Super delicious birthday cookies

***Broccoli...it's one of those veggies that you probably hated as a kid. I know that I did! My tastes have changed so much...even within the last 2 years! Ingredients that I never really liked before are finding their way into my grocery cart and then eventually onto my dinner plate. Two examples: mushrooms and olives! I know....now these are two of my favorite ingredients! Broccoli is also now one of my favorite veggies. It's loaded with tons of vitamins and nutrients, and there's just so many ways that you can incorporate it into a recipe. You can add it to pasta, bake it into a yummy casserole...or simply roast it like I did here.

***After making this Athenian Orzo recently, I was inspired to try another orzo dish. Every once in a while, I'll get a little more creative than usual in the kitchen and attempt something completely new without using a recipe. This Creamy Orzo with Asparagus & Parmesan was my reward! This turned out way better than I expected. Brad and I both loved this side dish!

The creamy orzo pairs perfectly with the yummy crunch of the asparagus...and of course, parmesan makes everything better! This dish pairs perfectly with a variety of main courses...chicken, steak or seafood. Next time, I may even add a little prosciutto or bacon to this. With that addition, it would even make a great meal in inself!

Because it's been a few days since I made this, I am going to guesstimate at the quantities of the ingredients. Please feel free to adjust the quantities to your own liking. You can't mess this dish up...it's super easy!***

Creamy Orzo with Asparagus & Parmesan

Source: Me! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 to 1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large sauce pan of water (filled about halfway) to a boil over medium heat. Cook the orzo until tender, about 10 minutes.

After the orzo has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the asparagus to the same pot (this will allow the orzo and asparagus to cook in the same pot and keep the clean-up to a minimum!).

Once the orzo and asaparagus are cooked and tender, drain and return to the pot.

Quickly add the parmesan cheese and butter. Stir thoroughly, allowing both the cheese and butter to melt. Slowly add the cream to the mixture, while stirring. Continue to stir and add cream until you reach your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper.

Voila! You have a delicious side dish! Serve immediately.

***Okay, so I do realize that there's an infinite amount of other things in this world that are incredibly more exciting than Brussel sprouts. Trust me. Maybe you could take up basket-weaving, learn to play the bagpipes, or maybe even learn to juggle. All kidding aside, the term "Brussel sprouts" has never really inspired a lot of excitement in me.

"Dear, you have to eat your vegetables before you can go play." We all heard this growing up. Many of those not-so-yummy veggies have become some of my favorite things...broccoli, spinach and asparagus all come to mind. Brussel sprouts however, have never been a favorite of mine.

As it turns out though, this particular recipe just so happens to be Amy Adams' (you know...the actress who plays Julie Powell in the new movie Julie & Julia) favorite recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume I. Check it out here: http://www.lhj.com/recipes/easy/chicken/meryl-streeps-amy-adams-julia-child-recipes/

Brad and I were in The Fresh Market recently and we came across a beautiful display of these little Brussel sprouts...after all, they do look like cute little heads of cabbage. For some reason, we decided it would be a good idea to get them, and I just knew that Julia would have a good idea for how to prepare them. And that, she did! I selected a classic-enough dish - Brussel Sprouts Browned with Cheese. I figured any vegetable smothered in butter and topped with cheese couldn't be that bad...RIGHT??

While this dish was really good....as far as Brussel sprouts go...I have to admit that I just don't think I'm a big "Brussel sprouts person"...you know? However, if you're a fan of this popular veggie, then you'll love this recipe! Give it a try!***

Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise (Brussels Sprouts Browned with Cheese)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts brussels sprouts braised in butter

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese mixed with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Follow the master recipe for braising the brussels sprouts (below), but when they have been in the oven 10 minutes, turn them into a bowl. Reset set oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese in the casserole or baking dish to coat the bottom and sides. Return the brussels sprouts, spreading the rest of the cheese over each layer. Pour on the melted butter. Place uncovered in upper third of oven for 10 to 15 minutes to brown the cheese nicely.

Choux de Bruxelles Etuves au Beurre (Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter)
Serves: 6 people

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter

A 2 1/2 quart, fireproof, covered casserole or baking dish large enough to hold the brussels spouts in 1 or 2 layers

1 1/2 quarts blanched brussels sprouts...partially cooked (see recipe below)

Salt and pepper 2 to 4 tablespoons melted butter

A round of lightly buttered waxed paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and smear butter inside the casserole or baking dish.

Arrange the blanched brussels sprouts heads up in the casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and then with the melted butter.

Lay the waxed paper over the brussels sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in the middle level of preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and well impregnated with butter. Serve as soon as possible.

Choux de Bruxelles Blanchis (Blanched Brussel Sprouts - Preliminary Cooking)

Ingredients:

1 to 2 quarts Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and washed

A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water

1 1/2 tsp salt per quart of water

A skimmer

A colander

Directions:

Drop the Brussel sprouts into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring to the boil again as rapidly as possible.

If the vegetables are to be partially cooked and finished off later as directed in the recipe above, boil them slowly, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mostly tender. Immediately remove with a skimmer and drain in a colander.

***Here's another wonderfully easy recipe from Martha Stewart. I served this with a delicious recipe - "Steak with Kalamata Olive Chimichurri", which I'll post tomorrow. These green beans had a great little "kick" from the fresh lemon juice and tasted perfect.

***This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was a great one. I was happy to see that we had a savory dish for a change...you won't find any buttercream, ganache, or cake in this post! This month's hosts were Natalie from Gluten a Go Go and Shelly from Musings From the Fishbowl. Thanks ladies for a wonderful challenge!

This month, we had to come up with a vegetarian spread/dip to go along with the lavash crackers. We were given complete creative liberty when it came to the spread, as long as it was vegan.

When given the option, there are 3 ingredients that I love incorporating into recipes: Chocolate, Coffee, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes! So naturally, I thought fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes would make an awesome combination here.

I added chopped fresh basil to the cracker dough after the 90 minute rise...I simply kneaded it into the dough. Once I had the crackers ready to go into the oven, I brushed the tops with sun-dried tomato infused olive oil from the jar, and topped them off with a little coarse sea salt. Yum!

The recipe for the spread is at the bottom of this post, along with a link to a helpful video. It was delicious! The fresh garlic really added a nice flavor, and I always love sun-dried tomatoes. Enjoy!***

Lavash Crackers

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)

* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast

* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar

* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil

* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature

* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bread-Dough-Has-Been-Mixed-Long-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

7. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Ingredients:
2 cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 clove crushed garlic
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

Directions:

Wash and dry some basil. Use about 4 to 6 leaves to make two tablespoons. Put the basil in the mixer. Next add 1 clove of crushed garlic.

Take your sun dried tomatoes of their container and drain out some of the oil. Measure 3/4 of a cup of tomatoes and add them into the mixer. Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.

Put on your lid and turn on the mixer. You want to aim for a medium consistency that looks like it will be easy to spread with a knife. You may need to stop mixing and use your scraper to take food off of the sides. If the spread seems thick, slowly add 1/2 a cup of olive oil.

Scoop your spread out of the mixer and place into a service dish or storage container. Be sure to refrigerate it if you are not serving it right away. This is a lovely spread to bring to a party or to have at a picnic.

Source: About.com: Vegetarian Food

***I've always been a huge fan of Southern Living magazine...I was even fortunate enough to land 2 consecutive, very competitive internships in the SL Marketing Deparment. I also love their recipes...they never disappoint!

***Here's yet another yummy recipe from Giada. Her recipes never let me down! For this one, I only made the cigars....not the salad dressing. I used a pre-made, bottled Italian Vinaigrette to save time. However, I did want to include the ingredients and directions for Giada's homemade dressing because it looked so good.***