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Archive for the ‘Super-Easy’ Category

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Posted in Appetizers, Healthy, Sides, Snacks, Super-Easy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , on January 13, 2013 | 17 Comments »

herb roasted sweet potatoes on overtime cook

If there was ever a time that I was going to post an almost non existent recipe, it’s today.

I finally wrapped up the first of two Purim features I’m doing for my magazine job, and I’m as closed to burnt out as it gets. It’s pretty weird, because the recipes I’m featuring are some of the most creative I’ve ever done. And then the packaging ideas are another important aspect of the article, and they kinda have to be really creative too. Couple that with doing photo shoots for all of them and basically my creativity (and energy!) tanks are on empty.

I’m exhausted. I want to sleep for a week. But no, I’ve got my second Purim feature due soon (luckily I’ve got 1 out of those 3 done and photographed already). And I worked late tonight. (Tomorrow, when I’m writing this, but it might be yesterday by the time I post this. Oh the unpredictability of my life!) And once I get Purim stuff all submitted, I don’t have long to rest before I go into Passover recipe testing mode. (Aka my most dreaded and feared time of year!)

Anyway, the point of all this is how tired I am. And uninspired. And how I feel like I’ve got a perfectly good excuse for posting one of my simplest recipes yet, with basically no story or introduction of any sort.

But lets be real, shall we? All of you lovely folks are busy. Whether its work, family, or anything else, and I know I don’t have the monopoly on being over stressed. (Although at times I wish I did. It would make for some great kvetching.) And if I found a super simple recipe like this one useful at a time like this, I’m sure all of you will too. Am I right?

Oh, and don’t let the simplicity fool you. These fabulous potatoes have got just the right amount of flavor and texture to bump these beauties up to the top of my favorites list!

herb roasted sweet potatoes 3

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss to coat everything evenly. Spread in a single layer on prepared cookie sheet. Place in oven.
Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot.
Enjoy!

herb roasted sweet potatoes 1

Thanks everyone for stopping by! I hope you love these sweet potatoes as much as I did, and stop by soon, because the craziness is bound to wear off soon, and when it does I’ve got some fabulous recipes to share with you! -Miriam

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Honey Glazed Garlic and Ginger Sugar Snaps

Posted in Appetizers, Guest Post, Healthy, Sides, Super-Easy, Vegetables, tagged , , , , , , on December 23, 2012 | 9 Comments »

Honey Glazed Sugar Snaps 2

Hey everyone, remember when my blog friend Tali from More Quiche, Please guest posted for me over the summer when my sister got married? Well now I got to repay the favor!

I made my favorite vegetables in the world, and I talk all about them on Tali’s Blog. So go check out my absolutely amazing Honey Glazed Garlic and Ginger Sugar Snaps, and have a peak around her blog. Tell her I say hi!

Honey Glazed Sugar Snaps 3

 

Hope you love this awesome recipe folks! Thanks for stopping by, and don’t forget to enter my giveaway- a copy of Decorating Cookies by Bridget Edwards! -Miriam

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Healthy Muffin Recipes

Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Healthy, Muffins/Cupcakes, Super-Easy, tagged , , , , , on December 17, 2012 | 9 Comments »

Hey friends! Sorry, but I don’t have a new recipe for you today. Partly because I totally didn’t plan as well as I should have, partly because I spent too much time in the kitchen preparing for my family coming for for Chanukah, and partly because I spent a ton of time working on magazine and article deadlines. In short, I’m burnt out. (What, it happens!)

I do, however, want to share something with you folks. I’ve been getting a ton of requests and questions on my healthy muffin recipes. Honestly, these are delicious. They’re moist, flavorful and have a fabulous texture. Honestly. And because these recipes have been posted long before most of you found my blog, I figured a lot of you might have missed them. So here goes:

Honestly Healthy Double Chocolate Chip Muffins:
These are the muffins that started it all. Emboldened by the success and popularity of these muffins, I created all kinds of new flavors! A dieting chocolate lover’s dream.

Healthy Orange Carrot Muffins:
The carrot in these muffins makes you feel extra healthy, and the orange provides a nice burst of freshness. I suddenly realized that I haven’t made these in WAY too long!

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins:
I know, peanut butter and chocolate don’t sound like a healthy combination. But honestly, these muffins aren’t high fat, but they’re certainly high in flavor.

Healthy Butternut Squash Streusel Muffins:
Nothing says fall quite like butternut squash (or sub pumpkin if you prefer) and it lends an amazing texture to these fabulous muffins. The streusel pushes of over the top!

Healthy Strawberry Banana Muffins:
Favorite smoothie flavor. In a muffin. It’s perfection. No joke.

There was supposed to be another variety of muffin on this list, but my memory card swallowed the pictures. They’ll be up here eventually!

And one more thing I want to point you towards is my newly updated recipe index. I spent hours last week updating it to make it easy to find whatever recipes you might be looking for, so have a look and get cooking!

 

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Baked Peanut Butter or Nutella Donuts

Posted in Breakfast, Chocolate, Dairy, Dessert, Holiday, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Super-Easy, Traditional, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2012 | 13 Comments »

baked donuts

Remember how I recently discussed how hard I find the process of making decisions? Well tonight’s post is basically a post script to that one, because if you thought deciding between pecan pie or brownies was hard, imagine trying to decide between chocolate glazed peanut butter donuts or glazed nutella (chocolate hazelnut) donuts! I know, it totally boggles the mind.

Well I, for one, don’t believe in making such difficult decisions. So I thought to myself…why choose?

Yep, that’s right. I made both peanut butter donuts and nutella donuts. Which means, if you think about it, that these donuts are super easy to make. Because I started making them late at night, and still had time and patience to make a second batch.

Psst! Looking for traditional fried donuts for Hannukah? Well, I’ve got you covered!

So, will you make both? Or pick one of these? Either way, you can’t really go wrong. My tasters raved about how these are as good as fried donuts. Plus they are practically health food because they’re baked. And mini.

baked donuts 4

Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Baked Donuts:

adapted from Fake Ginger

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla exract

1 Tablespoon milk or soy milk

optional finely chopped peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-6 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with finely chopped peanuts, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

baked donuts

Glazed Chocolate Hazelnut Baked Donuts

adapted from the recipe above

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread (for a non-dairy option, I use Shneider’s Delinut)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze: 

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread

1 T milk

1 1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

optional chocolate sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the nutella and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-7 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with sprinkles, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Note: to use a full size donut pan, bake either recipe for 8-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

baked donuts

Look how I just freed you from making a tough decision! You can thank me later.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all make these donuts, but for a seriously decadent, fried chanukah treat, come back soon…and save up your calories- it’s worth it! -Miriam

PS: Did you enter the fabulous giveaway I have going on?

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Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted in Breakfast, Healthy, Seasonal, Super-Easy, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on November 6, 2012 | 32 Comments »

Firstly, thank you all for your lovely and supportive comments on my last post! My power is back on and I’m back in the kitchen and appreciating and loving every single minute of it.

Now let’s talk about elections. I’m totally not political. I found this on Pinterest and it completely describes my feelings about today:

20121106-231130.jpg

So. I didn’t vote, but I did make pancakes. Not just any pancakes, but healthy pancakes. With pumpkin and all kinds of awesome spices and things. Oh and there’s oatmeal in them, so they have negative calories, I think. Or something like that. So regardless of who wins the election, and whether you’re happy about the result or not, you can totally be happy when you make these pancakes. And happier when you finish eating them, because you did something good and healthy for yourself.

Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes:

Edited on 12/18 with improvements to recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (old fashioned)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sweetener or sugar (12 Splenda packets)
2/3 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup milk (skim works)

Instructions:
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oatmeal, baking power, spices and Splenda or sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
Spray the pan well with Pam, or use a small amount of oil. When the pan is hot enough, spoon some of the batter onto the frying pan and spread it slightly into a circle.
When the pancakes are set on top, flip it and fry for a couple of minutes until both sides are golden brown.
Serve hot with maple syrup, agave syrup or sugar free maple syrup and a sprinkling of chopped toasted pecans.
Enjoy!

Hope everyone is ok and getting their lives back to normal after Sandy! If you’re bored of my diet recipes, stay tuned, because I’ve got a fabulous treat coming up for you soon. And a surprise treat! -Miriam

Linking to Shine Supper Club

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Chicken, Vegetable and Barley Soup and a review of The Bais Yaakov Cookbook

Posted in Chicken, Healthy, Soups, Super-Easy, Uncategorized, Vegetables, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2012 | 11 Comments »

I’m super excited to be reviewing another cookbook today. I’ve got a bunch of books on my shelf, waiting to be written about, but this one is extra exciting because I heard so much about this book lately! I’m sure that all of my Kosher readers have heard about the Bais Yaakov Cookbook. There’s been a lot of hype in the kosher world about it. I couldn’t help wondering: was that earned? I finally got a chance to find out!

At first glance:

This cookbook looks really impressive. It’s a large, hardcover book with pictures that are breathtakingly beautiful. There’s a wide variety of recipes, all arranged clearly and intuitively.

My first thought as I flipped through this book the first time was “I totally see why its so popular!”

Some Features I Liked:

One of the things that stands out most about this book, as I mentioned, is the beautiful photography. The pictures seriously make you want to dig right in!

Another thing I like is that the cookbook has a good mix of basic, staple type recipes and some new and innovative recipes that make me wonder why I’ve never thought of that.

Another thing I really like about this book is the little helpful tips and tricks that fill some of the empty space on pages. From tips about plating and information about ingredients to descriptions of cooking methods and guides to reheating the recipes, there’s a lot to learn, even for an experienced cook.

Oh, and I love the salad section. I kind of want to make every single recipe in it.

Lastly, I like that this cookbook contains recipes contributed by lots of different people, so they’re tried and true.

Some Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try:

Pesto Chicken Salad- I love chicken salads, and I think it’s been firmly established how much I love all things basil…can’t wait to try it!

Grilled Beef Rolls with scallion dipping sauce: this is a gorgeous and delicious looking appetizer. Definitely happening the next time I make a party!

Beer Battered Chicken Fingers: I dunno what to say about this other than…YUM. I love beer battered anything.

Crispy Potato Roast: I love how this is a potato side dish, yet totally unlike any potato dish I’ve ever made!

Who This Cookbook is For:

This is a phenomenal cookbook for any kosher cook who want excellent recipes that are accompanied by mouthwatering pictures. It also contains information about kosher dietary laws and Jewish education, so it’s a great purchase for anyone who wants to learn more about that.

Also, all proceeds from this book go to charity, so that’s always a great reason to purchase it!

Who This Cookbook Isn’t For:

This book has a lot of information about kosher cooking, Jewish education and things like that, so a non kosher/Jewish reader might not find it as useful.

What I Didn’t Like About This Cookbook:

While I loved the pictures in this book, there were a bunch of recipes that had no pictures, though that’s me being spoiled.

As I mentioned before, there are recipes contributed by lots of people, which has a nice plus side to it, but it does mean that some of the recipes are pretty basic, or recipes I have seen similar versions of in other books.

Conclusion:

Overall, I loved this cookbook. It’s bright, beautiful, fresh and quite creative. I really do recommend it for anyone who keeps a kosher kitchen!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this cookbook for review by Feldheim Publishers. Opinions are all my own. There are affiliate links within this post, which means I benefit if you click on them to purchase the book.

Here’s a sample recipe from the book. It’s delicious, easy and filling. Seriously- it’s comfort food done right!

Chicken Vegetable and Barley Soup:

Adapted from The Bais Yaakov Cookbook

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large onions, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

6 stalks of celery

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

3/4 cup barley

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

10-12 cups water, enough to cover

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté for five minutes, until translucent.

Add the diced carrot and celery. Sauté for an additional five minutes.

Add the cubed chicken, barley, salt pepper and water.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and leave to simmer for 3-4 hours. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

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Mini Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cakes with Pomegranate Glaze

Posted in Bundt Cake, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, Fruit, Holiday, Seasonal, Super-Easy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 16, 2012 | 19 Comments »

Before we talk about the recipe I’m posting tonight, can we discuss the most amazing thing that happened? Two weeks ago, I published a recipe in the Ami magazine for a butterscotch bundt cake. I’ve been writing the column for more than half a year now, and have gotten some nice feedback before, but I was completely unprepared for this. Emails poured in from all over the world. People had made my cake and loved it, people who wanted to make my cake and had questions, and people who just plain love my column. My ego is still a little swollen, so bear with me because I’m still bragging.

Turns out, the cake was popular enough to cause butterscotch chip shortages in Kosher grocery stores all over. People were asking me on twitter, Facebook, blog comments and emails where they could possibly get their hands on a container of butterscotch chips. It’s totally weird to me that I have the power to do that…!

Anyway. Back to desserts. You didn’t think that I’d get a case of pomegranate juice from my friends over at Pom Wonderful and not come up with a dessert recipe, did you?

Of course I knew I’d have I come up with a good dessert idea. My mind went to cookies at first, but I wasn’t sure how I’d make the pomegranate flavor come through enough in a cookie. I figured cake would work better for these purposes. I had just made my (now famous) butterscotch bundt cake from my column in Ami Magazine, so I decided to make these as mini bundt cakes. Cuteness factor aside, mini bundts are a fun change from the usual.

There’s an entire cup of pomegranate juice in the cake, but the chocolate flavor is strong enough that the fruity flavor is more of an undertone. The glaze however, is exactly what the cake needs to really have a perfectly balanced flavor combination.

Note: I haven’t tried this in a full sized bundt pan, but it should work nicely. Just watch the baking time. I’d guess it would need about 40-50 minutes.

I know some of you might think that the Pomegranate time is over, now that Rosh Hashanah is behind us, but pomegranates are still plentiful, and the juice is always delicious. Trust me, this is a great cake for any time of year! Oh, and don’t forget to enter to win a case of pomegranate juice! Imagine how much cake that would make… 

Mini Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cakes:

Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 mini bundt pans well with floured baking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, oil and pomegranate juice and beat to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pans, filling the cavities about 3/4′s full.
Bake at 350 for about 17-19 minutes. Remove cakes from the oven and set aside to cool.

Pomegranate Glaze:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons pomegranate juice

Up to 1 Tablespoon water

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and pomegranate juice. If needed, add a bit of water until you reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Enjoy!

Hope you all had a fabulous week! Shana Tova to all my Jewish readers, and enjoy the cake! PS- Interested in sneak previews of my baking escapades? You should follow me on Instagram. You guessed it- my user name there is OvertimeCook! Can’t wait to connect with you! -Miriam

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Pomegranate and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Posted in Appetizers, Condiments/Sauces/Dips, Giveaways, Healthy, Holiday, Salads, Seasonal, Sides, Super-Easy, Traditional, Vegetables, tagged , , , , , on September 13, 2012 | 62 Comments »

 

 

Giveaway Closed!

A couple of weeks ago my friend Leah was super nice and stopped by my office with a salad she had picked up for me at a nearby restaurant . (Friends bring you ice cream. Real friends bring you salad. Everyone knows that.) The restaurant had called it a tropical salad. It has lettuce, apple and mango, and a delicious dressing. I immediately began thinking of how I would recreate it.

Then the folks over at Pom Wonderful were kind enough to send me a couple of bottles of pomegranate juice, and I immediately knew I would be making the pomegranate version of this salad. Seriously, the pomegranate juice is kinda like magic when making a salad dressing.

Now, some of you might think this looks familiar. I recently posted a recipe for a lettuce salad that had a fruity nature to it. But really, that’s all these two have in common. I know I said that one was my favorite, but it now has competition.

Want to make this delicious salad at home? How about a case of Pom Wonderful’s new 8 ounce bottles to get you started? That’s right! I am giving away a case of this juice to one lucky reader. PS- there’s gonna be some more pomegranate juice recipes on this blog soon…so you definitely want to win!

Giveaway Details:

Prize is a case of 8 ounce bottles of Pom Wonderful’s pomegranate juice.

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 20th. Prize can only be shipped within the continental US.

How to enter:

Required Entry: Leave a comment on this post telling me what is your favorite recipe that involves pomegranates.

For additional entries: note: each entry requires it’s own comment. Duplicate entries in the same comment will only be counted once.

1) Follow @overtimecook on twitter. Leave a comment telling me you did. (If you already follow me just comment and tell me that.)

2 ) Like Tales of an Overtime Cook on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me you did. (If you already follow me just comment and tell me that.)

3) Follow Overtime Cook on Pinterest. Leave a comment telling me you did. (If you already follow me just comment and tell me that.)

Disclaimer: Pom is sponsoring the giveaway and has sent me pomegranate juice for recipe testing. Opinions are my own.

Pomegranate and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

for the Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup pomegranate juice

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey

salt and pepper to taste

for the salad

3 cups romaine lettuce (or lettuce of your choice)

1 apple, diced

1/2 mango, diced

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

optional handful of toasted nuts or croutons

Instructions:

for the vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside to pour over salad.

for the salad:

Combine lettuce, fruit and nuts/croutons (if using) in a bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette (you will not need the full amount for this salad. Dress according to taste.) Serve immediately.

Note for Rosh Hashanah- you can make this with lemon juice instead of the vinegar. It’s not the same, but still delicious. You can omit the nuts, or use croutons.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading! Hope it’s not too late to add this salad to your menu! And good luck with the giveaway! -Miriam

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