Miso Noodle Soup

Like a nice bowl of soup on a cold night, a good group of friends can give you a nice warm feeling in your belly- or more so your heart. As Thanksgiving approaches, so does my birthday. As usual everyone goes home and my birthday celebration tends to be postponed with my friends. Although, that changed this year. After going on an unnecessary long grocery shopping trip, I walked into my house only to hear a group of people yell surprise. Of course my natural reaction was to squeal in a ever so high pitched tone, but I was unsure of whether I was more afraid or surprised to see friends from various groups all in my living room to greet me with a ice-cream cake and yelling happy birthday. It was one of the greatest surprises and made me feel so loved by all my friends. Never did I expect such a thing and couldn't be more thankful to be surrounded by such great people in my life. But after the mushy-gushy of loving my friends, I wanted to share my recent recipe of Miso Noodle Soup. I hope this soup will warm your tummy on a cold night just as my friends warm my heart (or rather make me scream or possibly pee my pants from fright) in the least corny of ways.

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of white miso paste
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
8 cups of water
1 block of firm tofu cubed into small pieces
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of wasabi paste
1 cup of rice noodles
2 nori sheets broken into small pieces

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the miso past and water. Allow the water to come to a slight simmer. Continue to stir to make sure the miso paste is fully absorbed into the water.

Then stir in the cubed tofu, scallions, and rice noodles. Allow the water to simmer until the rice noodles are fully cooked- for about 8 minutes. Then stir in the soy sauce, nori, wasabi paste, and grated ginger.

Turn down the heat of the soup. Allow it to slightly cool and then enjoy!

 

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is always a story when a friend turns 21. From waking up with  a mysterious nose bleeds, your face in a garbage can, or a wonder of how you got home and where that mark on your face is from, 21 leaves no room to not have a story after the night. This past week two of my housemates, one being my roommate, turned 21. This only meant double the trouble. From finding a stranded intoxicated friend on the front porch to a morning at the Emergency Room, I can only say the week has been eventful. But as always a story was made and entertainment provided by my inebriated tap dancing. Yet, what a better way to wake-up hungover and potentially wanting food and having the mom-like housemate (of course that's me) to make muffins to stuff your face with more. Although waking up at 7 and cleaning the house was not all to pleasant, muffins always are- unless someone is asking to butter your muffin (hope someone gets this mean girl reference). Regardless of the morning you are having and the want for muffins, enjoy this sweet and semi-healthy eat.

Servings: 14 muffins

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Then in another bowl combine the flours, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly add this mix in batches to the wet ingredient mix.

Then add in the chocolate chips- make sure to not over mix the batter. The batter will be lumpy- but this is fine. Ladle in the batter about 3/4 of the way into the liners.

Bake for 10-12 minutes and then allow the muffins to fully cool.
Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Cookies

I like to call these cookies kitchen sink cookies not only for the random ingredients thrown together in them, but for the mere fact I put together the mix in my sink to avoid flour flying everywhere, which still somehow happens. Although, sinks in college homes can be questionable- you never know how long one dish has been there or what mystery substance is in that container everyone refuses to wash. 

But it is always fun to experiment and throw odd ingredients together and have something wonderful and tasty as the end result. These cookies were my throw together recipe to create before heading to Nashville for the weekend. Although my airport experience was all to interesting with the obvious flight delay and spotting and man carrying around sweet potatoes. But from my kitchen sink to yours- enjoy these yummy cookies y'all!

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons of melted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of capt'n crunch
1 cup of pretzel rods
1 cup of chocolate chips
1 cup of peanut butter chips

Directions:

Combine the sugars in a bowl and then mix in the melted butter until the sugars are no longer lumpy. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In small batches add this to the sugar mixture. Once fully incorporated, add in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, capt'n crunch, and pretzel rods.

Place the cookie dough into the freezer for about 1 hour. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On a parchment lined cookie sheet place heaping sized spoonfuls of the dough and smooth them out into balls by rolling them in between your palms.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they are lightly golden. Then allow the cookies to completely cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy everything but the sink!
 

Superfood Granola

As Halloweek is here, yes it is a celebration of weeklong festivities in the college world, a little recharge food is sometimes needed after a night out. Although in the college world Halloween is always an interesting time with a wide variety of costumes mostly consisting of how much people can get away with wearing the least possible amount of clothing. But there are always those who stand out for their funny and unique costumes ranging from superheroes to oversized food costumes. Yet, it's when the little kids dress up that the cuteness really comes out and parent's humor truly shines. The other day at the school where I do research on Autism, the children had a Halloween parade. One child was sent with a tye-dyed lab coat that read Dr.Blunt on the chest pocket. I have to say I laughed and then also wondered what kind of hippie parents this kid had. Dressing up is always fun and entertaining- it is a way for those alter-egos or hidden personas to emerge, whether it is a sexy cop/cat/nurse/etc or something like abusive Bert and Ernie. Regardless, celebrate the hidden persona and then treat your body well with some granola. The super-foods in it might even give you super powers.

Servings: 8 Servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup of red quinoa
5 tablespoons of hemp hearts
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
5 tablespoons of flax seeds
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of pepitas
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of water
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/3 cup of goji berries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to about 300 degrees. Then in a large bowl combine the oats, quinoa, hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, pepitas, maple syrup, honey, water, and cinnamon.

On a  greased baking sheet spread out the granola mixture. Lightly spray the granola with cooking spray. Then place the pan into the oven and allow the granola to cook for about 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.

Once the granola is done and lightly cooled, add in the goji berries and mix the granola once again.

Enjoy!