Cookbook Challenge: Week 4

The next cookbook in the line-up is Betty Crocker's: Eat and Lose Weight.

This is a cookbook we received free from someone clearing out their clutter. We figured why not, we have a lot of shelving space! No not really, but a cookbook is a good thing to have around.

As I was flipping through the recipes I found a recipe based around polenta. Neither of us had ever had polenta so I figured we should at least try it out, plus it included lots of veggies.

The Recipe: Ratatouille Polenta Bake


So I chopped, sauteed, layered and baked it all up together. At the end I even topped it with some cheese, yum!


Overall we liked it, I made it Sunday night and it was gone by Tuesday. Polenta is heavy on the carbs, so it definitely isn't something that I would choose to eat a lot though it was a good experience. Next time I think I would look for a different brand of polenta, maybe something flavored, and something that wasn't in a brick form. I always thought polenta came in a tube, but all I could find was a brick of polenta.



Anyways I say- one thumb up, one thumb down.

Have you ever had polenta? Do you like it?

Cookbook Challenge #3

This weekend was crazy so I wasn't sure that I was going to get to the cookbook challenge, but on Sunday I took a look through the next cookbook in the line-up. I easily found a recipe that intrigued me and one that I had most of the ingredients for.

The Cookbook- Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics
This cookbook was a freebie my husband received from a co-worker that was clearing off her bookshelves. Moosewood Restaurant is located in Ithaca, NY and this cookbook was full of appealing recipes that will definitely be considered in future cookbook challenges.




The Recipe:



I chose this recipe because I've never made biscotti, I had most of the ingredients, and I love chocolate (who doesn't?). I made a few small substitutions on this recipe because it was far to cold to run to the store: I used craisins instead of dried cherries, white chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips, and vanilla extract instead of vanilla & almond.

I followed the recipe and combined all ingredients, and then formed a "loaf" with the dough that I molded until it was approximately one inch high, four inches wide, and fourteen inches long. I baked it as a "loaf", as instructed.



After it came out of the oven it cooled a bit before Matt sliced it to resemble the typical biscotti form. The sliced biscotti was then baked for a few more minutes on each side to create the crisp crunch we all know and love.





After all the baking and awesome smells filling the house our final product was pretty impressive for a first shot at biscotti. If I had been really ambitious they would have gotten dipped in chocolate, but after tasting them I decided they were perfect the way Moosewood Restaurant intended them to be!



What did you cook this weekend? Do you have any recipes planned for this week?

Cookbook Challege- Week 1

One of this year's goals was to use my cookbooks more by selecting one cookbook and one recipe a week to tackle. I picked the book on the end to start it off.



The Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook This cookbook is 300+ pages of recipes that stretch the vegan food options further than just pasta with tomato sauce and salads.

After flipping through the cookbook and considering that I was craving some comfort food- I decided on Mac Daddy! This recipe is a vegan version of mac and cheese, obviously containing no cheese.



I made vegan mac and cheese once before last winter, but for the life of me I can't locate the recipe so I decided to give a new one a shot. Based on the ingredient list I knew this one would be different because it included tofu. I know many people eat tofu, but this was new for me!

I mixed, I boiled, I simmered, and then I combined everything together into a baking dish. Thirty minutes later, out came baked Mac Daddy!



Here's a close-up shot just in case you want a closer look at it.


So, now you're probably wondering- how was it? Honestly, I'd say it was just okay. It did have a similar look and texture to mac and cheese, but for me the taste just wasn't right. The ingredients for the "cheese" sauce called for tumeric and yellow mustard, which I think I would consider skipping if I make it again.

The good news is I have plenty of leftovers, which I'll eat during the week!

Did you try any new recipes this weekend? Add a link to your post or just share below.

Well, I’m not paralyzed,
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
-Paralyzer, Finger Eleven