Dinner & Dessert!

Four day weekends are glorious.

For as terrible as I felt yesterday, I am at the other end of the spectrum today. Maybe it was the 5.5 mi run this morning. Maybe it was an entire day of lounging around yesterday. Maybe it was two solid nights of 10 or more hours of sleep. Maybe it's a combination of all of those things.

Whatever it is? Be thankful. Don't question. Because I have taken that energy and after cleaning up the garage, doing mountains of laundry, organizing the linen closet, grocery shopping, bill paying and pruning the hell out of my fruit trees, I still have enough zip to put together a dinner that promises to be just delicious.

If you know me at all, you know that most of my meals are meatless, or only involve chicken. And lately, there's been a whole lotta tofu in my kitchen. BUT, I took a leap of faith today. I've been doing a lot of reading about how your diet effects your workouts, energy and stamina. I'm trying to mix things up a bit and make my kitchen adventures a little more exciting. So, pork is making a fairly rare appearance on my menu. Along with some other, more familiar, ingredients.

Read, salivate, enjoy.

I'll set an extra place at my dinner table for you tonight.

Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash

 photo by Jessica Y.

Apples + squash = yum!

• 1 medium acorn squash
• 1 cup chopped, tart apple
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side up in a loaf pan. Pierce the inside of the squash several times with a fork. Rub brown sugar on the inside of the squash.
3. Dice apples, toss with cinnamon and nutmeg. Fill centers of the squash with apple. Cover and bake  for 30 minutes.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the honey and butter. Cover and microwave on high for 15-20 seconds or until butter is melted. Drizzle over squash. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes longer or until tender. 

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

adapted from All Recipes.com

 photo by Jessica Y.

I don't know about you, but it's not all that often that these guys find their way into my dinners.

• 4 pork chops
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tart apples - thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Arrange chops in a baking dish with a lid.
3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
4. Add butter to a  skillet and melt. Stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
5. Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. 
6. Return chops, apples and sauce to the oven. Bake, covered for 25 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with pecans and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Super Creamy, Dreamy, Rich and Delicious

Reese's Massacre Ice Cream

Adapted from the Ultimate Ice Cream Book

 photo by Jessica Y.

Peanut butter, Chocolate, Ice Cream... Heaven. 

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 10 mini Reese's, chopped
• 1 handful chocolate chips, chopped
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1. Beat the sugar, salt and egg yolks together in a medium bowl. Beat until thick and pale yellow. Set aside.
2. Bring the half and half to a simmer in a medium pot.
3. Slowly pour the half and half into the egg yolk mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Pour the egg/half and half mixture back into the pot. Return the pot to the heat.
5. Cook until the egg custard thickens, stirring constantly.
6. Pour the custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl.
7. Allow the custard to cool slightly and then stir in the cream and vanilla.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or until cold.
9. Poor the custard into ready ice cream maker and follow the device's directions.
10. In the last 5-7 minutes of the mixing cycle, add chopped candies and peanut butter.
11. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and let freeze for about 2 hours.

Vegan Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream

As if the holidays themselves weren't bad enough, my ice cream maker has been overdrive over the last few weeks.

I've spend hours at the gym and logged many miles in my running shoes.

Just so I can eat and make way too much ice cream.

My most recent attempts?

You might call it unusual. Peculiar.

Some may even call it disgusting.

But no joke? I call it delicious.

Mint Chip with Kale Ice Cream

photo by Jessica Y.

Minty. Delicious. And totally vegan.

    4 or 5 cups of fresh kale
    1 cup vanilla soymilk
    1 block of silken firm tofu (12.3 oz)
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 teaspoon mint extract
    1/4 cup mild flavored oil (vegetable is fine)
    1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Rinse kale leaves and squeeze dry.  Tear them into bite sized chunks and put into blender.

2. Pour soymilk into blender and blend the mixture until smooth and green.

3. Add tofu and sugar to mixture in blender then blend until smooth.

4. Add mint extract and oil then again blend until smooth.

5. Taste your mixture and add additional sugar and/or mint in small increments to suit your taste. Then blend again.

6. Chill mixture until you're ready to freeze it.

7. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and make ice cream via your machines instructions.

8. Add chocolate chips when the mixture is about slushy consistency. (I use a bowl that's stored in the freezer and added chocolate chips about 10 minutes into mixing process)

9. When it's the desired consistency, scoop into a bowl and enjoy!!