepper to taste  Method: Cook your quinoa. Place the quinoa and water over high heat until boiling. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa has exploded and fluffed up a bit.  While your quinoa is cooking prep your veg and other ingredients! Chop up the spinach, green onions, and parsley, add the sunflower seeds, feta, and chickpeas.  When the quinoa is done set aside to cool a bit bef

Thai Red Curry Pork Adapted from Do You Even Paleo? Ingredients 1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk 1 jar premade Thai Red Curry sauce 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (or more to taste) 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 large bell pepper 1 medium yellow onion 1 pork tenderloin (around 1 lb. but a little extra will do) 1 cup fresh torn basil leaves juice from 1/2 a lime cooked rice Method Pour the red curry sauce and coconut milk into a large skillet. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly. Add the bell peppers and onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the veggies slightly soften, around 6 minutes or so.  Add the pork and cook on medium-low heat until pork is tender and cooked all the way through. This took me around 15-20 minutes.  Add basil leaves and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of cooked rice. * *Note: I made Basmati rice for

Pork Soyaki Lo Mein With Baby Zucchini  by Catie Simpson  Ingredients 1 package lo mein noodles Soyaki sauce to taste 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon ground ginger two handfuls baby zucchini one handful shredded carrots 1/2 package Cruciferous Crunch, or 2 cups any kind of cabbage or greens 1 pound ground pork olive oil sesame seeds Sriracha sauce to taste Method  Bring a pot of salted water to boil in a large pot.  While your water is boiling, cook the ground pork in a large saute pan with salt and pepper until it is cooked through and evenly browned. When your water is at a full boil, add the lo mein noodles. Cook according to package instructions. Keep an eye on them as mine only took 3 minutes.  Drain your noodles and then toss in olive oil to prevent sticking. Transfer your pork out of your saute pan with a slotted spoon, keeping the fat in the pan. Set your pork aside.  Add a few glugs of olive oil to the rendered pork fat and quickly saute gar

  Cacio E Pepe Adapted from Bon Appétit Ingredients salt 6 oz. pasta (I used Trader Joe's organic spaghetti, a favorite of mine) 3 tbs. butter  2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 cup Parmesan and Romano blend Method   Fill your biggest pasta pot and bring the water to a boil. Heavily salt the water. Add pasta and cook until it's 2 minutes away from being perfectly al dente. Save around a cup of the pasta water before draining. In the same pot melt 2 tbs. of your butter. Add the pepper and toast for about a minute. Add 1/2 a cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Add pasta and remaining butter.  Reduce heat to low, and add cheese. Toss and cook until pasta is al dente. Add more water as needed. Serve with grated cheese and some more pepper on top. YOU GUYS. Can there be anything better than cheese, pasta, and butter? I'll wait. . . . See? You can't think of anything can you? It's that delectabl

    Coconut Crusted Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce Adapted from Well Vegan Ingredients For the Coconut Crusted Tofu 1 15 oz. package extra-firm tofu 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 small lime, juiced 1/2 tbs. fresh ginger, minced 2 tbs. flour 2 tbs. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. baking powder 3 tbs. cold water 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs 3/4 cup coconut powder or shredded unsweetened coconut (found with the Indian spices) 1/4 cup peanut oil (or enough to coat the bottom of your frying vessel) cooked rice for serving For the Spicy Peanut Sauce 2 tbs. peanut butter 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 heaping tsp. chili garlic paste splash rice wine vinegar  For the Roasted Veg 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper handful snow peas 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar salt and pepper Method Cut your tofu block in half and wrap them in paper towels. Place something heavy on top to help wring out the excess water. I generally place the

  Beer and Cheddar Soup Adapted from Food and Wine Ingredients 1 package of Applewood smoked bacon (thick sliced preferred) 1 celery rib, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 large jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 large garlic gloves, minced 1 12 oz. bottle of lager of pilsner 2 1/4 c. chicken broth 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 c. flour 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 pound sharp cheddar 4 oz. smoked cheese (I used Gouda because it's what TJ's had on hand, not the greatest melter though so I would suggest a cheddar if you can find it) salt and pepper to taste big ol' hunks of bread Method  In a soup pot, cook the bacon on a medium-high heat until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is nice and crispy. Transfer the bacon to some paper towels with a slotted spoon and keep that yummy fat in the pan. Cook the onion, celery, jalapenos, and thyme until the veg is nice and soft and brown. Add ha

Refrigerator Hash serves 1-2 based on hangry level (a good rule is 2 eggs per person, just add additional eggs if needed) Ingredients 2 eggs leftover meat and veg (in this case, fried sausages and onions) butter (you could go the E.V.O.O. route but eggs just scream for butter in my humble opinion) shredded cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste Method Crack and whisk your eggs until frothy. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Preheat non-stick pan with butter. Reheat your leftovers, and fry until brown and crispy. Pour eggs evenly over ingredients in the pan. Stir slightly for a few seconds then stop.  Wait for the bottom of the eggs to become golden brown and delicious. Flip eggs (honestly this turned into a hash instead of an omelette because the flip did not go as planned. THAT'S FINE! You can flip the eggs in chunks.) While the other side is browning, sprinkle a generous amount of cheddar over the eggs.  Once the eggs are brown on the

      Baked Spinach and Ricotta Rigatoni Adapted from Food and Wine Ingredients: 1 pound rigatoni 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained 2 cups (~1 pound) of whole milk ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups (~6 ounces) grated fontina cheese 5 tablespoons Romano cheese 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg salt and pepper to taste  Optional Additions: handful of basil leaves, 2 tablespoons garlic, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and oil a large baking dish/casserole. Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water. Place the drained spinach, ricotta, Romano, nutmeg, salt, pepper (and additional mix-ins if using) into a blender and pulse into blended. Stir in Fontina. Stir cheese sauce mixture into cooked pasta. Pour into greased casserole dish. Top with extra Romano (Fontina too if you have it) and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the to

Olive Oil Orange Muffins Adapted from Camille Styles Ingredients 1 1/3 cup AP flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3/4 cup milk 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 3 tablespoons honey Method  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line muffin tin. In a large bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda). In a smaller bowl whisk together wet ingredients (eggs, olive oil, milk, orange juice, orange zest, and honey).   Pour wet ingredients on top of dry, and stir gently until mixture comes together. Be careful not to over mix--some dry patches and lumps are ok and will bake out. Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake 15-20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Good morning starshine! What better way to start the day than with these bright and citrus-laden muffins! These muffins couldn't be simpler and

Mmmm ..let's see a close up shall we? Wow is it hot in here or is that just me? Anyways.. Smoked Cheddar Poutine Ingredients:   Cheese curds (about a handful per person) Frozen french fries (or make your own if you want to be an overachiever) 3 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons butter 2 cups beef broth  1 tablespoon rice vinegar salt and pepper to taste  Method: Set your cheese curds out until they reach room temperature. Read the directions on your french fry package and bake as directed (I used Alexia Organic which cooked for around 25 minutes at 450 degrees F. Make a roux. Melt butter over a medium-high heat until bubbly. Add flour and cook while stirring for about a minutes. The paste should be thin enough to stir, but not too thin. Think homemade library glue. Adjust butter/flour accordingly. Add beef broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps.  Season gravy with salt and pepper. Add vinegar. Set aside. Retrieve french fries. Sprink

Lasagna Soup Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1 yellow onion, diced 5 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 24 oz. jar tomato sauce (I used Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara) 6 cups chicken broth 1 14 oz. can can crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano salt and pepper to taste 10 uncooked lasagna noodles broken into approx. 1-2 inch pieces 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 bunch fresh basil, chiffonade grated Parmesan cheese  Method Heat soup pot over medium/high heat and thoroughly brown the ground beef and onions. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper half-way through the browning process. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and the noodles. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lasagna

Roasted Sausages with Baby Potatoes and Rosemary Adapted from Mary Berry featured on the Daily Mail Ingredients 2 tbs olive oil 2 large onions, sliced lengthwise into wedges 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into large dice 3 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 tbs chopped fresh thyme 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary  1 lb. baby new potatoes, unpeeled 6 bratwurst, cut into thirds 6 oz. dry white wine  salt and pepper to taste   Method Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place all ingredients except wine into large freezer bag and mush around to mix and coat with olive oil and herbs. Spread mixture out onto large shallow roasting pan. Roast for 30-35 minutes until golden, stir, add wine, and roast for another 20 minutes, or until evenly browned, the sausages are cooked, and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Serve hot and with a generous amount of mustard. This was an insanely easy dish to make and I literally came running into work today to tell all my coworke

Hi there! If you're reading this then you definitely already know me, and if you don't I am frankly astonished you are taking the time to read this random stranger's new blog. Seriously. Go watch Game of Thrones or read a book or something. Anyways, if you know me, you know that I love to cook. I cook almost every day and my weekends are usually full of grocery shopping, prepping, cooking, taking photos of the finished product after painstakingly arranging it for Facebook, then eating (and possibly drinking a nice glass of red wine/beer/whiskey). It's been mentioned to me several times before that I should probably have some sort of food blog, and people are generally surprised when they realize I don't. Here's why. Although I have an insane number of cookbooks, I still get the majority of my recipes from the internet via Foodgawker and personal food blogs. This works well for me and I love the never ending pool of inspiration that the internet contains