Posts tagged ‘bake’

February 12th, 2012

Running Tunes

by Tiff

This weekend was pretty chill for me.  Saturday brought cold weather, a speedy run, and a very informal date night.  Kev and I planned to go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  All I could think about for about four days was cheesecake.  (Sad But True)

When we arrived, the wait was over an hour, sooooo we called out for pizza instead.  It was still a good night, but since I missed out on my sweets, I made a little something on Sunday morning.  These fudgy beauties were modeled after Laura’s chocolate zucchini muffins.

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I had everything but the zucchini, so I used carrot instead.  Okay okay… they came out a little odd, but they were moist and extra chocolaty.  That’s good enough for me… and the kitties.

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No – I did NOT actually let the kitties get any closer than that to the chocolate.  Later on Sunday, dinner, Kev and I had rice pilaf with broccoli for dinner.  Both were good, but clearly the broccoli had to go first.

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Since it was a somewhat lazy Sunday, I took time to make a race playlist.  I can’t quite start it until mile two or three since it’s a little short, but here are the tunes.

songs

I find a few of the selections a little embarrassing, but you can’t argue their tempo and energy.

 

  • What are some of your favorite running/cardio tunes?
  • Any good happenings from the weekend?

Posted in Food | 21 Comments »

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November 4th, 2011

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

by Tiff

It’s no secret. I love squash. The spaghetti squash is one of my favorites (okay… I don’t really have a favorite). Since many people may think I eat “weird” thing (looking at you, Dad), I guess this means I also cook “weird” things.

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In case you have not cooked your own spaghetti squash, here’s a quick how-to. I really recommend you try it some time, but don’t expect it to be like spaghetti. The stringy appearance resembles spaghetti, but it’s not the same taste or texture as pasta. Just sayin…

Guts

I usually like to wash, dry, and halve mine before cooking. You can bake it whole, but the guts seeds scoop out easier when it’s firm and raw.

Naked Squash!

Preheat oven to 400. Place squash face-down on a heavy baking sheet lined with heavy duty foil. The foil is only necessary if you hate doing dishes as much as I do and don’t want to wash the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

Toasty

Take it out. Flip it. Poke a fork anywhere in the middle. If it’s firm but the fork enters easily, bake at the same temperature another 10 minutes. If the fork doesn’t want to pierce the squash, you may need to cook it another 20 minutes. I do not add spices, salt, or butter, but adding butter never hurt anything… except your arteries.

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Scoop out the goodness with a fork. It’s really hot, so you may want to hold the squash in a pot holder while doing this.

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Add your toppings. I like:

  • Alfredo sauce and peas with broccoli
  • Marinara and nutritional yeast
  • Canned diced tomatoes, parmesan, and chickpeas

I’ve heard Mexican-inspired toppings are good too, but this time, I went for roast eggplant and marinara.

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Traditional Pasta vs Spaghetti Squash

Delish! ***You can also microwave these things, but baked tastes better and less watery.***

 

  • Happy Friday! Got plans for the night?
  • Ever made a spaghetti squash? If so, what are your favorite toppings?

Posted in Food | 24 Comments »

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August 16th, 2011

Whole-Wheat Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf (That Actually Tastes Good!)

by Tiff

What’s up Tuesday?  You’re looking lovely today, especially compared to Monday.  Sorry Monday, you’re just not my type.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s weekend recap, I baked a bit on Saturday.  No, I wasn’t ill, I actually just felt like baking.  Crazy, right?  I didn’t want to make cookies, brownies, or anything too addicting.  I was going for hearty & healthy with a side of sinful.  That’s exactly what I found when I discovered Angela’s whole-wheat vegan carrot cake loaf.  Try saying that five times fast.

loaf

I did not follow the recipe completely (do I ever?), but it still came out wonderfully.  It’s idiot-proof.

This was my first food-processor shredding experience, and the excellent results made me giddy.  I just wanted to shred shred shred.

carrots

Maybe I got a little carried away on the shredding.

While stirring the wet ingredients, I was just a wee bit short of the maple syrup requirement.  So, I subbed a plop of molasses.  I’m not sure if the molasses made a difference, but in my head, the loaf got a hint of gingerbread taste.  In short, I totally recommend the plop.

The best thing about vegan baking?  Licking the dough without fear of salmonella from any eggs.  Woohoo!

While licking my spatula, I noticed the advertisement on my Pandora station.  A Victoria’s Secret model was standing there judging me in my own kitchen.  Frankly, I think she was jealous.

I tried to let the loaf cool on my makeshift rack, but you really need a wire rack for this.  The loaf was fragile yet heavy, so I was scared it would fall through the wires.

My last recommendation?  Butter.

Do you bake on a whim or special occasions only?  Link up if you’ve got a favorite baking recipe.

Posted in Food | 35 Comments »

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