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The Secret Recipe Club: Cranberry Oat Cake

2012-02-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

After a month long hiatus, it's time again for The Secret Recipe Club again. This month I was assigned Miz Helen's Country Cottage. Miz Helen is a southern gal living in Texas and shares her simple way of life. Her style of cooking is different than mine and full of southern influences, things that I'm not familiar with like black eyed peas and hush puppies, just to name a few.

So needless to say, I had a hard time deciding on a recipe. I've been craving something sweet lately and gave into those cravings with Cranberry Oat Cake. I made the bars as Miz Helen calls them in 2 round 9 inch pans since I have yet to replace my 9x13 baking pan that had seen better days. It was a great way to be able share this dessert with my coworkers (and help keep the pregnancy weight gain down -LOL!).

I made a few minor changes to the recipe and cut down the topping by half. This cake is so good and I love the crunchy topping that adds to the moist cake.

Exciting news - this recipe is featured on Recipe Lion!

Cake/Bar
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Topping
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the hot water and oats. Set aside to soak and cool. In a large mixing bowl, cream the eggs and sugars together until mixed well. Add the applesauce and the soaked oats, mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir well. Add the vanilla and stir in the cranberries, walnuts and toasted coconut.

Pour into 2 - 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

With 5 minutes left in baking, start the topping. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, nuts and coconut and bring to a boil. Cover both cakes with the topping and return the cake to the oven under the broiler for 1 minute. Be careful and watch the cake to make sure the topping does not burn.

Let cool completely before serving.

Want to be part of The Secret Recipe Club?

Citrus Soy Stir-Fry

2012-02-11T19:05:00.001-05:00

I've been craving chinese food lately but I always feel so blah afterwards...I'm thinking it's because of all the salt that is used. This recipe was a great alternative to ordering out and was so tasty! My daughter gobbled it up and it made enough for leftovers the next day for lunch for me and my husband. Any veggies can be swapped out for whatever you have on hand.

1 lb whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1 cup orange marmalade
2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp hot sauce
2 Tbsp high-temp oil (I used vegetable)
1 lb thinly sliced chicken
1 cup shelled edamame
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
1 small bunch of scallions, cut on an angle into 2 inch pieces

In a large pot, boil water for the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, it will continue cooking when added to the chicken and vegetables.

In a small bowl, mix together the orange marmalade, ginger, chicken stock, soy sauce, black pepper and hot sauce.

When you start to cook the pasta, heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the vegetables (except the edamame and scallions) and stir fry for 3 more minutes. Stir in the sauce and toss for 1 minute.

Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Combine and stir in the edamame and scallions; stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

Modified slightly from: Rachael Ray's Look & Cook Cookbook

Vegetable Cheddar Soup

2012-02-01T12:16:00.005-05:00

Seriously where do the days go? I can't seem to get caught up with everything and then I think about our little arrival showing in a couple months....I'm even more freaked out! How am I go to be a full-time working mom with 2 kids?!?!? I know...there's other moms that do it but this is going to be huge change for us. There's going to be 5 years difference between my two kids (I'm still getting used to saying that!) and I feel like I'm going to be a new mom all over again. Just a couple deep breaths and I'll be ok! Oh I forgot to mention....we're having a BOY! So another new challenge for us. EEK!

Now onto the food. I've been making a lot of soups this winter and this was probably my most favorite so far. My daughter gobbled up 2 bowls and asked for it to take to lunch the next day. I'd say that's a success! This soup is perfect - chocked full of veggies and then surrounded with cheddar cheese.

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 large Russet baking potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk (I used skim)

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute over medium heat until tender. Add the miced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just starting to get tender.

In a bowl, mix together the water and flour until combined well. Add the to the soup and simmer until it starts to slightly thicken. Add the milk and broccoli and cook until the broccoli is tender and the soup is heated through. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt. Season with salt and peper. Serve in big bowls with a side of crusty bread. YUM!

Source: Lulu the Baker

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

2012-01-23T19:02:00.002-05:00

Since I'm way behind in posting new recipes (see me blushing?), I figured I'd get a little jump start and post a cookie recipe that would be great for Valentine's Day. Who doesn't love pink cookies with white chocolate drizzled on top? These cookies are delicious and the perfect cookie for someone who doesn't like super sweet things. They're so buttery and flaky...mmm, I'm drooling just thinking about them.

My sweet cravings have kicked back in and now I'm trying to figure out how to eat the smallest bit of sweet treats and curb the cravings. This is a big week for us, we find out whether we're having a girl or boy! My daughter is very adament about the baby being a girl and if it's not, then she's not going to like her brother. Oh dear!

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus more for dipping a glass into)
1 cup cold butter
4 oz white chocolate, chopped (plus more for drizzling)
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Using a pastry knife, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the drained cherries and the chopped white chocolate. Stir in almond extract and food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

Shape the dough into 3/4 inch balls. Place the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cooking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to 1 1/2 inch rounds.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.

In a small sauce pan, melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Either dip half the cookies into the chocolate or drizzle white chocolate overe the tops. Place cookies on parchment paper to allow white chocolate to harden and set.

Makes approximately 45-50 cookies.

Source: Better Homes and Garden

Nutter Butter Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

2012-01-12T19:49:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great new year! These last two weeks haven't been so great for my little family. We've all had issues with health and I'm seriously ready to hit the restart button on 2012. My daughter spiked a fever of over 104 last week and after 2 days, we were able to finally to get it down to a more normal level. Then I was hit with a DREADED stomach bug! OMG the worst thing when you're pregnant.

Speaking of my pregnancy, things are going well. I'm back to being able to eat things other than ramen noodles and potato chips. I'm just about 18 weeks and can't wait until we find out if we're adding another daughter to our family or a son. YEAH!!!

Now on to this amazing, simple pie. I made it for Christmas dinner at my in-laws (I'm just a little behind in blogging). It went over great and there was only one small piece last after everyone indulged!

1 pkg Nutter Butter cookie sandwiches

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

8 oz whipped topping, thawed

In a plastic bag or food processor, crush the cookies. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Place into the refrigerator to chill.

In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon into the crust.

Freeze for 4 hours or overnight until firm. Let stand 30 minutes or until the pie can be easily cut. Garnish with remaining whipped topping if desired.

Source: Kraft foods

Pineapple Stuffing

2011-12-28T15:54:00.002-05:00

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law. She always makes it for Easter and it's a sweet treat to go along with ham. This year for Christmas, my mom made a ham and I brought a casserole of pineapple stuffing. While it's not the healthiest, it's ok to splurge and enjoy the holidays!

4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 can crushed pineapple in juice
4 slices white bread, broken into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the eggs and sugar. Add the bread pieces, stir to combine. Add the pineapple with juice and mix together all ingredients.

Pour into a 4 quart casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour or starting to brown and the stuffing is set. Check the browness at 45 minutes and cover the dish with aluminum foil if the stuffing is browning too quickly.

The Secret Recipe Club: Oreo Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time again for The Secret Recipe Club! This month I was assigned Erin's blog, Making Memories with Your Kids. Erin is a mom of two cute kiddos and she does the most amazing food activites with them! I'll definitely be borrowing a few ideas when my daughter wants to help out in the kitchen.

After looking through Erin's blog, I decided on her recipe for Oreo Cheesecake Chocolate chip cookies. It was the perfect recipe especially since I had some cream cheese to use up and I've had a new found addiction to peppermint Oreos (cravings already!) This recipe makes a little less than 2 dozen cookies but it's the perfect way to try out the recipe and it's easy to double or triple depending on how many cookies you need! I took them to work and my coworkers RAVED about them...I didn't get a chance to eat any since they went so quickly.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ozs cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup crushed oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Mix well until completely combined. Stir in the flour and then gently stir in the chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, add the crushed oreos. Scoop the cookie dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. The dough should be sticky. Roll them in the crushed oreos to completely coat.

Place the cookie balls on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the edges.

Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Want to be part of The Secret Recipe Club? Join here!

Baked Spinach Dip Mini Bread Bowls...and a BIG SURPRISE!

2011-12-05T12:36:00.001-05:00

I'll start out with my big surprise....

Drumroll please................................................................................................................................

My husband and I expecting baby #2! We're all super excited especially our daughter. She's ready to be the big sister. I'm a little over 12 weeks and ready to be past this first trimester. This pregnancy hasn't been so kind to me. I've been dealing with all day nausea (notice the lack of new recipes) and metal mouth. I'm slowing feeling better and trying to get back into the kitchen, even though my husband says he's taking over the meal planning and cooking duties. Since he left cooking in a local restaurant almost 5 years ago, he hasn't done much cooking in our house...I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

And now onto the food....

I saved this recipe since the first time I saw it on Picky Palate. I love spinach dip and then add it to bread bowls....YUM! It made the perfect amount for appetizers for Thanksgiving at my mom's house. My daughter loved them and I had to stop her from eating a second and save room for lunch! Next time I made them, I'm going to add in some chopped artichoke hearts and bake them in mini phyllo cups for a bite-sized treat.

13.3 oz roll of refrigerated french bread
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light sour cream
dash of chili pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 10 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. Unroll the package of french bread. Slice it into 10 equal sizes about 1 inch thick. Press each slice into a 3 inch round piece of bread. Press into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cup.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Cook and stir the spinach until wilted and then add the garlic. Cook for another minute and remove from the heat. Let cool 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach mixture and spices. Mix well until combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dip into the center of the bread bowls. Top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them the muffin tin. Serve warm.

Source: Picky Palate

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

2011-11-20T11:10:00.001-05:00

I love all things cranberry! It's probably one of my favorite things to bake with. I just love the tartness and bite of fresh cranberries. I've made two of these cakes in the last week and I see many more in my future. It's simple and oh, so delicious. The first one I took to work and the second one is staying home. I'm not sharing this one anymore!

This cake would also make a great addition to any Thanksgiving dinner. I'm so excited for Thanksgiving this year. We celebrate with my family for a late lunch and then my husband's family for dinner. It's a lot of food, but what's more important is spending time with everything. Some of the highlights of this year's feast is my mom's potato filling and I'm baking my first pumpkin pie! EEKK! So exciting!

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter (it will be a really thick layer of butter). In a small bowl, stir together1/2 cup of the granulated sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the cranberries in a single layer on top of the sugar mixture.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert onto a rimmed platter. Store any leftovers at room temperature.

Source: Brown-Eyed Baker

The Secret Recipe Club: Green Onion Scalloped Red Potatoes

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the month again for The Secret Recipe club! I was super excited when I received my assignment this month...Get Healthy with Heather! Heather received my blog as her first assignment when she joined the SRC. She made my cream cheese, feta and cranberry roll-ups with a little bit of a twist. I'm glad I'm able to return the favor and make one of her recipes. I had a tough time chosing what to make but decided on her recipe for Green Onion Scalloped Red Potatoes.

I'm not a huge fan of scalloped potatoes but my husband is. I think in our 11 years together, I've never made him scalloped potatoes, so needless to say when he saw these on the menu, he was excited! The recipe was super simple and used ingredients I had on hand. The potatoes turned out good, except the milk never really thickened up. I'm thinking it might have been because I used skim milk but I'm definitely going to be making this recipe again and figuring out why the milk didn't thicken. It was still tasty!

1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4-5 red potatoes
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt & pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Saute the onions and garlic until softened but not brown.

Slide the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick rounds and cut the butter into very small pieces. Arrange 1/4 of the potato slices on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with 1/3 of the sauted onions, 1 tablespoon of flour and a few pieces of butter. Repeat this process 2 more times. Finally, top with the remaining 1/4 of the potato slices. Season generously with salt and pepper and the last few pieces of butter. Carefully pour the milk into the dish making sure not to distrub the potato layers. Fill the casserole dish to just under the top layer of potatoes; you may need more or less milk. Top the casserole with the chopped green onions.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Let the casserole sit for about 15 minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.

Want to be part of The Secret Recipe Club? Join here!

Panko-Crusted Salmon

2011-11-09T21:14:00.004-05:00

We're big fans of salmon or as I call it for Madeline "pink fish." She gobbled this up and even asked to take it for school the next day. I wonder what all her classmates thought!

I have to rave about my favorite place to buy wild caught salmon - Wild for Salmon. It's a local couple who goes sockeye salmon fishing every year in Alaska. They sell at our local farmers market several times a year and I always make sure to stock up. Their smoked salmon spread is to die for! I also love their feta-dill salmon burgers. They're perfect for a quick meal on busy weeknights!

So back to the recipe. I bought a 2 lb filet from Steve at the last market and used half of it for this recipe and then just baked the other half. I loved the combination of mustard and panko!

2/3 cup panko
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
salt
fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
salmon fillet(s), skin on
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.

Place the salmon fillets skin side down. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then season generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in an oven safe pan. Once the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down and sear for 3 to 4 minutes to brown the skin. Take care not to move or turn over the fillets.

Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the fillets to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Source: Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? Cookbook by Ina Garten

I'm alive...no worries!

2011-11-09T14:20:00.003-05:00

My apologizes for being MIA the last couple of weeks! I've been swamped at work and fighting off a cold. I had to finalize and attend our annual sales training the last week of October and with Halloween, I totally lost track of time. The training went well - there were rave reviews about how it was the best training yet! YEAH!

We had a freak snow storm the Saturday before Halloween and we were one of the few lucky ones to not lose power for hours or days! Many of my coworkers and friends were out of power for a week. I'd seriously go crazy!

I'll be back to blogging a new recipe tonight!

Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

2011-10-19T19:38:00.003-04:00

My friend Shannon shared this recipe with my online mom's board. I've talked about my mom's board before but I just need to reiterate how important they are in my life. I've been friends with these girls for a little over 4 years. I know how can you be friends with people you've never met and only talk on the Internet. It's much more than that. I've meet close to 50 of the girls through traveling for work and get-togethers. We're behind each other through any time of situation you can imagine - births, deaths, marriage, divorce and everything in between. It's beyond amazing to have such a great support system! I love my OOF girls!

So back to food, the real reason you're here. I've cooked with quinoa before and it's growing on me more and more. It's such a great, nutritious grain and a way for me to get protein into my daughter. I love the nutty flavor it has when it's cooked.

10 oz can low-sodium condensed cream of mushroom or broccoli soup
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp milk
1 1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese (I use monterey jack)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of grated nutmeg
2 cups cooked broccoli
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
panko bread crumbs
parmesan cheese

Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve until the water runs clear. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until the quinoa is fluffy (or the white ring is visible). Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. I used 4 medium sized ramekins.

In a large bowl, combine the soup, mayo, milk, cheese, sugar, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and cooked broccoli.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish(es). Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on top of quinoa. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or 20 to 25 minutes for ramekins or until the edges are bubbly and golden. Let cool slightly before eating, otherwise you'll burn you tongue...trust me.

Slightly adapted from: Eating Well, Living Thin

The Secret Recipe Club - Nutella Gelato

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

It’s that time again…The Secret Recipe Club!!! This is my fifth month participating and I’m really enjoying it. Each month, I’m challenged to narrow it down to one recipe and this month’s blog was challenging. This is the second time I’ve been assigned a blog that focused on vegan eating. I think someone’s trying to tell me something! Trust me, we eat vegetables, I just don’t blog about it that often since I usually just steam some fresh veggies and I’m sure you all know about steaming veggies.

Here’s my previous SRC recipes:

So back to the SRC – this month’s assignment was from Baking & Biking. Sarah is the foodie behind this blog. We have lots of things in common – both of us are “at-home” cooks who learned to cook by growing up in the kitchen with our moms and then experimenting on our own while in college. Sarah has lots of great smoothie recipes but since my blender is on the fritz, I had to skip trying one of them. Instead I opted for her recipe for Nutella Gelato Shake. I figured you can’t go wrong with Nutella and gelato – plus I hadn’t make ice cream in over a month and it was due time I make a batch. Sarah added butterscotch chips and toffee bits to her gelato, but I opted for semi-sweet chocolate chips. The gelato is so creamy and rich – perfect for when you’re craving a sweet treat!

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella
Pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of the sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves.

In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until the eggs have been thick and pale yellow in color. It takes about 4-5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the whipped egg yolks. Stir and then add this mixture to the saucepan. Cook over very low heat; stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Stir in the vanilla, Nutella and salt until it is completely dissolved. Transfer the mixture to bowl with a spout. Chill the mixture completely before pouring it into your ice cream maker. Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker to freeze the mixture. Add the chocolate chips (or other add-ins) about 10 minutes before the gelato is done. Freeze until the mixture firms up.

Want to be part of The Secret Recipe Club? Join here!

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Frosting

2011-10-10T19:57:00.000-04:00

Here's my next attempt at baking with beer! My coworker was having an Oktoberfest party and I knew the entire party would focus around beer and drinking. I have learned so much about beer by going out to lunch with a group of them on Fridays. It has definitely opened my eyes into the world of craft beers!

Back to the cupcakes...my town hosted their annual Oktoberfest event in September and we walked over to check out the event. While I didn't visit the beer garden, we wandered around looking at all the vendors selling crafts and food. I live in an area full of German history and the event doesn't disappoint. There was lots of food and great performances from the Auerhahn Schuhplatter Dancers. While I was there, I ate a chocolate-stoudt cupcake. It was ok, but the cake was really dry and I knew I could make something better. LOL...isn't that always how it starts?

Sorry the picture isn't the best quality, but you get the idea. I suggest not drinking while trying to take pictures...whoops! The cupcakes were so moist and they went over well at the party.

Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness
1 stick, plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper lines.

Combine the beer and the butter in a large sauce pan. Heat to melt the butter. Once it's melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla. Once combined, add to the beer mixture. Sift the flour and baking soda together and fold into the batter. Divide the batter among the prepared pans (I made 2 dozen cupcakes). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Cool completely on a rack.

Frosting
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove clumps
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 - 4 Tbsp Bailey's Irish cream

In the bowl of stand mixer, whip the butter. Once light and fluffy, slowly add in the powdered sugar. When the frosting is thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Bailey's and whip until combined. Frost the cupcakes and get ready to enjoy them!

Cupcake recipe from: Big City, Little Kitchen

Frosting recipe from: Smitten Kitchen

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Pasta and Chicken

2011-10-09T18:09:00.001-04:00

I'm behind on my blogging, work has been so crazy and I've been exhausted by the time I get home that I rarely have been spending much time on the computer when I get home. Don't worry....I'm still cooking and baking. And now I have a long list of recipes to blog about so I'll busy once again this week.

We received a bunch of swiss chard in our CSA basket - another green that I've never used before. Once again, a great feature of partipicating in a CSA. I'm sad last week was our last pick up, but I stocked up and have many new recipes planned for our goodies. Swiss chard is one of the good for dark green veggies.

What's your favorite way to eat it?

1 bunch swiss chard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/2 pound pasta, cooked

In a large pan, saute the chicken until fully cooked. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Tent the bowl with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Trim the tough ends of the swiss chard and slice the stems and leaves into thin strips. Heat the olive oil in the pan used for the chicken. Add the swiss chard and onions. Saute until the onions are softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked pasta and chicken with the swiss chard and a little extra virgin oil to loosen the pasta.

Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe adapted from Jeannette's Healthy Living

Harvest Pumpkin Ale Bread

2011-10-03T19:01:00.000-04:00

Now that it's October and feeling like fall here, I'm ready to start making breads, chili and anything with pumpkin. Fall is my most favorite time of the year! I love the crispness in the air, the leaves changing colors and wearing warm, cozy sweaters.

My first fall creation is a harvest pumpkin ale bread. I've done a little baking with bread before but after trying a chocolate guinness cupcake at our town's Oktoberfest last month, I knew I could make a cupcake way better that. Don't worry, I'll be blogging about the cupcakes later this week, but back to the bread. I came home one evening to a cold 6 pack of Sam Adams Octoberfest beer in my fridge. PERFECT!

I made this recipe twice, tweaking as I went and the second time it was just right. My coworkers were definitely happy this week trying both varieties. The first one was too moist, but a few changes and it worked out great.

Pumpkin Puree

15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)

2/3 cup sugar

1 bottle beer

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Slowly stir to combine all the ingredients. Divide puree into two containers. You'll use one now and the other should be refrigerated in an air-tight container to make a second loaf.

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1/2 (approx. 2 cups) pumpkin puree

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time. Once combined, stop the mixer and add the reserved pumpkin puree. Turn the mixer to medium-low and run for 5 minutes to fully combine the wet ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix slowly on low until well combined.

Pour the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and completely cool in the pan.

Adapted: Samuel Adams Brewing The American Dream

Recipe swapped on: The Grocery Cart Challenge

Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Bread

2011-09-28T19:01:00.004-04:00

I have been trying to make muffins or bread with poppy seeds for months now and I had the hardest time finding poppy seeds. None of the grocery stores I went to carried them...so weird. Anyways, I finally found them at a little store during a visit to my hometown for their community day.

This recipe is perfect to make as a gift, whether it's a housewarming, new baby or just because. My baking usually ends up in the "just because" category and my coworkers are the ones who usually enjoy the deliciousness. The poppy seeds added a nice texture and the lemon was subtle and not overpowering.

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp finely shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp poppy seed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk, oil, lemon peel and juice and poppy seeds. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Sitr until just moistened, the batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove frome the pan to completely cool on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Source: Mixingbowl.com

Recipe swapped on: The Grocery Cart Challenge

It's Fall!!!!

2011-09-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited for the first day of fall. It's my absolute most favorite time of the year. I love the leaves changing color, the crispness in the air, breaking out sweaters and boots and of course, the food! Anything with pumpkin and apples and I'm over it! I can't wait to start baking all the new recipes I have saved!

In the meantime, here's a couple of my favorite fall recipes:

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Apple Streusel Bars

Chunky Turkey Chili

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

What's on your list to bake this fall?

Secret Recipe Club: Honey-Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Cranberry Wild Rice

2011-09-19T08:01:00.000-04:00

It's that time again for The Secret Recipe Club! This is my fourth month participating and I'm having so much fun. Not only do I get to be sneaky and try out another blogger's recipe but I'm getting a ton of inspiration from the other SRC members!

This month I was assigned the blog, Not Rachael Ray. After looking through Rachael's blog, I settled on making cranberry wild rice. I usually sit to basics when I make sides, but this was very intriguing and different. I swapped out the walnuts for pecans and used a mix of long grain and wild rice. As I was planning my menu for the week, I had a pack of frozen chicken thighs and didn't know what to do with them...so off to see if Rachael had a recipe. Of course- honey-balsamic chicken thighs. I doubled the sauce mixture as I had 8 chicken thighs - gotta love leftovers for quick lunches!

So needless to say, this month is a SRC special treat - 2 recipes!

Honey-Balsamic Chicken Thighs
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
Peheat the oven to 375 degrees. With the skin sides up, place the chicken in a small roasing pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the thighs until the skin is crispy and the juices run clean, approximately 40-45 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, combine the oil, honey, vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Allow to stand 5 minutes to cool slighly before basting each thigh with glaze.

Cranberry Wild Rice

1 box long grain & wild rice mix
water/butter/salt according to rice package
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Prepare rice as directed on package except add in dried cranberries with the rice. I bought a box of Near East long grain & wild rice mix. It called to cook the rice for 25-30 minutes.

As the rice is cooking, toast the pecans in a dry frying pan over medium high heat. Be careful and watch them closely as nuts tend to burn quickly. Once cooked, remove them from the pan.
Serve a scoop of rice with the chicken thighs and garnish with the toasted pecans.

Want to be part of the SRC? Join up here!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

2011-09-14T19:14:00.003-04:00

Peanut butter and banana are another one of my favorite combinations! As I was persuing Pinterest, I saw a pin with banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. PERFECT! Especially since I had a bunch of bananas that I needed to use up - you know the ones that ripen too quickly and then are brown in a couple of days. I sliced up 3 bananas and froze them to make smoothies and the remaining bananas went to this recipe.

My husband told me they weren't good.....they were AWESOME and the best cupcakes I ever made. That's always great to hear. I also took a dozen into work and shared them with my coworkers. Needless to say, I had lots of friends that day!

Cupcakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 banans, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper lines.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Continue to cream until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry mix to the wet mixture and partially mix. Add the banana chunks and beat on medium-high until the batter is smooth and the banana pieces are incorporated throughout the batter.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes are light brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove clumps

1/4 -1/3 cup skim milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the peanut butter and butter until smooth on medium speed. Slowly add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Start with 1/4 cup of milk and slowly add until the consistency you desired is reached. I ended up using 1/3 cup of milk to make the frosting nice and smooth.

Frost the cupcakes with the frosting and garnish with crushed peanut butter cups.

Source: Cupcakes: Tasty Kitchen, Frosting: Cookies and Cups

Peach Butter

2011-09-11T18:29:00.001-04:00

Peach season is quickly ending here. It was so nice while it lasted. I didn't do much baking with peaches since we were just enjoying eating them straight from the orchard. I planned to do some canning with peaches when I saw this recipe for peach butter from Smitten Kitchen on Pinterest. Oh it would be perfect and keep reminding me of the summer during those cold and long winter days.

This recipe is super easy and gave me a little more than 6 pints of peach butter. My butter is very smooth and silky. It's perfect when mixed in greek yogurt or spread on wheat toast for breakfast.

4 lbs peaches (I used "second" quality yellow peaches)
1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
juice of one lemon

Cut a small x in the bottom of each peach. Dip each peach into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds and then into a bowl of ice cold water for a minute. The skin will slide right off. Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Cut each half into quarters. Place in a large pot with one cup of water and bring to a boil.

Simmer until peaches are tender about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they cook evenly. Puree the peaches into a blender until you reached the texture you desire.

Return the peaches into a large pot and add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Cook them at this level for 30 to 40 minutes stirring occasionally in the beginning and more often near the end. Be careful to not burn the butter as the fruit combines.

Test for doneness. I use the back of a wooden spoon. If the butter remains on the spoon for two minutes without sliding off, it's done.

If you're not canning, let the butter cool. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

If you're canning, follow you standard instructions for canning jams. The filled jars should be processed in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Coffeecake Muffins

2011-09-05T19:40:00.002-04:00

Here's another recipe for my mom board cooking challenge! This was easy for me since it was my week to pick 3 different recipes and then the board votes on which one they want to make. This recipe for coffeecake muffins won. Though there's more ingredients that most of the muffin recipes I make, I had all of them in my kitchen - perfect!

I took them to work as a treat for my coworkers, plus I'm also back to working out and eating better. They were delicious when warmed up and the perfect breakfast treat to have with a big cup of coffee (how all my mornings start!).

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick softened unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.
The original recipe calls for the muffins to be mixed in a food processor, but since my food processor wasn't large enough for this recipe, I made them with my stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, salt. Sprinkle the butter evenly over the flour mixture and using a pastry knife, combine until the butter is the size of oats. Remove 1/2 cup of the flour-butter mixture and stir it with a fork into the brown sugar mixture. Mix just enough to make a streusel topping. Remove 3/4 cup of the streusel into a small bowl, set aside. The remaining streusel will be used for topping the muffins.
Add the baking powder and baking soda to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Whisk together the sour cream, egg, and vanilla in a 1-cup glass measuring cup and add to the flour mixture. Mix together until the batter is just combined.. Add the remaining ¾ cup of the streusel to the flour mixture and fold to incorporate.
Using a large spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking, divide the batter among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of streusel on top of each muffin, pressing lightly so that the streusel sinks slightly into the batter.

Bake the muffins for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with clean. Rotate the pans from front to back halfway through the baking time. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Recipe swapped on: The Grocery Cart Challenge

Chili Relleno Casserole

2011-09-03T21:45:00.000-04:00

Every year I grow anaheim peppers in my garden and I never know what to make with them. I try to figure out something but somehow I never can come up with anything good...until now. This was the perfect recipe to utilize the peppers and highlight their flavor. My daughter even ate it after I picked out the peppers, they were a little too spicy for her. I definitely know what I'll be making when the next batch are ready to be picked!

3 - 5 Anaheim chilies
3 eggs
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
3 oz can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups low fatMexican blend cheese
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 can green enchilada sauce

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rinse chilies and place on prepared baking sheet. Broil chilies for about 5 minutes on each side until skin is blacked. Your oven rack should be moved to the highest position closest to the heating element.

Remove from oven and place peppers in a resealable bag. Close bag and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove chilies from bag. Skin and remove the veins and sees from the chilies and cut into thin strips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl. combine eggs, flour, sour cream, olives, salt and pepper. Mix to combine thoroughly. Set aside.

In your baking dish (I used a 2 qt casserole dish), prepare by coating with a non-stick spray. Add a layer of chilies. Add half of the egg mixture, 3/4 cup of cheese, 1/2 of the black beans, 1/2 of the ground beef and repeat layers once more or until all ingredients are used.

Top with the enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Source: Whisk and a Prayer

Mac & Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-08-28T09:22:00.001-04:00

Well we survived Hurricane Irene...whew! It's still raining and windy this morning, but the worst is over. I will say it was scary at times throughout the night when tornado watches were popping up all over the place. We're stuck at home for most of the day today since there's trees and power lines down. Luckily we didn't lose power and there's no damage to our house or property.

I'm not sure how my vegetable garden faired in the storm, but if you do have some tomatoes laying around this is a great "comfort food" meal.

1/4 lb elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup skim milk
black pepper
2 cups grated aged sharp cheddar cheese
8 small to medium sized tomatoes, tops cut off and scooped clean
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the salt and pasta, cooking until just shy of al dente.

In the meantime, saute the onions in a medium sauce pan. Once sauteed, add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock and milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Drain the pasta and stir into the cheese sauce.

Spoon the past into the tomato shells. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place on filled tomatoes in a muffin pan (they won't tip over this way) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Slightly adapted from: Rachael Ray's Look & Cook cookbook
Recipe swapped on: The Grocery Cart Challenge

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

2011-08-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

I love cookies, no...I really do. I try not to make them often because I could easily polish off a couple dozen at time, and these cookies are no exceptions! I love the little surprise of peanut butter in the center. YUM!!

This was also the first time I needed to shoosh my assistant out of the kitchen. She wanted to help me which is usually no problem, but instead she thought it would be fun to play with sugar and dump it all over the place, which lead to a temper tantrum. So needless to say, she was banished to the living to watch some TV (which I don't think she minded).

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted, beat together sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Source: Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

2011-08-23T18:45:00.000-04:00

This year was the first year I decided to grow carrots. I was a little worried about them since I planted a little early, but to my surprise we were able to harvest a dozen carrots! While they weren't real big, they provided me with the perfect amount for these cupcakes. The cakes are moist and have the perfect amount of spike. You can easily frost them with cream cheese icing, but they were perfect sprinkled with a little bit of powdered sugar.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1 Tbsp orange juice
2 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained well
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper lines.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the oil and sugars together until well combined. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, orange zest and juicse. Whisk until the mixture is cloudy and well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, stirring with a spatula just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Fold in the carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans. Divide the batter among 15 to 18 muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly in the center.

Slight adapted from Cook & Freeze

The Secret Recipe Club: Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

2011-08-22T07:00:00.005-04:00

It's that time again - The Secret Recipe Club!!! I'm having so much with the SRC and being able to try new things. This month, my assigned blog was Veggie Converter 365. Now this was going to be a challenge for me as we're big meat eaters in this family and Kristi's blog is all about her family's 2011 resoluation to eat vegetarian meals for an entire year. Seriously? I give Kristi HUGE props for being able to adjust her family's lifestyle to this.

So back to the food... I took the easy way out and decided to bake Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake. I'm a little scared of the meat subsitutes, maybe one day I'll conquer that fear!

This cake was AMAZING!!! I love the tangy the ricotta added to the cake and it was so moist and the perfect texture. I baked 2 loaves and took one to work. My coworkers loved it and gave me rave reviews about it. Kristi made a peach topping to go over her cake, but the peaches I bought weren't ripe yet, but it still tasted great!

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

juice & zest of one lemon

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, ricotta cheese and eggs with a mixer. Blend in the vanilla, lemon juice, zest. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until well combined.

Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until top browns and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Want to be part of next month's Secret Recipe club? Click here to join!

Summer Corn Linguine

2011-08-21T13:13:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh corn! I love being able to stop at a farm stand on the way home from work and pick up a dozen ears of just picked corn. It's so sweet and perfect. This year has been a good year for corn and we've been eating as much of it as we can. I usually just broil it, slather on the butter and sprinkle with some salt.

This recipe was a nice change and something I'll definitely be making again before the summer is over! While the recipe is a little long, it's so worth it!

1 pound linguine (or other flat noodle - whatever you have in your pantry)
6 slices triple-smoked bacon, chopped
6 ears of corn on the cob, shucked
3 shallots, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup vegetable stock
few dashes of hot sauce
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes to crisp the bacon and render it's fat. Once cooked, removed from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Remove 75% of the grease from the pan.

Using a corn scraper (or inverting a small bowl in a larger bowl), scrape the corn off the cob. Add three quarters of the kernels and liquid to the large skillet. Add the cooked bacon and the shallots to the corn. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until corn is tender. Add the tomatoes to slightly cook.

Heat a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente.

In a food processor, add the remaining corn and puree with the half and half. While the corn is pureeing, add the stock and thyme to the skillet of cooked corn. Reduce heat and then stir in the creamed corn mixture. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently as the sauce will thicken. Add the hot sauce and season once more with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Add parsley and about a 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce. To serve, divide among 4 to 6 bowls and top with the remaining cheese and fresh basil if desired.

Slightly adapted from Rachel Ray's Look & Cook cookbook

MIA

2011-08-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I was MIA last week. I had to travel to Long Beach, CA for work, but I'm back. I have lots of new recipes to post and will get to them this week. I had a rough travel day yesterday thanks to Mother Nature and thunderstorms along the East coast.

While in Long Beach, I ate at some great restaurants. Sorry no food pictures, but here's the listing:

Yard House - Amazing food and a HUGE selection of beers. I highly recommend the truffle fries and found my new favorite beer - Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat

Beachwood BBQ & Brewery - They feature Memphis-style BBQ and home brews. I loved the retro feel of their Long Beach location.

Creme de la Crepe - A little taste of Paris in Long Beach. I ate here for breakfast one morning and the meal kept me full until dinner. It was the perfect way to start a long day on a trade show floor. I had the Eggs La Fontaine - scrambled eggs with spinach and asparagus.

Gladstone's - Great selection of seafood and amazing views of the Harbor. I ate here for lunch and it was so nice to be able to sit outside and eat lunch.

Utopia - Utopia was right across the street from the hotel I was staying at. It was a cute, quaint little restaurant. It was a gorgeous evening and we ate dinner outside. Good selection of food and great service!

To close out the trip, me and my coworkers at the Queensview Steakhouse at Parker's Lighthouse. It was the perfect way to close out the trip. While most everyone else had steak (which looked amazing), I decided to go with chicken. I wasn't feeling so great and wanted to keep the evening light. The food was excellent and we had a great view of the Queen Mary.

Overall, it was great trip. Our show was successful; I was able to meet up with some business associates, enjoyed amazing food and drinks and had fun.

Almond Butter Granola Bars

2011-08-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

We love granola bars. I love making them and knowing they're all natural with no added "extra stuff." These were different than any of the other granola bars I have made in the past. They're chewy and I love the addition of banana, plus another great way to use over-ripe bananas (since we all know I have a problem with that). :)

1/2 cup almond butter
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried pineapple
1/4 cup mixed seeds (I used pumpkin)
1 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a wide loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, heat the almond butter and bananas over low heat. Stir gently until well combined. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, coarsely chop the almonds, cranberries and pineapple. In a large bowl, mix in the chopped nuts and fruit with the seeds and oats. Fold in the almond butter mixture. Press the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bars start to brown. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Adapted from: Anja's Food 4 Thought

Cinnamon Honey Roasted Chickpeas

2011-08-11T09:19:00.004-04:00

Another one of my pinterest finds – honey cinnamon roasted chickpeas. My daughter LOVES chick peas! She’ll eat them right out of the can, as hummus and now roasted. She was excited when I told her I was making her special “pea candy.” Don’t judge – whatever works, right?

She gobbled them up and shared them with her teachers the first day she brought them in for lunch. I like that they’re full of protein, since she’s not a huge fan of meat. It’s also a nice change of place from the regular cracker/chip snacks. I’ll definitely be making these at least once a week. Next time, I’m going to try a spicy version for my husband.

15 oz can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ tsp cinnamon

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp honey

After draining and rinsing the beans, place them between two paper towels and pat dry. Remove the outer skin from the bean. Allow the beans to completely dry before roasting.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread beans in a single layer.

Spray with cooking spray and stir around to coat all sides. Sprinkle the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon over the beans. Stir to coat all sides.

Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the beans from the oven and place in a bowl. Toss with the tablespoon of honey. Return to the baking sheet and roast for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Cool completely and serve.

Source: Weelicious

Mango Smoothie

2011-08-09T18:39:00.000-04:00

We’re all big fans of mangos here. I love fresh ones, but they are quite expensive and I feel like I never get enough fruit out of one to last more than a couple of minutes. A couple weeks ago during a trip to Trader Joe’s, I found they had bags of frozen mangos…PERFECT! Plus, they were the perfect price!

My husband has been adding them to his greek yogurt, but I wanted to use the rest of the bag for smoothies. Both he and Madeline loved the smoothie. I didn’t even get to taste it! See what I mean about mangos quickly disappearing in our house.

Sorry for the poor quality picture. This is what happens when we're all tired and it's ready for bedtime.

1 cup frozen mango
½ cup skim milk
½ cup ice
¼ cup plain, fat free greek yogurt
1 Tbsp honey

In a blender, puree all ingredients to the desired consistency. Pour into cold glasses and enjoy!

Slightly adapted from: Real Simple

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Truffled Swirled Cookies

2011-08-08T19:42:00.000-04:00

Whew, that's a mouthful!

My online mom's board is having cooking challenges again. It's a great way to find new recipes and break out of food routines. I know I find myself cooking and baking the same things more often than trying something new! This challenge recipe won over 2 other cookie recipes. I mean, who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I loved the texture of these cookies. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty with the addition of fine gray sea salt sprinkled on top.

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
fine gray sea salt

To make the peanut butter truffle, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Press in the peanut butter truffle mixture and freeze overnight - the longer the better.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (remember I'm all about easy clean-up!).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Continue to mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. Add in the chocolate chips by hand, mixing until just combined.

Remove the peanut butter truffle pan from the freezer. Cut into cubes/chunks. I found it easier to just break them apart as the truffles softened up. This happened for me really quickly as I decided to make these cookies during a heat wave. Once cut into chunks, place the truffles back into the freezer for 10 minutes.

Add the peanut butter chunks to the cookie dough mixture. Mix by hand to just incorporate the chunks into the dough.

Place rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with the gray sea salt. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Slightly adapted from The Picky Palate

Salsa

2011-08-05T20:17:00.000-04:00

Tomato season is upon us. It's a little overwhelming with the amount of tomatotes we're getting daily. So needless to say, you'll be seeing several tomato recipes over the next couple of weeks. I haven't found a good salsa recipe yet...until now. This was simple and so fresh. My husband was raving about it tonight.

1 small onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped (seeds can be removed to tone down the heat level)
3 garlic cloves
2 pounds of tomatoes (I used a variety of Early girl and Mr. Stripey heirlooms)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp coarse salt

In a food processor, add the chopped onion, jalapenos and garlic. Pulse until it is minced, do not puree it until it's a paste. Once minced, spoon the mixture into a small bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds. This will bring out the flavors more. Set aside to cool.

Halve or quarter the tomatoes and add them to the food processor. Pulse them until finely chopped. The tomatoes will be very juicy. Pour the tomatoes in a fine mesh sieve, removing most of the juice into an empty bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the onion and tomatotes. Add the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Stir to mix. Add salt to your taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Mom's Baked Beans

2011-08-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

My mom makes a mean batch of baked beans. She's always asked to bring them to parties and events. They so perfect and chunky! You could easily substitute the canned beans for dried beans and soak them before making the batch. Not only are they delicious, they're quick to make. There's no need to slave over a hot stove in the summer time, just throw them in a crock pot and go about your way!

2 - 14 to 16 oz cans Kidney beans

2 - 14 to 16 oz. cans Great Northern beans

2 - 14 to 16 oz. cans Butter beans

2 - 14 to 16 oz. cans Baked beans

8 slices bacon

1lb. Italian Sausage1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper(optional)

1/2 cup brown sugar

liquid smoke to taste (2 to 3 Tbsp is usually what I use)

18 oz. bottle of BBQ sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup of water

Drain and rinse all the beans EXCEPT the baked beans. Add them into a 5 quart pot or crock pot.

Cook the bacon until crispy and then crumble into small pieces. Brown the sausage until fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease. Add the bacon and sausage into the beans. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for at least 4 hours.

Curried Summer Squash Soup

2011-07-30T15:35:00.001-04:00

This recipe was passed along by our CSA, Schlegel Run Growers from another share holder. I get stuck when it comes to yellow squash, I'm really not sure why. It's just like any other squash. I haven't cooked much with curry before, but wanted to give it a try. I'm super sensitive to the aroma of it, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. My husband ate the entire batch of soup! He said it got better each day, the longer it sat. I change up the recipe slightly by swamping out vegetable broth for chicken broth and pureeing the entire soup.

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
2 medium yellow squash, chopped (approx. 3 cups)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups vegetable broth
15.5 oz can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the squash and onions. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking over medium, stir occasionally until the squash is softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the broth and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Puree the entire batch of soup in a blender until smooth. If you want a chunkier soup, only puree 2 cups of the soup. Return the pureed soup to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the soup to a covered container and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes. Divide the soup between 4 bowls and serve with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkling of basil. The soup can also be served warm.

Recipe also featured on: The Grocery Cart Challenge

Peach Sour Cream Ice Cream

2011-07-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

I love peaches! We're lucky to have an amazing orchard close to our house that supplies us with most of the fruit we eat year round. I bought a quart of peaches at the Farmers Market last week and I knew I wanted to make ice cream with them. My husband always tells me how much he loved eating Breyer's peach ice cream growing up.

I thought about making just a traditional vanilla bean ice cream, but wanted something different. Many of the recipes I came across were egg based and I was not in the mood to make my kitchen any hotter than already was with our heat wave. I sometimes wish we had central air, but then I think about the work it would be to install it in our 110 year house.

So back to the ice cream...we all loved the tangy the sour cream added and the peach flavor was so intense. I'll definitely be making this again!

1 lb peaches, skins removed and cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup lowfat sour cream

In a small bowl, add the peaches and sprinkle with sugar. Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least an hour. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

In a blender, add the peach-sugar mixture and the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator. Add the chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Source: One Ordinary Day

Herbed Coleslaw

2011-07-24T20:31:00.000-04:00

Part of our CSA basket last week was 2 small heads of baby cabbage. When I think of cabbage, there's two things that come to mind...sauerkraut and coleslaw. I have never made sauerkraut before, but it's on my list, one day I'll tackle it. So the next best thing was to make a batch of coleslaw.

My grandmother made amazing coleslaw dresssing growing up. She never used a recipe but it was always perfect. Before she got sick, she wrote the recipe down for my mom. We have both attempted to duplicate the dressing, but we can't get it right. I'm still on the hunt for a dressing that's similiar to it.

Instead of trying to figure it out, I decided to go in the opposite direction - an herbed dressing. This was a quick recipe, perfect for a hot summer night - just like what we've been experiencing for the last 8 days. Needless to say, I haven't done much cooking and baking.

2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup diced celery
1 carrot, shredded
1 tsp dried dill
2 Tbsp fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp mayonaise
2 Tbsp white vinegar
fresh ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, celery, carrots and basil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to combine.

In a small bowl. combine the mayo, dill, vinegar and pepper. Add to the vegetables and toss again. Chill for at least 1 hour or longer before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Source: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Kale Chips

2011-07-20T12:39:00.000-04:00

Part of our CSA share was a bunch of kale. I've only used kale in soup before but had been seeing a ton of people making kale chips. I figure it wasn't hard and it might be a more healthy snack for Madeline. I was right. She loved them! I'll definitely be making them again and can't wait to experiment with different seasonings.

1 bunch of kale
olive oil
salt
pepper

Wash and fully dry the kale. Remove the stems and rip the leaves into smaller pieces. Lay them flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet (I'm all about easy cleanup!).

Sprinkle with olive oil and mix around to coat all pieces. Season with salt and pepper (or any other seasoning). Bake for 12 to 14 minutes at 350 degrees.

The Secret Recipe Club: Turkey Macaroni Skillet

2011-07-18T07:00:00.007-04:00

This month's assignment was from Everyday Insanity. I was excited when I received Cindy's blog as my assignment. We have very similiar styles of cooking and I loved seeing all the posts about her grandkids!

I chose her Beefy Macaroni Skillet recipe. It's a quick, one pot meal which is great for any busy family. I swapped out the ground beef in the original recipe for ground turkey.

1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 small can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water or tomato juice
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup small elbow pasta
1 cup frozen corn

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey and onion. Drain any grease from the turkey. Stir in the tomatoes, water/juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Add the pasta and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 12-15 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir often to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the corn and heat through. Top with shredded cheese if desired.

Want to join The Secret Recipe club? Stop by Amanda's Cookin' and join the club!

Chocolate Ice Cream

2011-07-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

I scream, you scream....we all scream for ice cream! July is National Ice Cream month and I'm planning to make a variety of ice cream over the last 2 weeks of the month. I made a batch of chocolate ice cream the other day and it was delicious. So perfect, creamy and full of flavor. I need to hide the container in the freeze to make sure Madeline doesn't see it, otherwise she'll want to eat the last serving!

3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup milk (I used skim and it turned out fine)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 Tbps vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the milk and using a hand mixer on low speed, beat to combine until all ingredients are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Using your ice cream maker, follow the manufacturers' instructions to make.

Source: Cuisinart Recipe booklet

Jalapeno Popovers

2011-07-13T21:49:00.000-04:00

I never know what to make with the jalapenos I grow...why do I even grow them? I guess because they're easy and I always think I'll make jalapeno poppers, but I never have enough peppers. BUT this recipe gives me the same flavors of poppers but much with only 2 peppers! This is another recipe I found through Pinterest, see I told you I'm becoming addicted!

I made these for a family dinner on Sunday and they were gone in no time. I guess I should have doubled or tripled the batch, which I'll be doing next time I make them!

1 can crescent rolls
2 oz cream cheese
2-3 jalapeno peppers
4 slices triple-smoked bacon

Cut bacon into small pieces and fry up. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess grease.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the seeds from the peppers and chop into small pieces. Roll out the crescent rolls and cut each triangle in half, making 16 pieces.

In each piece of dough, add a cube of cream cheese, a couple pieces of bacon and peppers. Bring the corners rogether and twist at top. Press the edges together to seal the seams and keep the filling inside.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. These would also be great with some shredded cheddar cheese instead of the cream cheese.

Source: From the Aisle to Aloha

Smores Cookie Bars

2011-07-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

If there's one recipe from my blog that I want you to make - THIS IS IT!!!!! Seriously, I'm not kidding. If you do not have graham crackers, marshmellow fluff and chocolate bars in your pantry, RUN to the store NOW!!

Can you tell I'm a little more than excited to share this recipe with you? I saw these posted originally on Pinterest (another one of my addictions!) and knew I needed to make them. They're a little messy to make, but so worth it in the end. Start drooling now...

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour

3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (approx. 6-7 crackers)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 super-sized milk chocolate bars

1 1/2 cups marshmellow fluff (not melted marshmellows)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add in the egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix at low speed until combined. Divide the dough in half and press half into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place the chocolate bars over the dough. Spread the marshmellow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.

Take the remaining dough and place into a gallon sized ziplock bag. Using your hands, flatten the dough out to fit in the pan. Use a scissors to cut down the long sides of the bag. Open it carefully and the dough will stick to one side of the bag. Place the bag, dough side down on the fluff and slowly peel the plastic bag off dough. Spread out the dough if it's uneven.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.

Source: Baked Perfection

Cinnamon Raisin Bites

2011-07-10T14:06:00.000-04:00

I'm always looking for healthier snacks for Madeline and this didn't disappoint. She's been a bottomless pit for the last 2 weeks. I'm waiting for her to shoot up like a beanstalk soon. These bites are similar to scones and are perfect a room temperature or warmed up. The best part - one is under 100 calories!

The batter is also perfect to change up the flavors. I can't wait to try dried cranberries and lemon!

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamom and nutmeg. In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil and honey. Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Stir in the raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 dozen bites.

Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

Cod Cakes

2011-07-07T19:59:00.000-04:00

Cod cakes have been on my "to make" list for months and I'm mad that I waited so long! These cakes were delicious and the use of mayonaise as a binder rather than an egg was perfect. They were tangy and didn't need any tarter or cocktail sauce. I'll definitely be doubling the recipe I make them again. They'll freeze up perfectly and can be cooked straight from the freezer - no need to thaw!

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cups flaked cooked cod (I seasoned mine with salt & pepper and baked in the oven)
1/3 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt

In a medium skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown.

Transfer the onion into a bowl and add the cod, bread crumbs, parsley, mayo, paprika and salt. Form into 4 patties. Cover and chill for 1 hour. If you're freezing the cakes, package them individually into freezer-safe bags and place into the freezer after chilling.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the cod cakes and cook until golden brown and cooked through approximately 4 minutes on each side. Serve with a lemon wedge if desired.

Source: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-07-06T20:18:00.000-04:00

I had a couple more zucchini from our CSA basket last week and wanted to make a chocolate zucchini bread. I was looking for something a little healthier than the other version I make and this definitely fit the bill.

This recipe is a makeover recipe. The original recipe called for 1 cup of oil and 2 cups of sugar. While that's great every once in awhile, we've been bad over in our house and need to get back into the swing of eating healthy.

1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour (I subsituted 2 Tbsp cornstarch in a 1 cup measuring cup and then filled with AP flour)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded zucchini

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8x4x2 loaf pans or one larger pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine until well blended.

Stir in the zucchini. Transfer the mixture to your prepared loaf pan(s). Bake for 40-45 minutes (2 small pans) or 75-80 minutes (1 large pan) depending on the size of your pan until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing to completely cool on wire racks.

Source: Healthy Cooking Magazine

Patty Pan Squash Supreme

2011-07-05T13:43:00.000-04:00

Seriously, how cute are these little squash?!?!!?

This was another new veggie to use. We've had zucchini and yellow squash before, but never patty (or paddy) pan squash. I was excited to try them.

This squash is creamy and has a sweeter flavor than yellow squash or zucchini. We all were big fans of it and I can't wait to eat more of it! Patty pan squash and yellow squash have an amazing amount of nutrients - they're full of vitamin C and beta-carotene, just to name a few.

4 patty pan squash

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Slice the squash lengthwise, removing the stem. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the squash and brown both sides until it's tender.

Sprinkle on the basil and cheese and let melt.

Adapted: Manhattan Beach Patch

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T11:05:00.001-04:00

I hope all my readers and their families have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!

Come back soon....lots of new recipes coming this week!

Butter Braised Turnips

2011-06-26T20:56:00.000-04:00

As part of our CSA basket last week, we had two small bunches of white turnips. I have never had a turnip before, so I was little nervous to try them. I wanted to find a simple recipe that would highlight the turnip and not it with other ingredients. This was the perfect recipe and I loved the crispiness that they had after sauteed.

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound baby turnips, greens trimmed off (if they're larger, quarter them)

salt & fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp sugar

In a medium skillet, combine the butter and the oil over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the turnips and cook. Stir until they are coated in butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook until the turnips are starting to become tender, about 5 minutes.

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring until the turnips are glazed and the liquid is turned into a syrup.

Adapted slightly from Garden of Eating blog

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

2011-06-20T20:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth last week. I was just swamped with work and didn't get time to blog about our meals. I'm also trying to empty out of our freezer to get ready for my next shopping trip to BJ's warehouse.

I made this last week and it was very good. I eliminated the cajun seasoning but used some Old Bay I had in the spice cabinet. I don't do much cajun cooking, but this was a quick one pot dinner.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cajun seasoning
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 bunches scallions, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large non-stick skillet over medium0high heat until fragrant. Add the cajun seasoning and shrimp. Cook until shrimp begin to curl and then season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions and cook, continually stirring. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water. Continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are fully cooked, approximately 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Source: Food Network Magazine - Great Easy Meals Cookbook

The Secret Recipe Club: French Toast Casserole

2011-06-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to say this is my first month particpating in The Secret Recipe Club! I was pursuing other food blogs last month and saw a few were participating in this club. I immediately thought, perfect - just what I need.

My first assignment: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker's blog. The blog is all about family recipes, frugal tips and the occassional random post. After reading further into the blog, Kristen has an amazing history of cooking and baking! I loved all of her Saturday Stories and feeling part of her family.

For my secret recipe, I chose Kristen's French Toast Casserole. We're pretty simple when it comes to breakfast (eggs, bagels, toast, etc.) and I usually stick to things that take less than 10 minutes. I can't complain about this recipe though - it took 10 minutes to throw together and then I had enough time to drink a cup of coffee while it baked. I didn't have any leftover bread, so I bought a discounted loaf of cinnamon raisin bread while shopping on Friday night.

4 cups torn bread
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a greased cassrole dish, add the torn pieces of bread. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, maple syrup and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture of the bread. Kristin sprinkles the cinnamon on top, but I wanted to incorporate mine into the bread.

Bake for 35 minutes or until top is crispy and the egg is fully cooked. Spoon into bowls and add your favorite topping. We just added a little more maple syrup. Delish!

Want to join The Secret Recipe club? Stop by Amanda's Cookin' and join the club!

Strawberry-Honey Butter

2011-06-12T19:38:00.001-04:00

They're here, they're here!!!! Fresh strawberries!!! I am so excited for fresh strawberries! There's nothing better than a fresh strawberry and so much better than what you can buy at the grocery store. I'm practically drooling thinking about strawberries right now. ::giggling::

I'm growing a pot of strawberries this year, but unfortunely the birds are getting to them before us. Oh those birds! I was so mad when our first strawberry was eaten by a catbird - I caught it in the act of eating it! I've covered the plant with netting, but it's just not working. Luckily for us, there's plenty of local farms that grow strawberries.

I had about a pint of strawberries left over from last week and didn't want to waste them. I found this recipe for strawberry-honey butter and it's so delicious! I spread some on toast this morning and it was the perfect amount of sweetness I needed with breakfast.

1 pint strawberries, hulled
2 Tbsp local honey
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

In a food processor, puree the strawberries. Using a fine mesh sieve, push the puree through into a saucepan. Add the honey and lemon juice. Boil the mixture, continously stirring for 3 minutes or until it has thickened. Allow the strawberry mixture to cool to room temperature. Season with salt to taste.

In the bowl of stand mixer (trust me - use a stand mixture unless you want your white shirt covered with strawberry stains - just saying...), begin to cream together the butter and strawberry mixture until it is well bleneded. Continue beating the mixture for several mnutes until the butter becomes smooth and creamy. Let the butter stand, covered in a cool place for 1 hour to allow flavors to develop.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Source: The Kitchen Sink Recipes

Smashed Red Potatoes with Scallions

2011-06-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

Our CSA basket included 2 bunches of scallions. While I love scallions, I find myself using them the same way - as a garnish. I wanted to incoporate them into a side dish and knew my one cookbook would have many different recipes to try out. This was the perfect recipe and I'll definitely be making it again and again.

1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4-6 scallions, thinly sliced
Fresh ground pepper

In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes in salted water over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and partially cover the pan. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Reserving the cooking liquid, drain the potatoes and return to the sauce pan. Cook, stirring over medium heat to dry out the potatoes and look floury. Measure out and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, set aside and discard the remaining liquid.

Remove the pan from the heat and mash the potatoes to a chunky texture with a potato masher or a wooden spoon (my method - I really do need to invest in a potato masher!). Set aside and keep warm.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to become golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add in the scallions and cook until they are wilted, about 2-4 minutes. Once cooked, add into the smashed potaotes. Add enough of the reserved water to the potatoes and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Add more cooking liquid if needed until you reached the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper! Enjoy!

Slightly adapted from The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Bananas-Foster Ice Cream

2011-06-07T17:57:00.002-04:00

After making the banana chocolate chip cake the other day, I still had more ripe bananas to use up and what better way than making Banana Fosters ice cream! Yes, roasted bananas ice cream. It’s so delicious and what’s even better, I topped a piece of the warm cake with some of the ice cream. HEAVEN! I am so loving my ice cream maker and can’t wait to make my next batch. I think I’m going to need to buy a chest freezer to be able to make more than one variety at a time.

3 medium sized ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups whole milk
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp coarse salt.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice bananas into ½ inch pieces. In a 2 quart casserole dish, add the sliced bananas, brown sugar and butter pieces. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once, until the bananas are browned and cooked through.

Pour the roasted bananas and syrup into a blender. Add the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Puree until smooth.

Chill the mixture for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Following the instructions from your ice cream maker, add the chilled mixture and watch your ice cream come together!

Source: Brown-Eyed Baker

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

2011-06-06T20:07:00.000-04:00

Once again I found myself with a bunch of very ripe bananas. I hate when they go from green to brown in couple of days. That's what happened with this bunch, but I knew I'd find something to make with them - no more waste in this house! The recipe originally called for cinnamon chips, but since I didn't have those and have been craving chocolate, it was a simple substitute!

3 very ripe bananas

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For topping:

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Add ¾ cup of the cinnamon chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining ¼ cup chips.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

And because my little one wanted to get her picture taken with the cake. LOL! Make sure you come back...I have another recipe that features some more of those over ripe bananas!

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Garlic Scape Pesto

2011-06-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

Garlic scape? What is that???

Yup, that's the first thing I thought when I read that this was included in our first CSA share. I had never heard of garlic scapes and this is one of the reasons why I love that we're participating in a CSA.

So what is a garlic scape? As we know, garlic is part of the allium family, which grows underground. As the garilc bulb grows and gets harder, a shoot pokes through the ground. The shoot is green, kinda like a scallion, but it's longer, thin and pliable that it curls into tendrils. If it continues to grow, the scape will harder and transform into the white/beige color of garlic peel. If the shoot is still attached, it will stunt further growth of the garlic bulb. To continue growing the garlic, the scapes are removed.

I wasn't sure what to take with the big handful of scapes I had, but after a quick search online, I found a recipe for pesto. PERFECT! It was simple and easy to make and so versatile. I'm planning to spread it on crusty bread, adding it to fresh pasta and maybe tossing it into some scrambled eggs.

1 cup garlic scapes, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a food processor, combine the scapes, pine nuts and cheese. While blending, slowly add the oil into the mixture until smooth.

Source: Tasty Kitchen

National Donut/Doughnut Day!

2011-06-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

Happy Donut Day! Or is it Doughnut Day?

What's your favorite donut?

I'm in love with glazed sour cream donuts. I could care less about those jelly filled ones - YUCK, but a sour cream one...oh dear, my weakness!

And some facts about National Donut Day...

National Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.
National Doughnut Day started in 1938as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor the Salvation Army "Lassies" of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers.

Photo source: Microsoft Office

Nutella Cream Cheese Brownies

2011-06-01T20:53:00.000-04:00

I took the long weekend off from blogging, but didn't from cooking! I made the classic pasta salad with lots of fresh veggies. I'm so glad the summer is here and all the local produce will be available. Speaking of that, we planted a garden again this year and are participating in a CSA. Our garden is a little smaller than last year, but I tried a few new things - lettuce and carrots, and our staples - cucumbers, variety of peppers and tomatoes. Our first CSA pickup is Friday night and I'm excited to get some new veggies to experiment with. You'll just have to come back and see what we get!

So back to the brownies. Brownies are the one thing that I have a hard time baking. I either bake them too long and they're hard as a rock, or don't bake them enough and they're gooey inside. But not these brownies! They were perfect and the nutella adds so much to them.

Cream Cheese Topping

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Nutella

Brownie Batter
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. You don't want those brownies sticking in the corners!

First make the cream cheese topping. Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter,sugar and flour. Add in the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Scrape bowl and add the egg and beat until the topping is nice and creamy. Scrap bowl and add Nutella, beat about one minute or until the nutella is mixed into the cream cheese mixture completely. Set aside.

For the brownie batter, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a medium sized bowl.
In a small bow, l cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beat well then add vanilla. Fold the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Spread 3/4 of the brownie batter into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish. The batter will be very thick! On top of the brownie batter spread 3/4 of the cream cheese topping.

Randomly dollop the remaining brownie batter and cream cheese topping over the layer of brownie batter. Swirl with a tooth pick or the tip of a knife.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. If you like your brownies a bit gooey then bake them for 40 minutes. For a dense cake like center bake for 50 minutes.

Source: Flour on my Face

Ham & Swiss Tarts

2011-05-28T14:36:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for some new recipes as we've been in a little bit of a rut lately...I'm sure you didn't notice. :) Since this weekend in celebrating Memorial Day, I thought this recipe is perfect to bring to a party. I made the tarts full sized (in muffin tins) or they can be made into tartlets using a mini muffin tin. They would be great to take to a picnic and be eaten at room temperature. Just wait to taste them until you get to your party, otherwise you might show up empty-handed.

1 prepared pie crust
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2/3 cup finely chopped ham
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2/3 cup sour cream
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and cut into circles to fit into the desired sized. Spray the muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Gently place the crust circles into the muffin tins. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Take the crusts out. If they've puffed up, press them down gently with the back of a spoon or a tart shaper.

While the crusts are baking, mix together the ham, cheese, green onions and sour cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill up the warm pie crusts tarts with the filling mixture. I was able to make 11 full-sized tarts. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the tarts are hot and melted.

Source: Baked Bree

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

2011-05-26T08:34:00.001-04:00

I'm getting ready for fresh blueberries with this recipe. It was perfect and the cheesecake is so smooth and the crust was so buttery. Trust me, they're very addicting! I loved the addition of the orange zest in the cheesecake. And to top it off...today's National Blueberry Cheesecake Day! PERFECT!

2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted, cold butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
2 eggs
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and blueberries. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and comes to a bubble. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Line two 8x8 or one 9x13 pans with foil or parchment paper. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is lightly browned.

While the crust is cooking, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the flour, eggs, vanilla and orange zest and mix well.

Remove the crust from the oven and pour the cream cheese mixture over the hot crust. Spoon the blueberries over the cream cheese mixture. With a knife, swirl the blueberries throughout the cream cheese. Bake the bars fpr another 20 minutes or until the bars are set.

Let the bars cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Once cooled, refrigerate the bars for at least an hour or overnight. Cut into squares and serve cold.

Recipe: Baked Bree

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

2011-05-25T20:01:00.000-04:00

Ice cream!!! I didn't waste anytime breaking in my new ice cream maker! I bought the Cuisinart ICE-21 model. Just a quick wash, dry and into the freezer the bowl went. Butter pecan ice cream is my husband's favorite and since I had some fresh pecans, I knew this was the first recipe I'd attempt. It was so easy, Madeline even helped me until she was bored with just watching the ice cream go round and round. It's delicous, so smooth and creamy. Of course I had to add extra pecans in it. :)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup pecans

1 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the pecans and 1 tsp of salt. Cook over medium-low heat until pecans are toasted and golden, stirring frequently. It takes approximately 6-8 minutes until they are completed toasted. Remove from heat and place pecans on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess butter. Allow them to completely cool and then chop into small pieces (about the size of chocolate chips).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar and pinch of salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Once you're ready to make the ice cream, remove the bowl from the freezer. Place the mixing paddle in the bowl and put the lid on. Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl. Mix until the mixture is thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Five minutes before the mixing is complete, add the chopped pecans and mix to incorporate the pecans evenly.

At this point, the ice cream will be a soft, creamy consistency. If you like harder ice cream, place it in an airtight container and place it into the freezer to firm up.

Source: Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

Chicken with Artichoke and Lemon

2011-05-22T20:26:00.000-04:00

When I first saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. While my picture isn't as appetizing as the picture in the May issue of All You, this is really amazing! I loved the chicken, it was so moist and the artichokes and lemon were the perfect addition. My husband ate two helpings and said "winner, winner, chicken dinner." Oh dear..:insert rolling eye emotion.

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

salt and pepper

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 lemon, thinly sliced

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, cook, turning once until browned on both sides about 4 minutes total.

Add chicken stock and artichokes to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through. Scatter the lemon slices over the chicken, cover and cook until the chicken is cook through.

Source: All You Magazine

Maple Pecan Scones

2011-05-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

I love scones...really I do. They are so addicting and these are no exception! I love the buttery, flaky dough and the little bits of pecans and then it's drizzled with a maple glaze. Good thing you can't see me, since I'm enjoying one of these delicious scones right now. I'm sure there's crumbs on my keyboard.

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pantry knife, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Finely chop the pecans and stir into the flour mixture. Mix the egg & cream together and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Turn the mixture onto a cutting board and push it together into a large ball.Do not knead or press together too much. The dough will be crumbly.

Gently roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and cut the round into eighths. First start with X and cut each section in half to make 8 wedges.

Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment paper or lightly sprayed and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the glaze, mix together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of maple sugar in a medium bowl. If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at time to the desired consistency. The original recipe calls for a maple icing, but maple extract is not in my pantry and I'd prefer to use real maple syrup. Once you have the desired consistency, drizzle over top of the scones. Allow to harden before eating.

Source: Scones - Pioneer Woman, Glaze - Recipe girl

Steakhouse Chili

2011-05-14T14:15:00.000-04:00

Most the chilis I make have some sort of bean in them. This one is is just meat! It's full of a smoky flavor due to the triple smoked bacon and homemade barbecue sauce.

4 slices triple smoked bacon, finely chopped
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cups beef stock

In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium-high to high heat until it renders its fat off. Watch for the fat splattering off! Add the beef and cook until brown for about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain off grease. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes until the onions have softened.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and hot sauce. Add the sauce to the chili and stir to combine. Stir in the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Serve in small bowls topped with sour cream and chopped parsley.

Source: Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

Eat Whatever You Want Day

2011-05-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

I missed it!!!! I had made a note to blog about this yesterday, but somewhere in the mess of my desk, I lost the note! I guess I should start using the sticky note app on my computer!

So let's pretend today really isn't Thursday, it's still Wednesday and we can celebrate EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT DAY! Seriously, this is probably my most favorite "holidays." :)

To celebrate, here's my list of what I wanted to eat yesterday:

- king crab legs (my husband is highly allergic to crab so I rarely eat it)
- a rare, juicy steak
- a BIG piece of chocolate cake

Starting thinking about your list for next year and come May 11th, you'll be ready for this day! Throw your diet out the window and indulge one day!

Image from iclipart

Chicken Marsala

2011-05-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers who are moms or moms-to-be. I hope you had an amazing day!

This recipe is from a new cookbook I won. My mom's online forum had an auction about a month ago and one of the items up for bidding was Rachael Ray's new cookbook - Look & Cook. I've been waiting a new cookbook and this was mine to win! :)

I really like Chicken Marsala and it's one of those foods that I've never made at home but usually get out at weddings or other events. It's very easy to make and make enough for dinner and 2 lunches for each of us. I served it over whole wheat egg noodles.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour
3 - 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken stock
black pepper
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chieken with salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute chicken breats until cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. Once chicken is cooked though, place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt butter and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushroooms for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Add teh garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook for one minute. Slowly add the marsala wine to the pan and contine cooking for a couple minutes until the wine is reduced in about half.

Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring the sauce to bubbling. Add the chicken back into the pan to warm and combine.

Source: rachael ray's look & cook cookbook

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T12:24:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to have a new post for you, but the time got away from me. Seriously, how is it already May 5th? This year is already flying by....and it needs to SLOW down!!!! I have one new recipe I'm trying out tonight, although it's not Mexican, but it sure sounds delicious.

Anyways...here's some of my favorite Mexican recipes. What are some of your favorite Mexican foods to make?

Beef Empanadas

Chicken Fajita Soup

Family Sized Baked Burrito

Hummingbird Cake

2011-05-01T18:16:00.000-04:00

My friend Beth shared this recipe with me. I had never heard of hummingbird cake before but when Beth explained it to me, I thought it sounded perfect to make for Easter dinner. It was delicious! I guess it's a traditional Southern cake, but now it's going to be making its way into our house more often. It has the same texture as carrot cake but brings together banana, pineapple and pecans. I was also able to use fresh Georgia pecans from my friend Megan that I won in our mom's board auction. The recipe is for a three layered cake but I made with only two layers and it worked out fine. I really do need to invest in that third cake pan!

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (was about 2 med-large ones)

1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped canned pineapple
2/3 cup shelled pecans, chopped (I used a mini-chopper) plus extra chopped and whole to decorate
2 quantities cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

three 8-inch cake pans baselined with parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 325. Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don't worry if the mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.

Stir in the chopped pineapple and pecans by hand until evenly dispersed.

Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and smooth. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the cake bounces back when touched. Let the cake layers cool slightly in the pans before turning to wire racks to cool completely.

When the cake layers are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about 1/4 of the Cream Cheese Frosting over it. Place a second layer on top and spread another 1/4 of frosting. Top with the last layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with pecans and a light dusting of cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Frosting (1 quantity):
2 1/3 C confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

4oz cream cheese, cold

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes; double the recipe for 8-inch cake

Beat the confectioners' sugar and butter together in a freestanding mixer with paddle attachment on med-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to med-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

Dinner Rolls

2011-04-27T21:06:00.000-04:00

I've been saving this recipe for over 2 years but haven't made it due to my fear of using yeast. Now that I'm over that, I wanted to try this recipe for Easter dinner. They were very easy to make and I loved that the recipe gave 5 different variations of rolls. I tried all 5 but I think my favorites were the knots and snails. This recipe makes 16 rolls and can be easily frozen if you're not having a large dinner party or your husband doesn't eat 6 or more in one sitting. Love ya dear! ;)

2 tsp sugar
1 package dry yeast (approximately 2 1/4 tsp)
12 oz can evaporated fat-free milk, warmed (100 to 110 degrees)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
cooking spray
2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in the milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon or weight 3 cups (13.5 oz) of flour and egg into the milk mixture. Stir until smooth. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of flour and salt to the dough. Stir until a soft dough forms. If you have a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, turn on low to slowly combine and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Otherwise, turn the dough onto a floured surface, and knead dough by hand. Add the remaining flour by 1 tablespoon at time to prevent dough from sticking to the side of bowl/hands. The dough will be tacky.

Spray the inside of another large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough into the bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 40 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

On a floured work surface, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Working with one portion at a time, shape into the desired shape. Cover the remaining dough to prevent drying. Place shaped dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheets. Lightly coat shaped dough portions with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. In the same warm palce, let dough rise another 20 minutes or until the rolls have doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently brush dough with the butter. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate pans. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tops and bottoms are lightly brown and hollowing sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Place on wire racks to cool. Serve warm or cool completely on racks. To freeze rolls, after they are completely cooled, wrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze. Thaw and reheat still wrapped rolls at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until warm.

Roll variations:

Basic Roll: Shape each portion into a ball.

Knot: Roll each portion into an 8 inch rope. Tie each rope into a single knot, tucking the top end of the rope under the bottom edge of the roll.

Snail: Roll each portion into a 20 inch rope. Working on the a flat surface, coil each rope into a spiral pattern.

Cloverleaf: Divide each portion into three equal sized balls. Working with the three balls at time, arrange them in a triangle pattern. Make sure they are touching each other.

Twist: Shape each portion into an 18 inch rope. Fold each rope in half so that both ends meet. Working with one folded rope at a time, hold the ends of the rope in each hand and gently twist.

Source: Cooking Light

National Pretzel Day

2011-04-26T11:56:00.002-04:00

Happy National Pretzel Day! MMM...pretzels are my guilty pleasure. That dough, warm, salty goodness with spicy brown mustard...YUM!!

Growing up in the suburbs of Philly, I learned that pretzels are somewhat of a big deal! Whenever we'd go to visit my aunt in South Jersey, we'd always have to drive past my dad's old house and there would be vendors selling pretzels on street corners. Those pretzels always tasted the best!

Did you know that German monks created the pretzel in the Fifth century as a reward for children who performed good deeds? That definitely makes sense since my little one is always on her best behavior when we see a Pretzel factory or I make these pretzels bites!

French Dip Sandwiches

2011-04-25T19:49:00.001-04:00

My grocery store has chuck roasts on sale reguarly and it's usually buy one get one free...which is great for this recipe. I always struggle with what to make with chuck roast, but now this is my go-to-recipe! It's delicious, my mouth is practically watering now just typing up this recipe and staring at the picture below.

2.5-3 lb beef roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, carefully place the beef in the pan and sear it on all sides to lock in all the juices.

Once all the sides have been sear, place the beef in a slow cooker. Sprinkle it with the onion soup mix. Pour the water and beef broth over the meat.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The longer it cooks, the tender it will be. Trust me, cook it as long as possible! Once the meat is cooked through, shred the entire roast with a fork.

Serve on crusty rolls, we really liked it on ciabatta rolls. Top it with a slice of your preferred cheese and broil it open faced in the oven for a few minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese. Delicious!

I halved this recipe and it worked out fine.

Source: Our Best Bites

Veggie Ranch Pizza

2011-04-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

Madeline's daycare had an Easter party on Thursday and I signed up to bring veggies. I didn't want to bring just a bag of carrots, so I thought this would be something the kids would enjoy. I was wrong, Madeline said all the teachers ate it and none of the kids. Oh well...next time!

2 packages crescent rolls
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
veggies

In a jelly roll pan, spread out the crescent rolls to form a crust. Bake according to the package instructions for 10-12 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, miracle whip, dill and onion powder until well combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust.

Spread the veggies evenly aross the pizza. I used shredded carrots, peppers and broccoli.

Source: Kraft Foods

Garlic

2011-04-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

Happy Garlic Day! I'm a big fan of garlic and I use it a lot in my cooking. There's report after report of how garlic is good for you and is nothing short of a wonder herb. You mean the thing that can ward off vampire is really good for you?!!? Just kidding, just needed to throw that in to see if you were paying attention! LOL!

There's been new research about the health benefits of garlic - from helping to treat cancer, reducing high blood pressure, curing ear infections, flushing out toxins and so much more. Though there are some pretty gross side effects of eating too much garlic - garlic breath (who has a mint?), body odor and digestive problems. I guess everything in moderation is ok!

Now on to my favorite recipe highlighting garlic -

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

If you haven't tried this recipe yet, you're seriously missing out!

Garlic photo from istock.com

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

2011-04-17T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of stuffed cabbage, but not a big fan of making it. I know it's labor intensive and probably very easy, but being a working mom of a very active and energetic four year old, doesn't leave much time spend in the kitchen alone. During college, my roommate Jackie's mom would make us stuffed cabbage or golabkis and they were delicious!

This recipe is about as close as I'm going to get to making stuffed cabbage anytime in the near future. It was delicious and even better the next day!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 garlic cloved, minced
1 small head green cabbage, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is not longer pink. Drain fat from the pot. Stir in the cabbage, water, rice, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, basil, cayenne and black peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in crushed tomatoes and salt. Heat through. Serve sprinkled with grate parmesan cheese if desired.

Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

Mini Chocolate Chip Scones

2011-04-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

OMG this are to die for! Seriously, make them this weekend. They are so easy to make and taste amazing! I had to fight my huband off with the rolling pin while I was waiting for them to cool and icing them. I know I will be making these again...in the very, very near future!

2 ¾ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
9 oz (about 1 ½ cups) miniature chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
½ to 2/3 cup half and half

Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pantry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is coarse texture and resembles sand. Add the chocolate chips and stir to distribute.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, ½ cup of half and half until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix just until moistened and the dough sticks together. If the dough is too dry, add a tiny bit of half and half until the mixture comes together to form a dough.

Prepare a surface for rolling, either with flour or powdered sugar. Roll out the dough until it’s roughly an 8” square about 3/4” thick. Cut the dough into 2” squares and then cut those squares in half to make triangles, making approximately 32 scones. Move the triangles to the prepared baking sheets.

Refrigerate the scones uncovered for 45 minutes to chill and rim up.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place directly into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until scones are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks to completely cool.

For the glaze:

3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
5 to 7 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the glaze. Stir to combine. Add just enough water to make it the consistency you’re looking for. Once the scones are completely cooled, either drizzle the glaze or dip each scone into the glaze. Place back on the cooling rack to allow the glaze to set. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Macaroni & Cheesecake

Happy National Pecan Day

2011-04-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

I think pecans are my favorite nut and I have really enjoyed baking and eating them over the last year. I also need to thank my friend Megan because I always know I can count on her for my fresh Georgia pecan fix!

Here's a few of my favorite recipes using pecans:

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Brown Sugar Pecan Brie

Pecan Sandies

What are some of your favorite pecan recipes?

Asian Broccoli Chicken with Cashews

2011-04-12T12:14:00.000-04:00

I have been craving Chinese food lately and we haven't had a chance to go out for it. This was delicious and simple to make. I also loved that my husband made it since I was running late for work. He used to cook in a local restaurant but has since left and now works in an office.

When we dated in college, he would cook for me all the time. I think it was just his way to hook me in! I guess it worked! I do most of the cooking now, but it's always nice to have someone else cook for you. I might have to be late from work more often! :)

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch broccoli. cut into florets
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup catalina salad dressing
2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup cashew pieces

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and garlic and cook for 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Cover to keep warm.

Add broccoli and water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Stir in the chicken into the skillet with the broccoli. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cashews. Stir to combine and cook for 2 more minutes or until heated through.

Serve over brown rice. Top with cashew pieces.

Source: Kraft Foods

Easter Dinner

2011-04-11T08:44:00.000-04:00

I volunteered to make something for Easter dinner at my in-laws. I was thinking of a side dish and a dessert. I already know I'm going to make Hummingbird cake for dessert, but would love to hear from my readers on what side dish I should make.

So...give them to me! What should I make?

Image from Veer Images via Microsoft Clip Art

Chicken Fajita Soup

2011-04-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

I thought I blogged about this recipe a couple weeks ago, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. Whoops!

This is a great recipe to use up some chicken breast and not do much work. I always somehow have several packages of chicken breast in my freezer and this is a great recipe to use them especially since I usually have most of the other ingredients in my pantry.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (I omitted to make it Madeline friendly)
28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 qt low sodium chicken stock

In a slow cooker, add all the ingredients. Turn on low and cook for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked. When the chicken is cooked, remove it and shred. Place back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Serve topped with chopped cilantro, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips...or any of your other favorite ingredients!

Cinnamon-Sugar Banana Bread

2011-04-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

I had some over-ripe bananas on the counter from last week and I've been dying to bake something. I've had another insane and crazy busy week (one more to go!) so I didn't do much cooking or baking. Lots of cleaning out the freezer and pantry and leftovers. I have a few things planned for this week, but I know it's going to be just as busy, if not busier than last week. I can't even remember the last time I worked out, needless to say, it's been weeks! I need to get back into my routine and the first thing that always helps is baking!

I had recruited Madeline to help me, but she decided playing games with Daddy was more important. Fine by me! Sometimes it's easier to bake without her, plus it's always good for her and Daddy to spend quality time together...since they've been fighting like cats and dogs lately.

Now, on the to bread. It was delicious and the brown sugar crust was the perfect sweetness!

3 over-ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 - 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add all the other ingredients except the brown sugar. Mix well until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Sprinkle the brown sugar on top in an even layer. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Recipe slightly adapted from: La Casa de Sweets

Something on a Stick Day

2011-03-28T09:14:00.000-04:00

Here's to celebrating "something on a stick" day.

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

What is your favorite "something on a stick?"

Colorburst Cupcakes

2011-03-27T20:24:00.001-04:00

I'm alive, no worries. Things have been a little hectic here in our house. Our little one celebrated her 4th birthday last Tuesday. I was in denial that she's growing up...I mean, wasn't she just born last year?!?!?! We also lost my husband's grandmother last week, so I have been helping with her house.

Back to Madeline's birthday... I made a batch of colorburst cupcakes for her to take into school. I made them last year for her birthday party but changed up the colors this year. I went with pink and purple - her two favorite colors! They are very easy to make and are SO moist!

1 box of white cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients with a hand mixer. Once incorporated, mix on medium-high for 2 minutes.

Divide batter into smaller bowls according to how many colors your cupcakes will be. I did 3 - pink, purple and white. For 3 colors, it ended up being about 2.5 cups each.

Color batter with food coloring until the desired color is achieved. Line 2 muffin pans with paper lines.

To get a layered look, place a spoonful of each color until the cups. The batter is very thick. A little tip - fill a small cup with warm water. Dip your finger into the water and then spread the batter around the paper liner. Continue until all colors are used.

Bake according to the package instructions.

Frost with your favorite icing recipe.

Source: Our Best Bites

Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

2011-03-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

One of the moms on my online mommy board shared this recipe for chicken and cheese taquitos and gave it rave reviews. I was a little hesitant to try it but after more and more people made it and posted how delicious it was…I knew it was time for me to try it. And they were right! This is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken when you’re tired of chicken salad sandwiches or grilled chicken over a salad. The recipe makes about 16 taquitos which gave us enough for dinner and lunch the next day for me and my husband.

1 bar lowfat cream cheese, softened
½ cup green enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 package flour tortillas

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, enchilada sauce, lime juice, spices, garlic and green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the cheese, chicken and cilantro and mix well.

Warm up the tortillas according to the package to make more pliable. Place a few tablespoons of the filling in the tortilla and tightly roll up. Place the taquito seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Continue this process until all the filling is used. Spray the tops of the taquitos lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes or until tortillas are brown and crispy and filling is warmed. Enjoy!

Source: Baked Bree

Oatmeal Cookie Day

2011-03-18T08:25:00.001-04:00

Did you know March 18th is Oatmeal Cookie Day? I didn't and it got me thinking. There has to be many different "food holidays" that I don't know about. So I did a little searching online and found several lists for all the food holidays in each month.

I'm planning to highlight several days each month with my favorite recipes. Here's the first one....Oatmeal Cookie Day.

This is my favorite oatmeal cookie and of course I need to add raisins to it!

Click for the recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Orange Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

2011-03-17T08:15:00.000-04:00

I have been making a lot of recipes with chicken lately and it's getting a little boring. I love chicken and try to eat that more often than red meat, but sometimes I just need some beef. This recipe definitely fit the bill along with my craving for some Chinese food. I've been wanting to do takeout from our favorite Chinese/Japanese restaurant, but I think they're closed due to a fire the other night. I was driving home and noticed a couple fire trucks outside the restaurant and tonight, the lights were off and a sign was on the door. Hopefully they'll be back in business soon, they have the best sushi and singapore noodles!

This recipe was the perfect thing to make on a busy weeknight and even better, it's made in one pot. That's something my husband likes....only one pot instead of three. LOL! We made a deal, I cook and he does dishes. I think it's working out just fine. :)

1/2 lb boneless sirloin, cut into thin strips
15 oz can reduced-sodium beef broth
4 Tbsp teriyaki stir-fry sauce
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup uncooked whole wheat egg noodles

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in the skillet for 2 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally until beef is browned. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl tented with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add the broth, stir fry sauce, marmalade and cayenne pepper to the skillet. Heat to boiling. Add the noodles and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. The original recipe calls to also add sugar snap peas with the noodles, but I couldn't find them at the store.

Stir in the beef. Cook uncovered for 2 more minutes until sauce has slightly thickened.

Orzo with Meatballs

2011-03-16T20:12:00.000-04:00

My husband is not a big fan of spaghetti, so I thought I would be tricky and use orzo instead. It worked! This was a simple recipe to make, but full of flavor. I loved the addition of spinach to the meatballs and the sauce was perfect with the addition of red peppers. This is definitely a recipe I will be making over and over again - but with double the meatballs!

1/2 lb lean ground beef
5 oz package thawed chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, silvered
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1 can (28 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
8 oz orzo

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with alumnium foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp black pepper unitil well combined. Shape into bite-sized meatballs.

Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake turning once for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink and cooked through.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a stock pot over high heat. Saute the red pepper and garlic for one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the water, remaining oregano, black pepper. Cook until the peppers until tender.

Add the tomatoes to the pepper mixture and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and reduce heat the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently for 10 minutes to incorporate the flavors.

While the sauce and meatballs are cooking, bring a pot of water to boiling and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over the pasta.

Recipe slightly adapted from: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Cooking Disaster

2011-03-13T19:34:00.001-04:00

Things always don't goes as planned. WHOOPS!

I was planning to make an quiche last week, but had some issues. I overfilled the pie crust and my baking sheet warmed in the oven and moved...resulting in what you see above. Needless to say, we ordered pizzas. I'm going to make attempt making it again next weekend.

What have been some of your cooking disasters?

Honey-Lemon Muffins

2011-03-13T13:51:00.000-04:00

I was in the mood to bake last week. Yes, I haven't had a chance to post anything new for a couple days, things have been busy around here. I also caught a virus on our home computer and it's out for repair, so luckily I brought my home my laptop from work, otherwise we would have been disconnected all weekend! I don't think we would have been handle to that.

So that's an update on us. These muffins are so full of lemon flavor! They are also pretty healthy especially if you don't add the drizzle to them. I couldn't resist. I was worried they might be a little dry, but they were the complete opposite. They're a dense muffin, but really moist.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Drizzle
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
additional grated lemon peel (I used dried lemon peel)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 10 paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, honey, lemon juice, butter and lemon peel. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.

Fill the muffin cups one-half full with batter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over warm muffins and sprinkle with the additional lemon zest.

Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

Crunchy Whole-Grain Chicken Bites

2011-03-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

Madeline is a big fan of chicken nuggets but I hate relying on prepackaged foods, but need something in a pinch when we're running late or short on time. These chicken bites were tasty and super moist! You could definitely change the flavor up with different chips or adding hot sauce and bleu cheese for buffalo style bites.

1 lb chicken tenders
dry ranch dressing mix packet
1 egg white
6 cups whole-grain chips (I used regular Sun Chips)
1/4 tsp paprika
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the chicken tenders into 1 - 1 1/2 inch pieces. Whisk together 1 Tbsp of dressing mix and the egg white in a large bowl.

In a gallon sized resealable plastic bag, crush the chips into small pieces. Add the remaining dressing mix and paprika and shake well.

Add the chicken to the egg mixture and mix well to coat. Add half of the coated chicken to the chips and shake to coat with crumbs and arrange on a single layer on a baking stone. Repeat with the remaining coated chicken and chips.

Spray chicken generously with cooking spray. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and center is no longer pink.

Source: Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbook

Roasted Vegetable Flatbreads

2011-03-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

I am trying to get back into eating meatless once a week for both health reasons and finanically. Have you seen the prices of meat lately? It's been outrageous and I think it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

I picked up a pack of Arnold's flatbreads while at Walmart last week and they were perfect for this recipe. Pita bread or english muffins would work great too.The flatbreads are new product and are hard to find right now, but they are work it! I can't wait to try other recipes with them. I used veggies that I had on hand but these can be catered to whatever you have in your produce bin.

1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
nonstick cooking spray
salt & pepper
3-4 flatbreads
4 tsp reduced-caloried italian salad dressing
shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place the cut vegetables on the baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Roast for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange vegetables on the flatbreads. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of italian dressing. Divide cheese among flatbreads.

Place flatbreads on a clean baking sheet or warmed baking stone and return to oven. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and flatbread starts to crisp.

Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine

Baked Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

2011-03-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

I'm finally finding some time on this Saturday afternoon to do a little blogging. Needless to say, this week has been crazy with work, family life and a few other secretive things I've been working on. I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow's rainy day, I could use it to just relax and lounge around the house in hopes of recharging for another crazy week at work.

Now back to the real reason you've stopped by...FOOD. I love risotto but unfortunely my husband is not a big fan of it. He describes it as mushy rice, I just don't think he's ever had good risotto. This recipe is less time consuming than the traditional way of making risotto on the stovetop - it's baked! To make it even better, I was lucky to have a coworker give me some vension sausage from his freezer - thanks George!

3/4 lb sausage, casings removed
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh chopped parsley
salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degress. In a dutch oven or large ovenproof pot with a lid, cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring to break it up. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until browned. Spoon sausage onto a paper-towel lined plate and drain fat from pot.

Return pot to heat and add olive oil. Add onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is soft and mushroom juices evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of warmed chicken broth, stirring to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in rice and cook for 3 minutes. Add 3 more cups of broth and stir to combine.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese, reserved sausage meat and the remaining chicken stock. Cover and return to the oven. Bake until rice is tender but not mushy, about 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

Adapted from All You Magazine, February 2011

Let's Celebrate Peanuts!

2011-03-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

Did you know that March is National Peanut Month? I had no idea until I saw another food blogger post about it today. Our family is HUGE fans of peanut butter and we go through big jars of it too quickly!

Here's some fun facts about peanuts:

National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941 and was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.
Americans eat 3 pounds of peanut butter per person every year. I think my husband eats way more than that!
One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

Now to share some of my favorite recipes that feature peanuts/peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Chewy Granola Bars

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Thai Chicken Broccoli Wraps

And always...just a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich!

Beef Empanadas

2011-02-27T13:41:00.000-05:00

This was my first time making beef empanadas or anything similar to this and it was a success...we'll at least for Ross and I. Madeline is not a big fan of beef, so needless to say I caved and made her something else for dinner. This was one battle I did not feel like dealing with the other night.

I used premade pie crusts which worked out great especially during the week when my time is limited to cook. This recipe uses the leftover beef from the beef roast I made earlier in the week.

2 cups leftover sliced beef, finely chopped
1 cup reduced fat shredded monterey jack cheese
4 oz can diced green chilies
4 oz can diced pimentos, drained
Two 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I baked on a seasoned stone, but if you do not have one, coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, cheese, chilies and pimentos. Set aside.

Unroll the pie crusts on a flat surface. Top one of the crusts evenly with the beef mixture, spreading it to 1/2 inch of the edge of the crust. Top with the second pie crust. Using a knife, cut the circle into 4 wedges. Pinch around the edges of each wedge to seal them shut. I had a hard time going this and just pushed the filling into the center to give me more room to seal the edges together.

Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and make a small slit in the top to let steam escape during baking. Bake until the crust is golden brown about 10 to 12 minutes.

Source: Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Sweet and Tangy Beef Roast with Vegetables

2011-02-26T09:22:00.000-05:00

This was another great recipe that makes enough for another meal. I've really been enjoying being able to stretch one meal into two and it definitely helps with the ever increasing gas prices! This week has been quite stressful between work, family life and me having pink eye, but knowing that I planned out my meals the week before helped keep things under control.

This recipe is very hearty and make enough for dinner, leftovers for Ross and I and then more meat for my second recipe - I'll be posting that later this weekend.

1 Tbsp olive oil
5 lb boneless beef chuck or rump roast, trimmed of fat
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large turnip, peeled and chopped
15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the roast to the pan and brown on all sides. Using tongs, remove the roast from teh pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the onion, sweet potatoes and turnip and cook, stirring a few times until the vegetables begin to brown about 3 minutes. Return the beef to the pan.

While the vegetables are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the beef and vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, turning the roast every 20 to 30 minutes until the meat is tender, about 60-80 minutes.

Let the beef roast rest for 15 minutes and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Serve one-third fof the meat with this meal and all the vegetables. Refrigerate the remaining beef for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

2011-02-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

These drumsticks are so good! Of course the picture doesn't do them justice, but trust me they're delicious. They're sweet but have a bit of heat to them from the Sriracha hot sauce. This was the first time I've use this hot sauce and I really liked it. It has a different depth of flavor than the usual hot sauce we use around here.

6 - 8 medium drumsticks, skin removed
cooking spray
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste - I used a Tbsp and it was fine for my daughter)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated or 1/4 tsp dried ginger
sesame seeds & chopped chives

In a large sauce pan, brown the chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little cooking spray. Add the water, balsamic viengar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and hot sauce. Cook on high until the liquid comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.

Remove cover and bring to the heat back to high, allowing the sauce to reduce down. This takes about 8 - 10 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze. Turn the chicken occassionally. Keep an eye on the glaze so it does not burn when it starts to become thick.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour the glaze over top. Top with sesame seeds and chopped chives if desired.

Source: Gina's Skinny Recipes

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

2011-02-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

I am really enjoying baking fresh bread. I love the texture of it and the fact that I made it with my own two hands and didn’t buy it from a bag at the grocery store. For the last week, one of my coworkers has been toasting cinnamon-raisin bread for breakfast and that delicious aroma has been wafting down the hallway to my office. I looked through my starred recipes on my RSS feed and found this recipe from Annie’s Eats. It is a little time consuming while waiting for each step to rise, but trust me its well worth it. I had the ingredients I needed in my pantry except raisins, but I picked up a box while I was grocery shopping this weekend and spent Sunday making this bread.

Dough ingredients:

1 1/8 tsp instant yeast
1 cup warm milk (105 – 110 degrees F)
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ tsp coarse salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup raisins

Vegetable oil

Filling ingredients:
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp water

1 egg, lightly beaten

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, milk, flour, butter, sugar, egg, salt and cinnamon. Mix briefly until the dough starts to form. Switch to a dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is mostly smooth and clears from the sides of the bowl, about 3 minutes. Add in the raisins and continue kneading the dough for another 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth and supple and the raisins are evenly incorporated.

Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning over to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat into a round. Fold the bottom third of the dough up and then fold the top third down, similar to folding a business letter. Next, fold the right and left sides into the center in thirds forming a rectangle. Press down to seal. Return to the bowl, cover and let rise again until doubled about 40 minutes.

Generously …and I mean GENEROUSLY (learn from my experience!) butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon and water for the filling. Whisk together until well combined.

Return the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush lightly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a thin border around the edges. Fold in the edges of the long sides of the dough about an inch.

Beginning with one of the short ends, roll the dough up in a tight spiral log, gently pressing as you go. Pinch the seam shut and place the loaf seam side down into the prepared baking pan. Don’t forget to pinch the seam shut or most of your filling will ooze out of the bread…another chance for you to learn from my mistakes. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let rise until the dough has risen just above the edge of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. After the loaf has risen, brush the top of the loaf lightly with the remaining beaten egg. Bake, rotating pan halfway through the cooking until the bread is golden brown, about 45 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil loosely over the top (I did this when I rotated the bread).

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out bread onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Recipe from: Annie’s Eats

Turkey Bolognese over Rigatoni

2011-02-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

This is the second recipe using the tangy tomato ragout that I made last week. It was super simple and perfect for a quick dinner especially since we had to take Madeline to the doctor's for an ear check. Unfortunely her appointment did not go well - she had a SEVERE ear infection. I am amazed at how much of a trooper she was and never complained at home. I have to thank daycare because they are the ones who called to tell me she had be saying her ear hurt. She's doing much better and I'm hoping her re-check goes well!

Anyways, back to the food. Bolognese is a very rich and thick sauce. I know my husband would have preferred if I used ground beef, but I had ground turkey in the freezer, so that's what he got!

12 oz rigatoni pasta or any tube shaped pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta or turkey bacon
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
3 cups leftover Tangy Tomato Ragout
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 3 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the ground turkey and cook 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through. Drain excess fat. Add the ragout and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes to heat through. Remove from the heat and stir in the oregano.

Divide the pasta into individual serving bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and top with mozzarella cheese. Mangia!

Recipe adapted from Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Double Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

2011-02-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

While getting an oil change at Walmart a couple weeks ago, I had about an hour to spare and wondered the aisles. I stumbled upon a bag of dark chocolate and mint chips that were on sale. Now, dark chocolate and mint is one of my favorite flavor combinations and I knew that I wanted to change up my chocolate chip pudding cookie recipe to use these chips.

Instead of the usual vanilla pudding mix, I used chocolate fudge and these chips. They were seriously amazing and so tasty! They weren't too chocolately or minty - just the right combination. I bagged up half of the batch into little bags to give to my daughter's daycare teachers at Valentine's Day treats. Two of her teachers dug into them at 7am on Monday when I dropped Madeline off at school.

I love the versatility of this recipe and the thousands of flavor combinations that are possible. What flavor of cookies would you like to bake next?

Grilled Chicken with Tangy Tomato Ragout and Melted Swiss

2011-02-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

I didn't want you to wait too long for a recipe using the tangy tomato ragout, so here you go. This is so simple and delicious! I love the tang of the sauce with melted swiss cheese.

2 cups tangy tomato ragout
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 cup reduced fat swiss cheese

Coat a stove-top grill pan or skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the hot grill pan and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Preheat your broiler.

Transfer the chicken to a shallow baking dish. top each chicken breast with 1/2 cup of the ragout and an equal amount of the shredded cheese. Broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Source: Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller