Culinary Adventures: Pumpkin Pie Brownies

As those of you who follow me on Instagram know, when I made cupcakes for Chief's class for her birthday, I totally used boxed cake mix and pre-made frosting because as much as I love baking from scratch, ain't nobody got time for that on a Monday night.  But you see, when I purchased said boxed cake mix from the grocery store, the grocery store was having a sale...4 boxes for some amount which was less than what 4 boxes would normally cost, and I figured, "Sure!  We need 4 boxes of cake mix!  Cake for everyone!"

Box number 1 became the Sesame Street cupcakes.  The rest sat there for almost a month in the pantry, staring down at me from the baking shelf every time I opened the door as if to say, "So, about dem cakes..."

Well, Saturday night, we were invited to a pre-Christmas party- "we" as in all three of us, so we were actually able to attend!  But because our dear friends didn't know what they were getting themselves into, inviting a 2-year-old to their pristine apartment for an event that would extend past her bedtime, I figured I should bring something tasty.

Enter: box number 2 of cake mix.

I just so happened to have a can of pumpkin on my shelf, as well, because this is the time of year when one buys canned pumpkin with no concrete plan for it because it's winter time, you'll figure something out, and I had seen pumpkin brownies on Pinterest, though I never actually read the recipe, so I figured hey, I should give it a shot.

I'm not sure if this is anything like that other recipe, but if you'd like some cake-like brownies that have what is essentially pumpkin pie filling sandwiched in the center, this is what you're looking for.

*personal photo*

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

For the brownie batter:
-1 box chocolate cake mix (I used a brand that "has pudding in the mix!")
-1/2 C vegetable oil
-2 Tbsp water
-2 eggs

For the pumpkin pie filling:
-1 C pumpkin puree (NOT canned pumpkin pie filling)
-2 Tbsp sugar
-1 egg
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

-Preheat oven to 325F (you might want it hotter if you're not using a dark/nonstick pan).  Line a square brownie baking dish with parchment paper, letting just a little bit peek out over the sides to make cleanup easier!

-Combine all of the brownie ingredients in one bowl and all of the pumpkin ingredients in another.  The brownie batter will be thick; you can add up to 1 C of water if you'd like the resulting brownies to be more fudge-like and less cake-like, but I really wanted something to stand up to the moistness of the pumpkin.

-Spread about 3/4 of the brownie mixture in the bottom of the pan.  Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly on top.  Spread the rest of the brownie mixture over the top in as even a layer as possible.  (I was going for a literal sandwich effect here, but as you can see, my layers were not very even.  It's cool- they're rustic.)

-Bake for 45-47 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set the pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then lift the brownies out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and cool completely on the wire rack.  Then slice and enjoy!

What non-cake desserts do you like to make with boxed cake mix?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Pasta e Fagioli

Little Miss Chief is officially A Toddler now, which means that she's officially A Picky Eater.  Foods that she would eagerly devour just 6 months ago receive a violent head shake when they are offered to her now.

One food she doesn't reject?  "BEE!"   (Beans.)

She really, really enjoyed the black bean soup I made last month so I hoped she'd like this white bean soup recipe.  Thankfully, she loved it!

*personal photo*

Pasta e Fagioli
adapted from Jeff Mauro

-5 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced into lardons
-1 yellow onion, diced
-1/4 tsp dried oregano
-1/4 tsp dried basil
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
-1/4 C white wine
-1 1/2 C chicken stock
-1 1/2 C water
-2 15oz cans cannellini beans
-1 15oz can tomato puree
-1 C ditalini pasta
-1 C grated parmesan cheese

-Cook the bacon in a dutch oven until it's crisp and your kitchen smells divine.  You'll know it's ready when your husband and daughter start wandering towards the stove and wondering when dinner will be ready.  Remove the crisp bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

-Add the onion, herbs, spices, and some salt to the bacon fat and stir until the onion is translucent but before it starts to brown (8-10 minutes).  Deglaze the pot with some wine and scrape up all the brown bits off the bottom; bring to a simmer.

-Pour in the chicken stock, water, beans, and tomato puree.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Let it bubble and thicken for about 30 minutes.

-For a thicker stew-like consistency, buzz the pot with an immersion blender for 30 seconds or so.  Or you could skip that step for a more liquid, soupy consistency.

-Add the pasta and cook until it's done, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the bacon and the cheese.

-Serve with another sprinkle of cheese on top and enjoy!

What kind of soups and stews are you making to keep warm in this endless winter?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Black Bean Soup

I had every intention of making pasta fagioli for dinner on Wednesday night.  But on Tuesday night, after I went grocery shopping, I discovered I didn't have any cannellini beans in the pantry.  At all.  So it was time for a new game plan- I still wanted to make a soup, and I wanted to use only what I currently had on hand.

I didn't have any white beans, but I did have some black beans, so I found a recipe for black bean soup (which I didn't realize was a thing until I Google'd it).  I had to make some adjustments- for one thing, I cut the recipe in half, because I don't have 8-10 people to feed, and for another, I didn't have any onions or Worcestershire sauce.  The result is this delicious bowl of comfort that is sort of like a different take on taco soup- especially if you serve it with corn chips.  I found it to be just perfect with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese stirred in, and the toddler in our house, who has recently decided to be a picky eater, ate every single bite (and then some).  You could also go easy on the liquids and serve this with rice as more of a side dish than a soup, if you wanted.

*personal photo*

Black Bean Soup

adapted from Dave Lieberman

-5 slices of thick-cut bacon, sliced into thin lardons

-3 garlic cloves, finely minced

-1 C low-sodium chicken stock (more for a thinner soup, less for a thicker stew-y dish)

-1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

-1 Tbsp ketchup

-splash of white wine (1 tsp?)

-dash of chili powder (couple tsp?)

-2 (15.5oz) cans black beans, drained

-1 (14.75oz) can corn, drained

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 tsp parsley

-juice of 1 lime

-sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

-Render the tiny bits of bacon in a dutch oven (or other heavy pot) over medium heat.  Once the bacon is crisp, toss in the garlic.

-Just when the garlic becomes fragrant- only about a minute- pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes, ketchup, wine, and chili powder.  Give it a stir, then add in the beans and corn and stir it some more.

-Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Let it bubble for about 10 minutes, then stir in the parsley.  

-Give it another 5 minutes and you'll notice it thickening up; squeeze in the lime juice, then season with salt and pepper.

-Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, then enjoy!

**This makes about 5 or 6 servings, which was perfect for us- a serving each for dinner, then a serving each of leftovers.  Feel free to use the original amounts in the recipe- that is, double this recipe- if you're feeding a larger family or want to freeze half for later.**

What's your go-to pantry-raiding recipe?  Have you ever had to switch gears on your dinner plans when you noticed a key ingredient was missing?

Much love,

The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

Sorry for the silence last week- our house was full of family members!  Two of Chief's aunts, one of her great grandmothers, and all of her grandparents came to visit this week for various lengths of time.  Everyone was here for Thanksgiving (except one of my sisters, who had to go home and go to work that day, because people who shop on Thanksgiving really suck) so we had an epic first birthday party in lieu of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

with her favorite birthday present, her toy puppy

It was a Minnie Mouse-themed party, so I made some Minnie Mouse cupcakes.  They were a big hit with everyone, so I figured I'd share a quick tutorial for how I decorated them.

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

-cupcakes
-chocolate frosting
-miniature creme-filled chocolate wafer cookie sandwiches (say that 10 times fast!)
-red decorating icing (in a tube or piping bag)
-white sugar pearls

-Frost the cupcakes with an even layer of the chocolate frosting.  You could pipe a swirled peak, but I find that to be too much frosting for my taste.

-Press two of the miniature sandwich cookies into the frosting side by side so that they're standing upright, like ears.

-Pipe a small line of red frosting in front of the ears from the midpoint of one to the midpoint of the other to serve as the bow.

-Carefully arrange the sugar pearls on the bow to serve as the polka dots.

-Devour!

For Mickey cupcakes, you could skip the bow.  You could also just use plain chocolate wafer cookies instead of the sandwich cookies, but I'll bet you can guess which is more delicious.  Use any flavor cupcake you want, but for maximum awesomeness, chocolate is best.

She loved it :)

What kind of cake did you make for your little one's first birthday party?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Creamy Stove Top Mac n Cheese

Last night, I wanted to make a super quick, super easy dinner.  Chief had already fallen asleep and it wasn't even 6:00 yet (she woke up a couple of hours later, but she just nursed for dinner and then went right back to sleep), so I knew that Mr. Geek and I had the luxury of eating something that was not-so-healthy- something that would be extra delicious with a glass of wine on the couch while we watched some Cutthroat Kitchen on the DVR.

Enter: macaroni and cheese.

I found Alton Brown's recipe for a stove top mac 'n' cheese and used it as a sort of guide- I didn't have evaporated milk or dry mustard, for example, and I'm anti-hot sauce, so I improvised with ingredients that are most definitely NOT the same thing, but the result was an ooey-gooey delicious pot of creamy macaroni and cheese which looks exactly like the stuff in the blue box, but tastes even better!

*personal photo*

Stove Top Mac n Cheese
Adapted from Alton Brown

-1/2 lb macaroni pasta (I used bowtie pasta)
-4 Tbsp butter
-2 eggs
-1/4 C heavy cream
-1 tsp dijon mustard
-salt and pepper
-8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

-Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta according to package directions (mine was 8-10 minutes for al dente)

-Drain the pasta and lower the heat to low.  Melt the butter in the (now empty) pot; add the pasta back to the pot and coat with the butter.

-Mix the eggs, cream, mustard, and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Remove the pot from the heat momentarily and stir this mixture in.  Once it's thoroughly coated, return the pot to the heat and stir in the cheese.  Keep stirring until all the cheese is melted and the sauce looks nice and creamy.

If this were a side dish, you could probably get 4 servings out of it.  We managed to finish the pot as an entree :)  I think next time I might add a dash of paprika- because while hot sauce may not be my thing, this dish could probably use a little kick of something.

It's definitely not the healthiest thing I've ever made, but it was quick, easy, and exactly the sort of indulgence I needed midway through the work week.

What's your favorite weeknight comfort food?

Much love,
The Geeks

**my apologies for the crummy cellphone photo- I had no intention of sharing this recipe (which was really just a "I want some mac and cheese...this looks interesting...what if I add a little of this...") but when I shared the picture on social media, a couple of people actually asked for it!  So here you are!

Culinary Adventures: Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Brr it's cold!  Did you get snow on Halloween where you are?  We didn't, thankfully, but it was still awfully chilly!  I really hate cold weather...but I really love all the trappings of fall- football season, cardigans and tights, pumpkin everything, and warm, delicious soup!

I picked up 4 acorn squash a few weeks ago for a recipe that I saw on Food Network's The Kitchen, but it turned out I only needed 2, so I decided to use the other 2 for a soup!  This is especially delicious when served with an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich on thick-sliced crusty bread.

*personal photo*

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

-2 acorn squash
-olive oil
-salt
-pepper
-1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
-1 C low-sodium chicken stock
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ginger
-1/2 tsp dried sage

-Preheat the oven to 400F.  Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds- save them and toast them up later as a garnish for the soup!  Place the squash halves in a baking dish, flesh side up, and drizzle each with olive oil.  Generously season with salt and pepper.  Roast about 40 minutes, then allow to cool enough so you can handle them.

-Scoop the roasted flesh into the bowl of a food processor.  Add in the chunks of carrot and garlic.  Puree until smooth, drizzling in chicken stock as you go until you get the desired consistency.  (You may find that you want more stock to really thin it out, or less, if you squash were tiny to begin with.)  Depending on the size of your food processor's bowl, you might have to start pulsing before you add in all of your ingredients.

-Pour into a large soup pot and add the seasoning.  (For a little kick, add a pinch of red pepper flake or a dash of chili powder- or both!)  Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Serve warm, topped with toasted seeds.

Once you add the puree to the pot, you can use an immersion blender to try and pulverize the mixture some more, but I left mine at a thicker texture.  When I asked Mr. Geek what he thought, he put on his best Chopped-judge voice and said, "Your flavors are great, but I have a problem with you calling this a soup, when it's clearly a puree."

Fair enough.

What do you like to eat when the temperatures drop?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Pizza Pasta

I've got a recipe for you today that is so simple it's not even funny.  (Wait would it be funny if it were hard?)  I don't know about you, but pasta is sort of my go-to standby dinner for when I need something quick, easy, and tasty (which is every night).  I'm sure my darling husband is getting sick of the same old meat sauce- though, being the darling husband that he is, he'd never admit such feelings- so I'm constantly on the look-out for ways to switch up the old standby that still fall within the "quick, easy, and tasty) category.  Italian sausage was on sale during my grocery trip, so I snagged some with the intention of making pizza...but then I forgot to grab some dough.

And so we have Pizza Pasta- all the flavors of pizza in a pasta dish!

*personal photo*

 Pizza Pasta

-1 lb penne pasta (but this would honestly work with any pasta)
-olive oil
-1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (if you're feeling spicy, you could go with a hot sausage instead)
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 16oz can diced tomatoes
-1 Tbsp dried basil
-1 Tbsp dried parsley

-Cook the pasta according to package directions.

-Meanwhile, add some olive oil to a pan and brown the sausage over medium heat.  Crumble it with a wooden spoon as you cook it (remember to remove it from the casing first!)

-Once the sausage is cooked through, add the garlic and saute until fragrant.

-Add the diced tomatoes and the herbs and lower the heat.  Cook, covered, until the pasta is done.  Drain the pasta and toss in the sauce.  Serve topped with shredded cheese (mozzarella to be authentic, but we only had cheddar and it was just as tasty).

What's your standby dinner?  How do you switch it up to keep things interesting?

Much love,
The Geeks
 

Culinary Adventures: Shrimp in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Every good Catholic knows you're supposed to abstain from meat on Friday's during Lent- but did you know you're supposed to go meatless every Friday?  When it's not Lent, you can choose another 1-day sacrifice instead of abstaining from meat, but during Lent there's definitely no meat on Fridays.  I guess over the years people preferred "you can eat meat now" and forgot "if you give something else up."

Here's what we ate this past Friday.  Chief and I went grocery shopping when I picked her up from daycare and I grabbed a nice big bag of shrimp, though I didn't have a specific recipe in mind.  I knew I wanted pasta and some sort of creamy sauce, so I grabbed a few things that I figured I might need and headed home.  I found the below recipe on a quick perusal of Food Network's website, but I didn't have any clam juice (which is what the original recipe calls for).  I did, however, have a lemon.  Now, I realize the white wine is providing the acid here, so lemon juice could be overkill, but I added it anyway and you know what?  It was delicious.  Give it a try!

*personal photo*

Shrimp in a tomato cream sauce
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

-1lb penne pasta
-olive oil
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
-1 Tbsp dried parsley
-1 Tbsp dried basil
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 C white wine
-juice of 1 lemon
-3/4 C heavy whipping cream
-1/2 C freshly grated Romano cheese

-Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

-In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the shrimp (seasoned with salt and pepper) and garlic in the olive oil.  Stir frequently until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes.  (They're ready when they're pink all over.)  Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon.

-Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes.  Cook for 2 minutes, continuously stirring.  Add the wine, lemon juice, and heavy cream, and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Stir in about half the grated cheese.

-Toss the pasta and shrimp in the sauce.  Garnish with the rest of the cheese.

Do you prefer seafood on your meatless Fridays or do you go vegetarian?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Chili Mac

I actually made this macaroni and cheese dish (with chili!) about a month ago and then forgot to blog about it!  It's really delicious and I'm thinking about making it again soon, even though the weather is much warmer now.

*personal photo*

Chili Mac
adapted from this other macaroni recipe I made that one time

Ingredients:
-1 lb macaroni (I used these cute little wheels)
-1 lb ground pork
-2 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 8oz can kidney beans
-3 Tbsp butter
-3 Tbsp flour
-3 C milk
-1 bay leaf
-8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

Topping:
-3 Tbsp butter
-1 C breadcrumbs


-Preheat the oven to 350F.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook to just under al dente according to the directions on the box.

-Meanwhile, season the ground pork with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Brown in a saute pan until fully cooked.  Drain the kidney beans and add to the meat.

-Melt the butter in a large saucepan, but don't let it brown.  Whisk in the flour to create a roux- don't let it get lumpy!  Stir in the milk and add the bay leaf.  Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.  Stir in the cheese and whisk until it's melted.

-When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and mix it with the meat mixture.  Fold in the cheese sauce, then pour the whole thing into a greased 2 quart baking dish.

-Make the topping by melting the butter and tossing with the breadcrumbs.  Pat the topping over the whole casserole and bake for 30 minutes.  Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Top with extra cheddar cheese.

Delicious!

What's your favorite mac 'n' cheese recipe?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Stuffed Peppers

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I bet you're expecting some sort of Irish recipe today...

Oops.  Sorry to disappoint you...

However, today's recipe is really tasty!  Tastier than corned beef, in my opinion, but I've never really liked corned beef anyway.

*personal photo*

Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Grace Before Meals by Father Leo Patalinghug

-4 bell peppers
-1lb ground pork
-1 white onion, minced
-8oz can tomato sauce
-2 eggs
-1/2 C bread crumbs
-1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
-1/4 C freshly grated Romano cheese
-1tsp garlic powder
-4 slices provolone cheese
-salt and pepper to taste

-Preheat oven to 375F.  Set aside 4Tbsp of the tomato sauce for the end of the cooking process.

-Prepare the peppers for stuffing.  Remove the tops, veins, and seeds.  If you've got long, skinny peppers like I used, cut them in half lengthwise.  If you've got short, squat bell peppers, they should stand upright for you to stuff them (you may need to carefully shave a bit off the bottom to even it out).  Set the peppers in a baking dish.

-Combine the meat, minced onion, tomato sauce, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, Romano cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper with your hands.  Evenly distribute the stuffing amongst the peppers.

-Cover the dish in aluminum foil and poke the foil with a fork to create holes to release steam.  Pop in the oven for 50 minutes.

-Remove the dish from the oven and switch the oven to broil.  Remove the foil from the dish.  Spoon a bit of the reserved tomato sauce (1tsp or so) over each pepper and top with 1/2 slice of cheese (or a whole slice if you're using upright peppers).  Return to the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

I served these over a bed of orzo pasta, but you could also serve with rice.

I highly recommend Fr. Leo's cookbook, Grace Before Meals.  Each recipe corresponds to a Feast Day, and he also includes reflections and prayers to read as a family as you cook and eat these meals.  Fr. Leo is pretty awesome- I've met him before when he spoke and gave a cooking demonstration for youth groups at a few local parishes, and he competed on Throwdown with Bobby Flay (and won!!). 

What's your favorite cookbook?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Pasta Carbonara

I know carbonara is not "fancy" in any way- it's a really simple pasta dish that's mostly bacon- but something about the egg and cream makes it feel rich and decadent.  Add a little chopped fresh parsley on top and, in my humble opinion, you've got yourself a pretty fancy little dish!

yeah, we've got a little scrambled egg action going on in there...still tasted good, though // *personal photo*

Pasta Carbonara
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

-1lb dried ziti regata
-5 slices of bacon, diced
-1 cup frozen peas
-6 room-temperature eggs
-1/2 cup heavy cream (also at room temperature)
-1 1/4 cup grated parmesan
-handful of fresh parsley, chopped

-Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.  (Follow the directions on the box.)

-Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Just before the bacon is done, add the peas.  Remove the pan from the heat when everything is cooked.

-Beat the eggs, cream, and cheese in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

-Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pan with the bacon and peas (and the bacon fat!).  Cover the pasta in the egg mixture and toss until everything is fully combined and the heat of the pasta has cooked the egg mixture.  (You might end up with a bit of scrambled eggs like I did.  You've got to stir everything really fast to avoid this.)

-Serve with extra parmesan and the fresh parsley for garnish.

How do you fancy-up simple dishes?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Taco Soup

Two cooking vessels get more use in my kitchen than any others- my dutch oven, and my slow cooker.  They especially get a lot of use in winter, when I make a lot of soups and stews and other one-pot-wonders.

Remember that chili recipe I shared a couple weeks ago?  This soup is pretty similar- okay, really similar.  I'm all about easy nowadays, so I'm buying in bulk and sticking with what I know works, but switching things up enough to keep it interesting.

*personal photo*

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

-1lb ground turkey (or chicken or pork or beef or whatever)
-salt and pepper
-2 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-olive oil
-2 15oz cans black beans, drained
-1 15oz can corn, drained
-1 15oz can diced tomatoes (not drained!)
-1 package frozen pearl onions (the kind with a cream sauce if you want extra creaminess)
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
-2 - 3C chicken stock (or vegetable or beef)

-Season the meat and cook it in a pan over medium heat in some olive oil.  Adjust the seasoning based on your own personal comfort level with spice.  I'm not a fan of spicy food; Mr. Geek is, but lately he's had some stomach problems and his doctor has made him swear off spicy food for a while.  I'd call the spice levels of this soup as-is "mild", so feel free to up the ante a bit.

-Put everything into your slow cooker.  As always, the amount of stock depends on how soupy you want your soup; for a thicker, stew-like consistency, go with less stock.  Remember that your tomatoes have juice in them, and if you go with the cream sauce in the frozen onions, you've got liquid there, too.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

-Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and corn chips.

What's your most-used cooking vessel?  Are you making any soup during this never-ending snow?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Slow-Cooker Chili

Are you following Our Geeky Adventure on Instagram?  If so, you're getting sneak peeks every once in a while of recipes that will make their way to the blog- like this one!

*personal photo*

Slow-cooker Chili

-1 lb ground turkey (or pork, or beef, or chicken, whatever moves you)
-salt and pepper
-2 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-olive oil
-1 small onion, diced
-2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained
-1 15oz can black beans, drained
-1 15oz can diced tomatoes (not drained!)
-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1C chicken stock (or beef stock, or vegetable stock)

-Season your ground meat with the salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.  The amounts listed above are approximate- after you make this a few times, you'll come to figure out how much spice works for you.  I was going for a less spicy flavor here, so I held back a smidge- but don't be too shy, especially with a meat like turkey which can be pretty bland if you don't help it along.  Brown the meat in a pan with some olive oil.

-Put everything into your slow-cooker.  Again, the measurement for the chicken stock is approximate- add as much or as little as you want, depending on how soupy you like your chili.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

-Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

What's your favorite chili recipe?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Beef-and-whatever-is-in-your-fridge Stew

I've made this beef stew twice now, and both times have been slightly different, depending on what veggies I had on hand in the refrigerator and freezer.  I guess that makes this more of a method than a recipe, since you can substitute in whatever you want; the treatment of the beef is the only thing that stays the same.

The second time I made this- which is when I took pictures for this post- it tasted...horrible.  There's no way around it.

So why am I sharing it with you, if it's horrible?

Because it's not the recipe's fault that it tasted bad, it's my fault.  The very last step is to REDUCE THE HEAT and simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours; I forgot the reducing the heat part.  OOPS.  This resulted in a thick, burnt mess at the bottom of the pan, and dry meat, and an overall charred taste.

But you know what?  If I hadn't forgotten the heat-lowering bit, this would've tasted really, really good- I'm sure of it.  So I'm going to share the pictures and the steps with you, and encourage you to try it at home (and, you know, do it right).  And then come tell me what veggies you add to your rendition!

Beef-and-whatever-is-in-your-fridge Stew
inspired by Giada De Laurentiis

-1 bottle red wine (I use merlot)
-1lb cubed stew beef
-olive oil
-2 slices of bacon, sliced into lardons
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1C shredded carrots (I had a bag of shredded carrots, but you could also roughly chop some whole carrots)
-4 medium red potatoes, quartered
-1 package frozen pearl onions in cream sauce
-1 (12oz) bag frozen green beans
-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
-4C beef broth

-Place the cubed beef in a glass baking dish and pour in the entire bottle of wine.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours, then turn all the pieces over and marinate for another 1 1/2 hours.  Remove the beef from the pan and pat dry on some paper towels; reserve the wine.

-Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper.  Put some olive oil in a heavy pot- preferably a dutch oven- over medium-high heat.  Brown the meat on all sides, then remove from the pot.

 -Add the bacon and cook until the fat starts to render and it starts to crisp.

-Add the garlic and cook until it starts to smell really good and the bacon finishes crisping up.

-Add all the veggies and stir it up for a few minutes.

-Pour in the reserved wine and the beef broth and stir- you should have a big pot of purple witch's brew, minus the eye of newt.  Bring to a boil, then REDUCE THE HEAT and simmer for 3 to 3 1/2 hours with the lid on.

We rescued all the bits that weren't burnt and served it with a slice of French bread.  If you like your stew looser, simmer for less time and you'll have more broth.

And, obviously, don't burn yours.

Do you have a favorite winter stew recipe?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: A Fall Sandwich

This recipe post isn't really a recipe post- it's more a "here are some awesome things to put on a sandwich" post.  But it really is an awesome sandwich, so I figured I should share it with you anyway.

This is really just a grilled cheese sandwich with a twist- and it's based on a sandwich that Panera had on their menu briefly a year or two ago, so I can't even claim it's original!  Also, it's not technically grilled- I distribute everything between two slices of bread and pop them, open-faced, in the toaster oven until the bread is crisp and the cheese is all melty and gooey.  So it's a "toasted cheese" sandwich.  But that doesn't sound appetizing, for some reason.  So I'm calling this sandwich a fall sandwich, because it tastes like everything fall should taste like- warm and gooey and crisp and crunchy.

A Fall Sandwich
adapted from that sandwich I had at Panera that one time


Ingredients:
-sourdough bread slices
-thinly sliced ham (I went with what was labeled "black forest ham" at the deli...honey ham is good here, too)
-a few slices of cheddar cheese
-a few slices of gruyere cheese
-mayo
-stone ground mustard
-1 green apple, thinly sliced

-Spread mayo on both slices of bread.  On one slice, layer the cheeses and the mustard.  On the other, layer the ham and apple slices.  Place both slices in the toaster oven and toast until the bread has a nice crunch and the cheese is bubbly and melted.  Assemble the two halves of the sandwich and serve with any leftover apple slices.

What's your favorite sandwich to eat this time of year?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal*

Culinary Adventures: Fancy Macaroni and Cheese

Do you remember that Verizon commercial where the woman was looking at buying a tablet, and she found a video her boyfriend had made with her cat, set to this goofy song about macaroni and cheese?  It's a real song.

Mr. Geek actually found it and bought it.  And threatened to play it at our wedding reception.  (He didn't, thank heavens.)

When I first got pregnant, I craved Easy Mac pretty much constantly.  Mr. Geek loved this, because it meant he could cook dinner for me for a change and I would rave about how delicious it was.  (We now have a pantry full of those blue boxes that I never got to because unbeknownst to us, cravings change the farther you go through the pregnancy...oops.)

Friday night, I decided I wanted to show my gratitude for Mr. Geek's macaroni prowess by making some for him- only a bit fancier than the kind in the blue box.  I don't have a whole lot of photos of the process because there was a lot going on in this dish- it's one of the messiest things I've made in a while, and I actually needed Mr. Geek's help for a couple of steps (and to snap a couple of pictures).  It's pretty gosh darn delicious, though, complicated or not.

Fancy Macaroni and Cheese
Basic recipe by Alton Brown only...fancied up a bit

Ingredients:
-1 lb elbow macaroni
-3 Tbsp butter
-3 Tbsp flour
-3 slices bacon, cut into thin lardons
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 onion, diced
-4 oz white mushrooms, roughly chopped
-3 C milk
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1 large egg
-1/2 tsp white truffle oil (optional, but it's just not quite so fancy without it)
-8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
-4 oz gruyere, shredded

Topping:
-3 Tbsp butter
-1 C breadcrumbs

-While your oven starts preheating to 350F, put a big pot of salted water on to boil, and cook your bacon in a large pan until crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.  (Frankly, this is a bit more crisp than I would have liked, as it's meant to be stirred into the pasta later, not used as a crunchy topping, but when you tell Mr. Geek to cook bacon, this is what he does to it.  He likes it really crispy.)

-Toss your diced garlic into the bacon grease and cook until fragrant.

-Add your mushrooms and cook until they're nice and brown and caramelized and delicious.  (Once your pot of water has reached a boil, add your macaroni noodles and cook to al dente.)

-Add the onions and cook until translucent.  Once this mixture is sufficiently cooked, turn the heat off and leave it be so you can concentrate on everything else.

-Melt your butter in a large saucepan- don't let it brown.  Rapidly whisk in the flour to create a roux, but don't let any lumps form. 

-Stir in the milk and paprika, then add the bay leaf.  Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.  Stir in about half of the cheddar cheese and all of the gruyere, whisking constantly until the cheese is all melted. 

-This white truffle oil was a gift from Mr. Geek's dad on a trip to NYC.  It's very expensive, very strong, and very luxurious- a little goes a long way.  When your pasta has finished cooking, drain it and toss it in just a smidge of this magical potion, then toss it together with the onions, garlic, and mushroom mixture, as well as the bacon.

-Fold the cheese sauce into the pasta mixture, then pour the whole thing into a greased 2 quart baking dish.

-Top with the rest of the shredded cheddar.  Make your breadcrumb topping by melting the butter and tossing it with the breadcrumbs, then pat the topping over the whole thing. 

-Bake for 30 minutes, then let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

It's definitely filling enough to be a meal all its own, but it would also make an awesome side dish to some chicken, perhaps.

So what's your favorite macaroni dish?  Do you like stovetop mac-and-cheese or do you prefer it baked?  Do you like the simplicity of the blue box or the fancyness of mixing in proteins?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: (Almost) Dad's Spaghetti Sauce

Once again, I found myself recreating an old stand-by recipe from my childhood this week.  Something about having a baby has me thinking about the way my parents always did things- everything- and wondering how we'll rank in the Parental Hall of Fame (which I'm convinced is a thing that actually exists, even though nobody else will admit it).

Spaghetti was always a staple in our house when I was growing up, though each cook had his or her own version, and the recipes evolved over time.  There was always difference between Mom's Spaghetti and Dad's Spaghetti, and then Dad changed his recipe drastically when I was in high school and he went on a health kick.  Papaw's Spaghetti was an entirely separate entity altogether- version 1 of Dad's Spaghetti was similar to it but not quite the same, and to this day I'm not really sure what was in Papaw's recipe that made it so distinct.  (His rumbling chuckle at the ruckus a grandbaby was causing?  His incredible patience?  A little extra oregano?)

So today, we're tackling Dad's Spaghetti- more specifically, Dad's Spaghetti Version 2.0.  As with Mom's Potato Salad, I know this isn't an exact recreation and I actually made some purposeful changes to make it a little more "mine".  I'm really happy with the way it turned out- reminiscent of home and sitting around my parents' dinner table, but still something new that will probably become a regular menu item here in the Geek household.

(Almost) Dad's Spaghetti Sauce
Adapted from...my dad

-1Tbsp olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 white onion, diced
-1 green bell pepper, diced
-4oz white mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used half an 8oz package of already-sliced mushrooms)
-1lb ground beef
-salt and pepper
-2tsp chili powder
-1/2tsp cinnamon (just go with it)
-1tsp oregano
-1tsp parsley
-1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
-1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

-Coat a hot pan with olive oil and toss in your bits of garlic.  Just as your kitchen starts to take on a delicious garlic-y aroma (after about a minute, maybe a little longer) add your diced onion.

-Sweat the onions and revel in their fragrance, and as they become translucent, toss in your mushrooms and then your peppers.

-Toss this mixture around in the pan for a few minutes until the mushrooms turn nice and brown, then add your ground beef.  Generously season the meat with salt and pepper and break it up into little bits with your spoon.

-Just as the beef reaches its final stages of browning, sprinkle in all of your spices.  Let everything sit long enough to fill a large pot with water and set it on the stove to come to a boil, then pour in your crushed and diced tomatoes.  Give it all a few big stirs, turn the heat down to low, and put a lid on it.

-Give the flavors time to get to know each other, then like each other, then love each other, then marry.  (This takes the same amount of time as it will take you to add plenty of salt and olive oil to your boiling water, cook your spaghetti noodles, and drain them in a colander.  Spaghetti sauce flavors are romantic fools, you see.)  You can stir it a couple of times, just to check that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan, but really you should just leave it alone and let it do its thing.

-Serve a heaping ladle full of sauce over a mountain of pasta.  (And yes, that's technically linguine, not spaghetti.  It's what we had in the pantry.  Maybe I should just call this sauce a bolognese?)  Top with shredded sharp cheddar or grated parmesan (or both, if you're into that kind of thing).

Because we always serve this as sauce on top of pasta as opposed to mixing the noodles in with the sauce, we inevitably had more sauce leftover than pasta.  (My family is a bunch of carboholics, what can I say.)  Dad would turn the leftover sauce into chili, so I tried my own version of that, too.  I simply poured my leftovers into a hot dutch oven, added a (drained) can of kidney beans, a little extra chili powder, and a box of orzo pasta, stirred it up real nice, put the lid on, and let it simmer for 10 or so minutes.  (I think next time I'll add a bit of chicken stock, too, since the little orzo noodles were still a bit under-cooked.)  I like shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream on my chili; Mr. Geek likes shredded cheddar, Fritos, and mustard on his.  Weirdo. 

What sorts of dishes were staples on your childhood dinner table?  What's in your spaghetti sauce recipe?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal*

Culinary Adventures: (Almost) Mom's Potato Salad

I don't share recipes very often on this here blog- probably because I haven't done much from-scratch cooking since this whole pregnancy thing started.  But back on Labor Day, I had an excuse to cook for a (small) crowd, and I decided to pull out all the stops.

When I was growing up, it seemed that my mom's go-to dish for any sort of special occasion- especially in the warmer months- was potato salad.  I've never asked her for her exact recipe, but I feel like I've seen her make it enough times that I could recreate it and put my own spin on it.  So here's my take on it!

(Almost) Mom's Potato Salad
Adapted from...my mom

-1lb red potatoes
-7 hard boiled eggs
-1 C mayonnaise
-1/4 C pickle relish
-1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
-1 bunch green onions, diced (including the green bits!) and divided

1. Chop the potatoes into 1in pieces.  Salt and pepper generously, then place in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring the water to a boil, and let it boil for 12 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes and half-mash them.  Half-mash is a term I just made up which means "to sort of squish the potatoes so they're still mainly chunky, not smooth and creamy."  I suppose you could call that "smash."  I used a potato masher, but you may actually get better results from a fork.  Put the potatoes in the fridge and allow to cool completely.

3. When your eggs are completely cold (I put them in the fridge overnight), peel them, and mince them up with...yeah, a fork.  Basically replace all your cooking utensils with a fork.

4.  (Actually, for this one, you need a spoon.)   Mix everything together.  Well, okay use only half the green onions.  But everything else- just mix it all together until it's a delicious mess.

5. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the diced green onion.

So yeah, this isn't quite how my mom makes it, but it's definitely inspired by her recipe.  AND IT'S DELICIOUS.  Proof: Mr. Geek doesn't even like potato salad and therefore didn't have any on Labor Day but in the days after, as we were finishing leftovers, he tried some, and he loved it!  There was hardly any left for me! 

This salad is meant to be served cold, but Mr. Geek thought it was meant to be heated, so he warmed it up a bit alongside a leftover burger and he claims it's really good that way.  I'm not sure I'd heat it up myself, but if you want to stir everything while the potatoes are still warm and serve the dish warm, perhaps that'd be tasty, too?

Have you ever recreated any of your mom's recipes?  Potato salad is one of those dishes everyone seems to have a recipe for- what's in yours?

Much love,
The Geeks

Culinary Adventures: Chicken Parmesan

Last Wednesday was Mr. Geek's 26th birthday, so I asked him what he wanted for a birthday dinner.  His favorite meal is shepherd's pie, so that's normally my go-to "special meal" for him, but that's more of a hearty, winter time dish, so I was secretly glad when he asked for chicken parmesan instead.  The pressure was on, however, because whenever Mr. Geek wants to pull out all the stops and make dinner for me, this is what he makes.  I did a little hunting and found a rather unique take on chicken parmesan- unique because it was insanely quick and easy, but also because it's not breaded and fried!

Confession time: this year I was absolutely horrible in the birthday department, even though this dinner turned out delicious (he had seconds!  Technically thirds...)  I didn't have a chance to go grocery shopping before his actual birthday, so we didn't eat this on Wednesday- we ordered Chinese instead.  (I'm a terrible wife.)  The gift I bought for him didn't show up until Thursday, so he couldn't open it with the others.  (Although that wasn't entirely my fault- but I guess I could've ponied up for faster shipping...)  I promised him we'd have the chicken parm on Friday night, and though I did have the ingredients by then, Friday was a long day of being pregnant, so when I sat down on the sofa to quickly check my email and pull up the recipe, I ended up...falling asleep.  At 6:00.  On a Friday.  When I was supposed to be making a birthday dinner.  SUNDAY.  We could make it on Sunday.  Yes.  Except, generally, when you're making someone a birthday dinner, you don't put them to work alongside you at the stove.  (I didn't technically make him join in though.  I just asked him if he wanted to get out some aggression with the meat tenderizer mallet and then he ended up not leaving the kitchen!)

But you know what?  We really love cooking together, and the dish turned out fantastic, so I'd say, overall, it was a success.

Chicken Parmesan
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp rosemary (fresh is always best, but dried herbs work just as well here)
-1 tsp thyme
-1 tsp parsley
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 1/2 C tomato sauce (homemade would be awesome, but we used a jarred sauce to save time)
-1/2 C shredded mozzarella
-1/2 C grated parmesan
-2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into chunks

-While your oven is preheating to 500F, wrap the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and pound them flat with a tenderizer mallet.  (If you want your husband to help with the cooking process, this is a good place to bring him in.)  Cut each flattened piece in half (or thirds, depending on how large it is- you want each piece to be about the size of the palm of your hand).  Mix the herbs, salt, and pepper with the oil in a bowl, then brush it on both sides of each slice of chicken.

-In a large, heavy pan (like a cast iron skillet) over high heat, cook the chicken, about 2 minutes per side.  You're going to finish the cooking in the oven, but you do want to get rid of as much pink as you can.  Remove the pan from the heat until your oven is ready to go.

-Pour the tomato sauce around the chicken, then cover each piece with the mozzarella, parmesan, and a bit of butter.  Pop the pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through.

-While your husband still has 2 oven mitts on, he may start bouncing around like a boxer, saying, "Put 'em up, put 'em up."  If he does, be sure to snap a picture.

-Here's what it looks like when it comes out of the oven- bubbly and cheezy and delicious. 

-Serve over pasta- we went with whole wheat linguine.  Sprinkle on some extra parmesan cheese if the Spirit moves you.

What's your favorite thing to do for your significant other on their birthday?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal*