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yummy veges on broiled polenta

found this roasted vegetables on polenta recipe by [gluten-free] goddess, it looks soooo good i had to bookmark it here for handy reference.

[Post Edit 3.26.2007]
made this for supper last night and even had leftovers for lunch today. i have never felt so good after a meal as i have after having this dish, sans the cheese since i forgot to get any. this is definitely on the top of my favorite recipes list! thanks again to Karina for sharing!

[Post Edit 4.29.2007]
found a similar recipe of oven roasted vegetables and polenta.

[Post Edit 7.5.2007]
tried a new pairing for these yummy roasted veges tonight: served over slices of crunchy "baked" potato slices - sliced potatoes, sprinkled with Spike All Purpose Seasoning and microwaved for 2 minutes (yes, they were still raw-crunchy). i loved it!

(枸杞) goji berry-orange cookies

while surfing food blogs this evening, i came across an interesting vegan adaptation of this fluffy cranberry-orange cookie recipe. i knew i had goji berries (枸杞) in my fridge and had just bought a sack of whole wheat flour. so i went about mixing my own adaptation of this recipe with what ingredients i had available.



these cookies are not very sweet since the only sweetening in the cookie dough is maple syrup. so if you like a sweeter cookie, dipping them in a little sugar before baking adds a little sweetness to them. the cookies turned out light and fluffy, almost like a very light mini scone. they make a healthy snack.



Goji Berry-Orange Cookies

1 cup dried goji berries

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons orange juice
zest of 1 orange

1/4 cup sugar

1 Soak goji berries in hot water for 5 minutes.

2 While berries are soaking, mix flours, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

3 In a large bowl, mix maple syrup, butter, egg, orange juice and orange zest thoroughly.

4 Drain goji berries well.

5 Mix flour mixture gradually into maple syrup mixture, adding goji berries before the last batch of flour is mixed in.

6 Shape dough into small balls and flatten in your palm. Dip flattened cookie in sugar and place on ungreased non-stick cookie sheet. Cookies will puff up but not expand very much.

7 Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Cool on cookie rack and enjoy!

shepherd's pie

i made shepherd's pie for the first time today. a vegetarian shepherd's pie. used this Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe from Simply Recipes and adapted it to make my vegetarian version.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

3 large potatoes
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons milk

12 oz pkg Yves Veggie Ground Round Original
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Bragg liquid aminos or soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth (I used the water from boiling potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste

1 Peel and cube potatoes, boil in salted water for about 10-12 minutes.

2 While potatoes are boiling, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan.

3 Saute onions and carrots in butter until tender over medium heat (about 10 minutes).

4 Add veggie ground round and cook till heated through. Add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid aminos (or soy sauce), salt and pepper to taste. Stir in vegetable broth. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add frozen peas and corn; cook until heated through. Add more broth to keep moist, if necessary.

5 Place the veggie ground mixture in a baking dish.

6 Mash potatoes with 2 tablespoons of butter and milk. Season to taste.

7 Spread mashed potatoes over veggie ground mixture. Score the potatoes using a fork, forming peaks that will brown nicely.

8 Bake in 400 degree oven until potato mixture is lightly browned (about 30 minutes). Broil the last 5 minutes if necessary to brown.

Makes 4 medium servings.

in search of the perfect scone

well, my search for the perfect scone may just be over. i made a batch of cream scones tonight, only smaller bite-sized ones, and they are to die for!!! i used dried cranberries and added the zest of an orange. they are the lightest, fluffiest scones i've ever tasted, even though my photos don't look as dreamy-creamy as Smitten Kitchen's. thanks again, Deb, for posting this recipe.



i also made half a recipe of these buttermilk scones that i'd made before. i cut them into smaller triangles (about 3 inches long and 3/4 inch thick) and didn't bake them as brown this time (about 12-15 minutes). these buttermilk scones are not as light as the cream scones, but they aren't so bad themselves. good with some lemon curd and Devonshire cream, too!



then, i found these scones posted by Julia:



the recipe is here with measurements in metric. i will have to try this recipe to see if it makes a more perfect scone than those cream scones i made tonight.

[Post Edit March 18, 2007]

For more great information on scones, follow this blog's thread: In Search of the Perfect Scone.

And a discussion on the difference between scones and biscuits: Buttermilk Biscuits with Goat Cheese and Chives

dreamy creamy scone

dreamy creamy scone
Originally uploaded by smitten.

had to blog this photo and recipe of Cream Scones from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook here for later use. thanks to Smitten Kitchen for sharing.