I am still here…!

Not many new recipes, but I am still here, cooking and all! Last week I made mostly repeated recipes that we really enjoy and did not try many new things, so I ended up not posting much.
I got inspired on my fellow bloggers as was trying some recipes that they made. However, I went to make a strawberry recipe that looked very good and half-way through the recipe I found out I was missing one of the ingredients… oh, I hate when that happens. But it is ok, I got everything I need today and soon there will be pictures and reviews around here!
I saw Karen’s post about making biscotti with whole-wheat flour and decided to try. You know, we all try to eat healthy and white flour is one ingredient I try to substitute when it is not extremely necessary. I make all my muffins with whole-wheat flour, and we all love it at home! So, I decided to try it in the biscotti too, and let me tell you, it worked very well!
I tried her recipe, which is very easy, and then went looking for recipes that would have the same principles. And I found a good one. Power Biscotti is full of healthy ingredients and the end result is a very satisfying biscotto, nice and crunchy with a delicious nutty flavor to it! I halved the recipe and used whole almonds on mine, but other than that I followed the recipe as it is. Next time I may try using the slivered almonds, or at least will buy the blanched ones, as I think they look and taste better without the skin in the biscotti.
Sunday we had one of Matheus’ favorite pasta: ravioli! So good, and could not be easier it was actually store bought. I am not the biggest fan of pasta, but some day I will try making the noodles at home, I have heard tons of comments of how much better the homemade version is, plus, pasta is the Husband’s favorite dish of all!
Besides not having many recipes to post I was also very disappointed with my new blender (remember, the pretty one I posted about here…) and had to return it to the store. I really wanted to like that blender because it looked so nice, and since I have a stand mixer from the same brand that is awesome, I never thought it would not be as good.
Oh well… we cannot only trust in the appearances, right?! I guess I will be getting a simpler one now, just like the one I had before, cheap but very efficient!
By the way, did anyone have the same blender as I did? Did you have any problems with it not pureeing things?! (Mine would not puree fruits, and even cooked beans…)
See you soon with more recipes!

Ana

Power Biscotti
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through baking powder) in a large bowl. Combine oil, extracts, and eggs; add to flour mixture, stirring until well-blended (dough will be dry and crumbly). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long roll. Place the rolls 6 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; flatten each roll to 1-inch thickness.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each roll diagonally into 15 (1/2-inch) slices. Place the slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325°; bake 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 10 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.
Yield: 2 ½ dozen
Cooking Light, November 2000

Sunday's Lunch, yummy ravioli!