Vegan Flatbread

---begin-tinykitchen---
Title: Vegan Flatbread
Author: Christine
Time To Cook (in minutes): 15 prep 24 cooking
Rating (1-4):
Tags:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of baking soda
3 tbs canola oil
1 cup cold water
1 Extra flour for dusting
1 Optional: chopped fresh cilantro, 1 clove chopped garlic

Preheat the oven with pan inside to 400 degrees.
Put ice in the water to really get it cold while you prepare the ingredients.
Mix together the flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Stir in the canola oil until uniformly distributed. If you want, stir in garlic or handful of chopped cilantro to taste, but it is just fine served plain.
Measure one cup of water (don't use the ice) and stir into mixture until the dough becomes one ball.

On a clean countertop or smooth cutting board, spread out a nice handful of flour. Coat your hands with the flour and place the dough on floured surface. Fold it in half just a few times so it is easy to work with and not sticky. Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal balls. (Divide the dough in half, then each half in half, then each of those halves in half.) Add some more flour to the surface if you need to, then take one ball and smoosh it with your palm. Rub some flour on your rolling pin, then roll the dough until it is about a 6 to 8 inch circle. Usually half way during rolling, I pick the circle up and flip it over to make sure it isn't sticking. If the dough is snapping right back, just put the circle to the side and start with a new ball.
When all the balls are rolled into flat discs, redust your surface with flour and further roll out the ones that were not cooperating. They should behave after their time-out. I like to roll them all a second time to get them pretty thin, to almost 9-10 inches in diameter.
Carefully place a disk of dough into the pan in the oven. I didn't have to grease my cast-iron pan because it is seasoned. Bake for 3 minutes, then remove with tongs. It should have several blistery bubbles. If you are using a ridged pan, the ridges should be indented and the rest of the dough slightly puffy. If you want a very flat bread like the triangles pictured, flip the disk over using tongs after a minute and a half of baking.
Repeat with the remaining disks.

Yields: 8 Flatbeads
Source: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegan-flatbread/
---end-tinykitchen---

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

---begin-tinykitchen---
Title: Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Author:
Time To Cook (in minutes):
Rating (1-4):
Tags:

1 Medium size Butternut Squash
2 Large carrots
1 Medium red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Red Chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Fresh ground pepper
1 Sea salt
1 Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Peel squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds (keep them for roasting) and cut the squash into 1/2 cubes.
Peel and chop carrots into pieces about the same size as the squash.
Sweat onion and garlic over a medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent.
Add the squash and carrots to the onion and garlic mixture and cook for another 10 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Add thyme, chile peppers and stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Check seasoning, and puree in a food processor or blender a little at a time, making sure to allow for steam to escape.
Garnish with Parmesan Cheese and serve with your favorite bread or rolls.

Yields:
Source:
---end-tinykitchen---

Taken up biking, been working to slowly raise my endurance and be better prepared for running in the winter (when it's too ick to bike.) So far I really like it. I did 7.8 miles this week, and hope to do close to 9 this week. I have vacation this week so maybe I will get brave enough to try taking the bike out on a trail in the area. Been too nervous, but I got a mounted bike pump this week so at least I feel a little more safe out in the wilds of a heavily transversed trail. Need to find a little bag to hook onto the handlebars to hold my mp3 player, keys, ect. Will work on that, and maybe get some pictures of my bike.

---begin-tinykitchen---
Title: Orange-Rosemary Pork Cutlets
Author: Pork, the Other White Meat
Time To Cook (in minutes):
Rating (1-4): 3
Tags: Dinner

1 pound pork cutlets (fresh leg of pork or tenderloin)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced (optional: reserve some peel for garnish)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 cup peach or apricot jam

If necessary pound cutlets to 1/4-inch thickness; season with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet; add pork and sauté, 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove cutlets to plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil, add orange slices, rosemary and 2 tablespoons water. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until orange is tender. Add jam and a tablespoon of water, cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce is of desired consistancy.
Pour sauce over cutlets, garnish with slivered orange peel if desired, and serve.

Yields: 4
Source: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/pork/orange-rosemary_pork_cutlets_recipe.html
---end-tinykitchen---

Wednesday Leftover Bento

Simple simple, easy bento. This new class is taking up TONS of time. It leaves little time to cook or exercise between work and school. I still managed to catch most of American Idol while prepping food and doing homework. The kitties are doing fine, and pretty much back to their normal selves.

Leftover Chicken Craisin over Rice in the lower box. Cheese cubes, Spanish Olives, and Cucumber slices in the top box. I cut out the evil seedy centers with a Japanese maple leaf cookie cutter to get the star like centers. I think I already miss not having goldfish in the box, but I have to mix things up just a little bit. Ciao~

Tuesday Classic Bento

Felt like being a kid again, so I kept it simple. I guess thats what happens when you read a childs lunch cookbook T.T

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with a side of goldfish in the top box. Frozen tropical fruit in the second box; it's still frozen, that's why it looks funny. The lower box has celery with cream cheese and craisins. That's about it, see ya tomorrow~

Monday Mole Bento

Today we have leftover mole enchiladas. I have been missing mole enchiladas since I moved to Ohio, but these were much spicier than I remembered them. The place back home was more mild and nuttier. These were homemade with mole sauce from the grocery store. My kitties did fine and are back home. The boy seemed completely unfazed by the experience, but the girl was reluctant to move much. We chalked that up to her's being a much more invasive surgery that his.

Anyways, the top box has mole enchiladas. The bottom box has black bean saute, corn muffin, goldfish,and a clementine. The black bean saute is in a little plastic dish swiped from Quizno's. They put out these perfect little lidded plastic cups on the condiment table so I always snag a few extra. In this case, I got tired of soggy goldfish, and put the moist dish in a lidded cup. I have no idea the calorie count on this, as the mole was a production and I have no idea how much of it I really used.