Chef Marie: Baking and Cooking

I made these scrumptious Zucchini Fritters a few months ago. My sister made them before, and so I decided to try to make them. They are pretty healthy and bake right in the oven. Ingredients: - 1 zucchini - 1 yellow squash - a few mini red bell peppers - 1 tomato - 1 sweet potato - 1 egg - 2 tbs. olive oil - 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese Directions: 1. Cut all of the vegetables into small square pieces 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 3. In a medium bowl mix the olive oil and egg together 4. Add the vegetables to the olive oil/egg mix; stir well 5. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil 6. Use a large spoon to create balls/clumps of the vegetable mixture 7. Sprinkle each one with cheese 8. Bake for 25-30 minutes There you have it! Healthy Zucchini Fritters!

My new favorite thing: mason jar salads. Since I work at World Market, I am surrounded by food and mason jars. One day I stumbled upon the mason jar recipe book. This book is AMAZING!! It has so many recipe ideas to make the perfect lunch or dinner. And, when you use a mason jar, the salad dressing goes in the bottom, so that your salad won't get soggy! It's genius! You can make a salad the night before and when you eat it the next day, it will still taste fresh.  My favorite is the blueberry and corn salad. You can also mix it up, so you don't have to follow each ingredient. Just wing it!  I usually add 3 Tbs. of vinegar based dressing. Then I add in tomatoes, peppers, green beans, or beets. Then I add in the lettuce or kale, the chicken or meats, and then add any seeds, nuts or cheeses.  Delicious!! This book is by Julia Mirabella. 

Ok. So, I did not make this recipe. However, I work at World Market and had to try these muffins. All you have to do is buy the box of JAZ muffins and add a few ingredients. They are so easy to make and taste so savory. These are great for dinners as a substitute for plain old rolls. Add these in for more flavor! If you happen to stop by a World Market, make sure you pick up a box of these JAZ bacon cheddar onion muffins. 

This spiced mocha mix is delicious! My grandma sent me this link from cooks.com (http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7z89f2vt/spiced-mocha-mix.html).  The recipe makes a mix that you can save and use later on.  I had to improvise a little bit, since I didn't have all of the ingredients. I didn't have enough cocoa mix or the coffee powder. Nonetheless, it still tasted great! With coffe mixed in, it serves as a great afternoon pick-me-up.  

The other night I was craving pizza, but didn't want to spend time making the dough. So, instead I used tortillas. These create a lighter more healthier tasting pizza. All you need is a few ingredients, and you can really use whatever you want. Here is what I used (I made 2 tortilla pizzas): - 2 whole wheat tortillas  - 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese  - 1/4 cup pizza sauce  - 6 pepperonis (depending on the size) - 1/4 cup diced tomato - 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms  - oregano to sprinkle on top Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and just cook until the cheese melts (about 8-10 min).  There you have it! An easy and light pizza perfect for Friday night. 

I made this recipe a few months ago, and it is delicious! It is a nutty, crunchy banana bread! The thing I like most about this recipe is the frosting-like peanut butter on top. It spices up a normal banana bread recipe. The recipe is listed below. I found this recipe on myrecipes.com. Enjoy this dessert!

Today I made Deviled Eggs for Easter. Although I work on Easter, I still wanted to be able to make something for tomorrow night's family dinner. I used a simple recipe from the Food Network . Mine didn't turn out as well as I would have liked, but since it was my first time making them, they still taste delicious! Next time I will cook the eggs just a tad bit longer, and I will add oil to the pan so that the eggs peel more smoothly. Here's what you'll need: - 6 eggs - 1/8 tsp. of salt - 1 tsp. of white vinegar - 1 tsp. of yellow mustard - a few dashes of paprika - a pinch or two of black pepper - 1/4 cup of mayo What to do: 1. Place the eggs in a saucepan, fill it with a few inches of water (so that the eggs are covered with water). 2. Bring the eggs to a boil; then cover the pan, remove from heat, and set the timer for 14-16 minutes. 3. Rinse the eggs with cold water. 4. Carefully peel the eggs (mine did not peel very well; next time I'm going to a

This Zucchini Avocado Pasta is a healthy alternative to pasta. The zucchini is used in place of noodles. The avocado and pine nuts create a rich tangy pesto sauce. Go easy on the garlic, since I did not chop it enough, and it was a little strong. Ingredients: - 3 zucchinis - 1 can of chickpeas - 1 avocado - basil (I used dried basil, just a few dashes) - 1 or 2 cloves of garlic - 1 tbs lemon juice - 1/3 cup of pine nuts - a handful of sun-dried tomatoes (if desired) Directions: 1. Slice the zucchini's into small strips 2. Put the avocado, pine nuts, basil, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor 3. Combine until mixed well, add the mixture to the zucchini in another bowl 4. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes and chickpeas, and enjoy! This recipe is easy to make and only takes about 20 minutes. Make sure to eat it up fast, since the avocado will brown and make it a little slimy.

These Sweet Potato Corn Cakes are amazing! This recipe takes a little more time to make, but they are worth the wait. I also made the garlic and yogurt sauce to dip them in, but for me it was too garlicky. If you like a lot of garlic, the sauce will be perfect for you. Here's what you'll need: 3 or 4 sweet potatoes 1 cup frozen corn kernels 2 green onions ¼ handful of cilantro  ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1 egg ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup plain breadcrumbs ½ cup vegetable oil  1 cup plain yogurt 1 clove of garlic  I got this recipe idea from Pinterest, which brought me to Budget Bytes .  Directions: 1. Microwave the sweet potatoes (each one for about 5 minutes) 2. Cut them in half and scoop the inside out 3. Cut the green onions and cilantro 4. Combine the green onions, cilantro, corn, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper with the sweet potatoes and stir well 5. Add the breadcrumbs, cornmeal and egg, refrigerate for 30 minutes 6. Chop the

Another recipe I found this week involved zucchini, meat, and vegetables. Zucchini Boats are easy to make and taste delicious. Here's what you'll need (serves 2): - 2 zucchinis - 1/4 cup salsa - 1 lb. turkey or any meat (I used steak) - a pinch of each: garlic powder, cumin, salt, chili powder, paprika, oregano - 2 cloves of garlic - 1/2 of a bell pepper (cut into small pieces) - 1 cup of a medley of vegetables (I used a frozen bag medley with onions, peppers, etc.) - 1/4 cup tomato sauce - less than 1/4 cup water - 1/4 cup shredded cheese (as topping) Directions: 1. Bring a big pot of water to boil, add in the salt. 2. Cut the zucchinis in half, and use a spoon to scrape out the middle. 3. Place the zucchinis in the boiling water, cook for 1 minute. 4. Chop the removed zucchini and set aside. 5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 6. Spread salsa in bottom of baking dish. 7.  Brown your meat and add in the spices. 8. Add the water, tomato sauce, garlic, bell p

What are Cauliflower Breadsticks? Well, they taste just like real breadsticks, but they are a healthier version. When I was first making these, I was thinking, "How does cauliflower turn into a crust-like substance?" Well, after baking, these taste crispy and are just like breadsticks! Indulge in this flavorful recipe. Ingredients: -  1 head of cauliflower (I used purple cauliflower) - 2 cups of any shredded cheese - 4 eggs - 2-3 tsp. oregano - 2-3 cloves of garlic (chopped) - a dash of pepper and salt Directions: 1. Chop the cauliflower and put into a food processor so that the result is small and fluffy pieces of cauliflower. 2. Cook the cauliflower in the microwave (cover it) for about 10 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 4. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Mix well. 5. Find a large cookie sheet and put a piece of parchment paper on top. 6. Flatten the mixture onto the cookie sheet and ba

I have seen different quinoa fritter recipes floating all over the Internet. At first I thought these would taste weird, especially since quinoa isn't my favorite food. But, these are great! They aren't too difficult to make, but they are filling. I recommend only eating 2 at a time, because you will be full in no time. I also did not have any onion, so I just used garlic instead. The recipe that I based my recipe on can be found here: Crispy Quinoa Fritters. Ingredients: - 1 cup of uncooked quinoa - 3/4 tsp. salt - a pinch of black pepper - 1/2 cup shredded cheese - 2 eggs - 1/2 tsp. paprika - 1 small onion (or you can use garlic instead) - 3/4 cup flour - vegetable oil to use when frying the fritters Directions: 1. Rinse the quinoa in cold water and place it in a pot with 2 cups of water 2. Add salt to the pot, bring to a boil, lower down to a simmer, uncovered, and cook for 12-15 minutes 3. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked quinoa, cheese, eggs,

I love tomatoes, and I had a whole bunch left over for this week, so I made Baked Tomatoes. These are so easy to make! All you need is a few tomatoes, salt, cheese, and oregano. I also bought a Stuffed Mushroom at the grocery store. This is also easy to make at home. All you need is a large mushroom, feta, spinach, onion and tomatoes. Cook at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. This is a fast and tasty meal! Also, since these are vegetables, this meal is pretty healthy. This serves about 2 people as a light meal or appetizer. Ingredients: Baked Tomatoes - 4-6 tomatoes - cheese (Parmesan is probably the best cheese to use) - a few dashes of seasoning salt - dashes of oregano Stuffed Mushrooms - 1 large mushroom - 3 Tbs. feta cheese - 1/2 cup spinach to fill it - a few handfuls of chopped onions and tomatoes to put on top Enjoy! These will make great appetizers.

One of my sister's coworkers at World Market, Louisa, created this recipe. These Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are to die for! They are easy to make and deliciously sweet. The recipe above lists everything you need (sugar, butter, egg, water, vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, oats, white chocolate chips and chocolate chips). Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 2. Mix together the sugar, butter, egg, water and vanilla 3. Stir in the cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips and oats 4. Drop the dough on an ungreased baking sheet (about 1 teaspoon each) 5. Bake for 10-12 minutes (or longer if they are still a little doughy) This recipe makes about 60 cookies, depending on how big of a teaspoon you put on the pan for each cookie. These cookies are chocolatey and just a tad bit salty. These are perfect for holiday occasions and housewarming parties! Mixing the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla Cocoa, oats, salt M

This past week I have been craving Chinese food. My favorite dish is Cashew Chicken. I love nuts, and the cashews create a salty and crunchy flavor. I found a good recipe online, at Food.com . I didn't follow it exactly, since I didn't have red pepper sauce or green onions. I also had tons of brown rice, so I used that instead of plain white rice. This recipe serves about 6 people, and it doesn't take very long to make (about 35-40 minutes)! Here's what you'll need: - 1/2 cup chicken broth - 1 Tbs. cornstarch - 3 Tbs. soy sauce - 1/2 tsp. ground ginger - 1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce (I used a spice mix that had red pepper flakes) - 2 Tbs. oil - 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into 1 inch pieces) -  1 red onion (cut into 1 inch pieces, or smaller) - 1 green bell pepper (cut into 1 inch pieces) - 1 8 oz. can water chestnuts - 1 can mushrooms (I used about 6 small mushrooms instead) - 1 cup cashews - 2 green onions (optional) Directions: 1