Stinky Bread

Dudes. Lets talk. One. Now that it’s almost February you are all just about bored of your “diets” also known as “resolutions” yes? As evidenced by my first post of 2012, I’m not so much big on depriving oneself just because its January. Two. It’s almost the Super Bowl which means a) the end of the best time of year b) I finally can accomplish things on Sundays and c) you’re looking for snack recipes. Boom. I gotcha covered. So. Stinky bread. It’s not for the faint of heart, I’m not gonna lie. Also, it’s not a recipe, it’s just a thing. It’s a thing that my family does, and I’m thinking your family should start to do it too because it’s a) awesomely delicious b) really dang easy and c) can feed a crowd for less than six bucks. Boom. Again. So let’s get right to it and stop faffing around, shall we? 

Stinky Bread(I’m pretty sure my aunt Carrie is the one who came up with this..but it could have been a different family member. who knows.)

Ingredients

• Butter, softened. I don’t know how much because I don’t know how many people you are feeding!
• Blue Cheese–twice as much of this as your butter. it’s all about the ratios.
• Garlic, minced. (1 clove per baguette) um, this is totally optional but also totally delicious. your call
• Baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces

Procedure.

1. Turn on your broiler. Get excited. In a small bowl, mix together butter, blue cheese and garlic (if using). Schmear this all over your baguette slices. Pop those suckers onto a baking sheet and under the broiler. Keep your eye on them! They only take a minute and you don’t want them to burn! Once they are brown on the edges and the cheese is gooey and bubbly, you should put them on a plate and offer them to your guests/family/friends/significant other/dog or whoever is around. They won’t last long, so you’ll have to head back into the kitchen to make some more, pronto.

Seriously the Best Granola Bars I’ve Ever Had..

I am a snacker. If I don’t eat every few hours, you probably don’t want to hang out with me because I transform into an angry, obnoxious, whiny little brat. Maybe I shouldn’t admit all that. But I just did. The point is, I know my snacks.

I also like to hike. Hiking is one of those activities that totally counts as a super-workout, but since you get to stop and take pictures and eat snacks in the middle, it’s a lot more fun. And when you’re hiking, good snacks are a must.

Pea Pesto Crostini

I dunno if you guys are as bad as me, but I’m going to guess you are since you’re reading this. But blogs are addicting. Like, really, really addicting. It’s hard to do real work. I get so sidetracked. You know what has made it even worse? Pinterest. Ugh. It’s the bane of my existence, seriously. There are so many pretty pictures! I click them all. And then I’m stuck on these dang blogs that are captivating for whatever crazy reason and I can’t. stop. reading.

So this pesto. I found it on a blog. Cupcakes and Cashmere, you heard of it? If you don’t want to become obsessed, I’m warning you now, don’t click on the link. It’ll suck you in. You won’t be able to stop. People, I don’t even give a flip about fashion and I can’t. stop. reading. And I think part of it is that every once in awhile, (and let’s face it, when you’re stalking food blogs which is what I normally stalk.. it’s more than just once in awhile.) you come across something like this pea pesto. And you try it because, well, why the heck not you always have frozen peas in the freezer and you really don’t know what to do with them otherwise, and then you love it. And you know why you obsess over these things we call blogs. Because they’re awesome. They are a source of inspiration and a way to escape from your desk job and make yourself drool over fabulous looking food, and then maybe even go home and try it. Because hey, if they can do it, so can I, right? right.

So let’s try this. Let’s try this pea pesto together. Tell me what you think. I think you’re gonna like it.

*ps. I originally wrote this post for the Magic Bullet Blog. Check it out here!*

Pea Pesto Crostini (found on Cupcakes and Cashmere; recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentis of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• A loaf or two of crusty bread; a baguette works best here, but you could really use any kind of crusty bread.
• olive oil for brushing
• A handful of cherry or grape (or other small) tomatoes; sliced into chunks

Procedure

1. In a blender or food processor, blend together peas, parmesean, salt, pepper, and 1/3 cup olive oil until smooth. Boom. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary (this will depend on how salty your cheese is).  Set aside.
2. Cut your crusty bread into slices; about 1/2 inch or so thick, maybe a little less. Brush on both sides with olive oil and grill or toast under the broiler on both sides. (if you do it under the broiler, watch them carefully! those suckers burn quick!)
3. Spread your toast slices with a hefty portion of the pea pesto, top with a slice of tomato and dig right in there! You should probably share, but I won’t judge you if you eat two or three before you bring the plate around..

Superbowl Snacks: Pizza Pockets

This Sunday marks the end of the great season we know as Football. Many of you might be awfully broken up about it. But this year I’m not for three reasons. 1. the Chargers failed so hard this year I want to pretend it never happened. 2. I just plain hate the Patriots and the NYGiants aren’t much better. Not-so-super-bowl in my book this year. and 3. UH baseball starts soon. Whoo!

   

   

But, regardless of how I wish both teams could just lose this year, I’m still going to watch and I’m still going to yell and shout and drink a bunch of beer and eat a bunch of food. We actually got invited to someone else’s house for the superbowl this year (which is kind of a big deal for us..), so I’m really excited to bring over some snacks. The first of which will be these pizza pockets.